Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Sam Menedes Essays - Theatre, British People, English People

Sam Menedes Director. Born August 1, 1965, in Redding, England. Raised by his mother, an author of children's books, after his parents' divorce, Mendes grew up in north London. He attended Cambridge University, graduating in 1987. After graduation, he got a low-level job at the Chichester Festival Theater. When a veteran director dropped out of a production of London Assurance, the 23-year-old Mendes was asked to step in. The production became a hit, and soon moved to Haymarket's Theatre Royal. Mendes's second effort, The Cherry Orchard, starring Dame Judi Dench, opened later that same year.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Privacy given away

Privacy given away IntroductionWould someone's foraging your garbage for pieces of your information and fumbling your mailbox, a nuisance to you? What about someone going through your bag and wallet for a quick look? How about someone tailing you wherever you go, just like Web sites which keeps track of your every move and walk off with your personal information and use it as merchandise for business without your permission or any concern of invading into your privacy.Since Internet begins, privacy issues are growing concerns for online users and the problem became more severe each day.As adults and children, all of us face a new area of danger from the Internet. A list of some of the dangers children and adults routinely encounter on the Internet that may or may not lead to loss of privacy:* pedophiles* online dating and cybersex* hate groups* pornography* incorrect information* hoaxes* threats* viruses and other malicious self-replicating code* junk e-mail* chain letters and Ponzi schemes* get-rich-q uick schemes* Nigerian 4-1-9 scam* stolen software* stolen music and video* plagiarism* criminal hackers hacktivists* online auctions* online gambling* buying on the Web* games* spyware and scumware* addiction* theft of identity.English: An example of an automated online assista...Protection for myselfEvery site I ever visited other than those sites access on behalf of the company, knows nothing about me or my preferences. Oops, except one - the only that had began my phobia of revealing my real personal information and shopping online with my credit card.To be honest, I did all these deliberately. I am really sick and tired of receiving spams, I have registered up to six free email accounts. One for work, second for friends and relatives, third...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The rise of the Islamic State Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The rise of the Islamic State - Essay Example Sharia law was based on the rule of law, as Muslims had traditionally used sharia law to govern themselves (NabhaÌ„niÌ„, 2001). Secondly, the UN should come together with countries and strive to meet the mission of controlling and eliminating the group that is using the name Islamic state to destabilize world security. The Islamic world greatly wanted to control the world through Sharia law and rapidly advanced their militant groups across the world to capture and control states despite growth in anti-Muslim detestation. There is no sufficient reason to blame the rise of Islamic states. This is because United States had contributed for the upcoming Islamic states. In 2003, US invasion to Iraq concentrated mainly in guarding oils fields hence leaving Iraq boundaries wide-open for thousands of jihad combatants to come into the country (Ehrenberg,  2010). US has also contributed to falling of Iraq by dismantling Iraqi army that was the only force that was familiar with the layout of Iraqi topography. If the army had not dismantled, they had the potential to curb the armed insurgents. Sharia law was unprinted constitution, and it was instrumental in modeling the tradition of Islamic states over centuries. This law was essential as it made members of Islamic states enjoy a high degree of respect and prestige. Islamic states are calling for the establishment of the sharia law in the modern Muslim world. Islamic states were based on the rule of law as they had traditionally used sharia law to govern themselves. Sharia law historical was effective in balancing of power in the Islamic states. The westerns have termed sharia law as a threat to democracy, and this was against the Muslims notion. Consequently, Islamic states went against the stereotype the western countries had toward their use of sharia law and this made Islamic states to develop actions of being radical and anti-western armed group committed in inaugurating an independent

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Human Resource Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Human Resource - Essay Example Essentially, it points directly to the contributions of the employees with regards to the underlying bottom line of the company by delineating employees as an invaluable resource. In order to fully understand this notion, it is necessary for us to operationally define human resource management. Simms (2002) offers one of the most clear and concise definition of human resource management when he indicated that human resources management was: the term increasingly used to refer to the philosophy, policies, procedures, and practices related to the management of an organization’s employees. Human resources management is particularly concerned with all the activities that contribute to successfully attracting, developing, motivating, and maintaining a high-performing workforce that results in organizational success (Sims 2002). One of the primary functions of human resource management is to improve knowledge, skills and attitudes that enable employees to perform current and future jobs in order to help organizations achieve success. (Rothwell & Kazanas 1994). In fact Philip and Shaw (1998) stated that an integral part of human resource management needs to be that of training the employees and equipping them to deal with the rapid change in technology. This is tied into many other human resource functions such as recruitment, retention, creation of new positions, work systems and performance management systems. These systems would need to be aligned with the organizations missions and goals. Alignment would ensure that the training offered is what is required to achieve the mission and goals of the organization. Training is a very broad term that has many definitions and uses in the literature. Training is the process of getting the right knowledge, skills and abilities at the right time, in the correct way and in the correct priority order to an employee. The training process is aimed at preparing individuals to perform current and future jobs (DeSimone &

Sunday, November 17, 2019

A View From The Bridge Essay Example for Free

A View From The Bridge Essay Beatrice said, Whatever happened, we all done it in one of the final scenes in Arthur Millers play A View From The Bridge. I disagree with the above quotation, in my opinion, only three characters are to blame. Those being Eddie, Catherine and Rodolfo. Many factors became culpable for Eddies downfall in the concluding scene, such as his obsession with Catherine, Catherines flirtatious behaviour, the arrival of Rodolfo and so forth. Yet, many of these factors evolve around the character of Eddie. Therefore, if I had to point a finger of blame at one character alone, it would be Eddie. In the beginning of the play, our initial response to Eddie is that he dominates the household. He provides a father figure for Catherine, as he doesnt want her to expose herself to the attention of other men in their community. Eddie shows a lot of interest in Catherine and her appearance, he informed her of how she was walkin wavy and that her skirt was too short. The way Eddie made his opinion known and how his obsession affected his lifestyle, is obviously going to have a negative effect on him for the rest of his life. Catherines effect on Eddie soon jeopardised Eddies relationship with his wife, Beatrice. Eddie tried to please Catherine, whilst he became quickly resentful when talking to his wife. We can tell immediately of how this situation cannot stay this way, some event will have to occur for Eddie to make up his mind about who and what he wants. When the submarines, Marco and Rodolfo are introduced, Eddies jealous streak and competitiveness both become evident and culpable for the hostile welcome he greeted the cousins with. Rodolfo made an immediate impact on Catherine, who showed a lot of interest in the illegal immigrant. Catherines interest in Rodolfo and Rodolfos feelings for her infuriate Eddie. Eddie seems jealous and unwanted to a certain extent. Eddies blunt attitude towards Rodolfo spells trouble, as we can tell at some point this will come to a head. For example, Rodolfo begins to sing, much to the pleasure of Catherine and Beatrice, but Eddie interrupts this and tells Rodolfo to, wait a minute. This seems as if Eddie doesnt like Rodolfo entertaining, especially singing this song that could well have been aimed at Catherine.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Barratt Development Account Information Analysis

Barratt Development Account Information Analysis Assessing the role of accounting information and accounting information system at Barratt Development Abstract Accounting information and accounting information systems (AIS) in todays information age play critical roles in facilitating decision-makers with accurate financial status of the organization and activities to pursue strategic objectives. Accountants, who are the disseminators of accounting information, need to ensure that the information provided to decision-makers such as managers, executives and board of directors is up-to-date to achieve organizational objectives, monitor performance and/or amend strategic objectives when needed. Sometimes accounting information is not as useful and even impacts negatively on the users. This is due to a host of issues that plague accounting information and its systems including authenticity, integrity and quality of the information generated. For these reasons, companies have to develop and maintain accounting information systems congruent with their business objectives to ensure usefulness, integrity and transparency to avoid ethical, legal and business conflicts. In the following evaluation, the researcher shall demonstrate the role of accounting information and accounting information system at Barratt Development Plc, with special emphasis on how the implementation of computerized accounting information systems affects issues of quality, integrity and reliability. Barratt Development Overview Barratt is one of the UKs largest homebuilders. Founded in 1958, the company today has an extended growing network of divisions spread throughout the UK. The breadth and scope of Barratt’s organizational structure can be measured by the number of resources and other pioneering projects development it serves to the communities. The company boasts market share with specialization in creating high quality, value for money homes for sale, rent and shared ownership, often in partnership with local authorities, housing associations and others (Official Website 2007). The majority, that is 80%, of the projects, are based on brown field recycled land. This commitment towards sustainable development has been congruent with the Governments future plan in sustainable development and innovation in homebuilding and construction (Official Website 2007). Even though the company has been founded since four decades, it is growing at an unprecedented speed. Since its listing in the London Stock Exchange in 1968, Barratt Development Plc has achieved high turnover. For the year 2006, the company has had a group turnover of  £2,431m. With 33 operating divisions throughout the country to serve all sectors of the market, Barratt is considered one of the most powerful groups of builders in planning and developing of the countrys housing sector (Official Website 2007). According to its executives, Barratts success lies in its geographical spread and extensive product range. The company has always ensured that sales of its homes and buildings are congruent with the average market place to appeal to a variety of buyers, yet maintains quality throughout the project. In addition, Barratt does not believe in remaining stagnant and following other players. Instead, part of its success lies in its ability to grow through innovation, and using green technologies effectively to develop projects that cost less, have more valuable benefits to the customer and environment, as well as customized to the end users preferences. Problems such as energy efficiency, health and safety, and regeneration are taken into consideration seriously (Annual Report 2006). With a strong team of specialists on its hand, Barratts management is confident in its performance and in creating value for its shareholders and stakeholders. Role of Accounting Information and AIS at Barratt Development The emergence of the digital economy and globalization has precipitated the concept of organizational systems for managing knowledge and information. In the financial context, digitized information reporting has become a link between the different units of the organization. It is through this network of information that organizations are able to utilize information in individualized management. Accounting information systems are enablers of information provision to synthesize financial information such as reports for non-standard managerial decisions. The AIS has come to be the managers knowledge through which the organization deploys knowledge for various purposes in decision frameworks (Bhimani 2003). Thus, AIS can be defined as a subsystem of the organizations information system in which quantitative data are processed to provide information for individuals or group of people with similar information needs, to use in understanding organizational activities and support decision-mak ing. Accounting information refers to processed data converted into information for the purpose of decision-making (OpenLearning ). This ideology can be exemplified by studying Barratt Development and its AIS. Accounting information at Barratt serves various groups of individuals and mainly those who are in direct relation with the business. From the top of the decision tree, the board of directors who need to direct and control the organization are the principal users of accounting information. Accounting information is used to study the trend in revenues, pre-tax profit, losses, group activities, cash flow, return on capital employed, forward order book, land, net assets, interest rates, selling price, volume of business, product sale and earnings per share to estimate the status of the business. They base their assessment on future plans, the types of project they will focus on, the kind of resources they plan to employ, and the kind of risks involved in the business (Annual Report 2006). Apart from the board of directors, accounting information provides valuable information for monitoring purposes for external groups of individuals such as the auditing committee. They study the integrity of the financial statements to objectively evaluate its relation with the organizational performance. They are also responsible for studying the financial management and reporting system to ensure that accounting procedures, system of control and processes are congruent with standards prescribed by the regulators (Annual Report 2006). The accounting information also provides useful status of the kind of credit transactions that have taken place with suppliers, the terms for repayment and how much debt the company is in without risking the companys integrity. After the Board of Directors, the auditors, and the creditors, the executives and managers are the ones who make use of the accounting information. They utilize make use of accounting information for assessing operational performance and how to improve it through strategic plans. Accounting information provides insight pertaining to the gaps or problems inherent in the skills, resources, and financial constrains that hinder the maximization of efficiency of resources to achieve organizational objectives and targets (Annual Report 2006). External users of accounting information also include the shareholders and speculators who are keen on studying the performance of the company from time to time to safeguard their interests. Information pertaining to earnings per share, share pricing, profitability, rates of returns and announcement of new shares being floated are all useful for shareholders to make investment decisions. Apart from the above-mentioned core decision-makers, accounting information is also used at the operational level for information like salaries, benefits, bonuses, pension benefits, as well as ensuring that divisional leaders are able to gauge the status of inventory, receivables, cash flow activities, assets, land, payables and taxes etc. which will impact on the overall status of the projects. The accounting information that these individuals utilize is processed by an accounting information system, which generates information from daily transactions such as sale receipts, invoices, payment slips, taxation forms, salary slips, suppliers transactional slips, and trade receivables etc. The AIS comprises of sub-sub systems set up based on accounting standards such as inventory system, supply chain system, sales proceeds systems, human resource system, and capital investment systems. The AIS is also formed based on various internal transactions recorded in these systems. Hence, the AIS at Barratt Development is based on both internal and external accounting information processing. Accounting Information Strategy at Barratt Development Although AIS has been in existence in organizations since the invention of accounting, today it is interpreted synonymously with the computerization of accounting function. The fundamental purpose of AIS is to collect, record and process data from activities related to the organizations (Stefanou 2006). The resultant information has implications in maintenance, decision and communication by internal and external stakeholders, depending on the extent of the impact of environmental factors, social factors, technological factors and organizational factors. According to Stefanou (2006), accounting information and AIS are critical for organizations to respond to highly competitive and dynamic business environments that often alter production processes and organizational structures. For this purpose, information systems such as AIS play an important role in facilitating change management and allow cross-functional requirements. At Barratt, the company has engaged Weber Shandwick Square Mile as the financial PR advisors to develop a communication framework especially designed for providing information to its shareholders and stakeholders at all times. However, this step towards transparency is limited by the companys policy not to divulge sensitive financial information to the public without the expressed approval of the Company Secretary. The company believes that this strategy helps it to ensure that key accounting information is only communicated to those genuinely concerned such as investors, private shareholders and analysts (Annual Report 2006). Barratts AIS is based on the International Financial Reporting Standards, complies with the Companies Act of 1985 and uses the generally accepted accounting principles. Under GAAP, the company also has to include estimates and assumptions that affect the companys overall financial performance, especially on assets and liabilities, while reporting of revenues and expenses. Accounting information is based on the managements interpretation of amount, activities, actions and actual/estimates and their impact on the performance of the company. For this purpose, Barratt takes into account of results/estimates from holding companies, as well as its subsidiaries, to be included in it financial statements to record revenue, expenditures, assets, liabilities, and cash flows. For example, when considering cost estimation, the company includes materials, labour and overheads of work in progress. Similarly, when considering property, plant and equipment, the company includes deferred purchase cre dit terms and costs, less depreciation of the assets (Annual Report 2006). Developing and managing accounting information is critical for inter and intra organizational information dissemination. Accurate information is required for decision support throughout the organization, as well as to ensure that the quality of information supports efficiency of operational activities. By using the GAAP principles, the companys decision-makers are able to negotiate and manage costs for determining cost price, selling price and service price of its products in the market. It is also critical for the decision-makers at the divisional level to gauge the financial implications of the project undertaken and, hence, determine its value to the overall organizational strategy. In smaller companies, it is easier to emphasize on control mechanisms such as cash, monitoring performance and maintaining relationships with external entities (Collis and Jarvis 2002). However, in an organization such as Barra tt, where holding companies, subsidiaries, supply chain and such external value chain units are connected with the companys operations, accounting estimates, though give a rough picture of the financial status, do not really provide correct financial status (Ramos 2004). Furthermore, due to the changing business environment and trend, traditional notions of control systems no longer prove effective in understanding and controlling factors that affect organizations. Bhimani (2003) is of the view that management operational strategies nowadays require a balance of all units within the organizational framework linked by an effective communication network, which emphasize on information and knowledge transfer. Any information system must facilitate information for monitoring and evaluation of the knowledge. Boland (1999) too is of the view that information systems such as the AIS must be present in the organization to create reports, support report regeneration, support decision systems, smoothen workflow and provide enquiry function. Therefore, the AIS should represent the organizational control system (Stuerke 2005). To begin with, Barratt maintains an effective financial information system that provides relevant and up-to-date information pertaining t o the organization for the purpose of maintaining investment relations. One cannot deny the fact that information pertaining to earnings forecasts, capital returns, announcements, financial performance and the like are easily available at the click of a button at Barratts investor relations web site. The purpose of this web site is to smooth the workflow of the investors, traders and analysts so that they engage in trading Barratts shares and securities (Barratt Official Website 2007). Likewise, one observes that Barratt has used its financial information system to effectively direct and control its corporate governance through which it sets standards and values for maintaining its relationship with shareholders, customers, staff, suppliers, contractors and stakeholders. It is through its corporate governance strategy that the company is able to develop an operational plan, budget, financial statements, decide on projects, conduct acquisition and disposal of units, as well as monitor business performance, set internal control for risk management and ensure transparency is existent throughout the organization (Annual Report 2006). An effective information system is dependent on a regulatory body. It is this body that monitors and evaluates the efficacy of the implementation of policies and strategies. Maintaining an information system with sensitive information, such as financial data, is useless if there are no regular checks and balances. In a financial context, this is usually carried out by the auditors. Congruent to the breadth and size of the company, Barratt has two groups of auditors internal and external. The Audit Committee (internal) comprises of executive directors with financial experience who are responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the audit process, financial management and reporting systems, as well as ensuring the integrity and effectiveness of its accounting processes. The internal control systems are reviewed regularly to monitor potential risks or discrepancies in the audit function. An external auditing company, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC has been engaged to authenticate the v alidity of the internal audit committees reports (Annual Report 2006). This approach is not new in terms of companys evaluation and monitoring. Apart from the auditing committee, Barratts Directors are also responsible for safeguarding the companys assets by monitoring for fraud and irregularities in its financial system and operations. Their task is governed by an internal control and risk management system. Although, this system may seem effective in defining risk control operations and reportage, nevertheless it is usually limited by the authority of the same directors who report, evaluate and audit the financial information disseminated at interim and annual meetings. The directors are a select group who are made responsible for the transparency of the whole companys accounting system. For example, when considering issues of land viability for acquisition, work in progress, and sub-contractor payments etc., the executive directors are dependent on the input system, which is controlled at the divisional level. Accounting of purchases, sales, and acquisitions is authenticated by the divisional heads, while the executive di rectors are dependent on these divisional units for authentication of their own reportage. Consequently, the researcher is of the view that the system only provides reasonable assurance. The risk of fraudulent activities cannot be really assured at all levels as the checks and balances are limited to the top executives only. Conclusion From the above discussion, one understands that although the digital economy has substantially revolutionized accounting information systems, it is essentially based on the same framework. Traditional accounting values such as integrity, authenticity and quality of information for the purpose of decision-making critically have remained the same. All processes in recording and processing accounting data for generating information serve the purpose of accountability and authentication of the factors of production, work in progress and performance of the firm. What has changed is the significance of the AIS as the intra and inter communication framework for stakeholders and shareholders. This is evident from the above study of Barratt Development, one of UKs top house-builder companies. Barratt, based on its operational infrastructure, has developed a complex financial information system governed by policies, procedures and disciplines for governing it. Its management has appointed top decision-makers (its directors) as gatekeepers for monitoring, evaluating and safekeeping of financial information. It has adopted standardized accounting principles for reportage and accountability so as to facilitate its shareholders and stakeholders with easy-to-access accounting information for making decisions that affect the company. Nevertheless, if one analyzes this accounting system, it is filled with gaps, which may compromise the integrity and quality of information provided to its users. Consequently, the researcher is of the view that AIS cannot guarantee authenticity, quality and integrity of information, regardless of the kind of system adopted. What is needed is a check and balance system integrated, congruent with the AIS, at all levels of the organization to ensure independent authentication of information and knowledge management. Bibliography Barratt Official Website. Company Profile. Online accessed on 20 January 2007 from: http://www.barratt-investor-relations.co.uk/corporateoverview/companyprofile.aspx Barratt Report and Accounts 2006. Bhimani, A. (2003) Management Accounting in the Digital Economy. Oxford University Press: Oxford. Boland, R. J. (1999) Accounting as a Representational Craft Lessons for Research on Information Systems in Rethinking Management Information Systems: An Interdisciplinary Perspective, Currie, W. and Galliers, B. (eds) Oxford University Press: Oxford. pp. 229 Collis, J. and Jarvis, R. (2002) Financial Information and the Management of Small Private Companies. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Vol. 9, No. 2 pp.100-110 Ramos, M. M. (2004) Interaction between management accounting and supply chain management. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal. Vol.9, No. 2, pp.134-138 Stuerke, P. S. (2005) Financial analysts as users of accounting information. International Journal of Managerial Finance Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 8-24 Barratt Report and Accounts 2006. Barratt Official Website. Company Profile. Online accessed on 20 January 2007 from: http://www.barratt-investor-relations.co.uk/corporateoverview/companyprofile.aspx Bhimani, A. (2003) Management Accounting in the Digital Economy. Oxford University Press: Oxford. Boland, R. J. (1999) Accounting as a Representational Craft Lessons for Research on Information Systems in Rethinking Management Information Systems: An Interdisciplinary Perspective, Currie, W. and Galliers, B. (eds) Oxford University Press: Oxford. pp. 229 Ramos, M. M. (2004) Interaction between management accounting and supply chain management. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal. Vol.9, No. 2, pp.134-138 Collis, J. and Jarvis, R. (2002) Financial Information and the Management of Small Private Companies. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Vol. 9, No. 2 pp.100-110 Stuerke, P. S. (2005) Financial analysts as users of accounting information. International Journal of Managerial Finance Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 8-24

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Why You Chose Your Major

Topic: Why you chose your major One of toughest decisions many people, and colllege students in particular face are choosing a major and a career. Hopefully when a person chooses their major is they know what they want to do for a life time. Some people do other things from what they studied. It’s been said that it’s always good to be able to do more than onething, career basis. I truly believe that. When you are little everything seems like magic. You light up your lamp by some unknown energy.All you have to do are to think about it and it happens and you wonder how. By elementary school you know you have to switch on the power to light up but how does that fluorescent lamp uses electricity to exite mercury vapor and why does it produce visible light when I turn on the power? By high school you have a basic understanding of electrons and energy conversion but how are these construction and what is energy of conversion that electrical energy into? This is why I am fasci nated with electronics and telecommunications.However, I would argue that you are choose a major by your hobby. Nowadays, we live in a world where education occupies a very important role. An educated person is someone who is able to learn how analyzes, synthesize, evaluate and understand. An education often gives to a person the means to sustain his life, to live comfortablely or even to live in luxury. The major you choose will be deciding factor in determining the stability and limits of your future financial situation.From an educational perspective, a degree in engineering, mathematics, physics, finance or computer science will lead to a much higher salary than a degree in social work. An educated person is also responsible for using his gained knowledge; in fact, an educated person must have a better rounded-view of the world and will continue to seek knowledge and understanding of it throughout their lives. On the one hand, choosing a major is depend on both family and social situation.You should consider that wheather your major is necessary for society or your family can enough to satisfy. Furthermore, the changes in society or barely will beginning in the future, so you also carefully forecast for the development of your major. For me, fortunately my major not only is my hobby but also more and more has well develop in many aspects. In conclusion, it seems to me that I had to decide for myself an appropriately major.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

“Afterwards” by Thomas Hardy Essay

‘Afterwards,’ by Thomas Hardy, is a poem that questions the way that people will look upon the narrator after his death. It centre’s around the idea of ‘noticing things,’ showing the narrators precision and the ambivalence of his neighbours. Hardy gets this across by the techniques that he uses, and the detailed descriptions which show the full extent of what the narrator has noticed. The poem shows the complexity of nature, and describes the cycle of life. The first stanza begins by personifying the ‘Present,’ which is very appropriate as the poem is concerned by the aliveness of the surroundings that it is describing. The reference to the back gate suggests closure, and is a very precise way of describing the end of the narrator’s life. This sense of closure is also demonstrated in the structure of the poem, which is self-contained in its alternate rhyming quatrains. It has a rhyming pattern of abab, which means that the poem is soft and pleasing to hear, reflects the quietness of nature and goes along with the idea of the man being gentle and ‘tremulous’. It is also pleasing to the eye as each stanza loosely mirrors the previous one. However the number of syllables varies in each line, which means the poem is not constrained by its structure. This is fitting to the content of the poem as there are references to birds, and flying which has the connotations of freedom. An example of this is, ‘And the May month flaps its glad green leaves like wings.’ This animal imagery is totally un-restrictive, as well as painting a very bright and vibrant picture of the season that he is describing. The alliteration, combined with each line only having one syllable helps to achieve the bouncing, jolly effect. The line also shows enjambment from the first line that is a technique carried on throughout the poem, adding to the overall continuity. The month of May is also described as being ‘delicate-filmed as new spun silk.’ This simile gives a very precise description of the beauty of spring, comparing it to a shiny new fabric, and giving it an almost transparent quality. There are also the connotations of value and exquisiteness. The second stanza moves consecutively from daytime to dusk, using appropriate  language to describe the time. Hardy is precise in describing the moment the hawk lands as like ‘an eyelids soundless blink.’ This has the combined effect of conveying both the visual swiftness of movement, and also the quietness of the moment. He manages to create an eerie tone by using the word ‘shades,’ which gives the impression that there are many shadows and it is not very easy to see. The eerie tone is continued by the ‘wind-warped upland thorn,’ in which the plosive ‘R’ sound adds to the feeling of rustiness. It shows that the narrator does not only appreciate the bright beauty of the day time, but the more mystical quality of the evening, therefore noticing the full complexity of what nature has to offer. The idea of the day wearing on continues in the third stanza, where the first line foregrounds the rest of the stanza by stating; ‘If I pass during some ‘nocturnal blackness,’ which clearly sets the scene for night time. This is carried on by the description of the hedgehog and the moths, which only venture out at night, which creates a mood of peace and tranquility. The idea that the hedgehog travels furtively suggests a sense of purpose, that the hedgehog has a sly, secret mission to complete, which will go unnoticed in the rest of the world. This seems symbolic for the narrator, who seems to be discretely observing everything. T he secretiveness would help explain the distance that seems to be between him and the rest of the human beings around him. This distance is further achieved by the fact that there are never any names mentioned, or any suggestion of family or relationships. For example ‘one may say,’which is typically impersonal.Stanza four moves from describing the animals that the narrator identifies with, and is more focussed of the narrator and his idea of the people around him. It is different from the previous stanzas in that there is no movement within it, which is appropriate because Hardy is describing the time when the narrator has been ‘stilled at last.’ The focus switches from the visual nature the narrator is so utterly familiar with, to the ‘full starred heavens that winter sees.’ Therefore he is thinking about the unknown, and the life that awaits him after he dies. Again there is the use of personification for winter, as there was for spring, which is important as it signifies the end of the  seasonal cycle where things wither and die.Continuing this somewhat disconsolate tone, the beginning of the last stanza seems to give up on human nature. It asks, ‘and will any say when my bell of quittance is heard in the gloom.’ This brings you back to the closure suggested in the first stanza, where he describes the gate closing on his life. The image of the bell contrasts to the silence of the previous stanzas, especially the one immediately preceding it. It describes the sound dying, and then rising again as a ‘new bells boom.’ The alliteration again helps the line move quickly, suggesting the speed that people rush around. The onomatopoeic word ‘boom’ suggests the loud noise that people make, contrasting to the peace and tranquility of the nature and animals that he describes. The poem ends by asking if the people will say, ‘he hears it not now but used to notice such things?’ This sums up the whole poem, which is expressing how people will not ask these questions. The refrains bring in the new voice in each stanza, having the effect of uniting each one. The meaning of each of the final lines never really changes, achieving the realization that the narrator knows that he will never change the views of the people around him. Hardy is criticizing human nature for not stopping long enough to reflect on what is really meaningful in people’s lives. Therefore in conclusion the repetition of the first line, that ends the poem sums up the whole idea that nothing has actually been resolved. It emphasizes the complexity of nature and the amount of things that goes unnoticed every day and night. Hardy employs various techniques to make the poem come alive, which is crucial in showing his appreciation of what is going on around him. He uses extensive imagery, so that it is both visual, such as by describing the colours, and the explicit detail that is in every small thing that he describes. The silence is also transmitted effectively by word choice such as ‘soundless blink.’ It is also effective in identifying his affinity with animals, as opposed to human beings.

Friday, November 8, 2019

A Successful Tourism Operation Management Tourism Essay Essay Example

A Successful Tourism Operation Management Tourism Essay Essay Example A Successful Tourism Operation Management Tourism Essay Essay A Successful Tourism Operation Management Tourism Essay Essay Traveling to go to in athletics or to watch featuring events is perennial. Equally early as 900 BC the Greeks were going to take portion in and watch the Ancient Greek Games ( Gibson, 1998 ) . Back to recent decennaries, even though there are many factors affect touristry growing, in most people s head, the most part comes from planetary events, particularly mega-sport events that, in peculiar, are considered to imply important benefits for the host state in footings of touristry reachings, both at the same time with the event and as a bequest of it ( Baade A ; Matheson, 2003 ; Baade A ; Matheson, 2004 ; Hagn A ; Maennig, 2009 ; Matheson A ; Baade, 2004 ; Preuss, 2004 ; Preuss, 2007a ; Preuss, 2007b ; Solberg A ; Preuss, 2006 ) . It can be apparent that in 2008 the universe s travel and touristry generated about US $ 5,890 billion of economic activity. With the part of travel A ; touristry to Gross Domestic Product ( GDP ) expected to lift from 9.9 % in 2008 to 10.5 % by 2018, the following decennary will see touristry grosss transcending US $ 10,000 billion ( Bangkok, 2012 ) . And sport touristry, which is enormously affected by mega-sport event, is at the bosom of this growing and as the fastest turning sector in the planetary travel and touristry industry, accounted in 2008 for an amazing US $ 600 billion or +10 % of the international touristry market ( Bangkok, 2012 ) . As the hosting a mega-sport event, it make the host metropolis easy gain the market portion by set up a touristry finish image and besides heighten the finish trade name consciousness from hypertrophied market. Furthermore, the relevant touristry subdivision such as concern touristry besides gained immense donee after mega-sport event. Fo r illustration, Barcelona s convention agency concern increased by 129 % in the twelvemonth following the 1992 games, concern visit reachings to Australia increased by 78 % between 1993 and 1997 and by 17 % between 1997 and 2000 ( DCMS, 2006 ) . Therefore, historically, hosting a mega-sport event is viewed by the host metropolis as a stimulator of touristry and economic industries if the event is decently leveraged ( Karadakis, et al. , 2010 ) . In another word, the economic systems of metropoliss, parts and in the instance of pulling mega events such as the Olympic Games or the FIFA World Cup full states are progressively reliant on uniting event and touristry to leap get down economic and socio-economic alteration For case: the South African travel and touristry sector, of which athletics touristry is a subdivision, was set to lend 8.7 % to the gross domestic merchandise ( GDP ) in 2009 ( WTTC, 2009 ) . One possible ground should be the extent of event touristry, which consists of those tourers who are attracted to a state or part with the specific purpose of devouring event-specific goods ( Fourie A ; Spronk, 2011 ) . The success of hosting events of this nature has arguably assisted South Africa in constructing its touristry substructure and has helped construct its repute as an international tourer finish ( Rogerson A ; Visser, 2004 ) . And the event bequest has led the state s ability to export travel services sustainably, bettering the balance of payments, making occupations and hiking economic growing ( Fourie, 2011 ) . However, a batch of bookmans consider the impact of touristry of mega-events as holding been excessively optimistic ( Matheson, 2002 ; Matheson, 2006 ; Matheson A ; Baade, 2004 ; Preuss A ; Kurscheidt, 2009 ) . In peculiar, Maennig and co-authors ( Allmers A ; Maennig, 2009 ) found that, in connexion with the hosting of the 2006 FIFA World Cup by Germany, the visitant Numberss experienced at the clip appeared small different from normal touristry reachings, despite the 2006 World Cup being widely considered as one of the most successful World Cup events yet ( Fourie A ; Spronk, 2011 ) . And it may besides do tonss of negative impacts to the host such as fiscal disease, environment pollution. Even though mega-sport event merely last less than one month, its impacts on touristry are long-run and assorted. Therefore, the event organisers face the challenges that develop touristry at the pre-event phase, during event phase and post-event phase every bit good, and exploit assorted touristry markets such as athletics touristry, concern touristry in properly scheme through the event host. This research will concentrate three facets: selling scheme, finish service quality and sustainable development. Through selling scheme, the nexus is established between touristry and mega-sport event ; finish service provides choice circuits experience to visitants and sustainability form a standard of all strategic activities. Aim and aims The purpose of this survey is to carry on a strategic analysis of the touristry operation direction of mega-sport events. The stairss to accomplish the purpose are formulated into four aims: To demo an overview of impact of the mega-sport event on touristry. To look into selling scheme for a mega-sport event by analysing motive phase theoretical account that divide tourer market and set uping a nexus between event and touristry through selling mix. To look into finish service quality by analyzing the proficient quality such as adjustment, attractive forces and conveyance ; and functional quality such as voluntary and cab driver. To look into the bequest of mega-sport event by societal, environment and economic system facets and measure their impacts on sustainable development of touristry. Research principle Hosting a mega-sport event provides host metropolis an international market to advance itself with assorted supports such as fund and policy. The success of hosting these events will help host to better touristry substructure and assist construct its repute as an international tourer finish. However, as the purchase power and demands of tourer addition, the organisation still have infinite to develop their scheme to run into the demand and to maximise the gross. Equally good as the post-event period, there are tonss of challenges needed to get the better of such as low utilizing rate of locales while high maintain fee occurs. Harmonizing to Jeffrey ( 2010 ) , the host besides should see the negative impacts of hosting an event. Since an event takes topographic points in a societal and political environment, there ever will be some issues with citizens who are against this event like local citizens. Therefore, it is really of import to look at the long-run effects for the finish after the event takes topographic point. Major events are short-run events with long-run effects for the hosted ( Winter, 2010 ) . In order to minimise these effects, a successful touristry operation direction is necessary in order to develop a sustainable athletics touristry finish. The hosts should develop a finish that meets the demands of the present without compromising the ability of future coevalss to run into their ain demands. Organization of research The thesis is divided into five chapters. Following this debut, the topics of what would be a successful touristry operation direction of a mega-sport event are so reviewed with the penetration and restriction of literature in Chapter 2. Following the literature reappraisal, the factors of host s operation that influential to the touristry will be explored in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 covers the methodological analysis employed in this research subject, and the findings, analysis and rating will be presented in Chapter 4. Finally, the decision and recommendations are drawn in Chapter 5.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Free Software vs. Piracy essays

Free Software vs. Piracy essays There is a crack, a crack in everything, thats how the light gets in (Fravia +). There are many types of programs to download off the Internet; for every type of program, there are numerous software titles. For example, say you want a feature rich word processing program but are not sure what kind to get. A search on the popular download site Cnet.com for word processor will find at least fifty programs such as Star, AbiWord and Atlantis, among others. Out of all the programs listed, two thirds fit the criteria desired; they are also the ones that cost a significant amount of money. In the past two years, I have learned, through reading information provided on various newsgroups and websites, the ins and outs of acquiring software at no cost. I will not only explain how to find, install and keep any program for free, I will attempt to rationalize why it should not be a crime to do what many people might define as piracy. I want to begin by stating that while many of the expressions used in this paper will be defined, it will be assumed most of the common terms (i.e., file, download, serial number, password, etc.) will not need to be explained. There are many reasons why I prefer not to pay for software. One small but important one is that I dont have the money to buy overpriced programs. However, Ill get into that more a little later. Lets begin by figuring out what to do first. For example, perhaps you are trying to find some information on the web for a research paper but are having a hard time trying to sort out all of the information. You remember a friend mentioning a program that will access over 1000 search engines and narrow the results down to the most relevant. You know the programs name is Copernic, so you go to a download site, such as Cnet or ZDnet, and put in a search for it. After reading the details, you realize that you want it, except it cost ...

Sunday, November 3, 2019

A critical discussion of Porters view that the economic structure of Essay

A critical discussion of Porters view that the economic structure of the restaurant industry determines the pattern of competition in that industry - Essay Example The global restaurant industry is highly saturated and in a mature stage of development along the industry life cycle, a factor that is driven by the economics of the industry. The economic structure is influenced by the tangibles along the value chain for food services organisations, including the volume of suppliers along the supply chain and the pricing structure of procurement, which impacts all restaurant organisations. The industry is also impacted by the demographics of the consuming public in terms of income as well as the availability of financial capital or ability to raise capital in the regions where the food services organisations operate. Hence, there are a variety of factors that will determine the methods and strategies by which competitors attempt to compete to attain some form of competitive advantage that are all linked with the economics of the industry. The restaurant industry In China, as one example, there is a high concentration of Western fast food companies that have saturated the industry. Growth in consumer demand for Western food brands has given food service companies ample opportunities for expansion out of the North American and European markets. However, it not only consumer demand that has provided these opportunities, it is the investment by a more liberal Chinese government that has stabilised the regional economy that provides advantages for market entry and expansion. The government has injected considerable financial capital into urban development, there is more interest by venture capitalists for this same pursuit, and government policies have provided much more incentives for foreign direct investment in the country (Areddy 2009). Inflation has been largely stabilised by government intervention and policy development, thereby offering consumers much more disposable income that is crucial for sustaining profitability. In 2012, the government invested 57.92 billion USD to motivate more effective corporate borrowing and to control interest rates (Safe Trading 2013). From a social perspective, as Chinese culture begins adopting more ideologies and principles associated with a capitalistic economy, lifestyle preferences are changing that are favourable for new entrants in the fast food industry. In contemporary China, 50 percent of consumers prefer eating in restaurants over that of household consumption (Ganster 2006), which provides a potential market of approximately one half billion consumers. In 2008, consumers in Shanghai spent approximately seven percent of their total disposable income on restaurant dining which represented a whopping 20 percent increase in spending from that of 2007 (Rentz and Xu 2010). Therefore, the economic structure of the industry, coupled with higher guarantees of consumer expenditures on food services, establishes an industry environment that can satisfy profit expectations for a variety of major competitors and new market entrants into the country. The entire fast food industry in China, from a market value perspective, increased 16 percent between 2010 and 2011 and is estimated to be worth 74.8 billion USD in revenues to all competitors (Ho 2011). Therefore, major fast food companies, such as KFC, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, have found considerable profit success by entering the Chinese fast food market. Prior to recent years, however, in order for the aforementioned companies (and their large variety of other competitors) to achieve market success, they were forced to import food products from the West which significantly raised operating

Friday, November 1, 2019

Impact of Social Media in International Marketing Research Paper

Impact of Social Media in International Marketing - Research Paper Example This essay declares that the emergence of the social media has had a powerful impact on enterprises. In the coming years, social media has the potential to change the landscape of the business environment and the way organizations conduct their business operations. Companies will have to alter the way they conduct business in order to fully take advantage of the opportunities presented by the emergence of social media. Companies that quickly understand the changes brought about by social media on customer value and customer engagement will be in a good position to realize optimum benefits from the use of social media. This paper stresses that the emergence of new technologies, such as the worldwide web, mobile devices and digital television has created a number of opportunities for businesses to produce and market innovative goods and services. It has also helped customers to get increased value for their money. Traditional marketing approaches limit the number of customers a company can reach to hundreds, thousands or even tens of thousands. These marketing techniques also require a lot of time, effort and cost. In sharp contrast, a business today through the use of computers and the Internet can reach millions of customers with minimal effort and cost. China has gone beyond the United States in terms of the leading country that has the maximum number of Internet users. Asia Pacific will have more than 500 million of the Internet population. In terms of the world Internet population, the percentage of users in the Latin American and South Pacific regions will increase and that of North America an d Europe will decrease even though the actual numbers will continue to increase (Luukka). Social media allows