Meat Industry Essay

People all over the world eat meat for its nutritional value and taste. The United States Department of Agriculture reports that in the year 2011 people in the U.S consumed 25.6 billion pounds of beef. Most of this meat was produced in America. A Holistic approach to food production is important in order to improve the quality of beef. What we feed our cattle, the housing conditions and the slaughter procedure directly impacts our food. What the farmers feed cattle directly affects the quality of beef for the consumer. The cow has many more benefits from eating grass than being fed corn. It is a lot healthier for cows to consume grass because that is what their stomachs are made for. The stomachs have three sections that are made specifically for digesting grass (Healthy Theory -Corn-Fed Vs. Grass-Fed Beef). Today, most cows are put on a diet that is based on corn. The cows used to be fed grass and roam free but since than there have been changes. The idea about feeding cattle grain began during World War II. It all started when farmers were producing more grain than the American population could handle, so the rest of it was fed to cows. It was discovered that feeding a cow different types of grains fattened them up a lot faster than when cows were consuming grass. With a grass fed diet, it takes cows about five years to reach 1,200 pounds. However, with the grain-based diet it takes a cow about 390 days to get to a reachable weight for slaughter (Healthy Theory -Corn-Fed Vs. Grass-Fed Beef). Also, the producer benefits more from feeding his cows corn because it is cheaper than grass. Therefore, a diet based on corn is more cost effective but the quality of meat has less nutritional value (Why Grass Fed- Health Benefits of Grass Fed Beef). The consumer benefits more from meat that comes from cows that consume grass rather than in-taking different types of grains. The cow is a lot healthier and happier when it is eating grass, which results in higher quality meat. Since cows’ stomachs are meant to break down grass, a corn based diet causes changes in the digestion of a cow leading to serious health problems, such as diarrhea, ulcers, and a weakened immune system. As a result of these issues, the cows are given antibiotics to help prevent this from occurring, which makes the meat unhealthier (Healthy Theory -Corn-F ed Vs. Grass-Fed Beef). Another huge topic of concern is the disregard of animal welfare. These animals aren’t being cared for and they are treated as units of production (Learn About The Issues). In order to fatten up cows in time for slaughter, many farmers put them in feedlots. The conditions these cows go through are unbearable. As many cows as possible are crammed into each pen. The result of this is massive amounts of waste covering the animals living space (The Issues Animal Welfare). This causes the air to be unhealthy and creates many gases and diseases that aren’t wanted. During the whole time the cows are in the feedlot they are breathing in methane gas. Large amounts of methane are bad for animals because it takes away oxygen from the air, which can affect the central nervous system (2- Health Effects of Methane). The alternative is a more holistic way, which allows the cattle to roam around freely on huge pastures until they get fat enough to get slaughtered. In the United States, animal welfare is being ignored, because cows are being treated i n a cruel and unhealthy way. When they are living in the feedlots, they are covered with manure and aren’t being cared for. As soon as cows are fat enough to get slaughtered, they are sent to the closest slaughterhouse. On their journey they are faced with heartbreaking situations. They are often transported from 1,200 to 1,500 miles away in scorching hot weather or freezing temperatures. Dr. Lester Friedlander, a former U.S. Department of Agriculture veterinarian inspector said, â€Å"They are crammed onto trucks and go without food or water for days†. When it is cold, they are in the back of a trailer with nothing covering them. As the driver drives sixty miles per hour, cows are being exposed to a variety of extreme weather. Many cows collapse in hot weather. While they are traveling they urinate. After sometime it begins to freeze while their hooves are standing in it. Also, the fur of the cows â€Å"†¦ freezes to the sides of the trucks until workers pry them off with crowbars†(Cow Transport and Slaughter). When the cows get to the slaughterhouse, they are often in bad conditions. Most of them are sick and cannot walk because they are too weak. In order to move weak and injured cows they are dragged along with a bulldozer by a chain around their neck or leg. Even though they are in bad shape, cows are still being used for their meat because it means more money in the producer’s pocket. If some of the cows are able to walk, they are still abused. Workers beat them with a metal rod in order to move them faster (The Humane Society of the United States). Also, before they are killed the cows are lined up to wait for their turn to be stunned so that they will pass out before they get slaughtered. Sometimes the stunning procedure does not work. Ramon Moreno, a slaughterhouse worker has stated that he often has to cut the legs off of cows that are completely conscious. â€Å"They blink. They make noises,† he says. â€Å"The head moves, the eyes are wide and looking around. †¦ They die piece by piece.† If workers try to report that the cows are still alive they risk loosing their jobs (Cow Transport and Slaughter). After cows reach a certain weight they are ready to be slaughtered for meat consumption. The process of tu rning cows into packed meat can cause the meat to be infected. Before they are slaughtered, cows are cleaned. However, in some cases not well enough. The waste of the cow can get into the processed meat that is being cut by the workers. This can contaminate the meat with E-coli, which is a type of bacteria that can lead to death. â€Å"According to Centers for Disease Control estimates, up to 20,400 cases of E. coli infection and 500 deaths from E-coli disease occur annually in the United States† (Escherichia Coli 0157:H7). Another disease that is created in these fast paced industries is mad cow disease. (the issues-slaughterhouses and processing). Mad cow disease affects the cow’s nervous system and it causes the cow to act confused and loose control of the ability to walk (What is Mad Cow Disease). When people eat infected beef they may contract a human version of mad cow disease. It affects the nervous system causing depression and loss of coordination. As it becomes more severe, it causes dementia (The Basics of Mad Cow Disease). With our modern day technology, slaughterhouses are able to kill thousands and thousands of cow’s every day. There are many solutions that can change the food industry to produce their meat in a more animal friendly way. To help cut back more meat being produced in factories, consumers can support local farms by eating food that is grown locally. Holistic farming care for their animals and focus on getting delicious, healthy meat than just producing more and more for profit. The food quality of holistic farmed meat is a lot better because the cows are raised and treated well as opposed to when the animals are abused their whole life. If we really want a change, it is up to Americans to demand that. Currently, laws support the industrial farming methods and lack the attempt of helping small farms grow. An example is that American tax money goes to support research and the operating cost of large food producing companies (Learn About the Issues). In order for there to be a change, citizens need to become aware of the process. Change will happen by the consumer supporting politicians who are looking to change the food industry. Consequently, producers would need to be more focused on the care of the animals than earning as much money as possible. What American farmers feed their cattle, where they raise them and how they get slaughtered directly impacts the quality of our food. It is important for consumers to be aware of the United States food industry because there is so much more behind the food brought to you in the supermarket. If the consumer buys meat that is produced holistically, and legislation puts focus on the care of animals, the food industry will be forced to improve their methods.

Social interactionism: an introduction, an interpretation, an integration Essay

A theory is a coherent group of general propositions that are tested, regarded as correct and can be used as principles (Thomas, 2012: p243). Through the study of sociology and other disciplines, different theories have been developed. These theories are developed with an aim of explaining different facts and events experienced by human beings. Some of the proved theories include interactions theory, labeling theory, structural functionalism theory, moral panic theory, conflict theory among others. Interactionism theory refers to the ways people approach questions relating to social cognition (Partington, 2009:p.91). It provides the basis of how one person understands the other. It focuses on environmental contexts and body behaviors rather than mental processes. It brings an argument against two different contemporary approaches that are the simulation theory and theory (TT). Social interactionism theory explains language development emphasizing on the role of social interaction between linguistically knowledgeable adults and a developing child (Leeman, 2008:p.37). It is largely based on socio-cultural theories invented by soviet psychologist. There are other theories closely linked with interactionism theory. Such theories include Labeling theory, Moral panic theory, structural functionalism theory, conflict theory among others. This paper critically explores and analyses interactionist theories of crime and deviance. It gives a critical assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the theories. Labeling theory, moral panics, structural functioning and conflict theories are also analyzed. The whole report introduces different theories, how they are developed, merits and demerits, and how they are related to human living. Interactionism theory                Interactionists study the impacts that theories such as labeling have on people (Yang, 2007:p.1525). They are critical theories of right wing such as the right realism, new right, and functionalism. They claim that social control agents, such as police, are fair, unbiased and just. Though the study conducted by Cicourel shows how these agents like police hold typifications leading to prophecy of self fulfilling. Interactionism theory opposes theories of social structure held by theories of Right Wing. It has a belief that it gets free will instead of having a passive reaction to the society. It is believed that people stops interpreting a situation even before choosing which action to take. Sociologically, interactionism being a theoretical perspective derives social processes like cooperation, conflict, and identity formation from human interaction (Nisbett, 2012:p.109). It gives a study of how people act within the society. For the last half of the 21st century, interactionism theory has become the most sociological perspective dominant in the world. Its development has been facilitated by an advocate of subjectivity of social reality and pragmatism, George Herbert Mead. Later, Herbert Blumer reviewed Mead’s work and invented symbolic interactionism theory. Interactionism has been subdivided into phenomenology, social action, ethnomethodology, symbolic interactionism, and social constructionism (Manzon, 2007:p3). Interactions                Interactionism is micro-sociological in nature. It has a belief that any meaning is obtained through individual interactions. Social interaction refers to a face-to-face process comprising of reactions, actions, and mutual adaptation existing between individuals (Gallagher, 2010:p.441). The aim of social interaction is to facilitate communication between different people. Control is an important tool in the interaction process. During interaction, one must try to control the behavior of other people. This is important as it facilitates acquiring of information one is seeking and controls one’s own image. â€Å"Presentation of self† and â€Å"social role† is the most important concept in the field of interactionism. Interactionists are interested in understanding individuals and their actions within the society (Farral, 2012: p.392). They do not agree with class as an issue they reject the notion of generalizing that people from one social class thinks the same. They have a belief that every person has different values, attitudes, culture and beliefs. They reject structuralism methods preferred by structuralisms on statistical data. These rejected methods include; structured interviews, experiments, questionnaires, secondary sources and non-participant observation (Preacher, 2007:p.188). They criticize that; statistical data is ‘invalid’. They say that statistical data do not provide people with true societal picture on the topic under research. Secondly, they criticize that the research is not objective as it is biased. They argue that the research is biased because of the hypothesis of a pre-set conclusion (Rosenhan, 2009: p.213). They advocate for several methods to contrast structuralism methods such as, unstructured interviews, overt participant observation, and covert participant observation. They also give a historical analysis, personal and public documents through content analysis. Interactionists criticize that data provided are not reliable. This is because sociological research and information cannot be contrasted or compared. Despite their criticisms, interactionism methods are not flexible. Lack of hypotheses shows that a sociologist is not required giving an attempt of proving a theory or dogma; instead they work on what they discover. This results to unreliable information as the sociologist is not allowed to have any assumption concerning the society. Research has also shown that interactions such as socialization affects and alters human behavior (Pr eacher,2008:p.879). This theory links us to other theories such as Neo-Marxism and pluralism. Pluralism                It is a theory with an idea that public gets what they want. It has a notion that people’s lives offer choices such as representative democracy. Consumer choice is an idea that means each has the ability as a consumer to change any life aspect if he/she wishes to do so (Gala, 2008: p.273). According to pluralism theory, reflection of the values, norms, and beliefs of the majority exists. Interactionism theory exists in different forms that are social and symbolic interactionism. Symbolic interactionism                It emphasizes on the micro-processes by which people construct identities, meanings, and joint acts (Anderson, 2009:p.373). It accentuates how interaction, symbols, and human agency serve as the cornerstone of people’s social life. This theory is a sociological perspective with many influential areas of the discipline. It is mostly significant in social psychology and micro sociology. It is a product of two key theorists, Charles Horton Cooley and George Herbert Mead. Basic approach and premises                Symbolic interactionism has been used as a label in a distinctive relative approach to the study of human conduct and human life. It has made reality be seen as a social interaction developed with others. Symbolic Interactionists believe that physical reality exists through an individual’s social definitions (Aram, 2009:p.98). The theory has proved that people do not respond directly to the reality but rather to the understanding of social reality. Human beings therefore, exist in three a social reality, physical reality, and a unique reality (Becker, 2009:p.29). Physical reality comprises of natural facts and material necessities. Unique reality shows a person’s ability to view things in a new way, do something unique, or make a unique discovery. Lastly, social reality shows that a person has a socialized world conception such as economic structure and gender role. The theory has proved that both the society and individuals are two inseparable items. They are created through social interaction, and none can be understood in the absence of the other (Ritzer, 2010p.896). Central ideas behind symbolic interactionism                A person has to be understood as a social being. Constant search in the social interaction contributes to how human beings behave. Symbolic interactionism does not focus on the personality of a person or how society causes human behavior. Its focus is based on the activities taking place between actors (Charon, 2009: p.210). Individuals and society are both created through interaction. Social interaction serves as the central point of what a person does. A person has to be understood as a thinking being. Action of a human being is both an interaction among the individual and within the individual. Human ideas, attitudes or values are not as important as the constant active thinking process undergoing in a human being. The theory states that if a person wants to understand something, he or she must focus on thinking. A person does not sense his or her environment directly, but define his or her current situation. Even though the environment exists, what is important is how a person defines it. The definition does not happen randomly, but it is as a result of ongoing thinking and social interaction (Manzon, 2012: p.637). Human action is caused by the results of what is occurring in today’s life. It results from the present thinking, social interaction, definition, and present definition (Ferback, 2011: p.677). These present activities lead to actions and not the past experience. Experience enters primarily to the present actions as we think about it and use it to define the present situation. Human beings are known to be active as far as their environment is concerned. In symbolic interaction, a human being is not described using words such as conditioning, controlled, responding, formed, and imprisoned. Social-scientific perspectives describe human beings as active in what they do, but not passive to their surroundings (Athens, 2013: p.408). Central interactions principles Human agency                It is a principle that puts more emphasis on willful, active, goal seeking character of human actors (cousins, 2008:p.151). The emphasis of this principle focuses on the attention of those events, actions and social life moments. These agentic actions of a human agency are known to be palpable. Interactive determination                It is a principle that specifies understanding focal analysis of the objects (Partington, 2009: p.366). It specifies the analysis whether they are identities, self-concepts, practices, roles, or even social movement. This means that the society, individual, self, or others exist only when related to each other thus they are fully understood through their interaction. Symbolization                It highlights the processes by which conditions and events, people, artifacts and other environmental characteristics with certain meanings become objects of orientation. A person’s behavior is contingent partly on the meaning and symbolization of the object of orientation (Preacher, 2010:p.407). Emergence                Its focus is on the attention of the non habituated and procession side of life. It focuses not only the texture and organization of social life, but also the associated feelings and meaning (Rouger, 2009: p.261). It emphasizes on the possibility of new forms of system meaning and social life together with the existing transformations. Criticisms                Symbolic interactionism has always been criticized because of being over impressionistic in their methods of research. They have also been criticized for their theories being unsystematic. Critics argue that symbolic interactionism is not a single theory (Anderson, 2009: p.489). However, it operates as a framework of many theories. Some prominent theorists criticize the theory due to lack of testability which creates a problem when using the theory. These problems made the interactionism theory camp are relegated to a minority position in the field of sociologists. Frame work and theories                Some of its critiques are based on the fact that it is assumed to be a theory, but it does not have a good basis of a theory. Its framework is too general and broad that creates a problem when theorists are seeking a theory. According to Stryker (2003: p.123), symbolic interaction is not a theory but rather a theoretical framework. Social structure                It is a theory that is always connected and related to social structure. The study suggests that it is used in constructing social reality of people (Ritzer, 2010:p.837). There exist many factors and aspects that surround symbolic interactionism theory. These aspects include critical issues of sociology and methodological criticisms. Strengths of interactionism’ theory                Interactionist theory is mostly based on the work of George Herbert an American psychologist and a philosopher. It takes an assumption that people learn how to react and act to different circumstances concerning their societal interactions. It attributes cooperation, conflict and identity beliefs of how people perceive others around them. It is attributed to the following strengths/ advantages. For teachers                It suggests that learners within similar cultural settings view many ideas in the same way. Teachers apply this similarity as a benefit when planning for a lesson. Through the use of different ways of giving instruction instead of books, teachers are able to incorporate culture and society in the classrooms (Denzin, 2012:p.121). It helps students to retain the content as the materials used by the students are more appealing due to their similarities. Modeling                The theory indicates that learning happens with more ease if learners are subjected to constant demonstration of the content they are to learn (Kinney, 2010: p.896). These demonstrations are conflict resolution, speech and perceptions. It suggests that a learner in a class of foreign language has an advantage of learning materials if there is a consistent repetition of the language. Generational consistency                Learning through association takes place on cultural generations where younger members emulate their elders. This is a benefit of interactionism theory. It helps in maintaining dialects, cultural traditions and ways of life (Preacher, 2010:p.916). Using this theory, children are able to learn how to speak from their parents and grandparents. Ability to change                The theory bases the ability of people to learn from their surrounding and culture. The advantage behind this idea is that all people are responsible of their own abilities. The theory states that people acquire knowledge through observation (Newburn, 2010:p.310). It suggests that everyone who wishes to become intelligent, he or she should move to areas with more people who are academically minded and interact with them. Weakness of interactionism theory                This theory is based on the principles and assumptions of symbolic interactionism. These assumptions include the meaning obtained when people interact with others. People responds to things and to other people according to the meanings attached to them (Denzin, 2012: p.369). The problem of this theory is that it is unable to explain where people obtain the meaning of these symbols. Another weakness is that the theory emphasizes more on symbols that may be interpreted wrongly or differently. Labeling theory                It is a theory indicating how individual’s behavior and self-identity may be influenced or determined by the terms used to classify or describe them (Reeves, 2009: p.631). It is a theory associated with concepts of stereotyping and self-fulfilling prophecy. It emphasizes that deviance is not inherent to an act. Its focus is based on the way people label others from their standards of cultural norms. Some developments concerning the theory have been made since 1970s. Terms applied in this theory are related to disability, deviance or diagnosis of mental disorder has been rejected. This theory is closely related to symbolic-interaction and social-construction analysis. Mostly, this theory concerns itself, not with roles that are normal and defines people’s lives, but with special roles provided by the society for stigmatic roles, deviant roles, or social stigma (Bernburg, 2010:p.68). Social roles refer to set expectations people have about a certain behavior. They are necessary for the functioning of any organization or a society. Researchers found that roles that are deviant affect how people perceive the ones assigned those roles. They also have an impact of on how the deviant actor sees himself and how he is related to the society. Moral panics                This refers to an intense feeling that is expressed in a population concerning an issue appearing to threaten the normal social order (Critcher, 2009: p.17). Study shows that it occurs when episode, person, condition or group of people is defined as a threat to interests and societal values. In reality, they are the controversies involving social tension and arguments where disagreement becomes difficult as its center matter is a taboo. Moral panics are associated with several distinct characteristics. The first is a concern which states that awareness must be made indicating that the group’s behavior has negative effects to the society. Hostility This indicates that the hostility of the group in question increases resulting to a clear division. Consensus Though the concern in moral panics does not have to be widespread, a nationwide acceptance of the group in question is required as it gives a real threat to society. Volatility                They are highly volatile indicating that their chances of disappearing are very high. This is due to a wane in the news report or public interests changing to a different topic. Structural-functionalism theory                It refers to a framework used in constructing a theory that perceives society being a complex system combining work together to promote stability and solidarity (Danaldson, 2009: p.1). It is an approach that views society in a macro-level orientation. This gives a broad focus relating to social structures that shape the whole society believing that it evolved like organisms. It is an approach that examines both social functions and social structure. It addresses the role of society’s constituent elements as a whole which include customs, norms, traditions, and institutions. The theory was intended to give a description of a level in the social science methodological development, but not a specified school of thought. Its approach is a macro sociological analysis which focuses broadly on social structures shaping the whole society. Conflict theory                It is a sociological perspective that emphasizes on political, social, or material inequality of a given social group (Dutton, 2010: p.680).They draw attention relating to power differentials such as class conflict, and it is used to give a general contrast concerning dominant historical ideologies. It analyzes the society at the macro-level like structural functionalism. It is a set out theory for highlighting inherent ideological aspects that are inherent in traditional thought. Conclusively, different theories have given different causes of artifacts and events. Among the discussed theories in the essay, interactionism theory appears to be the most wide and broad form of theory. These theories have been viewed by different sociologists where some are recommended, and others criticized. Interactionism is the most criticized the theory as a result of its weaknesses in providing reliable information. This theory has also been attributed to some advantages that are beneficial to both the teacher and learners. Sustaining cultural norms and traditions has also been facilitated by development of theories. Theories should be made clear and precise to avoid creating confusions to the members of the society. References Thomas, M. (2011).The autonomy myth: a theory of dependency. New York: New Press. Partington, R. (2009). An introduction to interactionsm theory.Cullompton, Devon, UK: WillanPub. Leeman, K. (2010). Theory of knowledge. Boulder: Westview Press. Ritzer, G., & Nibset, J. (2010).Modern sociological theory (7th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Manson, R. (2009). Social theory: continuity and confrontation : a reader. Peterborough, Ont.: Broadview Press. Gallagher, J. (2009). Social interactionism: an introduction, an interpretation, an integration. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall. Farrall, M. L. (2012). Reading Assessment Linking Language, Literacy, and Cognition..Chichester: Wiley. Preacher, C. (2013). The social interactinism impacts of socialization on human beings, Surrey, England: Ashgate. Anderson, N. (2009). Blue-ribbon papers behind the professional mask : the autobiographies of leading symbolic interactionists. Bingley, U.K.: Emerald. Aram, E. (2009). Adaptation and innovation theory, design and role-taking in group relations conferences and their applications.. London: Karnac Ritzer, G., & Publications, i. (2009).Encyclopedia of social theory. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Athens, L., &Denzin, N. K. (2013).Radical Interactionism on the Rise. Bradford: Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Reynolds, L. T., & Kinney, N. J. (2010).Handbook of symbolic interactionism. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press. Reeves, E. (2009).introduction to labeling theory. Los Angeles: Sage. Critcher, W. F. (2009). Moral panics and the copyright wars. New York: Oxford University Press. Danaldson, D. (2009). Structural functionalism theory. . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Dutton, D. (2010). Reading Assessment conflict theory, causes, and impacts..Chichester: Wiley. Source document

Inclusive Education Essay

According to Verma & Bagley, â€Å"Equality has long been a major goal of education around the world. As early as 1948, Article 26 of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that, â€Å"everyone has the right to education† and â€Å"education shall be free, at least at the elementary and fundamental stages† (2007, p. 3). In relation to this statement, most governments who are members of the United Nation have made substantial efforts geared towards the realization of this Universal Declaration of Human rights. There is a credible evidence to suggest that educational investment on an individual not only benefit the individual personally; in terms of their earnings, but the society as a whole in both economic and social areas ( Verma, & Bagley, 2007). Inclusion is a philosophy that focuses on the process of adjusting the home, school and the larger society to accommodate persons with diverse needs. All individuals regardless of their differences are accorded the opportunity to interact, play, learn, work and experience the feeling of belonging. Besides, they are also allowed to develop in accordance with their potential and abilities. Inclusion therefore, calls for various persons to be fully involved in all aspects of life which include: education, employment, access to information, decision making process, community and domestic activities, recreational and social activities, and access to consumer goods and services such as electricity and clean water supply (Hegarty, 1993). Inclusion is about the following: welcoming diversity, benefiting all (learners) with or without special needs, children in or out of school who may feel excluded, providing equal access to education to all learners, continuous search to finding better ways of responding to diversity, identification and removal of barriers to education, stimulating creativity and problem solving by all, learners who risk marginalization, exclusion and/or underachievement of all learners, reforming schools and other institutions to ensure that every child receives quality and appropriate education within these schools, and having a positive mind set and start seeing the possibilities rather than impossibilities, and finally it is about improving learning environment and providing opportunities for all learners to become successful in their learning experiences (Hegarty, 1993). Inclusive education is a philosophy that ensures that, schools, centres of learning and other educational settings and systems are open to all children. This enables the learners to be included in all aspects of school-life. According to UNESCO (2001), Inclusive Education takes the Education For All agenda foreword. This is done by finding the ways of enabling schools to serve all learners in their communities as part of an Inclusive Education. Therefore, an inclusive school includes learners with various diversities and differentiates educational experiences to cater for the various diversities (UNESCO, 2001). The benefits of Inclusive Education include, all learners learn and grow in the environment that they will eventually live and work. As participation of those who are â€Å"different† takes root, all learners and teachers gain the virtues of being accommodating, accepting, patient and co-operative. Other children gain some valuable virtues such as being considerate, patient and humble as they support their peers with special needs. It should also be remembered that some children with special needs are as well gifted and therefore other children or learners can as well benefit form them thus, it is not only the other way round. Besides, Inclusive Education offers to the teachers, an opportunity to share ideas and knowledge with each other, parent, and significant others, thus making education a meaningful aspect of everyday life. The also develop their skills and abilities when working as a team to address the challenges. This may also boost their status in the community. In addition, Inclusive Education creates a school for all, where everybody benefits resulting to an inclusive society. Further, the self-esteem of children who have special needs in education is improved. Inclusive Education is cost effective and gives equal opportunities to all children, thus promoting the right to all to education. Some of the concerns from the educators about barrier to inclusion frequently include: the school factors which include classroom factors like poor classroom arrangement, student factors like negative attitudes of learner with or without special needs towards each other, teacher factor which might range from negative attitude towards learners with special needs to inadequate training on various aspects of Inclusive Education. According to Loreman, Deppeler & Harvey, â€Å"Secondary teachers in Victoria, Australia, were found to lack the skills required to modify curriculum for children with diverse abilities and were reported to be in urgent need of training in this area in a study conducted by Grbich and Sykes. † (2005, p. 6). Curriculum factor which, often, is mostly rigid and some teachers lack the ability or knowhow to modify it; therefore, do not take into consideration the needs of the diverse learners. There are sub- standard government schools, negative attitude on the part of policy makers towards education of children with special needs, special education is at times planned on disability levels rather than on ability levels, there is a correlation between disability and extreme poverty levels (Hegarty & Alur, 2002). The other major concern is the support services and resource factors. Learners with special needs require basic support servicers for learning to be effective in an inclusive setting which are usually lacking in most inclusive setting. Examples of support services that can be made available to these learners include the following: resource rooms which should be adequately resourced, itinerant services, provision of educational resources relevant to their needs, parental support is also very paramount, technical support such as sign language interpreters and Braille transcribers, teacher-aides, peer support, physiotherapy, guidance and counselling, occupational therapies, community support and finally, provision of required equipment ( Daniels & Garner, 1999). â€Å"One of the major stumbling blocks to inclusion lies in the financial arrangement currently in place. Funding arrangements do not encourage inclusion, and the problem is not unique to England and Wales. The situation is similar in USA† ( Daniels & Garner 1999 p. 70). Collaboration and community involvement is very important. Lack of the same often hinders the process of inclusion. Collaboration and community involvement can be done through parental involvement, community involvement, partnership and networking, school management involvement, interactive relationships among the various stakeholders and home based programmes (Hornby, 1995). Some of the best practices that might alleviate the challenges faced in the practice of Inclusive Education may be adopted from the principles of Inclusive Education. These are principles that govern the practice of Inclusive Education. It calls for equalization of opportunities for all learners to experience normal mainstream activities, while making deliberate and appropriate measures to ensure quality education for all. Besides, Inclusive Education calls for a child centred curriculum and the learner to attend the school that he would naturally go to in his community if he had no special needs. In addition, it advocates for accessibility to the learning process and curriculum by all learners by differentiating the learning and assessment process according to the learner’s needs (Mitchell, 2007). Furthermore, Inclusive Education addresses the needs of all learners with visible or invisible learning difficulties such as visual, hearing, physical, intellectual, communication, emotional and behavioural, bereavement from HIV and AIDs, child abuse, poverty, racism, malnourishment, emotional effects of war, divorce, family separation and living on streets. It also recognises and caters for individual differences in race, religion, abilities, disabilities or circumstances are not seen as challenges but as resources. Inclusive Education also plans for positive learning opportunities with support to learners with special needs as an integral part of the ordinary school. Even further, Inclusive Education requires change of negative attitude, negative behaviours, teaching methodologies, curricula, and environments to meet the needs of all learners, hence overcoming barriers to learning and development and finally, Inclusive Education calls on special needs education service providers to work closely with others within the community such as health and social worker emphasizing prevention and early intervention strategies to minimize the occurrence and the impact of disabilities in the community. Conclusion In Inclusive Education, we endeavour to provide a comprehensive educational plan that modifies the mainstream curriculum to give maximum opportunity to children with special needs, children who are marginalised, and children who are vulnerable as well as those who are neglected; in order for them to become productive members of the society. Developing positive attitude in parents, teachers, peers and the community at large towards the various categories of children with special needs (Mitchell, 2007). Providing equal opportunities to all children to share knowledge, resources and experiences. Suggesting approaches and teaching methodologies to accommodate all children in regular classes regardless of their diversities or disabilities. Developing and implementing a curriculum that is all inclusive or flexible and accessible. Reaching the unreached children and youths within the regular education. Facilitating inclusion of children in all aspects of life. Identifying and minimizing if not eradicating all barriers to learning and development, and finally, minimizing the effects of disabilities on the child (Smith, 1998).

Stock option backdating Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Stock option backdating - Essay Example Backdating can take on several meanings. The most culpable form of backdating involves "intentionally changing the date used to set an option's exercise price to one on which the stock's price was at a low" (Ellsworth et al., 2006). This form of backdating was abetted by the relatively lax legislation before the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was enacted in 2002. The Sarbanese-Oxley Act mandated that stock options be filed within 2 days after they are granted (FindLaw, 2002), mitigating the backdating problem. Before the Sarbanese-Oxley Act came into effect, option grants were reported using Form 5 which primary use is for the disclosure of "the transactions and holdings of directors, officers, and beneficial owners of registered companies" (Securities and Exchange Commission, n.d.). Furthermore, the form is required to be filed only "on or before the 45th day after the end of the issuer's fiscal year" (Securities and Exchange Commission, n.d.). This essentially means that if the stock options w ere granted early in the fiscal year, investors would not come to know of them until almost 1 year later, giving more leeway for insiders to manipulate the date on which the exercise price was established. Most of the 63 companies involved in stock option backdating "relate to a roughly six-year period prior to the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation" (Grant and Nuttall, 2006). ... Such company actions and policies include sloppy documentation, delays in the grant approval process, and the wrong interpretation of APB Opinion No. 25 Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees (Ellsworth et al., 2006). Summary of Statement No. 123 Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees prescribes that the intrinsic value or fair value based method of accounting be used for the valuation of stock options (Financial Accounting Standards Board, 1995). Most companies continue with the intrinsic value based method of accounting (Ellsworth et al., 2006). Under the intrinsic value based method, "compensation cost is the excess, if any, of the quoted market price of the stock at grant date or other measurement date over the amount an employee must pay to acquire the stock" (Financial Accounting Standards Board, 1995). If company actions are efficient, the measurement date would be the same as the grant date, and no compensation cost is recorded. More often than not, due to procedures such as the signing of the resolution by the directors, the measurement date would be at a later date than the grant date. If the price of the underlying stock has risen over the period between the measurement date and the grant date, the stock option is in the money and the difference should be recognized as compensation expense. Backdating occurs when companies, whether intentionally or unintentionally, choose to use the price of the underlying stock on the grant date as the basis for measuring the compensation cost. An example of the above form of backdating of stock options is Michaels Stores Inc., which understated compensation expenses by as much as $60 million between 1990 and 2001 (Bulkeley, 2006; Maremont, 2006). Michaels

International Business Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International Business Communication - Essay Example All the experts who are working in the field of multicultural environment require guidance on developing a work environment that is conducive for their entire workforce; the researchers belonging to the fields of cultural anthropology, sociology, psychology and applied linguistics have studied various factors to demonstrate the importance of various cultures’ knowledge and their implications on conducting effective intercultural business communication (Bowie, 2008; Chaney & Martin, 2011; Zang & Zhou, 2008).When the businesses have adequate understanding about the cultures and differing aspects of various countries, there is a high probability that there are positive interactions among people and cordial and effective business relationships are developed (Jameson, 2007; Lewis, 2005). The main concern for every organisation operating in international regions is to develop an understanding about the culture, values, norms and attitudes of each area of operation so that there are less chances of the misinterpretation of communication.In order to provide guidance to the organisations that are engaged in the globalisation processes, the researchers have studied the cultural contexts of distinct nations and have provided in-depth insights about the intercultural business communication (Espinar, 2010), working cultures (Forey & Lockwood, 2010), work behaviours (Bowey & Thill, 2010), work etiquettes (Okoro, 2012), language barriers and subcultures present in the organisation (Zang & Zhou, 2008).

Marketing Audit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing Audit - Essay Example Market planning can be defined as â€Å"all rational, incremental and intuitive processes that guide a firm’s marketing to its future.† (RAO. 2007) When we talk about marketing planning it may seem as an easy process, however in reality it’s a complicated multifaceted process that involves every aspect of an organization. Marketing planning can be referred to activities that are undertaken by the managers to achieve marketing objectives. In other words it’s a process to identify range of options that are available to the manager in order to achieve marketing objectives and then evaluate those options and plan accordingly. The outcomes of marketing planning process are the marketing strategies to achieve marketing objectives. Marketing planning involves a systematic process of reviewing the situation, assumption formulation, setting objectives about whom to sell and how to, decisions regarding the achievement of objectives and scheduling and costing out act ivities required for implementation. (MCDONALD & WILSON. 2011) The market planning comprises of four basic components, these include marketing objectives, marketing audit, marketing strategies and resource allocation and monitoring. All these components are interlinked and are extremely important for marketing planning. I shall discuss these components in detail further. I’ve been emphasizing that the aim of the marketing planning is to achieve marketing objective, marketing objectives are something that the marketing function strives to achieve as a part of business strategic plan which usually includes increase in sales, awareness about products, creation of brand, increase in market share etc, then these goals are converted to objectives which are measurable, like increasing sales and market share by 15% within one year, this could be measured by analyzing annual sales data and industry data and other publications. (LEVENS. 2012) Marketing Objectives and Strategies In order to achieve these marketing objectives the company has to make marketing strategies. The marketing objectives identified must be in accordance with company’s overall objectives. Marketing objectives can be easily identified on the basis of marketing mix objectives which simplifies the objectives setting process which later on lays basis for marketing strategies to achieve those objectives. A marketing strategy is a series of action statements which are also known as tactics. Effective marketing strategy is critical to successful marketing plan; therefore these would be given extra importance when a marketing plan is being set up. (LANCASTER & MASSINGHAM. 2010) The Integration of Marketing Planning into Objectives and Strategies Planning itself includes goal setting and development of strategies to achieve those goals. The objective or goals and strategies to achieve these will be the outcome of marketing planning process. The marketing strategies tell what should be done and the strategic and operational plans guide how the strategies s hould

Research Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research Ethics - Essay Example The respondent may find themselves manipulated into saying more than they intended. The onus must lie with researchers to establish their own ethical code in such matters. (Ball, 1991, p. 181) Ethics in research has become a part of every scientific research project, whether politically or morally motivated. Educational research is no exception. However, the model it has been based on may be in need of serious review in order to more effectively guard against not only unethical practice but of inappropriately applied standards. For the past several centuries, medical models of ethics have been used as a general guideline for ethical standards in many professions, including education. This is no surprise since over time science and medicine have provided a substantial body of literature on the subject over the course of several successful and unsuccessful attempts as ethical research behavior. â€Å"The more notorious accounts of unethical research practice are found in medicine, as indeed are the most notorious recent instances of scientific fraud. And for a philosophical contribution, there is the discipline of bioethics.† (Small, 1998, p. 103) But what is ethical behavior? One dictionary defines ethical behavior as conforming to the standards of conduct of a given profession or group. What researchers consider being ethical, therefore, is often largely a matter of agreement among them. (Wallen & Fraenkel, 2001) Ethics has to do with standards set by the profession and regulation of its members conduct. In everyday application, it involves not a philosophical examination of values but recognition of agreed standards. Therefore, there may be tension between personal moral standards and the ethical norms of a profession (Kfir & Shamai, 2002) There is always a give and take between the three fundamental rights of the various constituents involved in all research. First are the

Proposition paper on an ethical in Communication, possibly misogyny in Essay

Proposition paper on an ethical in Communication, possibly misogyny in rap lyrics but topic is flexible - Essay Example This can discourage individuals to communicate unethically. A result will be a more consistent communication in the organization that will give fewer problems. Media of social communication is generally said to develop good or evil communication in people. We might blame media for unethical communication in the society but one should understand that media is not a blind force of nature which is out of human control. But people have to choose if they want to adopt bright side of it or darker. Professional communicators should promote development and enforcement of ethical codes of communication for their profession, public representatives should provide them full support in doing that. Religious bodies and other cultural groups should also be a part of this effort. Communication ethics are known to be cultural specific. What is considered ethical communication in one culture may be considered unethical in another (Chiu, 2003). Because of globalization, individuals from different parts of the world may come together to work in an organization. Values, communication and culture help determine individual behavior. Thus, there are very different interpretations of what sort of communication is ethical or unethical in a given situation. Each individual have their own communication skills and the perception of what is right and ‘wrong’ way of communication may be different Our approach towards means of communication has to be fundamentally positive and encouraging. We should not just simply stand in judgment and start condemning; rather, we should support those professionals who are involved in communication and set out positive principles in their work. Schools and colleges can provide ethical communication education and that will help students to understand how to identify and deal with communication issues (Kreitner and Kinichi, 2001). Teachers can be sent to seminars, workshops and video training sessions to learn about ethical communication issues so

Health communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health communication - Essay Example I can achieve greater success in the team through hard work to overcome the stress. I prefer feeling to thinking. The main reason for this is the need to maintain interpersonal relationships with other people. I always choose personal concerns about the welfare of others over impersonal facts and objective principle because it considers the points-of-view of persons involved in a situation. ‘Feeling’ enables one to maintain harmony and consider people’s values, unlike ‘thinking’, which requires the application of principles. Based on the article, the higher prevalence of â€Å"feeling† individuals in nursing is because of the need for harmony in the workplace. Those with a preference for ‘thinking’ endure less stress than those with a preference for ‘feeling’ (Nash, 2011). Nursing requires one to advocate for human-centered values that are in line with the way that people react and feel. It enables one to make individual exceptions for individual cases, as opposed to thinking, which requires one to stand firm to outlined principles and hold firm to policies. I agree with Anthony Espinoza that one can handle stress perfectly, depending on the situation. In addition, stress reduces a person’s level of focus, and it may hinder teamwork activities that require coordination of efforts. Feelings often override thinking because of the need to maintain interpersonal relationships. For instance, a nurse should be caring to patients, and they often achieve this through a display of feelings, despite the stress they endure in their long and exhausting work hours. I agree with Angela Bregstrom that a multitude of stress from different places is difficult to handle. For instance, if one experiences stress at the workplace, it is only right that they should not experience stress at home or at school. The ability of stress to arise from virtually all sectors makes it a variable that requires utmost attention before its

Monopoly and oligopoly essay Essay Example for Free

Monopoly and oligopoly essay Essay The Main characteristics of an oligopoly are that the supply of a product or products is concentrated in the hands of a few large suppliers, there could be thousands of small suppliers but the market is mainly dominated by around 4 or 5 large firms. For example firms Tesco, Asda, Sainburys and Morrisons, these are the 4 main supermarkets in the UK but there are thousands of small corner shops who provide some of the same goods the supermarkets do. Another characteristics of an oligopoly is interdependence, this is when the actions of one large firm will directly affect another large firm of the same market. For example during the Christmas period Tesco lowered the price on certain alcoholic drinks to pull customer in to the stores to buy their Christmas food shopping, Asda then followed suit and did the exact same thing with the same products. On the other hand if firms raised their prices the other firm are very unlikely to copy, the other firm are more likely to advertise the fact they are now cheaper in the hope of gaining a bigger share of the market. However there is a tendency for firms to collude and agree to raise prices together, this maintains their abnormal profits and ensure no one loses. This behaviour is illegal in the UK and the EU and firm’s caught doing this will be heavily fined. {draw:frame} Oligopoly’s are a few firm dominating a market,a monopoly is a single firm dominating a market or being a sole supplier of a market, this is called a pure monopoly. An example of a pure monopoly would be Scottish water; they are the sole provider to every household in Scotland of running water. {draw:frame} {draw:frame} For any firm profit is a must for a business to survive, firms will look in to other parts of a market to gain potential profits. For a firm to move into a particular sector of a market there would have to be good roles of profit. A firm would have to get a good return on their investment, the higher the risk and longer a firmhas to wait to earn a potential return on their capital, the greater the minimum required return on their investment they will demand. For a firm to move in to a particular sector,firms would also have to consider if this would attract new investors. If the firm was going to make a quick return on its investment this would attract more investors as they would gain higher amount of dividends on their investment.

Theory And Practice Of Strategic Planning For Tourism

Theory And Practice Of Strategic Planning For Tourism It is widely acknowledge that planning is crucial to successful tourism development and management; and planning has been a widely adopted principle in tourism development at both regional and natural levels. Tourism in Europe has been the subject of considerable academic debate and commentary since the political even of 1988-89. The debate has often focused on Central Europe, whose future free market depends on planning especially including tourism. In particular, strategic planning in the region will be critical to the future success of tourism as attempts are made to utilise tourism in the process of planned economic change. The lack of coordination and cohesion within the highly fragmented tourism industry is a well-known problem to destination planners and mangers. Gunn (1988) stated that continuous tourism planning must be integrated with all other planning for social and economic development, and could be modelled as an interactive system. He pointed out that the go-it-alone policies of many tourism sectors of the past are given way to stronger cooperation and collaboration. No one business or government establishment can operate in isolation (Gunn 1988; 272). On the other hand, Inskeep (1991) has pointed out the importance of an effective organisational structure for tourism management and the need for continuous, integrated planning. Achieving coordination among the government agencies, between the public and the private sector, and among private enterprises is a challenging task, however, and requires the development of new mechanisms and processes for incorporating the diverse elements of the tourism system. Countries need to have an idea about where they want their tourism sector to be in the future and the route it is going to follow to get there. If nations do not have a strategic plan for their tourism, then the old clichà © can apply. If you dont know where you are going, how will you know when you have arrived? (Tim Hannagan 1998, p. 120). In this write up, the meaning of both strategic planning and tourism will be analysing, and also analytical argument on strategic planning for tourism will be explored. Furthermore, few example of tourism planning activities will be evaluated to support the subject matter. Thus, what is Strategic planning / Tourism Strategic planning is concern with deciding what business an organisation should be in, where it wants to be and how it is going to get there (Smith 1994). Strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term, which achieves advantage in a changing environment through its configuration of resources and competences with the aim of fulfilling stakeholder expectations (Johnson and Scholes 2005). Harrison et al (1995). Explain that strategic is about clarifying your mission, setting clear long term objectives and formulating a comprehensive and integrated set of steps to achieve it. Strategic planning then is concern with defining and achieving organisational purpose (Porter 1994). planning is the purposive process in which goals are set and policies elaborated to implement them and is concerned with understanding and explaining the substance of policy content and policy decisions and the way in which policy decision are made. (Barett and Fudge, 1981). On the other hand, According to World Tourism Organisation (WTO) the organisation defines tourism as: the short term movement of people to destinations away from the communities in which they live and work, and their activities during their trip, including travel, day visits and excursions (WTO cited in T. Outhart. et al 2001, p.4) so tourism includes short term travel for all purpose, weather for leisure or business. Furthermore tourism is about the temporary, short term movement of people to destinations outside the place where they normally live and work and about their activities during their stay at these destinations. (Outhart O. Taylor L. 2001, p.6). Tourism development is the planning and ongoing development of destinations, facilities and services to meet the need of current and future tourist. When tourism is effectively planned and managed, tourism development can result in huge improvement and benefits both for visit and tourist and for the local population, therefore the need of strategic planning for tourism in order to meet the desire of people living in the demanding world has to be encouraged so as to promote and attract tourist as well as building their confidence with tourism activities. Tourism planning has also been seen as a way of extending the life cycle of a destination with a view of exploring new opportunities, adaptation to the current market demand and marketing harmonisation and as well forecast for the future. As stated by Clegg (1994), tourism activities comprise the worlds largest industry with over trillion of dollars in revenue produced and the challenges in benefiting from such economic impact is the result of efficient planning that will take into account the preservation and protection of the environment, the enhancement of a community quality of life and development and that will attract not only first-time visitors but also repeaters as a result of building a reputation and be a successful destination. (Inskeep 1991, WTO 1994) in their own contribution to tourism planning and development, they stated that planning is crucial to successful tourism development and management; and planning has been a widely adopted principle in tourism development at both regional and national levels. On the other hand, (Cooper et al. 1993; Shepherd, 1998) argued that poor tourism planning will cause social problems, degradation of the environment, short-term benefit and failure or constraints due to lack of analytical details or miscalculations regarding the control of land usage (Cooper et al. 1993; Shepherd, 1998). Furthermore, (Tosun and Jenkins, 1996) elongated the above comment by saying that the failure of central planning caused by lack of community involvement as well as mismatch between central planning and local possibilities is detrimental for the tourism market. Thus emphasising on a new concept of sustainable development to empower the planning system for long term success of tourism as it can help to promote and support conservation, regeneration and economic development as well as enhance the quality of life of visitors and host communities (Holden, 2008; Wall and Mathieson, 2006). Furthermore, Gunn and Varr (2002) stated that if tourism is to reach towards better economic impact it must be planned as well towards goals of enhanced visitor satisfaction, community integration, and above all, greater resource protection. Strategic and Its Resources Implication Fig 1 Stage of strategy process Questions Description STRATEGY FORMULATION Mission statement Statement of aims Statement of Values What is our purpose? What kind of organisation do we want to take? A clarification of the purpose of the business Environmental Analysis Where are we now? This involves the gathering and analysis of intelligence on the business environment. E.g. staffing, resources, competitors, stakeholder expectation Objectives Where do we want to be? This involves detailed articulation of aims i.e. setting a target for the organisation to achieve Strategic choice of strategies How are we going to get these? Strategies describe how the objectives are to be achieved Options analysis Are these alternative routes Here you identify options required to be screened in order to choose the best STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION Action How do we turn plans into reality? A specification of the operational activities task required. Monitoring and Control How will we know if we are getting these? Taking corrective action as necessary and reviewing strategy Source: (Johnson Scholes 1997 p. 13) (Catterick 1995 p. 14) Many organisations produce separate mission statements and statements of aims, objectives and strategies. The strategic plan will contain all of these, which is also applicable to all countries embarking on tourism activities. Looking at the meaning of tourism and its activities, the theory and practice of strategic planning for tourism sector in every nation cannot be measured. This is evident on the ground that, it is clear that effective strategic planning and management is a prerequisite for the successful utilization of tourism as an agent of change in every nation. Tourism is seen as transcending the traditional economic sectors and is viewed as an industry which can actively regenerate the small business/entrepreneurial sector with all its flexible and responsiveness to dynamic changes. However, the transformation of a centralised economy, characterised by flexible practices and a low priority for tourism, does involve a change of hearts and minds as much as it is needs outside strategic planning from expertise. No wonder that, Hungary has recognised the advantages that tourism can bring as witnessed by Prime Ministerial statement in 1990 lauding tourism as a potential power-house for the economy. However, Halls (1991a) most persuasive point is that, tourism is seen as an integral part of economic restructuring by exposing the system to both national and international forces and, in so doing, introducing potential foreign investors, encouraging privatisation and reducing the level of bureaucracy and centralisation. All this are made possible via strategic planning approach adopted by a given nation. In the case of tourism, Page Thorn (1997) suggested that a national policy or strategy was required in addition to the RMA, if sustainable tourism goals in New Zealand were to be achieved, since then a national strategy has been produced, reviewed and subsequently updated, emphasising the sustainable development concepts and the desirability of integrating environmental, economic, social and cultural considerations in the long-term management of tourism resources. Tourism Planning Approaches (Countries overview) The changing evolution of tourism, its different political and socioeconomic development environments, and the diverse scientific and technical contributions in the fields related disciplines (urban, regional, environmental planning, etc.) shape different approaches to planning. Such approaches have been the object of interesting systematizations, especially the critical perspectives of Getz (1987), and Tosun and Jenkins (1998) for Third World Countries, which are neither mutually exclusive nor a reflection of a chronological evolution: boosterism, economic, physical-spatial, and community-oriented approaches. To these four could be added two more that are omnipresent in todays literature: a strategic approach and planning for sustainable tourism. Boosterism has been the dominant tradition ever since the emergence of mass tourism. It is based on a favourable, uncritical assessment of tourism that identifies it as intrinsically positive and ignores its potential negative effects on economic, socio cultural, and environmental levels. Halls (2000) expresses his doubts about its consideration as a way of focusing on Getzs contributions, four approaches can be distinguished, and planning since it is precisely characterized by being a tourism implementation and development method that reveals lack of planning. The economic approach conceives tourisms as an instrument that can help achieve certain economic aims. It reinforces tourisms character as an export industry and its potential contribution to growth, regional development, and economic restructuring. Public intervention, in its regulating and promoting role, gives priority to economic purposes over environmental and social ones, although it also attends to all the factors that can jeopardize its economic efficiency: development opportunity costs, selection of the most profitable market segments, control over demand satisfaction, estimate of its economic impacts, etc. However, this approach does not usually analyze how the benefits derived from tourism are distributed socially (Burns 1999). The physical-spatial approach incorporates the territorial dimension with the aim of adequately distributing economic activities, and specifically tourism activities, in space, while also ensuring a rational land use. It is an approach in which both town and country planning and tourism planning coverage as a result of the recognition that its development has an environmental basis. This approach mainly focuses on the preservation of the natural resources that make the industry possible and on the management of the environmental impacts it causes. Among the examples of the physical-spatial approach, Hall (2000) mentions the work by Gunn in the late 70s (Gunn 1994) or Insteps integrated approach (Inskeep 1991). The community oriented approach originated in the late 70s with the numerous works that criticized tourisms negative sociocultural effects (de Kadt 1979; Smith 1977). It is not exclusively confined to the aim of solving and preventing those effects. In fact, it promotes a local tourism development control scheme so that residents are the ones who benefit the most from that development, thus avoiding conflict situations that could put the industrys future viability in danger. Murphys work (1985) undoubted constitutes a basic reference point of an approach revitalized by the need to achieve greater social involvement in planning processes. This circumstance has provided the momentum to undertake, from public instances, bottom-top planning schemes, among them the European initiative leader for rural development. Strategic planning moved from the business context to regional and urban planning in the 80s, and it has a strong influence on economic restructuring schemes for declining places and sectors (Borja and Castells 1997; Vazquez Barquero 1993). This approach has been progressively incorporated into tourism planning and essentially focuses on the search for competitiveness of firms and destinations in a changing, complex environment. In short, it contributes to or reinforces the following distinguishing elements of tourism planning: analysis of the competitive environment as a fundamental element in the definition of the firms or destinations strategy; definition of a wide time scope for planning on the basis of foresight and prospective techniques; stress on social participation and the creation of coordination and cooperation channels among stakeholders; and the rise in value of planning as a process that is permanent, flexible and integrated into management (Ansoff 1988; Borja and Cast ells 1997; Hall 2000; Ivars 2001; Porter 1982). Planning for sustainable tourism is related to the great deal of interest aroused by the development paradigm ever since the celebration of the Rio Summit in 1992. The application of its principles to tourism is especially relevant due to its ambivalence, for it can help to preserve and improve the environment. THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND IMPLIMENTATIONS OF COUNTRIES For example, the strategic plan and implementation program for the county of Szolnok in Hungary highlight many of the problems facing the future development and reorientation of tourism in Central European States. During the construction of the strategic plan, the largest obstacle was identifying tourism facilities that would meet the development needs of the county while minimising the risk of social or environmental damage. The county strategic planner came up with the following planning strategy; Phase 1; Immediate Action Improve Quality of Existing Facilities Improve utilization of existing facilities Improve Economic Benefits from Tourism Improve Performance of existing Entrepreneurs Create environment for future tourism planning Phase 2; Immediate to Medium Term Action Develop Szolnok town as tourist centre Increase Accommodation stock Create new restaurants/cafes in tourist areas Develop new tourism activities Build on existing cultural/heritage attractions Encourage the development of closer linkages between sectors Phase 3; Medium to Long Term Action Wider tourist base-conference business Develop new up-marker tourist facilities Widen the marketing activities Establish strong links with national/international organisations Adopt a fully international computerised reservation system Continue to develop monitoring/regulation and research into tourism activities in the county Develop new 5 year tourism development plans. The result of the strategy plan and its implementation is a county that is now poised to break through into wider tourism markets, armed with promotional materials of high quality, tourism information and maps together with a broad spectrum of products, a network of commercial and organisational links that will enable it to capitalise on the potential market for visitors from within and to Hungary. On the other hand the strategic planners for tourism in Spain came up with what is refer to as FUTURES (Master Competitiveness Plan for Spanish Tourism) (Ministerio de Comercio y Turismo 1994). This plan opened a new state of tourism policy in which the state redefined its role within an institutional discourse that intended to consolidate a system of coordination and cooperation between the different administrations. The FUTURES plan became the catalyst of this change encouraging the design of specific plans for the 1992-1995 period, favoring cooperation through actions financed jointly by the different administrations and fostering the participation of public and private agents. The plan was a reflection of the third generation of tourism policies, according to Fayos classification (1996) where competitiveness turned out to be a key element for tourism management. The FUTURES plan formed a part of the structural adjustment theory (Bote and Marchena 1996) which focused on the adaptation of Spains supply to the structural changes caused by the market that jeopardized the competitiveness of the countrys tourism industry. Finally, this period witnessed the start of the planning model derived from Spains entry into the European Union with the preparation of the 1989-1993 Plan de Desarrollo Regional (Regional Development Plan) for Objective -1 regions and the 1989 1993 Plan Regional de Reconversion Regional y Social (Regional Plan for Regional and Social Restructuring) for Objective 2 regions. These plans made possible the application of Europe Structural Funds to tourism in Spain and implied the definition of a regional development strategy where special attention was paid to tourism, both in those autonomous communities in which it has a strategic role and in others where it was perceived as an emergent industry (Ivars 2001). Essential objectives included taking advantage of tourism growth expectations, the valuation of non-exploited resources, the contribution made by new products to territorial rebalance and finally, the incorporation of tourism into local development strategies both in rural and urban milieus. In the case of Barnette County, Wisconsin, a strategic planning was formulated to improve its tourism industry as for decades tourism has been the main economic revenue for the area. Based on existing data collected from a 1993 assessment, an action plan was implemented and the main issues encountered were lack of organisation, marketing performance, finding and government perceptions form which actions were created to eradicate the problem but it didnt escape failure since estimated budget to find a visitor centre wasnt reach due to lack of fund, marketing guides on the county printed but not distributed, eco-tourism was to be developed using a joint marketing grant but was refused by the state of Wisconsin. Overall, it showed the issues of lack of interest and participation from stakeholders (tourism businesses and government) for further tourism development of Barnett County. Looking at New Zealand as a case study, a county that want to increase the level of its tourism activity and sustainable tourism has become the key of the country to do so, which according to Bramwell Lane 2000; Hall Page, 2006), the success of sustainable tourism planning depends on existing planning and management functions that guide appropriate developments and the ability to respond to pressure on infrastructure and environments that increasing tourism demand creates. The concerns for New Zealand are that the tourism product relies a lot on the natural resources and the image of a clean and green country (Tourism New Zealands marketing campaign) and its has been quite a problematic issue in some areas with regards to conservation and preservation of the environment. Page and Thorn (1997) suggested that a national policy or strategy was required in addition to the RMA (Resource Management Act), if sustainable tourism goals in New Zealand were to be achieved. Based on the previous research undertaken by Page and Thorn in 2001 and 2002, the following issues were encountered such as lack of considering the number of international tourist arrival at national level, lack of planning at national level which Page and Thorn argued that if a national plan was needed in order to achieve a more balance equitable and beneficial patterns of tourism activity and development for destinations and host communities, however a PCE (Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment) report on education for Sustainable development, suggested that the like and dislike and the caring of something lies with the people. What was found from the previous study was the lack of communication and integration between the RMA and the local authorities and resources available from the government was inadequate. However the recent study also reflect the incapacity of the RMA to work together with the national government, since tourism related project were not released but effort has been done to integrate the process of a sustainable development and increase the continuity of collaboration between the public and private sector, but there is still that major gap between strategy and the implementation of the policy formulated in the evolution towards a more sustainable New Zealand. Based on which Page and Thorn (2002) stated that a national plan is required if tourism is to be developed with the target of enhancing the quality of life of its local people and increase environmental protection from the tourism activity. Furthermore, within the tourism planning the goal and objectives set should be achieved to challenge pro-development policy in order for New Zealand to keep up in the term of competitive advantage as a clean, green and sustainable tourism destination. As argued by Edgel, Allen, Smith and Swanson (2008), those destinations, localities and nations that prepare good policies and implement detailed strategic plans will reap the benefits for sustaining their tourism products in the future, which is the indispensable and fundamental basis of New Zealand tourism strategy. Hence leads to betterment of tourism activities in New Zealand. Furthermore, before any implementation, analysis study will be performed through survey of existing data and collection of primary data. The data requirements will include information such as existing tourism profiles, travel patterns, tourist attractions, accommodation and other tourist facilities, land availability, economic and government structure, education and training needs and provisions, environmental indicators, socio-cultural characteristics, investment sources and available capital, relevant legislation and regulation and private sector organisation. (Cooper et al. Tourism Principle and Practices). Ones data has been collected, the issues associated with it will be analysis in terms of assets (infrastructures), market assessment of demand and supply and feasibility study, source of funding and impact of economic, environment and social factors in terms of tourism needs and opportunities and overcome detrimental impact. The result derived from these analysis will help in the formulation of plan and policies such as marketing strategies, human resources management, environmental conservation, economic and tourism development by which implementing and monitoring to ensure the development path and avoid deviation from the actual plan of the nation on tourism sector. The diagram below represents the key stages in the planning process. Fig 2 Key stages in the planning process Source: Tourism principle and practices by Cooper et al. RECOMMENDATION Tourism has been identified as one of the primary industries with the potential to assist local communities in developing economic diversity (Allen et al 1993, Davis Morais, 2004) However, tourism is not a panacea for economic decline. Tourism has the potential to create both positive and negative impacts. Gunn (1994) indicated that, there is no other form of development that has so many far-reaching tentacles as tourism (p.16). For tourism development to be successful, it must be planned and managed responsibly (De Oliveira, 2003; Inskeep, 1991; Martin, 1995). Inskeep, (1991) furthered the concept of responsible management, warning that ill-conceived and poorly planned tourism development can erode the very qualities of the natural and human environment that attract visitors in the first place (p. 460). Thus communities that use or plan to use tourism as an economic development tool to diversify their economy must develop strategic planning policies for the sustainable development of the community. It should be noted that one key to strategic planning for sustainable development of tourism in a community is the inclusion of stakeholders. Without stakeholders support in the community, it is nearly impossible to develop tourism in a sustainable manner. Therefore, a clear understanding of the attitudes and interests of stakeholders is a necessary precursor to the strategic planning and management of sustainable tourism. Strategic planning also emphasise the integration of economic, socio-cultural and environmental, therefore stakeholders should collaborate and take into consideration the preservation of culture and environment while maximising economic growth and returns to community. Jamal and Getz (1995) define these collaborative efforts as a process of joint-decision making among autonomous key stakeholders of an inter-organisational, community tourism domain to resolve planning problems of the domain and/or to manage issues related to the planning and development of the domain. CONCLUSION Tourism exists as a powerful economic force in the development of both community-based and global markets. Today, its activities comprise the worlds largest industry with over three trillion dollars in revenues produced. (Clegg 1994). Accordingly, the success of sustainable strategic planning depends on existing planning and management functions that guides appropriate developments and the ability to respond to pressure on infrastructure and environments that increasing tourism demand creates. As Iskeep, (1991) argues, the special relationship between tourism and the environment, based on a unique dependency on natural and cultural resources, requires a balanced approach to tourism planning and development to maximise the associated benefits and minimise the negative impacts. Therefore, if ill-planned or excessive development is permitted, tourism can damage the special qualities that are essential for sustainable development. Finally, the importance of strategic planning for tourism within a sustainable development context is now acknowledged globally as it was addressed as a specific topic in a review of Agenda 21 in 1997. In 2002, the world summit on sustainable development included a submission on sustainable tourism (chapter IV, paragraph 43) in the Johannesburg plan of implementation, which identified that while tourism has positive effects, uncontrolled (lack of strategic planning) tourism growth can undermine the basis of tourism. However, the extent to which sustainable development ideology is translated into policy and practice requires a strategic planning investigation to uncover the tourism activities that need urgent attention to meet the demand of visitors. This can be in a form of language to be used, create an image to be used, practically assistance and guidance, promotional material and its design, and strategic for the provision of tourism information. Tourism planning has also been seen as a way of extending the life cycle of a destination with a view of exploring new opportunities, adaptation to the current market demand and marketing harmonisation and as well forecast for the future. Therefore, it is on this premise that the researcher believes that the role of strategic planning in tourism development of any nature can not be quantified. Words Count 4365

Eighteenth Century Women Playwrights Essay examples -- European Europe

The following essay gives a short biography of eight of the most well known women playwrights of the eighteenth century. The essay runs in chronological order by each playwright’s birth date and describes the better known accomplishments of each playwright. The playwrights that I have included in this essay are: Mary Delariviere Manley, Mary Griffith Pix, Susanna Carroll Centlivre, Catherine Trotter Cockburn, Eliza Fowler Haywood, Elizabeth Griffith, Hannah Parkhouse Cowley, and Elizabeth Simpson Inchbald (Benedict 2003). Mary Delariviere Manley has a strange early history. It is unknown whether or not her first name really was Mary. It is unknown exactly when and exactly where she was born. The name of her mother is unknown. The resting place of her father is unknown. Mary Manley was born either on April 6 or 7, 1663, or in any year between 1667 and 1672. Her father, Lieutenant-Governor of the English island of Jersey, abandoned her around 1688. She lived with her cousin, John Manley, who married her, although he was already married. Later, John Manley abandoned her and their son (Schlueter and Schlueter 1988). Mary Manley’s first two plays, The Lost Lover and The Royal Mischief, were written in 1696 while she lived in Exeter. Both plays were performed in London: The Lost Lover at Drury Lane and The Royal Mischief at Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Although The Lost Lover was not successful, The Royal Mischief brought her wealth and recognition. Mary believed that the plays were not as successful as they could have been because they were written by a woman. From this time on Mary was what we today call a women’s rights activist (Rozny 2001). Mary began to write political satires for wh... ... Vows. Oxford: Woodstock Books, 1990. Ingrassia, Catherine. â€Å"Eliza Haywood.† http://www.people.vcu.edu/~cingrass/chronology.htm (13 November 2003). Ricciardi, Cynthia B. â€Å"Welcome to the Elizabeth Griffith Homepage.† 10 June 2000. http://webhost.bridgew.edu/cricciardi/griffith.htm> (11 November 2003). Rozny, Noel and Margaret Vincent. â€Å"The Official Website of the Secret Society of British Gentlewomen.† 19 April 2001. (11 November 2003). Schlueter, Paul, and June Schlueter, ed. An Encyclopedia of British Women Writers. NY: Garland, 1988. Todd, Janet, ed. A Dictionary of British and American Women Writers 1660-1800. NJ: Rowman and Allanheld, 1985. Warren, Kate M. â€Å"New Advent.† 15 September 2003. (14 November 2003).

arctic oil :: essays research papers fc

The Arctic Circle Ditions enclose roughly the same territory, which is somewhat larger than the region bounded by the Arctic Circle, and will be used as the basis for this article.The largest Arctic tundra areas are in Canada, Russia, Greenland (Kalatdlit-Nunat), Scandinavia, Iceland and Alaska.Climate and Land Formation Tundra climate is characterized by harsh winters, low average temperatures, little snow or rainfall, and a short summer season (Goudie 1993). The arctic tundra, in particular, is influenced by permafrost, a layer of permanently frozen subsoil in the ground. The surface soil, which tends to be rocky, thaws in summer to varying depths. The combination of frozen ground and flat terrain on the tundra impedes the drainage of water. Held at the surface or saturating the upper layer of soil, the water forms ponds and bogs that provide moisture for plants, thereby counteracting the low precipitation.In relatively well-drained locations, the periodic freezing and thawing of the soi gy are also extremely important. Some animals adapt well to Arctic conditions; for instance, a number of species of mammals and birds carry additional insulation, such as fat, in cold months (Urquhart 1995).The Arctic has more than 400 species of flowering plants. The vast stretches of tundra that cover the plains and coastal regions consist of low creeping shrubs, grasses, thick growths of lichens and mosses, and herbs and sedges.Abundant animal life inhabits the Arctic, both on land and in the sea. Arctic mammals include polar bear, arctic fox, ermine, marten, arctic wolf, wolverine, walrus, seal, caribou, reindeer (domesticated caribou), musk-ox, lemming, arctic hare, and many species of whale.Birds are plentiful throughout the Arctic Regions. The guillemot and little auk nest by the thousands along cliffs. Ravens, snow buntings, and sandpipers have been seen in the remotest northern land regions, as have the snowy owl and the gyrfalcon. Various species of gull, including the jaeger, also r ange far t laska and northern Canada still follow a subsistence lifestyle. They live as their ancestors have, measuring their lives with the caribou.The Porcupine caribou herd sustains some 7,000 aboriginal people in northern Canada and Alaska. They rely on caribou meat for food and on the herd for learning the ways of their culture. For the Gwich'in, which means "caribou people," this animal is the spiritual center of life. Young men learn from their fathers and uncles how to hunt wisely and use all parts of the animal.

Physics of Firearms Essay -- physics gun guns firearm ballistics

Shooting is a popular activity and it is enjoyed by many people, so much so that it is also done at a competitive level. Although many people may have shot a firearm of some sort, few of those people actually realize how much physics is involved with the shot. So what exactly is Ballistics? Ballistics is the science or study of the motion of projectiles and in the case of most firearms, these projectiles are the bullets. There are two things that affect the flight of a bullet once it has been shot out of the gun. These things are the drag of air on the bullet and the force of gravity acting upon the bullet. The force of gravity acting upon the bullet is always in a constant direction, which is down, at a rate of 9.81m/s^2. However, the force of air drag on the bullet is not always in a constant direction. This is because the trajectory of the bullet changes, so the direction of air drag on the bullet also changes. So what is it that determines the trajectory of the bullet once it has left the barrel? Aside from gravity, it is the weight, shape, and velocity of the bullet...

The Best Vacation Destination

If one has the money and time, one should spend money and time to travel and expand his experiences and perspective on the world. One can find an assortment of wonderful historical sites and beautiful scenery such as beaches, mountains. If those attractions appeal to you, then Europe and the US would be perfect travel destinations. Even though both Europe and America are great vacation destinations, they can be differentiated from each other based on three important travel distinctions: cost, transportation and tourist attractions.The first major difference between Europe and America is the gap in cost. In other words, Europe’s market price is much more expensive than America. For instance, when you visit a restaurant to have a meal, the employee’s first question is â€Å"what kind of drink do you want? † If ordering water, a visitor may be surprised when getting the bill since a cup of water in Europe is not on the house. Therefore, a customer not only has to pa y for the meal, but also for the water.In addition, meals are more expensive in Europe than in America. For example, a McDonald’s cheeseburger in America is just one dollar but in Switzerland the price goes up to eight dollars. So, if one decides to travel in Europe, prepare to bring much more money than when traveling in America. The second difference is transportation. In America, it is very hard to get from place to place using public transportation because America’s public transportations are not located everywhere and they are much slower than using car.In contrast, in Europe, a person can get everywhere easily by using public transportations, even when traveling from country to country. For instance, if someone has a U-rail pass, they can use this pass at most international European rails and public transportation stalls for buses and subways because European countries share a common transportation authority; therefore, it is more convenient to travel in Europe. Lastly, the two destinations have very different types of tourist attractions.In America, tourist landmark are commonly very huge and made by natural forces such as the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls and Yellow Stone National Park. Unlike America, most tourist attractions in Europe are made by humans. For example, Buckingham Palace in U. K and the Eiffel Tower in France are both man-made tourist attractions that symbolize must-see spots when going to England or France. So, if one travels in America, he will be amazed because of the natural beauty, but in Europe they are more likely to be astounded by what men have created.In conclusion, traveling in Europe and traveling in America are very different in three aspects: cost, transportation and tourist attractions. However, if one ever gets the opportunity, it is highly recommended that one visits both Europe and America because they are great destinations to spend vacation. Of course there are more differences and similarities between th e US and Europe except above three aspects, and I strongly recommend that one finds those out during their own travel!!!

Final Strategic Plan Essay

Everyone wants to have a delicious meal that will not cost them a lot of money. There are many restaurants that try to sell you their services. Greg’s Family Restaurant is a restaurant which will provide a wholesome nutritious meal and great customer service for all our patrons. Mission Statement The mission of Greg’s restaurant is to provide wholesome meals at unbelievable prices the competition cannot compare. Our restaurant is to provide customers the service each and every one of them want and deserve. We will provide this type of service with the technology that is available to us as a business. With this technology we provide our customers with great service and delicious meals at an unbelievable price. We will become the best restaurant in the area that provides our customers with Mexican, Afro-American cuisine. The employees of Greg’s restaurant will be like family. Organization Vision Vision is the strategic planning of a company to achieving its goals. â€Å"A vision statement presents the firm’s strategic intent that focuses the energies and resources of the company on achieving a desirable future† (Pearce & Robinson, 2009, p37). The aim for Greg’s restaurant is to in the next 2-4 years to be above and beyond the competition and to expand the business to other areas within the city. The future planning of the restaurant is to come up with menu items that will continue to help the business to prosper. Guiding principles: Culture, social responsibility, and ethics Greg’s restaurant is following many values and cultures according to the needs of customers. The menu items of the restaurant represent different cultures that can attract customers of different nationalities and societies. Greg’s restaurant is multi- cultural and offers a wide variety of menu items that everyone can enjoy. Greg’s restaurant gives priority to the values of honesty and integrity in full support of their valued patrons. The restaurant also offers specials throughout the week and also issues coupons to get half off on certain menu items. The business is using products that are environmentally friendly and to help protect the environment and health of the community. The vision, mission, and values statement of the restaurant will provide the framework, structure and the company’s goal. The vision is the end goal the restaurant wants to achieve whereas the mission and the values will provide the business with the everyday activities the business already performs and also the structure and framework for the strategic plan for the business. The business will address customer needs by providing good service and meals to each and every patron that enters the establishment. All customers will get the same fresh meal the first customer to the last customer. The staff will act in a professional manner and provide great customer service and our suppliers along with the restaurant will serve the freshest ingredients available. Organization Strategic Direction Without strategic direction the business will not be able to accomplish its mission or vision. So it is very important that a company has a strategic direction for the implementation of its mission and vision. Strategic direction is defined as strategies made by a business or company to fulfill its mission. Strategic direction helps the owner and employees to know what is needed or required to achieve the mission of the company. Customer needs and competitive advantage At Greg’s restaurant it is important for the business to provide a relaxed comfortable atmosphere to the customers so they can like at home. At Greg’s restaurant there has been mechanisms added to provide the customers with the necessary seating and waiting areas to help them feel more comfortable at the restaurant. It is also a positive direction the company has taken is there is no priority of any culture or religion to dine at the restaurant. Honesty is a key element that we strive when dealing with patrons. Strategy planning helps the company review the mission and vision and to make sure that the company is headed in the right direction on achieving the goals. The future planning and vision of the restaurant has an impact on the restaurant strategy and it could impact the way the business will do over the next few years. The business has to utilize its vision and mission statements to make new decisions or to improve on the decisions it makes about the future of th e business and what is going to benefit the business. SWOTT Analysis In the restaurant business and by being new to the industry which is very competitive a SWOTT analysis plays a key role and is needed for a business to succeed. Greg’s Family Restaurant sets itself apart from other restaurants by servicing their customers with excellent customer service and meals. When analyzing a business one has to look at the internal and external factors that affect the company. A SWOTT analysis provides a breakdown of all these factors even factors that could affect a business internally and externally. SWOTT analysis is a tool a company uses in forming a strategic plan. It is the most effective tool a company uses to determine and uses for a strategic plan. SWOTT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats, and Trends a company must face. Business can use SWOTT as a tool to create and overview of the organization strategic situation. (Pearce & Robinson, 2009). For a new establishment like Greg’s Restaurant a SWOTT analysis is necessary to establish and compare where it is in a competitive market. When operating any type of business preparation is a key element: looking into as many potential options as possible is a must to prevent the company from profit loss along with the shareholders but in this case it is Greg’s stakeholders at risk. By eliminating all possible threats and creating opportunities with limited financial resources and concentrating on the long- term goal is the key to the success of the business and the future. SWOTT provides basic framework for business existing or new. More opportunities can be created by eliminating various weaknesses. External forces which are opportunities, threats, and trends are sets of uncontrollable factors the restaurant face and must overcome to succeed in the restaurant business. After conducting a SWOTT analysis legal and regulatory, economic, technology, Global and social trends were found external forces that need to be addressed. Legal and Regulatory Because of the external forces of opening a new restaurant or possible refitting and exiting building you will have to deal with the zoning laws. Restaurants need licenses and permits to operate or a food service establishment permit, alcohol license and food safety permit. Food safety health codes vary from state to state but restaurant businesses have to abide by the rules and laws that are put forth. The rules and regulations are to help protect the consumers and business. Economic Information regarding to products, services, tools, technology, and suppliers will compromise the economic environment of the restaurant. In 2001 California restaurants are projected to register 63.8 billion in sales, every $1 spent generates additional $1.19 in sales for the state economy. In 2010 there were 62, 794 eating and drinking places in California; every extra $1 million spent in California’s restaurants generates an additional 23.8 jobs in the state. In 2012 California restaurants employ 1,445,000 people (www.restaurant.org). Macroeconomics is very sluggish at this point in time. Inflation is at a high and banks are increasing interest rates. People are not spending as they did in the past they are more frugal with their finances. With the housing market in a slump, unemployment on the rise and with energy prices on the rise it is giving the restaurant industry a hard time. Changing labor conditions and cost is affecting smaller family type restaurants to eventually lose their business. Globalization Globalization shows opportunity for Greg’s restaurant to expand outside the United States. Forming a Limited Liability Company (LLC) it protects your personal assets from any liability the business incurs. If the owner plans on setting up a restaurant in different locations have separate LLC for the location. Social Socially people love to meet, dine, and have a drink and fun. But given the economic conditions of today it is hard for people to dine like they once did in the past. People are also concern about eating healthy and given the increase of a lot of food recalls in the past. Social media is also playing a big role in the marketing aspect of the restaurant industry. Technology Technology in the restaurant industry is very vital to the everyday operation. There is software available to track inventory, supplier orders, and to manage food orders. Technology is being developed every day to improve the way restaurants do business. Managers are no in more control of their staff with remote monitoring systems. Internal forces are more controllable factors a business can use to improve the operation and its path to success. After conducting an internal evaluation these were the factors the business came up with that is logical: strategy, strategic capabilities, and structures. Strategy In order for the restaurant to grow and expand a strategy has to be designed to which the business should offer products and services which customers could not receive from anywhere else. As far as strategizing the restaurant has the use of resource control which is key i.e. (operations, finance, supplies, and manpower). Strategic Capabilities Strategic capabilities play a big part in the restaurant industry. A business can create its own uniqueness through its marketing and strategic capabilities. A well- organized supply chain, a well trained staff, and a competent management team are strategic capabilities that will help the restaurant to fulfill its vision. The business also needs to consider its ability to manage working capital, expecting manpower issues and customer expectations and the ability to think ahead of the competition. As the industry changes over a period of time the threats and opportunities the restaurant will face the strategies and model of the business will have to adapt to these changes to meet the needs of the customers. It is very critical management focuses and maintain a product mix that works well for the business. The restaurant should position itself to reach specific demographic groups. Issues and Opportunities As mentioned in internal forces issues that are apparent is the lack of interactions between the employees. With these issues it allows opportunity to create meetings between employees and management. These meetings will allow staff to feel they belong and part of the family. It also allows employees to express what is working and not working for the business and what need improvement since the staff are the ones interacting with the customers. Balance Scorecard To develop a Greg’s Family Restaurant a balance scorecard is essential. It is key component for defining the goals and targets of a business as well as the mission vision and SWOTT analysis. A balanced scorecard is, â€Å"A set of four measures directly linked to a company’s strategy: financial performance, customer knowledge, internal business processes, and learning and growth† (Pearce & Robinson, 2009, p. 202). Financial Perspective/ Shareholder Value A well thought out vision and mission statement will facilitate the restaurant to achieve its target. The restaurants objectives are to increase the performance of the restaurant. The responsibility of the restaurant is to seek its customer satisfaction. Increase revenue, and also achieve financial stability. Customer Value Perspective Customers determine the success of the business. The ups and downs of the restaurants as well as the delivery of the services the business provides relates to the customers satisfaction. The more the customers are satisfied the better the business will do to attract more customers. Process/Internal Operations Perspective Strategic planning is very effective to give a nutritious meal to customers. This should be done in accordance with the customer needs. The most important thing is to determine the purpose and intentions of the strategy, because this will help the business towards its goals. The restaurant should set its goals and the path while keeping in minds the values and interest of the patrons. Customer comment cards should be available so customers can express their comments and concern. Greg’s family restaurant is always taking initiatives to improve service and products to increase their customer base. Learning and Growth Perspective Learning and growth process is the prospective to know about your business and if it is developing into the type of business you dreamt of. Learning in accordance to Greg’s family restaurant means to learn about the attitudes of the employees which are internal and customers which are external. Strategic planning within the growth and learning perspective should focus on employee training to have competent employees. Balance Scorecard Shareholder Value/Financial Perspective Strategic Objectives * Market share should increase * Net revenues should increase * Financial stability should be achieved * Production cost should be minimized Performance Measure * Revenue growth * Increased operating cost * Return on interest and capital Targets * 3-6 % market share increase over the next 3 years * 20% profit margin Customer Perspective Strategic Objectives * Focus on public interest * Quality food should be delivered * Community support * Improving brand name in market Performance Measures * New Menu Items should be offered * Awareness of brand in public Targets * 100% customer satisfaction * 15% increase in customers for the next 3 years Initiatives * Restaurant should expand to other cities * Benefits & rewards program Learning & Growth Perspective Strategic Objectives * Employees retention increased * Technology should be improved * Employee satisfaction Performance Measures * Customer satisfaction should improve * Employee turnover rate decreased * Surveys, monitoring and training Targets * 100% participation of all employees Initiatives * Staff training * Improved customer service * Analysis of Staffing References Pearce, J. A. II, & Robinson, R. B. (2009). Strategic management: Formulation, implementation, and control (11th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill www.restaurant.org http://www.balancedscorecard.org/BSCResources/AbouttheBalancedScorecard/tabid/55/Default.aspx