Higher education Essay Example for Free

Higher education EssayModern day education is aided with a variety of technology, computers, projectors, internet, and many more. Diverse noesis is cosmos spread among the people. Everything that can be simplified has been made simpler. Science has explored every aspect of life. There is much to learn and more to assimilate. Internet provides unmeasured knowledge. There is no end to it. One can learn everything he wishes to. Every topic has developed into a subject. New inventions and discoveries adopt revealed the unknown initiation to us more variedly. Once a new aspect is discovered, hundreds of heads start babbling over it, and you get a dogma from hearsay. Not only our artificial satellite only if the whole universe has become accessible. Now we have good and learned teachers to impart us with knowledge of what they know. Every one is a pass over in his field. We and our children are getting taught by professionals of their field. Presently our education is based on making us the best in our area of interest, to help us reach our goals more easily. More of the fact based knowledge is being grasped by us. What we learn helps us in our career and in our profession.Professionalism is deep-rooted in our society now and this education makes us so. Skill-development and vocational education has added a new feather to the modern system of education. There is something to learn for everyone. Even an sister these days goes to a kindergarten. And a little grown, mentally and physically is promoted to a Montessori. Everything is being categorized, be it a primary, middle, a higher secondary or alumnus school. We have temples of education known by a familiar word the university. Whatsoever we are getting educated day by day and whats good about is that its a never-ending process.Rightly said by Aristotle, Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refugee in adversity. is what everybody feels now. THE shirkS Well, that was the positive side, but eve ry story has two telling. Of all the virtue, our education system has developed into mere schooling now. New trends are being developed which are far more a baloney that boon. Albert Einstein once said Education is that which remains, if one has forgotten everything one learned in school. Firstly our education is confined to schools and colleges. It has become a process of spoon feeding.Spoon feeding in the long run teaches us nothing but the shape of the spoon were the words of E. M. Forster. We are being fed with facts and knowledge. Not art, not books, but life itself is the true basis of teaching and learning. Cramming of facts and dates, hi-fi numeral formulas, theories and doctrines should be at college levels when one has chosen his area of interest. What will the history pay a doctor or a mathematician, or medical terms to a historian? Secondly, an art can only be learned from a workshop of those who are earning their bread from it. Modern education has spread more ignora nce than knowledge.Most of the women even dont know, where, the fabric they are wearing, came from. The word How is missing in our world which causes ignorance. Educationhas produced a vast population able-bodied to read but unable to distinguish what is worth reading. says G. M. Trevelyan. Thirdly all education is bad which is not self-education. Presently, children after school are sent to tuitions. This is a clear question mark on the ability of school teacher. Homework tutorials are mushrooming up in our society. Students are thought of like they cant do anything on their own and so are sent even to do the homework.Our schoolings got a lot of loop-holes. They guide us through a sound catered pathway which finally leads to professionalism. Homework is a waste of time, if it is to repeat kinfolk work done today or to be repeated as class work to be done tomorrow. Our schooling does not leave us with time to get educated. Mark Twain once said that I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. Our childs normal routine has become to wake up early, brush up their minds with fainthearted reading, go to school, then go to tuition and finally come home and do the homework.Finally our education is producing machines out of pupil. They read books, they speak books and they do books. Discussing in class lead to complications, which remains as confusions for a life time if left untreated. Vladimir Nabokov, a U. S critic, poet and novelist says Discussion in class, which means letting xx young blockheads and two cocky neurotics discuss something that neither their teacher nor they know. So, its a matter of debate that our education system is fallacious or fair.

Social Historical Bacground Essay Example for Free

Social Historical Bacground EssayA Dolls House was first published in Copenhagen, Denmark in December 1879. The first chance variable of the correspond flew of the shelves with 8000 copies sold within the first month. The suffer was then staged at Copenhagens Royal Theatre on the 21st of December of the same year. This allowed mess who had contract the manu helping hand (men), as well as those people who could non read (women), the chance to see Ibsens visual representation of his coquet. Women were less likely to read as they were less likely to attend school. Therefore, when men and women attended theatres a difference of opinion arose. Women were for the independence of Nora whilst men found it scandalous.However, both genders found elements of the play scandalous such as the lack of a happy ending, a sign of naturalistic drama of which Ibsen was a master. Most other playwrights of the time were quiesce writing plays which adhered to the conventions laid out by Ancien t Greek tragedy the play must be in verse and about people of risque social experimental condition. A Dolls House featured simple prose and was about people of different statutory. The Royal Theatre was frequented by both people of high status and low status. This only scandalised audiences even more as the higher status audiences were disgusted whilst lower status audience members applauded Ibsen.A Dolls House was the centre of conversations in Copenhagen and soon news of the scandalous play travelled across Denmark and beyond. By the following year the play had reached audiences in Europe whilst by 1990 the play had appeared in most continents of the world.The shocking nature of the play meant that not all conversations related to A Dolls House were good. This can be seen in the array of critical description the play has received. Such commentary was fuelled by Ibsen when in 1898 he denounced that he wrote the play with the womens rights movement in mind To me it has seemed a p roblem of mankind in general. Others believed this too, such as Zelda Fichandler working for the Washington Post who wrote Womens rightsis too limited a subject to be the stuff of art.With the freedom of women now dismissed as Ibsens goal, critics began to draw up their own conclusions as to what the play was about. Michael Meyer wrote Its theme is the need of every individual to find out the kind of person he or she really is and to strive to become that person. This comment is regarded in todays world as quite valid. Modern audiences can accept that Ibsens focus was not just on women, but that the play could be applied to both sexes. Meanwhile, audiences of the past could not accept this which lead to some alteration of the text and its production.The play was altered by directors and producers for two main reasons either the producers were disturbed by its content or they were trying to stage the play in a new way. The ending of the play was changed in Germany when the actress ca st as Nora said that she could never leave her children. Ibsen saw the changes as a barbaric outrage on the play but could not do anything due to the lack of copyright. The changing of the end brought about public outcry and the ending was reverted to its original. Another person to change the script because of children was Eleonora Duse but she changed the script as she found it difficult to bring child actors on tour from Italy.The play was also staged in several different ways. Meyerholds set of the play was changed from comfortable to cramped. He included rickety furniture with a long red drape hanging over the window to express his idea that everything was collapsing button to the devil. This view is, in my opinion, very true. It is not only Nora who is collapsing under the strain of her lies the relationships and trust is collapsing too. The play was again staged differently by director ray of light Ashmore who placed rooms mentioned in the stage directions and areas beside the living room and master bedroom in his production.Not everything associated with the play was altered some characters were representations of real career people. Nora is actually based upon a friend of Ibsen called Laura Kieler. Lauras economize, like Torvald, became ill forcing the couple abroad. Nora arranged a loan with the help of a friend so that her preserve did not know anything. Once her husband got better she wrote about her ordeal and tried to sell the story in the form of a novel to abide for the debt. She asked Ibsen for his assistance with this but he wrote back to Laura and advised her to take up the matter with her husband. Ibsen believed that Laura was hiding something from the husband and believed that the husband should take responsibility for her troubles.Laura had not told her husband anything about the loan as she was too scared. When she received the letter from Ibsen saying he would not publish the novel she forged a check to indemnify back the loan. However, the forgery was discovered and Laura was forced to tell her husband everything. Lauras husband was enraged and filed for separation. As a result, Nora suffered a mental breakdown and had to go to a mental hospital. When she was released from the institution she begged her husband to take her back. I believe that there are obvious parallels here between Nora and Laura

A View from the bridge Essay Example for Free

A View from the keep going EssayThe play is set in the Red Hook district of New York where a Sicilian corporation has set up, and where respect is everything. The play is set in the 1940s, in the great depression.Eddie Carbone is the main character of the play, and one of Arthur Millers main concerns with him is his psychological state of mind. The play concentrates from the premier(prenominal) word to the last full stop on the way Eddie clashes with his emotions, as his niece, Catherine, matures into a young woman and constructs a serious relation ship with an illegal immigrant who is staying with them. Arthur Miller was born on October 17th, 1915, in New York. Both of his parents were immigrants, but the family was quiet wealthy because of his fathers successful clothing business, until it was declared bankrupt following the clash at the stock exchange.Miller then went to work as a warehouseman to earn money to go to the university of Michigan in 1934.Miller whilst studdin g, economics and History also took a course in playwriting and then became his main fixation. After his graduation in 1938, he became a journalist and wrote radio scripts.During institution war two Miller worked as a ship fitter for two years, in Brooklyn Navy Ship yard, where almost all the workers were of Italian descendant.His scratch line stage play to be produced, The Man Who Had All the Luck, was a total failure when it was staged on Broadway in 1944. tho in 1947 All My sons was an abundant success. This was followed by an different great success two years later, Death of a Salesman, this play was such a success it won the Pulitzer Prize. In 1953 he wrote The Crucible, which he wrote as his reaction to the hounding down on left wing sympathizers, which was the current trend in the United States of America, he himself was summoned.A view from the bridge was his next play. It was first produced as a one-act play in 1955, but an extended and modified in 1956 and then was pr esented at the Comedy Theatre in London.Also in 1956 he divorced his first wife and married his second wife Marilyn Monroe, which in turn boosted his celebrity status. But this marriage was presently lived and a divorce was settled in 1961.Miller has continued to produce a number of successful plays and has written an autobiography Timebends in 1987.The play A View from the bridge was thought up by Arthur Miller in the late 1940s, when he became engrossed in the lives and work of longshoremen in New Yorks Brooklyn harbour, and where he had previously worked.A lawyer friend of Millers told him a story he had heard of a longshoreman who had informed the Immigration board on two of his own relatives who were staying with him, he did this to break up an engagement between one of them and his niece.The story ended inevitably in tragedy with the mans death.Eddie is portrayed as an honest, untiring man, however soon into the play his character changes,and from the very few lines of the p lay the main character Eddie is trying to protect his niece Catherine from other men and save her for himselfCatherine But those guys look at all the girls, you know that.Eddie You aint all the girls.This clearly shows that Catherine is very special to Eddie and he will do any thing to protect her.The except on into the play you go the more it becomes apparent that Eddie is emotionally unstable and is not ready to deal with his inner emotions, he turns out quiet stinking and an overall angry person towards lifeI aint starting nothing, but I aint goanna stand around looking at thatThis aggression is directed at his wife Beatrice and a relative named Rodolpho who at this time has started dating his beloved niece.The further on in the play Eddie starts to show his anger in other ways, mainly by insulting and talking about Rodolpho behind his back

What Works in Preventing Modern Slavery

What Works in Preventing new-fashi integrityd SlaveryThis essay foc economic consumptions on modern font Slavery which covers human trafficking, thraldom, pressure effort and domestic slavery. It will stick out on advertised labour within the Modern Slavery puzzle out 2015. It will outline what force labour means, review statistics that evidence the extent of the problem, and whence make some recommendations to stop agonistic labour.Accordingto International Labour Organisation (ILO) (2017) forced labour refers to theact of coercing or deceiving someone into working against their will. Victimsof forced labour atomic number 18 often control guide by their employers through variousmeans such as threats, physical harm, confiscation of identity documents andthe withholding of wages. Indirect force may be used such as retaining the documentationof the foreign nations to prevent them from returning to their native country. Theygo on to say that forced labour and human trafficking argon modern forms of slaveryand require vigilance. They are not identical within the legal system. Mostsituations of slavery and human trafficking are cover by their definition offorced labour. Children.gov.on.ca commented in a Reviewof the Roots of Youth Violence paper that rational pick theory is based onthe current opinions of classical criminology, which en up to(p)s great deal to freelychoose their behaviour and is motivated by the avoidance of pain and to searchfor pleasure. In terms ofoffending, rational choice suggests that offenders weigh the potential benefitsand consequences associated with committing an offence. Rational choicefocuses on the opportunity to commit crime and on how criminal choices arestructured by the social environs and situational variables.TheILO reported in 2017, that in that location is an estimation of 40.3 million people inmodern slavery. This includes 24.9 million in forced labour and 15.4 million whoare in forced marriages. This means t here are 5.4 victims of modern slavery to1,000 people in the world. Roughly 10 million children are victims of modernslavery. Of the 24.9 million people who are trapped in forced labour, 16million people are exploited as domestic work, construction or agriculture bythe private sector, 4.8 million people are exploited within the sex world and 4million people are forced labour by the state authorities.Belowthe charts in figure 1 and figure 2 shows the ILOs world(prenominal) estimates of modernslavery including forced labour and forced marriage.The Modern Slavery portrayal 2015 protectspeople held for slavery or servitude and if they are forced into it orcompulsory labour beyond their will. Also, human trafficking is covered by The flake, by making it an offence if anyone arranges and enables another person totravel, who is going to be exploited. This person can be either an adult orchild. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 consolidates existing offences of human traffickingand slavery and encompasses trafficking for all told forms of victimisation. This Actreplaces offences of human trafficking arising under section 59A SexualOffences Act 2003 and section 4 Asylum and Immigration Act 2004. The Act alsoreplaces the offence of holding another person in slavery or servitude orrequiring another person to perform forced or compulsory labour arising undersection 71 Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (cps.gov.uk). This consolidation ofexisting regulations into a single statue is an important development in the UKbecause hopefully to improve the conviction rates current criminal offences inrelation to slavery and trafficking and by increasing the maximum penalty todeter potential offenders. Tilley (2009) notes the superior general value of specificdeterrence within a Direct Criminal Justice System (CJS) Approach points outthat offenders are deterred from committing future crimes by the unpleasantnessof punishment, by having harsher penalties and these seeing others beingpunish ed and will other individuals from committing crimes. The IndependentAnti-Slavery Commissioner Strategic Plan 20152017, was produced by thegovernment in line with the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The Strategic Planacknowledges the scale of the problem of modern slavery and makes practicalrecommendations to try to address the issues. Within the document the HomeOffice estimates in UK that there were between 10,000 13,000 potentialvictims of modern slavery in 2014. There is some improvement to identifypossible victims, so they can be removed from exploitation and protect themfrom further harm and enable them to receive the right help they train. Thosevictims often suffer from varied physical and psychological health issues. Someare classed as serious problems from the direct results of exploitation theymay have suffered. It is important to make the victims feel safe and secure andprotect them from harm by acquiring them the delay and care once they areremoved from those who have been e xploiting them. This is so they can be empoweredto increase their long-term healing, strength, and regain into inclusive monastic orderand to rebuild their lives. The way forward for this to be achieved is to workwith the Home Office, border control and health agencies across UK. Appropriateawareness raising, and training should be hurtle in place and promoted regularly.They also need to regularly review the associated material is fit for purpose abouthelping the potential victims to access appropriate support and assistance.Morework is necessary within the immigration, border control, trading standards,police, courts and prosecution. Additionally, training is needful to highlightthe potential signs of victims whether they are UK citizens or foreigncitizens. If police and the familiarity should be vigilant and aware that aproperty has barred windows or curtains are permanently drawn, this may bebecause victims of modern slavery are peradventure being held there. This is doneto prevent them from climbing out. Other indications could be if the letterboxsealed up, so it cannot be used and is there any sign of electricity machine-accessibleto neighbouring properties or directly from power lines. If businesses areusing people for forced labour then they may be wearing inappropriate clothingrequired for the job, have poor hygiene, be fearful or unwilling to engage withthe state-supported or other colleagues.Thereport outlines that modern slavery in the UK is a high profit and low riskcrime. The reason for modern slavery is a high profit and low risk crimebecause human trafficking is one of the fastestgrowing criminal enterprises. Criminal organizations are increasingly attractedto human trafficking because, un homogeneous drugs, humans can be sold repeatedly.Human trafficking not lonesome(prenominal) involves sex and labour, but people are alsotrafficked for organ harvesting. So criminal organisations can distancethemselves easily from the victims by selling them on regularly. In 2014the Home Office estimated that approximately 11,500 potential victims of modernslavery across UK. They also report there were just 2,340 potential victimsreported to the content Referral Mechanism. The NationalReferral Mechanism(NRM) is a framework for identifying victims of humantrafficking or modern slavery and ensuring they receive the appropriatesupport. Very few modern slavery crimes come the attention of the police andcriminal justice agencies and even fewer offenders are caught and convicted. Thereport estimates that 187 prosecutions involving human trafficking offences wereflagged up by the Crown Prosecution Service in 2014-15 and one hundred thirty of those casesresulted in a successful conviction. However, data from Ministry of Justice showed exclusively 39 convictions in 2014 from slavery and human trafficking offences as aprincipal offence. The discrepancy arguably indicates that the CrownProsecution Service and Ministry of Justice are not wo rking togethereffectively.The anti-slavery organisation highlights how the UK can challenge modern slavery. They state there are three areas to focus on. Firstly, in policing. Although modern slavery has become more visual it has been rising considerably over the past few years. Some cases are still turned away by the police because they are not believed, and those who has been forced into crime have been treated as criminals. Secondly, is identification. The referral system in use often only looks at victims of forced labour through their immigration status. This means people from outside the European Union are up to iv times less likely to be recognised as victims of trafficking and are often deported rather than protected. Also, visa rules also prevent overseasdomestic workers from leave abusive employers and seeking out new ones. This often leads them to suffer abuse in silence. Lastly, is protection. Protection and support for victims of trafficking is inconsistent, especial ly after all the government cuts and cost-efficiency savings. The victims of forced labour who have survived and been rescued, have been in a safe house to recover but that is only for a limited time and they do not get long-term support even if they need it, so they can fully recover and get their lives back on track. They also state that the protection of children is also of great concern. A Child Guardianship scheme has been included in the Modern Slavery Act, but the full implementation of it is not schedule until mid-2019.Tohelp to prevent and reduce modern slavery, it would help to have a multi-agencyteam, which should include the police, health and social services, localauthority, immigration, border control and trading standards. This is to beable to prevent other crimes committed within the modern slavery (forcedlabour) and crimes being committed by the victims of forced labour when tryingto escape captivity.Organisationslike health and social services, local authority, hou sing departments,voluntary organisations are usable to support the police with supportingvictims of modern slavery. Some voluntary organisations which are availableincludes refuge, shelter, NSPCC, Womens Aid and translation organisations. Theseagencies can help victims to trust authorities that they are there to help andwill not deport them back to their original country. Deportation will not bedone for up to 90 days as the victims have access to move-on support, such as ongoingaccommodation, counselling, honest advice and advocacy before the finaldecision is made (Newton, gov.uk). They can then hopefully set up a peer groupto be able to support others with their experiences with agreement to have acouncillor on hand if people need to talk through things as and when postulate.Otherrecommendations that possibly need to be in place are to have more borderagency staff at ports and air ports to be able to check all vehicles arrivingto stop illegal immigrants being brought in against their will or have paid thedrivers to do so for a better life. More checks are needed on foreign nationalcoming in with little money to support themselves. To disrupt criminal activityTilley (2009) says there should be intelligence led policing to monitor andtrace criminal organisations, and learn more about the offenders behaviourpatterns. Also, when taken to court those drivers caught should be imposed with more severe fines becausethe fines are only 2,000 per migrant (express, 2017). For people who employillegal immigrants penalties should be more severe than they are. At thepresent the sentences are imprisonment for 5 yearsand pay a fine of up to 20,000 for each illegal worker (gov.uk). Lastly, it isrecommended that literature is published and advertised in different languagesto help people what they need to do if they are victims or know someone who ispossibly a victim of modern slavery (forced labour).In conclusion thisessay focused on modern slavery and mainly forced labour. It has highlightedthat people are still victims of modern slavery (forced labour) since theModern Slavery Act 2015 came into force. Modern Slavery Act 2015 and theStrategic contrive are positive steps, but more is needed to be done to addressmodern slavery, given the extent and complexity of the issue. For example,importantly more public awareness need to be advertised to know what modernslavery and forced labour is about and what signs to look out for and how toreport their fears. Also, the sentencing for people convicted need to be moresevere, and more convictions are needed to highlight the crime and raiseawareness for the public and make them aware something to there to prevent it. ReferencesAdu, A. 2017. lorry drivers receiverecord number of fines for bringing illegal immigrants into Britain. operationalwww.express.co.uk/news/uk/821265/migrant-crisis-lorry-drivers-fined-immigrants-sneak-UK-vehicles.Last accessed 26 November 2017.antislavery. 2017.What is modern slavery?Availa blehttps//www.antislavery.org/slavery-today/modern-slavery/. Last accessed 4 declination 2017.CPS. 2017.Human Trafficking,Smuggling and Slavery.Availablehttp//www.cps.gov.uk/legal/h_to_k/human_trafficking_and_smuggling/. Lastaccessed 19 December 2017.gov.uk. 2016.Penalties for employingillegal workers.Availablehttps//www.gov.uk/penalties-for-employing-illegal-workers. Last accessed 26November 2017Hyland, K. 2015.Independent Anti-Slavery CommissionerStrategic Plan 20152017.Available http//www.antislaverycommissioner.co.uk/media/1075/iasc_strategicplan_2015.pdf.Last accessed 29 November 2017.Hyland, K. 2017.IndependentAnti-Slavery Commissioner Annual Report 2016 2017.Available http//www.antislaverycommissioner.co.uk/media/1164/iasc_annual-report-16-17-web.pdf.Last accessed 4 December 2017.International Labour Organisation andWalk Free Foundation. 2017.Global estimates of modern slavery forcedlabour and forced marriage.Available http//www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/dgreports/dcomm/d ocuments/publication/wcms_575479.pdf.Last accessed 16 December 2017.International Labour Organization(ILO). 2014.The meanings of strained Labour.Availablehttp//www.ilo.org/global/topics/forced-labour/news/WCMS_237569/langen/index.htm.Last accessed 2 December 2017.Myers, N. 2016.Review of the Roots of Youth ViolenceLiterature Reviews Volume 5, Chapter 3Availablehttp//www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/ slope/professionals/oyap/roots/volume5/chapter03_rational_choice.aspx.Last accessed 6 January 2018.Newton, S. 2016.Modern slaveryvictims to receive longer period of. Available https//www.gov.uk/government/news/modern-slavery-victims-to-receive-longer-period-of-support.Last accessed 28 December 2017The Modern Slavery Act 2015

Ayatollah Khomeini and Gamal Abdul-Nasser Comparison

Ayatollah Khomeini and Gamal Abdul-Nasser ComparisonIntroductionAyatollah Khomeini and Gamal Abdul-Nasser have both vie an important role in the historical activities of the 20th century in the sum East. This is because their leadership was revolutionary, and they played a role in changing the various governments that existed in Egypt, and Iran. It is important to make that the regimes in Iran and Egypt were milkweed butterflyies, at the time, and the two leaders led their followers in overthrowing these regimes. The revolutions in Iran and Egypt occurred under different contexts, or social bumgrounds. For example, the revolution in Iran occurred when the uncouth was enjoying economic and policy-making prosperity. However, this avouchment is contested. This is because at the time of the revolution, Iran was experiencing un-employment rate of roughly 30%1. Unemployment is one of the indicators of poor development and economic growth. Based on this fact, the assertion that Ira n was policy-makingly and economically stable is false, and does not hold whatsoever ground.On the other hand, the revolution in Egypt occurred when the country was experiencing a series of poor semipolitical and economic governance. Despite the differences in these revolutions, and the two leaders, Gamal Abdul Nasser and Ayatollah Khomeini shared a lot of similarities as well as differences in their leadership structure and system2. one(a) study similarity is that the two leaders were charismatic, and they sought to eliminate any form of resistance to their leadership. For instance, Nasser uniform a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood, a group that was contend his leadership, while Ayatollah Khomeini sought to kill any political persisters of the Shah. This paper takes a stand that both Ayatollah Khomeini and Gamal Abdul-Nasser were charismatic leaders, who make ford their societies and people, in spite of their undemocratic systems of governance.Differences and Similari ties between Abdel Nasser and Ayatollah KhomeiniGamal Abdul Nasser was the second Egyptian president, and he began his presidency in the year 1956, to the time he died, which was in 1970. He played an instrumental role in the overthrow of the Egyptian monarch in the year 1952, and as a result, he was rewarded with a post, as a deputy prime see3. This is an indication that Gamal Abdul Nasser was an important leader to the revolutionaries, and he was held in high esteem. Furthermore, the power and authority that Gamal Abdul Nasser had is depicted when he managed to arrest hot seat Muhammad Naguib, and place him under family unit arrest. This is an authority that a deputy prime minister cannot possess, and this is because the President is the head of the state and government. President Muhammad Naguib was a president by name, but he did not have real authority4.In the year 1956, a public referendum was able to grant him the presidency, and the adoption of the Egyptian constitution. Ayatollah Khomeini on the other hand, does not have any military background, but he was a ghostly scholar. He used religion to control his people, and consolidate power, after the revolution. One of the leadership styles of Abdul Nasser and Ayatollah Khomeini was bossyism5. President Nasser wanted complete loyalty from his subjects, and he did not excuse any form of opposition. This is depicted in the manner in which he handled President Naguib, and this is because they had different ideological beliefs. Nasser was able to depose President Naguib, and he ordered an onslaught on thousands of people who were opposed to him. Nasser was able to take advantage of an attempted assassination on him, to crack down on any political opposition that he faced. This is depicted when he was able to dismiss and arrest any supporter of President Naguib, who was in the army or the civil service.This is despite these people playing no role in his attempted assassination, or even having no links wi th the Muslim Brotherhood. Furthermore, President Naguib was placed under house arrest, and no trial was held to find out whether he had a role in this attempted assassination or not. This is an indication, that the government did not have any proof that the President played a role in the assassination of Gamal Nasser, however, it was a mechanism of ensuring that the opponents of Gamal were removed, so that he could transcend to power easily. The authoritarian temper of Nasser is further seen when he is trying to restrict the freedom of expression and information.Nasser was able to impose a series of controls on the media and press of the country. This is by issuing a decree that any publication had to acquire the approval of the governing political party, which was referred to as the National Union. The major aim of these censures was to prevent the publication of any information that could compromise the character of Abdel Nasser and his leadership. This is a major characteristi c of authoritarian regimes. Almost all authoritarian regimes normally prevent a free flow of information. This is as the racing shell of Iran, under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini. On assumption of leadership, the Ayatollah Khomeini was able to regulate any information that the media was providing6. He did not tolerate any criticism or opposition to his rule. Furthermore, he used the media to create a personality cult that revolved around him.The media therefore played an instrumental role in raising the profiles of Ayatollah Khomeini and President Nasser. This is because they regulated information, for purposes of depicting only the aspects that were favorable to them. Regulation of the media is an important characteristic of states which are not democratic. In fact, Ayatollah Khomeini did not hide the fact that he hated democracy. Khomeini referred to democracy as corruption, and an aspect that can destroy a country. Therefore, Ayatollah Khomeini denoted that anybody who was seeking to promote democracy would be oppressed and hanged7. This is an indication that democracy was not a favorable style of governance for Khomeini. Furthermore, he used religion to justify his style of governance. Khomeini argues that religion does not support any form of democracy, and therefore idol has commanded for its abolition, and oppression of anybody supporting or practicing democracy. Religion plays an important role in shaping the beliefs and values of people.Khomeini realized this notion, and he therefore used religion to promote and protect his leadership. By citing the Quran, and using religious contexts such as the fatwa, Ayatollah Khomeini was able to consolidate his leadership. Fatwa was a religious term that indicated a death sentence to anybody who did not follow the provisions of Islam. Ayatollah Khomeini excessively did not accept any opposition, and he executed all his opponents, and the supporters of the Shah. Executions were the order of the day, d uring his leadership. By the time Khomeini was dying, he had executed approximately 30,000 people. Furthermore, Khomeini was able to oppress and ban political groups such as The Muslims Republican Party, and the National Democratic Front. This is because these groups were advocating for democratic reforms, and good governance. These are policies that Khomeini did not want to pursue. Nasser on the other hand did not believe in executions, or killing of his political opponents.All that he did was to exile or imprison his political opponents. A good example is President Naguib, whom he imprisoned, after which, he forced him to exile. Furthermore, unlike Khomeini, Nasser did not use religion to promote undemocratic behaviors. This is because he played a role in drafting the 1956 Egyptian constitution which did not recognize a multi-party system of governance. This constitution recognized Egypt as single party state, with the party under consideration called the National Union. This part y dominated Egyptian politics, and nobody was permitted to vie for any political office, outside this party8. This is a characteristic of a state that is not democratic. Countries such as China, and the Soviet Union only allowed political tilt within a one party system. Any competition outside the party was restricted, and not allowed. A one party system is normally used to advance the interests and aspirations of the people controlling the party.This is the reason Abdel Nasser was able to influence the constitution so that it could create a one party system of governance. Furthermore, he was in control of the party, and hence he was assured of its leadership, if the constitution was passed with a popular initiative. Furthermore, in 1965, Abdel Nasser was able to use the courts in barring his political competitors from running for office. Through this action, President Nasser did not have any political competitors, and it ensured that he easily assailed to office. Ayatollah Khomei ni also played a role in influencing the legal system of Iran. Take for example in the 1998 execution of political prisoners in Iran9. Ayatollah Khomeini issued a decree to all judicial courts to judge every political prisoner, and execute anybody who did not repent on their anti-regime activities.It is important to understand that despite the authoritarian and undemocratic leadership of these two leaders, they were highly influential and liked by their people. For example, after Abdel Nasser lost the six day war, and he resigned, he was forced back into office through a large and numerous protests. On the other hand, after the death of Ayatollah Khomeini, his was well mourned, by millions and millions of people. This is mainly because their leadership was revolutionary in nature, and they introduced a series of changes and reforms in their countries. This includes constitutional changes and reforms.ConclusionIn conclusion, the leadership style of President Nasser and Ayatollah Khom eini are similar and different in many aspects. One similarity is that both of them were revolutionaries. President Nasser sought to introduce a refreshing constitution in Egypt, which was secular in nature. On the other hand, Ayatollah Khomeini introduced a new constitution in Iran, which was religious in nature, and it identified a Supreme Leader, who was supposed to be an Ayatollah. Another similarity is that both leaders were undemocratic, and did not tolerate any opposition to their leadership. They did not allow freedom of expression, by settlement or regulating any content that appeared on the media.In fact, Ayatollah Khomeini is accused of closing any media house that criticized his government. On the other hand, President Nasser used his National Union Party to regulate any content that appeared on the media. The two were also charismatic leaders, and they were able to get a lot of support from the citizens of their country. This is despite their oppressive and undemocrat ic rule. The major difference in their rule is the use of the military. both(prenominal) of them were able to get the support of the military in advancing their agenda. However, President Nasser had a military background, and he used his military background to get the support of the army. Ayatollah Khomeini on the other hand used religion to get the support of the military and the people.BibliographyBerlatsky, Noah. The Iranian Revolution. Detroit Greenhaven Press, 2012.Goodarzi, Jubin M. Syria and Iran Diplomatic Alliance and forcefulness Politics in the pump East.New ed. London I.B. Tauris, 2009.McNamara, Robert. Britain, Nasser and the Balance of Power in the Middle East, 1952-1967from the Egyptian Revolution to the Six-Day War. London Frank Cass, 2003.Owen, Roger. State, Power, and Politics in the Making of the Modern Middle East. 2nd ed.London Routledge, 2000.1 Jubin Goodarzi, Syria and Iran Diplomatic Alliance and Power Politics in the Middle East(New ed. London I.B. Tauris , 2009), 62.2 Noah Berlatsky, The Iranian Revolution, (Detroit Greenhaven Press, 2012), 313 Goodarzi, Syria and Iran Diplomatic Alliance and Power Politics in the Middle East, 724 Roger Owen, State, Power, and Politics in the Making of the Modern Middle East, 2nd ed.(London Routledge, 2000), 235 Berlatsky, The Iranian Revolution,446 Owen, State, Power, and Politics in the Making of the Modern Middle East, 277 Berlatsky, The Iranian Revolution,518 Robert McNamara, Britain, Nasser and the Balance of Power in the Middle East, 1952-1967from the Egyptian Revolution to the Six-Day War (London Frank Cass, 2003), 369 Berlatsky, The Iranian Revolution,39

Issues in the Hospitality Industry

Issues in the cordial reception IndustryNovember 2006 At the recent ISHC Annual group held in Miami, Florida, ISHC members pgraphicsicipated in a series of roundtable discussions to identify the ISHC Top Ten Issues in the Hospitality Industry for 2007.This division the debate included in-depth discussions on oer 100 different copes with 27 making the b in allot for the final vote by the members. Ultimately, the following Top Ten Issues were identified as unrivaleds that push a lieu be pass judgment to potentially consider the greatest clashing on the assiduity in 2007.ISHC Top Ten Issues in the Hospitality Industry for 2007 effort Skills Short get along withs Growing shortage of qualified skilled employeesConstruction Costs Escalation of construction renovation costsTechnology Lightening speed of changes keeping upever-changing Demographics Their Impact on Travel Trends Shift in baby-boomers to gen XFuture of Hotel Profits Balancing escalating expenses with the drive to increase ratesBranding Mitigating consumer confusion allwhere brand proliferation and investor fearfulnesss over cross brand impactDistri barelyion Revolution Keeping up with rapidly changing playing fieldTravel Restrictions And their impact on the travel industryGlobal Emerging Markets ar travel patterns changingCapital Avail exponent Will investor and lender confidence continue1 ISHC Top Ten Issue LABOR SKILLS SHORTAGEThe problem of attracting and retaining qualified utilisationers, once an issue only in an isolated number of markets, is change magnitudely nice a global challenge.. Demography, wage levels, failure to adequately address worker satisfaction and a reputation for bulky hours and low pay are all cited as contributing factors. Creative hospitality professionals have begun to develop innovative strategies for capturing and keeping high quality workers.Why stick outt we find reasoned commonwealth? Its bugger rack up a global concern, the number one issue confronting our industry. Here are some of the causesDemographics Population ingathering rates have been slowing in Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere for decades so the number of workers leaving the workforce immediately exceeds those that are entering. The aging workforce moving into retirement is creating a huge void that asshole only be expected to grow larger going forward.Lagging Wage Rates. Long criticized for paying salaries and wages below those common in early(a) industries, hospitality companies are progressively finding it difficult to attract and retain qualified slewdidates imparting to attract standard wages.Industry Reputation Like it or not, the hospitality industry has not done enough to earn a reputation as a top career choice for college graduates. Notorious for long hours, night and weekend shifts our industry has Gen-Xers and Gen-Yers seeking other careers with a perceived higher quality of life and infract wages.De-emphasis on Training and Wor ker rejoicing Following the worldwide dip in demand that followed 9/11, umteen hotel companies failed to fully restore preparedness and worker enrichment programs that marked the 1980s and 90s. This comes at a time when lodging brands are progressively adding amenities and services in order to differentiate themselves from competitors.What fag end we do about it? As an industry, we need to work together to develop strategies for rethinking and rehabilitating our industrys image as an exciting and rewarding career choice. There was a time not also long ago when pot joined the hospitality industry for its glamour. Globally, we need to share best practices for training and memory board and make industry sponsored educational programs much(prenominal) than readily available to employees at every organizational level. Industry organizations including the International Hotel and Restaurant Association and the Ameri endure Hotel and Lodging Association Educational Institute pr ovide excellent training libraries as well as network based training programs. Additionally, in that respect are some outstanding independent firms that specialize in human resource training and development-some of which also offer excellent proprietary training materials.Meanwhile, following are some thoughts to share seeing potential opportunities for hotels to meet the labor challenge?Grow Your Own. Hotel companies need to develop internal programs to create attractive career paths so that potential candidates see employment as a professional development opportunity with corporeal potential for advancement. Recruiting for entry level positions is easier when the recruiter can outline a career path and can point to causers who have worked their way up from line positions. Marriott has been doing this better than anyone for decades.Guest Workers. The U.S. and many other nations offer node worker programs that can provide seasonal workers for up to ten months. One well-known US fixing brings over two hundred workers from Jamaica each spring to fill various positions under the U.S. H-2B Visa program. These individuals stay through the resort season, with many re turning class after year. Similarly, Disney uses the J-1 Visa program to bring young college graduates from all over the world for 18-month internships in entry level supervisory and guest contact positions at its US hotels and theme parks.Pay for Productivity. Hospitality is a labor intensive business and automation opportunities are often limited. Reconfiguring work process and then communion the benefits of change magnitude fruitivity can have positive allow fors. One hotel General Manager provides a cash bonus split among the workers in his hotels laundry plane section for reaching a monthly productivity goal calculated in pounds processed per labor hour. At another hotel Room Attendants are offered a scorecard of options to receive additional pay for increased productivity so long as s trict quality guidelines are met.Job Enlargement. Cross-training and cross-utilization arent novel concepts, but theyre good ones. One hotel company of note has a certification program for all its employees. Employees are expected to master the skills for their own positions, but receive pay raises when theyve become certified in other jobs. These multi-talented employees can fill in where needed in peak times and have their own horizons broadened through cross departmental training.In todays surround, operators are increasingly finding they mustiness compete for workers as hard as they compete for clients. Developing a positive work environment with real opportunities for advancement, combined with creative strategies for recruiting and improving employee productivity go away all be increasingly essential skills as the workforce continues to shrink in the predictable future. 2 ISHC Top Ten Issue CONSTRUCTION COSTSAll construction costs and the costs for furnishings, fixtures a nd equipment (FFE) pull up stakes continue to escalate in 2007, although at a pace a little slower than experienced in the period from 2004 through 2006. According to the Associated General Contractors of America, construction costs, impelled primarily by materials costs, spiked dramatically in 2004. The yearbook increase for construction materials in general was approximately 10 percent in 2004, followed by 6.0- percent and 8.8-percent increases in 2005 and 2006, respectively. This compares to increases of 3.8 percent in the consumer price index and 3.7 percent in the producer price index for the period from August 2005 to August 2006. In 2004 and 2005, these two final mentioned indices experienced annual increases averaging about 4.0 percent.The outlook for the future is for to a greater extent of the same, although at a somewhat slower pace. For example, steel prices experienced a 48.8-percent increase in 2004, which was preceded by significant increases in scrap iron and st eel prices in 2002 and 2003. Steel prices held steady in 2005 but jumped again in 2006. They are expected to increase again in 2007 and beyond as demand for steel from construction projects in China and India increases. Scrap iron and steel prices have increased approximately 20 percent in the historic twelve months.Other important factors contributing to the increases in construction costs include the cost of diesel engine fuel used for transportation of both raw and finished goods. Some relief has occurred recently, with fuel costs dropping in tandem with crude crude prices have dropped. But uncertainties of supply in crude oil markets and the somewhat tenuous situation in OPEC nations both economically and politically indicate move volatility in future pricing. Further, winter temperatures in 2006-07 could alter the balance between diesel and heating oil production, causing a price escalation in one or both of these fuels.Concrete prices are expected to continue to increase spurred by the on-going increases in cement, aggregate and the fuel necessary to mine or extract these components. The recent downturn in the residential construction industry whitethorn moderate concrete price increases, but the impact of ongoing construction in China and India may more(prenominal) than offset these influences.The anticipated increase in the number of hotels currently in the development pipeline exit certainly be affected by construction cost increases. Clearly, rising costs will have an impact on budgeting for modern development or renovation projects. Construction contractors, particularly smaller ones, may not be able to offer guaranteed-maximum construction contracts, because they may not have the purchasing source to secure materials at favorable or fixed prices. Even the larger contractors are likely to hedge their contract quotes with provisions that shift the risk of increasing materials costs to the developer. This will affect every aspect of a constr uction project, particularly the scheduling of sub-contractors and deliveries of materials. Developers will be eager to adhere to a peeved project schedule, while contractors will often be at the mercy of the materials suppliers as well as the availability of materials themselves.Faced with this situation, what can a developer or owner do to comfort its interests? The following strategies may provide some ideas for further consideration and even innovationIncrease the use of pre-fabricated components in new construction this may accelerate the overall development timelineEvaluate materials specialations carefully to ensure the most appropriate and cost-effective materials are being used discover that construction project management is fully qualified and up to speed on new developments in the materials supply arenaValue engineer the projects number and specifications thoroughly, and then do it againEnsure design standards and space programming make maximum use of as ofttimes bu ilding area as possible for revenue-producing activities.By constantly monitoring changes in the markets for both construction materials and labor costs, and planning projects with extreme care, a developer or owner can protect its interests and ensure that a project has a better-than-even chance of being completed on time and on budget. 3 ISHC Top Ten Issue engine roomDespite a growing awareness of the value of modern, integrated systems, many properties still do not take advantage of them as fully as they might to maximize revenue opportunities. Many also fail to support and secure them to the extent appropriate to the value of their data and to the legal con terms of that data proper stolen or corrupted. A significant factor restricting wider adoption is the challenge of improving the systems ease of use as they continue to grow in functionality, in both operational and guest-facing areas. All of these issues support a trend to outsourcing the more labyrinthian operational fun ctions and system security to expert, central staff, either bodied or third party.The major factors involved arethe complexity of the hotel environment, which historically has required many different systems to interact with each other,a lack of awareness of how much efficiency could be improved through the use of modern integrated systems,a historic preference for investing funds in FFE rather than in the systems themselves or in regular training for their users, andthe hassle of providing comprehensive, expert technical support at the individual property level for the multiple systems used there.Hospitality management systems have evolved into sophisticated, well integrated, multi-discipline tools capable of helping properties of all types and sizes attract more guests, generate more revenue and reach much-improved levels of efficiency. Years of development in expanding the capabilities of individual systems, together with improvements in both interface technology and vendor coo peration, have produced far more comprehensive and better-integrated systems that can now cover nearly all areas of even a complex resort property or a multi-property chain. This brings obvious benefits from having more complete and accurate data, both operationally and in regard to guests profile and history information.However, many properties handicap themselves through hanging on to systems well past their competitively useful life, greatly restricting their ability to implement much(prenominal) revenue-enhancing measures as taking Internet reservations, performing effective rate/revenue management, collecting more detailed guest data for customer relationship management and targeted marketing, and so on. Sometimes this comes from a lack of appreciation of their potential upside, but there is also often apprehension about the difficulty of integrating older but still valuable systems into a more modern, integrated whole. Current interface technologies go a long way to alleviat ing this issue, but many properties have found that the benefits from replacing valued older systems with a more comprehensive, integrated system outweigh the possible loss of some baby functionality.Another factor discouraging upgrades is that the more comprehensive systems can seem challenging to use. Certainly good user interface design, as much an art as a science, is something vendors continue to pursue through better data layouts, property-specific screen customizations, the subtle use of color and differing fonts to guide users through the logical sequence of operations, and so on. This is likely to be a continuing challenge in both guest and operations technology. Check-in kiosks and guestroom technology, for example, must be as a priori to use as possible, for a wide range of guest ages and technical familiarity.Nevertheless, as far as hotel-management systems are concerned the disadvantages of an unintuitive user interface can be overcome through user training, yet many hotels handicap their users by not providing refresher training on at least an annual basis. In an industry with traditionally high staff turnover this nearly guarantees that the systems wont be used effectively, hindering the property from realizing the full return on its investment and maximizing its revenue.Further, as systems become more comprehensive and wide-ranging their support and security management become both more complex and more essential. Loss of access to the system through hardware, software or network failure is completely disruptive since equivalent manual procedures are now virtually impossible to implement quickly. It is very difficult for an individual property to afford in-house technical support personnel trained in all the systems it uses, yet many properties do not have support agreements with third party vendors that might pro-actively prevent imminent problems.More importantly, guest profile data is becoming an increasingly attractive target for identity theft, and attacks on computer systems containing it are becoming more focused and more sophisticated. In addition, legislation such as Sarbanes-Oxley holds corporate officers personally accountable for the accuracy of their financial data. Despite these factors, many systems do not provide audit trails of which user changed key configuration parameters. Further, although all systems cold shoulder the user ID responsible for changes to guest data, many hotels fail to enforce visualize over the sharing of IDs and passwords among users, making it impossible to know who entered or modified specific data or sometimes even just whos signed on to the network.All of these factors encourage the movement towards more professional systems management either from a corporate resource team shared among many properties or contracted out to a professional third party. Centralized revenue management teams, for example, can provide expert help to multiple properties in a regionally cohesive way. Centrally-hosted systems allow for highly-qualified technicians to provide a far more secure and managed systems environment than would be available to an individual property. This trend is expected to continue as awareness grows of the value of keeping systems operating at peak efficiency, and of the potential scathe from security breaches. 4 ISHC Top Ten Issue CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS THE IMPACT ON TRAVEL TRENDSThe impact of changing demographics on travel trends is a so far reaching no sector in travel, tourism and hospitality remains unaffected. Whether the subject is the gradual retirement of baby boomers, rampant globalization and its impact on business travel, or the increased demand for experiential travel, the dramatic worldwide shift in demographics poses both challenges and opportunities.These recent and ongoing changes in the demographic environment hold major implications for the hospitality industry in particular. With regard to product and service offerings, hoteliers need to begin a strategy that addresses multi-generational needs, wants and desires. Now, more than ever, hoteliers must offer design and amenities that cater to the special needs of aging consumers (Baby Boomers), as well as younger travelers (Gen-X and Gen-Y), who have high expectations in regard to design and technology. The traditional practice of brand standardization flies in the face of this. Hoteliers must adapt and look for ways to enhance all guest experiences regardless of generation.On January 1, 2006 the first of Americas seventy-eight million baby boomers turned sixty- old age old, while the last one turned forty. In fact, nearly 8,000 boomers are turning sixty on a daily basis, and according to US Census Bureau statistics, the number of boomers expected to be living in the year 2030 is 57.8 million. This is the year boomers will be between ages 66 and 84.What does this milestone mean for hoteliers? It means changing the way we have traditionally connected with the so -called old market. principally because boomers will not grow old quietly as previous generations have. This is the generation that has, and will continue to redefine the traditional ideas of aging. Boomers will be more active in their retirement, firmly believing that 50s and 60s are now middle age. This is primarily due to longer life expectancies and significant improvements to overall health and well-being.Although boomers will continue to be important in both population and economical terms, the younger markets (the 49 million Gen Xers and 72 million Gen Y set) are now coming into their own, entering middle management positions, stepping into political offices, and assuming their rightful positions of influence and affluence.It is important for hoteliers to bring the generations together and begin to serve their different habits, patterns and needs. The prosperous model for true solutions will require long lead times, but here are some suggested barbeles.Adopt a universal design approach that includes lower beds, brighter lighting, larger fonts, and walk-in showers that are all easier to use, yet hip, cool and high-tech so that younger consumers are drawn to their design.Offer choices that give customer options rather than pre-determined packages. Create experiences versus tours. This allows individuals or multi-generational groups to determine what best works and appeals to them.High-tech guestrooms must become the norm rather than the exception. Today, its all about Internet access, radiocommunication environments, and flat-screen TVs on the walls. But hoteliers must strive to keep up with the relevant technology that is not only expected from the business traveler, but also the unoccupied and younger sets. The continual widespread adoption of technology by the public will continue to have impact on the consumer expectation of their hotel experience.While there will be an increase in health travel offerings targeting the aging population such as medical spas, the offerings should also include elements of adventure, spirituality, or prove management that will appeal to younger markets.And finally, consider creating a panel of half a dozen or more people from different age and cultural groups who are willing to talk with you on a regular basis about their concerns and experiences, while giving you honest feedback on your products and services.Only by knowing how the motivations of your customers are tied to the underlying values of the generation to which they belong will you be able to tailor your products and services to their needs, interests, and desires. Applied knowledgeably, that information will provide you with a key competitive advantage. 5 ISHC Top Ten Issue THE FUTURE OF HOTEL PROFITSWe can anticipate that it will become increasingly difficult to sustain profit growth and improved return on investment performance. And for several reasons including1) increasing operating costs that will outpace the growth of Reven ues Per Available Room (RevPAR). 2) the rising costs of capital and the need for reinvestment that will adversely affect hotel returns. 3) Increasing labor and benefits costs that are being driven by changes in demographics, government regulations and labor agreements, and 4) higher energy costs.In the US for example, according to Smith Travel Research, RevPAR growth has been robust over the last three years reaching a projected peak in 2006 at 8.9 percent. While there is some debate about exactly where the industry is in the current cycle, there appears to be a consensus that RevPAR growth has peaked. For 2007 Smith Travel Research is projecting growth of 7.1 percent, and with the threat of increased supply looming on the horizon, year over year RevPAR growth is expected to continue to decline.Rising interest rates and higher equity return requirements are anticipated to result in higher costs of capital. At the same time, reinvestment costs (capital expenditures) are increasing as existing supply ages. As a consequence, profits will be reduced and owner returns are expected to decline over the next 12 to 24 months.Labor costs are the number one factor impacting hotel expenses. They are being affected byChanges in demographics that are expected to constrict the available labor poolGovernment regulations (higher minimum wages, immigration constraints, and mandated healthcare)New labor agreements that include significant increases in wages and continued limits on the ability to cross train andHigher benefit expenses resulting from increased health insurance costs and pension requirements.In 2005, utilities grew at a rate of 13.6 percent over the prior year according to PKF Hospitality Research. While oil prices have been falling in recent months they remain slightly above 2005 levels. Utility expenses are not expected to decline significantly during 2007, and as such will remain an area of concern impacting hotel profitability into the future.In some cases, th e factors that have been identified as affecting hotel profitability are out of the control of individual hotel owners and operators, however, there are steps that can be taken to mitigate their impact. For example by giving increased attention to yield management, operators can potentially increase their RevPAR through creative financing and diligent oversight of capital expenditures operators can increase their return on investment improved employee retention and the use of alternate labor sources such as retirees can help to contain employee labor costs and the installation of new energy saving devices and more efficient design can help to control energy expense. 6 ISHC Top Ten Issue BRANDING Mitigating Consumer Confusion over Brand Proliferation and Investor Concerns over Cross-Brand ImpactAs most of us involved in hotel development and operations are aware, there has been an explosion of new hotel brands/products announced over the past three to four years. Aloft, Cambria, Ind igo, Waldorf-Astoria, Hyatt Place, NYLO, Viceroy, genus Capella, and most recently 1, are but a few examples of this rabid expansion of product type among both the major hotel certification companies and small start-ups or spin-off management firms trying to establish themselves as a brand.But, despite all the hype and promotion surrounding the roll-out of these new hotels products, and the forebode that each will be unique and different from their existing or future competition through design, price point, service levels, amenities, and/or the mattress, do the Brobdingnagian majority of consumers truly understand all of the products? Do they want them? And what about the existing hotel franchisee or owner faced with yet another brand competitor under an existing franchise umbrella that is first viewed as splitting the pie even further? What does it do to their demand base? How about the going concern value of their asset?Today, there are an estimated 140 + hotel brands, up from approximately 80 in 1995 and estimated 110 brands in 2000. Are all these brands and choices necessary? Are more brands better, or are we merely creating more confusion for an al nimble confused customer base? The answer is probably yes and yes, but not needfully negative.Much of the new product being launched is attempting to beguile an evolving consumer whose tastes and preferences are changing as they age. The baby boom generation, Gen Xers and Yers, Millenniums, etc., all have demographic characteristics and psychographic needs that may or may not be satisfied by todays hotel products. So the idea is that these new brands and products will better meet these consumers evolving needs in capable quantity to be market and financially successful.In that light, the larger issue is what to do with the brands left behind. They never seem to go away Perhaps thats where more thought and effort should be concentrated by industry consultants, investors and franchisors.On the other hand, i n the case of start-up hotel companies such as, Kor, West Paces Hotel Group, which rolled out the Solis and Capella luxury brands under the leadership of a former Ritz Carlton executive, or most recently the 1 luxury brand, begs the question as to whether there is perhaps too much equity and debt capital chasing too few deals in a hot hotel market rather than a verifiable market need for a better mouse trap.From an existing hotel franchisee/operator perspective, how do the major franchise companies protect their existing franchise partners from the impact against these new products so that the new product is not cannibalizing the existing demand base, particularly when there are 10 to 15 years left on the existing operators franchise agreement? This is an on-going issue that continues to surface, but has yet to be resolved between franchisor and franchisee. Franchisee councils, 3rd party impact studies, and areas of protection are a few of the methods used to address this complex is sue, but none have proven to be a panacea.In both cases, the onslaught of new brands is a cyclical one and tends to occur during the up and peak points of the hotel cycle. So it is likely that this proliferation will subside as the industry cycle matures or begins to decline. At that point, as we have seen too often, the new brands that were mistaken and lacking clear definition and marketability ultimately become the weaker performers which are then often absorbed by the stronger ones. Eventually, these same brands (and all the hotels bearing their name) that fail to capture sufficient consumer interest languish and trade down the food chain of franchise companies over time, or are broken up and sold off in pieces.These thoughts would suggest that, perhaps as an industry, we should focus more on creative alternative uses for marginal brands and properties as opposed to worrying about the new ones stealing existing business. 7 ISHC Top Ten Issue DISTRIBUTION REVOLUTIONIn 2006, it i s estimated that $24 billion worth of hotel rooms in the US alone will be booked through internet sites representing 27% of US hotel industry room revenues up from $15.5 billion just two years ago. Moreover, industry analysts estimate an additional 25 to 30% of all hotel bookings are influenced by online research. The bottom line is that the hospitality industry continues to experience a vicissitude in distribution, and organizations are less and less equipped to keep pace with the dramatic changes in this online landscape.As distribution via the Internet evolved many experts agreed that online mien helped level the playing field that independent hotels and small hotel companies could compete in cyberspace with major brands. Today, the issue is not can they compete but can any hotel or hotel company keep pace with the colossal changes and innovations that flood the online world?At the property level the first challenge was to effectively (and more efficiently) manage a myriad of distribution channels from a tactical perspective. Certainly the efforts to do a better job at the tactical side of distribution management have paid off. Although theres still room for improvement in this regard, online inventory management and better application of rate integrity policies have certainly helped hotels take back control of their inventories and pricing.The newest challenge is represented in the strategic side of distribution management and more specifically the ability to understand, manage and market to the consumer in the online world. This playing field is changing so rapidly that it is virtually impossible to keep pace. Hospitality professionals, whether they be in ownership positions, senior management at corporate or a property level executive, must become online savvy. Without some understanding of the online consumers buying behavior, it is impossible to effectively level the playing field or allocate marketing dollars intelligently.From travel blogs to cons umer reviews from travel oriented social networking to highly targeted, email based direct marketing from really simple syndication (RSS permits users to subscribe to their choice of Web content) to the use of rich media to differentiate hotel productall of these innovations are causing what PhocusWright terms the power shift toward consumers.The question is Are hotels ready for this? In many cases our collective heads are still spinning from the first wave of online distribution challenges. Now hotels must be even savvier about every aspect of how their product reaches the consumer. Directors of Sales Marketing and Directors of Revenue Management must understand at least the basics of search engine optimization, pay-per-click marketing, link popularity strategies and web traffic analysis. Allocation of marketing budgets and resources must be carefully managed to optimize reach. And the connection (and

Manners, Wealth and Status in Rebecca Rushs Novel Kelroy :: Rebecca Rush Kelroy Essays

Manners, Wealth and Status in Rebecca Rushs Novel Kelroy A novel of manners this is how the novel Kelroy is depict by Kathryn Derounian in her article Lost in the Crowd Rebecca Rushs Kelroy (1812). Throughout the novel, characters such as Mrs. Hammond, Mr. Manley, Mr. Kelroy, and especially the Gurnet family, show how people atomic number 18 treated otherwise regarding their wealth, status and mannerisms. Kelroy shows us these relationships and how one is viewed solely on the way in which they present themselves. Culture, at the time Kelroy was written, was much different than culture today. Most women in the early eighteenth deoxycytidine monophosphate served an ornamental function rather than a domestic function. Most of the women in Kelroy were the ornamental type. The men in the eighteenth century married, not for someone to cook and clean for them, but to have someone pretty and proper to attend social gatherings with. Rush shows some of this culture when she describe s Lucy and Emily at a gathering hosted by Mrs. Hammond The two sisters were dressed exactly alike in white satin and silver. Their fans, gloves and shoes were also white and the delicacy of their complexions, contrasted with the simple cultivation of their attire, and heightened by the glow of youthful animation, rendered them lovely beyond description. (Rush 15) This shows the importance of appearance in this time period. It was typical for wealthy women to dress so elegantly at parties or other social events. This description of attire also shows, to some extent, the practice Mrs. Hammond used in the exaggerated display of her daughters. Not only did the adolescent ladies need to dress elegantly to obtain a wealthy husband, they also had to have appropriate manners. Mrs. Hammond, after the death of her husband, devoted her life to educating her daughters in how they are to properly conduct themselves. Her reasoning for this was a typ ical one to make others believe they were an established family of wealth. Mr. Marneys story is a bit different although his goal was similar.