Charles Chocolates Case Essay

In March of 2012 Steve Parkland was hired as the new president at Charles Chocolates. He was immediately faced with numerous decisions about the future of the company. The board of directors had tasked Parkland with doubling or tripling the size of the company over the next decade, but the board and the senior management team had different opinions about the strategy that would accomplish this goal. The main issues that Parkland faced were how to increase the company’s operations while maintaining the traditional culture and support of the board. The premium chocolate industry is a large market in the United States and continues to grow around 10% annually. It is also populated with very strong competitors both internationally, with companies like Godiva (Nestle), and local companies like Delice. Both competitors are priced higher than Charles and have higher sales. This is most likely because Godiva and Delice have modern trendy packaging for their products. The number and strength of competitors means that buyers have very high bargaining power, but it also means that the threat of new entrants is low because it is hard to gain a piece of a market saturated with such powerful players. The majority of the suppliers to the chocolate industry sell commodity products whose price is set by the market and their power and influence is low. There are numerous substitute products for affluent customers’, confections and pastries being the most significant, but chocolate will always be a stable product so it is a medium level threat. To compete in such a challenging industry Parkland needs to revitalize the company’s packaging and its marketing campaign. New packing is an ideal way to begin because it demonstrates the changes that will be taking place in following years without compromising the company’s heritage or corporate culture. Charles’ current marketing strategy strongly targets the local community which it already has a strong presence in. Charles needs to increase its marketing to the tourist community. The advertisements should follow industry trends for use of ethically responsible ingredients to produce the highest quality chocolates. In order to attract and keep the new, non-local, customer base Parkland needs to increase Charles online presences and sales channels. This is a low risk, low cost opportunity with the potential for large growth in new geographical areas. If Parkland wants to achieve the aggressive growth that the board desires his ability to improve the capabilities and the operations of the company will be one of his greatest barriers. Due to the affluent nature of the customers and the possible variety in the product Parkland should focus on improving the company’s organizational capabilities. A new plant will eventually be needed but that decision can be delayed if Charles can streamline its operations. Parkland needs to institute policies that will measure productivity and develop an accurate method of forecasting sales. This will result in lower inventory carrying costs, fewer out of stock issues, and fewer backorders that need to be filled. If Charles can reduce the number of back orders and out-of-stock products it can focus on a single product line at a time which will reduce the frequency of expensive switching costs. There are many other growth opportunities that Parkland may pursue in the future. He may wish to grow the Sandwich Heaven segment of the business, growing the corporate connections of the company, and expanding into other physical locations in the states. These are all viable options for the future but the ones listed above are the best for Charles’ current situation. By improving packaging, marketing, online sales, and internal organizational capabilities the company can grow significantly without large changes to the tradition of the company and without taking on too much additional risk.

Old Testament-Writings Essay

Our world today has many books within reach, both fiction and nonfiction. However, does a person fully understand what the author is trying to convey in their meaning and message to the audience? The same goes with the Bible, particularly, Lamentations, which is found in the Old Testament Scriptures. An individual has to understand where the book originated from, and what each chapter implies as well as what message the author was trying to convey then and now. Origin Title The word Lamentations means to weep, and the sorrow, which was caused â€Å"by the destruction of the city of Jerusalem by the Babylonian army in 587. † (Reyburn, 1992). Authorship According to tradition, many believe that Jeremiah wrote Lamentations, which include the church father, despite his name not located anywhere in the text. A couple of witnesses are also the Septuagint and Vulgate. Some more evidence is displayed in 2 Chronicles 35:25; consequently, it refers to King Josiah’s death. Since he greatly loved Jerusalem and the people, this shows that he is quite qualified to write the book (Keil, Delitzsch and Wiesmann, 1956). Date Jeremiah most likely was the author (Goldingay, 2003). He most likely saw Jerusalem’s destruction due to eyewitnessing and lamenting over it. â€Å"There is almost universal agreement that the book was written soon after 587 B. C. , while the events were still vivid in the author’s memory. Attempts to prove that Jeremiah wrote Lamentations prophetically after King Josiah’s death in 609 have no merit (Rudolph, 1962). Some unconvincing evidence is when others have attempted to date the book many years later, especially during the Maccabean period (Rudolph, 1962). Background of the Book. One name appears in Lamentations, and that is Edom, which is found in 4:22. However, when the Chaldeans overthrew Jerusalem and made them fall in 586 B. C. , this is what brought about the book of Lamentations. 2 Kings 25 is a connection that cannot give about any other conclusions. The siege that lasted for eighteen months brought about terrible suffering, but spiritually, they lost Zion as well the Temple, which also made it devastating psychologically (Smith, 1992). Theme of the Book. Lamentations has four laments from chapters one to four as well one prayer that is noted in chapter five, which is intended to help the audience understand how the people felt once Jerusalem fell. The writer basically shared his experience with the people by not using much imagination in the process. In general, this book contains a detailed description of what occurred nationally in regards to suffering (Smith, 1992). Structure of the Book Lamentations consists of five poems. Each poem is unique because a theme â€Å"of sorrow over Jerusalem’s fall, though from different perspectives† (Gottwald, 1985). On other occasions, the grief is individual. â€Å"The funeral mood was communicated to those who first heard or read Lamentations by the dirgelike meter (Qinah meter) that characterizes much of the book† (Budde, 1883). To break it down, two lines are the simplest, but the first three are syllables as well as two for the second. When it was heard, the sound was mournful (Budde, 1883). No one can explanation with full agreement in regards to the acrostic structure with the five poems in the book. â€Å"Some think they were composed as a pedagogic device to teach schoolboys the alphabet. Some think the acrostic was intended to facilitate memorization of the poems. Some believe it reveals a belief in the magical powers of letters. Others believe the poems were deliberately structured as acrostics with a view to liturgical usage to commemorate Jerusalem’s destruction in solemn religious services† (Kraus, 1960). Historical Setting â€Å"The Babylonians’ capture of Jerusalem in 587 B. C. was not the first time the city had experienced invasion and plunder by enemies (cf. 1 Kgs 14:25–26; 2 Kgs 14:13–14; 23:33; 2 Chr 21:16–17; 2 Chr 25:22–24; 33:11)† (Hayes, 1997). However, â€Å"In 588 King Zedekiah† chose to rebel against King Nebuchadnezzar, so that Judah can have its independence. Jerusalem was taken and completely destroyed eighteen months later (Hayes, 1997). â€Å"Many of its inhabitants were put to death, enslaved, exiled, or fled to Egypt. King Zedekiah and other leaders were taken to Babylon (Jer 39:1–10; 52:29)† (Hayes, 1997). Theological Values A theological dilemma came about due to the low morale in Judah, which is more devastating than the temple’s destruction due to the catastrophe. â€Å"Human suffering always precipitates probing questions about God. The faith of many Jews must have been shattered by the events. They had believed that Jerusalem was inviolable and that God’s temple could not be destroyed because he dwelt there (cf. Jer 7:1–8)† (Gottwald, Weiser, Kraus and Moore, 1983). God would fight the battles for his people. He later delivered Jerusalem in 701 B. C. from Sennacherib as seen in 2 Kings 19 (Gottwald, Weiser, Kraus and Moore, 1983). Individuals were shocked that God did not help them, but thought in their minds that He abandoned them. Maybe a select few realized it was the Lord punishing them due to the recent events because they refused to obey the warnings from various prophets during that time, so His wrath was upon them both as a nation and for the people. For those who understood the prophets’ words, they realized that a remnant is spared, so that a nation is rebuilt as seen in Jeremiah 24:5–6; 29:10, 14 and Ezekiel 6:8–9; 11:17 (Gottwald, Weiser, Kraus and Moore, 1983). Purpose of the Book. In general, Lamentations is not the lone book found from ancient times. Several bemoans over great cities that fell were unveiled in the heart of Mesopotamia (Smith, 1992). The book of Lamentations gave the people a reason to express their pain over what had happened to them, so as to help them out psychologically. However, the poems serve to allow the Israelites could express their grief over the sorrow of what was lost nationally from a liturgical point of view (Smith, 1992). Foreshadowing â€Å"Jeremiah was known as the ‘weeping prophet’ for his deep and abiding passion for his people and their city (Lamentations 3:48-49). This same sorrow over the sins of the people and their rejection of God was expressed by Jesus as He approached Jerusalem and looked ahead to her destruction at the hands of the Romans (Luke 19:41-44). Because of the Jews’ rejection of their Messiah, God used the Roman siege to punish His people† (Book of Lamentations, 2009). The Lord does not find it joyous when He has punish His own children, but later offered Jesus as a final sacrifice for everyone’s sins (Book of Lamentations, 2009). Key Verses Three key verses are worth noting. One, Lamentations 2:17 (New International Version) says, â€Å"The LORD has done what he planned; he has fulfilled his word, which he decreed long ago. He has overthrown you without pity, he has let the enemy gloat over you, he has exalted the horn of your foes† (Book of Lamentations, 2009). The second verse is Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV), which says that because of God’s wonderful love no one is consumed because He never fails us because they are always new and faithful (Book of Lamentations, 2009). Last is Lamentations 5:19-22 (NIV), which says, â€Å"You, O LORD, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation. Why do you always forget us? Why do you forsake us so long? Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may return; renew our days as of old unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure†(Book of Lamentations, 2009). Meaning 1:1–22 The author uses lots of imagery to express the current state of Jerusalem, which is the city of Zion. â€Å"Babylon, Egypt, Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon,† and Judah was close friends with them (Hughes, 2001). The roads were now deserted as seen in 1:4. â€Å"Like Zedekiah, Israel’s leadership fled from Jerusalem (1:6; cf. Jer. 39:4–7). The siege conditions in Jerusalem were reflected in 1:11, when people exchanged their precious treasures for food. The figures of â€Å"fire† (meaning â€Å"total destruction†) and a â€Å"trap† (that is, â€Å"captivity†) describe the calamities that befell Jerusalem (1:13)† (Hughes, 2001). In the Hebrew, the word â€Å"Allies† (1:19) is easily translated to â€Å"lovers† as seen in 1:2. The author of Lamentations prayed for God to bring Babylon’s judgment on â€Å"the day†(1:21; cf. Jer. 50–51) (Hughes, 2001). 2:1–22 Zion’s sorrows came about because of judgment from the Lord. They experienced a famine as mentioned in Lamentations 2:11–12, which happened because of warfare (Hughes, 2001). â€Å"The false prophets had predicted a return to peace and prosperity (2:14; cf. Jer. 14:13). Jeering and scoffing were ancient gestures of malicious joy and contempt (Lam. 2:15). In ancient times the night was divided into three four-hour periods (2:19)† (Hughes, 2001). During each of the periods, the writer of Lamentations wanted the people to wake up, so weeping could continue. A judgment that was placed on them due to their disobedience was cannibalism through starvation of the Judeans, who lived in Jerusalem, which was prophesied in Deuteronomy 28:53 (Hughes, 2001). 3:1–66 Many personal experiences took place in the life of the author’s ministry. Much encouragement was received and consolation through reflecting on God’s faithfulness through the ages (Goldingay, 2003). The writer used hyperbole frequently, which is to exaggerate in hopes to emphasize the important points. For example, â€Å"unfailing love,† when it is translated from the Hebrew, it means â€Å"stork,† and upon breaking it down more so indicates motherly love (Hughes, 2001). 4:1–22 Jeremiah made much reflection on what he saw with his own eyes in the heart of Jerusalem, especially when the Babylonians siege in Jerusalem took place (Goldingay, 2003). â€Å"Those ‘who once lived in palaces’ (Lam. 4:5) were the wealthy. No one helped Sodom (4:6). After their true character was recognized, the false prophets and wicked priests were condemned as ‘defiled’ like lepers (4:15; cf. Lev. 13:45–46)† (Hughes, 2001). 5:1–22 Jeremiah confessed on behalf of the nation their sins, and then asked the Lord for a complete restoration. One can become confused on 5:6, when there is a reference to Assyria unless a person understands it was in reference to Babylon. At one time, the Empire inherited Assyria. â€Å"According to Jewish custom, the request of 5:21 is repeated at the conclusion of the book in order to avoid ending on an unpleasant note. But history has shown that God had certainly not rejected his people (Rom. 11:1–5)† (Hughes, 2001). Message Old Testament Application God made it clear back then that the people who lived in the heart of Judah needed to follow and obey Him. This meant that they could not worship other gods, commit adultery, covet, and so forth. These people needed to understand the depth of God’s love for them, but He made them face judgment, so that they would turn to Him, and this is seen frequently throughout the Old Testament. For example, in the book of Judges, God placed them in a cycle. This cycle consisted of a Judge would prophecy about the coming judgment, they would face judgment, and then all would turn back to God through repentance of their sin. Throughout Scripture, God never rejected anyone. He demonstrated His love for them in every book that is mentioned in the cannon. No one is perfect, but each day is a learning process to strive to live for Him, and not for the pleasures of this world. The issue back then is that the Judeans lived for what the world had to offer instead of what God has done for them, and continues to do. He deserves the glory, and not us. A similar concept is used today when it comes to God’s wrath, and for all of us to repent of our transgressions. Today’s Application The book of Lamentations applies to our setting today too. One, when people are wicked a society eventually disappears. Two, a person should not ask for a blessing that happened from the past, and continue to live in sin in the midst of it. Three, all countries of the world and churches will face judgment, if they do not remain faithful. Fourth, the Lord sticks to His Word, and make it come to pass. Fifth, many solutions are possible in the midst of suffering, but ultimately it comes down to a total faith in God (Hughes, 2001). Here are some more ways of looking at the book as well in a contemporary context. In attempting to understand what the book is trying to convey to the audience who reads it, then much can come from studying Lamentations. â€Å"First, the book can speak to any, including Christians, who feel alone or even abandoned by God. In this respect it is like those Psalms which we have called ‘laments’. It is good to give honest expression to such feelings and to know the reassurance of God’s grace in the midst of them† (Carson, 1994). Lamentations also can help the reader to identify with those around them, who are facing difficult situations. For example, our world faces daily disasters, such as wars and famines, which are constantly brought to our attention through the media on television. For us humans, all of us have the tendency to ask, â€Å"Where is God in the midst of our circumstances? † Of course, we can wonder more so, when our brothers and sisters are caught up in the chaos of it all as well, but end up sympathizing with them through identifying their pain. â€Å"The book of Lamentations enables us to express our grief, not only on our own behalf, but also on behalf of others† (Carson, 1994). Another possibility is that an individual requires discipline. Much discipline goes into writing a phenomenal book, which can help in the present. A decision that a person makes is in seriousness, so that he or she is disciplined, so that problems, which are sometimes difficult to face are dealt with at the time. God’ Word can help us by teaching us how to deal with difficult circumstances by allowing us to express our hurts that are at times too deep as well as coaching our mind and heart throughout it too (Carson, 1994). Confession is difficult for anyone, this goes for both believer and non-believer. â€Å"The people of Judah knew that their exile was due to their disobedience to the covenant made by their ancestors with God. We cannot treat all suffering in the same way. Nevertheless, here too we can identify with our ancestors in faith, by simply recognizing that human sin—in which each of us has a part—is the root cause of the world’s grief† (Carson, 1994). When someone questions, this too is an act of confession. God grants both justice and mercy while judging others. His justice does not finally issue only in judgment, but also, and decisively, in mercy (Carson, 1994). Even in terrible judgment, God is a God of hope (Lamentations 3:24-25). No matter how far we have gone from Him, we have the hope that we can return to Him and find Him compassionate and forgiving (1 John 1:9). Our God is a loving God (Lamentations 3:22), and because of His great love and compassion, He sent His Son so that we would not perish in our sins, but can live eternally with Him (John 3:16). God’s faithfulness (Lamentations 3:23) and deliverance (Lamentations 3:26) are attributes that give us great hope and comfort. He is not a disinterested, capricious god, but a God who will deliver all those who turn to Him, admit they can do nothing to earn His favor, and call upon the Lord’s mercy so that we will not be consumed (Lamentations 3:22) (Book of Lamentations, 2009). How are we to live in our current day and age? â€Å"We must live with realism, and we must live by faith† (Cameron, 1994). A person needs to look deep into themselves as well as circumstances. When an individual looks beyond what is happening in their lives, and then he or she will have faith because of what God has done for them. The church is quite sad, and God is the final judge of it all. For example, â€Å"How the gold has grown dim,† which is seen in Lamentations 4:1. However, we are disgraced as the church has become secularized, and our inheritance is given to strangers (5:2). No joy is present in our lives because it has turned into mourning. In our world, which includes the church, we will find it difficult to rejoice (Cameron, 1994). All of us seek answers to life’s questions, particularly from Psalm 137: 4, which states (NIV), â€Å"How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land†(Cameron, 1994)† When a person walks and talks with God, then he or she receives full joy in the Lord. The book of Lamentations may come across sad while reading what happened to the Judeans, but they soon realized that He wanted a relationship with them all along, so they eventually turned back to Him despite the current judgment that was upon them. In Lamentations 3:22, which says (NIV),‘The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end† (Cameron, 1994). To describe what it means for steadfastness, this is to indicate that the Lord is faithful with His enduring love. He is the same forever. God is wonderful to those who confess and turn to Him for their hope. We can praise God for His faithfulness from the past to the present. All of us are a testimony to His love because there is courage to face the future of whatever it is to come. He will supply our every need, and has proven it throughout history, which includes Lamentations. No need to worry because He already knows (Cameron, 1994). References Cameron, C. M. (1994). Lamentations. Retrieved February 21, 2009, from Biblestudies. org. uk: http://www. biblicalstudies. org. uk/lamentations. php Carson, D. (1994). New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition. 4th edition. Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 281-289. Goldingay, J. (2003). Old Testament Theology (Volume 1 ed. ). Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 295-305. Gottwald, N. (1985). The Hebrew Bible: A Socio-Literary Introduction. Philadelphia: Fortress. Hayes, J. a. (1988). A New Chronology for the Kings of Israel and Judah and Its Implications for Biblical History and Literature. Atlanta: John Knox. Hughes, R. B. (2001). Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers. Keil, C. a. (1956). The Prophecies of Jeremiah. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, . Kraus, H. (1960). Klaelieder (Threni). Neukirchen: Neukirchener. Reyburn, W. D. (1992). A Handbook on Lamentations. New York: United Bible Societies. Richards, L. (1991). The Bible Readers Companion. Wheaton: Victor Books, 65-68. Rudolph, W. (1962). Das Buch Ruth, Das Hohe Lied, Die Klagelider. Gutersloh: Gutersloher Verlaghaus Gerd Mohn. Smith, J. E. (1992). The Major Prophets. Joplin: College Press, 123-134. The Book of Lamentations. (2009). Retrieved 21 February, 2009, from Gotquestions. org: http://www. gotquestions. org/Book-of-Lamentations. html

Financial Ratios and Division Managers Essay

The front desk receptionist routinely takes an extra 20 minutes of lunch to run personal errands. Agency Problem: she took an extra 20 minutes to do her personal errands instead of working, which she puts her own self interests before the best interests of the company. Occurred cost: the salary that the company pays to her. The solution would depend on the boss on her work performance in the past. If she has an important personal errand to do during that time, then boss might need to talk to her and explain the solution for her. This problem can be final dealt by clocking-in and clocking-out even time for lunch hours. B) Division managers are padding cost estimates so as to show short-term efficiency gains when the costs come in lower than the estimates. Agency Problem: Division managers use their authority to mislead information and a problem exists when management and stockholders have conflicting ideas on how the company should be run in short-term. It will mess up the management in order to plan costs. Also it might ruin the number balance sheets and which could affect future gains. This might mean that the division managers who wish to engage in capital expenditures can now secure a short-term benefit from lower estimates. Occurred cost: The solution is management should monitor division managers performance and might give managers the performance shares which result in meeting the stated performance goals. These goals must be more efficient and accurate in order for management to plan goal to generate profit. Agency cost: By reducing and by providing appropriate incentives to align the interests to division managers. C) The firm’s chief executive officer has secret talks with a competitor about the possibility of a merger in which he would become the CEO of the combined firms. Agency Problem: The chief executive officer risks negative behavior because of dealing with the competition and did not involve his company’s best interests. He is putting his needs of planning a secret merger with his competition, which most likely can result potential profit for him, and possibly his company, if the merger is a positive one. Since he knows that his merger will occur (due to the fact of his direct â€Å"under the table† dealings with his competition), he can then go forward openly with his own company to promote the merger. Occurred cost: The CEO should know himself and the risks of CEO overconfidence. His behavior results in exactly this type of good faith mismanagement of the business. It is very important that the company should continue improving both legal and non-legal mechanisms that remedy conflict-of-interest problems by guarding against looting, fraud, and other forms of corporate corruption and disloyalty and by incentivizing managers to maximize shareholder value. The added challenge for corporate governance is to move beyond managerial motives to account more for human psychology and how managers actually behave and make business decisions when they are well-intentioned. D) A branch manager lay off experienced fulltime employees and staffs customer service positions with part-time or temporary workers to lower employment costs and raise this year’s branch profit. The manager’s bonus is based on profitability. Agency Problem: the branch manager created the personal goal to get more bonuses which depends on profitability and did not look into the company’s performance. Occurred cost: the management should be able to see that profitability does not come from sales. The cross section analysis helps the analyst to find out as to how a particular firm has performed in relation to its competitors. Time-Series analysis evaluates performance overtime by comparing current to the past performance. To look at significant year-to-year changes may be symptomatic of a major problem. Time series analysis helps to the firm to assess whether the firm is approaching the long-term goals or not. The Time series analysis looks for (1) important trends in financial performance (2) shift in trend over the years (3) significant deviation if any from the other set of data. So, I will compare the actual year 2007, 2008 and 2009. Liquidity by look at the current ratio and quick ratio that evaluating the speed with which certain accounts are converted into cash and its look at the ability of a company to meet its short-term obligations. As actual year 2009 the current ratio (2. 48) and quick ratio (1. 35) higher than the industry average and the higher is the better for company. If we look at the balance sheet we will see that the current asset and the current liability is decreased which is the big decreased from accounts payable. This shows that Marin Manufacturing Company have enough quick assets to pay off all current liabilities. Activity It shows relationship between the sales & the assets. By evaluate inventory turnover, average collection period, and total asset turnover. As the inventory turnover of the Marin Manufacturing Company is less the industry average which I recommends that the company should manage inventory more efficiently. The average collection period is higher than both industry average and the past year which the manager should emphasis on the collection to decrease this number. It means that they have to change their policy of lending business for more efficiency of debt collection. The total asset turnover for the actual year is 1. 6 which more then the past year but it still less than the industry average. So, the company needs to increase sakes to meet the industry average. Debt can analyze by debt ratio and time interest earned ratio. The debt ratio of actual year 2009 is higher than the industry average it continue increasing since year 2007-2008. Its means that the company has high leveraged and might borrows more money in the year 2008. Also the higher debt ratio means higher risk for lenders and investors. For the time interest ratio which decrease from year 2008 at 1. 9 to be 1. 6 in year 2009 and lower than industry average it means the company might facing the risk that cash flows from operations will be insufficient to cover interest and principal payment. Profitability by evaluate gross profit margin, net profit margin, ROA and ROE. Gross Profit Margin is measuring how much amount is left to meet other expenses & earn net profit which actual 2009 is at 27% that higher than the industry average (26%). Its mean that the company has high ability to sell goods at intended selling price. At 0. 65 % of net profit margin that decrease from 1. 1 % in 2007 to 1. 0% in year 2008 and less than industry average (1. 2%) that create low safety to the company. The higher risk that a decline in sales will erase profits and might result in net loss. The ROA and ROE both in year 2009 are decreasing to be less than the industry average and decresing from the past year. This show that the managerment is not managing asset effeicincy or assets are not being utilized effectively and lower ROE might caused by high debt. It seem like when this company are not very attractive for invertor if they looking at return on stockholders investment which is decreasing to be lower than industry averange. Market can analyze from P/E ratio and M/B ratio. For P/E in year 2009 is 34. 4 compare with the industry average at 43. 4 which lower and if compare to the past year it lower than year 2008. It means that investors are not perceive good growth potential of Marin Manufacturing Company.

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 20

History - Essay Example He currently earns a salary of $ 1 per month in a show of his philanthropy thereby investing the rest in numerous donor foundations. His success story begins back in his college days where he teamed up with a group of colleagues to create numerous computer programs and software applications. The journey to stardom as a social network entrepreneur has encountered myriad challenges most of which he overcame successfully thereby becoming the leading entrepreneur in the industry. Mark Zuckerberg had an average childhood just as most American children. He was born in White Plains, New York in 1984. While he currently bears no religious inclination, he was born a Jew with his conferment in the religion occurring while he was thirteen. He attended Ardsley High School alongside his other siblings namely Randi, Donna and Arielle. At school, Zuckerberg excelled in classical studies. Additionally, he had exemplary performance in physics, astronomy and math. Besides his exemplary in academics, Zuckerberg portrayed leadership and sports ability factors that influenced his selection to serve as the captain of the schools fencing team. He graduated from high school and applied to Harvard where he would later develop his career in software development. Zuckerberg ventured into software development early in life while in middle school. In the 1990s for example, his father, Edward Zuckerberg began teaching him different programming languages. He perfected in Atari BASIC programming. His father later hired David Newman to tutor him thereby growing his interest and skills in software development. Owing to his immense interest in computer programming and software development, Zuckerberg performed exemplarily with Newman calling him a prodigy in software development. Among his early success in the practice while still in middle school was a program he name â€Å"ZackNet†. He developed the

Icons in the past and in the modern world Essay

Icons in the past and in the modern world - Essay Example bject that is easily identifiable by many. It may also mean a symbol that is used by different cultures to for purposes of historical value or having a known significance to such community or groups of communities. In the modern times however, icons of places are mostly represented by beautiful architectural buildings. Though past icons such as monuments, statues and historical buildings are still recognized as icons of different places, there is a rapid change in the way icons are perceived and this has been brought about by the construction of amazing pieces of architecture. This paradigm shift has been driven by the demand for popularity and instant fame as well as for business purposes. Different regions are now in competition with one another in the construction of stunning architectural buildings. This paper aims to detail and discuss the meaning and use of icons in the past and modern in the United Kingdom and give a comparison of the same. This will be done via researching th e major icons in the UK and detailing their use. The paper will also make a general conclusion of the history of the icons. Most specifically, the paper will focus on the bulky-Scottish Castle, the St. Pauls Cathedral, the Nelson Monument, and the small retail liver building. Background Information In the medieval times, icons were mostly represented by historical monuments and buildings. It also included paintings and carvings that were done on stones and caves by hunters or artists in the community. Such icons represented a particular history or symbol of power in the community. A good example of icons that represented symbols of power included palaces of the royal family in the kingdom. Buckingham palace in Great Britain is an example of such palace that was and still is home to the royal family. Religious shrines and buildings were also known icons in the past due to their revered status. Rome for example was a society that was deeply engulfed in religious practices and as such had several places of worship within the region (Lynch, 1960). Such places were known icons within and beyond the boundaries of Rome since they were not only revered by many, but also had influence on the political administration at that time. Great emphasis was also placed on the erection and curving of monuments and statues by several communities in the past. This was done to honour individuals for their great contribution to the society and as such, places where these monuments and statues were erected become known icons within the region both in the medieval times and up to date. From the twin towers in Malaysia to the Five Star hotel, Burj Al Arab in Dubai, the emphasis has been placed on tall and aesthetical pleasing building designs. Two dimensional form of art such as

Clarifies the problems, and relates these problems to appropriate Term Paper

Clarifies the problems, and relates these problems to appropriate management theory, suggests 3 practical initial strategies the company could consider to address the issues - Term Paper Example Specific issues that will be discussed in this paper include: the problems that affect leadership, suggestions on how to solve them, the benefits that result from the suggestions, and the theory of leadership. The culture in Ecobot was one that undermined its employees. The mindset was that ‘labor is cheap’ which resulted to the organization investing most of its resources on the machinery and the processes. The culture got justification from the fantastic results and strong performance of the company. The human resource was forgotten as a result. The statement that labor is cheap meant that employees were dispensable and that resources should not be set aside to invest in them. Such a culture resulted to poor working conditions and low morale from employees. The customers were affected as a result due to the lack of customer service, which is viewed by the increased customer complaints. Ecobot should change its organizational culture. It should embrace policies and values that aim at empowering their employees. It can do so by rewriting its corporate goals and visions to statements that aim at making the organization the best in its field while treating its employees well (Thompson, 2014). It should adopt practices that empower its employees such as training programs, involving them in decision making procedures, and changing the mindset of everyone in the organization that employees are a valuable resource that should be invested in (Dwayne, 2010). Ecobot has raised the leadership roles of its leaders such that they do almost everything as the employees watch. Such an environment is not good for the leaders as they may overwhelm themselves with the operations, which may result into frustration, fatigue, and stress. Their productivity levels will decrease reducing the profitability of the company. Empowering leaders to such extremes result to mistreatment and demeaning of employees. It may also lead to embezzlement and

The Impact of Education and Political Equality Blacks Have Achieved Essay

The Impact of Education and Political Equality Blacks Have Achieved - Essay Example The essay "The Impact of Education and Political Equality Blacks Have Achieved" discusses the problem of racism in the United States of America that was initially revolved around by slavery. Black slavery in America actually can be traced from the earliest days in America, but most people elect the year 1619 as the real beginning of the institution in what was to become the United States, with the arrival of twenty blacks on a Dutch warship. Slavery in the world was nothing new. There had been slaves in every culture from the dawn of modern man. Slavery is not the issue of this short paper but we had to start somewhere. Racism is really the issue that slavery revolves around and the ethnocentric ideas that one race is just a little better than another race which allows a predisposition towards making one race the master and one the servant. In America, as the servant race, the black population was denied the right to an education that could be used to better their station in life. The main thought being to keep the servant race ignorant and to some degree subservient would make the life of the dominant race all that much better. As the citizens of the world became more enlightened, it was becoming harder and harder to justify excluding the children of the black workers from a good education. The movement toward equality of the races really started in the northern states many years prior to the American Civil War. Blacks in the north were generally treated much differently than in the south.

Museum and media studies at wildwalk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Museum and media studies at wildwalk - Essay Example The strings that hold us all together are many - and more than that, they are common threads that date back to centuries and generations long gone. I would like to assert that there is a great deal of importance attached to the study and preserving of our history and roots.While the subjects are vast, the elements of such studies form a large platform for determining the socio cultural and geographical implications of recorded history and work in the same context. In this regard, museums are more than just buildings that house pieces for children to enjoy on a field trip. This thought was accentuated during a recent visit I paid to the Wildwalk based in the centre of Bristol. As far as the conception of museums and their aims go, they work to reproduce ideologies in order to lend credibility and authenticity to the existing order of things. Also, museums have been seen as instruments of social reform, which shows a variety of pattern. The first is that the objects in museums can exceed their designated roles as documents or specimens by revolving around the strategic placement to make them give out a certain message in terms of sounds and images. This conforms to the notion of the Wildwalk adopting a certain standard of media culture. The primary role here is to correlate people and material things, so that the museum becomes an important site for the development of new forms of experience, memory and knowledge. In this case, it has adopted an approach that is an amalgamation of the naturalism and simulation theories. In case of naturalism, it has been found that the heritage industry gained a boost when Thatcher's time saw the commemoration of Britain's past when its industrial sector faced a decline in the 1970s. In order to keep the tourist inflow steady, there was a new interpretation of the past heritage and glory in terms of commoditization of a museum and its objects which have helped remove conflict within communities that have lost out on this heritage. (Bird et al, 1993) So far media culture was represented only in fields like film, music and television. But during the latter half of the twentieth century, this concept began to make its foray into various aspects that adhered to the public sphere. Museums now place special emphasis on the conept of media culture owing to the fact that it provides a strong conetxt for the study and presentation of facts pertaining to various material and socil behaviour. In this way, media in museum studies provides an impetus to link cultures and origins. This a point of interest for scholars and visitors alike owing to the fact that the use of media for learning and experiencing something new has been proven as an effective tool. (Piror, 2006) This demonstrates the fact that museums can be theorized as a form of media. To take the case of both historical and contemporary examples, one would have to admit that these examples are clear in international instances as well. Take for example, the play of curiosity and the related use of media to satisfy the same through the avant-garde exhibition design of Lissitzy and Bayer. Also, the use of media has seen the age of experimental museums that have been ushered in by the likes of Paul Otlet and Otto Neurath. Further, science centres hold their own in terms of immersive and virtual museums with major developments such as Guggenheim Bilbao, Tate Modern in London and the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C. (Piror, 2006) Based in nuances of iconography, the media aspect of Wildwalk is replete in the fact that it is a rainforest crammed with all kinds of live animals, plants and multimedia exhibits, which are waiting to be experienced. We use the word experience because here, one is in close contact with the nuances of the the awe inspiring diversity of the natural world in its spelndor. With an impetus to place facts and information in one's knowledge base through the use of creativity in media

Report Analysis Quantitative Methods In B&M Statistics Project

Report Analysis Quantitative Methods In B&M - Statistics Project Example Thus, the countries or rather the observations are listed in a single column randomly; no alphabetical order is followed. Moreover, the four variables are listed in four different columns in order to link a country with its specific numeric variable. Thus, the outlay of the data makes it easy to read, analyze, interpret and even draw comparisons among the observations. From the summary above, GDP is the only variable which has no mode. Moreover, it has a positive skewness which implies that the data is evenly distributed. For the Inflation rate and employment rate variables, the data is negatively skewed. This implies the data is unevenly distributed. Finally, the Unemployment Rate variable has a positive skewness, with the median less than the mean. Thus, the data or rather the observations in this column are evenly distributed. From the above summary, the Gross Domestic Product is dependent on Inflation rate, Employment rate and Unemployment rate. Thus, the regression model that shows a relationship between the dependent and independent variables is as follows: Thus, inflation in a country alongside a high unemployment rate will definitely reduce the GDP. Moreover, placing all the variables at zero, the average GPD according to the model will be the Y- Intercept, for this case

Employee e-training Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Employee e-training - Essay Example The new technology is advantageous as it provides easy access to training. It requires collaboration among areas of training, information technology, and top management. For technology in training to be effective, it needs to be designed with good learning principles. Transfer of training can be facilitated by using the technology. For example, Electronic performance support systems (EPSS) are computer applications that can provide, as requested skills training, information access, and expert advice. An EPSS may be used to enhance transfer of training by providing trainees with an electronic information source that they can refer to on as-needed basis while they attempt to apply learned capabilities on the jobs. Imaging refers to scanning documents, storing them electronically, and retrieving them. (Lederer 1993). Imaging is particularly useful as paper files take large volume of space. Moreover, it is difficult to access them. It is easy to access them if they scanned and stored in a database. Software applications make it easy to scan them by using the key search words. Imaging can also be very useful to serve the customers in a better way. Imaging reduces the time to locate a particular file and give the necessary information to customers. It is very useful for Abbott Laboratories given the size and magnitude of the organization. Interactive Voice Technology makes it possible to generate automated phone responses by using computers. It is very useful to answer the frequently asked questions. Every organization is using Interactive Voice Response System wherever it serves best. It is especially useful to answer the most common doubts of the trainees. Employees can directly enroll into training programs, and if necessary by consulting a human resources consultant. Distance learning is useful for geographically dispersed companies like Abbott Labs to provide information about new products, policies, or procedures as well as skills training and expert lectures. The new technologies make the virtual class rooms possible. Distance learning features two way communications between people, and it currently involves two types of technology (Picard 1996). The first one is Video Conferencing. It makes it possible to exchange audio, video or text between two or more individuals at two or more locations. The second type of distance learning includes individualized, personal computer-based training. Employees can participate in training from anywhere in the world by logging on to the website. They can get their doubts clarified by using e-mail, bulletin boards, and conferencing systems. The major advantage of distance training is that the company can save on travel costs. Raymond Noe remarks: Distance training allows employees in geographically dispersed sites to receive training from experts who would not otherwise be available to visit each location. (Noe 2008) However, there are some major disadvantages with the system, says Noe. There is a lack of interaction between the trainer and trainee and technology failures. A high level of interactive feature of training is missing in distance training. Keeping these limitations in view, it can be used effectively in training the employees. For a company like Abbott which has its presence in more than 130 countries around the world.

Cell Phones in Schools Essay Example for Free

Cell Phones in Schools Essay Who can work while listening to the incessant ringing of a cell phone? This does not creat an inviting classroom environment for students. Although cell phones would be useful in the event of an emergency, they should not be allowed in schools because of the increased amount of disruptive and social problems. Despite the interruptions, cell phones do provide on advantage. They allow quick communications during times of an emergency; they also enable students to contact their parents at any time for any reason. One example might be: if a student forgot that they have an after school affair to attend for that day, such as a sports practice or tutoring, they could easily notify their parents of the newly needed pick-up time. However, this convenience does not outwiegh the problems cell phones can cause. Disturbances during the school daycan cause students a great distraction. They could ring during class, and students attention would divert from the lesson to the phone. Students could want to chat in between classes, causing many tardies. They would also cause a riot if lost or stolen. Besides these factors, allowing cell phones in school could cause an influx of social problems. Kids are already picked on over a number of issues, such as appearances, financial status, etc. If a student is not fortunate enough to afford a cell phone, this would give cause for the other students to tease them. Overall, cell phone use in school might be slightly advantageous in an emergency sitituation, but they should not be allowed because the problems outweigh the benefits by far.

Discuss the staging of Act 1 Scene 4 and Act 5 Scene 3 Essay Example for Free

Discuss the staging of Act 1 Scene 4 and Act 5 Scene 3 Essay Macbeth was written in 1606 for the current King James I. 1606 was in the Jacobean period, a time when people believed in the Divine Right of Kings. This is the belief that Kings were chosen by God. They also believed that the worst possible crime was to kill a King and this would result in being dammed to hell. They also believed in the Great Chain of Being, the importance of beings from highest to lowest. At the top was God and below him were the different positions held by Angels. Below Angels, the King was positioned above all other human beings. Because of this the King was given the title Gods Deputy On Earth. During the Jacobean period there was also a strong belief in witchcraft; this being present in the play greatly intrigued the audience. Act 1 scene 4 and act 5 scene 3 both show examples of Kingship. The Kingship shown in these two scenes are very different. In order to understand these differences we must focus on the way in which the scenes are staged and the audiences opinions generated by the script. Duncan is a very well respected and admired King. The people of Scotland admire and bow down to him, as they believe he is a good ruler. Duncan praises and rewards those who do well to him. He congratulates Macbeth in winning the battle against Norway and promotes him to Thane of Cawdor. Its ironic how Duncans two most trusted companions betray him. Macbeth had gained the title Thane of Cawdor off the previous traitor that turned against Duncan and fought for Norway. Duncan truly believes in loyalty and trust. This implies that Duncan is an extremely confident man. When he walks into a room, he knows people are watching him and this does not bother him. Macbeth rules very differently to Duncan. After killing Duncan, Macbeth begins to fear that this could easily happen to him. Macbeth does not praise those who do well, but punishes those who do bad or even nothing. If he feels they may be a threat to him he will immediately take action and eliminate them. Macbeth has no loyal friends, simply scared servants that do what they are commanded, fearing for their lives. The first scene shows Duncan as King surrounded by his loyal company, whereas the second scene shows Macbeth as King without the company of anyone except his servants which are treated with very little respect. In both of these acts the Kings are displayed in the same room of the castle. In act 1 scene 1, Duncan is informed about the death of Thane of Cawdor who is found to be a traitor and sentenced to death. The atmosphere presented is shameful but Duncan knows that the decision he made was right. In act 5 scene 3 Macbeth hears that the English army is heading for the castle. He also finds out the unstable condition of his wife. He jokes to the doctor and asks what the condition of the country is. The doctor replies very honestly saying that he would want to be as far away from Dunsinane as possible. In this scene Macbeth realizes that he will never be the King that Duncan was, he can see that the honor he receives is merely from the mouth and not from the heart. To show the different views from each scene I would present them similar to each other, as this would allow the audience to compare and make a connection between the scenes more clearly. In act 1 scene 4 I would arrange the characters in order to show their status. I would place Duncan in center stage and make sure that he is the main focus. In order to enhance this idea his position on stage must be raised above others. I would have his loyal accompanists by his side. By doing this it would create the sense that Duncan is a man of high status and respected and honored as a King. To create a connection between the two scenes I would place Macbeth in the same position as Duncan in act 5 scene 3. Duncans reaction to the betrayal and sentenced execution to the once loyal Thane of Cawdor should be very calm. He could also show a slight sadness by shedding a tear, this would show the audience that Duncan is shocked and upset by the acts of mistrust. Macbeth is faced with a similar situation in which could endanger his position as King, I would make him react violently and irritated. To create an obvious link between the tow scenes I would use a large throne as a distinctive prop. This throne would be grand and covered in red velvet. In act 1 scene 4 I would have Duncan using this throne in a proper manner, sitting up straight and proudly, where as I would have Macbeth slouching with one leg on an armrest. By using this prop it would display their differences in Kingship. In act 1 scene 4 Macbeth displays his loyalty towards Duncan by crying out O worthiest cousin! as Macbeth and Banquo approach. As he says this line I would make him have his arms wide open reaching out towards Macbeth. In line 31 Duncan says let me infold thee and hold thee to my heart. On this line I would make Macbeth kneel down and kiss Duncans ring. Rings were worn by Kings as symbols of their positions. Kissing this ring would show Macbeths respect towards Duncan. In part 3 of act 5, line 11, a servant informs Macbeth about the English armys approach towards the castle. Macbeth is worried, he shows great disrespect towards the servant by addressing to him with thou cream-facd loon. Whilst Macbeth says this line I would make him use violence towards the servant, hitting or shaking him. This would show an evil and uncaring King that is simply using his status to place himself above everyone else. Towards the end of this scene a doctor talks to Macbeth about the condition of his wife. Macbeth looks down to the doctor even though the doctor knows more about his wife than he does. Macbeth often reassures himself by referring back to the witches prophecies, while he does this I would have him pacing back and forth. The witches never told Macbeth what to do; they simply predicted the future and left it in the hands of Macbeth. This raises the idea that Macbeth might not have been King if he did not kill Duncan, or he could have become King at a later date from the natural death of Duncan. Dressing both of the Kings in each scene differently can compare their differences in personality. I would dress Duncan in a large pure white robe to show his clear conscience. I would also adorn him with gold jewelry to display his high status. Macbeth would be dressed very differently; I would have him in more common clothing in the colour black. This black would show the evil hidden within him. This evil side is suggested when Lady Macbeth describes Macbeth as looking like the innocent yet being the serpent under. By using different lighting I would be able to display what the Kings are feeling in each scene. In act 1 scene 4 I would use an orange light, this would create a feeling of warmth, as Duncan is kind, caring and in great company. In act 5 scene 3 I would have a blue light, this will give the scene a cold, empty and negative feel. All of these stage techniques would enable the audience to compare and contrast the two scenes of Kingship. If these were not used it would make the story harder to understand, hidden within Shakespeares script. In both of these scenes the Kings received high amounts of respect whether it was truly from the heart or falsely from the mouth. Macbeth was seen to be simply an unfit King by those who knew him closely as apposed to a bad King. This is because in the Jacobean period, whomever becomes King, has been elected by God, God being the top of the Great Chain of Beings. Back then Gods opinion meant everything, and could fix peoples opinion on a bad King.

Role Of Front Office In The Hotel Industry Tourism Essay

Role Of Front Office In The Hotel Industry Tourism Essay We often heard that front office play an important role in the hotel industry. The front office or can be known as the main nerve of the hotel is the first and the last sector that interact with a client. Front offices are typically called so because they are at the front or entrance hall of a business, giving customers an easy access to office workers. This vital section of the business can serve many purposes, depending on the company, and are frequently the best place to obtain any customer-related information. Front offices may have an entry desk staffed with a secretary or administrative worker. This main desk can offer assistance to incoming clients or customers, and can direct queries to correct personnel. On the other hand, all personnel in the department may be trained in customer assistance, since front office workers may have many duties, training all of them in customer service means that someone will almost always be available to help a guest. 1.1 Division of Front Office There are many part of division inside the front office department. All of this part of partition should duty their tasks and responsibility. Furthermore they should help each other so that the enrollment will complete with success and this will make the customer feels satisfy with the service and willingly to come again. The part of this department are Front Office Manager, Assistant Front Office Manager, Front Desk Representative, Night Auditor, Cashier, Reservationist and Telephone Operator. All departments play an important role to make the guest feel satisfy with our service. 1.1.1 Front Office Manager The basic duty of front office manager is to directly supervise the front desk, reservation, concierge and PABX. Hotel PABX system comes with a front desk management system either PC based or telephone operator console based which is used by operator to perform various tasks easily. Using this console, one can update, monitor room status like occupied, cleaned. It can be used to print out call details room wise, estimate telephone bills. Other duties of the front office manager are assisting in the training and cross-training of front office employees, prepares monthly reports, assists the rooms division manager in formulation and completion of front office policies and procedures. 1.1.2 Assistant Front Office Manager The assistant of front office manager is to control the operational activities of the hotel front desk within hotel procedure to provide the highest standard of courteous service while permitting acceptable profit levels. On the other hand, they have to ensure work is completed to include, shift closings, room deposits, refunds and rebates. They also have to prepare staffing schedules, complete payroll, and monitor labor expenses to budget figures and take personal responsibility for correcting customer service problems. 1.1.3 Front Desk Representative Hotel front desk clerks make room reservations, offer information and services to guests and receive payment for services. They are employed by hotels, motels and resorts. Hotel front desk clerks perform some or all of the following duties such as maintain an inventory of vacancies, reservations and room assignments, register arriving guests and assign rooms, answer enquiries regarding hotel services and registration by letter, by telephone and in person, provide information about services available in the community and respond to guest complaints and compile and check daily record sheets, guest accounts, receipts and vouchers using computerized or manual systems. 1.1.4 Night Auditor A night auditor works for a hotel or motel doing bookkeeping and often performing as the front desk agent as well. With the exception of for the smallest motels, most types and sizes of these businesses provide work for night auditors. These might be part-time positions, or the hotel may employ one full-time auditor and one part-time. Duties vary depending on the size of the capability, but the major focus of the job description is conduct end-of-day accounting duties. The job description for night auditors includes performing information entry on spreadsheets or in a file, and processing dissimilar types of computer accounting reports for the hotel and restaurant. They input reservations on a computer system and also update the occupied status of rooms as guests come and go. 1.1.5 Cashier The cashier has to uphold precise account balances for hotel operating cost and collect payment from guests. Hotel expenses contain room charges, abroad telephone calls, meals and laundry. They should be able to carry out foreign exchange, for example, converting foreign currencies and travelers cheques into local exchange, protect safe deposit boxes and resolve bill payments, expenses rapidly and correctly for guests who are checking out. 1.1.6 Reservationist A hotel reservations agent is an essential part of hotel operations. Guests get their first impression of the hotel service values at the time of reservation. Therefore, reservations agents must be courteous, well-informed and educational. The main duty of a reservations agent is to rent hotel rooms to potential guests. The agent must conquer any objections the guest has. Hotel managers provide rule so the agent will know precisely what to say if the guest resists the deal. This may come in the form of a script that must be insecurely followed. A reservationist is also someone who reserves events, tickets or makes travel preparations. Reservationists use customer-service skills to help people. The reservationist books events, tickets or arrangements online, by phone or in person. He produces customer confirmations and meets the customer ¿Ã‚ ½s needs to the best of his capability. Contacting customers when a termination is submitted is also the dependability of a reservationist. 1.1.7 Telephone Operator The supreme duty of a telephone operator is that of transferring calls from external the hotel to the suitable guest room. For security measurement, operators have to do this without giving out the room number of a hotel guest. The telephone operator may not often be face-to-face with guests of the hotel, but plays an important role on behalf of the hotel to the guest. For this situation, a friendly and polite tone of voice is all-important. The duties of the telephone operator include answers incoming calls, straight calls to guest room through the switchbox. 1.2 Organization Chart in Small Hotel, Mid Size Hotel and Large Hotel There are three main charts for front office division in hotel industry that is inside the small hotel, mid size hotel and the large hotel. 2.0 Conclusion Each department plays an important role in order to get a complete task to get the main thing that is the satisfaction of the customer. Sequentially to carry out its mission, worldwide and departmental goals and objectives, every company shall build a formal organization depicting different hierarchy of managing, supervision, and employee or the staff levels. All hotels mission is to make the hotel success by satisfying the customer need. If the hotels fail to do so, it means that they have failed everything. This is because we have to be humbled to the guest and respect the guest although they are wrong. The statement saying that  ¿Ã‚ ½guest will always be right ¿Ã‚ ½ is the rules showing that everything that the guest do and say, we have to give and take. The main department that is front office management has to play the important role as they are the one that will communicate with the guest from the guest check in until they will check out. Smile and greet the guest politely will make the guest feel happy and hoping that they will see us again. Question 2 Front office staffs must have certain skills to attract guests during the first impression. Write about Front Office staff skill in guest relations. 1.0 Introduction Impression and attitudes of the staffs are the most important things that the hotel should be aware when it comes to the customer satisfaction. They have to welcome the guest with a great smile and greet them politely as they are persons that will decide whether we deserve to have them in the hotel or opposite that. As been said by F.Howard in the Business Publications, Eye contact is the first thing theyre taught. The idea is to know a person before and after the guest opens the front door and enters the lobby. To do this, staff members have to be alert and aware of what is going on around them. What they are trained to do is recognize the people by providing eye contact and a smiling nod to let them know that theyve been known. To make a successful business in the hotel, all the staff and employee should take a few steps so that the circle of the chain inside the hotel is moving smoothly. 1.1 Meaning of the guest A guest is the person who buys room, meeting space, food and beverages or other service from the hotel. They are someone that who has certain needs and wants to be fulfilled and if the hotel cannot fulfill them, a competitor of the other hotel is the best choice of the guest to fulfill their satisfaction. A guest is someone who is in his or her mind, thinking that they are always right. We should never argue or match with a guest because if we do so, it ¿Ã‚ ½s like we ¿Ã‚ ½re giving the hotel to bankrupt. 1.2 Importance of Guest Relations According to L.F Dennis in the  ¿Ã‚ ½Rooms at The Inn: Front Office Operations and Administration ¿Ã‚ ½ book, in the clients mind, the character and competence of the entire hotel are reflected in the personality of the front office staff. The people of the front office may be the client ¿Ã‚ ½s first and last contact with the hotel. For the arriving guests, their behavior sets the tone for the entire stay. For departing clients, their final words create lasting impressions. It is the staff responsibility to create a sense of belonging. Clients must be made to feel as they are part of a family. The front desk staff must convey the impression that it is not there just to sell rooms, but rather to make the guest ¿Ã‚ ½s stay at the hotel as enjoyable as possible. 1.2.1 First Impression Personal appearance is the most obvious factor in influencing first impression. An individual ¿Ã‚ ½s appearance can communicate neatness, organization, pride and self-esteem. Eye contact and facial expressions also influence how people are perceived by others. A neat appearance, confidents, enthusiastic manner and a voice that convey warmth and sincerity are the most important tools of a front desk representative. 1.2.2 Personal Appearance Appearance is the function of sex and age. Regardless of the sex or age of a front desk representative, he or she will encounter certain biases in guests or others. For example, some people have the mistaken belief that older staff members are not  ¿Ã‚ ½up to date ¿Ã‚ ½ and others automatically assume that younger employees are inexperienced. A front desk representative, who dresses with authority, wears quality accessories and maintains a conservative appearance will produce a positive reaction in every client. 1.2.3 Communication Communication and understanding must also take place. Addresses guests will create the impression of respect and concern that the hotel has for its clients. A courteous staff member is a good listener as well as an efficient communicator. Asking questions indicates that the representative is interested in the client. Listening to the answers indicates personal respect and attention to the guest needs. 1.3 Dealing with Complaints Clients communicates their complaints not only to the front desk staff but also to coworkers, business associates and other guests. There are ways for dealing with clients who have complaints that are:  ¿Ã‚ ½ Never be defensive  ¿Ã‚ ½ Define the problem  ¿Ã‚ ½ Validate the clients feelings  ¿Ã‚ ½ Restate your understanding  ¿Ã‚ ½ Promise to take action  ¿Ã‚ ½ Follow Up 1.4 Preventing Complaints Complaints can often be avoided by properly educating guests about hotel policies and procedures. The most common complaint of hotel guests is related to credit card guarantees. Proper information can prevent misunderstandings and minimize complaints. On the other hand, the front office staff keep doing mistake, for example they will forget to key in the details of their guest and when the guest wants to check-in, they can ¿Ã‚ ½t do it because the guest name are not inside their check-in list. They have to always be alert every time when it comes toward related of the guest. 1.5 Effective Telephone Techniques The front office staff spends a great deal of its time on the telephone, communicating with people both inside and outside the hotel. Although some people have better speaking voices than others, verbal communication is an art that can be learned with practice. There are ways to develop an efficient, courteous telephone manner that are:  ¿Ã‚ ½ Be prepared  ¿Ã‚ ½ Answer promptly  ¿Ã‚ ½ Use proper identification  ¿Ã‚ ½ Speak directly into the telephone  ¿Ã‚ ½ Relax and be yourself  ¿Ã‚ ½ Ask questions  ¿Ã‚ ½ Listen carefully  ¿Ã‚ ½ Take notes if necessary  ¿Ã‚ ½ Use reflective phrases  ¿Ã‚ ½ Keep call holds to a minimum  ¿Ã‚ ½ End the call courteously 2.0 Conclusion The way to cooperate with customer is to love and the respect the customers. The ability to connect and build rapport with other people is a foundation life skill, and should be ideally, be actively developed from an early age. In business and in the workplace, on the domestic front and in our community lives, we all stand to promote from more effective communication skills. We crave for more fulfilling interpersonal relationships. The front office staffs should greet their customers with sincere and be patient with what the customer complaint because customer will always be right. Good communication is the lifeblood of the service industry and its important that your communication style reflects professionalism. To make the business or hotel success is to make the customer satisfy, listen to what they want. They will feel happy and think that they wanted to come again to your hotel.

aztecs: Incas :: essays research papers

Aztecs: Incas   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the time the Spaniards arrived to the New World they found different Indian civilizations with many similitude and differences. In Mexico the Spaniards found a very stable empire called the Aztecs; the Aztec empire controlled a region stretching from the Valley of Mexico in central Mexico east to the Gulf of Mexico and south to Guatemala. The Aztec built great cities and developed a complex social, political, and religious structure. Spaniards found another Indian civilization called Incas Empire; it was a vast kingdom in the Andes Mountains of South America, but at the time of the Spaniards conquest the empire was in a huge crisis caused by the death of their leader. Before the crisis, the Inca government system was among the most complex political organizations of many Native American cultures. Although the Incas lacked both a written language and the concept of the wheel, they built large stone structures without mortar and constructed suspension bridges and roads that crossed the steep mountain valleys of the Andes. These two empires were passing for different situations at the moment of the contact; finally the Spaniards obtained the control and star controlling the empires.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Aztec Empire was a Native American state that ruled much of what is now Mexico from about 1428 until 1521, when the empire which was very stable; The Aztecs empire was conquered by the Spaniards. The Aztecs empire represented the highest point in the development of the rich Aztec civilization that had begun more than a century earlier. The Aztec built great cities and developed a complex social, political, and religious structure. Their capital, Tenochtitlà ¡n, was located on the site of present-day Mexico City. Tenochtitlà ¡n was an elaborate metropolis built on islands and reclaimed marsh land, Tenochtitlà ¡n was possibly the largest city in the world at the time of the Spanish conquest. Tenochtitlà ¡n featured a huge temple complex, a royal palace, and numerous canals. Aztec cities were also dominated by giant stone pyramids topped by temples where human sacrifices were dedicated to their Gods.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aztec society was highly structured, based on agriculture, and guided by a religion that pervaded every aspect of life. The Aztec worshiped Gods represented natural forces that were vital to their agricultural economy. Although Aztec society had strict classes, a person’s status could change based on his or her contribution to society. The society was divided into different classes like for example the leader, the nobility, local rulers, military, priestly, artisans, and commoners (Class notes from 5/12/05).

The Oppression of Women Drives The AIDS Epidemic in Africa :: Disease AIDS Essays Africa Women

The Oppression of Women Drives The AIDS Epidemic in Africa Africa is facing a devastating crisis with respect to the AIDS epidemic, currently accounting for over 70% of the world's HIV-positive population. There are, of course, many factors that drive the explosive transmission of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, but in the tangled web that is the epidemic in Africa, many of these issues share a common thread. The oppression of women in Africa can be considered the virus' cultural vector. Females are rendered powerless in African societies, and existing gender inequalities are largely responsible for the spread of the disease. Females' disadvantaged position in society is intrinsically linked to the subordination of women in their relationships with men. In order for progress to be made, an examination of gender relations and empowerment for women must take place. To be successful, AIDS campaigns must be built on the existing organizational skills of women, but must incorporate men as well. The blatantly skewed distribution of power in Afri can patriarchal societies makes women extremely vulnerable but has dangerous implications for all. To examine the forces that steer the epidemic down its course, the epidemiology of HIV and AIDS in Africa must first be considered. More than 80% of all HIV infections in Africa are acquired through heterosexual contact. This statistic is grossly out of balance with the 13% rate of infection through heterosexual contact in the United States. Vertical transmission from mother to child is the second most common route for the virus to take in Africa (Essex et al., 158). These rates are generally much higher than in the United States and Europe, where the use of a drug called neviropine has drastically reduced mother-to-child transmission. This disparity is a direct result of differences in the nations' wealth. African nations simply cannot afford to provide the drug to infected pregnant women. The continued transmission of HIV through contaminated blood during processes such as blood transfusions is another dismal consequence of poverty and inferior health services in many African count ries. This method accounts for the third most important mode of transmission, one that has been virtually eradicated in many countries because the technology is available to prevent it (Essex et al., 159). Part of what makes the situation in Africa so devastating is that the primary roads the virus travels in Africa were shut down long ago in other countries. Much of the world's population already takes many of the roadblocks for granted.

Genie: Social Isolation :: Free Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This was one of the most interesting cases in my opinion, which we have so far learned about. It was amazing to me first of all how a person could go undetected in those conditions for that amount of time. It was also extremely mind boggling how people could treat their own child like that, which really made me wonder the type of morals and views that those parents were brought up with. It made me extremely sad to realize all of the wonders of life that Genie was deprived of. She had been locked in that room for over ten years, which means she was practically nonexistent to the world, and had never experienced things we all take for granted every day. I truly do not know how she survived in that type of torturous confinement for ten years. However, it was encouraging to see the efforts of all the people who truly became wrapped up in Genie’s case, and the hope that she would have a learning capacity. It was amazing to me to know that she was really a fourt een year old girl, yet to hear her speak she sounded like a toddler. I found it interesting to see her progress from knowing no English words, to being fascinated by the labeling with words of all the new objects around her. It seemed to me as if she knew a language existed for everything, but was frustrated because she could not realize her goal and put words to objects quickly enough. I found it interesting to see Genie pick up the patterns of language recognition, but not commonly as it happens in children, however, it seemed as though you were teaching an old dog new tricks. I was disappointed at the ending of the film, because for me there was no good conclusion, or happy fairy tale ending that I expected.

In school suspensions, out of school suspensions and expulsions Essay

Expulsions and suspensions refer to the disciplinary sanctions and dispensations that are imposed and rendered to students who have committed behavioral misconduct while at school. Expulsion refers to the permanent removal of a student from the schooling system. Expulsion comes following the commission of certain offenses that are deemed extraordinarily serious. In the case of such an expulsion, the law provides that such a student may not be absorbed within any other schooling system (Skiba, Eaton, Sotoo, 2004). According to the federal education law on District schools, an expelled student is never allowed to be ploughed back to any school. Schools are therefore supposed to adhere to strict guidelines and regulations for students that are under expulsion. Suspension on the other hand while in or even out of school refers to a partial and short lived detachment of a student from the normal schedule of the school. This may either be for some three days, some ten days or a period that could be longer than this. An indefinite suspension by a school principle demands that a student is rendered with all the laid down protections as he/she was under expulsion. The federal law provides that disabled students be given a different treatment which provides them a greater capacity of protection towards their discipline while at school. Consequently, the district is supposed to evaluate whether students under expulsion could be subject to special needs in order to provide them with the most optimal state of justice while under this regulatory penalty (http://idea. gseis. cla. edu/publications/suspension/images/suspension. pdf). According to the federal law, principals are given the mandate to expel students that may posses dangerous weapon(s), controlled medication, alcohol or illegal drugs and making any assault to the school employee(s). Also, students may be expelled or suspended when under the conviction or charge of felony. Expulsion or suspension consequently calls for a hearing which in this case may be either formal or informal. The informal hearing is that which comes immediately after the occurrence of the offense. Informal hearing may only remedy a suspension. However, a formal hearing is that which occurs before the expulsion of a student. A formal hearing requires a full notification of the student as well as his/her guardian or a parent on matters such as the place of the hearing, reasons, time and location. Temporary suspension may also come along in the event the principal has the believe that a certain student is of threat to the school employees, property or even to his/her fellow students (http://www. yh. com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails. aspx? p=114&np=99&id=2239). The law also provides that the student be dispensed with certain legal rights on matters of expulsions and hearings. This may include notice of the charges that should be written. In this context, the student is under the legal obligation of been provided with an explanation that is written explaining the exact parameters of the trouble confining him/her to expulsion or suspension. The principal should also provide a hearing notice that should be written. This should include date of this hearing, place and time. The student is also under the right of bringing a representative such as an advocate or a lawyer. He/she is also under the legal right of bringing evidence or witnesses as a supplementary to the case (http://www. clcm. org/student_suspension. htm). Both expulsion and suspension are deemed good models to reinstate a child’s behavior and bring control in the normal running of the school.

Should Doctors Help Patients Die?

Physician assisted death has always been a controversial issue in the United States that some view as a moral, ethical, religious, and legal issue. In any discussion about physician assisted suicide it is important that the terminology is clear. Physician assisted death is the procedure that a patient dies as a result of the voluntary ingestion of a fatal dose of medication that a physician has prescribed for that purpose. Assisted death is distinguished from euthanasia in that it necessarily involved an individual who is capable physically of taking his or her life and does so with means provided by another person.Physician assisted death was legalized through Oregon’s death with Dignity Act in 1994 and enacted in 1997. This act allows terminally ill patients to obtain and use prescriptions to self-administer lethal doses of medications. Although it is still rare in the state, between fourteen and forty-six people die each year by physician assisted death (PAD). Oregonâ€℠¢s Death with Dignity Act allows us to evaluate the law assessing the arguments towards whether or not physician assisted death should be legalized.Most of Oregon’s health’s professionals may agree with the patient’s request but they lack intimate knowledge on their values and reasoning for their choices. The organization, Compassion and Choices of Oregon, is dedicated to expanding the choices at the end of life, and offers guidance and support to those who qualify for physician assisted death. Compassions and Choices of Oregon, evaluates feedback from family members to obtain information on why they felt their family members decided to fulfill their PAD request.According to families results, with the top median score, the most important reasons patients pursued PAD request, patients wanted to control the circumstance of death and die at home, they worried about loss of dignity, future loss of independence, quality of life, and self-care ability. Ganzini, Goy, & Dobscha propose if there is better end of life care in homes helping patients maintain control, independence, and self-care in a home environment this may be en effective means of addressing some serious request for physician assisted deaths.Interventions can help patients determine if they can deal with symptoms and make them feel more comfortable helping them to make their decision. Some argue that patients are depressed; lack social support, and vulnerable groups turn to PAD as their only last option. Although the Death with Dignity Act empowers individuals to control the timing of their death, physician assisted death still remains a controversial topic in today’s society that raises many ethical questions. Choosing their circumstances of death.The Oregon act went through many obstacles when implementing the law to make safeguards to ensure that the law provides requirements so that it will not be abused. A major concern is about laws allowing physician assisted death is that they would open floodgates of people requesting such assistance, therefore causing a â€Å"slippery slop effect†. â€Å"The Health Division Report indicated that in 1998,23 people received such prescriptions, 15 of whom used them in hastening death during a person in which approximately 28,900 people died in Oregon. These numbers suggest that only an extremely small percentage of people (. 5% or 5 people in 100,000) who dies in Oregon received assistance under the act. â€Å" (Batavia, 2000). Patients who are applying for the use of physician-assisted death will have to follow strict regulations and have physicians, therapist, and family members consent to the choice of the patient. All patients and health care professionals have to commit that they will be in full compliance with the law and follow the procedures. Debates over the PAD also often warn of a â€Å"slippery slope† predicting abuse of vulnerable groups such as poor people, minorities, depression, w omen, and uninsured individuals.Depression can often develop among terminally ill patients when they start to loss their ability to care for themselves. According to Gazini, Goy, & Dobscha (2007) study on family members show no indication that the desire for hastened death has no association with depression or depression disorder. Oregon’s law requires that the patients must have a mental health evaluation to make certain that they are not suffering from any mental illnesses. Battin, et at, (2007) research the different vulnerable groups showing that there is no heightened risk among uninsured people, women, elderly, poor, and low educational status. Terminally ill college graduates in Oregon were 7. 6 times more likely to die with physician assistance than those without a high school diploma. † The research is completed among people living in the Netherlands and Oregon where physician assisted death is legal and practiced. From data of patients over the years they show no increase among requests among vulnerable groups. One of the most obvious arguments is that health care providers are supposed to save lives—not take them. (de Vocht & Nyatanga, 2007). The Hippocratic oath is one of the oldest documents that are still sacred by physicians.It was created to ensure that health care professionals would treat the ill to the best of their abilities, protect the privacy of their patients, and teach the secrets of medicine to future generations. â€Å"I will use those dietary regimens which will benefit my patients according to my greatest ability and judgment, and I will do no harm or injustice to them. † The Hippocratic oath is a doctors contract, in other words this statement can be interpreted as â€Å"do not harm. † Helping a patient take their life is a contradicting question if physicians are violating the Oath.Is a doctor assisting harm on a patient if they choose physician assisted death? Or is it causing harm to a patient to keep them alive suffering if they wish different? â€Å"Nurses witness firsthand the devastating effects of debilitation and life-threatening disease that are often confronted with the despair and exhaustion of patients and families† and â€Å"at times, it may be difficult to find s balance between the preservation of life and the facilitation of a dignified death† (ANA, 1994) Terminally ill patients are given medication to treat and relieve them from the pain of the illness.Patients go through the stages of disease that health care professionals do not have medications that will relieve them of all their symptoms, pain, and harm, but they do have medications they will allow patients to end the harm and choose their death. Physicians have the right to administer medications to allow patients chose their death. Increased doses of controlled substances allows the patients to die at peace and the way they choose instead of suffering in the last phases of life. The Hipp ocratic oath also allows health professionals to use their judgment when treating patients.Under the Oregon Death with Dignity Act physicians have to sign off that the patient is suffering and terminally ill, if a doctor feels that they can preserve the life of the patient they have the right to use their judgment to refuse to participate in the PAD. This is their moral right to decide if they are willing to prescribe medications to a request PAD patient if it is legal in the state. This is a time where physicians need to know how to â€Å"switch their focus from quantity, to quality of life†(LaDuke, 2006).Health care professionals should not feel quality for completing the desires of patients and doing their job. Ganzini, Goy, & Dobscha, (2007) purpose that if clinicians should focus on improving end of life care addressing worries and apprehension about the future with the goal of reducing anxiety about the dying process. Addressing patients concerns we can create intervent ions to help along the process. In contrast, patients who request Death with Dignity are already in high-quality palliative care. We assume they hospice programs have little to do with the patients assisted death choice.Most patients have already made up there minds whether they have been in hospice care or not. Although hospice care can improve ones quality of life, it still does not change the patients choosing their circumstances of death. By any standard the first year of the Oregon Death and Dignity Act would be considered a success. This success has made other states look into legalizing physician-assisted death. In 1997, the court case Washington v. Glucksberg decided that Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act would go into effect. Eleven years later others states followed the suit, through different approaches. In 2008, Washington voters adopted a right to die initiative and a Montana judge ruled that individuals had the right to hasten their death under the states constitu tion. † (Kirtley, 20011). Supporters of the Washington Death with Dignity Act organized a committee of supporters. This committee felt their chances of success were good because of similar demographics in Oregon and Washington. The eleven years between the passings of Oregon’s Act allowed people of Washington consider the facts and make their own approach to the purposing of the Act.Novembers 2008 Washington voters approved the Death with Dignity Act, and people claimed â€Å"other states would fall like dominoes†. Following in Washington’s footsteps, a month later Montana legalized hastened death. The Montana Supreme court ruled on December 31, 2009 that nothing in the state constitution prevented patients from hastening their deaths and gave doctors the right to prescribe lethal medications. Americans now have more options for dying than they did in 1997. We know have Hospice, Palliative care, hysicians can legally pursue aggressive pain management, and states can now pass aid in dying laws. Patients may discontinue life-sustaining therapies, or voluntarily stop eating and drinking as a natural part of the dying process, and lethal prescriptions. Most important we are allowing patients to have choices to allow them to deal with their end of life care and how they wish to die. In the book Narrative Matters there is a story about a young doctor Alok Khorana who is coming to the end of his shift after working long hours to save up time for her wedding the next day.Alok is faced with a tough situation when Mr. Kohl comes in one of his patients and has to consider end-of-life decisions. Mr. Kohl her patient is a 53 year old white male, Vietnam veteran, steel plant worker, smoker, lung cancer, that has failed two different chemotherapy regiments and his last few scans have shown and impressive disease progression. Mr. Kohl had attended a doctor’s appointment and the doctor noted shortness of breath and the need of urgent hospital care. In medical terms this means it is basically better of that he would die in the hospital and should have been on hospice care.Alok is trying to talk the man into considering a DNR and let him know that this he might not make it much longer than a day or two. Mr. Kohl does not have any children and just has a wife named Ann. As much as Alok tries to convince Mr. Kohl to consider DNR he will not even consider it because he promised Ann he would not go without seeing her. They monitor him for a few hours trying to keep him as pain free as he can. The nurses and staff let the man know that there will not be a lot they can do for him with all of his health conditions and him suffering from pneumonia.They provide him with information about DNR and how they think it will be his best choice. He will not give in and says he is not giving up he told him wife he will do everything he can. After some time Mr. Kohl’s lungs begin to collapse and he is hooked up to a ventilation machin e to help his lungs work correctly. As his wife Ann is on her way he than is given the option to be administered enough oxygen to keep him a live without a machine for a little longer. Mr. Kohl knows what is about to happen to him, and how his medical condition cannot be reversed.He decides to hang on and do what ever he can for the love of his wife. He promised her he would be able to see her before he goes, and than he will be ready to die. Although Mr. Kohl did not receive a physician assisted death procedure, he shares a lot of the same concerns that was researched for why patients decide when they are ready to die. Mrs. Kohl finally shows up to the hospital clasps his hands tightly, the heart monitor machines are shut off, and the morphine is administered for comfort. Mr. Kohl’s breathes start to slow down and he drifts into sleep.Alok the doctor on duty witnessed a powerful life story that night on her shift. On his way home the day before her marriage she looks over Mr . Kohl’s struggle to hang on for life. Although he was aware of his conditions and that he will not make it much longer he wanted the comfort of his wife. Alok realizes that after years of struggles with his soon to be wife one day when he is dying, she will come in and tell him its OK to die. He will listen, and it will be okay. For many patients who consider physician-assisted death there main reasons are to control there situation of death.Mr. Kohl was so persistant on not choosing DNR because he just wanted to control his situation and wanted his wife to be on his side. Once she was there he made his decision and he than was ready to go. Physician assisted death will always be a contradicted topic when discussing the tampering of a human life, but it is present that this Act has had no present negative effects. When laws are set up to assist patients desires to choose the end of life care, physicians should feel they are following patients request and their job, they have the right to help patients choose their death.Legalization has to protect both of the rights of terminally ill patients who wish to die, and patients who do not. This will always be a sensitive that will differ with each state exploring the aspects of moral, ethical, and legal concerns. Work Cited Ganzini, L. , Goy, E. , & Dobscha, S. (2008). Why Oregon patients request assisted death: family members' views. Journal Of General Internal Medicine, 23(2), 154-157. Battin, P. M. , Heide. A. , Ganzini, L. , Wal, G. , ; Onwuteaka-Philipsen, B. P. (2007) Legal physician-assisted dying in Oregon and the Netherlands:Evidence concerning the Impact on Patients in â€Å"Vulnerable† Groups. Journal of Medical Ethics,33(10), 591-597. Batavia, A. I. (2000). So far so good: Observations on the first year of Oregon's Death with Dignity Act. Psychology, Public Policy, And Law, 6(2), 291-304. Mathes, M. (2004). Ethics, law, and policy. Assisted suicide and nursing ethics. MEDSURG Nursing, 13(4 ), 261-264. Howard, R. J. (2006). We Have an Obligation to Provide Organs for Transplantation After We Die. American Journal Of Transplantation, 6(8), 1786-1789.

Albert Bandura-social cognitive learning theories

Essay 4 Pieter van Rooyen 17333652 Albert bandura can be regarded as one of the most important representatives of social cognitive learning theories. He’s theory on observational learning (learning by observing behavior) is the single most important form of learning. He argues that people learn most of their behavior through observation and only a little through direct contact. The reason for this is the complexity of most behavior, and that this can’t be learned through verbal instructions.This essay will focus on the principles of observational learning, highlight the strength and weaknesses, and also how observational learning can promote positive intergroup relations on campus at the University of Stellenbosch. Observation is a common learning tool and many, if not most do it unconsciously. The term modeling is used to describe this. This is when an observer observes the behavior of a model and then repeats the behavior. There are a few factors that influence this o bservational learning.They are the nature of the modeled behavior, the characteristics of the model, the characteristics of the observer, the result of the models behavior and the self-efficacy perception of the observer. The nature of the modeled behavior refers to the actual behavior. The situation in which the behavior takes place and if it is new or old behavior. New behavior attracts more attention than old behavior. The characteristics of the model plays an important role in observation learning.This includes age, sex, race and status. A model with high status is more likely to be imitated. The observer’s characteristics also play a major role in learning new behavior. The motivation and interests of the observer as well as the values and self-confidence has a major impact on the selection of models to imitate. An important factor is the result of the models behavior to determine whom to imitate. The reward gained from a certain behavior is a major motivator to imitate behavior.The final factor, the self-efficacy perception of the observer means that the observer needs to believe in his own capabilities to reproduce behavior. One can’t try to imitate an Olympic gymnast if you don’t believe you can. The strength of Bandura’s observational learning theory is that it gives a clear and accurate picture of how behavior is learnt. We can clearly see that adults and children copy each other’s behavior in certain situations. Strength to his theory is that it can be applied to real world problems, like cultural gaps or discipline problems at school level.This could mean that proper behavior can result large scale changes among people if only more people model the right behavior. One of the clear weaknesses in the observational learning theory is that too much emphasis is placed on what happens to the observer after he imitates the model rather that what the observer actually does with the information gained from the model. Inter group relations at the University of Stellenbosch can really benefit from positive social behavior.When one social group sees another social group, regardless of race, gender, age or religion act in a positive and uplifting manner and reap rewarding results from this, this could lead to change in the former social group. Even more, if this is done properly, it can quickly spread and even more social groups can bring on change, first in their own group then by modeling it, change another group. This can defiantly lead to a positive change on Stellenbosch campus.