Distribution of US Budget in Military and Education

Even though the Cold War era is a distant memory, encased in glass forever like some museum piece, our government is still spending as if the Soviet Union was in its prime. If the arms race is a forgotten memory, then why is the military still spending 86% of what it was spending during the Cold War. It†s not that us Americans do not want a solid military, we just believe that our military is wasting billions of dollars at the expense of our children†s education and well being. 50 years ago our country, and the entire world was in disparate need of a strong U.S. military. We inflated our military budget, and gave the government and private businesses an enormous appetite. Without a major threat to the United States since the collapse of the Soviet Union, our government seems to be in competition with itself. 50 years ago we sent tons and tons of troops overseas to fight in a foreign land, while we pumped private businesses up with the manufacturing of military equipment. The need for such products and the need for an over-healthy military allowance is long gone. While we sunk billions after billions of taxpayer†s money on wars that we were boisterously proud to spend (it gave us all the prestige we could ever ask for), our Allies were investing in their children†s education and well being. The result now is that while we have the most elite military capabilities, our children†s educational level is extremely under developed. European and Japanese children significantly outperform American children in math and upper-level reading. This should not be too surprising, our children are studying history books that are from a decade ago. This creates difficult obstacles for our children to keep up on current politics and other global events. Also the over crowding of classrooms makes it extremely difficult for your child to get that personalized learning which may determine his or her ability to learn at all. Every child learns at a different rate and possibly in different ways, this makes it virtually impossible for teachers to tap into every child†s full learning potential. If your child needs that extra, personalized attention, but is not â€Å"defined† as handicapped their specific learning needs will most likely be overlooked and that may be the beginning of your child†s inability to learn. According to a study done by the state of Tennessee, reducing classroom size in early grades (K-3rd) can improve a child†s performance even after being placed back into their regular sized class. Another major problem hindering our children†s education is the fact that the teachers with the priceless responsibility of developing our child†s mind are absolutely underpaid. Teachers barely make an honest living and are often subliminal role models to our young students. Although there are countless exceptionally dedicated teachers in America, a significantly higher salary would ensure the quality of almost all teachers. Remember what we were taught about incentives at a young age, the carrot in front of the rabbit, well that would definitely apply for these individuals we need to count on everyday. So, where is all of the money going to come from to improve our children†s education, well, remember our friend with that uncontrollable appetite? During the Cold War†s prime the U.S. was spending $325 billion a year. And today, with the Cold War boxed up and put on a shelf, the military is still spending $290 billion a year (NCR,1999). This is an alarming figure that we are spending on a military without any outside threat to contend with, in fact it seems to be their only real mission is to play servant to the United Nations, fighting little skirmishes in countries that don†t want our help. One would be hopeful that since we are in an era of peace time that we could enjoy â€Å"peace dividends.† However, the military and those private sector businesses that created such an enormous appetite refuse to exercise a Post-Cold War diet. Maybe we need to e-mail the pentagon, they might be reading our children†s decade old history books, in that case they wouldn†t know that the Berlin Wall is down and the Soviet Union has collapsed. Another astonishing fact is that our country has become the world†s largest arms dealer, selling to almost any country with the money to do business. And if they can†t afford them, our government will put them on a payment plan, acting much like a scene right out of The Godfather. Is this our government, or is this Don Corleone, striking deals with some pretty shady characters. One can†t help wondering where all of this cold hard cash is going from these deals. It is no mystery that our government budgets are in desperate need of reform, well, there are active groups lobbying to change the spending habits of our government. One of the most effective of these groups is the Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities, which is comprised of influential individuals like Ben Cohen, cofounder of Ben & Jerry†s; and former assistant secretary of state, Lawrence Korb, along with a cabinet of ex-military and big business leaders. The group is most certainly not an anti-military faction, however they are dedicated to refocusing the military†s useless spending (NCR, 1999). They are not opposed to our military having the best equipment possible, that is if someone were to donate it to them. If the decision is for the military to have a great new ship, or for our children to have a better education, of course the military is going to have to make due. Currently the federal government only participates in 7% of the funding for our schools, while the state and the local community split the rest. This is an raises enormous concerns due to the fact that poorer communities are at a significant disadvantage. Some communities can spend up to five times as much as less fortunate ones (NATIONAL PTA, 1996). To achieve these goals for a better future for our kids and further more, our country, we need to make education our biggest priority. Adding up the military†s inflated $290 billion a year, and comparing it to what†s left over for all other spending, including education, a meager $246 billion (NCR, 1999). This is an insult to our children†s development as growing intellectuals. 6% of the entire budget is allocated for our children†s education, this states the true fact that their education is not important. The money is truly there, we simply need to redirect it and our governments priorities. Like stated by Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities, † The winners and losers are not going to be determined by the size of their gunboats, but by the level of their children†s level of education.†

The Weighted Index Overlay Analysis (WIOA)

The Weighted Index Overlay Analysis (WIOA) is one of the multi criterion decision making tool used to assigned weights and scores to each criterion and classes of each criterion respectively to determine the groundwater potential zones. All the criterion maps were converted to raster, assigned a weight (Wc) on a scale of one to ten depending on its suitability to hold water. Different classes of each criterion map were also assigned a score (Scc) on a scale of one to ten according to their relative influence on the groundwater occurrence (Table 5.1). With one being the least important and ten being the most important factor. The average score is given by; (Nag and Kundu, 2018) ?=(?Scc x Wc)/(?Wc) Where ? is the average weight score of the polygon, Wc is the weight of each criterion map and Scc is the rating score of the class of the criterion map. Individual criterion maps were reclassified and the reclassified map together with the weightage map were integrated using the raster calculator in the spatial analyst tool in ArcGIS software. The integrated map was then classified into; excellent, good, moderate, poor and very poor groundwater potential zones and lastly correlated and validated with the field groundwater data obtained from the article written by Meulenbeld & Hattingh, 1999 used as a reference. Geology and geomorphology maps were identified to be classified maps, therefore the procedure followed to assign score to different classes of each criterion map is different from that of drainage density, lineament density and slope which were classified as continuous maps. Classified maps have known and definable boundaries whereas continuous maps define a surface where each location is measured from a fixed registration point. To assign scores to different classes of each criterion map in classified maps, each criterion map was first converted to raster, a table was added on the attribute table, then a suitable score corresponding to the influence of each class to groundwater occurrence was assigned. The vector and raster maps are joined, and the resulting vector map is then converted to raster with scores. For the continuous maps, each criterion map is reclassified into ten classes using the reclassify tool under spatial analyst tool, the method of classification used is quantile and a table was added as well as score. Criterion maps were assigned weights corresponding to relative influence of each criterion to occurrence, origin and movement of groundwater, with geology given the highest preference (10), followed by lineament density (8), geomorphology (6), slope (4), and drainage density (2). Sandstones are typically permeable and porous, therefore, can allow percolation of water and can store those large quantities of water, thereby making them good aquifers, However, those of the Wilgerivier Formation forms poor aquifers due to limited faulting, hence, it was assigned a score of 1 (by Meulenbeld & Hattingh, 1999). Shales have very small interstitial spaces due to very small particle sizes, but can store large quantities of water, however, its transmission is limited due to low permeability, therefore, making it an aquiclude. The shales of the Ecca Group are very dense and should not be ignored as possible sources of groundwater. The borehole yields are between 0.5 to 2 l/s with a fractured or intergranular aquifer system, hence, shale was assigned a score of 2 (GCS, 2006). The diamictite of the Dwyka Group is massive, with little jointing and shows stratification in some places. It has very low hydraulic conductivity ranging from 10-11 to 10-12 m/s and shows no primary voids. The Dwyka diamictite forms an aquitard with very small yield quantities of water ranging from 0.5 to 2 l/s confined within narrow fractures and joints, hence it is assigned a score of 4 (GCS, 2006). Diabase intrusion is highly fractured and weathered, yields appreciable quantities of water and therefore forms good aquifer. It was assigned a score of 10. The weight of 10 given to the geology was found to be suitable since the occurrence, origin and transmission of groundwater depends on the physical characteristics of the rock (Figure 5.1.1). Lineament densities range from 0 to 140.6 and were assigned scores from 1 to 10 respectively in accordance to its relative contribution to groundwater occurrence and storage and was also given a weight of 8. The higher the drainage density, the higher the score given. The classification method used to reclassify the densities is quantile method which assigns the same number of data values to each class, hence, there are no empty classes or classes with too few or too many values. This method is best suited to linearly distributed data (Figure 5.1.2). The valleys, hills and steep inclines were assigned weights of 10, 2 and 1 respectively also according to its importance to groundwater occurrence and storage. Groundwater is usually found in valleys where percolation surpasses surface runoff than in steep inclines and hills where surface runoff precedes percolation. The weight of 6 assigned is well suited for it since it is the 3rd most important criterion to groundwater occurrence (Figure 5.1.3). The slope of the study area ranges from 0 to 79Â º with the highest degree assigned a score of 1 and lowest 10. This is due to gentle slopes being good groundwater prospecting zones than steep slopes which favors surface runoff. Slope is dependent on geomorphology, therefore, has to be assigned a weight lower than that of geomorphology, hence, a weight of 4 was found suitable. The classification method used to reclassify slope is also quantile method which assigns the same number of data values to each class, hence, there are no empty classes or classes with too few or too many values. This method is best suited to linearly distributed data (Figure 5.1.4).Drainage density is the inverse of lineament density, hence, the scores and weight assigned will be the opposite and lower than that in lineament density respectively. The drainage densities range from 0 to 252.4 and were assigned scores from 10 to 1. The slope is dependent on slope and geomorphology, therefore, a slope of 2, lower than them was found to be suitable. The classification method used to reclassify slope is also quantile method which assigns the same number of data values to each class, hence, there are no empty classes or classes with too few or too many values. This method is best suited to linearly distributed data (Figure 5.1.5). The classification method used for the output groundwater potential zones map is the geometrical interval. This classifier was found suitable to represent the generated data since it is a compromise method between equal interval, natural breaks and quantile. It creates a balance between highlighting changes in the middle values and the extreme values, thereby producing a result that is visually appealing and cartographically comprehensive. It was observed that the majority of the boreholes are sited on excellent to good groundwater potential zones where the geology is mainly sandstone and close to contact zones with diabase intrusions. The rest of the boreholes are sited on poor to very poor groundwater potential zones with a diamictite rock mass. According to Hattingh, 1996, the sedimentary rocks of the Wilgerivier Formation makes poor aquifers whereas, the cracks and fissures in intrusive rocks form the main aquifers, hence, groundwater occurs in fractured rock mass. The boreholes close to diabase intrusions make good aquifers irrespective of the groundwater prospecting zone. Borehole yields are limited, especially in sedimentary rocks, they are below 0.5 l/s, however, those sited on faults and fractures in intrusive rocks, can yield higher than 3 l/s. Typical borehole depth ranges between 40 and 120 m while the average range of depth of water level is between 10 to more than 40 m below ground level (mbgl) (DWA, 2011).

Personal experience with banking concept of education Essay

Education, the process of taking in and applying information, is an important part of life that directly impacts an individual’s judgement and reasoning of both themselves and society. A person’s educational experience has the ability to influence their life despite their intelligence level or home life situation. In Paulo Freire’s book, The Pedagogy of the Oppressed, two major learning styles, the â€Å"banking† concepts and the â€Å"problem-posing† methods of education, and their effects on students are discussed. My personal early education was within a public school system in the small town of Canton, Massachusetts. While public schools are often stereotyped as being both diverse and inferior compered to private schools, my high school was mainly white and Roman Catholic and it contained many students that were academically focused and capable of getting accepted to prestigious colleges such as the University of Miami. In my experience, certain teachers within this school system have helped me to see, through a process of trial and error, the best way I take in new information. My education has undoubtedly been molded by a combination of both the â€Å"banking† concept and the â€Å"problem-posing† method and has allowed me to develop into the person that I am today. Being from a public school of a relatively small suburb in the Northeast, I have been pressured since the start of my education to learn in order to pass a government issued exam. Even as early as third grade, the focus of my teachers was to prepare their students for the dreaded statewide MCAS exam. The majority of my school memories from elementary school are of me practicing for the essay portion of this exam and being taught to use â€Å"50 cent† vocabulary words that would catch a grader’s attention and help us students gain a higher score. Yet, at this age, I did not really give my education too much thought. I automatically assumed that this type of mechanical drilling was the only way to do well in school and ultimately to make my parents and the people I cared about proud of me. As I grew older, I have realized that I will never know the true reason that my teachers chose to teach to standardized tests. Their reasons for this may have been purely self-interested and inspired by incentives such as receiving an extra pay bonus. Still, I personally believe that the intentions of my earliest teachers were mainly benevolent and helped to prepare me for my later education. As a starting point for learning, elementary school teachers are expected to tell students what they needed to know. Even though a large portion of this process may include having the â€Å"receive, memorize, and repeat† information as if they are almost robotic, this instills them with a set of skills that will become critical in the later part of their education (Freire 260). While it may seem that an elementary school teacher who teaches with this method would have little to no impact on how a student will succeed in life, these educators taught me educational techniques that I still value to this day. Many of the experiences that I have had with these teachers have taught me the importance of personal management. If my teachers had not placed an emphasis on the importance of organization and structure, and its relationship to success, then I would not be able to handle having a large study workload. Also, by introducing me to the importance of competition at a young age, I have been motivated to accomplish more academically and outside of the classroom than I would have without their guidance. Even though the initial principles of this â€Å"banking concept of drilling information into students may appear to be oppressive and constrictive, the benefits received by both the instructor and the student typically serve their best interests and satisfy what the student is looking to gain from their education. Therefore, I believe that it is slightly inaccurate to deem this educational method purely as a means of depositing information from one person to another. I am thankful that a portion of my education has been similar to that of the â€Å"banking† concept because it has given me the framework to pursue more advanced studies. Although a portion of my academic career has been somewhat impersonal and standardized, I was fortunate enough to take a class that gave me a chance to both think critically and cognitively while learning new material. In my junior year of high school, I was able to take an Advanced Placement history class that has brought my style of learning to a more advanced level. In this history class, the teacher gave us a schedule of what we would be doing each day of the current unit we were in that was very similar to a college syllabus. Each day of class we came prepared with background information on the topic we would be learning about which was reinforced by the teacher giving us an almost daily quiz. Although at the time taking these quizzes was tedious, it allowed for the class to discuss numerous historical topics in a short period of time. Our teacher, with the use of technology, presented different copies of primary sources to the class which led to a natural and flowing discussion of different topics. That history class was unlike any other course I had taken in the past and, while it was still challenging, I was able to do well and I scored a high grade on the AP test. I believe that the reason for both my personal success and that of many others in my class was due to the fact that my teacher combined methods of both the â€Å"banking† concepts and the â€Å"problem-posing† methods that were presented in Freire’s article. Instead of pretending to know all of the answers, my teacher posed problems to us students that we were able to work together to solve (Freire 265). While I was challenged academically to think on a critical and comprehensive level, there were certain aspects of that type of learning that required me to simply fill my brain with information. Without taking the time to learn basic facts and concepts of a certain subject, I would have never been able to insightfully discuss or give a knowledgeable opinion on it. Only by putting in a substantial amount of individual effort was I able to grasp anything that my teacher or classmates would say during a lecture or discussion. Although this experience may appear to solely support the â€Å"problem-posing method†, without the initial instruction of my early teachers to be self motivated to learn and do well in my classes, I would have believed that spending time studying outside of the classroom was pointless and that without a teacher I would be incapable of learning anything. Therefore, my academic growth that occurred during my junior year would not have been possible if I did not have such influential elementary school teachers. My educational experience over the past twelve years has definitely established me as the student that I am today. While many aspects of growing up in a small town in the Massachusetts with many similar types of people surely affected my education, it is certainly my teachers who have made the largest impact on me. With both the initial guidance from my elementary school teachers and with the introduction of critical thinking that was introduced by my history teacher, I have developed a style of learning that feature aspects of both the â€Å"banking† concept of education and the â€Å"problem-posing† method and this has proven to be successful for me in the past. Still, I hope that as I begin to continue my education at the University of Miami and possibly even in graduate school, that I will continue to grow as a student. In the future, I plan to take many different courses and be exposed to new types of thinking that will help me to develop intellectually. If I follow this path one day I may possibly be able to perfect my learning style and develop an efficient method that will help to bring me both success and knowledge in the future.

Pros and Cons of Capitalism and Socialism Research Paper

Pros and Cons of Capitalism and Socialism - Research Paper Example Capitalism is the idea whereby the possession of capital i.e. the means of production are usually owned and determined by private individuals with little or almost no interception from the government. The entire world can be considered to be operating under the capitalist system. According to the Capitalist system a small proportion of the entire world’s population controls the resources of the world. This leads them to dictate their terms and accumulate and increase their respective wealth and fortune. Many commentators consider this to be a major flaw of Capitalism. Commentators are of the view that the working classes within the economy are negatively exploited as a result of this undue power. Exercising such undue power usually results in Monopolies within the economy and these monopolies lead to an increased benefit being gained by charging higher prices for different goods and services. Except this, there are other negative aspects of Capitalism which include discriminat ive distribution of wealth amongst the economy whereby some people are favored over others. Proponents supporting the Capitalism system consider the economic system to increase economic growth of a society (Hyman, 2010). Socialism on the other hand is a system that has increased government interception with respect to the use of capital/ resources and the income is distributed amongst the people as desired by the government. Advocates favoring socialism consider the system to be a proper distributor of wealth and income amongst the public/economy. People favoring Socialism are of the view that the system has always led to an equal allocation of responsibilities. The negative aspect of Socialism is the fact that the government intervention may lead to many different factors such as decreased growth, reduced flexibility and unclear price signals. These unclear price signals may not be good enough to perform economic calculations and predict the uncertain market trends. Socialism has a lways been pointed out for its budget-constrained attribute. This lack in budgets leads to reduced innovation and growth because of reduced incentive for the people (Hyman, 2010). Economies around the World have always been found to operate under the Socialist economic system. Those economies with a view that they are following the Capitalist economy are merely facing a delusion as there is not a single country in the current era that operates without government’s intervention. Karl Marx’s idea of socialism was to hand the power to the working class and by means of such power; the working class would be able to derive their respective pay scale. According to Karl Marx, the consciousness of the working class would only be altered by a change in their working conditions such as pay scales and for a successful implementation of a proper socialism system; the capitalist system should be over-thrown i.e. possession of resources should not be confined to a limited minority ( Hyman, 2010). Proponents around the world are of the view that the socialism view has not been properly implemented to gain proper advantages from it. On the contrary, the existing system has led to a chaos within the global economy resulting in different financial and economic issues around the globe. A documentary released by some Greek theorists suggests that the economic system wrongfully portrayed as a socialist system has led to the Greek Financial Crisis. The documentary is known as ‘

Middle East and International Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Middle East and International Relations - Essay Example United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have shown their interests for the same, but Saudi Arabia sees this as disadvantageous to the regional cooperation in the region. Political  Concerns  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ With the mounting pressure of the international community to switch to democratic forms of government, there might by a ray of hope but the chances are still very few due to major groups and regimes still against democratization. Further, the weak, illiterate and unprotected citizens’ low demand for democracy and insufficient international pressure may not be sufficient for regime changes in the Middle East. Regional Clashes and Terrorism  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ the Arab – Israeli conflict is supposed to carry itself in the times to come and become a serious threat to the security of the region.  Also, since a major part global terrorism is being funded by the Middle East regimes, Terrorism will continue in more fragmented manner than before. Influence of China and India on the region –  China and India have emerged as the major power countries both as investors and consumers of the Middle East and this will tend to play an effective role in shaping the political as well as the economic reform of the region.  Ã‚  Moreover, in the wake of any changes in the regime structure, the Middle East refers to China and Russia as salient models than the US or any other democracy. Restoration of the  Shia  Community  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ the main impact of the US invasion on Iraq was the revival of the  Shia  community.  Shia  community is seen as a liberal party with an emotional  Ã‚  value and symbolism. Gaining power and acceptance once again into the society and political front in Iraq may lead to cross border harmonization of Iraq with other countries. A number of renowned  Shia  figures have spent time in Iraq and Iran and are now wiling to come back to Iraq, which may lead to significant political and social changes in the

The history and evolution of Chinese women' rights Research Paper

The history and evolution of Chinese women' rights - Research Paper Example This created way for the formation of the communist government in the country under the name of the People’s Republic of China (Johnson 121). The new government committed to implementing social changes with the aim of uplifting the status of women in the society. The evolution of women’s rights in China has been a slow, painful but steady process discussed in the essay below. The growth and radical changes leading to the modern liberal Chinese society that embraces the gender equality has been slow and with myriad sacrifices, between 1966 and 1976 for example, the country experienced a massive cultural revolution as feminist movements sought the inclusion of women in the governance of the country. At the time of the formation of the new people’s republic of china, the country’s workforce had only seven percent of the women. The new communist government formulated and implemented new radical changes that with the view of increasing the status of women in th e new society but the male dominated society resisted most of such changes. By 1992, the percentage of the women in the country’s workforce had risen to thirty eight percent. Marriage in the traditional Chinese society was an arrangement between families. Young girls would be married off to men of the family’s choosing thus nurturing the women in order to befit specific requirements of the spouse’s family. Such arrangement denied women the right and privilege to fall in love and determine their lives. They simply married the men their families thought right for them. The male dominated society thought such to be effective ways of developing strong social ties but at the expense of the girl children. The great Cultural Revolution between 1966 and 1976 sought to address the social vice that had threatened the development of effective cultures in the society. Prior to the revolution, the communist government had initiated policies that sought to address the vice. I n 1950, the government formulated the marriage law. The law provided for the revocation of all previous family arrangements thus setting women previously bound by their families free. The law was a result of effective government research on the effects of such marriages and family arrangement on the social development of the society. By revoking all such arrangements, the governments sought to formulate better and more ethical policies and systems of marriage in the country. The men in the Chinese society opposed the legislation but through concerted government efforts and the works of the numerous feminist movements in the country, the law successful laws. In 1980, the government formulated another family law that banned arranged and forced marriages in the country. By banning such marriages, the government set the children especially the female children free from the dominance of their parents who used benefited from such arrangements. The marriage law of 1950 further permitted wo men to instigate divorces in the society. This would provide disadvantaged women in the forced, arranged and even purchased marriages the freedom to break away and foster their own independent lifestyles. Prior to the legislation, the society only permitted a divorce if it befitted the man. Additionally, the society also permitted polygamy thus allowing men to marry as many women as they wanted. In fact, the number of women in a homestead symbolized wealth and influence in the society. While

Organization Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Organization Behavior - Essay Example Apparently, this special discipline is said to use scientific methods to unearth the diverse kinds of knowledge that emanates from observing the behavior of individual or groups from within the organization. In essence, people are said to behave differently even in the same situations.1 In light of this, managers with theoretical knowledge about human behavior are usually in a better position to predict the behavior of individuals or groups who are in most cases employees in their organizations (French, 2011, 7). In addition, organization behavior entails the interaction of people in organizations where diverse cultural value and backgrounds are brought together through working effectively and efficiently. Similarly, organization behaviour has both dependent and independent variable that must be used in the boosting the performance of individual and groups in the organization. Dependent variables include productivity, absenteeism and job satisfaction. On the other hand, independent variables include variables at individual levels and those of group behavior. It is worth mentioning that organizational behavior has sub disciplines with diverse perspectives such as psychology, communication, political science, sociology among others that are crucial in the management of organization (French, 2011,

Sustainability plan Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Sustainability plan - Coursework Example Sustainability principles were applied in all areas of activities of the Games that helped to achieve the broader objectives of sustainable legacy plans. The five themes vis-a-vis climate change; waste management; biodiversity; inclusion; and healthy living were major platforms that exploited sustainability principles to bring about major change in the behaviour of the people as well as initiated a new paradigm of sustainability within sports. London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games successfully achieved its sustainability objectives as defined within its plans. Introduction Sustainable development practices have become one of the most crucial issues of contemporary times. Scientific advancement, globalization and lifestyle changes have brought mixed blessings in people’s lives. While they have contributed to better living conditions, they have also been linked to degradation of environment that threatens the survival of human species on earth. The adverse effect on the ecolo gy necessitates development of effective mechanism that would address the issue of sustainable practices within our lifestyles. The environment conservation and preservation need to be intrinsically linked to human activities so that finite resources of the nature could be sustained for future generation. ... The paper is an analytical business report on the success of the London 2012 Olympic Games in terms of sustainability. Overview of London Olympics London 2012 Olympic Games were held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 which was followed by Paralympic Games from 29 August to 9 September where 300 events were held. 205 nations took part in Olympic Games and 147 nations in Paralympic Games. 10, 568 athletes participated in the games with women making 44% of the competitors. The games witnessed more than 25,000 artists across the countries, 70, 000 volunteers, nearly 1.5 million people visited free events at festival, 1,450,000 visited gallery and museum and over 600,000 people attended events, performances etc. at the games (IOC-2, 2012). Managing and catering to the needs of gigantic number of people was a major challenge for London Olympic committee, especially when sustainability was critical issue across all activities of the Games. The responsibility for organizing the games was primar ily on LOCOG or London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and ODA or Olympic Delivery Authority. The two organisations were supported by various stakeholders like Minister of Olympics, Mayor of London and British Olympic Association. The main partners were: London Development Authority (LDA), Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC), Transport of London, British Paralympic Association; six host boroughs vis-a-vis Barking and Dagenham, Greenwich, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forests; and sponsors and commercial partners (London 2012 sustainable plan, 2009). LOCOG was meticulous in its strategic planning and earned gold in Environmental and Sustainability category of the 6th International Sports

Role of women in Hebrew scriptures Research Paper

Role of women in Hebrew scriptures - Research Paper Example The scriptures record that Eve the first woman, was created as a companion of Adam (Kassian, 1992, p28). In this regard, God set forth a patriarchal society, since he created woman from man, but not the other way. From the onset, God granted man the authority to rule all creations. The appearance of Abraham, whom the Jews refer as ‘the father of nations’ affirmed the authority of men over women, and Kassian (1992, p31) notes that even today, a Jew male is referred as Abraham’s son. In the Old Testament God, commanded man to procreate and fill the earth and this placed a lot of pressure on women from the onset (Clarence, 1968, p61). In this respect, the most important role of women in Ancient Israel was getting married and bearing children to ensure posterity of Jewish race. The Old Testament prohibited relationships such as incest and adultery, which ensured that a woman could not be related to a man in more than one way. However, a man was allowed to marry a sist er to his wife even in cases where the wife was alive. Before any marriage ceremony, the groom’s family was required to pay a specified amount of dowry to the bride’s family. ... These punishments are well elaborated in the Halakhah, a collection of rules and regulations that governed the conduct of the Jewish community (Richard, 1988, p 43). Clarence (1968, p37) notes that due to the great importance attached to marriage, there were three main requirements that were necessary to validate a marriage between man and woman in ancient Israel . They included payment of bride price, acceptance by the bride to get married and the union had to be consummated through sexual intercourse. From these rituals, it is apparent that the primary role of a woman in the society was getting married and to satisfy sexual needs of their men. Girls got married at very young ages that put their ability to make sound judgment about marriage in question. Social and religious critics have questioned the symbolic significance of paying bride price for a woman before marriage in the ancient Israel society. Kassian (1992, pp45-49) argues that the dowry payment portrayed women as a proper ty, with a price tag that was owned by man. However, Clarence (1968, p43) notes that payment of the bride price was important because it indicated the groom had good intentions of marrying and that he was capable of taking care of his wife. These findings comply with polygyny practice in Israel that allowed men with adequate resources to marry more than one wife in the ancient society (Richard, 1988, p49). Bearing children was another important role of women in the ancient Jewish society. According to Richard (1988, p53), women were only supposed to have sex for procreation and to validate their marriages. According to Clarence (1968, p73) barrenness

Online discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Online discussion - Essay Example Yes, this is true...as long as the compliments are taken as genuine. A false compliment or flattery for the sake of influence can cause suspicion and close off the person. Even sincere compliments have to be given with discretion because if the person thinks that you are saying nice things just to get them to do something, they will not be cooperative. Yes, I think the book does cite a study that says that compliments, even false ones, are helpful. What I am saying is that we should be truthful and I know that if I was in a negotiation and thought the other side was complimenting me just to try and get my defenses down, I would become very uncooperative. I hope that I am never in that position to have to flatter in order to accomplish my negotiation goals. I don't think you have to believe in something to be persuasive, but it helps. Professional actors are much better at making people believe them than most regular people. If I really believe in something, I can be must more persuasive about it than if I am just pretending.

Business News Event - Article Summaries Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business News Event - Summaries - Article Example In this article, the strategies that Samsung pursues to attain competitive edge together with the challenges and threats facing the company have been enumerated. The strengths and strategies of the competitors like apple, Nokia and Motorola have also been highlighted. The article will however be used in identifying some of the management concepts and elements that Samsung engaged in to make its products remain relevant in the market where consumer preference determines success. In this article, the management of Samsung recognizes the need to employ foreigners to help in the development of software for their handset. The company targeted the highly talented professionals from India and other nations who were ready and willing to offer their services to improve the quality of the handsets and products that were manufactured. Moreover, this would be a deviation from the company norms and culture whereby the company employees were entirely locals. Organization culture forms an important concept in the operations of businesses and the manner in which businesses conduct their activities (Treat 86). Organization culture is important for branding, identification, and history. It has often been used in developing strategies meant to ensure organization successfully markets its products. From the article, it is clear that managing competition requires high level of flexibility and breaking of organizations norms (KIM 25). Competition determines how management will conduct business and set their prices. Quality must be improved in a bid to ensure that customers prefer a company’s products more than those of competitors. Managing competition therefore requires the commitment of the managers and other important business stakeholders. In the case of Samsung, the company management had to act at the fastest time possible to have the company embrace competition in a the free market. Another management concept that can be learnt from the article is change management. Ch ange can be defines as the alteration of the status quo i.e. making adopting new ways and methods of doing things. In the business scenario, companies have to continuously conduct environmental scan in which they attempt to predict the possible changes in the environment and analyze the impact of such environmental factors on the business performance and operations (KIM 26). Companies that are able to accurately forecast on the possible changes in the environment and formulate policies that may assist in ensuring that the business is not adversely affected will always be in a position to survive and maintain desired growth. From the article, Samsung as a company has been in a position to realize the need to change some of the fundamentals that are necessary in ensuring it enhance efficiency and promote customer satisfaction. The company was in a position to predict the shifts in the market tastes and preferences by the development of smart phones and iPhones. Samsung realized the ne ed to have them change their employee base by employing and engaging employees who are foreigners (Treat 89). The company further went ahead to accept completely adopt new ways of conducting business without really remaining fixed on the mode of their operations. In addition, Samsung increased its investment in research and development in order to support the development of

Effects of Brand Association on Small Scale Traders Essay Example for Free

Effects of Brand Association on Small Scale Traders Essay Effects of Brand Association on Small-Scale Traders Introduction            What are the effects of brand association on the performance of small-scale traders? Brand, in this case, refers to the version of a product made by one particular manufacturer. Levitt (1983) affirms that positive brand associations are developed if the product which the brand depicts is durable, marketable and desirable. He further asserts that the customers must be persuaded through advertisements, that the brand possesses the features and attributes that will satisfy their needs. This will lead to customers having a positive impression about the product. Positive brand association helps an organization to gain goodwill, and obstructs the competitor’s entry into the market.            Hypothetically speaking, one would say that effort coupled with utmost discipline on the side of the small-scale traders would assure them total success. It makes so much sense when looked at on the surface. Truth be told, brand association is inevitable if the small-scale traders are to thrive. Though an idea that I am suggesting for the big question throbbing on every small-scale trader’s mind, it has not yet been proved to be correct. The bottom line is, brand association has an influence on the performance of small scale traders. This is because it provides consumers with a point of differentiation of the various types of products provided by the small-scale traders. Brand association is an important dimension of brand equity because, like human association, it is both differentiating and enduring. Consumer perceptions of price, quality and value are considered pivotal determinants of shaping behaviors and product choice (Bishop, 2004). Methods of recruitment            When looking at the methods to be used in recruiting people who would carry out the research, it would be prudent to seek the work of professionals. This would be because professionals are adequately equipped and have been in the practice for a while, hence would render the very best. This way value for the finances spent on the whole process is sure. A matter of great importance that cannot be ignored would be how the recruitment process should go down. This is in order to take in, not just professionals, but the best in the market. There are a number of viable and proven recruitment methods that will most assuredly give the best results, in terms of professional personality. Firstly, I would develop a job description making crystal the requirements necessary for the work at hand. Sending local e-mails would not be an option to ensure extensive coverage of the advertisement (Managing Agency workers, 2013). The e-mails would inform potential staff of the opening an d ask them to share the information with family and friends. More to that, posting on a website with a link to employee testimonies would go a long way in communication in regard to the recruitment. Finally, since advertising via television would be a bit costly, radio would be the perfect media of communication. This is because it would especially get to the people at the grass roots Levitt (1983).            In conclusion, measure is key in the whole process and must be put in check. Measure refers to the quantitative necessity in the whole research process. The study measure to be used will totally be dependent on the market size occupied by the small-scale traders (Meenaghan, 1995). Using large, medium, and small market sizes, having 2 hectares as the size of a small market, approximately 3 employees would comfortably cover the area. The question of relativity cannot be ignored to clearly and acceptably bring home the key question here, which is, ‘what study measure?’ With all that in place, the question of the effects of brand association on performance of small-scale traders would have been adequately and appropriately responded to. References Levitt, T. (1983). The globalization of markets. Harvard Business Review, May/June, pp. 23-26. Meenaghan, T. (1995). The role of advertising in brand image development. Journal of Brand and Product Management, Vol. 4 Issue 4, pp. 23-24. Source document

Medical Uses Of Infrared Photography Cultural Studies Essay

Medical Uses Of Infrared Photography Cultural Studies Essay Tattoos have been an invaluable method for the identification of non skeletonised remains. The design and/or location of the tattoo can be substantially exclusive to provide adequate identification, and especially when combined with other distinguishing features they can definitively identify and individual. During an autopsy the pathologist will take note of tattoos just as they would any other distinguishing marks, such as birth marks, defects or scars. In cases such as mass disasters, it can sometimes be one of only few methods available for the initial examination of the remains. In 2001, Kingsholm et al studied several unidentified bodies and remains found in Danish waters, some of which had tattoos. Discovery and detailing of any tattoos can also aid in tracing unidentified bodies back to their cultural backgrounds, thus in some cases tattoos have important historical aspects. Tattoos can also indicate a history of incarceration (Mallon et al 1999) and in such cases the individual sporting this unique design may not wish to be easily identified. Repeat offenders for example, may choose to remove or alter their defining features and members of gangs or organised crime groups may wish to no longer be associated with that particular faction. Some tattoos may serve to connect one individual with another, such as love tattoos, which can also aid in identification of the individual sporting the design. Different light sources and filter techniques have been used routinely in criminal investigations; the following uses of infrared (IR) photography presented in this introduction are all relevant to this study as they go some length towards explaining the nature of infrared and therefore what might be expected, allowing for deduction of a hypothesis which is presented later in this report. Infrared describes the part of the spectrum just beyond the visible red wavelengths (700 1200 nm) There are many used of infrared photography spanning many different fields. For art photography purposes, Infrared can be used to photograph objects in the distance, or in foggy conditions due to the infrareds ability to penetrate the haze (Milsom 2001). For portrait photography, infrared is sometimes favoured to give the appearance of a clear complexion Infrareds (IR) ability to penetrate the superficial layers of the epidermis of skin is exploited in medical photography as a method of photographing venous patterns underneath the skin and of documenting healing under lesions in the skin. They found that imaging in the near-infrared range provided relatively good contrast of subcutaneous veins. This works due to the fact that haemoglobin is a chromophore that absorbs near infrared, and the skin absorbs very little IR relative to the absorption of infrared demonstrated by the veins (Haxthausen, 1933), or transmits or reflects most of the near infrared spectrum, therefore it appears lighter by contrast to the darkened veins. Zharov et al (2004) identified the potential of this technique as a diagnostic method for varicose veins at a depth of 1-3mm into the skin. The use of infrared photography for the detection of varicose veins or any other subcutaneous abnormalities is demonstrated by Marshall (1981). This research uses infrared reflectance (as well as ultraviolet) to measure the densities across pigmented lesions of the skin and found it to be a useful method. The study by Haxthausen (1933) found that for documenting superficial afflictions, such as psoriasis, ordinary photography was far superior to infrared photography, as under the infrared conditions, the imperfections were removed. Afflictions that occurred in the deeper layers of the skin were captured best using infrared photography. In cases of burn injury is can be difficult to assess the damage or the thermal burn depth. Anselmo et al (1976) found that infrared photography could be used as a valuable and non invasive method of assess burn depth. Their experiment used Wratten 89A infrared filter Infrared photography allowed for the differentiation between viable and necrotic dermis. Infrared photography of bloodstains and Gunshot residue Forensic applications of infrared photography include detecting gunshot residue on clothing (Bailey et al 2007) and less commonly, for detecting bloodstains on dark clothing or at crime scenes. A report by Raymond and Hall in 1986 illustrated a dark coloured sofa, showcased in the report as a black and white photograph for the visual spectrum comparison. In this photograph there is no obvious bloodstain, it cannot be distinguished from the rest of the sofa due to the dark colour of the sofa. The infrared photograph was taken using the Wratten #88a filter. In this photograph the sofa had lightened and now by comparison, the area of bloodstained sofa (now darkened by contrast) could easily be distinguished. When using infrared photography to detect and document traces of blood on dark clothing, the infrared will make the blood appear darker and the surrounding clothing appear lighter by contrast. This is all due to the absorbing capabilities of the clothing and of the blood. Blood absorbs throughout the visible spectrum and the near infrared spectrum (typically absorbing most wavelengths of near infrared 700-900nm) and so its appearance in infrared records will be darkened, in contrast the clothing might only absorb through the visible light range of the spectrum, and so in the infrared records will appear lighter, or transparent. Dark clothing can hinder the successful visualisation of blood spatter patterns in much the same way that darkened mummified skin can hinder the detection of tattoos, or that charring on a fire damaged document can affect the successful visualisation of the writing. A study by Perkins (2005) used digital infrared photography, Wratten #89B filter to photograph blood spatter on several different materials. The dark clothing appeared to reflect the infrared, thus enhancing the contrast between the clothing and the blood patterns. Bailey et al (2007) used digital infrared photography to better visualise gunshot residue on dark clothing. It is very similar in both methodology and results to the use of this technique in bloodstain analysis. The camera ISO was set at 200 and the filter used was the Wratten #87. The GSR, undetected under visible light conditions, appeared dark against a lightened cloth under IR. The use of infrared in analysis of obliterated writings and questioned documents Infrared photography also has many applications in the field of forensic science. It is a common method for detecting obliterated writing (Creer 1976) for detecting forged, or altered documents, such as cheques and to aid in the examination of writing obscured by charring on fire damaged documents (Bartha. 1973) McCaul et al (2007) discuss the problems facing forensic scientists when traditional photography techniques fall short at documenting certain evidence. In the examination of documents, IR can be used to detect forgeries or alterations, relying on the fact that the visually similar inks may reflect or absorb infrared at varying levels and wavelengths. Parallels can be drawn between the uses of infrared for examining obliterated writing and this study into examining original tattoos from underneath cover tattoos. The use of correction fluid or other inks to cover writing serves to render the underlying text illegible, in the same way that the cover tattoo serves to distort, hide or completely cover the original underlying tattoo. If infrared photography can allow for the underlying writing to be visualised, than it is entirely possible that underlying original tattoo could be recovered. The successful recovery of obliterated writings is dependent on the different inks used and their infrared absorbing capabilities. Some ink, when irradiated with infrared, will absorb it. This is due to the presence of different Chromophores in the different inks (Ellen, 2006) A chromophore is the chemical group of a molecule that is responsible for the molecules colour, and they absorb, reflect and transmit different wavelengths. Other examples include chlorophyll, melanin and amethyst. Infrared photography can also be used to examine/restore writing on charred documents (Bartha 1973). The success of the visualisation is dependent on the degree of charring. The charred paper is darkened due to partly converted resinous material before being completely degraded to elementary carbon. The carbon in the pen ink absorbs the infrared and so appears dark under IR, by contrast the charred paper looks lighter. The Video Spectral Comparator (VSC) is often used in the examination of obliterated writing (G M Mokrzycki 1999). The VSC uses Infrared radiant energy and filters to see through inks and other obliterations, and reveal obscured objects. The use of infrared photography is not an uncommon method for visualising and recording obliterated writing, S. Sugawara (2004) discusses the use of both near and middle infrared in deciphering obliterated writings by looking at writing made by 101 different pens. Erasures describe inks that have been made invisible by removal of the colour components of the inks. Sometimes when these components are removed, remnants are left behind. Sometimes whatever remains on, or just below, the surface can be detected using infrared. This is the same principle encountered in a paper by McKechnie et al (2008) in which infrared was used to detect remnants of ink left behind in the skin post-laser removal treatment. The findings of this research will be analysed in greater detail later on in this research paper. Other uses of infrared photography The uses of Infrared photography do not begin and end at medical and forensic uses however, for example, Bridgeman and Gibson (1963) used infrared to examine paintings. A paper by J R J Van Aperen De Boer (1969) successfully applies Infrared Reflectography to view the under-drawings of carbon pencil, with varying degrees of success of medieval paintings. Pencil lead (which is primarily graphite) absorbs throughout the infrared range of the spectrum, and the visible range. Because of this, under both near and far infrared conditions the graphite will remain as readily viewable as to the naked eye. Thus far this project has looked at both medical and forensic uses of infrared photography, many of which have in common the idea that infrared can be used to recover, or detect traces of one material (for example; ink) from underneath another material (such as correction fluid). These underlying or otherwise camouflaged materials are not readily viewable with the naked eye, or easily recorded using ordinary photographic methods. This is the same principle as is to be employed in this research. The detection of latent residue tattoo ink pigments The use of infrared photography to record tattoos is by no means a recent phenomenon. As long ago as 1938 JÃ ¶rg used infrared photography to detect tattoos that were otherwise undetectable with the naked eye. Although infrared photography has been utilized to study tattoos, there is not a great deal of literature available on the topic. Below some specific examples are given. The following are 2 examples found provide useful validation of infrared penetrating capabilities coupled with its specific use for detecting tattoo designs that have been affected by environmental conditions, or purposefully made difficult to visualise: Mckechnie et al use infrared photography to attempt to visualise latent tattoo ink residue from laser removed tattoos. This research article only used 2 participants, and with a success rate of 50% and so a follow up experiment would be required using a larger sample size to validate the findings. Both participants had their tattoos removed by laser treatment to the extent that they were no longer visible to the naked human eye. One of the participants tattoos was professionally done; the other was an amateur tattoo. Although the authors explain the difference between amateur and professional tattoos as a possible factor (that is that professional tattoos use more ink and are injected deeper into the dermis than amateur tattoos) and cross reference it with infrareds ability to penetrate the skin, they do not expand on the colour or pigment as being factors resulting in the success or failure of the trial. Visualising tattoos on mummified remains using infrared photography One of the original journal articles of interest that could be said to have initiated the thought behind this project idea, or at the very least inspire a belief of the success of the project, uses infrared Reflectography to examine tattoos on mummified remains, the mummified tissue normally being darkened to the extent that visualisation under normal photography conditions is near impossible (Alvrus et al 2001) It showcases the usefulness of infrared for lightening certain aspects of a subject in order to see others. In this case, the darkened mummified tissue made it difficult to visualise the tattoo under normal photographic conditions (visible light). Under Infrared conditions however, the contrast between the tattoo and the surrounding skin was enhanced; the darkened mummified skin appeared lighter, and by contrast the tattoo (which appeared darker) was readily visible. This is due to the differing absorption/reflection of infrared. The substances in the tattoo absorb the majori ty of the infrared; the surrounding skin reflects the infrared. A similar technique is used in the identification of tattooing on a 1600 year old mummified body found in Alaska (Smith and Zimmerman 1975) Tattooing was identified on the hands and forearms of the Eskimo female remains using infrared photography. The darkened skin obscured the tattoos to the extent that they could not be viewed under visible light spectral range photography. Skin thickness as a factor One of the other variables accounted for in this project is the area on the body of that tattoo, the thought behind this being that the thickness of the skin might come into play. According to E J Wood (1985) the thickness of the epidermis ranges from 0.06 0.1mm (from eyelids, to back and callused areas, respectively). The dermis ranges from 2 4mm thick, and accounts for the bulk of the skin. Although any differences in skin depth tend to be minute, they may still account for variable success rates due to the migrating nature of tattoo ink through the dermis and the penetrating capabilities of infrared. A skilled tattooist will not allow the needle to penetrate the skin no deeper than 2mm, the reasons for which are discussed below in The tattoo process. The ink must be deposited deeper than the epidermis, or else the ink will fade as the outer layers of the skin shed, therefore the thickness of the epidermis will affect how deep the ink must be deposited. It is also assumed that th e thickness of the dermis will correlate with the thickness of the epidermis. This is why this research paper has chosen to look at the area on the body of the tattoo as a possible factor. The tattoo process The process of tattooing involves injecting pigment, suspended in a carrier, through the epidermis and into the dermis of the skin, no more than 2mm or else the tattooist risk the ink bleeding, creating a smudged effect, regardless of the tattoo technique employed (the settings of the modern tattoo machine do not allow for the needle to penetrate any deeper than 2mm). There is no exact science as to the pressure exerted on the needle by the individual tattooist, as it is a matter of personal judgement (direct quotation from Mark tattooist from Dannys tattoo Studio in Sneinton, Nottingham) depending on the area of the body on which the tattoo is being performed. Tattooing on an individuals back or upper arm will require greater pressure because the skin is much thicker, the setting of the tattoo machine will also have to be altered for deeper penetration through the epidermis and into the dermis. Once injected into the upper layer of the dermis, the pigment is suspended in the fibroblasts (Sperry 1991). When looking at a tattoo, the tattoo is being viewed through the epidermis. Over time the deposited tattoo ink will disperse deeper into the dermis, and so it is possible that time, both between original and cover, and time since cover, could be a feature in the investigation. Tattoo Ink pigments More often than not, the tattooist will use a tattoo ink containing pigments which will be manufactured outside of the tattooists own premises, the exact content and purity of which is in most cases, unknown. There are certain guidelines in place for manufacturers of tattoo inks to abide by when producing the inks, however manufacturers of tattoo ink are not forced by law to disclose the ingredients used in the inks. A study by Timko et al (2001) found that, of 30 inks studied, the most commonly identified elements were aluminium, oxygen, titanium and carbon at 87, 73, and 67 percent respectively. Professional tattoo artists have access to over 100 different colours (Kirby et al 2005), many of these are mixtures of colours, for example red and white to make pink, thus making it difficult to classify pigment-wise. The research by Kirby et al (2005) found significant variability in pigment cluster sizes in professional tattoos, compared to amateur tattoos. They also found colour pigment granules to be larger than black pigment granules. This was initially an area of interest, but not one that this research paper will focus on due to the difficulty encountered in obtaining the relevant information. This study uses infrared photography in an attempt to visualise an original tattoo from underneath a cover tattoo, the success of which could be due to a number of different factors. A summary of these factors are as follows: To look at the colours used in both the original tattoo and the cover tattoo and how this affects the successful visualization of the original tattoo using infrared. To look for any correlation linking time since cover tattoo (up to date of photograph) and success of the experiment. This essentially will be looking at the effects of the migration of tattoo ink. To look at any trends involving time elapsed between original tattoo and cover tattoo, and the success of the infrared photographs obtained. As above, this will be examining the effects of ink particle migration. To look at the area on the body of the tattoo and discover if there is a relationship between this and the success of a particular photograph. Essentially, this is investigation skin density as a factor. Taking into account all the research discussed previously and the results obtained by the various studies in the field of infrared photography a few hypotheses have been deduced: The first is that the penetrative nature of infrared suggests it is possible to recover the underlying pigment of the original tattoo from beneath the cover tattoo. The reasons behind this are thought at this stage to be due to the colours present, or perhaps even the concentration of black used in the colour mixtures. The way in which an object appears when photographed using infrared is a direct consequence of their absorbing capabilities. For the purposes of this particular study inspiration was drawn for the research into questioned documents, or more specifically the detection of different inks using infrared. Most inks have different absorbing capabilities, some will only absorb through the visible light spectrum, and some throughout the visible light and into the infrared range. The reason behind this, as mentioned earlier, is due to the chromophores in the dye molecules. In the same way that infrared might be used to detect the underwritings of obliterated text, IR could be used to detect the underlying tattoo pigment, depending on the chromophores, or colours used. The second hypothesis is that any variation in the depth/thickness of the skin will be such a minute difference that it is unlikely to affect the overall success of the project. The factors of time (time between original and cover, and time since cover) are likely to have minimal effect, if any, on the successful visual recovery of the underlying tattoo. It is thought that any trends are more likely to be observed in the extreme time periods, for example, between tattoos that are under a year old and tattoos that are over 30 years old. This is because the most recently done tattoos will not have been affected by migration, whereas very aged tattoos will have undergone decades of migration of the ink particles. Method and materials A sample number of 33 (n33) individuals were used in this research, all of whom volunteered their time and consented for the presentation of their tattoos anonymously in this research paper. All that was required of potential participants was that they had a cover tattoo, there was no other criteria selected for, for example age or gender. The participants were then required to fill out a consent form, as no photographs could be taken without. The participants were asked to fill out a short questionnaire to aid in investigation of the various factors discussed in the introduction, an example of which can be found in the appendix. This project utilizes the near infrared part of the spectrum (the far infrared part of the spectrum is commonly used for thermal imaging). The infrared filters allow infrared light to pass through the camera and blocks most of the visible light spectrum. The Fujifilm IS pro digital SLR camera is sensitive to both ultraviolet and infrared light between 380nm and 1000nm. Optimum settings for the camera were assessed during several pre-experiments. Manual setting, ISO 200 and aperture f/6.3, which provided adequate depth of field for the infrared photographs Filters 87 and 88a were used, which are described as deep infrared filters; allow no visible light to pass through. The Wratten 87 filter has a sharp cut-off at ~800nm, and so transmits freely throughout the infrared region. The 88A has a slightly narrower window with an effective cut-off at ~750nm. The control photographs were taken using a UV/IR barrier filter. All photographs are taken at a 90Â ° angle from the subject (as close to as possible without actually measuring the exact angle) this was to eliminate any false positives due to raised tattoos (which can happen in hot conditions). A colour scale, a grey scale and a sizing scale are held in place around the tattoo. The first photo taken is the control photograph, using the IR-UV cut lens. This allows visible light to be captured and so essentially, is just a normal (visible light) flash photography picture. The second photograph removes the UV-IR cut lens, replacing it with an IR filter. The first used is the Wratten 87, as many photographs as necessary are then taken using this filter. The third set of photographs is taken with the 88a IR filter. The Metz 45CL4 electronic flash gun was the light meter of choice, the setting of which differs between photos depending on the light source available at the location. A number of photographs were taken of each tattoo; one control photograph, and 2 photographs using each filter. The first infrared photograph was to capture the entire tattoo, including the scales. A second photograph was taken if deemed necessary, which was a close up shot, focussing on any areas of interest highlighted in the first infrared photograph in order to capture better detail. Once all of the photograph records were obtained they were categorized into successful and unsuccessful. Of the successful results, due to the varying degrees of success encountered from record to record, it was felt necessary to categorize further still with the introduction of a grading system. The grading system is as follows: 0 None of the original tattoo could be visualised 1 Partial original tattoo visualisation 2 Most of original tattoo can be seen 3 All of the original tattoo can be seen from underneath the cover tattoo. Please note that some of the images presented in this report have only undergone basic alterations post production. The changes made to the infrared images were limited to minor brightness and contrast changes to accentuate any detail in the pictures that may have been lost when the images were resized and in order to retain detail in the printed hard copy. These changes are as follows: Brightness was altered to a maximum of around -10% for the infrared images on Microsoft Office Word 2007. Contrast was altered to a maximum of +30% on Microsoft Office Word 2007. These values are approximate, and dependant on the detail captured in the original, unaltered photographs. The images were not altered in any other way The underlying tattoo can be somewhat visualised under visible light photography conditions however visualisation of the original tattoo is accentuated using the Infrared as it removes the camouflage or interference provided by purple shading of the cover tattoo. This is a grade 2 example. This was graded as 2 because a substantial amount of the original tattoo can be recovered. In this case, the tattoo, under visible light conditions, is not an obvious cover tattoo as no detail of the underlying tattoo can be detected due to the use of shading and the faded nature of the original tattoo. With the shading of the cover tattoo removed using the IR filters the detail in the original tattoo can be visualised. The black shading of the cover tattoo on the eagles head and wings is not visually removed by the infrared, and so part of the cover tattoo is still camouflaged. Note The dark green and blue of the original tattoo appear darker in the infrared than the other colours of the cover tattoo. The purple in the background has completely disappeared in the infrared photograph. This is a particularly interesting record as it demonstrates the absorbing capabilities of black ink. Although some of the original design can been seen in the control photograph it is somewhat polluted by the dark colours of the cover tattoo. The blue and particularly by the purple of the cover design are visually removed in the infrared photograph, highlighting the contrast and allowing for better determination of the actual design. It would be expected that if there were a trend amongst these results that as the time since the cover tattoo increases, so would either the success or failure rate. At the same time, the remaining (factor either success or failure) would decrease as the other increases to show that there is a clear correlation. This does not occur, and so suggests that there is no link between time since the cover tattoo, and the overall success rate. Also there does not appear to be any detectable trend in the observed graph patterns between fig. 9 and fig.10 A summary table of records, including information on colours used, the grade allocated to each record, and a brief description of what can be seen with each record, is available in the appendices (Appendix 4) the findings of which are discussed in the discussion section of this research paper It should be noted that this graph only presents the number of cover tattoos with black ink in the design and does not take into account whether or not the black ink is directly responsible for the obscuring of the original tattoo design. It does, however, present a slight trend, which is to be expected. In cases where the cover tattoo is colourful, the Wratten 87 filter appeared to be the filter of choice as it removed all colour of the cover design to reveal the underlying original tattoo. In cases where the cover tattoo consisted of cut black or grey shading, the Wratten 88a appeared to be the ideal filter to better accentuate the original design from the cover tattoo design traffic. Of the unsuccessful examples: The following results are characterised according to the observed reason why the original tattoo could not be visualised. Please note that in 100% of the unsuccessful records the cover tattoo design contained black ink, however in some cases it is not deemed to be the reason for unsuccessful visualisation (In some cases for example, the black of the cover does not cover the original design) Discussion This research has proved definitively that infrared photography can be employed to detect an original tattoo design from underneath a cover tattoo. Of the several factors investigated in this paper that were thought to affect the success of the recovery of the original tattoo using the IR filters, the only factor with any real merit were the colours used in the original and cover tattoos. The time since the cover tattoo was investigated due to the behaviour of the ink once deposited in the skin. As explained in the tattoo process section, once the ink is deposited, over time some of the particles will disperse throughout the dermis. It was thought that the effect of this, if any, would be to hinder any successful recovery of the underlying tattoo. No obvious correlation was discovered between the time since the cover tattoo and the successful recovery of the original tattoo from underneath the cover tattoo. Time between original tattoo and cover tattoo also yielded no apparent association to the success rate. The graphs and a brief description of the findings can be seen in the results section of this paper (fig. 18 and Fig. 19) When looking at the area on the body as a factor (essentially that is looking at the depth or thickness of the skin) it seemed necessary to take two examples from areas of differing skin thickness and compare the success rates from each. The skin thickness of the wrist will be significantly less than the thickness of the skin on the back, which along with the soles of the hands and feet, is one of the areas on the body of the largest skin density. Of the results for the wrist tattoo, 50% were successful. This was the same as with the results from the examples photographed on the back (Fig.17) suggests that the area on the body of the tattoo had little or no bearing on the results. As predicted it is the colours used in both the original underlying tattoo, and the cover tattoo, that has the most bearing on the successful visualisation of the original tattoo. Visualisation of the underlying tattoo was most striking and effective with the examples with purple, red, light blue and white cover tattoos this is likely to be due to the different chromophores (the functional group of the pigment molecule that gives it its colour) in the different colours used, as they will absorb or reflect the infrared wavelengths at varying levels. Red and purple cover designs yielded the best results because these colours were completely visually removed by the infrared filters, leaving only the underlying original tattoo visible. Referring to Fig.1 and 2 of record 26, the purple of the cover design is completely visually removed under the infrared photographic conditions, allowing the black outline of the original underlying tattoo to be completely visualised. Records 22, 26 and 26b are perhaps the best examples, each receiving grade 3 in the grading system for complete visualisation of the original tattoos. The original designs can be easily distinguished as there is no interference from any fragm

Analysing strategic planning of hyatt

Analysing strategic planning of hyatt In 1957 Hyatt was established by Jay Pritzker by purchasing the Hyatt House motel next to the Los Angeles International Airport. After few years, Pritzker family, developed into a North American management and hotel ownership company, which became a public company in 1962. In 1968, Hyatt International was formed and subsequently became a separate public company. Hyatt Corporation and Hyatt International Corporation were taken private by the Pritzker family business interests in 1979 and 1982, respectively. On December 31, 2004, substantially all of the hospitality assets owned by Pritzker family business interests, including Hyatt Corporation and Hyatt International Corporation, were consolidated under a single entity, now named Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Hyatt is a global hospitality company with widely recognized, industry leading brands and a tradition of innovation developed over its more than fifty-year history. Hyatt manage, franchise, own and develop Hyatt branded hotels, resorts and residential and vacation ownership properties around the world. As of March 2010, Hyatts worldwide lodging portfolio consisted of 434 branded properties. Hyatt International manages luxury hotels in Asia Pacific, Europe, a, Middle East and Latin America, offering upscale travellers six distinct brands: Grand Hyatt, Park Hyatt, Hyatt Place, Hyatt Summerfield Suites, Hyatt Resorts, and Andaz. Hyatt often struggles to maintain its market share over its other competitors i.e. Hilton worldwide and Marriott international Inc. in some overseas markets, particularly Asian countries. Hyatt International distinguishes itself in todays competitive marketplace with brands that deliver experiences to match the lifestyles, attitudes, values and aspirations of its guests. The companys properties share core values and they offer exceptional guest services, upscale amenities, popular restaurants and bars, and innovative and distinctive interior designs that incorporate local art and styles. As a privately held company, Hyatt is driven by these values rather than shareholder dictates, and has strategically been able to grow its luxury hotel brands based on its mission to operate the worlds finest collection of hotels. Section 1.1 Reason for choosing Hyatt: After searching the subject for assignment I find it interesting to study about the Hyatt Hotels Corporation. In order to know its strategies and management policy which has unable it to gain a lot of success worldwide in last few years. Section 1.2 Aims and Objectives : The main aim of the dissertation is to understand the strategic planning and to know its implementation through the case study. Objectives: 1) To conduct the analysis of strategic planning. 2) To study the implementation of strategic planning. Section 2: Literature Review 2.1 Marketing planning and principles: It is important to understand what is meant by marketing. The following definitions of marketing have been provided by the authorities indicated: The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well that the product or service fits him and sell itself. Drucker (1974) According to Philip Kotler: Marketing is a social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others. Therefore marketing means identifying and meeting human and social needs. Marketing is meeting needs profitably, marketing means understanding what are the exact needs? Meeting those needs in best possible way, which will satisfy consumer and which will be profitable for business in money term as well as to lead the competition. In marketing exchange is the core concept, it is a process of getting a desire product from someone by offering something in return. In marketing for exchange, it needs at least two parties. Each party must have something which has value for other party. Each party must to be able for communication and delivery. Each party is free to accept or reject the exchange offer. Each party believes it is appropriate or desirable to deal with the other party. Traditionally the market was a physical place where buyers and sellers was meeting to buy and sell the goods (like grain markets, cloth markets etc.). In modern economics the concept of market is expanded. Manufacturers go to resource market (like raw material market, labour market, money market etc.) buy resources turn them in to goods and services and sell the finished products to intermediaries who sells them to consumers. Consumer sells there labour and receive money from which they buy the goods and services. Marketing concept emerged in the mid 1950s. Instead of product centred philosophy of make-and-sell business shifted to consumer-centred philosophy of sense-and-respond. Marketing is not Hunting, marketing is Gardening. Marketing means producing right products for your customers, its not finding right customer for your product. A well-planned marketing is the key to achieve organisational goals of the company, being more effective than competitors in creating, delivering and communicating superior customer value to its chosen target market. Strategic marketing planning The process of developing and maintaining a strategic fit between the organizations goals and capabilities and its changing marketing opportunities. It relies on developing a clear company mission, supporting objectives, a sound business portfolio and coordinated functional strategies. (Philip Kotler Gary Armstrong, 1996) A strategic marketing planning is essential for organisations to focus their approach towards mission and objectives. In marketing planning process, to meet the consumer needs efficiently following things are important: 1. Develop a mission statement: According to Philip Kotler and gary Armstrong, 1996, A mission statement is a statement of the organizations purpose what it wants to accomplish in the larger environment. 2. Set goals: The goal of an organization derives from the mission of the company. It explains in short the agenda of the company for next five years. 3. Set objectives: It explains what needs to be done under goal in following years. The objectives are mentioned priority wise. 4. Identify strategies and tactics: This helps us to know how to attain the objectives describe how to attain the objectives through its goals. This statement separates actions that the management wants to execute during anytime in the year. 5. Implementation of marketing mix. 6. Investment of money and resources. 7. Co-ordination of all organisational departments. Marketing strategy primarily focuses on optimising profit and return on investment, not just maximising sale. Strategy covers long-term intentions, objectives and targets and planning focus on short-term action programmes followed to achieve the strategy. Marketing strategy is focusing on expanding the use of existing products in existing markets. It is concerned with meeting the objectives of an organisation or some part of it. Marketing planning is concerned with detail of implementing the agreed strategy. It covers the resources needed and the means to be used to implement strategy. In marketing planning of an organisation, the goal of organisation must be clear. I have developed Figure 1.1 to show the steps that are followed when developing a marketing plan. This leads to a development of a marketing strategy which requires the help of good market audit, analysis and marketing mix. This is implemented by monitoring, controlling and evaluation to ensure that the organisation achieves its optimum goal and targets. Goal / Target Implementation Vision Market Audit:Analyse current position and opportunities Market research: Gain information on market Marketing Mix: Pursued customer to buy the product Objectives Mission Marketing strategy Market analysis Market segmentation Qualitative Analysis Consumer analysis/test Quantitative Analysis Place Price Product Promotion Monitoring Controlling Evaluation Strategy formation Figure 1.1 The Steps in the development of a Marketing plan 2.2 Techniques and tools There are several tool and techniques which can be used for forming strategy for an organization. These tools are as follows: 1. Ansoff Matrix 2. SWOT analysis 3. Portars five forces. 2.2.A. Ansoff Matrix: This  is a tool which can be use to produce strategies of an establishment. This gives an idea to expand current business by forming new strategies. This matrix can be use as a guide to choose a plan of action for the present performance. The matrix has four levels, as below: CURRENT PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS MARKET PENETRATION PRODUCT DEVELOPEMENT MARKET DEVELOPMENT DIVERSIFICATION CURRENT MARKET NEW MARKET Figure 1.2 Ansoff matrix Source: Stone P. (2001) make marketing work for you: boost your profits with proven marketing techniquesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½ Market Penetration: It relates to expanding current share in the current market to enhance the growth. Market extension: It means taking present products in new market that means increasing sales in new market. Product development: Product development means creating new products or amending previous product in current market Diversification: This can be related to product or market or unrelated to both. Above mentioned factors can be used while planning a strategy of an organization 2.2. B. SWOT analysis: It is a strategy planning tool which analyses the strength, weakness, opportunities and threat involved in particular business or project. It identifies the factors which can be encouraging or discouraging for the business, those factors can be internal as well as external. Those factors are: INTERNAL FACTORS WEAKNESSES Slow internal decisions Minimum recourses High cost base Limited for specific segment Take time for transportation Deficiency of experts Location of the market STRENGTHS Brand image Skilled workforce Good systems Monopoly of the brand Strong customer loyalty Improvement in the product Location of the market MARKETING STRATEGY OPPORTUNITIES Booming Economy Good design product Credit facilities Government policy change New technology Developing market No strong competition THREATS Industry reputation Global competition Hostile legislation Product limitation New competition Price war Declare taxation to product EXTERNAL FACTORS Figure 1.3: SWOT Analysis Table Strength: The establishments strengths are its potentials and wealth. Weakness: The lack of the some strength is considered as weakness. Opportunity: The environmental analysis may lead to some opportunities which will be helpful for the organization to make profit. Threats: Sometime few changes in the external environment can lead to the threats for the organization. SWOT analysis gives the information about the resources which can be used in competitive environment in which the organization is functioning. Hence it is very useful in strategy formulation 2.2.C. Porters five forces: Porter five forces are used for analysing the industry and for formulating a strategy. If SWOT analysis is used together then it is very beneficial for an organization Industry competition Rivalry among existing firms Bargaining power of supplier Bargaining power of Buyers Threats of substitute products or service Thetas of new entrants Figure 1.4: Porters five forces SOURCE Bargaining power of supplier: The power of supplier tends to be high during when: There are large numbers of suppliers in the market. Where there is a scarcity of particular item. Bargaining power of customers: The bargaining power of customer helps organization to know the capacity of customers to put pressure on volumes and margins.Mostly the consumer will bargain when: When they buy in large quantity. The products are of very high cost The customer can make those products. Threat of new entrance: The other companies can entre industry more easily if the competition in industry is more. In such times new comers can change the market surrounding. Threat from substitute : The threat from substitute can occur when the similar type of product is available in the market with comparatively low price as well as same standards. This can attract large market share. Competitive Rivalry between Existing Players: If there is more competition in the current companies then automatically pressure goes on pricing and so the profitability. Porter M (2008) 2.3 Stakeholders: The stakeholder is any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the organizations objective (Freeman 1984).The most common way of classifying stakeholder is to consider a group of people with noticeable relationship with corporation. The diagram below shows the stakeholders map of very large organization. (Friedman Miles 2006) Firms Owners Financial Community Activist groups Customers Customer advocate groups Unions Employees Trade associations Competitors Suppliers Government Political Groups Figure 1.5 : Stakeholders [Freeman (1984)] 2.4. Strategic option To develop a marketing strategy there can be many ways which can be adopted by the company to face the present financial situation. When the market is changing then the growth opportunities increases. To know those opportunities proper marketing strategy is important. Even when the economic situation is not good but still if proper marketing strategy is made then it is helpful to run the organization effectively. Hyatt is considering the number of options for the strategy which can be more developed, approved and determined. Section 3 : Research Method Research may be simply defined as the systematic search for knowledge and this has two key elements. The first and most obvious element is the search for knowledge and the second is the purpose of that search for knowledge. The knowledge generated must be captured so it can be made accessible to others. Research must be capable of being reported in enough detail so that a specific study is replicable and hence publicly verifiable. Secondary data analysis can be literally defined as second-hand analysis. It is the analysis of data or information that was either gathered by someone else (e.g., researchers, institutions, other NGOs, etc.) or for some other purpose than the one currently being considered, or often a combination of the two (Cnossen 1997). As with the literature, secondary data can play a variety of roles in a research project, from being the whole basis of the research to being a vital or incidental point of comparison. Some advantages and disadvantages of using secondary data are listed below. A considerable amount of leisure and tourism data is collected on a regular basis at considerable cost, particularly by government agencies, often the immediate policy requirements of the data are quite limited for example to announce a global figure on tourism numbers or numbers of participants in sport. In a sector where research funds are limited, it would seem unwire for the research community to waste such resources by failing to extract all possible research potential from them. This requires careful consideration of ways in which available data might be used, and often calls. Advantages Disadvantages Timing data may be instantly available. Cost cost of collecting new data avoided. Experience- the trial and error experience of those who collected the original data can be exploited. Scale secondary data may be based on larger samples than would otherwise be possible. Serendipity inductive process of data analysis may yield serendipitous findings, which may not have arisen with primary, purpose-designed data collection. Design secondary data has been designed for another purpose, so may not be ideal for current project. Analysis limitation if access to the raw data for re-analysis is not possible, oppourtunities for analysis/manipulation of the data of the current project may be limited. Section 4 : Data Presentation Hyatt.jpg Mission and vision statements Mission and vision statements plays important roles in any organization, which shows the way for company to make future plan in order achieve their vision and mission. The vision gives a path to management and employees to work. It also shows the companies aim for next ten years. Vision is made by keeping the aims in the mind and where exactly they want to be in the future. Mission statement explains the characteristics and standards of an organization, which help the employees to know the standards of the company hence accordingly they can improve their performance. It also gives an idea about the quality benchmark of an establishment. Mission of Hyatt According to the annual report of Hyatt Hotel Corporations (2009) they set the mission is to provide authentic hospitality by making a difference in the lives of the people we touch every day. It shows the standard of an organization and with this mission statement, they can motivate their staff to give executive service to the customers with which company can earn profits and goodwill as well. Goals of Hyatt Increasing the engagement of their associates; Increasing the guest service and meeting planner satisfaction levels in their property; Increasing their share of revenue in their market; and Maximizing operating profits and margins for their property. Further expand our presence by increasing the number of hotels in our portfolio; and Actively manage our capital base to drive preference for our brands. With this goals company can grow in this recession period in the competitive industry. Environmental Objectives: Hyatt puts more attention on environ mental factors in order to help to reduce global warming. The companys commitment towards environment is : At Hyatt, theyre committed to making a positive and lasting impact in every community in which they operate. They do this by demonstrating a strong commitment to preserving their natural environment through Hyatt Earth, by giving back to the local community through Hyatt Community, and with the volunteer services of their associates through Hyatts Family of Responsible and Caring Employees Ethical Objectives: Hyatts follows its ethical values in each department .Those values are as follows: Hyatt is completely responsible for their employees. The ethical responsibility towards them is to give proper training to them irrelative of their race, sex and origin. Through Hyatts ethical values employees has right to overcome the customer who are highly problematic. Cultural Objectives: The Hyatts cultural objective is to give authentic hospitality service and strives to make a difference in the life of guests. Business Objectives: The main business objective is to appear as a leading hospitality company by making the profit to enhance the business. For this, it also concentrates on satisfaction of their employees and also achieves social responsibility. In all circumstances Hyatt tries to complete these objective, hence though the current financial market conditions are not good still it has not been affected. Marketing Environment: The changes in marketing environment of Hyatt can occur in following areas: Economic forces: The marketing strategy largely depends on internal as well as external economic forces. The internal economic forces will depend on the growth and the profit of the organization and external economic forces will depend on the overall market situation. If the economical environment is not suitable then to improve the same management should evaluate their strategies in order to gain success. Socio political changes: This can affect the organization largely. This can affect the costing as well. This includes the changes in social and political environment which can lead to some changes in rules and regulation by the government, which in return can affect the organization. Natural environment: It involves natural resources that are needed by marketers or which can affect the marketing environment of establishment. The natural environment can affect hotel industry in drastic ways. It includes natural calamities like shortage of raw materials, earthquakes, floods, and other. In such situation a hotel should implicate the strategies which will attract more customers and should gives offers which will convince the more guest. TIMETABLE FOR IMPLEMENTING STRATEGY: Following is the timetable for implementing a strategy for developing a new branch of Hyatt. PLAN TIME RESOURCES Building new property for hotel. 2 Years Capital, Labor, machineries Completing hotel interiors 1 Year Funds, Skilled personnel Establishing new teams and tasks for the establishing infrastructure. 6 months Recruiters, employees at work Training and preparing employees. 1 Year Employees and trainers Legal works 3 months Detail Information Marketing of the property 6 Months Skilled staff Booking opening 1 week Internet, Advertisements Hotel opening. The above is a time table for implementation of strategy according to different time period when the each process will take place. It is an explanation of the plan in short manner. Dissemination Process: This process is done before the project development which can be done to get a acceptance from everyone i.e. people from all departments, management and the customers. Before starting a restaurant in one of the Hyatts property, many considerations had to be made. After those considerations, company had to do dissemination on cost cutting. For this dissemination activity is carried out in three steps .Those steps are as follows: Research activities: It includes the research from starting a new project till giving salaries to the employees. Before starting the project, the research on production cost is also done. Technical assistance activities : It is used to identify the technology which helps in increasing the efficiency and effectiveness. Demonstration activities : These all researches are showed to top-management of the company. After analysing the facts by them, the feedback is given. And after that a project is carried ahead. This dissemination policy helps an organization to know the following information before starting the project: Gives rough idea about the funds required for the project The requirement of staff and their training needs can be analysed. Gives scope for the promotion of the project. MONITORING: Once the new strategy is implemented in the organization, then monitoring is very important. The management should regularly take interest in management. The strategy always operates with formulated procedures. Hence it should be regularly monitored to check whether all procedures are properly followed. The operations should always run smoothly as sometime it can affect the reputation of an organization. The continuous monitoring can be done with PCDA cycle. For the success of organization long term monitoring is a good option. It can also be done by the feedback from the customers. The auditing is done constantly at operational levels to check whether all procedure all followed or not, to check the quality of the service, which intern helps in keeping the customers satisfied. EVALUATION OF NEW STRATEGY: The evaluation of the strategy can be done by monitoring. The following points should be considered while evaluating the strategy. Satisfaction of the customers. Number of units sold. Requirement of the market. Products standards and quality Feedback from the suppliers and dealers. After sales procedures Promotion of the new products. If the strategy is evaluated on above mentioned basis, then it helps the organization to know if the company is not right track or not. The evaluation result also helps in motivating the employees. Steak Holders Below mentioned are the stakeholders of Hyatt: Guests / Customers Investors Employees Communities Suppliers Government and regulators Non government organization(NGO) Stakeholders participation: Hyatt strongly believes that the stakeholders participation in developing management strategy is utmost important. If all stakeholders participate together then it helps to maximise the outcome in order to make sustainable project design. Hence Hyatt makes sure that they conduct regular meetings with their stakeholders in order to keep them up to date. Following points are taken into consideration in order to initiate proper participation of stakeholders: Employees: Hyatt listens to and communicates with staff constantly. The main focus is given on collecting feedback from employees through Staff Question Time sessions and through annual Viewpoint survey. Apart from the feedbacks, organization arranges training and development programmes through which an employee will be thorough with organizations goal and aim which will help to get exact contribution from the staff. Guests/Customers: The guests are the biggest asset of the hotel. They indirectly participate by promoting the hotel by word of mouth if the hotel provides them a good service. Hence the hotel staffs communicate with their customers on everyday basis which helps them to know their changing needs. Also feedback request mails are sent to random guests by the Managing Director of the hotel to know their expectations. Investors: Hyatt actively engages investors in an annual structured programme of presentations and meetings to understand their views on strategy. Also, Hyatt provides them with updates and issue briefings when appropriate during the year. They also communicate with shareholders through the Annual General Meeting, Investor Relations website. Communities: Most of the time hotel tries to their neighbour hotels and companies, which in turn builds up good relation. This type is also comes under an external stakeholders which participate indirectly. Suppliers: Hyatt holds regular meetings with their suppliers, processors and manufacturers. They also bring them together to share experiences at the Producer Clubs, and seek their feedback through the annual Viewpoint survey. Hyatt also provide training and capability building for suppliers where appropriate. Government and Regulation: Hyatt connects with governments, parliamentarians, regulators and officials on a range of issues affecting the business and communities. These include planning processes and consultations on new regulations including healthy eating and alcohol. Hyatt works hard to ensure that responses to government consultations are aligned with our CR policies and practices. Non government organisation: Engaging with NGOs helps them better to understand current and emerging issues related to the business. Hyatt met many NGOs to discuss issues including climate change, bio fuels, ethical trading and animal welfare. They also contribute to research and surveys, and respond to requests for information from NGOs as fully and promptly as they can. Hyatt asked NGOs to share their thoughts about Hyatt to help them to improve the performance. Section 5 : Conclusion: This assessment is very helpful for me to know the marketing concept in detail, mainly the principles, planning process, tools and techniques, marketing strategies and marketing mix. And developing the strategy and tools and techniques for a well known organisation is the best learning experience. It is helpful to know how industries and mangers think, how they forecast? How they plan? How they lead market? This assessment is truly a great experience for me to learn marketing concepts in detail. The overall aim of this report was to Study a strategic planning at Hyatt Hotels Corporation In order to attend all aspects of overall aim, initially I did some literature review of strategic planning, tools and techniques use in strategic planning and then it evaluates the facts with Hyatt Hotels Corporations. Although this report has been carried out sincerely and to the best of my ability, there are still some limitation to it. This research explored my theory knowledge of research and marketing. But as I said it was difficult to do the research in depth, due to time barrier.