Urban tourism and globalisation Literature review

Urban tourism and globalisation - Literature review Example Both rural and urban areas of cities all over the world have gained significant popularity in developing the tourism activities, but urban tourism has gained much more popularity compared to rural tourism because of greater social, cultural and economic development of these areas (Bourgeois et al., 1999, p.92). In modern times urban tourism is treated as a commodity and urban areas possess relative competitive advantage over rural areas and suburbs in terms of development of the market for the commodity and also for the development of the demand for the commodity. According to Fainstein, â€Å"the most important group of travelers economically are those traveling on business, since these travelers spend the most. Globalization has greatly increased business travel, despite telecommunications, because decentralized production and outsourcing makes travel a necessity† (Fainstein, 2007, p.1). This paper is aimed at describing a literature review of the aspect of urban tourism and globalisation of this particular form of tourism. This paper provides a case study of the notion of urban tourism and its interaction with the notion of globalisation. According to Page and Connell (2006, p.414), tourism can be described as most important aspect in the development of entertainment and entertainment of people who want to know and understand various cultural, social as well as various economic aspects of all the countries of the world. The notion of urban tourism has been developed with the overall development of various areas of countries across the globe. In this context the notion of urban tourism has been described by Page and Connell (2006, p.414) as a notion that possesses a competitive advantage over the development of tourism activities of rural areas of these countries of the world. However, according to Tipuric (2010, pp.5-6), this is not only because urban areas has been

Literature review ( Dehydration associated with the use of diuretics) Research Paper

Literature review ( Dehydration associated with the use of diuretics) - Research Paper Example In spite of having a related African heritage, the citizens of African nationality who live in the West Indies and Africa have lesser rates of hypertension than do African Americans. This means that researches into how diuretics affect African Americans are vital in establishing if the rate of mortality due to hypertension in this ethnic group can be checked. Past researches have indicated that there is a higher incidence of hypertension in African Americans than among Whites. One of the major reasons for this has been given as the higher rate of cardiovascular sicknesses among African Americans. The long list of supposed causes for this frequency suggests that the genuine reasons are still unidentified (Sacks and Campos 2010). Biological disparities in the systems concerned in the environment or blood pressure control, as well as the lifestyle habits of African Americans are viewed as being among the probable causes of high blood pressure. The greater frequency of hypertension in African Americans living in the United States and not Africa seem to indicate that behavioral as well as environmental characteristics can also be considered as reasons for the heightened rates of hypertension among African Americans (Sacks and Campos 2010). They could also imply that there are mechanisms that increase the blood pressure in African Americans th at are dormant in the Africans that reside in Africa. Disparities in the individual experiences of the environment between Caucasian and African Americans have also been given as a reason for the difference in the experience of hypertension. Aspects like dietary habits, socioeconomic status, stress, existence of social networks, and health behaviors are also believed to influence the prevalence of hypertension. Among the outcomes of differential nutritional habits, surplus adiposity surfaces as a natural candidate to clarify the higher frequency of hypertension among African Americans, who have a 51%

A Review On Public Switch Data Networks Information Technology Essay

A Review On Public Switch Data Networks Information Technology Essay A public data network is a network established and operated by a telecommunications administration, or a recognized private operating agency, for the specific purpose of providing data transmission services for the public. A public switched data network (PSDN) is a publicly-available packet-switched network, distinct from the PSTN. A general wide area network used to provide circuit switched data services for commercial users A publicly-available network supporting packet-switched data It is an all digital communications line that allows for the transmission of voice, data, video and graphics, at very high speeds, over standard communication lines It is a computer network that uses a public telecommunication infrastructure such as the Internet to provide remote offices or individual users with secure access to their organizations network. It aims to avoid an expensive system of owned or leased lines that can be used by only one organization. A leased line is a service contract between a provider and a customer, whereby the provider agrees to deliver a symmetric telecommunications line connecting two or more locations in exchange for a monthly rent (hence the term lease). It is sometimes known as a Private Circuit or Data Line in the UK. Dial-up Internet access is a form of Internet access that uses the facilities of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to establish a dialed connection to an Internet service provider (ISP) via telephone lines. The users computer or router uses an attached modem to encode and decode Internet Protocol packets and control information into and from analogue audio frequency signals, respectively. Feature Caller ID, Call Waiting, Voice Mail, and Call Forwarding à ®Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Need a connection establishment between end nodes. à ®Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Connection is maintained until one of end nodes terminates. à ®Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Connection is dedicated to the communication between two nodes. à ®Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Reduces the number and the total length of the links Data are transmitted in short messages called packets. à ®Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬A connection between the two end-nodes is not maintained. à ®Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬A node-to-node link can be dynamically shared by many packets. à ®Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Example : Public Data Network (PDN) likes X.25, Frame Relay. There are two types of PDN: CSPDN and PSPDN. Mostly used to provide leased-line connections between local area networks and the Internet Circuit switch network work by allowing multiple sessions to run between end-user by simply switchingto the most direct or available path Because a circuit switch dedicates bandwidth to each session, it is less effective from packet-switch. The advantage of circuit switch is transparent, and the path is always open, thus the delay through SCPDN is constant, which is ideal for real time application such as video. One of the disadvantage of CSPDN is they are very wasteful of bandwidth, because if the device is not transmitting data, the bandwidth will always be availalbe. Packet switch provide bandwidth on-demand. Advantage of PSPDN is it saved bandwidth, because they only use the bandwidth when there is data to transmit. All data in Packet switching is transmitted in frame/packets over a trunk, where each packet or frame can belong to a different session. All of the data being sent to the network is marked with a sequence number. This mean PSPDN can correct any data corrupt or loss within a network. Disadvantage of PSPDN is buffering. It builds on groups of standard transmission channels. Bearer channels (or B channels) transmit user information at relatively high speeds, while separate Data channels (or D channels) carry call set-up, signaling and other information. It handles all types of information. Unlike some other digital communications technologies, ISDN handles all types of information voice, data, studio-quality sound, still and moving images. They are all digitized, and transmitted at high speeds in the same flow of data. It handles many devices and many telephone numbers, on the same line. It encapsulates data transfers between two or more networked devices which are not on the same private network so as to keep the transferred data private from other devices on one or more intervening local or wide area networks. There are many different classifications, implementations, and uses for VPNs. Typically, leased lines are used by businesses to connect geographically distant offices. Unlike dial-up connections, a leased line is always active. The fee for the connection is a fixed monthly rate. The primary factors affecting the monthly fee are distance between end points and the speed of the circuit. Because the connection doesnt carry anybody elses communications, the carrier can assure a given level of quality. Dial-up connections to the Internet require no infrastructure other than the telephone network. Dial-up is often the only choice available for rural or remote areas where broadband installations are not prevalent due to low population and demand. Dial-up access may also be an alternative for users on limited budgets as it is offered free by some ISPs, though broadband is increasingly available at lower prices in many countries due to market competition. Network Interface Circuit-switched Packet Switching Packet Switching Circuit-switched Packet Switching Device-to-device interfaces are called reference points Interface R Located between Non-ISDN Terminal Equipment (TE2) and a Terminal Adapter (TA) Interface S/T Located between ISDN user equipment and Network Termination (NT1) equipment Interface U Located between NT1 equipment and an ISDN central office RJ45/RJ11 RJ45/RJ11 RJ45/RJ11 Components/ hardware configuration Consists of telephone lines, fiberoptic cables, microwave transmission links, cellular networks, communications satellites, and undersea telephone cables all inter-connected by switching centers which allows any telephone in the world to communicate with any other. In a LAN packet-switched environment, such as with an Ethernet network, the transmission of the data packets relies on packet switches, routers, and LAN cables using permanent virtual circuits (PVCs). Uses TDM (Time Division Multiplexing), SDH (Synchronous Digital Hierarchy) and PDH (Pleisochoronous Digital Hierarchy) Uses Frame Relay and STDM (Statistical Time Division Multiplexing) TE1- Any ISDN-ready device that connects directly to ISDN or connects to ISDN via an NT1. For example: a digital telephone, a GT 70 Series router. TE2- Any non-ISDN device that needs to be used with a Terminal Adapter (TA) to work with ISDN. For example: an analog FAX, PC, or analog telephone. TA-A device that converts non-ISDN communication to ISDN to allow non-ISDN devices to work with ISDN. NT1- A device located between the S/T and U reference points that allows communication between functional devices. Secure VPNs use cryptographic tunneling protocols to provide confidentiality by blocking intercepts and packet sniffing, allowing sender authentication to block identity spoofing, and provide message integrity by preventing message alteration. Leased lines are made up of the following components: a router, usually managed by the service provider, is installed into a customers comms room. The circuit is presented with an RJ45 connector as standard. local loop circuit, , links the router to the service providers local point of presence (POP). Network termination equipment (NTE) is attached to the wall in a comms room and is connected to either a fibre optic or copper local loop circuit. depending upon location, a back haul circuit may be used to link a customer to their service providers point of presence and then onto the internet gateway. This will take place behind the scenes and may run over a third partys national network. Protocols X.25 X.25 X.25 X.25 X.25 The LAPD (Link Access Protocol Channel D) is a layer 2 protocol Ipsec (Internet Protocol Security) SSL (Transport Layer Security) DTLS ( Datagram Transport Layer Security) SSH (Secure Shell VPN) Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) Multi-Link Point-to-Point Protocol (ML-PPP) NetWare connect Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) Multi-Link Point-to-Point Protocol (ML-PPP) NetWare connect Standards ITU-T, E.1263, E.164 CCITT/ITU-T ITU-T ITU-T ITU-T CCITT Q.920/921 IETF Wide Area Network Standard Wide Area Network Standard

Stephens Journey to Maturation in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young

Stephen's Journey to Maturation in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce    In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, the author James Joyce uses the development of Stephen from a sensitive child to a rebellious young man to develop the plot of the novel. In this novel, Joyce suggests that through Stephen's experiences with religion, sexuality and education, Stephen not only becomes more mature but these experiences also inspire him to redefine his world and his understanding of his true feelings about art. Religion, besides the practical need for food and shelter is one of the most powerful drives in Stephen's life. Religion serves as Stephen's guidance and saviour yet it is also responsible for his tormented youth and distracting him from his artistic development. As a child growing up in a strict Catholic family, Stephen is raised to be a good Catholic boy who will follow the teaching of Catholism as his guidance in his life. The severity of his family is shown when his mother tells him either to "apologise" (4) or "the eagles will come and pull out his eyes" (4). Stephen is taught by his mother to be tolerant when she "[tells] him not to speak with the rough boys in the college" (5). Similarly, Stephen's father also taught him a Catholic quality by telling Stephen "never to peach on a fellow' (6). Evidence of Stephen following the "never to peach" (6) quality is shown when Stephen agrees not to tell on Wells for pushing him into a ditch. However, as Stephen matures into his adolesce nce, religion becomes his savior rather than his guidance. As Stephen's family condition declines, he sees priesthood as a way to escape poverty and shame. In fact, priesthood is an opportunity for Stephen's personal gain... ...lly as [he] can, using for [his] defence the only arms [he] allow [himself] to use - silence, exile, and cunning" (226-269). By discussing how education affects Stephen from a child to a young man, Joyce has shown the reader Stephen's development as an artist and human being. The novel, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is an autobiography of James Joyce who delivers the influential aspects in his life and his artistic development to the reader through the eyes of the fictional character of Stephen Dedalus. In the novel, Stephen's journey to maturation and to become an artist is influenced by his religion, sexuality and education. Yet, Stephen is able to overcome the obstacles result from these aspects and experience his life to its fullest.    Work Cited Joyce, James. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. 1916. New York: Penguin,1993.   

Colonialist Criticism by Chinua Achebe Essay

Summary The essay ‘Colonialist Criticism’ is an attack on a lingering colonialism in the criticism of African literature by non-Africans. The African writer writes the text or ‘they produce literature, their literature goes to Europeans for analysis. Every African literature has to get thought the grids of European writers. They have to meet the criteria said by the European writer, African writer wrote the text for the African people but European people analyzed it. It means they are the jury’s bench, or they judge the text. [One question raised that How do they judge] while judging, they always keep on the concept that is big brother consciousness. They always make the binaries. These binaries are like white and black or the European or African. They think that Europeans are superior and big brothers, whereas Africans are inferior and small brothers. Europeans are teacher and Africans are learners. Therefore, Europeans are at the center and Africans are at the margin. Therefore Africans have to learn many more things from the Europeans. They tend to feel that burden of teaching to the Africans. Therefore, Europeans feel that they know more about African literature, art and culture than African themselves. Achebe sees the faults of colonialist criticism in the assumption that the African writer is â€Å"Somewhat unfinished European and that somehow outsiders can know Africa better than the native writers. Achebe opposes, the European colonial prejudice, habit of ruling and discriminating other and comparing African people their literature, art and culture etc. He argues that African literature should not be judged with the canonical literature since it has its own particularity and peculiarity. The mask of European civilization does not know the history of African people. So Achebe’s claim is that blacks (colonized) should write their own history neglecting what has been already universalized. He argues that â€Å"If the text is judged from European perspective a text doesn’t get right evaluation and the essence of the text is killed.† Attacks on Universalism The term ‘Universalism’ is exclusive, it includes the whole world. The term  Universalism refers to European parochialism, European writers always emphasized universality in the writing. They believe that the writer has to cover all the issues in general or the writer has to speak for all. They judge African text form this angle; they argued that the African text is not universal because it does not speak about universal issue. It speaks only African voice, therefore their text is invalid. They are not able to write about the whole universe. The two problems with Universalism, according to Achebe are, first that the presumed universality that critics find, is merely a synonym for the â€Å"narrow self-serving parochialism of Europe† and second, that every literature must â€Å"speak of a particular place; evolve out of the necessities of its history, past and current and the  aspirations and destiny of its people.† It means that every text comes out of specific time space and the people. Therefore, every text is related to space-specific and people-specific. African people have experience about racism. Therefore, they can write about racism deliberately. African might have made many mistakes, but they didn’t bring racism in the world. Therefore, they would, write about it, which is African-specific situation which is pervaded in African. Achebe sustained the idea that â€Å"the term universalism must be vanished.† Attacks on Language African writers writing in English don’t mean that they are following European model. Language is not the property or possession of any group country or continent. Language is common property as well as de-ethicized. English language is not the property of British or American. It doesn’t belong to anyone. African writers are writing in English to make themselves heard. If they write in African language nobody will come to know about them. They have the problem of communication. African writers writing in English wanted to win the attention of the world. Language is the common heritage for all the people. Towards the end of the essay he criticizes the native writers. All the time European writers cannot be slammed deplorable. He says the even native writers have not done anything to uplift the condition of African literature. They are not responsible for their own people. He embodies the  idea and says that only through the earnestness or â€Å"Eager-enough† is most important to uplift the condition of African literature. Only then African literature will get the prestigious status otherwise they will be dominated. For the domination of Europeans Achebe calls ‘seduction’. The native poets and critics are equally responsible for this seduction because they never attempt to break this barricade of this European canon rather they enjoy to be in appendage of it.

Management Information Systems At Access Fulfillment Ltd

Introduction In an organizational setting, the main application of information is in making sound decisions and finding the best remedies to a problem. These practices are closely related, and form foundations of all successful companies (Oz, 2008: p.8). In order to achieve this, most organizations have embraced different information systems. By definition, an information system is a collection of related company resources, which aid in retrieval, processing and distribution of information that supports the decision making process. (Heijden, H., Heijden, M. and Govardus, 2009: p.3). It obtains data as input and uses it to process and output useful information for decision making. In this paper, we explore on the application of Management Information Systems by Access Fulfilment Limited, a distribution company for a wide range of products, based in Kent, U.K. Management Information Systems at Access Fulfilment Limited According to Sadagopan (2004: p.1), management information systems (MIS) are computer based systems which provide access to data, which is speedy and flexible. There are several management areas where the management information systems have been used to make strategic decisions at Access Fulfilment Ltd. Management Information Systems for Decisions on New Warehouse Locations In an effort to expand the company, new offices and branches are often opened in different locations. To identify the most ideal locations, management information systems often aid in this analysis. Before a final decision is made, internal company information, as well as environmental information is generated by a management information system. This information includes both the shot and long term aspects that should be considered before setting up the new branch. These include the market and changeability, which is a prediction of the possible market response at the tine the branch is set up and the government policy, among others. For the warehouse branches that have been opened in the recent past, which are at Suffolk and Bristol, this system has provided the management team with the necessary information they need to execute the correct strategic decisions. As stated by Sadagopan (2004: p.14), strategic management information systems require mechanisms necessary for the assimilation of environmental information. This is necessary for influencing strategic decisions systematically. Management Information Systems for Decisions on Alternate Financing In every business, the decision for alternate financing is one of several strategic decisions that need sufficient information before being arrived at (Depamphlis, 2010: p.209). At Access Fulfilment Limited, a summary of status information about the internal financial status of the company is made. This summary is then referred to when such decisions are being made. This summary includes details on payrolls, the company budget, overruns, and variance analyses. In addition to this, external information, which is critical to the long-term status of the company, is also considered. The knowledge of these components of the business environment has enabled the managers of the company to make strategic decisions on this issue. This strategic decision, which applies the management information system, has turned out to benefit the company. For more than ten years that Access Fulfilment Limited has been in business, it has experienced substantial growth. One of the contributions towards this is alternate financing decisions. Management Information Systems for Decisions on Maintaining Competitiveness Competition is one of the major challenges faced by every business organizations (Waters, 2010: p.6). For Access Fulfilment Limited, the main sources of competition are other distribution companies that were in business even before it was founded. Having an advantage of a broader customer base as compared to Access Fulfilment Limited, these companies were difficult to compete with. Thus, decisions that had to be made by management to overcome this were very significant for the company. Management information systems aided in making decisions. Through the application of this information system, vital information about these competitors was obtained. This information comprised of the competitors’ present and future strategies for their distribution businesses. This information was quite helpful to the company. Since the managers were aware of what their competitors had planned, strategic decisions about advertisement and all other marketing functions of the company were arrived at. This enhanced Access Fulfilment Limited’s competitiveness in the market. It has also helped the company survive and grow for the period that it has been in the market, as is hopeful for further growth. For this reason, the application of the management information system has been beneficial to Access Fulfilment Limited. Management Information Systems for Decisions on Employee welfare Policies Any decision that concerns an organization’s welfare policy is among the strategic decisions that are taken by personnel management. In order to execute this decision successfully, internal information about the staff members is vital (Sadagopan, 2004: p.15). At Access Fulfilment, the information that influences such decisions includes staff size, quality of staff, their salary enumerations, motivations, and many more. However, what really governs this decision in the organization is the future vision and plans that the managers have. It is also governed by the probable labour market conditions in the business environment. By the application of management information systems, both the internal and external information needed by Access Fulfilment is obtained. This system has been quite resourceful in terms of setting the salaries for employees and motivating them. This strategy has enabled the company to retain most of their pioneer employees. Had the company failed to apply this system, probably the external job market could have been promising for the employees without the knowledge of the management team. Thus, failure or delay in adjusting the welfare of the employees to match or surpass the external market could prompt some of them to leave. The Relationship between Management Information Systems and Other Information Systems At Access Fulfilment Limited, several information systems are applied. Apart from the management information system (MIS), there is the executive support system (ESS), decision support system (DSS) and the knowledge management system (KMS), among others. One common thing about these information systems is that they all contribute towards the making of sound decisions that will see the company grow. What differentiates these systems is the level of management in which they are used and when they are used. The executive support system, for instance, is used by top level executives in decision making (Stair & Reynolds, 2011: p.446). Thus, for this company in as much as management information systems are used on various management levels, executive support systems are exclusive to the top management. Decision support systems, on the other hand is a support system for the management, with more capabilities than the management information systems (Janakiraman & Sarukesi, 2004: p.26) Conclusion Access fulfilment has been experiencing reasonable growth ever since 2000, when it started business. Although this cannot be entirely attributed to management information systems, it has been shown that these systems have had their contribution to its success. As aforementioned, this support system has been of great aid to the company in terms of strategic decision making. The aim of management information systems is to offer the right information from company reports (Sarukesi, 2004: p.26). Among the several strategic decisions that this system has helped make, this paper has addressed decisions for new locations, employee welfare policies, alternate financing and maintaining competitiveness in the business. On evaluating of this system at Access Fulfilment Limited, it can be concluded that it has been of a positive impact to the company. REFERENCE Depamphlis, D. 2010. Mergers and Acquisitions Basics: All You Need to Know. Oxford: Academic Press. Heijden, H., Heijden, M. and Govardus, J. 2009. Designing Management Information Systems. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Janakiraman, V. S. and Sarukesi, K. 2004. Decision Support Systems. Delhi: PHI Publishers. Oz, E. 2008. Management Information Systems. Massachusetts: Cengage Learning. Sadagopan, S. 2004. Management Information Systems. Delhi: PHI Learning. Stair, R. and Reynolds, G. 2011. Principles of Information Systems. Massachusetts: Cengage Learning. Waters, T.J. 2010. Hyperformance: Using Competitive Intelligence for Better Strategy and Execution. California: John Wiley & Sons.

Crocodiles essays

Crocodiles essays The crocodiles seem to know a herd of wildebeest has arrived before anyone else does. The most ferocious group of crocodiles is in line along the shore awaiting a chance to capture one of the wildebeest. After a series of weeks, the seasonal river shrinks into a series of pools. This makes it even harder for animals to get something to drink without getting attacked by a crocodile, some of which are eighteen feet, weigh almost a ton, and can move at extremely deadly speeds. On top of this, the crocodiles will eat anything they can The crocodile is a cold-blooded reptile with a very slow metabolism; therefore, they can last six months or longer without eating. Many of the crocodiles only eat when these herds come. The herds are easier targets because many of the wildebeest, especially calves, have never seen a crocodile before. The impalas, baboons, and warthogs that live there year-round have learned when and when not to approach the river. The crocodiles annual feast on the unexpecting wildebeest in the Grumeti River has proven these crocodiles to be very strong and deadly. ...

Project risk management

Project risk management Introduction Risk management can be described as the proactive management against the possibility of loss. The concept involves the identification of key risk areas and the formulation of possible strategies that can be used to lower the probability of occurrence of the risk, or reduce the potential losses (Crockford 1986, 12; Dorfman 2007, 10).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Project risk management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Sometimes risks may also be positive, for instance the risk of completing a project before its scheduled completion date. Management therefore has the task of coming up with an action plan that will guide on the procedures to follow in the event of positive or negative risks (Gorrod 2004, 23). A basic project risk management program involves risk management planning, identification and assessment of risks, risk response planning and monitoring and control of risks and strategies. The ris k management process involves the initial planning phase, whereby management decides on how the process will be carried out. Decisions made include the general approach in the project risk management process, and how management intends to execute key activities in the process (Conrow 2003, 21). Once a suitable plan has been selected, the management team has the task of identifying all potential risks that may have an impact on the project (Delvin 2006, 41). The planning process group has a role to play in the identification of these risks, as well as analyzing the effects of these risks on the project’s objectives. Risk assessment involves the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the identified risks, which are carried out by the process planning group. Qualitative risk analysis looks at the probability of occurrence of the risk event, and the potential impact on the project’s objectives. Quantification revolves the determination of the impact of each of the identi fied risks, and the prioritization of the risks according to their severity and probability of occurrence (Chapman, Ward and Ward 2003, 3; Capman 2005, 32). This can be done through a project risk map which categorizes risks according to their level of consequence and probability of occurrence (Fink 2002, 35; Chapman, Ward and Ward 2002, 74).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Risk response planning evaluates the options available to management in handling various types of risks (Kendrick 2003, 2009). Risk response planning is also carried out by the planning process team. There are four basic methods of dealing with risks; avoidance, transfer, mitigation and risk acceptance. Risk avoidance implies strategies used to completely steer clear of risky activities. Management may decide to change suppliers for a particular material so as to avoid the risks posed by contra cting one supplier. Risk transfer means transferring the burden of the risk to someone else, hence making them responsible for the resulting loss. A classic method of risk transfer is through insurance (Harvard Business School 2004, 23). Alternatively management may establish contracts that make vendors accountable for a specific risky portion of the overall project (Heerkens 2007, 100). By choosing to mitigate risks, the project managers will undertake processes that seek to lessen the possibility of the risk, or reducing the impact of such a risk (Wang 2000, 63). Where the payoff resulting from an activity outweighs the potential losses, the planning process team may conclude that such a risk could be accepted. The final step in the risk planning process is risk control (Weel, Lindenaar and Kinderen 2004, 47). This involves constant monitoring of the identified risks in order to ascertain the effectiveness of the chosen risk management strategies (Royer 2001, 39). Periodical risk reviews are important for this function since a change in the status of a risk may warrant a change in strategy (Lientz and Larsen 2006, 29). The risk status indicates the probability and severity of a risk, as indicated in the project risk map. Regular reviews will also point out risks that have passed and identify new risks that management should concentrate on. Key strategic considerations Top management support is crucial for every aspect of the project, more so in risk management (Regester and Larkin 2002, 67). This will ensure timely decision making processes and overall support for the planning process group.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Project risk management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Through effective cooperation and coordination, organizational constraints can be removed, thereby making the risk management process smooth (Apgar 2006, 41; Cooper 2005; 73; Blyth 2009, 103). Management support wil l ensure efficient allocation of resources and efficient policy decisions. With upper management support in place, other strategic considerations are enabled (Martin 2004, 63). Stakeholder support is also necessary for the success of any given project. Project stakeholders, including the project management team and the client, need to agree on viable risk management strategies that will reduce the negative risks for both parties. Agreements could focus on realistic deadlines for the entirety of the schedule (Curtin, Hayman and Hussein 2005; 88). Project managers face the task of meeting completion phases in time, and may compromise on quality checks in order to get approval from the client, resulting into higher risks on the performance of the completed project (Lock 1996, 45; 2003; 63; 2007; 94). Communication between the two parties proves to be beneficial if talks are objective. Availability of resources is a major challenge for all project managers, whereby managers compete for labor, money and time with other projects. With top management support, the project management team will be able to define priority areas across all processes and make sure that crucial projects are not affected by the competition for resources. Crucial projects are those that are aligned with the overall objectives and targets of the organization. Lack of stakeholder involvement during the planning process may lead to unclear goals for the project management team (Pickerton 2003; 74), hence the risk of unsatisfied stakeholders once the project is complete. This usually happens when the client has not explicitly described the visions and goals of the project (Haynes 2002, 55). Lack of consulting with the end users of the project, who may not necessarily be the sponsor, may also not yield the desired results. As a consequence, the project will fail to achieve it full intended value. Constant communication and consultations with the stakeholders are required in order to conquer this p roblem. Any changes to the project should be communicated well in advance so as to get approval from the sponsor and the stakeholders (Hillson and Simon 2007, 37). The project management team should provide options, with implications of each, so that the sponsor can make an informed decision.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another important consideration that project managers should make is the applicability of local standards and codes. Different states have unique standards requirements, so the project management team should be familiar with those requirements and ensure that people hired meet the set professional qualifications. Extra training of personnel will be required, which may come at an extra cost for the contracting company. The training sessions are important in that they reduce the risk of mistakes being made when the project is underway, and as a way of conforming to state regulations. A major problem faced by most project managers is that of estimating costs in a project (Barkley 2004, 71). Most projects start out with misinformation, with both the sponsor and the contractor relying on cost estimates to base their decisions, which may be lower than the actual costs incurred. Because of this, either side may experience losses due to lack of sufficient information. Various controls and a ccounting measures need to be involved from the start of the project that will make it easier to track down any variances in the costs illustrated in the budget. Risk management theories The critical chain theory focuses attention on schedule development and management in project management (Goldratt, 1990, 1997 and 1998)). The main aim of risk management in projects is that of converting uncertainties and risks into certain outcomes or promises. The critical chain theory in project management focuses on the resources needed to carry out specified tasks so that the whole project can be on schedule (Goldratt and Cox 1984; 77). Critical chain project management identifies and inserts buffers into projects that monitor the schedule and financial performance of the project (Dettmer 1997, 7). The theory follows the same methodology as the critical path theory, with the latest completion dates for each task. Safety time is aggregated to tasks within the buffers, thereby avoiding the risk of time wasting due to bad multitasking (Dow and Taylor 2010, 99). Goldratt (1984, 61) introduced the theory of constraints by explaining that all organizations face several challenges, or constraints, that limit the achievement of the overall objectives. The theory therefore urges organizations to identify these constraints and restructure themselves in order to protect the organization’s interests. Five focusing steps have been recommended for this purpose, also known as the Process of Ongoing Improvement. As with the risk management process, the organization has to first identify the constraint and then decide on how it will exploit the constrained process. Thirdly, the organization has to reorganize itself with the decisions made. Once the decision has been supported throughout the organization, the organization can make other changes in its systems in order to break down the constraint. Lastly, the constraint will have to be monitored since it can move to other processes , where the organization will have to repeat the five focusing steps again (Gray 2010, 15; Klein 2000, 31). Management of project risk The risk management process begins with the identification of all potential risks that may affect the project. The project management team can use various strategies to identify such risks, though risk analysis is not carried out at this phase. The objective of the risk identification stage is to merely state all risks that the team may encounter, so a comprehensive list is required by the stakeholders of the project. In the planning process, the project risk manager may be asked to document the risks and their characteristics; therefore he must collect as much relevant information as possible. Some of the techniques that may be employed for this purpose include a brainstorming session, whereby scheduled meetings and interviews with the stakeholders are carried out in a bid to list all potential risks to the project. If the project management team ha s valid experience in its line of work, it may revisit some of the risks it identified in a similar project. The learning process will be facilitated if the company maintains a log of previous work, performance and customer satisfaction records (Klein 2000, 47). Traditional risks will be identified from historical information, past projects and industry findings (Cooper et al. 2005, 106) In research and development, the most common risk identified is that of the risk of failure. As such, companies engaging in RD overlook the importance of project risk management and concentrate on their research work (Frigenti and Comnimos 2002, 126; Frigenti 2007, 157). There are other factors that may lead to the cancellation of a research work other than failure, and management has to identify such risks before it is too late. Risks associated with RD can be categorized into project, technical, internal and external risks. The project management team cannot afford to concentrate on one form of ri sks since the others may be overlooked (Coudhury 1988, 65; Allen and Jarman 1999, 70). The company could use the project management plan as a guide for the overall research project, and communicate on a regular basis to the stakeholders. Communication is useful as most researches breakdown due to lack of clarity, resulting into budget cuts or unexplained delays (Lewis 2002, 176; 2007, 103). Change management and systems integration are also subject to risks, so only through the understanding of such risks can the risk management process be effective. The most common risk pertaining to these processes is resistance to change, especially from the end users. Employees of a company may fear change, and would be against additional training so that they can become familiar with new processes or software programs. The main reason for this is the fear that most people have of the unknown, so employees may be resistant to change since they do not fully grasp the benefits of a new system, or fear losing some of their responsibilities in the change management process. End user involvement and clear communication are strategies through which this form of risk can be averted. Change management also brings in the risk of scope, whereby a project’s scope widens in the duration of the program (Kerzner 1992, 67; 2006, 63; 2009, 76). This happens when a change management situation has already began, and the project team keeps on integrating more ideas in the development stage so that the results from the change management program are more than those that had initially been planned for, which may also exceed budget limits. The scope of the change management should be explicitly illustrated and communicated to avoid scope creep. With technology transfer, systems integration and change management comes the risk of data loss in the conversion process. Data conversion risks include missing important information, the comprehensive new system could require data that the old sys tem never had in place, or data from the old system may lose meaning in the new system. The change management team can employ several measures to counter these risks, for instance making sure that there is sufficient back up of available data. A plan should be drawn up to illustrate how data conversion is to be managed. In case of missing data, the organization could do without such data if its unavailability will not affect the new system. Where such data is of vital importance, the organization could add it back into the old system before converting it into the new system, or alternatively add the missing data directly into the new system (Goldratt, E. M., 1997, 77; Gray and Larson 2008, 129). Project planning and implementation strategies Planning is essential form the success of project management for a number of reasons. Project planning helps management organize and schedule tasks, as well as allocate the resources that will be used up by each task. Planning allows for communi cation and coordination of the various parties involved in the project, from the sponsors, to the contractors, to the employees (Goldratt 1990, 88). For it to be effective and comprehensive, planning should entail issues of project work and scheduling, distribution and use of resources, budgetary issues and planning of the information system. Planning involves several steps, starting off with the definition of the project objectives. Once the objectives have been identified, work activities are specified with the involvement of the stakeholders. The specification of the work activities allows for the setting of responsibilities, thereby the project organization is created (Forsberg, Mooz and Cotterman 2005, 132). Tasks are allocated and the schedule is set. A resource map is drawn together with the project budget. Forecasts made to do with time targets, costs and desired performance levels are communicated to the stakeholders in the final stage of the project planning process. For a project implantation process to be successful, the planning process has to be adequate. A sound plan enables for a clear and concise allocation of responsibilities and better contract management by the project management team. Funds have to be available in a timely manner for the implementation process to be smooth. Adequate control and monitoring measures will enable the quick identification and effective management of the risks that may arise in the implementation process (Coudhury 1988, 71). Summary and conclusion Project risk management is a vital element of project management. Where contractors may overlook the importance of planning for risks in the initial stages of the project, and only applying risk management once the project has already commenced, risk planning allows for project managers to be better prepared in the event of risk. Planning enables managers to identify all risks that may occur, and analyze their chances of occurrence and the potential impact that they po se to the project. In this way, the project management team is able to prioritize focus to strategize on how they will manage such risks. Management may also view the need of establishing a contingency plan that will come into effect once a risk has occurred (Cleland and Ireland 2006, 153). Without a contingency plan, management would have to bear serious disruptions in the project, which will have a negative impact on the project’s schedule. Resources have to be actually available for a contingency plan to be effective; otherwise the entire process will be of no value to the project management team. The project risk model identifies and ranks the risks that may occur, whereby assessment is carried out based on the budget risk of the component risks. High complexity risks are those that have the highest negative impact on the project budget, and therefore require special attention, and a contingency plan for such risks is recommended. References Allen, G. and Jarman, R., 1999 . Collaborative RD: manufacturings new tool, 5th ed. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons. Apgar, D., 2006. Risk Intelligence: Learning to Manage What We Dont Know. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. Barkley, B., 2004. Project risk management. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional. Blyth, M., 2009. Business Continuity Management: Building an Effective Incident Management Plan. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons. Capman, C. S., 2005. Controlling strategy: management, accounting, and performance measurement. London: Oxford University Press. Chapman, C. B. and Ward, S. C., 2002. Managing project risk and uncertainty: a constructively simple approach to decision making. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons. Chapman, C. B., Ward, S. and Ward, S. C., 2003. Project risk management: processes, techniques, and insights, 2nd ed. John Wiley and Sons. Cleland, D. I. and Ireland, L. R., 2006. Project management: strategic design and implementation. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional. Conrow, E. H., 2003 . Effective Risk Management: Some Keys to Success. Reston, VA: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Cooper, D. F., et al. 2005. Project Risk Management Guidelines: Managing Risk in Large Projects and Complex Procurements. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons. Coudhury, S., 1988. Project management. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill. Crockford, N., 1986. An introduction to risk management, 2nd ed. Cambridge, UK: Woodhead-Faulkner. p. 18 Curtin, T., Hayman, D., and Hussein, N., 2005. Managing a crisis: a practical guide. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Delvin , E. S., 2006. Crisis management planning and execution. New York: Auerbach publications Dettmer, H. W., 1997. Goldratts theory of constraints: a systems approach to continuous improvement. Great Barrington, MA: ASQ Quality Press. Dorfman, M. S., 2007. Introduction to Risk Management and Insurance, 9th ed. Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice Hall. Dow, W. and Taylor, B., 2010. Project Management Communications Bible. New Jersey: J ohn Wiley and Sons. Fink, S., 2002. Crisis management: planning for the inevitable. 2nd ed. Bloomington, IN: iUniverse. Forsberg, K., Mooz, H. and Cotterman, H., 2005. Visualizing project management: models and frameworks for mastering complex systems, 3rd ed. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons. Frigenti, E. and Comninos, D., 2002. The practice of project management: a guide to the business-focused approach. London: Kogan Page Publishers. Frigenti, E., 2007. The Practice Of Project Management. London: Kogan Page Publishers. Goldratt, E. M., 1990. What is this thing called theory of constraints and how should it be implemented? Great Barrington, MA: North River Press. Goldratt, E. M., 1997. Critical chain. Great Barrington, MA: North River Press. Goldratt, E. M., 1998. Essays on the theory of constraints. Great Barrington, MA: North River Press. Golratt, E. M., and Cox, J. 1984. The goal: excellence in manufacturing. Great Barrington, MA: North River Press. Gorrod, M., 2004. Risk Manage ment Systems : Technology Trends (Finance and Capital Markets). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan Gray, C.F. and Larson, E.W., 2008. Project management: the managerial process, 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Gray, L., 2010. Project Management: The Managerial Process, 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Education. Harvard Business School, 2004. Harvard business essentials: crisis management: master the skills to prevent disasters. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press. Haynes, M. E., 2002. Project management: practical tools for success, 3rd ed. New York: Cangage Learning. Heerkens, G. R., 2007. Project Management: 24 Steps to Help You Master Any Project. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional. Hillson, D. and Simon, P., 2007. Practical Project Risk Management: The Atom Methodology. McLean, VA: Management Concepts Publishers. Kendrick, T., 2003. Identifying and Managing Project Risk: Essential Tools for Failure-proofing Your Project. New York, NY: AMACOM. Kendrick, T., 2009. Identifying and M anaging Project Risk: Essential Tools for Failure-proofing Your Project, 2nd ed. New York, NY: AMACOM. Kerzner, H., 1992. Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, 4th ed. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. Kerzner, H., 2006. Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, 9th ed. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons. Kerzner, H., 2009. Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, 10th ed. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons. Klein, R., 2000. Scheduling of resource-constrained projects. London: Springer. Lewis, J. P., 2002. Fundamentals of project management: developing core competencies to help outperform the competition, 2nd ed. New York, NY: AMACOM. Lewis, J. P., 2007. Fundamentals of project management, 3rd ed. New York, NY: AMACOM. Lientz, B. P. and Larssen, L., 2006. Risk Management for IT Projects: How to Deal with Over 150 Issues and Risks. London: Butterworth-Heinemann. Lock, D. , 1996. Project Management, 3rd ed. London: London: Gower Publishing, Ltd. Lock, D., 2003. Project Management, 8th ed. London: London: Gower Publishing, Ltd. Lock, D., 2007. Project Management, 9th ed. London: Gower Publishing, Ltd. Martin, P. K., 2004. The Professional Guide to Risk Assessment: The MTA Step-by-step Method. Cincinnati, OH: Martin Training Association. Pickerton, W. J., 2003. Project management: achieving project bottom-line succe$$. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional. Regester, M. and Larkin, J., 2002. Risk issues and crisis management. 2nd ed. London: Kogan Page Publishers. Royer, P. S., 2001. Project risk management: a proactive approach. McLean, VA: Management Concepts Publishers. Wang, J. X., 2000. What Every Engineer Should Know About Risk Engineering and Management. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker. Well, S. D., Lindenaar, F. and Kinderen, S., 2004. Project risk management: an essential tool for managing and controlling projects. London: Kogan Page Publishers.

USS Iowa (BB-61) Battleship

USS Iowa (BB-61) Battleship USS Iowa (BB-61) was the lead ship of the Iowa-class of battleships. The last and largest class of battleship constructed for the US Navy, the Iowa-class ultimately consisted of four ships. Following the pattern set by the preceding North Carolina- and  South Dakota-classes, the Iowa-classs design called for a heavy armament combined with a high top speed. This latter trait allowed them to serve as effective escorts for carriers. Commissioned in early 1943, Iowa was the only member of the class to see extensive service in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters of  World War II. Retained at the end of the conflict, it later saw combat during the Korean War. Though decommissioned in 1958, Iowa was modernized and brought back into service during the 1980s. Design In early 1938, work commenced on a new battleship design at the behest of Admiral Thomas C. Hart, head of the US Navys General Board. Originally conceived as an enlarged version of the South Dakota-class, the new ships were to mount twelve 16 guns or nine 18 guns. As the design was revised, the armament became nine 16 guns. Additionally, the class anti-aircraft armament underwent several revisions with many of its 1.1 guns being replaced with 20 mm and 40 mm weapons. Funding for the new battleships came in May with the passage of the Naval Act of 1938. Dubbed the Iowa-class, construction of the lead ship, USS Iowa, was assigned to the New York Navy Yard. Intended as the first of four ships (two, Illinois and Kentucky were later added to the class but never completed), Iowa was laid down on June 17, 1940. Construction With the US entry into World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor, construction of Iowa pushed forward. Launched on August 27, 1942, with Ilo Wallace, wife of Vice President Henry Wallace, as sponsor, Iowas ceremony was attended by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Work on the ship continued for another six months and on February 22, 1943, Iowa was commissioned with Captain John L. McCrea in command. Departing New York two days later, it conducted a shakedown cruise in the Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic coast. A fast battleship, Iowas 33-knot speed allowed it to serve as an escort for the new Essex-class carriers that were joining the fleet. USS Iowa (BB-61) - Overview Nation: United StatesType: BattleshipShipyard: New York Naval ShipyardLaid Down: June 27, 1940Launched: August 27, 1942Commissioned: February 22, 1943Fate: Museum ship Specifications Displacement: 45,000 tonsLength: 887 ft., 3 in.Beam: 108 ft., 2 in.Draft: 37 ft., 2 in.Speed: 33 knotsComplement: 2,788 men Armament Guns 9 Ãâ€" 16 in./50 cal Mark 7 guns20 Ãâ€" 5 in./38 cal Mark 12 guns80 Ãâ€" 40 mm/56 cal anti-aircraft guns49 Ãâ€" 20 mm/70 cal anti-aircraft cannons Early Assignments Completing these operations as well as crew training, Iowa departed on August 27 for Argentia, Newfoundland. Arriving, it spent the next several weeks in the North Atlantic to protect against a potential sortie by the German battleship Tirpitz which had been cruising in Norwegian waters. By October, this threat had evaporated and Iowa steamed for Norfolk where it underwent a brief overhaul. The following month, the battleship carried President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Secretary of State Cordell Hull to Casablanca, French Morocco on the first part of their journey to the Tehran Conference. Returning from Africa in December, Iowa received orders to sail for the Pacific. Island Hopping Named Flagship of Battleship Division 7, Iowa departed on January 2, 1944, and entered combat operations later that month when it supported carrier and amphibious operations during the Battle of Kwajalein. A month later, it helped cover Rear Admiral Marc Mitschers carriers during a massive aerial attack on Truk before being detached for an anti-shipping sweep around the island. On February 19, Iowa and its sister ship USS New Jersey (BB-62) succeeded in sinking the light cruiser Katori. Remaining with Mitschers Fast Carrier Task Force, Iowa provided support as the carriers conducted attacks in the Marianas. On March 18, while serving as flagship for Vice Admiral Willis A. Lee, Commander Battleships, Pacific, the battleship fired on Mili Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Rejoining Mitscher, Iowa supported air operations in the Palau Islands and Carolines before shifting south to cover Allied attacks on New Guinea in April. Sailing north, the battleship supported air attacks on the Marianas and bombarded targets on Saipan and Tinian on June 13-14. Five days later, Iowa helped protect Mitschers carriers during the Battle of the Philippine Sea and was credited with downing several Japanese aircraft. Leyte Gulf After aiding in operations around the Marianas during the summer, Iowa shifted southwest to cover the invasion of Peleliu. With the conclusion of the battle, Iowa and the carriers mounted raids in the Philippines, Okinawa, and Formosa. Returning to the Philippines in October, Iowa continued to screen the carriers as General Douglas MacArthur commenced his landings on Leyte. Three days later, Japanese naval forces responded and the Battle of Leyte Gulf began. During the course of the fighting, Iowa remained with Mitschers carriers and raced north to engage Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawas Northern Force off Cape Engaà ±o. Nearing the enemy ships on October 25, Iowa and the other supporting battleships were ordered to return south to aid Task Force 38 which had come under attack off Samar. In the weeks after the battle, the battleship remained in the Philippines supporting Allied operations. In December, Iowa was one of many ships that were damaged when Admiral William Bull Halseys Third Fleet was hit by Typhoon Cobra. Suffering damage to a propeller shaft, the battleship returned to San Francisco for repairs in January 1945. Final Actions While in the yard, Iowa also underwent a modernization program which saw its bridge enclosed, new radar systems installed, and fire control equipment improved. Departing in mid-March, the battleship steamed west to take part in the Battle of Okinawa. Arriving two weeks after American troops had landed, Iowa resumed its previous duty of protecting the carriers operating offshore. Moving north in May and June, it covered Mitschers raids on the Japanese home islands and bombarded targets on Hokkaido and Honshu later that summer. Iowa continued to operate with the carriers until the end of hostilities on August 15. After overseeing the surrender of the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal on August 27, Iowa and USS Missouri (BB-63) entered Tokyo Bay with other Allied occupation forces. Serving as Halseys flagship, Iowa was present when the Japanese formally surrendered aboard Missouri. Remaining in Tokyo Bay for several days, the battleship sailed for the United States on September 20. Korean War Taking part in Operation Magic Carpet, Iowa aided in transporting American troops home. Arriving at Seattle on October 15, it discharged its cargo before moving south to Long Beach for training operations. Over the next three years, Iowa continued with training, served a stint as flagship of the 5th Fleet in Japan, and had an overhaul. Decommissioned on March 24, 1949, the battleships time in the reserves proved brief as it was reactivated on July 14, 1951 for service in the Korean War. Arriving in Korean waters in April 1952, Iowa began shelling North Korean positions and provided gunfire support for the South Korean I Corps. Operating along the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, the battleship routinely struck targets ashore through the summer and fall. Departing the war zone in October 1952, Iowa sailed for an overhaul in Norfolk. Modernization After conducting a training cruise for the US Naval Academy in mid-1953, the battleship moved through a number of peacetime postings in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. Arriving at Philadelphia in 1958, Iowa was decommissioned on February 24. In 1982, Iowa found new life as part of President Ronald Reagans plans for a 600-ship navy. Undergoing a massive program of modernization, much of the battleships anti-aircraft armament was removed and replaced with armored box launchers for cruise missiles, MK 141 quad cell launchers for 16 AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and four Phalanx close-in weapons systems Gatling guns. In addition, Iowa received a full suite of modern radar, electronic warfare, and fire control systems. Re-commissioned on April 28, 1984, it spent the next two years conducting training and taking part in NATO exercises. Middle East Retirement In 1987, Iowa saw service in the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Earnest Will. For much of the year, it aided in escorting re-flagged Kuwaiti tanker through the region. Departing the following February, the battleship returned to Norfolk for routine repairs. On April 19, 1989, Iowa suffered an explosion in its Number Two 16 turret. The incident killed 47 crewmen and initial investigations suggested that the explosion was the result of sabotage. Later findings reported that the cause was most likely an accidental powder explosion. With the cooling of the Cold War, the US Navy began reducing the size of the fleet. The first Iowa-class battleship to be decommissioned, Iowa moved to reserve status on October 26, 1990. Over the next two decades, the ships status fluctuated as Congress debated the US Navys ability to provide gunfire support of US Marine Corps amphibious operations. In 2011, Iowa moved to Los Angeles where it was opened as a museum ship.

SAM 450 UNIT 8 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

SAM 450 UNIT 8 - Assignment Example However, there are certain fundamental elements of corporate sponsorships that are worth noting. These include advertising and sponsored property. In this regard, whereas the sponsor agrees to sponsor an athlete or sporting club, the sponsor also benefits through television adverts, which are aired during the programme breaks. Accordingly, it becomes clear that corporate sponsorship aims to create a mutual benefit between the sponsor and the sponsored. However, before entering into a sponsorship agreement, there are certain fundamental considerations that an athlete or a sporting club and the sponsor should take into consideration. Firstly, both parties must ensure that the sponsorship agreement being entered into will create mutual benefit (Stier, 2011). In this case, the sponsored party must ensure that the sponsor is worth the money. Similarly, the sponsor must also ensure that the athlete or the sporting club to be sponsored can attract large audience viewing to enable its product brand reach many people. Secondly, the parties to the sponsorship agreements must ensure that they all the terms of engagements, including the sponsorship duration, circumstances that might result into termination of the agreements and renewal terms. Thirdly, it is critical for the parties to sponsorship agreements to agree on the sponsorship fees before entering into a written agreement. Lastly, the parties to the sponsorship agreement should ensure that the obligations of both the athlete or sporting club and the sponsor are clearly defined and documented to minimize chances of

Purposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Purposal - Essay Example care profession grew I came to the realization that there was a significant lack of the application of leadership thinking and development of employee skill. This aspect combined with my thirst for learning new principles and theories which would be applicable to my organization and update my knowledge in leadership. Based on these goals to enhance my leadership skills I have chosen to do a master program in HR and Change Leadership as a strategic move which would allow me to improve the health service and explore ways that would aid health care employees perform superiorly. How this leadership doctoral program helps to meet my needs is in the way it’s not just a distinctive degree program but also it focuses on the application of theory to real life situations. This would facilitate my leadership and educational goals in the way I can tackle various challenges at work with solutions based on an understanding of leadership and organizational theory. Furthermore the course fulf ills my need in the way it enables me to maintain a reasonable work-life balance and thoroughly examine various aspects of the healthcare industry and how leadership can be used as a strategic tool to bring about accelerated social, cultural, administrative and technological change in the field. There are numerous learning aspects as far as this course goes, that contribute to my healthcare profession. Firstly due to the process of preparing for the numerous assigned HR readings and interacting with my peers and learning from their work experiences in diverse backgrounds has been a great help. From the basic elements which have molded my perception towards the critical role that Human Resource plays in the success and future of an organization. This field has facilitated not just my ability to be innovative and creative professionally but also helped me gain more experience and insight into the health care field. Through active participation in group discussions I have learnt how various

E-Shopping Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

E-Shopping - Assignment Example These technical improvements in consumer electronics also found their way into the Internet. An example of this is on-line casino game sites where the player experiences the thrills of enjoying and playing in almost-realistic casino. This realism extends not only to the quality of the audio produced by the act of playing such as table card games but also in the way the cards slide on the table. The cards seem to glide on a real casino table that is equipped with padding and the cards being dealt do not slide awkwardly as in previous computer programs where they seem slippery like being on top of glass. I believe Internet shopping ten years from now will allow prospective customers to feel, smell and see the real product on-line. This may seem impossible or incredible but scientists have found out that smell is nothing but just a variant of electromagnetic waves. Smell is transmitted by infrared waves and scientists are near to finally finding the solution to the mystery of smell (Grigoryev, Myakishev & Yankovsky, 2001). Similar to what the early movies during the beginning of the previous century, the invention of the phonograph made movies more enjoyable due the added element of sound. Now that scientists have deciphered the mechanism of smell, it might be able to produce and send smell on the Internet. Consumers can see, touch and smell a product (such as perfume) before they will buy

TBD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

TBD - Essay Example Possibly the simplest means to resolve this dilemma is to consider the tongue-cutting in the author's book as story bound, as an application of Kingston's artistic thoughts. The remarkable effort that has been done on Kingston's ground-breaking utilization of genre in The Woman Warrior upholds such analysis. Screening Kingston's book as a chronicle in the conventional sense is presently dishonored. Yet, while The Woman Warrior does not request for a distinction of truth from imaginary tale, too quickly tagging as imaginary every occurrence in the book that potentially indicates intercultural apprehension does not facilitate comprehension of Kingston's stylish treatment of actuality and imagination. The author censures the building of a language custom by presenting how language differentiation develops into race-oriented language. The act of tongue-cutting is essential to comprehending how language, frequently considered empty of material meaning, cannot be understood apart from the body. Erving Goffman's hypothesis of stigma triggers a great fraction of this debate, since it is necessary to demonstrate the relationship between the creation of a language custom and the stigmatization of specific language dissimilarities. It is best to begin at the speaker's school commencement into a collective world of "normal" language as well as social norms. The speaker has difficulties in school, because of conflicts between her and the norms of satisfactory classroom performance, exemplify how the decisive factors for identifying aptitude and disability transform depending on social and cultural conditions. It is also ideal to concentrate on the act of tongue-cutting and the undecided association that the speaker has to her verbal communication. It is possible to examine two incidents from the story that exemplifies the speaker's worries about language and her discovery of how to establish her relationship with language. For the speaker of The Woman Warrior, school is the location where she initially studies about customs. Though public schooling is a recognized way of socialization, the cultural differentiations involving dwelling and school resulted to difficulties in the understanding of socialization for the speaker. The primary coping approach she assumed when she is shoved into an unfamiliar world of community organization is to resort to silence. Muteness has functioned as a defensive guard, but it revolves into a pressure issue the instant the speaker recognizes that muteness is not well-accepted by her instructors. The virtuousness of muteness is vanished when the speaker learns a consciousness of the social purpose credited to language. In the final episode of The Woman Warrior, the speaker ponders on the origins of her language. After analyzing her ability for formulating and exaggerating stories, the speaker astoundingly reveals

Rousseau, Locke and Kant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Rousseau, Locke and Kant - Essay Example If changing the world means changing the beliefs,possibly even the worldviews of people,Rousseau,Locke and Kant have hanged the world.Certainly,unlike the case with Marx,their political philosophies did not inspire revolutions which changed nations,led to cold wars between East and West or motivated the construction of the Berlin Wall. However, Locke, Rousseau and Kant changed our political perspectives, our understanding of the rights and duties of citizens and states and emphasized man’s right and responsibility to take political action, even revolution, when needed. From a subjective perspective, at least, these three philosophers have changed the world. We live in a dynamic world, one which is constantly changing, with much of this change being political in nature. One of the primary engines of change is political philosophy. The work of the philosophers is to question, critique and redefine the world. Through their continued critical interpretation of the world, philosoph ers explain certain trends and phenomenon as, for example, Locke and Rousseau did in relation to the evolution of governments. However, their work is not limited to providing explanations but to exposing the conditions surrounding a phenomenon and its intended purposes versus its current function. Again, as an example, Rousseau outlined the conditions which motivated men to enter into a social contract with governments, or a central authority. In doing so, they imposed a set of obligations upon governments, with the implication being that these governments do not only derive their legitimacy from the will of the masses but that they retain their legitimacy by fulfilling their obligation to the masses. By exposing such phenomenon and by making people see the difference between what was intended and what now is, versus what should be, philosophers are not only interpreting the world but they are inciting men to change it. In some instances, they do so by exposing the extent to which s ome things have deviated from their intended purposes and by justifying corrective action. In others, they incite change by highlighting the extent to which certain phenomenon, as in political systems, have oppressed men, are contrary to the natural order and by proposing alternatives. Political philosophy is interpretive and it may be argued that political philosophers have subjectively interpreted the world but, interpretations are directed towards the inciting of change and action. Marx may have had a different point of view and may have argued that philosophers have not fulfilled their purpose of changing the world and only interpreted it. However, from a personal point of view and on the basis of the political philosophers discussed and studied so far and discussions on the purpose of political philosophy, I am persuaded that the purpose is to change, not just interpret, and that many have successfully fulfilled this purpose. A brief review of the political philosophies of Locke, Rousseau and Kant shall argue this point of view. In his Second treatise of Government, Locke investigates the circumstances which incited men to undertake the creation of a central authority and the conditions which determined that this central authority, the government, is legitimate. In examining this question, Locke traces the emergence of political communities to the tribal and group structures which had earlier dominated. Illustrating that while these bands, due to size, may not have needed governments or a central authority and state institutions, the gradual growth of these tribes and their evolution into settled communities, imposed this necessity. In order to protect their interests, their life and property, community members entered into a social contract with a central authority, resigning part of their liberty to that central authority, in exchange for protection through law and order and, importantly, through policies and actions which benefit the interests of the majority.

Cultural Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cultural Case Study - Essay Example In order to make a more proper cross-cultural analysis of business communication, models developed by Trompenaars and Hofstede are discussed in detail. The former model considers culture as a means of human abilities integration, such as decision making in spite of environmental or external challenges (Trompenaars, 1993). The latter scientist discusses managerial behavior formation in accordance with different norms. My personal experience concerns challenges that occurred during our business relations and negotiations conduct. I work at multinational company headquartered in the UAE as a manager assistant. When our business partners came from UK, their managers in international affairs described our company as a â€Å"culturally-oriented† country (Abbas, 1995). Thus, they had to study a lot about cultural and religious background of the country. Two basic concepts are crucial for our English partners: these are religion and morality. Nevertheless, modern business practices in our country have shifted to the importance of economic independence, political pluralism considerations and other changes. Still, I can claim that in the process of our negotiations with English I could witness more conservative ideas that are more important for them as well. This contextual review of the cross-cultural challenges that my Company came across can be outlined as follows: first, when our partners entered the room for negotiations and negotiations took place, they were focused on our Chief. He sat quietly and then it appeared that this man was our Chief. They impressed me by their tolerant and neutral attitude to what was said during negotiations. Moreover, it was surprising to them that line managers from their Company solved some crucial issues and in our company only senior managers could do that. It was unusual for me, but of course, I was full of respect, because it is our

Rousseau, Locke and Kant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Rousseau, Locke and Kant - Essay Example If changing the world means changing the beliefs,possibly even the worldviews of people,Rousseau,Locke and Kant have hanged the world.Certainly,unlike the case with Marx,their political philosophies did not inspire revolutions which changed nations,led to cold wars between East and West or motivated the construction of the Berlin Wall. However, Locke, Rousseau and Kant changed our political perspectives, our understanding of the rights and duties of citizens and states and emphasized man’s right and responsibility to take political action, even revolution, when needed. From a subjective perspective, at least, these three philosophers have changed the world. We live in a dynamic world, one which is constantly changing, with much of this change being political in nature. One of the primary engines of change is political philosophy. The work of the philosophers is to question, critique and redefine the world. Through their continued critical interpretation of the world, philosoph ers explain certain trends and phenomenon as, for example, Locke and Rousseau did in relation to the evolution of governments. However, their work is not limited to providing explanations but to exposing the conditions surrounding a phenomenon and its intended purposes versus its current function. Again, as an example, Rousseau outlined the conditions which motivated men to enter into a social contract with governments, or a central authority. In doing so, they imposed a set of obligations upon governments, with the implication being that these governments do not only derive their legitimacy from the will of the masses but that they retain their legitimacy by fulfilling their obligation to the masses. By exposing such phenomenon and by making people see the difference between what was intended and what now is, versus what should be, philosophers are not only interpreting the world but they are inciting men to change it. In some instances, they do so by exposing the extent to which s ome things have deviated from their intended purposes and by justifying corrective action. In others, they incite change by highlighting the extent to which certain phenomenon, as in political systems, have oppressed men, are contrary to the natural order and by proposing alternatives. Political philosophy is interpretive and it may be argued that political philosophers have subjectively interpreted the world but, interpretations are directed towards the inciting of change and action. Marx may have had a different point of view and may have argued that philosophers have not fulfilled their purpose of changing the world and only interpreted it. However, from a personal point of view and on the basis of the political philosophers discussed and studied so far and discussions on the purpose of political philosophy, I am persuaded that the purpose is to change, not just interpret, and that many have successfully fulfilled this purpose. A brief review of the political philosophies of Locke, Rousseau and Kant shall argue this point of view. In his Second treatise of Government, Locke investigates the circumstances which incited men to undertake the creation of a central authority and the conditions which determined that this central authority, the government, is legitimate. In examining this question, Locke traces the emergence of political communities to the tribal and group structures which had earlier dominated. Illustrating that while these bands, due to size, may not have needed governments or a central authority and state institutions, the gradual growth of these tribes and their evolution into settled communities, imposed this necessity. In order to protect their interests, their life and property, community members entered into a social contract with a central authority, resigning part of their liberty to that central authority, in exchange for protection through law and order and, importantly, through policies and actions which benefit the interests of the majority.

Classroom Management Goals Essay Example for Free

Classroom Management Goals Essay To implement an effective teaching procedure, I have established a set of goals which can serve as my guide in teaching. My goals are the following: To establish an environment conducive for learning, interaction and development To encourage and motivate my students for continuous academic progress through academics and social activities. To uphold good behavior and attitude through respect, understanding, integrity and responsibility inside and outside of the classroom.   Classroom is the most important place where the teacher and the students interact and learn from each other. Therefore, a systematic classroom procedure must be established to effectively impart learning in an efficient way (Bosch 2006). It is also very important the students are aware of these procedures before implementing it in the class. An agreement between the teacher and the students should be ensured so that any misunderstanding can be avoided (Walden University 2009). Through this, the teacher can easily control the class and motivate them to do whatever task they are assigned to do. Desks and tales should be arranged properly in order to encourage students to participate in class not only through discussions but also through interaction with other classmates(Laslett and Smith 1984). Students, regardless of their nations will be asked to sit together based on a seat plan that I will established. This strategy will develop the students’ mental and social abilities. I believe that if the students are arranged side by side, they will be more motivated to work and seek learning even among themselves.   I will also implement monthly seat plan to make sure that all the students will be able to work with all their classmates for the entire academic year. The use of facilities such as the computer and other references can be used upon my permission. As a always, the teacher’s desk is off limits to the students and the student will only be allowed to get something from the teacher’s desk given that he/she is permitted by the teacher. Drinking fountain, sink and pencil sharpener can be used even without permission. Lastly, all the facilities and learning materials should be kept clean and neat.

Consumer behaviour regarding luxury product consumption

Consumer behaviour regarding luxury product consumption From guilt-free fair-trade products and free-range eggs, to cruelty-free shampoo and chemical-free paint, a revolution seems to be occurring in wealthy capitalist societies. And this is happening not at the margins of society but at its heart, in the shopping centers and homes of ordinary people (Lewis and Potter, 2010). Mainstreaming of ethical concerns around consumption is on the rise and companies are extending their fair-trade range over more products, in a bid to catch the ethical consumer. But is this phenomenon also apparent in luxury product consumption? The discussion in this paper is aimed towards analyzing the role of ethics in the luxury industry where consumption, to much extent, is based on hedonistic values. It is also quite uncertain whether luxury brands actually target ethical consumers. The role of ethics in luxury product consumption is complex and thus requires an intricate analysis. This paper will initially discuss about ethical consumerism as a whole. Comparing and contrasting various research studies and surveys; it will present the current global trends in consumer behaviour. Moving into the luxury sector, it will analyze the values and motivations behind luxury product consumption and examine if sustainable development can co-exist with luxury products. Finally, it will highlight some of the steps big luxury groups such as BVLGARI, LVMH and Versace are taking to integrate ethics into consumption by working on issues such as animal welfare, child labour, education and environmental protection. The question arises whether these measures motivate consumer behaviour de facto. This paper will demonstrate that consumer motivations behind luxury purchases are hedonism and social recognition, rather than ethical values. Purchase of a product that concerns a certain ethical issue such as human rights, animal welfare, child labour or environment protection can be termed as ethical consumption (Doane, 2001). In general, ethical consumption is reflected when a consumer feels responsible towards society and expresses these feelings by means of his or her purchase behaviour (De Pelsmacker, Driesen and Rayp 2005). Consumers can translate their ethical concerns by either buying products that contribute towards ethical concerns or by boycotting products that are unethically produced. Ethical consumers are therefore aware of the consequences of production, consumption and disposal, and expect companies, producing the products they buy, to conform to ethical standards. Recent studies indicate that consumers increasingly care about ethics while purchasing regular household goods and are willing to pay a premium for socially acceptable products (Auger, Burke, Devinney and Louviere, 2003). For example, they prefer to buy fair-trade coffee, organic foods, products free from child labour and legally logged wood. The Edelman Goodpurpose consumer survey (2010) shows that 86% of global consumers believe that business needs to place at least equal weight on societys interests as on businesss interests. According to the survey, emerging markets have taken the lead consumers in Brazil, India, China and Mexico have outpaced their peers in the west in purchasing and promoting brands that support good causes. Hence, there is cultural variation in behavioural intentions, but the group of consumers most interested in socially responsible products is growing across the world. The Edelman study also suggests that after 4Ps Product, Price, Placement and Promotion, Purpose is the 5th P of marketing. In order to retain their customer base, marketers need to understand and act on the social issues that matter to their customers and are a best fit to their business. Whilst a lot is indicated about increasing socially conscious consumer attitude, it does not reflect in actual consumer behaviour. Research indicates that a consumer attitude towards making ethical purchases is more positive than behaviour (De Pelsmacker, Driesen and Rayp 2005). For example, Cotte and Trudel (2010) demonstrate that 44% consumers indicated an intention to change their buying behaviour to consume ethical products, however only 18% actually did. General ethical attitude or even surveys intent on measuring consumption ethics are almost completely unrelated to actual behaviour since there is pressure to answer in a socially desirable way (Auger and Devinney, 2007). So consumer purchasing behaviours are not nearly as high as these attitudes would predict (Carrigan and Attalla, 2001) and consumers will buy responsible products only if quality, performance and prices are equal (Deloitte, 2008). This ubiquitous attitude behaviour gap is due to various factors. It may be the consumers perception of having to compromise on attributes such as convenience and quality of the product they value (Roberts, 1996) or could be the lack of knowledge about the firms ethical behaviour. Consumers are more aware of a firms unethical behaviour and rather have little knowledge about its ethical initiatives (Carrigan and Attalla, 2001). Another reason is widespread consumer scepticism and cynicism (Roberts, 1996). Marketers who try to oversell their firms offering as better on socially conscious dimensions, risk being accused of what is now called green washing (Cotte and Trudel, 2009). Hence, the most important factors affecting buying decision are still price, quality, convenience, and brand. Therefore, there is clearly a lack of conclusive and empirical evidence that consumers will pay more for socially responsible products (McWilliam and Siegal, 2000), but at least there seems to be a constant effort by both consumers and companies to be ethically conscious in consumption and production respectively. There is a trend towards more consumer activism with respect to the social behaviours of organizations, especially large and well-known multinational corporations (Auger, Burke, Devinney and Louviere, 2003). Despite the ethical markets strong growth, consumers have blasted Nestlà ©, Coca-Cola, Cadbury, McDonalds and Tesco for failing to do enough to champion ethical values, according to new market research (Britton, 2010). But traces of such efforts can rarely be found in the luxury sector. It is observed that for higher priced products, only those consumers, who have a strong favourable attitude towards charity, are ready to pay the premium (Anderson and Cunningham, 1972) . In order to verify this behaviour, it is important to explore the motivations behind luxury purchases. Analyzing consumers perception of luxury products, a survey conducted by Synovate (2009) demonstrates, 35% people feel that luxury is everything over and above what is needed and 17% associate luxury as a lifestyle. Whether consumers define luxury as a feel of cashmere on their skin, the joy of time to spend as per their wish or the pleasure of showing off their success, actually depends on where they live. For example, in developing countries like India and Brazil, luxury is about flashing your wealth with big designer logos, its away of life. Whereas in countries like France, where people are certainly hedonistic, and enjoy the small pleasures like a good smell, or the softness of a scarf, and of course cooking and eating, luxury is about making them feel good and not about flaunting a brand. Luxury purchases are motivated by hedonistic values associated with instant gratification (Szmigin, Carrigan and OLoughlin, 2007). These values stimulate a consumer to purchase a $3500 Louis V uitton bag whose function is the same as a handbag at $250. Essentially, at the core of luxury consumption are three key motivations: indulgence, exclusivity and status. Danziger (2004) highlights two reasons behind buyer behaviour to solve problems and to make them feel good. She classifies consumer purchases into 4 categories Utilitarian, indulgences, lifestyle luxuries and aspirational luxuries, each motivated by different values (represented at the ends of each axis in fig.1). Utilitarian purchases include items such as blenders, food processors and microwaves, which essentially focus on practicality. Indulgences represent lifes little luxuries that provide emotional satisfaction and which consumers can buy without guilt. Cosmetics, entertainment products, games and costume jewellery are appropriate examples. Lifestyle luxuries are luxury cars (Mercedes, BMW), designer clothes (Armani, Ralph Lauren), Watches (Rolex). They are extravagant and provide material satisfaction, along with the prestige and image conferred by the brand. And finally there are aspirational luxuries that have no practical need and are purchased largely for the pure joy of owning them. Theses include Art, antiques, vintage collectibles, yachts, fine jewellery, etc. Consumers buy these items to make a statement about them in society, express their values, interests and passions. Fig1: Consumer purchase categories and motivations behind each Having discussed that a consumer buys anything to satisfy a concrete need, in purchasing luxury items, the act of consuming, rather than the product itself, satisfies this need (Danzigner, 2004). In fact, tracking the roots of luxury product consumption and marketing, we find it to be based on sheer unethical values (Sylvester, ND). Back in the 1840s in Manchester England (The worlds richest city then), the cotton mill owners were at the top of the social ladder and usually showed off their wealth at dinner parties where they served wine instead of beer and the wealthier class served champagne. For the most affluent class this was a problem as champagne was no longer exclusive. As a solution, the French marketers, keeping the product unchanged, created a much more expensive drink called vintage champagne. The rich mill owners were flocked to it. Hence, within a few years, the world was buying more bottles at higher prices. The anecdote above is a good example that shows how the concept of luxury is based on un-ethical selling and consumption, of which marketers are well aware. This view is supported in the 21st century as marketing strategist, Sergio Zyman (2000), provides in his book, the end of marketing Marketing is how to sell more things to more people more often for more money. In fact, French marketers are the leaders in marketing luxury brands and even the puritan roots and guilt dont prevent them from behaving in unashamedly elitist ways and producing items that no ordinary person will ever be able to afford. Marketers are concentrating their efforts on selling things that people dont need, but want. Different values that motivate consumers to make a low value purchase as compared to a luxury purchase. Empirical evidence suggests that materialism is negatively correlated with consumer behaviour, i.e. unethical behaviour is associated with greater amounts of materialism (Barrett, 1992 cited in Muncy and Eastman, 1998). The more materialistic consumers might be willing to bend ethical rules to gain possessions and when faced with an ethical choice, the acquisition of the goods may begin to take primacy over ethical values (Muncy and Eastman, 1998). Thus, the factors that may cause a person to be more materialistic may also cause him or her to be less ethical. In fact, marketers may have self-interest in encouraging materialism. Even if we consider that some people do behave ethically while purchasing luxury products, their decisions are not necessarily dependent on ethical values. People, while shopping in public, like to be seen as altruistic and thus are more likely to choose green products, that maybe expensive and low quality but benefit the environment (Griskevicius, Tybur and Van den Bergh, 2010; Telegraph, 2010). So their purchases are often motivated by status, especially when these products cost more relative to non-green products. The Toyota Prius is a prime example of a self-promoting mobile billboard for environmentalist beliefs. A compact hybrid Sedan with moderate features and performance, considered a Green product due to high fuel efficiency. In a survey, 40% of hybrid owners indicated that they bought a green car as an alternative to a traditional luxury car such as a BMW (Griskevicius, Tybur and Van den Bergh, 2010). Yet, the top five reasons why the Prius was so successful and environmental conservation was last on the list (Maynard, 2007). The number 1 reason was, that it made a statement about the consumer, a statement that the owner cares about the environment. So consumers are willing to spend on ethical products but at the cost of earning a public status or reputation. In the privacy of ones home, luxury and comfort is still the winner (Griskevicius, Tybur and Van den Bergh, 2010). Having discussed that hedonism and materialism as motivators of luxury purchases, it is evident that sustainability and luxury are quite incompatible terms. To drive a Rolls Royce, a Bentley or a Mercedes S Class would radiate a message that the owner couldnt care less about gas overconsumption and the warming of the atmosphere (Kapferer, 2010). Luxury is about excellence: more than any other, luxury brands guarantee zero risk. Now there are more and more pressures from lobbies and animal defense groups to forbid testing skin care products on animals. But without testing, the brand cannot ensure that its product is harmless for consumers. If all fashion luxury brands adopt a minimalist look, they would lose all capacity to differentiate and thus lose their integrity. Elliott and Freeman (2001 cited in Belk, Devinney and Eckhardt, 2005) found relatively high price elasticity of demand for products made under bad labour conditions but low price elasticity for products made under good conditions, implying that companies can potentially lose from having their products identified as being made under bad conditions but have little to gain from marketing their products as being made under good conditions. Modern revelations of how Prada and Dolce Gabbana bags were being stitched by clandestine Chinese workers in workshops-costing a mere à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬20 to produce, have signaled the need of ethical behaviour in manufacturing, in order to retain customers. Luxury brands are advancing fast to meet the demands of sustainable development. Some brands are actually working on philanthropic endeavors, but their motive is not quite clear. For example, since 2009, BVLGARI has raised more than 6 million Euros to support Save the Childrens quality education programs and are hosting several special events to support quality education for the worlds neediest children (Bvlgari, 2010). LVMH has been auditing its carbon imprint since 2004 and has taken as a managerial motto the four words: renew, recycle, reduce, and review (Kapferer, 2010). The same holds  true for Tiffany. Dior (LVMH) gets their handbags made in Italy (excellent leather suppliers and their know-how that produces less CO2 than if it was made in China) and the leather comes from bio farms. Versace has an Art Unites initiative where the brand makes one-of-a-kind handbags out of each work of art drawn by a child. The bags are sold for about $250 through its global boutiques and all p roceeds go to childrens foundation or other charities. Having analyzed the extent to which consumers value ethics in the luxury sector, as well as explored the same issue from the perspective of the luxury companies, one can conclude that that people care more about ethics if the people around them can recognize them for doing so. There is a big attitude behaviour gap that demonstrates that consumers still make important purchase decisions on the basis of price, quality and durability of product rather than ethics. Thus, the intentions of both consumers and producers are to some extent unethical in its roots and motivated by further recognition to be doing whats right rather than for the outcome and effect of those ethical decisions on the people that they are benefitting. What is evident is that firms have realized that need of ethical conduct to retain its customers if not gain more.