Platos Allegory Of The Cave Essay - 1749 Words

Plato’s â€Å"Allegory of the Cave† is full of meaningful, thought provoking lessons that have been analyzed be scholars and philosophers for years. One of the basic lessons we can draw from it is immaterial truth, or forms. In Plato’s cave scenario, the men who only see shadows have ideas of what they are seeing. They conclude they can see certain things and can name those things. But what they see as an actual object, they are actually just seeing a shadow of the actual object. â€Å"If they discuss things with one another, don’t you believe they would hold that they are naming these things going by before them that they see† (The Republic of Plato pg.194). They can conclude that they see certain objects, but what they actually see, is only the†¦show more content†¦As most people know, the truth hurts. Being told something that was different from what you originally believed is very hard to comprehend; it can be disorienting, just like in Plato’s readings. Most people are like the men in the cave and live in the shadow. Seeing the Forms of most things, and not comprehending the truth about them. But if someone is brought into the light, they then are able to see the truth about things. â€Å"And from there he could turn to beholding the things in heaven and heaven itself, more easily at night—looking at the light of the stars and the moon—than by day—looking at the sun and sunlight† (The Republic of Plato pg 194). Plato talks about how being exposed to the light allows the man to see â€Å"heaven and heaven itself†. This is an important exclamation because Plato is saying that those who are brought into the light are able to see everything and understand everything. This just emphasizes the fact that Plato believes almost everyone lives in the shadow of the cave and can’t actually see images and materials for what they really are, we can only see their Form. We live i n the shadow, in opinion, we cannot actually see the truth and that makes us dangerous to the few people who go into the light and see the truth. This is apparent for Plato’s teacher, Socrates, who was murdered by people who were afraid of what he was teaching. â€Å"†¦and wouldn t it be said of him that he went up and came back with his eyes corrupted, and that it’s not evenShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Matrix and Plato’s Allegory of the Cave 1922 Words   |  8 Pages many of the revelations and claims demonstrate philosophical influences. That said, the question of existence versus illusion exhibited in the film, meet the criteria for Plato’s allegory of the cave. Plato explores the idea that the real world is an illusion in the allegory of the cave in The Republic. Plato imagines a cave in which people have been kept prisoner since birth. These people are bound in such a way that they can look only straight ahead, not behind them or to the side . On the wallRead MorePlatos Allegory Of The Cave Essay1537 Words   |  7 Pagesthe limits of reason and morality. Having freedom equals having the power to think, to speak, and to act without externally imposed restrains. As a matter of fact, finding freedom in order to live free is the common idea in Plato with The Allegory of the Cave; Henry David Thoreau with Where I lived and What I lived for; and Jean Paul Sartre with Existentialism. Generally, Plato, Thoreau, and Sartre suggested that human life should be free. They differ in what that freedom is. Plato thinksRead MoreEssay on Platos Allegory of the Cave1315 Words   |  6 Pagescriticized? In Plato’s Allegory of a Cave he describes an example of people conforming to the norm they were born into and then shows the results of a person emerging from this community into a completely new and different world. People today are trapped into conforming to the American way to avoid being chastised but if we all stand up an d make our own decisions based on what we want and our own path, eventually individuality will become the social norm. In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, the personsRead MoreEssay about Platos Allegory of the Cave1305 Words   |  6 PagesPlato’s â€Å"Allegory of the Cave† is the most significant and influential analogy in his book, The Republic. This thorough analogy covers many of the images Plato uses as tools throughout The Republic to show why the four virtues, also known as forms, are what create good. The â€Å"Allegory of the Cave†, however, is not one of the simplest representations used by Plato. Foremost, to comprehend these images such as the â€Å"divided line† or Plato’s forms, one must be able to understand this allegory and allRead MoreEssay on The Allegory of the Cave in Platos Republic901 Words   |  4 PagesThe Allegory of the Cave in Platos Republic This paper discussed The Allegory of The Cave in Platos Republic, and tries to unfold the messages Plato wishes to convey with regard to his conception of reality, knowledge and education. THE ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE Platos Allegory of the Cave is a story that conveys his theory of how we come to know, or how we attain true knowledge. It is also an introduction into his metaphysical and ethical system. In short, it is a symbolic explanationRead MoreEssay Applying Platos Allegory of the Cave1649 Words   |  7 PagesApplying Platos Allegory of the Cave to Oedipus Rex, Hamlet,and Thomas Becket Plato was one of the greatest philosophers of all time. He is recognized all over the world as one of the greatest minds of all time. Knowledge is required under compulsion has not hold on the mind.(Durant 24). Platos dialogues are the fruit of a rare mind; but the could not have kept their perennial freshness if they had not somehow succeeded in expressing he problems and the convictions that are common to PlatosRead MorePlatos Allegory of the Cave in Pleasantville Essay1087 Words   |  5 PagesWriter and director Gary Ross captured the essence of Plato’s philosophical views in his movie, Pleasantville. The movie is about two siblings, David and Jennifer, who live in completely different high school social scenes. Jennifer is the wild, extroverted teen who is obsessed with partying and boy drama. David, on the other hand, is a social outcast and spends most of his time watching TV, specifically, his favorite show, Pleasantville. David idolizes the show because of the perfect town inRead MoreEssay about Platos The Allegory of the Cave818 Words   |  4 PagesPlatos The Allegory of the Cave In Plato’s â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave,† he suggests that there are two different forms of vision, a â€Å"mind’s eye† and a â€Å"bodily eye.† The â€Å"bodily eye† is a metaphor for the senses. While inside the cave, the prisoners function only with this eye. The â€Å"mind’s eye† is a higher level of thinking, and is mobilized only when the prisoner is released into the outside world. This eye does not exist within the cave; it only exists in the real, perfect world. The â€Å"bodilyRead MorePlato’s Allegory of the Cave and The Matrix Essay2251 Words   |  10 PagesThe Republic is considered to be one of Plato’s most storied legacies. Plato recorded many different philosophical ideals in his writings. Addressing a wide variety of topics from justice in book one, to knowledge, enlightenment, and the senses as he does in book seven. In his seventh book, when discussing the concept of knowledge, he is virtually addressing the clichà © â€Å"seeing is believing†, while attempting to validate the roots of our knowledge. By his use of philosophical themes, Plato is ableRead More Analysis of Platos Allegory of the Cave Essay example995 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis of Platos Allegory of the Cave Platos Allegory of the Cave presents a vision of humans as slaves chained in front of a fire observing the shadows of things on the cave wall in front of them. The shadows are the only reality the slaves know. Plato argues that there is a basic flaw in how we humans mistake our limited perceptions as reality, truth and goodness. The allegory reveals how that flaw affects our education, our spirituality and our politics. The flaw that Plato

Summer Temperature Standard Deviation, Skewness and Strong Positive Article

Essays on Summer Temperature Standard Deviation, Skewness and Strong Positive Temperature Anomalies by Volodin and Yurova Article The paper "Summer Temperature Standard Deviation, Skewness and Strong Positive Temperature Anomalies by Volodin and Yurova" is a great example of an article on environmental studies. The paper will discuss different patterns of skewness and standard deviation of the average summer temperature of everyday and monthly was analyzed using the climate model for 3 scenarios from the fourth version of the Institute of Numerical Mathematics Climate Model. There was a consequence of quadrupling carbon II oxide concentrations and simulation of both the preindustrial climate and momentary climate changes from 1850 to 2100. Hot periods are experienced in the areas with high skewness of replicated preindustrial climate exceeding the expected number for the usual distribution ranging from 2 to 8. In the scenario where carbon II oxide concentrations were recorded, the standard deviation had increased and the northward side of the area had shifted with optimistic skewness as compared with the case o f preindustrial.   Subtropical areas were found to have experienced the highest increase in summer average temperatures. Thirty percent of days where the highest average increase in temperature about 500000 meters to the northward area of the highest average increase of seasonal temperature where the standard deviation of the area was increased. 0.1 % of the warmest days were the highest average increase in temperature about 500000 meters again in the north where the region had increased skewness. In the simulation of the climate change for 1850-2100, the areas with increased skewness were noticed to have increased temperature during the warm days above the summer average temperature. The regions which had decreased skewness, either a small increase in temperature were noticed or there was no temperature rising at all during warm days under ephemeral global warming. The three scenarios will be elaborated further in the rest of the papers where there will be different variations of summer average temper atures in different climatic regions (Volodin Yurova, 2013).

Kudler Fine Foods Marketing Objectives and Strategy

Question: Discuss the strategy and business proposal of Kudler fine foods? Answer: Background Kuldler Fine Foods has developed into business with three location, offering wide variety of fine foods that includes cheese and wine locally grown produce and store cooking demonstration extending to the home parties and the most recent establishing a catering business. The legal aspects in managing the business to current strategy and tactics that is need to be developing in order to assess how changing technology creates business opportunities for the Kudlers current ventures (Birkinshaw, 2004). Kudler Fine Foods is gourmet grocery store with vision to provide customer with highest and finest quality selection of food products. The operational analysis is the decision making process involved in getting the involved job done. The job includes the table representation of SWOT analysis that is made to make the method useful. The business plan includes the stated objective supporting the goal and creating the strategic plan for the implementation of new performance management system (Blackwell Sunday Times of London (Firm), 2008). The company represents the responsibilities and deliverables in format consistent with formal strategic plan that address communication on the organizational goals and action and element needed to achieve the goals. The business plan includes the management activities in setting centralizing energy and sources, priorities, strengthen operations and collaboration on employee agreement. Objectives The main objective of the study is to find out the scope of the up gradation of Kudler Fine Foods Companys IT infrastructure for ensuring the compatibility within the organization, customers, staffs and vendors. It can be enhanced the performance of the company. With the help of effective It infrastructure the company can communicate with different department very effectively. Find out the scope of remodelling the company website for permitting the customers online order as well as for accessing the vendors (Hayes Miller, 2011). Identify the scope of upgrading the company database. Identify the scope of Implementing ERP, CRM, SCM as well as document software in the IT infrastructure. Organize adequate training and development sessions for the employees for the enhancement of their employability. Initiate the strategic plan for maintaining the documents as well as plan for supporting the documents. So that, the documents can be maintained properly and can be accessed when required. The supporting documents can be utilized when required. Goals The main goal of the company is to deliver best quality of the food products to the consumers. The company want to develop faith among the consumers. With the effective strategies and innovative expansion and upgrading plan the company wish to enhance their business. There are several business prospects and opportunities the companys aim is to grab those opportunity. Owing to that the company has invent several innovative techniques which are very effective in improving the service quality as well as increasing the profitability of the company (Rondeau,E.P., Brown,R.K., Lapides,P.D. 2006). Building trust among the customer is very essential as by building trust the loyalty of the consumer is increased. So that the company will take several useful strategies so that the trust and loyalty of the consumers canbe increased. Product is also another aspects where need to give more emphasis as most of the people eat foods because they love food. Therefore, the product should be developed b y keeping in mind the taste of the consumers their liking. Currently most of the people are health conscious so develop healthy and tasty food with low fat and low calorie foods with high energy (Birkinshaw,J.M. 2004).The delivery system has to be improved because no one like to wait for their food after giving the order. There the main aim of the Kudler Fine Foods company is to improve the overall service and food quality to ensure the customers loyalty. Methods The Kudler Fine Food has specific business needs to grow and remain in the competitive market by continuing to retain and hire the top talent (Pan, 2013). The company has sought out the assistance of the representatives from the Iwamtoo, crew and co. that matters expertise on the performance project management. The proposed action step of Kudler Fine Foods considers the current process that supports the leadership in the learning organization. The company holds the responsibility in building the foundation where people are continually expands their competence in shaping the future that includes achieving and attaining the goals that contributes in organizational success. Action steps include the building foundation for the purpose and core values, developing strategies and policies for the decision making process and developing the learning process (Rondeau, Brown, Lapides, 2006). Kudler SWOT analysis is the weakness and strength of the company. To address the weakness the company would need to hire qualified people or retaining the employees to cover the time when the employees are out on leave or sick. The weakness of Kudler Fine Foods is that are having small management team responsibility (Rondeau, Brown, Lapides, 2006). The SWOT analysis is as follows: Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Small organization Many choices of the customers. No direct competition. Good store collection. Good customer orientation. Repeat customers Good store location. Kathey;s personal relationship with staff. Deal in mainly with perishable goods. Small management team with lots of responsibility. Specialty shop with high pay-roll. Limitation in Geographic expansion. The location Del Mar location is not developing as expected. Offering more catering services. Geographic expansion throughout California. Adding more product line as the company is growing. Delegate purchasing process to customer with more time and experience. Spreading the brand outside the California as it is growing. Opportunity that to be acquired. The economy is declining. Competition with the gourmet shops. Market forecast The market segmentation must be done in an innovative way that will helps to satisfy all the stakeholder and in this particular context the company provided enormous contribution to satisfy the clients because customer retention is become one of the most major problems and to retain the customers the best possible service must be provided by the clients. Therefore, the reliable budget is also developed by the company that brings several benefits by reducing the extra operational cist into the product development because quality is one of the most major issue that provide immense impact on overall profitability of the company (Malhotra, 1993). In this particular case, the company undertakes the enhanced strategy and to maintain the profitability in the market the company also provide some attractive discounts. The business plan is developed in a way that will help to establish a unique identity of the company in a particular target market. The cost table is provided as follows. Activity Cost Planning AU $ 50 Market survey AU $ 250 Product development AU $ 150 Marketing AU $ 100 Communicate with customer through product launching campaign AU $ 60 Survey result analysis with the help of experts AU $ 40 Total cost AU $ 650 The total estimated cost is selected for this particular business plan development project was AU $ 700 and now the figure shows that the estimated budget is properly maintained by the company with the help of effective strategy and implementing the experts in development of the planning (Sacerdoti, 1975). With the help in proper market segmentation, the target market analysis is conducted and therefore the current trends and demand of the customer are also analysed that helps in providing the reliable products to the customers and customers satisfaction is achieved. However, the company that helps in creating a better future prospective for the company implements the effective strategy and advance technological tools. References Birkinshaw,J.M. (2004). Strategic management. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Pub. Hayes,D.K., Miller,A. (2011). Revenue management for the hospitality industry. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Kerin,R.A., Peterson,R.A. (1978). Strategic marketing problems: Cases and comments. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Rondeau,E.P., Brown,R.K., Lapides,P.D. (2006). Facility management. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons. Birkinshaw,J.M. (2004).Strategic management. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Pub. Blackwell,E., Sunday Times of London (Firm). (2008).How to prepare a business plan. London: Kogan Page. FOSCHINI,G.J., GANS,M.J. (1998). On Limits of Wireless Communications in a Fading Environment when Using Multiple Antennas.Bell Labs Technical Journal. Gilbert,D.C., Powell-Perry,J., Widijoso,S. (1999). Approaches by hotels to the use of the Internet as a relationship marketing tool.Journal of Marketing Practice: Applied Marketing Science. doi:10.1108/EUM0000000004549 Hayes,D.K., Miller,A. (2011).Revenue management for the hospitality industry. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Kerin,R.A., Peterson,R.A. (1978).Strategic marketing problems: Cases and comments. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Malhotra,N.K. (1993). Marketing research: an applied orientation. Pan,G. (2013).Dynamics of governing IT innovation in Singapore: A case book. Rondeau,E.P., Brown,R.K., Lapides,P.D. (2006).Facility management. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons. Sacerdoti,E.D. (1975). A structure for plans and behavior.

Semiotic analysis free essay sample

On the cover of More! the character again embodies the self for the reader. She represents the more! ethos of youthful, cheeky impertinence (in Curran 1996: 189) Her red, low-cut dress suggests that she is sassy; a vixen that has sexual needs and is not afraid to fulfil them. Again, the clear skin and perfect features encourage the reader to believe that there is an inner-beauty within everyone that will shine through. However, the More! model does not appear as innocent as the 19 model. Her hair is swept more vigorously from her face and therefore creates a more disrupted, chaotic image than the previous. The innocence depicted by the clear complexion of the 19 model is challenged here as the More! model raises her eyebrow into an arch; she has a glint in her eye and pouts her lips proudly. As we notice the presence of a man in the left hand side of the front cover, we therefore interpret this facial expression as sexual prowess this girl knows what she wants and she knows exactly how to get it. We will write a custom essay sample on Semiotic analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The male figure is not personalised; indeed we only see a leg, an arm and a crotch and yet we are fully aware of the masculinity of the character. This could suggest that, in subversion to the representation offered within male magazines, the man is the sexual object here. It is also significant that the male is wearing a kilt as it could suggest that the female is metaphorically wearing the trousers in the relationship. This interpretation would only become apparent if the reader was accustomed with the relevant social codes and textual codes of gendered magazines. If the reader is familiar with popular culture however, they could assume the man in the kilt to be the actor James Redmond who portrays Finn in Hollyoaks (a half-Scottish Lord) and therefore presume that there is an in-depth interview with him in the magazine this is suggested by the text at the top of the magazine cover Finn-tastic! We Check out James Redmonds Morning Glory. By analysing the title, tagline, and central images of the magazine cover, we have therefore deduced the readership and content of the magazines effectively. As McRobbie notes, sex now fills the space of the magazines pages. It provides the frame for womens magazines in the 1990s and marks a new moment in the construction of female sexual identities (in Curran 1996: 177). It is worrying to think that the explicit sexual representations within the magazines (such as More!s Raunchy resolutions to spice up your sex life) are being read by underage teenagers; sex has been packaged as a commodity (McLaughlin 200: 13) by these magazines in recent years and the young readers have eagerly jumped at the chance to buy such (what was previously) censored material. Indeed, fifty years ago the teenage magazine industry differed greatly to that of today. According to Vestergaard we have seen a shift from motherhood and childcare to the maintenance of physical appearance (Vestergaard Schré · £er 1992: 81) (in the discussed examples, we see Be your own stylist steal insider know-how from the women who dress the stars on the cover of 19, and on More! Happy New Gear what every glam girl will be wearing this season). Dr Nancy Signiorelli of the University of Delaware undertook a study on A Focus on Appearance in the media in November 1996, and she found that one in three (37%) articles in leading teen girl magazines included a focus on appearance, one in three (35%) focused on dating and less than 2% discussed either school or careers (websources Kellner and ChildrenNow). This is certainly reflected on the front covers analysed above every feature on the covers refer to beauty, fashion, dating, sex and celebrities. Kimberley Phillips argues that these magazines therefore reinforce the cultural expectations that an adolescent woman should be more concerned with her appearance, her relations with other people, and her ability to win approval from men than with her own ideas or expectations for herself (websource Hermes). It can also be argued however that young women are encouraged to develop independence by these magazines. In recent years the magazine industry has therefore successfully extended the notion of what it is to be a woman. A teenage girl will see hunting boyfriends and beautifying as a norm; it is argued indeed that these are transcribed as their sole purposes in life. The magazines do not seem to cater for minority interests such as politics, environmental issues, or any kind of music that ventures beyond Westlife or Britney Spears. The teenage girl has therefore been heavily stereotyped by the teenage magazine industry, and her interpretation of the codes and conventions used in the magazine will depend on her personal knowledge of this culture and society. Indeed, some of the readers of these magazines are male (e.g. the brothers  or boyfriends of the female readers Bignell refers to these as non-ideal readers (Bignell 1997: 58)), and they will interpret the codes differently to their female counterparts as they arguably do not share their interests in beauty products and fashion. Their interpretations of the sex issues may also differ, as they will gaze at the images of women as sex objects as opposed to icons and role models. Chandler sees that social semiotics alerts us to how the same text may generate different meanings for different readers (web source, Semiotics for Beginners), and this is certainly true of the gendered readings of teenage magazines. Chandler further notes that the signs (or codes) within the text do not just convey meanings, but constitute a medium in which meanings are constructed (ibid). Through reading a magazine aimed at her demographic group, a teenage girl will therefore come to learn that society expects her to be interested in boys, sex, fashion, beauty and fame. The magazine is therefore a powerful ideological force in society (McRobbie 2000: 69); the image and behavioural ideologies presented within the magazine covers become the stereotypical norm for the teenage girl. Applying semiotic analysis to the magazine text therefore allows us to identify social ideologies of the teenage girl. One could analyse the front covers of magazine extensively, decoding the codes of colour, font, layout and spatial arrangements as well as the titles, taglines, language and central images to show the construction of the teenage girl in the media. Teenage magazines may not provide an altogether accurate representation of all teenage girls today, but it is certainly a medium that provides escapism and enjoyment for the reader whilst subliminally educating and informing at the same time.

Word Choice Lessen vs. Lesson

Word Choice Lessen vs. Lesson Word Choice: Lessen vs. Lesson Sometimes, when two words look and sound similar, they come from the same root term. Other times, the similarity is a complete coincidence. Such is the case with lessen and lesson. And because these words are unrelated, you should always take care to use them correctly in your writing. Lessen (Become Less) The verb â€Å"lessen† means â€Å"reduce in degree or amount.† This can be either something that happens naturally or something someone does actively: Its speed has lessened since the previous observation. I eat a healthy diet to lessen my risk of heart disease. As you may have guessed, this word is related to the adverb â€Å"less.† Lesson (Learning Opportunity) The word â€Å"lesson† is a noun meaning â€Å"a time set aside for learning†: The teacher always prepared lessons that would keep the kids interested. In the sentence above, for example, we’re talking about a time set aside for formal education in a classroom. But learning a â€Å"lesson† can include many things, from taking proofreading lessons online to learning from a mistake: After missing my flight, I learned a lesson about planning my journeys. We will not imprison you this time, but let this fine be a lesson to you. The â€Å"less† in â€Å"lesson† isn’t the same as the â€Å"less† in â€Å"lessen,† though. Rather, this word comes from the Latin lectionem, which meant â€Å"a reading.† And the original use of â€Å"lesson† reflects this, since it once referred specifically to a reading from the Bible rather than teaching in general. Summary: Lessen or Lesson? These words may sound and look similar, but they have very different uses: Lessen is a verb meaning â€Å"become less† or â€Å"reduce in amount or degree.† Lesson is a noun that usually refers to a period of time used for teaching. It can also mean â€Å"learning opportunity† more generally. And since these words are so different, you’ll want to use the right one every time! So to make sure your writing is always error free, try submitting a document for proofreading today.

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.

Request for Proposal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Request for Proposal - Assignment Example MemaTech Company is a comprehensive solution for integration of large networks that assists companies overcome the technical and operational hurdles by documenting and discovering the networks of the two companies in the first week, plan the virtual network merge in the company within the first month and execute the network merge with proper connection within the first year. During the first week, MemaTech Company will discover and then document the pre-merge network (Janevski, 2003). The organization will perform a discovery of null network and Q-map for documentation of the topology and design of L3/L2. Therefore, the merged companies will have the benefit of updating their network knowledge. MemaTech Company is a knowledge station that will minimize the need of conventional transfer efforts like meeting. During the first month, the company will perform virtual merging. Here the company will leverage the discovery results. MemaTech will create three workspaces that will include the workspace for Company A, workspace for Company B, and workspace for company A and B. From there the hurdles of merging the network will be dealt with inside the company. The company will discover the IP addresses that over plan or planning the migration of the IP addresses. Here the company will compare the IP tables for Company A and Company B to come up with the IP addresses that overlap. The plan is as shown below MemaTech Company will analyze the routing protocol for the two companies, and provide both a graphic and listed view of the information that was collected (Janevski, 2003). For instance if both companies use the two area-Os exist and OSPF, the company will quickly leverage the issue. The company will use the routing table to compare features to spot the problematic routes that needs merging. As shown in the diagram below MemaTech Company will further

Differences Between Jefferson and Hamilton Schools Essay - 3

Differences Between Jefferson and Hamilton Schools - Essay Example This notion is supported by the explanation that elites have more resources and better skills set for the formation and execution of government. This view is further disregarded by Jefferson through another counter-argument that every form of government is corruptible and giving such power to limited individuals makes rest of the public vulnerable. Hamilton, on the other hand, believes that for stronger control over a system, executives in the government need to be strong and have complete sovereignty (Geer et al. 13). Another fundamental difference between Jefferson and Hamiltonian approaches is the presence of state government. Jefferson believes that the division of power between state and national governments would allow citizens to have more control of government’s decisions whereas Hamilton recognizes the concept of strong national government. Other than supporting citizens’ extensive rights, Jefferson believes that expanding gateways of influence would allow bett er liberty to people and will keep government accountable for its actions. This view is also contested by Hamiltonian approach as it believes that restriction in gateways would allow access of only educated, skilled and experienced elites to the government matters. Jeffersonian view believes that state should be more involved in internal matters instead of global issues. A hamiltonian approach, on the contrary, believes that strong strategic positioning in global affairs through established industrial and military power would benefit United States (Cunningham 106). Analyzing these differences helps in understanding that a Hamiltonian approach provides a more holistic system of government. It is understandable that all the individuals i.e. elites and common men, cannot have the same profile and skills for participating in government. Therefore, allowing educated individuals to have access to government offices ensures that only the most suitable and capable talent runs this instituti on. Of course, selecting elites representing different social segments would benefit American citizens more. There are rather limited benefits accrued to the American nation due to irreconcilable differences among these two approaches. Now, United States has a system which allows elites to represent interests of communities and states. Both of these regimes have strong disagreements regarding structure and role of government. Perhaps, finding a middle way i.e. system run by elites for the welfare of Commons would be more suitable. Question No. 6 Division of Power in American Constitution Division in power represents a division of authority among different branches of government along with national and state governments. The federal government divides into legislature which is Congress, executives which include president and other bureaucracy, and judiciary which is Supreme Court and federal courts (Geer et al. 11). Another name for this vertical division of power is the separation o f powers. This division of power among different branches of government ensures that no branch becomes too independent and strong in its authority and operations that it harms the interests of common citizens. This system of branches having authority over each other is called checks and balance.  

Against the Machiavellian Principles of Politics Essay Example for Free

Against the Machiavellian Principles of Politics Essay According to Machiavelli, the affairs of the state reside in the power of the prince. It is the prince which determines, directs, and unifies the components of the state. The prince therefore should act to preserve, strengthen, and protect his position from danger, whether external or internal, without due moral consideration. In short, with the preservation of the state in mind, the prince should act with political diligence to promote it, regardless of the means. According to Machiavelli, â€Å"he who considers what ought to be done rather what is done will rather find himself in a state of ruin than preservation† (Machiavelli, 29). Political action free from any moral consideration is based from three assumptions: 1) Human nature is corrupt and selfish. It is impossible for the prince to satisfy all the needs of the people without injuring the welfare of others. The people is always eager to overthrow their government, to mock the instruments of the state, and to criticize the actions of the prince, whenever their interests (whether political or economic) are affected. According to Machiavelli, â€Å"Because this is to be asserted in general of men, that they are ungrateful, fickle, false, cowardly, covetous, and as long as you succeed they are yours entirely; they will offer you their blood, property, life and children, as is said above, when the need is far distant; but when it approaches they turn against you† (Machiavelli, 29); 2) Morality and religion only limit the actions of the prince. In fact, when fortune fades away, the prince may become unable to defend himself from disconcerting threats. It is therefore important, according to Machiavelli, for the prince to â€Å"guard himself as from a rock; and he should endeavour to show in his actions greatness, courage, gravity, and fortitude; and in his private dealings with his subjects let him show that his judgments are irrevocable, and maintain himself in such reputation that no one can hope either to deceive him or to get round him† (Machiavelli, 32). The prince should endeavour to show himself as the bearer of righteousness, fidelity, and religion, without endangering his own power. This impression is only used to preserve the power of the state. Only in this way can religion and morality be twisted for the benefit of the prince; 3) The success of a prince is never solely dependent on law, morality, or religion. Sometimes, political success is achieved by political deception, alteration of political favors, and in general by arms. It is therefore necessary for the prince to use these instruments to preserve the instruments of the state. It is this condition that the position of a prince who took the state by arms is much more endangered than that of a prince appointed by the people or the Church. To preserve his power, the prince must take moral considerations and religion as only instruments of that purpose. General Critique In order to provide a more comprehensive criticism against Machiavellian politics, there is a need to draw important propositions from different thinkers and theories. Some of the selected philosophers and social theorists are as follows: St. Thomas Aquinas, Immanuel Kant, Rousseau, and Montesquieu. According to Aquinas, morality and religion are necessary instruments for the governance of the state. In his book â€Å"De Regnum† (On Kinship), Aquinas argued that it is always necessary for the ruler to take the precedents of moral and religious obligations as a means to please Divine justice (Curtis, 431). For Aquinas, the foundation of the state is divine in orientation. It is founded by the grace of the Divine Being (who willed the creation of the state after man’s fall). A prince who disregards the religion and morality disregards the Creator. Aquinas here does not disregard the necessity of preserving the power of the state. What Aquinas emphasized is the excesses of unscrupulous rule – a condition which would be punished by God. For Aquinas, a good prince ‘will always be favored by God’ (and preserve his base of power). Rousseau argued that morality is borne out of the so-called ‘social contract. ’ The people gathered to appoint a ruler who would promote their interests. The ruler has the following obligations: 1) to protect the people from threats, 2) to maintain peace and order, 3) to promote solidarity and good governance, and 4) to relinquish power whenever the people chooses a new ruler. A ruler who fails to accomplish these tasks would lose his position. The state, however, would remain intact because the instrument of power resides not in the prince but in the people. According to Rousseau, a prince who put all the instruments of power in his hands is more likely to fall than a prince who measure his authority based on public will. Montesquieu offered a more critical and comprehensive understanding of the position of the prince. According to him, an unruly rebellion of the people is tantamount to political disobedience – a violation of the law of the land. This instance applies only if two conditions are met. First, the ruler does not show any violation of the law. And second, the people unlawfully breaks the social contract and sought to depose a good government. In short, according to Montesquieu, there is no need for a ruler to follow the Machiavellian principles because the law is the manifestation of social and moral obligation, the codec of ethics (Curtis, 613). Here, one may infer that the actions of the ruler should be based solely on this criterion. A ruler who follows the law would never fall in disgrace. Using Kant’s universal moral standards (in his book â€Å"Prolegomena†), one can create a set of moral standards which would be used in judging the actions of a ruler. First, one should determine whether the consequence and intensity of political actions. If a political decision disfranchises a significant portion of the population, such decision is illegitimate (not morally neutral). Second, one may determine the means by which decisions are carried out. Here, legality is an important factor. Third, one may determine whether the actions of the state are in congruent with accepted international standards of morality. Here, an external standard is added in order to ensure the moral efficacy of the state in all levels. The proper enforcement of these external standards is either left to the disposition of international agencies or to the efficacy of treaties. In short, internal political standards of morality are enforced by the state (the people serve as the watch guard of the state). Machiavellian concepts of political deception and moral neutrality have no standing in this type of political set-up. Works Cited Curtis, Michael. The Great Political Theories. New York: Avon Books, 1981. Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Trans. by W. K. Marriott. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1995.

The Shinto Creation Story and Genesis Essay -- Scripture Analysis

â€Å"And God said let there be light, and there was light†¦Ã¢â‚¬  according to the Genesis story, an entity which bears no tangible face or bodily structure created the world with nothing more than a swift tongue. It bore the shape of the earth, the plentiful bounty of the soil, the beauty of animals, and the wonder known as humanity all within the timespan of seven days. It created the notion of societal law, moral principle, and a reverence for a deity by loyal subjects. And it instituted a harsh rule of law which instigated the idea that if any part of you, mind or body, were to disobey it, you would be punished in the now and in the after. Nonetheless, the Christian telling of how our world came to be, although following a path negligent of the idea of a multilateral approach to understanding God, seems to carry some similarities to that of Shintoism. Or differences? The Shinto creation story is a work of art in and of itself, not to mention it takes on the idea that mult iple humanoid deities, not an unidentified mass of spiritual benevolence, created this world. In addition, we take on a different approach to creation, in which rather than things being born out of spoken word, our world was actually artistically created by two master creators of land and sea, Izanagi no Mikoto and Izanami no Mikoto . First, let us analyze the particulars of the Christian Genesis story as to begin formulating the basis of comparison and contrast. We shall look at the two parts of Genesis, the first discussing the formulation of earth and its inner particulars, in concert with the first few verses associated with the second part of Genesis, which touches on the creation of the first man and woman: â€Å"Light is commanded to appear†¦ the light is divided f... ...ted human existence as the result of God’s benevolence, and his want to create a universe inhabited by beings of his own image and his perfection, not the other way around. However, both serve the purpose of representing their respective cultures, in the case of Japanese, who are proud of their unified state under the watch of Kami and his sub-deities, and the case of the world of Christians, who view God as a supreme being bound to a code of law which serves to protect their interests and ensure that their life is respected and continued. Works Cited http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/shinto/ http://crab.rutgers.edu/~goertzel/genesis.htm Shimazono, Susumu. 2005. "State Shinto and the Religious Structure of Modern Japan." Journal Of The American Academy Of Religion 73, no. 4: 1077-1098. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed April 23, 2012).

Describe the Role of Hr Professionals in Designing

Introduction This question asks to address how bullying policies and procedures are a task of HR to implement in the workplace therefore this answer will define exactly what bullying is, what policies should be in place and any recommendations for the occurrence of bullying in the workplace. Relevant case examples will be used to support the argument along with relevant referenced authors, on this topic. On concluding, how bullying can be prevented will be reflected on after stating what the future may hold for bullying in the workplace.What is bullying? Since the shift from Uni-cultural societies to multi-cultural societies in recent times, there has been a significant decrease in perceived inequalities in the workplace. However, the issue of bullying is still prominent in many organisations, (especially throughout Ireland today). Baillien et al. (2009) defines bullying as persistent negative behaviour at work in which the victim is subject to psychological, physical or sexual acts by the perpetrator and often find themselves in a position where they are unable to defend themselves.The analysis carried out found that bullying, or some form of harassment, was likely to occur out of one of three pathways: interpersonal frustrations, interpersonal conflict and intragroup level. The problem with the latter is that the culture of gossip within organisations has become a norm and hence the certain behaviours by perpetrators may often be overlooked. Although bullying is often associated with actions that people carry out, it also includes actions that individuals fail to do such as providing necessary training to a particular employee. For example, if new technology is introduced into the firm, extra training will be required. Hence, if bullying of a certain employee was occurring, this may lead to their deprivation of sufficient training which in turn will have a negative consequence for the entire firm. ) Within Maslow (1943) hierarchy of needs framework, safety ne eds are crucial to all employees and the victimisation due to bullying will prevent the fulfilment of this need in the workplace. As a result, low productivity and low morale may be present within the workforce.Policies/Procedures As the question states, it is the task of the HR department to ensure the design & implementation of policies and procedures to prevent or deal with the occurrence of workplace bullying. The event hierarchy of the bullying (reference) intervention process has three levels: the prevention zone which involves policy enquiries by the target, the intervention zone which begins with an informal complaint and may lead to a formal complaint, and the failure zone where legal action is taken.In order to prevent an employee reaching the highest level and engaging in legal action, it is the responsibility of HR to assist in dealing with the problem immediate to the first complaint. Bullying/Harassment must be occurring in the workplace as opposed to personal life con flicts between workers in order for HR to manage the situation but studies carried out in this area have shown that senior level management are often weak in dealing with issues of bullying or harassment. (Baillien et al. 009) Consequently, when HR is implementing practices, they need to ensure the co-operation and comprehension of senior level managers in this area. There are three main actions HR can take in order to reduce bullying situations. Firstly the implementation of clear, concise policies needs to be carried out which state unacceptable behaviours classed as bullying or harassment and the procedures an individual may take if found subjected to this behaviour. In addition to this, a Code of Conduct should be established in order to set out training procedures for employees and management as a means of preventing 7workplace bullying.Within management training, conflict resolution and mediation skills need to be provided in order to act effectively. During the recruitment of management in an organisation, it is vital to ensure they have people management skills along with task related competence. Finally, often the most important thing HR and senior managers can do is lead by example. If policies and procedures are implemented but managers are not behaving in a way that complies entirely with these, then this could lead to adverse effects by subordinates. ExampleOne primary example of where HR failed to act on behaviour of a new employee that initially was unacceptable by the firm but resulted in unacceptable behaviour to moral society was in relation to Rob Parsons within Morgan Stanley. (Burton, 1998) Parsons was hired to achieve a growth implementation strategy as Nasr believed he was the man to do it. However, a culture of strict policies and procedures within the organisation meant that Parsons Non-compliance immediately stood out. Initially, he was not involved with bullying but was seen as a ‘lone wolf’ within the firm, significantl y seen through his inability to perform within a team.As time lapsed, HR and Parsons Management failed to confront him on his behaviour and essentially allowed the collapse of their organisational policies for him due to the fear he may leave the firm. Eventually, he was fired as a result of a bullying case that occurred at a client meeting. He had been making unacceptable critical remarks to a fellow female employee of the firm, humiliating her in front of the client. Hence, the occurrence of Parson’s psychological bullying was finally evident and may have been prevented if HR followed through with their policies with all employees including Rob Parsons.Future of Workplace Bullying Due to the increase of technology, the working environment now often extends into the realm of personal life. In effect, this may cause the enabling of workplace bullying to stretch further than the perimeter of the four walls of the organisation and in particular, social networking sites are a pr imary target for the extension of this bullying. However, since present policies and procedures focus on ‘workplace bullying’, victims may be limited to the actions they can take.With the growth in the integration of personal and work life, HR may be unable to re-address their policies to include outer work boundaries due to legal constraints. Although, conversely it may be easier to identify and prosecute the perpetrators of bullying or harassment if the behaviour extends to personal life, such as through social networking sites. Conclusion Bullying and harassment is often a topic ignored within the workplace as victims sometimes feel ashamed and managers choose not to deal with the problem. However it is the responsibility of HR to ensure these practices are implemented and abided by all, including management.Failure to do this will undoubtedly lead to extensive consequences such as reputational damage to the firm, direct costs including replacement costs and indirect costs such as low productivity. Although not a continuing case of bullying, the Morgan Stanley case briefly highlights how the failures of HR and senior management to address his unacceptable behaviour from the outset led to undesired effects, including his removal from the firm and legal action by a fellow employee. All in all, the prevention of workplace bullying can be assisted by appropriate practices carried out by HR.

Candide

While reading Voltaire’s Candide, I sensed a touch of detachment on the part of the narrator regarding the violence occurring in the book. He began the story by short, hardly imaginative descriptions of the characters, ending the 1st chapter with an account of the brief lover’s tryst between Candide and Miss Cunegonde which was perturbed by the latter’s father having a fit and without seeming ado, deals Candide with some â€Å"kicks on the breech†, and driving him out the door.This then makes Cunegonde faint but when the girl wakes up, she is met with a boxing of her ears by her mother. The recounting was fast-paced so much so that by the end of the chapter, I felt as though the master of the castle had shut the door to my face also: after such fleeting events—fleeting descriptions, fleeting meetings, fleeting allusions to the depth of the characters’ relationships with each other (or rather, shallowness thereof)—the author ends withou t so much as a description of how the people felt.We are not given an insight as to how Candide felt about being abruptly separated from his beloved, or how all their love came to be in the first place, although regarding the former, Candide is shown to not have fought for his love nor his home and went about all wretched, for god knows how long, before he naively gets recruited into ranks of the enemy.He then proceeds with another curt account of Candide’s subsequent inclusion into the Bulgarian army, and how, merely because he chose to take a leisurely walk that soldiers (or â€Å"heroes†) were apparently supposed, he was made to run the gauntlet after choosing that over being shot in the head. The atrocity of the actions are rendered impotent to the reader because Voltaire treated them with such a detached air of someone who is merely observing events.Then again a normal observer would not be as indifferent as he was. To an extent, his description of the events beca me a cruel comedy: the naivete and foolishness of the â€Å"young metaphysician†, a phrase so obviously paradoxical; and, the apparent lack of political and moral judgment on the part of the Bulgarians prior to killing someone who merely took a walk when he was not supposed to, or in other words, the lack of hesitation to commit unjust execution, which might as well be murder.This attitude towards the characters—like that of a cruel god who plays with his own creations/followers like a mean child—continues throughout the first 15 chapters my most favorite being the part where the cowardly Candide makes his way around heaps of dead or dying people, and sees the victims of war: Voltaire gives me the impression that he has a fascination for the morbid, the gruesome, and the morally offensive.No, I do not share this â€Å"fascination†, I just meant to say that it was in this Chapter that Voltaire appeared less indifferent. He gives little value to the emotion s and thoughts of his characters, but he has an eye for detail of the surroundings. Personally I find the narration quite humorous, the characters are rendered absurd, the punishments for their absurdity severe and exaggerated. As I said earlier, it is a cruel comedy, full of wit and an undercurrent of intellectual criticism perhaps of the society in which Candide dwelt.However, I also find it morally offensive, as if it were real life and not just a satirical account of a foolish boy, the characters, what with the atrocities, cruelties and hardships they were put through, were treated in an inhumane manner by the narrator: there is a lack of compassion on his part, a quality which I think necessary in this story. Or at least to prove that the narrator has a piece of humanity in him.The lackluster account of the events; the focus on the gruesome and the morbid— all of these leave an air of innate cruelty, of cynicism, of paganism or atheism, of blasphemy, and deep hatred of t he lives the characters had. I am given the impression that the author wishes to enlighten us on the perspective of men who care less for others and more for themselves—indifferent of other’s suffering, or if they harbor any feeling, it is that of sheer cruel amusement.

Questions and Answers on International Capital Budgeting Essays

Questions and Answers on International Capital Budgeting Essays Questions and Answers on International Capital Budgeting Paper Questions and Answers on International Capital Budgeting Paper 1. Why should the required rate of return for a capital budgeting problem be project specific? Doesn’t the firm just have to satisfy an overall cost-of-capital requirement? Answer: The required rate of return for a capital budgeting problem is project specific because the firm is viewed as a portfolio of projects owned by the shareholders. It is the shareholder’s perspective that matters, and it is their opportunity cost that gives the required rate of return for a project. The question that the managers should ask is the following: If the shareholders were to receive the cash flows from the project directly, what risk would they associate with the cash flows? Notice that this immediately suggests that the required rate of return should be project specific and that it should reflect the market risk that continues to be present when an investor holds a large, well-diversified portfolio. 2. What is the conceptual foundation of the flow-to-equity approach to capital budgeting? Answer: In the flow-to-equity approach to capital budgeting, the after-tax cash flows that are available to be paid to equity holders are discounted at the levered equity required rate of return. Hence, the interest costs of debt are subtracted from the earnings of the firm in considering the amount of tax the firm will owe, and the interest payments that the firm must make are taken out of the residual free cash flow. The discount rate for these levered equity flows therefore must reflect the fact that equity is a residual claimant on the cash flows of the firm. 3. What is the weighted average cost of capital? Answer: The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) approach to capital budgeting involves forecasting the all-equity free cash flows of the firm and then finding the value of the levered firm by discounting the all-equity free cash flows at an appropriate WACC. It is a one-step procedure for finding the value of the operating assets plus the value of the interest tax shields. The weighted average cost of capital is the weighted sum of the after-tax required rate of return on the firm’s debt and the required rate of return on the firm’s levered equity. The weight for the after-tax rate of return on the firm’s debt is the ratio of the market value of the debt to the market value of total assets. The weight for the rate of return on the firm’s levered equity is the ratio of the market value of the equity to the market value of total assets. Once the total value of the firm is found, the market value of equity is found by subtracting the market value of the d ebt from the value of the levered firm. 4. Should a firm ever accept a project that has a negative NPV when discounted at the weighted average cost of capital? Answer: One reason we like the adjusted net present value approach to valuation is that it specifies all of the possible sources of value for a project. The WACC approach works well for projects that will support a certain percentage of leverage and that have no other associated features, such as interest subsidies or growth options that might add value to the project. If the only cash flows from the project are the ones that are being discounted and there are no other sources of value, other than the interest tax shields that are included in the WACC analysis, then the WACC approach finds the market value of the levered project. If this is negative, the project should be rejected. 5. Can you do capital budgeting for a foreign project using a domestic currency discount rate? Explain your answer. Answer: The answer to the question is yes; you certainly can do capital budgeting for a foreign project using a domestic currency discount rate. You just have to be careful to match the cash flows with the discount rate. One fundamental principle of capital budgeting is that the discount rate should reflect the currency of denomination of the expected cash flows that are being discounted. If a foreign project is providing expected future foreign currency cash flows, these can be discounted to the present using a foreign currency discount rate that reflects the riskiness of the project. The domestic currency present value of this foreign currency present value can then be determined by converting from the present value of foreign currency into the present value of domestic currency using the spot exchange rate. Alternatively, one can generate expected future domestic currency cash flows in future years by converting expected future foreign currency cash flows into expected future dome stic currency cash flows using expected future spot exchange rates. These expected future domestic currency cash flows should then be discounted to the present using an appropriate domestic currency discount rate. 6. Why might it be important to use period-specific discount rates when doing capital budgeting? Answer: We know that risk free spot interest rates are the appropriate discount rates for cash flows from risk free pure discount bonds. If the term structure of spot interest rates is not flat, that is, if it is upward sloping or downward sloping, using the same discount factor for all the cash flows of a risky project will not be correct. If the term structure is upward sloping, and you use the single long-term rate as the base for your risk adjusted discount rate, you will needlessly penalize the earlier cash flows from the project because short-term spot interest rates are lower than long-term spot interest rates. Conversely, if the term structure is downward sloping, and you use the single long-term rate as the base for your risk adjusted discount rate, you will be incorrectly enhancing the value of the earlier cash flows from the project because the short-term interest rates that should be used to discount near-term cash flows are higher than the long-term rates that should be used to discount longer-term cash flows. 7. Why is it necessary to consider forecasts of real currency appreciation and depreciation when doing an international capital budgeting analysis? Answer: The most important reason to consider forecasts of real currency appreciation or depreciation is that it is likely that a change in the real exchange rate will affect the cash flows of the project. Remember that a real depreciation of the domestic currency makes domestic exporters more profitable and domestic importers less profitable. Also, real appreciations typically reverse themselves somewhat slowly, so that knowledge of the current situation is necessary to know whether the future expected changes in the real exchange rate are going to enhance or detract from the cash flows of the project. Finally, if forecasts of nominal exchange rates are being made with uncovered interest rate parity, these will be somewhat different than forecasts based on relative purchasing power parity. If the market thinks that there will be a real appreciation or depreciation in the future, forecasts of nominal exchange rates based on relative purchasing power parity will not be correct. 8. What is the rate of return on invested capital? How is it calculated? Answer: The rate of return on invested capital is the free cash flow of the firm divided by the firm’s total assets. If the firm is earning its weighted average cost of capital, the rate of return on invested capital should equal its WACC. If we think of an investment that the firm is making, the rate of return on capital expenditure is the incremental free cash flow divided by the CAPX. Here again, it is important for the firm to do investments in which the rate of return on invested capital equals or exceeded the WACC – otherwise the firm is destroying value. 9. If you borrow a foreign currency, what interest deduction would you receive on your taxes? Answer: When you borrow in a foreign currency, you get an interest deduction for the domestic currency value of the foreign interest that you pay. 10. If you borrow a foreign currency, are there any capital gains taxes to worry about? Answer: If you borrow in a foreign currency, there are capital gains taxes to worry about. If the domestic currency has appreciated relative to the foreign currency between when the initial borrowing took place and when the principal is being repaid, it takes less of the domestic currency to repay the foreign currency principal than the amount of domestic currency that you had access to when you borrowed. Thus, you are repaying less than you borrowed and that capital gain is income to you and is taxed by the fiscal authorities. Conversely, if the domestic currency has depreciated relative to the foreign currency between when the initial borrowing took place and when the principal is being repaid, it takes more of the domestic currency to repay the foreign currency principal than the amount of domestic currency that you had access to when you borrowed. Thus, you are repaying more than you borrowed and that capital loss is deductible for tax purposes. 11. Why might a manager accept a high-variance, low-value project instead of a low-variance, high-value project? Answer: Shareholders only gain in good states of the world, and if the variance of the firm is higher, they gain more in those good states. Holders of debt get paid their full amount in good states of the world, and they get the value of the firm in the bad states of the world. By accepting a high variance project, managers may be able to shift some value from bondholders to shareholders. In such a situation the manager is said to have engaged in asset substitution. 12. Why would a manager not accept a positive net present value project? Answer: The value of the project accrues to the firm as a whole. Thus, if the firm has risky debt in its capital structure, some of the value of the project will accrue to the bondholders, and the remainder will accrue to the equity holders. The increase in the value of equity may be less than the equity holders must contribute to finance the investment in the project. Hence, a manager acting in the interests of the shareholders would forego such a project. This situation is referred to as an underinvestment problem.

French Long Stay Visa and Residence Permit Application

French Long Stay Visa and Residence Permit Application If youre a United States citizen and want to live in France for an extended period of time, you will need a visa de long sà ©jour (long-stay visa) before you go- France will not let you into the country without it. You will also need a carte de sejour, a residence permit which you complete after you arrive in France. The following is a general overview of the process required by United States citizens to obtain long term residence in France. This information is derived from the exceptional amount of detail in English on the France-Visas website. Processes change and it is essential that you be au courant with the appropriate method, so plan to become familiar with France-Visas. The process is conducted in part online but it is a long one and can take weeks or months, and you may not be accepted the first time out. No matter what, France will not let you into the country without a proper visa, so dont buy your ticket until you have completed all the paperwork and have your visa in hand. Process and Function Basically, the long-stay visa is operationally equivalent to a Schengen visa- the visa used by residents of the 26 European states and members of the European Union that have officially abolished all passport and other border controls at their mutual borders. That means that with the visa you will be able to visit the 26 Schengen countries. There are some restrictions and some exceptions, depending in part on the purpose and length of your stay.   The visa and residence permit application process can vary not only due to different family and work situations but also based on where you apply. Beware of scams and unofficial websites: the official secure France-Visas portal is: https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en_US/web/us/ The official list of U.S. VFS Global Centre locations- a third party service provider where you will have to go to submit your visa application- is: https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en_US/web/us/a-qui-sadresser Do You Need a Long-Stay Visa?   In general, an American holding an ordinary passport who wishes to stay in France for a period between 90 days to a year will need a Visa de Long Sà ©jour acquired in advance. Exceptions include if you (or, if you are a minor, your parent) already hold a French residence permit or are a citizen of a European Union Member State. All visa requests must be entered online at the secure France Visas website- since you will be inputting personal information, be absolutely sure you are at the right website. The French government has created a Visa wizard so that if you have any doubts about whether you need one or not, use that.   Will You Also Need a Residence Permit? There are two types of long term visas: the visa de long sejour (VLS) and the visa de long sà ©jour valant titre de sà ©jour (VLS-TS). The VLS requires that you submit a request for a carte de sà ©jour (residence permit) within two months of your arrival in France; the VLS-TS is a combined visa and residence permit, which you must validate within three months of your arrival. They are both long term visas but they have administrative differences which are assigned to you by the French consulate. Either way, if you wish to stay beyond the one year limit, you must apply for a residence permit at your local prefecture in France. Categories of Long Stay Visas (VLS) There are four categories of long-stay visas, based on your purpose for going. The categories determine what supporting documentation you will require in advance, at the border, and in France, and any restrictions youll need to adhere to- such as whether you can work for pay while you are in the country.   The categories of purposes of a long-term stay are:   Tourism / private stay / hospital care: all of these purposes restrict you from working for pay.  Professional purpose: If you will be in France to work, you will need a professional visa regardless of whether you are an employee of a company, or self-employed. Youll have to describe the type of business you will conduct and, if you are in a profession that requires credentials such as doctors and teachers, you will need to prove that you meet French criteria to conduct that work.  Studies training: This category includes if you will be taking an advanced degree; if you want to learn French while working as a family assistant or an au pair; or if you want your minor child to study in a French school. You or your child may need to be officially enrolled before you go.  Family purpose: Youll need to provide the address, names, and nationality of your relatives in France, what your relationship to them is, and the reason for your stay.   Starting the Visa Process Once you have determined that you do need a visa, you can prepare your application online at the France-Visas portal, regardless of where you live in the United States. The online application form and you will be guided through the whole process by on-screen explanations. In order to save your form and print it out, youll have to create a personal account that includes your email address. Once you have finished, you will receive the list of required supporting documents required to the type of visa you have requested, and have the opportunity to book your appointment. All visas for France are ultimately reviewed by the French counsel in Washington DC, but first, youll have to appear in person at the VFS Global Centre for your region to get it submitted to DC. There are ten Global Centres in the United States- youll need to request an appointment through the France-Visas portal.   Submission Requirements   The specific documents you need will depend on your specific circumstances, but you will need a current passport, two recent identification photos in the  specific International Civil Aviation Organization (ISO/IECI) format, and whatever other documents (originals and a copy) are required because of your situation.   As of June 1, 2019, the legal requirements to successfully submit a visa are:   Your passport must be clean and in good condition, issued no more than 10 years ago, valid three months beyond your intended departure date from the Schengen Area, and with at least two blank pagesThe purpose and conditions of your stayDocuments and visas (if any) required by international conventions, which will depend on the circumstances of your visitProof of accommodation: either a hotel reservation or a form filled out by your hostEvidence of your financial ability to live in France: you must have proof that you can spend â‚ ¬65–120â‚ ¬ per day depending on where you will be housed and no less than â‚ ¬32.50 per day if youre staying with familyApproved insurance for medical and hospital expensesGuarantees of repatriationDocuments (if required) for the exercise of a professional activity2 recent photographs according to strict ISO/IECI specificsYour return ticket or the financial means to acquire one at the end of your stayNon-refundable application fee which is t ypically â‚ ¬99 ISO IEC restrictions on photographs which are acceptable for identification are quite specific. The photos must have been taken within the last six months, they must be about 1.5 inches (35-40 mm) in width. The image must be a closeup of your head and top of your shoulders, not too dark or light, your face must take up 70–80% of the photograph. It must be in sharp focus without shadows, you must be standing in front of a plain background, and the picture must not include another person. Dont wear heavy framed glasses, dont wear a hat- if you wear religious headgear your face must be clearly visible. Look at the camera and you can smile, but your mouth must be closed.  You will need several copies during the process. Submitting Your Application After you have filled out your form, you will be given an opportunity to set up an appointment at the VFS Global Centre for your regionbut you can also do it later. Request your appointment through the France-Visas portal.  Bring all of your original documents to the appointment, as well as at least one photocopy of each. The service provider at VFS will receive you, review your application, collect the visa fee, and capture your biometric data (a photo scanned or taken during your appointment, and ten individually-taken fingerprints). She or he will retain your passport and the copies of all your supporting documents in order to forward them to the consulate. You can track the progress of your application online at the France-Visas site; you will be notified when your documents are ready at the VFS Global Centre you applied at. On Arrival To enter France, you will need to offer the following documentation (at least) to the Border police: valid passport and visaproof of accommodationproof of sufficient financial meansyour return ticket or financial means to acquire oneany document providing details on your profession Unless you obtained a VLS-TS, the visa de long sà ©jour does not give you permission to live in France- it gives you permission to apply for the carte de sà ©jour. If your visa has the words carte de sà ©jour solliciter,† you do need to get a residence permit. Start that process within two months of your arrival, at the prefecture of your place of residence within two months of your arrival. If you live in Paris, you must report your presence to police headquartersif you live in another department, you must report to the prefecture or subprefecture of your department   Validate Your Residence Permit (VLS-TS) If you received a VLS-TS visa, you wont need a carte de sà ©jour, but you must validate it within three months of your arrival. While the process is completely online, you will need to provide the information on your long term stay visa, the date you arrived in France, your residential address in France, and your credit card to pay the required issuance fee or electronic stamp.

HR Practices in Gala Coral Group Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

HR Practices in Gala Coral Group - Essay Example As the discussion outlines the strategies of Group include developing and applying the most excellent technology structures so that their customers get the finest products in well-organized way possible, delivering market-dominant multi-channel facilities, so that their customer could assess the exhilarating products, continuing to build up exclusive and innovative product, and focusing on better locations for their retail shops, thus delivering augmented profitability. Gala Coral Group serves customers mainly in the Italy and United Kingdom which are the largest regulated markets of gambling in Europe. This study stresses that the objective of this paper is to focus on one of the social problems such as gender inequality issue of Gala Coral Group. It will lay emphasis on the major issues of the company such as pay gap, discrimination at work, occupational sex segregation, etc. Various approaches to these issues will be also taken into consideration which will consequently lead to the success of the company. The company is facing some gender issues as all the Board member or directors are male members. The company does not have any female member on the director’s position. For their marketing campaign strategy also, Gala Coral Group have male brand ambassadors to carry out the required activities. So, the major issue of Gala Coral Group is the gender inequality issue. Gender inequality is the biasness based on the gender that supports sex stereotypes of communal roles. It is most frequently used in regard to unfairness against women, though men could be differentiated against as well. Women are frequently supposed to be submissive and passive, whereas men are normally supposed to be aggressive and self-confident.

The Militant Environmentalists War on Environmental Crisis Essay

The Militant Environmentalists War on Environmental Crisis - Essay Example The Militant Environmentalists’ War on Environmental Crisis England’s King Edward I threatened Londoners with harsh penalties if they didn’t stop burning sea-coal.†, and the latest news narrates about the deteriorating state of affairs, carbon emissions being the main point of concern in terms of air and chemicals in terms of water. The logical and necessary efforts on changing the existing situation for better aside, there are some organizations that make this purpose the core value of their members’ existence, and their actions often not only look at least strange, but also may lead to the radically opposite effect, that is, distract people from the sound interest on the environmental problem, due to intervention into one’s life. The cause of militant behavior of certain individuals or groups of environmental activists is their being determined at turning the attention of the society to the most serious problems of the environment to date. This suggestion is enforced by the fact that it is quite possible that we might simply have no time to consider the environment damage we have caused and to find an adequate and effective solution as the pace of the nature destruction by humans is high, and the effect of the counter-measures taken is, on the contrary, time-consuming. The reason the behavior is violent is because there are, as Lohan states, simply no other ways the mentioned activists can get the public informed about the problem and its seriousness, as it is quite possible that the conventional organization of the life on the Earth may either disappear or be completely changed in the nearest future.

Identify the different sources of international law. To what extent Essay

Identify the different sources of international law. To what extent have international treaties affected the development of inte - Essay Example Sources of international law are recognized generally as authoritative statements. This is found in the Statute of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Article 38. This specifies possible sources of law that the court shall apply in deciding disputes. These sources of international law include: international conventions which establishes rules, whether particular or general, expressly recognized by the states contesting; the general law principles recognized by civilized nations; international customs evident of general practice and accepted by law; and teachings from publicists and judicial decisions of the various nations and states as a subsidiary means of determining the rule of law (Buergenthal and Sean 19). The mentioned sources of international law, customs, treaties, and principles of law, are referred to by librarians and lawyers with a similar background as the primary sources of international laws. Teachings from the most high qualified publicists and judicial decisio ns are recognized as secondary sources or evidence of international laws. It should be noted that case laws are only considered as a subsidiary means. This is because even the ICJ decisions itself cannot create any binding precedent. The court decisions have no particular force of binding except between, in respect of that specific case, the parties. Teachings from the most highly qualified publicists may also include organizational work like private institutions and International law Commission. Other sources of international law that recognizes international organization role include resolutions and actions of international governmental organizations like United Nations. Such organizations are also recognized as evidence or sources of international law (Aust 5). The European Union laws have been categorized depending on the sources. The laws grouped under primary sources include; Treaty Articles, Treaty of Lisbon, and Treaty of the European Union. Those categorized under secondary sources include; regulations, decisions, directives, and judgements or decisions of the ECJ. As mentioned earlier in the introduction, international law may be public international law, supranational law, or private international law. Public international law includes Treaty law, international criminal law, law of the sea, and international humanitarian law. These laws govern the existing relationships between international entities and states. The private international on the other hand addresses fundamental issues such as what jurisdiction hears a case, the rules that apply typically when a dispute is subjected to international concern like contract between parties in different countries, and the law concerning what jurisdiction to be applied to particular case issues. Finally, the supranational law, also referred to as supranational organizations concerned with regional agreements in which the nation state laws may be inapplicably held where there is a conflict with a supranatio nal legal system. Some of the examples of supranational framework include the European Court of Justice and European Union law, and the International Court of Justice and the UN Security Council (Buergenthal and Sean 28). The international treaties affect the development of international business in various ways. First the international business law is observed on varying levels: international economic law,

Analysis Of The Shangri La Group Tourism Essay

Analysis Of The Shangri La Group Tourism Essay Internal Organizational Analysis and the competitive advantage the group may or may not have in establishing a presence in London A schematic representation of the SWOT (Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities threats) will be used to match the key external and internal factors. The following SWOT would provide us with a comprehensive organizational resource analysis of the Shangri La group alongside providing us with the competitive advantage the group would enjoy. Strengths Weaknesses Situated at a premier location in London as has been evident in their properties throughout the world (Grayson Hodges, 2004). Legendary Asian Hospitality the classic Asian Flavor having a Chinese parent company gives them an edge over all the others in terms of having the Asian culture part of their corporate culture and thus a unique position (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2009). 40 hotels worldwide thus a broad base to share experiences and put learned lessons from around the world to good use (Robbins DeCenzo, 2007). Pre identified target segment of business and leisure travelers with an eye for class and culture (Robbins DeCenzo, 2007). Service approach of hospitality and flexibility embedded in corporate culture and marketing activities (Walker, Walker, Mullins Boyd, 2010). Sound financial backing. First interaction with Western culture was Sydney no other experiences as yet in the West Marked difference in Sydney and Londons Culture An effective and efficient management style played a major role in Shangri La Sydneys success. The brand is not that well recognized outside the Asian and now also Sydneys market. Opportunities S-O strategies W-O strategies London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games. New planned tourist attractions like International Dome in London. Trend of using price promotions. Comparatively lower value of Pound sterling Growing emphasis of the local government on promoting tourism. Growth of London as a financial sector a conference and business destination. Establish in London (S1,S2, O1,O2,O4,O5,O6,) Extensive integrated marketing communication efforts. (W1,W4,O1,O5,O6) Make use of opportunities in the West (W1, W5). Threats S-T strategies W-T strategies Recent trends show that luxury hotels have grown at a rapid pace in London. The competition in the near future will be cut-throat and intensive as more and more rooms will be added to the industry. The presence of much more powerful brands in the luxury sector of the London hospitality industry Substantial increase in branded budget hotels around 13% last year Uncertainty created by terrorist activities. Aggressive investments in the sector by other Asian Middle Eastern investors. High barriers of entry Niche Marketing and maintain that niche (S2,T1,T2) Premium, Image Based pricing (S2,S5,T3,T5) Based on the above analysis and the secondary research, Shangri Las competitive advantage lies in its classic Asian Flavor and the ability to maintain a customer-centric approach which forms the basis of their corporate culture, thus also reducing the need for standardization of processes. The core values of the training are: respect, courtesy, sincerity, helpfulness and humility and the training modules focus on the groups mission of delighting customers each and every time (Honeycutt, Ford Simintiras, 2003). Not confined to training programs, Shangri-La Care is a living culture within the group, strongly supported by top management and continuously cascaded through the organization. Both these are bound to help Shangri La carve out a unique niche for itself in the London market. The only threat being the fact that other Asian and Middle Eastern players are also venturing into the hospitality industry. Whether those who are positioned based on their Asian ethnicity are able to bring out the same flavor in their culture remains to be seen! 2. An external analysis of the potential competitors and customers in London London, that great cesspool into which all the loungers and idlers of the Empire are irresistibly drained. -Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan The past 20 years has seen an overall increase in the total number of visitors to London, despite any temporary downfalls seen intermittently in the short-term. Overseas visitor numbers have increased from 9.6m in 1990 to around 14.9m (estimated) in 2006 (Hooley, Saunders, Piercy Nicolaud, 2008). Domestic visitor numbers to London have also grown over the long-term from 6.9m in 1990 to an estimated 11.8m in 2006. Domestic numbers however have seen the largest fluctuations (compared to overseas visitors) in the short-term, resulting in a slight downward trend in total visitors to London since 2002. This has been influenced by the increasing popularity and accessibility of many countries and growing competition from other major European cities (due in part to the ascension of no-frills airlines) (Flourish Oswald, 2006). The overall London market has been buffeted by a number of issues since 2001, including terror events, SARS and the outbreak of Foot and Mouth. However, a recovery in demand (particularly for international visitors) is evident and the London bombings in July have proved only a temporary setback. Improved room yields have supported investment in new hotel rooms in London, increasingly away from central London to the western and eastern parts of the city. The dispersal of accommodation represents opportunities for businesses outside of Central London, but also provides challenges for coordinating visitor infrastructure including transport and information services (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe Lowe, 2002). There has been strong growth in the budget sector of the market and this has provided visitors to London with a greater choice of accommodation. Moves to standardize the quality ratings for hotels will hopefully also provide visitors with greater information and certainty regarding their accommodation experience. Looking forward, tourism is expected to continue to grow (as forecast to 2016 in the 2002 PwC report and extended in this report to 2026) and when considered in combination with the additional impact of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games (whose influence was not included in the PwC report), and the planned development of major tourism facilities, such as the International Convention Centre, it can be seen that substantial additional demand for accommodation on an on-going basis could be generated (Young, Weiss Stewart, 2006). New accommodation is planned to meet future demand, closing the gap between the current room stock and the demand forecast in 2016 as reported by PwC, and the hotel market is upbeat about Londons prospects. Demographic change looking forward, tourism is expected to continue to grow (as forecast to 2016 in the 2002 PwC report and extended in this report to 2026) and when considered in combination with the additional impact of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games (whose influence was not included in the PwC report), and the planned development of major tourism facilities, such as the International Convention Centre, it can be seen that substantial additional demand for accommodation on an on-going basis could be generated. is expected to provide a market opportunity for the provision of accommodation to the accessible accommodation market, although evidence suggests that London is not servicing this market as well as other destinations, which provides challenges for the future (Greater London Authority, 2006). As one of the main tourist destinations in the world and with the 2012 Olympic Games on the horizon, London is set to be at the forefront of a recovery in the UK, and indeed European, hotel markets. Price promotions and the low value of sterling during the year allowed London to remain a popular tourist destination, with leisure tourism particular from Europe, offsetting the fall in corporate bookings, which had continued from 2008 (Smith, Berry Pulford, 1999). These would-be buyers have been attracted by the depreciation of the British Pound against the US Dollar and the Euro. Initial signs of a slowdown in the reduction of values, indicating that the bottom of the market has been reached also makes purchasing attractive to high net worth individuals and sovereign wealth funds. The lure of the Olympics is continuing to draw operators and developers into the capital, which is predicted to experience a 12% increase in new rooms (13,300) by 2012. With its high barriers of entry London continues to be an extremely competitive market place but one, as the recovery gathers momentum, that will remain a target for the majority of hotel investors, developers and operators with their eye on long-term gains (Murphy, Maguiness, Pescott, Wislang, Ma Wang, 2005). Worldwide, the majority of international tourist trips in 2004 were for the purpose of leisure and holidays (52%) with only16% being for business travel. The rise in the number of people (both international and domestic visitors) to London has been relatively modest since 2000, with the number of visits only now returning to the high point reached at the Millennium. However, over the long term there has been a steady increase in visitors to London. Nights stayed in London by international visitors have risen on average by 3.1% each year since 1993 (compared to 1.6% each year for the UK as a whole (Greater London Authority, 2006). In 2004, 33% of overseas tourist trips to London were for holiday, 27% were for business and 28% were for the purpose of visiting family and friends (IPS 2004, 2005 Growth has been particularly strong in 2004 and 2005, with growth of over 14% in 2004 and estimated growth of 6% in 2005. However, growth was relatively modest in the early part of the 2000s with a number of circumstances (such as low cost airlines, exchange rates, terror events) reducing overall tourist arrivals, impacting on both overseas and domestic tourists. The events of September 11th had a similar effect on tourism, with the number of visits only returning to their 2000 high point in 2004 (Robbins DeCenzo, 2007). The London bombings in July 2005 had only a short term impact on overseas visitor numbers with visitor numbers rebounding in the latter part of 2005.7 It should be noted that the PwC report produced in 2002 did not include the short-term downward trends noted above since these trends were only just in the cycle at this point (Greater London Authority, 2006). Domestic visitors to London have also increased dramatically, given the one of a kind millennium celebrations; the opening of several new and attractive tourist attractions. Until recently there has not been a proper understanding within central or local government of the importance of business tourism or its contribution to the local and national economies. One business tourist is worth at least three times the amount of one leisure tourist in employment and economic terms and business tourism is worth  £3.2bn to London, making the business tourism sector an important area for London to invest in. London, being a metropolis destination always had immense potential as a business destination (Hooley, Saunders, Piercy Nicolaud, 2008). Understanding that potential, the government and the hospitality industry has finally started taking steps in this regard. Currently the city lacks facilities that would allow maximum exploitation of the citys potential but work has started on those lines. An international chain has just initiated Duchess Rooms in order to attract the businesswoman of today especially the Middle Eastern market (Honeycutt, Ford Simintiras, 2003). However, there remains a great deal of work that the city administration can undertake in a bid to rejuvenate the citys illustrious image. London caters to a wide variety of visitor specific accommodation needs. The only exception is the apparent lack of accessible accommodation for disabled visitors. Visit London estimates that serviced accommodation (including hotels, bed breakfast establishments and guesthouses) accounts for around 76% of all bedrooms (with the remainder comprising self-catering, hostels and university accommodation) (Jensen, 2008). The budget hotel market growth and the increasing investment in up market hotels has led to a polarization in supply and gradual erosion of the three-star serviced hotels previously provided by Thistle and Marriott amongst others. It is possible that a situation could occur in the short to medium term where hotel grading and quality/service provision at the budget end of the market, could become blurred to some buyers (Guffey Loewy, 2010). With the near saturation of roadside and motorway sites, greater flexibility will need to be shown by both planners and developers if this demand is to be satisfied. For example some solutions may include the alteration or refurbishment of redundant buildings into hotels, rather than completely new build, as well as the development of sites around the M25 corridor and other key transport corridors. The continued growth of London s financial sector will mean more developments geared to this market and the meetings/ business tourism market generally. This is likely to include larger developments with leisure facilities, more bedrooms, but also with more flexible meeting facilities and (subject to planning), apartments, apart hotels, or even hotels with apartments located very close by that can enjoy the hotel s facilities ( e.g. Capital, St James and Ritz Hotels) (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2009). 3. An analysis of Possible Segmentation strategies that the Shangri La could adopt This refers to the process of choosing ones target market. It needs to be clarified at the onset that marketing targeting is not synonymous with market segmentation. Segmentation is actually the prelude to target market selection. One of the most significant advantages of effective target marketing is that it improves the efficacy of all the four Ps of marketing (Aaker, Kumar, Day Leone, 2010). The use of segmentation, as a tool to distinguish the entire market into stratas is a useful process. Firms can then decide which segment they are targeting and focus their efforts and energies towards that segment in order to achieve the highest return on investment (Robbins DeCenzo, 2007). Positioning, on the other hand, is a concept introduced in Positioning a Positioning a battle for your mind. According to the authors Positioning is what you do to mind of the prospect. Meaning it is how the customer perceives your product or what you are in the eyes of the beholder! Thus it is imperative that each brand is Positioned in a particular class or segment (Al Ries Trout, 1993). Given the turn of the millennium and the growth witnessed in travel, each segment in the tourism industry has set its goals on increasing its share of the pie thus trying to appear most attractive to the target audience. In this case, marketing communication helps differentiate similar accommodations and travel hot spots in terms of making their spot appear the most attractive (Arbuckle, 2000). But also in this case, it becomes essential that the target segment for the integrated marketing communication is identified beforehand. It is essential that marketers ensure that the destination is not competing with a competitor with greater edge; secondly, that the destinations position is not vague in the customers mind and lastly that the destination has no image or probably a negative image in the eyes of the customer. (Lovelock, 1991). The hospitality industry based on the diverse nature of its offerings also witnesses a variety of positioning strategies. The meeting place for sun worshipers, is the positioning statement of Cancun, Mexico. However, positioning can vary greatly. Fisher Island has positioned itself as where people who run things can stop running. It all depends on the creativity of the positioning team (Bergh Ketchen, 2009). An interesting positioning statement is that of Ritz-Carlton Hotels Group; it says After a day of competition, you deserve a hotel that has none. The degree to which marketing teams strive to be unique determines the extent to which a positioning statement is distinctive and appealing. By developing a creative campaign, an operator can market the fact that many Japanese visitors have been to the Grand Canyon, and were impressed by its awe-inspiring presence. This may include testimonials from previous visitors or tour operators example to illustrate this feeling who can make a direct appeal to the target market.   However, since the feeling of awe is an intangible construct, positioning statements must show a tangible (Young, Weiss Stewart, 2006). There are many ways of communicating to the audience the position you want your brand to occupy in the customers mind. They might include a creative campaign; a testimonial by celebs or by previous visitors etc, but it is necessary to be able to convey the inspiration and the other intangibles associated with the brand. The London hotel market could be segmented into several groups namely, bed breakfast, inns, hotels (five star, four star etc,), country hotels, motor lodge hotel, town house hotel, youth groups to name the broadest categories. The composition of branded hotels and luxury outlets in London has soared to around 13% of the total supply in the capital, with chains such as Whitbread, Premier Travel Inn, Travelodge, IHG s Express by Holiday Inn, Accor, Ibis, Choice, Comfort Inn and Quality Hotels increasing their exposure (Blaxter, Hughes Tight, 2006). This growth in the budget hotel market throughout all parts of the capital, as elsewhere, has been the key trend in this industry over the last decade. In London, particularly, it has to some extent, replaced the traditional three-star hotels which were more in evidence in previous decades. The cost of building a three-star establishment, with its higher specifications, service and food requirement is generally considered to be prohibitiv e in London. The gradual erosion of the mid-market three-star brands in London has possibly contributed to accusations that the capital is expensive and does not provide value- for money , Given that budget hotels have only been so evident in recent years and that central London prices are (like most major cities) high, this is unsurprising (Easteryby-Smith, Thorpe Lowe, 2002). However, as we will see later, both Paris and Geneva recorded higher average room rates than London in 2005. It is perhaps the perception of expensive that has to be addressed. In the central sub-region, it is still difficult to find cheap accommodation, unlike say Paris or Amsterdam and it is unrealistic to expect budget hotel developers to invest in the more expensive areas of the central sub-region, such as Westminster or Kensington and Chelsea, to any great extent. The dynamics of hotel demand and this industrys development and operation economics will mean that future up market hotel development will continue to be more viable centrally. The international business visitor and high spending US, Arab and Japanese leisure tourists for example, will still choose to be In this context it should be recognized that a branded budget hotel, with limited service may still be awarded a two star grading, the same as a quality inn in the regions with good service, but limited facilities (Gre ater London Authority, 2006). Hotels in London are concentrated in the central area, but are increasingly being distributed more evenly across London, located where the main attractions, retail and restaurants are located. The luxury sector is amongst the fastest growing sectors in London there are reports that as many as four thousand additional rooms can be operational in the next five years (Greater London Authority, 2006). The industry is set to become increasingly dependent on exotic marketing and luring of customers and tourists that arrive in London each year. It will require a survival of the fittest strategy from all major players to see through the competition. Thistle is the largest provider of hotels and hotel bedrooms in London. The company has some 5,969 bedrooms, which equates to 6.4% of the total London supply of serviced accommodation. Hilton follows closely with 4,662 bedrooms (Greater London Authority, 2006). Both these groups operate in the upper tier category. The Inter-Continental Group operates across the tiers with its 5-star hotel in Park Lane, 4-star Holiday Inns and the budget brand Express by Holiday Inn. Accor, with its range of brands, provides bedrooms in each category, from the 5-star Sofitel to the 4-star Novotel, 3-star Ibis and budget Formula. The main branded hotels comprise 12% of the total number of serviced establishments and 38% of the number of bedrooms in serviced accommodation. The identified branded hotels are most dominant in the high-end of the market, comprising over half of all 4 and 5 star establishments in London (Greater London Authority, 2006). The above mentioned names also will be Shangri La Londons main competitors. However, the difference between niche marketing and direct competition will prevail in this scenario. It is necessary for Shangri La to ensure that it is able to position itself well, with respect to its competitors (Etzel, Walker, Walker Stanton, 2007). The international business visitor and high spending US, Arab and Japanese leisure tourists are the main segments that Shangri La will target. As per the Greater London Authority carried out under the London government, he conference and incentive travel industry has evolved over the past few decades into a mature business sector. It is increasingly clear that businesses and associations cannot function effectively without face-to-face meetings. Over the ten years to 2004, there was a 50% increase in all business trips (with 27% of overseas visitors travelling on businesses to the UK in 2004) exceeding the overall tourism growth rate (Gilgeous Chambers, 2001). On a global scale, 16% of International tourist arrivals worldwide were for the purpose of business in 2004. For Shangri La, the discerning business and leisure travelers are the prime focus. The majority of the customers for Shangri La should hail from this segment and thus should be targeted using appropriate and relevant strategies (Young, Weiss Stewart, 2006). The positioning of Shangri La for the assigned market segments in London will be truly psychological image based positioning aiming to create a unique position in the consumers mind on the basis of the classic Asian Flavor visible prominently in the corporate culture of the organization and in the nature of the hospitality services provided.