sdfasdf

sdfasdf Paul Kim Ms. C Ms. BEnglish Period 4Equality and Discrimination is shown in many different ways in the world today. Equality is the quality state of being equal or state of having the same rights, social status, etc. Discrimination is the practice of unfairly treating a person or a group of people differently from other people or groups of people.Lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people also known as LGBT people don't have all the equal rights and opportunities as other people in society. Many LGBT people go through discrimination in employment, housing and in public places. They are deprived their freedom of expression and privacy. People that are Lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender are discriminated against and they fight with inequality and discrimination every day.Many lesbians, gays, and transgender people are treated unfairly. Most states in the US do not support the marriage or gays or lesbians and have laws that prevent gay marriage.English: The Human Rights Campaign h eadquarters lo...A police chief that was openly gay was recently fired according to the article written by the Human Rights Campaign. Chief Crystal Moore was fired by Mayor Bullard and many believe the reason she was fired was because she was openly gay. She served the people of Latta, SC for over 20 years and she is being fired because she is gay. This is clearly very racist and violates human rights.There are 17 states that allow Same-sex marriage and 33 states that prohibit gay marriage. According to the Targeted News Service (TNS) Louisiana repealed "Crime Against Nature" laws. "Crime against Nature" laws states that adults engaged in oral or anal sex will be fined and be put in prison. This law basically means that it will not tolerate gays or lesbians. These laws create inequalities and also promotes discrimination against...

The Battle of Tippecanoe in Tecumsehs War

The Battle of Tippecanoe in Tecumseh's War The Battle of Tippecanoe was fought November 7, 1811, during Tecumsehs War. In the early 19th century, Native American tribes sought to oppose American expansion into the Old Northwest Territory. Led by the Shawnee leader Tecumseh, the Native Americans began to assemble a force to oppose the settlers. In an effort to prevent this, the Governor of the Indiana Territory, William Henry Harrison, marched out with a force of around 1,000 men to disperse Tecumsehs men. As Tecumseh was away recruiting, command of the Native American forces fell to his brother Tenskwatawa. A spiritual leader known as The Prophet, he ordered his men to attack Harrisons army as it encamped along Burnett Creek. In the resulting Battle of Tippecanoe, Harrisons men were victorious and Tenskwatawas forces were shattered. The defeat resulted in a severe setback for Tecumsehs efforts to unite the tribes. Background In the wake of the 1809 Treaty of Fort Wayne which saw 3,000,000 acres of land transferred from the Native Americans to the United States, the Shawnee leader Tecumseh began a rise to prominence. Angry over the treatys terms, he revived the idea that Native American land was owned in common by all the tribes and could not be sold without each giving their consent. This idea had previously been used by Blue Jacket prior to his defeat by Major General Anthony Wayne at Fallen Timbers in 1794. Lacking the resources to directly confront the United States, Tecumseh began a campaign of intimidation among the tribes to ensure that the treaty was not put into effect and worked to recruit men to his cause. While Tecumseh was endeavoring to build support, his brother Tenskwatawa, known as The Prophet, had begun a religious movement which stressed a return to the old ways. Based at Prophetstown, near the confluence of the Wabash and Tippecanoe Rivers, he began garnering support from across the Old Northwest. In 1810, Tecumseh met with the Governor of the Indiana Territory, William Henry Harrison, to demand that the treaty be declared illegitimate. Refusing these demands, Harrison stated that each tribe had the right to treat separately with the United States. Shawnee leader Tecumseh. Public Domain Tecumseh Prepares Making good on this threat, Tecumseh began secretly accepting aid from the British in Canada and promised an alliance if hostilities broke out between Britain and the United States. In August 1811, Tecumseh again met with Harrison at Vincennes. Though promising that he and his brother sought only peace, Tecumseh departed unhappy and Tenskwatawa began gathering forces at Prophetstown. Traveling south, he began seeking assistance from the Five Civilized Tribes (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole) of the Southeast and encouraged them to join his confederacy against the United States. While most rejected his requests, his agitation ultimately led to a faction of the Creeks, known as the Red Sticks, commencing hostilities in 1813. Harrison Advances In the wake of his meeting with Tecumseh, Harrison traveled to Kentucky on business leaving his secretary, John Gibson, at Vincennes as acting-governor. Utilizing his connections among the Native Americans, Gibson soon learned that forces were gathering at Prophetstown. Calling out the militia, Gibson sent letters to Harrison urging his immediate return. By mid-September, Harrison had returned along with elements of the 4th US Infantry and support from the Madison Administration for conducting a show of force in the region. Forming his army at Maria Creek near Vincennes, Harrisons total force numbered around 1,000 men. Moving north, Harrison encamped at present-day Terre Haute on October 3 to await supplies. While there, his men constructed Fort Harrison but were prevented from foraging by Native American raids which began on 10. Finally re-supplied via the Wabash River on October 28, Harrison resumed his advance the next day. Tenskwatawa, The Prophet. Public Domain Nearing Prophetstown on November 6, Harrisons army encountered a messenger from Tenskwatawa who requested a ceasefire and a meeting the next day. Wary of Tenskwatawas intentions, Harrison accepted, but moved his men onto a hill near an old Catholic mission. A strong position, the hill was bordered by Burnett Creek on the west and a steep bluff to the east. Though he ordered his men to camp in a rectangular battle formation, Harrison did not instruct them to build fortifications and instead trusted to the strength of the terrain. While the militia formed the main lines, Harrison retained the regulars as well as Major Joseph Hamilton Daveiss and Captain Benjamin Parkes dragoons as his reserve. At Prophetstown, Tenskwatawas followers began fortifying the village while their leader determined a course of action. While the Winnebago agitated for an attack, Tenskwatawa consulted the spirits and decided launch a raid designed to kill Harrison. Armies Commanders: Americans General William Henry Harrisonapprox. 1,000 men Native Americans Tenskwatawa500-700 men Casualties Americans - 188 (62 killed, 126 wounded)Native Americans - 106-130 (36-50 killed, 70-80 wounded) Tenskwatawa Attacks Casting spells to protect his warriors, Tenskwatawa sent his men to the American camp with the goal of reaching Harrisons tent. The attempt on Harrisons life was guided by an African-American wagon-driver named Ben who had defected to the Shawnees. Approaching the American lines, he was captured by American sentries. Despite this failure, Tenskwatawas warriors did not withdraw and around 4:30 AM on November 7, they launched an attack on Harrisons men. Benefiting from orders given by the officer of the day, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Bartholomew, that they sleep with their weapons loaded, the Americans quickly responded to the approaching threat. After a minor diversion against the north end of the camp, the main assault struck the south end which was held by an Indiana militia unit known as the Yellow Jackets. Standing Strong Shortly after the fighting began, their commander, Captain Spier Spencer, was struck in the head and killed followed by two of his lieutenants. Leaderless and with their small caliber rifles having difficulty in stopping the onrushing Native Americans, the Yellow Jackets began falling back. Alerted to the danger, Harrison dispatched two companies of regulars, who, with Bartholomew in the lead, charged into the approaching enemy. Pushing them back, the regulars, along with the Yellow Jackets, sealed the breach (Map). A second assault came a short time later and struck both the northern and southern parts of the camp. The reinforced line in the south held, while a charge from Daveiss dragoons broke the back of the northern attack. In the course of this action, Daveiss fell mortally wounded . For over an hour Harrisons men held off the Native Americans. Running low on ammunition and with the rising sun revealing their inferior numbers, the warriors began retreating back to Prophetstown. A final charge from the dragoons drove off the last of the attackers. Fearing that Tecumseh would return with reinforcements, Harrison spent the remainder of the day fortifying the camp. At Prophetstown, Tenskwatawa was accosted by his warriors who stated that his magic had not protected them. Imploring them to make a second attack, all of Tenskwatawas pleas were refused. On November 8, a detachment of Harrisons army arrived at Prophetstown and found it abandoned except for a sick old woman. While the woman was spared, Harrison directed that the town be burned and any cooking implements be destroyed. Additionally, everything of value, including 5,000 bushels of corn and beans, was confiscated. Aftermath A victory for Harrison, Tippecanoe saw his army suffer 62 killed and 126 wounded. While casualties for Tenskwatawas smaller attacking force are not known with precision, it is estimated that they suffered 36-50 killed and 70-80 wounded. The defeat was a serious blow to Tecumsehs efforts to build a confederacy against the United States and the loss damaged Tenskwatawas reputation. Tecumseh remained an active threat until 1813 when he fell fighting against Harrisons army at the Battle of the Thames. On the larger stage, the Battle of Tippecanoe further fueled the tensions between Britain and the United States as many Americans blamed the British for inciting the tribes to violence. These tensions came to a head in June 1812 with the outbreak of the War of 1812.

Strategic Planning for South County Hospital in making it a ACO Term Paper

Strategic Planning for South County Hospital in making it a ACO - Term Paper Example Low profitability of the hospital has placed it at the bottom of the reimbursement. South Rhode hospital intends to solve this situation by joining a heath service provider system such as Care New England. This would make it an Accountable Care Organization benefiting from the merger with other hospital. This would assist the hospital toward continuity of their mission and achieving their vision (Cleverley et.al 288). The merger with other hospitals would help South Rhodes hospital to acquire better bargaining power in procuring services and other requirements. It would also enable SCH to refer some of the severe case to other hospitals within the system. Section One Strategic focus Aim of the plan This plans to improve the financial position of the sc hospital, increase net income and overall profitability. This will lead to sustainable improvement in financial performance and continued growth in cash flow by improving debt ratios; continued growth in inpatient and surgical volumes; continued gains in liquidity Mission statement; Enriching the quality of life for the southern Rhode Island community and visitors through delivery of quality affordable health care services Developing cooperative relationship with other care providers and promotion of wellness through health education and community involvement Vision statement: To achieve a healthy southern Rhode Island community through provision of quality and affordable health services to all our clients To have a community that is informed on health care services, their rights and responsibilities by creation of health care awareness. Long term objectives The south Rhodes hospital through this strategic plan aims at achieving the following objectives: Improve the reimbursement position for the hospital Increase affordability of services to clients Increase treatment opportunities to clients through merger with other hospital Diversify means for paying for the services give hence increase profitability Key orga nizational competences In order to achieve the above set objectives the hospital management needs to have a competent financial management team that will look into the financial crisis in the hospital. Vigorous marketing campaign shall be necessary to market the new hospital policies and improvement on service delivery, the marketing department should be set out to perform this role. The marketing campaign will also be essential in marketing the services of the hospital as this created consumer awareness. Consumer awareness attracts customers into the organization which then will lead to increase customer turnover and sales or revenues. Organizational values The south county hospital holds the following values in their operations toward achieving the strategic plan goals: humility, honesty, diligence and accountability. Performance objectives The performance objectives below will form the basis of determining the hospital’s performance score. This will be a tool to measure pr ogress towards the achievement of the objectives set in the strategic plan. Performance area Performance Measures Target Time Frame Financial management Biannual income figures and profit calculations Increase in income position and profitability Achieve a 5% increase in the profits 1 year Client and market progress Client turn up record and analysis of trends: repeated subsequent visits by clients

Academic Sucess Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Academic Sucess - Essay Example Success in education is determined by the interplay of many factors that contribute to an individual’s success both in academics and life. To be successful, extreme effort needs to be applied to reach your goals. Purpose, responsibility, hard work all lead to success. Students who apply these principles have a greater chance of achieving success. Therefore, this paper focuses on discussing the necessary steps an individual has to take to ensure or increase the probability of success in academics. Purpose in life is the greatest motivator in life, a life without purpose is at most meaningless because it lacks direction and the passion necessary to live a fulfilling life. When this is applied to academics, it plays the same role of charting a path for the student and determining the kind of attitude that a student is going to have towards achieving their academic goals. For a student to be able to properly harness the true capacity that is induced by purpose, they should first evaluate what motivates they desire to excel in academics and apply these motivators on self (Moon, 2008). According to Moon, students should endeavor to understand that excellence can only be achieved through individual commitment and participation and that no external factor can influence their success without their direct involvement. Applying oneself to the objective of excelling requires an individual to have a healthy self-esteem by thinking highly of themselves and being worthy of the high aspirat ions that they desire (Moon, 2008). Lack of self-esteem in individual confines the limitless potential that can be realized by the belief in one self. A student should be capable of identifying the reasons behind their aspirations and justify them as being able to satisfy their desired objective. The need to lead a better life, through improved living standards, can be cited as the drive towards achieving academic excellence because

Issues of Equality and Diversity Essay Example for Free

Issues of Equality and Diversity Essay Equality is about learners’ rights to attend and participate, regardless of their gender, race, ethnic origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation and age. Therefore it is extremely important to identify any barriers to learning that may arise. To promote inclusion, at the point of initial assessment, the learner needs to disclose any disabilities that may make it difficult for them to access the course. Once these needs have been identified, the teacher needs to consider effective strategies or identify appropriate resources which would support the student, for example, a visually impaired student may need worksheets written in Braille, a hearing impaired student may need the use of a hearing loop. The teacher too must ensure that their own attitudes and beliefs do not discriminate in any way and so understand, as Gavells states,P18 â€Å"All learners are entitled to be treated with respect and dignity. Everyone is an individual, with different experiences, abilities and needs. As a teacher, you need to take this into account when teaching and ensure you give equal support to all your learners without favouritism.† The teacher needs to establish good rapport and equal opportunities by showing respect. Diversity is about valuing the differences in people. To ensure that all different students feel secure in their learning environment, it is important that at the start of the course the teacher establishes ground rules which explicitly state that all students will respect the points of view of others thus ensuring all students are valued. The teacher also needs to enforce these rules consistently. Inclusion may also be promoted by an understanding of different learning styles –visual, aural and kinaesthetic (Fleming 1987). The teacher may identify that different students prefer to learn in a particular way, for example a kinaesthetic learner likes physical activities but may not like reading, therefore the teacher can personalise the teaching to incorporate more physical activities to ensure that the learner is fully engaged and included in the lessons. This may need the teacher to adapt activities within the Scheme of Work to ensure that a range of activities meet the learning styles within the group of students. Geoff Petty P.560 lists further strategies which can promote inclusive learning which include motivating individual students with tasks they value, using inclusive questioning methods such as assertive questioning, ensuring feedback is constructive and set challenging tasks. Finally, all learners are individuals and for effective inclusion the teacher needs to listen to his students and reflect on their experiences. At the end of the course the students may complete evaluation sheets and these will allow the teacher to reflect on the learners experiences and identify strengths of the course and areas which need to be modified to improve the learning for future students. Bibliography Petty, G.(2009) Teaching Today 4th Edition Nelson Thornes Gravells,A. (2008) Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector 3rd Edition Learning matters

Wackenhut SS :: Personal Narrative Writing

Wackenhut SS It was a warm spring day. I turned down the radio as I drove across the bridge at Hoover dam, water and cement connected the state line separating Arizona from Nevada. Crossing the dam then past the tourist information center reached two huge stone angel monuments with arms and wings stretched toward the sky. The sight of them invoked religious desperation from me as if a I was lacking from divine intervention. Parked on either side of the two towering angels sat two highway patrol cars. One on each side of the statues like vultures ordered by the sherif of Nottingham to victimize taxpayers. I felt desperate and uneasy as I stared into the troopers eyes as I passed by and they stared back. I am not paranoid but that doesn't mean they are not after me. Everyone is a suspect and victim for harassment and possible revenue. My sense of privacy dissolved with the irreverent mix. Psychically connected and hoping to break the troopers attention, I turned up Black Sabbath on the radio and sa ng along. "They tell you black is really white, the moon is just the sun at night and when you walk through golden halls, you get to keep the gold that falls, it's heaven and hell." The patrol cars stay put as I wind up the mountain road out of sight. I keep the heavy metal tunes blaring to give me that extra boost of primal fire that leads one to believe that enough vrihl energy omnisciently moves away adversaries. My attention shot through their hollow headslike a laser out of the screaming skulls of hell. Aggressive aesthetic attention, makes things move quicker with a lottery of victims. I drop my vigil as I drive through Henderson Nevada. From the clouds, mountains and small skyscrapers, the twilight cast a weird silhouette around the city. I felt safe, as if the ratio of civilians had the police outnumbered. I turn off the radio to sense the silence that Lake Mead evoked in the sunset. Winding up the highway, the sky pulled like a magnet, my hair stood on end, the roof of the car like static electricity. I head north-west towards Vegas into the orange twilight. I light a joint and savor the powerful ringing in my ears as I focus my attention on the electric silence, invisibly driving me into Las Vegas.

Comparative Study of Texts

The module comparative study of texts should remain in the Board of Studies syllabus as it can provide a powerful insight into the human condition and social values of an era. The play â€Å"Away† by Michael Gow and poems published in â€Å"Sometimes Gladness† written by Bruce Dawe are both texts which reflect similar conditions that the typical person living in suburban Australia between the 1950’s and 1960’s experienced. There were many significant events that took place during these two decades such as the aftermath of the Great Depression and the country’s military involvement in the Vietnam War.These incidents led to an outbreak in excessive consumerism and rising conflict amongst the Australian population on the subject of conscription. Through the analysis of the above mentioned texts, comparisons can be established. The 1950’s and 1960’s saw the beginning of a very consumerist Australian society where by treasured values were r eplaced with superficiality. In the play â€Å"Away†, Gwen’s obsessive longing for all things materialistic began to take over her life and affect the relationships she had with her family.The diminishing ideals of the pre-boomer generation are the resultant of the Great Depression which occurred in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s. Many Australians were left unemployed which gave them the inability to support themselves with a home or even a decent meal. On the left hand side, you can see two men walking down the streets with signs hung around their neck on the lookout for a job so they are able to efficiently provide for their family. In Gwen’s confrontation with daughter Meg whilst being accused of purposely leaving Jim’s cardboard carton behind containing Christmas presents, she explains how she has â€Å"Sacrificed!Gone without. Gone through hardship so what happened to us will never happen to you. So you’ll never know what we s aw – never, never, never. † The short sentences followed by the repetition of the word ‘never’ give emphasis to Gwen’s devastating situation as she recalls the difficult stage in her life that unless you were in the same circumstances, will never be able to understand. On the right hand side of the slide shows a house formed by Australian currency. This represents both Gwen and Jim’s desire to live the Australian Dream of home ownership.Gwen’s money-oriented nature often causes her to look down on others who she believes are not entitled to the privileges she is as they have not worked for it. While in discussion with Meg about Tom’s family and their upcoming holiday she says â€Å"They both work don’t they? In a factory, isn’t it? I’m sure that’s what I heard. A lean-to. They shouldn’t be going on a holiday if they can’t afford one. † Gwen generalizes their family in contrast to t he hardships she financially struggled with in her adolescence that she persisted through to earn what she has today.These past experiences have made her appreciate the value of money to which she vows to never have to live so miserably ever again. Likewise, similar concepts regarding increased consumerism in this particular time period can be seen in Dawe’s â€Å"Enter Without So Much as Knocking†. This poem follows stages of a man whose life since birth is built on consumerism. The 1950’s were a time where social values regarding consumerism were substantially changing, especially as a result of the new advances in technology.The television, being one of the major developments only started to become mainstream in Australia a few years before this poem was published. The poem opens with a new born baby being introduced into a hectic fast city paced lifestyle. The first words heard when carried into the front door were Bobby Dazzler on Channel 7, â€Å"Hello, h ello, hello all you lucky people. † The repetition of the word â€Å"hello† gives emphasis on the irony of the materialistic world the child just has entered into. Although Bobby Dazzler refers to the viewers as lucky, the immoral ethics and lack of human emotion that the child is exposed to would suggest otherwise.The photo on the left shows a person who is surrounded by materialistic objects along with the word consume to show how the persona in the play’s whole life revolves around consumerism. Consumerist attitudes are also seen later in to the poem, when the family are defined as a â€Å"Well-equipped smoothly-run household†, using labels that would typically be given to commercial products when advertising. The hyphenated words create an extended listing effect that would appear when reading product descriptions before considering buying.This dehumanizes the family as if they have been purchased as objects and have not been described based on persona l characteristics thus demonstrating how consumerism has completely ruined our lives. This idea is represented in the deceptive picture on the right, with the phrase â€Å"Consumerism is killing us all†, however with few letters blurred out leaves the words â€Å"Consumerism is in us all†. The Vietnam War was another prime concern which had a massive impact on both the veterans and their loved ones during the 1960’s. Specifically, the introduction of conscription laws within Australia were very ontroversial as the public felt that they should not be forcefully sent overseas, but instead used for home defence only. In â€Å"Away†, it is learnt that Roy and Coral have lost their son at war after he was randomly selected through the conscription method of recruiting troops. Both Coral and Roy have different approaches to coping with the loss of their son which begins to threaten their relationship. Roy sees his son’s involvement in the war as a contri bution to a â€Å"country with one of the highest living standards on earth. † leaving his wife Coral who is still clearly distraught from the outcome, without any emotional support.After the school play, Coral awaits her husband alone outside where through monologue, is able to address her exact thoughts out loud to the audience. Coral has been moved by â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream†, in particular Tom’s role who she cannot help but think of her young and innocent son who was taken away far too early. She makes a direct reference to her son â€Å"Is it better for them to die like that? † Through the soliloquy it is evident that Coral is incapable of dealing with the pain and despair the world has to offer, leaving her in an unstable state.The image on the left is of a young Australian veteran who was called up in the first intake of national servicemen under the conscription scheme, who would have been placed in the exact situation as Roy and Co rals son. Later on in the play, Roy confronts Coral about her inability to control her low-spirited behaviour around people when she is at school functions and that Roy is also still suffering but doesn’t feel included in the mourning of their son. Roy attempts to reassure Coral that there are other families out there who have been victimised by the repercussions of the war with the lines â€Å"But.But. We are not the only ones†. The uses of short sentences are far more powerful in meaning as they are straight to the point in his efforts to comfort Coral from the tragedy. Coral is only one of a few mothers who were outraged due to conscription. On the right, you can see an anti-conscription protest by a group of women called Save Our Sons who formed to counter conscription and in general the war. Identical themes with regards to the nation’s involvement in the Vietnam War and the negative response from the Australian public can be seen in Bruce Dawe’s â⠂¬Å"Homecoming†.The poem is about the process of bringing home deceased bodies from the war who were originally conscripted to fight on behalf of their country. The title itself â€Å"Homecoming† is used in such a sarcastic manner, drawing all attention to the irony. The concept of a ‘homecoming’ would generally call for a celebration and overall give us a warm sensation, however that is not the case for the return of the dead soldiers stripped of their dignity. In the first opening lines of the poem, the procedure of how the bodies are collected for their arrival home are described using graphic terms.Through the use of visual imagery, the mistreatment of the corpses is shown in lines â€Å"they’re zipping them up in green plastic bags† which dehumanize the veterans by their absence of individuality. On the left shows luggage on the tarmac at Vung Tau, a few days before the Vietnam veterans returned home. The enormity of the war is represente d towards the end of the poem through the metaphorical â€Å"the spider grief swings in his bitter geometry. † Dawe refers to a spider’s web to portray the widespread affect the war had on the family and friends within the community who are still grieving.The image on the right shows a soldier being greeted by his young children, who was fortunate enough to arrive home unscathed, unlike many of his fellow war mates. As you can see, exploring related themes of consumerism and conscription in Bruce Dawe’s poems â€Å"Enter Without So Much as Knocking† and â€Å"Homecoming† along with Michael Gow’s play â€Å"Away† allow us to gain an insight into the human condition and social values of an era that we would otherwise not be able to understand on such scale through a study of one of them individually. In saying so, the Board of Studies should reconsider removing the module from the syllabus.

Icts in the Tourism Industry and Its Influences on the Tourist Consumer Behaviour

The tourism industry often needs a various range of information to satisfy and attracts its consumers and most of this information is delivered promptly to the customers with the help of the information and communication technologies (Poon, 1993). And as result, the global tourism industry is rapidly changing and the information and communication technologies ( ICTs) such as the internet is altering the structure of tourism industry and how it market his products and conducts its promotion. In order to understand the role and impacts that ICTs has in the wider tourism industry and to find its influences on the tourist consumer behaviour, it is advised to first know what ICTs are and to comprehend the study on consumer behaviour based on the tourism industry. Information and communication technologies are defined as the collective term given to the most recent development in the mode (electronic) and the mechanisms (computers and communications technologies) used for the acquisitions, processing analysis, storage, retrieval, dissemination, and application of information (Poon 1993 cited in Buhalis 2003, p 7). It can also be defined as â€Å"the use of digital tools for business functions and processes† (Cooper et al 2005, p. 704). When tailing about ICTs, it consist of hardware (self service terminals), software (front office applications), and telecommunications (broadcast of images, teleconferencing †¦ ), and the groupware (tools for group communications such as email). The last one is the humanware which consist of skilled people responsible for the maintenance and programming. Any of these are used in the tourism industry for a better management of operation and communication between stakeholders. The Tourism industry had really gained from the evolution of information technology with the emergence of computerised networks that change the whole stage of the distribution and marketing of tourism products. The most popular and successful applications of ICT used in the tourism industry are the computer reservation systems, the global distribution systems and the internet. In the early 1970s, the airline industry developed the computer reservation systems, an application that became the most important channel of distribution for airlines, and even big hotel companies and tour operators started using it after they recognized the benefit of computerised system. The computer reservation system (CRSs) is† essentially a database which manages the inventory of a tourism enterprise, whilst it distributes it electronically to remote sales ffices and external partners† (Buhalis, 1998). It created the possibility for suppliers to quickly confirm the booking reservations made by consumers but the consumers were also able to use the CRSs to access information of different destinations, packages holidays, and hotels, and used that information to compare prices to find the best deal. The computer reservation system gave tourism organisation the power to manage their products and trade with the rest of the world. The mid 1990 saw the computer reservation system emerged into the global distribution systems (GDSs), the â€Å"system that distribute reservations and information services to sales outlets around the world† (Giaoutzi and Nijkamp 2006, p. 24). It did not just contains information of flights and hotels like the CRSs but had a wide range of services and products linked to tourism such as entertainment, car rental, lodging, train ticketing. Both the CRSs and the GDSs are known also to reduce the cost of communication, and to provide information on the competition. During the time that the GDSs was developing, the internet and World Wide Web was providing direct opportunities for tourism suppliers to interact with its customers by offering less expensive information on services and destinations. Companies like easy-jet uses the internet to offer its services directly to the customers and because the internet also offers consumer the possibility to tailor their own holiday, which is why websites like expedia are becoming expanding and popular. During every step of a transaction or deal of the tourism product, there is a lot of information that need to be exchange between every party involved. So the information and communication technologies role is to help the clients and tourism intermediaries have accessed to accurate information and data. These exchanges of information need to be done quickly as the suppliers rely on it to meets the customers’ requests. So the use of ICTs in the tourism industry has turned into a universal feature and power that help and manage information and transfer them all over the world instantaneously. And Buhalis (1998) states that the day to day operations of the tourism industry have been affected by the use of the ICTS. The distribution and marketing function of the tourism industry has been transformed as they use ICTs to target the consumers meet their needs and also the adoption of information and communication technologies by the airlines companies has been an advantage point for them as it help them control and manage reservations. So t goes to say that the fundamental structure of the tourism industry has been reformed by ICTs and businesses involved in tourism will need to keep improving their services to meet the increases level of customer demand that now require fast and accurate information. Despite the fact that the information and communication technologies has broaden the industry capacity of distribution, there are also some issues brought by the same ICTs that could impacts the future operation of the travel industry. According to Thorn and Chen (2005), the risk of losing human resource in business is higher with the application of ICTs. The increase of demand of employees with new technology skills has left existing employees in fear of losing their jobs as businesses are looking for way to accommodate those customers who need their suppliers to respond to new sophisticated demand and information. In this case, it is up to the management team of each tourism business who adopt the use of new technology to offer some intensive training for staff in order to success. But beside the human resource impact, the most talked about impact is the issue of disintermediation in the tourism industry. Disintermediation happen when suppliers and companies are met by a growing pressure from competitors and rising prices (Werthner and Klein, 2001), so to survive in this new technology environment, they set up their own distribution channel such as a website where they can directly offer the consumers the opportunity to tailor their own holiday and look through various range of products online. And by doing that they often save money and Thorn and Chen (2005) raise the fact that travel agencies are quite a risk because of disintermediation which result to booking at travels agents going down by 35% and also they are at risk of losing some of their commissions that came from selling products from tours operators and airlines companies. ICTs caused then to deal with competitions and those who cannot often lose their business but there are always customers who look for the physical contact when it came to book their holiday. The need of face to face interaction still gives travel agents the chance to stay in the tourism chain. Over the years, the information and communication technologies also had an impact on the consumer too, because of the improvements that ICTs bring on the quality of services given by tourism organisations. By allowing consumers to make fast reservations or save money by comparing price through the internet, ICTs created a new type of consumers who are now becoming more ophisticated and skilled. With the consumer behaviours changing, it is up to the tourism organisations to try and understand the motivation behind their choice of destination, or figure out the type of environment that influence their decision to purchase a product instead of another. All of these researches and their answers are quite important as it would help suppliers and companies develop new marketing strategies for products that would reach the appropriate market. The study of consumer behaviour is based on finding out the reason why consumers purchase some products and trying to understand how they came to the decision of making that decision (Swarbrooke and Horner, 1999). This study gives organisations some clues on the why and how that customer came to make a choice between various destinations or products, so with any results find from this study, it will enable them to target the customers and persuade them to buy their products because of the consumer previous making decision purchase. But for the consumers to make a decision there is a lot of factors that come to play and influence them toward the right product. Those factors are the determinants (what make you choose a holiday or not) and motivators (the drive to travel) (Swarbrooke and Horner, 1999). Determinants in consumer behaviour can be internal and external. Internal determinants often consist of factors which are personal to the customer such as choosing a travel destination based on work or business obligation, fear, health problems or commitment with family. Some of those are quite important and they tend to determine and have an effect on the type of travel to book or they can also prevent the consumer to travel. In the external determinant category, consumer can be influenced by the media around them, friends and sometimes a marketing campaign. Motivators in the other hand are the reasons that push the tourists toward travelling. Often motivators are split into two different categories, the general motivators and the specific ones. Some general motivators mentioned by Thomas (1964, cited in Moutinho, 1987) are the cultural and educational motivators which push tourists to discover new culture and lifestyle, to do some sightseeing or explore monuments, and he also identified pleasure, adventure and relaxation as other motivators that provide people with a reason to travel, especially when trying to switch off from the daily routine of their life and just go on holiday to have some fun. And regarding the specific motivators, Moutinho (1987) also contributed in the study by aying that specific motivators tends to come from knowledge, previous experience , recommendation or opinions given by relatives and friends; and it can also come from the travel organisation via the media. The study of consumer behaviour in tourism is helped by various models and processes adapted from others researchers which show clarifications on what goes on when consumers are deciding to make a purchase. In order to understand some behavi our of tourists, this essay will go through the destination decision making process, the recreational behaviour model and stimulus-response model of buyer behaviour. The tourism industry provides two types of products, the tangibles and the intangibles, but because most of it is intangibles, it is difficult to evaluate the products before purchasing so, it often down to images and information of the tourism products that the consumers can make a purchase decision. The tourist decision making process by kotler (1998) shows, that before coming to a decision about buying a product, the consumer goes through various steps. These stages are the need of recognition; information search; evaluation of alternatives; selection of services or products; and the post purchase assessment. In the need of recognition of the buying decision process, the first thing for consumers is to acknowledge that they have a problem or need to purchase a service or products. And by being aware of their need, it is now up to the consumers to find a solution that would give them satisfaction at the end. So it’s next to the second stage of information search where the customer is motivated into doing some intense research to find the correct information which will lead to a decision. There is lot of ways for the tourist to find the information needed. He can go through the search stage by using his own knowledge of the products or he will rely on the external search (Pan and Fesenmaier, 2006) which consist of advertising resources and personal ones. Brochures, travel books and relatives are some of the examples of sources that consumers used to find information, and because of these external sources, tourism organisation identify and learn about the sources since they provide consumers with valuable information that sway their decision. The internet is also another source for consumer to gain access to information in this stage of the decision making with Lake (2001) stressing that almost 95% of people collect information related to travel via the internet and with 93% admitted to visit websites of tourism companies. After gathering enough information, the next move for the consumer is the evaluation of alternative where come the process of comparing and finding the best solution of their problems. Often at this stage, the quality of the products and services will determine how much it is going to satisfy the consumer when they are trying to compare it the products with other alternatives (Kotler, 1998). During the purchase decision process, Kotler (1998) normally consumers have a tendency to buy their favourite brands or products but occasionally the purchase decision become influenced by other people around the consumers, for example parents who are planning to book a holiday with younger children, will not choose an adult oriented holiday destination because they need to consider their children before going into the purchasing stage. Purchasing the products or service from a specific supplier is the fourth step and it will be wrong to think that paying for the vacation is the end of the purchase decision process. In the post purchase evaluation, the consumer will make an assessment like some feedback to see if they had a happy experience when they used the products. A good experience will often lead the consumers to reuse the same products and verbally promote it. And the tourism organisations also find the post purchase stage really valuable to them as the satisfaction level of consumer will turn into loyalty toward the products or services. In the recreational behaviour model, researchers are looking to observe how consumers behave when they decide to travel and (Clawson and Knetch, 1966 cited in Hanlan, Fuller and Wilde, 2006) said that deciding to travel is not a simple process because it also has five phases that make use of some stages of the destination decision making process. The recreational behaviour model start with the anticipation phase where the consumer is thinking about the trip and where all the planning of the trip is being done by including the stage of need of recognition and search of information that was mentioned in the destination decision making process. After the planning phase, it is the travelling to the site stage which can also includes the mode of transport that the consumer is going to use to reach the destination. For example using the orient express as a mode of transport can be seen as a luxury travel experience by itself for the consumer even before they reach their destination. So once at the destination, the model next phase is the behaviour on the site where the consumer arrive to the destination and make use of the services available to him. The behaviour of the consumer once on site is widely influenced by his experience of the services offered. Everything that happened to the consumers during the stay at the destination will impact the last stage of this model, as after travelling back home, the consumers have to have a recollection and recall stage which will consist of the post purchase evaluation stage that Kotler identified in the decision process. Compare to other models of consumer behaviour, the stimulus-response model of buyer behaviour by Middleton (1994) has been modified in order to help the tourism organisation have an understanding of the consumer behaviour during the buying process. In this model, the determinants and motivators that influenced the buying behaviour of the consumer are separated from each other, and at the same time this model also looks at the impacts that the communication channel used by tourism organisation has on the tourist buying process. The stimulus response model of buying behaviour has been based on four elements with the buyer characteristics and decision process being at the core of the buying behaviour. The travel stimuli, the communication channels, the characteristic of the consumer together with the decision process have all an effect on the consumer buying behaviour. The characteristics of the buyer which is made of the motivators and determinants influence the consumer recognition of the travel stimuli and if the consumer is interested by the products that the travel stimulus offered, the decision making process will determine when the buying process will began. The development of Information and communication technologies transformed the tourist behaviour when it comes to searching, booking and buying processes. In the information search, the consumer has the opportunity to find a wide range of information provided by the accommodation sectors, the destinations and airline companies by the use of new technology. And for making their booking, the reservation system put in place allow the consumers to access and make payment online. So it is clear to say that the tools of ICTs allowed companies to embrace technology to be essential to their communication and marketing approach in order to give consumer the freedom to undertaken any process without the help of an intermediaries. The change in consumer behaviour by ICT has been strongly influenced by the internet because it helps the suppliers communicate directly with the consumers who offer the possibility to tailor the products to their taste and need. (Buhalis and Law, 2008) So to finish, this essay has shown that the development of information and communication technologies and its use in the tourism industry had quite an impact on the structure of the industry. It did bring new opportunities to the business by opening different channel for the promotion and distribution of the tourism products and ICTs also allow the customers to quickly receive information no matter the distance. But the loss of human interaction with the use of ICT and the disintermediation has been some of the challenge or problems that the development of technology brought in the industry. So to be successful and retain their customers, tourism organisations has to adopt the technology and adapt it into their businesses. And by trying to understand the effect that information and communication technologies has on the consumer behaviour, I went on to gather information of three different models based on what goes on the mind of the consumer when they are trying to choose a destination, or buy a product. In the models mentioned in this essay, the consumer is often guided with the help of information gathered during the information search stage to make a decision and these models always end with the feedback stage where the consumer expresses their satisfaction or dissatisfaction. References – Buhalis, D. 1998 â€Å"Strategic used of information technology in the tourism industry†. Tourism Management, 19 (5), pp 409-421 – Buhalis, D. (2003). E-Tourism: information technology for strategic tourism management, Harlow: Pearson Education Limited – Buhalis, D and Law, R (2008) ‘Progress in information technology and tourism management: 20 years on and 10 years after the internet – the state of tourism research’ Tourism Management 29, 609-623 – Cooper et al (2005) Tourism, Principles and practice. 3rd ed. Harlow: Pearson Education limited – Giaoutzi, M and Nijkamp, P. (2006) Tourism and regional development: new pathways. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Ltd – Hanlan, J, Fuller, D and Wilde, S (2006) ‘Destination decision making: the need for a strategic planning and management approach’, Tourism and Hospitality Planning and Development, Vol. 3, No. 3, 209-221 – Kotler, P. H. (1998) Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning, and Control, 8th Ed. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall Inc. – Lake, D. (2001) Americans Go Online for Travel Information. [WWW] Available from:

Hagia Sophia Essays

Hagia Sophia Essays Hagia Sophia Essay Hagia Sophia Essay Hagia Sophia one of the most admirable buildings ever created, designed by Anthemios of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus, and built under the Emperor Justinian I from 532–537. The building has an Unbelievable way of allowing light into the building, instead of a few large arched windows Hagia Sophia distributes the weight and allows for numerous windows allowing sunlight to pour into the building. Just in the great hallway alone about ten large arched windows allow the beautifully painted mosaics ceiling, marble coverings, and pillars, to come alive. This fantastic design that the main dome is surrounded on four sides by half semi circles which increases the size of Hagia Sophia immensely when standing below the dome. The Dome in a sense is pulled by the four smaller circular ceiling pieces enlarging the space to make colossal room with a ceiling reaching 180 feet. Each room has a flowing design allowing the space of the entire structure to connect so perfectly. The space is spread out in a centripetal way of organization with the hierarchy space being the large area beneath the dome, which sits above 40 arched windows. This dome is said to have â€Å"changed the face of architecture during the Byzantine empire. † ? These windows also prevent rain and other elements form entering through the roof, however sunlight pours in through these windows. When standing beneath the dome it has an illusionistic design that looks like the dome is actually floating above you. Predominantly the great room surrounded by a lesser hierarchy important rooms which ultimately together interlock to form such a beautiful and unique architectural design. : Every part of the building is so large and extremely detailed; each room is an architectural masterpiece. Space and light are the most prevalent features of Hagia Sophia. Once standing underneath the dome you become amazed at how large of a space you are actually underneath while colossal pillars hold up the ceiling where light flows in. Everywhere you look in Hagia Sophia there are intricate pillars made of breathtaking marble. Hagia Sophia is positioned right in the middle of Constantinople, â€Å"Hagia Sophia became the ceremonial centerpiece of city, the last monument of Roman architectural inventiveness carried out to an ethereal vision on a grand scale. † Several large simple geometric shapes penetrate one another to form the building in such a unique and interesting way. â€Å"Hagia Sophia history is shaded with ownerships by many religions. Beginning in 360 to 1453 it served as the cathedral of Constantinople (also known as Istanbul). For a brief period, it began the Roman Catholic cathedral of the area. † ? Hagia Sophia has been rebuilt several times â€Å"The dome was rebuilt after an earthquake caused its collapse in 557; rebuilt by Isidoros the Younger; there were also partial collapses in the 10th and 14th centuries. The church was converted to a mosque in 1453. † Currently it serves as a Museum. Hagia Sophia changed architecture forever and will always be known as one of the greatest pieces of architecture ever designed.

Using a Focus Word to Help With Pronunciation

Using a Focus Word to Help With Pronunciation Pronunciation can be improved by focusing on the right words. Knowing the difference between content words and function words is the first step. Remember that we stress content words in English as they provide the words that are most important to understanding a sentence. In other words, function words like the prepositions  at, from, or to are not stressed, whereas content words such as the nouns city or investment and main verbs like study or develop are stressed because they are key to understanding. Step 1: Find the Focus Word Once you are familiar with using content words to help with stress and intonation, its time to take it to the next level by choosing a focus word. The focus word (or words in some cases) is the most important word in a sentence. For example: Why didnt you telephone?  I waited all day! In these two sentences, the word telephone is the central focus. Its the key to understanding both sentences. Someone might answer this question by saying: I didnt telephone because I was so busy.   In this case, busy would be the focus word as it provides the main explanation for someone being late. When saying the focus word, its common to stress this word more than the other content words. This may include raising the voice  or speaking the word louder to add emphasis. Step 2: Change Focus Words to Move the Conversation Along Focus words may change as you move through a conversation. Its common to choose focus words that provide the next topic for discussion. Take a look at this short conversation, notice how the focus word (marked in  bold)  changes to move the conversation forward. Bob: Were flying to Las Vegas next week.Alice: Why are you going there?Bob: Im going to win a fortune!Alice: You need to get real. Nobody wins a fortune in Las Vegas.Bob: Thats not true. Jack won a fortune there last year.Alice: No, Jack got married. He didnt win a fortune.Bob: Thats what I call winning a fortune. I dont need to gamble to win a fortune.Alice: Looking for love in Las Vegas is definitely not the answer.Bob: OK. What is the answer in your opinion?Alice: I think you need to start dating girls from here.Bob: Dont get me started on girls from here. Theyre all out of my league!Alice: Come on Bob, youre a nice guy. You will find someone.Bob: I hope so... Stressing these key words helps change the topic from a vacation in Las Vegas  to finding someone to marry to solving Bobs love life issues.   Practice: Choose the Focus Word Now its up to you to choose the focus word. Choose the focus word for each sentence or group of short sentences. Next, practice speaking these sentences while making sure to emphasize the stress word more.   What do you want to do this afternoon? Im bored!Why didnt you tell me she had a birthday?Im hungry. Lets get some lunch.Nobodys here. Where has everyone gone?I think Tom should buy lunch. I bought lunch last week.Are you going to finish work or waste time?You always complain about work. I think you need to stop.Lets get Italian food. Im tired of Chinese food.The students are getting horrible grades. Whats wrong?Our class is going to have a test on Friday. Make sure you prepare. The focus word for most of these should be clear. However, remember that its possible to change the focus word in order to bring out different meanings. Another good way to practice is to use sound scripting - the marking up of your text - to help you practice dialogues.

Nursing Leadership Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nursing Leadership - Research Paper Example It can occur in any form, internal motivated or externally motivated, though if change is to take place it should be for the best to improve the status. For change to take place effectively, addressing the problems should be the first point to be considered. When change takes place things have to be done differently depending on what was changed, it could be time, location, the staff or any other measures. Change and addressing problems should be done systematically, considering the most important to the least important (Antrobus, 2001). Why are there no committees representatives from the units, despite having a hospital committee, this is one of the problems that Nurse Pena should address. A committee representative helps and saves the manager to deal with small issues faced by the staff. They do not have to rush to the manager, leading to wastage of time or even recourses. The manager is scheduled to deal with matters that are beyond being dealt with by the committee representativ e. (Bachrach, 2007) Despite that manager Pena has a hard time and faces many challenges in managing the two different buildings, the committee representatives cooperates with her greatly in that she does not have to attend to all matters personally leading to her, moving from one building to another. As a committee, they should hold meetings to bring rise to issues affecting them as staffs and then can pass them to the manager through the representative, who then discusses them with the hospital committee. These helps the staff to become more out spoken and are courageous and capable of rising up the small problems that they face, since they do not have to meet with their superiors. Rebecca as a leader and manager should have good managerial morals. The staff follows the manager for guides and direction. Nurse Pena is responsible for setting a particular type of leadership that she uses to run the hospital. There are many types of managerial skills, and are used in different fields to operate the many different departments. To be a superior manager among other organizations leaders, she ought to have these strategies or views, Mission: they should understand well what their mission to the organization is and why it does exist. The mission should be put down on paper describing the purpose of the organization. Anyone including the employees and patients should be able to understand it clearly after reading it, since it is not esoteric but rather descriptive (Antrobus, 2001). A vision is also a vital strategy, since is explains where Rebecca is heading the hospital. It should be an abstract to motivate people to imagine it and get encouraged to understand it and be willing to build the imagination to concrete (Graham, 2008). She should also have a set Goal. The goal explains how the organization’s mission and vision are to be achieved and what measure should be taken. A realistic, operational and measurable goal set by a superior leader should give the ex pected results by the organization. The goal also helps reduce wastage of resources like time, money, equipments and people (Buchan, 2002). Competency is also an important strategy in the sense that she has to be seen by the employees, public, stakeholders and her own advisors as a qualified expert leadership and in her field as a manager. It is difficult for her to earn respect, followed and admired unless the people and the surrounding see her as high-credentialed