Discuss what skills might be required from managers to cultivate and Essay - 1

Discuss what skills might be required from managers to cultivate and foster creativity and innovation in workforce. Use examples to illustrate your discussion - Essay Example It is only by realigning its goals and its operations to the changing economic conditions that an organization can continue being successful. In this regard, it reaming that managers should be competent with regard to managing change, bit within the organization and the change without the organization in order to remain competitive. These laws explain how acts by individual people with self interest lead to foreseeable results in the market. The laws define how competition is as a result of the individual people trying to achieve their own self interests. This competition then acts as the basis on which products are availed to the society. Competition, according to these laws creates a regulatory environment where the producers will have to confine themselves within these rules that come naturally from the competition forces, or they will be thrown out of the market. These producers are only motivated by profit and the only thing that can draw the boundary on how much they will exploit the society is Competition. Competition, according to Adam smith, does more than just regulate these producers, it pushes them towards meeting the society’s needs by forcing them to continually innovate products and goods that the society wants. Through this mechanism of Competition, the society subconsciously allocates, and reallocates the means of production to suit its needs. This leads to what Adam Smith referred to as the self regulating properties of the market. The constant need for economic growth leads to the need for constant change. Economic growth is a basic need in any society because the society wants to be able to meets its new needs to survive. As the society grown in terms of numbers, new challenges arrive and they must be dealt with. For instance, with increased population, more resources such as food, is required to keep the society fed. This would require better ways to produce food,

The Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank (1947) Essay Example for Free

The Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank (1947) Essay Keeping diaries and journals have always been considered as peoples typical form of documenting the significant events and experiences that go through their lives. Over the years, a lot of people have already been renowned due to the significant contributions of their diaries to different fields such as history, science and anthropology. Journals, unlike periodicals, books and other published materials may reveal information that are only limited about their personal lives, but these nevertheless reflect significant information about the generation they belong, the government that ruled during their time, the current state of the society during their time, as well as how the people were during that particular generation. Considering this, it can be assumed that journals also hold a particular relevance in exploring history. It may not reveal extensive details as what history books and publications may offer, but these nonetheless reveal a different kind of revelation about a certain generation with a specific relevance to history. In this light, this discussion shall explore on the personal journal of a one person who was became known in history due to her revealing and eye-opening revelation about her time during the Nazi’s invasion during the World War. The succeeding discussions shall scrutinize and analyse the personal journal of Anne Frank, which has become very popular in 1947 due to the very revealing information it disclosed about the Nazi generation during the World War. Journal Evaluation and Analysis Anne Frank’s Journal was written during 1947. Her journal was basically like a compilation of diary entries written on colored sheets of paper. Anne Frank’s diary was entitled The Diary of a Young Girl. From this title, a lot of ideals can already be presumed about the life of a young girl who went through the life amidst the war. This alone makes the journal very interesting as the imagination, thoughts and perspectives of a young girl could be the freshest as well as the most adventurous thoughts. A person can never measure and limit a young girl’s imagination and thinking. It’s vulnerability as well as its innocence make it so transparent and honest, that it tends to express in perfect accuracy everything that goes on around it. One of the most interesting features in Anne Frank’s diary’s title is that it is bare and simple. It simply displaces itself as a mere diary of a young girl, and not like any kind of comprehensive and technical account on historical events by a history enthusiast. Basically, the diary was Anne’s way of retelling her generation. Every word that was written on each colored sheet presented a reality about the Nazy invasion in Amsterdam during the World War. This diary was done when Anne was hiding in a safe house with her family and friends in 1942. As what can be expected from a town amidst the war, Annes environment has been very dim and uncertain. All the violence, the pain and misery of her time was put into the pages of Annes journal, and this was made available to the public and to the later generations after several years. Jan Romein, a historical literature critique and a historical journals enthusiast was able to take a look at the original sheets of Annes diary and this is what he had to say about it: â€Å"this apparently inconsequential diary by a child, this de profundis stamered out in a childs voice, embodies all the hideousness of fascism, more so than all the evidence at Nuremberg put together† (Jan Romein, qtd. in Cole 25) This was basically how the critics tyoically saw Anne Franks diary. Apparently it appeared as an honest revelation of pain and grief from a young girl who has been trapped in a fascist war. In looking back at the historical context of the story, it can be recalled that this diary was completed within a small, hidden annex from where Anne found her own safetly from all the turbulence of the war. However, before this point of her life at war, it is important to note that some of the most significant factors in her urge to write a diary are the deaths of some of her closest friends and relatives who were left unsafe in the roads of Amsterdam that also served as battlefields. It was very stirring to feel from her words the pain of losing loved ones and seeing them be taken away by the dark smoke of revolution and the injustice of relentless violence. The book has not been available to the public right after the war or even right after Annes death. It was first kept by her father, Otto Frank who was placed into a moment of tears when he read about all the things her daughter had to say about their unforgettable experiences during the war. It was also through Otto Franks review of his daughters diary that Annes objective in writing it was realized. Basically, Anne was a passionate writer. She was always into scribbling on her note pads and writing poems and short stories. When the war came and they had to be hidden in a secret annex, all the sources of Annes fun as a teen ager was taken away as well. And instead, it was suddenly replaced by huge blows of fear, uncertainty and misery. As a child who carries a soft and vulnerable heart, Anne prefered to be strong for her family and for herself. And since she was never really able to speak out about her fears and uncertainties, Anne was pushed by her ownself into writing journal enties so as to reveal her hearts thoughts and revelations. Basically, the authors objectives were very clear as the presentation of it has been very honest and innocent knowing it all came from a young girls perspective. But aside from this interesting fact, it is significant to note also that Anne Frank was able to develop herself as a good poet and a very creative short story writer because of this venture. Research and Comparison Anne Franks diary was never a kind of its own. As what has been mentioned earlier, there have been a lot of individuals who have already been renowned all over the world due to the significant contributions their personal journals gave for the study of history and anthropology. Just like Anne Frank, Samuel Pepys is another individual who has became known due to the contributions his personal journal to the study of history, especially during the holocaust era. Juts like Annes diary, Samuels revelation about his generation during the war has been very revealing and enlightening. Samuels diary were filled with the typical day-to-day diary entries of a married man, who us being trapped in a political chaos during the halocaust era. This made his entried rather politically inclined instead of being mere presentations of what went on throughout his day. Samuel Pepys work has been known in Great Britain due to the revelations it was able to displace about the political state of the the country during his generation. And Just like Annes diary, Samuels journal was also seen as a â€Å"recorder of political events† during his generation (Gyford). Furthermore, his work, just like Annes journal has helped researchers and the students of history in their scruitiny and quest for understanding about the life during the holocaust era. The different reviews on Anne Franks diary basically directed on a single realization, that iss, Annes revelations really helped a lot in understanding history since it came from a more real experience. However, over the years, a lot of uncertainties about the authenticity of Annes diary floated. The New York Times explains why this uncertainty can be considered quite predictable: â€Å"One of the main reasons why we used scientific evidence to unravel all the facts about the diary was to expose the falsehood of neo-Nazi and rightist groups in Europe and the United States† (Barnouw, qtd. in Mitgang) And although a lot of people during the past decades have fallen in doubt on the genuinity of Annes diary, these uncertainties were nevertheless proven false as Annes diary was finally proven authentic on 1989 (Mitgang). Final Reflections Typically, a person will easily feel as if he or she is violating someones privacy upon reading someone elses diary. Being able to read Anne Franks diary did not feel anything like that. It was like Anne Frank was destined to write her diary entries for the future generations. Her diary provided the modern students of history a more realistic reference material about what the times during the world war and the holocaust era was like based from the juvenile and innocent perspective of a young girl. Considering that Anne was still young when her diary was created, most of his journal entries were really captivating and emotionally stirring as the reality of pain, fear and misery during the war came straight from the vulnerable and seemingly helpless thoughts of a young girl who has been trapped in the chaos she never wanted to be in. This can also be considered as one of the most significant factors that made this journal very interesting. A young girls revelation about life and about the state of the world can be the most interesting in the sense that the innocence and honesty is still preserved. Furthermore, Annes experiences and revelations also bring people to a realization that indeed, some of the most important things at war are faith, hope and personal strength. Indeed, aside from historical facts about the state of Amsterdam during the war, Anne Franks diary became a source of inspiration and values about how to preserve faith and hope despite the turbulence and atrocity of war. Wotks Cited Cole, Tim. Selling the Holocaust: From Auschwitz to Schindler. Routledge, 2000 Frank, Anne. Het Achterhuis (The Diary of Anne Frank). Contact Publishing,1952 Gyford, Phil. â€Å"Legends of British History: Samuel Pepys†. Website. PepysDiary. com. 12 May 2010. http://www. pepysdiary. com/indepth/archive/2008/12/12/legends_of_british. php. Mitgang, Herbert. â€Å"An Authenticated Edition of Anne Franks Diary†. The New York Times. Website. 08 June 1989. 12 May 2010. http://www. nytimes. com/1989/06/08/books/an-authenticated-edition-of-anne-frank-s-diary. html.

Housekeeping Operations In A Hotel Unit Operated Marketing Essay

Housekeeping Operations In A Hotel Unit Operated Marketing Essay Corinthia Hotels International Ltd (CHI ltd) was established in 2000. This Maltese management company provides a full range of technical assistance and managerial service to hotel owners. CHI is the exclusive operator and developer for the luxury Corinthia Hotels brand as well as the Wyndham and Ramada Plaza brands in Europe, Africa and The Middle East. The current Portfolio amounts to twelve luxury and upscale properties in city and resort locations with products ranging from boutique to conference hotels. Total room capacity of the current portfolio amounts to 6000. In line with the companys expansion strategy, there are another eleven hotels currently under development in various locations worldwide. Therefore increasing capacity levels by 25 % upon their completion. Head Office and each respective hotel unit have fully functional administrative departments such as Sales Marketing, Human Resources, Stores, Information Technology, Finance and Administration. Additionally, each hotel unit also operates the following service departments:- Housekeeping, Front Office, Engineering , Food Beverage and Kitchen. The various hotels forming part of the company portfolio are able to serve the needs or the demands of different categories of travellers. Notwithstanding the diversity of each unit, be it location, structurally or market arena in which they compete, the primary function of a hotel is to provide accommodation for those away from home, and to supply travellers with their basic needs. Therefore, each hotel unit requires basic components of hotel products, which can be categorised into two key areas which are sleeping accommodation and food and beverages. For the purposes of this assignment I will be concentrating one specific operational departmen t, namely Housekeeping. Irrespective of the total size of the property in square metres, or the total bed stock capacity the main objective of the housekeeping department is to provide a quick and thorough servicing of rooms and pubic areas to a consistently high standard and with little inconvenience to the guests as possible. Therefore, until such time that there are machines that can make beds, service and replenish hotel bedrooms and public areas, the housekeeping department will remain an essential service function in any hotel. Due to the high element of manual work, this department is highly dependant on manpower to produce its outputs. Hence, the key resource utilised is employees. In order to establish adequate manpower levels the total departmental requirements are primarily calculated on maximum capacity of three factors :- The total number of hotel bedrooms. The total land area of the hotel. 100% Occupancy levels. However, from the day to day operations perspective, manning levels are predominantly calculated on forecasted business levels. Tasks for room attendants are individually assigned using the management information systems Fidelio Opera, whereas Public Area Cleaners have fixed work type schedules which differ according to the various shifts. Being a unionised environment, the collective agreements define maximum output levels within an eight hour shift, which in the case of a room maid, a maximum of sixteen rooms to service can be allocated. Outputs over and above this quota must be produced after the eight hour period, which in turn impacts costs based efficiency levels. Other parameters exist which encompass a Total Quality Management perspective :- The company has established a systematic ten step work process for the cleaning of bedrooms. The process has been designed in such a way as to establish standard operating procedures, define desired quality levels and to promote ergonomic work practices. The best work practice is communicated through training and supervision on the ten step cleaning process , which if followed correctly will prevent repetitive strain or manual handling related injuries, ensure safe materials handling and the attainment of desired quality levels. Guest expectations relating to the quality and type of intangible services are constantly changing, this in turn brings about regular shifts in customers needs. Therefore, to remain an attractive alternative to the competition, customers requests have become the catalyst for departmental diversification. Nowadays most housekeeping departments also co-ordinate laundry and dry cleaning services, inventories, staff uniforms, floral services, baby sitting services and seasonal hotel decorations displays. Q.2.3.4 Subsystem Function Model Structure Objective Housekeeping Function Service C SCO Maximum Customer Service through minimizing completion time. Consistent levels of cleanliness leading to high quality perception of service level. Minimized customer queuing. High resource productivity In-house Laundry Service C SQO Consistent levels of quality leading to customer satisfaction. High levels of productivity. Dry Cleaning Service/ Transport C DQO Hassle free door to door service. Minimum Customer Waiting Time. Consistent Quality of service provided Cost Effectiveness Q5. Key : C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png= Very Important X = Relatively Unimportant C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png = Relatively Important X = Unimportant Sub- System Resource Utilisation Customer Service Materials Machines Labour Specn Cost Housekeeping C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png X C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png X X Laundry C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png X C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png Dry Cleaning X X C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png X C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png Q5.1 Housekeeping The primary resource utilised is manpower The secondary resource is materials e.g. detergents, cloths, brooms etc Minimal amount of machinery is utilised to perform cleaning processes Customers expect to find the public areas and guest bedroom clean at all times. The customer does not pay directly for the service as it forms part of the room rate tariff. Q5.2 Laundry All laundry processes are highly dependant on the use of machinery e.g. washing machines, folding machines, pressing machines. All inputs and outputs are handled physically by the linen keeper. This includes ensuring that par levels are maintained to prevent stock outage, distribution of linen to room attendants and quality control. Cleaning materials amount to a small percentage of the running costs within this subsection of the housekeeping department. Time taken to supply the service is imperative to the customer. Two levels of service exist these being next day service and same day service. Customers pay directly for the service rendered. Customers are willing to pay premiums for express services. Q5.3 Dry Cleaning All dry cleaning is outsourced to Swan Laundry and therefore the only resource required by the hotel is labour. As the hotel operates its own laundry, the same personnel are used to co-ordinate guest dry cleaning requests. Items are delivered directly to the room by the Linen Keeper. Primary factor for the customer is to receive cleaned garment in the shortest possible time frame. Customers will be willing to pay a premium for an express service. Q61. Industrial Unrest The general union has one hundred percent recognition within the hotel property. Negotiations with the management have reached a deadlock which has consequentially resulted in the union issuing an advice of Industrial action to the management and a strike directive to its members. Therefore, during the period of time that industrial action persists, both cleaning and laundry services have been paralysed and hence these two functions are now required to be outsourced to a private contractor until such time that that conciliation can be reached. Subsystem Model Structure Objective Housekeeping Function C DQO Continued uninterrupted service to the customer Loss of business is minimised Quality of service remains constant In-house Laundry C DQO Continued uninterrupted service to the customer Loss of business is minimised Quality of service remains constant Sub- System Resource Utilisation Customer Service Materials Machines Labour Specn Cost Housekeeping C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png X C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png X X Laundry x X C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png X C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png Q61.1 Housekeeping Function Manpower still remains the primary resource utilised due the nature of the work involved. Payroll costs will substantially increase as in addition to payroll, additional sums will have to be paid to the contractor for services rendered. Thus impacting profitability due to manpower. As the same tasks are required to be performed by the contractors quantities of materials and machine usage remain unchanged. Customers expectations in terms of services provided and time factors remain unchanged. Q61.2 Laundry Function Linen keeper function will be taken over by a member of the housekeeping management team. Thus ensuring that inventories and control of services are monitored internally. Therefore, no additional cost in terms of labour as management grades are not paid overtime for extra hours worked. Machinery and materials are provided by contractor therefore, there will be little or no impact in terms of resources. Major consideration is that extra costs will be incurred to pay contractor however, the reduction in consumption in utilities such as water and electricity will to contribute towards balancing the additional costs incurred. Q7a Concepts where Ceterus Paribus was used The daily operation for the housekeeping department performs same tasks at similar times of the day. Rooms are serviced between the hours of 0800 hrs until 1700 hrs, Internal Laundry operates from 0700-1900 hrs and Public Areas are serviced from 0600hrs until 2300hrs. These timings are covered providing the person scheduled turns up to do their duties and there are no large shifts in demands due to unexpected group arrivals or delayed departures due to flight cancellation. Linen inventory levels are well stocked on a 3 par level thus providing sufficient availability of linen for more than one day. An emergency situation doe not arises in the hotel. This may lead to hotel evacuation or redeployment of housekeeping team members to assist in a clean up process. All machinery in the laundry section is working to maximum out put levels and there are no interruptions to utility services provided by any of the following:- Technical problems. Preventative maintenance. General Power Failure in area. Back up Generator is able to sustain the emergency lighting system until such time that power supply is resumed. Reverse Osmosis System is operating efficiently. External Laundry and Dry Cleaning Service operates seven days a week, for next day service garments have to be submitted to the Housekeeping department prior to 0900hrs of the previous day. The same applies to express cleaning services. The unit is highly dependant that the service provider delivers the garments at the contracted times. Shortfalls in service by the contractor would lead to customer dissatisfaction. Although the contingency plan during industrial action would be to outsource both the housekeeping and laundry function to a third party contractor, it may be the case that the entrance to the loading bay may be barricaded thus impeding contractors to enter the building to perform the tasks required. Or indeed that contracted staff may sympathise with those who are picketing. Q7b Strategic Choices CHI owns and operates a total of three hotels on the island. All of which are unionised and hence seeking manpower from sister hotels would not be possible in the event of industrial action. The company has a contract with Bad Boy Cleaning Organisation who in return for a fixed fee supply additional cleaners upon the request of the hotel management. Therefore, any influxes in demand can be addressed on a real time basis by the supply of additional manpower through the oursourced company. Should the action occur when it is forecasted that the hotel will have lower occupancy levels, rooms or floors could be closed and the cleaning of the said rooms could be postponed until such time they are required. The current late booking trend could be advantageous for the hotel management to counteract additional last minute bookings by closing all room type availability. Although this measure would result in loss of room revenues it would limit the burden on the operation and safeguard the reputation of the company. Additional manpower could also be attained through management personnel, who could temporally abandon their roles and assist in the housekeeping department in order to maintain housekeeping services. In the worse case scenario, whereby industrial action is paralysing the operation, arrangements to relocate guests to other hotels in the vicinity would be the only option available. Q7b Capacity Management Capacity Management in terms of the service industry can be categorized in terms of facilities, labour and equipment. Unlike manufacturing operations, in the service industry the success of a hotel operation is linked to its use of room capacity and the rates charged per room. Matching of capacity and demand is a challenge for any hotel operation. This is partly due to the fact that most hotel services cannot be stored in the form of inventory. Occupancy levels vary according to seasonality and can vary drastically from one day to the next in terms of excess or insufficient demand. When a hotel room is not sold on a particular day the revenue lost can never be regained, this is referred to as perishability factor. The maximum capacity will be defined by the total number of bedrooms whereas the optimal capacity will relate to the maximum number of clients that can be served at the desired level of service. Capacity management therefore involves certain trade-offs between the objective s of profit maximisation and operational cost efficiency. The housekeeping department has little to no input into maintaining business levels, as this area is covered by Yield departments, namely Sales and Reservations. Therefore, the primary objective for the Housekeeping department is to ensure that all vacant rooms are serviced in preparation for an eventual sale. Additionally, on high demand days, procedures allow quick turnarounds to allow room to be sold more than once thus maximizing revenue. Labour is the most variable source of a service provider. Business levels and activities within the hotel will be a defining factor as to how much staff are required each day. Therefore, the housekeeper will use business forecasts when preparing working schedules for her department. As mentioned previously maximum output levels within an eight hour day are governed by a maximum number of rooms that can be allocated to each team member. Concessions to the 16 room allocation are :- New team member has joined the company and is undergoing training on the ten step process. The three month probationary period for new team members whereby number of rooms allocated is less until they are able to work productively at the required levels of cleanliness. Following scheduled maintenance when deep cleaning process is conducted in rooms, a time span of 2 hours per room is calculated. Equipment As the hotel has its own laundry par levels of bath and bed linen is set at three. Stock takes are conducted on a monthly basis to monitor and control stocks and re-order levels. When items in stock reach the minimum levels and requisition is submitted. All requisitions are channeled through a computerized inventory management system. Consumable items : Centralised purchasing department Par levels are set according to seasonality.

J.B.Priestley’s play, An Inspector Calls :: English Literature

An inspector calls is a play written by J.B Priestley in 1945. However, the play is set in 1912. The main themes of the play are lies, love, guilt, pride, status and responsibility. An inspector calls is a play written by J.B Priestley in 1945. However, the play is set in 1912. The main themes of the play are lies, love, guilt, pride, status and responsibility. This play was set in 1912 because it gave the audience a more dramatic impression of the rapport between the rich and the poor. Throughout the play, we can see that Priestley is a socialist. The audience knows that the message he is trying to put across is that we are a community and responsible for each other. We also know that the predictions Birling makes at the beginning of the play seemed to fail. He says, â€Å"†¦you’ll hear some people say that war’s inevitable. And to that I say-fiddlesticks!† which means that he thought there wasn’t going to be a war. This prediction failed because the World War I happened in 1914. This let down Mr. Birling's certainty. Another example in which Mr. Birling's predictions failed was when he said, â€Å"the Titanic †¦unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.† We all know that the Titanic did sink and proved him erroneous again. An impressive contrast between the young and old generation is shown in the play aswell. We can see that after the so-called inspector left, the younger people such as Sheila's perspective about society changed whereas the older people such as Birling's didn’t. The character of Arthur Birling in the play is that of a very shrewd, selfish and hard-headed businessman. He has very defined views on life and other people. For example, he says, â€Å"†¦if you don’t come down sharply on these people, they’d soon be asking for the earth.† Mr. Birling is extremely self-centred and he feels that he has nothing to do with the community. We know this when he says things like, â€Å"a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own.† The repetition of the word â€Å"own† shows that he is too absorbed in himself. He isn’t even concerned about the workers in his factory leave alone the society. We know this because he says, â€Å"we were paying the usual rates and if they didn’t like those rates, they could go work somewhere else.† All through the play we can see that the character of Birling completely opposes the character of the so-called inspector Goole. Also, we can see that Priestley is a socialist and he portrays it through the character of the inspector. J.B.Priestley’s play, An Inspector Calls :: English Literature An inspector calls is a play written by J.B Priestley in 1945. However, the play is set in 1912. The main themes of the play are lies, love, guilt, pride, status and responsibility. An inspector calls is a play written by J.B Priestley in 1945. However, the play is set in 1912. The main themes of the play are lies, love, guilt, pride, status and responsibility. This play was set in 1912 because it gave the audience a more dramatic impression of the rapport between the rich and the poor. Throughout the play, we can see that Priestley is a socialist. The audience knows that the message he is trying to put across is that we are a community and responsible for each other. We also know that the predictions Birling makes at the beginning of the play seemed to fail. He says, â€Å"†¦you’ll hear some people say that war’s inevitable. And to that I say-fiddlesticks!† which means that he thought there wasn’t going to be a war. This prediction failed because the World War I happened in 1914. This let down Mr. Birling's certainty. Another example in which Mr. Birling's predictions failed was when he said, â€Å"the Titanic †¦unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.† We all know that the Titanic did sink and proved him erroneous again. An impressive contrast between the young and old generation is shown in the play aswell. We can see that after the so-called inspector left, the younger people such as Sheila's perspective about society changed whereas the older people such as Birling's didn’t. The character of Arthur Birling in the play is that of a very shrewd, selfish and hard-headed businessman. He has very defined views on life and other people. For example, he says, â€Å"†¦if you don’t come down sharply on these people, they’d soon be asking for the earth.† Mr. Birling is extremely self-centred and he feels that he has nothing to do with the community. We know this when he says things like, â€Å"a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own.† The repetition of the word â€Å"own† shows that he is too absorbed in himself. He isn’t even concerned about the workers in his factory leave alone the society. We know this because he says, â€Å"we were paying the usual rates and if they didn’t like those rates, they could go work somewhere else.† All through the play we can see that the character of Birling completely opposes the character of the so-called inspector Goole. Also, we can see that Priestley is a socialist and he portrays it through the character of the inspector.

Role of It in Travel and Tourism Industry

IT in travel ROLE OF IT IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM INDUSTRY GROUP – BK Rajnikant Patel- 111 Dr. Sushant Patel- 112 Rachita Patnaik- 113 Yashasvi Patravali- 114 Navjot Singh- 115 Preview IT has touched every aspect of commerce and turned those industries into gold mines. Travel & tourism industry is also one of those which IT has not spared. And how it has brought about transformation and revolution will be seen in the due course of the presentation. Let me first introduce you to the travel and tourism industry at large, and the focus is particularly on the Indian travel and tourism industry as a subset of the global tourism market. India has been ranked 12th in Asia and 68th in the world as per the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2011 by the World Economic Forum (WEF). Tourism in  India  is the largest service industry, with a contribution of 6. 23% to the  national GDP and 8. 78% of the total employment in India. The tourism industry in India generated foreign exchange of about US $ 136 billion in 2008 and that is expected to increase to US $ 275. 5 billion by 2018 at a 9. 4% annual growth rate. Maharashtra,  Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh  and Rajasthan  are the top 5 states to receive inbound tourists. A new growth sector in Indian tourism is Medical  Tourism. Medical tourism is essentially foreign tourist cum patients coming to India and seeking medical treatment. It is currently growing at around 30% per annum. It generated $ 9 Billion in 2010. The reason behind such a rapid growth in medical tourism is the fact that India offers hi tech medical treatments at a very cheap price. Giving you an example, if a bypass surgery here costs around Rs. 2 lac, exactly the same procedure with the same instruments and materials will cost you 30000 dollars in the U. S. , i. e. Rs. 15 lac. The tourism industry in India has also helped growth in other sectors as diverse as horticulture, handicrafts, agriculture and even construction. Coming to IT in tourism, when information technology is used in travel and tourism industry, it leads to the emergence of a whole new parameter called eTourism. eTourism reflects the digitisation of all processes and value chains in the tourism, travel, hospitality & catering industries. eTourism is the leading B2C application, i. e. business to customer application and it comprises of almost 40% of all B2C eCommerce. Gone are the days when you would wait for the customers to come to you. In this era of fierce competition, you have to reach to the customers before someone else does. 60% of all tourists use internet to get information on destinations. So here we realize how essential information and communication technology is in today’s travel and tourism industry. eAirlines Till a few years ago, the basic sources of information in the tourism sector were pamphlets, brochures, directories, guide books, etc. produced and published by different countries. The last few decades witnessed the application of computer and communication technologies in the field of tourism. Two distinct streams of information sources viz, (i) online and (ii) offline came into existence. Core results regarding ICT-related developments in the aviation industry: E-Ticketing: The elimination of traditional paper-based tickets is one of the core elements of the low-cost business model. Yet, e-ticketing is not limited to the so called â€Å"no-frills† airlines. The adoption of e-ticketing is increasingly pursued also by network carriers. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) intends to achieve a 100% penetration of e-ticketing among its members by the end of 2007. Customer self-service: Another measure for cost reduction and the acceleration of passenger flows at airports is to introduce customer self-service check-in solutions. This may be done on the spot by self-service kiosks or in the form of web based check-ins, which may even allow users to check-in from home or their office. Bar-coded boarding passes offer a natural link with e-ticketing and self-service check-in. Most recently, it has become possible not only to print boarding passes at the passenger’s home, but also to place bar codes on the passenger’s cell phone, thus making paper documents obsolete. RFID for luggage handling might replace classical baggage tags in the near future. It might simplify airline luggage management considerably, improve customer service in terms of reductions in mishandled luggage, and provide new security mechanisms. Computer Reservations System (CRS) A computer reservations system (or central reservation system) (CRS) is a computerized system used to store and retrieve information and conduct transactions related to air travel. Originally designed and operated by airlines, CRSes were later extended for the use of travel agencies. Major CRS operations that book and sell tickets for multiple airlines are known as global distribution systems (GDS). Airlines have divested most of their direct holdings to dedicated GDS companies, who make their systems accessible to consumers through Internet gateways. Modern GDSes typically allow users to book hotel rooms and rental cars as well as airline tickets. They also provide access to railway reservations in some markets although these are not always integrated with the main system. Global Distribution Systems (GDS) Major CRS operations that book and sell tickets for multiple airlines are known as global distribution systems (GDS). Modern GDSes typically allow users to book hotel rooms and rental cars as well as airline tickets. GDS distribute more than one CRS to users who are travel agents. GDS require massive investment because they are large computer system that link several airlines and travel principals into complex network of PCs, telecommunications and large mainframe system. Some leading GDS are Amadeus, Sabre, Galileo and WorldSpan are travel agents. eHospitality Hotels use ICTs in order to improve their operations, manage their inventory and maximise their profitability. Their systems facilitate both in-house management and distribution through electronic media. ‘Property management systems (PMSs)’ coordinate front office, sales, planning and operational functions by administrating reservations and managing the hotel inventory. Moreover, PMSs integrate the â€Å"back† and â€Å"front† of the house management and improve general administration functions such as accounting and finance; marketing research and planning; forecasting and yield management; payroll and personnel; and purchasing. Understandably, hotel chains gain more benefits from PMSs, as they can introduce a unified system for planning, budgeting and controlling and coordinating their properties centrally. Hotels also utilise ICTs and the Internet extensively for their distribution and marketing functions. Global presence is essential in order to enable both individual customers and the travel trade to access accurate information on availability and to provide easy, efficient, inexpensive and reliable ways of making and confirming reservations. Although Central Reservation Offices (CROs) introduced central reservations in the 1970s, it was not until the expansion of airline CRSs and the recent ICT developments that forced hotels to develop hotel CRSs in order to expand their distribution, improve efficiency, facilitate control, empower yield management, reduce labour costs and enable rapid response time to both customers and management requests. Following the development of hotel CRSs by most chains, the issue of interconnectivity with other CRSs and the Internet emerged. As a result, ‘switch companies,’ such as THISCO and WIZCOM, emerged to provide an interface between the various systems and enable a certain degree of transparency. This reduces both set-up and reservation costs, whilst facilitates reservations through several distribution channels. eTour Operators Leisure travellers often purchase â€Å"packages,† consisting of charter flights and accommodation, arranged by tour operators. Tour operators tend to pre-book these products and distribute them through brochures displayed in travel agencies. Hence, until recently in northern European countries, where tour operators dominate the leisure market, airline and hotel CRSs were rarely utilised for leisure travel. In the early 1980s, tour operators realised the benefits of ICTs in organising, promoting, distributing and coordinating their packages. Thomson’s Open-line Programme (TOP) was the first real-time computer-based central reservation office in 1976. It introduced direct communication with travel agencies in 1982, and announced that reservations for Thomson Holidays would only be accepted through TOP in 1986. This move was the critical point for altering the communication rocesses between tour operators and travel agencies. Gradually, all major tour operators developed or acquired databases and established electronic links with travel agencies, aiming to reduce their information handling costs and increase the speed of information transfer and retrieval. This improved their productivity and capacity management whil st enhancing their services to agencies and consumers. Tour operators also utilised their CRSs for market intelligence, in order to adjust their supply to demand fluctuations, as well as to monitor the booking progress and productivity of travel agencies. Tour operators have been reluctant to focus on ICTs through their strategic planning. Few realize the major transformation of the marketplace, while the majority regards ICTs exclusively as a facilitator of their current operations, and as a tool to reduce their costs. However, several tour operators in Germany, Scandinavia and the UK have moved towards electronic brochures and developed their online strategies. Successful operators report that up to 25% of their packages are booked directly by consumers online. This enables them to concentrate on niche markets. eTravel Agencies ICTs are irreplaceable tools for travel agencies as they provide information and reservation facilities and support the intermediation between consumers and principals. Travel agencies operate various reservation systems, which mainly enable them to check availability and make reservations for tourism products. Until recently GDSs have been critical for business travel agencies to access information and make reservations on scheduled airlines, hotel chains, car rentals and a variety of ancillary services. However, until recently travel agencies have been reluctant to take full advantage of the ICTs, mainly due to: a limited strategic scope; †¢ deficient ICTs expertise and understanding; †¢ low profit margins which prevents investments; and †¢ focus on human interaction with consumers. There are effectively 5 major groups- 1. Amadus IT group- vacation. com, opodo, travel tainmemt 2. Expedia group- expedia. com, hotels. com, anyway. com 3. Orbitz group- orbitz, cheaptick ets, hotel club 4. Priceline group- priceline. com, booking. com, active hotels 5. Sabre group- travelocity. com, world choice travel CASE STUDY 1: ICT-DEPLOYMENT AT THE LOW-COST CARRIER RYANAIR, IRELAND ABSTRACT The innovative use of information technology for online booking, e-ticketing and internal communications coupled with relentless improvements in cost containment, operating efficiencies, route system expansion and scheduling enables Ryanair to achieve increased passenger traffic and report the best customer service performance in its peer group class. CASE STUDY FACT SHEET Full name of the company: Ryanair Location (HQ/main branches): Dublin, Ireland, with operations in most of Europe Sector (main business activity): Low cost air travel Year of foundation: 1985 Number of employees: about 2,700 Turnover in last financial year: â‚ ¬1. 3 billion Primary customers: Business and Leisure Travelers Most significant geographic market: Europe Focus of case study: e-Ticketing Key words:e-Ticketing, online booking, web check-in, low cost airline OBJECTIVES Ryanair has achieved annual increases in passenger traffic each year since 1995. Projections are for 35 million passengers in 2006, increasing to an estimated 42 million in 2007. Ryanair’s objective is to double passenger volumes and revenue by 2012. It currently (July 2006) operates a fleet of 107 Boeing 737-800’s and will buy 142 more of these aircraft over the next 6 years. This study outlines the currently evolving e-business capabilities in place to address these growth areas and achieve the sought for doubling targets. ONLINE BOOKING Online booking via the internet commenced in earnest after the launch of the www. Ryanair. com website in 2000. Over 98% of the 27. 5 million passenger seats in 2005 were sold via the internet. This percentage figure is consistent year on year, and is expected to continue at this high level. The online booking system gives Ryanair the capability to introduce innovative practices to ensure that the individual customer has greater control over their fare costs. E-TICKETING CHECK’N’GO Officially launched in 2006, Ryanair’s e-Ticketing Check’N’Go service enables passengers to check-in online within three days prior to the proposed flight and up to 4 hours before take-off. Using a pre-printed e-boarding card from their home or office computers, passengers can avoid the airport check-in desk and go directly to the security gates with a maximum of one piece of hand baggage. Encouraging passengers to travel with less checked-in luggage also means faster queues for those who check-in at the airport desk. INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS As Ryanair expanded across Europe, in addition to their well known customer facing web pages, Ryanair has implemented a web-based internal communications system used by flight crews, maintenance staff and ground staff. For instance, a record is kept of the various components in each aircraft and a tickler schedule for their maintenance and/or replacement. The intranet system has also saved on tangible costs, including paper and printing costs. DYNAMIC PACKAGING AND OTHER ANCILLARY REVENUE SOURCES Ryanair drives more sales and increased revenue via the dynamic packaging of flights with discounted hotel rooms and bottom of the range car rentals. In addition after selecting their flights, all travelers are strongly encouraged via the online payment process to take out travel insurance. Another option provided via Ryanair’s homepage at present is to click through to another supplier’s web site such as activitybreaks. com to buy their products. CONCLUSIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED The adoption of e-ticketing and internal e-business systems has enabled this low cost carrier to keep operational running costs well in-check. For the financial year ended March 31, 2005 their share accounted for 16% of total revenues, compared to 15% for the previous year. Ryanair is consistently the European leader in LCC. In addition, due to the minimal in-house administration costs, Ryanair’s low-cost-flights business marketing model includes frequent â€Å"give-away† flights as well: 23% of its tickets were given away in 2005, and half of all flights are slated to be â€Å"free† within the next 4 years. CASE STUDY 2: E-TICKETING AT SN BRUSSELS AIRLINES, BELGIUM This case study highlights the benefits of e-ticketing. After IATA was commitment to discontinue the distribution and processing of paper tickets by December 2007. SN Brussels decided to focus on e-ticketing in order to cut operating costs and generate extra convenience to passengers. Apart from lower cost and increased operation efficiency, e- ticketing allowed the airline to strengthen its market position by a more intensive use of alliances and reduced dependency on intermediaries. BACKGROUND †¢SN Brussels Airlines is a full-service Belgian airline company founded in 2002 by a group of Belgian investors who acquired some assets of the ankrupt Sabena airline. †¢ SN Brussels Airlines is the only full service airline that operates from Brussels and is the market leader at Brussels Airport. †¢It operates around 285 flights per day to various destinations in USA, Africa & Europe and 3. 5 million passengers carried per year. †¢It has around 2000 employees in Belgium & abroad. OBJECTIVES †¢SN Brussels Airlines has dev eloped an interesting business concept of offering fully serviced flights, as offered traditionally by the established airlines, with the lowest possible fare to compete with the low cost carriers. The airline aims to attract both the demanding business travelers with tight schedules but expecting value for money and economy travelers who are sensitive to prices †¢This lead to high airline occupancy and the airline registered profit for 3 years despite unfavorable conditions. ICT INVESTMENTS †¢Expands its ICT use due to customer expectations which gives travelers more convenience and control from the booking stage to the in-flight service. It invested in passenger technologies like e-ticketing, online check in services to reduce the cost. ICT developments like e-ticketing and own website/booking engine enable the airline to strengthen its brand awareness, get direct access to its customers and, consequently, reduce the dependency on Central Reservation Systems (CRS) and Gl obal Distribution Systems (GDS). E-BUSINESS SERVICES †¢SN Brussels' internet site (www. flySN. com) is a major part of the company’s e-ticketing infrastructure it is user-friendly and allows for an easy search and compilation of travel offers. †¢It also provides self check-in possibilities, hotel bookings, insurance and rent-a-car services online. E-tickets are also available through call centre on all routes in the network and through GDS used by travel agents. BENEFITS †¢Online booking, proved to be an efficient channel for the distribution of e-tickets. In May 2002 only 38% tickets were sold online whereas in September 2006, 63% of own sales were conducted via its own booking engine. †¢The e-ticket uses a database to track the sale and use of tickets. All subsequent ticket transactions, including refunds, exchanges, check-in, void and settlement, involve this holding database this reduces chances of fraud and eliminates the problem of lost ticket. It al so reduced the cost of documentations. SN Brussels Airlines’ e-ticketing solution allows for seamless link up with external partners by forming alliances and developing the so-called â€Å"interlining† system that allows passengers to have one ticket for a complete travel itinerary with different travel segments from several airlines. Passengers have then only one set of tickets for a multi-operator trip and benefit from having their luggage checked right through to their destination LESSON LEARNED This case study illustrated the use of e-ticketing at SN Brussels Airlines. The e-ticketing system did not only enable the airline to reduce operation costs and increase efficiency, but also helped to achieve strategic advantages which have further strengthened its market position. In particular, the applied e-ticketing technology facilitates the creation of alliances with other airlines. This, in turn, allows for a more efficient utilization of transportation capacities and access to a larger number of customers. Furthermore, e- ticketing combined with the development of direct online sales channels reduces the dependency on intermediaries and decreases the payments to CRS/GDS. FUTURE OF E-TOURISM †¢The Internet and mobile communication devices are three most significant ePlatforms that will help change the future of tourism. †¢The Internet will allow more people to access high quality information quickly and with minimum inconvenience. It also gave the possibility to purchase travel products on-line. In addition, it generated great service expectations, as consumers anticipate to be served on a 24hours/365days basis and at their own convenience. †¢Not only does the internet help the traveler but also the tourism suppliers like online travel agents, airlines etc. The trend towards the use of mobile communication devices is mostly determined by the commodification of mobile phones in the past few years, coupled with an increasing need to be able to obtain information while ‘on the move’. For example, business travelers can receive information on arrivals and departures as well as check-in through their mobile phone for a number of airlines. †¢On-line Internet provision is not sufficiently developed for those areas conventional telephone can also be used, a traveler may call a call center to confirm their bookings or ask queries. Importance of GDS and CRS in Travel & Tourism Industry: Computer reservations systems (CRS) have become critical instruments in the marketing and distribution of travel and tourism products and services. New systems have recently been developed in Western Europe, while the Asian and Pacific regions are in the process of establishing their own systems. A central reservation system represents a computerized system used for both storing and distribution of information. We could be talking about a hotel, a hotel chain, a resort or any other type of lodging facilities. The CRS can also be used for checking up different details about flights or seat availability. People may tend to confuse CRS with GDS (Global Distribution System) because of their similar functionality. However, there is one important difference between these two applications. Central reservation systems are web applications exclusive for each company or hotel. On the other hand, a global distribution system is used by various travel agents for booking reasons, as they cannot access CRS. CRS contains important information such as hotel accommodations, activity bookings, flight schedules or even holiday packages. There is almost no need for a travel agent as you could simply arrange your reservations over the Internet. Most hotels and travel agencies have their own websites for presenting their rates and offers. Websites can also be used together with various CRM software in order to strengthen the existent client relationships. Reservations are processed within a centralized location that is also responsible with availability management. Rates retrieval and reservations are made as efficiently as possible. Hotels will benefit from better yield management and will also reduce other costs as web bookings will not be done anymore through third parties.

Google: Research Google’s Attempt to Buy Into Wireless Via the 700 Mhz Spectrum Auction.

Verdell ChesterTM-583 Case 4 – Google: Research Google’s attempt to buy into wireless via the 700 MHz Spectrum Auction. 1. Why  did Google making this move? Google’s Motivation to bid into the wireless marketplace through the use of the 700MHz Spectrum Auction was the opportunity to develop possibly a 50 state network â€Å"The FCC is auctioning 1,099 wireless licenses in the 700 MHz band, but the most attractive spectrum for many bidders is the â€Å"C-block† of 12 regional licenses that may be combined to create a 50-state network. (Reiter, 2008) This new product development would allow Google to become a cellular network operator. This market includes firms such as AT;amp;T and Verizon, Google would not only compete with these firms but also would have had the opportunity to network with other entities to develop some innovative new products. What do they hope to accomplish? The prospect of entering into the wireless market offers Google many potenti al growth and development practices as well as competencies. There are also many risks associated with this strategy, including the cost of building and maintaining a billion dollar network.One particular goal that may have been in mind with this decision is the growth of Google’s vast wireless software portfolio that includes Gmail, Maps, Docs, Calendar Sync and various other applications that can be downloaded to many phones. There may have been other reasons Google chose to take interest into the wireless market such as the ownership of Youtube and its developments in a new website and java beta application that allows people to view tens of millions of videos via cell phone. . How does Google’s support for Open Access fit into Google’s plans? Google supporting Open Access really makes this a popular decision. Many people are rooting for Google to bid on the 700MHz spectrum for reasons that it will allow for competitive pricing of many cellular internet featu res. Furthermore research shows that Google supports open access initiatives like a concept called network neutrality, this is a principle proposed for user access networks participating in the Internet.It advocates that no restrictions can be imposed by internet service providers and governments on content, sites, platforms, the kinds of equipment that may be attached, and the modes of communication. Google still supports this idea but has made moves in this direction like stated in their public policy blog â€Å"FACT: Google has been the leading corporate voice on the issue of network neutrality over the past five years. No other company is working as tirelessly for an open Internet. But given political realities, this particular issue has been intractable in Washington for several years now.At this time there are no enforceable protections – at the Federal Communications Commission or anywhere else – against even the worst forms of carrier discrimination against In ternet traffic. † (Whitt ;amp; Counsel, 2010) This bid would provide google the ability to offer the most openly accessible network. 3. It looks like Google wants to get into wireless; yet, wireless is not one of Google’s core competencies. What should Google do about this? Google is not known for developing a large wireless network, but they are known for its advertising capabilities.This opportunity can present Google the chance to gain this ability and further strengthen its advertising ability. Google should invest in this opportunity although it may currently not fall into its current competencies; Google has capabilities that can allow them to develop newer competencies through their current ones. By taking their ability to advertise and the ability to deliver new internet products they can develop a superior network that enhances their ability to advertise and present customers with vast channels of information.Another option is looking toward some of Google†™s partnerships and ownerships and collecting resources from their wide variety of talent to develop a team tasked with developing the new competencies needed to make the new business venture successful. Similar to Google spearheading the Open Handset Alliance’s Android mobile platform, this new venture will need to break boundaries and establish Google as a premiere wireless network. â€Å"This situation has crippled consumers' ability to use the Internet on their mobile devices, compared to how they use it on their PCs.Google executives say their aim is to bring the PC-style of Internet openness to the mobile world so that users have more choice in mobile services and applications, as well as price. † (Mills, 2007) Google has the opportunity to develop the competencies for emerging as a successful wireless network yet they have to take the risk of investing into this opportunity. Google has the customer support and the finances to go for it, and it doesn’t l ook like a bad choice.Bibliography:Mills, E. (2007, 11 30). Cnet news. Retrieved 12 5, 2010, from Google versus the Telcoms: http://news. cnet. com/Google-versus-the-telecoms/2100-1039_3-6220909. html Reiter, A. (2008, 2 5).Internet Evolution. Retrieved 12 5, 2010, from Internet Evolution: http://www. internetevolution. com/author. asp? section_id=526;amp;doc_id=144810 Whitt, R. , ;amp; Counsel, W. T. (2010, 8 12).Google Public Policy Blog. Retrieved 12 5, 2010, from Google Public Policy Blog: http://googlepublicpolicy. blogspot. com/search/label/Net%20Neutrality