Apache Spark Resilient Distributed Datasets - 2046 Words

Table of Contents Abstract 1 1 Introduction 1 2 Spark Core 2 ï  ¶ 2.1 Transformations 2 ï  ¶ 2.2 Actions 2 3 Spark SQL 3 4 Spark Streaming 4 5 GraphX 4 6 MLlib Machine Learning library 4 7 How to Interact with Spark 5 8 Shared Variables 5 8.1 Broadcast Variables: 5 8.2 Accumulators: 5 9 Sample Word Count Application 6 10 Summary 8 References 8 Abstract Cluster computing frameworks like MapReduce has been widely successful in solving numerous Big data problems. However, they tend to use one well none map and reduce pattern to solve these problems. There are many other class of problems that cannot fit into this closed box which may be handed using other set of programming model. This is where Apache Spark comes in to help solve these†¦show more content†¦Spark s RDDs function as a working set for distributed programs that offers a (deliberately) restricted form of distributed shared memory. [3] The availability of RDDs facilitates the implementation of both iterative algorithms that visit their dataset multiple times in a loop, and exploratory data analysis, which is the querying of data repeatedly. The latency of applications builds with spark compared to Hadoop, a MapReduce platform may be reduced by several orders of magnitude. [3] Another key aspect of apache spark is that it makes writing code easy and quickly. This is as a result of over 80 high level operators included in with spark library. This is evidence as spark comes with a REPL an interactive shell. The REPL can be used t0 test the outcome of each line of code without coding the entire job. As a result, ad-hoc data analysis is possible and code is made much shorter. Apache Spark is well complemented with set of high-level libraries that can be easily used in the same application. These include Spark SQL, Spark Streaming, MLlib and GraphX which we will explain in details in this paper. 2 Spark Core Spark core is at the base of the apache spark foundation. It provides distributed task dispatching, scheduling, and basic I/O capabilities which is exposed through a common API (JAVA, Scala, Python and R) centered on the RDD concept. [1] As the core it provides the following: ï  ¶ Memory management and fault recovery. ï  ¶ Scheduling,Show MoreRelatedEssay On Knowledge Check867 Words   |  4 PagesProvide a brief history of Spark? Ans: Apache Spark: A computer software. Spark is a cluster framework with an open source software. It was 1st invented by Berkely in AMP Lab. It was initially invented by Berkeleys AMP Lab and later donated to Apache Foundation software. Apache Spark follows the concept of RDD called resilient distributed dataset. This is just a readable dataset. Later it is added to Apache foundation software Spark is built on resilient distributed datasets (RDD) as a read-only multisetRead MoreEssay On Knowledge Check818 Words   |  4 Pageshistory of Spark? ANS : Spark is a cluster framework with an open source software. It was 1st invented by Berkely in AMP Lab. It was initially invented by Berkeleys AMP Lab and later donated to Apache Foundation software. Apache Spark follows the concept of RDD called resilient distributed dataset. This is just a readable dataset. Later it is added to Apache foundation software Spark is built on resilient distributed datasets (RDD) as a read-only multiset of data items. Spark core, Spark SQL, SparkRead MoreHow Does Apache Spark Compared To Apache Flink?910 Words   |  4 Pagessyntax. Giving examples will earn extra points. 1. Provide a brief history of Spark? 2. How is Spark better than MapReduce? 3. What is a Spark RDD? 4. What is the meaning of a lazy evaluation and what are its benefits? 5. What are transformations and actions? Give examples of some transformations and actions. 6. How does Apache Spark compare to Apache Flink? 1. Provide a brief history of Spark? ANS : Spark is cluster framework with an open source software. It was 1st invented by BerkelyRead MoreTypes Of Unstructuret Communication Data784 Words   |  4 PagesMany large companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon, Netflix are leveraging unstructured data to facilitate human decision making, automate simple tasks, and to make the world a smarter place. The term big data is used to describe these unstructured datasets that are so large and complex that traditional database systems, such as MS SQL and MySQL, are incapable of handling them. Its not the amount of data thats important— its what organizations do with data that matters most. Data analysis can generateRead MoreThe Importance Of Big Data809 Words   |  4 Pagesdata is of no use if it is not properly processed, analyzed and evaluated. Using this data for the betterment of mankind is what most of the largest companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and much more are targeting. Big data is a term for datasets which are so large and complex that traditional database systems such as MS SQL, MySQL, etc., are incapable of handling them. It is not the amount of data that is important, but what organizations do with data that matters the most. Data can be mappedRead MoreCompare And Contrast An Apache Spark Data Set With A Data Sheet?1221 Words   |  5 PagesProvide two plain text file Spark/Scala program files q3b-1.scala and q3b-2.scala. Programming Related: a. Compare and contrast an Apache Spark data set with a data frame. (5 marks) The differences between Apache Spark dataset and dataframe is based on multiple areas including, representation of data, immutability, and interoperability, among others. A dataframe refers to a distributed data collection that has been organized into named columns. On the other hand, dataset refers to dataframe API extensionRead MoreWhat Does Spark Can Give The Better Performance Than Hadoop Distributed File System?2745 Words   |  11 Pages6. What is spark? Spark is an in memory cluster computing framework which falls under the open source Hadoop project but does not follow the two stage map-reduce paradigm which is done in Hadoop distributed file system (HDFS) and which is meant and designed to be faster. Spark, instead support a wide range of computations and applications which includes interactive queries, stream processing, batch processing, iterative algorithms and streaming by extending the idea of MapReduce model. The execution

Government Initiatives For Health And Oral Care - 1242 Words

1) Government initiatives to improve health and oral care Although oral health has improved significantly in last decades there is still room for improvement. Organisations such as National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) or The Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons try to urge government focused on the issues such as increasing rates of oral cancer, impact of sugar on oral health, promote water fluoridation schemes or commit to further research on the link between oral health and general health. Government levy extra tax on the soft drinks is lately discuss, hot topic. But why is so important to keep sugar intake low? 2) What is the dental caries? Dental caries is disease of the tooth tissue caused by specific types of bacteria such as Streptococcus mutans. Weak acids are produced by the bacteria as they digest food particles found in the plaque. Acids gradually destroys the tooth s enamel and dentine with disease progressing in the pulp and potentially causing pulp death and loss of tooth. 3) Why is healthy diet important? Healthy diet is important not only because its reducing possibility of obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease or type 2 diabetes in later life, but also helping keep teeth healthy. After each food or sugary drink teeth are under acid attack for up to one hour. This is because the bacteria found in plaque, feast on the sugar, and produce harmful acids as a result. So it is important to have sugary foods orShow MoreRelatedBenefits Of Indian Health Services1001 Words   |  5 Pagesthink when you hear health care providers and the services they provide? The ACA has increased government interaction with the healthcare system by developing several of the government initiatives that focus on improving the ability of individuals to make informed decisions about their health care. In this paper, it will provide information about few providers and the services that they provide as well as the quality of attention. Health Care Providers and Products. Indian Health Services (IHS) isRead MoreHealth Status of Aboriginal People in Ontario1563 Words   |  7 PagesHealth Status of Aboriginal people in Ontario By: Taylor Veran Health Careers and Informatics Lorrie Lough November 1st, 2012 The majority of health issues that the Aboriginal community faces are related directly and indirectly to social, economic, cultural and political areas. Infrastructure, housing, employment, income, environmental and education are connected to the individual and community based effects of health. The health status of aboriginals in Ontario is very poor. ThereRead MoreHealth Care For The Nigerian Society1546 Words   |  7 Pagesto and utilization of health care systems (Omololu, Okunola, Salami, 2012). The Nigerian people realized that many of their countries’ health care facilities were lacking the necessary resources and supplies to function sufficiently and effectively, despite the adoption of the core tenets of comprehensive primary health care in the 1980s. They needed to not only make health care delivery affordable but also accessible to their people. In response to this need, health Ministers from severalRead MoreIntroduction. I Propose A New Approach To Designing Healthcare1526 Words   |  7 Pagesunsustainable system with no hope of improvement; unbelievable burdens existed in emergency rooms and hospitals, and Alberta’s health outcomes were not up to par with the amount funding that was being given. Although higher taxation may be the answer t o this issue, I take the different approach of attempting to design the system to work more efficiently, and place health back into the hands of citizens through empowerment and respective relationships with healthcare professionals. Moreover, universalRead MoreTaking a Look at Poliomyelitis1689 Words   |  7 Pageseradication initiative started and this polio paralyzed more than 1000 children worldwide. Since then, 2.5 billion children have been immunized against polio and due to most countries co-operation and volunteers it has really improved. That’s why today, polio has been eliminated from most countries in the world and just four countries are left with these virus. In 1998, over 99% of polio cases has decreased by the world health assembly, these was when global polio eradication initiative was introducedRead MoreViral Infectious DiseasesPolio or Poliomyelitis1368 Words   |  5 PagesINTRODUCTION Poliomyelitis is a viral infectious disease that is transmitted through mainly the oral fecal route. The disease has been with mankind since time in memorial although epidemics were unknown before the 20th century. The disease has caused millions of deaths and paralysis for much of human history. 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They play a role in social, political and environmental issues. This essay will explore the dentists role in advocating and obligations in regards to social, political and environmental issues. Dispersed throughout the essay is also viewpoints on professionalism from a fellow health professional who defines professionalism as her ‘scope of clinical skillsRead MoreThe Population Of Egypts Capital1289 Words   |  6 Pagesimprovement in health care, infant mortality was reduced, and the average age expectancy of women and men both were estimated at seventy years. Egypt‘s economy is based on Socialism with the people controlling and dominating production of the economy. The most important sector was either public or controlled by the government, prior to 1952 Egypt was a free market. The government limited land and personal income as well as initiates projects and allocates investments. The government formulated fiveRead MorePolicy Agend Human Papillomavirus1344 Words   |  6 Pagesthe one of the greatest health advancements in the 20th century. Currently, school- aged children are required to get vaccinations unless they are exempt for religious purposes (Salmon, Haber, Gangers, Phillips, Smith, Chen, 1999). However, there is an infectious disease that is highly preventable and vaccine is available, yet people are contracting the virus. It’s known as the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection, â€Å"†¦that can be sexually transmitted and result in health consequences including genital

Research Topics in Optometry Free Essays

Postgraduate research topics Department of Optometry and Vision Science Postgraduate research topics The following is a list of research topics offered at the doctorate (PhD), masters and honours level.  » Honours  » Masters  » PhD Honours Research Topics| Affiliation – Faculty and Dept| Supervisor/s details| Comparison of animal models of age related nuclear cataract| Optometry and Vision Science| Professor Paul Donaldson p. donaldson@auckland. We will write a custom essay sample on Research Topics in Optometry or any similar topic only for you Order Now ac. nz| Mapping antioxidant transporter expression in the front of the eye| Optometry and Vision Science| Dr Julie Lim j. lim@auckland. ac. nz| Electron microscopy of protein trafficking in the lens| Optometry and Vision Science| Dr Angus Grey ac. grey@auckland. ac. nz| Modelling of lens function  | Optometry and Vision Science| Dr Ehsan Vaghefi e. vaghefi@auckland. ac. nz| Exploring neural plasticity in the human visual cortex| Optometry and Vision Science| Dr. Ben Thompson b. thompson@auckland. ac. nz| Development of aids for colour deficient optometrists| Optometry and Vision Science| Dr. Misha Vorobyev m. vorobyev@auckland. ac. nz| Botox: as a tool for eye therapy? | Optometry and Vision Science| Dr Monica Acosta:m. acosta@auckland. ac. nz| Top Masters Research Topics| Affiliation – Faculty and Dept| Supervisor/s details| Developing functiuonal assays to study membrane protein function in the core of the lens| Optometry and Vision Science| Professor Paul Donaldson p. donaldson@auckland. ac. nz| Chromatic and achromatic vision in reef fish| Optometry and Vision Science| Dr. Misha Vorobyev m. vorobyev@auckland. ac. nz| Colour preference in the honeybee| Optometry and Vision Science| Dr. Misha Vorobyev m. vorobyev@auckland. ac. nz| Clinical tests for colour vision defects| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Assoc Prof Rob Jacobs r. jacobs@auckland. ac. z| Defocus and visual function| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Assoc Prof Rob Jacobs r. jacobs@auckland. ac. nz| Visual characteristics of NZ population groups| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Assoc Prof Rob Jacobs r. jacobs@auckland. ac. nz| Assessment of refractive error in low vision| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Assoc Prof Rob Jacobs r. jacobs@aucklan d. ac. nz| Clinical research topics in optometry| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Assoc Prof Rob Jacobs r. jacobs@auckland. ac. nz| How does a cell die? Analysis of photoreceptor cells| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science| Dr Monica Acosta:m. costa@auckland. ac. nz| Top PhD Research Topics| Affiliation – Faculty and Dept| Supervisor/s details| Functional characterization of glucose transporters in the lens| Optometry and Vision Science| Professor Paul Donaldson p. donaldson@auckland. ac. nz| Visualization of cell signaling pathways in the ocular lens| Optometry and Vision Science| Professor Paul Donaldson p. donaldson@auckland. ac. nz| Functional characterization of the cystine/glutamate exchanger in the lens: a potential therapy to delay age related nuclear cataract? | Optometry and Vision Science| Dr. Julie Lim j. lim@auckland. c. nz| Functional mapping of purinergic signalling pathways in the lens|   Optometry and Vision Science| Professor Paul Donaldson p. donaldson@a uckland. ac. nz| Studying membrane protein function in the core of the lens| Optometry and Vision Science| Professor Paul Donaldson p. donaldson@auckland. ac. nz| Antioxidant strategies to prevent age related nuclear cataract| Optometry and Vision Science| Dr Julie Lim j. lim@auckland. ac. nz| Investigation of physiological mechanisms that regulate normal eye growth| Optometry Vision Science| Dr John Phillips j. phillips@auckland. ac. nz| Investigation of methods for Inhibition of myopia progression in children. | Optometry Vision Science| Dr John Phillips j. phillips@auckland. ac. nz| Harnessing neural plasticity for visual rehabilitation| Optometry Vision Science| Dr. Ben Thompson b. thompson@auckland. ac. nz| Measuring the human visual cortex response to visual loss with fMRI| Optometry and Vision Science| Dr. Ben Thompson b. thompson@auckland. ac. nz| The relationship between native New Zealand flowers and vision of native pollinators  |   |   | Colour deficeincy and colour judgement|   | Dr Misha Vorobyev m. vorobyev@auckland. ac. z| Visual characteristics of NZ population groups| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Assoc Prof Rob Jacobs r. jacobs@auckland. ac. nz| Defocus and visual function| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Assoc Prof Rob Jacobs r. jacobs@auckland. ac. nz| Clinical tests for colour vision defects. | FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Assoc Prof Rob Jacobs r. jacobs@auckland. ac. n z| Assessment of refractive error in low vision| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Assoc Prof Rob Jacobs r. jacobs@auckland. ac. nz| Research topics in clinical optometry| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Assoc Prof Rob Jacobs r. acobs@auckland. ac. nz| Vesicular transport in eye disesases| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Dr. Monica Acostam. acosta@auckland. ac. nz| Neurochemistry of an animal model of retinal degeneration| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Dr. Monica Acostam. acosta@auckland. ac. nz | Modelling oxygen / CO2 circulation of the retinal cells| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Dr. Ehsan Vaghefi  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  e. vaghefi@auckland. ac. nz| Modelling the electrical stimulation of the retina, using hexagonal electrodes| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Dr. Ehsan Vaghefi e. vaghefi@auckland. ac. nz| Creating a full 3D anatomically correct model of the ocular lens| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Professor Paul Donaldsonp. donaldson@auckland. ac. nzDr. Ehsan Vaghefie. vaghefi@auckland. ac. nz| Top * FOR * ABOUT * Our department * Our research * Research groups * Publications * Postgraduate research topics * Our courses * Our staff * Careers and opportunities * News and events Apply now! 2012 Handbook Postgraduate Research University of Auckland Clinics SharePrintEmail Copyright  © The University of Auckland A to Z Directory  |  Site map  |  Accessibility  |  Copyright  |  Privacy  |  Disclaimer  |  Feedback on this page | | How to cite Research Topics in Optometry, Essays

Information Technology for Florida Aspire Case - myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theInformation Technology for Florida Aspire Case. Answer: Installation and data conversion Florida Aspire Case Kind of production conversion strategy In the Florida Aspire Project, deployment and cutover strategy is used for replacement of their financial management system, cash management system and other financial systems. The cutover of production is transferring of Aspire project solutions from the project team to the state of activities (Laudon and Laudon 2016). The end of production cutover process is initiation of application support per go live and then ongoing support. Choice of selection It is a good choice for the project as this strategy has covered the cutover categories such as people, data, process of cutover as well as technology. The cutover plan provides the project tasks with respective timing along with sequencing of necessary go live. ICT policies and information security Privacy risks of turnitin and blackboards The privacy risks are that any third party person can get password and username of the students, staffs and curtin those have accounts. Using it, they can access to the submitted papers along with personal information into the database. When the submitted paper is in hand of any unauthorized user, then they can use it for negative intention or hamper the career of the student. If the same paper is uploaded into another students portal, then it will be a life risk of them. Encryption techniques should be used by the users to keep all the sensitive data secured (Safa et al. 2013). The password of the students blackboard should be shared with anyone. ITIL change management Goldstein VCF reading In order to reduce and manage of the security issues into the VCF case, the bugs are fixed with help of the team of Depew to create investigation of the project scenarios which take of various cases from closing and testing on VCF. FBI should create of enterprise architecture in order to guide the development of the IT system. There is used of markup language into the ACS system to check for the performance of network and develop of training program. VCF pointed to take of security measures to keep case management system more secured (Ewerstein and Jansson 2016). It includes of KPI and public key infrastructure with system digital certificates to verity and authenticates the validity of third party. Post implementation review Queensland health payroll reading In order to improve into the future payroll system of the Queensland heath, there is included of line of accountability as well as contingency plans to deal with unexpected issues. It provides with efficient pay process to the customers. In order to mitigate the issues of the payroll system, there is consideration of simplified award structure and pay rules required. Payroll system can foster growth with development of the Queensland health. At the time of tracking the business records of the payroll system ultimate the assets of the business (Kirk et al. 2016). It also controls of the organizational health related data of the patients. References Ewerstein, Anders, and Markus Jansson. 2016. Management method for Change Management in ERP systems. Kirk, M. Alexis, Caitlin Kelley, Nicholas Yankey, Sarah A. Birken, Brenton Abadie, and Laura Damschroder. 2016. A systematic review of the use of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research."Implementation Science11, no. 72 (1). Laudon, Kenneth C., and Jane P. Laudon.2016. Management information system. Pearson Education India. Safa, Nader Sohrabi, Rossouw Von Solms, and Steven Furnell. 2013. Information security policy compliance model in organizations. computers security56 (2016): 70-82.

Heaven Poetry and Milton Essay Example

Heaven: Poetry and Milton Essay November 8th 2013 Poetry Heaven The sonnet is one of the most common methods in poetry. Sonnets are very restrictive because there is only 14 lines predominantly in iambic pentameter. This restricts the poetry writing, but that is what makes it so beautiful. Sonnets are usually about love. Their tone sound very nice, easy to read and they can be sung. Sonnets are taken as a challenge for many poets because freeverse is easy and linear. When I Consider How My Light Is Spent is a Sonnet written by John Milton. Nothing in Heaven Functions as it Ought is a poem by X. J. Kennedy. Even though these Sonnets are similar in structure they have a very different in tone. These poems may not appear to be about love or to be romantic, but in a religious way love is predominant in these Sonnets. In Miltons poem the character speaking is a religious man that has lost his sight, and feels useless without it. He is patiently waiting to be an angel by his makers side. The speaker is having a conversation with himself. This poem is very personal because the reader is getting in his head and taking his opinion about life and death. This creates trust between the reader and the speaker. We will write a custom essay sample on Heaven: Poetry and Milton specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Heaven: Poetry and Milton specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Heaven: Poetry and Milton specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer He is talking in first person to a general public, not speaking to god directly. It can seem that he is speaking to He the god but he uses his many times. He talks to god in a prayer asking him if he denied his light and then answers himself. Kennedys poem has religious meaning and the speaker believes in hell and heaven. Its written in third perspective, like he is looking from the outside. The speaker is describing heaven and hell like he has been in both. The voice is speaking in a general sense to no one directly. When he says None takes his own sweet time (10) he is speaking to himself and to others. These poems differ in the speaker and the intended audience. Miltons is personal; he gives a sense of who the speaker is. The intended audience is himself or to share his opinion to a wide public. In the other hand, Kennedys Poem is more general, intended for everyone. The speaker is not giving much of who he is but that he knows how heaven and hell are. It is more of an informational delivery. The selection of wording makes it a certain audience that should know what Venerable Bede is and who Peter and Milton are. The Venerable Bede was an English monk. He was greatly appreciated by the church. The use of his name in this poem is to reflect how many innocent and ignorant people think of miracles as real, like in heaven, but they are Just exaggerating (Wikipedia contributor). Milton Friedman was an economist. Kennedy used this name to describe heaven not as a place of millionaires would think as full of gold. One similarity about these poems, other than its form, is that they are both speaking about heaven in a religious matter. Both give an idea of hat is heaven like, even doubt they are totally different ideas. Kennedys poem gives a comparison of heaven and hell. How heaven might not be as good as people describe it and hell might not be as bad. How heaven is not at all how people imagined it. In Miltons heaven is more of a question but he implies that people who only stand and wait (14) serve next to his maker. In heaven there is thousands of people serving . In Dotn poems wnen tney mentlon neaven tney capl tallze tne They describe Heaven as an existing place and for that it is a noun. This might create sense of heaven being part of their beliefs, a place to respect. The tone in the first stanza of Spent is very depressing. The second one is more of a combination of both, starts in a positive tone and ends in a sad question. Then hope in the 3rd stanza when the resolution is obvious and there is a positive and secure voice. The abba abba abcabc rhyme scheme sound very alike. Even state and wait sound similar. In Nothing the reading is smooth and you can hear the ending rhyme scheme very easily. The use of abba cddc ababab creates a definite conclusion when he author talks about hell because of how the end scheme is repetitive at the end. The tone is very nice and sweet. It can be sung with ease. Also he repeats the word of or off from line 3-7 and wording with double e like seed or sweet from line 5 to 10. After reading Miltons poem Kennedys is easier to read. Miltons poem has more difficult words and is a hard read. Still written two centuries apart they are still similar in structure and in tone. After reading these poems the reader can speculate how both of them can create a whole and how they have crashing opinions. In Spent the speaker doesnt speak about hell which could mean that this speaker might be from another religion that does not believe in hell. In this same poem the speaker seems to be waiting patiently to go to heaven and serve his master implying that this is his reason for life; to serve god in the end of it. But in Nothing the speaker doubts about the sake of heaven and how its not what it seems. The speaker in Spent would take this poem as an offence to his beliefs. In Kennedys poem the speaker has talked about heaven and hell and also mentions Not turn with a hush of old (4) meaning that the speaker is dead and has visited the afterlife. Another pointer is when he mentions Ask anyone, How come you here, poor heart? (11) creating a sense that he is with anyone in hell. The question is where is he now? How did he go both to heaven and hell? Is this god criticizing his own creation? In Miltons poem there is symbolism in the wording. He uses light and similar symbols like light, days, dark, hide, day-labor and light. He uses this symbol to describe the speaker. In Kennedys poem he uses metaphor repetitively as a symbol. T he first and second tanza have many comparisons that let the reader form its own conclusion but afterwards in the 3rd and last stanza he gives more conclusive and direct descriptions. Here are some examples: His gates lurch wide with the cackle of a cock; Not with a hush of gold as Milton had thought; Gangs of the slaughtered innocents keep huffing The nimbus off the Venerable Bede Like that of a dandelion gone to seed; The beatific choir keep breaking up, coughing. In this stanza there are many metaphors and comparisons that not everybody would understand. It would take a culturally intelligent man to understand. This creates a sense of intelligence where if the reader knows what he is writing about there would be a sense of satisfaction or connection. These metaphors are left to the reader to interpret. The first stanza of Nothing is a one sentence, with very little pauses and reads like a breeze. The intention is in this stanza below where there is a contrast because there are many pauses that slow down the poem creating a longer second part to tne poem even aougn tnls But Hell, sweet Hell natn no Treewneellng part None takes his own sweet time, nor quickens pace. Ask anyone, How come you here, poor heart? And he will slot a quarter through his face† Therell be an instant click†a tear will start Imprinted with an abstract of his case. Most sonnets are romantic and even though they dont talk about love directly, their belief in god and heaven makes this a love for god or the maker, a religious attempt to connect to god with poetry. The speakers are talking about their beliefs but this means not only the speakers believe and love god but it says a lot about the authors. To write poems like these they have to know a lot about religion. In Spent the peaker talks sadly about himself but when it comes to god there is respect and not only talking of god as a higher being but a much better person. This creates a sense of human inferiority and that the speaker or the author has low value of themselves or low self esteem. As if his love for god is greater than whom he is. Work Cited Page Wikipedia contributors. Bede. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 6 Nov. 2013. Web. 7 Nov. 2013. Shmoop Editorial Team. When I Consider How My Light is Spent (On His Blindness) Summary Shmoop. com. Shmoop university, Inc. , 11 NOV. 2008. web. 7 NOV. 2013.

The Guide of Successful Essay Leadership Writing Great Writing Inspires

The Guide of Successful Essay Leadership Writing Great Writing Inspires The Guide of Successful Essay Leadership Writing: Great Writing Inspires Recently, leadership has sparked off numerous debates among researchers. As such, it is the subject of most extensive researches and literature reviews. For example, in Harvard Business Review the study by David Rooke and William R. Torbert concludes that there are seven leadership transformations due to   a number of personal changes and external interventions. It is very common for students to be asked to write leadership essays even if they are not pursuing a course in leadership. The subject of leadership cuts across different scholarly disciplines, either Psychology, Management or Sociology. The following guide will help you write a compelling essay on leadership. 1.   Identify Your Area of Focus In most cases, an essay on leadership may require your personal reflection on what leadership is. In some instances, you may be asked to demonstrate how you exhibit leadership traits. In other cases, you may be given a scenario and asked to be in shoes of a leader and demonstrate leadership styles needed for that situation. Once you have instructions, you need to identify your area of focus. This will ensure that you remain within the scope of a write-up. 2.   Have a Strong Introduction The introduction gives you an opportunity to wow your readers. This part is aimed at grabbing their attention. However, it can also be the point where you lose them because they lose interest in reading the rest of a leadership essay. A strong introduction acts as a steering point. If you are doing a review, you can choose a memorable quote and incorporate it in the introduction section. 3.   Have a Concise Thesis Statement A thesis statement needs to be brief and clear. Try to confine your ideas to not more than two sentences. The statement is what sums up the argument you should make in the essay. The thesis statement should also have a punch. In most cases, tutors will look at the thesis statement when deciding how to grade your paper. 4.   Provide Rich Content in the Body The body of the content should be rich and comprehensive. Students make the mistake of giving shallow statements without supporting their information. Inasmuch as you are supposed to give your views, ensure that you have research to back it up. Read the article by David G. Jensenon at Science on different leadership styles to cement your views. You can also cite contrary views to your argument. The reader should follow your line of thoughts and see how you reasonably come to a conclusion. The body should have several paragraphs of a content. These paragraphs must have a clear flow of thoughts connected with suitable transition words like ‘Firstly’, ‘Secondly’, ‘Thirdly’. It is important to have a rough draft before you begin to write the final leadership essay. 5.   Follow Essay Writing Instructions and Guidelines Tutors award high marks for following all instructions and working within the guidelines provided. Many students rush to finish an essay or research paper forgetting to carefully look through its instructions. Once your paper is complete, double-check the instructions given by your tutor. Look out for which referencing style is required, either APA, MLA or Chicago. It is also important to ensure that your paper is free of grammatical, spelling and punctuation mistakes. The guideline above serves as a blueprint to help you write an essay on leadership that is supposed to lead you to success. Do so in such a way as to inspire the other people by your writing. If you are at a loss what to do in a particular essay, feel free to address our custom essay writing service with academic professionals. Just rely on their quick help in writing, proofreading and editing.

COBIT Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

COBIT - Research Paper Example The process through which organizations attempt to improve their business information systems, their performance and risk management is known as IT Governance. This process makes sure that the investments in information technology are returning appropriate value. In order to help the business effectively convince present business challenges through effective management of IT governance, ISACA has published version COBITÂ ® 4.1. In this scenario, control objectives for information and related technology (COBIT) is an information technology governance structure as well as supporting toolset that facilitates executives to bridge the gap among control needs, technical matters and corporate risks. COBIT allows the organizations to develop a clear policy as well as adopt good practice for information technology control all through businesses. ... ns as well identify and manage the associated risks, like that growing regulatory implementation as well as critical dependence of a lot of business procedures on information technology. In addition, the need for assurance regarding the worth of IT, the administration of IT-related risks and increased requirements for gaining control over information resources are at the present recognized as basic elements of corporate governance. In this scenario, value, risk and control constitute the fundamentals of IT governance. Additionally, the IT governance is the accountability of administrative staff and the board of directors, and consists of the management, organizational arrangements and procedures that make sure that the enterprise’s IT maintains and expands the organization’s strategies as well as objectives (ISACA2, 2011). In addition, control objectives for information and related technology (COBIT) offers high-quality performance all through business domain and struct ure and offers tasks in a convenient and logical structure. Additionally, the COBIT’s high quality practices demonstrate the agreement of specialists. They are powerfully focused on extra control, fewer on execution. In this scenario, this technology based practice allows the organizations to optimize IT-facilitated investments, make sure service delivery and offer a quantifiable approach against which to evaluate when things are not done correctly. Thus, for information technology to be flourishing in conveying against business needs, management should place a domestic control system or structure in position. In this scenario, the COBIT control structure applies these requirements through: (ISACA2, 2011) Establishing a connection to the business needs Put in order IT tasks into a normally accepted

Biometrics in the Private Sector(472) Research Paper

Biometrics in the Private Sector(472) - Research Paper Example This system offers plenty of benefits if incorporated in hospital administration. Firstly, it helps ease the workload in busy check-in areas where patients are made to provide a lot of information. The beauty of this system is that a simple hand scanning provides the hospital authorities with all the previous medical history of the patient. The BayCare Hospital Group uses the Patient Security Identity System in its all hospitals to identify the patients. In the opinion of Greene (2008), this is much more accurate than using numbers and names to search for patient records. For example, names may have different spellings but this unique system avoids such chances of misidentification. In addition, in some cases of emergency where the patient is unconscious and unable to provide the health care providers enough information about their identity and medical history, this hand reading can offer the history of past medications and health conditions. Thirdly, this is a useful strategy in cut ting down the chances of fraud Greene, 2008). To illustrate, there are cases in which patients use the name and insurance of other people illegally. However, this system prevents them from escaping identification. However, one has to admit the fact that there are serious issues associated with the collection, storage, and use of biometric information. For example, according to Abernathy & Tien (2003), the information collected may be subjected to function creep, which means the data collected is used for purposes other than the ones consented at the time of collection. For example, it is possible to use the medical history of a person to deny future medical insurance coverage, identifying the possible future susceptibility to certain fatal illnesses. Secondly, there are Radio Frequency Identification chips which enable someone to read this information anonymously, even from a distance of 20 meters (Abernathy & Tien, 2003). The risk of

International business - ideas international Essay

International business - ideas international - Essay Example ver, Hindi is the main language in which most of the high budget films are getting introduced in the market, and Bollywood is the front face of the Indian film industry. The Bollywood has earned an international repute for its excellence in the field of film production. The liberalized foreign investment regime has given a tremendous opportunity to the foreign film makers. But, the foreign film production company should remember that the India is a very sensitive market as far as the films are concern. There are many religions, languages and rituals are practiced in India so, before making a film these points should be clarified as the films are one of the main mass Medias in India. The Film World is a private limited company. It was found in late seventies in Melbourne, Australia. It is having a vast experience in producing high quality films in the Australia and in the international market. The film world is one of the upcoming films production companies in the Australia. The company is packed with full of talented work force. It believes in producing quality work. It has many successful achievements throughout the journey for more than two decades. In the mid of eighties that is in 1985, the FilmWorld ventured into the film production and distribution in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The early ninety was a great time for the company as it was going through a tremendous success in the Australia and Malaysia. During the last few years the company is producing approximately four films in Australia and three films in Malaysia in a yearly basis. Due to the recent advancement, the company is looking for the opportunities in the Indian film market. India has the world’s biggest film industry in terms of number of movies produced in a year; it is almost eight hundred movies yearly. It works efficiently as one of the great sectors for the foreign investment. However, for any foreign investors the background check is very important and there lies the importance of the

Consumer Learning and Attitude Formation

Consumer Learning and Attitude Formation Emily Keegan Because not all learning theorists agree on how learning takes place, it is difficult to come up with a generally accepted definition of learning (†¦) first, consumer learning is a process; that is, it continually evolves and changes as a result of newly-acquired knowledge (†¦) both newly-acquired knowledge and personal experience serve as feedback to the individual and provide the basis for future behaviour in similar situations (Schiffman, Kanuck and Hansen 2008). In relation to the above quote, it is imperative to first understand that there are many different theories regarding how consumers learn. However this essay intends to discuss and analyse the topic of how consumers learn and formulate their attitudes, by researching two different theories, which is learning by behaviour and learning by knowledge. Through these two different schools of thought we shall be discussing the study of ‘conditioning’, both classical and operant. This will be done by discussing the works of famous learning theorists, such as Ivan Pavlov, and BF Skinner. In terms of attitude formation, it is of course closely linked to our learning, as our attitudes are linked and are informed by our knowledge and feelings towards certain things, for example such as brand names. We shall then be applying this knowledge and these theories to relevant media examples, such as advertising, celebrities and media debates. It has long been a question in the study of consumer behaviour, are the behaviours and attitudes we possess, something we learn or something that we just inherently have. Theorists who agree with the notion of behavioural learning theories believe that: People’s experiences are shaped by the feedback they receive as they go through life. Similarly, consumers respond to brand names, scents, jingles and other marketing stimuli based on the learned connections they have formed over time (Solomon et al. 2010). Effectively meaning that any behaviours learned are a result of external occurrences in your life. This belief led to two of the most influential approaches to learning, the first of which was classical conditioning. Antonides and Raaij (1999, p.221) define classic conditioning as ‘a process in which a previously neutral stimulus acquires the ability to elicit a response by repeated association with a stimulus that naturally produces a similar response’ (Antonides and Raaij 1999). The most famous example of classic conditioning would of course be Ivan Pavlov and the salivating dogs experiment. In short Pavlov presented a dog with an unconditioned stimulus (which was food) and the dog’s unconditioned response was to salivate. He then introduced a neutral stimulus (which was a bell), when the bell was rung, there was no conditioned response from the dog as he did not salivate. However during the conditioning process anytime Pavlov produced food to the dog he also rang the bell. During this process the dog began to associate the sound of the bell with food and after conditioning, when Pavlov simply rang the bell (the conditioned stimulus) without producing any food the dog would salivate, this became known as a conditioned response. Psychologist B.F. Skinner is probably best known for his role in demonstrating the effects of operant conditioning. Bernstein (2010, p.181) defines operant conditioning as ‘a process in which responses are learned on the basis of their rewarding or punishing consequences’ (Bernstein 2010). Skinner created what is now commonly known as the ‘Skinner Box’ to study the learning patterns of animals. The skinner box is a cage that contains a food-release mechanism the animal activates when it responds in a certain way – for example, by pressing a lever or pushing a button. Through operant conditioning, organisms learn responses, such as pressing a bar that produces changes in the environment (release of food). In this form of learning the consequences of a response determine the likelihood that the response will occur again. In this form of learning, the consequences of a response determine the likelihood that the response will occur again (Nevid 2011). A typical example of operational learning and conditioning in relation to the media, is advertisements. In our everyday life the media surrounds or more specifically bombards us with adverts. Solomon et al (2010, p. 253) proposes that ‘advertisements often pair a product with a positive stimulus to create a desirable association’. In fact, most advertisements are so well conducted semiotically, with the intention that they remain in your memory and consciousness. One such commercial that stuck in my mind was conducted by Lancome cosmetics. For their newest perfume ‘Tresor Midnight Rose’. For the advertisement Lancome hired famous young actress Emma Watson to be the star or the face of its advert. As Egan (2007) explains, Advertisers are willing to pay large sums of money for celebrities who would hold the greatest influence on the target audiences and who will, hopefully, influence the consumer’s attitudes and behaviours in a positive way towards the said brand. Lancome describes the perfume itself as ‘sexy, sweet and playful’ and clearly felt that by using Emma Watson they were representing the perfume by using an actress who they felt embodied all those elements. So this would be a symbolic code employed within the advertisement itself. As codes are used in media texts to make them coherent and meaningful. In the commercial (AutoCurate 2011) Emma is portrayed as an independent, beautiful young women living in Paris. Who one day visits a book shop and by chance meets the handsome young man who works there. However she leaves behind her hat, which the young man clings on to in case he sees her again. One night sitting outside a cafà © he notices her walking down the street and runs after her. His chase leads him to a boat which is just pulling away, so he thinks he has missed her. Then he turns around and there she is standing behind him, its faith. It’s meant to be. In reference to positive stimuli, we can look at the name of the fragrance. Midnight could connote magic and enchantment, as some people know midnight as the ‘Witching hour’. Or the word rose, as a rose is one of the most romantic flowers particularly associated with Valentine’s Day and love. The concept of a midnight rose is also significant as the rose is a flower which is supposed to bloom at this time. Which could stimulate a response that the woman who wears this perfume comes alive at night and blossoms. That by wearing this fragrance you will become this enchanting, magical, mysterious women. Thus creating in the mind of the consumer a desirable association with the brand. Perfume is a particularly relevant example of operant conditioning. For example if a woman purchased ‘Tresor Midnight Rose’ and received compliments on her scent (a reward) then she is a lot more likely to continue to purchase the perfume. However if she received negative comments on her perfume (punishment), she is a lot less likely to wear it again. Now in terms of attitude formation: Attitudes can be based on cognitive, affective, and behavioural information (†¦) knowledge about an object can come either from direct experience with the object or from indirect sources such as parents, peers, and the media (Millon and Lerner 2003). One of the most popular models used to describe how an attitude is formulated is the ABC Model. As explained by Augoustinos, Walker and Donaghue (2006) The ABC model takes three elements into account, Affect, Behaviour and Cognition. Affect meaning, how the consumer feels about a certain object or product. Behaviour, essentially meaning an overt behaviour or intention towards an object. Finally by cognition, it is the cognitive response, meaning the convictions and beliefs a consumer has towards a product, brand, person etc. An example that springs to mind, of the power that the media has in changing and shaping people’s attitudes is the Angelina Jolie case. As noted by biographer Kathleen Tracy (2008), Jolie first began to be properly noticed in the late nineties with some very daring and interesting film choices, such as ‘Gia’ and ‘Girl, Interrupted’. However it wasn’t until her breakthrough role as popular video game heroine Lara Croft in Tomb raider that she really came into prominence. Besides her daring film role choices Jolie was known as a bit of a wild child, due to her estranged relationship with her father (acting legend Jon Voight) and her controversial marriages to both actors Johnny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton. Then of course there was her involvement in the divorce of Americas ‘it’ couple Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. While Jolie was once before seen as a rebellious and provocative young woman, she is now seen by many as a loving mother to six children and as an ambassador for some of the most global and world renowned organisations, such as UNICEF. So the questions begs to be asked, how can strong opinions and attitudes towards someone or something change so drastically? Well what is an attitude? An attitude is the individual predisposition to evaluate an object or an aspect of the world in a favourable or unfavourable manner (Antonides and Raaij 1999). These attitudes of course can be changed. This is due to a number of reasons, for example the ‘knowledge function’. Meaning that our knowledge of a topic or a product can change how we feel about them. Like in the Angelina Jolie example, if your only knowledge of her, was her role in the Pitt and Aniston divorce, you may be inclined to have a negative attitude towards her. However after learning about all her humanitarian work and loving relationship between herself and her six children (that she has gone on to have with Brad Pitt), your attitude towards her is likely to change in a positive way. Another example of attitude formation, could be the recent debate on homophobia in the Irish Media. This debate sprung to the forefront after last weeks ‘The Saturday Night Show’ on RTE. During the show, presenter Brendan O’Connor was interviewing gay rights activist Rory O’Neill (also known by his drag name Miss Panti Bliss). During this interview Mr O’Neil made a number of comments about writers John Waters, Breda O’Brien and the Iona Institute (a Catholic organisation, which promotes marriage and religious values), claiming that these people/organisation were homophobic. Since the show was aired, Brendan O’Connor publically apologised on his Twitter for any offense that may have been caused and RTE paid the Iona institute compensation. This has caused outrage among many different groups in society and in a follow up; A statement from RTE confirmed: The Saturday Night Show will host a debate on homophobia; what constitutes homophobia and who gets to define the word? (Irish Independent 2014). Theory of reasoned action – social pressure! P291. Self-perception theory and social judgement theory! P285. Conclude!!! Bibliography Antonides, G. Raaij, F.V.W. 1999. Learning Processes IN: Antonides, G. Raaij, F.V.W. (ed.) Consumer Behaviour: A European Perspective. New York: John Wiley Sons Ltd, p. 221. Augoustinos, M. Walker, I. Donaghue, N. 2006. Social Cognition: An Integrated Introduction. 2nd ed. London: Sage Publications Ltd. AutoCurate 2011. Emma Watson in Lancà ´me Trà ©sor Midnight Rose Advertisement [Online]. Available From: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVZ1wz7pz4U [Accessed 31 January 2014]. Bernstein, D. 2010. Instrumental and Operant Conditioning: Learning the Consequences of Behaviour IN: Hague, J.D. (eds.) Essentials of Psychology. 5th ed. USA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, p. 181. Egan, J. 2007. Marketing Communications. London: Thomson Learning. Irish Independent. 2014. RTEs The Saturday Night Show to host debate on homophobia. Irish Independent: Irish News [Online], 31 January. Available From: http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/rtes-the-saturday-night-show-to-host-debate-on-homophobia-29966413.html [Accessed 1 January 2014]. Millon, T. Lerner, M.J. 2003. Attitude Formation IN: Weiner, I.B. (eds.) Handbook of Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology. 6th ed. New York: John Wiley Sons Ltd, p. 311. Nevid, J. 2011. Operant Conditioning: Learning Through Consequences. IN: Hague, J.D. (eds.) Essentials of Psychology: Concepts and Applications. 3rd ed. USA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, p.175. Schiffman, L.G. Kanuck, L.L. Hansen, H. 2008. Consumer Learning IN: Schiffman, L.G. Kanuck, L.L. Hansen, H. (eds.) Consumer Behaviour: A European Outlook. Essex: Pearson Education Limited, p. 208. Solomon, M.R. Bamossy, G. Askegaard, S. Hogg, M.K. Learning and Memory IN: Solomon, M.R. Bamossy, G. Askegaard, S. Hogg, M.K. (eds.) Consumer Behaviour: A European Perspective. 4th ed. Essex: Pearson Educated Limited, p. 246. Solomon, M.R. Bamossy, G. Askegaard, S. Hogg, M.K. Learning and Memory IN: Solomon, M.R. Bamossy, G. Askegaard, S. Hogg, M.K. (eds.) Consumer Behaviour: A European Perspective. 4th ed. Essex: Pearson Educated Limited, p. 253. Tracy, K. 2008. Angelina Jolie: A Biography. Washington: Greenwood Publishing Group. 1

Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee :: To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

Atticus Finch is a widower and the father or two children. His character can best be summed up as a man whose character is nearly the complete opposite of the general population of the town and indeed, many white people who lived in the southern states of America. He is a man without prejudice and racial hatred and is a good-hearted man of strong morals. He brings up his children the way he sees right, and defends the innocent represented by Tom Robinson in the novel. Atticus is a man who knows no prejudice or racial hatred and this is what makes him unique in the novel. Contrary to the general feeling of the town, Atticus sees past a man's colour and looks into the depth of his character. In the beginning of the novel, on page 34, he tells Scout 'You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.'; He manages to do this even though it means going against most of his neighbours and his family. Which shows that Atticus is a man of strong morals and principles and a man who will stand up for what he believes is right. When asked by his children why he chose to defend Tom Robinson when he knew he would most likely not win he replied to them that is he hadn't, he wouldn't be able to believe in himself anymore. He chose to defend Tom Robinson because to choose not to would be going against all his personal morals and principles. Because of these strong morals and principles, he is greatly respected by those in Maycomb 'who count'; Miss Maudie remarks upon Atticus 'We trust him to do right.'; Even those who don't fully agree with his non-racist attitude respect him. Not only is he respected for his character though, as his children find out. Jem and Scout, especially, are disappointed that Atticus doesn't seem to do anything the other men in the town do. He doesn't drink, he doesn't smoke and he doesn't play sport. Yet when a rabid dog enters the street and is likely to threaten the townspeople, Atticus is called upon to deal with it. Here we learn along with the children that Atticus is known as 'One Shot Finch'; for his remarkable ability with the rifle to hit nearly any target in the first shot.

Disadvantages of Iris Recognition

Subjects who are blind or have cataracts can also pose a challenge o iris recognition, as there is difficulty in reading the iris. The camera used in the process needs to have the correct amount of illumination. Without this, it is very difficult to capture an accurate image Of the iris. Along with illumination comes the problem with reflective surfaces within the range of the camera as well as any unusual lighting that may occur. All of these impact the ability of the camera to capture an accurate image. The system linked with the camera is currently only capturing images in a monochrome format.This results in problems with the limitations of grayscale making it difficult to distinguish the darker iris coloration from the pupil. Although there is minimal intrusiveness with iris recognition, there is still the need for co- operation from subjects to enroll in the system and undergo subsequent authentication scans. Enrolling a non-cooperative subject would prove very difficult indeed. Inadequate training of users at the initial enrolment period will cause problems both at the initial enrolment time and subsequent authentications.Frustrated users will not help make the system any easier to use and will not be accepted by users as a convenient authentication method. Communication with users plays a major part in introducing such a system successfully. B. The iris is harder to map as an image because it fluctuates based on the size of the pupil, and drug or medicinal use, and age. The retina stays constant throughout your life, unless you have glaucoma or diabetes. The iris is not fully shaped until about eight months of age, but after that age, it is commonly believed to be stable. C.One of the disadvantages with iris connection technology, being that it is a relatively new technology, is that the equipment is very expansive (it could cost almost as much as five times the cost of fingerprint scanning).

5 things you should never say when asking for a raise

5 things you should never say when asking for a raise In the world of work, there are few situations more anxiety-provoking than asking for a raise. Summoning the courage to confront your boss and ask for more money can prove daunting for even the most confident of employees- it’s just something we’d prefer to have happen to us rather than having to proactively go after it. In reality, there are times when you’ll need to take the first step towards securing a raise if you want to make it happen, which means you’ll have to initiate the discussion- and there are certainly some approaches you should avoid if you want it to work out in your favor. When the time comes for you to ask for a raise, be sure to avoid the following five conversation pitfalls!1. â€Å"It’s not fair†¦Ã¢â‚¬ This conversation red flag implies that you think you’re being unfairly treated and it could be interpreted that you think your boss isn’t doing a great job of†¦well†¦being your boss. Your goal duri ng a productive raise conversation should be to demonstrate your value to the company, not to vent about how badly you think you’re being treated- whether it’s true or not.2. â€Å"I’ve worked here for X years†¦Ã¢â‚¬ This is a common raise conversation mistake and typically never leads to a convincing argument that a raise is well deserved. Although a work anniversary is a common time to have a performance review where raises often get discussed, in reality your years of service don’t automatically translate into perceived value for your employer.Your specific contributions to the company you work for, and how they contribute to the bottom line, is the key here, and should be the focus of your raise conversation- not the fact that you’ve simply been showing up for a certain number of years (no matter how long it has been). While company loyalty is commendable, unless it’s specified in the terms of your hiring agreement it doesnâ€℠¢t mean a raise is in order.3. â€Å"I know someone here who makes way more than me†¦Ã¢â‚¬ This is never a good topic to bring to your boss’s attention, inside or outside of a raise conversation. Discussing salaries with coworkers is typically frowned up by employees and could lead to unintended punitive actions. Furthermore, it does little to demonstrate your personal value as an employee- in fact, it could make you seem petty or bitter, which will not likely help your case.4. â€Å"If I don’t get the raise I want I’m leaving†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Adopting an adversarial tone rarely works out well in any negotiation, let alone while making a case for why you deserve a raise. Simply put, it’s human nature to feel threatened when given an ultimatum such as this. Do you want to move forward in your relationship with your boss on this footing? At best, you’ll get your raise with a side order of negative feelings and resentment for your tactless approac h, and at worst they might just take the other option and show you the door†¦5. â€Å"You need me more than I need you†¦Ã¢â‚¬ See pitfall #4. Once again, this contentious approach is the opposite of how you should proceed in a raise conversation and will likely have the opposite effect of what you’re aiming for. A surefire way to get on your boss’s bad side is to tell them that they need you more than you need them, and they may even take the opportunity to prove you wrong by letting you go- not exactly the result you’re aiming for, is it?Your raise conversation is a classic â€Å"show, not tell† moment- showcase your value to the company with real measurable data and quantifiable evidence and you’ll have a much better shot at getting that raise than merely telling your boss that you’re great and they’re not.Here’s the bottom line- if you’re planning on initiating a raise conversation with your boss, plan for it as you would any other persuasive presentation. Come equipped with a list of convincing, undeniable evidence that demonstrates why you’re worth a salary increase- not why you feel entitled to one and upset why it hasn’t happened yet. Many bosses are â€Å"bottom line† thinkers, and if you can make a case that highlights your value to their bottom line, then you’ve put yourself in the best possible position to get the raise you’re aiming for. And if you hear yourself saying any of the five conversation pitfalls mentioned here, act fast and pivot the conversation quickly!

Anecdote for Fathers essays

Anecdote for Fathers essays The age of Romanticism is characterized by the need for emotions and communication of feelings. The artwork of the period emphasizes sentimentality and passion, the use of imagination, and creativeness. There is sympathy towards the environment and towards the person being more nature-involved. Romantic artwork brought back the forgotten medieval epoch while augmenting elements of feeling. In music, exotic and remarkable symphonies were created under the influence of Romantic ideas. Many composers of the period were inspired by poetry that had been written. In sculpture as well, artists were able to use their imagination and work free of past carvings that may have, at one point, been thought to be competition. Romanticism placed a large emphasis on a persons individuality; man was thought to be good-natured. William Wordsworth is one of the most recognized poets of the Romantic era. He strongly asserted feeling into his writing which keeping it serene. According to Wordsworth, a poet is a reflective man who recollects his emotion in tranquility. In his Anecdote for Fathers, Wordsworth portrays the characteristics of Romanticism. He glorifies beauty and the importance of nature. The poem itself describes the point of view of a father who has been strongly influenced by his childs thoughts. The clear yet detailed description gives the reader a good idea about the setting. (In the Romantic era, a descriptive setting would have been a foremost element of the text.) The green earth echoed to the feet of lambs that bounded through the glade, From shade to sunshine, and as fleet From sunshine back to shade. This description of the setting is vivid and depicts the real image. The poem takes place with surroundings of the beautiful country. There is a conflict in the poem as to where the boy wanted to live versus where the father wanted to. Both locations, Kilve and the Liswyn farm, are illustrated to...

The Reasons Why I Became a Doctor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Reasons Why I Became a Doctor - Essay Example Later on, I learnt about Pilates, and it became my way of spending my weekends. Since then, my weekends involved attending workshops to learn and develop precise understanding of mechanics of each movement and how that knowledge could help improve the health of the spine. When I joined my accounting profession, I quickly became the person everyone in my office would consult in case of an ailment. It was evident that despite the environment I was in, medicine was part of me. An occurrence in my life changed my whole life for good. I fell sick with an ailment that was not very common with the doctors in the area. It took many doctors’ visits, many hours of traveling and a lot of research to finally identify a practitioner who was a specialist in the illness I had. My encounter with this doctor defined the course I would take in medicine. This was the genesis of naturopathic medicine. This encounter again gave me the motivation I needed to pursue this specific field of medicine. Upon understanding the symptoms of the disease my practitioner cautioned me that the healing of that disease would involve a lot of commitment on me in managing my diet and lifestyle. I was ready to follow the doctor’s advice little did I know that this was the turning point. I was now to quit my job as an accountant and pursue naturopathic medicine. This happened due to the desire that rose in me at that time. In the process of managing my diet, I decided to read further on the condition and the alternate ways of treating it. As I obtained more tips to deal with my condition and my health kept improving I realized my desire for research was growing. This research ignited a fire within me and I now wanted to know about all the illnesses we encounter in our day to day life such as cancer and diabetes. At this point, my illness became the catalyst for positive change.  

Critically analyse class expectation and gender in Pride and Prejudice Essay

Critically analyse class expectation and gender in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Essay Example Collins who spends so much of his time fawning Lady Catherine expresses class consciousness. Mr. Collins is an epitome of a society that cares nothing but getting their feet off the mud with the misconception that wealth, status and power are the basis of a good life. He has a complete disregard of the more important values in life. Austen depicts the barriers in classes in the 19th century England in the character of Mr. Collins. (Pascoe, 2002, p. 11-19) The boundaries in class are vividly drawn by Austen through the characters in the novel. Another example is Lady Catherine’s aristocratic image in the story. She appears as the protagonist who comes in between the relationship of Darcy, his nephew, and Elizabeth. The image-conscious aristocrat represents the people from the upper class of the society. She is prejudiced of the likes of the Bennets and most especially, Elizabeth. She finds the Bennets inconsequential due to their status and the fact the sisters are not able to draw. Aside from those, Elizabeth’s character, an uncommon girl in her era, makes Lady Catherine dislike her even more. Her incompetence in singing and playing the piano is far from what a girl in that time should be. (Goodin, 1972, p. 85-96) The social structure in the 19th century is present throughout the novel though the definition of characters relies more on the dialogues and not much on the description. Darcy for instance, portrays a character with excessive pride which is due to what society expects of him and with the big influence of what his father taught him. He is basically born into aristocracy but due to his honest and kind heart, tagged with his encounters with Elizabeth, Darcy eventually sees that the factors other than material possessions, status quo and power are the ones that truly belong to aristocracy. (Peterson, 1982, p. 11-13) When she declines the marriage proposal of Darcy, it shows that she does not belong to the class-conscious women that the only thing that runs in mind is to look for a wealthy man who can give them tiaras to make them belong to the upper class. Her character is the most prominent in the novel that breaks the stigma on women marrying wealth to climb a few notches higher in social ladder. The novel shows how someone like Elizabeth, a woman from the middle class values what she thinks and couldn’t care less if the society rejects her for being far away from the norm. Her character defies the concepts of social class and gender in the 19th century. (Austen, 1933, vol. 2 p. 86-89) Pride and Prejudice portrays the absurd value of marriage – financial security. Charlotte Lucas explains to Elizabeth upon accepting the marriage proposal of Mr. Collins that is refused by Elizabeth, â€Å"I am not romantic you know. I never was. I ask only a comfortable home; and considering Mr. Collin's character, connections, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage state." (Haggerty, 2008, p. 125) This line shows that Lucas sees marriage as resolution to poverty. Lucas represents women in general who will do everything to enter the upper class world to attain the respect middle class women don’t get. A marvellous irony of disrespecting oneself to be respected is what Austen tells through Charlotte’

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 25

Strategic Management - Essay Example There are various strategic decisions which Tesco has to make relating to factors such as the direction of Tesco in the long run, the scope of its activities, stakeholders’ values and expectations, responding to the ever changing business environment, building on its capability as a business entity, and acquiring a higher market share relative to its competitors. These decisions tend to be complex as they have to be made in an uncertain situation. There are also various levels of strategy for Tesco such as business level strategy, operational strategy, and corporate level strategy. Business level strategy refers to the way a business organization conducts itself in a particular market to be successful. Operational level strategy is about various levels of Tesco and their contribution with regard to accomplishment of the strategy. Corporate level strategy deals with the overall scope and purpose of Tesco and how to add value to various business units. The analysis of those factors that are not within the control of a company can be termed as an analysis of macro environmental factors. Macro environment analysis is often done by Tesco to develop a sound knowledge of the issues that are present in the current business scenario. PESTEL framework is considered to be an important tool to conduct macro environment analysis by the Tesco. There are several factors that are considered in PESTEL analysis such as political, social, economic, legal, environmental, and technological aspects of a business environment. The sole purpose of PESTEL analysis is to assist Tesco management in the creation of strategies that will leverage the external factors that are not within the control of the organization to its favour. Political factors of the PESTEL analysis deal with factors such as government stability, trade tariffs, policies of social welfare that are imposed upon companies, tax policies, international business regulation laws, etc.

Vietnam in the 1950s and 1960s Essay Example for Free

Vietnam in the 1950s and 1960s Essay There was many reasons for the USA to get involved in Vietnam between the 1950s and 60s however they were all in stages, not just in one go. They called America and USAS clash the Cold War which began mainly due to America and the USSRS political differences. The USSR was a communist state and the USA and the other countries who were their partners were capalist states or countries. Many people believed that capalists and communists could not live alongside each other for long and that one system would take over another, however both sides were determined not to be taken over. This is how it all started as the governments were trying to take over large parts of East Europe and Asia. When the buffer zones were added there was a greater risk of war as the zones were dominated by the USSR who were causing a government domino effect through to the west so the USA and their partners were determined to stop it which caused the Truman Doctrine. The main reasons for the USA to get involved with Vietnam were because of their fear of communism and that communism could take over the Western world and Asia. Another reason why the USA didnt like communism was because in 1945 the USA built and tested the first nuclear bomb on Japan but kept it secret from the Russians even though they were supposed to be allies. This made the Russians very suspicious of America. America also didnt like communism because of their very different political beliefs as the communists were a totalitarian state whilst the USA believed in democracy and were afraid the Russians would try to spread their beliefs around the world. The first way of the USA to get involved was to supply France with money as during World War 2 they had lost control of North Vietnam however managed to keep control of South Vietnam. The USA paid the French armies to regain control of North Vietnam so to keep it capitalist and was thought to be a stand against world wide spread of communism. However in 1949 Americans were worried because China had turned communist and supplied money and weapons to North Vietnam making the war harder to win. The French assumed that they were invincible as they were surrounded by mountains and an airbase but the French miscalculation led to a humiliating defeat and ended French plans to regain control of Vietnam. This meant the USA had to get more involved as  well as take more action as communism continued to get stronger. The USAs next involvement plan was to send military advisors to South Vietnam. In 1954 Eisenhower gave 17 officers sealed orders sending them to Saigon and by January 1961 the number of advisors had grown to 685. However the advisors were not there to fight but to train the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) to combat an expected invasion from the North. These advisors didnt work as the communist Vietcongs seemed to be getting stronger and even though the numbers of advisors were secretly raised it didnt greatly help. The USA soon had to get even more involved as their strategic hamlet programme officials selected villages in South Vietnam which they thought could be easily defended by the Vietcong but didnt work as very few hamlets were secure and the policy was very unpopular with the Vietnamese. Religion was also a problem because Diem favoured Roman Catholics but this led to street protests like a Buddhist monk who set himself alight. Diem soon became increasingly unpopular and was assassinated by ARVN officers who ere worried that the USA would withdraw there support if Diem continued in power. However the assassination made things worse as Diems successors were no better at governing the country. This all led to the USA needing to involve themselves more by using the military. This first happened with the Gulf of Tongking incident which was an excuse for Johnson to get the Gulf of Tongking resolution which allowed him to take all the necessary measures to repel any armed attacks against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression. Then in February 1965 Johnson got the opportunity to justify bombing North Vietnam when the Vietcong attack the USAs base at Pleiku. Ten aircraft were destroyed eight US advisors were killed with over a hundred others wounded. Johnson could then call up troops and bomb the North. The operation was called rolling thunder. The planes bombed the key military and industrial targets of North Vietnam but were not allowed to bomb until he felt he could explain his actions to the American people. After that, 3,500 US marines were sent to the airbase of Danang and from then on the Americans took control of South Vietnamese war effort. This all generally happened due to the Americans obsession with communism and their belief of the domino theory, that once one country turned communist, so would the next and next which made the Americans more involved with Vietnam as time went by with the Americans trying to stop the spread of communism across South East Asia.

History Of Taj Hotel Tourism Essay

History Of Taj Hotel Tourism Essay The Company was incorporated in 1902 and it opened its first hotel, The Taj Mahal Palace Tower, Mumbai, in 1903. The Company then undertook major expansion of The Taj Mahal Palace Tower, Mumbai by constructing an adjacent tower block and increasing the number of rooms from 225 to 565 rooms. From the 1970s to the present day, the Taj Group has played an important role in launching several of Indias key tourist destinations, working in close association with the Indian Government. The Taj Group has a philosophy of service excellence which entails providing consistently high levels of personalized service and innovative means of improving service quality. The Taj Group has been active in converting former royal palaces in India into world class luxury hotels such as the Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur, the Rambagh Palace in Jaipur and Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur. In 1974, the Taj Group opened Indias first international five star deluxe beach resort, the Fort Aguada Beach Resort in Goa. In 1980, the Taj Group took its first step internationally by opening its first hotel outside India In 1984, the Taj Group acquired under a license agreement each of The Taj West End, Bangalore. During the 1990s, the Taj Group continued to expand its geographic and market coverage in India. In 2000, the launch of the 56 acre Taj Exotica, Goa and the Taj Hari Mahal in Jodhpur were completed. In 2003, the Company celebrated the centenary of the opening of its Flagship hotel, the Taj Mahal Palace Tower, Mumbai. In 2005 the Company acquired on lease The Pierre, a renowned hotel in New York City, to enter the luxury end of the developed hotel markets internationally . Introduction Of Taj Hotel The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) and its subsidiaries are collectively known as Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces and is recognised as one of Asias largest and finest hotel company. Incorporated by the founder of the Tata Group, Mr. Jamsetji N. Tata, the company opened its first property, The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Bombay in 1903. The Taj, a symbol of Indian hospitality, completed its centenary year in 2003. Taj Hotels Resort and Palaces comprises more than 60 hotels in 45 locations across India with an additional 15 international hotels in the Malaysia, United Kingdom, United States of America, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Africa, the Middle East and Australia. Spanning the length and breadth of the country, gracing important industrial towns and cities, beaches, hill stations, historical and pilgrim centres and wildlife destinations, each Taj hotel offers the luxury of service, the apogee of Indian hospitality, vantage locations, modern amenities and business facilities. Service Segmentation By Taj Hotel IHCL operate in the luxury, premium, mid-market and value segments of the market through the following: Taj (luxury full-service hotels, resorts and palaces) is our flagship brand for the worlds most discerning travelers seeking authentic experiences given that luxury is a way of life to which they are accustomed. Spanning world-renowned landmarks, modern business hotels, idyllic beach resorts, authentic Rajput palaces and rustic safari lodges, each Taj hotel reinterprets the tradition of hospitality in a refreshingly modern way to create unique experiences and lifelong memories. Taj also encompasses a unique set of iconic properties rooted in history and tradition that deliver truly unforgettable experiences Taj Exotica is our resort and spa brand found in the most exotic and relaxing locales of the world. The properties are defined by the privacy and intimacy they provide. The hotels are clearly differentiated by their product philosophy and service design. They are centered around high end accommodation, intimacy and an environment that allows its guest unrivalled comfort and privacy. Taj Safaris are wildlife lodges that allow travelers to experience the unparalleled beauty of the Indian jungle amidst luxurious surroundings. They offer Indias first and only wildlife luxury lodge circuit. Taj Safaris provide guests with the ultimate, interpretive, wild life experience based on a proven sustainable ecotourism model. Upper Upscale Hotels (full-service hotels and resorts) provide a new generation of travelers a contemporary and creative hospitality experience that matches their work-hard play-hard lifestyles. Stylish interiors, innovative cuisine, hip bars, and a focus on technology set these properties apart. The Gateway Hotel (upscale/mid-market full service hotels and resorts) is a pan-India network of hotels and resorts that offers business and leisure travelers a hotel designed, keeping the modern nomad in mind. At the Gateway Hotel, we believe in keeping things simple. This is why, our hotels are divided into 7 simple zones- Stay, Hangout, Meet, Work, Workout, Unwind and Explore. Ginger (economy hotels) is IHCLs revolutionary concept in hospitality for the value segment. Intelligently designed facilities, consistency and affordability are hallmarks of this brand targeted at travelers who value simplicity and self-service. Taj Hotels also promise a whole new experience of tranquillity and total wellness, through Jiva Spas a unique concept, which brings together the wisdom and heritage of the Asian and Indian Philosophy of Wellness and Well-being. Rooted in ancient Indian healing knowledge, Jiva Spas derive inspiration and spirit from the holistic concept of living. There is a rich basket of fresh and unique experiences under the Jiva Spa umbrella of offering, Yoga and Meditation, mastered and disseminated by accomplished practitioners, authentic Ayurveda, and unique Taj signature treatments. Royal traditions of wellness in service experiences, holistic treatments involving body therapies, enlivening and meaningful rituals and ceremonies and unique natural products blended by hand, come together to offer a truly calming experience. Taj Air, a luxury private jet operation with state-of-the-art Falcon 2000 aircrafts designed by Dassault Aviation, France; and Taj Yachts, two 3-bedroom luxury yachts which can be used by guests in Mumbai and Kochi, in Kerala. Taj Sats Air Catering Ltd., the largest airline catering service in South Asia, as a joint venture with Singapore Airport Terminal Services, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines. CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIAL RESPONSBILITY As a part of Tatas; Indias premier business house; we; at Taj Hotels, have always believed in society and environment being integral stakeholders in our business along with our shareholders, customers, vendors and others. We promote corporate citizenship through our strategic public-private partnerships which encourage building livelihoods of less-advantaged youth and women. The causes we promote include reducing malnutrition, promoting indigenous artisans and craftsmen and enhancing employability of identified target groups by sharing our core competencies as a leading hospitality company. We encourage training and development of differently able youth. We at Taj have the unique scope and opportunity to develop raw potential into a skilled workforce that is immediately employable by various players in the industry. A majority of our community projects are focused around extending our key strengths in food production, kitchen management, housekeeping, customer service and spas to promote economic empowerment of candidates from vulnerable socio-economic backgrounds. We are fully committed to the cause of building a sustainable environment by reducing the impact of our daily operations on the environment and improving operational efficiencies, resource conservation, reuse and recycling of key resources. Vision The Taj Group of Hotels commits itself to the overall improvement of the ecological environment, which we are all a part of. We recognize that we are not owners but caretakers of the Planet and owe it to our children and future generations of humankind. It is our endeavour not only to conserve and protect but also to renew and regenerate the environment in which we live and operate.Our commitment encompasses all actions related to our products, services, associates, partners, vendors and communities.We will partner and engage with our environment through EARTH: Environmental Awareness and Renewal at Taj Hotels. For us EARTH is not a program, nor a process; it is a way of life. EARTH( Enviornment Activities) In an endeavour to reinstate its vision and efforts to boost sustainable tourism, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces presented EARTH (Environment Awareness Renewal at Taj Hotels) this year. Implementing schemes such as the Gangroti Glacier Clean-Up Expedition, as well as designated Earth rooms, which minimise environmental impact, Taj is one of Asias largest group of hotels to commit to energy conservation and environmental management. EARTH has received certification from Green Globe, the only worldwide environmental certification program for travel and tourism. The Taj began a century ago with a single landmark The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Mumbai. Today, the various Taj hotels, in all their variety and historical richness, are recognised internationally as the symbols of true Indian hospitality. The Companys history is integral to Indias emergence into the global business and leisure travel community; and looking to the future, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is well positioned to meet the increase in travel activity with the rapid expansion of the Indian economy. Taj Hotels has joined the internationally-recognised Green Globe benchmarking and certification system as an extension of its existing environmental policies. Taj Hotels has long recognised that as a leader it has an important contribution to make and a responsibility to demonstrate to others how they can be part of the fight against climate change. Corporate Governance Taj has been practicing good Corporate Governance even before Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) made it a mandatory requirement from 2001. Out of more than 5000 companies listed with the Bombay Stock Exchange the Company is categorized as an A Group Company which group comprises only 200 companies and the criteria for selection is based on Market Capitalisation, Liquidity, Industry Representation, Listed History and track record of Compliance. Being a TATA group Company, the Company goes beyond the mandatory requirements of Corporate Governance and conducts business in a fair and transparent manner. It maintains good investor relationships and endeavors to deliver to investor consistent quality services. Customer facilities Taj Hotel Exotica Resort Spa Maldives, is an exclusive, private and romantic island resort lush with tropical plants and encircled by clear blue waters of one of the largest lagoons of the Maldives. Taj Hotel Exotica Resort Spa Maldives spreads idyllically along a pristine beach and the serene lagoon. The award-winning resort, now re-launched, seamlessly extends the magic of the islands blessed natural beauty in its design even as it offers the finest contemporary luxuries and services. Taj Hotel Exotica Resort Spa Maldives offers 59 Rooms and 3 Suites. All the rooms are completely refurbished and redesigned. 90% of the accommodation is built over water and 10% is on the beach front. The rooms offer infinite views of the Indian Ocean. Taj Spa, an authentic Indian spa, offers a range of signature wellness experiences. A choice of gourmet cuisine, water sports, and recreation make for a complete and exclusive destination. Room Facilities Air Conditioned Satellite Television International Direct Dial Telephone Private Bathroom Hairdryers Mini Bar Safe Deposit Box 24 Hour Room Service Coffee/Tea Making Fac High Speed Internet Access Coffee/Tea Making Facilities Hotel Facilities Travel Desk Doctor On Call Laundry Service Concierge Desk Luggage Storage 24 Hour Front Desk Postal/Parcel Service Currency Exchange Counter Baby Sitting Service(On Request) Airport Shuttle Service(On Request) Dining Entertainment 24 Degress Equator Bar In Villa Dining The Deep End Sports Leisure Spa Water Sports Fitness Centre Billiards/Snooker Tables Meeting Facilities Business Centre SWOT Analysis Strengths:- The group has enormous power and strengths, which ma kes it the best and competitive, some of them are: It consists of 57 properties in 40 locations across India and 18 international hotels. Its stylish variety of hotels like; Taj exotica, Taj safari, The gateway hotels, Ginger hotels, Jivas spa etc. Its effective and efficient management techniques and staff. Its brand name. The presence of Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces in various countries like United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Dubai, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Russia and the United States of America. Securing management contracts at Palm Island, Jumeirah in Dubai,Saraya Islands in Ras Al Khaimah, Aldar Group in Abu Dhabi, UAE Langkawi in Malaysia and Thimpu in Bhutan. The various initiatives taken like; rollout of CustomerFeedback System, Tata Business Excellence Model, IT initiatives, Ginger hotels etc. Weakness Taj hotels being such a big brand, has a lot of advantages but every big company faces some odds and so does Taj. Some of its weakness; Its hard to maintain such a huge chain of subsidiaries and there are more chances of mishaps in management. Its huge competitors like Oberoi, Leela, Oriental, ITC etc are also providing same facilities and thus it becomes a weakness for Taj hotels. Its very costly for the Indians to afford the tariffs and service charges set by Taj hotels. Thus, they loose a major part of their market share. They need a lot of investment. As Taj hotels is a popular group, it is always in the eyes of the terrorists, as taj has already faced such an incident. Therefore, it proves to be a weakness some times, to be so popular. Opportunities The Group is poised strategically to take advantage of the following situation: In the backdrop of a healthy economy having its positive fallouts on the Tourism Sector leading to rapid growth in markets in India, South Asia and key gateway cities in source-market destinations. Rapid expansion in both International and Domestic destinations, with top-of-the-line Luxury, Leisure and Business properties. Meeting growing demand in the budget and mid-market segments. Extending the product portfolio into related offerings viz. luxury residences, wildlife lodges and health spas. Threats The threats identified by the Group are related mainly to the markets in which the Group operates and general factors related to the tourism industry. Significant among these are: Cheaper international airfares, increasing affordability of travel to International destinations, especially South East Asia, Europe and Australia. Growing presence of international hospitality chains competing in the Luxury and Business segments, to meet excess demand situation. Appreciating Indian Rupee vis-à  -vis the US Dollar, resulting in lower realisation on foreign exchange earnings. Slowdown of international demand resulting in reduction of revenues. Future Strategies Urban Sanctuaries Luxury Weekends from the Taj City Escapes Island Escapes Rejuvenate with Jiva Christmas and New Year breaks Some more developments in progress are: TAJ opens its 5th hotel in Bangalore Taj Coromandel presents ANISE No Room for the Ordinary advertising campaign Taj Residency Bangalore unveils Jiva Spa Heritage Nature Walk At The Taj West End, Bangalore Bhairo,The Stunning New Rooftop Restaurant At Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur Intoxicating Bhutanese Bath At Taj Tashi, Thimphu, Bhutan Two More Taj Safari Lodges Will Open In 2009 Taj Values PEOPLE DIVERSITY, INTEGRITY RESPECT PASSION FOR EXCELLENCE EXCEED EXPECTATIONS INNOVATION SENSE OF URGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY JOY AT WORK People are our greatest asset and the key to our success. We respect diversity of people, ideas, cultures and honor the value of individuals in a team. We believe in perfection to achieve excellence. We continuously improve processes to surpass global benchmarks. We succeed by exceeding expectations of all stakeholders and protecting the interest of our shareholders and playing by the rules. We encourage innovation, embrace change and support growth through knowledge and learning. We accept responsibility and deliver on promises with a sense of urgency and agility. We commit to improve the quality of life of the communities we serve and our concern for the environment by returning to society what we earn We recognize and respect each other in all interactions and set the example for our guests, business associates and colleagues. We encourage a fair environment that supports equal opportunity to attract, develop and retain the best talent and endeavor to have fun too. Taj Promises At the Taj Group, our commitment to service excellence is rooted in our two guiding principles called the Four Steps of Service and the Taj People Philosophy. One of our key priorities is to empower our people to deliver on our legacy of impeccable service. Four Steps of Service: 1. A warm and sincere welcome. Use the guest name, whenever possible. 2. Fulfill guest needs and provide anticipatory service. 3. Defect free products and services. 4. Fond farewell using the guest name, whenever possible. Taj People Philosophy The Taj People Philosophy displays our commitment to and belief in our people. We see Talent Management as the most important sustainable competitive advantage in the future. You are an important member of the Taj family. We endeavor to select, retain and compensate the best talent in the industry. We reward and recognize quality customer care based upon individual and team performance. We commit to providing you with opportunities for continuous learning and development. We abide by fair and just policies that ensure your well-being and that of your family, the community and the environment. We commit to regular and formal channels of communication, which nurture openness and transparency. We strongly believe that you are the Taj. Key Initiatives Ginger Hotels IHCL is in the process of rolling out its Smart Basics hotels, under the brand name Ginger. The first prototype has been launched in June 2004 in Bangalore, with roll out being planned in a number of cities and towns subsequently. These hotels will cater to the economy or value for moneysegment and being predominantly domestic clientele based, are far less prone to fluctuations than the luxury and upscale segments. In the long run, this segment will help in derisking the current revenue stream of the company. Brand Architecture IHCL is in the process of clearly defining the product and service standards in order to have consistency across properties under each brand. This will help in further enhancing the brand value of Taj. Product Upgradation IHCL continues to invest in renovation and relaunch of key / brand defining properties. In the last financial year IHCL upgraded rooms at the Taj Mahal Palace Tower, Mumbai and Taj West End, Bangalore The lobby and public areas of Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur and Rambagh Palace, Jaipur were also renovated to provide a luxurious sense of arrival. The Sea Lounge and Harbour Bar at Taj Mahal Palace Tower, Mumbai was relaunched, while a new Vietnamese restaurant Blue Ginger was opened in Taj West End, Bangalore The renovated products and the new outlets were very well received in the market. The renovated rooms at Taj Mahal Palace Tower, Mumbai and Taj West End, Bangalore have emerged as the price leaders in the respective cities. In the coming year IHCL intends to open a number of FB outlets by celebrity Chefs with international cuisine. In the upscale segment, the properties are being relaunched to be at par with international level upscale hotels. The rooms at Taj President, Mumbai, Ta j Residency, Bangalore, Jai Mahal Palace, Jaipur and Taj Holiday Village, Goa are being renovated and relaunched. Service Excellence In the last few years IHCL has undertaken a number of steps to significantly enhance service levels to be in line with the best in class. IHCL has constantly benchmarked itself with the key international luxury chains and strived to raise the bar. IHCLs service excellence philosophy, has at its core, delivery through our people, processes and culture. IHCL has taken a number of steps to provide highly personalized service to the discerning customer, including butler services in its luxury properties. In order to take care of the entire stay experience, IHCL has also completely revamped its Concierge services. The Centers of Excellence have been strengthened considerably to train staff to meet the exacting standards of a truly luxury hotel. Tata Business Excellence Model (TBEM) will play a significant role in raising the bar of service provided. The TBEM has been rolled out in all the three hotel divisions and will be rolled out to the international properties also. Tata Business Excellence Model (TBEM) In order to intensify the drive for Business Excellence, IHCL conducted Internal Assessments based on the Tata Business Excellence Model for Luxury, Leisure, Business SBUs as well as for Taj SATS Air Catering Limited. The Luxury Division has also applied for External Assessment, which is to be facilitated by Tata Quality Management Services. Based on the External Assessment (2003) feedback report and the feedback from the Internal Assessment, action plans to improve processes which finally impact the overall organizational effectiveness, have been drawn out and worked upon. Some of the key initiatives deployed across key hotels of the Taj group in the year 2003-04 are: Rollout of the Customer Feedback System The CFS was launched in November 2003 and has taken root in 30 hotels across Taj group. It is the primary and sole customer feedback system of the group. Till date, the system has clocked around 12,000 pieces of customer feedback. The feedback from all sources gets recorded and aggregated and analyzed to improve the service quality in areas of concern at each of the hotels. Feedback is not restricted to only guest difficulties (complaints) but also consists of compliments and suggestions. The feedback would ultimately be used for product planning as well. IT initiatives From a situation in 1999 where there was limited IT application, Taj group has today achieved domestic leadership in deploying IT to leverage its competencies and is rapidly approaching benchmarks set by international highly regarded chains. The first three phases of implementation of the IT strategy included putting in place the physical infrastructure across the Taj Group and getting customer relationship applications to ride on this physical infrastructure, with a view to enhancing customer services through customer information and recognition systems and better inventory management. Some of the key IT initiatives being under taken by IHCL are Orion, a comprehensive back office system, implementing Revenue Management system, Interactive TV Systems and National Call Center. Competition A Tata company shall fully strive for the establishment and support of a competitive, open market economy in India and abroad, and shall cooperate in efforts to promote the progressive and judicious liberalisation of trade and investment by a country. Specifically, a Tata company shall not engage in activities that generate or support the formation of monopolies, dominant market positions, cartels and similar unfair trade practices. A Tata company shall market its products and services on its own merits and shall not make unfair and misleading statements about competitors products and services. Any collection of competitive information shall be made only in the normal course of business and shall be obtained only through legally permitted sources and means. Direct Competitors: 1. Oberoi Hotels 2. Oriental Hotels 3. ITC Welcomgroup 4. Hotel Leela etc. Potential Target market : The upper class of the society is targeted. i.e. the richer people in the society. Their fares or tariffs are high as the luxuries provided by them are also standard and 5-star. Thus, this is in context to the Indian branches of Taj Hotels. STRATEGY: Taj group has used the Taj name for all its operations to leverage the brand equity commanded by the name Taj. Taj brand is playing an increasing role of driving revenues Taj group plans to add around 12 Hotels in the next 3 years . Taj facilitates the expansion to other segment by endorsing the sub-brands with their parents brand names. MARKETING STRATEGY A higher emphasis was placed on the business segment as the profits are higher (this market being less price-sensitive) as compared to the luxury segment. There was a proliferation of the Taj Presidency hotels not only in new cities, but also smaller towns. The action plan is more opportunities, adding to and complementing the brand. INNOVATIVE MARKETING SERVICES: STAY A BIT LONGER- If a customer book 2 nights or 3 with Taj hotels, then they surprise to customer with a complimentary nights stay at select hotels. EARLY BIRD OFFER- Say at any of Taj properties ranging from modern business hotels to idyllic beach resorts to authentic Rajput palaces, 10 days in advance and avail the Early Bird Rate to enjoy savings of 20% over our Best Available Rate (BAR). SUITE SURPRISES Book between 1-4 nights in Taj Suites and enjoy a free nights stay. Luxury at the Taj isnt only about indulgences, but advantages. Book 1, 2, 3 or 4 nights in our majestic Suites, featuring impeccable interiors and classic style, and enjoy a complimentary nights stay. TAJ SAFARIS are wildlife lodges that allow travelers to experience the unparalleled beauty of the Indian jungle amidst luxurious surroundings. They offer Indias first and only wildlife luxury lodge circuit. Taj Safaris provide guests with the ultimate, interpretive, wild life experience based on a proven sustainable ecotourism model. TAJ AIR, a luxury private jet operation with state-of-the-art Falcon 2000 aircrafts designed by Dassault Aviation, France; and Taj Yachts, two 3-bedroom luxury yachts which can be used by guests in Mumbai and Kochi, in Kerala. BUSINESS EDGE At the Taj, business is not just unconventional, but valuable. Alongside the quintessential fusion of business and pleasure, you will also enjoy unbelievable savings and benefits on our traditional hospitality and exceptional service that are sure to leave you pleasantly surprised.   Breakfast for two (single/double same rate) Hotel Credit of Rs 2000/- per stay against FB, laundry, or spa (where spa services are available) KEY SUCCESS FACTORS Technology related:-Used of advance technology in hotel premises. Manufacturing- related: High utilization of fixed assets. Quality control know-how. Serving customer according to their specification. Distribution-related: Presence of hotel chain at various places. A strong network. Marketing related: Breadth of product line and product selection. Personalized customer services. A well-known and well-respected brand name.