Operations management unit 9 project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Operations management unit 9 project - Essay Example The companys employee base, including those that work for the companys franchises has reached 130,000 by 1998. In 1998, Radissons president Brian Stage, and executive vice president Maureen OHanion, has been contemplating major change in the companys operations in order to gain competitive edge. The two executives think of adopting a different brand strategy which promises higher quality of service across all Radisson hotels. Commitment to improving the service quality and achieving higher customer satisfaction is something that the two executives see that Radisson needs in order to secure its position in the industry. The companys service guarantee should be defined in the following manner: â€Å"let us know if there is a problem and well have it fixed; otherwise, your accommodation is free.† This shows the companys strong commitment to provide excellent service that if the customer is not satisfied, then the service becomes free. This guarantee does not serve to reward picky and troublesome customers, but to convince the customers about the message the company is trying to convey with regard to its commitment to improving service quality, similar to the following manner: â€Å"the company will try to do its best to please you, and if you are not pleased then well shoulder the fees, as part of the cost of your dissatisfaction.† In order to implement this, the company has to gain the support of the different stakeholders such as owners, managers and front-line employees. By knowing that a dissatisfied customer costs a lot to the company and may affect their interests being stakeholders of the company, commitment to customer satisfaction can be strengthened. Improving the companys service quality cannot be cost-effective without information technology. As stated in the case (Schroeder 458), the two information systems are key to

Literature Review -why we went to war in Iraq Research Paper

Literature Review -why we went to war in Iraq - Research Paper Example Hussein, indiscriminate killing, large-scale unemployment, loss of basic infrastructure, lack of law-enforcement, and armed resistance, made the country’s future appear bleak. This is particularly true for the most vulnerable sections of Iraqi society: the children, women and old people (Ismael, 2007). The classical Just War tradition with ethical criteria for pre-emptive war, is not adequately filled by the Bush Administration’s use of military force in the attack it led against Iraq, as part of the war against global terrorism. The doctrine of pre-emptive war in the case of Iraq fails vital ethical tests (Wester 20). The theoretical framework of the doctrine of Just War related to the concept of an unavoidable war to protect humanitarian rights, forms a useful tool for analysis. The doctrine includes international laws on the use of armed force in combat. â€Å"Beyond strict assessments of the legality of war, Just War doctrine is concerned with the broader notion of justice† (Enemark & Michaelson 545). The Just War doctrine is based on the principle that the inevitable death and destruction caused by war results in the burden of proof falling on those who advocate the use of armed force. The two dimensions to Just War doctrine are: jus ad bellum or the justice of going to war, and jus in bello or the just conduct of war. The six interconnected jus ad bellum criteria combine together to make the going to war a fair intervention. They are: â€Å"Just Cause, Right Authority, Right Intention, Reasonable Prospect of Success, Proportionate Cause, and War as a Last Resort† (Enemark & Michaelson 545). Flint & Falah (p.1379) support the view that America’s construction of a Just War was deceptively based on â€Å"prime morality† by functioning at the level of individuals and humankind rather than at interstate power politics. The researchers found that the geographic assumptions of just war theory could not apply in the case of Iraq, and they explain the hegemonic

History on russia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History on russia - Essay Example having spent money and drunk liquor out of dullness because he yearns to be back home, confessing further â€Å"we weren’t wealthy, but things went properly – we lived well.† Avdeev’s living entails sacrifice for he accepts the fate that is originally meant for his brother who could not afford to leave his family. It is at that state of character when Avdeev encounters Murad and another Chechen, Bata, who both must be accompanied to the prince. Neither Murad nor Bata bears weapon or a sign of intention to combat with the Russian soldiers, instead, they emerge to confront them with humble countenances. Upon his return with Bondarenko, Avdeev enthusiastically tells â€Å"And do you know, mates, those shaven-headed lads are fine!† in reference to Murad and Bata. According to Avdeev, â€Å"Yes, really – What a talk I had with them! Such a good talk we had! Such nice fellows!†. Eventually, it may be inferred herein that despite their conspicuous differences as Chechen and Russian who generally treat each other as enemies at the time, Avdeev and Murad quite reflect a common object – that of being drawn to mundane rather than military life, where both are inclined to settle toward the heart of peace. Even if Murad is embodied in the narrative as a thorny thistle of the field by the author, his becoming a separatist guerrilla who chooses to detach from the command of Shamil occurs to bother not Avdeev’s good view of him as a fine fellow though his presence ought to threaten the aoul village at the knowledge that Murad is in secret keeping of Sado at its expense. In other words, Murad’s existence alludes pursuit of hostility, while the two warring territories have not come to reconcile terms by which their conflict persist. However, Avdeev perceives beyond such conflict and sees Murad as a man that could remind him of a family he longs to be reunited with. Hence, this should justify a personal decision to understand the case of Murad rather than hold his

Management skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Management skills - Essay Example As evaluated, the areas of greatest strengths are in: developing self-awareness; communicating supportively; motivating others; managing conflict (especially in the areas of responding and mediating); as well as in building effective teams, teamwork; and leading positive change. The only identified areas where improvements are needed are in the areas of managing stress (eliminating stressors and developing resiliency); in rational problem solving; and in delegating. The score given by one’s associates generated 400 which likewise categorizes me also under the second quartile. This confirms my initial reaction that I was actually viewed by colleagues and associates to have basically the same management skills as I personally perceived. The small variance could be rationalized from one’s greater understanding of personal skills; as opposed to the understanding of others. Upon comparison, associates provided marginally lesser scores in the areas of stress management and leading teams. Further, some questions regarding the ability to motivate others generated variance in terms of identifying personal ability to address other people’s needs and drives. The marginal variance was noted in the area of stress management: I rated myself as score of 28 as opposed to associate’s rating of 23. It could be explained that the variance was due to one’s personal perception that managing stress was differently viewed by others. When faced with stressful or time pressured situations, I tend to give the best possible way of coping and adjusting to the situations. However, those who know me well acknowledge that although I fair well and have manifested more than above average in addressing and managing stressful scenarios, I believe I still am the one who would determine the accuracy in assessing coping with stressful or time pressured situations. In the area of leading

Historical essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Historical - Essay Example ample, many businesses flourished in the 1920s as subsequent governments adopted the pro-business stance leading to the growth of industries in the manufacturing, aviation, automobile and chemical sectors. In fact, automobile production per year increased threefold, leading to more than 50% of American households owning cars (Foner 610). In my opinion, true American entrepreneurship was born in the 1920s. That is, American entrepreneurship where tenacity, grit, street smarts, education, ambition and opportunity could lead to success on a far wider scale than ever imagined before in a capitalistic system. Many of the entrepreneurs found today have partly modelled their success in accordance to some of the entrepreneurs found in the 1920s. For example, the Prohibition era provided an opportunity for many individuals to become rich. For those who owned establishments such as speakeasies or those responsible for bootlegging, a lot of money was made. The period also witnessed massive rural to urban migration as farmers form the Southern states migrated to cities such as Los Angeles to work in textile and automobile industries, while others found employment opportunities in Hollywood. Indeed, everyone wanted a piece of the American dream (Foner 613). Even though there was far more rampant public corruption in the 1920s as gangs and criminals bribed city officials, the ability to spot an opportunity and utilize it to its maximum, is a trait that is seen today, as companies and multinationals try to exploit every little opportunity for profit. In the 1920s, liquor and prostitution based businesses reaped millions of profits in dollars. However, it was not just illegal business that flourished, even legal ones such as multinationals gained footholds in international markets, marking a shift from Internationalism to Isolationism (Foner 618). The celebrity culture present today also has its roots in the 1920s. As more people began to adopt more lax economic principles,

Tourism Planning Discussion Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Tourism Planning Discussion Paper - Essay Example Tourism industry seeks to renew the development process, stimulate a country’s economy, encourage the preservation of the cultural heritage and create international peace and harmony. The tourism industry generates potential employment opportunities on a large scale. It pays homage to all the countries in the world characterized by diverse culture and symbolism. Tourism industry is also represented as the multicomponent industry with different industries of economic importance interlinked inextricably. The greatest contribution to this Industry comes from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and World Trade Organization (WTO). There are innumerable political and economical challenges faced by the global tourism industry extending from the terrorism threats to the global recession and that of the Communist Eastern Bloc. The positive impact of tourism clearly justifies the tourism development while the negative impacts of the environment stimulate the need for better and fresh tourism planning (Trade-wings Institute Of Management, 2000). The trend followed by the tourism development range from the systematic approach to those of contemporary ones. According to Waterson and Rose, Planning is a complex and ambiguous process. The concept of Physical Planning existed from the early centuries. According to Branch, â€Å"cities in India as early as 3000 B.C were divided into the square blocks, oriented to the cardinal points and laid out to allow the circulation between them†. In United Kingdom, the planning was in practice for two centuries as pointed by Cherry. The physical layout plan dates back to Greek and Roman. The physical and social illness caused due to industrialization led to the stimulation for planning in England. With the addition of social and economic dimension to planning, emerged the concept of tourism planning. Jafari observed and acknowledged the fact of changing professional and popular meaning of tourism. Now

Hills Like White Elephants Essay Example for Free

Hills Like White Elephants Essay In ‘‘Hills Like White Elephants,’’ Ernest Hemingway reformulates and reassesses his own experiences in terms of male-female relationships and decisions about childbearing. The story bears clear marks of autobiographical inspiration, and Hemingway chose a rather odd time to write it: his honeymoon with his second wife Pauline. The author would marry four times in total during his sixty-one years, and ‘‘Hills With White Elephants’’ reveals some of his inner conflicts about intimacy. Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway is a short story that provokes not only the readers intellect but also his/ her moral stand. There were critical moral issues addressed in this story; abortion, teenage pregnancy, and morality to name a few. hemingway also used symbols to enrich the text. The color-white, elephants and hills basically emphasized the PREGNANCY issue in the story. Also, we can say that the setting and the conversations added the beauty of the work. It may sound so simple but Hemingway has his way of simplicity. Keep in mind the era in which the story was written: the 1920s. Social mores were much more conservative then, and there was little public or private aid for unwed pregnant women or single mothers. Spain in the 1920s was strictly Roman Catholic, and the only acceptable options for Jig would have been marriage or adoption. Another issue is abandonment. The man is an American, but is Jig? Does Hemingway tell us? Even if she persuades him to marry her, there is the possibility that he may just leave her. What kind of life would the child have if the couple did marry and have the baby? Would the parents drink too much? Would they argue and fight? Would the man resent the child and make his feelings obvious? I hope these musings help you! (cited in e-notes. com) In typical Hemingway fashion, this short story leaves much room for interpretation and most critical details regarding character and plot unstated. Clearly, through the dialogue (the one messenger the reader has to this couples relationship) we realize that they are at odds over the issue of an impending abortion. As for other social issues, the language speaks to the unrestricted life of the hedonistic, ex-patriot era that many Americans enjoyed in Europe. Jig, the female, mentions that none of this is ours anymore, referring to the easy life of traveling without responsibilities or restrictions. For her, things will change; for the boyfriend, who is rationalizing the procedure as something simple and easy (nothing at all) theyll go right back to their vagabond ways and everything will be fine. On a more basic level, the stereotypical view that some men have (especially young, selfish men) about abortion being a quick fix, while women see it as a brief, yet permanently life changing decision could be another social issue. Again, Hemingway suggests, but never outright states. (cited in e-notes. com) The subject the man and the girl are discussing is that of an abortion. The fact that they discuss the operation without calling it an abortion relays a lot about the couple and their relationship. By not naming the operation, they are attempting to trivialize the seriousness of the situation. Clearly, the relationship has many flaws, seen in the way they are dealing with the subject. It is not a straightforward or honest conversation, especially on the part of the man. The man clearly wants the girl to have the abortion. He makes light of the seriousness and psychological impact it would have for the girl. He attempts to sway her by telling her it would damage their relationship. The girl is torn in trying to make a decision. She realizes that it is not nearly as simple a decision as her lover is making it out to be. A part of her wants her baby, and another part of her wants to hang on to her lover. The end of the story does not give a resolution to the decision that is finally made. It is up to the reader to draw a conclusion. The man also attempts to trivialize the abortion by making it sound simple, but abortion in Spain was not legal at the time. It wasnt made legal in Spain until 1985, and sometimes women died. Many doctors were not willing to risk their careers on being caught performing illegal abortions. Many times, the only doctors who performed them were doctors who werent very good or whose offices were less than sanitary. The man wants Jig to have the abortion, but she looks at the situation realistically. The man might leave her anyway, and she might be physically and psychologically scarred from the abortion, even if nothing goes wrong. The subject of the abortion isnt specifically named, but is alluded to. An elephant in the room is when you have a situation or topic of major importance that no one wants to talk about, but the topic is there nonetheless. It cant be ignored, but no one wants to deal with it because they dont know how. Jig tries to deal with it, but the man refuses to. He just wants her to have it, so his responsibility is ended. This is the allusion that leads to the title. The elephant in the room is the abortion. (cited in e-notes. com) The story was first published in 1927, so another issue besides abortion is societal attitudes toward unwed mothers. There was no such thing as government aid back then, so Jig would have had a tough time raising a child without a father. Unless she was independently wealthy, she would have had a hard time finding a job. The issue of illegitimacy would have arisen as well. Her child would have been branded a bastard in 1927. If the father refuses to fulfill his responsibility, the only choices open to her were abortion, adoption, or illegitimacy. (cited in e-notes. com) WORK CITED ALLEN-LINDA,CRITICAL ISSUES-HILLS LIKE WHITE ELEPHANT,University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill AMY-LEPORE,Freelance author ,University of Central Florida BMADNICK,Belen, NM