Monday, September 30, 2019

Automotive Industries in Thailand Essay

Contribution of MNC’s in automotive industry: Most of the developing countries consider that the automotive industry will move the country toward an intensive industrialisation by creating a large set of related businesses. Thailand aims to be regarded as the Detroit of Asia. The country has engaged in the last few decades in the development of the automotive industry, with a special focus on domestic auto-assembly. Thailand is the world’s second largest pick-up truck market after the U.S., and it is ASEAN’s largest automotive market and assembler. Today all leading Japanese car producers as well as BMW, Mercedes Benz, General Motors, Ford, Volvo, and Peugeot, assemble cars in Thailand along with their group of subcontractors and suppliers. Thailand has become the main production base for auto exports in South East Asia. Thailand is considered as one of the most attractive countries for automotive investments mainly due to factors such as the good and growing domestic market size, the relative political stability, liberal trade and investment policy, and the lack of a â€Å"national car program†. The automotive industry is Thailand’s third largest industry, employing an estimated total workforce of about 225,000 employees, and with a total production capacity of around 1,270,100 cars and trucks per year. Japanese-make automobiles have dominated the local auto market; with nearly 90% market share but other global vehicle manufacturers’ investments are growing consistently, creating a very dynamic industry. New global parts manufacturers are in the process of relocating some of their operations to Thailand. Thailand has 16 vehicle assemblers; most of them are large-scale foreign owned or joint venture enterprises. As well, there are more than 1100 small and medium sized companies working as suppliers of original equipment (OEM),  or producing replacement equipment (REM). The automotive industry in Thailand is very concentrated with most of the factories located in the Samut Prakarn province (approximately 20 km south of Bangkok), followed by Rayong (approximately 130 km south-east of Bangkok). The largest car producer is Toyota, and in 2003 it was the first manufacturer to establish a local R&D centre in Thailand. However, this type of initiative, a cooperative arrangement between MNCs and local universities, is so far not a widespread practice in Thailand. Therefore, there is a stringent need to understand the mechanisms allowing for knowledge transfer and sharing, if Thailand wants to position itself as a very competitive country, not only in the automotive industry but in other industrial sectors as well. Thailand benefits from these companies operations as almost 18% of labour and employment are generated by the automotive industry.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Is The British Appeasement In 1930s Defensible History Essay

The calming in 1930s is delivered by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, to construct up a permanent peace in Europe every bit good as to avoid the war against Nazi Germany. Chamberlain created calming policy based on three aims: â€Å" †¦ foremost, to debar the danger of war, 2nd, to make conditions in which dialogues can take topographic point and, 3rd, to convey about the success of those dialogues so that they many strengthen corporate security, farther Germany ‘s return to the League and, in a happier atmosphere, allow those larger dialogues on economic affairs and on affairs of statements to take topographic point † 1 However, the eruption of war that followed, proved that the policy has clearly failed and it is besides still argued as the one of chief grounds to break out World War II. This essay will discourse about the cause of the debut of calming and why it is untenable in international dealingss. After World War I, the Great Depression that followed forced totalitarian governments to emerge around Europe, such as Fascism in Italy, Socialism in Soviet Union and Nazism in Germany. In Germany, it was Hitler who followed a totalitarian province and pursued a revisionist foreign policy after he became a Chancellor of the Exchequer in January 1933. While UK and France were seeking to avoid a war and heal from the great depression caused by World War I, Hitler strongly believed that another war was needed to break-out from poorness every bit good as ‘Versailles ‘ . Hitler hence started to denounce ‘Versailles ‘ from March 1935 by re-introducing mandatory muster. However, UK and France have merely issued formal protests in response, which concluded with weakening of ‘Versailles System ‘ in favor of Germany, due to the fright of war. While the procedure of calming was detaining any clear reply, Italy has invaded Abyssinia. This provided Hitler with clip and chance to beef up and remilitarize Rhineland while UK and France dealt with Italy. France was entitled to reoccupy Rhineland, but France did non desire to move unless UK acted. UK did non desire to step in as they thought remilitarization was non a ‘flagrant ‘ misdemeanor. Neither UK nor France wanted to take serious duty that had any opportunity of get downing another war. Munich, 29th September 1938 was the flood tide of this failure of calming. Hitler demanded return of Sudeten. UK sought to intercede, and the parts of Sudeten with German bulk transferred to the custodies of Germany. In late September Hitler raised his bets, demanding immediate transportation of whole Sudeten to Germany. Chamberlain and Daladier accepted Italian In March 1939. Furthermore, Hitler invaded Czech states of Bohemia and Moravia. Neither France nor UK confronted Hitler 1 Anthony Eden in the House of Commons, March 26 1936. The ground UK supported calming is that the populace was non ready for war and UK was still retrieving from the 1929 crisis. Besides, France was unwilling to confront Hitler without UK ‘s support. They merely wanted to get away from war and understate their duty as they sought strong support of another state. This development of calming shows the unorganized allied European states which ne'er meet with clear understanding to compact the menace German forces possessed, and the confusion that was brought with the construct of calming gave opportunity for Germany to turn without any lucifer for to a great extent armed European allied forces e?†¦ie ie?ˆi ?ie e ©Ã‹â€ e ¦Ã‚ ¬ e-?i-?i ?iz?e ie µÃ‚ ­i?ˆ i?ˆ e?† iiâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ i†¢? i †¢i ±Ã¢â‚¬ ¦i?„ , e °?e?ˆe e?†¦ie e °Ã‹â€ ee? ii °?e?ˆi „ i µ?e?ˆi i†?i†¢?e µÃ‚ ­ii-?e i†Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ez‘iS ¤i e °Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ei ±Ã¢â‚¬ ¦i i„?e i-?e?†¹e‚?e ©?i„? ei ?i §Ã‹â€ e ·?i†¢? policye °Ã‹â€  continuee? ©e†¹?e†¹Ã‚ ¤ . Trying to chance of war or whether Britain and France would hold been better off traveling to war earlier instead than subsequently, loss could be less. The confusion and struggle bought clip for Germany . If the calming was scrapped and the western European states pressured the turning Germany so the face of European history may hold been changed because of the fact that Germany already lost the First World War was besides needed to be considered. i ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ° , ie µÃ‚ ­e i†Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ez‘iS ¤e °Ã‹â€  e‚?i e?†¦ii-? i? iâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ i †¢i ±Ã¢â‚¬ ¦i?„ iZ?e? e‚?i e?†¦ii i? ¤iS ¤iS?e ¦Ã‚ ¬i†¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾/ii?† i ?e ?i?„ e ¬Ã‚ µii†¢?iz? i† ?e ?i?ˆ ie iz?eii e µÃ‚ ­e °Ã‹â€ i ie µÃ‚ ­/i†Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ez‘iS ¤iâ„ ¢Ã‹â€  e‚?i e?†¦ie °Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ e? µee e °Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ii†¢?e? e‚?i e?†¦ii?„ e? ¬i ?i†¢?e? °ee†¹Ã‚ ¤ e‚?i e?†¦iei i „iY?i?„ i†?i†¢?e  ¤ eâ€Å" ­e†¹?e†¹Ã‚ ¤ . e ·?e ¦Ã‚ ¬e? , e‚?i e?†¦ii?ˆ ie µÃ‚ ­/i†Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ez‘iS ¤iâ„ ¢Ã‹â€  i† ?e ?e °Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ e? µi? °i-? ei e °Ã‹â€ iz? e?†¦ii i „i† Ã‚ µi ?i e µÃ‚ °i‚ ¬i ? i ·?i†¢?i„ ± , i ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ° i? i‚ ¬i†¹? e?â„ ¢i„? i-‘e ©? i „iY?i?„ ieY ¬i†¢? i†¢?eS† e  ¶Ã‹â€ e†¹?i?„ ee ee? iezˆeâ€Å"?e e µÃ‚ °i‚ ¬e ?ie ie? µi†¢?e ©?i„? 2i °? i„?e?„e?ˆi „i ei-?i §Ã¢â‚¬Ëœe†¹?e†¹Ã‚ ¤ . UK and France lost credibleness because UK and France did non maintain their committedness. They warned Hitler that if he attacked Poland, they would declare war on Germany. By this clip, nevertheless, Hitler no longer believed their menaces. If an adversary issues a menace that it has the power to transport out, and an involvement in making so, the menace will be believed, even if that state has bluffed in the past. But if it makes a menace that it lacks the power to transport out, or has no involvement in making so, the credibleness of that menace will be viewed with great incredulity. Chamberlain believed he could negociate enduring peace with Hitler. It was based on a naA?ve apprehension of Hitler ‘s purposes or on desirous believing about the possibility of set uping a permanent peace with Germany, nor was it an alternate to equilibrating. It was misdirecting policy based on underestimate, and misconstruing that Chamberlain trusted Hitler. The opinion was really emotionally based and this was a error as the remainder of European states readily figured out that Hitler was fixing military invasions over Poland. The calming was hence invalid and forced remainder of European allied forces to confront huge grown and good trained German Armies. calming have to be used under imaginable set of circumstances.Churchill, the ultimate anti-appeaser, presented a more nuanced image: â€Å" Appeasement in itself may be good or bad harmonizing to the fortunes. Winston Churchill ridiculed calming as akin to â€Å" one who feeds a crocodile, trusting it will eat him last † Particularly, Adolf Hitler revealed his desire publically to occupy Europe in his life, My Struggle The primary purpose of calming was to extinguish the danger of a European war, but accordingly it endanger Europe as it gave chance Germany, geographical and clip loose credibleness. The grants over German rearmament, the Rhineland, Austria, and Sudeten Czechoslovakia non merely failed to pacify Hitler, but made war even more likely by quickening his appetency for aggression and by sabotaging the credibleness of Britain and France and the public-service corporation of their subsequent warrant of Poland. Many critics of appeasement contend that a more confrontational scheme of rearmament and reconciliation might hold avoided war, either by discouraging Hitler or by exposing his foolhardiness and thereby triping his overthrow by the more cautious German military and its internal Alliess.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

The Process of Market Segmentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Process of Market Segmentation - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the business environment is highly competitive in the 21st century, as thousands of firms have emerged offering services and products to consumers. Some firms attract their customers through cost-effectiveness or price differentiation, while others aim to grasp their market through providing a unique product/service. While the strategies of firms may differ, the target group that firms are aiming to attract may be similar. All firms must ensure that the product/service that they are offering is different from their competitors in some aspect. In this era, there is no such thing as a standardized product which is suitable for use by all people. Hence, no firm seeks to target the whole market at large and it is highly difficult to target a large potential market with the same product and the same marketing strategies. No products except maybe staple foods such as fruits, vegetables, bread, butter, and other important dietary supplements are aimed at targeting the whole population of consumers and are standardized products. All other products or services are differentiated and conformed to the needs and wants of various target groups. Differentiation refers to adapting the characteristics and marketing of your product/service to fulfill the needs and wants of a particular target market. In order to select the target market for product/ service, a firm must indulge in the process of market segmentation.... This prevents duplication of resources and enables the business to directly target the segment that is more likely to be interested in their product/service offering rather than wasting time and resources upon targeting a massive market that may not be interested in the product/service at all (Yankelovich, 1964, pg. 75-77). Market segmentation allows the business to see the characteristics of its potential customers so that it can create its products according to their needs. For example, after segmenting the market according to the variables of age and gender, a certain cosmetics company found that the most potential lied within the segment of females aged 18-25. This would enable them to customize their products in order to suit the needs of this segment more adequately (Anthanpolusso, 1999, pp. 56-58). Moreover, once markets are segmented, different segments can be made differing offers according to their needs. There may be some segments which may be willing to pay a higher price while others may be price sensitive. Identifying the segments that would be willing to pay a higher price would enable the business to increase its profits. In the same manner, providing the price sensitive segments with initiatives to buy the product might increase the sales and result in more profits for the business (Barnett, 1965, pp. 45-47). Segmenting also allows more opportunities for growth as the same segments can be targeted in different manners. The various customer segments can be given incentives according to the offerings made to them previously. Such schemes include loyalty cards, bonus cards, and other factors. Market Segmentation allows the firm to target the most profitable market segments rather than focusing on less attractive markets. Moreover, it may also allow

Friday, September 27, 2019

Written Landscapes PowerPoint Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Written Landscapes - PowerPoint Presentation Example The main issue to be addressed is the correlation between changes in landscape’s literary representations and the underlying cultural transformations of human civilizations. The importance of landscape in the ancient mythological narratives cannot be understated. This is because myths’ key concepts inherently relied on the association of specific sacral space with relevant landscape features such as mountains, seas, forests. In the Greek myths, Richard Buxton observes that the very depiction of the world’s creation in Hesiod is directly related to the emergence of landscapes necessary for all life to thrive. 1 By virtually abounds with references to sacred places that are conceptualized particular (and very much real) landscapes to be revered and visited Indian mythology is similar to the Greek mythology. In particular, sacred mountains like Himalaya and rivers such as Ganges played an instrumental role in the organization of Indian sacred landscape. Moreover, as one may see Similarly, the Near Eastern myths appear to reflect the preoccupation of ancient people with the connection between landscape and the sacred. The Epic of Gilgamesh is notable especially due to its emphasis on the notion of ‘cultivating’. The previously from the rich legacy of Indian epics, ancient Indians paid great attention to the connection between their landscapes and divine characters of their myths. 2 ‘Uncivilized’, or more precisely the ‘monstrous’ landscape by the divine or divinely inspired hero was not notable. The same motif can be found in the myths of Heracles and in his struggle against malevolent creatures of nature as well as in Beowulf, with this epic poem’s contrast between the bright palaces of human kings and dark marshes and deep seas, where the creatures of darkness dwell. 3 This contrast seems to be present in the number of other mythologies. In contrast to the epic poems and heroic myths on lyric poetry, the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The Japanese Quasi-Jury and the American Jury Term Paper

The Japanese Quasi-Jury and the American Jury - Term Paper Example A body was created to collect views and give recommendations on the approaches to reform the country’s judiciary. The body proposed the establishment of the quasi-jury to try the high-crime cases. The quasi-jury structure was formulated through the ‘Lay Assessor Act’ the system was a concession between the political elements and the conservative individuals. The Supreme Court was opposed to the move to create a jury that was similar to the American jury. Under the law, the judges are required to use the law in the determination of the innocence or guilt of an individual as well as give a ruling on the sentence. Moreover, the judges make a determination on matters regarding the interpretation of the laws and decisions beyond the authority of the lay assessors. A presiding judge administers the trial procedures but the statutes of evidence in Japan’s judicial process are indistinct and simple compared to the procedures in the US. The presiding judge has the a uthority to limit the number of questions on a witness as well as the determination of the unsuitable evidence given by a witness before a ‘Saiban-in panel’. Moreover, the opposing advocate may reject the improper assessment of the evidence. The discussions between the judges and lay assessors demand that majority as opposed to a unanimous decision. Nonetheless, the composition of the majority must have a professional judge especially when ruling on the guilt of an accused person. The information arising from is regarded as confidential while those leaking the information being subjected to a fine. The composition of the bench and lay assessors is dependent on the situation and the magnitude of the... The legal system in Japan has been largely a civil law since the approval of the Japanese Civil Code in the late 1890s. The system was borrowed from the western nations such as France and Germany. The model persevered even after the Second World War and the adoption of the contemporary constitution in Japan. The separation of power among the various arms of the government is similar to the American model. The judiciary has autonomy like the other arms. In the US, there are divergent procedures in the cases depending on the state although they are largely guided by the constitution. The quasi-jury exercised in Japan has both positive and negative effects depending on the administration. Whereas citizen participation in the judicial process is significant, the established procedures and restrictions are important to assist in getting timely and fair justice. The judicial system in any nation should be informed by the culture of its people and the nature of the governance structures in order to ensure the obligations are met in a desirable approach. It would be more desirable if the principles and frameworks of the jury are reformed in line with the demands of the country and the global environment. Judicial systems are viewed as essential in human-social existence in the society. The Saiban-in system has resulted in minimal effect regarding the prosecution of cases. The system has given the public a dynamic responsibility in the judicial processes, which is likely to improve when the citizens become familiar with the system and the lay judicial involvement.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Transformation of African culture in Midaq Alley and Death and The Research Paper

Transformation of African culture in Midaq Alley and Death and The King's Horseman - Research Paper Example The novel critically focuses on the presence of the British soldiers during WWII, and these represent the western forces that have been brought to Midaq valley and influence the lives of people in this area according to the western cultures. Likewise Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman deals with the questions of cultural identity, the themes and forms of the general audience as the author brings them out clearly. The book presents contrast between the life of Europeans and the lives of Africans in a contrast of cultures. To this, Soyinka attributes lives to the forms of lives that originally developed on African soil and in the civilized world to mean Africa and European respectively. The difference of what is perceived as local and what is imported through the white man presents a case of contrast and the play brings out these contrasts to indicate how the western culture has influenced people on the African soil. Therefore, the two books portray a case of cu ltural degradation where Africans are influenced by the western cultures through a process that is termed as civilization, to adopt new ways of lives and depart from their traditional ways of life. The negative influence of the western culture in Midaq valley is portrayed by Hamida. This is a lady who grows in middle class environment and has no attachment to her mother or to any other neighbor. Hamida knows that she is beautiful and wants to control men those who are powerful and those that are rich (Amyuni, 1). While her husband Abbas is away in the army making an honest living, she is attracted to the rich Salim who is lasting for her. Hamida later realizes that prostitution is her calling and she is a â€Å"whore by instinct† (Mahfouz, 205). This presents a case of immorality where the riches that are accumulated in Cairo as are breaking up families and African communal settings as well as values. Mahfouz (1) explains Midaq valley to be enclosed between 3 walls with darkn ess. The unity and communal life is portrayed by uncle Kalim where he says; â€Å"good evening everyone.† Come on its time for evening get together†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..† this is a setting that would portray a close connection between the people of Midaq Valley, which has been broken by the presence of the white man with women such as Hamida turning to prostitution with these rich men. Mahfouz further explains how Hamida realizes that her honor had been bought several times by the British soldiers; meaning that she has been prostituting with these soldiers. This case is portrayed by Alwan a family man with complete family but is not satisfied with his wife he is â€Å"unable to find the pleasures he yearned for in his wife† this makes him be attracted to Hamida (Mahfouz, 80). In addition the book presents the negative changes of religion though civilization. This is observed when Mr Kirsha claims that â€Å"public reciters still have an appeal which won’t disap pear. The radio won’t replace us† the cafe owner however replies that â€Å"this is you say and not what my customers say and you are not going to ruin my business† (Mahfouz, 5). Though Kirsha and other public reciters had been used to recite the Quaran in public places with no resistant, the radio that represents the western civilization has brought another element where people see beyond this, and are not any more interested in these reciters or too much of their religion . This might be attributed to civilization,

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Sentencing of People with Mental Disorders Essay

Sentencing of People with Mental Disorders - Essay Example It can also be defined as the authoritative decree of the punishment of a convicted person (Birmingham, 2002). Under this context, criminals or people who are found guilty of committing some crime have to face the consequences of their actions and the decision making is in the hands of an authoritative power which decides the penalties for the offenders. These decisions are made on the basis of a set of rules which are operating in the area where the crime has been committed. The rules and punishments are same for everyone irrespective of their color, caste or creed, but there are some special circumstances where these rules have to be tweaked. Same is the case with the people who are not mentally fit; their sentencing differs from criminals of normal medical conditions. Mental Disorders: A disorder can be termed as functional abnormality. Mental disorders comprise of a wide range of derangements in behavioral or psychological functions. These are mainly a combination of abnormal tho ughts, emotions, and relationships with others. This psychological instability and disruption in the equilibrium of motions is often reflected in the behavior of the affected individual. The set of laws and the law enforcement agencies work in different ways all over the world; the decision and punishment of mentally disabled criminals basically depends on the local area where they have been convicted. The Effect of the Selected Sentencing Policy on All Involved Stakeholders: No matter what laws regarding mentally disordered convicts is operational in certain areas, the decisions taken and the results of the sentence always affect the stakeholders one way or the other. Stakeholders: A stakeholder can be an individual or a group of people as well. A stakeholder is a party that is affected by or can affect the actions of the project at hand. In law enforcement, the stakeholders can be: Judiciary Probation and parole services Social service organizations Mental hospitals and treatment facilities Community etc. Even though according to The Task Force, created by the American Bar Association a person should not be sentenced to death or executed if at the time of the offense he/she was suffering from a mental disorder or was mentally challenged in a such a serious way that reflects in his/her behavioral and social adaptive skills. Even after these rules have been set, they are not applicable to all circumstances and some counties and their legal systems do not implement upon them. Furthermore the second rule of The Task Force states that offenders should not be executed or sentenced to death of at the time of the offense they had no awareness of the nature of the crime and the consequences associated with it. If they are mentally impaired and cannot exercise rational judgment or do not have any idea about the lawful actions that might be taken as a result of the crime, then in all these cases the guilty person should not be executed or sentenced to death as s/he is mentally challenged (Tabak, 2006). Criminals with mental disorders are released after a small period of incarceration. The period of incarceration depends upon the severity of the mental disorder and the nature of the crime. After that period, such people are often shifted to community centers, mental hospitals, or other treatment facilit

Monday, September 23, 2019

Making of Collateral Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 36

Making of Collateral - Essay Example From this study it is clear that directing covers the methods, technologies, thought processes, and judgments that a director must use throughout the fascinating process of making a film. Directing also should help you master technical and conceptual skills in the filmmaking process. â€Å"The first time we watch a film; we usually don’t know or think about the artistic decisions that were made during its production.† According to the discussion Scriptwriter Stuart Beattie originally set Collateral in New York City. Max was to be portrayed as a loser, hiding from the world in his cab and getting little out of life. Once Mann took charge as a director, he made numerous changes. The setting was changed to Los Angeles. Max became less a loser and more a laid-back, intelligent man content to observe the world from behind a steering wheel and to interact with his passengers, endlessly delaying his plans to start his own limousine service. The story largely consists of this pair interacting, so Mann’s decision to change Max’s traits altered the nature of the conflict between them. Max becomes our point-of-view figure for most of the film. Unusually for a film about a professional killer, we don’t see the first murder but stay with Max in the cab until the shocking moment when the body falls onto his cab roof.  The switch to Los Angeles affected many aspects of the film’s st yle. One of the attractions was that this tale of a random crossing of destinies took place almost entirely at night, from 6:04 p.m. to 4:20 a.m.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Tiresias the blind prophet Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tiresias the blind prophet - Research Paper Example There are different versions of how Tiresias became blind. One version says that he was blinded by the goddess, ‘Athena’ because he saw her nakedness when she was taking her bath (Watling 17); another story says that he was blinded by the goddess wife of Zeus, Hera as he angered her by saying that women had nine times more pleasure than men when making love and another one says that he was blinded by the gods for disclosing their secrets (Hyginus, Fabulae 75). Zeus compensated Tiresias by granting him long life and a gift of foresight after his wife, Hera had blinded him. Another legend has it that, the gift of prophecy of Tiresias was bestowed on him by Athena in compensation of his lost sight after his mother Chariclo pleaded to Athena to restore his sight (Watling). When Tiresias was transformed to a woman, he married and had children and one of them, ‘Manto’ was also endowed with the gift of prophecy (Sophocles). Tiresias was a mysterious being in the sense that at a point in his life, he was a man and at another point, he was transformed into a woman. Due to the fact that Tiresias made his mark as a great prophet, his name was â€Å"a common title for soothsayers throughout Greek legendary history.†(Graves 105). Tiresias played a great role in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King and he was of great importance as his relevance in the play was without doubt. When Oedipus the king needed help, it was Tiresias that he could call, as Oedipus needed him to reveal the person that killed his father, Laius, a man that Oedipus never knew was his father at that point. Tiresias started his revelation by stating that â€Å"I tell you this: the man youve searched for all along with threats and fanfares for the murder of King Laius- that man, I say, is here.† (Sophocles 41). It was Tiresias that eventually told Oedipus that he was the one that killed his father unknowingly and this represented a twist in the play as the

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Jury Trial Analysis Essay Example for Free

Jury Trial Analysis Essay Jury trial refers to a legal proceeding, whereby a panel of adjudicators makes decisions that are put into practice by the judges. A jury decides upon dubious issues of fact that can either be in a criminal or civil trial. It is a constitutional right for those charged with criminal and civil offenses to face trial by jury. However, in civil trials the defender and the offender can have a consensus of having a bench trial before a judge. Therefore, it is evidenced that jury trial takes place only in those situations where one side in a civil case, or the accused in a criminal case, have a belief that it is in their best interest. It also has an effect on the ruling of cases that never go to trial. In jury trial, there are five main steps that are keenly followed. The first step involves the selection of a jury. In this step prospective jurors show up in a courtroom. The defensive and prosecution lawyers together with the attorneys, interview them through a process called voir dire which means to speak the truth. This procedure is aimed at authenticating whether any of the jurors has a secretive interest in the case, a chauvinism or bias that may negatively influence him or her as a juror. For instance, the defensive lawyer can request to have the juror excused if he or she is afraid of guns. There are two main challenges faced at this stage, challenge for cause and authoritative challenge. Each of the side has the ability to discard a juror capriciously (Denver Criminal Attorney, 2009). Jury selection is completed and an oath is administered for those chosen in a particular case. However, they are lawyers who are specialized in jury selection and they will do excellent in this part of trial. Secondly, both sides in the case participate in an opening statement. First, the prosecutor gives a brief summary of what the trial is about, the offense that the defendant is being accused of and how they will prove his guilt. Thereafter, defensive attorney gives his opening statement in order to summarize how he will demonstrate his client is above suspicion. However, opening statements are not evidence but are only anticipation of what each side waits for the evidence to prove. The third step involves presentation of evidence and testimony of witnesses. The prosecutor takes the first step of professing witnesses and presenting various physical facts such as weapons and documents to evidence the defendant’s guilt. There is cross-examination of his witnesses by the defensive lawyers. After the prosecution is done with his presentation, the defense gets the floor and also presents its own witnesses and evidence. The prosecution gets an opportunity to cross-examine defense witnesses too. Finally, both sides ‘’respite ‘’their case. The fourth step entails closing arguments and presentation of jury instructions. The defense firstly, confirms how the prosecution did not prove its case. The prosecution goes last winding up its case. It is substantiated that the prosecution has the’’ burden of proof’’ and therefore it goes first and also last. The judge interprets the instructions of law to the jurors, defines their responsibilities, what evidence to consider and the law that governs the case. The final step in a jury trial is deliberation. The jury goes to the deliberation room to judge the case and arrive at a verdict. A foreperson is identified to ensure that every juror is given a fair opportunity to participate. In case of any need for clarification, it is written down and the bailiff presents it to the judge (Morrocco). Finally, when a judgment has been attained, jurors agree to it and sign a form then they alert the bailiff. It is then read by the clerk and the judge discharge the jurors. In a jury trial, the constitution allows for fair and impartial treatment of the accused. There are several constitutional rights of a defendant during a jury trial. For instance, the defendant has a right to remain silent, confront witnesses, represented by an attorney and also has a right to adequate and sufficient representation. This is mainly practiced in criminal prosecutions. Jury trial is in deed one of the better systems of judgment of single or a panel of judges who have a lot of bias. Every party in a jury trial is mandated to enjoy the right to a detached jury of the center where the crime shall have been committed. The legal system must use the proper and accurate means of obtaining information and evidence against a suspect (Jury Service). So as to ensure selection of unbiased jury, each of the prospective jurors is ordered an oath to speak the truth. Usually, twelve jurors are selected having two of them being chosen as alternates. Stringent instructions are given as a way to ensure fairness and impartiality as a jury. To maintain the highest standards of fairness in a jury trial, an independent jury must be appointed each year to appraise the application and also select participating juror.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Nestle International Business Management

Nestle International Business Management The rapidity of global assimilation has been dramatically changed in recent years. Rapid and improved changes in the communications, technology and transportation have provided the process a new momentum and have made the planet more co-dependent than ever (Global Policy Forum, 2010). The multinational organizations manufacture their products in a number of countries and sell to the consumers around the globe (Global Policy Forum, 2010). Raw materials, Money, technology and human resources have started moving across nations more swiftly than ever. Along with that the products, finances, cultures and ideas circulate more easily (Global Policy Forum, 2010). As a consequence, the legal, social and economics movements have been forming in International level. It is the time to have globalization in every aspect; globalization of economics, globalization of culture and legal environment (Global Policy Forum, 2010). Nestle is one of the most respected brand name in the global food and beverage industry. The company promotes its products in around 130 nations across the globe (Nestle, n.d.). Some of its well known global brands include Maggi, Nestea, Nescafe, Friskies and Nestle. Apart from its own products the company owns around 52% of shares of Alcon Inc and about 30 % of the cosmetic giant, LOreal (Hoovers, 2010). Such diverse range of products makes it a leading brand not only in the world of food and beverages but attempts to elevate it to greater heights. This part of the report has been based on the tactical theories, written by renowned authors on international strategy. Competitive advantage emerged from the differentiation among different firms in any of the attributes as well as the characteristics. These attributes and characteristics are supposed to let one firm to create customer value and do something analogous better than its competitors. The common sources of competitive advantages include possession of better assets, access to well organized distribution and supply networks and better talent pool, productive operations (Tallberg, Adhikari Helsinki, 2007). Firms, which have decided to enter into the foreign markets, have to face a challenge while deciding on the right entry mode to enter into the market. This is a quite influential decision as it may have a continual impact on the firms global business performance. Two major modes which have been considered more often is the export of products and services and through the usage of foreign direct investment. Firms, adopting the very first one, try to make their existence in foreign markets by exporting to those regions. After having knowledge to that country they go for having their own operation facilities in those regions. Firms using the second one use the foreign direct investments to make their existence in foreign markets (Chung Enderwick, 2001). Competitive Advantage Nestle has described themselves as the food, health and wellness company. The Nestle Nutrition was established with the purpose of strengthening their focal point, i.e. their core nutrition business. Attaining leadership in this market is one of the primary aims in their well defined corporate strategy. Modern day consumers are more influenced by the claims that the company make regarding the nutritional contents of their products and the customer while making his purchase decision makes it his primary motivation. The establishment of Nestle nutrition as an independent business unit was with the aim to reinforce their competitive advantage in this area. The unit was given the responsibility of looking after its operations in the business of health care nutrition, infant nutrition and performance nutrition. The aim was to confirm a superior performance by providing products which are enriched with consumer trusted and scientifically approved nutritional components. The corporate wellness unit has been responsible to integrate nutritional value in their food and beverages worldwide. Its responsibility includes coordination of horizontal as well as cross functional activities that properly address existing customer concerns and at the same time anticipate consumer trends in future. In simple terms the unit is meant for aligning the research and development expertise of Nestle with customer benefits. The research and development division is one of its strong footholds, because of which the company has been able to make its presence felt in the global market. It has its well-built innovation heritage with a comprehensible visualization of the future (Bauer, n.d.). The resources required to build up their business are readily available. Nestle has got access to a pool of experienced suppliers who are aligned with Nestlà ©s assurance for innovation and excellence. Quality is surely one of the competitive advantages that Nestle has. Better quality products and services at reasonable prices is what Nestle strives for. From the above, it is apparent that the company operates on product differentiation with preference being given to better quality. The suppliers, employees, processes, business units and the research and development divisions have all contributed to make this happen. It can be deduced that Nestle has achieved its market leadership on the base of its cost effectiveness and innovation. Nestle has a well built economies of scale which helped it to attain low cost of reduction. Another important factor which contributes to the success of Nestle is their knowledge about the consumers in the market. To meet the varied customer needs Nestle prefers to blend their product mix with that of their local ingredients. Nestle has a well established transportation system for its distribution network. This helps the company to transport products in bulk to different factory outlets. Infrastructural development is another major concern of Nestle. (FAO, n.d.). Nestlà © has shown such an example in China. In China they had developed roads to carry out their distribution process smoothly. Mentioned above are some of the factors which have collectively assisted the company to excel in innovation and customer services. Foreign market entry strategy As the markets are getting more competitive as well as more flat, it is very much apparent that Nestle would be looking towards other new markets from the growth perspective. Successful implementation of strategies for market development requires more flexibility, ability to adapt to an unforeseen market conditions and the vision to achieve long term goals. Nestle has been relied on the foreign direct investment for entering into different foreign markets (Rao Murthy, 1999). Nestle, being the first mover, tries to enter the emerging markets in an early stage. Nestle is not generally inclined to go through the expensive process of setting up its brand name in the prospective markets; rather the company prefers to acquire local companies which are known in the indigenous market. This actually helps Nestle to overcome the cultural hurdles and consumer resentment to the foreign brands. Nestle first used this policy to start its business with the basic consumer needs like infant food; an d after that they expanded their business in the upscale market segments of chocolate , soft drinks, instant food and beverage items as per customer needs. The strategy is quite simple but strong. The strategy is to start from a basics and then only move to the more niches with the rise in demand. Sometimes they connect their expansion plan with other brands as per the rising income of the population present there. The company provides some 8500 product brands; but only around 750 are registered in multiple nations and only about 80 are registered in over ten distinct countries (Nestle, n.d.). Nestle uses this approach as it is easier to reach the consumers with local brand names because of their attachment to these local names. Consequently the marketing becomes easier in such a situation as the local company has its own distribution channel, reputation and its own customer base. With due course of time, Nestle starts the marketing of its own products. In such a situation Nestle ca n very well concentrate on enhancement of the product line as well as process innovation. Nestle must evaluate their basic entry strategy before entering into a new country. The company is supposed to make choices based on the long run profitability of different foreign markets. The strategy is all about balancing the cost, benefits, innovation and excellence. Nestle matures by acclimatizing food components and processing technology in local environment; it is mostly done by employing the appropriate local brand name. For an instance, in many countries in Europe, Nestle introduced few dairy products under the brand name of Sveltesse (Nestle, n.d.). In Asia, the strategy was mainly to acquire the local companies present there. This is mainly done with the motive to structure an assembly of independent regional managers since they know the local cultures and markets better than the foreign employees. The companys strong cash inflow as well as its powerful debt equity ratio gives Nestle with ample power to venture into acquisition and consolidation. Nestle has been using a broad strategy for Asian market. The strategy is to produce different products in distinct countries to be supplied to the entire regional market. For an instance, Nestle produces soya sauce powder in Singapore (Nestle, n.d.), cereals and coffee in Philippines (Nestle, 2008). All these products are produced to serve the regional market. Market enhancement strategies Market enhancement strategies are primarily divided into four major parts. Market penetration and development of the existing market are done by Nestle in two ways; either by marketing the existing products in the existing market or by introducing new products in the existing market. Nestle, during the early stages of its initiation only marketed the milk products, a sort of infant food. In the year 1905, the company merged with Anglo Swiss Condensed milk to enhance and broaden the milk product line (Nestle, n.d.). This acquisition helped Nestle to penetrate further into the market thereby enabling it to enhance its existing products already present in the market. The risk is considerably reduced as the market is already aware of the existing product line. The small market size of Switzerland forced Nestle to explore other regions for their long term growth perspective. Consequently, Nestle established its milk products and infant food processing plant in Asia, Africa, Britain and America (finntrack, n.d.). This is an example of market development strategy where Nestle used its existing product lines to enter into the new regional markets. Nestle had certain inherent risks, the primary being, the unfamiliarity with the market and the absence of customers awareness regarding the product. In such a case, most of the times, they start with some local brands of the local companies which are readily recognized by the local consumers. In such a course the products are more readily accepted by the regional consumers. In the year of 1929, the company moved into the chocolate business. This happened when the company acquired the Swiss chocolate maker. The next product was one of the most revolutionary one, Nescafe, the first soluble coffee powder of the world (finntrack, n.d.). In coming years, Nestle moved its business to other segments, primarily through a number of acquisitions which included Maggi, Findus, Cross Blackwell and Perrier (finntrack, n.d.). The entry of the new products in new markets diversified its range of acquisition. For most of the market enhancement techniques, Nestle had used either acquisition or consolidation. Be it the existing market or be it the new market, Nestle has always strived for innovation and brilliance. Global and local strategies Nestle is one of the renowned global organizations. So it is not surprising that the international strategy would be at the core of its tactical focus. Nestle is a decentralized company with the operational responsibilities spread out among the local units. The local units enjoy autonomy in regards to pricing, marketing, distribution etc. For an example, in Nigeria, Nestle has done away with its traditional distribution procedure of operating from a central warehouse because of Nigerias poorly developed road system. Instead Nestle has constructed several small warehouses around the country. This shows that the companys responsiveness to diverse local conditions. Nestle even employs local staffs for their regional offices as they are better equipped to handle the business procedures and customers. This in turn helps the organization to respond to the local demand more effectively and efficiently; resulting in increased market share and profitability for the company. The adaptation procedure embraced in China is another example of the companys focus on long term goals. After some 13 years of discussion, Nestle was finally invited to China in the year of 1987 by the government (finntrack, n.d.). Nestle started by opening of a powder milk producing farm in 1990; but soon after that the company realized that transportation infrastructure over there was inadequate to carry on the process. The infrastructure used to inhibit the accumulation of milk and delivery of the finished products. Rather than putting up with the existing infrastructure, Nestle made a plan to build up its own road for the transportation of milk and other finished products. Farmers used to bring the milk to the centers where it was weighed and checked for quality. Nestle used to pay the farmers on time. That acted as an incentive for the farmers and they increased the production of milk. This resulted in an increased number of cows in the district. After a period it became the res ponsibility of the area managers to organize the delivery of the milk to the factory centers. Although initially the whole procedure seemed very costly; but Nestle had the vision to see its long term profitability. This paved the way for the companys success in China. Another example which shows that Nestle inclination to adapt local products is its operation in Syria. In Syria there is a huge demand for tomato and its related ingredient. The company used it to boost their sales. By using local ingredients and concentrating on the local demand, the company has earned a good rate of return in those regions. However this is not the case everywhere. Nestle had faced severe problems in Japan. Failure to make its coffee brand compatible to the weather condition, forced Nestle to lose its significant market shares to Coca Cola (finntrack, n.d.). Organizational Structure Nestle has seven different strategic business units worldwide. Now, these units have the responsibility to make strategic decisions as well as to look after the overall development of the business, which even includes consolidations and other market ingress strategies. Apart from this structure, a regional organizational structure operates almost parallel to the previous one. This structure divides the whole operating zone into five foremost geographical regions, including North America, Europe and some others. These regional divisions are in charge to make the development strategies for their individual regions, hence contributing towards the overall tactical decision making. Local units are responsible for local operating decisions; the tactical business units or the regional heads have nothing to do with their decision making. Nestlà © makes exhaustive use of their local managers, to connect its diverse operations through out the world. They also make their managers move from one country to another. These managers are mostly selected on the basis of their characteristics, their inclination towards such kind of lifestyle and their working ability. This company also uses its management program to enhance optimistic energy level among their employees. The reason behind carrying out such kind of workshops is to provide them knowledge about Nestlà ©s strategy and the culture. One of the most important departments, in this company, is its research and development division. Nestlà ©s global network is spread around 17 research and development centers and are enriched with about 3500 qualified and experienced people from more than 50 countries; the main think tank being the Nestle research centre at Switzerland (Nestle, 2006). Nestle research division is expected to become bigger and better with time in its attempt to attain higher degree of innovation. Recommendations The company should work further to make better quality products. It needs to be aware of the fact that the incident happened in melamine in Chinese made infant food should not get repeated again (redOrbit, 2008). Situation can turn adverse for Nestle if these would happen again. The company must try to make its product differentiation by enhancing the quality of food and beverages (redOrbit, 2008). Conclusion Nestle has been able to make its presence felt as the worlds largest food company. Since its inception it has been able to increase the market share by implementing successful growth strategies. This indicates that the overall tactical practice of Nestle has been quite effective in the regional markets they have entered into. In conclusion it can be said that the key reason behind the companys success is their amalgation of customization with globalization. It would be wrong to say that the country has marked its sign with the help of globalization. For an example, the company had entered into the China market as part of globalization efforts; but it was a success in that country because of the alignment of products and services with the consumer demands over. Despite having inferior infrastructure, Nestle was able to increase the production of powdered milk by a large amount. This actually showed the triumph of their strategy and flexibility. The reason behind companys success in ex panding into prospective markets can be attributed to the organizational structure as well as its core corporate strategy. Two significant reasons behind this success have been its flexible response towards the environmental change as well as its willingness to learn about the new culture. Despite the recent downturn Nestle has been able to maintain a continuous growth, even in the new markets, with the help of skillful market enhancement strategies. This excellent performance is facilitated by the execution of its unique strategy in building up bonds with customers through the local employees and managing the entire process using a very distinct approach. With most of the marketing strategy in its favor Nestle is expected to continue making profits and increase its market share but it also has to take certain factors like economical, cultural and into account while pursuing the strategy to ensure an all around development of the company.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Yellow Wallpaper -- essays research papers

In "The Yellow Wallpaper", by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, there is a dominant/submissive relationship that exists between an oppressive husband and his submissive wife. This oppressive husband leads his wife from a state of depression to a state of insanity and finally, to a state of isolation. Had the husband not been so oppressive upon his wife, he could have realized her problem and resolved it without tearing himself away from her. The woman does not become insane because of the wallpaper alone; rather, it is the strict guidelines her husband sets for her that prompt her eventual insanity and isolation. As the story begins, the woman -- whose name we never learn -- tells of her depression and how it is dismissed by her husband and brother. "You see, he does not believe I am sick! And what can one do? If a physician of high standing, and one's own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression -- a slight hysterical tendency -- what is one to do?" (Gilman 658). These two men, both doctors, are apparently unable to admit that there might be more to her condition than just stress and a slight nervous condition. Even when a summer in the country and weeks of bed-rest don't help, her husband refuses to accept that she may have a real problem. Throughout the story there are examples of the dominant/submissive relationship. She is virtually imprisoned in her bedroom, supposedly to allo...

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Egypt Essay -- Egyptian Politics, Economy, Culture

Egypt 2 Egypt is a very important trade country to its surroundings. Egypt has one of the most interesting rivers in the world called the Nile River. Its is three hundred and eighty-six thousand square miles four times the size of the British Isles. (Wilkins Frances 1999.). Approximately the size of Texas and New Mexico put together There year of independence is 1922. (Worth & El-Naggar 2010) There highest point of elevation is Mount Catherine of two thousand six hundred and twenty-nine meters. The lowest elevation point is Qattara Depression, which is one hundred and thirty-three meters. The natural hazards do Egypt are earthquakes, flash floods, landslides, volcanic activity, windstorms called Khams in, dust storms, and sandstorms. (Birgeneau Dean. 2002). Egypt’s is a small country located in Africa. It is in the northeastern part of Africa next to the Mediterranean Sea and Red sea. Its surrounding countries are Libya and Sudan. Its absolute location is twenty-seven degrees north and thirty degrees east. The total area surrounding is one million four hundred and fifty square kilometers. The land could fit three New Mexico’s inside. (Britannica Encyclopedia 1995.) Egypt can divide into elevated plateaus and low plains. There are many places with ground water discharge also. (Cultural Gram). The most fertile land in the world is along the Nile River. The Egyptians all relay on the river to there everyday needs. In the city Alexandria there is the largest seaport called Port Said. This is located along the Mediterranean Sea. The land in Egypt is very arid. (Wilkins Frances 1999.). Egypt is divided into four regions. Number one is the Nile valley and Delta. Number two is the Western desert including Mediterranean Sea. Number t... ... from using their Egypt 7 river as much as possible. Egypt has a very strong trade connection with coastal countries along the Mediterranean and Red sea. Also has a strong trade with its neighboring countries. Yes Egypt may not like to share the river but it brings in good profit for their whole Country. (Foreign Affairs 2010) Most Egyptians prefer a relaxed and quite life. They are very patient people Characterized by the word Ma alesh which means â€Å"don’t worry†. This term helps the people dismiss concerns or conflicts that are not that serious. They are emotionally expressive which helps in their poor conditions. Society is a serious debate battling for the hearts of the Egyptians. Rural men wear gallabeyya to long clock like dresses. All women must not show any skin but the eyes. There country is very protective and understanding. (Cultural gram).

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Chinese Foreign Policy Essay

Specific portfolio. (See â€Å"Collective Leadership.†) To ensure Party control, the top-ranked members of the PSC serve concurrently as the heads of other parts of the political system. The top ranked PSC member, Party General Secretary Hu Jintao, for example, serves concurrently as head of the military, in his capacity as head of Chairman of the Central Military Commission, and as the head of State, in his capacity as State President. The second-ranked PSC member, Wu Bangguo, serves as Chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC), while the third-ranked PSC member, Wen Jiabao, serves as Premier of the State Council, and the fourth-ranked member, Jia Qinglin, heads the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and oversees the Party’s relations with non-Communist groups. Portfolios for other PSC members include the propaganda system; management of the Party bureaucracy and Hong Kong and Macau; finance and economics; Party discipline; and the internal security system. 32 PSC members also head Party â€Å"Leading Small Groups† (LSGs) for their policy areas. LSGs are secretive bodies intended to facilitate cross-agency coordination in implementation of Politburo Standing Committee decisions. The National Security Leading Small Group and the Foreign Affairs Leading Small Group, for example, are both headed by Party General Secretary Hu Jintao. The next highest decision-making body is the full Politburo, which, with the suspension of the disgraced former Chongqing Party Secretary, Bo Xilai, now comprises 24 officials. In addition to the nine members of the PSC, Politburo members include the heads of major departments of the Party bureaucracy, the two highest ranking officers in the Chinese military, State Council Vice Premiers, a State Councilor, and Party leaders from important cities and provinces. The current Politburo has only one female member. Because of its relatively unwieldy size and the geographic diversity of its members, the full Politburo is not involved in day-to-day decision-making. In 2011, it met eight times, with its meetings often focused on a single major policy area or on preparations for major national meetings. According to the Party’s constitution, the PSC and Politburo derive their power from the Central Committee, whose full and alternate members together â€Å"elect† the Politburo, Politburo Standing Committee, and Party General Secretary, and â€Å"decide† on the composition of the Party’s Central Military Commission.34 In practice, incumbent top officials provide a list of nominees to the Central Committee, which ratifies the leadership’s nominees.35 The current nearly 400-member Central Committee (including alternates) is made up of leaders from the provinces (41.5%), central ministries (22.6%), the military (17.5 %), central Party organizations (5.9%), and stateowned enterprises, educational institutions, â€Å"mass organizations† such as the Communist Youth League, and other constituencies (12.4%). The National People’s Congress (NPC) The third major political institution in China is the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s unicameral national legislature. According to Article 57 of China’s constitution, the NPC is â€Å"the highest organ of state power.† The Constitution tasks the NPC with overseeing the Presidency, the State Council, the State Central Military Commission, the Supreme People’s Court, and China’s national level public prosecutor’s office, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate. In practice, however, the NPC’s powers are severely limited, and the entire entity operates under the leadership of the Communist Party. The public theater of the NPC’s work is centered around its ten-day-long annual full session, held every March and attended by all of the NPC’s nearly 3,000 deputies. The next full session, in March 2013, will mark the start of a new five-year Congress, and is expected to approve a major leadership transition, including a new President and Premier, and new Vice Premiers and State Councilors. At the annual full sessions, NPC deputies almost always vote to approve the reports, laws, and candidates put before them, usually by overwhelming margins, leading many observers to describe the NPC as a â€Å"rubber stamp† parliament. NPC delegates do occasionally push back, however. At the March 2012 session of the NPC, for example, a record 20% of deputies withheld their support from the Ministry of Finance’s budget report, reportedly in protest over the Ministry’s longstanding refusal to accept any NPC suggestions for revisions to the budget.47 (Unlike the U.S. Congress, the National People’s Congress does not pass spending bills. Rather, at the annual full session each year, it votes to approve the budget presented by the Minister of Finance.) The NPC also makes revisions to the Premier’s annual report on the work of the government, the State’s most important policy document. Out of the public eye, individual committees and the Standing Committee exercise more meaningful influence. They shape legislation and can exercise a degree of oversight over government entities through â€Å"inspection† visits and committee reports. The power of individual NPC deputies to exercise oversight is largely restricted to the right to submit â€Å"proposals† advocating for reforms or demanding better implementation of laws or regulations, to which officials are required to respond in writing. Because the annual full session of the congress is so brief, much of the NPC’s work is undertaken by its approximately 175-member Standing Committee, which meets about half a dozen times a year.48 Other important NPC bodies include nine specialized committees and a legislative affairs work committee, all of which review and revise draft legislation before sending it to the Standing Committee or the full Congress for action. Like the State Council, the NPC has a Party organization embedded within it. The NPC’s chairman serves on the Politburo Standing Committee and is currently the Party’s number-two ranked official. NPC deputies are not directly elected. The Communist Party draws up lists of nominees, based in part on potential nominees’ perceived loyalty to the Party. Thirty-five electoral units, most of them provincial-level People’s Congresses, then vote upon the Party’s nominees. The process is modestly competitive in that the Party nominates 20% to 50% more candidates than available positions and those with the most votes are elected to serve as NPC deputies. NPC election rules stipulate quotas for the representation of ethnic minority groups, the military, women, and other groups, including the Party itself. Because China rejects any separation of powers, the President, Premier, and other top leaders are all NPC deputies. 49 Deputies serve for five-year terms. The NPC is the uppermost layer of a nation-wide system of People’s Congresses. These congresses are loosely linked together in process and function. Only deputies for the lowest level of People’s Congresses are directly elected. Traditionally, even at the lowest level, candidate lists are controlled by the Party, and elections are uncontested. Since 2011, however, China has seen a wave of independent candidates contesting elections for People’s Congresses in city districts and townships. Most such candidates have faced forms of official harassment, including intrusive surveillance, extra-legal detention, intimidation of their supporters, and election irregularities designed to keep them from appearing on ballots, but some have succeeded in being elected to office. Corruption Corruption in China is widespread and takes many forms, from lavish gifts and expensive meals bestowed on officials by those seeking favors, to bribes explicitly offered in exchange for permits and approvals, to embezzlement of state funds, exemption of friends and relatives from enforcement of laws and regulations, and the appointment of relatives to lucrative jobs in stateowned companies. A 2011 report released by China’s Central Bank estimated that from the mid- 1990s to 2008, corrupt officials who fled overseas took with them $120 billion in stolen funds.28 The CCP uses its Central Discipline Inspection Commission (CDIC) to police its own ranks for corruption, an arrangement fraught with conflicts of interest. As noted above, the Party metes out its own punishments for wrongdoing by its members, and has sole discretion about whether to hand members over to the state judiciary for investigation and possible prosecution. (See â€Å"Weak Rule of Law and Ineffective Policy Implementation and Enforcement.†) Critics charge that CDIC investigations are frequently politically motivated, even if they uncover real wrongdoing. Officials who keep on the right side of their superiors and colleagues may engage in large-scale corruption, while other officials may be investigated for lesser infractions because they have fallen afoul of powerful officials.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Citizen Kane Breakfast Montage Essay

Abstract: While it is evident to the viewer that Charles and Emily’s marriage is falling apart during Citizen Kane’s breakfast montage, the mise-en-scene and technical devices used to reinforce this idea are less recognizable. The variation of the actors’ demeanors and placement, the progression of costumes, and the use of lighting subtly support the presentation of a deteriorating marriage, and furthermore, of Kane’s inability to sustain a successful, lasting relationship due to his career. The mise-en-scene and technical devices used in the montage are by no means limited to this portion of the film. In fact, they are found in numerous scenes throughout the movie to reveal other relationships that have fallen apart as a result of Kane’s profession, such as his friendship with Jed Leland and romance with Susan Alexander. The actors’ attitudes in each sequence in the montage and their placement in relation to one another are each examples of the mise-en-scene portraying Charles and Emily’s feelings toward each other as time passes in their marriage. The introduction to the montage shows the viewer two individuals playfully flirting after a long night of parties. Charles even plays the role of a butler as he serves his wife. Emily on the other hand, giggles and smiles as she begs her husband to stay home with her a little longer before he goes to work. As each successive sequence passes, Emily becomes reprimanding as her husband begins to spend more time at work, scornful when he insists on putting Mr. Bernstein’s gift in the nursery and when he insults the president in his newspaper, and eventually sad as she sits at a silent breakfast table reading the rival newspaper of her husband’s. Charles tone of voice evolves from flirtatious in the opening sequence, to powerful and controlling as his paper starts to become more successful, to critical when his wife starts to question his authority and literary topics, to demanding as he tells Emily â€Å"people will think what I want them to think.† This last controlling statement reflects a later scene, where a drunk Jed Leland writes a truthful article about Susan Alexander’s terrible opera performance. Kane and Leland initially wrote a declaration of principles stating that the newspaper would always bring the people honest news. To advance his career, Kane stepped away from that principle and only showed the people what he wanted them to see. The difference between Leland wanting to be an honest reporter and Kane wanting to become a successful businessman, no matter what the cost, destroyed the men’s friendship. Not only do Charles and Emily’s tone of voice change with each successive sequence, but the length of conversations and the distance between the couple also change by becoming shorter and more distanced. The first sequence is a long, flirtatious banter consisting of talk about parties and Emily’s beauty with little talk of the newspaper between the married couple sitting next to each other. Each progressive breakfast has a shorter conversation dominated by talk of the newspaper as opposed to the couple’s relationship. After the first breakfast, Emily and Charles sit on opposite sides of the table, a physical demonstration of how the newspaper is creating distance between husband and wife. A similar example of evolved physical distance can be seen in the later romance between Charles and Susan Alexander. A prime illustration of this is the scene where Susan is putting together a puzzle on one side of the massive living room in Xanadu and Charles is standing at the other end. When Charles and Susan started seeing each other, they were more often than not close in proximity. Susan was an asset for the Inquirer during her opera career, where Kane would have great reviews written about her performances, despite the fact that they violated his â€Å"Declaration of Principles.† Huge audiences were brought to his newly built opera house, thus making his name more popular. However, once the second Mrs. Kane ended her career as an opera singer and was no longer useful to the newspaper, Charles began to separate himself from her. The progression of Emily and Charles’ physical appearance- from striking clothing, hair, and general upkeep to neither husband nor wife trying to impress their significant other with their physical presentation- is another example of mise-en-scene exhibi ting the failing of the relationship. Emily’s first outfit is a frilly, skin-exposing dress that was worn during an evening out. Her hair is in an intricate, pretty up do and her makeup lightly done, but her skin still youthful without blemishes or wrinkles. Each following sequence has Emily wearing a dress that shows less skin and is more proper, her hair worn increasingly more carelessly, and her face showing more wrinkles and looking less youthful with a sad expression. Charles follows a similar pattern in the way his dress evolves. He initially wears a suit meant for a party and looks handsome with his hair slicked back and almost no sign of age on his face. However, he starts wearing robes to breakfast with unkempt hair, not looking to impress his wife. A few sequences in, we start seeing Charles back in a suit, but with increased amounts of age lines visible on his face, indicating that he is spending more time and energy at work, and he is either coming home from work around breakfast time or leaving immediately after breakfast to tend to the Inquirer. While the clothing choices of each character reflects the decreasing effort to please each other, the wrinkles on each characters face shows how both the relationship and the newspaper are starting to perturb both husband and wife. Both key lighting and fill lighting contribute to the montage by depicting the time of each day and the presentation of the actors’ faces. The key light is a parallel in every sequence of the montage. It always comes from the back window and portrays that it is the same time of day in each sequence. The corresponding unvarying time of day paired with the evolving conversations and attire described earlier create a feeling that the act of having breakfast together has become routine and a burden as opposed to romantic for the couple. While the key light is unchanged throughout the montage, the fill light on each actors face changes in each sequence to assist in the idea that time is passing. A large amount of fill light is used at the outset of the montage, giving a youthful, blemish-less look to the faces of Charles and Emily. However, the fill light becomes less prominent in each successive sequence, giving Charles an intensifying harshness on his face with more age lines and Emily more dramatic shadows along her cheekbones and eyes, making her appear to be tired and sad. Acting, costumes, and lighting are all devices used throughout Citizen Kane to demonstrate failing relationships between Kane and some of the closest individuals in his life, including Emily, Jed Leland, and Susan Alexander. Nevertheless, the breakfast montage effectively applies both mise-en-scene and technical devices to display the first broken relationship caused by Charles Kane’s passion for the Inquirer.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

The Host Chapter 54: Forgotten

â€Å"Elizabeth?† I asked. â€Å"Anne? Karen? What's your name? C'mon. I know you know it.† The Healer's body was still limp on the cot. It had been a long time-how long, I wasn't sure. Hours and hours. I hadn't slept yet, though the sun was far up in the sky. Doc had climbed out onto the mountain to pull the tarps away, and the sun beamed brightly through the holes in the ceiling, hot on my skin. I'd moved the nameless woman so that her face would be out of the glare. I touched her face now lightly, patting the soft brown hair, woven through with white strands, away from her face. â€Å"Julie? Brittany? Angela? Patricia? Am I getting close? Talk to me. Please?† Everyone but Doc-snoring quietly on a cot in the darkest corner of the hospital-had gone away hours ago. Some to bury the host body we'd lost. I cringed, thinking of his bewildered question, and the sudden way his face had gone slack. Why? he'd asked me. I so much wished that the soul had waited for an answer, so I could have tried to explain it to him. He might even have understood. After all, what was more important, in the end, than love? To a soul, wasn't that the heart of everything? And love would have been my answer. Maybe, if he'd waited, he would have seen the truth of that. If he'd really understood, I was sure he would have let the human body live. The request would probably have made little sense to him, though. The body was his body, not a separate entity. His suicide was simply that to him, not a murder, too. Only one life had ended. And perhaps he was right. At least the souls had survived. The light on his tank glowed dull red beside hers; I couldn't ask for a greater evidence of commitment from my humans than this, the sparing of his life. â€Å"Mary? Margaret? Susan? Jill?† Though Doc slept and I was otherwise alone, I could feel the echo of the tension the others had left behind; it still hung in the air. The tension lingered because the woman had not woken up when the chloroform wore off. She had not moved. She was still breathing, her heart was still beating, but she had not responded to any of Doc's efforts to revive her. Was it too late? Was she lost? Was she already gone? Just as dead as the male body? Were all of them? Were there only a very few, like the Seeker's host, Lacey, and Melanie-the shouters, the resisters-who could be brought back? Was everyone else gone? Was Lacey an anomaly? Would Melanie come back the way she had†¦ or was even that in question? I'm not lost. I'm here. But Mel's mental voice was defensive. She worried, too. Yes, you are here. And you will stay here, I promised. With a sigh, I returned to my efforts. My doomed efforts? â€Å"I know you have a name,† I told the woman. â€Å"Is it Rebecca? Alexandra? Olivia? Something simpler, maybe†¦ Jane? Jean? Joan?† It was better than nothing, I thought glumly. At least I'd given them a way to help themselves if they were ever taken. I could help the resisters, if no one else. It didn't seem like enough. â€Å"You're not giving me much to work with,† I murmured. I took her hand in both of mine, chafed it softly. â€Å"It would really be nice if you would make an effort. My friends are going to be depressed enough. They could use some good news. Besides, with Kyle still gone†¦ It will be hard to evacuate everyone without having to carry you around, too. I know you want to help. This is your family here, you know. These are your kind. They're very nice. Most of them. You'll like them.† The gently lined face was vacant with unconsciousness. She was quite pretty in an inconspicuous way-her features very symmetrical on her oval face. Forty-five, maybe a little younger, maybe a little older. It was hard to tell with no animation in the face. â€Å"They need you,† I went on, pleading now. â€Å"You can help them. You know so much that I never knew. Doc tries so hard. He deserves some help. He's a good man. You've been a Healer for a while now; some of that care for the well-being of others must have rubbed off on you. You'll like Doc, I think. â€Å"Is your name Sarah? Emily? Kristin?† I stroked her soft cheek, but there was no response, so I took her limp hand in mine again. I gazed at the blue sky through the holes in the high ceiling. My mind wandered. â€Å"I wonder what they'll do if Kyle never comes back. How long will they hide? Will they have to find a new home somewhere else? There are so many of them†¦ It won't be easy. I wish I could help them, but even if I could stay, I don't have any answers. â€Å"Maybe they'll get to stay here†¦ somehow. Maybe Kyle won't mess up.† I laughed humorlessly, thinking of the odds. Kyle wasn't a careful man. However, until that situation was resolved, I was needed. Maybe, if there were Seekers looking, they would need my infallible eyes. It might take a long time, and that made me feel warmer than the sun on my skin. Made me feel grateful that Kyle was impetuous and selfish. How long until we were sure we were safe? â€Å"I wonder what it's like here when it gets cold. I can barely re-member feeling cold. And what if it rains? It has to rain here sometime, doesn't it? With all these holes in the roof, it must get really wet. Where does everyone sleep then, I wonder.† I sighed. â€Å"Maybe I'll get to find out. Probably shouldn't bet on that, though. Aren't you curious at all? If you would wake up, you could get the answers. I'm curious. Maybe I'll ask Ian about it. It's funny to imagine things changing here†¦ I guess summer can't last forever.† Her fingers fluttered for one second in my hand. It took me by surprise because my mind had wandered away from the woman on the cot, beginning to sink into the melancholy that was always conveniently near these days. I stared down at her; there was no change-the hand in mine was limp, her face still vacant. Maybe I'd imagined the movement. â€Å"Did I say something you were interested in? What was I talking about?† I thought quickly, watching her face. â€Å"Was it the rain? Or was it the idea of change? Change? You've got a lot of that ahead of you, don't you? You have to wake up first, though.† Her face was empty, her hand motionless. â€Å"So you don't care for change. Can't say that I blame you. I don't want change to come, either. Are you like me? Do you wish the summer could last?† If I hadn't been watching her face so closely, I wouldn't have seen the tiny flicker of her lids. â€Å"You like summertime, do you?† I asked hopefully. Her lips twitched. â€Å"Summer?† Her hand trembled. â€Å"Is that your name-Summer? Summer? That's a pretty name.† Her hand tightened into a fist, and her lips parted. â€Å"Come back, Summer. I know you can do it. Summer? Listen to me, Summer. Open your eyes, Summer.† Her eyes blinked rapidly. â€Å"Doc!† I called over my shoulder. â€Å"Doc, wake up!† â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"I think she's coming around!† I turned back to the woman. â€Å"Keep it up, Summer. You can do this. I know it's hard. Summer, Summer, Summer. Open your eyes.† Her face grimaced-was she in pain? â€Å"Bring the No Pain, Doc. Hurry.† The woman squeezed my hand, and her eyes opened. They didn't focus at first, just whirled around the bright cave. What a strange, unexpected sight this place must have been for her. â€Å"You're going to be all right, Summer. You're going to be fine. Can you hear me, Summer?† Her eyes wheeled back to me, the pupils constricting. She stared, absorbing my face. Then she cringed away from me, twisting on the cot to escape. A low, hoarse cry of panic broke through her lips. â€Å"No, no, no,† she cried. â€Å"No more.† â€Å"Doc!† He was there, on the other side of the cot, like before, when we were operating. â€Å"It's okay, ma'am,† he assured her. â€Å"No one is going to hurt you here.† The woman had her eyes squeezed shut, and she recoiled into the thin mattress. â€Å"I think her name is Summer.† He flashed a look at me and then made a face. â€Å"Eyes, Wanda,† he breathed. I blinked and realized that the sun was on my face. â€Å"Oh.† I let the woman pull her hand free. â€Å"Don't, please,† the woman begged. â€Å"Not again.† â€Å"Shh,† Doc murmured. â€Å"Summer? People call me Doc. No one's going to do anything to you. You're going to be fine.† I eased away from them, into the shadows. â€Å"Don't call me that!† the woman sobbed. â€Å"That's not my name! It's hers, it's hers! Don't say it again!† I'd gotten the wrong name. Mel objected to the guilt that washed through me. It's not your fault. Summer is a human name, too. â€Å"Of course not,† Doc promised. â€Å"What is your name?† â€Å"I-I-I don't know!† she wailed. â€Å"What happened? Who was I? Don't make me be someone else again.† She tossed and thrashed on the cot. â€Å"Calm down; it's going to be okay, I promise. No one's going to make you be anyone but you, and you'll remember your name. It's going to come back.† â€Å"Who are you?† she demanded. â€Å"Who's she? She's like†¦ like I was. I saw her eyes!† â€Å"I'm Doc. And I'm human, just like you. See?† He moved his face into the light and blinked at her. â€Å"We're both just ourselves. There are lots of humans here. They'll be so happy to meet you.† She cringed again. â€Å"Humans! I'm afraid of humans.† â€Å"No, you're not. The†¦ person who used to be in your body was afraid of humans. She was a soul, remember that? And then remember before that, before she was there? You were human then, and you are again.† â€Å"I can't remember my name,† she told him in a panicked voice. â€Å"I know. It'll come back.† â€Å"Are you a doctor?† â€Å"I am.† â€Å"I was†¦ she was, too. A†¦ Healer. Like a doctor. She was Summer Song. Who am I?† â€Å"We'll find out. I promise you that.† I edged toward the exit. Trudy would be a good person to help Doc, or maybe Heidi. Someone with a calming face. â€Å"She's not human!† the woman whispered urgently to Doc, her eye caught by my movement. â€Å"She's a friend; don't be afraid. She helped me bring you back.† â€Å"Where is Summer Song? She was scared. There were humans†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I ducked out the door while she was distracted. I heard Doc answer the question behind me. â€Å"She's going to a new planet. Do you remember where she was before she came here?† I could guess what her answer would be from the name. â€Å"She was†¦ a Bat? She could fly†¦ She could sing†¦ I remember†¦ but it was†¦ not here. Where am I?† I hurried down the hall to find help for Doc. I was surprised when I saw the light of the great cavern ahead-surprised because it was so quiet. Usually you could hear voices before you saw the light. It was the middle of the day. There should have been someone in the big garden room, if only crossing through. I walked out into the bright noon light, and the giant space was empty. The fresh tendrils of the cantaloupe vines were dark green, darker than the dry earth they sprang from. The earth was too dry-the irrigating barrel stood ready to fix that, the hoses laid out along the furrows. But no one manned the crude machine. It sat abandoned on the side of the field. I stood very still, trying to hear something. The huge cavern was silent, and the silence was ominous. Where was everyone? Had they evacuated without me? A pang of fear and hurt shot through me. But they wouldn't have left without Doc, of course. They would never leave Doc. I wanted to dart back through the long tunnel to make sure Doc had not disappeared, too. They wouldn't go without us, either, silly. Jared and Jamie and Ian wouldn't leave us behind. You're right. You're right. Let's†¦ check the kitchen? I jogged down the silent corridor, getting more anxious as the silence continued. Maybe it was my imagination, and the loud thumping of my pulse in my ears. Of course there must be something to hear. If I could calm down and slow my breathing, I'd be able to hear voices. But I reached the kitchen and it was empty, too. Empty of people. On the tables, half-eaten lunches had been abandoned. Peanut butter on the last of the soft bread. Apples and warm cans of soda. My stomach reminded me that I hadn't eaten at all today, but I barely noted the twist of hunger. The panic was so much stronger. What if†¦ what if we didn't evacuate soon enough? No! Mel gasped. No, we would have heard something! Someone would have†¦ or there would be†¦ They'd still be here, looking for us. They wouldn't give up until they'd checked everywhere. So that can't be it. Unless they're looking for us now. I spun back toward the door, my eyes darting through the shadows. I had to go warn Doc. We had to get out of here if we were the last two. No! They can't be gone! Jamie, Jared†¦ Their faces were so clear, as if they were etched onto the insides of my eyelids. And Ian's face, as I added my own pictures to hers. Jeb, Trudy, Lily, Heath, Geoffrey. We'll get them back, I vowed. We'll hunt them down one by one and steal them back! I won't let them take my family! If I'd had any doubts where I stood, this moment would have erased them. I'd never felt so fierce in all my lives. My teeth clenched tight, snapping together audibly. And then the noise, the babble of voices I'd been so anxiously straining to hear, echoed down the hall to us and made my breath catch. I slid silently to the wall and pressed myself into the shadow there, listening. The big garden. You can hear it in the echoes. Sounds like a large group. Yes. But yours or mine? Ours or theirs, she corrected. I crept down the hall, keeping to the darkest shadows. We could hear the voices more clearly now, and some of them were familiar. Did that mean anything? How long would it take trained Seekers to perform an insertion? And then, as I reached the very mouth of the great cave, the sounds became even clearer, and relief washed through me-because the babble of voices was just the same as it had been my very first day here. Murderously angry. They had to be human voices. Kyle must be back. Relief warred with pain as I hurried into the bright sunlight to see what was going on. Relief because my humans were safe. And pain because if Kyle was already safely back, then†¦ You're still needed, Wanda. So much more than I am. I'm sure I could find excuses forever, Mel. There will always be some reason. Then stay. With you as my prisoner? We stopped arguing as we assessed the commotion in the cavern. Kyle was back-the easiest one to spot, the tallest in the crowd, the only one facing me. He was pinned against the far wall by the mob. Though he was the cause of the angry noise, he was not the source of it. His face was conciliatory, pleading. He held his arms out to the sides, palms back, as if there was something behind him he was trying to protect. â€Å"Just calm down, okay?† His deep voice carried over the cacophony. â€Å"Back off, Jared, you're scaring her!† A flash of black hair behind his elbow-an unfamiliar face, with wide, terrified black eyes, peeked around at the crowd. Jared was closest to Kyle. I could see that the back of his neck was bright red. Jamie clung to one of his arms, holding him back. Ian was on his other side, his arms crossed in front of him, the muscles in his shoulders tight with strain. Behind them, every other human but Doc and Jeb was massed in an angry throng. They surged behind Jared and Ian, asking loud, angry questions. â€Å"What were you thinking?† â€Å"How dare you?† â€Å"Why'd you come back at all?† Jeb was in the back corner, just watching. Sharon ‘s brilliant hair caught my eye. I was surprised to see her, with Maggie, right in the center of the crowd. They'd both been so little a part of life here ever since Doc and I had healed Jamie. Never in the middle of things. It's the fight, Mel guessed. They weren't comfortable with happiness, but they're at home with fury. I thought she was probably right. How†¦ disturbing. I heard a shrill voice throwing out some of the angry questions and realized that Lacey was part of the crowd, too. â€Å"Wanda?† Kyle's voice carried across the noise again, and I looked up to see his deep blue eyes locked on me. â€Å"There you are! Could you please come and give me a little help here?†

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Raffles Hotel

International hospitality practice Raffles Hotel in Singapore Full Situational Audit of the Raffles Hotel and Develop a Strategic Place for the next 3 Years. Cover Page: Student Number, Module Code, Title, Module Tutor Table of Contents, List of Tables, Figures and Appendices Introduction Explaining the Purpose of the Report Brief Company Overview (10% of the assignment mark) 400 words External Audit: analysis of relevant macro-environmental (PESTE) and industry dynamics (Porter’s Five Forces), an assignment of competition and evaluation of Key Success Factors.The application David’s Factor Evaluation (EFE) matrix might assist your analytical process (30%) 1200 words Internal Audit: Analysis of the company’s strategic positioning in the marketplace and key target segments, an evaluation of the corporate portfolio and expansion strategies in relation to the firm’s centric approach and a comprehensive strengths-weaknesses analysis of current resources and co mpetences, value chain activities and value networks. The application David’s Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) matrix might assist your analytical process (30%) 1200 wordsStrategic plan for the next three years: This should include an evaluation of strategic options (TOWS matrix), the development of a new sales target, SMART objectives, the development of a mix of suitable strategies and a monitoring, control and contingency plan. (30%) 1200 words List of references Company Overview Raffles Hotel is a colonial-style hotel in Singapore. It was established by two Armenian brothers from Persia—Martin and Tigran Sarkies—in 1887. In later years they were joined by younger brothers Aviet and Arshak and kinsman Martyrose Arathoon.With their innovative cuisine and extensive modernisations, the firm built the hotel into Singapore's best known icon. It was named afterStamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore, whose statue had been unveiled in 1887. The hotel is cu rrently managed byFairmont Raffles Hotels International and houses a tropical garden courtyard, museum, and Victorian-style theatre. Raffles Hotel has a shopping arcade housing boutique brands such as Louis Vuitton, Surrender, and Tiffany & Co.. The arcade houses most of the hotel's restaurants.It also has shops such as the custom tailor, CYC The Custom Shop,[9] which makes shirts for Singapore's first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, and the third and current prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong. The third floor of the arcade houses the Raffles Hotel Museum and Jubilee Hall. Accommodation The hotel has 103 suites: – 84 Courtyard and Palm Court Suites – 12 Personality Suites – 5 Grand Hotel Suites – 2 Presidential Suites Activities – 15 Restaurants and bars – Raffles Spa – Outdoor swimming pool – Raffles Hotel Shopping Arcade Jubilee Hall theatre – Raffles Hotel gardens – Gymnasium – Event spaces – Executive centre Business Services A team of 24-hour personal Raffles butlers endeavours to assist hotel guests in all matters of business and leisure throughout their stay. The Executive Centre is another haven where residents can work or relax at their wish. Designed as a study, it is fitted with personal computer workstations and printers, and stocked with a selection of international newspapers, business magazines as well as commercial/industrial trade directories.The perfect location for a business meeting, Raffles Singapore features seven function rooms for events of up to 350 guests. With a choice of rooms, attentive service and all the technology you would expect, we’ll make it happen – exactly the way you want it Facilities Outdoor Swimming Pool & Bar Luxuriate in an exclusive haven by the rooftop pool, set amidst the lush tropical surroundings. Raffles Hotel Shopping Arcade Raffles Hotel Shopping Arcade stands as an oasis of calm amidst the busy city and is an integra l part of the world-renowned Raffles Singapore.The shopping arcade offers an extraordinary experience to discerning shoppers both locally and from around the world. It houses over 35 international and regional fashion and designer stores, as well as the popular Raffles Shop with fascinating memorabilia and collectibles available for purchase. Jubilee Hall A charming, Victorian-style theatre playhouse seating 388 guests, Jubilee Hall is noted as a premier cultural venue for varied repertoires and ceremonies. Sir Charles – Flowers For The GentlemanWith a bloom for the gentleman to shower upon his lady and a posy for the lady to accord her gentleman, let the distinguished flowers from Sir Charles speak for you. From hand posies and hand bouquets to potted floras and lavish arrangements, Sir Charles has a delightful bloom for every joyous occasion. Gardens at Raffles Hotel Raffles Singapore is perfectly accompanied by the lush greenery and the landscaping which make up a quarter of the total land area of the Hotel.The gardens and courtyards at the hotel include the Palm Court, Palm Garden, Fern Court, The Lawn, Raffles Courtyard and Raffles Square. An iconic plant found in the gardens of Raffles Singapore is the Travellers Palm, which as tales would tell, has been known to save the lives of travellers in search of water with its fan-shaped foliage providing welcoming shade. The leaves are also said to be aligned on an East-West axis, thus pointing travellers in the right direction. Limousine ServiceArrive in style at the grand gravel driveway of Raffles Singapore with our chauffeured limousine service, or be whisked away to your next destination after your stay with us. Our classic Daimler or Bentley limousines promise to transport you to the glorious heydays of a bygone era, without which no Raffles experience is complete. A luxurious fleet of other modern limousines are also available. Family Outdoor Swimming Pool Luxuriate in an exclusive haven by the ro oftop pool, set amidst the lush tropical surroundings.Raffles Hotel Shopping Arcade Raffles Hotel Shopping Arcade stands as an oasis of calm amidst the busy city and is an integral part of the world-renowned Raffles Singapore. The shopping arcade offers an extraordinary experience to discerning shoppers both locally and from around the world. It houses over 35 international and regional fashion and designer stores, as well as the popular Raffles Shop with fascinating memorabilia and collectibles available for purchase. Resident HistorianExperience a tour with Raffles Singapore’s very own Resident Historian Leslie Danker who has been with the hotel for almost 40 years. 24-Hour Butler Service At Raffles Singapore, we want our hotel guests to feel the ultimate service from our hearts. Delivering a high level of discreet and attentive service is the role of the Raffles butler. We call that ‘service with a gentle breeze’. The butler team can also make arrangements for babysitting services, offer children’s amenities such as toys and games, should you require them.

Learning Team Skills and Assessment Paper

In the University of Phoenix curricula GEN480 Capstone course, Learning Team C represents a somewhat diverse group of skills. Based on a matrix of categories including field of expertise, strengths, business skills, computer skills, and language, the four members of Learning Team C shared their self-assessment in each of these. It is interesting that there is a good complement of customer service, leadership, business acumen, computer skills, and even some additional foreign language skills. Patrice Davis – A strong customer service background with good listening and communication skills. Patrice is also team-oriented and has good basic computer skills. Cindy Jost – A member of management, Cindy has experience in the travel industry and in addition to leadership, lists communication, negotiation skills and software knowledge as strengths. Silvia Miller – Silvia represents the quality assurance management side of commercial banking. Her strengths are leadership, people skills, flexibility, software knowledge, and speaks three languages including fluent Portuguese. Mike Wray – Seasoned leader and manager with a focus on health care supply chain management. Mike brings experience in common-sense approach process improvement and good communication skills. He also has a good understanding of software and databases and their best application. The skill of these positions is a combination of personal strengths, business skills and computer skills. The personal strengths range from professionalism to social skills, from dependability to honesty, from ambition to understanding, and trustworthiness to leadership skills. From the examination of the skills listed it appears that the skill required in most functions listed is public speaking and presentation skills. Although public speaking always has been recognized in the business community, the online learning program does not incorporate this class into their curricula. Public speaking and presentation skills are essential in the management and leadership field. The student can overcome the fear of facing people, and can improve their communication skills. For instance, in a job interview, the interviewer judge the person based on their qualifications but also the ability to deliver a good public speaking session. For a college student the ability of deliver good public speaking session are also tested. Unfortunately, the clarity of the speaking skills cannot be heard because of the online learning environment. There are many things you can do to improve your public speaking skills: Preparation of the presentation: Good public speakers prepare the material to be presented. He or she will outline the presentation to have a clear view of what the speech is about. Also, they know their audience. Tell a Story: This is one of the best tools available to use to persuade other people. Use your voice effectively: To keep people interest about the story, a voice variation is important for instance the use of pause and voice excitement. Use your body: this is extremely important when communicating because you need to engaged your listeners. Another way through which a person can become more effective at public speaking is to become a member of Toastmasters International. â€Å"Toastmaster International is a nonprofit organization that offers a proven and enjoyable way to practice and hone communication and leadership skills† (Toastmasters, 2010). In fact, based on the description of experience and skills presented on the Team C Matrix, the team presented two consulting firms as potential employers. Consulting firms are a popular career choice for college graduates. As the need for specialized professionals in areas of business is growing so is the specialization of consulting firms. Three consulting firms that make a good match based on Team C’s skill set include Navigant Consulting a management firm, Pricewaterhouse Cooper LLP an accounting firm and Mercer LLC a firm specializing in human resources (List of Top Consulting Firms, 2010). The benefit for companies to hire a specialized consulting firms is to ensure a better delivery, quality and over all monitoring of their current project. Team C’s members bring a variety of skills to the hiring table. When searching for companies to apply to the goal is to finding the best fit base on experience and education. Navigant is a management consulting firm out of the greater Chicago area (Navigant Consulting, 2011). The team member that would best be employed with Navigant is Michael Wray. Based on his leadership skills and management expertise is a good fit here. Silvia Miller is the team member with a financial background so the best fit for this team member is a position within the firm of Pricewaterhouse Cooper LLP. Pricewaterhouse specialty is accounting (PWC 2011). Mercer is a company focused in Human Resources which is also part customer service (Mercer, 2011). This company has career paths that will meet the need of all Team C’s members but Patrice Davis and Cindy Jost would be the best fit here because of their customer service expertise. Some needed skills are a continual thirst for learning. Once a person stops, learning one also stops growing. Also can be a hindrance in the ability to be innovative and creative. This skill is sometimes obtained through company-sponsored classes, seminars, and incentives to attend and complete such company sponsored learning opportunities. Another needed skill is statistics and research design. This is researching in-house to define the research problem, find an answer by designing a study and the appropriate instruments. Coding, analyzing, reporting, and making recommendations on the discoveries of the defined problem is a part of research design. This skill is obtained only if the company sees this as an asset and important to the company. If the case, someone can be brought in who has experience in statistics and research design. Cross-cultural understanding is also a skill needed because in this economy more minorities are entering the workforce all the time. This skill is obtained through company sponsored cultural days or seminars. Possessing a business skill is a needed skill. Employees need to have â€Å"business savvy† a combination of technical training and interpersonal skills. This skill is obtainable by one receiving technical training and the teaching of good interpersonal skills, preferably during achieving education prior to entering the workforce.