Would Businesses Gain Competitive Advantage If Dss, Gdss?

Explain how businesses can benefit from each technology. i. Autonomic computing The computer system have self-management capabilities. An autonomic computing system must include the following features: monitoring, analysis, planning, implementation, and Knowledge Base, and several parts constitute a circulatory system. They need to constantly run and perfect. The goal of autonomic computing can automatically manage itself and maintain its reliability. It is able to work autonomously intelligent middleware. Some of data no need to save it and that only need to be monitored it.Because the data gave the network a big load. So autonomic computing can be handle it. Growing the number of users and connected devices. Business need more equipment and maintenance personnel it. Autonomic computing system can help company solves problem. The responsiveness and flexibility of the system can handle the unpredictable things. It has self-management, self-healing and adaptive functionality, the comp any does not have to hire a lot of staff to monitor the system. ii. Virtualization Virtualization is a subset of the process performance logical group, or computer resources.User can use a better way than the original configuration to access these processes. New virtual part of these resources is limited erected from existing resources. eg, geographical or physical configuration. Generally within the meaning of virtualized resources include computing power and data storage. Server virtualization software technology refers to the use of the substance of the host hardware or operating system of the end-user hidden, and set one or more abstract hardware platform. The hardware platform is flexibility configuration for the operating system.Such like the face of a real hardware. As a result, a variety of different operating environments (eg, Windows, Linux, etc. ) can operate simultaneously on the same physical host, but its independence as the operation of the general in a different phys ical host. iii. Green computing â€Å"Green computing† refers specifically to people's efforts to reduce the use of information technology hardware energy consumption. Many energy generation still relies on coal and oil, and process a large amount of carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere. his reducing energy consumption, also known to reduce carbon emissions. From power management can save a lot of energy expenditure. The power management of energy-saving measures include computer shutdown when not shorten the computer into hibernation, turn off the screen saver, the machine is set to low-power sleep mode, and the total power off when work. (eg. E-mail can reduces paper-consuming. ) Energy-saving mode of the computer in order to reduce the company's electricity costs. Define an enterprise resources planning (ERP) system.How do ERP systems help businesses achieve operational excellence? Applications of enterprise manufacturing, financial, marketing and other related funct ions to achieve a balance. Internally, it is the integration of the corporate body of diverse resources to achieve the effective application of organizational resources through optimal planning and allocation system. Externally, through the network and system can do the combination of main customers and partners to form a horizontal or vertical integration of the global competitiveness of the virtual enterprise entity.ERP is major of contribution about strategic management for the enterprise. Today, only the information technology in the pursuit of flexible production, rapid assembly, rapid delivery and product life cycles continue to shorten trend. The combination of the information and corporate resources. Making the right decisions at the crucial moment, satisfied the customer needs or wants in a timely manner. It was able to grasp the market opportunities. ERP plus e-commerce applications and ERP combined with the concept of supply chain management. This extending to the entire internal supply chain.ERP system is the information system of the enterprise marketing, finance, personnel, general affairs and production operations to be effectively integrated to enhance the operational efficiency of enterprises. Nowadays. The speed and intensity of today's global industrial competition, general MIS system is already unable to meet the actual needs of the enterprise, For example: you can not immediately grasp the supplier of production information and customer sales situations, resulting in insufficient or excess production, or the failure to satisfy orders in a timely manner, resulting in the loss of business opportunities.So ERP enterprises to take advantage of supply, production, sales and other information to achieve the ultimate goal. Would businesses gain competitive advantage if DSS, GDSS, and ESS are widely used? DSS is not an endorsement, it is to solve the practical problems of organizations and businesses. If you make a decision-making, it must be base d on a â€Å"standard†. For the human nature, They like to use subjective judgement to make a decision. tend to use subjective, intuitive standard, and not necessarily have a scientific, informative standard. GDSS have independent of time and space limitations.Decision makers can easily to exchange information with each other and share information to reduce the one-sidedness. Decision-makers can overcome the negative psychological impact, unreservedly to express their views. Stimulated the thinking of policy-makers make the problem of the program is as perfect as possible. Prevents small collectivism and personality of the decision-making results. It can improve the satisfaction and confidence of the decision-making groups, members of the decision-making results. The greater of the effect is more significant if the group is bigger.In this society, competitiveness is increasing and it depends on the best of decision making. So that any of companies often believe their own hist ory and their former transactions and activities to make decisions. When the business make decisions, That is usually to use a decision-support system and firm-wide data. These systems can automate certain decision procedures. They can submit information for different appearance of the decision situation. They can help managers existing decision procedures. It can valuable to explore the consequence of alternative organizational scenarios.Using GDSS can ameliorate how groups make decisions and ameliorate the decision which have been made by an independent people. On the other hand, these systems don't automatically lead to make better decisions unless the decision problem or the situation is easy to understood and the systems are advisably designed. Read the article on the next page, then answer the following questions. A. Assess the organization and technology issues for using social media to engage with customers. The marketing power of social media is growing, it is no longer mak es sense to consider. t carry advantage of social media's own ability to involve with customers organized in three clusters in the exhibit. Efforts to use social media to tips and an active response program to engage with people. Company through the social media can be a pass a message for people. Create word-of-mouth and It can be one- by- one to attract social group. B. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using social media for advertising, brand building, market research, and customer services? Advantages Social media to enhance product quality. Consumers can comment and criticize the product. So that products must have excellent quality.If the product quality is poor , The manufacturers will be exposed and ultimately fail. This is why good products are often less funds invested in traditional marketing reason. The existence of social media makes good products to get their own users and fans follow them. Social media to follow the rules the secondary sale principle simil ar to the media, by user popularity uplift brand and reputation. Thought the impact and social reputation is increasing the impact and social reputation of the brand. Market research that means product sales in order to improve the quality of decision-making.The advantage is mainly to improve research efficiency and saving cost of the investigation, survey data processing. unlimited to the restrictions of geographic area. But the online market research can not be easily can be achieved. Disadvantages Social media weak control brand image. It makes many business to the high degree of freedom for the masses to participate into the development of the multi-surface radioactive. In internet, both good and bad. If it is good, it will clearly more conducive to business. If it is bad, it is caused by a viral divergence will bring very serious consequences.Employees using social media at work that might bring a lot of uncertain risk. For example, social networking sites are not regular, carr y the virus and malicious software. In social media, all employees of the business will replace the company's image. However, once a staff encountered a problem not their work area. And this does not know or the payable answer and it will bring a negative impression to the company. C. Should all companies use Facebook and Twitter for customer service and advertising? Why or why not? What kinds of companies are best suited to use these platforms? No, the data of FACEBOOK have many users.But it does not mean that 60% of users can see the ads. FACEBOOK can be turned off Some features about blocked advertising. And high exposure that customers hate it. Because I was one example of this kind of audience. Highly visibility does not mean high click-through rate. Internet users for online channels that provide customer service to high value, these channels including social media and instant communication. Retail companies This type of company is more emphasis on the sales performance of dis tributors and individuals. They do not attach importance to the organization and leadership structure.

Mental Disorder and Racism

Racism is the feelings with preference because of your skin, color, wealth, nationality, religious, and many other reasons. It is considered as a psychological disorder that exists in families, societies, and countries. The most common phenomena about racism which we all heard about is the one between black and white Americans, for it began long time ago and remained until these days. This problem between them even reached to our children, for they start also being racist without knowing, and some of them would also prefer white on black.For example, if you give your kid two toys one is white and the other is black, your kid will probably choose the white one, for he thinks it is better and prettier. Racism is spread a lot into our Arabian societies, and it is a disease with no cure. There are many bad results of racism in out societies. The bad effects that racism creates are discrimination between children in the family and discrimination between students in schools. The first effe ct of racism in our societies is the discrimination between children.Many parents prefer one child or more the most, for they are the youngest, the prettiest, the smartest, or the eldest. They start loving one child the most, and they stop giving love and care to others unconsciously, decrease that amount of care and love, stop treating them well, stop giving them attention, and stop giving them their rights eventually. Another example is that parents might not punish their favorite kid when acting bad, but they become so tough and strict when another one does something wrong.At this stage, parents don’t notice how they are discriminating between their children until others start behaving bad, so they know that they are jealous. The second effect of racism is creating problems with children. When parents discriminate between their children, they cause many problems to their kids. This leads to create psychological and mental disorders with them, jealousy, envy, grudge, fights between their kids, violence, and it can also harm their health.Kids start hating their brothers or sisters that their parents prefer, and they start thinking of how to harm them and make them have a bad image, so many fights will occur at this period. Children in their position will totally change with everyone, and they even become violent with the other strange kids. The most dangerous effect on them is the psychological disorders, for it is the hardest to deal with, and it will last with them for a long time if not being noticed early. The mental disorders will walk until it controls their behavior and attitude, and it will have an effect on the children on the long term.According to an article, a researcher says â€Å"If the theoretical models that propose racism as a stressor are correct, then its effects on children need to be studied in the same way as other stressors that have been shown to have negative effects on health and development (for example, poverty, violence, n eglect, abuse, and social upheaval). To assess the state of research into the effects of racism on child health and health care, a review of the literature was undertaken. † (Pediatr, 2009). The third effect of racism in our societies is the discrimination between students.In schools, many students face the fact that they feel some students are discriminated from other students. This action is caused by a lot of reasons such as the nationality, the relationship between the instructor and the student, and other reasons. Many teachers prefer some students because they are from their country, they know their parents, they are pretty, or they very smart, and they ignore those who aren’t smart or related to them in some way. Teachers start giving attention the most to them, give them more marks, become more kind with them, forgive them for their mistakes, and make things easier for them.It is illegal to treat students depending on those things although sometimes the feelings of love towards some students is with no control, but teachers must be careful on how they treat their students equally. The fourth effect of racism is creating problems with students. When a student feels that there is racism caused by the teacher, they wouldn’t accept or like that, for it is unfair. Since teachers know that the preference between students is bad, they must avoid it, so they don’t have to cope with bigger problems.Students start being hateful towards their classmates, being careless about their study, or become violent, and sometimes they start having bigger problems when this affects them even at home. There is no control over your attitude or behavior when there is a feeling of jealousy or racism, and students won’t be able to hide their feelings. The fifth effect of racism in our society is creating preference between different nationalities and religious. In our Arabian society, many people prefer specific people because they have similar nationalities or have the same religious, and you find this everywhere.Every single person thinks that his country and his people are the best among any country, so this person becomes racist with no good reason. In our nature, we unconsciously prefer people who are coming from the same country we come from, and even if they are bad we still prefer them, but this is wrong and its cause is racism. To conclude, it was mentioned that racism is a mental disorder which has many bad effects on us, on our societies, on our kids, and on our behavior and attitude. There are many examples of racism, and it exists everywhere and in everyone, but we must be careful how to treat people.The many problems of racism in our Arabian society are between students, between children in families, between adults in their workplace, and between relatives. Racism leads to discrimination which creates huge physical and psychological issues among young and old people, so we know that racism causes bad effects. Parents, teachers, and all adults must be aware on the way they treat children and students, so they don’t have to cause these bad effects on them. They should know also how not to make them become racist, and how to treat people well whatever their nationality, color, or skin was.

Where strategic management used

1. IntroductionStrategic direction is normally used big transnational corporations and SMEs. The popularity of strategic direction points out that it is likely to hold value. However, the existent advantage is non ever clear in strategic direction. Business proprietor, directors and direction forces should understand the advantages of scheme direction and that can do company go more and more competitory ( Robinson, 2005 ) . Each of these schemes is a cardinal constituent to deriving a competitory advantage in a peculiar industry. This assignment is to discourse and analysis the critical reappraisal of the subject chosen and offer sentiment on its pertinence. First, I will summary the article of my chosen, and so discourse the critical reappraisal, after that I will finish the personal rating.2. Summary of the articleStrategic direction is composed of assorted concern schemes, it can be combined to use and accomplish net incomes and advantages, standing in the concern universe ‘s acme eventually. The article points out that competitory advantage include four major constituents, following by quality, client reactivity, invention, and efficiency. High quality is including design, dependability, lastingness and image. Every clients think about whether bargain a merchandise, they ever think in these conditions. There are three international schemes to see: market, entry of manner and expand/location schemes. Market determinations are based on the strategians ‘ positions of chief foreign markets about merchandise, monetary value, distribution and publicity. In sing international market moves, direction and selling forces must see to the types of versions that will necessitate to be made in order to vie successfully in that peculiar civilization. Each of these schemes can play of import function in the success of a company. Choose a scheme that is non congruous with the ideals and values of the company possibly lead to fiscal and catastrophe of direction. The director must see carefully taking what facets of their company merit the most attending.3. Critical reappraisals* Jules ( 2009 ) states that â€Å"Competitive advantage includes four major constituents, following by quality, client reactivity, invention, and efficiency. High quality is including design, dependability, lastingness and image. When people think of a merchandise or services, they think in these terms.† As a client, I wholly agree this point. For illustration, in China, when we want to purchase an car in the market, many of us would wish to take a Toyota or Nissan over a auto from local industry. Because Toyota or other foreign car typically have a repute of a high quality, up-to-data design, they ever run on the route, so that they must be high quality, better warrant in people ‘s feeling. High quality is a strategic manner to acquire success.Jules ( 2009 ) point that â€Å"Superior efficiency refers to the cost to the market via stuffs, production, logistics, and operating expense. Superior client reactivity is the importance of expecting and run intoing client needs.†An organisation demand to set clients foremost. We ever heard that â€Å"The client comes first† , â€Å"The client is king† , and â€Å"we are all about the customer† . But a batch of companies did non really do it. Now yearss, Many companies enterprises for bettering client reactiv ity can change greatly, harmonizing to Apple computing machine, it is a really good illustration of client reactivity. When you order a merchandise from Apple, you can take to any types of their phones you like through their web site. Order procedure is really easy, merely a few proceedingss. Fast bringing, accurate, and there is 800 figure that can name to acquire aid after gross revenues or, they can besides utilize the Internet to happen a solution. Their gross revenues representative and selling representatives visit clients on a regular basis assess the demands of the market. By understanding their clients what they want, need to work expeditiously and efficaciously, Apple can creatively innovation. The company is continually making new merchandises, such as ipad, iphone, iPod series.Jules ( 2009 ) states that â€Å"Creating an environment that encourages creativeness, new and advanced thought is a hard but necessary undertaking that directors must encompass. By promoting a le arning organisation, companies can avoid the same, repeated rhythms that limit the ability of that organisation ‘s success.†Employees are the most valuable plus to your company. They can do many positive parts to your company. Making an environment that encourages creativeness, trust, regard and squad thought will guarantee these types of parts, which will finally profit the company. Whenever possible offer that preparation and calling development chances to employees. Promote them to develop their strengths and endowments. By making so they can go on to turn and progress in the company. Whenever possible give your staff assignments that challenge and stimulate them. This will assist them to go on to be productive and efficient in their work. When a error or mistake is made by a staff member, do n't merely indicate it out, assist them to happen ways of rectifying the job so it does non go on once more ( Businessknowledgesource.com, 2011 ) .Jules ( 2009 ) states that â₠¬Å"Core competences are cardinal elements in developing an effectual corporate scheme and are defined by Prahalad and Hamel as the â€Å" corporate acquisition in the organisation particularly how to organize diverse production accomplishments and incorporate multiple watercourses of engineerings. †Core competences are those capablenesss that are critical to a concern accomplishing competitory advantage. The get downing point for analysing nucleus competences is acknowledging that competition between concerns is every bit much a race for competency command as it is for market place and market power. Senior direction can non concentrate on all activities of a concern and the competences required set abouting them. So the end is for direction to concentrate attending on competences that truly affect competitory advantage.4. Personal rating ( suggestion/recommendation )Quality merchandises and services give the company a immaculate repute in the industry. This repute allows the company to derive new clients and sell extra merchandises and services to bing clients. A choice direction plan besides removes inefficient procedures within the system. By taking unneeded procedures, employee productiveness additions. The employee is passing less clip on activities that do non lend to the merchandise ‘s quality. As a consequence, the employee is bring forthing more work in less clip while the company has non increased the wage. Quality direction plans help to recapture lost monies due to inefficiencies ( Taylor, 2010 ) . Quality direction ensures client satisfaction. Conduct client satisfaction studies to understand the qualities of the merchandise of import to the client. Besides conduct studies with those who are non the company ‘s clients. This will besides supply penetration into why these concerns use the services of the rival. Use client studies to aim those characteristics of a merchandise or service that need betterment. The choice direction plan provides a methodological analysis to utilize to make the type of merchandise the client desires ( Taylor, 2010 ) . The intent of client reactivity is to develop client trueness penchant of clients for an organisation ‘s merchandises and services so that they continue utilizing them. When an organisation is successful at making client trueness it can bear down a premium monetary value that the clients are willing to pay for that something extra they get and that they do non acquire elsewhere ( maxizip.com, 2010 ) . Organizations that provide superior client reactivity wage attending to several facets such as client response clip, superior design, superior service, and superior after gross revenues support. Customer response clip is the clip it takes for the merchandise to be delivered to the client. An organisation that takes less clip to react to its clients reaches them earlier than its rivals. In this mode, that organisation additions on clip crushing its rivals and deriving competitory advantage. Superior design and service backed by superior after gross revenues support is another manner organisations try to function their clients better than their rivals do. For illustration, nomadic phones have evolved from being simple communicating device to going sophisticated, multiple characteristic appliances, reacting to clients ‘ demands as clip went by. Those nomadic phone companies that have succeeded in offering better nomadic phones with more characteristics have systematically outrival ed their rivals. As they did so, they were able to bear down a premium monetary value that their clients are happy to pay ( maxizip.com, 2010 ) .1. Culture of Fun!Make it a policy for your office environment to be a fun topographic point to work with. The construct of merriment at work promotes creativeness, lowers stress degree and extremely likely to increase productiveness because your employees, your co-workers enjoys working at that place. Set understandings on no judgements, that we are all here to bask each other ‘s illustriousness and merriment while working. Agreements on balance of playing and earnestness of work, a balance of merriment and presenting consequences. For some, merriment can besides be stated as a nucleus values. Which I know for certain several of my squads and companies that I work with bashs have that as our nucleus values ( Chang, 2010 ) .2. Making the Environment!Post up merriment images, happy images and most significantly colourful image. Vibrant and colorful ocular reminders create a sense of animation in the environment. Some of the possible images that you can post up are mascot that represents each nucleus values separately. For illustration, one of the company ‘s nucleus values is trueness, what animate being would come into your head when you think of trueness? The image that comes to mind possibly Canis familiariss and so you can post images of a sketch Canis familiaris by the side of your nucleus value. Print your nucleus values out large along with the images! This will besides move as your reminder for all your nucleus values along with the associations. Peoples tend to retrieve better with images and associations ( Chang, 2010 ) .3. Toys Zone!Put some squeeze-able playthings like squidgy balls around for you to squash on every now and so. Squash it when you are believing or when you feel bored. Bring it in meetings. It will assist excite your senses that may be really utile to assist you remain awake and pr esent. Have some other playthings that you can happen in toy stores, perchance toys that can be played with several people. Something like low powered plaything guns with soft slugs around. Take it out and play with your co-workers or household every clip the crust seeps out. This would assist to de-stress as playing most of the clip lead to laughter which after about 10 proceedingss would bring forth happy endocrines. Some playthings that makes amusing sounds helps excessively. Particularly in a overtly quiet state of affairs, a sudden daze of a amusing sound extremely like to turn into a explosion of laughter ( Chang, 2010 ) . Harmonizing to ( Bain.com, 2011 ) , to develop Core Competencies a company must:Isolate its cardinal abilities and hone them into organisation broad strengths ;Compare itself with other companies with the same accomplishments, to guarantee that it is developing alone capablenesss ;Develop an apprehension of what capabilities its clients genuinely value, and invest consequently to develop and prolong valued strengths ;Create an organisational route map that sets ends for competency edifice ;Pursue confederations, acquisitions and licencing agreements that will farther construct the organisation ‘s strengths in nucleus countries ;Promote communicating and engagement in nucleus capableness development across the organisation ;Preserve nucleus strengths even as direction expands and redefines the concern ;Outsource or divest noncore capablenesss to liberate up resources that can be used to intensify nucleus capablenesss.5. DecisionIn decision, through treatments of this chosen subj ect, I analysis that these points about strategic direction. Each of these schemes can play an of import function in the success of a company. Choosing a scheme that is non congruous with the ideals and values of the house can take to fiscal and managerial catastrophe. Directors must take careful consideration when taking what countries of their company merit the most attending. Companies will go dead without uninterrupted evolvement and acquisition, taking to fiscal hurt and, perchance, the extinction of the company. As directors, it is our occupation to guarantee that our company survives among the remainder.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY PROPOSAL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY PROPOSAL - Essay Example Commercial organizations rely upon the efficiency of such logistics firms to procure materials from suppliers as well as delver finished products to consumers. Hence it becomes essential that the internal systems of working are efficient so that there are no delays and errors. For FedEx communications is an essential aspect which impacts the flow of logistics and speeds up the process of delivery. Hence researching upon various systems and techniques that may facilitate the company to improve their communication systems are required to be assessed (Jablin and Putnam, 2000). The research is expected to improve the internal communication systems existing for FedEx U.K and thereby allowing the organizational members to respond quickly to various orders received and make deliveries swiftly. In the logistics industry, speed and timeliness are the most important virtues for success. Hence firms operate in this sector consistently look for ways in which they can improve their services. Based on the findings of the researchers, managers at FedEx are required to device suitable policies which would guide the organization towards improving the communications process occurring internally (Jablin and Putnam, 2000). The current research is primarily expected to improve the communications occurring between employees and their scheduling managers. Accordingly the researcher expects to identify communication tools that are most effective in terms of receiving responses and speed of action being taken when drivers are required to make unscheduled parcel pickups during their delivery rounds. The paper would therefore concentrate upon identifying important objectives of effective internal communications. The research incorporates the mixed strategy whereby both qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data will be carried out. The data collected from different sources would be assessed qualitatively analysed so that detailed explanations can be provided.

Protaganist and Antagoinist Character Bio Research Paper

Protaganist and Antagoinist Character Bio - Research Paper Example Joey was the youngest amongst his sibling and was the dearest to his father, Louie Bucceri. Bucceri was from Sicily, and he was a shrewd businessman, he died in an attack by mob, which was planted by Rokov. Loss of his father was a seere blow for Joey, he spent most of his childhood on the streets of New York until he was recruited in Naval Academy. The troubled past, did not let him develop any strong relationships in the adult life, he was charged for domestic violence, and beating his wife. After spending three years in jail, Joey’s return was unwelcomed by his family, as his wife did not allowed him to see his daughters, moreover, due to criminal record of felony he was not accepted by any office as an employee. The best he could was to work with builders. Joey was under severe depression, and to lose to contact from harsh realities of life, he indulged himself in to excessive drinking. During these grim days of his life, Joey had only one friend Skinny or Dino Baldino. While everything was falling apart in Joey’s life, he decided to give one last short at life; he decided to win back his family’s business from the ruthless Rokov. The battle between the two orphans, each trying to gain authority and vengeance for their dead fathers will create havoc, for all others who are related to them; perhaps in this case Joey has the advantage, because he has not much to lose. Ex-commissioner of hockey, the owner of seven casinos in Vegas, Victor Rokov is a Russian by origin. His personality may be treated as an antisocial one; however, there are various dimensions within Rokov’s character. The journey of his development, from his father’s death to present day casino-empire is based on several twists and turns. Rokov’s father was an owner of a strip club in New York.He was burder in bad blood by Italian Mafia.Rokov who was still very

Basic Approaches to Leadership - Contingency Theories Assignment

Basic Approaches to Leadership - Contingency Theories - Assignment Example Leadership is an â€Å"observable set of skills and abilities that are useful in any work society, community or society† (Kouzes & Posner, 2009). Leadership is best defined as - â€Å"the process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task.† (Chemers, 1997). Over the years, many theories of leadership have been proposed: trait theories, contingency theories, situational theories, behavioural theories, participative theories, management theories and relationship theories. This paper is aimed at understanding the various contingency theories of leadership and identifying the one which is most accurate. Contingency Theory of Leadership Contingency theory of leadership was one of the first leadership theories that accepted that there is no single leadership style or model that would best suit all situations. Contingency theories were formulated on the idea that leaders need to adapt to different sit uations and need to be flexible. Behavioural leadership theories are the basis of contingency theories. According to contingency theory, leadership depends on the numerous environmental variables such as the situational demands, qualities of followers, workplace culture, job at hand, overall environment and the leadership style itself (Lussier & Achua, 2009). Contingency theory is based on the following four assumptions: A leadership style is dependent on the demands of the situation and a single leadership style is not applicable to all situations. Leadership is not a born talent and it can be learned Leadership is successful on only when the situational contingencies are understood Effective leadership is possible only when there is a match between the leadership style, behaviour or personality and situational demands (Lussier & Achua, 2009) Following are some of the contingency theories proposed: Fiedler Model: Fiedler model was proposed by Fred Fiedler and was the first continge ncy model. According to this, the effectiveness of a group or its performance was dependent on the match between the leadership style and degree of control the situation allowed to the leader. Hence, the effectiveness of the leader depends of the leadership style and 3 key situational factors: relationship of the leader and the follower, position power and task structure (Robbins, 2009). Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Theory: The situational theory proposed by Hersey and Blanchard focuses mainly on the characteristics of the followers. According to this, the characteristic of the followers is the main element of the situation and is the deciding factor in the leadership behaviour/style adopted by the leader. That is, the readiness of the followers to carry out a task influences the leadership style. A different leadership style is needed when the follower’s task readiness is low (needs training and constant guidance) and when the follower’s task readiness is high (posses right skills and attitude along with willingness and confidence). Therefore, a leader needs to be flexible and adopt to the situation. A leader can adopt any of the four leadership styles (delegating, participating, selling and telling) depending on the situational factors (Daft & Lane, 2007). Leader-Member Exchange Theory: This is a very interesting contingency theory that argues that leaders try to establish a special relationship with a small group who possess similar attitude, demographic and personality characters as that of the leader. That

International Work Environments Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Work Environments - Research Paper Example It will be pertinent to explore the cost of living in 5 different countries through purchasing power parity point of view to understand how it may affect the wage payments to the managers. This has a base in U.S $1 with the local currency. Purchasing power parity is a good way of calculating how much on aggregate basis he/she will need to spend in that country for the matching living. It is quite possible that some of the components of spending will be expensive and some may be quite low. However, advantage with the purchasing power parity of currency calculations take into account all major spending in that country essential for the living. The factor which is expensive in a particular country can be taken a special consideration while relocating oneself in that country. INDIA: Currently, India is the second fastest developing economy of the world growing at the rate between 7-8 percent. Due to high GDP growth rate job market is thriving with the opportunity. India offers one of the lowest costs of living compared to many other developing economies. Housing costs including rentals, mortgage, and household fuels costs do not offer low cost promise and it is expensive compared to other countries under study that is mainly due to large scale urbanization and burgeoning population. Restaurants and meals outside are relatively less expensive. Groceries, communication, education goes much favorably compared to other countries in study. Russia: Apartments and transportation costs are quite affordable except Moscow and St. Petersburg, where costs may rise 2-3 times more than country side or small cities. Utilities are not expensive and local phone calls are not chargeable. Local Russian style restaurants, bars or cafes are not expensive and does not cost exorbitant prices. Japan: Japan is considered as one of the most expensive country to live in.

US. Vs. Richard Nixon Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

US. Vs. Richard Nixon - Research Paper Example Since it was evident that the tapes might contain some contents that transgressed the arena of a president’s executive responsibility, the executive privilege of the President could not deny the judicial authority’s access to criminal evidence in a judicial proceeding. Historical Background of the United States vs. Nixon Case During the presidential campaign in June 1972, a group of burglars equipped with cameras and bugging devices were arrested while attempting to break into the Democratic Party Headquarters in Watergate. Soon in a subsequent police investigation, it became evident that the Nixon officials and even the President himself might be involved in this burglary. Though Nixon government denied any involvement with the crime, it made several attempts to cover up the connections of the burglary to the Oval Office. But under the crushing pressure of the Congress and the public, Nixon was forced to appoint Archibald Cox and Leon Jaworski successively as the speci al prosecutors. Meanwhile it was revealed that Nixon had several records of the conversations that might contain the evidence of the President’s cover-up of the burglary. ... Though Nixon released several edited versions of the tapes, he claimed that the materials were â€Å"protected under executive privilege† (). Also Nixon’s attorney St. Clair argued for the President’s absolute power to withhold information from being released: â€Å"The President wants me to argue that he is as powerful a monarch as Louis XIV, only four years at a time, and is not subject to the processes of any court in the land except the court of impeachment† (Kutler 131). Constitutional Issues and Arguments in the Case At a stage, the questions were raised: 1. whether the President is entitled, by the Constitution induced separation of powers, with an absolute power to maintain confidentiality of information from the court or other branches of the government, 2. whether the President could protect information under executive privilege, 3. whether â€Å"the claim of executive privilege damages the precedent set by the 5th Amendment, which ensures due p rocess† (). On the State’s side, it was argued that the President does not have an absolute power to withhold information, as the court said, â€Å"Neither the doctrine of separation of powers nor the generalized need for confidentiality of high-level communications, without more, can sustain an absolute, unqualified Presidential privilege of immunity from judicial process under all circumstances† (US v. Nixon). Neither the president’s executive privilege should come into conflict with a court’s demand for evidence in a criminal proceeding. Also as far as the question of justice is related to a case, the court can properly render justice, as in this regard Warren Burger wrote, When a claim of Presidential privilege as to materials subpoenaed

Reflective Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reflective Learning - Essay Example One of our primary goals was to make the work innovative, original and creative to the maximum extent. In order to achieve that, we used to do brainstorming. It helped us collect the required information at the outset so that we would be able to be articulate in manipulating the data thus retrieved. The ideas collected through brainstorming were exchanged with one another and the best and most practicable ones were selected for further consideration. The communication generally went calm and meaningful. Owing to the diversity of cultures we came from, each one of us had his/her own mother tongue that was different from others. Nonetheless, it was essential to select one language as a medium of communication so that the inconveniences could be minimized. Therefore, we mutually decided to conduct all conversations in English alone. This solved the problem to much an extent. Those of us, who were not very fluent in English in the start, started to gain confidence with the passage of tim e, and improved English speaking skill. Quite often, we used to indulge in functional conflicts. The criticism made by team members was carefully constructed and was based on prudent observation. Accordingly, the team members took criticism positive and used it as a means to improve their individualistic and collective performance. In order to make sure that the quality of relationship and understanding between individual members of the team did not decline, we would conduct a complain and confront session in which every body would be free to say anything to anyone and criticize one another. This session not only helped regulate the tensions, but also used to be a very enjoyable activity. In the very first meeting, we had divided our responsibilities according to one another’s interests. Belbin team roles like implementer, shaper, and coordinator had to be distributed among the team members. Each of these roles had their own requirements. Fore example, playing the role of imp lementer required the individual to be quite well organized in his/her approach and to be predictable. The individual, as an implementer, should choose ideas and implement them slowly but effectively. The role of shaper asked the individual to invest too much energy and action in the work. The individual was supposed to insensitively challenge other team members to make them move on. The one who assumed the role of coordinator would make others concentrate on the work and would be in a controlling position. Roles were assigned according to individuals’ interests. Where two or more people had the same interests, it was essential to assign the responsibility to only one while others had to sacrifice. In order to solve such issues without any fuss, we would conduct the voting. The individual who won maximum votes would be assigned the responsibility to his/her choice, while others had to select from the remaining options. Thus, rational measures were taken to make important deci sions in minimum time and with maximum efficiency. In every work that is to be accomplished by a team, it is quite essential for all members of the team to always be fully aware of the progress of work. We had a meeting at the end of every single day in which we would make one another aware of the progress made during the very day and would plan the target for the following day. We looked up to the meetings in order to

Different Types of Business Formation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Different Types of Business Formation - Essay Example Partnerships involve shared formation and ownership of a business by more than one individual. This business formation has several advantages, including more diverse sources of capital than sole proprietorship, ease of formation and management, and the sharing of responsibilities and combination of the partners’ complimentary skills (Spadaccini, 2013). However, partnerships also have disadvantages such as sharing of profits compared to sole proprietorship, unlimited liability, and taxation of partners as single entities in individual profit share. In the latter case, the partners are required to file tax reports on their share of the profits in individual income tax returns. In addition, partners are legally inseparable from the business and are therefore personally liable for the business’ obligations and can be pursued personally by creditors; while partners are also legally and personally liable for transactions made by one partner (Spadaccini, 2013). Corporations are owned by shareholders as independent legal entities. They have several advantages including the business’ ability to raise more capital via share offers, limited shareholder liability for business-incurred debts, and the ability to continue operations if the original owners leave the business (Mancuso, 2015). The corporation’s creditors cannot acquire the shareholders’ personal assets due to this limited liability, with shareholders only losing their investment in the business in form of the corporation’s assets.

Explore the techniques used Essay Example for Free

Explore the techniques used Essay Explore the techniques used by Carol Ann Duffy to create contrasting voices by comparing two of the persona poems. In the poem Fraud, Duffy takes on the persona of an historical figure and creates a voice for it. She writes from the point of view of this character. In doing so, Duffy portrays the feelings and emotions of that character as she sees them. The character in Fraud is a Jewish man whose family were all killed in the Nazi holocaust. His name was Jon Ludwick Hoch, who later changes his name to Robert Maxwell. This was so that he could escape his past and what he left behind when he left Slovakia and to help him fit in when he moved to England. A way in which a voice is created in this poem is through use of the language, this marks it so you can tell it can only come from this specific character. The language is very direct and factual, giving no alternatives. What was my aim? To change from a bum a To a billionaire. The language exposes a lot about this persona. It shows that he was intelligent and cunning and knows what he is talking about. The character is not self pitying like that of the persona in Havisham,but condsending. The two characters through the use of different voices in each poem are portrayed as once being very vulnerable but now have become hardened by time. Povertys dumb. Take it from me Sunny Jim. This quote is from Fraud this shows how the voice is dominating and condescending. When looking at the poem you can immediately see that the line length is generally short, with no more than fourteen words per line and no less than two. This may be a method in which the personas thoughts are expressed, very rapid and direct thoughts. A lot of the lines end with M, for example scum, slum. This M sound is crude and suggests that the voice is similar to that of a whining and spoilt child. Which, in turn, when you research the real life character, says a lot about the person. He Lots of words in the poem are mono syables which gives a heavy beat to the end of the line. The character speaks in colloquial language, using a lot of slang words; this gives us an immediate opinion of the character. There is a frequent use of curse words this gives you the impression that the character is very direct not only in his conversations with people but with his whole out look to life. Words such as Mother fucker are swear words, but when used in this context in the play it gives a depth to the character. Through Duffys use of words we as readers can learn more about the character she is portraying/ A device that Duffy has used in this poem and with a lot of previous poems is the use of ellipsis. For example, the man speaks elliptically, his attitude towards things and he doesnt explain himself. This shows that his character is Shady , he elliptically refers to contemporary things. When he is talking about God, he talks elliptically about a lesbian sex show. Then theres Him- for whom I paid for a butch and femme To make him come. To create the contrasting voice in this poem, Duffy uses the above techniques. But what techniques are used in another of her persona poems Havisham? Havisham is a character taken from literature and given a voice by Duffy. The woman in question is the tragic Miss Havisham from Charles Dickenss novel Great Expectations. Some history to the character in Havisham is; she was jilted at the alter by her lover whom she was due to marry. She never really recovered from that day. Inside her house she kept the wedding feast as it was, at this point rotting and rat infested. She wore her once beautiful wedding dress, now reduced to blackened rags. The point is, she wanted to keep everything exactly the way it was the day of her wedding, in hope that her lover would come back to her. Clearly from the outset there is still bitterness for the love she lost unsuspectedly. The first literary device used in this poem, in the first line is an oxymoron when referring to her lover. This suggests what she once felt for him, and what she thinks of him now. An oxymoron is a contradiction, so it begs the question, how can he be both of these things? Beloved sweetheart bastard. As in Fraud, there is a use of elliptical language which leaves the reader asking themselves questions about the character and what she is referring to. Not a day since then I havent wished him dead . Prayed for it So hard I have dark green pebbles for eyes, Ropes on the back of my hand I could strangle with. Who is he? When was then? To make this more effective and dramatic, Duffy uses a metaphor to try and convey what it feels like. What it feels like when she is saying how much she has longed for him to be dead. Her eyes are compared to dark green pebbles. This has all sorts of connotations, what does a dark green pebble feel like? The first thing that comes to my mind is that it is referring to how she has become cold and almost unhuman. This is what he has reduced her to. Another metaphor is employed in the same stanza when she talks about the ropes on her hands. Of course, she does not literally have ropes on her hands; its connotations are that of veins. The veins on her hands are bulging, through the stress she has been put through. This poem is full of rage and anguish, unlike Fraud where the main tone was demeaning of others. The woman in this poem is extremely self pitying and is completely self absorbed over what this man did to her. She is lonely and lost, grieving for her lost love. This poem is not normally structured; it does not flow as most poems do. In the first two stanzas there are two or three words, then a full stop. This method is to give that line a more dramatic and edgy feel, to set off the enigmas in the poem. Spinster. I stink and remember. Beloved sweetheart bastard. Both of the personas in these poems are not happy or jubilant in any way, they are depressing figures that eventually come to their end. The point is that similar methods are used to create the two contrasting voices. The way in which you use them and the language used is what really determines the creation of a contrasting voice and persona.

World Without Public Schools Essay Example for Free

World Without Public Schools Essay Should America have public schools, or would we do better without them? Nothing is more important to this country than the transformation of children into educated American citizens. Thats what public schools are for, and no institutions are better suited to the rolein principle. They used to fill it with distinction. But theres no reason we must have public schools. Granted, the public has a strong interest in educating Americas children, at a cost thats divided equitably among all taxpayers and not borne by the parents of school-age children alone. But these requirements dont imply any need for public schools. We need an Air Force, and the Air Force needs planes. Taxpayers pay for the force and the planes. But the pilots are supplied directly by the government, the airplanes by private companies (with government oversight and assistance). Schooling might be furnished on either model: mainly by public or mainly by private organizations. We know that private schools are perfectly capable of supplying first-class educations. So the question stands: Why have public schools? How should we decide whether to have them or not? Vouchers have been a popular and promising (and controversial) idea for years. Under voucher plans, the public pays part or all of the bill when a child attends private school. But here I am talking about the whole hog, not just the tail and a couple of trotters. If sending some children to private school at public expense is worth discussing, why not sending all children to private school? Why not liberate all the vast resources we spend on public schools to be re-channeled to private schools chosen by the nations parents? Any public school offering an education that parents will actually pay for (of their own free will) would presumably be replaced by a private school offering essentially the same thing. But a vast array of new private schools would germinate also. And a vast number of failed public schools would disappear. I n the system I am picturing, education would continue to be free and accessible to every child, and all taxpayers would continue to pay for it. Parents would be guaranteed access to reasonable schools that cost them nothing beyond what they pay in taxes. It would all be just like todayexcept that public schools would have vanished. Would private organizations be capable of providing enough new schools to replace our gigantic public schools establishment? Private enterprise is alleged to be smarter and more resourceful in America than anywhere else in the world. So lets suppose that private schools can indeed meet the needs of nearly all parents. Do we actually need and want our public schools, or do we keep them around out of fear of the teachers unionsand habit, like a broken childs toy we are too sentimental to throw away? The basic law of public schools Many sources agree that, on the whole, American public schools are rotten. In 2000, a whopping 12 percent of graduating seniors were rated proficient in science, and international surveys rank our graduating seniors 19th overall out of 21 nations. In 2002, the Washington Post summarized a different survey: Nearly six in 10 of the nations high school seniors lack even a basic knowledge of U. S. history. And so on. Our public schools are widely agreed to be in bad shape. But these are only problems of incompetence. Others cut deeper. The basic law of public schools is this: Public schools are first and foremost agents of the public. They exist to transform children into educated citizens as the public understands this termin other words, as a public consensus defines it. Of course the United States is a large country; standards have always differed from state to state. So each state has its own public schools, charged with satisfying the consensus definition of educated citizen in that state. In 1898, Nicholas Murray Butler (soon to be president of Columbia University) described universities in terms that make explicit this connection, one that is almost forgotten today. In order to become greatindeed, in order to exist at all, he wrote, a university [or public school! ] must represent the national life and minister to it. When the universities of any country cease to be in close touch with the social life and institutions of the people, and fail to yield to the efforts of those who would readjust them, their days of influence are numbered. The same is true of any system of educational organization. Public schools even more than universities must represent the national life and minister to it. They must minister to the consensus definition of an educated citizen. And what is a consensus? Unanimity or general agreement on matters of opinion, according to Websters; solid agreement by a large majority. And in states where there is no public consensus or general agreement on the meaning of educated citizen, public schools are in an impossible position. They cant act for the public if the public cant decide how they should act. This is true without regard to whether the schools are working well or badly. Today there are few states or none where a public consensus or general agreement exists on what educated citizen means. Schools exist not only to teach skills but to mold character. (Although many object to this old-fashioned language, few Americans disagree that schools must teach an approach to life, a worldview, a moral framework. ) The culture war that has been underway since the late 60s is precisely a war over approaches to life and worldviews and moral frameworks. Our politics mirror that divide. In the 2004 presidential election, Kerry and Bush differed on politics, but stood also for two different worldviews in the larger senseKerry the globalizing man-of-the-world with his European experience versus the plainspoken, ranch-living, Bible-quoting Bush. In simplest terms, Kerry stood for globalism, Bush for Americanism. As between these divergent visions, the country split down the middle. Its pretty clear that no consensus or general agreement on the nature of education is likely to exist in a country thats so divided. Which suggests in turn that, for now, the age of the American public school is over. Obviously we shouldnt make such judgments on the basis of short-term disagreements or divisions. But Americas culture war has been underway for a generation at least. You might argue that the solution is to have two varieties of public school, roughly moderate left and moderate right, each with its own curriculum, textbooks, and standards, and its own version of a worldview or moral framework to teach children. Every neighborhood or local region would vote on left versus right local schools. In many areas such elections would be extraordinarily hard-fought and bitteryet the solution might work, except that the school establishments bias is so consistently left (and not moderate left either) that it seems unlikely we could trust it to operate moderate right schoolsor even neutral schools, if there were such a thing. (The public schools bias often shows itself in exactly the form of neutrality, as Ill discuss. If you declare yourself neutral as between America and her enemies, or normal sexuality and homosexuality, your neutrality in itself is bias. ) Of course this whole analysis might be wrong. Maybe I misunderstand the point of public schools. Was there ever a consensus in this country on what an educated citizen should be? Maybe we always have been content for the schools to speak for just one section of American society, never the whole. What would the nation look like without public schools? Nearly all existing public school buildings would be leased to private schools. All the private schools in any town or district would discuss programs and fees among themselves (which would not count as illegal price-fixing), and with the public too, via local government or town meetings. Any public school whose staff believes in it would be allowed to keep its building and reorganize on a new basis. Some large public schools, especially high schools, would reorganize as confederacies of separate schools sharing one building: a science and math school, humanities school, arts school, sports school. Many students could attend more than one simultaneously. The Internets most important role might be to help coordinate such complicated arrangements. (Though its also true that a well-designed Internet school might attract students from all over the country. ) One final question: Is there any chance that Abolition will be acted on, or even discussed? Dont hold your breath. Yet it would take just one prominent (even medium-prominent) politician or public figure to get America talking. We desperately need this national discussion. And what could be healthier for Americas public schools than to learn that they might not be immortal after all?

Emirates Airlines Pest Analysis Tourism Essay

Emirates Airlines Pest Analysis Tourism Essay In 1985 Emirates Airlines was established by Dubai Government with just two aircrafts. Today Emirates has 83 aircrafts files to 78 destinations in 55 countries worldwide. It has a large number of cabin crews from 95 nationalities. It recently made an aircraft orders worth more than $ 26 billion for 45 Airbus A380, which makes the company the worlds largest purchaser of Airbuss super-jumbo. (About Emirates) Emirates Airlines recently becomes one of the fastest growing airlines and the fifth-most-profitable airline in the world. It has been growing by more than 20% a year since the last 17 years making a profit of $637 million in 2004-05. (BBC News) Emirates Airlines is committed to achieve its mission, namely offering consistently high-quality value-for-money service and to be the best airline on all of its routes. Accordingly, it is known as an innovative and customer-oriented provider of advanced services, such as offering personal entertainment system in all classes, 18 TV channels, 22 audio channels and online booking service which enables customers to book, search for flights and choose seats. (About Emirates) Because of that excellence, it gained over 280 international awards, such as the prestigious CAPA airline of the year award 2005 by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. The airline industry is affected by political situations, namely wars and terrorism. For instance, terrorists activities in different areas globally, namely USA (11th Sep), UK, Lebanon and Qatar made the regions unattractive for tourists and business travellers and reduce the passengers traffic. The political instability affected businesses between airlines in Middle East and the world by facing a difficulty to join any international alliances with any of the airlines leaders such as American Airlines. (Growth phenomena, Nora Byman) Economical factors One of the factors behind any success airlines is having modern airports supported with latest technology to meet customers requirements. UAE for example plans to invest in developing its main airports in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The UAEs total investments on airport development over coming 20 years will exceed Dh 71 billion. The benefits of developing airports are: enhancing economy, reducing depends on oil revenues by moving into new sector (tourism), increasing tourists number and thereby driving profits to airline firms. Globally, alliance is considered as the main factor of many airlines companies success as it reduces the operation costs. Social factors Some of those factors are: increasing worlds population, tourists and number of educated people. For instance, the population is growing globally, in UAE the population in 2002 was 3,754,000 people and reached to 4,320,000 in 2004, this is because UAE is a multicultural country. As the number of expatriates is increasing, airlines firms profits will increase, because those expatriates need to travel to their homeland sometime. Additionally, many diseases influence the population in many courtiers, like Bird Flu, those killer diseases affect airline industry since they reduce populations level. (Economic Development) Technological factors The new technology affected airline industry negatively and positively. For example, the technology of teleconferencing reduced the need for face to face business meetings which affects on the number of business travellers and on the sales of business tickets. However, e-booking system makes the reservation easier and save many expenses such as reducing the printed tickets. (Current State) There is a growth in internet usage worldwide. In the UAE, internet accounts are likely to grow from 251,000 in 2001 to exceed 600,000 accounts by 2006. Thus, local airlines industry should provide online services to get competitive advantage ex. Emirates Airline. (UAE to remain on top in Arab Internet market) Internal Environment SWOT analysis Strengths Member of the Arab alliance, known as Arab Air Carriers Organization promoting cooperation, safety standards among Arab airlines (Arab Air). First airline in Arab World that offers online booking service. Offering long-haul flights, like from US to Dubai. Offering self check-in service for customers at Dubai airport (Emirates expands). At Dubai Air Show 2005, Emirates made an aircraft order of 45 Airbus by 2012 making it the worlds largest purchaser of Airbuss super-jumbo. Providing employees with training, rewards and performance programs, thus reducing labour costs and increasing employees loyalty (People). An official sponsor of 2006 Fifa World Cup, which will increase its brand awareness. It has its own Frequent Flyer Program known as Skywards Miles that shared with Sri Lankan Airways. It has recently chosen Dexterra Mobile Platform to enable front-office mobile solutions that will enhance customer service interaction (Unisys). It offers training service to other airlines in Middle East which increase its profit. Weaknesses High Operation costs due to huge investment on buying aircrafts and implementing new technologies. Known of its high prices of tickets comparing to other airlines. Not a member of any global alliances (UAE). It doesnt have a hub in Abu Dhabi airport (capital of the UAE). Young airline that was established in 1985 Opportunities The income per capita is growing in UAE. Lots of investments will be made by the government of UAE for developing main airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. There is an overall growth in the population of the world and in UAE. World Travel Tourism Council forecasts that there will be an annual growth in the number of UAE tourists. There is an expected growth in internet users worldwide and in UAE. Aviation events such as Dubai Air Show promotes for Middle East airlines among other participates worldwide airlines and show the growing of aviation industry in Middle East. Threats It is located in politically instable region and the terrorism activities have been increased in Middle East recently. Increase of aviation security costs and insurance which increase the operational costs of airlines. The increase of the fuel prices which raise the operational costs. The airline industry might face losses of around $ 3 billion if the oil prices did not reduce (IATA). New entrants and the raise of low cost airlines. The e-ticking system can be abuse by the hackers or it might be crashed by viruses, this will damage the company database and will cost a lot of money. Passengers can be a threat to the company, as they have a strong power in the airline industry. The natural crises such as the earthquake and hurricane. As mentioned by Al-Arabia channel, Dubai is threatened by an earthquake (2005). This will affect the tourism in this region, which will reflect in the Emirates airline. There is a possibility of rapid spread of new acute diseases such as SARS and Bird Flue that affect tourism and airlines. Strategic planning models There is no one perfect strategic planning model for each organization. Each organization ends up developing its own nature and model of strategic planning, often by selecting a model and modifying it as they go along in developing their own planning process. The following models provide a range of alternatives from which organizations might select an approach and begin to develop their own strategic planning process. An organization might choose to integrate the models, e.g., using a scenario model to creatively identify strategic issues and goals, and then an issues-based model to carefully strategize to address the issues and reach the goals. The following models include: basic strategic planning, issue-based (or goal-based), alignment, scenario, and organic planning. Model One Basic Strategic Planning This very basic process is typically followed by organizations that are extremely small, busy, and have not done much strategic planning before. The process might be implemented in year one of the nonprofits to get a sense of how planning is conducted, and then embellished in later years with more planning phases and activities to ensure well-rounded direction for the nonprofits. Planning is usually carried out by top-level management. The basic strategic planning process includes: Identify firms purpose (mission statement) Select the goals your organization must reach if it is to accomplish your mission Identify specific approaches or strategies that must be implemented to reach each goal Identify specific action plans to implement each strategy Monitor and update the plan Model Two Issue-Based (or Goal-Based) Planning Organizations that begin with the basic planning approach described above, often evolve to using this more comprehensive and more effective type of planning. Organizations that begin with the basic planning approach described above often evolve to using this more comprehensive and more effective type of planning. Summary of Issue-Based (or Goal-Based) Strategic Planning (Note that an organization may not do all of the following activities every year.) External/internal assessment to identify SWOT (Strengths and Weaknesses and Opportunities and Threats) Strategic analysis to identify and prioritize major issues/goals Design major strategies (or programs) to address issues/goals Design/update vision, mission and values(some organizations may do this first in planning) Establish action plans (objectives, resource needs, roles and responsibilities for implementation) Record issues, goals, strategies/programs, updated mission and vision, and action plans in a Strategic Plan document, and attach SWOT, etc. Develop the yearly Operating Plan document(from year one of the multi-year strategic plan) Develop and authorize Budget for year one(allocation of funds needed to fund year one) Conduct the organizations year-one operations Monitor/review/evaluate/update Strategic Plan document. Model Three Alignment Model The overall purpose of the model is to ensure strong alignment among the organizations mission and its resources to effectively operate the organization. This model is useful for organizations that need to fine-tune strategies or find out why they are not working. An organization might also choose this model if it is experiencing a large number of issues around internal efficiencies. Overall steps include: The planning group outlines the organizations mission, programs, resources, and needed support. Identify whats working well and what needs adjustment. Identify how these adjustments Model Four Scenario Planning This approach might be used in conjunction with other models to ensure planners truly undertake strategic thinking. The model may be useful, particularly in identifying strategic issues and goals. Select several external forces and imagine related changes which might influence the organization, e.g., change in regulations, demographic changes, etc. Scanning the newspaper for key headlines often suggests potential changes that might affect the organization. For each change in a force, discuss three different future organizational scenarios (including best case, worst case, and OK/reasonable case) which might arise with the organization as a result of each change. Reviewing the worst-case scenario often provokes strong motivation to change the organization. Suggest what the organization might do, or potential strategies, in each of the three scenarios to respond to each change. Planners soon detect common considerations or strategies that must be addressed to respond to possible external changes. Select the most likely external changes to effect the organization, e.g., over the next three to five years, and identify the most reasonable strategies the organization can undertake to respond to the change. Model Five Organic (or Self-Organizing) Planning Traditional strategic planning processes are sometimes considered mechanistic or linear, i.e., theyre rather general-to-specific or cause-and-effect in nature. For example, the processes often begin by conducting a broad assessment of the external and internal environments of the organization, conducting a strategic analysis (SWOT analysis), narrowing down to identifying and prioritizing issues, and then developing specific strategies to address the specific issues. Another view of planning is similar to the development of an organism, i.e., an organic, self-organizing process. Certain cultures, e.g., Native American Indians, might prefer unfolding and naturalistic organic planning processes more than the traditional mechanistic, linear processes. Self-organizing requires continual reference to common values, dialoguing around these values, and continued shared reflection around the systems current processes. General steps include: Clarify and articulate the organizations cultural values. Use dialogue and story-boarding techniques. Articulate the groups vision for the organization. Use dialogue and story-boarding techniques. On an ongoing basis, e.g., once every quarter, dialogue about what processes are needed to arrive at the vision and what the group is going to do now about those processes. Continually remind yourself and others that this type of naturalistic planning is never really over with, and that, rather, the group needs to learn to conduct its own values clarification, dialogue/reflection, and process updates. Be very, very patient. Focus on learning and less on method. Ask the group to reflect on how the organization will portray its strategic plans to stakeholders, etc., who often expect the mechanistic, linear plan formats. Managing risk Risk management is a process used to avoid, reduce or control risks. Some risks can be insured against, others cannot. Organisations deal with their insurable risks but can be applied to all risks. Ignoring the risks which apply to hospitality and tourism business activities or the events business have planned could impact on the following: the health and safety of employees, customers, volunteers and participants reputation, credibility and status public and customer confidence in the organisation financial position plant, equipment and the environment A systematic approach to managing risk is now regarded as good management Practice. Following is the best example from International Hilton Group (IHG). Process and framework IHG has an established risk management process and framework embedded in all regions. The long-term strategic goals are aligned with the IHG core purpose Great Hotels Guests Love and include these key elements: safety and security of guests, employees and other third parties brand strength supported by operational excellence in risk management at all hotels and corporate locations Maintenance and promotion of the reputation of the Company. Our approach has been to enable and support hotel owners, staff and corporate functions to manage risk effectively. This is accomplished by giving them a systematic approach and framework to follow and by providing them with tools to do the job. The Risk Management function aims to share specialist knowledge and capability globally. Safety and security in hotels A strategic framework for hotel safety and security has been designed for owned and managed hotels and is illustrated below showing the identified groups of risks and describing the management activities carried out to mitigate the risks. The red wheel illustrates the groups of risks which IHGs risk managers around the world work on with IHG general managers and their management teams in order to minimise the risks and keep the hotels safe. Over the years we have developed risk management strategies to assess and treat individual types of risk. This has involved developing policies, standards and guidelines, raising awareness levels, training staff on the controls and systems which have been developed for their use and reviewing and reporting upon progress and continued risks. These management activities are represented by the purple wheel.Hotel safety framework Security risks, particularly the threat of terrorism, have increased. In recent years, IHG has developed an increasingly sophisticated response that is intelligence-led and risk-based. The security risk environment is highly dynamic and needs to be managed both centrally and locally in hotels. In common with all risk strategies, there are three elements that must be developed and maintained: physical and technical systems, people capabilities and processes and procedures. Corporate risk management The management activities shown above are being adapted and applied to manage corporate risks. This initiative is led by the Executive Committee, facilitated by the Risk Management function and integrated with quarterly strategic reviews. IHGs Risk Management function has recently reviewed the way in which corporate risk and the major risks to IHG are managed and are seeking to develop a framework to improve risk management capability further, represented diagrammatically below:Corporate risk management Each year, risk identification workshops are run with the senior IHG management. The output is a Group Risk Register, divided into areas of accountability for each member of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee uses the findings to identify the major areas of risk for IHG and to assign accountability for cross-functional leadership between them. The Executive Committee prioritises and co-ordinates efforts to optimise the management of major risks to IHG. Risk owners then identify existing controls as well as the ability, benefit and cost to improve them. This work is documented in Risk Action Plans that support the risks that are reported in the Group Risk Register. Executives review the risks at quarterly strategic reviews as part of their business review with the Chief Executive and strategy team. Global Risk Management also submits periodic incident reports and two major reports each year to the Executive Committee and the Board on hotel safety and security as well as a further report on the major risks to IHG. The Internal Audit function is separately responsible for providing assurance across the Group. They report their findings to the Audit Committee. This ensures separation of duties between the Risk Management and Internal Audit functions and hence supports good governance. The Board is ultimately responsible for the Groups system of internal control and risk management and for reviewing its effectiveness. In order to discharge that responsibility, in 2008 the Board considered the most recent Major Risk Review which involved extensive consultation throughout the business. Strategy and ethics The hospitality industry is made up of many companies who are run by business people. Business people who put short-term profits ahead of concern for the long-term health of the company or who make additional profits by failing to spend the money necessary to handle toxic waste or pollution resulting from the manufacturing process, are not professionals and harm the reputation of the industry as a profession . The scandalous behaviour of some business leaders in the past decade has damaged the reputation of business with the community. The former what is good for business is good for the country has been replaced with a virulent distrust of big business. Corporate social responsibility requires organizations to demonstrate responsible business conduct that does no harm in the marketplace, in the workplace, in the community they operate in, and to the natural environment. The actions of business impact the local, national, and global community, so businesses have a responsibility to ensure that the impact is positive. Corporate Social Responsibility also involves achieving commercial success in ways that honour ethical values and respect people, communities, and the natural environment. There is no universally accepted definition of CSR, but most of the definitions have to do with business having a positive impact on the community and meeting or exceeding public expectations of good corporate citizenship. Ethics in Tourism   Ethical principals apply to all individuals, communities and societies; they also apply to all the bodies in tourism in their respective specific roles. This entails both rights and responsibilities. Concrete and specific ethical standards for behaviour and practises in tourism must follow the broad principles as outlined here. Solidarity with those who are directly and strongly affected by tourism and who suffer from unjust structures connected with tourism, and solidarity with those who need material or political and philosophical support in defending their interests and rights which are threatened by tourism development or which are ignored in decision making processes; Justice in a world tourism order, an aim which intends to change all structures of injustice that exists in the fields of economics, politics, social and cultural life; Respect of diversity in the various areas of life societies, environment, cultures, religions and politics which calls for sensitivity to difference and the practice of tolerance. Authentic information for all people involved or interested in tourism. Such authentic information is a basic need for a just world tourism order. This places a particular responsibility on the media to be objective, fair and truthful when reporting on tourism. Professionals engaged in tourism education should also promote need for authentic research and information to develop sensitised and aware personnel in tourism. In order to improve the present situation in tourism and to minimize its negative impacts, firms must urge all (nation) those involved to contribute the best of their knowledge, abilities, and skills towards a tourism that is in line with these ethical principles. The tourists board must involve the governments, other public authorities, decision makers and professionals in the field of tourism, public and private associations and institutions whose activities are related to tourism, tourists and local communities to adopt the realistic principles and work towards the mutual objectives. Strategic VS operational conflicts Just like any other business, Tourism Business planning always have a strategic and an operational element to position the strategies. In order to make the intangible and highly sensitive industry firms must be able to balance the different roles and utilize strategic and operational plans. A Strategic Plan is an organizations summary of the development process and the presentation of core directions An Operational Plan is an annual work plan explaining how the goals of the strategic plan will be implemented and what budget and processes are required. Strategic planning helps the organisation to pull back the lens, get a big picture view and consider future scenarios. It gives you the best opportunity to maintain control, avoid serious pitfalls and capture opportunities. Thinking strategically about business involves creating a vision for where you want to be in 2, 5 or 10 years, Strategic planning is not just for big companies and has benefits no matter what the goals. The defined goals might include increasing the sales or market share. Goals may also include environmental and sustainability targets or to sell the business. Operational planning focuses tightly on the day to day operations with no more than a 12 month cycle. Depending on the farms activities, the manager might want to further break things down to daily, weekly, monthly or seasonal active. Operational planning focuses on adjusting and developing controls, increasing efficiencies and reducing time and investment. Conclusion and Recommendation The airline industry is a huge market as there are 900 airlines companies internationally with total of nearly 22,000 aircrafts, nevertheless it has a low growth rates as it is in its mature stage of life cycle. (The economic social benefits of air transport). For any new entry the airline industry is considered to be unattractive, because the demand is low, the competition is strong and the operation costs are increasing. However, for Emirates Airlines it is attractive as its strategy and market position creates a good defence against its competitor. For example, it created a strong brand name and customer loyalty in the market by implementing the latest technologies in its services to be positioned as a pioneer in the airline field. It also achieves high profits yearly as it focuses proficiently to enhance its market position by differentiating in its strategies that would be used to attract customers such as flyer frequent program. Also, it has many chances to overcome with all the obstacles that might occur and affect the airline industry such as political or economical problems, etc. as it is a member in Emirates Group which enables sharing resources and reducing the companys expenses, thus leading the company to protect its position in the market. Overall, Emirates has a great market position plus its a profitable airline which is measured as a competitive advantage, since it has the opportunity to compete and expand its business to gain higher profits. Emirates Airlines adopts differentiation generic strategy to gain a competitive advantage amongst its competitors by offering the highest quality services in order to be the best company in the market and differentiates from its competitors. For example, Emirates airlines was the first airline that offered TV screen for all aircrafts classes. Also it was the first company in the Middle East to serve the e-ticketing. In addition, it gained a competitive advantage by focusing in new segments in the market. For instance, it provides another airline companies such as Qatar Airways with training courses by using the most modern machines, called plane simulator to be the only company in the Middle East that offers such service. The aim of such changes is to be the leader in industry by increasing the brand name awareness regionally and internationally which will increase the demand and the profit as well. As the Airline industry is in the maturity stage, there is a strong competition between airline firms. Each firm should use offensive strategies besides doing analysis for internal and external factors that may affect its position. The research and analysis for Emirates airlines address following recommendations: The operational cost is increasing due to huge investments of Emirates on aircrafts and services and increase in fuel prices. Emirates should reduce the costs by making operational improvements, namely improving maintenance processes, maintaining high aircraft utilization and making effective flight scheduling. It could also be reduced by investing technology in distribution channels to reduce labour costs. In response to the threat of low cost airlines, Emirates shouldnt lower its fares after years of offering advanced services, instead it has to offer new low cost brand as a subsidiary of Emirates group serving economic travellers who are now customers of new low cost airlines, thus expanding the market share. Extending routes is recommended especially there is a growth in tourism UAE. There are main regions in the world that Emirates do not have routes in, namely Canada, It has to extend destinations worldwide (especially attractive areas). Joining a global alliance enables increasing its destinations, offering more fare options for customers helping to solve problems of new low cost airline. Investigating technology is recommended for improving customer service and Emirates has to sign contract with an e-business company that offers airlines technology solutions. Generally, Emirates should do analysis for internal and external factors and its competitors and develop new strategies to stay competitive in the maturity stage.

A Glorious Plan :: essays research papers fc

M@ Hix A Glorious Plan When Germany was under a monetary crisis after having to pay reparations for World War I, people had turned to Adolf Hitler. He made promises of restoring Germany to its original form and many people were willing to support him. However, the failure of the Munich Putsch in 1923 had failed and had led to his imprisonment. Here, Hitler wrote a book, Mein Kampf, where he introduced his ideology of Germany, his aims and ambitions. (Giblin, 156) In January 1933, when Hitler was appointed chancellor and soon became sole dictator of Germany. He then put his aims to action. Hitler had three main aims in preparing Germany for war. His first goal was to tear up the Treaty of Versailles, which brought an end to WWI. This treaty blamed Germany for starting the war; it took away large amounts of land, money and materials from her, and cut her armed forces down to a minimum. (Hitler, 135) Hitler’s second aim was to unite all Germans into one single country. As there was millions of Germans scattered in neighboring countries such as Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland, these countries would have to be brought under his control. (Ibid, 302) His third aim was to provide Germany with what he called â€Å"lebenstraum† or living space. He said that Germany was overcrowded and did not have enough food or raw materials for her needs. All three of these aims could only be achieved if Germany rearmed, massively increasing her armed forces. (Ibid, 370) Hitler fulfilled these aims by rearming Germany. In 1934, only a year after Hitler had come to power, he gave out a top-secret order for the armed forces to expand. The number was to increase from 100,000 to 300,000 men. The navy was to build two pocket battleships and six submarines. (Bailey, 78) Goering was to create an air force and secretly train pilots in civilian flying clubs. These were all forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles. (Kershaw, 147) In 1935, all was revealed when Hitler re-introduced conscription and that the army would be built up to 550,000 men. Three countries, Britain, France and Italy, signed an agreement condemning Hitler’s announcement. But no country took military action to stop this breach of the Treaty of Versailles. In 1936, Hitler ordered his army to march into the Rhineland. The Versailles treaty forbade the German army from going within 50 km of the River Rhine, so Hitler’s order was a deliberate challenge to this treaty.

Maxims and Masks: The Epigram in The Importance of Being Earnest Essay

Maxims and Masks: The Epigram in "The Importance of Being Earnest" Oscar Wilde frames "The Importance of Being Earnest" around the paradoxical epigram, a skewering metaphor for the play's central theme of division of truth and identity that hints at a homosexual subtext. Other targets of Wilde's absurd yet grounded wit are the social conventions of his stuffy Victorian society, which are exposed as a "shallow mask of manners" (1655). Aided by clever wordplay, frantic misunderstanding, and dissonance of knowledge between the characters and the audience, devices that are now staples of contemporary theater and situation comedy, "Earnest" suggests that, especially in "civilized" society, we all lead double lives that force upon us a variety of postures, an idea with which the closeted (until his public charge for sodomy) homosexual Wilde was understandably obsessed. The play's initial thrust is in its exploration of bisexual identities. Algernon's and Jack's "Bunburys" initially function as separate geographic personas for the city and country, simple escapes from nagging social obligations. However, the homoerotic connotations of the punning name (even the double "bu"'s, which serve mostly an alliterative purpose, insinuate a union of similarities, and "Bunbury" rhymes with "buggery," British slang for sodomy) flare up when paired with Algernon's repeated assaults on marriage: ALGERNON. "...She will place me next to Mary Farquhar, who always flirts with her own husband across the dinner table. That is not very pleasant. Indeed, it is not even decent ... and that sort of thing is enormously on the increase. The amount of women in London who flirt with their own husbands is perfectly scandalous. It looks so bad. It i... ... he was inextricably associated but from which he could just as easily distance himself via a pithy saying, but he treats the tension of homosexuality, his own mask, more seriously. Jack is never ready to admit his entrance into the Bunbury underworld, and we never learn from Algernon the necessary rules of conduct. The personification of homosexuality as a character's double is not surprising - some critics argue that Dr. Jekyl's evil counterpart, Mr. Hyde, has some homosexual leanings - as such a controversial and, perhaps, embarrassing topic can be more easily disguised and obscured in the murky depths of the doppelganger tale. Today, with scientific evidence backing an opinion that places individuals' sexual preferences on a sliding scale from full heterosexuality to full homosexuality, the simple bifurcated view of sexuality in literature may soon be obsolete.

Mosquito :: essays research papers

In the article â€Å"The Mosquito in the Net,† author Marc Gunther explores the impact of a small environmental group, Rainforest Action Network, on corporate giants such as Citigroup, Home Depot, Ford, and others. Gunther provides examples of how corporations are influenced by RAN’s less than conventional campaigns and how corporate environmental polices are changed in response. By applying the six theories, one can gain a better understanding of how RAN’s tactics are justified and effective. The utilitarian theory seeks the greatest good for the greatest number of people. In the article, the effort of RAN to hold corporations to a higher environmental standard appears to support the utilitarian theory. For example, RAN targeted Citigroup for its support of logging, mining, and oil-drilling projects due to the impact on rainforests, indigenous people, and the acceleration of global warming (Gunther, 2). Global warming, although a very long term problem, clearly has a world wide impact. Thus, by applying a utilitarian approach it appears that the greatest good for the greatest number of people is met by RAN’s efforts to stop global warming. Under the rights theory, consumers and corporations have the right to choose. Consumers must have the ability of choosing what is good or what is bad, without influence from third parties (Weiss, 88). From the article, it appears that RAN is a third party influencing both corporate decisions. For instance, RAN turned buyers against Boise Paper in order to influence where and how Boise purchases wood for their production of paper (Gunther, 4). However, most Americans have a low regard for big business, and most believe that RAN’s efforts are protecting the environment, thus RAN is essentially protecting the consumers’ rights from big business (Gunter, 3). The justice theory states that one must verify whether RAN’s efforts to influence corporate policy and decisions are a violation of the law (Weiss, 87). With a budget of $2.4 million and a staff under 30, RAN has to resort to some unique techniques to influence corporations that rank on the Fortune 500. These techniques include street theater, internet organizing, celebrity endorsement, and others, all for the purpose of bothering corporations until they give in (Gunther, 2). As long as the tactics used by RAN are legal, they are justified under the justice theory. The application of the free market theory assumes that as long as corporate action is not breaking any law; no interference by the government is essential (Weiss, 168).

The Stupidest Angel Chapter 10

Chapter 10 LOVE, KICKED TO THE CURB â€Å"You did what?† Lena said, then adding, â€Å"And take that bat off your head, it's unnerving to have a hat looking at you like that.† â€Å"Like what?† Tuck said. â€Å"Don't change the subject. You blackmailed Theo Crowe?† She was pacing her kitchen. Tuck sat at the counter, wearing a gold oxford-cloth shirt that complemented the bat on his head while accentuating the sea blue of his eyes. The bat, for once, wasn't wearing sunglasses. â€Å"Not really. It was only sort of implied. He'd figured out that I'd been in your ex-husband's truck. He knew. Now he'll just forget it.† â€Å"He may not. He may have some integrity, unlike some people.† â€Å"Hey, hey, hey. Let's not point the finger here, my ex is still living well in the Caymans on money that I rightfully stole from an organ-smuggling doctor, while yours, need I remind you –  » â€Å"Dale's death was an accident. Everything since then, all this craziness, has been your doing. You come into my life at the worst possible moment, like you had a plan all along, and things have gone more and more out of control. Now you're blackmailing my friends. Tucker, are you insane?† â€Å"Sure.† â€Å"Sure? Just like that? Sure, you're insane?† â€Å"Sure, everyone is. If you think anyone is sane you just don't know enough about them. The key – and this is very relevant in our case – is to find someone whose insanity dovetails with your own. Like us.† He flashed what Lena thought was supposed to be a charming grin, which was somewhat defused by his trying to untangle one of Roberto's wing claws from his hair. Lena turned from him and leaned against the counter in front of the dishwasher, hoping to steel herself for what she had to do. Unfortunately Tuck had just run a load of dishes and the steam from the vent in front was streaming through her thin skirt and making her feel inappropriately moist for righteous indignation. She spun around with resolve and allowed the dishwasher to steam her backside as she made her pronouncement. â€Å"Look, Tucker, you are a very attractive man†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She took a deep breath on the pause. â€Å"No way. You're breaking up with me?† â€Å"And I do like you, despite the situation –  » â€Å"Oh, right, you don't want to have anything to do with an attractive guy who you like, heaven forbid – ; â€Å"Would you shut up!† The bat barked at her tone. â€Å"You, too, fur face! Look, in another time and place, maybe. But you're too – I'm too – you just accept things too easily. I need –  » â€Å"Your anxiety?† â€Å"Would you please let me finish?† â€Å"Sure, go ahead.† He nodded. The bat, now on his shoulder, nodded as well. Lena had to look away. â€Å"And your bat is freaking me out.† â€Å"Yeah, well, you should have been around when he used to talk.† â€Å"Out! Tucker! I need you out of my life. I have too much to deal with – you are too much to deal with.† â€Å"But the sex, it was great, it was – ; â€Å"I understand if you want to go to the authorities – I may even go myself – but this just isn't right.† Tucker Case hung his head. Roberto the fruit bat hung his head. Tucker Case looked at the fruit bat, who, in turn, looked at Lena, as if to say, Well, I hope you ‘re happy, you broke his heart. â€Å"I'll get my stuff,† Tuck said. Lena was crying, and she didn't want to be crying, but she was. She watched Tuck pick up his things around the house and stuff them into a flight bag, wondering how he had spread so much crap around her house in only two days. Men, they were always marking territory. He paused at the door and looked back. â€Å"I'm not going to go to the authorities. I'm just going to go.† Lena rubbed her forehead as if she had a headache but mainly to cover her tears. â€Å"Okay, then.† â€Å"I'm going, then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Good-bye, Tucker.† â€Å"You won't have anyone to sex up under the Christmas tree†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lena looked up. â€Å"Jeez, Tuck.† â€Å"Okay. I'm going now.† And he did. Lena Marquez went into her bedroom to call her friend Molly. Maybe crying over the phone to a girlfriend would bring a sense of normalcy back into her life. Sour Nerds? Cinnamon Geeks? Or Gummy Boogers? Sam Applebaum's mom was picking out a ;nice; reasonably priced Cabernet, and Sam was allowed one item of candy from the rack at Brine's Bait, Tackle, and Fine Wines. Of course the Boogers would last the longest, but they were all mundane green-apple finish, while the Nerds proffered a fruity variety and an impudent little top note of tang. Cinnamon Geeks had a rich nose and a bit of a bite up front, but their tiny certified-public-accountant shape betrayed their bourgeois origins. Sam was learning wine words. He was seven and he very much enjoyed unnerving adults with his wine-word vocabulary. Hanukkah had just ended and there had been a lot of dinners at Sam's house over the last week, with a lot of wine talk, and Sam had joyfully freaked out a whole table of his relatives by pronouncing after the blessing that the Manischewitz blackberry (the only wine he was allowed to taste) was a â€Å"tannacious little cunt of a red, but not without a certain buttery geranium charm.† (He finished dinner in his room over that one – but it was tannacious. Philistines.) â€Å"You are one of the Chosen?† said a voice up and to the right of Sam. â€Å"I destroyed the Canaanites so your people would have a homeland.† He looked up and saw a man with long blond hair wearing a long black duster. A jolt went through Sam like he'd just licked a battery. This was the guy that had scared his friend Josh so badly. He looked around and saw his mom was in the back of the store with Mr. Masterson, the owner. â€Å"Can I get these with this?† asked the man. He had three candy bars in one hand, and a small silver coin about the size of a dime in the other. The coin looked very old. â€Å"That's a foreign coin. I don't think they take it.† The man nodded thoughtfully and looked very sad at the news. â€Å"But Nestle's Crunch is a fine choice,† said Sam, trying to buy time, and keep the guy from going off on him. â€Å"A bit naive, but an undergrowth of ambergris and walnut gives it legs.† Sam looked around for his mom again. She was still talking wine with Mr. Masterson, flirting about it – Sam could be cut up in pieces and put away in freezer bags and she wouldn't notice. Maybe he could get the guy to leave. â€Å"Look, they aren't looking. Why don't you just take them?† â€Å"I can't,† said the blond man. â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"Because no one has told me to.† Oh no. This guy looked like a grown-up, but actually he had the mind of a dumb little kid inside. Like that guy in Sling Blade, or the president. â€Å"Then I'll tell you to, okay?† Sam said. â€Å"Go ahead. Take them. You'd better get going, though. It's going to rain.† Sam couldn't remember ever talking to an adult like this before. The blond man looked at his candy bars, then at Sam. â€Å"Thank you. Peace on Earth, goodwill toward men. Merry Christmas.† â€Å"I'm Jewish, remember? We don't celebrate Christmas. We celebrate Hanukkah, the miracle of the lights.† â€Å"Oh, that wasn't a miracle.† â€Å"Sure it was.† â€Å"No, I remember. Someone snuck in and put more oil in the lamp. But I will grant a Christmas miracle tomorrow. I must go.† With that, the blond man backed away, hugging his candy bars to his chest. â€Å"Shalom, child.† And in an instant he was just gone. â€Å"Great!† Sam said. â€Å"Just great. Throw that in my face!† Kendra – the Warrior Babe of the Outland, combat mistress of the hot-oil arena, slayer of monsters, menace to mutants, scourge of the sand pirates, sworn protector of the cud-beast herdsmen of Lan, and intramural Blood Champion of the Termite People (mounds seven through twelve inclusive) – enjoyed cheese. So it came to pass, on that twenty-third of December, with her noodles wet and congealing in the colander, that she did raise her well-muscled arm to the sky and call the wrath of all the Furies down upon her higher power, Nigoth the Worm God, for allowing her to leave the mozzarella at the Thrifty-Mart checkout counter. But the gods do not concern themselves in the affairs of lasagna, so the sky did not explode with vengeful fire (or at least not that she could see from the kitchen window) to incinerate the mingy god who would dare desert her in her most dire hour of cheese. What happened was nothing at all. â€Å"Curse be unto yon, Nigoth! Would that my blade was not broken, I would track you to the ends of the Outland and sever your thousand and one eyestalks, just to make sure I got your favorite. Then I would feed them raw to the most heinous –  » Then the phone rang. â€Å"Helloo,† Molly sang sweetly. â€Å"Molly?† Lena said. â€Å"You sound out of breath. Are you okay?† â€Å"Quick, think of something,† said the Narrator, â€Å"Don't tell her what you were doing.† The Narrator had been with Molly almost constantly for the last two days, mostly an irritation, except that he had remembered how much oregano and thyme to use in the red sauce. Nevertheless, she knew that he was a sign she needed to get back on her meds ASAP. â€Å"Oh, yeah, I'm fine, Lena. Just buffing the muffin. You know, gray afternoon, storm coming in, Theo's a mutant – I thought I'd cheer myself up.† There was a long silence on the line, and Molly wondered if she'd sounded convincing. â€Å"Completely convincing,† said the Narrator. â€Å"If I wasn't here, I'd swear you were still doing it.† â€Å"You're not here!† Molly said. â€Å"Pardon?† said Lena. â€Å"Molly, I can call back if this is a bad time.† â€Å"Oh, no, no, no. I'm okay. Just making lasagna.† â€Å"I've never heard it called that before.† â€Å"For the party.† â€Å"Oh, right. How's it going?† â€Å"I forgot the mozzarella. Paid for it, then left it at the check stand.† She looked at the three cartons of ricotta sitting on the counter, mocking her. Soft cheeses could be so smug. â€Å"I'll go pick it up and bring it over.† â€Å"No!† Molly felt a jolt of adrenaline at the thought that she'd have to push through a long girlfriend session with Lena. Things were getting so blurry between Pine Cove and the Outland. â€Å"I mean, it's okay. I can do it. I enjoy cheese – shopping for cheese.† Molly heard a sniffle on the other end of the line. â€Å"Mol, I really need to help you with the goddamn lasagna, okay? Really.† â€Å"Well, she sounds as nutty as you are,† said the Narrator. Molly swatted at the air to shut him up – did a finger-to-lip emphatic rocking shush mime. â€Å"She's a crisis junkie if I ever saw one.† â€Å"I need to talk to someone,† Lena said with a sniff. â€Å"I broke up with Tucker.† â€Å"Oh, I'm so sorry, Lena. Who's Tucker?† â€Å"The pilot I was seeing.† â€Å"The guy with the bat? You just met him, didn't you? Take a bath. Eat some ice cream. You've known him two days, right?† â€Å"We shared a lot.† â€Å"Cowboy up, Lena. You fucked him and kicked him to the curb. It's not like he stole your design for a coldfusion reactor. You'll be okay.† â€Å"Molly! It's Christmas. You're supposed to be my friend.† Molly nodded at the phone, then realized that Lena couldn't hear her. True, she wasn't being a very good friend. After all, she was sworn protector of the cud-beast herdsmen of Lan, as well as a member of the Screen Actors Guild, it was her duty to pretend she cared about her friend's problems. â€Å"Bring the cheese,† she said. â€Å"We'll be here.† â€Å"We?† â€Å"Me. Bring the cheese, Lena.† Theo Crowe showed up at Brine's Bait, Tackle, and Fine Wines just in time to miss everything. Robert Masterson, the owner of Brine's, had called him as soon as he'd seen the mysterious blond man talking to Sam Applebaum, and Theo had rushed right over, only to find that there was nothing to find. The blond guy hadn't hurt or threatened Sam, and the boy seemed fine, except that he kept babbling about changing his religion and becoming a Rastafarian like his cousin Preston who lived on Maui. Theo realized midway through the interview that he was not the guy to enumerate the reasons why one should not spend his life smoking dope and surfing like Sam's cousin Preston because he: (A) had never learned to surf, and (B) didn't have the foggiest idea how Rastafarianism worked, and (C) would eventually have to use the argument: And look at what a complete loser I am – you don't want that for yourself, do you, Sam? He left the scene feeling even more useless than he had after the verb al bitch-slapping he'd taken from the pilot at Lena Marquez's house. When Theo pulled into his driveway at lunchtime, hoping he might be able to patch things up with Molly and get some sympathy and a sandwich, he saw Lena's truck parked in front of the cabin and his heart sank. He debated shuffling over to the commercial pot patch and smoking a sticky bud before going in, but that sounded an awful lot like the behavior of an addict, and he was simply on a little slide from grace, not a blowout. Still, he came through the door humbled, not sure at all how he was going to handle Lena, who might be a murderer, let alone Molly. â€Å"Traitor!† Molly said from over a pan of noodles she was layering into a pan with sauce, meat, and cheese. She had sauce on her hands up to her elbows and looked like she'd been engaged in some very messy surgery. The back door out of the kitchen had slammed shut as he came in. â€Å"Where's Lena?† Theo said. â€Å"She went out the back. Why, are you afraid she'll reveal your secret?† Theo shrugged and approached his wife, his arms out to the side in a â€Å"gimme a break† gesture. Why was it that when she was angry her teeth looked really sharp? He never noticed that any other time. â€Å"Mol, I was just doing it so I could get you something for Christmas – I didn't mean to – ; â€Å"Oh, I don't care about that – you're investigating Lena. My friend Lena. You just went to her house like she's a criminal or something. It's the radiation, isn't it?† â€Å"There's evidence, Molly. And it's not that I got high. I found fruit-bat hairs in Dale's truck and her boyfriend has a fruit bat. And the little Barker kid said – † Theo heard a car start up outside. â€Å"I should talk to her.† â€Å"Lena wouldn't hurt anyone. She brought me cheese for Christmas, for Christ's sake. She's a pacifist.† â€Å"I know that, Molly. I'm not saying that she hurt anyone, but I need to find out –  » â€Å"Besides, some fuckers just need killing!† â€Å"Did she tell you – ; â€Å"I think it's the pot that makes you reveal your mutant self.† She had a lasagna noodle in her hand and was waving it at him. It sort of looked like she was shaking a living creature, but then, he was still a little buzzed. â€Å"Molly, what are you talking about, ‘my mutant self'? Are you taking your meds?† â€Å"How dare you accuse me of being crazy. That's worse than if you asked me if it was my time of the month, which it isn't, by the way. But I can't believe that you'd imply that I need to be medicated. You mutant bastard!† She flung the noodle at him and he ducked. â€Å"You do need to be medicated, you crazy bitch!† Theo didn't deal well with violence, even in the form of soggy semolina, but after the initial outburst, he immediately lost the will to fight. â€Å"I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking. Let's just – ; â€Å"Fine!† Molly said. She wiped her hands on a dish towel, then tossed it at him. In dodging it, he felt like he was moving in blurred bullet time in the Matrix, but in truth he was just a tall guy who was a little baked and the towel would have missed him anyway. Molly stomped through the little house, into their bedroom, and dropped to the floor on the far side of the bed. â€Å"Molly, you okay?† She came up holding a package the size of a shoe box wrapped in Christmas paper with a few dust bunnies clinging to it. She held it out to him. â€Å"Here. Take it and go. I don't want to see you, traitor. Go.† Theo was stunned. Was she leaving him? Asking him to leave her? How had this gone so wrong so fast? â€Å"I don't want to go. I'm having a really bad day, Molly. I came home hoping to find a little sympathy.† â€Å"Yeah? Okay. Here you go. Aw, poor stoned Theo, I'm so sorry that you have to investigate my best friend the day before Christmas Eve when you could be out playing in an illegal pot patch that looks like the jungle plateau of the gibbon people.† She held out his present and he took it. What the hell was she talking about? â€Å"So it is about the victory garden?† â€Å"Open it,† she said. She didn't say a word more. She put a hand on her hip and fixed him with that â€Å"I am so going to kick your ass or fuck your brains out† look that excited and terrified him, as he wasn't always sure which way she would go with it, only that she was going to get satisfaction one way or the other and he was going to be sore the next day because of it. It was a Warrior Babe look, and he realized fully, then, that she was having an episode. She probably really was off her meds. This had to be handled just right. He backed away a few steps and tore the paper off the package. Inside was a white box with the silver seal of a very exclusive local glassblower, and inside that, wrapped in blue tissue, was the most beautiful bong he'd ever seen. It was like something out of the Art Nouveau era, only fashioned from modern materials, blue-green dichromatic glass with ornate silver branches running through it that gave it the appearance of walking through a forest as he turned it in his hand. The bowl and handle, which fit his hand perfectly, appeared to be cast of solid silver with the same organic tree-branch design seeming to leap right out of the glass. This had to have been made just for him, with his tastes in mind. He felt himself tearing up and blinked back the tears. â€Å"It's beautiful.† â€Å"Uh-huh,† Molly said. â€Å"So you can see it's not your garden that bothers me. It's just you.† â€Å"Molly, I only want to talk to Lena. Her boyfriend threatened to blackmail me. I was only growing – ; â€Å"Take it and go,† Molly said. â€Å"Honey, you need to call Dr. Val, maybe see if she'll see you –  » â€Å"Get out, goddammit. You don't tell me to see the shrink. Get out!† It was no use. Not now, anyway. Her voice had hit the Warrior Babe frenzy pitch – he recognized it from the times he'd taken her to the county hospital before they'd become involved as lovers. When she'd just been the town's crazy lady. She'd lose it if he pressed her any more. â€Å"Fine. I'll go. But I'll call you, okay?† She just gave him that look. â€Å"It's Christmas†¦Ã¢â‚¬  One last try maybe. The look. â€Å"Fine. Your present is on the top shelf in the closet. Merry Christmas.† He dug some underwear and socks out of the drawer, grabbed a few shirts out of the closet, and headed out the front door. She slammed it hard enough behind him to break one of the windows. The glass hitting the sidewalk sounded like a summary of his whole life.