Internal and External Security for The Holiday Inn Online Reservation System

Introduction A hotel reservation system is an online method of booking hotel rooms; the people booking the rooms, who in most cases are travelers and tourists, normally do so by means of an online security system to protect their financial information and other private details.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Internal and External Security for The Holiday Inn Online Reservation System specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Online reservations have a number of benefits: they save travellers time and resources, and they can book from anywhere and at any time, provided they can have access to the Internet (Nyheim, McFadden, Connolly, Paiva, 2005). Although a hotel reservation system is quite beneficial, it can be affected by internal and external security issues. The scope of this paper is to examine the security issues affecting the hotel reservation system at the Holiday Inn. The paper also outlines the strategies , which Holiday Inn can use to manage its security issues. Privacy Issues at Holiday Inn’s There are a number of privacy issues, both internal and external, which users of the application system can experience as they book for hotel reservations. The reservation system used at the Holiday Inn is based on hotel management software, which is prone to a number of privacy issues due to the fact that it uses the internet. The internal issues comprise threats propagated by malicious users, who mostly come from within the organization, while the external ones comprise threats such as viruses,which are initiated by outsiders. Such serious internal and external privacy issues can make the organization lose most of its customers; consequently, it is important to set up all the necessary security measures to avert any privacy issues (Nyheim, McFadden, Connolly, Paiva, 2005). The possible internal privacy threats that may occur to customers who make their bookings using the online reser vation system at the Holiday Inn include: malicious users and fraudsters. Malicious users refer to individuals who break into the organization’s computers without due permission from its administration department. Malicious users are mainly insiders who can manage to get access to the organization’s IT system as a result of the internet, which offers a broad connectivity of the hotel’s booking system. Malicious users attempt to break into the information system of the organization almost on a daily basis. The damages caused by such users, when they manage to break into the hotel’s system, are consequential to the organization as well as to its customers (Nyheim, McFadden, Connolly, Paiva, 2005).Advertising Looking for assessment on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Fraud or theft is another internal threat to the privacy of the customers who apply for reservations at the hotel using its online ap plication system. Holiday Inn’s computer systems are at times exploited by fraudsters, thanks to the automation of the earlier traditional fraudulent methods. Such fraud occurs mainly when dishonest employees use computers to float small amounts of money from accounts of customer who make large deposits. During such fraud, the financial information belonging to the hotel’s customers is put at high risk, as it can be accessed by the fraudsters; consequently, such internal threats interfere with the privacy of the customers by divulging their financial information (Tesone, 2006). Apart from the internal threats, the reservation system used at the Holiday Inn is equally exposed to external risks, which are caused by hackers and viruses. Hackers are remote users who can access the hotel’s information system without authorization from its management. Hackers have smart tactics, which they use to bypass firewalls, encryption, filters, and other security measures insta lled by the organization to safeguard its information system. They focus on the networks of the organization to gain access to information that they know is valuable, but heavily guarded. If hackers gain access to the hotel’s IT system, they can interfere with the customers’ personal and financial information (Tesone, 2006). The second external threat to the privacy of the customers’ information is the existence of viruses in the hotel’s information and technology system. Viruses are programs that can harm the organization’s IT system by freezing or deleting important information from its computers. Viruses gain entry into personal computers through infected portable disks, email attachments and shared local networks. When viruses attack the organization’s network system, it can lose all or most of the important files, including personal details and financial information of the customers (Tesone, 2006). Threats – Internal and External Computer threats, which include internal and external attacks, can interfere with the hardware that is used to store vital resources of the organization; consequently, such threats can cause the organization serious hardware and software losses. Internal threats refer to attacks that are initiated by insiders of a firm, who mostly comprise unhappy and dishonest staff.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Internal and External Security for The Holiday Inn Online Reservation System specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Most employees who want become internal attackers can easily gain access to the organization’s information technology (IT) system; as a result, they are able to coverup their tracks by making the threats undetectable. The situation can get worse if such employees have administrative rights of entry into the organization’s IT system. As a result of internal threats, the organization can los e crucial files that are important in carrying out important business operations (Nyheim, McFadden, Connolly, Paiva, 2005).  On the other hand, external threats are carried out by attackers who are not employees of the organization. Most external attackers are malicious users who carry out the attacks by gaining access to the organization’s networks without the assistance of the employees. External threats are carried out by scanning and collecting data with the intention of causing damage to it. External threats are mostly detected through thouroughly scrutinizing all the firewall logs that exist in the IT system (Nyheim, McFadden, Connolly, Paiva, 2005). External threats are divided into two categories: structured and unstructured types. Structured external threats are carried out by people whose main intention is to damage important information concerning the organization, its employees and its clientele. The main inspirations behind structured external threats are ter rorism, politics, greed, and racial intolerance. These attackers comprise people who are highly skilled in up to date network attack methods, which they use to gain access to an organization’s system. An unstructured external threat is almost similar to a structured one only that it is normally done by unskilled attackers, whose motivation is to gain fame by attempting to hack into websites of either individuals or organizations (Nyheim, McFadden, Connolly, Paiva, 2005). Security Procedures Against Privacy Threats There are a number of procedures and resources within the organization that need to be protected against network threats. The resources include spywares, inventories, and passwords. Spyware refers to computer software designed in such a way that it is able to collect users’ personal information or change the users’ computer settings without their consent. Spyware applications are transmitted into an organization’s computer through an infected f ile, which is normally downloaded from a website. A computer can be protected against spyware by installing an anti-spyware application. Anti-spyware applications scans file downloads to ensure that none of the files contain such threats (Nyheim, McFadden, Connolly, Paiva, 2005).Advertising Looking for assessment on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Inventory is another resource within the organization that needs protection against threats. There are two types of inventories in the organization: software inventory and network inventory. The two inventories can be protected by installing Lansweeper into the organization’s computers and the entire IT system. Lansweeper, when installed into the system, enables inventory software to detect the applications installed on the system, and ascertains when the installations should happen. Lansweeper also enables network inventory to detect hardware appliances installed on the organization’s computers. Networks supported by Lansweeper also scan windows devices and other appliances such as IP enabled devices (Nyheim, McFadden, Connolly, Paiva, 2005). Lastly, passwords can also be used to protect the resources, which are kept in the organization’s computer systems. Passwords comprise words or numbers that are only known to the user and which they use to access their co mputer. Passwords are used to enhance system security and user privacy by preventing unauthorized people from gaining access to personal computers. The use of passwords also helps to prevent unauthorized actions, which compromise the security of the IT system. Passwords also help IT management personnel to protect the system from unauthorized disclosure or unauthorized alteration of the data kept in the system (Tesone, 2006). Conclusion The paper talks about the security and privacy issues affecting the hotel reservation system at the Holiday Inn. The privacy issues are caused by internal factors, such as malicious users, and external factors, such as hackers and viruses. Apart from the privacy issues, the paper also unveils the internal and external threats, which adversely affect the organization’s resources. Lastly, the paper recommends spyware protection, use of passwords and inventory enhancements, as some of the ways The Holiday Inn can use to protect its resources and private details of its clients. References Nyheim, P. D., McFadden, F. M., Connolly, D. J., Paiva, A. J. (2005). Technology strategies for the hospitality industry. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Tesone, D. V. (2006). Hospitality information systems and e-commerce. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Sons. This assessment on Internal and External Security for The Holiday Inn Online Reservation System was written and submitted by user Desiree Holder to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Proposal on the Project of Providing A Comprehensive Understanding of Sickle Cell Anemia Essays

Proposal on the Project of Providing A Comprehensive Understanding of Sickle Cell Anemia Essays Proposal on the Project of Providing A Comprehensive Understanding of Sickle Cell Anemia Essay Proposal on the Project of Providing A Comprehensive Understanding of Sickle Cell Anemia Essay This Project was inspired by the fatality of the subject in question. Though, many people have heard about this Disease but only a few have the knowledge of the characteristics and the know-how to handle this fragile but deadly blood poison. I propose to undertake this topic to achieve the following: To create awareness on the deadliness of the disease to both the General Public and members of the OSU fraternity. To make available to the General public the comprehensive information on the diagnosis and treatment of Sickle Cell Anemia by having a general overview of what the symptoms are. To provide the public with the various causes of the disease and the characteristics of the various forms of it that we have. To explain how it can be effectively managed and suppressed. I hope to achieve all the above by: Making use of my experience with family member who was affected by this disease and my knowledge of medicine as a student. Providing a summary and the analysis of research on Sickle Cell Anemia with great comparison on from at least five different but notable medical journals wherein informed and extensive research had been carried out. Interviewing medical staff specialized in diagnosis and treatment as well as dealing with victims of Sickle Cell Anemia. I will be able to gather first hand information on the disease and be in a better-informed position to enlighten the public with my findings, observations and inferences. My target beneficiaries of this Project would be Practitioners and the Reading Public. After this comprehensive and exhaustive report has been put together and made available to the target groups, I would have achieved the following:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A great sense of usefulness to my generation.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A broader spectrum of knowledge of the topic myself and therefore;  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Becoming a one-on-one authority on the subject matter and would be able to educate peers, families and most especially the public on the disease.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A more informed community of people with greater sense of responsibility rather than stigma to Sickle Cell anemia patients. All these I believe make the Project worthwhile and important in the achievement of a world devoid of Sickle Cell Anemia – the silent killer.

ART EDUCATION ACROSS CULTURES Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ART EDUCATION ACROSS CULTURES - Research Paper Example At the Fowler Museum, its current location, one may gain appreciation of the eruditely chiseled details in the art of the hornbill’s sculpture which is specifically prominent with its peculiarly and sharply pointed bill having a seemingly elaborate trajectory and body painting under various strokes and pigments depicting how colorful Iban festivals are. Besides its extensive recognition as an object of art of aesthetic and crucial value, hornbill carvings signify the way of life of Iban people and the unique reputation associated with Iban’s utmost festive celebration with religious rituals (Davenport). Hornbill Figure typically is a special embodiment of a bird believed to possess knowledge and wisdom of what is to come. Aside from bringing a prophecy upon which Iban communities heavily relied in the past, it is profoundly considered as a fundamental medium that allowed blending of spiritual dimension with the world of humans so that the latter may possibly convey thei r freedom to interact with spirits and supernatural beings in a variety of concerns.

Research Paper on a Terrorist Group Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

On a Terrorist Group - Research Paper Example The â€Å"Al Qaeda† was formed in Afghanistan in 1989 to fight the members of the Soviet Union in that country. During that time, the Soviet Union wanted to suppress a budding Islamic Revolution. Thus, the founders of Al Qaeda wished to counter this oppression under the common banner of Islam. A huge number of Arab Afghans travelled from all parts of the Arab world to participate in this â€Å"jihad† and enrolled at the recruitment camp of the organization at Peshawar, situated at the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden and Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri arrived at Peshawar and took over the leadership of the group. During the beginning the organization functioned as a hierarchical structure to facilitate its participation in the war against the Soviets. This arrangement helped the group to send military troops and war aids to Afghanistan and gradually prepared the organization to launch a concerted attack on the countries of the Western world. Thus, during the e arly years of its formation, the Al Qaeda was a highly structured and systematically arranged organization. After the Soviet troops were defeated in Afghanistan, the group changed its structure into a network organization. (Mishal, Rosenthal, 2005, p 3) The Al Qaeda can be classified as an international political terrorist organization. In the opinion of Mishal and Rosenthal (2005), the organization followed a hierarchical order in the beginning and later changed into a network organization. After the attack on Afghanistan in 2001, it assumed the form of a Dune organization. During the time, when the Al Qaeda was engaged in a war with the Soviets in Afghanistan, the group was a hierarchical organization. It was divided into small units which were arranged like pyramids under the group’s common leadership. After its transformation into a network-based organization, the structures within the group were redefined. Al Qaeda became more of a transnational organization which was willing to direct its activities towards multiple causes. During the period 1998 – September 2001, the terrorist group operated as a network organization. (Mishal, Rosenthal, 2005, p 2) Objectives The Al Qaeda was initially formed to counter the Sovi et Union’s attack on the growing Islamic revolution in Afghanistan. After the defeat of the Soviet troops, the group became a transnational organization which was engaged in pursuing a number of causes as its objectives. In February 1998, Osama bin Laden brought together a group of state-level Muslim leaders and organizations to form the â€Å"World Islamic Front for Jihad against the Jews and Crusaders (IIF)†. The IIF formulated its objectives in accordance with the World Islamic Front Statement of 1998: to free the al-Aqsa mosque and the Holy Mosque of Mecca from the hold of America and it allied nations, it was the duty of every Muslim to extricate civil and military citizens of USA and its allies. They were free to carry out their mission in any country which they

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Psychological Assessment I, II, III - Essay Example He was generally cooperative and seemed to give his best efforts to the tasks presented to him. It was apparent that it was easy for him to understand and respond to questions and his thought processes were mostly focused and clear, except in providing information about his past, which were sometimes incomplete and vague. When he did poorly, he became self-critical, annoyed and appeared slightly anxious. For example, in some items in the Boston Naming test, he would stare at the picture for some time before naming it, and when he realizes that he was wrong, would say, â€Å"Stupid, stupid, how hard could that be!† while pounding on the table. Dr. Anoxia was born in Wisconsin to a father who was a teacher and a mother who was a bookkeeper. When he was eight years old, his family had to move to New York because his father has accepted a teaching post in a school in Queens. When he was seventeen, his father died of a heart attack. Four years later, his mother died of cancer. According to him, he pursued graduate studies in Economics in her honor. He met his wife while attending graduate school at the New York University in 1963. Together, they raised three children who are currently successful professionals. The break-up of his marriage began when all the children have grown and left home to live their independent lives. He finally had a divorce after 22 years of marriage. His father, being a teacher had a great influence on his academic performance, expecting nothing short of excellence from him. His father’s mentoring made him excel in high school both in academics and in sports, specifically Golf. His above average school records earned him a spot at the University of Vermont where he graduated in 1957 with a bachelor’s degree in Economics. Upon graduation, he was hired by one of his professors to be one of the researchers for a government-funded study. The challenge and success he derived from his work inspired

Relations in Small and Medium Enterprises

Relations in Small and Medium Enterprises Employee Relations in Small and Medium Enterprises A Non-union Approach Introduction The term SME or small and medium business enterprise is often used to describe a business enterprise that has anywhere between 10 to 15 employees for a small business whereas anything under 250 would be a medium enterprise. However, the number of employees is not the only classification that is used, and can be as diverse as turnover, industry, or business structure. According to a survey carried out by the Department for Business, Innovation Skills (BIS) in 2004, the UK had 1.16 million private sector firms with fewer than 250 employees, representing 94 per cent of all employers in the UK economy.1 These SMEs employed a total of 8.66 million employees (36 per cent of all employees in the UK) and they accounted for 47 per cent of private sector employers turnover. This suggests the apparent importance of these enterprises. The other important aspect of SMEs is their ability to be innovative, and adaptive to the constantly changing market environment, creating employment opportunities in the economy, and contributing to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). SMEs vary in size depending on the industry, and skills. A biotechnology firm is likely to have fewer highly skilled employees where as a cleaning services firm will have more unskilled workers. Nonetheless, the fact that a significant fraction of the working population is employed by an SME, it is necessary to understand how these enterprises are managed, and how human resources policies regarding recruitment, training, performance evaluation, and day to day employee relations are adopted and practiced. Management and employment relations in an SME A typical structure of an SME is largely business, product or process orientated, with little specialist involvement in areas outside the remit of the business, human resources for instance. Managers have little expertise or qualifications to conduct personnel management task, most managers tend to rely on their past experience in managing relationships. This is interesting because it provides a unique opportunity to study management issues and strategies that can be anywhere from non-existent in a small firm to informal and semi-formal in a medium firm. Tradition management styles that have been identified in Fox (1974) and Purcell and Sisson (1983), relate to management perspectives with regards to employee relations in an industrial setup. The classifications were based on the type of views held by both management and employees, where both could be either unitary or pluralist. Marchington and Parker (1990) point out that these differences were in relation to how management viewed unions and their involvement on issues like employee participation and conflict resolution. These assertions are applicable in a large complex organisation but may not necessarily be true in a small setup where human resources and employee relations may be absent altogether. Goss (1991) found that management styles at small firms were likely to be characterised by how the owner-manager experience relative disposition of power, and identified four types of management control Fraternalism, Paternalism, Benevolent Autocracy, and Sweating . The distinction was based on how much independence employees enjoyed for every degree of dependence the employer possessed. A host of studies conducted in the UK (WERS, 2004), Europe (EIRO, 2006), and Canada (CFIB, 2004) give an idea of what management practices are adopted in the SME sector generally and how working hours, training, remuneration, and employee representation are handled. A key observation found synonymous in all the studies was that employee representation, although significant, was conducted in informal settings through individual contracts and concepts of collective bargaining and unionisation were largely absent in smaller firms but rose with firm size. And where a non-union employee structure is prevalent, it is difficult to compare or comment on the effectiveness of such a structure, as all previous studies go only as far as determining the type of employee participation practiced but do not assess their quality of impact. Non-union employee participation According to Guest (2001), a non-union workplace lacks formal human resources or industrial relations departments which interface between management and employees. Dundon et al., (2005) describe a non-union workplace where the importance of union is not recognised in determining employee issues such as pay and work conditions, as opposed to whether or not employees are members of any union. They also point out the reasons, incentives, and motivation for managers for choosing a non-unionised interaction with the workforce. Guest and Hoque (1994) went on to classify the various non-union employer types, differentiating them on the basis of a range of human resources attributes. They banded employers as either good, bad, or ugly depending on these attributes. Although some counter arguments to this classification were on the grounds of methodology selected and if it collected information on employee views on their employers, and the lack of motivation and incentive, if any, from the emp loyees in preferring to be non-union (Dundon, et al., 2005). Although type of employee participation and representation is seen as an important part of the relationship between management and employees, it is interesting to understand how these become part of the culture. Freeman and Medoff (1984) describe employee representation, or employee voice, as having both consensual and conflictual connotation, and showed how participation could impact quality and productivity, whilst on the other it could help resolve disputes. Managers in a relatively small workplace are likely to view non-union participation more favourably because they may not have experience of dealing with unions and may feel more comfortable dealing with issues locally and informally. As the workforce becomes larger and larger, the advantages of a non-union representation diminish and firms tend to seek a formal approach to interaction as seen in larger firms. Ackers et al., (2004) suggest that direct communication with the employees is also one of the most significant concept of a non-union employee representation, adding that managers would be more willing to share information relating to the business, work arrangements, staffing and job prospects directly with employees. Collective bargaining, remuneration, and workplace relations The concept of collective bargaining is more or less relevant to a union based employee representation, where the propositions are deemed to be in the best interest of the entire workforce as opposed to a single employee or groups. Since the relationships between management (owners, managers) and employees are less formal, such discussions can take place individually and would reflect the firms position vis-Ã  -vis a particular employee. On the other hand, managers responsible for personnel matters may be involved in other tasks and is likely to spend more time on such tasks than those in similar positions in larger firms. Wage determinations and remuneration discussions are similarly done, and could be either set unilaterally by the management or negotiated on an individual basis. Therefore it would be common to assume a variable pay structure either by merit or performance, and the likelihood to profit-sharing. Pay reviews could be less regular in such a setup and may often requir e to be initiated by employees. Recruitment, training, and personal development The recruitment process at small firm may be less formal or rigorous compared to large organisations because of the level of expertise and sophistication available within the firm. A lengthy recruitment process can be costly, and can be counter productive to the immediate requirements of the business; hence employers may be willing to make quick decisions on the basis of the incumbents skills alone. WERS (2004) suggest that training and development opportunities were dependant on firm size, the larger the firm the more likely they were to offer on or off-the-job training. This can be true for two reasons, firstly cost implications, and second, the option to hire an already trained worker. In a non-union workplace this can be both beneficial and disadvantageous at the same time, since over-simplification could get the job done but may not necessarily represent the best interests of employees. Conflict resolution Irrespective of the size of the firm, grievances can arise and depending on the relationship an employee involved has with their manager, it could be dealt with informally in the first instance, and small and medium firms would adopt such a process not because they may not have a formal grievances and conflict resolution procedures as seen in large firms. Majority of employers have such procedures for regulatory purposes, but how effectively these are used varies from firm to firm. Since SMEs are not labour intensive collective disputes are unlikely to emerge requiring collective resolution through means of a union representation. This can be viewed as an incentive for managers to have a non-unionised employee representation to avoid the hassles of dealing with the union when a dispute arises (Dundon, et al., 2005). Employee attitudes The WERS (2004) survey reveals that managers in SMEs were more likely to involve employees in workplace related decision making processes and employee influence was greater in small firms than larger ones. Guest and Hoque (1994) suggest that employees that feel better appreciated were more likely so see their employer as good non-union employers and may be even motivated to discourage a unionised workforce which would tend to reduce their influence on management decisions. The employees perception of workplace and management being the same, changes as firm size increases. This is significant enough incentive for managers to cultivate a non-unionised workplace. To this extent there is a big difference between employees expectations for collective representation and employers willingness to subscribe to one. On the whole, the management is in a position to decide what type of representation they would like, and what mechanisms to utilize. Conclusion Small and medium-sized firms are vital for the growth of the economy, and play a significant role in providing employment to the population. The size and nature of products and services offered by these firms varies distinctly, and so does their management and employment practices. Size of the workforce does influence the type of management style that will be adopted, but it also depends on managers (owners) past experience and their perception of how work should be managed based on a set of beliefs. Small businesses have been seen to be less formal and tend to follow a close contact with their employees, and do not conform to hierarchal structures of management that are predominant in large organizations. These structures of relationships tend to get more formal as the firm size increases. Employees, on the other hand, find little or no difference between their workplace and management, an important distinction observed in larger firms which clearly distinguish between the firm and the management. Although employee relations in small and medium sized firms tend to be more informal they can be inflexible to changes in the workplace. Managers may lack the necessary experience and expertise in issues like performance appraisals and dispute resolution; they tend to rely on their experience and prefer to engage the employees directly. Issues of pay determinations and other forms of compensation are set out by managers but it allows employees to engage with management over discussions, without the necessary involvement of collective employee representations like unions. The dialogue is less formal and gives the management opportunity to consider personal circumstances of employees. Similarly conflict resolution and grievances are accorded an informal process, whereas any disciplinary action resulting from such discussions may be formal and follow a traditional approach. And because managers prefer to have a less formal involvement of employees the concept of non-uni onized representation is favoured as management sees more flexibility in running the business and find to have less control when a collective representation is sought. Formality in relationships increases with firm size when management wants to have more distance between owners and employees in order to maintain a consistent level of control through decentralization. The degree of formality exercised may vary within the firm itself, for instance management may adopt a more formal approach to employee training and development, but at the same time conduct performance appraisals informally. In regards to SMEs the nature of employment relations is not always straightforward and management practices, which may appear simple and unsophisticated, are influenced by a variety of factors and have evolved as a response to a particular need as the industry and business requirements, or regulations, evolved over time. References Ackers, P., Marchington, M., Wilkinson, A. and Dundon, T. (2004), The management of voice in non-union organisations: managers perspectives, Employee Relations Vol. 27 No. 3, 2005 pp. 307-319 Atkinson, J. and Meager, N. (1994) Running to stand still: the small firm in the labour market, in J. Atkinson and D. Storey (eds.) Employment, the Small Firm and the Labour Market, London: Routledge. Bacon, N. and Hoque, K. (2005) HRM in the SME sector: valuable employees and coercive networks, International Journal of Human Resource Management, 16, 11: 1679-99. Benson, J. (2000), Employee voice in union and non-union Australian workplaces, British Journal of Industrial Relations, Vol. 38 No. 3, pp. 453-9. Beresford, R. (2003) Trade unions and small firms, Federation News, 53, 2. Blackburn, R. (2005) Researching the employment relationship in small firms: what are the contributions from the employment relations and small business literatures?, in S. Blyton, P. and Turnbull, P. (2004), The Dynamics of Employee Relations, 3rd ed., Macmillan, London. Bolton Report (1971) Report of the Committee of Inquiry on Small Firms, Chaired by J. E. Bolton, Cmnd. 4811, London: HMSO. Bryson, A. (1999) The impact of employee involvement on small firms financial performance, National Institute Economic Review, 169: 78-95. Bryson, A. and Millward, N. (1997) Employee Involvement in Small Firms: A Review of the Literature, London: Policy Studies Institute. Carroll, M., Marchington, M., and Earnshaw, J. (1999) Recruitment in small firms: Processes, methods and problems, Employee Relations, 21, 3: 236-50. Chaplin, J., Mangla, J., Purdon, S., and Airey, C. (2005) The Workplace Employment Relations Survey 2004 (WERS 2004) Technical Report (Cross-Section and Panel Surveys), London: National Centre for Social Research. Charlwood, A. (2003), Willingness to unionize amongst non-union workers, in Gospel, H. and Wood, S. (Eds), Representing Workers, Trade Union Recognition and Membership in Britain, Routledge, London. Cosh, A. and Hughes, A. (2003a) The British SME sector 1991-2002, in A. Cosh and A. Hughes (eds.) Enterprise Challenged: Policy and Performance in the British SME Sector 1999- 2002, Cambridge: Cambridge University Centre for Business Research Cox, A. (2005) Managing variable pay systems in smaller workplaces, in S. Marlow, D. Patton and M. Ram (eds.) Managing Labour in Small Firms, London: Routledge. Cully, M., Woodland, S., OReilly, A. and Dix, G. (1999) Britain at Work: As Depicted by the 1998 Workplace Employee Relations Survey, London: Routledge. Dundon, T. (2002), Employer opposition and union avoidance in the UK, Industrial Relations Journal, Vol. 33 No. 3, pp. 234-45. Dundon, T. and Rollinson, D. (2004), Employment Relations in Non-union Firms, Routledge, London. Dundon, T., Grugulis, I. and Wilkinson, A. (1999) Looking out of the black hole: nonunion relations in an SME, Employee Relations, 21, 3: 251-66. Dundon, T., Wilkinson, A., Marchington, M. and Ackers, P. (2004), The meanings and purpose of employee voice, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 15 No. 6, pp. 1150-71. Forth, J., Bewley, H., Bryson, A. (2004), Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey, Routledge, London Freeman, R. and Medoff, J. (1984), What Do Unions Do?, Basic Books, New York, NY. Gall, G. (2004), British employer resistance to trade union recognition, Human Resource Management Journal, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 36-53. Goss, D. (1991), Small Business and Society, Routledge, UK Guest, D. (2001), Industrial relations and human resource management, in Storey, J. (Ed.), HRM: A Critical Text, Thompson Learning, London. Guest, D. and Hoque, K. (1994), The good, the bad and the ugly: employment relations in new non-union workplaces, Human Resource Management Journal, Vol. 5 No. 1, pp. 1-14. Lavoie, A. (2004) Work-life balance and SMEs: Avoiding the one-size-fits-all trap, CFIB Research: 10-12 Lewin, D. and Mitchell, D. (1992), Systems of employee voice: theoretical and empirical perspectives, California Management Review, Vol. 34 No. 3, pp. 95-111. Marchington, M. (2005), Employee involvement: patterns and explanations, in Harley, B., Hyman, J. and Thompson, P. (Eds), Participation and Democracy at Work: Essays in Honour of Harvie Ramsay, Palgrave, London. Marchington, M., Goodman, J., Wilkinson, A. and Ackers, P. (1992), New Developments in Employee Involvement, Employment Department Research Series, Paper No. 2, HMSO, London. Marchington, M., Wilkinson, A., Ackers, P. and Dundon, T. (2001), Management Choice and Employee Voice, CIPD Publishing, London. Pfeffer, J. (1998), The Human Equation, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA. Ramsay, H. (1977), Cycles of control: workers participation in sociological and historical perspective, Sociology, Vol. 11 No. 3, pp. 481-506. Rose, E. (2008) Employment Relations, 3rd ed., Pearson Education Limited, UK: 58-95, 273-331, 334-420.

once upon a midnight dreary :: essays research papers

â€Å"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary†, is one of the most famous poetry lines in America. Edgar Allan Poe had a life most people would think of as crazy. He wrote a famous poem called â€Å"The Raven† that is very strange like most of the poems he wrote.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Edgar Allan Poe had a devastating childhood and a dark life as an adult. He was born January 19,1809, under the name of Edgar Poe. His father soon abandoned Poe and his fate is unknown. When Poe was two years old his mother died. John Allan who was part of the Ellis and Allan Tobacco Merchants then adopted him. Poe attended many schools because he could never manage to stay in one school very long. In 1826, he went to the University of Virginia for not even one year and was kicked out because he never paid his gambling debts. Poe started living a dark life after he was kicked out because he had to live on the streets. He married his 13-year-old cousin Virginia Clemm in 1836. He was happy until 1847 when Virginia Clemm died. He was so unhappy that a year later he attempted suicide. The circumstances of Poe’s death remain a mystery. But after a visit to Norfolk and Richmond for lectures, he was found in Baltimore in a pitiable condition and taken unconscious to a hospital where he died on Sunday, October 7, 1849. He was buried in the yard of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Baltimore, Maryland.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Raven† is a very great poem that has many literary devices and has great meaning. Edgar Allan Poe wrote many poems but â€Å"The Raven† is probably his most famous poem. â€Å"The Raven† was chosen because in 4th grade my teacher read it to the class and since then it has had a lot of meaning. This poem is about a †rapping at my chamber door† and then he realizes a raven causes the rapping on his chamber door. The raven is always saying â€Å"Nevermore† and then he goes so crazy he kills himself. He dies because the speaker says â€Å"And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor/ Shall be lifted- nevermore!† â€Å"The Raven† contains many literary devices such as symbolism, metaphors, sensory images, and personification. The raven symbolizes the character conscious. A metaphor in â€Å"The Raven† is the raven being a â€Å"a thing of evil† which is represented through out the poem.

P&G Japan: The SK-II Globalization Project Essay

SK-II’s success is not only prestige skin care product or advanced technology but also its marketing approach to build the new brand. P&G succeeded to connect between the core technology or product concept and local market. Through Japanese market among the world’s toughest competitors, P&G developed potential source of innovations. In addition, SK-II’s marketing strategy built a new approach, Market research, Concept, Packaging, Positioning, Communications strategy. It was a big challenge that P&G shifted from Mass marketing, such as Olay brand, to Class marketing. SK-II’s marketing strategy. The primary issue concerning the case is the transformation of â€Å"SK-II† from a local brand to a global brand. This case allows us to evaluate how companies can â€Å"internationalize† their brands, and the obstacles and issues that they face while addressing this issue. Until now, SK-II can be characterized as local product in Japan with a sizable r egional customer base in Taiwan and Hong Kong. SK-II brand is positioned at the high- end of skin care and provides high margins for the P&G. To adopt Japanese independent sales style for skin-care, they were sold through special stores by well- trained beauty counselors. At first, to examine the underlying reasons behind the difference between Japanese and other corporate management, I sum up the significant reasons why P&G’s Japanese operation was a failure until 1984 as follows: 1. P&G did not take the time to determine the local needs based on the culture and common practices among Japanese customer. The product development was based on Western markets and it was assumed that it would streamline itself to other areas of the world. 2. Stagnation in innovation is a failure for almost any business. With technology always moving forward at a fast rate, it is imperative for all retail products to constantly put forth effort in  research and development. R&D is one of P&G’s strong points, yet the mismanagement of the division led to complacency in the development work. Due to the lack of improvements and the time lost, it allowed other competitors to release superior products quickly and efficiently. This ultimately led to a significant decrease in market share for P&G. 3. The Japanese distribution system is complex and difficult to assimilate to. P&G did not research and strategize to form new efforts in distributing the products efficiently and take advantage of the benefits of the distribution system commonly used. Instead of fixing the problem, P&G turned towards reduced pricing which drove the distributors away and caused sales to drop. Corporate management methods and the actual managers at headquarters in US and EU have certainly won many achievements in the US and Europe and elsewhere. In many cases, however, Western managers and Western management teams are ill prepared to succeed in Japan. In many cases, like P&G, drastic changes in thinking and management methods and personal changes at headquarters would be necessary to succeed in Japan. However, there are not many Western companies, which act on this knowledge. In this case, there were two major changes that P&G implemented to improve its operations to increase its profitability. Firstly, P&G increased R&D budget and secondly, they restructured with a plan called Organization 2005. Organization 2005 dealt with corporate cultural changes in becoming less risk averse and more productive with use of time. They encouraged innovation and creative high risk decisions with new products at a rate of more than once a month. Process changes included compensation reform with greater incentives based on performance, stock options to all employees, streamlined administrative aspects of marketing, payroll, and budgets on a more global/regional level. Structural changes included changing from 4 regional units to 7 global business units (GBUs) that were responsible for executing the global strategies of the company. Each GBU were tasked with creating a uniform production process for all their regional products so that they can be more cost effective and more open in new product rollouts. They also reduced the number of brands and only kept the ones with high sales and global potential. More power was given to lower level managers and the levels of bureaucracy were reduced by eliminating the amount of steps to the top. Among the human resources organization corporate cultures that have  changed Japan, foreign companies such as P&G has been the most influential. In fact, deregulation of labor aimed at strengthening international competitiveness and increasing the fluidity of employment has steadily eroded the traditional system of lifetime employment, seniority-based wages, and enterprise welfare at Japanese businesses. Many Japanese companies are now moving more toward a performance- based system when it comes to rewarding and promoting employee to be global company. In order to figure out whether SK-II is a product that can be global brand, we need to identify reasons for SK-II’s success in the Japanese market. First, by based on research of Japanese market, P&G made clear targeting and positioning, and developed new products which fulfilled customers’ needs, built the effective distribution. As a result, P&G could establish differentiation advantages for the following. †¢ Product: â€Å"Foaming massage cloth†, Elegant dispensing box â€Å"Foaming massage cloth† increase skin circulation through a massage while boosting skin clarity due to the microfibers’ ability to clean pores and trap dirt. †¢ Price: Premium price †¢ Place: Luxury and counter at department store †¢ Promotion: Counseling by beauty counselor, TV advertising, Beauty magazines P&G utilized and rebuilt its distribution channels of using trained personnel at beauty counters throughout Japan. SK-II’s success had been achieved in a culture where the customers, distribution channels, and competitors were different from in other countries. For example, Japanese customers more educated, average Japanese women spent 4.5 minutes on her face cleansing, and most sophisticated users of beauty products in the world. On the other hand, in China customers due to Olay’s education recently moved from a one-step skin care process to a three-step cleansing and moisturizing process. However, unlike China, Europe had a large and sophisticated group of beauty-conscious customers who is already practiced a multistep regimen. As we see it is model is transferable but they have to modify some of models characteristic depending on customers behavior, competitors and market factor. P&G Japan’s competitive advantage is firm-specific but SK-II’s advantage is country-specific. I would suggest that de Cesare would be to expand SK-II brand within Japan. The company should continue to build on SK-II’s success in Japan. By building on brand’s  success in the proven domestic market, Procter & Gamble would be able to fully utilize the company’s competitive advantages. In this case, the company has achieved only 3% of the market share of the $10 billion beauty product market, and in addition the Japanese skin care market is forecasted to grow at 28% two-year growth rate. Given these opportunities, de Cesare is well advised to strongly expand SK-II brand within Japan. There are other attributes that make Japanese market attractive; these include brand name recognition and development of new products such as anti-aging and skin whitening that could expand the SK-II product line. Since the Japanese market is highly competitive and requires constant innovation, the Japanese division need to constantly introducing new products that could possibly be introduced to other markets as well. Increased market share and profitability of SK-II brand would also increase the brand’s standing among various Procter & Gamble brands; this increased awareness of SK-II brand could potentially pave the way for brand’s internationalization later on. The Japanese market is also one of the biggest markets for prestige skin care products, not only that, the country is also expected to see the skin care market (both main and prestige) grow by 28% over the next 2 years. However, there are some risks if the de Cesare chooses to only expand into the Japanese mark et. This could potentially make P&G Japan isolated from the rest of the world markets. P&G Japan could be oblivious to changes in the world market, and miss opportunities that could have allowed collaboration in R&D with other divisions that could have led to introduction of new and innovative products. To remain a major market player, P&G needs to keep expanding its products at a global level. I do not believe that the choices between expansion into China or Europe or increasing sales in Japan are all mutually exclusive with each other. All three of the markets can be critical to the successful globalization of P&G and its brands. The European market will probably prove to be the most difficult to penetrate, yet by concentrating on specific cities and markets, there is still potential for P&G’s superior product to prevail. This option would be the lowest priority of the three. P&G will need to keep up with technology and continue with new developments if they want to remain a leader in the prestige market in Japan. In terms of short term profitability, the Japanese market is unmatched. Cesare has forecasted an  earnings growth potential of 200% in 6 or 7 years based off a $150 million sales level. However, the focus should be on the Chinese market based on the long term potential for growth and profitability. All the other major market players are already present in the market so P&G don’t want to fall too behind with their competitors. Although China has a relatively small subset of their population that can afford the expensive SK-II product, it also has the highest growth rate of skin care use at an astounding 28%. With China’s economy and GDP growing at a fast rate, the potential for more able consumers of the 1.2 billion residents is seemingly limitless. In my conclusion, the first priority is they would be to expand SK-II brand within Japan to keep expanding its products at a global level. The next, they should be focus on the Chinese market based on the long term potential for growth. As the lowest priority, the European market will probably prove by concentrating on specific cities and markets.

The History and Evolution of Suburbs

The History and Evolution of Suburbs Suburbs are generally spread out over greater distances than other types of living environments. For instance, people may live in the suburb in order to avoid the density and untidiness of the city. Since people have to get around these vast stretches of land automobiles are common sights in suburbs. Transportation (including, to a limited extent, trains and buses) plays an important role in the life of a suburban resident who generally commutes to work. People also like to decide for themselves how to live and what rules to live by. Suburbs offer them this independence. Local governance is common here in the form of community councils, forums, and elected officials. A good example of this is a Home Owners Association, a group common to many suburban neighborhoods that determines specific rules for the type, appearance, and size of homes in a community. People living in the same suburb usually share similar backgrounds with regard to race, socioeconomic status, and age. Often, the houses that make up the area are similar in appearance, size, and blueprint, a layout design referred to as tract housing, or cookie-cutter housing. History of Suburbs Suburbs are not a modern concept, as this 539 BCE clay tablet letter from an early suburbanite to the king of Persia makes clear: Our property seems to me the most beautiful in the world. It is so close to Babylon that we enjoy all the advantages of the city, and yet when we come home we stay away from all the noise and dust. Other early examples of suburbs include areas created for lower class citizens outside of Rome, Italy during the 1920s, streetcar suburbs in Montreal, Canada created during the late 1800s, and the picturesque Llewellyn Park, New Jersey, created in 1853. Henry Ford was a big reason why suburbs caught on the way they did. His innovative ideas for making cars cut manufacturing costs, reducing the retail price for customers. Now that an average family could afford a car, more people could go to and from home and work everyday. Additionally, the development of the Interstate Highway System further encouraged suburban growth. The government was another player that encouraged movement out of the city. Federal legislation made it cheaper for someone to construct a new home outside of the city than to improve upon a preexisting structure in the city. Loans and subsidies were also provided to those willing to move to new planned suburbs (usually wealthier white families). In 1934 the United States Congress created the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), an organization intended to provide programs to insure mortgages. Poverty struck everyones life during the Great Depression (beginning in 1929) and organizations like the FHA helped to ease the burden and stimulate growth. Rapid growth of suburbia characterized the post-World War II era for three chief reasons: The economic boom following World War IIThe need for housing returning veterans and baby boomers relatively cheaplyWhites fleeing the desegregation of urban cities brought on by the civil rights movement (the White Flight) Some of the first and most famous suburbs in the post-war era were the Levittown developments in the Megalopolis. Current Trends In other parts of the world suburbs do not resemble the affluence of their American counterparts. Due to extreme poverty, crime, and lack of infrastructure suburbs in developing parts of the world are characterized by higher density and lower standards of living. One issue arising from suburban growth is the disorganized, reckless manner in which neighborhoods are built, called sprawl. Because of the desire for larger plots of land and the rural feel of the countryside, new developments are infringing upon more and more of the natural, uninhabited land. The unprecedented growth of population in the past century will continue to fuel the expansion of suburbs in the coming years.

Cool Things to Do With Dry Ice - Chemistry

Cool Things to Do With Dry Ice - Chemistry Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide. It is called dry ice because its frozen, yet never melts into a liquid. Dry ice sublimates or makes the transition directly from frozen solid into carbon dioxide gas. If you are lucky enough to get some dry ice, there are lot of projects you can try. Here are some of my favorite cool things to do with dry ice. Homemade Dry Ice - First you need dry ice, so if you dont have any, make it! Dry Ice Fog - The classic project is to put a chunk of dry ice in hot water, causing it to produce clouds of vapor or fog. Dry Ice Crystal Ball - Place a piece of dry ice in a bowl or cup containing bubble solution. Wet a towel with bubble solution and pull it across the lip of the bowl, trapping the carbon dioxide into a giant bubble that resembles a crystal ball. Frozen Bubble - Freeze a soap bubble over a piece of dry ice. The bubble will appear to float in the air over the dry ice. Fizzy Fruit - Freeze strawberries or other fruit using dry ice. Carbon dioxide bubbles become trapped in the fruit, making it fizzy and carbonated. Singing or Screaming Spoon - Press any metal object against a piece of dry ice and it will appear to sing or scream as it vibrates. Dry Ice Ice Cream - You can use dry ice to make instant ice cream. Because carbon dioxide gas is released, the resulting ice cream is bubbly and carb onated, sort of like an ice cream float. Dry Ice Bubbles - Place a piece of dry ice in bubble solution. Fog-filled bubbles will form. Popping them releases dry ice fog, which is a cool effect. Simulate a Comet - Simulate a comet using dry ice and a few other simple materials. It will even produce a tail like a real comet. Dry Ice Jack-o-Lantern - Make a cool Halloween jack-o-lantern that spews dry ice fog. Dry Ice Erupting Volcano Cake - While you cant eat dry ice, you can use it as a decoration for food. In this project, dry ice produces a volcanic eruption for a volcano cake. Dry Ice Bomb - Sealing dry ice into a container will cause it to burst. The safest version of this is to place a small piece of dry ice into a plastic film canister or potato chip can with a pop lid.Inflate a Balloon - Seal a small piece of dry ice inside a balloon. As the dry ice sublimates, the balloon will blow up. If you use too big a piece of dry ice, the balloon will pop!Inflate a Glove - Similarly, you can put a piece of dry ice into a latex or other plastic glove and tie it closed. The dry ice will inflate the glove. Dry ice is a lot of fun to play with, but it is very cold, plus there are other hazards associated with it. Before attempting a project involving dry ice, be sure you are aware of dry ice risks. Have fun and be safe! Dry Ice Facts | Dry Ice Science Fair Projects

Book review article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Book review - Article Example ave an enormous task to create a relaxed and comfortable environment in which learners discover the complexities associated with the language and language acquisition (Kinginger, 2013, pp.21). However, knowledge of linguistics does not necessarily lead to successful language teaching practice. Jack Richards and Theodore Rodgers (2007) in the book Approaches and methods in language teaching discusses the major trends in language teaching in the twentieth century. The two authors emphasize the benefits of cooperative language teaching in contemporary classroom settings. On the other hand, Wei Li, Vivian Cook, and Flowerdew (2009) in the book dubbed Contemporary applied linguistics focus on the different perceptions, attitude and motivation that learners have toward the target language and how they (perception, attitude and motivation) affect language learning. Meanwhile, Karlfried Knapp (2007) in the book Handbooks of applied linguistics: communication competence, language and communic ation problems practical solution, discusses the domains of language awareness. Cooperative learning (CL) is arguably one of the most efficient language learning strategies for all student types, including mainstream students, English language learners (ELLs) and academically gifted students (Richards & Rodgers 2007, pp. 192). It not only promotes learning but also fosters friendship and respect among diverse groups of learners. Through cooperative learning strategies, students learn to depend on each other in a rather positive way for different learning tasks. However, it is imperative that teachers establish classroom protocols and norms that guide students to share, encourage each other, stay on task, contribute, and solve problems (Richards & Rodgers 2007, p. 192). The classroom norms will also guide students to help each other, as well as give and accept feedback from peers. Cooperative learning is particularly useful to students learning a second language. Besides, it promotes

What is the relationship between globalisation, poverty and inequality Essay

What is the relationship between globalisation, poverty and inequality - Essay Example The essay "What is the relationship between globalisation, poverty and inequality?" aims in showing that globalization operates in specific contexts and is still influenced by policy interventions on national and transnational levels. Furthermore, poverty and inequality has been an offshoot of human development starting from the rapid human industrial activity. If one looks at the current problems produced, the solutions lie not in the replacement of the economic model but in correcting the flaws. For example, international rights and standards must be established or the enforcement of code of conduct that would govern international corporations and institutions. The essay describes that it is important to underscore that globalization is an evolving phenomenon. The problem that produces inequality, (i.e. the tariff reduction and subsidies on certain industries) are still being discussed and negotiated by countries, undermined by the influence of industrialized economies and the inde pendent bilateral and multilateral trade agreements that are consequences of politics and client. Presently, these still remain as agenda languishing on bargaining tables. The flaws of globalization are not fundamentally structural. Instead, most of it comes from the failure of states to commit to the idea that it espouses. Countries, especially the rich economies, are still resistant to eliminate trade barriers, opting to protect domestic industries. Then, there is the lack of a governing mechanism that would regulate the conduct of multinational corporations to prevent their excesses and made them accountable for their acts and force them to follow international standards - not just in the context of business, production, wage, human rights, - but also in the area of ethics.