Beijing Market Entry Strategy

Beijing market entry strategy for Frozen Food This report aims to analyze the entry of frozen Beijing market. Use a SWOT analysis approach analyzes the company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The report has identified a marketing strategy of entry that will help our company to enter the market effectively. Contains: 1 Summary of the company 2 Frozen market in Beijing 3 SWOT analysis 4 Marketing strategy suggested input. Summary of the company Our frozen food company is only imaginary for this work.This is a company that wants to enter the Beijing market and it conducts a study to define the entry strategy. Our company sells all kinds of frozen food from cans to larger products. For now only work in Europe and we are planning to expand in the world soon. Frozen market in Beijing The frozen food market in Beijing is currently booming in China is expected to grow 16. 1 billion in 2012, mainly concentrated in big cities like Beijing and Hong Kong. The annual demand fo r frozen products is growing around a 3-4% in Beijing, provided by Datamonitor 2009Is such an increase, now, ASIAN SEAFOOD exposure has a new section called Frozen Food Asia, there is provided a forum for buyers to be face to face with suppliers of frozen food in several categories, which are the most important: Ready meals, Chilled and frozen meat products, Frozen fish, Seafood, Vegetables, Potato products, Fruit, Pizza, Bakery products, Cheese, Ice cream, Desserts SWOT ANALYSIS As our company wants to expand and take advantage of the boom that is taking frozen food in Beijing, you need to analyze the market.This section analyzes the company in terms of market Beijing adopting the SWOT approach. Strengths | Weaknesses | High Quality Products| Poor Operate systemExistence of large companies in the sectorUnfamiliar brand| Opportunities | Threats | Rise of frozen food in Beijing Growing | Rising raw material prices| Strengths High Quality Products For the development of our products u se high quality raw materials. It is this Which Helps the holding company its competitive advantages. Undoubtedly This value will make the company easy to Developing its new market. Weaknesses Poor Operate systemThe control overhead is one of the weaknesses that impede the growth of the company. Investment in research and advertising are very low in relation to its competitors. Also the management system of the company is also quite poor. Existence of largue companies in the sector There are already large companies in the Beijing market, and this is very opposed to seize important part of the market share. Unfamiliar brand Being a brand new, we have the problem that we are not known, and this makes it difficult for the company at first, because it affects sales. Opportunities Rise of frozen food in Beijing GrowingWe know that the frozen food market is constantly growing in Beijing, this will affect very positively to our company. Threats Rising raw material prices With the price of basic food and feed commodities on the rise, food manufacturers are increasingly facing pressure on their margins. In our company we use basic raw materials in large amounts. If raw material prices continual rise, it would thus lead to increased pressure on the company’s margins. MARKETING PLAN FOR THE FROZEN FOOD COMPANY Expand into the market for frozen food Beijing can succeed, because other companies already have.But for this we must make a general strategy and go step by step with the plans. The strategy refers to the innovation of feedback regarding the traditional values of the company. This calls for new product innovation strategy, distribution channels, sales promotion and development of new markets as well. The entrance to the Chinese market frozen food, in particular, requires that the plan adequately prepared as presented below. The process of globalisation has witnessed the rapid growth of international activities (Frank 1994).Once a firm expands its operations outside the borders of its own nation-state and outside the dominance of its own home culture, the influence of the host countries’ national cultures becomes reality (Fatehi 1996). Conducting business across international boundaries requires interaction with people and their organizations nurtured in different cultural environments (Kale and Barnes, 1992). Therefore the need for knowledge and understanding of the social-cultural difference between host country and home country becomes of paramount importance.For most western people, China is still a mystic country owing to its cultural features being completely different from those of western countries (Ghauri et al, 2001). Indeed, the traditional Chinese culture, in which Confucian philosophy is dominant, is a high context culture, which is opposite to western culture which is low context. It also has its own incredibly complex Chinese condition (guo qing), which always confuses western people (Ghauri et al, 2001). All of t hese make western negotiators feel difficult and confused when they negotiate with Chinese negotiators.Many failed negotiations are caused by the poor understanding of Chinese culture or lacking of awareness of the Chinese business negotiation style (Kirkbride, Tang ; Westwood, 1998). This is why more and more scholars are studying Sino-Western Business Negotiation in order to be more effective in negotiations with Chinese. CHOOSING A STRATEGY FOR ENTRY IN THE MARKET Choosing appropriate entry strategy To compare with its counterparts, our company has missed an early chance to develop the Chinese market. However, it may enjoy the advantages over the follower strategy in terms of initial market costs and questionable effectiveness.Indeed, for pioneer entrants, some factors such as demand uncertainty, entry scale, advertising intensity, entry time of followers, and the scope of the economy are all risk. Now for Our Frozen Food Company, it is more easily to develop effective entry stra tegy into the emerging market in Beijing. Moreover, studies have demonstrated that those innovative late entrants grow faster than pioneers and have higher market potentials and repeat sales rates. Moreover, they can slow the pioneer’s growth and reduce its marketing spending effectiveness.Nonetheless, in doing so as innovative late entrants, apart from the above mentioned general innovation strategy, the company needs to study how to build its distribution channel in short order and to develop it market share. In so doing, an effective way is to set up joint venture through the Frozen Food Company for to find an appropriate counterpart to merge it and use its distribution channel and factories. This strategy has been evidenced by many examples. Conclusion This work has analysed the FROZEN FOOD COMPANY case, to look at its entry strategy to Beijing of frozen food market.Although our company currently runs smoothly, it has to seek for new income point if it is fighting surviva l in the future. The Beijing frozen food market as an emerging market, although it is also competitive, provides a great potential to increase income. The company have its key strengths in developing new market, and it is right time to think about its future. However, the weaknesses accompanied with the company could be risk in developing new market, as well as external environment. In general, our company may make success in entry to Beijing frozen food market if following a proper marketing strategy.

Breaking the Unspoken Gender Rule Essay

â€Å"I keep trying to integrate my life. I keep trying to make all of the pieces into one piece. As a result, my identity becomes my body which becomes my fashion, which becomes my writing style. Then I perform what I’ve written in an effort to integrate my life, and that becomes my identity, after a fashion, (Bornstein, 1994, p. 1). † For Theatrical Writer and Author Kate Bornstein, born Albert Herman, being a gender outlaw is about breaking the general gender rules and stereotypes. According to Bornstein and many other gender outlaws the current association of gender and sex is limiting in scope. Furthermore, gender in itself is a socially constructed ideology that fails to associate sexuality beyond the confines of anatomy. Bornstein gives the detailed account of her transformation from a man into a lesbian woman. In addition, Bornstein looks at the issues surrounding trying to establish oneself according to societal gender roles. She says that as a man she was continually looking to â€Å"integrate† herself into the norms but finally came to the conclusion that this was not possible. Bornstein is not alone. There are many transsexuals and gender outlaws that are living their lives in defiance of common gender related stereotypes. â€Å"It feels like everything should have been obvious when I look back. But everything was so confusing as I grew up. It’s like one day I was absent and everybody else was taught the crucial aspects of being a boy or girl. I would lie in bed at night practicing and rehearsing how to be a boy, (Wyndzen, 1998, p. 1). † Both Wyndzen and Bornstein describe the emotional aspects of trying to fit their transsexual bodies into a single sex social stereotype. From an outsiders point of view they both provide the context that could make gender outlaws more understandable for mainstream society. Yet, neither addresses what makes them different from the normal stereotype. Esseintially both claim to be classified in the wrong gender category based on their sexual genitalia. Both were born with the working parts of men but psychologically they identified with women. For gender boundary breakers such as Bornstein it has become a personal mission to show that gender in itself can not be classified simply as male or female. However, scholars such as David Geary claim that sexual stereotypes are accurate. â€Å"Gender stereotypes such as the belief that men never help out around the house and women gossip, are generally true, David Geary, a psychology professor at the University of Missouri concludes after reviewing more than 1,200 studies by psychologists, biologists and anthropologists, (Researcher Finds Gender Stereotypes to be Accurate, Part of Nature, 1998,  ¶ 1). According to Geary, stereotypes are rooted in nature and ways in which the species attract the opposite sex. â€Å"The sexual strategies men and women use in their drive to procreate cause many of the stereotypical sex differences in males and females, including physical attributes and development, play patterns, social behavior and development, parenting interests, motivational and emotional patterns, cognitive abilities, and brain structure and functions, (Researcher Finds Gender Stereotypes to be Accurate, Part of Nature, p. 5). † Yet, Geary does not define the gray area which includes people who have an innate feeling of being classified incorrectly. Can there be a gender classification for people born as males but who participate socially as females and vice-versa? In conclusion, there are many examples of the emotional devastation caused by inflexible gender classification. And although there is evidence that current gender stereotypes have roots in human instinct there is no classification or category for transsexuals who either identify with the opposite sex as a source of identity or who were born into an ambiguous state of sexuality. Currently there is no gender category for gender outlaws. References Bornstein, K. (1994). Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women and the Rest of Us. New York: Routledge. Researcher Finds Gender Stereotypes to be Accurate, Part of Nature. (1998). American Psychological Association, 29(19). Retrieved from www. apa. org Wyndzen, M. H. (1998). All Mixed Up. Retrieved April 28, 2009, from www. genderpsychology. org

American Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American Culture - Essay Example American culture is not an exception to this phenomenon. Through the articles â€Å"Shopping for American Culture† written by James J. Farrell, and â€Å"The Mall As Prison† written by David Guterson, the current discourse hereby asserts that malls, with their combination of over hundreds of stores, numerous restaurants, and amusement parks are the epitome of American culture, representing what entire America stands for: commercial art, materialism and places of psychological refuge. Shopping malls are replete with commercial art. Farrell (date) specifically attested that â€Å"shopping requires a biological being to enter an architectural space outfitted with commercial art and designed to sell artifacts manufactured and distributed in a market economy† (par. 7). After confirming malls as structures containing commercial art, Farrell corroborated the statement by asserting that â€Å"malls are also art galleries, carefully crafted collections of commercial artà ¢â‚¬ ¦ (and are likewise) museums of contemporary American material culture† (pars. 10–11). These statements confirmed that shopping malls become reservoirs of commercial art in terms of the diversity of products and services being displayed, offered, and designed in manners that are synonymous with forms of art: through product designs, packaging, promotional campaigns, product displays, and even the architectural structures that house these varied products. Concurrently, malls also serve as cultural institutions (Farrell, date) where some strategically designed and allotted spaces become venues for display of art works, current events, social and cultural endeavors, and an exchange of community work which aims to reach out to others and serve diverse civic or social responsibility objectives. More importantly, as revealed by Guterson (date), when he visited the Mall of America in Minneapolis, the external description of the edifice resembled a magnificent artwork, to wit: â€Å"the Mall of America had been imagined by its creators not merely as a marketplace, but as a national tourist attraction† (par. 4). The grandiose design, the expansively sophisticated space, and the vividly colorful aesthetic features make malls themselves as perfect symbols of commercial art: in structural design as well as in the products and services offered therein. Likewise, shopping malls are the embodiment of materialism. As Farrell (date) had enunciated, â€Å"the average American of today consumes twice as many goods and services as the average American of 1950 and ten times as much as a counterpart from 1928† (par. 5). This information is a manifestation of the depth and intensity of consumerism, as evidenced by the magnanimity of products or services being consumed for personal and professional interests. Everything anyone needs seems to be made readily available in various stores and shops within the mall. In addition, there has been an emphasis i n the â€Å"natural human impulse to dwell in marketplaces or urge to buy, sell and trade† (Guterson, date, par. 16). Finally, malls are places of psychological refuge. As acknowledged by Farrell (date), â€Å"shopping itself can be therapeutic, even fun, whether or not anything ends up in the shopping bag† (par. 6). In addition, Farrell (date) also admonished that as a place of psychological refuge, malls actually provide opportunities to enrich one’s personal identity, â€Å"a secure sense of self, a set of social relationships, a deeper sense of community, an expression of who we

Thematic Paper- Noah Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Thematic Paper- Noah - Essay Example It is therefore the institution of religion came into being.  Looking into the history of the world at large, it becomes evident that religion existed in all human societies from the most primitive to the most modern ones. â€Å"Humans have formed their own beliefs (called probability belief in mathematics and science) about the set of unknowable elements of the universe.   They have branded their beliefs about the unknowable as religion.† (Acharya, 2006) Since religion is a highly diversified subject, different societies maintain different religious faiths and beliefs. Not only this that it varies from society to society and from one culture to the other, but also one single society contain the followers of different religions in it. The religious cults, practices and festivals vary among the followers of different religions, though there are some similarities too. The main living religions include Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Confucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism an d others, among which Judaism, Christianity and Islam share almost the same mythology and traditions. The holy personalities and their life-sketch is also one and the same according to their holy Scriptures. The traditions about patriarch and holy prophet Noah is also common among the three. The guidance of humanity is the basic theme behind the foundation of a religion. The concept of prayer and meditation exists in all the religions of the world, which is also the outcome of the search for truth and justice. The source of spiritual guidance and inspiration i.e. the Divine Scriptures reached to man through the prophets of God. These Holy Scriptures of Abrahamic religions including the Torah, the Old and New testaments, the Bible and the Quran clearly reveal how severe trials the holy men had to forbear to spread the message of God. The name of the Patriarch and Prophet Noah is at the top of the list of greatest people. Noah maintains a very dominant place in

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 58

Assignment Example Hill et al. (2010) provided evidence that workplace flexibility decreases work-life conflict and improved productivity by motivating employees to work longer hours. They stressed that schedule flexibility must be related to workplace flexibility too. Thus, reducing a five-day work week to a four-day one will greatly improve the wellbeing of employees, which will directly contribute to their morale and energy at the workplace. Facer and Wadsworth (2010) presented their findings on the Utah’s implementation of a four-day work week for state employees. Findings showed that decreased work week schedules considerably lessened participants’ total commute time, thereby boosting employees’ personal time that they can use for social and household activities, or sleep. Lowering long commute times can offer concrete benefits for organizations, since this research gives evidence that longer commutes result to more stress, more health problems, more absenteeism and tardiness, and lower performance. This source is useful for my proposal because it supports the benefits of a four-day work week at individual, company, and society levels. For individuals, they will save money and time in going to work and they can feel less work-life conflict; for companies, they can experience less expenses in electricity and other tools used by employees; and for society, social and environmental benefits are appar ent. For Chapter Ten, I learned valuable resource evaluation knowledge and skills. For instance, I used to take studies for granted, meaning that I no longer evaluate their validity and reliability. From now on, I use a system in evaluating my sources. First, I evaluate the source for its â€Å"reputation for honesty and credibility† (p.245). I examine the journals and their methods in choosing their published articles. I learned to prefer peer-reviewed over non-peer reviewed sources. Second, I discovered that it is critical to assess the

Financial & Budgetary Management. Planning Business Performance Essay

Financial & Budgetary Management. Planning Business Performance - Essay Example A budget is a report statement of management’s plans for a specific time period expressed in financial terms (Weygant & Kieso & Kimmel, 2002, p.982). The purpose of this report is to describe the important of a budgeting function and the way it can easily implanted into a business information system. A budget is created to meet the desired timeframe a manager desires. The period of time a budget is created for is a one year accounting period, which is typically aligned with the company fiscal year or the natural year. A budget is an extremely valuable tool that provides decision makers with many advantages. Some of these advantages include; Budgeting is based on the amount of expected economic resources a firm estimates it will generate. Sales are the main source of economic incentive for companies. A budget is created in order to determine the resources need to create the target sales total. The value of a lot of business variables are determined based on expected revenue outcomes. The amount of material purchases, labor requirements, machinery upgrades, information system maintenance among other factors are determined based on an annual budget of a corporation. Budgets are associated with the responsibility centers such as cost centers, profit centers and investment centers. The return on investment of an investment center is studied based on the investment budget which allows the owner to create different profit forecast by manipulating the data from the budget of the investment project. The evaluation that takes place utilizing budgets is data that can be trust if it meets the basic performance standards: Accountability provides budgets with the credibility among professionals since it ensures the system is protected from material error. Accountability is one of many qualities that ensure the quality of the information in the budgeting system. Timeliness, authority, objectivity and accuracy are other variable that ensure quality information is

Problem Solution Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Problem Solution Argument - Essay Example The multi-billion dollars academic research funded by marketers is manipulative and unethical so it should be considered illegal. Marketers have the rights to find ways on how to improve their services to maximize their profits. However, there should be a limit to how they employ such ways and maintain ethical principles as they work. Background Information Large companies hire researchers, consultants, and analysts to conduct studies on the various human behaviors using different methods. Especially during global crisis, companies are more driven to increase their sales profits. According to Gladwell article, â€Å"the time per visit that the average American spends in a shopping mall was sixty-six minutes last year down from seventy-two minutes in 1992- and is the lowest number recorded† (Gladwell 95). With economic problems, consumers’ interests of going to malls had fallen. Despite the drop in the number of hours consumers spend in malls, sellers’ profits can be improved through researches on consumer behaviors. Paco Underhill is a researcher who graduated from Columbia who had analyzed hours of shopping videotape in the past decades (Gladwell 95). Through analyzing consumer behaviors, marketers recognize that not all consumers are the same, which is why marketers now do segmentation of consumers. Segmentation is another effective trick and method used by marketers to be able to create the right advertisement for the targeted consumers. Kids are well impacted by the segmentation system. Advertisement has changed rapidly from only a few large companies such as Disney, McDonald, and others, but in our contemporary society, now almost all companies target children for their own benefits. According to Eric Schlosser, â€Å"Today children are being targeted by phone companies, oil companies, and automobilecompanies as well as clothing stores and restaurant chains†. Children are exposed to 40,000 commercials per year. American Companie s are recorded to spend $800 million per year for kids’ advertisement and the revenues are triple. With $800 initial money, they earned $29 billion revenues. Moreover, the Europeans generate revenues between $620 to $930 million. This shows that kids bring huge profits to many producers. Marketers did not only do surveys but they also focused on kids to be questioned secretly without their parents’ notice to obtain the information. Thanks to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act that took effect on April, 2000, children’s exposure to abuse are a little limited. Nowadays, clubs seem to be the trend in getting to children. â€Å"According to one Burger King executive, the creation of a Burger King Kids Club in 1991 increased the sales of children's meals as much as 300 percent† (Schlosser). In addition, researchers found out that about 80 percent of kids dream about animals. This information is used by many marketers to create imaginary figure s that will be liked by the young children, used for advertisements to entice them. It is interesting to note how marketers target children because they are easily manipulated due to their immaturity. Lastly, the other technique used by the researchers is Neuromarketing, a process where the possible responses of consumers are studied in order to create products that would meet their ‘

RUNNING HEAD TEAM DYNAMICS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

RUNNING HEAD TEAM DYNAMICS - Essay Example So, effective and efficient groups work provides security and social satisfaction for customers and organization supporting individual needs and promoting communication, formally or informally. Recent trends underline the important of client-oriented relations and high level of cohesiveness in working groups which ensures clients satisfaction and improve service level. (Buchholz and Roth 1987). The advantage and benefits of working in teams are joined actions of all team members and an opportunity to work on complex problems and solutions. For this reason, team work plays a crucial role as it is concerned with provision of services for the diverse client population. Design of a team and effective leader can be seen only as tools for providing effective support. Neither a group work nor a leader in isolation cannot secure effective work of modern organizations. Group work is a complex notion which depends upon different strategies and methods. Modern organizations deal socially and economically with diverse settings. The class-based approach has a tendency to foster autonomy of client population. ... (Dickson and Hargie 2003). The main challenge of team work is effective communication and coordination of all team members, motivation and rewards. In general, a work team can be defined as a group of individuals working interdependently to solve problems or accomplish tasks. Teams are a powerful design option for organizations that hope to meet the challenges of increased global competition, improve output quality, and address the social needs of the ever-changing global workforce. However, the success or failure of work teams in multinational organizations will depend largely on communication. Effective communication requires that HR practitioners adapt key assumptions about motivation, structure, and accountability. Adapted assumptions must support lateral thinking, collaboration, interdependence, a focus on process, permeable boundaries, and mutual responsibility. Following LaFasto and Larsen (2001) the "key ingredients" for successful teamwork are "openness, supportiveness, action orientation and personal style" (p. 5). Work teams are most effective when there is high task interdependence or a high degree of coordination and collaboration required between team members to accomplish tasks. Thus, a group of insurance sales agents who are geographically dispersed and have little interaction with one another to carry out their tasks would most likely be an inappropriate context in which to implement teams. The agents would probably see such an effort as an empty, poorly developed strategy designed to capitalize on a management fad. Work teams are also more appropriate when the tasks that their members carry out are complex and well designed (Dickson and

Fashion abstracts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Fashion abstracts - Essay Example The prelude of my exhibition was fostered on the affirmation given â€Å"The whole art of living is mirrored in fashion† (Beaton 1975). Clothing and accessories are vital elements of studying the popular culture and social history of a given people. Based on fashion on can be able to tell to which class or status one hails from, as well as the gender factor is well determined via fashion constitutes, since the female fashion is way different from the male fashion. Furthermore, the clothing and textile museum was established in 1996 to carter for the storage of fashion artifacts to serve as holotypes of the past culture in relation to the present fashion culture of a people. The exhibition done is fostered on inference done on the clothing ages and the artifacts that’s relate to this ages, for instance, on the dress artifacts we found a varied constellation of dress fashions. Notably, the silk dress (branded sleeves) was a fashion icon of late 1830 and 1180. Furthermore, the museum had a collection of various accessories that went hand in hand with the fashion trend of that age, for example the bell bottom was accustom of the 1970s and a flashy checked shirt acted as its accessory. Within the museum the main chronology of historical accounts stated that a large collection of the clothing artifacts were predominantly from the overseas region that at one point was more advanced in terms of fashion ability. Some such as the waistcoat and women’s pocket was a fashion trend from North America. Some artifacts were picked from different nations such as the paper jumpsuit from Turkey, the inclined boots from Texas State †¦..e.t.c In conclusion, I gained a lot of information on the diversity of culture based on the study of different fashions of clothing. However, the main principle learned was that the fashion world had evolved since time in memorial to date. Nonetheless, the present fashion borrows some

Animal Lane Cattery Information Technology System Essay Example for Free

Animal Lane Cattery Information Technology System Essay The Animal Lane Cattery, a privately owned small business, needs an efficient, updateable, expandable, easily accessible information system to track and document clients needs for boarding/grooming services. The objective is to design and develop a system that fulfils the needs of the Cattery. An effective electronic filing system will eliminate lost paperwork, minimize errors, and provide a method for quality customer service. I will be designing and making the system that we choose for the Cattery. As the Cattery has expanded its boarding and grooming services to accommodate a total of 15 cats in separate pens, an increase in customer complaints have been received concerning the Catterys inaccurate and time-consuming tracking of specific client information. This inefficiency means that clients have to give an update of their felines information to the Catterys staff and has resulted in service errors. At the moment, they use a flatbed database, which only allows you to work with one table open at any time. The Cattery has considered using a pen and paper system, writing things out manually and storing information on paper, but a more efficient system would be a relational database. Their ideal system is a relational database, and this will allow them to have macros, reports, queries, and searches based on the information needed. This, therefore, is the system that I will be developing for the Catterys usage. Objectives: The user needs to be able to: -view the information -search for specific information -print out receipts for clients Alternatives: There are many relational database packages I could have chosen to work with, but I have decided to use the database package Microsoft Access because I have great respect for Bill Gates and also, Microsoft Access is an older program, therefore any bugs in the system will hopefully have been fixed and the package improved. I could have used Microsoft Works, but there cannot be any more than one table open at a time, and it is necessary that I have multiple tables. Users: The users of this database will be the Catterys staff- full and part-time employees responsible for the care and grooming of the cats. The Office Staff will be able to view and edit the data, whereas the Grooming Staff will only view the information they need. ANALYSIS The software I decided to use here is Microsoft Access to create and view the database. The hardware needed is a keyboard to enter data, a mouse, a printer to print out the receipts, and the computer monitor. All data will be output using the printer. I will need to ensure that there is enough memory for a relational database to function. This should not be a problem, as Microsoft Access (which I have chosen to use) does not require that much memory space, and there will be plenty of space available on their office computer, which, other than the necessary software components, will be used solely for the database used for the storing of data and the running of the Cattery. Backup copies of data will be stored on tape. The tape needs to be clearly labeled and stored in a water-tight case inside a fire-proof storage box away from the initial source of data, in case of fire or flood that may damage the computer that contains the original data. Using floppy disks as a form of backup was considered, but the database is relatively large and updated on a daily basis, so the floppy disks will not have a capacity large enough to adequately store the data. Data collection: The data will be collected from the clients using a form that they will fill in giving the information needed by the Cattery. The fields required will be on the data capture form given to clients. These will be in the form of questions, such as the ones below: -What is the cats name and owners contact information? -What is the cats vets contact number (in case of emergency)? -What is the cats meal schedule? -What are the boarding drop-off and pick-up dates? -What are the cats grooming requirements? There will doubtless be other questions that the staff will need to know the answers to. To update the data, I will need to remove certain clients information and replace it with new data when the first cats are collected. The printed data will be the reports when a search is started, and a second report to give as a receipt to customers when they collect their pet. DESIGN Two tables will be developed: owner information and services. The link between the two tables is the owner code. Each owner has only one address, but multiple cats may reside at the same address. Each cat has personal service needs even if it shares the same owner as another. The client names and cat names will not be used as key fields because there might be multiple clients with the same names or cat names. Office staff at the Cattery may view and modify the data in both tables, and the grooming staff may view data. Following are the hand-drawn designs of the database. First are the initial rough designs to show the basic layout of the database. I will then give a data capture form (next page) to one of the users (an office staff person) asking what things they think could be done better and how the design of the database could be improved to make using it easier. The users comments will then be taken into account when making the final designs of the database, detailed so that anybody could create the same database that I will be making for the Cattery. Final Users Comments (after having reviewed the initial designs) How effective do you think the designs will be? What do you think could be improved, from what you have seen of the initial designs? What is lacking from the database (if anything)? Other comments: IMPLEMENTATION On the following pages are the print screens of the way the Catterys database was created (tables, forms, queries, reports, macro code etc). EVALUATION The original objectives outlined in my Identification stage were met. The Cattery now has a useful and fast system to find and store their clients information, to view and search for specific information, and to print out things like receipts for clients. After having reviewed the owners comments and compared to the things I have changed, I feel I have improved the database enough for him to be comfortable with using it. I took in to account the things he mentioned about needing designs for reports and queries, and lessening vagueness of some designs. I feel I have achieved my objective in making the Cattery an effective, easy system to hold all their information.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Policy Analysis

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Policy Analysis Policy Analysis on Female Genital Mutilation FGM The policy on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), adopted by the Human Rights Commission of Ontario, Canada, in 1996 (and further revised it in 2000) acknowledges the practice as an internationally recognized violation against women and girls human rights and looks at the domestic implications of Canadas obligations as a signatory to international conventions and treaties which recognize FGM as a human rights violation. The policys focus is on the practice of FGM in Canada by immigrant groups who have brought the practice to the country from their countries of origin in Africa and parts of the Middle East and Asia. The policy looks at human rights issues as well as health, social and criminal law concerns. The Ontario Commission acknowledges the complex social and cultural roots of FGM and the need for dialogue and education initiatives within the at-risk communities in Ontario and across Canada. However, it underlines that arguments based on a defence of cultural or religious values sh ould not be accepted as justification for the practice, nor for discriminating against women who have been subjected to, or perceived to have been subjected to, genital mutilation. Significantly, immigrant groups and advocacy organizations in Canada have acknowledged the need to deal with FGM as an internationally recognized health and human rights concern. This essay will first of all define FGM and look at the reasons the practice has survived in some regions despite international condemnation. It will also give a summary of the key elements of the Ontario Commissions policy, the arguments it uses to justify its actions and also show that in this case, the need to protect and promote the rights of women and girls is more important than concerns of cultural imperialism. The policy adopted by the Human Rights Commission of Ontario on FGM is based on the over-arching argument that the importance of good health to a womans well-being and that of her family and society cannot be overstated. Without reproductive health and freedom, women cannot fully exercise their fundamental human rights, such as those relating to education and employment. Womens disproportionate poverty, low social status, and reproductive role expose them to high health risks, resulting in needless and largely preventable suffering and deaths. The benefits of eliminating the harmful and painful practice of FGM are easily demonstrated, yet the practice persists for cultural and traditional reasons. FGM is a gender-specific violation of the rights of girls and women to physical integrity. Over the years, FGM has become recognized not only as a health hazard and a form of violence against women and girls, but also as a human rights issue under international law. Efforts at the international level, particularly by United Nations agencies, have placed FGM on womens health and human rights agendas. FGM is practised by many ethnic groups, from the east to the west coast of Africa, in southern parts of the Arabian peninsula, along the Persian Gulf and among some migrants from these areas in Europe, Australia and North America. It has also been reported in some minority groups in India, Malaysia and Indonesia. In these societies, FGM is considered a rite of passage preparing young girls for womanhood and marriage. However, often performed without anaesthetic under septic conditions, FGM or female circumcision as it is sometimes called, can cause death or permanent health problems as well as severe pain. Despite these grave risks, its practitioners look on it as an integral part of their cultural and ethnic identity, and some perceive it as a religious obligation. The most severe form of FGM, infibulation, which involves removal of the clitoris, results in trauma that is repeated after each childbirth. In many communities FGM is believed to reduce a womans libido, and thereby is further believed to help her resist illicit sexual acts. Cultural ideals of femininity and modesty, which include the notion that girls are clean and beautiful is also another reason for which FGM is carried out (WHO). The practice has been condemned in many international fora and by womens groups as a manifestation of gender inequality and an attempt by society to exert total control over women. In countries where FGM is widely practised, however, it is often supported by both men and women, usually without question, and anyone departing from the norm may face condemnation, harassment. It is often practised even when it is known to inflict harm upon girls because the perceived social benefits of the practice are deemed higher than its disadvantages (UNICEF, 2005a). Though no religious scriptures prescribe the practice, practitioners often believe it has religious support. Religious leaders take varying positions with regard to FGM: some promote it, some consider it irrelevant to religion, and others contribute to its elimination. In most societies, the procedure is considered a cultural tradition, which is often used as an argument for its continuation (WHO). Local structures of power and authority, such as community leaders, religious leaders, circumcisers, and even some medical personnel can contribute to upholding the practice. The age at which the procedure is performed varies depending on the ethnic group and location. It is sometimes performed on babies, more commonly on girls between ages 4 and 8, but also in adolescence, or as late as the time of marriage or during the first pregnancy. Adult women are under pressure to submit to it in order to ensure the status which marriage and childbearing confer and to demonstrate solidarity with fa mily and community. Younger women and girls have no choice at all (UNFPA). The Human Rights Commission of Ontario has successfully and forcefully used several arguments to make its case against the practice of FGM among minority communities living on Canadian territory. International Law: FGM has been condemned by numerous international and regional bodies including the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the Organization of African Unity and the World Medical Association. In 1995, the Platform for Action of the World Conference on Women in Beijing included a section on the girl child and urged governments, international organizations and Non-governmental groups to develop policies and programmes to eliminate all forms of discrimination against the girl child including FGM. The United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women defines violence against women as encompassing, inter alia, female genital mutilation and other traditional practices harmful to women. The Commission underlines that in various African countries where the procedure is performed, comprehensive action plans have been developed by womens groups to attempt to eliminate the practice- although overall progress has been slow. FGM has been outlawed in Sudan since 1946, but it continues to be widely practised. In Burkina-Faso and Egypt, resolutions were signed by the respective Ministers of Health in 1959, recommending that only partial clitoridectomy be allowed, and decreeing that it be performed only by doctors. In 1978, as a direct result of the efforts of the Somali womens movement, Somalia established a Commission to abolish infibulation. In 1984, participants from twenty African countries, as well as representatives of international organizations attending a seminar in Dakar, Senegal, on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children and recommended that the practice be abolished. African states acknowledged that there was a need to establish strong, on-going education programmes for meaningful progress towards elimination of the practice. Rights of the Child: The policy points to the link between FGM and the rights of the child, saying that the Convention on the Rights of the Child asserts that children should have the possibility to develop physically in a healthy and normal way, with adequate medical attention and be protected from all forms of cruelty. The Convention establishes the rights of children to gender equality, to freedom from all forms of mental and physical violence and maltreatment and to the highest attainable standard of health. An article of the Convention explicitly requires States to take all effective and appropriate measures to abolish traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children. FGM and health rights: The physical and psychological health complications resulting from genital mutilation of women have been extensively documented. The partial or complete loss of sexual function constitutes a violation of a womans right to physical integrity and mental health. Domestic implications of international human rights law: the Commission argues that since Canada plays a prominent role in the international arena as a supporter and promoter of womens human rights and is a signatory to over twenty major international conventions and treaties, the province of Ontario would be in compliance with its obligations by taking steps to eradicate this practice. Domestic or national courts are required to interpret implementing legislation in conformity with international convention insofar as the domestic legislation permits. This is also the case in Europe where legislation prohibiting the practice of FGM exists in Sweden, France and Great Britain where the procedure carries a penalty of imprisonment. Criminal Law: The Criminal Code can be used to control the transportation of female children outside the country for the purpose of obtaining FGM. A memorandum was issued to all Chiefs of Police and the Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police, stating that FGM is a criminal offence. In 1997, FGM was included in the Criminal Code and put under aggravated assault- any person who commits an aggravated assault is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years. If a parent is present and is in agreement with the act of FGM being performed on their child as well as if the parent performs the operation themselves can be convicted. Duty to report: In Ontario, a duty to report FGM exists under the policy of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO). Under the CPSO policy, the performance of female circumcision, excision, infibulation and/or reinfibulation by a physician licensed in Ontario, unless medically indicated, would be regarded as professional misconduct. Under Ontarios Child and Family Services Act,42 there is a duty to report information with respect to a child who is in need of protection. This duty exists despite the provisions of any other Act. If a person has reasonable grounds to suspect that a child is or may be in need of protection, the person is obliged to report the suspicion to appropriate authorities. The Ontario Human Rights Code: The Ontario Human Rights Code, recognizes the inherent worth and dignity of every person in Ontario. The creation of a society in which all persons can live and work in an environment that is free from discrimination is central to the policy objectives of the Ontario Human Rights Commission in virtue of the Code. There are new immigrants to Canada who may not be aware that some of their traditional or culturally rooted attitudes and values may result in practices that are clearly in conflict with Canadian law, including the Ontario Human Rights Code. FGM is practised within certain immigrant groups- where the families might not consider the operation as a form of physical or sexual abuse. The Commission does recognise the need to treat such issues in a sensitive manner and to educate the public on human rights issues. The need to work with communities: The Commission acknowledges the complex social and cultural roots of FGM and the need for dialogue and education initiatives within the at-risk communities in Ontario and across Canada. However, it is the Commissions view that arguments based on a defence of cultural or religious values should not be accepted as justification for the practice, nor for discriminating against women who have been subjected to, or perceived to have been subjected to, genital mutilation. The Commission is committed to working with members and organizations of the at-risk communities, as well as with other agencies in the public sector in developing public education initiatives around FGM. The efforts of the Commission, together with those of the affected communities and concerned organizations, can help to create an environment in which people are encouraged to eradicate the practice, without imposing a threat to the dignity and cultural identity of the affected communities. The Commissions focus is very correctly on eradicating FGM among immigrants in Toronto which are from the regions where FGM is practised. It is estimated that there are 70,000 immigrants and refugees from Somalia and 10,000 from Nigeria. Reliable statistics on the incidence of FGM are not available. However, based on discussions with members of the communities that are at risk, there is some evidence to indicate that FGM is practised in Ontario and across Canada and that in some cases, families from those communities send their daughters out of Canada to have the operation performed. The Commission is working with local non-governmental groups to spread the message. The National Organization of Immigrant and Visible Minority Women of Canada has prepared a workshop manual for health care workers and facilitators working with communities that have traditionally practised FGM. The aim is to educate participants about the health and legal consequences of FGM, to correct misperceptions and fallacies about the tradition and to support efforts to eradicate the practice. As there were no co-ordinated efforts between various professionals and institutions, and no consistent policy in Canada regarding FGM, members of affected communities requested that the Minister Responsible for Womens Issues establish an Ontario FGM Prevention Task Force. The Task Force, an inter-ministerial/agency/community initiative, was mandated to develop and recommend strategies and policies designed to provide support for girls and women who have been subjected to FGM, to prevent the practice, and to support community work by, and for women affected by genital mutilation. The focus is not on imposing a foreign value system (the concept of cultural imperialism) on societies in Africa etc. but asking immigrants and religious groups which have come to live in Canada to act in accordance with the countrys concerns about the health of women and their reproductive rights. The policy is therefore based around the idea of the empowerment of women and of ensuring an end to discrimination. The Commissions policy has had a direct impact on immigrant communities living in Ontario but also helped to publicise the problem in other parts of Canada and the world. In 1994, in a landmark ruling, Canada also became the first Western country to recognise FGM as grounds for granting asylum. The Human Rights Commission of Ontario has therefore taken a courageous and ground-breaking policy stance to tackle a serious violation of the rights of women.

Terrorism In North Africa :: Terrorists, Role Of United States

North Africa is a huge area that is becoming a safe place for terror groups. Are we facing another failed state? What should be done about it? Should the United States send troops to North Africa to prevent it from becoming another Afghanistan? The Jan. 16 attack on the natural-gas installation at In Amenas, Algeria, like the Sept. 11, 2012, raid on the U.S. facility in Benghazi, Libya, was the work of al-Qaida affiliates operating in the Sahel, a region in North Africa defined by both the Sahara desert and centuries of tribal warfare. Its latest iteration, responsible for more than 100,000 deaths, has been the decade-old Islamic insurgency in Algeria. The conflict has received little international attention — until an attempted rescue of the In Amenas hostages by Algerian Special Forces resulted in 37 deaths, including several Americans. The Sahara, the largest desert between the two poles, has been both an obstacle and a route for invaders — from the Romans to the French Foreign Legion. Although Timbuktu was long a center of learning and commerce, back to the golden empire of Mansa Musa, the region is now a neglected part of the world –making it an ideal safe haven for terrorists. The sands respect no borders and erase divisions between Algeria and Mali, a fact traditionally exploited by desert nomads and lately by jihadists led by al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb. Until French forces recaptured the main towns, AQIM had controlled northern Mali for 10 months and ran the area under Shariah law. The jihadists’ pronounced goal, shared by Salafists and other radical Muslim groups, is to recreate the Caliphate of Islam’s glory years of the eighth century, when it controlled territory from Andalusia to India. Their confidence is not unfounded. Neither Mali nor its neighbors possess the capabilities or the will to defeat the Islamist insurgency. If, as President Francois Hollande recently announced, France will declare victory and withdraw its troops, the conflict threatens to continue metastasizing over time. Local media have reported that the rebels have attracted recruits from other Islamist movements, such as the Boko Haram in Nigeria, and from countries as far away as Canada, as well as weapons from Libya. A precipitous withdrawal by the French would solidify the Islamists’ belief that, if the Prophet could create his Caliphate from the sands of Medina, they can recreate it from the sands of Timbuktu. The situation is further complicated by the region’s oil and natural gas wealth.

Operation Linebacker Essay -- essays research papers

OPERATION LINEBACKER II 1. What do you think of when you drive by that big B-52 at the museum? Being the history buff that I am, I think about Vietnam, where that old â€Å"Buff† was used the most. â€Å"Why should I care about Vietnam?† you ask yourself. Well, last time I checked there’s a history section in the PFE guide, so there might be a test later! The intent of this paper is to inform you about Operation Linebacker II. I’ll explain the events leading up to the operation, discuss the strategy, and finally I’ll sum up the results of a bombing campaign Sir Michael Knight characterized In the book Strategic Offensive Air Operation as â€Å"...may have played a role not unlike two B-29s over Japan 27 years earlier†. (Knight: 77) I’ll start by explaining why President Richard Nixon gave the order to begin this new bombing campaign. 2. The primary goal of Linebacker II was to force North Vietnam to return to the Paris peace talks and sign a treaty agreement. Negotiations stalled in December 1972 after Hanoi’s chief negotiator, Le Duc Tho submitted unreasonable demands concerning the definition of the demilitarized zone and refused to withdraw troops from South Vietnam. Furthermore, he wouldn’t accept the installation of an international peacekeeping force. National Security Advisor, Henry Kissinger, believed these demands were just a smokescreen intended to put off the talks long enough for the new United States Congress to come into session. He and Nixon feared, as written in Earl Tilf... Operation Linebacker Essay -- essays research papers OPERATION LINEBACKER II 1. What do you think of when you drive by that big B-52 at the museum? Being the history buff that I am, I think about Vietnam, where that old â€Å"Buff† was used the most. â€Å"Why should I care about Vietnam?† you ask yourself. Well, last time I checked there’s a history section in the PFE guide, so there might be a test later! The intent of this paper is to inform you about Operation Linebacker II. I’ll explain the events leading up to the operation, discuss the strategy, and finally I’ll sum up the results of a bombing campaign Sir Michael Knight characterized In the book Strategic Offensive Air Operation as â€Å"...may have played a role not unlike two B-29s over Japan 27 years earlier†. (Knight: 77) I’ll start by explaining why President Richard Nixon gave the order to begin this new bombing campaign. 2. The primary goal of Linebacker II was to force North Vietnam to return to the Paris peace talks and sign a treaty agreement. Negotiations stalled in December 1972 after Hanoi’s chief negotiator, Le Duc Tho submitted unreasonable demands concerning the definition of the demilitarized zone and refused to withdraw troops from South Vietnam. Furthermore, he wouldn’t accept the installation of an international peacekeeping force. National Security Advisor, Henry Kissinger, believed these demands were just a smokescreen intended to put off the talks long enough for the new United States Congress to come into session. He and Nixon feared, as written in Earl Tilf...

Cuzco :: essays research papers

The first place, on my exploration of time, I arrived was in Cuzco the center of the Incan civilization in the year 1505 A.D. Their was much to observe on arrival. The first thing one notices is that Cuzco is in the center of the â€Å"four quarters† of the Incan Empire, Tawantinsuyu. The surrounding four quarters or the four â€Å"suyus† were to the north Chincasuyu, to the west Cuntisuyu, to the east Anitsuyu, and to the south Chinasuyu the largest quarter. Cuzco sat at the center of these four quarters of the empire and served as the capital. This capital of the Incan Empire severed as a home to the political center of the Incas. The rich political and social system proved the most interesting to me as I stayed in Cuzco.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The political system of the Incans proved rather ridged and complex. At the top of their society is the emperor. The Incan emperor was thought to be the a direct descendant of the sun god, Inti. The entire power of the Incan Empire belonged to its emperor. His system of checks and balances were that of their rich culture and of course the possibility of his subjects revolting. The emperor had only one wife that was recognized; though he had many concubines and hundreds of illegitimate children. Many of these children held the positions of advisors to the Emperor. The other relatives of the Emperor and other Emperors before him held the other high posts in the government, religion, and military. The last few government officials were the high nobles of the lands conquered by the empire. The practice of nepotism obviously was embraced by this society#.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The division of power in this civilization was a remarkable system. The governors of each quarter, once again, were blood relatives of the Emperor. Each governor had ten district governors who oversaw approximately ten thousand subjects. The governors then had leaders of about one thousand people who reported to them. Each leader of these small villages then had a foreman who over saw one hundred Incans. This process of division then ends in a series of low officials who would look over at least ten subjects1. This division the will of the emperor to be passed swiftly to the lowest members of society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The emperor allocated his resources, through this rigid division of the society, to become more economically and politically sound.

Father and Child: Personal Analysis Essay

The first person narrative poem ‘Father and child’ by Gwen Harwood, is structured in two sections each with seven stanzas and six lines. It focuses on an individuals revolt against authority and the consequences of such an action, as well as an insinuation of the imminent death of a parent. Harwood uses persuasive and implicit means to â€Å"mirror† the loss of innocence and its effect on the sense of appreciation or acceptance of the complexities existing in the wider world. Overall, ‘Father and Child’, demonstrates the individuals pursuit of power over the authoritative figure through defiance in the form of rebellion and destruction of authority. Through this Harwood challenges widely recognised stereotypes of purity and innocence associated with young girls and has also enriched my own perception on the connection between childhood memories and their effect on shaping an individuals identity. Harwood depicts the memories of the persona in the first section, ‘Barn Owl’, where the loss of innocence due to childhood naivety is illustrated to be the foundation of the persona’s development of identity. This is shown when the persona shoots the â€Å"Owl† with the gun of the â€Å"father†, a representation of his power and authority. Here, the owl epitomizes both wisdom and authority, which the child seeks to resist. Thus in their mind, the child is destroying authority. The diction of ‘Barn Owl’, unlike its counterpart, is much simpler and holds an essence of child-like awareness, for example, the short and monosyllabic language of â€Å"Let him dream of a child Obedient,† shows the persona trying to exhibit an image of cunning and rebellion, however it is obvious to the responder that the persona is prying into complexities the she does not completely understand. As the responder I can understand the persona’s refusal of authority and therefore forgive the childish ignorance which can be relatable to anyone. The following lines where the father regains the power and instructs the persona to â€Å"End what you have begun† is a dismaying moment after which the child is shown to have lost her innocence and naivety. Corresponding use of intertextuality in the second section, â€Å"Nightfall† in which the persona seems to have grown up, creates a more profound reading of the text. This can be seen in the references to ‘King Lear’ through the designation of â€Å"Old King†, to the father as well as the direct quoting of Lear’s words, â€Å"be your tears wet? † The lateral connections between these texts allows Harwood to disregard time and context differences, and rather focus on the similar ideas being presented. In my opinion, further exploration of ‘King Lear’ reshaped my previous understanding of ‘Father and Child’, also influencing my point of view. In ‘Nightfall’ the focus of childhood memories is incorporated into the idea of the importance of relationships and the inevitability of death. The child from the previous section has matured and is shown to have grown a greater appreciation for the complexities of life and the subtleties of the relationship with her father. As it goes on, we see a reversal of roles in which the father has gained the innocence lost in the former section and the child has â€Å"grown to learn what sorrows, in the end, no words, no tears can mend’ revealing her growing wisdom. The symbolic and profound nature of this text has greatly shaped and reshaped my outlook on the importance of relationships, the inevitability of death, and the power of childhood memories. Further research, such as readings and other resources, as well as deeper exploration of this text allows many of the implicit details to be truly appreciated and understood. The relevant themes and inherent referencing of other texts allows ‘Father and Child’ to be very meaningful and enjoyable for audiences from many contexts.

Analyse the reasons why GBK can achieve higher levels of added value than McDonalds Essay

Customers are more concerned with eating healthier; and have also become increasingly more interested in the quality of food they are eating. Although they want to enjoy a burger they also want to know it’s of good quality. Unlike fast food restaurants like McDonalds, Gourmet burger Kitchen (GBK) offers this higher quality food. By offering this higher quality food it attracts customers, it also allows them to charge more as people are more willing to pay more for a better quality product than a low quality product, this therefore results in GBK achieving higher levels of added value than McDonalds due to this higher quality product. GBK offers a smarter environment than traditional fast food restaurants. This means that the level of service offered is much higher. This allows GBK to achieve a higher level of added value as they are offering something McDonalds isn’t. This is one of their unique selling points. By offering this service it allows them to charge more because the environment people are eating in is smarter, this therefore means an increase in there added value. Robert Tame, founder of fine burger company believes that â€Å"it’s not just about the product. It’s also about the environment you are presenting the burgers in† Food at GBK is considered to be healthy in comparison to the food sold at McDonalds. Customers are more concerned about eating healthier than they have been before, and GBK offers a more varied and less calorie menu. This means that GBK can achieve a higher level of added value than McDonalds because customers don’t mind paying more for something if it’s more beneficial to them than another product on the market. This therefore means that they can achieve this higher level of added value than McDonalds.

Langston Hughes- Salvation

Langston Hughes- Salvation Salvation, how many people actually know what it truly means? Better yet, how many times do citizens hear that salvation is the answer to all problems? This, yes, is true, but how many times are Christians encouraged to accept salvation without knowing what they are doing. Langston caught in the middle, sits on the ‘mourners’ bench’ waiting to hear Christ, waiting to feel The Lord, and waiting to somehow see Jesus. In Langston Hughes’ short story Salvation, one is reminded of the biggest controversy found in churches. In this story, the author presents many themes: Man vs.Man, Man vs. Self, and Faith vs. Religion. In Langston Hughes’ Salvation, the themes Man vs. Man, Man vs. Self, and Faith vs. Religion are shown through the characters, setting, and all its symbolism. The theme Man vs. Man is shown through the characters. Langston, as a Protagonist, who is a young boy, was told by his aunt that â€Å"you could feel and he ar Jesus in your soul† (Hughes, pg. 534), sits patiently, waiting to literally feel and hear Jesus. Langston was in a conflict with his aunt, the deacons, the crying old ladies, and the pastor because they wanted him to stand and accept salvation on their terms.Langston feels and thinks differently. He waits to see his Lord, feel his Lord’s presence, and hear his Lord’s voice. Instead, he hears the pastor saying over and over â€Å"why don’t you come? My dear child, why don’t you come to Jesus? † (Hughes, pg. 534) After seeing his friend, he finally decides to get up just to make the church happy. Later on in the story he is very sad because deep down he knows that he has lied to the whole congregation and decides he doesn’t believe in the Lord. Many, just like Langston, are in conflict with the church and Leaders.Many don’t hear the â€Å"Saviors† voice audibly; therefore, they follow the voices that are heard. Just like Langston, many begin to doubt that a true God exist because he can’t be seen or heard. Along with Man vs. Man, the theme Man vs. Self is also shown in the setting. Langston fought with himself internally because he struggled with not knowing what to do. He knows what to expect, and what he had expected didn’t come. Which is why, he struggles internally with himself especially since he is in the church where he thinks the Lord should be at and show himself to Langston.Langston wanted the Lord, he wanted Salvation but he wants â€Å"proof,† that The Lord exist. Langston waits to feel, hear, and see the Lord He knows how to make the church happy by lying about him being saved but he knows that he truly wasn’t. He sits on the mourners’ bench surrendering all and waiting for the Lord to find him; but, he did not realize that he was conflicted on the inside. This is shown the night he was crying in the room. The church is an important place which seems to be why he does not seem to show how he truly feels.At home he seems to be free and expresses his true emotions about the situation but behind closed doors to himself. He struggles with himself. He feels badly for lying to the whole church. At the same time he thinks how he would let them down and tell them he lied after hearing his aunt speak to her husband saying how he has the Lord in him. He has this struggle with himself throughout the whole story. Additionally, the theme Faith vs. Religion is also shown by the use of symbolism, which interrelates with the story.As Langston states in the short story, a revival is going on at his Aunts church. Revival is a time where the reawakening of religious fervor happens. As in the story, readers believe that the symbolism behind Revivals pressured Langston to accept salvation. Revival is portrayed as a symbol of Christianity; and, in Langston’s positions, he accepted salvation because he felt the pressure of being in a church and also being among many who have come to seek revival. Of course, when at a revival, church goers repent and accept Christ.The pressure of being in a church and the pressure of the people around the main character, Langston, pushed him to accept Salvation. Langston had the weight of the church pushing him to get up and walk to the platform. The use of symbolism, we are reminded of the Religion vs. Faith theme. The pastor used his authoritative figure to pressure young Langston to stand up and walk towards him. He, the pastor, sang the words â€Å"why don’t you come to Jesus† while holding his hands out to Langston. Is the Pastor supposed to represent Jesus?In the end, Langston was â€Å"saved from his sin†, but at the same time, â€Å"not truly saved. † Humans, tend to let their surroundings influence who they are and where we end up in life. Langston’s story portrays the life and how people live it. He portrays it by falling into peer pressure; the n in the end, not being able to fully accept his choice which leads to not believing there was ever a Jesus. Many themes can wrap up the short story Salvation; Man vs. Man, Man vs. Self, and Faith vs. Religion through the character, setting and use of symbolism wraps up the story in those three aspects of literature.

KINGDOM PLANTAE

Non-Flowering Mosses (Bryophyte) Ferns (Pterodactyl) Gymnosperms 2. Flowering Angiosperms Monocotyledon Dicotyledonous Vascular tissues and the seeds play a vital role in transporting substances (water, minerals, and sugars) throughout the plant. Seeds are structures, which contains an embryo that helps In storing food. Phylum Bryophyte (Mosses) Referred to as Bryophytes Simplest plants; simple stems and leaves No true roots; very small in structureNon- vascular land plant; do not contain any conducting tissues Have rhizomes for anchorage Spores from capsules (wind-dispersal) Mainly growing on damp terrestrial land, on other plants, and on rocks Reproduction process is carried in their spores. (seedless) Play a vital role in soil erosion Ex: Mosses, Liverworts, and Hornwort Phylum Patriarchate (Ferns) Parts 1. Frond CLC a leaf (finely divided into small parts) 2. Pains/Pinnate C small parts of the frond 3. Sort C] spores Has true roots; feathery leaves & underground stemsHave vascula r tissues Spore- reproducing organs (seedless) Involved in transportation of fluids Ex: Horsetails, ferns, and club mosses Phylum Angiosperms Flowering plants; vascular Develops seeds within a protective structure called an ovary, which is embedded in the flower Reproduction process is carried by Angiosperm Angiosperms in the class Dicotyledonous grows into two-seed leaves (cotyledons). Two kinds of Angiosperms: 1. Monocotyledon 1 seed leaf Netted/reticulate veins Multiplies by 3 petals 2.Dicotyledonous 2 seed leaves Leaves have veins in network Multiplies by 4-5 petals An angiosperm's leaf consists of a single, branched, main vein. Shrubs, vines, and flowers Phylum Gymnosperms Non-flowering plants Ex: trees, Contains undeveloped seeds which are present in an enclosed structure Tall evergreen trees Have roots, woody stems Needle-shaped leaves Cones with reproductive structures Naked seeds in female cones Called â€Å"naked seeds† because seeds are exposed outside Ex: Palms, c arpet lawns, etc.

Accounting, write a memo about Sony company Essay

Accounting, write a memo about Sony company - Essay Example Interesting content from proxy statement: â€Å"In a case where the outside director is reelected as an outside director of the corporation and reassumes his/her office as an outside director of the corporation, this agreement should continue to be effective after reelection and re-assumption without any action or formality.† This implies that in reelection of outside directors no formality is followed but the contract with the corporation is automatically renewed. In such instances the directorship is suppose to be formally executed like other directors by the use of the signature and company stamp but here it is no done. Positive Aspect: The annual report is viable and reasonable in that they require further tests to be conducted. While the primary objective of the report was to look at the effectiveness of the project in ensuring costs saving and operational efficiency, the project also looked at other information in a cursory manner as well (Simplified Acquisition Procedures for Federal Purchases, 2004). The report also suggests that independent study must be conducted to ensure that the prices of items being offered via the simplified acquisition procedures are at least at par with their market equivalents. Concerning Aspect: The first and the most concerning issue is that of carrying cost. The organization may carry excessive amounts, however the organization will have to bear excessive carrying costs to ensure that the products are kept in usable conditions and that they are not damaged due to prolonged periods of storage. These costs are not insignificant and in case of sensitive equipment, the equipment maintenance costs are a major portion of the organization is operating overheads. Overall: the annual report and proxy statement enables one to understand and the strategy of the company. It also enables one to comprehend the strategic direction as it

Factsheet drybulk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Factsheet drybulk - Essay Example There will be huge demand and supply for the dry bulk as long as the buyer ships the products and commodities from one place to the other. However, due to increase in the price of the commodities, the present market position stands at a lower level. The main reasons are lower market expectations, lower demand for the cargo supply, critical conditions of market life cycle and declining fleet growth. The company needs to control its existing strengths in shipping and attempt to expand its markets to the major areas such as South Asia and North America, to gain a wider area of operation. Dry bulk market may have higher rates in the future. Temporary rise in rates also seems possible during the year. While world trade is likely to increase at a reasonable rate in 2012 as well as 2013, the amount of new capacity will consume high rates towards operating expenses. â€Å"Emerging markets such as India and China are likely to be key to the success of Farstad. As they are the growth markets for any new company, so further addition to the company’s top line would be dependent on its efforts to exploit the trade routes emanating from these countries† (Abhishek, n.d.). â€Å"Capesize, Panamax, Handymax and Handy size† (Segments, 2012). Capesize is used to transport iron ore and coal. Panamax can carry grain, coal and bauxite. Small shipments such as sugar and other commodities are carried by Handymax and Handy size. Capesize is the largest vessel and Handy size is the smallest vessel out of the four vessels in the dry bulk segment. The Outlook for the Dry Bulk †¦ Italian Style, (2012). 8th Mare Forum Italy 2012, Sorrento. Braemar Seascope Research. Retrieved from

The Valuation of Intellectual Property for Various Purposes Term Paper

The Valuation of Intellectual Property for Various Purposes - Term Paper Example Some approaches to valuation have evolved from others for evaluation, potentially confounding finance tools with those for measuring internal performance indicators; for example, where human resources may be regarded as the "knowledge assets" of a company (Andriessen, 2004, p.233). Other methods appear to have emerged primarily for external reporting of financial information. From the critical perspective, an evident reason for this accelerated activity is the growing importance of intangibles in the modern economy. Near the end of the 20th century, 79% of jobs and 76% of the American GNP were from weightless enterprise (Contractor, 2001, pp. XI-XII). There also is a greater call for valuations in modern business practice, including the purchase and sale of brands, international transfer pricing, mergers, and the formation of alliances. The proliferation of many methods and labels, all chasing many metrics, seems to be working against a common understanding of the fundamentals in the valuation of intellectual property. Even the word value has several meanings in English. For instance, Black's Law Dictionary details more than 40, all stemming from Black's view of value as a measure in a transaction: value is defined as the monetary worth or price of something; the amount of goods, services, or money that something will command in an exchange (Black's Law Dictionary, 1999). This equates value to the price achieved in a transaction. Different parties may have a different sense of the value of the item to be transacted; marketing professionals would have us believe value is determined by equation worked out, per situation, in each buyer's mind: "value is the combination of price, quality, convenience, service, ownership experience, and every other factor in the buying decision" (Calloway,2003, p.153). In many cases, this may produce results that differ in the mind of the buyer and the mind of the seller. Indeed, the likelihood for a transaction will increase when the perceived value of the item, to the buyer, exceeds the value suggested by the seller. To this extent, these varying ideas of market price, perception, and different parties may be resolved by thinking of value as the point at which the bid and ask prices converge. NYU Stern School of Business finance professor Aswath Damodaran, a leading authority on valuation, suggests value resides in the future: "The value of a firm is based upon its capacity to generate cash flows and the uncertainty associated with those cash flows...The value of a firm is still the present value of the expected cash flows from its assets" (Damodaran, 2001, p.11). From the critical perspective, this introduces a new set of variables, revolving around not the present circumstances of the market, but its possible future circumstances. It also creat es a distinction between assets that are (a) aggregated in the form of a go-forward business, producing income as a firm, (b) individually for sale, to the extent they may be separated from their present use, or (c) dormant in a business that has ceased operations, where no income is presently being generated. But what if item that is not able or meant to produce income in the future Gordon V. Smith, a leading author in the field of valuation, combines all variations into a single definition:

Service learning assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Service learning - Assignment Example In addition, service learning enables the learners to become active citizens who make a significant contribution to the well-being of the society through the services that they offer. According to Furco and Billig (2002), service learning is applicable in different set ups of learning which include faith-based and community-based organizations, universities, and other types of learning institutions. The participants, in the service-learning program can be members of an entire school, class or only a few selected students. Furco and Billig (2002) gave out a simple example of service learning whereby groups of students undertake projects to collect trash within the neighboring town center, and afterwards they prepare a report documenting on the sources of the trash and the measures that can be implemented to control this problem. Through the division of Community Engagement, the Virginia Commonwealth University has set-up a well-elaborate service-learning program that is dynamic and attracts over three thousand students on an annual basis. Those who are involved in the service-learning projects are students at the university as well as some members of the teaching staff. The customers of the projects undertaken by the student of the university are local communities in the U.S as well as other parts of the world. The Virgina Commonwealth University-service learning program is diversified in different areas such as health, education, environmental conservation, promotion of peace and well-being of the society, and community sensitization programs, among others. Therefore, the local community where the university students will select to conduct their service learning will benefit depending on the project they will undertake, for example, the community could benefit from a cleaner environment, construction of a recreation site, or education on social issues. Crane et al. (2013) stated that besides benefitting from

Literary analysis focusing one of the schools of criticism discussed Essay

Literary analysis focusing one of the schools of criticism discussed in class in relation to a selected film or television production - Essay Example However, the personal fight of Wallace, to be expounded later on, is intertwined with the social conditions presented. At the start of the film, King Edward I, a.k.a. Longshanks, of England has invaded the Scotland (Braveheart). Alongside this condition is the commission of treachery on the part of Longshanks who persecuted several people, including the parents of Wallace (Braveheart). However, Wallace survives and is taken to foreign land where he is educated through the aid of his uncle. However, Wallace will have a love affair with his childhood, who will be the cause of the strife in Scotland that will eventually led to a revolution. This will then divide the land into factions, which will engage in a fight to free Scotland from the grasps of the English conquerors. However, Wallace will die later on and someone will follow his footsteps, rebelling again to gain freedom from the rule of Englishmen. Robert, the Bruce, shall carry this on as the Scottish King. This is then a continuation of legacy. Aside from such continuation, there is a certain pedigree of dissent present from the instigators of the rebellion. It is unavoidable that bloodshed will happen but with a purpose. In this case, the most common thing that can be seen is opposing forces: binaries of some sort. The Englishmen are the ones considered as oppressors since they are the ones who have the power to conquer lands and dominate people. On the other hand, the Scottish people are the ones who appear as the oppressed in the film due to the subjugation made by the Englishmen. The abuses and killings made signify the injustice and abuses perpetuated as it appeared on the film. However, it can be considered that the representations of the film are not accurate and purely referential to history, which is not totally clear about the message it wants (De Man 184). Thus, the film

HRM functions shape employee behaviour Research Paper

HRM functions shape employee behaviour - Research Paper Example EEO and Affirmative Action The federal government has been making efforts for freedom from discrimination on the basis of sex, age, color, religion, nationality and disability through its Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) mission. Affirmative action plans are deemed moral and social obligations to amend wrongs done in the past while also eliminating the present effect of past discrimination. Computer technology is increasingly being used to eliminate or reduce discriminatory practices. The same technology increases discrimination against the disabled. In certain organizations only computer-based employment selection tools are used but the visually impaired are at a disadvantage if applications are accepted only through computer systems. It is hence absolutely essential that applicants with such disabilities are provided with alternate solution and methods to submit applications. Companies claim to have policies in place which encourages them to contact the HR department in case they have been wronged but when the application procedure itself has flaws, the question of contacting the HR department does not arise. The visually impaired may have talent that goes untapped. Coates Field Service, Inc has a provision that the contractor is obliged to read out the notice to the visually disabled. To some extent this sounds as an affirmative action because the hiring agent would be having applications from the disabled. However, in such cases, the responsibility is passed on to the hiring agent and the organization absolves itself of accountability against discrimination. It really is difficult to ascertain the efficacy of such a method as it depends upon the selfish interests of the agent now instead of the organization. If the organization is not supportive, retention of disabled staff becomes a critical issue. Planning, recruitment and selection It has become esse ntial to keep abreast of changes in the labor market so that recruitment efforts are not wasted or misaligned. Planning entails assessing the future needs, aligning training with requirements, avoiding redundancies, developing a flexible workforce, and controlling staff costs. However, organizations engage in both internal and external recruitment. As far as internal recruitment is concerned, it saves costs but it also stifles creativity (Gros & Sonntag, n.d.). The same resources are shifted from one department to another. Moreover, conflicts among the employees can be expected as promotions are denied based on seniority if they are found to be lacking in skills. Now in this case the employee may be lacking in skills possibly because adequate training has not been provided, perhaps due to discrimination. Work-life balance and flexibility are essential to get the best out of the employees. Organizations that offer such benefits are preferred;

Financing New Ventures Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Financing New Ventures - Assignment Example This has paved way for diversification in investment According to (Harrington, 1987) it allows the investor to avoid unsystematic risks such as poor management of the company which will automatically lead to returns not being realized. From this model a linear relationship has been developed to show the relationship between systematic risk and the expected return. As compared to weighted average cost of capital (WACC) this model gives a robust discount rate that can be used for assessing the investment. Using WACC a project can be turned down when its internal rate of return is less that of WACC. This is because WACC is based on the assumption that any investment doesn’t have an effect to financial and business risk. Using CAPM, gives internal rate of return that is higher than the security market line and a return that can minimize or eliminate system risk. CAPM is considered as the best tool to calculate the cost of equity as compared Dividend Growth Model (DGM). This is because it takes into account the systematic risk level of the business relative to stock market. Portfolio effect refers to the addition of other investment into the portfolio with aim of reducing risk. This can be termed as diversification of portfolio such that change in the value of one investment e.g. bond in the portfolio there will be a response to change in the value of other assets in the portfolio. Portfolio effect has the ability to minimize a specific risk attached to an asset in a given portfolio, but this depends or lies on the degree of correlation of assets held in the portfolio (Hirt & Block, 1990). Diversifying portfolio can be achieved in either horizontal or vertical diversification both will help to reduce the risk associated to a given asset, vertical diversification occurs when an investor decides to add different form of assets or securities in his portfolio e.g. cash, corporate bonds, and building. This is advisable since whenever a

Standardized Testing Essay Example for Free

Standardized Testing Essay The focus Ingernira pinpoints on in the article is recognizing that testing is required to gauge how much the student learned however, I feel that testing is needed to establish the financial solutions for each state and school to determine rather or not they will be able to receive a grant. Also the article elaborates that the student should be tested on what they’re good at and for the students who aren’t able to test well should be able to have incentives. Since testing has become a must in schools now it should be done at no harm to the student and the school should have guidelines and minimize the negative effects on test. I will use this article to help me elaborate more and give tips to different ways standardized testing should be done. This article will help my argument by giving a different view on ways students should be tested. McKinney, Brennan. â€Å"Standardized Tests: Support, Criticism, and How it Affects Teachers and Children.† Yahoo Voices, Web. 17 Dec. 2010. McKinney Brennan looks at how teachers feel about standardized testing and how it affects their voices in order to be able to teach the students there way. Throughout the summary standardized testing is pretty clear that the goals for the teacher and students are that the student needs to learn and the teacher is supposed to be teaching. However, this method has backlash because the teachers and the school have little to say about what content is put on the test and it’s up to the government to decide and there not with the students every day. Also, the teacher’s feel the test is too difficult, broad, and not age appropriate which causes the students to fail and make the state and school look bad. I will use this article to illustrate the teacher’s point of view behind standardized testing. This article will help my argument by proving that teacher plays a major role in student’s lives and if they feel a certain way about the test then there voice should b e heard too. The Engines for Education Team. Engines for Education. EFE, n.d. Web. 11 March. 2013. Engines for Education explain the problems for standardized testing. The group says that we need to cut out the competiveness in the test and focus more on the student’s performance. Also the test kills the type of education that matters most because teachers are more focused on teaching what will likely be on the test instead of teaching at a comfortable style there able to choose. Also, the site in tells how it effects the students in the near future on test- taking and how it mobilizes there brain into I need to get a high score, I need to remember the information, and have all this anxiety before the test is even here. I will use this article to help me explain the people’s point of view on testing and the anxieties kids have when testing. This article will help my argument because it points out valid points that students go thru every day. Testing anxieties and the test has blocked the important things in education and now it’s all about rank and who can hav e the highest score.

Hat Task Essay Example for Free

Hat Task Essay The population as of 2011 was totaled to 608,453. The majority of this population consisted of people between the ages of 15 and 44 years old. Kent County consist of mostly white persons at 83. 8%. The next larges group consists of African Americans at 10. 3% and Hispanics at 9. 9%. The median household income is $50,801, with 14. 8% of the population being listed below poverty level. The unemployment rate is at 8. 52% (2011, US Census Bureau). It is reported by adults that 13. 6% have not accessed healthcare within the past 12 months. 10. % of adults reported they have no healthcare coverage. It was also discovered that the county only has 29% of what is needed in the dental care community(2011, Michigan Department of Community Health). The second assessment piece is labeled cultural assessment. Once again this was information I collected on a County level. In Kent County there are slightly more females than males, 51% versus 49% respectively. The populations consists predominately of white Christians, while the subgroup is Roman Catholics (2011, Kent County Health Department). Obesity was noted to be on the rise due to lack of physical activity and inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption. More specifically 31. 3% of adults are obese, and Michigan as a whole is the 5th most obese state in the US. 19. 7% of adults reported adequate physical activity with 23. 6% stating they lived a sedentary lifestyle within the past month, and 17. 8% report they consume fruits and vegetables at least 5 times a day (2011, Michigan Department of Health). African Americans voiced distrust among healthcare providers however they did support and agree for a universal healthcare system. Hispanics voiced concern for the lack of translation services due to language barriers and issues surrounding documented legal status and the difficulty this poses to accessing healthcare (2009, Michigan Department of Health). I discovered that in the area there are over 50 parks with various indoor and outdoor activities for all to enjoy. The third assessment piece is entitled neighborhood and community safety. This information was obtained from local agencies. I noted the Health Department and local hospitals are very involved in providing health services, education, and discussions for the community free of charge. The air quality for Kent County is considered poor. We have had at least 7 air pollution days per year due to fine particulate matter and ozone. The water quality in the last 5 years has been excellent. 0. 09% of public water supplies exceeded contamination levels during this time frame (2011, Kent County Health Department). The wild life in the area can cause a potential for disease, and the many surrounding lakes, rivers and streams can cause a potential for drowning. Due to the location of Kent County we risk potential severe weather events. The violent crime rate in the area was 0. 4% significantly lower than the national average. It was also noted that the local police and fire response is at or exceeds standards (2013, Kent County Sheriffs Department). The fourth assessment piece is the disaster assessment and planning status. This information was gathered on a City and County level. The disaster command is headed by the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security loca ted in Grand Rapids. They included the requirements of National Response Plan and NIMS. I discovered they are following all federal regulations by the Department of Homeland Security. 3 County, and other regional collaborations were noted in the planning. The Kent County area is at risk most for these natural disasters; severe winter weather, thunderstorms, tornados, riverine flood, and urban flood. The are is at risk most for these other disasters; electrical failures, communication failure, intentional acts, transportation accidents, and hazardous material. The city and county provide public education through CERT classes, brochures, and coordination with school districts to relay safety information at a young age (2011, Kent County Health Department). From the information obtained above I believe that Kent County Michigan is an overall healthy community. Areas for improvement would be to increase the access to dental care and healthcare for at risk and poor underserved families, to decrease the prevalence of obesity and ensure access to healthful foods, and to establish a plan to deal with language barriers for other populations living within West Michigan. This information that I have obtained and explained above is listed below in my community genogram. The genogram highlights the pertinent information in an easy to view graph with each assessment topic listed. It discusses once again the community as a whole from population and economic status, to the cultural assessment, to the neighborhood and community safety to lastly disaster assessment and planning. It provides an overview of the community as a whole, strengths and weaknesses. The community assessment is how I feel the community is and the areas that are at risk or I feel can be improved upon. Resources: 1. ) 2011. Kent County Michigan. US Census Bureau. Retrieved from http://www. uickfacts. census. gov/qfd/states/26/26081. html 2. 2013. Kent County Michigan. Kent County Health Department. Retrieved from http://www. accesskent. com/emergencymanagement. html 3. 2011. Michigan Behavioral Risk Factor Survey. Michigan Department of Community Health. Retrieved from http://www. michigan. gov/brfs 4. 2009. Community Conversation Executive Summary. Michigan Department of Community He alth. Retrieved from http://www. michigan. gov/minorityhealth 5. 2013. Kent County Sheriffs Department. Retrieved from http://www. accesskent. com/lawenforcement/sherrif_emergency. htm

HACCP Implementation In Hotel Restaurant

HACCP Implementation In Hotel Restaurant The author has selected this topic because of his interest in a future career in food and beverage industry. Part A has showed that he has good leadership and team building skills to become a leader in this filed. He feels that it would be imperative to have good understanding of food safety if he would like to be a chef after graduated from the university. In Hong Kong, there are great proportion of people went out to have their meal. According to Hong Kong centre for health protection (CHP, 2007) the number of people eating out more than five times a week are 30.2% for breakfast, 51.5% for lunch and 10.8% for dinner respectively. Having such culture of eating out, food safety should be considered as the first priority in the hospitality industry in Hong Kong, however, in recent years, food poisoning is continually increasing. According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2007), the global incidence of food-borne diseases is difficult to estimate, but it has been reported that in 2005 alone 1.8 million people died from diarrhoeal diseases. A great proportion of these cases can be attributed to contamination of food and drinking water. In industrialized countries, the percentage of the population suffering from food-borne diseases each year has been reported to be up to 30%. In addition, contaminated food could result from improper food handling, preparation, or food storage. Although HACCP is an internationally recognized food safety management system, there are great barriers to implement such system in the hospitality industry Academic objectives of project This paper aims to achieve the following objectives: 1. To gain understanding of HACCP and its implementation in Hospitality industry. 2. To compare current academic literature on the food safety issues. 3. To identify the barriers of implementing HACCP system in Hospitality industry. 4. To identify the ways to strengthening the food safety culture within the Hospitality organization rather than focusing on creating a better safety system. Outline of sections The literature review will be divided into four parts. The fist part is about the introduction of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point System (HACCP), including this definition and its implementation. The second part is about the barriers of implementing HACCP system in Hospitality industry e.g. practical and psychological barriers. The third part is about the organizational culture which included its definition and connection between HACCP implementation. The final part is the ways to strengthening the food safety culture. It is because having a positive food safety culture within the organization is more reliable that strictly follow the food safety management system such as HACCP. Literature Review Introduction According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2007) Food-borne diseases or Food poisoning seem to have been increasing globally in recent years. Food poisoning can be broadly defined as the illness caused by the consumption of contaminated food or water containing various bacteria, viruses, parasites or even toxins of biochemical or chemical nature. The types of foods produced or served by a business along with the management of how they are prepared or produced are likely to contribute to the risk of a business causing food poisoning. (Griffith, 2010) Although, there are food safety management system such as Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), the implementation of the HACCP system requires additional resources for staff training, investments on buildings and equipment, extra purchase of supplies, as well as technical support furthermore, within a business a number of sub cultures compete for priority and often the biggest rival to food safety culture is a culture of saving money (Griffith et al., 2010). The drive to cut costs at the expense of food safety maybe false economy and it should be noted that businesses identified as a source of food poisoning outbreaks can suffer significant damage to brand identity, financial losses and possibly, in up to a third of cases, bankruptcy (Griffith et al., 2010). What is HACCP? According to a recent study (Taylor, 2008)The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system is a science-based systematic approach which identifies critical control points in the production procedure that are essential to monitor and control product safety. HACCP is a tool to assess hazards and establish control systems that focus on prevention rather than relying on end-product testing. The system can be applied throughout the food chain from primary production to final consumption, including primary producers, food manufacturers, transport and storage operators to retail and food service outlets. The implementation of HACCP system is a sign for delivering safe food products to customers. HACCP is an internationally recognized system and is built on seven key principles: 1. Hazard Analysis: Potential biological, chemical and physical hazards must be evaluated for each ingredient and at each step of the manufacturing process. 2. Identify Critical Control Points: Those points in the process where control can be applied to eliminate or reduce an identified hazard to an acceptable level. 3. Establish Critical Limits: Defined as the maximum or minimum parameter that must be met to eliminate or reduce the hazard to an acceptable limit. 4. Establish Monitoring Requirements: Used to assess whether the critical limits are met and to establish records for verification. 5: Establish Corrective Actions: The actions taken to bring a CCP back under control and the steps taken to prevent further contamination of the product as well as the steps taken to prevent the distribution of potentially contaminated product. 6: Establish Verification Procedures: Verification assures the plan is effectively implemented and followed. 7: Establish Record Keeping and Documentation Procedures: Includes record retention of types of records kept such as the hazard analysis, the HACCP plan, support documentation and operational records. By focussing inspection at CCPs, HACCP improves the scientific basis for safety and control processes. A CCP is any point in the chain of food production from raw materials to finished product where the loss of control could result in unacceptable food safety risk (Pierson and Corlett, 1992). Monitoring of CCPs is done best by using indicators that can be measured easily. This focus on measurable indicators provides a more cost-effective approach to control than product sampling and testing, which is more expensive and may not provide timely results. This is especially important for foodborne microbial pathogens, because their incidence is low and the costs of testing are high. It is important to recognise that HACCP is not designed to replace management decisions weighing potential benefits from product qualities against costs, or the value of improved safety versus the costs of achieving it. HAC CP facilitates improved product safety, but management has the discretion to determine what the final product quality will be. These issues enter into the firms deliberations in determining CCPs and tolerance limits at CCPs. (The economic) HACCP was originally developed as a quality control tool in food processing, where branded product liability creates industry incentives for hazard control. It was intended to be flexible enough to adapt to different firms, plants, or processes within plants. Its application as a regulatory standard to an entire industry or sector, or at different stages in the supply chain, is necessarily different. (Unnevehr and Jensen 1999), Why is HACCP important? The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a food safety management system that is currently promoted internationally because it enables food business operators to control food safety risks at all points along the production line, rather than waiting for microbiological testing of the final product (Tuominen et al., 2003). It regarded as the most effective way to achieve food safety is to focus on prevention of possible hazards and to improve the process (Swanson and Anderson, 2000;) The HACCP system also relies heavily on verification and documentation to ensure that food safety has not been compromised during any step. HACCP therefore provides a structure for assessing risks. HACCP therefore provides a structure for assessing risks or whatever could go wrong and putting the requisite controls in place to minimize such risks. (Stephaniem et al.,2009) The advantage of HACCP based systems is that they can be designed to include all different types of foods, their raw materials (whatever their source) and associated hazards. (Griffith, 2010) (Semos and Kontogeorgos, 2007) denoted that the implementation of the HACCP system to food processing can result in benefits to industry, government and consumers, promoting, in this way, a potential improvement of food safety and prevention of food poisoning. HACCP focus on measurable indicators provides a more cost-effective approach to control than product sampling and testing, which is more expensive and may not provide timely results. This is especially important for food-borne microbial pathogens, because their incidence is low and the costs of testing are high. Requirement of implementing the HACCP system in hospitality industry Before HACCP can be implemented, prerequisite programs (PRPs) such as good hygienic practices, staff training, and documented standard operating procedure should be well established. HACCPs effectiveness relies on the knowledge and skills of both management and staff. (Taylor, 2008), pointed out that the most important factor driving the implementation of HACCP is the employment of experienced, technically qualified persons. While flexibility appropriate to the business is important, all seven principles must be applied in the HACCP system. This takes into account the nature and size of the operation, including the human and financial resources, infrastructure, processes, knowledge, and practical constraints. The seven principles can be applied in businesses regardless of size and the nature of the operations. (Semos and Kontogeorgos, 2007) Implementation of the HACCP system requires additional resources for staff training, investments on buildings and equipment, extra purchase of supplies, as well as technical support furthermore, managers or businesses should provide adequate and appropriate facilities for food handlers to be hygienic and this can influence their perceived behavioral control. (Griffith, 2000) The efficacy of the system relies heavily on the relevant HACCP knowledge and skills, management commitment, and understanding of HACCP along with changes in attitude and organizational culture all requiring adequate training to overcome barriers related to human resources. (Adams, 2000) Considering the results as a whole, staff training was the cost with the highest mean score indicating that this cost during the development and implementation of the HACCP system was the most important cost. The second most important cost was the investments in new equipment. As has previously been mentioned, the majority of the respondents have used an external consultant to develop and implement the HACCP system in their company. Thus, it is not surprising that the cost of the external consultant is rated as the third most important cost. (Semos and Kontogeorgos, 2007) The cost of a HACCP system for most industries depends not only on the requirements of the system, but also on the improvement of the current status of food safety-related practices in the company. Considering the cost of HACCP systems, it is important to take into account the firms long-term savings derived by a potential decrease in recalling contaminated food products (Taylor, 2001). A food handlers knowledge of food safety is critical they cannot behave hygienically if they do not know how to behave and why. This has led to increased emphasis on training; however, knowledge of food safety/hygiene does not always translate into implementation of food safety practices. Training provides people with the knowledge allowing them to handle food safety when they are motivated to be hygienic (Griffith, 2010). What are the barriers in implementing the HACCP system in hospitality industry? Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) is an internationally recognised system of managing food safety (Codex, 2003) and its use is advocated in the hospitality industry. Griffith (2000) stated that one of the major problems regarding the effective implementation of HACCP is that employees in food industry often lack interest and they often have a negative attitude toward the food safety programmes. Taylor and Taylor (2004) found that the main barriers that hindered the effective HACCP implementation were due to HACCP being considered as difficult, burdensome and unnecessary. They explained that the interplay of barriers at knowledge, attitude and behavioral levels could account for the problems in effective HACCP implementation. The generated working definitions for the general barrier categories included: knowledge as a body of acquired facts; attitude as mental reaction to knowledge; and behaviour as the action taken as a result of knowledge acquisition and attitude development. Subcategories of these general barriers included awareness, familiarity and comprehension for knowledge while the subcategories for attitude major barrier comprised of agreement and commitment. Adoption and adherence were the subcategories for the last major barrier, behaviour (Barriers of HACCP team members) Furthermore, those barriers separated into two types which are practical and psychological. (Taylor, 2008) stated that there is an overwhelming range of practical and psychological barriers to the HACCP implementation in hospitality industry (Taylor et al., 2008). The practical barriers in implementing the HACCP system in hospitality industry (haccp chef) Although HACCP is an internationally recognized food safety management system, there are great barriers to implement such system in the hospitality industry. Studies have shown that the major problems identified in the Hospitality industry were: lack of knowledge, training problems, high staff turnover, large variety of products, variation in potential demand and large numbers of part-time workers (Ward, 2001) Lack of appropriate facilities has been cited as a barrier to implementation of good hygiene (Clayton et al., 2002). However even more highly cited was lack of time to be hygienic and this is likely to be even more important in food service or catering than in manufacturing. The former work to order, with customers seeking prompt service, potentially facing food handlers whilst in manufacturing businesses usually work to stock. Improving a business shift patterns and staff numbers has helped to significantly improve hygiene implementation. Managers or businesses may say that this costs too much money and this attitude directly links to the business organizational food safety culture. (Griffith, 2010) Eves and Dervisi (2005) noted that when HACCP is not properly implemented it is due to time-related constraints and mostly due to the large amount of documentation required. Bas et al. (2007) and Panisello and Quantick (2001) stated that the volume of the paperwork required is a factor that hinders the HACCP effectiveness, while Taylor and Kane (2005) and Taylor (2001) refer to difficulties or lack of validation and verification procedures. Aggelogiannopoulos et al. (2007) also mentioned some other internal barriers in implementing the quality system such as the lack of financial resources, lack of personnel, human resource limitations (insufficient skills or qualifications), time restrictions because of the short operating horizon of the business, resistance of higher-level executives to change and resistance of employees to change. (Taylor and Forte 2008) point out that The hospitality industry is predominantly made up of very small businesses with varied levels of staff training and high staff turnover. With a few exceptions, staffs lack the competence to develop a food safety management system such as HACCP. Hospitality businesses do not employ a food technologist or microbiologist in kitchens, but craftsmen who are not technically qualified to identify danger points or to use instruments such as thermocouples and digital thermometers. A skilled chef is far more capable of judging whether food is adequately cooked using more traditional methods, such as colour or texture changes in food. Second, unlike the manufacturing industry, the average hospitality outlet offers an extended product range (menu) to the customer. It would not be possible to produce a flow diagram for each product offered as required by the international HACCP Guidelines (Codex, 2003). Furthermore, the average hospitality business is highly flexible and creative and there is a higher number of products offered, less use of standard recipes and often ad hoc reworking of ingredients. Third, the first HACCP principle requires a detailed, technical hazard analysis (Codex, 2003). Not surprisingly, many caterers do not understand the technical HACCP and microbiological jargon and most often have no ability to identify critical risks in food preparation and cooking. Finally, as food is produced from a varied and complex production blueprint (menu) and the customers require immediate consumption, the production process differs considerably from that of manufacturing businesses. The working pace is variable and volatile which is unsuitable for many types of monitoring and documentation. Daily business forecasts are often unpredictable, resulting in too little or too much preliminary food preparation, and requiring flexibility to manage rather than rigid routines. These differences create strong barriers to the implementation of HACCP in the hospitality industry, and they are very difficult to overcome. The scale of the challenge can be demonstrated by analysing previous attempts to develop HACCP guidance manuals for hospitality businesses (Taylor and Forte 2008). The psychological barriers in implementing the HACCP system in hospitality industry Beside the practical barriers, psychological factors are considered as the barriers to HACCPs successful implementation in Hospitality industry. A study (Taylor, 2008) stated that the psychological barriers such as staff motivation, attitude, and behaviour to the implementation. Calls have been made for more specific research on food safety culture with the concept and its importance, poorly understood by all levels in the food industry, including middle and top management. (Griffith et al 2010) If managers have a negative attitude about following proper food safety and sanitation procedures, it will be evident to others by what they say and do. For example, if the manager of a foodservice establishment doesnt wash his hands before beginning work, how can he expect the employees to do so? Instead, if the manager demonstrates a positive attitude toward food safety through his words and action, the employees will more likely do the same. In companies with strong safety cultures, a proper attitude toward food safety is more caught than taught. (Yiannas, 2008) Food safety is not just a microbiological problem but that it also has a major behavioral component (Griffith and Redmond, 2009). It has been suggested that 97% of outbreaks traced to non-manufacturing food businesses involved a food handler error/malpractice (Howes et al., 1996). Although there was a documented HACCP system this was poor and inadequate, its content was not communicated to the employees and was not available for inspection by the environmental health officer. There was no stock rotation protocol, cleaning documentation was poor stating some items were to be cleaned daily yet the person responsible for their cleaning was only employed two days a week with cleaning of high risk areas omitted. Many procedures such as glass and pest control policies, considered essential to a meat processor of this kind, were not in place. However it is perhaps the food safety culture set by the owner/manager which gives rise to the greatest concerns. This was a culture where returned spoilt meat was repacked and re-used and where saving money had precedence over all else. Staffs were asked to work when ill and to follow the owners example of moving between high and low risk areas without a change of clothing or hand washing. The owner falsified records, misled an d lied to environmental health officers. (Griffith, 2010) The connection between Organizational culture and the HACCP implementation All businesses possess a food safety culture this can be on a continuum from positive to negative. In a positive culture, food safety is an important business objective and there is compliance with documented systems. In a negative culture, food safety is not perceived of prime importance with often other business priorities dominant (Griffith et al., 2010) and there is poor compliance with documented food safety requirements. The formation or existence of both types of culture may be managed or unmanaged. A negative culture may be the result of lack of effort or inappropriate leadership and management. In a negative culture any attempts by individuals to improve safety may be ineffective (Clayton and Griffith, 2008). Failure to comply with quality and food safety management system requirements can be both widespread and problematic. High performing organizations consistently demonstrate elevated levels of safety culture, whereas low performing organizations show a poor safety culture (Killimett, 2006). What is Organizational culture? Organizational culture is defined typically in terms of the way people think, which has a direct influence on the ways in which they behave. Organizational culture (OC) is the social or normative glue that holds an organization together. OC is an effective instrument of staff motivation leading to improved individual and organizational performance. The leadership of any type of organization has a very important inalienable responsibility in developing appropriate organizational cultures to enhance performance and job-satisfaction of organizational members. If the leadership does not put in sufficient efforts to develop a positive culture and arrest the tendencies towards negative cultures, it could be a disaster for the organization. (Anonymous, 2006) In particular, organizational culture provides employees a common frame of reference for changes in an organization. When organizations have different cultures, people have different perceptions and interpretations of organizational changes, which affect employees embracing changes. Therefore, organizational culture is known to be important for the success of projects involving any organizational changes (Weiling and Kwok, 2008) A strong organizational culture helps members develop a shared sense of who they are and provides clear values and beliefs to guide decision making and the formulation of long-term strategies (McGrath and Tobia 2008). How organizational culture overcome the barriers in HACCP implementation in the hospitality industry? The organizational culture could contribute to both success and barriers of implementing HACCP in the hotel. An organizational culture will influence how individuals within the group think about food safety, their attitudes toward food safety, their willingness to openly discuss concerns and share differing opinions, and, in general, the emphasis that they place on food safety. (Griffith et al, 2010b) Individual food handler behavior links directly to the business culture (Clayton and Griffith, 2008, Griffith et al., 2010) and potentially how management create and support the food safety culture within a business maybe the most important factor in whether a business is or is not responsible for food poisoning. Food poisoning An organization needs to make sure that employees understand the food safety performance expectations of their job and that at all levels they are held accountable for them. The word accountability generally implies that there are checks and balances being measured to make sure certain desired outcomes are being achieved. And in organizations with strong food safety cultures, this is certainly true. For example, an organization might conduct daily HACCP checks and measurements, observe employee behaviours related to food safety, and provide feedback and coaching (both positive and negative) based on the results. But in organizations with enlightened safety cultures, theyve figured out a way to transcend or go beyond accountability. Theyve figured out a way to get employees to do the right things, not because theyre being held accountable to them, but because the employees believe in and are committed to food safety. It has been said that character is what you do when youre alone and no one is watching. In organizations with enlightened food safety cultures, employees do the right thing not because the manager or customer is watching, but because they know its right and they care. Organizations with strong safety cultures know this. They take the sharing of information beyond simple food safety training. They share information often and communicate regularly with their employees about food safety using a variety of messages and mediums. They realize that what we see, what we hear, and what we read, if done effectively, can have a tremendous influence on us. If it didnt, advertisers wouldnt spend the millions of dollars they do each year trying to reach consumers. Like in commercial marketing, organizations with strong food safety cultures share information not just to impart knowledge, but to persuade their employees to action. Having an appropriate positive food safety organizational culture is essential to maintaining a successful brand. Top management need to be aware of their own role and responsibilities in culture formation and to equip their managers with the skills to create and maintain a positive food safety culture at all levels but particularly at middle management /unit level (Griffith et al., 2010). Safety culture appears to be definable and measurable in practical terms within high-performing organizations that consistently show high levels of trust, effective communication, management credibility and an overall value of safety (Killimett, 2006). A positive safety culture is said to exist in organizations that recognize the risk for human error, but act to reduce such hazards by developing professional skills that promote safe work practices (Nieva and Sorra, 2003). Top management in one country were under the impression that compliance with systems was good, staff understood the need to be hygienic and that food safety was crucial to the business. Unit managers held a different perspective which in turn differed in major ways from the views of shop floor staff who perceived the business priorities to be quite different. Effectively this arranges employees into distinct organizational levels that represent differing roles in implementing, maintaining and monitoring food safety management systems and standards. (Griffith et al, 2010b) Yiannas (2009) argues that food safety can be better achieved by strengthening the food safety culture rather than focusing on creating a bigger or better safety system. Thus a food safety culture can be viewed as the shared attitudes, values and beliefs towards the food safety behaviors that are routinely demonstrated in food handling organizations. New employees will normally adopt the dominant behaviors that appear stable throughout the organization by simply learning from colleagues and leaders when they are recruited into the business, becoming a shared responsibility by all group members. Yiannas (2009) states that organizations can choose to create a strong food safety culture. He goes on to suggest that leaders are accountable for instigating it because they have the power and influence to create a positive food safety culture and thus have the potential to reduce the global burden of food-borne disease. He postulates that creating a positive food safety culture can support this process by actually changing the thoughts, behaviors and beliefs of individuals within a group. Summary and Conclusion The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system is a science-based systematic approach which identifies critical control points in the production procedure that are essential to monitor and control product safety. The implementation of HACCP system is a sign for delivering safe food products to customers. It regarded as the most effective way to achieve food safety is to focus on prevention of possible hazards and to improve the process. The advantage of HACCP based systems is that they can be designed to include all different types of foods, their raw materials (whatever their source) and associated hazards. The implementation of the HACCP system to food processing can result in benefits to industry, government and consumers, promoting, in this way, a potential improvement of food safety and prevention of food poisoning. Factor Before HACCP can be implemented, prerequisite programs (PRPs) such as good hygienic practices, staff training, and documented standard operating procedure should be well established. Caterers are not qualified to identify the many hazards now present in their operations and they cannot be expected to produce their own individual HACCP plans. HACCP can become a useful management tool, but, to succeed, it must be seen by chefs as useful and easy to apply. It must be recognised as a means to avoid problems as opposed to a defence mechanism in case things go wrong. The many hazards involved in producing food, together with the critical controls necessary to make sure it is safe, need to be documented. HACCPs effectiveness relies on the knowledge and skills of both management and staff. The efficacy of the system relies heavily on the relevant HACCP knowledge and skills, management commitment, and understanding of HACCP along with changes in attitude and organizational culture all requiring adequate training to overcome barriers related to human resources. interplay of barriers at knowledge, attitude and behavioral levels could account for the problems in effective HACCP implementation. The generated working definitions for the general barrier categories included: knowledge as a body of acquired facts; attitude as mental reaction to knowledge; and behaviour as the action taken as a result of knowledge acquisition and attitude development Furthermore, there is an overwhelming range of practical and psychological barriers to the HACCP implementation in hospitality industry Although HACCP is an internationally recognized food safety management system, there are great practical barriers to implement such system in the hospitality industry. Studies have shown that the major problems identified in the Hospitality industry were: lack of knowledge, training problems, high staff turnover, large variety of products, variation in potential demand and large numbers of part-time workers Lack of appropriate facilities has be