HBC From Fur to Fendi Essay

1. Three competitive strategies that the company HBC used prior to its sale to Zucker and NRDC are the differentiation strategy, the growth strategy and an e-business strategy. HBC used the differentiation strategy by reinventing itself with a more fashionable image through designer depot/Style depot. HBC used the growth strategy by expansion of the corporation to strengthen its share of the market with the acquisition of other retailers such as K-Mart Canada. They also opened the HBC Rewards Program to entice costumers back to its stores. HBC also used the e-business strategy by opening their online shopping program, allowing customers to have the option to shop online instead of having to go to the store. 2. Three strategies HBC adopted since the sale would be the renewal strategy, the focus differentiation strategy and the diversification strategy. Under the NRDC leadership, The Bay’s main focus was reattracting customers. They did this by dropping over 60 percent of its previous brands and relaunching the â€Å"Room†, which was located at one of its Toronto locations. â€Å"The Room† is a VIP suite containing high end designers. HBC also used the focus differentiation strategy by becoming an official sponsor for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. By selling Olympic branded merchandise this allowed the Bay to be open to a whole new market. Selling Olympic merchandise allows Olympic fans to have the option to buy that merchandise at The Bay. HBC uses the diversification strategy by launching â€Å"The Room† which allowed The Bay to then sell designer merchandise to customers, which broadened their variety to a whole new market of customers. 3. The competitive strategies mentioned before can be categorized into two categories, business or corporate level strategies. The business level strategies included, the differentiation strategy and the focus differentiation strategy. The corporate strategies included the growth strategy, e-business strategy, renewal strategy, and the diversification strategy.

Candide

While reading Voltaire’s Candide, I sensed a touch of detachment on the part of the narrator regarding the violence occurring in the book. He began the story by short, hardly imaginative descriptions of the characters, ending the 1st chapter with an account of the brief lover’s tryst between Candide and Miss Cunegonde which was perturbed by the latter’s father having a fit and without seeming ado, deals Candide with some â€Å"kicks on the breech†, and driving him out the door.This then makes Cunegonde faint but when the girl wakes up, she is met with a boxing of her ears by her mother. The recounting was fast-paced so much so that by the end of the chapter, I felt as though the master of the castle had shut the door to my face also: after such fleeting events—fleeting descriptions, fleeting meetings, fleeting allusions to the depth of the characters’ relationships with each other (or rather, shallowness thereof)—the author ends withou t so much as a description of how the people felt.We are not given an insight as to how Candide felt about being abruptly separated from his beloved, or how all their love came to be in the first place, although regarding the former, Candide is shown to not have fought for his love nor his home and went about all wretched, for god knows how long, before he naively gets recruited into ranks of the enemy.He then proceeds with another curt account of Candide’s subsequent inclusion into the Bulgarian army, and how, merely because he chose to take a leisurely walk that soldiers (or â€Å"heroes†) were apparently supposed, he was made to run the gauntlet after choosing that over being shot in the head. The atrocity of the actions are rendered impotent to the reader because Voltaire treated them with such a detached air of someone who is merely observing events.Then again a normal observer would not be as indifferent as he was. To an extent, his description of the events beca me a cruel comedy: the naivete and foolishness of the â€Å"young metaphysician†, a phrase so obviously paradoxical; and, the apparent lack of political and moral judgment on the part of the Bulgarians prior to killing someone who merely took a walk when he was not supposed to, or in other words, the lack of hesitation to commit unjust execution, which might as well be murder.This attitude towards the characters—like that of a cruel god who plays with his own creations/followers like a mean child—continues throughout the first 15 chapters my most favorite being the part where the cowardly Candide makes his way around heaps of dead or dying people, and sees the victims of war: Voltaire gives me the impression that he has a fascination for the morbid, the gruesome, and the morally offensive.No, I do not share this â€Å"fascination†, I just meant to say that it was in this Chapter that Voltaire appeared less indifferent. He gives little value to the emotion s and thoughts of his characters, but he has an eye for detail of the surroundings. Personally I find the narration quite humorous, the characters are rendered absurd, the punishments for their absurdity severe and exaggerated. As I said earlier, it is a cruel comedy, full of wit and an undercurrent of intellectual criticism perhaps of the society in which Candide dwelt.However, I also find it morally offensive, as if it were real life and not just a satirical account of a foolish boy, the characters, what with the atrocities, cruelties and hardships they were put through, were treated in an inhumane manner by the narrator: there is a lack of compassion on his part, a quality which I think necessary in this story. Or at least to prove that the narrator has a piece of humanity in him.The lackluster account of the events; the focus on the gruesome and the morbid— all of these leave an air of innate cruelty, of cynicism, of paganism or atheism, of blasphemy, and deep hatred of t he lives the characters had. I am given the impression that the author wishes to enlighten us on the perspective of men who care less for others and more for themselves—indifferent of other’s suffering, or if they harbor any feeling, it is that of sheer cruel amusement.

Access the internal control of Shangri-la company

Access the internal control of Shangri-la company Access the internal control of Shangri-la company Internal control is defined as Systematic measures that been used by accountant and auditor to make sure the goals is achieved, conduct the business in efficient matter, safeguard of asset, to ensure that rules and regulation is being followed, completeness and accuracy of financial record and produce reliable and timely financial and management information. There are a few matters that Shangri-la concerning about of internal control such as: a. Completeness and accurancy of financial record. Shangri-la company use a system to ensure of appropriateness of business operation of the Group consisting of the Company and its subsidiaries. Chief Executive Officer of the company which is Mr Lim Beng Chee should discovered the fact and any decision that may cause a substantial damage, or act in violation of the laws, regulations or the Articles of incorporation and other acts outside the scope of the purpose to ensure that proper operation of subsidiaries is well-managed. In addition it also help to ensure the proper operation of subsidiary companies so that the reliability of financial reports by performing the maintenance, construction of internal control system in accordance with the financial statements, together with ongoing assessment, carried out necessary corrections if there are deficiencies, management shall appropriate the Company and to ensure. b. Ensure that rules and regulation is being followed. Shangri-la company always ensure that their operating business followed the rules. Information Management will make sure that they are following regulation and security guideline about Rules on the handling of personal data, Personal information protection regulation, and Information security policy by proper managing of important document. c. Ensure that the goals of company is achieved.Promote agile decision-making by the executive officers of small and further strengthen executive power. Set up the goals and objective of company so that the employee will understand and help employee achieved the company objectivity. d. The management and operating manager should segregate duties amongst executive officers and employee.The manager should divide the duties and work among their staff to make sure that objective of company is achieved. Shangri-la set up the goals for every department and their staff know their roles and responsibility for the company. e. Safeguard of asset. Shangri-la company established Risk Management Regulation clarify the department responsible for each risk category, endeavor to establish a risk management system. Established a management meeting risk, together with the corresponding consultation on matters relating to risk management, internal control report to the Commission on a regular basis for other conditions.

GGP of Russia for the past year Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

GGP of Russia for the past year - Essay Example This is especially the case in Russia. When GDP shrinks, that means a country’s economy is in serious trouble and a recession is looming. As the world continues to freefall in the current economic crisis, many country’s GDPs are shrinking. Russia, which for many years had been riding the recent increase in energy prices, has an economy and GDP which have been growing substantially over the last few years; however, this may not continue because of the way energy prices have seriously tumbled. The Gross Domestic Product of Russia is $1.29 trillion. This is one of the largest GDPs in the world, definitely in the top fifteen of all countries. It grew 5.8 per cent in 2008 which was one of the lowest rates of growth in several years and was largely due to the decrease in the price of oil and other resource of which Russia has a lot. Now the IMF has been predicting that the Russian economy will contract 0.7% in 2009 which is very bad for Russians who are hoping to see their country continue to grow and become more powerful.1 Part of the problem is that the Russian economy is not very diversified. Unlike more developed economies that have a good mix between resources, manufacturing, and services—Russia mostly exports gas and minerals and not much else. That means the economy is very dependent on international prices which it has little control over. A Russia continues to develop hopefully its economy will become more

US Investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

US Investment - Essay Example The federal government plays the crucial role in funding education in public institutions either through grants or loans. Without the government support more than 400,000 students who would not have access to quality education or employment (Thelin 120). Therefore, the federal government can encourage more investment in education through subsidies in order to promote quality education that leads to better jobs. Limiting subsidies to specific professionals considered crucial for economic development will increase competence in technical areas; increase job stability and marketability of the workers hence increase in global competence of the economy (Flores 78). However, it will have adverse effects because some students will not join their careers of choice, increase unemployment due to congestion in particular careers and increase of illiteracy rate for those who cannot afford to take careers of their choice (Flores 79). Increasing subsidies to the certain profession will violate the economic principle that upholds government market outcomes because it will increase inequalities of sharing national resources (Mankiw 64). In conclusion, education is essential for economic growth hence government support through subsidies increases the literacy rate, employment opportunities, and improvement in the living standards. The government should offer uniform support in all professions while attractiveness of the labor market determines the choice individuals make when choosing their

Permaculture Design Course Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Permaculture Design Course - Essay Example The location is in a dense urban environment with significant traffic and air pollution. There is little greenery in the area, a few trees on the sidewalk and street areas or found around the parking lots and yards in the area behind the buildings. The rooftop area of the house is flat, cement, and currently unused. This proposal advocates for the creation of a sprout production facility, wheat grass juice production center, manna bakery, and garden of salad greens, medicinal herbs, vegetables, and other biodiversity related or endangered species plants in the rooftop terrace area as an example of Permaculture transformation of the urban environment. This project includes a production facility that is generally considered as supplying the food or a portion of the food for the members of the household who live in it or in this instance as a supplement for fresh salad greens, sprouts, herbs, vegetables, bread, and juices. It is possible for this facility to also be constructed inexpens ively, from recycled or salvaged materials and to include a greenhouse facility on a portion of the rooftop area. The greenhouse will contain three tables that are dedicated to the production of sprouts – alfalfa seed, radish seed, garbanzo bean, and broad bean primarily. These sprouts will be grown in cyclical progressions so that a supply is ready each day for household consumption, or a seven day cycle. In association with the salad sprout production there will also be the production of sprouted wheat for â€Å"manna† bread, wheatgrass juice, and rejuvelac production. Sprouted wheat requires pure water, and this must be changed every day on the wheat berries. Similarly the salad sprouts should be grown with pure water which is changed every day. The greenhouse facilities should keep these facilities relatively protected from air pollution that is dust, particle, or ash. However, the greenhouse takes up only around 33% of the rooftop. The other part of the terrace will be used to set up a salad greens, medicinal herb, and vegetable garden that is created by filling barrels, buc kets, and clay pots with earth for planting. These barrels should be wood and organic if possible, and clay pots should be used in both for wheat berry sprouting and for containing the earth in which the vegetables are grown. This method of compact community farming was developed in Essene communities over 2000 years ago in desert type of conditions, but allowed for concentrated agricultural production co-mingled with residence. The barrels can be preferably of wood and the type that is used for wine. The earth can be transported in to the facility from a rural location using one or two pick-up trips only. The earth can be shoveled into nylon grain sacks that are easily available for carrying up the stairs to the roof area. The larger barrels can be used for mixed plantings, such as tomatoes in associations with greens or corn and beans. The smaller clay pots can be used for lettuces, basil, salad greens, and medicinal herbs and the lettuces can also be planted in cycles to be ready on a regular basis for daily harvesting and use in the house. By growing these fresh vegetables, sprouts, wheat grass juice, and manna bread, the household implements permaculture ideas into the urban environment in a manner that is at once self-sufficient, environmentally improving, and transformative to the community and individuals who participate in it. The health effects of the fresh vegetable, sprouts, and sprouted bread diet can also be considered beneficial, though the plants should be misted as well as watered on a regular basis

Frankfurts Distinction between Bullshitting and Lying Essay

Frankfurts Distinction between Bullshitting and Lying - Essay Example Bullshit is one of the most salient features in our culture. Everyone knows and contributes to it but takes the situation for granted. The majority of people are confident in their ability to recognize bullshit and avoid being caught up in it (Frankfurt, 2005, p. 21). This phenomenon has not raised much inquiry so people fail to understand what it is, why it there or what functions it serves. We lack a conscious appreciation of its relevance to us. Frankfurt analyses three categories of dishonesty which are weaker from plain lies but not less harmful in distorting knowledge in a common setting. A lie is the utterance of statement from a speaker which he clearly knows not to be true. In our social life, it very common for people to make statement or talk of things they have no proper knowledge of. It usually out of curiosity or to appear knowledgeable even when one is not. This is termed as bullshit since one has no knowledge of correct information. With lies there is a negative relat ion to the truth whereas bullshit there is no connection of what the speaker says with the truth ... everyone is expected to be abreast with the current social and political issues even when one lacks time to be correctly informed on all important aspects. Most people make a living in professionals that target at generating, processing and providing data. Examples of this are lawyers, financial analysts, business consultant, journalists and scientist (Frankfurt, 2005, p. 22). In these professionals one is expected to be knowledgeable even in situations when he or she is not. When one simply fails to admit lack of knowledge, bullshit is generated. The third form of bullshit is dishonesty. The hearer is provided with correct information which one can use to make an incorrect inference. For example one can wish to persuade a friend to come for the weekend by claiming the newspaper predicts fine weather even though one knows weather forecast is reputably unreliable. The newspaper predicts good weather but telling a friend this information one makes an inference to what is untrue that th e weekend weather will most likely be fine. Deception is a form of dishonesty that one applies while talking the truth. Deception depends on monotonic reasoning where one provides information while withholding some to lead someone into the wrong conclusion. For example if someone says tweety is a bird not including it a penguin we inference it can fly while it cannot (Frankfurt, 2005, p. 22). Withholding information in a classical formalism leads to missing inferences whereas non-monotonic formalism results to wrong inferences. With deception, one uses the non-monotonic inference capabilities of another individual to implant wrong ideas without lying to him. In knowledge and argumentation, the possession of knowledge is a double fact. One has either information about a preposition or not

Issues in Contemporary Management-Critical Discussion of Management Essay

Issues in Contemporary Management-Critical Discussion of Management Processes, Ethics, and Globalization - Essay Example e giant outlet commanding 31% of the total market turnover has been the recent victim of public criticism after revelations that since it began operations in the country, it had been avoiding tax payments to authorities, only paying 8.6 million despite generating 3 billion in revenues. Tax avoidance is an ethical issue as well as a national and global issue for a company that has its operations in many countries such as Starbucks. For close to 15 years, the coffee giant in the United Kingdom had been avoiding remitting taxes by reporting losses, only reporting profits in a single year. The company has been in operation in the country since the year 1998, with 700 outlets. There are various reasons why companies pay taxes to the authorities. While it is a legal obligation of the company, it is an ethical issue of portraying a good corporate image for the company (Rosser, Murray, 2010, p. 21). Closure of business is imminent by the authorities if the company is found to have evaded tax. Although it is legal to avoid paying taxes, criticism and loss of business for the company is quite possible in case the public decides not purchase products by the company. When David Cameron revealed to the public that Starbucks had not been paying taxes for the 15 years it had operated in the country, angry protestors demonstrated outside its outlets accusing the company being un-loyal to the country. Regardless of its origin being in America, the public expects the company to pay taxes to the UK authorities. To the public, any company should undertake this ethical practice so long as they buy their products. Starbucks risks loss of business from the public by failure to pay taxes. Physical demonstrations could turn to economic to the extent of the public choosing not to purchase the products. Governments are keen in payment of taxes by the companies operating in their jurisdictions (Great Britain, 2011, p. 14). The issue of Starbucks became a political problem to the point of

Short Story Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Short Story Analysis - Essay Example The basic assumption of the current report is that through a combination of tone and setting, Hawthorne sets up a theme of growing unreality and sin in the work, in which Goodman Brown goes from a lucid, sane person, to a forever-changed witness of evil and sin. This response can be applied to the Hawthorne short-story quite easily, as it seems that Goodman Brown is also undergoing a sort of intuitive emotional struggle throughout much of his walk in the forbidding and unnatural woods. The story focuses more on the immediacy of these impressions than it does on the later evaluation and interpretation of them by its protagonist, who is seen to be effectively closed-off after his dream/experience. hides his intentions from both Faith and the reader, so it is effectively a mystery as to where he is going. This effectively draws the reader further into the story because their curiosity is piqued as to Brown’s destination. â€Å"What a wretch am I to leave her on such an errand!† Brown cries internally and mysteriously, â€Å"Methought as she spoke there was trouble in her face, as if a dream had warned her what work is to be don tonight. But no, no; twould kill her to think of it† (Hawthorne, p. 375). The protagonist heads off into the wilderness. through, and closed immediately behind† (Hawthorne). The narrator is also increasingly closed-off and isolated from the good of society as he walks. â€Å"It was all as lonely as could be; and there is this peculiarity in such a solitude, that the traveller knows not who may be concealed by the innumerable trunks and the thick boughs overhead; so that, with lonely footsteps, he may yet be passing through an unseen multitude† (Hawthorne). As noted, it seems that Goodman Brown is undergoing a sort of emotional struggle of resistance throughout much of his walk in the unnatural woods and wilderness. The story focuses more on his impressions of resisting evil in the woods than it does on interpretation of these

Varieties of Capitalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Varieties of Capitalism - Essay Example Resource allocation can be taken at all levels, but resource ownership is a totally different aspect. Ownership of resources takes three forms: public ownership, private ownership or a mixture of the two in an agreed proportion. This is where capitalism comes in. Resources in an economy are managed through the employment of means of production, in a bid to satisfy the needs and wants of populations in societies through making economic decisions. Resources in an economy can be privately owned through an economic system referred to as capitalism. Income and/or profit earnings are the primary interest of individual or corporate capitalists. Interactions of all stakeholders in capitalistic activities are undertaken in a market environment that lacks government control. Varieties of Capitalism Hall and Soskice (2009, p.404) note that capitalist economies are of two types; that is liberal and coordinated market economies. These two types of market economies are crucial in highlighting inst itutional variations across the developed economies in bid to assess the applicability of capitalistic activities in the economies. In order to do so, the variables that define each of the two market economies are considered in terms of practice and aspects of application. Static vs. Dynamic Both liberal and coordinated market economies have their static and dynamic aspects. ... This has helped shape the static and dynamic properties in the context of varieties in capitalism. Static properties in the liberal market economies are seen in the hierarchy structure of institutions in the market, employment trends, level of wage bargaining and in the adoption of changes, especially innovation. Innovations are radically put in place even when they are readily available for the market. On the other hand, static properties in coordinated market economies are experienced in the relations between and among different stakeholders in the market. Non-market relations in this market economy hardly change over time. Dynamism is associated with the occurrence of changes and adoption of relevant changes that enhance the functionality of an economic system. Different political economists consider this aspect in numerous ways, but the underlying factor is that change is inevitable. In the case of liberal market economies, equilibrium point of the market keeps changing, and so a re the institutional functions of competition and policy making (Crouch, 2002, p.239). On the other hand, the coordinated market economies are uniquely dynamic. Collaborative efforts between and among key stakeholders keep changing, and it is, therefore, dynamic in that regard. Innovation is highly incremental from time to time as deemed important. Equilibrium-based vs. Evolutionary The two market economies that make up capitalism are characterized by equilibriums. In the liberal market economies, forces of demand and supply play a fundamental role in the moving the market and the entire economy. Competition is high among individual firms and business entities. Policies in this market are more oriented towards deregulation and realization of tax breaks (Jackson, 2003,

Racism against black people Essay Example for Free

Racism against black people Essay Slavery in the United States began after English colonists first settled Virginia and lasted until the Thirteenth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution in 1865. The American colonies were established with the idea of freedom and liberty to all but has change into racism. Now, racism against African Americans in America has been a huge problem in the south. Slavery in the United States began soon after English colonists first settled Virginia and lasted until the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1865. The 19th century saw a hardening of institutionalized racism and legal discrimination against citizens of African descent in the United States. Although technically able to vote, poll taxes, acts of terror (often perpetuated by groups like the KKK) and discriminatory laws kept African Americans disenfranchised, particularly in the South. During this time, segregation, racial discrimination and expressions of white supremacy all increased, as did anti-black violence such as lynching and race riots. Racism, which had been viewed primarily as a problem in the Southern states, burst onto the national consciousness following the Great Migration, the relocation of millions of African Americans from their roots in the Southern states to the industrial centers of the North after World War I. This took place particularly in cities such as Boston, Chicago and New York (Harlem). In northern cities, racial tensions exploded most violently in Chicago. The 1950s and 1960s saw the peaking of the American Civil Rights Movement with the desegregation of schools in 1954 and the organizing of widespread protests across the nation under a younger generation of leaders. Martin Luther King was a catalyst for many nonviolent protests in the 1960s, which led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The act prohibited discrimination in public facilities, in government and in employment and invalidating the Jim Crow laws (which mandated segregation in all public facilities, with a separate but equal status for black Americans and other non-white racial groups) in the southern United States. It became illegal to force segregation of the races in schools, housing or  hiring. This signified a change in the social acceptance of racism that had been written into American law and an increase in the number of opportunities available for people of color in the United States. However, African American poverty and education inequalities continue and have deepened in the post-industrial era.

Sustainable tourism strategic plan

Sustainable tourism strategic plan Executive Summary Tourism is the main generator of revenue in the Hawaiian economy. Therefore the state markets itself primarily as a tourist destination. In keeping with this image the Hawaii Tourism Association (HTA) has developed the Hawaiis Tourism Strategic Plan: 2005-2015. This is a comprehensive plan which is inclusive of and addresses the needs and responsibilities of all stakeholders in Hawaiis tourism product. The purpose of this essay is to conduct an analysis into the sustainability of Hawaiis tourism product by evaluating their policies, principles and sustainability practices as outlined in the plan. A SWOT analysis will be presented identifying Hawaiis strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as it pertains to their tourism product. The product will also be assessed based on the criteria which embody the four pillars of sustainable tourism which are economic, ecological, cultural and local sustainability. The principles governing Agenda 21 will also be used as a guideline to evaluate Hawaiis tourism product. Recommendations will then be made based on the limitations of the product that were identified and a conclusion based on the results of the analysis. Hawaii, the 50th state of the Unites States of America is an archipelago which comprises of eight major islands known as Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, Niihau and Kaho olawe. This group of volcanic islands is located in the Northern Pacific Ocean at approximately 2,400 miles West South West of San Francisco (City-Data.com, 2010). The islands tropical climate coupled with its beautiful scenery which comprises of lush rainforest, exquisite beaches and sensational mountain ranges has made it a very attractive destination for tourist. In addition, its multicultural society has resulted in a rich cultural diversity which also adds to the distinctiveness of the archipelago. As a result, the main revenue generator is tourism which contributes the most jobs, income and growth to the Hawaiian economy. According to the Department of Business, Economics, Development and Tourism, (2009) the number of stay over tourist for 2009 was 6, 514,382 which contributed to approximately 20% of Hawaiis GDP. This is a clear indication as to how important tourism is to the Hawaiian economy. The importance of sustainable tourism in the current global climate cannot be underscored. According to the World Tourism Organization (2004), any type of tourism destinations should develop sustainable tourism guidelines and policies in order to strike a balance between the socio-cultural, economic and environmental aspects of tourism so that environmental resources are efficiently utilized, the unique aspects of the culture are preserved and respected, and all stakeholders in the economy benefit. Therefore, it is important that Hawaiis Strategic plan for tourism incorporates all of these aspects in order to be effective. The vision that Hawaii formulated for its tourism product by the year 2015 is as follows: Honor Hawaiis people and heritage; value and perpetuate Hawaiis natural and cultural resources; engender mutual respect among all stakeholders; support a vital and sustainable economy and provide a unique, memorable, enriching visitor experience. (Hawaii Tourism Authority, 2005) Although this vision contains the key aspects of sustainable tourism development, it is important to consider in detail whether the policies, practices and principles which are included in the strategic plan are reflective of their vision. It is imperative that even before a strategic plan is formulated that a SWOT analysis is done in order to identify the internal strengths and weaknesses of product and the external opportunities that the product is exposed to. The following SWOT analysis is a more detailed version of the one that was prepared by the Hawaii Tourism Authority[1]. As identified by the tourism strategic plan, Hawaiis strengths as a tourism product are: Hawaii is branded internationally as a prestigious exotic vacation spot. The islands experience consistent warm climate throughout the year with an average variance of about 4oC. Native Hawaiians have a unique Polynesian Culture and History. The idea of a tropical volcanic island covered in diverse flora and fauna adds allure and appeal to the islands as a tourist destination. Most visitors claim to be satisfied with their time spent in Hawaii. The islands are blest with rich volcanic soil that supports the islands flora, fauna and lush vegetation. Natives are very friendly and welcoming which makes visitors feel more appreciated. Top class resorts provide varied quality accommodations. Airport and local security is excellent which propagates a feeling of safety. Hawaii offers a variety of activities and attractions to keep guests occupied, from surfing in the summer to skiing in winter. Hawaii is geographically isolated in the Pacific Ocean therefore there are no other islands in the world like it. The plan also highlights the following as weaknesses of Hawaii as a tourism product: Hawaiis geographic isolation makes it an expensive travel destination. There are inadequate public and private infrastructures such as restrooms and roads which makes visitor stay more uncomfortable. Visitors to Hawaii spend little time interacting with native residents especial in the rural areas Hawaii offers the same types of activities it has for the past decade which has become monotonous for tourists and declined repeat visitors. Inaccurate pre- and post-arrival Information on accommodation and Hawaiian culture have been a source of complaint and an expression of visitors dissatisfaction. There is inadequate Stakeholder Consensus in the tourism industry currently and as such there is much dissatisfaction amongst key stakeholders especially amongst the native communities. Businesses usually run slowly in Hawaii which increases visitor frustration for prompt service. Insufficient pre-visit information has often resulted in a mismatch between visitor expectation and product delivery. Hawaii has a very volatile inter-island transportation services. Taxis and tours are expensive and drivers often have very limited knowledge of the islands. In addition, many taxi and tour vehicles are not properly maintained. All together, this situation delivers poor service to visitors. Airlift to Hawaii can become problematic. Apart from being expensive, most airlines have limited their flights to or pulled out of the islands totally, as a result of financial strain placed on the industry by increased fuel costs and the need for added security features since the 911 incident in New York. Hawaiis public facilities such as its park benches, public restrooms, etc are poorly maintained, which provides an unsightly attraction and uncomfortable feeling to tourists. Tourists are often unaware of and have little access to many new activities available to them owing to communication and transportation limitations. There is a shortage of professional (Certified) guides on Hawaii which results in poor service delivery to touring tourists and adds to the dissatisfaction visitors feel when in Hawaii. Hawaiis strategic plan identifies the following as opportunities for Hawaii as a tourism product: Hawaii can further develop itself as a tourism product in terms of sustainable tourism. The increasing patronage of cruise lines promises an opportunity for future enhancement in that industry. Hawaiis native Polynesian culture is unique to Hawaii and it offers a chance to experience an alternative culture to tourists. Geographic market segmentation information affords Hawaii the chance to better customize their marketing efforts to meet the needs of their international customers. As such Hawaii can market themselves in different regions of the world, highlighting the vacation needs of these regions that it can fulfill. Health, sports and eco tourism are only a few of the recent tourism markets that are evolving. Hawaii has already hosted the PGA tour and hopes to capitalize on these other new markets that are showing up. Additional ferry services can certainly improve Hawaiis inter island transportation system, allowing more efficient and cheaper transportation between islands, thus reducing the total cost of the Hawaii vacation experience. A sustainable tourism approach will allow Hawaii to more prudently utilize and protect its resources thereby maximizing economic benefits from them whilst conserving them for future use. Improving public and private infrastructure affords Hawaii to provide a more comfortable, sanitary and attractive destination to visiting tourists thereby reducing visitor dissatisfaction. Sustainable tourism also allows Hawaii to impart ownership of their tourism product to all stakeholders. Such inclusion leads to greater satisfaction and purpose on behalf of the stakeholders which in turn maintains morale and motivation to deliver a good product. Since Hawaii will be engaging culture tourism, it means that its culture must be preserved and perpetuated for future display. As a consequence, Hawaiian native Polynesian culture will be conserved over the distant future. Hawaii recognizes the following as threats to their tourism product: Most public and private infrastructure in Hawaii is quite old and as such they are becoming unattractive and possibly unsafe for use. 43% of native Hawaiians feel that tourism is negatively impacting on Hawaii and as such there is a disturbing level of anti tourism mentality in Hawaii. As tourism have developed in Hawaii so has crime and drug use, if this trend is to persist security will soon become a deterrent for visitors. Disruptive world events such as, 911 terrorist attacks, world financial crisis, H1N1 virus, etc , continue to placed added financial strain and fear on travellers and airlines. As such, travel is compromised and less persons car willing to or can afford a Hawaiian vacation. Limited state funding is quickly becoming an issue because sustainable tourism is a costly framework to operate and Hawaiis current funding is insufficient to fully engage the concept. Hawaii is now receiving increased global competition from other destinations such as Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Seychelles, Caribbean, etc as alternative vacation hot spot offering a wide range of services and unique cultural experiences. Increased Homeland Security measures from the U.S makes travel to Hawaii frustrating and as such visitors are often repulsed by the extensive searches and long lines that result, from the enforcement of these measures. The volatility of the airlines continues to remain a problem for the foreseeable future for Hawaii. With over 6 million visitors expected annually and even a greater number in the future, airlift to Hawaii is simply insufficient. However, Hawaii has no control over the added expenditure constraints faced by the airlines that are faced with no choice but to increase airfares or decrease flight numbers. At present there is a level of internal disagreement and complacency as it pertains to tourism management. Some feel that native Hawaiian culture and identity is being threatened along with their environment. Others feel that the Hawaii brand is strong enough to sustain Hawaiian life and there is no need to undertake such immense spending. If these types of attitudes continue to prevail, Hawaii as a tourism product will soon be in trouble. Many natives feel that Hawaii has been so focused on tourism they have not realized that Hawaiians themselves have become a lot like the tourists that visit, in terms of their dress, speech, lifestyle, foods, etc. As such, some feel that Hawaiians are losing their identity and sometimes its difficult to tell who the tourist is from who the native is. The current cost of the Hawaiian experience is too expensive. It is the number one deterrent for potential visitors. Unfortunately, with the volatility of the airline industry that cost is more than likely to get even higher. The first aspect of sustainability that will be looked at is economic sustainability. According to Mckercher (2003), economic sustainability should be beneficial to all stakeholders involved both presently and in the future. Principle 3 of Agenda 21 declares that the right to development must be fulfilled so as to equitably meet developmental and environmental needs of future generations. Hawaii incorporates many economically sustainable practices in its tourism product which are highlighted in the strategic plan. The diversity of the product in order to provide a wide variety of activities for the tourist to enjoy is addressed. They have ensured that the product is diverse enough to cater to the family, a couple on a romantic getaway and even extreme sports fanatics. With this diversity comes a wide range of activities for the tourist to engage in while they are vacationing in Hawaii. Some of the activities include; hiking, golfing, scuba diving, horseback riding, spa massages etc ( Hawaii Activities, 2010). However, because Hawaiis image of being a leisure destination lacks appeal to the business tourist this limitation affects sustainability of their product since it limits the types and amounts of visitors that come to their shores. Another important aspect that is covered in the strategic plan which is of extreme importance to the economic sustainability is access to the destination. Hawaii has encountered some major challenges regarding access to its product. Maintaining an adequate amount of airlift to the islands has become an issue as a result of the airline industrys increase in volatility. Also, their airport and port facilities are aging and unable to adequately cater to the needs of a growing industry. The facilities at the airport have negatively impacted the total visitor experience coupled with the fact that the immigration process is very burdensome (Hawaii Tourism Authority, 2010). According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority it takes approximately 71 minutes per passenger to be processed through customs and immigration. Highways, roads and ground transportation systems are also problematic on the island. Maintenance of the roads and highways as well as the high levels of congestion is very inconvenie nt to the local populations as well as visitors (Hawaii Tourism Authority, 2010). Additionally, they have recognized the importance of communication and outreach, marketing, research and planning and further product development and have incorporated it in their plan. With regards to communication and outreach, the Hawaii Tourism Authority is cognizant of the fact that the attitudes of all the stakeholders involved in the development and maintenance of their product is critical if success is to be achieved. They have identified the stakeholders as residents, government agencies, visitors and private businesses. As a result they have put measures in place to raise awareness, increase knowledge, participation, collaboration and interactions among all the stakeholders. For example, one of their policies is to conduct outreach programs and provide forums in order for all stakeholders to exchange ideas, concerns and queries regarding their tourism product (Hawaii Tourism Authority, 2010). Visitor input in this regard is limited since these forums and programs do not inc lude visitors. In relation to marketing, the focus is on increased visitor spending instead of increased visitor arrivals because they have recognized that accommodation capacity is limited. They have segmented their marketing efforts to cater to the differences in the conditions and needs of specific geographic markets such as Europe, Latin America, Japan, Asia etc. However, this cannot be done in isolation and must be coordinated with their product development programs. Some of the areas that have been recognized as being important to visitors are a clean environment, intriguing culture and history, a wide variety of accommodations and, safety and security. In 2009, their Visitor Satisfaction and Activity Report revealed that more than half of their visitors thought that the Hawaiian experience was excellent and would revisit the destination (Hawaii Tourism Authority, 2009). In spite of this, visitors are still requesting new and unique experiences to be added to the tourism product. This aspect is addressed by their research and planning initiative in their strategic plan and should address the development and improvement of their tourism product through research and proper planning initiatives. This is important in light of the fact that tourism is not a stagnant industry and in order to keep up with the trends and events that affect the industry proper research and planning must be done. Also, because of the growing concerns of visitors about their safety and security, this aspect is also addressed. This is an important aspect of economic sustainability because a negative perception held about visitors safety and security in any destination could adversely affect visitor arrivals and expenditures. The second pillar that will be looked at is ecological sustainability. According to Mckercher, (2003) ecological sustainability should promote developmental practices which are compatible with the maintenance of essential ecological processes, biological diversity and biological resources. Ecological sustainability is a very important aspect of sustainable development and must be an essential part of any plan aimed at achieving sustainable development (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, 1992) Tourism puts a lot of strain on the natural resources of the state because of the continuous demand by tourist for recreation and tourism-related activities. Hawaii State Parks Survey, (2007) showed that approximately 10.1 million people visit the state parks within a particular year. As a result sustainable practices that pertain to their natural resources have become a necessity. The Hawaii Tourism Authority has placed a lot of emphasis on the upkeep and restoration of t he national parks, beaches, trails waterfalls etc. They have embarked on initiatives to find methods of maintaining, repairing and improving their natural resources. Some of the initiatives are; charging entry and user fees and the provision of security on their sites in order to regulate the activities of tourist (Hawaii Tourism Authority, 2005). Another very important aspect of ecological sustainability is the identification and promotion of acceptable and responsible tourist behaviors. This is important in order that visitors enjoy the natural resources of the destination without destroying them. The Hawaii Tourism Authority has embarked on initiatives geared at raising awareness regarding the responsible and acceptable utilization of the Hawaiis natural resources. This initiative is not only targeted at the tourist but at all stakeholders involved. Some of the areas of focus are educating all stakeholders about water and energy conservation practices, recycling and safety conditions of hiking trails and beaches. This education takes the form of in-room videos, brochures, website postings and warning signage (Hawaii Tourism Authority, 2005). It is also imperative that appropriate legislation be put in place so that the sustainability of the ecology/natural environment can be maintained in a realistic fashion. Environmental protection laws such as article XI, section 9 of the Constitution of the state of Hawaii allows all Hawaiian the right to a healthy environment and gives everyone the authority to legally persecute another party for violating this right (Hawaii Legislative Reference Beureau, 1978). The third pillar that will be looked at is cultural sustainability. According to Mckercher (2003) cultural sustainability should increase the control that people have over their lives, coincide with the values and culture of the communities affected and strengthen the identity of the community. Agenda 21, Principle 22 further purports that the culture and identity of the people should be recognized and supported in order to achieve sustainable development (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development). Hawaiis uniqueness is built on the great amount of value that is placed on the native culture. According to the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, (2004) many native Hawaiians believe that their cultural integrity is being compromised as a result of increase in the number of tourist that visit the islands. As a result, the Hawaii Tourism Authority has identified ways of honoring and sustaining Hawaiian culture and as such has included it in their strategic plan . As with any operation, there are challenges to be faced. An important aspect of cultural sustainability that has been raised is; the gap between the tourism industry and the Hawaiian natives. The Hawaiian culture is used to appeal to visitors, however natives feel isolated because they are not a part of the process and in turn, they feel threatened. Agenda 21 (UN, 1992) views this situation as a weakness based on its view that partnerships must be developed with all stakeholders with an aim of constructing collective responsibility for planning, decision-making, solutions development, program execution and appraisal. In short, authority over sustainable tourism must be shared with the native stakeholders. Another issue mentioned in their plan was the way in which hawaiian culture is being marketed to the outside world. The Hawaiian culture, is sometimes, merged with cultures of other islands, thus, tainting its authenticity. Some also feel that there is a need for the Hawaiian culture to be highly appreciated, and most of all, preserved. According to McKercher, (2003), cultural sustainability should aim to ensure the protection of native cultures and traditional knowledge. Hawaiis musicians, craftsmen, artists etc. are those who keep the Hawaiian culture alive, as such they should be incorporated as key stakeholders in the tourism development and decision making process. One of the aspects that were recognized for action was that they needed to foster closer relationships between the community and the tourist in order to promote interaction and shared understanding among the groups. The Hawaii Tourism Authority, in their strategic plan, identified some objectives, which, if achieved should bring favorable sustainable results. Initially, there would be a bridging of the gap among the natives and the tourism industry through direct collaborating and engaging efforts between the two parties. Another stated objective would be to foster the Hawaiian culture by incorporating all aspects of it to gain positive results. Thereby, educational programs on Hawaiian culture, training in various aspects of Hawaiian culture such as boat building, art, music, etc, information on job opportunities available through manifestations of Hawaiian culture, will all be initiated to guarantee protection and continuance of Hawaiis culture and traditions. The last stated aim i s to support cultural, programs, artists and organizations in their work, thus bringing them together with the tourism industry and sharing a common understanding and support system for each other. According to Robinson and Picard (2006) based on the objectives and design quality of a tourism strategic plan and the implementation of policies and activities that hold culture and sustainability in regard should include the communal participation in preserving and enriching of cultural heritage over the long term. Hawaiians seems to have taken this point of view deeply into consideration, as its essence has manifested itself into the Hawaii Tourism Strategic Plan. Native Hawaiians and their host culture are a major part of what continue to make Hawaii unique (Hawaii Tourism Authority, 2010). Sustainable tourism appears to be a potent weapon in the fight to protect, revitalize and economically benefit from it. The final pillar that will be looked at is local sustainability. According to McKercher, (2003) local sustainability should be designed so that the local communities benefit from tourism activities. Principle 1 in Agenda 21 indicates that human beings are the primary concern in all aspects of sustainable development (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development). Local sustainability is very important in order to ensure that the benefits derived from tourism are retained in the local communities. In order to ensure that the local community cooperates with the Hawaii Tourism Authority, they must ensure that they involve them in the decisions regarding tourism development. MeKercher, 2003 states as one of his principles governing local sustainability that the local community should maintain control over tourism development. In order to ensure that the community is actively involved in tourism development ongoing community meetings and surveys are held in order to ensure tha t the local community actively participates in tourism planning and policy development. The Hawaii Tourism Authority has addressed this issue in their workforce development initiative aspect of their strategic plan. The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism has estimated that tourism provides jobs to one out of every five people in Hawaii. As a result they have recognized the importance of providing employment and opportunities for advancement to locals within the tourism industry. Some of the ways they have ensured that the community contributes and benefits from tourism are; by having outreach programs in order to educate community members about opportunities for them within the industry. Some of the opportunities available for locals in the community are the provision of agricultural products to hotels and restaurants, cultural practitioners, arts and craft and musicians. Additionally, the Hawaii Tourism Authority has pledged support to various internship programs and initiatives organized by locals which offer opportunities for them within the ind ustry. There are also measures in place to provide organize programs and activities aimed at motivating the local workforce. Based on the limitations identified with regards to Hawaiis tourism product and their strategic plan, the following recommendations have been made. Firstly, a communication strategy should be developed. Although the Hawaiis strategic plan speaks of sustainability, responsibility, accountability, etc, as guiding principles behind it, however, there is limited mention on how information is going to be communicated to the population and what channels are to be used. According to USAID (2006) a fully developed communications strategy for the implementation of sustainable tourism can help to facilitate the process much easier. USAID (2006) says that stakeholders have both a right to partake in the administrative process and a responsibility to adopt environmentally, communally and financially sustainable behaviours and practices. They add that the effective communication can create consciousness of these responsibilities and convince stakeholders the long-term benefits of sustainable tour ism (USAID, 2006). Moreover, USAID (2006, P.2, Para. 2, 3.) highlights that a communication strategy that identifies how information, awareness creation, advocacy, network building, conflict mitigation, and communication platforms will be supported can be considered comprehensive and is critical to the success of any sustainable tourism event. Secondly, a new instrument for measuring the success of the Strategic plan should be created. Hawaii have, resident sentiments, state and county tax receipts, visitor spending and visitor satisfaction, as its major instruments for measuring the success of its plan. These instruments however do not measure how well present resources are being preserved, to what extent Hawaii is meeting its transportation needs, to what degree is its culture being maintained and developed as a product, how much tourism earned directly and indirectly, to what extent are communities responding to and being developed by tourism, to what extent native human resources have been trained professionally and otherwise, in the industry? Each of these areas have been cited in the plan as key developmental areas in sustainable tourism yet none of them can be measured by the instruments laid out in the plan. According to the UKs Department for culture, media and sports (DCMS) (2002), Sustainable Tourism Indicators are needed to provide measures for observing the impacts of tourism and to record advancement towards attaining set sustainable tourism goals and objectives. Nonetheless, the department cautions that before considering what indicators could best be used in relation to monitoring and measuring change, it is necessary to generate a set of measures to provide a baseline against which to assess change (DCMs, 2002, P.16. Para. 1). In addition, the DCMS (2002) says that measurement indicators must carry therein the capacity to identify trends and have a longevity that extends beyond the life of the programmes under consideration. Thirdly, the vehicular emission standards for imported vehicles should be regulated. Transportation on Hawaii has also been highlighted as one of its biggest weaknesses and much is being considered to address the problem in the strategic plan. Vehicular exhaust however, has been noted as a major polluter of the environment. With an increase in transportation on the islands, the probability of air pollution also increases. If appropriate emission standards are put in place, Hawaii can ensure that the effect is minimized. According to the Uks Department for Transport (DFT) (n.d), many people are still unaware of the impact of road vehicles on the environment and our health but if proper regulatory measures are enforced the environmental impact of vehicles can be dramatically lessened (DFT, n.d). Fourthly, local investment in transportation services should be promoted. Tax incentives can be offered to persons invest given they adhere to local licensing requirements. These requirements should include certified training for public and private transport operators as a prerequisite for an operators license that allows you to operate transportation in the tourism industry, given that you maintain certain operational standards. As previously mentioned, inadequate transportation and poor service while being transported have been cited as two outstanding weaknesses and areas of focus in the strategic plan. Promotional incentives like tax breaks can encourage persons to offer that type of service to not only help ease the problem but also create employment opportunities for themselves. However, these persons must be trained to offer quality service and their operations must meet regulatory standards that enable them to lighten their footprint on the environment. Fifthly, waste management programs should be developed and implemented. Nowhere in Hawaiis strategic plan does it mention addressing waste management from tourism but it does speak of protecting the environment. Increased quantities of sewage and garbage are two major threats to every environment resulting from tourism. Programs must b

Feminist Art Movement: Overview and Analysis

Feminist Art Movement: Overview and Analysis The feminist art movement that officially began in the 1960s- refers to the efforts and accomplishments of feminists who made art reflecting womens lives and experiences. In doing so, it brought more visibility to female artists, and was a very influential political statement in itself. It was a movement that consisted of various artists and general public alike, who all fought for the same things, equality, womens liberation and womens rights. Artists that made more than their fair share of political statements through their art were the likes Ghada Amer and Barbara Kruger. The issues that they addressed were ideologies commonly held in society, and were issues that they intended to change. In this case, the challenging task that the artists dealt with in the following works, is the issue of equality between males and females, through examining the issue of the predominant male gaze -acknowledged all throughout Feminist art history. In La Jaune, 1999, Ghada Amer addresses the idea of the male gaze, and the representation of the female identity. With We Wont Play Nature to Your Culture, 1983, Barbara Kruger uses direct address exploring the gendering way of looking, and focusing on the predominant male gaze and works to favor the female gaze. Most Feminist Political theory, in contrast, sees women and their situation as central to political analysis; it asks why it is that in virtually all known societies men appear to have more power and privilege than women, and how this can be changed. The issues that feminist artists fight for have been around for many centuries, but only up until the 1960s had it truly been acknowledged. Although during the years 1850 to 1914 had the first official wave of feminism occurred, the feminist movement gave way to several woman activists part taking in the political actions performed by all female organizations scanning across the globe, that also gave way to the three -then- newly founded, very influential groups of woman who protested and demanded there be equality between men and woman in all aspects of life. First to be acknowledged are the Suffragettes, who triggered off other woman movements campaigning for womens suffrage, namely the National Union of Womans Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), and from the rights movement in 1848, the Womans Social and Political Union (WSPU), (McQuiston, 1997, p. 18). These political groups utilize manual mass production of political posters in order to spread their messages, and like the discussed work s of Amer and Kruger, their artworks addressed the gendering way of looking, (King, 1992, p. 135). In saying that, these are works of the two artists that are primarily concerned with patriarchy in the viewing of their artworks to do with the representation of the female identity, and what they can do to change this gendering way of looking. It wasnt until the social revolution of the 1960s occurred, and within it the second wave of feminism, that woman themselves once again used communication media and other innovative formats to produce their own visual and verbal messages for womens liberation. (McQuiston, 1997, p. 19) Barbara Kruger is one of the more acknowledged female artists that do this; use visual, and verbal messages to communicate their ideas. All throughout the three waves of feminism, the male gaze has remained a dominant universal issue, intensifying through out the years through that of bold statements made by artists like Barbara Kruger herself. The concept of the gendering way of looking became a visual construct through the way the male visual ideology treats woman as an object of art to secure the artist as primarily male (King, 1992, p. 135). Whilst some feminists have argued to be included in malestream ideologies, many have also long argued that women are in important respects both different from and superior to men, and that the problem they face is not discrimination or capitalism but male power. (Bryson, 2003, p. 3) Through the artwork, We Wont Play Nature to your Culture, 1983, Barbara Kruger directly approaches the concept of the dominant male power and redirects this power to favor the female audience. She communicates her belief in refuting the idea of men being the producer of culture, and women merely being a product of nature. This is exactly what the visually imagery and text in this work demands, and her direct approach in attempting to do so will let us assume that Jacques Ranciere would agree -that Krugers use of text would be effective in this situation- as he once stated: One must recognize that the first tool used to subjugate another is also the first great equalizer: Language. (Chan, 2007, p. 260). Put simply, Krugers approach to reach equality in the gendering way of looking has placed both male and female viewers in a place of lesser patriarchy, but further favors the female gaze through her bold statement We -meaning women- Wont Play Nature to your Culture. The fact that [m]en still [had] greater power to look (Allen, 1992, p.5), had Kruger responding with We Wont Play Nature to your Culture, directly addressing the female audience, instilling the female point of view with more validation in comparison to that of the male gaze. This then shows the attempt that Kruger is making to change the concept of the gendering way of looking, and instead of catering to male gaze, she indirectly does this, but in favor of that of the female gaze, thus giving females the dominance in spectatorship. [] It has an immediate, emotional impact. It can be interpreted as holding a complex comment on the place of scenario and representation in male-female relations under patriarchy. She builds on the feminist analysis of representation as political [] (Mulvey, 2009, p. 134). In saying that, Krugers use of the female figure in this work embodies very strong political statements, as stated by Catherine King -in other words, but to the same effect-, where although Kruger is directly addressing the male audience, in We Wont Play Nature to your Culture, she has in turn privileged the female audience and given them primacy of spectatorship, whom presumably share the same views as the artist herself (King, 1992, p. 187). Therefore, directly approaching the concept of patriarchy, and reverses its place in the viewing of this work. In doing so, also addresses the way in which male representations of women, to stand for nature; take away womens ability to see in their own right. [This image reverses] the advertising tricks used in designs [that are aimed at the female] consumer. and as a result, now favors the female gaze (King, 1992, p. 187). One of womens greatest instruments for visual shock has been the female body itself, assigned political status for the first time by the Womens Liberation Movement in the 1960s. As the female body had been so often stigmatized, exploited in the misogyny, women suddenly took a firm stand and began to use their bodies to make political statements. (McQuiston, 1997, p. 14) Although she wasnt a feminist artist so to speak, Ghada Amers work, La Jaune, 1999, speaks loudly to the ideologies that feminist artists held, namely the concept of addressing the male gaze. Through this work, she works to communicate, and challenges us to rethink the way in which women are represented in society. Amer asks us to rethink the issue of presenting female sexuality in the media by focusing on a cultural aspect of the Western world -extracting pornographic imagery from sex industry magazines and representing them in copied and traced images (Aurricchio, 2001, p. 27). By doing this, Amer directly addresses the idea of the male gaze through presenting women as sexual objects, as [m]en still [had] greater power to look (Allen, 1992, p.5). The 1990s have witnessed an ongoing battle against oppressive representations of women in the media, as well as new examples of women using their bodies to create their own power-messages for political causes. (McQuiston, 1997, p. 172) In response to the degradation of the representation of females as sexual objects, Amer is concerned with this being an issue in dire need of recovery. The idea that women, and the images of women, are constructed in order to be looked at by men -and was constructed with theories in art history, especially those about the female nude- was an idea that Amer sought to change (Allen, 1992, p. 4). So in saying that, Amers work is a direct attempt at making women prime viewers, and make it impossible for the dominant ideologies -such as the male gaze- of feminism to recuperate. [] figures are repeated [of a female in a provocatively arousing position as if to show that a] typically female pastime was literally playing with itself. An endless chain of masturbating women, veiled by a mass of cotton as if attempting to evade the viewers voyeuristic gaze. (Grosenick, 2001, p.30) Amers work slowly manifests itself and comes into being when you as the viewer come to the realization that the art works is not just tangled colored cotton, but that youre staring at a painting of embroidered provocative female figures. It comes in and out of being as its cotton veil brings our perspectives as the audience, in and out of focus, acknowledging the expertise of the maker in the application of the materials evident in the work, then to acknowledge the imagery. Thus, instead of submitting to the male gaze, our attention as the viewer is redirected and aimed at acknowledging the making of the work itself and the craftsmanship of the artist. Amers approach to the idea of reclaiming female pleasure- and in turn, intending to change the idea of the predominant male gaze- prevents the viewer from subjecting to the common ideologies that this work was intended to change, the ideology that [w]omen are suppose to make themselves passively receptive, and men are supposed to seek out their pleasures. (King, 1992, p. 136). The idea of reclaiming female pleasure embeds itself in La Jaune, and the two levels on which Amer interprets pleasure help to convey this concept. As seen evident in the work is the physical pleasure, which is made to appeal to the male gaze, and reclaiming the feminine activity of sewing through the embroidery also evident in La Jaune. Although the representation of the female figure is displayed as an erotic object of desire (Grosenick, 2001, p.35), the veil of cotton that partially hides the imagery helps to guide the viewers attention evade the concept of sexuality and the work becomes a purely busy, colourful painting. Politically speaking, the works by these two very different influential female artists speak to the universally held ideology of the predominant gendering way of looking, addressing the concept of the male gaze through the representation of the female identity. The concept of giving female perspective dominance over that of the male gaze is the main objective of the selected works that have been discussed in this essay. Through Ghada Amers, La Jaune, 1999, she reclaimed the idea of female pleasure, acknowledged the male gaze and commented on the degradation of the female identity through her attempt to recover it. Barbara Kruger, We Wont Play Nature to Your Culture, 1983, did what all feminists tried to accomplish, she created art that directly addressed the issue of the gendering way of looking, and gave privilege to the female gaze above the validation of the predominant male gaze.

Identifying a Computers Parts :: Computer Science Electronics Essays Papers

Identifying a Computer's Parts Computer is no longer something new and magical to many people nowadays, because many families now have at least one computer in their homes. It is without doubt that there are thousands and millions of computer users in the country, but is it ever possible for all of them to explain how a computer works? No. Alright, can they even classify the components of a computer appropriately? Not quite. They may know how to describe the physical appearance of a computer and they will probably include two or three other terms as well, such as monitor, keyboard or a mouse. Nonetheless, classification of a computer should not be done this way. In fact, a computer can be broken down into three distinct categories, namely output, input and CPU. The term 'output' consists of all components that display words and graphics so that a person can see them. Many people can easily understand why the monitor is a form of output device since it is the screen that tells them what the computer is actually doing. Simply put, without a monitor, the computer itself is basically useless. Another form of output, which is rarely noticed by many computer users however, is the printer. Many people have probably used a printer before, but it is just that they never realize it is also a form of output. As opposed to 'output', 'input' consists of components that take in information from the users themselves so that the computer will know the tasks it is supposed to perform and accomplish. The keyboard is classified as a form of input because this is where the users enter commands and text. There are many other forms of input as well. Nonetheless, many people just don't realize them, or are too lazy to classify them. For instance, the mouse belongs to input, since it provides a floating pointer on the screen so that the users can access commands faster and easier. The scanner is another form of input, because it acts like a photocopier, except it scans the image and makes it onto the computer screen instead of onto a piece of paper. The CPU, Central Processing Unit is probably the most important category of the three. As the name implies, it is the soul of a computer, very much alike the human brain. For unknown reasons though, people often call the CPU a computer. This is absolutely incorrect. The word computer is merely a general term which must always include all the three categories in order to operate. Perhaps the constituents of a CPU itself should be mentioned.

Causes of World War One :: essays research papers

â€Å"Because That Guy Got Shot†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is a lot of speculation as to which event of the nineteen hundreds led to the out break of World War One. Many people tend to say â€Å"Because that guy got shot.† Still others have blamed everything from increased Nationalism and Imperialism in Hungary to Militarism in Russia. If one had to answer the question â€Å"What was the cause of World War One,† the answer would be all of the above, and more. The events from June of 1914 through August of 1914 can be described as a classic case of ‘one thing led to another’.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The chain of events starts with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Many people tend to confuse this first part in the chain of events as the total cause of World War One, but that is not the case. The assassination is but a mere trigger of a domino effect. The assassination immediately led to Imperialism of Austria-Hungary over Serbia. It was demanded that Serbia allow the assassins to be released to be punished adequately by Austria-Hungary. Austria-Hungary immediately sought an ally with Germany, assuming war would follow after their demands of Serbia. Austria-Hungary and Germany declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The declarations of war were chain reactions in themselves. In defense because of war looking like a major possibility, Russia began militarizing. Germany saw Russia’s Militarism as a threat. War was declared from Germany on Russia. France was in a treaty with Russia and therefore against Austria-Hungary and Germany. Britain entered the war as an ally with France and to protect Belgium. Britain’s entrance gained the resources of all of the British colonies an territories as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many other countries eventually entered during the war because of threats. However, the above is the direct chain of events that caused World War One.

The Theme of Love in Poetry Essay -- Love Poetry Poems Robert Browning

The Theme of Love in Poetry I have chosen to compare four poems, the first one is 'Porphyrias Lover'. It is written by Robert Browning who died in 1889. The second poem, 'My Last Duchess', is also by Robert Browning. Browning was a great poet in the Victorian age and married Elizabeth Barratt. The third poem is called 'First Love'. It is written by John Clare (1793-1864). The final poem is 'Ballad'. It is an anonymous poem as no-one knows who wrote ballads. This is because they are word of mouth and are passed down through many generations going through minor changes each time and therefore by the end they become a completely different poem to the one in the beginning. The three poets write about the same theme but, as expected, have many differences and similarities with each other in their writing techniques. Obviously, the two poems by Robert Browning will be very similiar to each other. 'Porphyrias Lover' and 'My Last Duchess are both written from a mans point of view . This shows that Browning has used the same approach to both of the poems. Maybe he wants to make a point of men not always being listened to and so writes both poems with a biased interpretation of the event. 'Porphyrias Lover' is about a girl named Porphyria who seduces a man who is possesive and undoubtedly insane. Some of the techniques included in Porphyria's Lover are Pathetic Fallacy, endstopped lines, personification, metaphors and en jambement. The poem begins using pathetic fallacy (the weather and atmosphere outside reflect the girls feelings) and personification of the wind, 'The sullen wind was soon awake', to set the scene. Straight away we feel edgy around this man because he says, 'I listened with heart fit to ... ...ou are in one of the characters positions and that you understand exactly how they feel. En jambement gives a sense of disorder. It becomes too regular if only endstopped lines are used in the poem although it does control difficult explanations. The obvious difference between all the poems, is the structure and regular rhythm and rhyme patterns. Porphyria's Lover is constructed using alternate rhyming lines with roughly eight syllables to each line whereas My Last Duchess is written in rhyming couplets with ten syllables to each line. As these patterns are even, they create a sense of balance and control within the poem, especially if the lines are endstopped. If on the otherhand, there is en jambement present, the poem is still effective and probably even more so because it adds a bit of life and irregularity instead of the constant even beat.

Community Health Nursing Essay

Community description and data analysis Orange County is located in the United States of America in the Southern region in the state of California. In addition with Los Angeles to the north, San Diego County to the south and Riverside and San Bernardino counties to the east. There are 84 cites within the county and several unincorporated areas. The County has a total area of 789 square miles of land and 158.6 square miles or 16.6% of water. The average temperature is about 68 degrees Fahrenheit (â€Å"Orange County, California†). There are also several beaches that are along the coastland that cover more than 40 miles. In addition to its popularity of being home to Disneyland, this county is well known for being a tourist attraction. Orange County was established after the severe drought in the 1860’s. During this time cattle ranching collapsed leading the way towards the boom in silver mining. This huge growth in population lead California legislatures to divide Los Angles county and created Orange county as a separate political entity in March 11th, 1889 (â€Å"Orange County, California†). The State of California and Orange County are in a severe water shortage as the state has implemented laws to discourage unnecessary water usage. Population and Economic Status From an epidemiologic viewpoint the U.S census in 2012 estimated the population in Orange County to be around 3,090,132 with a population density of 3871 people per square mile. The average household size in Orange County is 2, in addition, the average gross adjusted income of non-migrant tax payers in this county in 2005 was $74,786. The median average contract for rent in 2009 for renting an apartment is approximately $1,367 per month, while the average house value approximated to be around $530,000. The percentage of residents living in poverty in the year 2009 was approximately 10.7% with 5.8% being white non-Hispanic, 13.0% of black residents, 17.3% for Hispanic or Latino, and 18.6% for other race residents. The median age of Orange County residents in 2010 was 36 years old with males having the median age of 34 years old and females 37. The birth rate for live births per 1000 population from the year 2000 to 2006 was 15.4. Death rates showed slightly lower rates per 1000 from the years 2000 to 2006 with 5.8%. Persons enrolled in hospital insurance and/or supplemental medical insurance (Medicare) in the year 2003 was 309,081 (281,334 aged, 27,747 were disabled) (â€Å"Orange County, California†). In comparison to residents without health coverage in the year 2000 was estimated at 15%. Unemployment rate is estimated at 143,026, while the amount of employed is estimated at 1,445,477 in the 2010 census report (â€Å"State & County Quick Facts†). Cultural Assessment From the biophysical considerations, the aging baby boomers make up 25.4% of the population in Orange County with more families caring for the elderly at home especially among the Hispanic population. There are over 7,326 persons living in nursing homes in 2010. Coping with stress and adapting to change when the unemployment hit an all time low in 2010 with 10,000 jobs lost put residents in a crisis. Current unemployment rate in  Orange County is 5.0% with and estimated 3 million people homeless. There are 44.1% white non-Hispanic, 33.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian and 1.5% Black non- Hispanics living in Orange County. There are slightly more females with 53.0% and males at 47.0%. The Republican Party slightly out numbered the Democratic Party in 2012 by approximately 8,000 votes. In March of 2000 there is a recorded foreign-born entry population of 165,344 people. The current population of college students is 230,749 and people 25 years of age and older with a high school degree or higher is 79.5%.  Religion statistics show the Catholic Church Adherents has the highest population of 61.2% with the Jewish ranking at 4.7% and the LDS Mormon Church 3.4%. The most common place of birth other than Orange County among foreign born residents is Mexico at 46% with Vietnam coming in second at 13%. There are 56.6% of residents who speak English at home, compared with 25.3% residents who speak Spanish as their primary language. The government finances expenditure in 2006 for Orange County for assistance and subsidies was $210,973,000 with public welfare and cash assistance programs paying out approximately $6,483,000 (Orange County California). Neighborhood/ Community safety There are approximately 18% of children living in poverty and with 26% living in single-parent households. Social and economic factors showed violent crime rates ranking at 230 and 37 injuries to death. There are no drinking water violations in comparison to 28% claims of severe housing problems among renters. There are a low percentage of people having limited access to food at 1% of the population with 15 homeless shelters found in and around Orange County that have access to food, clothing and shelter (Orange County Health Department). Potential weather events include the high incidence for earthquakes. Orange County area has a historical earthquake activity high above the California state average and 2458% overall above the U.S average (Orange County California). Government finances expenditure for police protection for 2006 estimated over $276,955,000 and cost for correctional institutions was over $178,413,000 (Orange County California). There are 26 police departments and 12 fire departments through out Orange County with first responder medics on duty. The numbers for homicides between the years 2000-2006 have a less than state average with 27.8 per 1,000,000. Suicides are also at a below state average between 2000-2006 with 79.3 per 1,000.000. (Orange County California). While Immigration is an ongoing debate in Orange County and California the state’s immigrant population only increased by 15% (1.3 million) in the year 2000s, compared to 37% (2.4 million) in the 1990s (Public Policy institute of California). Obesity and  Alzheimer’s disease is on the rise in Orange County. There are 70% of adults who rate their health as either excellent or good compared with 30% who rate their health as fair or poor. The incidence for Alzheimer’s disease has increased 39% between 2005-2009. In 2009 there is a recorded 33.1% adults considered over weight by comparison to 17.3% being obese. In 2011 the Calif ornia  Department of Children and physical fitness test showed 37.8% of children tested as having an unhealthy body composition. This high incidence has been found to be contributed to sedentary lifestyles and being overweight. These statistics show evidence for the pertinent nursing diagnosis of ineffective health maintenance as evidenced by the unfavorable health disparities listed above. (Orange County Indicators). Nursing actions for these disparities include more after school activity programs that include physical activities. Schools to be required to offer more fresh fruit and vegetables to be included in meals. Offering education for families and children about the potential risks for child obesity and ways to decrease the numbers by offering nutrition counseling at school. Educating the community of health risk and signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and where to seek medical attention specifically for this illness in their community. Provide resources from organizations specially designed to assistance families with special needs for people battling Alzheimer’s disease such as respite care and hospice. Disaster Assessment and Planning During a disaster such as a nuclear power plant emergency or earthquake, tsunamis, terrorism and acts of war the Sheriff – Coroner is designated as the director of emergency services. The counties emergency operations center (EOC) is located at Loma Ridge. In the event of a natural disaster such as a flood, storm, dam failure or coastal oil spill the County executive officer is the director of emergency services (DES). (Orange County Sheriff). The County of Orange also collaborates with the California of Public Health and also with other entities to safeguard a consistent disaster and preparedness plan  through out this region and nation wide (Orange County, California Disaster and preparedness training). Most Orange County residents are unaware of the disaster planning in their community although there is an overall sense of safety as they put their full trust in community officials. Although there are several safety issues throughout Orange County such as unsafe side walks for the elderly and non- handicap accessible. The County has funded grants and bonds to improve the potential hazards. References Orange County, California. (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.city-data.com/county/Orange_County-ID.html County of Health Rankings & Roadmaps. (n.d) Retrieved from http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/orangeounty/2014/california/orangecounty/factors/4/5 Community Health Survey Orange County. (n.d) Retrieved from http://www.phd1.california.gov/home/documents/OrangeCountyCombinedResults.pdf Public Policy Institute of California. (n.d). Retrieved from www.ppic.org Orange County Sheriff Department California (n.d). Retrieved from Ocsd.org. Orange County California Disease and Preparedness training.(n.d) Retrieved from Healthdisasteroc.org State and County Quick Facts (n.d) Retrieved from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html Orange County Health Department. (n.d) Retrieved from http://orangecountygov.com Orange County Indicators (n.d). Retrieved from Cams.ocgov.com Orange County, California State Community Diagnosis The above assessed parameters gives a brief overview of the Health and Safety of Orange County in the State of California. The overall county has statistics showing a healthy community except for the increasing numbers of overweight children who are lacking in physical activity and the increase in Alzheimer’s disease. The plan is to implement more education on nutrition and resources to families for assistance who suffer from Alzheimer’s diseases. Also included will be to educate the community on emergency preparedness and disaster planning.

Inidivial Reflection Statement

Individual Reflection Statement In analyzing my work, I feel that this project compelled me to find what legal dimensions on sewage treatment is from different consideration, subsequently building on my imaginative capacity as well as my practical knowledge. Therefore I feel we have gained and developed many skills in terms of our own personal creativity and development in Engineering Society. An interesting proposition brought forth by this context presentation was Sewage Treatment and Human.After presenting eight dimensions of sewage treatment around the world, the group was able to show that engineers' views on traditions, laws, and cultures are highly subjective. The domain of societal interests in order to reflect that group mates uses the information and case to expose what are the professional responsibility in engineering to force us to look at Engineering Design and their practices  of case study about such things as water treatment, regulation, relocation on rock cavern, and the like.I feel this possible responsibility is further supported by how group mates understand the dimension in the case study. They seems like a helpful, sensitive individual. They force the audience to sympathies with those affected by the their devastating effects in pollution. Furthermore they makes relatable data of economical and environment dimensions in that they pulls me out of a old culture and has me enter the culture of the new society along with them, making for culture shock for both regulation and audience.Overall, what we discovered from this project is the importance of an Engineering Society. they made me learn more the relationship between sewage treatment and human. And, I also need to fully consider dimensions before we actually make the PowerPoint, as otherwise I get lost and lose the working time. Finally, reflecting on the positive and negative aspects of our project will, I believe, really help me improve myself for The Role of  Engineering  in  S ociety.

Educational Program on Tobacco Abuse and Addiction Essay

Tobacco is a farming produce that is used for smoking through the form of a cigarette. It normally contains nicotine as well as harmane. Tobacco causes so many diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular and lung diseases. Generally tobacco is smoked, sucked, chewed and snuffed. They contain a very high addictive psychoactive ingredient called nicotine. Tobacco is even worse compared to other drugs. Nicotine is also a very addictive substance clearly known by man and it is very strong and acts very fast. Nicotine is a drug which has many different effects within the body and it stimulates one’s system, even if it makes one feel more relaxed. Nicotine also affects the chemicals in the brain and immediately after the puff one begins to feel high for a second and that is the reason why so many smokers look at smoking as stress relief since they are under pressure. Nevertheless, the program is designed purposely to motivate and educate teenagers and young adults between ages 23-30 the major effects one experiences after tobacco abuse. The program will address the effects of tobacco abuse and it is aimed at increasing the adult’s knowledge of the major effects of tobacco use. The adults between 23 years and 30 years will experience so many activities that will permit them to keep away from using tobacco. During the presentation, all the aforementioned adults will be able to know the effects of nicotine and alcohol cancer being one of them. On the other hand, nicotine tends to cause short-term chances of high blood pressure, heart rate, as well as the flow of the blood right from the heart. Carbon monoxide reduces the amount of oxygen that the blood carries. The long term effects of smoking causes persistent lung disease, coronary heart disease, and stroke, with cancer of the larynx, lungs, mouth, esophagus and bladder. It goes ahead and forms cancer, cervix and the kidneys. The educational program is going to address all this effects of tobacco such that all the adults will be aware and stop taking tobacco.

Learning Activities Essay

Think about your own organization and the people related records that it stores Identify five records that would fit within any of the identified reasons for keeping records outlined above (you will find more information on these on p278 –p280 of the course textbook). Explain why your organization needs to maintain and use these records (provide examples of how they are actually used where you can). Training Records – At Enterprise we have a spreadsheet called â€Å"The Matrix†, this stores each employed persons training records. It is a basic excel spreadsheet with a column for names and a list of each of the available courses within Enterprise along the top. As soon as an employee has been on a course this will be inputted on to the spreadsheet along with the expiry date (if there is one) so we can ensure all personnel have valid records. Having this information available is very important, due to the nature of our work we need to show that we are keeping our employees safe by having valid training records. For example if there is an accident on site and an employee has hit an underground cable, we would need to be able to show that the person has valid training records for â€Å"safe digging† to our Health and Safety officer otherwise we as a company could be seeing as being negligent when we have a duty of care towards our employees, this could result in claims against the organization. Invoice Tracker – Every week invoices are sent in from our DSP’s to each of our contracts within the Trowbridge office. I am the project manager of shrouding and have 2 invoices sent in from each of the companies working for me. Leven’s & MOYAD construction. Once these invoices are emailed to me I will copy and record the information on to my â€Å"surveying† spreadsheet. This spreadsheet contains all site numbers ever worked on by each of my sub contractors and to what percentage that they were done on which day. Having  this information is vital to my contract I need to be able to check that each site is not being invoiced on more than one occasion as well as to the percentage that is required. Also on this spreadsheet it shows how much money will be due to be paid to both the contractor and Enterprise. Showing weekly turn over information and that we are hitting profit margins are essential on monthly meetings. Also if there was ever a dispute of pay, being able to refer to this information is important. Employee personnel Files – Each employee of Enterprise has their own personnel file. This file contains full name, address, date of birth, bank details, sickness and holiday absence details as well as written warnings (if they have any) and their signed Enterprise contract stating what their job role is and salary. These files are used when appropriate, usually when employees details need updating or they have booked holiday. Online Time Sheets – Every week every employee within Enterprise must fill out an online time sheet in order to be paid. The guys on site bring in a written version of this for the person who deals with time sheets to update their online version. This is so that any absence is recorded whether it be for half an hour or for an hour, this provides accurate attendance percentages and highlights regular patterns of absence. Curriculum Vitae – For every Job advertisement that is put on the job websites a large number of CV’s from potential applicants. These are all then filtered down to persons with most experience and knowledge of the role that we are looking to fill. These persons will then be asked to interview, if they are not successful we will still store there CV on file for six months. This is a helpful system and saves re advertising for the same job if a vacancy arose for that position. Learning activity two Again think about your own organization. For the five records you have identified above, identify and describe how the records are stored. Explain the rationale for this. Training Records – These records are stored on Microsoft Excel, this system allows us to filter out what’s relevant and what isn’t depending on the persons records we are searching. As soon as a course is booked for an employee the date of the course is put on the system till the certificate is received, at which point the expiry date ( if there is one) will then be entered in it’s place. Invoice Tracker – The invoice surveying data sheet is in Microsoft Excel, this allows easy copy and pasting of data from spreadsheet to spreadsheet. Once an invoice has been received all data from the invoice will be extracted by copying and recorded on to the surveying form by pasting in to the relevant columns. Employee Personnel Files – These are all held in a locked filing cabinet in alphabetical order. Any new employee will have an personnel file created on their day of induction. All of their personal information will be stored in here and updated when necessary. Online Time Sheet – The online time sheet is kept on our internal server database, It is a case of simply going in to â€Å"online time sheet† on the server, clicking on last weeks week, and inputting the hours worked during that day. CV’s – All CV’s received from suitable job applicants will be stored in a file on the computer. They will be copied from the Enterprise email inbox and pasted in to the file, or scanned if received through the post. Learning activity three Take one of the examples of areas of organizational activity that require accurate information to facilitate decision making. For this example: Identify and describe how the data is gathered Provide at least three examples of the sort of information that is derived and why it is useful Describe how the information is used to inform the decision making process Describe how and to whom the information is presented Draw up a list of these. Curriculum Vitea when advertising a vacancy: Once Enterprise have advertised a vacancy on the system, this will be logged on to the job centre website and other job search sites. With an Enterprise email to send all Cv’s too, there is also an address for those who are unable to send via email. All CV’s are automatically filtered in to a separate email inbox, and posted CV’S are scanned in to the system as well and will wait for review by the relevant persons. Once a significant amount of CV’s have been sent in the filtering process will begin, for example if we were advertising a Data input/Administration role we would look for experience in those titles from previous roles. Or a qualification in business administration. Filtering through this information is important so as to find the right person for employment. Once the CV’s have been filtered through they will be passed on to the office manager for review. They will then pick names from the persons filtered and make an appointment for interview. The interview is carried out by our office manager and a member of staff who will be training the potential candidate. The candidate will be asked a series of questions relating to their working background and what their skills are as well as a question on Enterprise this usually tells us straight away whether they had made the effort to do some research. This goes down very well with the office manager. Once all interviews have been carried out they will be filtered down to three potential employees who will go to the final stage of the Interview process which is a trial half day. The people who were not successful will be sent a standard letter telling them that their CV will be kept on file for 6 months. Trial half day consists of a member of staff who has a good knowledge of the role being taken on, And the potential employee. They will be shown what to  do and given tasks to get on with. Once all three candidates have been in for this, the office manager, the trainee and and a member of office staff will sit down and make a decision based on how well they got on, how quickly they learned the tasks and general attitude within the workplace. This person would then be informed of their success and will be given a start date. The two other candidates will be sent a standard letter informing them that they were unsuccessful on this occasion and that their CV will be kept on file. The short listed CV’s will be kept in a separate folder to the other batch of CV’s. Learning activity four Consider what data gathering methods you might use for a particular information gathering requirement. Cover: The specifics of the requirement The method(s) used Reason for using that particular method Any considerations in using the particular method Interviews – Potential employees, this method is perfect for getting to know the candidate, asking any questions not answered in their CV. Consider writing down all questions you are thinking of asking to avoid forgetting to ask. Surveys – Surveys are a good way to gather data from a large number of people when it’s impractical to meet them face to face, it is a good method of getting an opinion on a product, service or company. Surverys can be both formal where the results are due to statistical, reliability and validity. And informal where the results are anecdotal – Anecdotal The definition of anecdotal is something that is story-like or something that is based on stories and retellings, not based on provable facts. Observations – Direct observations are a good way of recording data, especially in a working environment, they are often done in conjunction with  another data gathering method that is used to fill in the gaps and answer questions. Observations must be arranged with plenty notice to the person you are observing and the permission from management. Consider getting someone who can tell you what to look for with regards to what you are observing, for example the use of a new mechanical device in a warehouse. Learning activity five Explore the information under the link above, then tackle the following: List the eight principles of the DPA with a brief explanation of each What does the DPA say about the rights of individuals to access to data kept on them? List at least five measures you might take to protect personnel information The eight principles of the DPA Data Protection act are the following: 1: Processing personal data fairly and lawfully, It means that you must have legitimate reason for collecting and using personal data, you must not use the data in way that have unjustified adverse effects on the individual concerned, be clear on how you intend to use the data, handle the personal data in ways they would expect and make sure you do not do anything unlawful with the data. 2: Processing personal data for specified purposes, meaning you must be clear from the offset as to why you require the information and what you are going to do with it, comply with the acts fair processing requirements – including the duty to give privacy notices to individuals when collecting their personal data. You must also comply with what the act says about notifying the information commissioner and ensure that if you wish to use or disclose the personal data for any purpose that is additional to or different from the originally specified purpose, the new use or disclosure is fair. 3: The Amount of personal data you hold; Personal data should be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose or purposes for which they are processed. Meaning that you hold personal data about an individual that is sufficient for the purpose you are holding it for in relation to  that individual and you do not hold more information that you need for that purpose. 4: Keeping personal data accurate and up to date; personal data shall be accurate and when necessary up to date, to comply with this you should take reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy of any personal data you obtain, ensure that the source of any personal data is clear, carefully consider any challenges to the accuracy of the information, and consider whether it is necessary to update the information. 5: Retaining personal data; personal data processed or any purpose shall not be kept for loner than is necessary for that purpose or those purposes. Meaning review the length of time you keep personal data, consider the purpose or purposes you hold the information for in deciding whether and how long for to retain it, securely delete information that is no longer needed for this purpose or these purposes; and update, archive or securely delete information that goes out of date. 6: The rights of individuals; Personal data shall be processed in accordance with the rights of data subjects under this act; the rights of access to copy the information compromised in their personal data; a right to object to processing that is likely to cause or is cause damage or distress, a right to prevent processing for direct marketing, a right to object to decisions being taken by automated means, a right in certain circumstances to have accurate personal data rectified, blocked, erased or destroyed, and a right to claim compensation for damages caused by a breach of the act. 7: information security; appropriate technical and organizational measures shall be taken against unauthorized or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data. It means you will need to design and organize your security to fit the nature of the personal data you hold and the harm that may result from a security breach; be clear about who in your organization is responsible for ensuring information security; make sure that you have the right physical and technical security, back up by robust policies and procedures and  reliable, well trained staff as well as being ready to respond to any breach of security swiftly and effectively. 8: Sending personal data outside the European Economic Area; personal data should not be transferred to a country or territory outside the #EEA unless that country or territory ensures an adequate level od protection for the rights and freedoms od data subjects in relation to the processing of personal data. Individuals who wish to access personal data on themselves commonly known as subject access; Can do so by writing a request to the company with possibly paying a fee, this entitles them to be told whether their personal data is being processed, they can request that they are given a description of the personal data, the reasons it is being processed and whether it will be given to any other organizations or people. The individual can also be given a copy of the information compromising the data and be given details of the source of the data. An individual can also request the reasons as to why any automated decisions are made for example a computer generated decision on credit. Whether to allow or deny. The individual is entitled only to their own personal data and not to information relating to other people. If I was running my own company the five measures I would put in place to protect the personal data are the following: Install a fire wall, anti spy ware and virus checking on all computers, this is a very common security implication, this would protect my computers from viruses which have the potential to download information from my computers to theirs. Anti spyware provides a monitoring service which stops programs being installed that can read passwords, bank details and other sensitive data. Protect computer files with passwords: Protecting files with passwords is a good way of keeping data restricted; I would ensure that only a few members of staff have the password and that it is changed on a regular basis. Disposing of computers; All old computers should be destroyed correctly, by using a recognized computer disposal service or by destroying the hard disk. Any old computers despite deleting the data, can still be accessed. Email information securely: Consider whether the email should be password protected. Learning activity six Look at the information provided under the link above, then tackle the following: What are the two ways that public authorities are obliged to provide information? What is the public interest test? What is a vexatious request? Try to interpret your answers using your own words Public authorities are obliged to publish information about their activities, as well as members of the public are entitled to request information from them. Public authorities must publish information proactively; The freedom of Information act requires every public authority to have a publication scheme. A publication scheme is a commitment by the council to make information available routinely, without waiting for someone specifically to request it. The publication scheme must state a promise to make certain levels of information routinely available such as who you are and what you do, the services you offer, organizational structure, policies and procedures, Contracts and reports, minutes of meetings, annual requests and financial information. Once the publication has been created it must first be approved by The Information Commissions Office ICO. Information in the publication scheme represents the minimum that must be shown, if a member of the public wants information that is not on this, they can still ask for it. Members of the publican request information from public authority and they have two separate ways in which they can respond: 1: Tell the applicant whether you hold any information that matches the criteria of what they have requested. 2: to provide them with the requested information Usually the request should be responded to within 20 working days. When receiving a request it must be in the form of a letter of email to be valid under The Freedom Of Information Act, the request must include their name, address and a description of the information requested, the act covered information not specific documents. The public interest test is a guidance document provided by The Information Commissioners Office,he has produced this series of good practice guidance designed to aid understanding and application of the FOIA The aim is to show some of the key areas of the freedom of information act and to help guide on how to respond to information requests. The guidance provided by the ICO is only a starting point going from research I found: section 1 of FOIA sets out the right to any person making a request for information to a public authority these are: The right to be informed Whether the information is held or not by the authority and if so then The right to have that information communicated to them. In principle it states that both these rights need to be treated separately. When applying the public interest test, consideration should be given first to whether it is right to confirm or deny whether the information is held and secondly whether the information should be supplied. To decide whether a request is vexatious you would need to look at the following: Can the request be seen as obsessive Is the request harassing the authority or causing distress to staff Would complying with the request impose significant burden in terms of expense and distraction ( with regards to employees) Is the request designed to cause disruption or annoyance Does the request lack any serious purpose or value You should be able to decipher whether the request is vexatious by looking at  these headings. Learning activity seven There are many methods of keeping records or information, some of which are computerized. Identify three types of records or information that relate to an area of business and inform decision making in that area. For each of the three types: Describe how the information/record is stored How reason for storing the information/record in this way How the storage method meets the requirements of the DPA Keeping records of employees sickness and absence, we keep his electronically on the system in a password secured file. Each person has there own line on a spread sheet and each day they are off that date will be marked in red, with a comment attached to it stating why the person was off sick. Any sick notes will be scanned in to the system and stored within that persons file. We ensure that this file is secure at all time and only management have access to it. Reasons for this is that we want to ensure other employees cant see other peoples absence and reasons for being off sick as that is private and confidential. The DPA states the following: obtained only for one or more specified and lawful purposes adequate, relevant and not excessive to the purpose for which the data are required accurate and, where necessary, kept up-to-date kept secure against unlawful or unauthorised processing, or accidental loss or erasure This is compliant with the Data protection act as we have only managers who have access to the file. We must keep this information as up to date as possible as absence and sickness in the work place can highlight problem areas that need to be looked at and resolved. Keeping CV’s – These are all stored in a file on the main system, these can be accessed by the nominated filter processors who are usally a member of the team which the vacancy is for, and the manager of that dept. This is so  they can access them when needed. CV’s are usually kept for a year and then disposed of. This is compliant with the DPA’s standards as we don’t keep information longer than we need to as well as having only a select few people who are able to access the information. Training certificate records – All certificates are kept in our personnel files, however our training dept at head office also holds a copy as when the training is carried out a copy of the cert is sent to them also. This information is recorded on our training matrix and updated accordingly. We store the certificates in this way so that we can see who requires training and when. Also if anything happens on site and our health and safety officer needs to see what training they have in place we can have it available as soon as possible for him. Our storage methods meet the requirements of the DPA by keeping the information secure, all our employees have access to their records when required. We do advise that when we receive a certificate that they come in for a copy to put in their own records at home. Learning activity eight Take one example from the context of your organisation where information has been sourced, collected, analysed and then interpreted to inform decision making. For this example: State why the information was needed (how was it intended to support decision making?) How was it sourced? What method of data gathering was used and why? Show an output from the analysis of the data (example: pie chart, bar chart) Sickness and Absence – The information is gathered from employees time sheets which are handed in weekly to the office manager the time sheet consists of a basic table on an A4 piece of paper that requires the employees to input their hours. This will then be handed in and inputted manually. This can then be printed off and used. Sickness and absence information is required once a month at the operations meetings, the operations manager will go through with the contracts manager as to why someone was off for a period of time whether it was due to sickness, was a doctors note provided or whether it is a reoccurring unauthorized absence. If it is an re occurring unauthorized absence; this will be highlighted with our HR Department at head office. Once this happens our HR representative Jo Betts will arrange an interview with the person to get to the bottom of why they are having this time off and whether an improvement program can be put in place. Usually they will be issued with a warning and put on an attendance watch if they cannot give a valid reason as to why they aren’t coming in to work. This bar chart is in my Evidence folder 02.07 document Learning activity nine Look at the example above – and considering the broad principles of a dashboard – describe how you might create a dashboard (or describe an existing dashboard What areas of information would/does it contain? From where would you source the data to populate the dashboard? Who would use the dashboard and why? I would create a dashboard based on training record information; it would show what percentage of employees had valid training records and what percentage have them but they are out of date.. I would also have an accident chart, we have a few accidents a month relating from hitting underground BT cables and water pipes, as well as employees having accidents from climbing electric poles. Due to the fact most of our accidents are fairly similar, I would be able to group them easily by title. We provide training courses for all of these incidents such as â€Å"pole top rescue† and â€Å"Safe digging practices†, so where an employee may not have a valid training record for this, and that employee was involved in the accident this would be a good way of highlighting why the accident happened in the first place and that he should not be carrying out that particular job without undergoing training. I would source the training data from the Training Matrix file system. This  information is kept up to date at all times and is readily available to me when I need it. The accident data is kept with our Health and Safety manager, I would request the information from him. The dashboard would be a great tool to take to Operations meetings where our health and safety manager goes over the level of accidents and training carried out for that month. He can then compare using a bar chart whether there are a higher percentage of valid training records for that month in comparison to others. Learning activity ten Read the information contained under the link above, then tackle the following: A Balanced Scorecard approach generally has four perspectives – what are they? What are the potential benefits of using a balanced scorecard? Why is feedback essential? A balanced score card is defined as â€Å" a strategic planning and management system used to align business activities to the vision statement of an organization† in more simple and realistic terms a balance score card attempts to translate the sometimes vague, hopes of a companies mission statement in to the practicalities od managing the business better at every level. To produce your own balance score card you must know and understand: The companies mission statement The companies strategic plan/vision The financial status or the company How the organization is currently structured and operating The level of expertise of their employees Customer satisfaction level. The four perspectives that the Balanced score card generally has are that of: Finance – in which covers the following areas: Return on investment Cash flow Return on capital employed Financial results Quarterly/Yearly Internal Business processes – which covers the following areas: Number of activities per year Function Duplicate activities across functions Process alignment (is the process in the right dept.)(When the organization’s business processes, quality definitions and measures are aligned to the strategy) Process bottlenecks Process automation (A general technology term that is used to describe any process being automated through the use of computers and computer software. Processes that have been automated require less human intervention and less human time to deliver) Learning and Growth – which covers the following areas: Is there the correct level of expertise for the job Employee turnover Job Satisfacti0on Training/Learning opportunities Customer – Which covers the following areas: Delivery performance to customer Quality performance for customer Customer satisfaction rate Customer percentage of market Customer retention rate. The benefits of using a balanced score card are that it enables you to see a mixture of financial and non financial measures each compared to a target value within a single concise ( expressing alot of detail in a few words†¦) report. Once the Balanced score card is implemented within the organization you should see improved processes. Motivated educated employees Enhances information systems Monitored progress Greater customer satisfaction Increased financial usage. However for any software to work effectively it should be: Compliant with your current technology platform Always accessible to everyone – Everywhere Easy to understand/update/communicate The balanced score card is only of good use when available to everyone, not by keeping it hidden. Feedback is essential and should be contributed to by everyone within the business Carol do I need to go on to discuss the 360 degree feedback here?