Fundamentals of Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fundamentals of Management - Essay Example IT industry is one of the giant industries of the world (Justa, 2009). Our company not only develops efficient software applications but also provide valuable consultancy to other IT firms and multinational companies in solving their IT related issues. Mind Technologies is a dynamic information technology company that uses state of the art communication and information technologies in order to develop a variety of products related to the areas of interactive media, cell phone software, and business software applications. Our company has been successful in building a good reputation for quality and reliability. Mind technologies Inc. is the name of quality, inspiration, and innovative ideas that make it one of the world’s most reliable software companies. Our employees work on innovative ideas in order to provide something new to the customers. They thoroughly study every aspect of every new software or business application in order to insure authenticity and genuineness of the applications. We have been building software applications for the last 12 years servicing many valuable clients all over the world. Our team of professionals produces high quality software and hardware products with a high level of reliability and speed. ... We have also developed web applications for some companies, which have automated the key business process of those companies. Our software developers possess sufficient experience in a wide range of database tools and programming languages such as VB.NET, ASP.NET, C-Sharp, C++, Java, PHP, 4D, and Microsoft SQL Server. We not only develop software products based on our own innovative ideas and concepts but also develop the applications on the requests of our customers. Our developers accurately focus the requirements of the customers while developing their requested software applications. Mind Technologies Inc. has three offices located in different states of the United States of America. Main office of the company is located in Washington D.C. whereas other two sub offices are located in New York and Chicago. Each office consists of almost 20 to 25 employees. For every office, there is a manager, who looks after all activities related to the office. Apart from the office manager, eve ry department has also its own manager who has the responsibility to report all activities related to the department to the office manager. The office manager holds the responsibility to contact top management of the company. â€Å"A corporate structure is essentially the layout of the various departments, divisions, and job positions that interact to conduct the business of the company† (Tatum, 2010). There is a partnership mode of business in the company shared by three persons. Mind Technologies Inc. is not like traditional IT companies rather it holds a distinct structure that makes it attractive to the employees of the company. In traditional IT

Type a Flight Essay Example for Free

Type a Flight Essay Type a Flight is a Warrington based travel agency which was established in 1995. It has approximately 500 customers and 10 employees. Type a Flight has a small shop which is situated in the center of Warrington in the midst of other small stores. Inside the shop the workers sit behind one long desk in a straight row. They have a phone line system which they use to communicate with the customers. Behind them are around 6 filing cabinets containing the details of all 500 or so customers which are arranged in alphabetical order. Every time a customer phones the member of staff taking the call gets out of his chair and looks through the cabinet to find the customers details. This procedure requires a lot of man work and is also very time consuming. My task is to help Type a Flight travel agency to make their things easier, for example to make a computerized database for them so it will be easier for them to find customer records/details. A database would also be easier to make a booking because if they had filing cabinets then it would be very time consuming in finding the persons flight or details. This could result in upsetting the customer or even losing the customer. Furthermore if they had a database they will have more customers because they will be able to work more efficiently. Currently all the letters are being written by hand. This takes a lot of time and the employers find it really difficult. The solution I had to this problem was that to make templates letters so that they dont lose any time and they can post it to the customers house so that it saves their time and also doesnt waste the staff time in writing the letters by hand. Research I have looked at one database which is called Type of Flight. It has things like if you already signed up or if not then you can register but only staff can use this database. Also it has things such as if you are recommended by a friend and if you want to recommend a friend. Database: Type a flight Comment: I looked at a switchboard called Type of flight and the logo is situated in the middle of the page. It has various buttons such as Enter ID, Search ID, Gender, D.O.B, Name etc. This makes the database faster and sufficient. When you press any button there should be a query box will appear so it will be easier to get to the detail. Also in this there are forms and queries. Forms are based on queries and the queries are based on the database. Tasks These are my five task that I have been appointed to do. * Getting information about the travel agency * Design a logo and a slogan for the travel agency * Create a database + Queries + Forms and final Switchboard * Create a letterhead and design letter templates * Writing reports at the end (User Guides) 1. Getting information about the travel agency I can get information from the travel agency by looking for their leaflets but I will not because it will waste too much time by looking for their leaflets. I can also get the information from the internet by going in their website but I will not do this because this will also waste time and if I do get the information this might not be reliable source. I will get information from the actual agency by going to their shop and I will do this because it will be sufficient and I could ask those questions as well and the information I will get will be reliable. The questionnaire I will use to interview the agency is given below: 1. Does your agency know how to use a computer? Yes No 2. Does your company know how to create a letterhead? Yes No 3. How do you think your company will cope with the new system? 4. Is your company trained properly? Yes No 5. How do you feel with the new system? 6. Do you think there is a better way to improve the system? 7. What are your opinions? 8. Does your company know how to create a template letter? Yes No 9. Do you think your company prefers the old system or the new system? 10. Why do you think this? 2. Create a database + Queries and Forms I can create a database by Microsoft Access but I will not because it is not made for that. I will create a database by Microsoft Excel because it easy to make databases and it is sufficient. 3. Design a logo and a slogan for the travel agency I can design a logo for the travel agency by various ways, I design the logo by hand but I will not because it will be drawn inaccurate and it might just waste too much time. I can also use Adobe Photoshop but this application is too complex. I will design the logo for the travel agency by using the application Paint. 4. Create a letterhead and design letter templates I can create a letterhead by hand but I will not because it doesnt look professional and it also time consuming. I can create a letterhead by notepad but I will not because it I cannot do some things, which are vital for me. I will use Microsoft word because this is the most sufficient application for me. 5. Writing reports at the end (User Guides) I can write a report at the end with my hand but I will not because I can make mistake. It will also be more time consuming. I can create my report at the by using an application called notepad but I will not because it also doesnt have things which are I need. I will write my report on the application Microsoft word because it has everything I need to write my report. Create a database + Queries + Forms and final Switchboard I can create this by using the application Microsoft Excel but I will not because it is not suitable for making switchboards and also it is not professional. I will create the database on Microsoft access because it is suitable for making switchboard. Create a letterhead and design letter templates I can create this by doing on hand because it doesnt look professional. I will create a letterhead on Microsoft Word because it will look professional and it will be much easier. Writing reports at the end (User Guides) I will create a user guide for people who do not know how to use a computer properly and in that user guide I will put pictures so the people who are reading it will find it easy. Input, Output, Process and Storage Now that I have researched hardware and I know what they are I can put them into different groups. Year 10 Create Queries Text Pictures Create Database Create Template Letters Switchboard Hard Drive Ease of use The final product that I will make is going to be easy because I have explained how I am going to get my information also the manual is going to easy to read and finally the manual will have a user guide with pictures so the person will have ease to read and understand and the user should have no difficulties to use the user guide. Also the final product that I will make will be easy for the company because it will have everything step by step also if the company employees do not still know how to use it then there will be pictures so the company will know how to use it.

Free Essays - The Message of Homers Iliad :: Iliad essays

The Message of Homer's Iliad          In Homer's Iliad, Homer shows his views on heroes, villains, and war. He shows that heroes have great qualities to them and that villains have evil qualities to them. He also shows that even heroes have villainous qualities. Homer also tries to convey that all warriors have a choice between a life of war and a life of peace.    Homer's view of a hero displays bravery, martial skills, and even friendship. Hector is portrayed as the perfect hero in The Iliad. He displays amazing martial skills by being one of the Trojans' top warriors. Hector also shows that he loves his family, he's seen as a man who can be a great warrior and a loving father. He's very devoted to his wife and loves his children. In one scene in the poem, his son was scared of him because of his great helmet. Hector, seeing this, soon removed his helmet and let his son comes to him. This shows that even though he still fights in a war, he still has time to care for his family. Odysseus is another hero who is unwavering in his devotion to his people. Throughout the epic, he shows that he will never betray his people; he even does a marvelous job in rallying up his troops. Priam was also portrayed as a hero. He was a leader who always cared for his men. He even cared about his son Paris who was basically the reason why the war had begun. Even the unnamed warriors were heroes. They gave away 10 years of their life to fight for their leaders.    Homer's view of a villain is petty, selfish, and disloyal. Achilles is shown as an extreme villain in The Iliad. In almost three quarters of the epic, he stays home and just continues to argue with Agamemnon. He may display incredible martial skills on the battlefield, but he still will not fight in the war. He's petty because he's not fighting in his country's war just because he is in a small argument. It also shows that he is disloyal because he is not serving his leader by not fighting in the war.

Christmas, my favorite holiday Essay

Hello, my name is Marycarmen Rivas, before I get down to my presentation I want to introduce myself better and tell you a little bit about me: I was born on a beautiful Monday on March the 26th of 1984 here in the city of Puebla. I live with my mom, sister, and my handsome one year old son. I’m a single mother trying to do the best I can for my son, however, I get a lot of help from my family, especially from my mom. I also have a boyfriend, we love each other very much and plan to get married in the near future; He is always there for me as I’m always there for him too, and I think that’s what makes our relationship so especial, even if we’re far away from each other we both know we can count on one another. Respect and trust are the main aspects for us, but isn’t always easy, especially when you live in different places. He’s very protective of me, and gets jealous very easily, but it always comes to the bottom part, which is how much we love each other. We call and write each other everyday; because he’s in college outside the country, we only get to see each other on vacations and some holidays. I love holidays, as I’m sure many people do, but my favorite one has to be Christmas†¦which is what I’ve decided to make my presentation about. Christmas to me is a celebration, which includes spending quality time with my family and loved ones, decorating the entire house, inside and out, and shopping for the people I love. Doing this with the people I love is what means the most to me. Spending Christmas with my family is very important to me. We usually gather and celebrate at my grandparent’s house. We spend the day cooking, baking cookies, and preparing a big Christmas dinner, with all the trimmings. Decorating for Christmas is so much fun. My grandfather always draws a new background scenery, for the Nativity scene, that he displays every year. He, my uncles, brother-in-law and my boyfriend start with the decorations for the outside of the house. Every year, my grandparents add a little more to the outside decorations. My mom, grandmother, aunts, sister, the children  and myself decorate the inside of the house. My grandmother has so many indoor decorations that they can not all possibly be displayed. We try to change the decorations, which we put out every year. The men finish up just about the same time as we women and then it is time to decorate the tree together. This is the part I love the most. The tree is always real, and always decorated with as many lights as possible. Most of the ornaments have been collected over the years and are very old. They have become real family treasures. We all have a favorite one that we each put on the tree. I am not usually a shopper, but during the Christmas season, I actually enjoy shopping. I rarely go into department stores, but during the Christmas season, I love to shop. The stores are so beautifully decorated and very festive. I can easily get carried away, with spending so much money. I must admit the thought of spending too much money hardly comes to mind. I can just picture of look on the faces, of my family and that brings me so much joy. Some, gifts I have picked out and purchased months ahead of time, either through catalogs, or shopping a little early, when stores have sales. Others, I struggle to decide what gift to purchase, even up to the very last minute possible. One thing is for certain, by the time my shopping is done, I am exhausted, but happy and excited, about Christmas. I feel so fortunate, to have my family throughout the year, but especially, at Christmas time. When showing, my family and the people who is close to me just how much I love them and what exactly they mean to me. That is so very important to me. Christmas, for me is about being with my loved ones, sharing a day loving each other and showing each other exactly how we all feel.

Northwest State College

1 SUPPLEMENTAL CASE: Chapter 7 Case: Northwest State College Northwest State College (a disguised name) is a four-year regional state college and has an enrollment of about 3,500 students. Its business department has a faculty of seven full-time instructors, and other part-time instructors are used as needed. Currently about 900 students are majoring in business. The college is located in a medium-sized northern community of about 70,000. Most of the faculty recruiting is done by one person, the department head, who makes the initial contact with prospective faculty members at various professional meetings held during the school year. If the department head cannot attend a meeting recruiting is done by an instructor from the business department. Projections are that enrollment at Northwest State will increase about 25% in the next five years. Most of the increase is expected in the business area. The ideal faculty size would be about 16 full-time instructors. Most of the full-time instructors currently in the Department of Business Administration hold MAs or MBAs from various northern colleges. The salary scales and fringe benefits are considered to be slightly lower than the compensation available at similar colleges in the region. In addition to any increase in faculty members needed due to enrollment, three replacements are needed for this fall in the business area to replace individuals who have gone elsewhere. Northwest State has a recruiting policy that requires final approval of candidates by the department head, the vice president for academic affairs, and the president of the college. In addition, the school has a policy requiring that at least two candidates be invited to the campus before any candidate can be hired so that adequate screening can take place. Often the result is a waiting period of two months between initial contact, application, and campus interview for most applicants. Some other small colleges in the area pay full travel expenses for potential candidates, while the majority of the others pay at least half. Northwest State does not pay any travel expenses if the candidate is not hired. Only if the candidate is offered a position and accepts is full reimbursement for travel expenses given. Usually the payment comes about two months after the campus interview. In the past Northwest State has not been very successful in filling empty positions. The president is concerned and wants to evaluate the recruiting program so that a better one can be designed. Questions 1. List the reasons why you would not consider a position at Northwest State if you were a potential applicant. 2. Evaluate the approval procedure for applicants. 3. What would be the components in a recruiting system you design? 1. Beginning, I would not be interested in a position at Northwest State college for these reasons: Firstly, due to the salary scales being slightly lower than the compensation available at similar colleges in the region. There are currently instructor's at this college that hold MBA's and MA who are not being compensated accordingly at college which wants to see growth of 25% in the next five years. Secondly, considering how rigorous the selection process appears to be for potential applicants an incentive to off set the process would be to at the least cover ones travel expenses in advance. These proponents do not make a great first impression toward me and show the school potential lack of interest in recruiting the best instructor available. Lastly, I would have addition concerns regarding the current vacancies that need to be filled. There just some question that need to be answered. If the enrollment is planning to ramp up then why is it that faculty do not want to have part in a growing institution. 2. In evaluating the approval procedure for applicants the components the college has in place appear to be thorough and in-depth. However, some of the policies in place are some much in depth that it could deter an applicant's interest in the position. If the president had the confidence in it department head then some steps in the approval procedure could be eliminated. The current screening process requires too much time in between the initial contact, application completion and the campus visits of applicants. 3. Through evaluating Northwest State's recruiting process it allowed for me to consider in designing a recruiting system with effective components: First, I would consider training new hires due to its financial advantage amend their prior external experience (204). Secondly, being a strategic recruiter by discovering talent before it is needed, capitalizing on windfall opportunities when there is an abundance of highly qualified people (195). If this component can be executed then the talent potential increases for fulling a position when time. Another component I would implement in my recruiting system is develop strong Internet recruiting abilities.

Free Essays on Pollution

Air Pollution The plant stretched it’s leaves out toward the sun in hopes of growing strong. Yet it was only to find out that it would not survive because there was no sun. Instead a thick layer of smog blanketed the sky. Humanity has not yet reached this point, but if we continue on this path then this dismal future will become a reality. One of the greatest dangers effecting us today is pollution. Pollution is a problem created by human carelessness and disregard for the planet. One of the most detrimental types of pollution is air pollution. Much of the world's air has been poisoned by chemical wastes. Life in some places has ceased because the air is not fit to breath. People all around the world are exposed and are at risk to many diseases, such as lung cancer. Plants and animals also feel this effect, as they have become endangered or even extinct. Yet we are not at a total loss. As a result of our actions, governments have passed laws to limit or reverse the threat of environmental pollution. In researching air pollution we discovered that the single major cause of air pollution is the internal-combustion engine of automobiles. This is because gasoline never completely burns in the engine of a car. Once it is released into the air, the un combusted products (soot, ash, and other solids), unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone, and lead then undergo a series of chemical reactions in the presence of sunlight. The result from these reactions is a smelly haze like substance called smog. Smog may appear brownish in color when it contains high concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, or it may look blue-gray when it contains large amounts of ozone. In either case, prolonged exposure will damage your lung tissue. Cars aren’t the only contributor to our air’s pollution. Factories also require huge amounts of fuel, coal and oil for our industries. When these fuels... Free Essays on Pollution Free Essays on Pollution Air Pollution The plant stretched it’s leaves out toward the sun in hopes of growing strong. Yet it was only to find out that it would not survive because there was no sun. Instead a thick layer of smog blanketed the sky. Humanity has not yet reached this point, but if we continue on this path then this dismal future will become a reality. One of the greatest dangers effecting us today is pollution. Pollution is a problem created by human carelessness and disregard for the planet. One of the most detrimental types of pollution is air pollution. Much of the world's air has been poisoned by chemical wastes. Life in some places has ceased because the air is not fit to breath. People all around the world are exposed and are at risk to many diseases, such as lung cancer. Plants and animals also feel this effect, as they have become endangered or even extinct. Yet we are not at a total loss. As a result of our actions, governments have passed laws to limit or reverse the threat of environmental pollution. In researching air pollution we discovered that the single major cause of air pollution is the internal-combustion engine of automobiles. This is because gasoline never completely burns in the engine of a car. Once it is released into the air, the un combusted products (soot, ash, and other solids), unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone, and lead then undergo a series of chemical reactions in the presence of sunlight. The result from these reactions is a smelly haze like substance called smog. Smog may appear brownish in color when it contains high concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, or it may look blue-gray when it contains large amounts of ozone. In either case, prolonged exposure will damage your lung tissue. Cars aren’t the only contributor to our air’s pollution. Factories also require huge amounts of fuel, coal and oil for our industries. When these fuels... Free Essays on Pollution AIR POLLUTION including WHO's 1999 Guidelines for Air Pollution Control Exposure to air pollution is as old as the use of fire by human beings Air pollution, both indoors and outdoors, is a major environmental health problem affecting developed and developing counties alike. It comes from sources of dust, gases and smoke, and is generated mainly by human activities but also naturally. When inhaled, air pollutants affect the lung and respiratory tract but can also be taken up and transported by the blood stream throughout the body. Through deposition in the environment, air pollutants can also contaminate food and water. Health impact Every year millions of people die or suffer serious health effects from air pollution: mainly respiratory diseases, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer of the lung. An estimated 3 million people die each year because of air pollution (see Figures for breakdown); this figure represents about 5% of the total 55 million deaths that occur annually in the world. It is possible, because of uncertainty in the estimates, that the actual death toll is anywhere between 1.4 and 6 million annually. Many studies consistently show the direct link between mortality rates and daily ambient concentrations of suspended particulate matter that have diameters below 10 m m. Life expectancy can be significantly reduced in communities with high levels of particulate matter. Indoor air exposure to suspended particulate matter increases the risk of acute respiratory infections, one of the leading causes of infant and child mortality in developing countries. In Asia, such exposure accounts for between half and one million excess deaths every year. In sub-Saharan Africa the estimate is 300,000-500,000 excess deaths. Around 30-40% of cases of asthma and 20-30% of all respiratory diseases may be linked to air pollution in some populations. Studies in So Paulo, Brazil, have shown that a 75 ... Free Essays on Pollution Companies should be held liable for their own pollution What is pollution? Pollution is "to make impure and to contaminate with man made waste." as defined by Webster dictionary. Pollution is the introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment. It is a major problem in North America and as well as the world. Pollution not only damages the environment, but also damages our vital life sustaining needs such as the water we drink. Pollution problems have arisen in all industrialized areas as well as in various inland and coastal waters. Everyone at one time or another has probably heard the phrase "every dollar counts". In fact, this is very true to big business corporations and companies because they make every dollar count even if it pollutes the water which, organisms depend on. Pollution is an obvious problem in our world today. Therefore, it is extremely important that we take action by making companies pay for their own mess, because soon there will be serious consequences that we may face in the future which, migh t lead to our extinction on earth. The greatest source of pollution lies in the companies that produce toxic wastes such as power-plants. Although not common, companies have been known to dump their waste products into streams, lakes, and rivers. This may seem like a relatively small occurrence, however it arises an immense problem that threatens the life of all living things. Mutations, destroyed ecosystems, and human death have all occurred as a direct result of illegal dumping. When a company dumps their waste in our lakes, it contaminates our drinking water and soil. The consequence of this is that it kills all the vegetation and prevents it from every growing back for a very long time. Due to the lack of vegetation and clean water it also causes entire communities of humans including animals to move on to new places and not to return for at least a century. A century is may seem too long fo...

Free Essays on Webmaster Interview

I. Job Description A. As a web page designer is your job the creation of web pages and images or does your current job involve more than that? 1. What programs do you use to develop the pages? 2. Do you alternate ways to design? B. The internet keeps evolving as we speak, though so far HTML has been the standard format for web design, are you currently using a more advanced version? 1. Do you think it’s useful to train in it now as a college student? 2. If so, do you think it be outdated by my graduation time? C. According to the Career Outlook Handbook web designer need some Script and UNIX knowledge aside from the basic HTML, how often do you use these programs? 1. Was training provided for these programs at work? 2. Do these program make web design trouble-free? II. Entrance Requirement and Training A. College education is known to be the best training for most career fields, is this true in the field of web design since it is such a fast paced field? 1. Do you think that a technical school or ongoing workshops is a better way to train? 2. Instead of college would you consider self-training? B. Unlike some other jobs, curriculum is not the a major requirement to obtaining a web designing job, what were the essentials while you were seeking for a job in this field? 1. When going for the job, did you present a portfolio? 2. What are the pros and cons of a college education in the field? C. Who do you think would be most likely to get a job in the field right now, as we speak, someone with a college degree in a computer related field, or someone with past experience and a vast portfolio? 1. What type of work would be clever to have in a portfolio? 2. Do you think a portfolio is the number one priority for this job? III. Work Environment A. It has been reported by the US Department of Labor that most web designers are self employed, few are employed by big corporate businesses, which work environ... Free Essays on Webmaster Interview Free Essays on Webmaster Interview I. Job Description A. As a web page designer is your job the creation of web pages and images or does your current job involve more than that? 1. What programs do you use to develop the pages? 2. Do you alternate ways to design? B. The internet keeps evolving as we speak, though so far HTML has been the standard format for web design, are you currently using a more advanced version? 1. Do you think it’s useful to train in it now as a college student? 2. If so, do you think it be outdated by my graduation time? C. According to the Career Outlook Handbook web designer need some Script and UNIX knowledge aside from the basic HTML, how often do you use these programs? 1. Was training provided for these programs at work? 2. Do these program make web design trouble-free? II. Entrance Requirement and Training A. College education is known to be the best training for most career fields, is this true in the field of web design since it is such a fast paced field? 1. Do you think that a technical school or ongoing workshops is a better way to train? 2. Instead of college would you consider self-training? B. Unlike some other jobs, curriculum is not the a major requirement to obtaining a web designing job, what were the essentials while you were seeking for a job in this field? 1. When going for the job, did you present a portfolio? 2. What are the pros and cons of a college education in the field? C. Who do you think would be most likely to get a job in the field right now, as we speak, someone with a college degree in a computer related field, or someone with past experience and a vast portfolio? 1. What type of work would be clever to have in a portfolio? 2. Do you think a portfolio is the number one priority for this job? III. Work Environment A. It has been reported by the US Department of Labor that most web designers are self employed, few are employed by big corporate businesses, which work environ...

The top high paying part-time jobs for college students

The top high paying part-time jobs for college students With the expenses associated with higher learning- tuition, housing, books, clothing, food- most college students can’t afford to forgo work while attending school. Considering the time limitations that come with being a full-time student, you likely can’t afford to take on a full-time job, either. Fortunately, there are actually some part-time jobs that pay really well that may be the perfect fit for a college student already bearing a full workload. Here are 8 of them. 1. Social media assistantDo you spend a big chunk of your free time checking out scrolling through Instagram and Twitter? If so, you’re not alone, and utilizing social media doesn’t just have to be something you do when you’re bored or procrastinating. Companies rely on social media to get the word out about their goods and services, and they need social media devotees to manage their accounts and cook up fresh content. If you’re a creative thinker and have a basic grasp of m arketing, you could make as much as $21 an hour as a social media assistant.2. TutorIf you’re more the studious type than the social butterfly, you might consider one of the most tried-and-true after school jobs. Tutoring might involve helping students raise their grades in particular problem subjects or get top scores on standardized tests such as the SAT or GRE. Tutoring jobs generally pay anywhere from $30 to $100 an hour. Even the low end of that scale is good money for a part-time gig!3. Dog walkerSay you don’t particularly like socializing online or dealing with one-on-one tutoring sessions- maybe you’re more of a dog person than a people person. Well, there are opportunities in the canine sector as well. Dog owners who are short on time or stuck in the office most of the day rely on professionals to keep their pets from making a mess at home. Cleaning up poop probably isn’t anyone’s idea of a party, but dog walkers work very short hours- per fect for ensuring plenty of study time. They also tend to earn $15 to $30 per walk, so students who can commit to walking multiple pooches more than once a day can really rake in the doggie dough.4. Lyft driverOne potential downside to being a dog walker is that you need to be on call at particular times of the day, as dictated by the pet owners who need you. The big boon of being a driver for companies such as Lyft is that you can set your own hours. Since peak times are before classes start in the morning, as well as evenings and weekends, being a Lyft driver is ideal for the college student. With tips, the average Lyft driver earns about $18 per hour.5. Freelance writer/editorFor creative types, there are a number of freelance opportunities that can be great sources of income. If you fancy yourself a wordsmith, you should consider seeking out freelance writing work, which can entail anything from blogging to creating study content for your fellow students.If you are more comforta ble tidying up text than creating it, you might also find work as a freelance editor. Writers often make as much as $55 an hour and editors earn up to $40- though you can make a lot more than that depending on how quickly you’re able to churn out high-quality work.6. Freelance photographerThe basic features of the smartphones we all carry around have turned all of us into amateur photographers. If your snapping skills are better than the average person’s, you might find work as a freelance photographer. These positions require both the ability to take a superb pic and edit it. There are a multitude of photography fields, but the one that seems to draw the most income is product photography, which can make you around $20 an hour.7. Freelance web designerIf your computer skills extend well beyond editing images, using social media, and blogging, you might have what it takes to be a web designer. Of all the jobs on this list, web designer demands the most specialized skil ls, but the pay is great- at up to $30 per hour.8. FundraiserWalking dogs, transporting passengers, and generating online content can all be effective ways to make some cash, but do they really make the world a better place? If you have loftier goals, you can pursue them while also helping to pay for your education as a charity fundraiser. You’d be getting out the word about a worthy cause to expand awareness and attract potential supporters. If you have experience dealing with the public on a professional level and a knack for networking, you can be making up to $30 an hour during those hours away from your classroom and coursework.

Human resources management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Human resources management - Research Paper Example This also includes the employees’ need for training and development so that they may be able to customize their skills as per the need of McDonald’s. 2. Advancement in technology MacDonald’s needs to train its workforce to not only update them on the latest technologies in the food manufacturing industry, but also inculcate the necessary skills in them to use those technologies in the best interest of the company. 3. Regulatory changes Change at McDonald’s is inevitable. Things have been constantly changing both within McDonald’s and in the external factors influencing McDonald’s since the company has been established. These factors include but are not limited to the laws and regulations, politics, economics, and the lifestyle of people in general. For example, the new laws may oblige McDonald’s to keep the calorie count in the kids’ meal below a certain threshold. In this case, the employees would need to be trained to follow t he alternate menu with low calorie-count. 4. Organizational changes The need to training and develop of the workforce does not only arise from technological reasons. The environmental factors play a prime role in the ability of an organization to achieve the competitive advantage. One such factor is the organizational change. As McDonald’s is an international corporation, and the company feels the need to relocate its workers at different restaurants around the globe, there is a constant change happening in the organizational structure. The employees need to be trained in order to enable them to adjust to the organizational changes immediately without losing their efficiency because of such factors as change of the leader. Q. 3 Part (b) Comparison of the Responsibilities of Human Resource Specialists and Other Managers in the Administration of the Employees’ Compensations Responsibilities of human resource specialists Responsibilities of human resource specialists are: 1. The human resource specialists participate in the development of budget. So they may advise on the increase of compensation of a specific employee considering his/her exceptional performance. 2. The human resource specialists represent the official at the meetings, so they can openly discuss the compensation related issues of the employees in meetings. 3. The human resource specialists conduct interviews of the interested candidates, so they play a decisive role in the establishment of the employee’s salary. Responsibilities of other managers Other managers include but are not limited to the Finance Manager and the General Manager. Responsibilities of other managers are: 1. The responsibility of the Finance Manager is to make sure that all employees are paid on time. 2. Another responsibility of the Finance Manager is to keep a record of all payments made to a certain employee so that the record may be referred to in the hour of need. 3. The responsibility of the General Manager is to provide funds to the company to make the cash flow cycle going so that no compensation issues arise. Q. 4 Part (a) Implementation of Safety Management Program at McDonald’s Six elements that McDonald’

Liberal Arts Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Liberal Arts Studies - Essay Example They would also need to possess knowledge and reason that rules over their other baser desires such as obtaining food, money, and pleasure. Furthermore, they need to understand what makes for a good life and what makes for a bad one. Plato does believe that all leadership comes from moral authority, or virtue, as he would describe it. Virtue comes from â€Å"consuming† things that are good for the soul. One who consumes things that are bad for the soul will eventually become unjust and be unfit to rule. Therefore, those who consume virtue and practice virtuous habits are the most fit to rule. While some may feel that this is an old fashioned view of authority, Plato would argue that people who believe this way are merely ignorant and therefore they see being unjust as a way (and perhaps the only way) to get ahead in life. Plato’s definition of â€Å"guardians† relates to modern professionals in a significant way. In a society, professionals are given the authority to govern or manage in their particular field. Therefore, it is important that these professionals are taught and trained in philosophy as well as in technical aspects of their profession. If guardians (managers) are virtuous and just, it will lead to a better and happier society for

Advantages and Limitations of Traditional Research and Action Research Essay - 1

Advantages and Limitations of Traditional Research and Action Research - Essay Example This is very necessary as teachers strive to align the learning experience with technological evolution in the digital era. The use of technology standards (NETS) for teachers would be very appropriate for an action research study. This is on the grounds that one of the center standards of NETS is that instructors ought to have the capacity to outline, create, and evaluate genuine learning and educating encounters. Subsequently, assessments that join contemporary mechanical devices and assets is valuable (Smaldino, Lowther, & Russell, 2012). Thus, the results of an action research study will provide teachers with invaluable insight on planning and adjust the applicable learning encounters that use computerized assets and devices in advancing understudy innovativeness and learning. It will also enable the teachers to develop technology-based learning background (Smaldino, Lowther & Russell, 2012). Students will also be enabled to cope with their education skill and assess their progress. The study will also dwell on how teachers can focus on different learning activities. Finally, a research on the techno logy standards will enlighten teachers on ways of giving their understudies changed and different summative and developmental evaluations. These are the one adjusted to mechanical and substance gauges, and apply the ensuing data to educate the showing and learning methodology. One of the external decisions that greatly affected my classroom practice was the introduction of high stakes tests, as well as a grading policy by the head of the department. The directive stipulated that teachers were expected to conform to standardized rubric assessment criteria in all subjects. I considered this decision as inappropriate and one that would affect teaching practice in a negative way.

Management of Technology in Organization Assignment

Management of Technology in Organization - Assignment Example The sources of change can be categorized in two main criteria; internal and external sources. These sources are the factors that prove to become the driving forces for change in any organization. Lunenburg (2010) explained that internal sources are the factors that emerge from within the organization and stimulate a change. Few internal sources of change can be downsizing, restructuring the organizational hierarchy to achieve greater efficiency and introduction of new technological systems and processes. External sources of change are the ones that affect the organization from the external environment. Such sources include government laws and regulations, adoption of latest technological systems by the competitors, economic changes in the environment etc. Gomes (2009) stated that there might be different nature of changes in an organization, namely structural, technological, strategic and people-centered changes in an organization. Technological change may include the introduction of newer systems and replacement of the old conventional forms of business operations with innovative technologies. Strategic changes may include a shift in strategies that may include downsizing, relocations, changes in the hierarchy of the organization etc. People centered changes may involve the replacement of a CEO with another one; such changes may involve changes in mode of business operations and execution of tasks since the new management will possess a different vision. Introduction of changes in an organization bears great obstacles and hindrances before it becomes a part of the system and people accept it in their routine business operations. Agboola (2011) stated that resistance to changes is one of the most common obstacles in the transition phase. Employee’s attitudes, behaviour and emotions tend to have an impact on the change being introduced in the organization. Lunenburg (2010) explained the Lewin’s model of change

Rising unemployment does not stops the advance of globalisation Essay

Rising unemployment does not stops the advance of globalisation - Essay Example According to Goyal (2006), globalization refers to the integration of the world’s economies through trade, financial flows, and mutual exchanges related to both technology and knowledge. Moreover, it entails free inter- country movement of labour, while, in the developing countries, it entails providing a chance for foreign direct investment through the provision of facilities to foster investment in different economic activities. Prasad, Rogoff, Wei and Kose (2003) contend that globalization has assisted the developing countries to manage the output and consumption volatility in their countries. Therefore, importance of having a diversified global finance offers a chance of offloading their income risk in the world market to develop countries, and the developing counties benefit from international consumption risk sharing, whereby they sell off a stake of domestic output to gain returns from the global output. Unemployment is defined as the situation when people are facing crisis in job opportunities due to the unpredictable nature of economy. This happens despite the fact that people have education background and with eligibility for job they remain being unemployed. There are various types of unemployment, which are differing with the causes in the economy. These different types of unemployment have different effects on people in an economy. Alteration in demand for these goods and services is caused by everyday launching of new products in any particular market; thus, it creates opportunities in certain areas and in the same way reduces job opportunities in other places. The reemployment can only be possible if the workers relocate to other places where there are opportunities and this facilitates globalisation. Unemployment also occurs due to capital-labour substitution, which causes a reduction in demand for labour, and it can also be caused by long run decline in demand in the indust ry; thus, the unemployment increases due to a mismatch between skills and the requirements of the job vacant. Globalization relates to technology, whereby it facilitates the acquisition of technology especially in developing countries. According to UNDP (2007), the significance of technological advancement has a positive influence on the economic growth of developing counties through the increase of productivity of land, labour, capital, reduction of cost of production and improving the quality of outputs. Globalization also offers a chance for developing countries to be internationally competitive depending on the level of technological advancement. In fact, this contributes substantially to the export development and domestic production in the local markets, and it also leads to trade liberalization. However, technological advancement may cause unemployment among developing countries fostered by the globalization, and this becomes a vital element for competitiveness and economic v iability. Increasing unemployment among developing countries has been promoting globalization since people seek employment in other countries leading to interactions that promote globalization. On the other hand, globalization to the developing countries relates to international financing of countercyclical safety net programs that are established in the market economies affected by the crises of global liquidity (Birdsall, 1999). There is a condition that is set out to make the financing appropriate, and it entails solid records of substantial fiscal policy in the countries that are beneficiaries. It also focuses on the political capacity that equates to programs that are free from corruption, hence unwinding them during the crisis and long-run capacity for servicing the resultant external debt. Apparently, all this initiatives are made with a motive of dealing with

Management of Technology in Organization Assignment

Management of Technology in Organization - Assignment Example The sources of change can be categorized in two main criteria; internal and external sources. These sources are the factors that prove to become the driving forces for change in any organization. Lunenburg (2010) explained that internal sources are the factors that emerge from within the organization and stimulate a change. Few internal sources of change can be downsizing, restructuring the organizational hierarchy to achieve greater efficiency and introduction of new technological systems and processes. External sources of change are the ones that affect the organization from the external environment. Such sources include government laws and regulations, adoption of latest technological systems by the competitors, economic changes in the environment etc. Gomes (2009) stated that there might be different nature of changes in an organization, namely structural, technological, strategic and people-centered changes in an organization. Technological change may include the introduction of newer systems and replacement of the old conventional forms of business operations with innovative technologies. Strategic changes may include a shift in strategies that may include downsizing, relocations, changes in the hierarchy of the organization etc. People centered changes may involve the replacement of a CEO with another one; such changes may involve changes in mode of business operations and execution of tasks since the new management will possess a different vision. Introduction of changes in an organization bears great obstacles and hindrances before it becomes a part of the system and people accept it in their routine business operations. Agboola (2011) stated that resistance to changes is one of the most common obstacles in the transition phase. Employee’s attitudes, behaviour and emotions tend to have an impact on the change being introduced in the organization. Lunenburg (2010) explained the Lewin’s model of change

Intellectual Property Law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Intellectual Property Law - Research Paper Example With mounting pressures by judicial criticism, intellectual property was regulated under common law and the Statute of Monopolies enacted in 1623 rendered illegal all monopolies except those for a defined term of years; this forms the basis of modern patent law (World Intellectual Property Organization, p.1). The exact origin of intellectual property law is still unknown. However, it is a fact that, terms like intellectual property was used during the initial half of seventeenth century in Britain. The history of intellectual property rights in the modern era started in Germany in 1867. North German Confederation is believed to be the first country which formulated intellectual property laws in the modern era. â€Å"The North German Confederation first used the term â€Å"intellectual property† in 1867, providing for legislative protection in its constitution†(Furst). Since then, intellectual laws evolved in different forms at different parts of the world. Different cou ntries have different types of intellectual property laws. ... Copyright is a form of protection provided to the authors of â€Å"original works† and includes such things as literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual creations, both published and unpublished. Copyright does not protect ideas. It only protects the specific and original expression of the idea (Pipers) For example, Windows is the operating system developed by Microsoft. It should be noted that plenty of people, including Bill Gates, worked on the development of Windows operating system. This product is protected with the help of copyright laws. It is illegal to use pirated copies of Windows on computers. Even in China, Microsoft succeeded in winning some cases with respect to copyright violation of its products. â€Å"A local court in Shanghai ruled that Dazhong Insurance must pay Microsoft 2.17 million yuan ($317,900) as compensation for using pirated Microsoft software, NetEase.com reported†(Stan) â€Å"Patents are used to protect new pro duct, process, apparatus, and uses providing the invention is not obvious in light of what has been done before† (European Generic medicines Association). It should be noted that new products are developed only because of the huge efforts undertaken by somebody. Once a new product is developed, it is easy for others to copy it. In other words, leaders and followers are in the market. Leaders always generate new ideas and innovate new products whereas followers try to copy those ideas and innovations. In order to avoid such illegal copying, all new products and services developed by somebody can be protected with the help of patent laws. Patent rights are usually given only for a particular period of time. The owner of a patented product should disclose the innovation to the

Mutual Fund Project Essay Example for Free

Mutual Fund Project Essay The fund employs a passive management investment approach. It is a low cost way to gain diversified exposure to the equity market in the United States. The fund invests in 500 of the largest companies in the United States. The companies span many different industries and the fund accounts for about 75% of the United States stock market’s value. VFINX measures the investment return of large-capitalization stocks. The most obvious risk is the volatility that comes with its full exposure to the stock market. The mutual fund portfolio’s composition is made up of 99. 45% stocks and . 55% cash. The expense ratio for this mutual fund is . 17%. This is the annual fee that shareholders are charged. It expresses the percentage of assets deducted each fiscal year for fund expenses, including 12b-1 fees, management fees, administrative fees, operating costs, and all other asset-based costs incurred by the fund. For the Year-to-Date (ytd) rankings in its category, VFINX ranked in at 24 according to Yahoo! Finance. Over the last 10 years, the fund has performed in direct correlation to the Samp;P 500 being that it is an index fund and there is a beta of 1, meaning that whatever the Samp;P 500 does, the fund will do as well. VFINX is a good choice if an investor is seeking a mutual fund that offers the stability of large, established companies and the wide exposure of a fund that holds both value and growth stocks. Fidelity Magellan Fund (FMAGX) has ridden the ups and downs over the years of the market’s roller coaster. The fund has gone through many changes over the years and one of the most important key factors to the fund’s performance has been related to the way it was managed. The fund currently has assets totaling 14. billion and its portfolio consists of growth and value stocks across the capitalization spectrum from around the world and the United States. The fund keeps about 20 percent of the holdings in foreign stocks. It is one of the world’s most known actively managed funds and has finally found some stability due to its newest manager, Harry Lange. In 2008, during the financial crisis, the management chose to stay aggressive instead of investing defensively and incurred a bad loss, which lead to the changes in management. FMAGX is classified as a large growth fund and is ranked 24 in its category according to Yahoo! Finance. The 3-year beta is 1. 7, which means that it bears more risk than investing directly in the Samp;P 500, however this also means that it could provide heftier returns. The mutual fund portfolio’s composition

The Structure Of The Travel And Tourism Industry Tourism Essay

The Structure Of The Travel And Tourism Industry Tourism Essay Travel and tourism is one of the most vibrant and largest industries that extend ample job opportunities for individuals with the appropriate skills, understanding and attitude (Driver 2001). This industry has now explicated into one of the worlds most significant industries. This industry is one of the significant developing sectors of the UK economy (Costa 1995, p. 12). It has developed speedily since the Second World War and now has become one of the globes largest industries. UK travel and tourism industry employs more than 2.1 million people that evidence its importance for the country. The industry serves customers with an extensive range of products, services and facilities according to their specific needs. The industry operates in a specific manner that is essential to understand before entering it (Knowles, Teixeira Egan 2003, p. 47). The industrys significance can be understood with its efforts in terms of Visitbritain that is Britains national tourism agency, accountable for marketing Britain overseas (Coulter 2003, p. 20). This agency works with thousands of UK and overseas organizations, to market Britain effectively to visitors from all over world. It basically works for promoting UK tourism industry. This module is designed in a way that will assist in investigating the UK travel and tourism industry. It will enhance our knowledge towards the travel and tourism industry suppliers that include tour operators, travel agent, accommodation and transport organization (Costa 1995, p. 12). Throughout this industry analysis that will be taken here, it will become easy to recognize the structure of the travel and tourism industry, acknowledge the main industry suppliers and the process used by them to distribute their products. Here, the different components of the industry will be studied along with the discussion of their interrelation. As well, this paper will also assist in exploring different travel and tourism organisations of the industry from government and private sectors. The industry evaluation will also assist in learning about the latest industry developments and their affect on present industry position. Industry investigation will be completed in two parts. In first part of the paper an education information section of website will be developed that will illustrate the structure of the travel and tourism industry. In the second part of the paper, a travel or tourism organization will be selected to evaluate its functioning. This in turn will be completed with the help of developing an illustrated case study for a forthcoming special feature of online travel and tourism trade newspaper. This case study will help in identifying the specific functions of selected travel or tourism organization. In this way, this comprehensive model will assist in identifying UK travel and tourism industry structure and functioning. The Structure of the Travel and Tourism Industry Structure of UK travel tourism industry can be understood effectively by understanding its different aspects, components and functions. For understanding industry structure it is essential to evaluate its each and every aspect from suppliers to customers that can be done by assessing its different aspects individually (Costa 1995, p. 13). Meaning of Travel and Tourism Find a single definition of travel and tourism is not easy with which everyone agrees. Travel is movement of individuals from one place to another with the help of different types of transport whereas tourism embraces the all inclusive process of people visiting diverse destinations for a number of reasons along with industry support (Moutinho 2000). Although one thing on which everyone agrees is that travel and tourism is a big business and the industry generates significant profit. Travel and tourism is also a constituent of leisure as all of us go for holidays or visits throughout our leisure time (Thrift Walling 2000, p. 97). In accordance to the World Tourism Organisation, tourism is the momentary, short-term movement of individuals to places outside and inside their domestic locations, where they usually live and work (The Travel and Tourism Industry n.d.). Tourism involves movement of individuals for all kinds of reasons and their activities throughout their visits. These definitions evidence that who is tourists: People who are far from their home or residence. People who are on a temporary or short-term visit like holidays (Goodall 1997, p. 243). Individuals who are allied with travel and tourism activities. Overnight or day visit in leisure time. Trip related to business or visiting friends or relatives (Moutinho 2000). The main types of tourism in the UK industry are domestic tourism, incoming or inbound tourism or outbound tourism. Domestic Tourism: It is when individuals take holidays, short breaks and day trips in their own country. In the year 2000, overall 174.5 million trips were made by British people, within the UK (Jessica 2003). Incoming/Inbound Tourism: This type of tourism is related to international tourism when other country people are entering the UK. In 2000, overall 25.2 million overseas visitors came in UK with different intents (The Travel and Tourism Industry n.d.). Outbound Tourism: Outbound tourism pertains to when individuals travel away from their home country to visit some other international countries for holiday or business activities (Ward 2002, p. 41). The prominent industry suppliers are travel agents, tour operators and accommodation providers. All types of tourism are managed with the help of industrys suppliers and distributors (Moutinho 2000). Differences between the Three Economic Sectors The UK travel and Tourism industry is classified in three economic sectors: Public Sector: This economic sector of the industry provides services for public and it is collectively paid through government. For the effective operation of this sector, elected bodies like local council and Parliament are responsible. Most of the public services provided are non-profit making (Jessica 2003). Services offered through this sector involves museums and art galleries, youth and community centres, leisure clubs, public halls, playing fields, catering services, information centres, libraries etc. Visit Britain, DCMS, FCO, Regional Development Agencies and English Heritage are some of the examples of public sector tourism organizations (Rowe Smith 2002). Private Sector: The private sector of tourism industry includes diverse commercial operators managed by different individuals and companies. The substantial aim of these individuals and companies is to generate profits by offering different travel and tourism services and products to customers (Moutinho 2000). The significant private sector activities in regard to travel and tourism are in the domains of retail sales, entertainment, catering and accommodation, travel services and tourism. In modern era, number of private travel and tourism organizations operate in UK like Rank, Granada, Ladbrokes, Thomas Cook and Virgin (The Travel and Tourism Industry n.d.). These private sector organizations serve customers with facilities like travel agencies, theme parks, golf course, health and leisure clubs, restaurants and hotels (BDO Hospitality Consulting 1996, p. 8). Voluntary Sector: Organizations that belong to voluntary sector are directed and operated by volunteers. It includes non-profit making or charitable organizations such as travel or local sport clubs. These types of organizations provide some financial advantage to the industry in the form of rate and VAT relief and relief from income tax on investments (The Travel and Tourism Industry n.d.). Some of this sector organizations that file as charities are required to fulfil some specific conditions like they should operate with objectives like charity, non-profit making and advancement of education and sports. They need to operate with an objective to satisfy community in terms of benefits. In UK there are more than 200 national voluntary travel and tourism groups that embrace youth and community groups, touring groups, conservation groups, social sports clubs, heritage groups etc. Travel and Tourism Chain of Distribution The chain of distribution is a technique of offering products to the end consumers. It is applicable in each industry and subsequent is its traditional form: Producer Manufacturer Wholesaler Retailer Consumer The Traditional Chain of Distribution Usually, a manufacturer delivers its product or service to its consumer through wholesaler and retailer but it is not the case with travel and tourism industry (Moutinho 2000). In travel and tourism industry also a chain of distribution is followed that is as follows: Principals i.e. hotels, airlines and other transport companies Tour Operators Travel Agencies Consumers Travel and Tourism Traditional Chain of Distribution In travel tourism industry, traditional chain of distribution fit precisely into a class, for instance travel agent who performs specific business role. Although the industry is much more complex than this and in several instances the traditional chain (Rowe Smith 2002) has been contracted as follows: Principle Internet Consumer Principle Tour Operator Call centre Consumer Principle Tour Operator Television Consumer Principle Call centre Consumer These are some of the distribution channels used by UK travel and tour companies. As well, companies also not strictly follow one line of business because they used to buy or merge with other kinds of businesses. Tour operators now have bought or created airlines, travel agencies and hotels (BDO Hospitality Consulting 1996, p. 8). This is done for attaining significant commercial growth and market position. This buying or merger process by UK travel and tourism companies is recognized as vertical and horizontal integration (Rowe Smith 2002). The UK travel and tourism chain of distribution demonstrates that companies own the entire diverse component in the distribution chain and are able to manage the overall operation. This is done by UK travel and tourism organizations for attaining economies of scale and serving its customers with much more better prices (The Travel and Tourism Industry n.d.). The distinctive distribution chain of UK travel and tourism firms represents that smaller operators serve with high pressure and if they dont try to operate at large scale will be forced to leave the industry (Rowe Smith 2002). Vertical and Horizontal Integration Vertical Integration: Vertical integration takes place when two firms from different levels merge or are bought in the chain of distribution (Moutinho 2000). This may be a backward integration such as a tour operator purchases a hotel, or forward integration like a tour operator purchases a travel agency. One of the substantial examples of vertical integration in UK is of First Choice Holidays plc. It possesses several tour operating for example First Choice Holidays and Sovereign (Schmidt 2008). As well, it also has its own travel agencies chain in UK operated under the First Choice Travel Shops and First Choice Holiday Hypermarkets names. Additionally, it also has its own charter airline First Choice Airways (Rowe Smith 2002). This type of integration done by companies is known as vertical integration in which a company possesses companies at different levels of distribution chain. The well known multiple agencies of UK are owned by a key tour operator. Going Places is a substantial element of the MyTravel Group and Thomson Travel Shops are possessed by Thomson (The Travel and Tourism Industry n.d.). Horizontal Integration: When a company possesses or manages other business at the same level of distribution chain is known as horizontal integration such as takeover of a small independent hotel by a major hotel group or takeover of a small travel agency by a big travel agency (Moutinho 2000). In UK recently a merger has taken place between Thomas Cook and MyTravel tour operators. In UK, horizontal integration is very common in the hotels sector and it is done with a motive of attaining economies of scale by assuring the functioning and marketing of extensive number of individual hotels (The Travel and Tourism Industry n.d.). Most of the UK travel and tour companies are integrated vertically and horizontally and it is done to strengthen their present and future market position (Rodgers 2001). Impact of Vertical and Horizontal Integration on Customer Choice Vertical and Horizontal integration, significantly affects customer choice as with the customer become able in purchasing a whole package at reasonable price in spite of purchasing different services at high price (Moutinho 2000). With vertical integration, it becomes easy for customer to make long-term relations with a firm as it will offer all kinds of products and services to its customers due to its presence in different business in different level of distribution chain (Rodgers 2001). On the other hand, horizontal integration also strengthens company position and they serve their customers in a much more effective manner with additional services at wholesome price package (The Travel and Tourism Industry n.d.). In this way, it can be said that integration whether it is vertical or horizontal is beneficial for customer as it facilitates customers with more choices. With integration, industry players get more dominant and become better able to offer its customers with more choice at moderate prices and packages (The Travel and Tourism Industry n.d.). Tour Operators and Travel Agents A tour operator covers a holiday package that includes: Travel mode (road, rail, air or sea) Accommodation facilities through hotels, self catering villas, guest houses etc. Travel agencies that provide transfer facilities to customers such as car hire and excursions (The Travel and Tourism Industry n.d.). The significant role of tour operators is to aggregate the diverse component that develop a holiday and put it for sale to consumers as packages. They are responsible for making contracts and associations with hotels, airline companies and transport companies to make an attractive package (Moutinho 2000). In UK, there are approximate 600 tour operators in which most of them are small companies that specialize in specific destinations or type of services. All tour operators of UK can be classified into following four categories: Mass-market operators: These tour operators sell holidays in high volume and it includes some of the well-known key players of industry like Thomson (TUI), MyTravel, Thomas Cook and First Choice Holidays (Middleton Lickorish 2007). Specialist operators: These operators are not as well-known as mass-market operators. In UK, there are number of specialist tour operators that provide customers with holidays and short breaks to Rome, Amazon adventure tours, Italy etc. These types of operators are becoming more popular due to its offering of individuals type of experience. Well-known specialist UK tour operator is Super-break (Investigating Travel and Tourism, n.d.) Domestic Operators: These operators design holiday packages for the home market. The well-known domestic operators are coach operators like WA Shearings and National Holidays. Both of these offer valuable products to older age groups (The Travel and Tourism Industry n.d.). Incoming tour Operators: These tour operators provide holidays and travel products for abroad visitors to Britain. Some operate from international locations where customers are and some operate from UK (Middleton Lickorish 2007). Some of the well known incoming tour operators are Gullivers Sports Travel, Pathfinders and Evan Evans Tours. All of these offer all inclusive package tours of the UK that are sold through international travel agents. Travel Agents Travel agents offer outgoing, incoming and domestic tourists with extensive leisure and business travel products and services (Middleton Lickorish 2007). In UK there are around 7000 travel agencies that are members of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA). In UK, there are different types of travel agencies that include multiple, independent, maniple, e-agent and holiday hypermarkets. Travel agents work as a link among customers and tour operators and other principles like airlines and hotels (Investigating Travel and Tourism, n.d.) Before purchasing a holiday package visitors go to travel agents for suggestions, bookings and better services. Travel agents are responsible for ensuring that they are serving a customer with right and appropriate holiday or travel service. They also offer customers with coach, flight, rail or ferry bookings, specialist services and independent travel arrangements. Scheduled and Chartered Air Transport Scheduled Air Transport refers to the services that operate with a published timetable, on specified routes and with government licence. These services does not get affected by the number of passengers and due to this, it is generally used by business travellers as they are also ready to pay premium price for their comfort and convenience (Middleton Lickorish 2007). In UK, budget, low-cost or no frills airlines, provide scheduled services on various domestic and global routes at low prices. One of the significant advantages of this transport is this that it is regular and provides scheduled flights to customers. It offers customers with seats in different classes according to their suitability (Rowe Smith 2002). In addition to these advantages, one of the substantial disadvantage of schedules air transport is this that it does not offer flexibility to visitors as it operates in scheduled manner and is not affected with any factor. Chartered air transport refers to the services that are associated to the package holiday industry, in which tour operators make a contract with an airline for a distinctive route for a period. Some major UK tour operators possess their own airlines and due to this the sales of charter flights is declining (Investigating Travel and Tourism, n.d.). Major charter air transport services of UK are Monarch, Thomas Cook and MyTravel (Rowe Smith 2002). Charter air transport provides its customers with an advantage in terms of flights on reasonable price for specific purposes. These are provided by tour operators that assist customers in developing long-term relations. In addition to these advantages it also has a disadvantage that it does not serves its customers with flexibility as blocks of seats or whole flight is booked. Relationship and Links between Travel and Tourism Organizations In UK, almost all travel and tourism organisations work with link-up or associations in some or other way. In present almost all people travel for some purposes that may be adventure, business personal or holiday that is managed by tourism business of the country. Travel is done through different transportation facilities and it requires accommodations facilities that are provided by tourism organizations (Middleton Lickorish 2007). There is a relationship between travel and tourism and due to this all tourism organizations offers different facilities for travellers. Both of these types of organizations work together due to the similarity of their fields and business operations. The relationship between travel and tourism organizations can also be understood with the help of recent developments that pertains to increase in individuals travelling with diverse reasons. Nowadays customers prefer to buy a wholesome holiday package that serves them with all travel and tourism facilities (Rowe Smith 2002). Due to changes in customers preferences and demands, links between travel and tourism organizations has strengthened. All these aspects of UK travel and tourism industry demonstrates its structure and pattern of operations. If a company wants to operate successfully in UK travel and tourism industry it has to go through all the above discussed aspects and patterns. UK travel and tourism industry chain of distribution is different from traditional distribution chain that is essential to understand for attaining assured business success. Functioning of a Travel and Tourism Organization Subsequent to the discussion of UK travel and tourism industry structure, it becomes evident that there is a substantial relationship between countrys travel and tourism organizations and its distribution chain different from other industries. The pattern of business in UK travel and tourism industry is different from other countrys industry and it is essential to be understood for entering it successfully (Pender Sharpley 2005). The industry structure provides information of all essential components of the industry but for understanding it in more detail here, an individual organization will be evaluated that is Virgin Atlantic. It is a British airline company (Waugh 2000). The company functioning will be understand be developing a case study so it can enhance readers understanding. Virgin Atlantic Case Study Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited is also known as Virgin Atlantic. It is a British airline and functions between the United Kingdom and North America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Australia. This UK airline is a well-known scheduled airline. The company operates with a CAA Type A Operating Licence to take passengers, cargo, and mail on plane with approximate 20 seats (Dickinson 2009). The company was founded in 1982 and in present it has become Britains second largest carrier that serves worlds 30 major cities, as well as New York, Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Sydney, Miami, Dubai, Los Angeles, Johannesburg, Hong Kong, and Tokyo from its bases that are at Londons Heathrow and Gatwick Airports. The company has enjoyed significant popularity and recognition all around the world due to its business operations. The Virgin airline has initiated number of innovations that had built new service standards that other industry players also followed (Rowe Smith 2002). In spite of its substantial growth its service still remains customer driven with a prominence on value for money, excellence, fun and improvement. The company functioning can be understood effectively with the help of subsequent aspects of its functioning: Ownership: The company is a British airline specifically situated in London. It is owned by Sir Richard Bransons Virgin Group and Singapore Airlines. Both the company holds 51% and 49% shares respectively. It was established in the year 1982 by Randolph Fields who was from America and was a lawyer, and Alan Hellary, who was a former chief pilot for Laker Airways (Dickinson 2009). In 1982, it was established as British Atlantic Airways and since 1984, it has been operating as Virgin Atlantic. The airline offers its customers with three class system that are Economy, Premium Economy and Upper class (Rowe Smith 2002). Aims and Objectives: The company operates with subsequent aims and objectives: Operate with the basic foundations that are safety, security and consistent delivery. Serve customers with quality service and value for money. Concentrate on the business and leisure markets and drive competence and effectualness. Operate with simplicity and in a way that love to fly. Become a growing and profitable organization (Dickinson 2009). Always challenge the ordinary and push airline innovation to serve passengers with something special and different. The company works in a direction to attain continuous specialization in range of innovations. The company works for creating a virtual contact centre network for serving customers all around the world with consistent, well-organized, effective and transparent services (Pender Sharpley 2005). Establish a global view of business for developing an ability to control al business operations. Create a flexible workforce and schedule people around skills and altering work demands (Dickinson 2009). Develop a business process that assist in managing all up and down business situations. Product Range: From the time of its initiation, the company is operating with diversification strategy. In present, the company operates long haul services and it provides customers with aircrafts, clubs and several other products. It offers flights between different cities of the world for assisting customers in their travelling (Dickinson 2009). The company has also brought in a strand of firsts admitting individual seat-back televisions for all economy passengers. As well, it also serves customers with automatic defibrillators. It also serves its upper class customers with limousine pick-up and Drive-Thru check-in (Bamber, Gittell Kochan 2009). Virgin Atlantic also operates with Clubhouses and Virgin lounges at its several destinations. The Virgin Clubhouses are intentionally planned to challenge the traditional airline industry patterns and for creating a different and unique travelling environment (Singh 2008). In the year 2003, the company launched its Upper Class Suite product that involved a falling back leather seat for takeoff, a well-designed sitting and eating place, fully flat bed and proper mattress for sleeping. As well, it also includes a private on-board bar at where customers can drink with their friends and a personal massage room. All these products are offered at reasonable price that others airline companies offer only to their first class customers. Services: All aircrafts of Virgin Atlantic aircraft operate with three-class configuration that is Economy, Premium Economy, and Upper Class cabins. Economy class is the standard coach class and serves customers with basic amenities (Dickinson 2009). Premium Economy class has its own different check-in area, a much more comfortable seat and legroom with much more amenities. This class passenger is also provided with laptop power supplies. The upper class is for business class and has all facilities. This class seat is fully flat bed and it also serves customers with seat power leads. In addition to this service, all Virgin Atlantic aircraft provide customers with personal seat-back televisions that furnish then with lots of entertainment channels. Most of company aircrafts also have an Audio/Video on Demand (AVOD) system. The company also have service of Frequent Flyer Programme, which benefit customers according to their use of Virgin aircraft for travelling again and again. Virgin Atlantic also provide some other additional services like the Freedom meal service, in-flight beauty therapy service, arrival lounges, flying clubs etc. Distribution Method: The company is established by making use of its own course within a model coherent with asserting the corporations image of customer friendliness, fair dealing and relative ease (Robinson 2009). The company remains concentrated on the UK markets and its business has explicated with the help of additional product and services (Dickinson 2009). The company make use of above distribution methods that precisely with airline products and services that are offered through tour operators and travel agents. From its initiation, its distribution methods had altered number of times and it is getting contracted day by day. Virgin Atlantic, serve its customers in a more and unique way. Pricing Policy: Price is a key element of airline strategy and it need to be agreed by targeted customers. It should be in a way that reflects companys other marketing mix elements also (Pender Sharpley 2005). Virgin Atlantic serves its customers with number of products at different price levels and with different pricing strategies. Its business segment is served with higher price whereas its economic class is served with low price (Singh 2008). For its different customers, the company make use of different pricing strategies like price skimming, penetration pricing, marginal pricing and promotional pricing. All these pricing strategies are used by customers for serving different types of customers and their different needs (Eccles Costa 1996, p. 49). The company pricing strategy is designed in a way that tries to offer superior service by undercutting competitors prices (Driver 1999, P. 136). Marketing Activities (Promotional Activities): The company make use of different marketing activities for promoting its products and services in the UK travel and tourism industry. The company had made use of different marketing mix elements that are also apparent in its vision and mission strategy. In addition to this, for promoting its products and services, the company make use of different advertising strategies and channels of media (Eccles Costa 1996, p. 47). The company had launched different services that all are promoted in different ways and through print and television. In addition to this, it also makes use of different advertising campaigns and promotional offers for its customers so that they can be driven towards Virgin Atlantic craft services (Robinson 2009). Regulatory and Licensing Requirements: The company is an airline company and before initiating any of its operations it has to attain support and approval from several national regulatory bodies or firms. The first regulatory body is the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) that governs the UK aviation sector. All airline companies services are regulated by CAA so that a diverse and competitive industry environment can be encouraged in the country (Driver 2001). Other substantial regulatory bodies from which approval is essential are the Air Transport Users Council and National Air Traffic Services. These authorities have altered traditional aviation laws and it had assisted companies in their old licensing laws (Pender Sharpley 2005). Membership of Associations with Benefits: Virgin Atlantic operates by associating with different associations as it provides the company with several benefits like market dominance, competitive advantage, environment-friendly image etc (Zeithaml, Bitner Gremler 2005). The company has an association with the Tourism Review and Implementation Group that was developed in 2004. This association has members from different fields like tourism, public sector and education. In addition to this, the company also operate with number of other associations that strengthen companys image in the mind of its domestic as well as international customers. Relationship with other Travel and Tourism Organizations: From its initiation, Virgin Atlantic has developed strong relationships with other travel and tourism organizations as it has tie ups with number of hotels, tour operators and travel agents that promotes both the companies. The company long-established success is the result of its effective relationships with other travel and tourism companies (Balmforth 2009). The company promotes its products and service by making contracts with tour operators that provide all-inclusive holiday packages to their customers. As well it also operates by associating

What Are The Main Contrasts To Be Found In Portugal? :: essays research papers fc

What Are The Main Contrasts To Be Found in Portugal?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When answering a question such as this, one must primarily begin by pointing out that not only does Portugal have a great many contrasts within its land, but also that it contrasts greatly with the other Mediterranean countries. Portugal is not to be considered by any means as Spain's poor neighbour, nor should a shadow be cast over it by such a formidable nation. Portugal has a great deal to offer any visitor, it is not merely a tourist's paradise, yet this is regrettably how it is viewed by a large number of individuals. One must also not forget Portugal's history of being, in days gone by, one of the greater maritime nations, one of the more advanced exploring countries of Europe. Whilst Spain was occupied with discovering the Indias and consequently the Americas, Portugal was itself busy exploring Africa and making its own invaluable discoveries, although these are for the most part overlooked.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Being situated on the westernmost edge of Europe and the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal enjoys a relative privacy and independence from the rest of Mediterranean countries. Bordering on Spain on two sides and the sea on the others, the nation as naturally turned towards the sea, from which it draws both its strength and wealth and turned its back on its greatest rival, Spain. Due to its constant waves of invasion throughout the ages, Portugal is a vastly diverse land, not only in geographical terms but also in terms of heritage. It is true to say that Portugal does share a number of similarities with Spain, but it is by no means identical. Rather it is a nation which blends Moorish influences, British tradition and Mediterranean culture to form a truly unique land of peoples.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When considering the diversity of a country such as Portugal, the mention of which immediately conjures up a melange of images from North African to Western European, from hot and balmy weather to snow capped mountains, one must really begin by describing the two principle factors, those of climate and geography, which themselves are interwoven. These in turn have a great effect on and to a certain extent bring about other differences which can be noted within the narrow confines of this nation, such as those of vegetation, economy and landscape.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On examining Portugal in terms of contrasting regions or areas, one must obviously have a starting point and that is generally considered to be a comparison between north and south, the River Tagus (Tejo) being the dividing line. However, Portugal can naturally be divided into three great natural

Performance Literature and Silent Reading Essay

The different forms of literature have been recognized as one of the best ways of expression wherein the individual responsible in creating a certain piece of literature can be able to express his or her thoughts and emotions as well as the ideals, values, and morals of a certain group of people or nation. Nevertheless, the importance of literature is realized through the perception of the people, which is why performance literature and silent reading have pivotal role in the appreciation of literature. The difference of performance literature and silent reading can be seen in the participation of an audience or reader, which makes it distinct from each other despite the situation that they are interpreting one form of literature. Both in the past and the present times, performance literature exists around the world. In the western and non-western societies literature is often appreciated by people through live performances. Literature performance involves the presence of an audience that should be engaged in the emotion of the performance literature. In this sense, performance literature requires the involvement of an audience as well as the corresponding social or religious context in order to exist. The same thing happens in situations when written texts that are embodied in some or all of the words are performed (Thomas, n. d.). On the other hand, in the modern western world, people are more accustom in experiencing literature by means of silent reading. Despite the existence of theater and poetry readings, the prevalent perception of proper literature in the academic realm is merely confined upon written pages. Being the case, most scholars always start with a written text in understanding different subject matters and appreciating literature (Thomas, n. d. ). Silent reading is recognized as an individualistic approach in understanding and appreciating literature because the reader is only the one responsible in understanding a written text like a story or novel as compared with performance literature that requires an audience and specific societal or religious context. Reference Thomas, R. (n. d. ). Performance Literature and the Written Word: Lost in Transcription? Retrieved from http://journal. oraltradition. org/files/articles/20i/editors_column_20_1. pdf.

Photosynthesis Playbill

The CREW Stage Manager Jo King Assistant Stage ManagerUriel Smart Creator/Writer NH Graphic Designer Kenny Dewitt Costume Designer Uta Mann Set and Props Crew Starr E. Sky Lighting DesignerWanda Rinn Sound Crew Dinah Might Dance Crew Jim Class Makeup Vic Toree DresserNeil B. Formi Acknowledgements The script, Life of Ps was made possible by my AP Biology teacher’s assignment.If not for her, I would never have sat down and composed a four page script about Photosynthesis. I would also like to thank my supporting family for listening to my complaints and frustrations throughout this process. My gratitude goes out to the AP Bio Facebook group as well, for answering all the questions I had about Photosynthesis. Thank you all very much. The CAST In order of appearance *Narrator *Thylakoid Lila *Calvin Cycle Cal Water H-Two-Oh *Electrons *Oxygen Oxi *Photons Tony *Photosystems II and I (respectively) *Chlorophylls A (P680 and P700) *Hydrogen Ion The Hydrogen Twins *Ferredoxin *Cytoc hrome Complex *Plastoquinone *Carbon Dioxide *NADP+ and NADPH *NADP+ Reductase *ATP Synthase *ATP and ADP + P *Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) and RuBisCO *3-PGA *G3P *Glucose Biographies Main characters (Alphabetically)Calvin Cycle: Three phases occur here: carbon fixation, reduction, and regeneration Chlorophylls A (P680 and P700): reflects green light, and absorbs red and blue light to being the process of photosynthesis Electrons: transported through the Electron Transport Chain for the production of ATP and NADPH Glucose: ATP from the Light Reactions are used, with the addition of hydrogen ions to CO2 to make glucose. Narrator: Narrates the play Thylakoid: interconnected sacs and membranes within the chloroplast that contain enzymes involved in Light Reactions Water: is split to release electrons, hydrogen ions, and oxygen

African American Contributions to American History Essay

Many blacks contributed to the success of our country in every war that we as a people have ever fought. In order to properly thank them for their heroic effort, I as a Hispanic Caucasian must give credit where credit is due. In order to properly do so, I must begin with the contributions of â€Å"Black America† beginning with the American Revolution and continue up until the World War II. Make no mistake blacks made contributions well past World War II, but in the interest of time and accuracy I must stay within the confines of our earlier history. One main aspect that should be analyzed is the fact that no matter how hard the struggle, blacks have always overcome adversity no matter what the cost. Of course, contributions made by blacks are not limited to war alone, but include a wide spectrum of achievements that have advanced civilization as a whole. My personal respect and thanks go to all people who have served and continue to serve this country at any capacity. But we must never forget the contributions made by our black brothers and sisters who gave their lives fighting for a cause that so greatly affected their lives as well as our well being. Charles Dickens said it best in his book A Tale of Two Cities, â€Å"It was the best of times it was the worst of times†. The American Revolution was a time of great struggle for people of all races. But, Blacks in particular understood the literal meaning of patriot rhetoric, eagerly took up the cause of American freedom, fighting bravely in the early confrontations with the British. Though the revolution freed some blacks and set the country on a course toward the abolition of slavery, political accommodation to plantation owners forestalled emancipation for many blacks in the south for 90 more years. A black man was one of the first martyrs of the patriot cause. Crispus Attucks, apparently a slave who had run away from his owner 20 years before, died in the Boston Massacre in 1770. Though facts were disputed at trials then as now, witnesses said Attucks hit a British officer with a large piece of firewood, grabbed a bayonet and urged the crowd to attack just before the British fired. Attucks and two others were killed while eight were wounded, two mortally. Blacks served at the battles of Lexington and Concord. Peter Salem, a freed slave, stood on the green at Lexington facing the British when the first battle broke out with the shot that was heard around the world. One of the last men wounded in the battle as the British escaped to Boston was Prince Estabrook, a black man from West Lexington. At least 20 blacks, including Peter Salem, were in the ranks two months later when the British attacked an American position outside Boston in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Salem has been honored for firing the shot that killed Major John Pitcairn, the British officer who led the Redcoats when they had attacked his small unit at Lexington. Unable to venture outside Boston and then threatened with cannon surrounding the city, the British left Boston for New York. As the war changed from a Massachusetts endeavor to a broader conflict throughout the colonies, the politics of race changed dramatically. Blacks had been welcomed in the New England militia, but Congress initially decided against having them in the Continental army. Congress needed support from the South if all the colonies were to win their independence from England. Since southern plantation owners wanted to keep their slaves, they were afraid to give guns to blacks. Congress ordered all blacks removed from the army, but black veterans appealed directly to George Washington, who took up their cause with John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress. Blacks serving in the army were allowed to stay, but new enlistments were forbidden. Though the Declaration of Independence declared that â€Å"all men were created equal,† many blacks soon saw more opportunity on the British side. The British governor of Virginia promised immediate freedom and wages to any slave who would join the Kings army. Hundreds flocked to the standard of the governor, Lord Dunmore, but he was denied a base on the land by the American forces and many of the blacks who joined him died of smallpox on overcrowded ships. The loyalty of blacks was a serious issue for the American leaders because blacks made up one-fifth of the two million people in the colonies. With the British soldiers already outnumbering the American troops, and recruitment difficult for the patriots, the northern colonies soon again began to enlist blacks. Rhode Island made up a regiment almost entirely of blacks. As the war continued, colonies as far south as Maryland and Virginia were recruiting free blacks for the American cause. As the war spread into the South, Congress found it needed to recruit slaves. It offered to pay South Carolina slave owners $1,000 for able-bodied male slaves. The slaves would receive no pay, but would be given $50 and their freedom at the end of the war if they served â€Å"well and faithfully. † The South Carolina Assembly threatened to leave the war, dooming the plan in the southernmost colonies. Recruitment of blacks to the American cause continued further north, but the patriots had less success than the British. The offer of immediate freedom extended by Virginia’s unfortunate loyalist governor was eventually made by the British throughout the colonies. Slaves joined the British by the tens of thousands. The fate of the loyalist blacks varied considerably. Some were captured by Americans and either returned to their masters or treated as war loot and sold back into slavery. Approximately 20,000 were with the British at the end of the war, taken to Canada or the Caribbean. Some became the founders of the British colony of Sierra Leone in West Africa. Even though the British offered slaves a better deal, many blacks served on the American side. They made up a sizeable share of the men in the Continental navy, state navies and the large force of American privateers. Blacks had long been in the labor force on ships and at seaports. On the water, then as now, skill counted for more than politics. The precise role of blacks in the revolution is difficult to quantify. Blacks in those days generally did not write. The people who did write early histories of the revolution were whites and concentrated on the efforts of white men. Also, many participants in the revolution were not specifically identified by race in the documents of the time and historians now have no way of knowing whether they were black. When blacks were allowed to serve in the American military, they often did work as laborers, sometimes in addition to regular soldier duties. Usually they were privates, though a few rose to command small groups of men. The words of the Declaration of Independence were taken literally by blacks and some whites. In, 1780, Pennsylvania became the first colony to pass a law phasing out slavery. Children born to slaves after that date were granted their freedom when they reached 28. Other northern states followed. The Superior Court of Massachusetts held in 1783 that slavery violated the state constitution, and New Hampshire also ended slavery by a court ruling. Vermont outlawed slavery and Connecticut and Rhode Island passed gradual emancipation laws. New York outlawed slavery in 1799 and New Jersey followed in 1804. The international slave trade was outlawed in 1808. Progress then came to a stop. A boom in cotton production spread the slave economy into the lower Mississippi Valley. Slave states were careful to control at least half the political power in the federal government, blocking any national movement against slavery until the Civil War. The 54th Massachusetts Regiment On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves in the rebelling territories of the confederacy and authorizing Black enlistment in the Union Army. Since the beginning of the Civil War, free Black people in general, and Black Bostonians in particular, were ready to gather arms on behalf of the Union, yet they were prevented from doing so. Popular racial stereotypes and institutional discrimination against Blacks in the military contributed to the prevailing myth that Black men lacked the intelligence and bravery necessary to serve their country. By the fall of 1862, however, the lack of White Union enlistment and confederate victories at Antietem forced the U. S. government to reconsider its racist policy. As Congress met in October to address the issue of Black enlistment, various troops of Black volunteers had already been organized, including the First South Carolina and the Kansas Colored Troops. It wasn’t until January 26, 1863; however, that secretary of war Edwin Stanton authorized the enlistment of Black troops. As a result, the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer infantry was founded, becoming the first all-Black Union regiment raised in the north. Training began for Black volunteers at Camp Meigs in Reedville, MA on February 21, 1863. Although some members of the community voiced opposition to the prevention of Black men from achieving the rank of colonel or officer, most community activists urged Black men to seize the opportunity to serve in the Union forces. The fear many Black volunteers had about the potential racism of White officers and colonels was calmed when Massachusetts Governor John Andrew assured Bostonians that White officers assigned to the 54th Regiment would be â€Å"young men of military experience, of firm anti-slavery principles, ambitious, superior to a vulgar contempt for color, and having faith in the capacity of colored men for military service. † Andrew held to his word, appointing 25-year-old Robert Gould Shaw as colonel and George P. Hallowell as Lieutenant. The son of wealthy abolitionists, Shaw had been educated in Europe and at Harvard before joining the seventh New York National Guard in 1861. In 1862, when Governor Andrew contacted Shaw’s father about the prospect of commissioning his son as colonel of the soon-to-be organized fifty-fourth, Shaw was an officer in the Second Massachusetts Infantry. Although reluctant to accept the commission, Shaw eventually became colonel. By the time training began at Camp Meigs, Shaw and his officers began work with the soldiers whose bravery would forever change public perception of Black military skill and valor. Black community leaders across the country such as Frederick Douglass and William Wells Brown served as recruiting agents for the Union army. As a result, over 1000 volunteers enlisted in the 54th Regiment, a response so overwhelming that Massachusetts organized a second Black regiment, the fifty-fifth. Men of the fifty-fourth represented twenty-four states, the District of Columbia, the West Indies, and Africa. Approximately 25% of them had been slaves, over 50% were literate, and, although as civilians they had worked in forty-six different occupations, the overwhelming majorities (55%) were common laborers. Regardless of origin, occupation, or social class, the men of the 54th Regiment both inspired Boston’s Black community and provided a symbol of pride for abolitionists across the country. Activists such as William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass visited Camp Meigs to show their support. Although the organization of the 54th Regiment resolved the conflict over Black enlistment in the Union army, the struggle of Black soldiers to gain respect in the military was just beginning. Upon arrival in the south, the Black soldiers were often treated as common laborers and the potential for their valor on the battlefield was disregarded. Upon arriving in Georgia on June 11, they were ordered by Col. James Montgomery of the Department of the South to raid the town of Darien. Reports of Black soldiers burning buildings and ravaging the homes of townspeople confirmed stereotypes of Black soldiers as un-trainable brutes. Col. Shaw found the raid on Darien barbarous and distasteful, and sent a letter to Brigadier General George C. Strong, requesting that the men be used in the planned attack on Fort Wagner, South Carolina. On July 16, the 54th Regiment fought alongside White soldiers of the 10th Connecticut Infantry in a skirmish on James Island, SC. This battle redeemed the Black soldiers’ fighting ability in the eyes of White skeptics, including General Strong, who commanded the 54th Regiment to lead the assault on Fort Wagner, scheduled for July 18. Strategically, a successful attack on Fort Wagner would allow Union forces to seize control of Charleston Harbor. Located on Morris Island, Fort Wagner protected Battery Gregg overlooking Fort Sumter. Thus, seizure of Fort Wagner was valuable because it enabled the Union to shell Sumter and close the harbor to confederate blockade runners, thereby paving the way for further Union attack on Charleston. Fort Wagner was located at the northern tip of Morris Island, and was controlled by 1700 troops and 17 artillery guns. Depleted to just over 600 men by the skirmish two days previous, the men of the 54th Regiment were ordered to lead the assault on Fort Wagner with the backing of regiments from New York, Connecticut, Maine, and Pennsylvania. Before the charge commenced, Colonel Shaw ordered the regiment to â€Å"prove yourselves as men. † Within 200 feet of the Fort, the confederates began to attack as the brave men of the 54th Regiment struggled through darkness, four-foot deep water, and marshland. Colonel Shaw, accompanied by dwindling numbers of dying men, managed to reach the top of the parapet where a bitter hand-to-hand combat ensued, the Black Union soldiers with bayonets against the White Confederate soldiers with handspikes and gun rammers. Colonel Shaw was mortally wounded with a pierce through the heart, along with a dozen of his men. Meanwhile, members of the 54th Regiment – some wounded, some dying – began to retreat; those who refused to back down were taken prisoner. As the smoke cleared, evidence of Confederate victory was immediately apparent, with 174 Rebel casualties and 1515 Union soldiers dead or wounded. Of the eleven regiments who participated in the Union assault, the fifty-forth Regiment accrued the most casualties, with 256 of their 600 men dead or wounded. Despite the heavy losses, the assault on Fort Wagner proved to the nation and the world the valor of Black soldiers in general and the men of the 54th Regiment in particular. From the ranks of the fifty-forth came stories of unfailing patriotism and undying glory. The men of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, their White officers, colonel, and allies, not only struck a blow for American freedom and unity, they also proved to the nation and the world the valor, bravery, and devotion of African American soldiers. In the sacrifice made by Col. Shaw and his soldiers, Americans witnessed, for the first time, the supremacy of equality over racism, discrimination, and ignorance. Upon his death at Fort Wagner, the body of Col. Shaw was placed in a mass grave on Morris Island along with the bodies of his soldiers. The lack of proper military burial for a man who had distinguished himself as a soldier and as a leader was intended to insult the honor of Shaw and his family, who were deemed as race traitors by Confederates and White unionists alike. However, upon learning that his son had been buried with his black soldiers, Francis Shaw stated, with dignity, that â€Å"We hold that a soldier’s most appropriate burial place is on the field where he has fallen. † This statement and the honor displayed by the Shaw family and veterans of the fifty-fourth helped immortalize Shaw and his men as symbols of the Civil War battle for unity and equality. As a result of the 54th Regiment, over 180,000 Black men enlisted under the Union flag between 1863 and 1865. AFRICAN AMERICAN MILITARY SERVICE from WWI through WWII. During the global conflicts of the first half of the 20th century, U. S. servicemen fought in Europe for the first time in the nation’s history. African Americans were among the troops committed to combat in World War I (WWI) and World War II (WWII), even though they and other black Americans were denied the full blessings of the freedom for which the United States had pledged to fight. Traditional racist views about the use of black troops in combat initially excluded African Americans from the early recruiting efforts and much of the actual combat in both wars. Nonetheless, large numbers of African Americans still volunteered to fight for their country in 1917-18 and 1940-45. Once again, many black servicemen hoped their military contribution and sacrifice would prove to their white countrymen that African Americans desired and deserved a fully participatory role in U. S. society. Unfortunately, the deeply entrenched negative racial attitudes prevalent among much of the white American population, including many of the nation’s top military and civilian leaders, made it very difficult for blacks to serve in the military establishment of this period. African-American servicemen suffered numerous indignities and received little respect from white troops and civilians alike. The historic contributions by blacks to the defense of the United States were usually ignored or downplayed, while combat failures similar to those of whites and violent racial incidents often provoked by whites were exaggerated into a condemnation of all African Americans. In the â€Å"Jim Crow† world of pre-1945 America, black servicemen confronted not only the hostility of enemies abroad but that of enemies at home. African-American soldiers and sailors had two formidable obstacles to deal with: discrimination and segregation. Yet, black servicemen in both world wars repeatedly demonstrated their bravery, loyalty, and ability in combat or in support of frontline troops. Oftentimes, they accomplished these tasks without proper training or adequate equipment. Poor communications and a lack of rapport with their white officers were two additional burdens hampering the effectiveness and efficiency of African Americans in the military. Too frequently, there was little or no recognition or gratitude for their accomplishments. One of the worst slights of both wars was the willingness of the white establishment to allow racism to influence the award of the prestigious Medal of Honor. Although several exceptionally heroic African Americans performed deeds worthy of this honor, not one received at the time the award that their bravery and self-sacrifice deserved. It took over 70 years for the United States to rectify this error for WWI and over 50 years for WWII. Despite the hardships and second-class status, their participation in both wars helped to transform many African-American veterans as well as helped to eventually change the United States. Though still limited by discrimination and segregation at home, their sojourn in Europe during WWI and WWII made many black servicemen aware that the racial attitudes so common among white Americans did not prevail everywhere else. The knowledge that skin color did not preclude dignity and respect made many black veterans unwilling to submit quietly to continuing racial discrimination once they returned to the United States. In addition, the growing importance of black votes beginning in the 1930s and 1940s forced the nation’s political and military leaders to pay more attention to African Americans’ demands, particularly in regard to the military. Although it was a tedious and frustrating process, one too often marked by cosmetic changes rather than real reform, by the end of WWII, the U. S. military establishment slowly began to make some headway against racial discrimination and segregation within its ranks. The stage was set for President Harry S Truman’s landmark executive order of 26 July 1948. Another main contribution of note would be the trails and tribulations of the Tuskegee Airmen. In the 1940’s, it was still believed that Blacks were incapable of flying aircraft. This myth was dispelled with the help of the U. S. Congress. On June 27, 1939 – THE CIVILIAN PILOT TRAINING ACT was passed. This solitary ACT helped to create a reserve of civilian pilots to be called in case of War. Young black pilots were given the opportunity to train with U. S. approved programs located at TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE. The SELECTIVE SERVICE ACT OF 1940 also increased the opportunity for a broader participation of Blacks in the military when it banned discrimination in the selection and training of all American citizens because of race and color. The success of the CIVILIAN PILOT TRAINING ACT helped put the 99TH PURSUIT SQUADRON OF TUSKEGEE on the map. It was said that â€Å"the success of Negro youth in the Army Air Force would be predicated upon the success of the ‘Tuskegee Experiment. ‘† HBO’s docudrama, THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN, is a good depiction of this era of Black Americans seeking acceptance as military pilots. Because of the opportunity provided by the Civilian Pilot Training Act, the number of Blacks in the ARMY AIR FORCE jumped from 2,250 in 1941 to over 145,000 by 1944. The two major groups to see combat as AAF men were the 99TH PURSUIT SQUADRON and the 332ND FIGHTER GROUP. Out of the 332nd Group came the 100th, 301st, and 302nd Squadrons under the command of Lieutenant Colonel BENJAMIN O. DAVIS, SR. , who became America’s FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN GENERAL on October 25, 1940. By 1944, the 99th was added to the 332nd and participated in campaigns in Sicily, Rome, and Romania. The 99th and 332nd earned many DISTINGUISHED UNIT CITATIONS. These historical examples are but a small sample of the many great contributions and sacrifices made by black people in order to secure freedom and prosperity for this great nation. We owe them a debt than can never be fully repaid. If anything these great contributions should curtail any negative or racial thoughts toward such a magnanimous people. You would think that with all that has transpired throughout history, that we as a people could live and coexist together with peace and harmony. My only hope is that with time people will come to realize that we are all not that different from one another and that we can thrive together for a better future for all of us.