Critical Review of Cook,  V. (1999). Going Beyond the Native Speaker in Language Teaching

Critical Review #1 Review: Cook,  V. (1999). Going beyond the native speaker in language teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 33(2), 185. In his article, Cook argues that the emphasis or dependence of native speaker model(NSM) in language teaching is not necessary. It is time to adopt non-native models both for language learning and teaching, and he provides some possible teaching methods. Firstly, Cook defines the native speaker and L2 users.Then he discusses the slight but salient differences between monolingual native speakers and multilingual native speakers in terms of â€Å"multicompetence† so that there is no stable NSM. He also argues NSM is implicit and L2 users are actually using L2 differently instead of deficiently from monolingual bias perspective, which means native-speaker level is not a must, even impractical, to most of L2 users because they do not need to proclaim their identity through the L2 and only few L2 users have achieved native-speaker proficiency.After this series of arguments, Cook proposes some practical suggestions of successful L2 user as models and applying L1 for teaching methods. Cook concludes that more emphasis should be added on the skillful L2 users and on using L1, and teaching language is not to imitate native speakers but to help learners so that L2 learners are successful in terms of multicompetent. In general this article is refreshing, especially 14 years ago. I absolutely agree with Cook that successful L2 learners are â€Å"successful multicompetent speakers, not failed native speakers† (p. 04). In non-English-speaking countries like China where English is neither an official language nor a lingua franca, a simple English native speaker, without teaching experiences or educational professional background, can be admired as a language specialist or an English authority only because he speaks so-called â€Å"pure English†. It is the time, 14 years later after this article has been published, to establish a positive image of nonnative-speaker teachers for the sake of both themselves and their students and for the fanatics of NSM to wake up.While in other places where English is adopted as a lingua franca, the reduction of NSM is more meaningful in the way of being equal, due to the speakers’ various lingual preferences and cultural backgrounds. Actually, nine years before this article, Rampton (1990) had called on the professionals to label native speakers as language experts in order to shift â€Å"the emphasis from ‘who you are’ to ‘what you know’† (p. 99). So in this sense, Cook affords L2 users agency on learning to use L2 instead of to transform their identity into native speakers. However, uncertainties still remain.First, although the author offers the definition of L2 users and even distinguished it from L2 learners, he does not make it specific what kind of languages one uses can be considered L2s in his statement. For example, languag es learned at what age or for what reason can be one’s L2? Or can one who learns L2 as an adult in order to stay alive in English-speaking countries be the same as one who simply uses L2 to serve foreigners in his own country? Second, the author observes that â€Å"students may feel overwhelmed by native-speaker teachers who have achieved a perfection that is out of the students’ reach. † (p. 00) I think the author slightly overstates the students’ fear of native speakers. The author himself admits that some L2 users could pass for native speakers, so why should all L2 learners be taken as not extraordinary in the first place? Also, the NS teachers do not only symbolize fluent target-language speakers, but also a bridge that connects two different cultures, which is cherished by students as well. Furthermore, according to Derrida (1998), language itself is essentially â€Å"oppressive†, thus both native speaker and L2 users are oppressed by languag e and nonnative-speaker teachers could also be overwhelming to the students.Third, since research supports the idea that teachers tend to teach the way they learn (Stitt-Gohdes, 2001), the nonnative-speaker teachers can be a distinguished example of successful L2 user, because such teachers are not only â€Å"fallible† as Cook states or â€Å"presents a more achievable model† (p. 200) but also they can share or deliver their knowledge, experience and strategies of becoming a successful L2 user. Fourth, the author mentions â€Å"successful L2 users† several times but does not give a definition or standard of it.Thus it makes me confused because is a successful L2 user one who is infinitely close to the native speakers? 733 words Reference Derrida, J. (1998). Monolingualism of the other: or, the prosthesis of origins. Standford, CA: Stanford University Press. Rampton,  M. (1990). Displacing the â€Å"native speaker†: Expertise, affiliation, and inheritanc e. ELT Journal, 44(2), 97-101. Stitt-Gohdes,  W. (2001). Business education students' preferred learning styles and their teachers' preferred instructional styles: Do they match? Delta Pi Epsilon Journal, 43(3), 137-151.

Military Strategies of of the I.R.A. During the Anglo Irish War of Independence, 1919-21 Essay

At the outbreak of hostilities it was apparent that the I. R. A. could not hope to win a traditional stand up military fight against a modern, well equipped army with the financial backing of The British Empire. In order to engage the crown forces in a guerrilla war, weapons and ammunition were required in large numbers. General Head Quarters (G. H. Q. ) authorized smuggling operations and had sent volunteers abroad to procure arms. G. H. Q. sold arms to the individual units, many of which were hampered in their operational status due to lack of funding to purchase weapons and ammunition. As the war progressed many Royal Irish Constabulary (R. I. C. ) barracks and the Crowns Tax Offices were attacked and burned. GHQ issued a general raid order in September of 1920. The primary objective the Volunteers attacks on isolated R. I. C. barracks were to obtain arms and ammunition. Many of these barracks were poorly defended and usually consisted of terraced houses. In order to disrupt the governance of rural areas, tax offices were targeted. These targets allowed collection of funds from the local populace that were to be appropriated to the Crown. These tactics were adopted by many units when news of the initial successes of these barracks and tax office attacks filtered out, throughout the country. The volunteers embarked on a campaign of Intimidation of R. I. C men and their families, and members of the general public who supported the crown forces, many of which were shot. This tactic was extremely effective at reducing the morale of the R. I. C. Recruitment dropped and resignations increased in the organization The R. I. C. retreated to larger towns after it was decided to evacuate may rural barracks. This tactic led to large parts of rural Ireland becoming ungovernable. This allowed the Dail to implement their much heralded Courts System, collect taxes and implement civil control. Most units at the start of the war appeared to act independently without central command control. Attacks on Crown Forces were sporadic in nature and were badly planned. Inexperience of many of the men in these units led to many failed operations Many units operations amounted to sabotage by digging trenches in roads, de-railing trains, cutting of communications lines, snipping at barracks and personnel. Even the most poorly equipped and inactive units could engage in many of these tactics. The effectiveness of military actions conducted varied widely accordingly to geographic location. Areas like South Tipperary, East Limerick and Cork were particularly active, while areas such as Wexford, Mayo and Waterford had low turnout and low activity. Cite. Meeting and Drilling after the day’s work was done, amounted to the extent of some volunteers actions for the duration of the war cite The willingness of volunteers to risk their safety was also another factor which hindered operations in many units. Volunteers who possessed weapons especially rifles were usually picked to partake in operations over volunteers who did not. The men who possessed guns gained experience on active operations and were given higher status within units. In many areas this led to a cycle of a select group of men getting more and more experience on active service, while men who had no weapons remained inactive were not gaining any such experience. To alleviate this some units introduced rotational systems were guns and ammunition were stored in a central weapons dump. Access to weapons dumps could only be gotten after permission from the units Quarter Master was given. Activity of units depended largely on the membership and the professionalism of their commanding officers. Traditionally commanding officers were elected and appointed by their members. Electoral decisions appeared to be based on the social standing of the officers, family traditions and whether the men liked them or not. Many units were hampered in their operations as officers would not authorize actions as they feared for their own safety or were incompetent in planning and action. To instil discipline and a sense of military professionalism G. H. Q. sent organizers out to instruct and train these officers and units that they commanded. Training camps were set up to properly instruct officers and volunteers. The military discipline in these camps was strictly enforced and the training was particularly gruelling. When men returned to their units, they were expected to instil similar discipline within the rank and file. Discipline was to be rigorously introduced by commanding officers and military punishment meted out for infractions. Formal reporting structures were introduced and all commanders were expected to submit reports to the central authority of G. H. Q. on a regular basis. These reports were analysed by G. H. Q. and orders were issued to individual units. This strategy led to a more centralized planning and intelligence apparatus. Ultimately G. H. Q. decided to set up divisions with respective commanders, in attempt to coordinate the activities of the volunteers within bordering brigade areas. These attempts at introducing a modern military structure into the different units were mostly successful, although highly active units such as South Tipperary maintained a more independent existence until the end of the war. Initially the volunteers had a very high tolerance to violence and did not want to be involved in operations that led to murder. This tolerance was eroded of the course of the war as reprisals by the crown forces, led to many civilian atrocities throughout the country. As the casualties list rose, public opinion turned against the British Government. This was galvanized by reports that started to appear in newspapers internationally and in London G. H. Q. published the details of many of these reprisals in their publication their political journal t-Oglach. The publications also included details of military tactics and so also functioned as a training manual for the volunteers. After the introduction of The Restoration of Order Act in August 1920 the and the introduction of martial law in the South in 1921, attacks and reprisals against the civilian population increased. The arrival of the much hated quais military/police forces which later became known as the Black and Tans in March 1920 and the Axillaries the following July exasperated the situation and led to increased militancy in the volunteer force and the general population. Support for the volunteers steadily grew and the general population assisted them with funds, safe houses and intelligence. As a result of police crackdowns and further arrests of suspected volunteers, the continued raids on civilian houses, many volunteers went on the run. By mid 1921 there were over 4,000 suspects interned. Many men who were on the run went on to form the celebrated flying columns. These columns consisted of 20 highly armed men, who would attack patrols by laying ambushes on roads, and then melting back into the countryside. Tom Barry was commanding officer of the 3rd (West) Cork Brigade, which was a particularly effective flying column. They were responsible for many successful attacks on military personnel. On 28th of Nov. 1920 they wiped out an Auxiliary regiment in Kilmicheal, Co. Cork killing nearly a whole platoon. In reprisals the Black and Tans burned the City of Cork on 11th of Dec. There were many other tactics used by the I. R. A. during the war, examples include targeting prominent members of the British Establishment and Intelligence for assignation, it is beyond the remit of this short essay to explore these in their entirety. The ultimate goal of these operations and tactics were to disrupt and demoralize the administration of British Rule. After Bloody Sunday the British Intelligence Network was effectively non-existent which the I. R. A. took full advantage of, by actively engaging Crown Forces in the capital while sending out their own armed patrols in select parts of the city. As we can see at the start of the war the Volunteers were a highly disorganized and poorly equipped force. Through the use of guerrilla hit and run tactics, they made the most of their limitations to disrupt and demoralize the crown forces. After G. H. Q. exerted a central command and military structure the volunteers became a more ruthless and successful in active operations. Ultimately the British Establishment appeared to have overestimated the numbers of active members and their access to weapons. If their intelligence apparatus had not been infiltrated and disrupted by the I. R. A. the Crowns military campaign may have been more effective, and they may have continued the war which would have pushed the I. R. A, to the limits of their abilities and resources. G. H. Q. played a pivotal role in forming public opinion through their domestic publication t-Oglach and releasing accounts of civilian casualties and atrocities to foreign correspondents, effectively winning the propaganda war. It is doubtful whether the isolated regional active units would have been as effective without the co-ordination and leadership of G. H. Q. The organization of operations and centralization of command by G. H. Q. , may have been the deciding factor in the War, although many units remained in a state of disarray and were badly equipped for the duration of the war. As a measure of the success and effectiveness of operations conducted, I. R. A. guerrilla tactics became a blue print for many revolutionary forces around the World.

Employment responsibilities and rights Essay

A Copy of your contract of employment agreement. If you don’t have a written contract of employment e.g. if you are employed as a personal assistant, discuss your terms and conditions with your employer and make notes to help you to complete the tasks; A recent pay slip or pay statement; Access to your workplace policies and procedures or notes from a discussion  with your employer if you are employed as a personal assistant Bi) Describe the terms and conditions of your employment as set out in your contract of Employment or employment agreement. Bii) Describe the information which needs to be shown on your pay slip/statement. Biii) Identify two changes to personal information which you must report to your employer. Biv) Describe the procedure to follow if you wanted to raise a grievance at work. You may Describe this in writing or produce a flow chart or diagram. Read more: Aspects of employment covered by law essay Bv) Explain the agreed ways of working with your employer in relation to the following areas: 1. Data protection 2. Grievance 3. Conflict management 4. Anti-discriminatory practice 5. Health & safety 6. Confidentiality 7. Whistle blowing Bvi) Explain how your role contributes to the overall delivery of the service provided. Bvii) Explain how you could influence the quality of the service provided by; a) Following best practice within your work role; b) Not carrying out the requirements of your role. Bviii) Describe how your own work must be influenced by National factors such as Codes of Practice, National Occupational Standards, Legislation and Government Initiatives. Bix) a) Identify two different representative bodies which influence your area of work. b) Describe the role of the two representative bodies you have identified. For this task you will need the following: †¢ A copy of your contract of employment or employment agreement. If you don’t have a Written contract of employment eg if you are employed as a personal assistant, discuss Your terms and conditions with your employer and make notes to help you to complete The task; †¢ A recent pay slip or pay statement; †¢ Access to your workplace policies and procedures or notes from a discussion with your Employer if you are employed as a personal assistant. Task C Career Pathway Create a career pathway plan for yourself, indicating what opportunities are open to you as you progress in your chosen career. Indicate what you will need to learn or any qualifications you might need to gain in order to achieve your goals. Identify sources of information to help you achieve your goals. Understand employment responsibilities and rights in health, social care or children’s and young People’s settings Task D Presentation or report Prepare a presentation or report on an issue or area of public concern related to the care profession. Your presentation or report should include: †¢ A description of the issue or area of public concern raised †¢ An outline of the different points of view regarding the issue or area of public concern raised †¢ A description of how the issue or area of public concern has affected service provision and methods of working †¢ A description of how public opinion is affected by issues and areas of concern in either the health, social care or children’s and young people’s sectors Understand employment responsibilities and rights in health, social care or children’s and young people’s settings Understand employment responsibilities and rights In health, social care or children’s and young People’s settings Question Booklet Task A – Short Answer Questions Ai) Imagine you are a newly appointed supervisor/manager within your service. You need to update your staff handbook to reflect current employment law. Identify three different sources of information you could use to enable you to do this. 3 marks Once you have identified a reliable source of information: Aii a) List three aspects of employment covered by law. 3 marks Understand employment responsibilities and rights in health, social care or children’s and young people’s settings b) List three main features of current employment legislation. 3 marks Aiii) Briefly outline why employment law exists. 3 marks Task A: marking grid Assessment Criteria Question Met in booklet Met in discussion Not met Record of Professional Discussion Please use Form 8 from the City & Guilds Recording Forms document to record any professional discussion, accessible at http://www.cityandguilds.com/documents/New%20Folder/Recording- Forms.dot Understand employment responsibilities and rights in health, social care or children’s and young People’s settings Assignment feedback sheet Assessor/Tutor feedback to candidate on outcome of assessment Target date and action plan for resubmission (if applicable) Understand employment responsibilities and rights in health, social care or children’s and young People’s settings Assessor/Tutor feedback to candidate on outcome of resubmission Date of final assessment decision I confirm that this assessment has been completed to the required standard and meets the requirements for validity, currency, authenticity and sufficiency Tutor / assessor’s Signature Date Assignment passed? Yes / No I confirm that the assignment work to which this result relates, is all my own work

Sales managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sales managment - Essay Example Progeon- the subsidiary of Infosys works with international clients spread across the globe and as such, it handles diverse languages, behaviors, expectations and demands (Charlotte 2005). Though it has carved a niche in the call centre market by its innovative training and development programs, yet dynamic forces surrounding globalization and ever changing customer demands place hurdles every now and then. Cultural mismatches have lately become commonplace as companies are intending towards mergers, acquisitions and partnerships with global clients. The industry in which Progeon operates is truly global in the sense that it provides voice and data job services to multinationals by addressing the calls of the clients located worldwide. Thus, global in context of Progeon refer to a 360 degree view of the entire globe. Keeping this fact in mind, it is imperative that Progeon well-trained staff, even after rigorous training is still exposed to cultural issues. Snapshot of those issues with their reason and probable solutions are detailed below: Every person has his own standards of understanding and believing what is wrong and what is right, based on the culture in which he is brought up. The degree of fairness in behavior, dealings and communication also rests on this basic premise of ethical standards. Though the staff at Progeon is imparted training of accent and language, yet they do not operate in the local culture of the customer to which they talk or address the call to. Thus, there remain chances of breach of fairness and violation of ethical standards from both sides and there is no yardstick to measure who has done what and to what extent. This defies the fundamental principle of sales management which starts with rapport and confidence building. As stated above, sales management bears fruits when exercised in the local settings of

Billabong Case Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Billabong Case - Assignment Example Secondly, when Billabong obtained payment from the merchants, thus it will be translated back into Australian Dollar for application in Australia. As Australian dollar depreciates, the receiving in United State can be interpreted into more Australian dollar than before, bringing rise in trade revenues. The impact of 35.6% depreciation in value of Australian dollar in the subsequent half 2008 was echoed in the interim account ended Dec 2009, with trade revenues in the United States improved by 33.9% (to $385 million). One can envisage the future exchange price by using forward trade rate. In times of fiscal crisis, the forward business rate is not a fine predictor since the market is incompetent. In an inadequate market, Fundamental advance can be employed for forecasting, footed on economic theories and study of variables. Though it is not efficient in forecasting the short-term variations in trade rates, also it is ample as there would constantly be fluctuations that would not be anticipated. Another advance could be using technological analysis to establish the movement of cash by analyzing historical information. This approach is supposed to be a ball that is crystal since there is no hypothetical rationale. The financial catastrophe has caused unanticipated variations in the value AUD. Press prediction for the trade rates predictions of two thousand and nine in the late two thousand and eight were towards continual reduction. It was 67.83 United States Dollars on Christmas Eve two thousand a nd eight. What happens in the foreign exchange market can have a fundamental impact on the sales, profits, and strategy of an enterprise. Accordingly, it is essential that Billabong managers could have understood the foreign exchange market, and what the result of variation in currency trade rates might be for Billabong. 4. The Australian dollar continued to rise by another 20 percent against the U.S dollar in 2010 and 2011. How would this have affected

What types of franchises do people create and why Essay

What types of franchises do people create and why - Essay Example the international literature of business, modes of entry have long been considered as in close association with varying degrees of risk exposures, control, resource commitment, and profit return. Past studies indicate that the choice of modes of entry depends on distinct factor types, such as industry-specific, country-specific and firm-specific factors (Caves 2001). The major types of entry modes include equity-based and non-equity-based. Equity mode of entry is further divided into wholly owned operations and equity joint ventures. Non-equity entry mode is split into export and contractual agreements. The wholly owned subsidiary involves mainly Greenfield and acquisition. Equity joint ventures involve minority equity joint ventures, 50 % equity joint ventures and majority equity joint ventures. Contractual agreements involve licensing, risk and reward contracts, alliances and direct investment. Export involves direct export and indirect export (Erramili 2002). Some of the limits of the equity-based types of entry modes are: they call for a vital resource commitment in location across the country’s borders. It requires enough or large investment to start an independent operation. The equity-based type requires a continuing direct management of the establishment. It also needs one to interact constantly with different local parties. The advantages of the non-equity-based include: it does not need one to establish an independent organization, the connection between parties can specified and fixed during the contract (Michael 2002). The entry mode choice refers to the control level or degree desirable to a firm when it ventures into a foreign market. The choice of enterprises can be done through asset specificity and foreign market entry mode. Asset specificity is used for description of investments which are specific to a transaction, and which are reduced in alternative. The personal nature of the investments makes them susceptible to opportunism making

Math Quiz Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Math Quiz - Speech or Presentation Example HINT: Please find points on each of y = f( x ) and y = g( x ) and compare the points on y = f( x ) and y = g( x ). 15. Please feel free to use the graph of the equation or test algebraically to determine whether the following equation is an odd function, an even function, a function that is neither odd nor even, or a function that is both odd and even. 19. The weight M of an object on the moon varies directly as its weight E on earth. A person weighs 169.76 lbs on earth weighs 28.86 lbs on the moon. How much would a 241.76-lb person weigh on the moon? 20. The stopping distance d of a car after the brakes have been applied varies directly as the square of the speed r. If a car traveling 60 mph can stop in 200 ft, how fast can a car travel and will stop in 72 ft? d ÃŽ ± r2 or d= kr2 for a speed of 60 mph , the distance is 200ft. therefore, 200= k (60)2 k= 200/3600 = 0.0556 ; Hence d= 0.0556r2 . For a car to stop at 72 ft; 72= 0.0556r2 ; r2= 72/0.0556 = 1294.96 hence r = 35.9856 mph or approximately 36

Court Case against an Alleged Surface Water Polluter Brought Under Essay

Court Case against an Alleged Surface Water Polluter Brought Under Section 209 of the Water Resources Act (1991) - Essay Example The two Environment Agency (EA) Technical Officers observed and photographed the silt water that spreads across the half of the southern part of the controlled surface water of South Lake. The officers traced the source of the polluting discharge back to trenching excavations that were being carried out by the Ltd Company. The company was in the process of installing a new drinking main water supply for the rainy periods. The starting place of the silty water was the channel that was being dewatered through the pumping out of the water that had accumulated in the channel using an extractor pump (3inch). The conditions at the site were referred to as boggy by the defendant and the surrounding land was characterized as heather and scrubland on the sandy soil. It was then established that about 80,000 litres of water had been pumped to waste. The Environment Agency (EA) officers approached the sites manager and notified him of the offence and the consequences it will bring forth hence the likelihood of a court case. The Environment Agency (EA) officers observed that the silt was making its way by gravity which is 50-60m through a wooded area into a roadside ditch. Pollution discharge followed 170m alongside the B3430 road in the ditch through a silt trap into a 30m length of culvert; this Culvert discharged into Environment Agency (EA) controlled water (stream) which was flowing under the road and then some 370m into South Lake. A series of 5 tripartite samples were taken by the Technical Officers from the channel to the lake. The samples were taken in the way that has been prescribed by Water Resources Act. The samples included those from the pump; when the samples from the pump were taken, the pump was switched off. After collection of the samples, they were moved to the independent reference laboratories and the EA laboratory where an analysis was done and then presented for an independent analysis to the Ltd Company. Ltd Company was informed by the EA Area Pollution Control Manager that the analysis results suggested that an offence was committed and the papers were to be passed to the EA Solicitor for action to be taken in the local Magistrate’s Court. Pollutants The pollutants from the samples analyzed were suspended solids, ammoniacal - N, chloride, pH, BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand), total oxidized nitrogen and orthophosphate. Each of the pollutant will be described and its effects indicated. Suspended Solids They are naturally found in water and in its excess they become harmful. The finest particles in the suspended solids cause most of the serious problems. Increase in the suspended solids in water makes the water look cloudy or turbid. When the water becomes cloudy, it limits sunlight reaching the aquatic plants. The effect on the aquatic plants is stunted growth. Fine suspended solids can clog the fish gills and destroy their respiration and that of other aquatic animals (Hill 2010, p245). Sediments can have differing physical and biological effects de pending on the form of the suspended solids. Suspended solids high value reduces the productivity of the systems by shading the macrophytes and algae.

Rio Carnival Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Rio Carnival - Essay Example The social background to the Carnival is that it was once considered to be a riotous, disorganized and essentially anti-authoritarian expression by the people that the government was forced to accept because of its popularity but which it did not positively condone. The Rio Carnival found its roots in the 1830's when the city's rich imported the practice of holding balls and masquerade parties from Paris. Gradually, over the next century, the festival took on the shape that it now holds, acquiring elements derived from African and South American Indian cultures. It is this mixture of cultures into a remarkably diverse and yet recognizably unified "Rio Carnival" that is the prime social characteristic of the celebration. The Carnival is the reason that Rio de Janeiro is famous throughout the world. Indeed, it may be the only thing that most people know about the city. This influences both the social and economic identity of the city, for better or worse. Thus while the original idea came from France, the cordoes were introduced by the Portuguese in the late 1800s. The cordoes were groups of people who danced through the streets playing music and generally celebrating. They are known today as blocos, and consist of people who dress in theme costumes and celebrate Carnival in a specific way. Certain neighborhoods are associated with certain blocos. In a social aspect that stems from a number of different traditions, a "fat man" is elected to act out the role of the Rei Morno, or the "King of Carnival" (Cowley, 2002). In recent years, cultural changes within the world as a whole, and within the developed world in particular, have been reflected within the social makeup of the Rio Carnival. For example, many different travel companies advertise the "Gay Rio Carnival" in which "the beaches are loaded with eye candy as far as the eye can see . . . people joke that everyone seems a little gay during carnival" (zoom, 2007). Small gay festivals have become a part of Carnival, and may be regarded as part of a sub-culture of hedonism in which this city, known for its surprisingly permissive attitudes vis--vis social mores, becomes even more accepting during this celebration of freedom. There is a great mixture of factors going into the social impact of Carnival upon the city in particular, and the country in general. As Teissl puts it: Carnival is all the little festivals and parades in the streets and favelas, Rio de Janeiro's poor quarters. Carnival is also masked balls, elegant and often uninhibited - even debauched, where one sees fewer masks but plenty of skin, And Carnival is a time for competition in which countless participants pay thousands of dollars for luxurious and fantastic costumes. But Carnival is also a time of fraternization, tolerance, and genuine human friendship. (Teissl, 2000) So variety and indeed a degree of contradiction exists within Carnival. Thousands of dollars may be spent on a single costume for a rich masked ball while in some neighborhoods that still attempt to celebrate Carnival the average yearly wage may not reach that amount. This contrast can be seen in two main ways. One, more positive manner is to regard it as showing just how universal the feelings and atmosphere surrounding Carnival is. Thus, within this interpretation, "Carnival" is a transcendent social structure which

Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Questions - Essay Example According to Goldman, the qualitative approaches to assessment needs is more clients involves and is based a lot more on the standardised or objective tests. a) Quantitative Approaches of Assessments: This form of assessment includes self – efficacy measurements. Here the individual’s judgement to judge the ability to perform a task at a level. â€Å"These self – efficacy cognitions mediate action with the result that individuals avoid tasks or activities they believe are beyond their capabilities and instead engage in those they judge themselves capable of performing†. b) Qualitative Approaches of Assessments: These assessments are based on two major philosophical positions, post modern and logical positivism. The major practical differences between each of the perspectives are mainly in the assessment area. The logical positivists have relied a lot on the traditional measurement devices. These include interest and personality inventories while the postmodern theories do not include the above mentioned factors. a) Quantitative Approaches of Assessments: These assessments include Scholastic Aptitude Tests and other similar tests that are progressed to through school. This is a relatively common and most common to all the readers. b) Qualitative Approaches of Assessments: These assessments include techniques like repertory grid, reptest. These are relatively very complex and require extensive training before they can be used in career counselling. The post modern assessments are easy to use and a few of the strategies and tests used here include Career – O – Gram, role play, card sorts, and genograms. Special needs are a term that is used to refer to clinical diagnostic and functional development to describe individuals who need assistance for disabilities that may include mental, psychological and medical assistance. Disability has been defined by WHO as, â€Å".. is any restriction or lack

Schedule Recovery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Schedule Recovery - Essay Example The flight routes are of the same time length and as such flight swapping has no effect on the amount of fuel cost or maintenance operation per flight time. Both aircrafts travel the same hours as previously scheduled. Aircraft A will be in SCL at the end of the recovery period instead of being in ALX while Aircraft B will be in ALX at the end of the recovery period rather than in SCL. Aircraft swapping as a recovery option also requires crew to swap. The one of the two crews assigned to each flight has to swap as the other one remains with the aircraft. Flight swapping calls for the reserve crew to be called to fill in the gap created (Belobaba, Odoni, Barnhart 265). The crew now assigned to WA 1269 will end up in ATL at the end of the recovery period on flight WA 1276. The three crew remaining will be assigned to flight WA 1270 and at the end of the recovery period they will end up back in SCL on flight WA 1280. Passenger disruption is minimized in this schedule. The affected flight 1269 results in zero passenger disruptions. Flight WA 1270 will have to be delayed for 20 minutes before departure arriving in PHX at 1500h. As a result, there is 20 minutes arrival delay. Although the flight is delayed, the passenger to ALX will not be affected as the next flight WA 1280 will be ready for departure as scheduled at 1600h. The connecting passengers on flight WA 1270 but on a different airline have a chance of misconnecting. Deadheading costs of crew members that find themselves in one position rather than in the usual position. This crew, although, not flying the plane are still considered on duty and have to be paid for this flight. This cost is affected by the place of residence of the crew. Compensation cost of passengers by the airline affects those passengers that have connections to different locations, but with a different airline network. This cost is influenced by the number of passengers who are connecting with different

A Worn Path Essay Example for Free

A Worn Path Essay The short story ‘A Worn Path’ by Eudora Welty emphasizes the importance of patience and persistence. The protagonist of the story, a very old African-American woman, Phoenix Jackson is presented by the author as a study in perseverance, stamina and life in the face of hardship and death. The story is rather deceptively simple and deals with an old woman’s journey on foot through the woods of Mississippi to the city of Natchez, motivated by the need of medicines for her ailing grandson. However, structured upon this journey motif, the story has a rich veneer of symbolism that turns Phoenix Jackson an everyman, while her journey, transcending every boundary becomes the very emblem for the eternal human quest through the wildernesses of life. The landscape that the protagonist has to cross to reach her destination is at once evocatively beautiful and hauntingly dangerous, threatening at every moment to jeopardize the journey. The old and worn out woman is acutely aware of the dangers and hardships that lie in her way and as she walks steadily she mutters under her breath: Out of my way, all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and wild animals†¦ the big wild hogs out of my path. Dont let none of those come running my direction. I got a long way. Her feet feels chained as she negotiates a particularly steep uphill path and gets entangled in a thorny bush that looks harmless from the distance. As soon as she overcomes this other impediments follow: narrow logs across a creek, ghosts which turn out to be nothing but scarecrows, dog and his white master crosses her path. But she braves it all with a determination and patience that bespeaks of the invincibility of the spirit that burns within her breasts. The solitary journey of the protagonist through the wildernesses is further complicated by her old age, her acute physical exhaustion and her failing vision. However, walking against these innumerable odds, Phoenix Jackson emerges victorious with the aid of her sheer fortitude and capacity for self-sacrifice for the sake of her grandson. Even when a bounding black dog pushes her over into a ditch, Phoenix Jackson does not lose her infinite patience. In fact lying by the roadside in a ditch, incapable of getting up on her own, she seems quite happy and soon loses herself in a dream and goes on talking to herself. After being rescued, she calmly declares the rationale of her journey to the hunter who advises her to go back home: I bound to go to town, mister, said Phoenix. The time come around. The protagonists zest for life is revealed in her intense awareness of every natural object around her and the wilderness seen through her failing eyes, takes on a dream-like quality; a dream in which every object quivers with symbolic or allegorical significance. The real journey transcends its limits to reveal a religious pilgrimage or a quest with Phoenix Jackson as the lonely knight whose only true weapons against adversities are her infinite patience and persistence. Interestingly, the story is actually set during the Christmas season, suggesting that the protagonist is out on a pilgrimage where her endurance and fortitude will be tested to the extreme. The theme of patience and persistence is also reiterated in the mythological significance of the name, Phoenix, a bird that rises again and again from its own ashes asserting the victory of life over death. It is to be noted that it is not only the natural world that poses an obstacle for the old protagonist, but the society too that refuses to giver her the due respect. Thus we see the White man condescendingly concluding that she is going to the town merely to see Santa Claus or the nurses at the great big building dismissing her as a case of ‘charity’. But all these barely touches the old lady, who has surely earned the medicine a thousand times over; the medicine that is given away to her as ‘charity’. She once again walks out into the street starting her long journey back home through the wilderness. Thus it might be concluded that Eudora Welty’s A Worn Path is a powerful assertion of the victory of the human spirit against all conceivable odds. The victory is undoubtedly hard earned, neither does it promise much spoils (the old woman is rewarded with a paper windmill and medicine for her grandson at the end of her almost epical journey). But it is a victory of patience and persistence. The battle too is worth fighting whatever be the spoils.

The importance of socialization

The importance of socialization Socialization 1 Running Head:   The Importance of Socialization The Importance of Socialization Socialization is the process of learning how to become part of a culture.   Through socialization one learns the cultures language, their role in life, and what is expected from them.   Socialization is a very important process in the forming of personality.   Socialization occurs when one interacts with other people.   Socialization allows all individuals in a community to develop very similar values, norms, and beliefs (ONeil, 2009).   Socialization is a lifelong process, though the early stages of socialization are crucial (Shepard, 2009, p. 90).   Without Socialization a person will develop different physical and mental disabilities.   Socialization is a very important life process. The socialization of young children is very important. During the first few years of childrens live, children interacts only with a few different people, mostly family.   Everything children see and hear leaves an impression on them.   In this time children learn to walk, learn talk, develop the ability to have a relationship, and start developing personality.   A very important part of socialization is role taking.   The first step in role taking is the preparatory stage.   The Preparatory stage is also known as the imitation stage.   This stage begins shortly after the first year of life.   In this stage children imitate things happening around them, including sounds and physical movement, but do not understand what they are imitating. Around age three or four children begin the play stage.   In the play stage children start to take the role of one person at a time (Chapter 4: Socialization). Children pretend to be a mother, father, police officer, firefighter, teac her, doctor, or someone the children know or see; most likely someone the children look up to.   In this stage children imitate being someone else by doing things they think that person would do. The third and final stage of developing role taking is the game stage.   The game stage generally starts around age six.   In the game stage children imitate the roles of several others at the same time.   In the game stage the children learns to play sports and participate in group activities that require them to have some idea of what other people expect from them.   In this stage the children understands the roles of multiple people at the same time.   Role taking allows people to be part of a group (Shepard, 2009, p.96).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another part of the process of socialization is cognitive development.   Cognitive development refers to the development of thinking, knowing, perceiving, judging, and reasoning.   Children develop these abilities through things occurring around them.   According to Piagets theory Cognitive intelligence develops in stages. In Piagets theory there are four stages; the sensorimotor stage, the preoperational stage, the concrete operational stage, and the formal operational stage (Huitt and Hummel, 2003).   The sensorimotor stage begins at birth and ends around age two.   During this stage the children learns how to coordinate body movements with thoughts.   They learn that they are separate from other objects, and can cause things to happen.  Ã‚   The second stage is the preoperational stage.   This stage starts around age two and ends around age seven.   In this stage the children learns to associate symbols and lan guage with objects.   Children see everything through their own view point.   During this stage children are very self-centered.   The third stage, the stage of concrete operations, starts around age eight and ends around age twelve.   In this stage children learn to solve problems and reason using physical objects.   The fourth and final stage is the Formal operation stage.   This stage begins around age thirteen and continues into adulthood.   In this stage individuals begin to reason without using physical objects or symbols.   They learn to make a hypothesis to solve a problem.   All of these stages make up cognitive development (Shepard, 2009, p.95, 96).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are three major Sources of Socialization that affect Children; family, school, mass media.   The Family is one of the most important parts of socialization for children, because, their first contact is with family, and for the first few years of life children interact mostly with family.   Children learn their values, norms, and beliefs from their family.   Their family is a large factor in what other people think about individuals.   In School children are in the hands of adults other than parents.   In school children learn to be less dependent on their parents.   In school children learn discipline, order, cooperation, and conformity.   In schools children socialize with friends.   Mass media includes television, radio, newspapers, magazines, movies, books, and the internet.   This form of socialization can be positive or negative.   Children learn how different social statuses are expected to behave.   Sometimes mass media distorts reality, and makes things appear more exciting than it really is.   These things have a great influence on children and are a very important part of socialization (Shepard, 2009, p.102-106). Without socialization children will not develop skills necessary for living.   They are not able to learn to talk, walk, eat, use the bathroom, read, write, and many other things.   There are some documented observations of children who have been socially isolated.   Three of these are Anna, Isabelle, and Genie (shepard, 2009, p.91). Anna was the second child to her unmarried mother.   They lived with Annas grandfather.   Annas mother thought that if her father would see Anna he would be angered.   Because of this, Anna was forced to live in a room that was much like an attic.   She was never given food, she lived solely on milk.   When she was discovered at age five, she could not walk, talk, and she showed no sign of intelligence.   Shortly after she was discovered, she was placed in a country home for children.   Within a year and a half at the country home she learned to understand simple commands, eat, keep herself clean, and walk.   Her speech made some improvement, but her speech was still the equivalent of a one-year-old.   After the year and a half at the country home, she was transferred to a school for retarded children.   At the school she made some progress in her speech, it was equivalent to the speech of a two-year-old.   She learned to do lots of very basic things, such as bo unce and catch a ball, eat normally, use the bathroom, dress herself, build with blocks, identify a few colors, and brush her teeth.   She died at age ten (Shepard, 2009, p.91, 92). Isabelle was the daughter of a single mother.   Her mother was a deaf-mute.   Isabelle was kept in dark room with her mother.   She was found at age six.   Her legs were bowed, she could not talk, and she was scared of strangers.   She was put into an intensive program of rehabilitation, she had a slow start, but then she progressed very quickly.   In two years she acquired the skills of a six-year-old.   When she was eight, her education was equivalent to the children her own age.   Her progress may be linked to the presence of her mother when she was isolated (Shepard, 2009, p.92). Genie was locked in a room from the time she was two till she was discovered, at age thirteen.   She was completely silent, because her father punished her for making any vocal sounds.   She could not chew food, because she had never been given solid food.   She could not stand strait, or straiten her arms.   Genie was not successful in her four years of rehabilitation.   After her rehabilitation she could not read, could only speak in short phrases, and she just started to control her feelings and behavior (Shepard, 2009, p.92). Socialization among children is very important.   Children must learn to walk, talk, eat, and lots of other life skills.   Without socialization individuals can not develop intelligence, and never learn how to perform basic daily functions.   Children must know the values, beliefs, and norms of the surrounding culture, so that they will be able to know what is expected from them. The process of socialization and the sources of socialization are very important in the developing of children. Socialization is a very Important Process throughout life, but it the most important in young children.   Works Cited Chapter 4:   Socialization. (n.d.). Retrieved October 5, 2009, from http://www.latech.edu/tech/liberal-arts/sociology/white/3socialization.htm Huitt, W., Hummel, J. (n.d.). Piagets theory of cognitive development. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University, Retrieved October 5, 2009, from http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/cogsys/piaget.html ONeil, D. (2009, January 3). socialization. Retrieved September 28, 2009, from anthro.palomar.edu/social/soc_1.htm Shepard, J. M. (2009). Sociology (Cengage Advantage Books). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company.

The Hotel Industry Of United Arab Emirates Tourism Essay

The Hotel Industry Of United Arab Emirates Tourism Essay First of all we will be analyzing the Hotel Industry of United Arab Emirates (UAE) using Industry Life Cycle Model. Then after deciding the stage in which the industry is, we will be analyzing the threats and opportunities associated with the industry using Michael Porters Five Forces model. Then after deciding the threats and opportunities respectively, we will be deciding the business level strategies that will be best for our growth and development. This selection of business level strategy will be on the basis of Michael Porters Generic Business-Level Strategies. Then we will be analyzing the areas that can prove to be our strength and then we will be deciding the functional strategies accordingly. The selection of the functional strategies will be according to the Value Chain Model. After that we will be having the internal analysis of our capabilities in order to mark our presence in the industry. Then the suitable business model will be proposed according to the resources avai lable and constraints. Further we would be focusing on our mission, vision and our goals and finally the conclusion. 2. External Analysis: Industry Life Cycle: The life cycle of an industry is very similar to a persons life cycle. Just as a person takes birth, then grows, matures and finally dies, similarly the industry also experiences such phases. The various stages of industry life cycle are: i. Early  Stages Phase   It is the first stage when any industry comes up. The main focus is this phase is design of the product i.e. the different firms try to attract as many customers as possible to create the domain and boundaries of the industry. ii. Innovation Phase In this phase the main focus is on the process design rather than on the product design. The competitors try to sustain the customers by providing attractive services or adopting creative processes. This phase also helps in designing energy efficient practices. iii. Cost or Shakeout Phase   Here the dominance of the major players in the industry is clearly shown. The established firms force the smaller players to leave the industry by acquiring them or by achieving economies of scale which makes it difficult for a smaller firm to survive in the market. iv. Maturity   Once the industry is established the focus shifts from growth to market share. Companies try to earn as much profit as they can. Market share becomes the main attraction for a company. v. Decline   After seeing the happy days, the industry has to face this phase also. There comes a significant decline in the sales of the firms, they no longer are able to attract new customers but also the older customers are also decreasing. The hotel industry in UAE is in its maturity phase definitely. A number of facts and figures support this. UAE is being famous for organizing a number of events (sport events, trade fairs, business meetings etc.) due to its profound infrastructure and world class facilities in terms of transportation, hospitality. This has attracted a large number of people from countries all over the world including Europe, Asia, and America for the last many years. Definitely this is possible when there is an established Hotel Industry having world class facilities in UAE. Dubai has also been voted as one of the top ten desirable places to be visited by the people all over the world. This clearly shows that the hotel industry in United Arab Emirates is established and is in a healthy state. It has been estimated that about 500,000 new staff will be required in the hotel industry in UAE over the next five years. Thus hotel industry will help in the economic development of UAE as it will be providing employment to a large number of people in the upcoming years. Also a handsome amount of foreign currency will be earned that will further help in the development of United Arab Emirates. Michael Porter Competitive Forces model analysis: The threat of the entry of new competitors: Since the hotel industry is an established industry in UAE there is very little threat for any established player from new entrants. On the other hand it is definitely a challenging task for a new entrant to enter and keep the pace up with the already established players, as they have an upper hand in adopting new strategies. Thus for a new entrant in the Hotel Industry in UAE it is better to enter through merger or acquisition with an already famous brand name. Alternatively in order to survive, the new entrant can come up with some innovative idea that has not been implemented by the existing players. In terms of legal issue, there is no major barrier being established by the law and regulations. However there are laws when a new player (including foreign player) wants to enter the industry. The intensity of competitive rivalry: Definitely there is a very strong competition among the established rivals like Burj Al Arab, Sheraton Dubai Creek, and Dubai 7 Star Hotel etc. Thus this is definitely a threat for a new entrant as the customer loyalty is one of the major factors in the hotel industry. The customers prefer to stick to the hotels they used to visit unless and until some other hotel is providing something exceptional. Thus this can be considered a major threat because even if a new player is able to make entry in the industry, it will be very difficult for him to survive in such a competitive environment. The threat of substitute products or services: The threat of substitute products or services is somewhat low in this case as the substitutes of hotels and restaurants cannot be much. The alternatives will again be some hotels with different specialties or features that make it stand alone from the rest. Thus it can be considered to be an opportunity for any new player as UAE is organizing a number of events in 2011 and subsequent years. Some of these events are Dubai International Parachuting Championship and Gulf Cup, Dubai trade fair and conference, Dubai Shopping Festival etc. This will attract a large number of people to Dubai. Thus it can be considered as an opportunity for a new entrant as well. The bargaining power of customers (buyers): Here in UAE customers do have the bargaining power with them as there are a large number of hotels with similar facilities available. The customers can anytime switch to another hotel whenever they feel dissatisfied with a particular hotel. Thus bargaining power of customers can prove to be a threat for a new entrant. The bargaining power of suppliers: The bargaining power of suppliers comes into light when there are many buyers or customers for the product they produce or they are limited number of suppliers of a particular item. Here in the Hotel Industry the suppliers can be the real decorators, real state builders, raw material suppliers, crockery suppliers etc. There are a large number of suppliers of all these basic requirements. Thus the suppliers do not have a very significant bargaining power and hence do not provide much threat to the Hotel Industry in United Arab Emirates. Thus some of the forces of the Michael Porters model appear to be a threat for a new entrant whereas others provide opportunities and new prospects for the new entrants. 3. Business- Level Strategy Michael Porter has laid down several Generic Business-Level Strategies to neutralize the threats and at the same time exploit the available opportunities. He has basically categorized the Business- Level Strategies in basically three broad heads. These are used by different business people to have a competitive advantage over others. The three categories are Cost Leadership strategy, Differentiation Strategy and Focus Strategy. The strategies are based on two dimensions: namely strategic scope and strategic strength. Strategic scope is a dimension that is based on the demand whereas strategic strength is a dimension based on the supply side. Strategic scope deals with the composition and the size of the targeted market whereas strategic strength looks at the core competency of the business. Cost Leadership strategy: This strategy aims at producing the products and services at the minimum possible rate. Then the firm sells its products at either the average market price or sometimes even less than the average market price. Selling at average price helps a firm to make profits while selling at a price even less than the average price helps a firm to acquire market share. The cost leadership strategy is applied in a wide market where there are a large number of buyers and sellers. The cost leadership is achieved by improving the efficiency of the various processes involved, by acquiring the materials at a lower rate, vertical integration and minimizing the wastage. Here in the Hotel Industry of United Arab Emirates (UAE) outperforming the established players on the basis of price is definitely a very challenging task because all the major hotels are into existence for a very long time. Thus they know how to deal or change strategies. Thus for a new hotel venture cost leade rship is quite difficult to achieve and can only be implemented with some new innovative plans. Differentiation Strategy: This strategy focuses on developing unique products and providing unique services. This allows business firms to decide their own prices which can be more than that what is charged by the competitors. This helps the firm to capture a large market share and that too with making handsome profits. Here in the Hotel Industry, product differentiation strategy can play a crucial role in making a hotel distinguish from others. Thus a new entrant can come up with a differentiation strategy that will make him stand distinguished from others. The new entrant can specialize in particular area, this will him to attract the customers. c) Focus Strategy: This strategy focuses on a narrow aspect that is either on differentiation or on the cost advantage. The new entering Hotel should better focus on a narrow segment of the industry. This will help in gaining the new loyal customers as the services being provided to them will be better. The firms having focus strategy are likely to have lower market share as they are targeting a particular section of the industry initially. Thus the new Hotel entering in UAE hotel industry should initially focus on a particular section of the industry and should then expand itself. Thus it will be best for the entering Hotel to adopt differentiation strategy as it will attract the customers. 4. Functional-Level Strategies Michael Porters Value Chain Model divides the activities at either support activities or primary activities. The primary activities include: Inbound logistics: It includes transportation scheduling, storing, inventory control etc. These are basically the requirements that are necessary for the production of any product or service. Operations (production): It includes assembling, packaging, maintenance of equipment, testing and packaging. These are associated with all the process from product (service) design, manufacturing, quality testing. Outbound logistics: It includes all those areas which are required to transfer the finished goods to the customer like warehouses. The manufactured products are transferred from the store of the company to the warehouse or store of the retailer so that he can further transfer the goods to the customers. Marketing and sales (demand): The activities covered in this step are the product value enhancing techniques like advertising, promotion, pricing, selling. Depending on the aim or objective of the organization the money spent on marketing strategy can vary significantly from a very small amount to very large budgets. Services (maintenance): It includes services like customer support, selection, management, training, upgrading etc. Some of the services can be on-site while in some the customer is required to come at the office of the organization itself. The support activities include: Administrative infrastructure management: Includes planning management, accounting, public affairs, quality management etc. Human resource management: The activities being focused here are related to the human labor management like recruiting, educating, compensating, Technology (RD): Focuses on the involvement of technology to support the activities of value chain, like process automation, process up gradation etc. Procurement: Activities related to procurement of items like raw materials, servicing, spare parts, machines etc are covered in this. Therefore the smart selection of the primary and support activities for the Hotel entrant in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Hotel industry becomes very crucial. The one of the most important activity here for new entrant in the Hotel Industry is a proper selection of the Human work force as it plays a very significant role in this industry. A proper selection of Hotel managers, chefs, workers will help to attain new heights easily. Another important activity includes a very effective management which includes planning, organizing, leading and controlling of the workforce. This management plays a significant role in reducing the cost associated with any service provided by the hotel. The other primary activity that should be given appropriate focus is the services that are being offered that are aimed by the Hotel entering in UAE hotel industry. The services should be such that the consumers feel completely satisfied. The use of technology can ease the work of hotel management departm ent. Some of the work that can be easily managed with use of technology is the maintenance of a database system providing information regarding the rooms occupied, employee database, the information regarding the people coming to the hotel, automated billing system etc. This will help the hotel to provide quality and fast services which will further help the managers to focus their attention on other tasks as well. A proper strategy for the advertising of the hotel is also very important because that is something that will force the customers to leave their regular hotels and try the new one. Thus a proper and adequate amount of resources should be dedicated for the marketing purpose.    5. Internal analysis: The various capabilities for the new entrant (including having technologically advanced management, proper procurement, advertising, focused perspective etc.) can be a real bliss for the new entrant. For instance if the new hotel which is coming up in the industry has a proper planning of how to implement the automated system in all the activities (maintaining database of employees and customers, billing etc), it will be much easier for it to implement as compared to an existing hotel as its system has been designed in that way for many years and it will be difficult to shift to the technology. Other capability of the new Hotel that cannot be easily copied by the competitor is the innovative interior design of the rooms, reception, dining hall and other outdoor structures like swimming pools, lawns, parking etc. These better designs cannot be immediately imitated by the competitors because the change will require the redesigning and reconstruction which in itself is definitely a time taking process. Also the specialization in a particular type of food or beverages cannot be immediately copied by other rivals because for that new workers and chefs are required to be recruited which by any means is not an easy task. Also, as UAE is organizing a lot many events in the upcoming years a lot many tourists will come to UAE therefore having a proper advertising plan (online, magazines, newspaper, hoardings etc) will also be very beneficial for the new hotel. Also the hotel can provide some attractive packages like free city tour, or some discount on the hotel rates and food rates. This will help the hotel to make a beginning in the industry where already there are a number of established hotels like Burj Al Arab, Le Royal Meridien Resort, etc. 6. Business Model: The various components of a perfect business model are: Value proposition It is a complete picture of the problem of the customer, the process or the method that should be used to solve that problem and the values that should be taken into account while actually solving the problem. Here in UAE hotel industry the problem or objective is the hotel services to the customers. The process involved in providing those services includes clean and maintenance of the hotel, proper food facilities, proper lightning and water supply in the rooms. Market segment This component selects which segment of the market should be targeted according to the need or requirements in the market and then selecting which customers to target, so that the firm can acquire a large proportion of the market. Also focus on different segments of the market help the organization to create innovative processes as different strategies have to be adopted in different areas. The hotel industry of United Arab Emirates (UAE) is also divided into a number of segments. Sometimes need for expensive hotels come while at some other time cheap hotels may be in demand. Generally the expensive hotels are in demand for arranging business meetings whereas cheaper hotels may be preferred during some fair. Value chain structure It evaluates the position of the firm in the industry and how can the firm capture a major part of the value created by the firm. It can be a very important factor in the deciding that which hotel has how much share of the market and how the new entrant can vary its plans in order to capture the same. Revenue generation and margins This figures out the ways in which the revenue can be generated. The different steps could be support, sales, annual subscription etc. The firm always tries to maximize the revenue generated by the operation of the firm like selling products, or providing services. Here the upcoming hotel will try to find out the areas where the revenue generation possibilities exist. It is basically the exploration of the market areas which are still unexplored by the other competitors. Position in value network In this step the complementary firms and industries are identified. These complementary firms also need to be as competitive because since both industries are interdependent they need to be moving at the same pace. This will help in deciding that which hotels will be rivals and which other industries are must for the existence and the progress of the hotel industry. Competitive strategy Making profits only for the one time is not the motive of any firm. Every firm tries to sustain its profits making processes over larger time so as to prosper at a regular pace so that they can be at par with the major rivals. The new hotel will try not only to make one time profit, but the profits margin should increase steadily with time. The business models itself are very important factor in the success and profits of an organization. Thus the implementation of the above mentioned steps in a pre decided sequence is very important for the progress of a new hotel like us. We intend to enter the hotel industry of UAE by first opening a hotel and then expanding it as a chain in all the Emirates of Arab while at the same time providing the world class facilities in terms of hospitality, infrastructure, recreation, food, service and all the areas that befall under a hotel. As far as the business model is concerned we would mainly focus on the differentiation strategy that will attract the loyal customers of other hotels as well as the new customers also. This differentiation strategy includes all those things that are not focused by the established hotel names in United Arab Emirates. The functional strategies include adoption of a proper procurement process, effective management of all the resources (human, material etc), and moreover a separately focused advertising plan to spread to whole of UAE. As far as the core or the distinct competencies are considered, our main focus will be on the quality of service to the customers. We will be having the qualified managers and workers and most of them having past experience. This will help us serve the customers in a better way. 7. Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals: Our mission is to make an impressive entry in the Hotel Industry of the United Arab Emirates with quality customer service as our priority. It also includes attracting the tourists that will be arriving in UAE to attend events like Dubai Shopping Festival, Dubai International Parachuting Championship and Gulf Cup, Dubai trade fair and conference and many more. First of all we look forward to come up with a single but unique Hotel in the industry. As far as our vision is concerned we hope to have a chain of hotel all over the Emirates of Arab and become a famous name in the Hotel Industry of UAE. We value the customer as our main area of focus because customer satisfaction plays a very important role in long term run. Also our employees are a big asset for us and hence we value their satisfaction as one of our other priority. Without proper human resources it is not possible to survive in this industry. Our goal is to provide the tourist all the facilities that can ever think of. Some of these include providing best possible service, providing as many types of food types that can be possible, proper hospitality so that the tourists coming from all over the world should feel like A home away from home. 8. Conclusion Based on all the above mentioned strategies and plans we expect to make significant progress both in the short as well as the long term. Although we know that are a number of established players in the market which have their presence in every single area of the area, but we are quite positive about are plans and the strategies. It may be a bit difficult in the initial startup but the things will definitely work our way once we get a start. Also the initial profits may be somewhat less but in the long run we will definitely be able to outperform the existing major players. Our main focus as already mentioned above will be the Customer Satisfaction that will become an asset for us in the sustainable growth and development in the Hotel Industry of United Arab Emirates (UAE). This will help us in attracting the local as well as foreign visitors, tourists, business delegates etc to our hotel. Therefore the prospects of making huge success are quite bright, thus a properly planned and eff ective implementation of the strategies decided above will help us to achieve new heights in the Hotel Industry of United Arab Emirates (UAE). Diagrams: 1.Porters Generic Business Strategies: E:documentsgeneric-strategies-porters-mbaknol.jpg 2. Porters Five Forces ModelE:documentsPorter_Five_Forces1.jpg.png 3. The Value Chain Model E:documentsporter-value-chain.png 4. Business Model: E:documentsbusinessModel.jpg

puddn head wilson Essay -- essays research papers

Pudd’nhead Wilson   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson juggles three plot lines, which all come together in a murder trial at the novel’s end. Pudd’nhead Wilson is a Northerner who comes to the small Missouri town of Dawson’s Landing to build a career as a lawyer. Immediately upon his arrival he alienates the townspeople, who don’t understand his wit. They give him the nickname â€Å"Pudd’nhead† and refuse to give him their legal work. He scrapes by on odd work and spends most of his time dabbling in scientific hobbies, most notably, fingerprinting.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Roxana, or Roxy, is a beautiful slave who can pass for white, though she is one- sixteenth black. To save her infant son from ever being sold away from her, she switches him with the child of her white master, who looks just like her son and was born on the same day. Her son Chambers, now called â€Å"Tom† grows up as a white man and heir to an estate. Her master’s child Tom, now called â€Å" Chambers†, grows up a slave. â€Å"Tom† grows into a cruel, cowardly man. His gambling debts lead him, under Roxy’s guidance, to rob houses, sell the now-freed Roxy as a slave, and finally to murder his uncle, Judge Driscoll, in a botched robbery attempt.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Luigi and Angelo are former sideshow performers. Good-looking and charming, they claim to be Italian twins, heirs of a deposed nobleman. They arrive in Dawson’s Landing to rent a room in Widow Cooper’s house, claiming the...

Physics of the Turntable :: physics sound music

Have you ever wondered how a record player works? Probably not. After all, who still listens to records? Surprisingly enough, turntables are making a come back. With the recent surge of interest in hip hop music, popular attention has been turned towards the turntable, used by DJs to provide beats, loops and scratching for virtually all of today's hip hop groups. The inner workings of the turntable may seem complex at first but after reading this paper it should become clear that, like all things, the record player works on basic principals of physics. In fact, the turntable is remarkable in that the basic physical principles behind it are quite simple. Some of these will be explored here. Please enjoy your visit. How a record player works is quite simple. A motor is somehow connected to a solid disc so that the disc is rotated at a constant speed. On top of the rotating disc (platter), The record is placed on top, with a slip mat in between. The slip mat can serve two functions. In the past to hold the record in place so that it would not rotate independently of the platter. Now, however, the slip mat serves a much different function. Instead of holding the record in place, the slip mat is now used to reduce the friction between the spinning platter and the record. This way a DJ can scratch (manually move the record, usually at high speeds) the record while the platter continues to spin underneath. Once the record is rotating, a stylus glides along the grooves and picks up the vibrations, these are then converted into audible sound. There are many different models of turntables still being manufactured. Of those being sold, it is possible to divide them into two separate categories based upon their motor system. Virtually all record players being manufactured today have either belt drive or direct drive motors. For the reasons discussed below, direct drives are accepted as the industry standard for professional DJs and turntabilists. Belt Drive - There are two advantages to the belt drive design. The motor in a belt driven turntable is set away from the platter by means of a continuous belt loop. This minimizes vibration to the platter and thus needle skipping. Also, belt drive models tend to be much cheaper than their direct drive counter parts. These advantages, however, do not balance the many short falls of the belt drive design.

Manipulation and Prejudice in Othello Essay

The tragic play ‘Othello’, written by William Shakespeare, is one where the direct impact of themes such as jealousy, prejudice, and manipulation bring about the downfall of the protagonist Othello, a moor who is both a successful military leader in the city of Venice and the lover of the ‘Sweet Desdemona’. The Antagonist, Iago, weaves webs of deceit and denigrations on almost all of the characters and is portrayed as the puppet master, controlling the characters to his own end. The imagery associated with the central theme of jealousy suggests destructive, terrifying and perhaps unnatural qualities of this emotion. It is ‘the green-eyed monster, which doth mock / the meat it feeds on’. There is a strong sense of devouring and being devoured in these images, which fits in with Iago’s description of Othello as being ‘eaten up with passion’. These lines suggest the exact quality of Othello’s monumental jealousy; once he becomes convinced that his wife is unfaithful, his jealousy does indeed feed on itself, leading the protagonist to become dehumanised and animalistic. Jealousy is also deeply humiliating in ‘Othello’; Iago is correct when he says that it is ‘a passion most unsuiting such a man’. There are three examples of jealousy that are explored by Shakespeare in ‘Othello’. Iago’s personal and professional jealousy, which is linked to feelings of envy and sets events in motion. This is demonstrated through the use of soliloquy where Iago expresses his hate and jealousy of Cassio when he was given a position that Iago thought he should have gained. The use of soliloquy adds dramatic tension as Iago expresses his motive for revenge to the audience before enacting out his plans on the unsuspecting characters. The second example is of Bianca’s suspicions, which help Iago with his manipulation of the Othello adding to the dramatic tension and the third example of jealousy is of the Moors towering jealousy. Othello’s character arc is somewhat depended on his feelings of jealousy when he assumes his wife Desdemona is ‘a strumpet’. The language that is used by Othello at the start of the play is in blank verse, unrhymed iambic pentameter. This structuring of the dialogue characterises Othello as educated, dignified and authoritative. However, this is juxtaposed at the end of the play where there is little to no structure in Othello’s dialogue, often composed of short outbursts, characterises the protagonist as animistic, unhinged and weak. The theme of prejudice is also prominent in the play ‘Othello’. The cultural difference between the Moor and the general white Venetians serves as an impetus for conflict between the characters. The first instance of racial prejudice almost opens the play in Act 1 Scene 1 with the dialogue between Iago and Brabantio, ‘even now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe’. The animal imagery Iago employs when speaking of Desdemona’s copulation with Othello is firstly highlighting the racial difference between both Othello and Desdemona and secondly, relating interracial relationships as animalistic through dehumanising imagery. Many of the references to Othello in regards to his colour and creed are typically negative, though are undermined because the audience understands the motives of both Iago and Roderigo. He is also described as ‘sooty’ and ‘thick lips’, which help to construct a negative characterisation of Othello. So far as dislocation is concerned, an aspect of the tragedy comes about because Othello is characterised as an outsider, he is in an weak position of being a black man in a white society. This dislocation is furthered through the marrying of a white woman and through holding a high positioned rank in the military. This is one of the reasons that Othello is subject to manipulation by Iago on racial grounds, and on Rodrigo’s racist ideology.

Hamlet is known to be the most popular play written by Shakespeare Essay

Hamlet is known to be the most popular play written by Shakespeare. It is also, by a significant margin, the longest of Shakespeare’s plays. It has been translated to many languages and has become the subject of excited and critical debate more than any other work of literature. The play was written around 1602 or 1603 at a period of time when Elizabethan London was a melting pot of unique intellectual and artistic ferment. For Shakespeare at the turn of the century, when he addressed himself to the Hamlet story, contradiction and the uncertainty of attitude towards revenge would have been part of the air he breathed. He must also have been familiar with a considerable body of literature in which revenge was a central concern. Hamlet must have been written shortly after Julius Caesar (1599), another revenge play. At two moments in Hamlet the killing of Caesar is remembered. Julius Caesar had contained a vengeful ghost. Hamlet complicates the story by directing attention to three linked father-and-son pairs: old Hamlet and the prince who has inherited his name but not his kingdom, old Fortinbras and a son whose situation is similar to that of Hamlet but whose character is very different, Polonius and Laertes. All three fathers die by violence. All three sons feel responsible to take revenge, but the response of each to his task is completely different. There is also the absorbing debate about sexuality and sexual morality. As society continues to change the nature of that debate shifts but the basic issues dealt with in Hamlet remain fundamental to man and this is perhaps the reason why a four hundred year old text in Elizabethan English continues to excite people from so many different cultures and ideologies. Act 3 Scene 4 takes place in Gertrude’s closet. Here a series of fast paced events takes place. Hamlet â€Å"speaking daggers† to his mother, Polonius murdered accidentally, Hamlet’s second and final meeting with the ghost, the re-joining of the mother-son bond all fall under this scene. Shakespeare makes this scene very important through the use of language, style, setting etc. This scene follows the ‘play within a play’ performed by the players in Act 3 Scene 3. Hamlet had used the play to â€Å"catch the conscience of the King. † Hamlet aims to get both the King and Queen’s conscience through the play. He gets her by questioning â€Å"Madam, how do you like this play? † showing how he wants to make her feel guilty. Act 3 Scene 4 is somewhat a continuation of his quest to free his mother from her incestuous sin. It also follows Claudius’ plotting with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to kill Hamlet in England and Polonius’ plan to spy on Hamlet when he approaches his mother in the closet. The scene begins as a kind of dramatic parallel to Act 3 Scene 1: Polonius eavesdropping, Gertrude speaking to her son. As before with Ophelia Hamlet comes face to face with somebody to whom he was once close to but from whom he has been deliberately separated. The murder of King Hamlet and the marriage of Queen Gertrude all are the cause of this break-up. The discussion between mother and son, the only extended one in the play, concentrates upon how her sexual lust has led her to leave her â€Å"wholesome brother† for â€Å"a mildewed ear†. This is the only scene where mother and son are alone (excluding Polonius). Hence Shakespeare is able to bring out Hamlet’s feelings and opinions about his mother’s incestuous crime. His opening lines itself show his mockery of the rhythm and the words of her reprimand. Hamlet turns the finger of accusation to her; he turns the tables on her through his language. † Queen: Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended. Hamlet: Mother, you have my father much offended. Queen: Come, come, you answer with an idle tongue. Hamlet: Go, go, you question with a wicked tongue. † Hamlet also makes his purpose clear: â€Å"You go not till I set you up on a glass where you may see the innermost part of you†.

Reflective Portfolio

Abstract This is a reflective essay looking at the author’s career expectations and working background. Models of reflection are used to examine the author’s experience and self learning in terms of career aspirations. Past working history, and the situation with jobs in the airline industry, are discussed. A model of ideal characteristics for the author’s desired job is presented, and the areas in which the author is lacking are set out. The tools and approaches which can be used to improve these characteristics and hence become more like the ideal candidate are set out. 1. Introduction In the following paper, I am going to look at my career aspirations in the context of available careers in my chosen industry: the airline industry. I want to work in a customer services / management capacity at British Airways, building upon my existing skill-set and experience. I will discuss this subject in terms of approaches and insights I have gathered from studying international tourism management and travel tourism management, as well as what I have learnt in this particular module on career development. I will be looking critically at my experience and self-learning in order to identify the characteristics which I have that I feel equip me for this role. I will also be identifying areas which need to be further worked on. I will be combining intuitive writing about my experiences and capacities with academic research, textbooks and theories. In reflecting on my experience, I have been influenced by a number of models of learning through reflection, including Gibbs’ an d Kolb’s. Both these models show a way to structure learning. In Kolb the learner is encouraged to look at an experience and make observations then form concepts and general theories, which are then tested against more new experience. Gibbs suggests a similar process of describing, analysing feelings, evaluating, analysis and conceptualisation (Moon 2013). I have used models like these to first describe to myself or others my experience, then build conceptual models, abstract key ideas and theorise about what happened in order to do things differently in the future. Overall, I will be demonstrating how and why I feel I fit the role of Customer Service Manager within the airline industry, and how I might fill the current gaps in my knowledge and experience. 2. The Airline Sector and Available Careers In this section, I will look at the airline industry globally and in the UK, outline the areas of work, discuss the different possible job roles, and suggest the one which is right for me. I will also look at the career possibilities associated with this role, and look at the relationship between the ideal candidate for this role and my capabilities. My aim is to work in management within the airline industry. Although I have had a variety of jobs in my career so far, I have always wanted to work for British Airways. I was drawn to the opportunities for travel, as I see it as a way of learning and personal development. The old saying that travel broadens the mind seems true to me, although it also seems that travel and tourism research has so far concentrated more on why tourists select the destinations they do, rather than the impact on travellers psychology and perceptions (Chon et al 2012). Initially, I felt I should wait until the right job came along, but I was advised by a friend that I should take any job within the organisation and then work my way into the position I wanted. Many jobs are advertised internally first in many employers, not just B.A. (Williams 2010). The airline industry as a whole is large, and is likely to expand particularly if the trend for cheap air travel continues. Globally, there are approximately 2000 airlines with 23,000 aircraft serving over 3500 airports. By 2006, air travel growth was approximately 5% year on year, and capacity was thought likely to double by 2021 (Hencke 2006). Within the UK, aviation is a significant contributor to the economy, with UK airports handling 230 million passengers a year. UK manufacturing, technology and service providers in the industry are considered world leaders. Nearly 150,000 people are employed in the UK directly within the industry, and the sector contributes nearly ?10 billion to GDP (The Air League [online] 2014). The strength and likelihood of growth of the sector, while not directly motivating me to want to join the industry, certainly give me confidence that I will be able to have a life-long career within the industry. In terms of different organisations, the industry is d ominated by a few large organisations, although low-cost players have changed the situation somewhat. British Airways is the largest operator, followed by Virgin Atlantic Airways. British Midland and Easy Jet are also well known. UK companies face competition from overseas providers as well (Belobaba et al 2009). I was especially drawn to working for British Airways as they are the largest provider in the UK, and as such I feel I will have more opportunities for career development. But because many other companies operate globally, I feel I am in a good position to move to different organisations in the future, not least because I speak a number of languages. Given the large number of jobs in the sector, it is unsurprising that there are a wide range of occupations and roles. The type of jobs available can be divided into three main sections: ground handling services (e.g. baggage handling), airport operations (e.g. terminal manager, customer support) and airline operations (e.g. ground handling, cabin crew etc) (National Careers Service 2014). Of the choices, I have decided to focus on roles which directly progress out of the role I am now occupying. In particular, I have mapped out a possible career development path. First, I will go for a Future Talent Customer Service Manager (FTCSM) position, which I can move to after 12 months in this role. After this I can progress to a Customer Service Manager (after 2 years), and, beyond this, to an In-Flight Business Manager (IBM). I have chosen this particular development path having considered and rejected another. In the other path I would take a less customer-facing role, becoming a Duty Off ice Manager (DOM) or Turn Around Manager (TRM). The first looks at the management of crew, while the second deals with the mechanics of putting aircraft back in the air quickly and efficiently. My decision to go for the first career route was guided by my skills in dealing with people. I feel I have demonstrated empathy with different types of people, and am practiced at dealing with people’s problems. I care about people, want them to enjoy their experiences and want to continue to be very hands-on, if not with the public then with other employees. I also feel that there’s a more defined and visible career path in the first set of roles, as I can move from FTCCSM to CSM and to IBM, and beyond. In terms of my chosen career progression, there are a number of skills and abilities the ideal candidate will have. These are not specific to B.A. or the aviation industry, but are needed across all customer service and people facing roles. A CSM/FTCSM should have: Good leadership skills Planning ability Understanding and acting on feedback Communication ability Networking ability Flexibility The ability to manage stress and pressure as well as cope with job challenges Be able to deal with conflict (Evanson 2011) In terms of this ideal checklist, I believe I already possess several of these requirements. That is, I feel I am able to deal with conflict in a low-key, non-confrontational manner (a skill honed during my time as a bouncer), I can manage stress and pressure, I am fairly good at planning, understanding feedback and communication. This is not to say I cannot improve in these areas, but I feel that the areas in which my personal profile is most mismatched with the ideal job candidate profile are: Leadership Networking Flexibility I will explore in more detail my personal circumstances and their match to the ideal profile in the next section. 3. Current Career & Circumstances This section looks at my background in terms of career history, strengths and weaknesses. I then assess my competencies in terms of the ideal candidate profile I outlined in the last section. Finally, I identify areas for improvement in relation to this profile. Currently, I am working as a member of cabin crew. I have 6 months experience. I felt this position will help me advance in the industry as a whole. My previous career history has given me some very useful experience. I have had a variety of jobs from modelling to being a bouncer. While many of these positions might be considered ‘low level’ I feel they have taught me to deal with many different types of people, particularly people who are aggressive or who attempt to manipulate. Having dealt with so many tricky people, I feel I have a strong intuition about what people’s real motives are, as opposed to what they say they are motivated by, and also an ability to communicate with all sorts of people without making situations worse. Before I started my current job, I knew I wanted to work within the airline industry. I was also attracted to B.A. as I had heard they were a good employer (indeed.com [online] 2014). I treated the application process as a way of learning how to improve my interview skills. I applied to some organisations not because I especially wanted the advertised job, but in order to brush up on these skills, and become familiar with a range of the interview styles which exist in different companies. Some organisations, for example, use stress techniques to see how you cope under pressure (Parkinson 2002), others put you in either a very structured or an unstructured situation, both of which elicit different types of responses and require different approaches (Lehman and DuFrene 2010). During my 6 months in this job, I have come up against a number of new challenges which have made me more aware of my strengths and weaknesses in terms of the job I am ideally looking for. I have found that people tend to assume that working as a member of the cabin crew is easy particularly for men. Indeed, there’s a strong ‘trolley dolly’ stereotype (Bolton & Boyd 2003), which I have found frustrating at times. In fact, cabin crew work is a difficult job demanding good time management, concentration, the ability to think ‘on your feet’ and solve problems quickly, and an ability to get on with many different sorts of people. In addition, you need to pass a number of tests. For example for the BA mixed fleet crew the tests include health, criminal record and different aircraft licenses. I have found out in this job that I am good at listening to others. I feel I have a natural empathy with others and want to listen to what they are saying, rather than try and organise them into my way of doing things. However, and perhaps this is connected with this strength, I am not naturally forceful and good at leading others. In fact, if I am faced with a domineering or overpowering customer, I tend to give in and do what they want. This creates problems for me, for example if what they want is against the company rules. I think if I had more leadership ability, I would be better able to convince such people that the way I want them to behave is the right one for them as well. I also feel I do not currently demonstrate leadership skills. When in group meetings I tend to hang back and do not put my point of view across. I also feel I do not make the best use of situations. For example, I was asked to train up a new member of my team, but I felt I did not do this well, I felt und er-confident of what I was doing and I think I confused the person I was training. In addition to the areas of improvement I need to work on, which I will discuss more in the next section, I need to look at ways in which I can achieve my goal of a management position. I believe that my experience so far has helped a great deal. I have already had 6 months experience working as a member of cabin crew, so I understand the mechanics of this industry, but also of this particular job. After all, many people have to spend several months, if not years, volunteering to get similar experience of their desired industry, and I have had the luck to be paid for getting to this stage. Another benefit of being in the industry is that I have had a chance to build contacts already. Networking is an extremely powerful tool for getting the job you want (Souza 2010) and continues to be useful once in the job. After all, networking can be defined simply as creating opportunities, improving relationships with other people and making useful contacts. In a job, these benefits deepen over time, as you develop a more permanent network (Fisher 2011). As such, it is useful to career progression. Another skill I need to learn is flexibility. After all, as Pryor and Bright (2011) point out, the 21st Century workplace is characterised by change. Being able to adapt to change, not to expect the workplace to stay the same for years (or even months) and having a portfolio approach to a career are becoming increasingly important. I recognise that I am somewhat inflexible, and that change scares me. I naturally prefer the security of some sort of routine. However, there are things I can do to become more flexible. To some extent, working as cabin crew has helped improve my adaptability and increased the extent to which I can have a positive response to change, as I am never 100% sure where I’ll be going over the next months, and I have become aware that people can be very different in their demands and expectations. As I deal so much with members of the public, I have learnt to adapt to circumstances as they come up in a consistent way. I think there is more I can do in this area though. To summarise, there are some key areas which I need to work on: developing my management skills (including communication) and improving my networking, as well as being more flexible and open to change. I have covered networking and flexibility in this section, and will look at leadership in the next section. 4. The Development of Key Skills: Leadership This section evaluates the personal development tools I have used to improve my leadership skills, as it has been identified above as one of the areas I need to work on. I have had extensive working experience in a variety of positions, but have not really worked in a position where I have had to lead others. This initially made me wonder if I had what it takes to be a leader, but a number of things we covered in the module have convinced me that I can lead others. Other gaps include networking skills and flexibility. Theoretical learning about leadership has helped expand my horizons in terms of career development. Before I started the module, I believed that leaders are born, not made, and that one either is or is not the sort of person who can lead others. However, we learnt about different theories about leadership, and also about ways leadership can be developed. The idea that leaders are born is also known as the ‘great man’ theory of leadership (Daft 2007). A similar theory is the ‘trait’ model (Komives et al 2009). Although these are old models, they were still influential in my thinking. My experience on the course opened my eyes about different leadership theories. Many hold that leadership can be learned, for example behaviour-based theories, contingency theories and transformational theory (Komives et al 2009; Bragg 2008). Of the three, I have been most influenced by transformational theories. Behavioural and contingency theories seem to lack soul for me. It seems to me, based on my working experience, that people need to relate to and be inspired by leaders. Transformational theory, introduced by Burns (1978), suggests that transformational leadership is related to â€Å"morality, charisma, vision and values† that is, the leader must inspire people. Leaders also need to work with the people they lead, sharing information (Lucas 2005, p.20). One problem I found was that while there is a lot written about transformational leadership, there is not so much about how it can actually be put into practice. I did find a model based on Burns (1985) ideas. Manktelo et al (2005) suggest a 4 step process involving Creating a picture of the future to inspire people Getting people to ‘buy in’ to the picture Manage the way the vision is made to occur Improve relationships between people involved in delivering the vision They also suggest ways in which each stage can be achieved. In order to attain my desired career goals I will certainly be using this model to help me. I also found some textbooks recommended for the module useful. Chapman and O’Neill (1999) broke leadership down into 6 practical steps. I found this useful as I find it hard sometimes to translate theory into practice. I also found Covey (1999) useful. This approach teaches one how to base leadership around principles. I have always felt that management should be to do with treating people fairly and involving them in decisions, no matter what level of the company they are working at. Gardner and Laskin (1996) have given me ideas about how to watch what other leaders do and incorporate their behaviours into my own approach. One writer I found less helpful was Watkins (2013). He suggests getting to understand the â€Å"pivotal† people in the organisation quickly, through understanding their motivations and the pressures t hey are working under as well as the way they see their choices. The strategy is then to apply tools of influence to sway them. I have two issues with this approach. First, I believe every worker in an organisation is equally important. I would rather get all people agreeable to a course of action than concentrate on those he sees as ‘pivotal’. By concentrating on a few, resentment might arise. I would also suggest that it might not be possible to get to know people as quickly as he thinks. Watkins (2013) assumes that people will be honest and open about their motivation in a short conversation, and from my experience this often is not the case. Overall, I believe that learning more about leadership and finding practical approaches to being a better leader, including coaching skills, is the key way to address the gap I have talked about in earlier sections between my current skill set and the skill set required for my ideal position. 5. Conclusion In conclusion, I have examined my career in the context of my past working experience, where I am at the moment, and where I want to be. A number of tools I have learned during this module, as well as through self-learning, have helped me work out the ideal profile for my desired job role. I have also identified how I might turn my current skill set into the desired one. In particular, I need to work on leadership abilities. I have found a number of practical tools to help me do this, and have explored them above. My networking skills and flexibility can also be improved. 6. References The Air League (2014) ‘UK Aviation’ [online] (cited 8th February 2014). Available from http://www.airleague.co.uk/about/position-papers/uk-aviation/ Belobaba, P, Odoni, A and Barnhart, C (2009) The Global Airline Industry, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ Bolton, S C and Boyd, C (2003) ;Trolley Dolly or Skilled Emotion ManagerMoving on from Hochschild’s Managed Heart’, Work, Employment and Society, 17:2, 289-308. Bragg, D J (2008) The Application of Transformational Leadership, Proquest, USA. Chapman, E N and O’Neill, L S (1999) Leadership: Essential steps every manager needs to know (3rd edn.), Prentice Hall, USA Chon, K S, Pizam, A and Mansfeld, Y (2012) Consumer Behaviour in Travel and Tourism, Routledge, UK Covey, S R (1999) Principle-centered Leadership, Simon & Schuster, London Daft, R (2007) The Leadership Experience (4th edn.), Cengage Learning, Mason OH. Day, D V, Zaccaro, S J and Halpin, S M (2004) Leader Development for Transforming Organizations: Growing Leaders for Tomorrow, Psychology Press, Bristol D’Souza (2010) Brilliant Networking: What the Best Networkers Know, Say and Do, Pearson, UK Evenson, R (2011) Customer Service Management Training 101: Quick and Easy Techniques That Get Great Results, AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn, USA Fisher, D (2011) Professional Networking For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ Gardner, H and Laskin, E (1996). Leading Minds: An anatomy of leadership, Basic Books, NY. Gladwell, M (2001) Tipping Point: How little things can make a big difference Abacus, London Hencke, E (2006) ‘Airline Industry Overview’, [online] (cited 8th February 2014) available from http://www.columbia.edu/cu/consultingclub/Resources/Airlines_Eric_Henckels.pdf Indeed.com (2014) ‘British Airways’ [online] (cited 8th February 2014) available from http://www.indeed.com/cmp/British-Airways/reviews Komives, S R, Lucas, N and McMahon, T R (2009) Exploring Leadership: For College Students Who Want to Make a Difference (2nd edn.), John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ. Lehman, C and DuFrene, D (2010) Business Communication (16th edn.), Cengage Learning, Mason, OH Lucas, D B (2005) A Study of the Relationship Between Transformational Leadership and Constructive Organizational Culture in Small Manufacturing Companies, Proquest, USA Manketelow, J, Brodbeck, F and Anand, N (2005) How to Lead: Discover the Leader Within You, Mind Tools, Swindon. Moon, J A (2013) Reflection in Learning and Professional Development: Theory and Practice, Routledge, Oxon National Careers Service (2014) ‘Finding out about aviation’ [online] (cited 9th February 2014) available from ttps://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/LMI/Pages/aviation.aspx Parkinson, M (2002) Your Job Search Made Easy, Kogan Page Publishers, London Pryor, R and Bright, J (2011) Chaos Theory of Careers: A new perspective on working in the twenty-first century, Routledge, Oxon. Watkins, M D (2013) First 90 Days, Updated and Expanded: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels, Harvard Business Press, USA Williams, C (2010) Management (6th edn), Cengage Learning, Mason, OH