Significance of Black Madonna

Notwithstanding its sociological, historical, literary and religious significance to the life of many people in different parts of the world, the origin and essence of the Black Madonna which serves as the holy icon of the Virgin Mary and Poland's national symbol remains to be a debate to many people as far as the history, literature and religion are concerned. The presence of Black Madonna are widespread all across the country and they are mostly found insidethe churches and cathedrals and they all point towards the image of Mary and the Christ.This image may have been formed centuries ago but its historical significance and importance travelled and withstood the test of time. The word Madonna originated from Italy which means â€Å"our lady†. Thie term connotes a title of respect for the Virgin Mary and it is often applied to works of art, most especially to the mother andchildimagewhich is popularly known as Madonna and Child . Religion tells that Black Madonna is the repre sentation of the image of Virgin Mary which was tested by times that is why it was transformed into its today's black image.Also, church leaders claim that Black Madonna has noting to do with the Culture of the African-Americans. It is stated, nevertheless, that the Black Madonnas became black they were greatly influenced by the cultures and traditions of the Black Americans. The icon transformed into black because it was affected by the place where most of these images can be found. On the other hand, history and literature dictate that Black Madonna is the changed representation of the early statues of the African Goddess Isis and her son Horus which greatly influenced most of the religions of the world today.Society has associated the color black with something negative but in the past, this was not the case. For instance, black was connected with fertility and growth and it is good to think of it not as a color bt as an absence of color. From this perspective, the Black Madonna became an icon for inclusion. She became a guide and a comfort for people from all walks of life and race. In terms of psychology, darkness represents somethin unknown to consciousness and more often than not, thse gifts involve qualities of the females like intuition and emotion.It must be born in mind that the term feminine does not necessarily refer to the female specie because both sexes have masculine and feminine qualities. With this in mind, it can be said that the Black Madonnas symnolize transformation because this image helps people discover their inner gifts and assists them in bringing those gifts into the surface . Amid these numerous explanations from the different perspectives in the society, until today, there are no clear and definite position on the real origin of the Black Madonna which is believed to be the representation of Virgin Mary.Even though the different claims seem to contradict each other with regards to the origin of the icon or image, the Black Madonn a is considered to be one of the most influential religious icon to most of the people in the present generation. The origin of Black Madonna A Black Madonna may refer to an icon, painting, fresco or sculpture of Virgin Mary which is usually found in churches, sanctuaries and chapels. It is also called as Black Virgin since Mary is portrayed with dark or black skin.Some believe that this portrayal of Virgin Mary was originated from the culture of the Black Americans since many of these Black Madonnas were found in the areas with large black populations such as in the United States. Some claim that the color of these images have no significance or value since they were only repainted by black color after being restored to its original pale-skinned coloring brought by the age of time. Nevertheless, amidst its sociological, historical and religious significance to many parts of the world, the origin of the Black Madonna still remains a question left unanswered to many of its devotees.S ome of the famous Black Virgin shrines, which we usually see in the cathedrals and churches, are Loreto, Zaragoza, Chartes, Rocamadour, Guadalupe and Montserrat . Black Madonnas are found throughout the world including Belgium, Croatia, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Sicily, Spain, Switzerland and the United States . The first â€Å"Black Madonna and Child† portraits and statues were believed to be from Isis and Horus . Isis was a black African goddess from Nile Valley civilizations whose worship diffused to most of ancient civilizations.Before the first Egyptian dynasty, Isis was worshiped by the Nubians for more than 300 years. It is believed that Isis religion had a lot of similarities to the to the world's religions which include Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity. For instance, Horus, the son of Isis, was from a virgin mother's immaculate conception and said to walk on water like Jesus Ch rist. The husband of Isis named Osiris was also resurrected, like Jesus, after he was murdered. When other religions became popular, the â€Å"Black Madonna and Child† statues of Isis and Horus were not destroyed but their names were only changed.For example, Isis and Horus were changed to Devaki and Krishna in Hinduism or Maya and Buddha in Buddhism. The Japanese called Isis as Kwannon while Chinese changed the name to Kwa-yin. In the 1985 book of Ean Begg entitled The Cult of the Black Virgin, there were 450 identified images of the Black Virgin and Child in Europe with 190 statues in France only. Because of the dominating influence of the Isis religion, it is believed that the African goddess had significant contributions to the civilization of the continent.For instance, Paris is actually believed to be named after Isis since Para-Isis signifies â€Å"Place of Isis†. Likewise, Note Dame which means â€Å"Our Lady† is a manifestation that the cathedral of the Catholics is nothing but more than as enlargement of the temple of Isis in the ancient civilizations . Some also believe that Black Virgin, aside from its resemblance to the portrayal of Isis and Horus of the ancient Egyptians, has the strong connection to the medieval Knights Templar and Mary Magdalene .For instance, the famous Black Virgin – la Madone des Fenestres which means â€Å"The Madonna of the Windows† was believed to have folk traditional significance since the place where this statue was believed to be a place where many Templars were massacred. Some associate Black Madonnas with African-American cultures. Nevertheless, church literature strongly denies this claim since church officials insist that the Madonnas became black because of the smoke from candles and dirt and eventually because of the old age of the statues .Meanwhile, the Black Madonna in Southern Provencal tradition is associated with the patron of the Gypsies called St. Lara . The patron sain t is considered to be the black assistant who accompanied the three Marys to France when they escaped from the Holy Land after Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Meanwhile, during 1934, an icon of the Virgin Mother and Child was brought to the Pauline monastery of Jasna Gora or the â€Å"Bright Mountain† in Western Poland. The icon was said to be donated by the Prince of Opole in Silesia. Some told that the icon was painted by St. Luke on boards from table of the Holy Family in Nazareth.And the face of the said icon is black . There are other countless theories about the origin of the Black Madonnas or Black Virgins but until today, there is no concrete explanation about the history or origin of the now famous image in the religious sectors of the world. There are many who look at Black Madonna in relation to some of the goddesses know to men like Kali of India, Hecate and Medusa of Greece and Isis of Egypt. These grounds generates a spiritual as well as a psychological substance t hat raises the Black Madona to a level of great importance and significance in the modern world .Today, the statues of Isis and Horus are now called Mary and Jesus and there are millions of pilgrims who are visiting the Black Madonna shrines since they are believed to be miraculous to the devotees. Some claim that the statues can help heal towns of plague, make infertile women pregnant, bring back dead babies to life, save countries from war and the like. One of the obvious testimonies of the miracle from the Black Virgin in Poland was the experience of Pope John Paul II when he prayed to the statue for his recovery from his gun shot wound .After the miracle happened to Pope John Paul II, several miraculous events were credited after the Black Virgins including saving Poland from Russia in 1769. In fact, in 1968, the Black Madonna shrine in Poland received over 66, 000 thank you letters for healing and other miraculous events . The meaning of Black Madonna Theories about the definit ion of darkness of the figure and mystery behind the dark image have been established everywhere. What Black Madonna represents is not an easy question to answer.There is a tendency that one answer may lead to several more questions which demand plenty more explanations. One of the possible reasons for this dilemma lies in the difficulty of consciously incorporating the feminine aspect of life in a particular culture and most especially, a darker side of it. Another reason is the characteristic and nature of the dark feminine itself which clearly defies any attempt to generate limits as to what she really represents. However, no matter what many people may say and observe, the Black Madonna mirrors herself in the personal as well as collective lives of the people.This dark side generates intimations to the most essential of meanings through the use of images, literature, works of arts and even dreams . It is noteworthy to mention that the word black can be a misnomer for some of the Madonnas because not all of them are color black in its literal sense, some of them are painted with different shades of black. The original artists of many Black Madonnas are lost in time but most people know that the most powerful representations of the Black Madonna were made during the 11th and 12th centuries.The Shrines of the Black Madonnas are often located in the seat of great power and in the locations where the earth emits energies. From a religious perspective, the Black Madonna represents the honor and devotion of the female form. Christ, the center of Christianity is a male and it was from Mary that the church found a representative of the female specie towards divinity . Theories about the meaning of Black Madonna are often connected to the image of pre-Christian ideas and their religions.Because the Madonna and Child looks like the Egyptian images of Isis and Horus, there is a possibility that the dark skin of the Black Madonnas may be a referene to the Egyptian root s of the image. The Dark-Skinned madoonas may likewise be based on other pre-Christian figures. There are also other theories that the Black Madonnas were made as a representation of a mother or a feminine figure by using earthly tones. This theory suggests that the light-skinned Madonnas depict purity and chastity while another theory holds that the Black Madonnas were intended to bea historically accurate imageof a Semitic woman from the Middle East named Mary.There are some historians who said that the Black Madonnas were conceptualized after Middle Ages because during these times, the light-skinned images were the norm but regardless of what the case maybe, the Black Madonnas captured the attention of believers and non-believers for centuries . During the Victorian society, there was a time when the black female writers seemed to lean towards binding their female characters in an image of chastity because they want to overcomea heritage of concubinage.The women then were portray ed as either a martyr or a saint and in the attempt of the writers such as Harriet Jacobs and Frances Harper to remove the stereotype of a sinful woman, they robbed the personalities of their characters of their sexual identity thereby makingthem pure and holy much like the Virgin Mary. This situation combined with the gender dilemma becomes a double jeopardy. According to Faith Pullin, the black woman faces a painful situation of the double strain of being a woman in a dominant male society and being black amidst the racial discrimination.Novels about the early African American women talks abou the situation of double jeopardy for black women. These women are marginalized by race and gender. According to the notions of the period during that time, the true woman is a character of virtue like Madonna: pure, pious and submissive . Some theologians say that Black Madonna represents diversity. The femininity and the blackness of the Black Madonna calls men towards gender and racial div ersity. This figure calls for uniformity of the masculine and feminine sex, the combination of the white and the dark goddess in order for the wholeness and unity can arise amidst the diversity.The Black Madonna may be interpreted as a symbolism of man in the form of a metaphor as men moves towards the newreality of the modern wornd. The survival of men in this age will depend on their willingness to appreciate and understand the unity amidst the diversity . Conclusion There are plenty of images of Black Madonna that exist worldwide. Reports showthat at one time, there may have been more than 500 images that are mostly in Europe and France. In today's world, there are many people whose interest in the Black Madonna's have increased over the years.Some of her most popular incarnations are found in countries from all over the globe in the form of literature, art and paintings. The Black Madonna may mean many things to many people but everyone must bear in mind that this image serves a s a powerful reminder of the inspiration that it brought to the society. In her image, many people found their comforter, guide and power. She has been and always will be the feminine side of men that will never fail to shed light during trying times. Bibliography Davies, Norman. Europe: a history. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996.Dickson, Elinor, Woodman, Marion. Dancing in the Flames: The Dark Goddess in the Transformation of Consciousness. Toronto: Canada Publishing, 1996. Faqs. org. â€Å"Madonna, Religious†. Faqs. org. http://www. faqs. org/childhood/Ke- Me/ Madonna-Religious. html (Accessed May 6, 2010). Foster, Nikki. â€Å"What is Black Madonna? †. WiseGeek. com. http://www. wisegeek. com/ what-is-a-black-madonna. htm (Accessed May 6, 2010). Gustafson, Fred. The Black Madonna. USA: Daion Verdag, 2008. Kaiser, Laurie. â€Å"The Black Madonna: Notions of True Womanhood from Jacobs to Hurston†. South Atlantic Review, 2008, 60 (), 97-09.

Financial Forecasting Checkpoint

Financial Forecasting CheckPoint FIN/200 Axia College of University of Phoenix Write a 200- to 300-word explanation of the reasons the following types of companies would need a financial forecast: brand new company, family-owned company, and a long-standing corporation. The reason type of companies such as brand new companies, family-owned companies, and long-standing companies would need a financial forecast is to develop projected financial statements; a series of pro forma.The information developed by a series of pro forma provide a sort of estimate on inventory, payables, receivables as well as what would be required for profit and borrowing. A projected financial statement provides a kind of advantage in any of the companies listed above as it gives the firm an insight on operations. A pro forma would help guide companies in deciding how to best operate and succeed.When starting a brand new company a financial forecast is essential. A financial forecast would help a brand new co mpany decide on how much inventory would be needed, cost of start up and production, and how much capital is needed. Obtaining a financial forecast would also help guide a brand new company on how much profit the company can make, whether a bank loan would be needed to start up and how many individuals can be hired.Family-owned companies need financial forecast just as much as a brand new company. A family-owned company would need a financial forecast for obtaining information from the simplest of things like how much inventory is in stock, profit sharing, expected expenses and profit for the future. A family-owned company would need a financial forecast to also make good decisions on continuing a successful business, which department needs revamped or tweaked.It is essential for a family-owned company to obtain a financial forecast to also estimate whether sales income would be enough to cover expenses and whether cutbacks need to be made. A long-standing company, even though it ha s been in business for a long time (hence the phrase â€Å"long-standing†) needs a financial forecast for the same reasons a brand new company and a family-owned company needs it. A pro forma (financial forecast) would provide a long-standing company with estimated future profit, expenses, cash budgets, and sales income. A inancial forecast can also help guide a long-standing company in making decisions on things like increasing sales, whether advertising is needed and whether certain investments prove to be worth it. Although, a financial forecast is just basic estimation of what is to be expected in the future it provides essential information that could help guide any type of company in the right direction. Starting a brand new company, a family-owned company, and a long-standing company all have something in common: producing a successful company in all aspects.

How might a Christian apply Essay

Through out Jesus’ teaching we see that justice, forgiveness and reconciliation are all the most important features of keeping the peace of the world. However war and conflict are two of the most significant issues in today’s world and will be for many years to come therefore it is hard for a Christian to ignore this and know what is right or wrong. A current example of this is the international conflict in Iraq between many of the western countries. â€Å"Blessed are peacemakers for they will be called the children of God. (Mt 5:9)† This quotation is showing that a person who forgives and makes peace with any enemies will be rewarded by God although Christians have to live in a world where people often make war against each other. Therefore they have to develop an attitude to war campaigning against war and violence in various ways, using different examples from the scriptures to explain their position and different church teachings to help them through. Christians recognise that war is not compatible with the teachings of Jesus, as they believe in peace, and peace is essential for forgiveness to work. Jesus taught his follower to always love and respect, no matter how hard it may be they should forgive their enemies, â€Å"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. † The principle being that although good does not come from evil, destroying evil allows us to repair the damage and do well. For example, the catastrophic bombs were dropped on Japan and killed thousands, the disaster will never be forgotten but we see that Japan is now one of the most powerful countries in the world and there is peace. Iraq and the Allies were and still are at war. Christians are divided over this war; some believe that there is a moral case for war against Iraq to free the Iraqi people from evil whilst others feel that the people of Iraq are the most affected and something else could have been done to prevent war to reconcile the countries instead. The Pope declared that war is a â€Å"defeat for humanity† and no the way to solve the Iraqi situation, his diplomatic efforts accord with Catholic teachings as a war should be the last resort. However Gaudium et Spes contradicts the Pope, teaching that the war is just to protect the people of Iraq. S and C Danes once stated that, â€Å"Peace is more than the absence of war. Peace is the effect of righteousness. † A just war is one that must be fought but is conducted to certain conditions, they are designed to prevent a war and to limit its effect on people. Christians agree that anyone who engages in war should do so only after every other means have been worn out. In the past there have been many occasions when Christians have fought wars and when Christians countries have fought each other. We see this is wrong because Jesus taught this; â€Å"A new commandment I give you; to love one another. As I have loved you. † Pacifists believe that all war is wrong and support that; for example, Jesus called â€Å"the Kingdom of God† the peaceful solution. Also Lord Donald Soper’s pacifism led him to being banned from broadcasting during the Second World War showing that his beliefs and feelings were very strong and he would stand up to what he believed was right, â€Å"Violence is always wrong and doesn’t always create new beginnings and solve problems. † In 1980 there was a conflict that arose between Iraq and Iran, America and the West came to the aid of Saddam Hussein in this war, supporting a moderate bulwark against Islam. This war lasted until 1988 and the Iraqi government expected the war debts to be written off as they had justifiably defended the entire Middle East against Islamic radicalism. The Christian response should have been to help aid CAFOD and other Catholic organisations. However, Bishop David Konstant argues â€Å"No war is just and reconciliation and justice are the only two grounds for true and lasting peace. † To be reconciled with God , Christians must be able to forgive and to be reconciled with each other, as there is no peace with out justice and no justice without forgiveness.

Caring For a Patient in A&E with DKA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Caring For a Patient in A&E with DKA - Essay Example the situation of the patient, the analysis of feelings, evaluation of the experience, analysis to make sense of the experience, conclusion where other points are considered and reflection upon experience to examine what you would do if situation arose again. The case I have chosen to discuss in this assignment is about Mrs. X, a 29 year old woman. The name of the patient and the place will not be disclosed throughout the assignment for the purpose of anonymity and confidentiality. Mrs. E was brought into our Accident and Emergency Race Track-Majors department complaining of feeling generally ill for 3 days. She was apparently suffering from intermittent abdominal pain and constant vomiting. She was pale with dry cracked lips and very weak. Due to the busy A&E Department, the patient waited for 30 minutes before being assessed by myself. Temperature was 37.3 degree celcius, blood pressure 109/67, pulse rate was 89 per minute and respiratory rate was 28 per minute. Blood sugar level was 22.7 mmol/l and urine dip stick revealed plus 3 ketones, plus 3 of Glucose and traces of protein. Blood ketone levels as determined by ketone strip were 5.8 mmol/l. I made a diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis and shifted her to the resuscitation room where further treatment was rendered. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening condition that frequently requires hospitalization in those with type 1 diabetes and is the most common cause of diabetes-related death in children (Della Manna et al 2005). Diabetic ketoacidosis may be defined as a state of absolute or relative insulin deficiency aggravated by ensuing hyperglycemia, dehydration, and acidosis-induced derangements in intermediary metabolism (Rucker 2006). It most commonly occurs in type-1 diabetes. It is characterized by hyperglycemia over 300mg/dl, low bicarbonate (15mEq/L) and acidosis (pH

Youth Violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Youth Violence - Essay Example However, violence amongst youths is the widely recognized form of violence in the society. Throughout the world, media present reports on almost daily a basis about violence being perpetrated by youths in schools or as gangs in the streets (Lane, 2004). Youth violence does not only affect the victims but it also leads to significant effects to the families of those affected, their friends and the communities (Rutherford, Quinn, and Mathur, 2004). The effects of youth violence are not only viewed from the number of deaths, disabilities and illnesses caused, but it also affects the quality of life. Violence perpetrated by and against young people leads to increased costs of welfare and health care, causes a decline in property value, disrupts some services and causes a breakdown of the social fabric (Rutherford, Quinn, and Mathur, 2004). Webber and Plotts (2008) explain that youth violence cannot be isolated from other problem behaviors exhibited by young people. Violent youths general ly commit more types of crimes and exhibit a range of problems including truancy, drug and substance abuse, school drop-out, cheating, high rate of sexually transmitted diseases and reckless driving (Ryan, Pierce and Mooney, 2008). Nevertheless, teachers should be aware that all violent youths do not necessarily show the problems outlined above and neither do all young people having such problems have to be violent. According to Lane (2004), there is usually a close relationship between youth violence with other types of violence. For instance, a child who goes up witnessing violence at home or is sexually or physically abused may grow up with his mind set that violence is accepted as a way of resolving conflicts. Additionally, if a child grows up in an environment where s/he is exposed to prolonged armed conflict may lead to such a child to develop a mind set of terror and this can increase rates of violence (Lane, 2004). In developing a plan to manage youth violence, it is critica l to understand the factors that lead to such behaviors and its symptoms. This paper has been prepared as a guide for teachers to understand this behavioral disability. Particularly, the history of the youth violence, its cause, statistics and symptoms will be discussed. In addition, strategies that can be used by teachers to manage this disability will be discussed. The History of Youth Violence Youth violence is described as the harmful behaviors which start during a person’s early age but continue into early adulthood. A young person can either be a perpetrator, victim, or witness of violence (Webber and Plotts, 2008). This form of violence includes an array of behaviors such as hitting, bullying and slapping all which cause high emotional harm. Furthermore, youth violence may be perpetrated through assault and robbery causing significant serious physical harm which may lead to death. Recognition of youth violence as a behavior disability has a long history (Ryan, Pierce a nd Mooney, 2008). Youth violence is recognized as both social and public health behavior problem. Previously, infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and pneumonia were the main causes of deaths in the United States. Once the government has been able to put infectious diseases under control, cases of suicide and homicide begin to rise causing significant number of deaths. From 1965, suicide and homicide have consistently been ranked among the fifteen top causes of death in the United States (Ryan, Pierce and Mooney, 2008). Suicide and homicide cases perpetrated by mostly the youths and minority groups in the society reached alarming levels in the 1980s. Further increase in rates of suicide and homicide increased at the beginning of the 20th century with rates of suicide among

Operational Factors of Maritime Theater Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Operational Factors of Maritime Theater - Essay Example The fear was that the United Kingdom was fighting a battle too far from home and that its people were the ones that would suffer in the end. In addition, time and space restraints have since resulted in the British resolving to not again enter a situation where their land-based air support was compromised and largely out of range. As a result, the maritime theater expressed by the UK military has greatly shifted as a results of conflict in the Falklands, and this can be reflected by a shift in operational space, force, and time. This discussion will begin with a cursory examination of the situation that resulted in the War in the Falklands. As with most wars, two opposing viewpoints certain resulted in the escalation of tensions between Argentina and Great Britain in terms of the Falklands. Argentina, believing that an island that just rested 200 miles from its coast could not possibly be considered a territory of the UK, which was thousands of miles away. For its part, England argued that the Falklands was parts of its long reaching arm of territories that had held for centuries and, as such, Argentina had no claim to it. Interestingly enough, while other countries were will to assist the UK on the diplomatic front, they were not willing to assist England in any type of physical military response. America, for example, use its strong diplomatic relations with Argentina to argue England’s side, but to no avail. For the conflict to be resolved, England was going to have to go to war on its own, and that it did. This lead to a revaluation of military tactics moving forward as it become evident that it was not feas ible to fight such a conflict so far from the homeland (Hill, 1988). As the Falklands rests in a remote area of the ocean, with Argentina being the closest land mass to it, England was left with nowhere to launch a true land

Life along the silk road ( tang dynsaty) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Life along the silk road ( tang dynsaty) - Essay Example Merchants and traders both traveled and did business on the Silk Road and faced numerous challenges that always confronted them. Harsh Weather Conditions One of the more obvious challenges that merchants faced along the Silk Road was the harsh weather conditions. In fact, the Silk Road is surrounded by the Taklimakan Desert, whose severe and hostile climate would cause temperatures to soar to as high as 50 degrees Celsius in the summer or fall to as low as minus 20 degrees in the winter. Aside from this, strong winds brought about numerous dangerous sandstorms in the Taklimakan Desert (Mon). Moreover, the Taklimakan Desert had fewer oases than the neighboring Gobi Desert (Wild). Lastly, clouds of dust and silt may blow with the wind and persist for days (Wood 16). Wars and Conflicts There were numerous routes along the Silk Road, and because of this, â€Å"The issues caused by the development of the route included invasion and robbery by nomadic tribes and increased merchant costsâ €  (What is the History of the Silk Road?). the increased merchant costs were necessary as the need for escort and protection increased through the years. Based on the account of a robbery as retold by the Sogdian merchant Nanaivandak, a number of his fellow merchants who wandered along the routes in smaller groups were ambushed, robbed and killed by bandits (Whitfield 48). There was indeed a great risk of traveling along the Silk Road in small groups as Central Asian bandits would often seize the opportunity to inflict harm on the merchants and steal their goods and kill them if they resisted. Besides, it was not only silk that was being traded along these routes but also â€Å"jewels, ivories, pearls†¦corals, diamonds†¦bronze ware, porcelains† whether being sold by merchants or carried home by them (The Great Tang Dynasty). These products from various parts of the world would be very attractive to all robbers and bandits of Central Asia. Disease According to Wi lliam McNeill’s Plagues and Peoples, there was â€Å"diffusion of diseases via the Silk Road† (Rossabi). Even before the Black Death ravaged Europe, there may have already been several diseases that have come from Europe and which may have spread throughout China and Asia through the Silk Road. Nevertheless, there was little evidence on this. However, one of these diseases that may have spread through Asia through the Silk Road was Behcet’s disease. Behcet’s disease, which currently affects Far Eastern and Middle Eastern countries, may have come from Western Europe and affects 4 for every 1,000 people even now. Behcet’s disease is a vascular disease characterized by an overactivity of the body’s inflammatory immune response thus resulting in the destruction of blood vessels, severe mouth and genital ulcers, skin lesions and in severe cases, blindness (Disease genes that followed the Silk Road identified). According to medical experts, the ge nes for this disease may have come from the interactions of infected people along Silk Road during the Tang Dynasty. Negative Influences There was also an exchange of religious ideas along the Silk Road in addition to trading (Culture). However, this was the introduction of new religions to

Introduction to Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Introduction to Psychology - Essay Example Having said that one must understand that it is basically not easy to have management between a demanding job and taming children, not to forget the successful completion of household responsibilities as well. When one speaks to his colleagues or neighbors about the same, the result is that nearly everyone is passing through the same phase, it is just a matter of how much pressure and stress a particular individual can take, at a particular moment of time. Stress is indeed a very common problem. Just as all the good things in life, the comfort of modern living cannot be have on the part of the people without paying a cost for it. Among other things that have come hand in hand with the same, it has brought about the phenomenon of stress alongside it nonetheless. This problem seems to emanate all the same from the sort of commercialization that we are witnessing in the present times and not to forget the ruthless market economies and a senseless notion of consumerism attached with this. Especially true is the fact that spending money has become the sole criterion for success and achievement in the modern times. For a number of people, the rat race for acquiring money and material possessions is a symbol of success that they have achieved and it given more importance by the society in which we live in that aims to signify people by the standards as laid down by material possessions and the amount of money that one has. This rat race brin gs with it heaps of stress and tension and anxious living conditions are a manifestation of what can bring a person down every now and then. This kind of intensity was studied by a number of different research studies which stated that stress forms up as the most basic cause of nearly 80 percent of all human illnesses – which accounts for a huge statement if not a huge figure so to speak. One must understand that stress and anxiety are in all essence mental problems and that they develop as the mind chases as

Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility Essay

Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility - Essay Example In accordance with the issues discussed in the paper since late 1970s, various organizations have addressed business ethics in different ways, as well as the development of codes of conduct, hiring of corporate responsibility managers and training programs of all kinds, introduction of compliant managers and programs, the preparation and dissemination of value statements, and the addition of board-level ethics committees. Studies conducted in 1960s indicated that European-based corporations were a head of their United State-based counterparts in implementing sustainability and corporate social responsibility practices. However, in the present days, business operations in Europe and the United States are not so much different as was initially assumed. Both businesses in these regions are currently striving to establish the exact meaning for a company to be responsible and ethical. The implementation of ethics and corporate social responsibility practices in most firms have not prevent ed Europe and United State-base companies from engaging in unethical behaviors that cause corporate scandals. This has created increased pressure for governments and Europe-based and U.S.-based corporations to establish more structured ethics and government programs, so as to ensure that these corporations are responsible to the communities within, which they are situated. There are many challenges, which are associated with corporate responsibility. ... ion on how corporate ethics efforts can be improved, and how it can address the issue of underlying causes of misconduct, including the increasing demand for sustainable business, and proactive, socially responsible practices (Banerjee, 2007). Recent researches indicate that European-based companies are far much a head in implementing sustainability and corporate social responsibility practices than their United States-based counterparts, but the question is, are they doing better work of avoiding unethical conduct on a large scale? Understanding the aspects of business ethics is a challenging task since this field is vast, and it usually encompasses issues like reputation management, corporate governance, accurate accounting, environmental stewardship, and fair labor practices (Shaw, 2010). As a matter of fact, this field is concerned with the entire scopes of responsibilities, which a corporation has for all its stakeholders, especially those who have exhibited interest in the acti ons and decision of the company such as suppliers, stakeholders, community, clients, and employees. The understanding of business ethics is further made complex by several terms that refer to corporate programs and offices, which are focused on communicating, monitoring, and enforcing company standards and values (Sims, 2003). In theory, people can make certain distinctions among the various aspects of business ethics such as corporate compliance, corporate responsibility, and social responsibility. However, in practical perspective, such differentiations are of no significance since corporate offices of compliance that was established in 1970s can today function similarly to social and corporate responsibility (Trevino & Nelson, 2010). In order to understand the various scopes and nature

Job Description Essay Example for Free

Job Description Essay In today’s job market there are a lot of demands from employers. The business environment is constantly changing. Your knowledge, skills and abilities have to be able to meet the demands of the job market. Showcasing yourself and the familiarity and the experience with the procedure detail of the job is very important The Job Analysis. Goes hand in hand with a job description. A job description identifies characteristics of the job to be performed in terms of the tasks, duties and responsibilities to be fulfilled. (Youssef, 2010). It is basically a â€Å"snapshot† of a job. The job description needs to communicate clearly and concisely the responsibilities and tasks. (Lindenberger,2011) There are a lot of people competing for the same job. Ultimately who gets hired depends on the most qualified applicant. I would use a job description to make sure I get the most qualified person for the job. The person job fit has to be right has to definitely be compatible. Your skill highlights and the ability to successfully perform the job is a key factor. I would use a competency-based analysis. The potential employee definitely has to be competent enough to perform the qualities and requirements needed to effectively carry out a job like mines. My job description was to me very detailed. It was somewhat intimidating at first but once I got hired, I understood why. I am currently working as Assistant payment worker for the State of Michigan. The tasks and responsibilities is what my job duty requires of me from day to day. Which was very much detailed. It is assisting clients with getting the help they may need and providing resources for them. I assist client’s help with Food, Shelter and medical resources. I often go above and beyond what my tasks and responsibilities that are required of me, because of my human character I often feel sorry to see what people have to go through in this world. Sometimes in the job description you will see what the responsibilities include but are not limited too. So I would want someone dedicated to what there job is, but also a team player and don’t mind going the extra mile. In the end it’s all about customer service. The tools and technology used are also a key factor. Most jobs often require training once hired. But you at least need the basic skills of using computer software. Educational requirements would also be very important on a job analysis. A degree is preferred most of the time when applying for any job in the business field. If not a degree it is important to me, to at lease have a certain amount of college credits. Which is what needed to obtain my job. In order to gain some valuable information about candidates, there are different selection methods that should be used. Selection methods can narrow down potential candidates. (Youseef,2010) The approach and selection method I would use is testing, I think is a good method to use, especially when there are so many applicants applying for the same position. Testing will help to eliminate clients that are not qualified for the job. Testing will reveal how much knowledge a person has with general competency and knowledge needed for the job. The scores will tell it all. The Interview method is also another good method I would consider. Almost any job you apply for, you will have to have an interview, weather its in person or over the telephone. I have to interview clients everyday at my current job, to see if the fit the qualifications of receiving assistance. Being able to look at a person, and have direct interaction is important. When questions are being asked it will sometimes portray how honest a person is. You can tell by the body language or sometimes how directly a person answers a question if they are being truthful or not. It will show confidence. However there are different types of interviews. The one I would use is a panel discussion interview, which is having several interviewers asking questions. That can sometimes make a person really nervous. I know I was, but again if you have the skills and knowledge to prove it, then it shouldn’t be a problem A job description is just what it says, it describes the job. As a competitive employee, make sure you fit that description the best you can.

Women Are Essentially Different Because Of Their Biology Sociology Essay

Women Are Essentially Different Because Of Their Biology Sociology Essay Gender is a range of characteristics of masculinity and femininity. It can refer to both sex (being male or female), social roles such as gender roles or gender identity. Gender and gender development originate from the moment of conception. When a female egg joins with a male sperm to for either a XY or XX chromosome pair, determining which developmental pathway will be taken (male or female). This will determine the physical sexual characteristics. Our sexual appearance as male or female has a significant and powerful influence on how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us, which is essential when we later develop our gender identity (our inner sense of being male or female). Your gender determines your (expected) behaviour and the characteristics you are socialised into. However there are some disagreements of whether men and womens gender is resultant of their biology, or the socialisation process they have been through. This is also known as the nature vs. nurture argu ment, whether gender and your gender identities and roles are constructed biologically and naturally or through the effect that people in your life have had over you growing up. In this essay I will be discussing how gender can be explained from both the biological perspective and the social perspective in order to answer the question of whether sociology can in fact explain it. Clearly there is no doubt that females and males differ biologically, however do we form our gender roles according to the influence and ideas of our society, or do the biological predispositions outweigh the cultural influence? Biological psychology regards gender identity as a resultant from our biological processes. Gender differences are seen as resulting from sex differences. In other words, women and men act, think and feel differently because of differences in how their brains work. These brain differences may result from chromosomal differences and may also be the result of hormonal differences. Women and men produce different sex hormones in varying quantities. Besides affecting the functioning of various bodily organs (e.g. causing the menstrual cycle in women) these sex hormones appear to have an effect on behaviour. Testosterone, which is produced in greater quantities by men, affects several types of behaviour, some of which are regarded as typically male. For example, Dabbs et al (1995) found that violent offenders had higher testosterone levels than non-violent offenders and Coates et al (2008) found that financial traders with higher testosterone levels took greater risks. Women have higher levels of oxytocin than men. Some researchers have linked this to increased sociability. Oxytocin seems to affect the formation of bonds and attachments between people and Klaver et al (2009) found that higher levels of oxytocin are linked to improved memory for faces. Gorski et al (1985) injected female rats with testosterone for a period prior to birth. After they were born their appearance and behaviour was compared with a control group of females whose testosterone levels had been normal. The experimental group had masculinised genitals (e.g. an enlarged clitoris) and showed masculine behaviour (e.g. trying to mount other females). This showed that male sex hormones had both physiological and behavioural effects, in rats at least. It is clear from a range of studies involving humans and other animals that chromosomal and hormonal differences between males and females affect a range of masculine and feminine behaviours, which supports the biological view. The biological view of gender is supported by those cross-cultural studies that have found universal features of gender. For example, in all cultures studied, men are found to be more aggressive than women, which suggest an innate, biological difference. Similarly, Buss et al (1990) studied wha t women and men look for in a potential mate in a large number of cultures and found that whilst men consistently prioritised youth and physical attractiveness, women placed a higher premium on wealth and status. These differences may reflect biological differences between women and men that have arisen because of evolutionary processes. The definition of gender states that it is typically used with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones. It can be argued that gender is the socially constructed expectation placed on a person as a result of their sex. We are born male and female but this does not make us a guy or a girl. Femininity and masculinity do not come from our genetic make-up, therefore the distinction between boy and girl is taught. If this was not the case then surely in every culture and society, every male and female would have the same masculinities and femininities? In 1935 Margaret Mead conducted a field trip to Papua New Guinea for 2 years in attempt to discover what extent temperamental differences between the sexes were culturally determined rather than innate. Mead found a different pattern of female and male behaviour in each of the cultures she studies which were different from gender role expectations in the US at that time. Among the Arapesh the temperament for both females and males was gentle, responsive and cooperative. The Mundugumor (now Biwat), both males and females were violent, aggressive, seeking power and position. For the Tchambuli (now Chambri), males and females temperaments were distinct from each other. The women were dominant, impersonal, and managerial. The men were less responsible and more emotionally dependant. Through this study Mead separated biologically-based sex from socially constructed gender, demonstrating how individuals gender roles were part of our socialization process as if this was not the case, each o f the tribes she studied although they were not close to each other, would have the same gender roles. Findings like this suggest that even though biological factors influence gender behaviour, they are heavily modified by learning. Parental influences have a significant role in the formation of our gender roles. From the very first day of our lives, boys and girls are treated differently. Parents perceive boys to be stronger and rougher than girls, and girls to be prettier and more delicate than boys. Parents hold boys closer to their body than they do girls. They hold boys closer to their body and spend more time verbalizing and cooing to girls than boys. Parents are acting on their stereotypes of male and female behaviour. Myers (1995) suggests that gender socialisation gives girls roots and boys wings. This suggests that girls are socialised to stay at home and boys are socialised to have adventures. Studies of childrens books over the last 50 years have shown that girls are four times more likely to be shown using household objects (e.g. pots and pans) than boys who are five times more likely to be shown using production objects (e.g. machinery) than girls (Crabb Beilawski 1994). The result is, according to a United Nations study (1991) everywhere cooking and dishwashing are the least shared household chores and everywhere, woman do most of the household work. These expectations define gender roles. Lytton Romney (1991) found that there was a significant difference in terms of encouragement of sex-typed play activities which reinforces the fact that girls and boys are treated differently from a young age. Will et al (1976) gave a boy aged 6 months to adults who he then observed whilst they played with the infant. The child was presented in sex-typed clothes, half the adults met the boy dressed in pink and known as Beth and half met Adam dressed in blue. Three toys were available: train, doll and fish. They found the doll was most often passed to Beth and she got more smiles, showing the typical gender stereotypes. Smith Lloyd (1978) extended this study and found that boys were most likely to be handed a toy hammer whilst girls were given a doll, as well this, the boys were encouraged in physical action more than girls. Parents were also found to give more positive non-verbal responses to their 18-23 month-old children for picking up toys when the selected object was sex approp riate and a more negative response if the object was associated with the opposite sex (Caldera et al 1989). Children are differentially reinforced with smiles and praise for the kinds of activities associated with their sex. Fagot (1978) found that girls were positively reinforced for activities such as dancing, dressing up and assisting with domestic tasks whilst boys were reinforced for more gross motor activities. To parents, gender is important. Behaving and acting in a way that fits with the femininities and masculinities that come with being a boy or girl. Facially and behaviourally it is often difficult to tell the different genders apart, especially with young babies, this leads to parents dressing their children differently, for example the tradition of girls in pink and boys in blue (Jackson 1992). Although parents play a significant part in the formation of gender roles, the effect of the media must not be underestimated. Of the many influences of the portrayal of men and woman, the media is the most persuasive and one of the most powerful, woven throughout our daily lives and putting ideas and messages into our conscience at every turn. A primary way that the media distort reality is through underrepresenting women. In prime-time television there are 3 times as many white men as woman (Barsow 1992), or in childrens programs in which males outnumber females by two to one, or newscasts in which woman make up 16% of news-casters in which stories about men are included 10 times more often than ones about woman (Study Reports Sex Bias, 1989). This constant distortion persuades and tempts us to believe that there are more men than women and further to this that men are the cultural standard. According to J.A. Doyle (1989) childrens television often portrays males as dominant, aggressive and engaged in exciting activities in which they get rewards from others for their masculine accomplishments. Television programmes for all ages disproportionally show men as serious, competent, powerful and with a high status position. Highly popular films such as Lethal Weapon, Die hard and all of the James Bond films star men who embody the extreme stereotype of masculinity, reinforcing the long-standing cultural ideals of masculinity with men being tough, sexually aggressive, unafraid, violent and totally in control of all emotions. In no way feminine. On the other hand, males are also underrepresented in many ways through the media. J.D. Brown and K. Campbell (1986) point out that they are typically represented as incompetent at homemaking, cooking and childcare. Each seasons new adverts for cooking and cleaning supplies include several that capture and portray men as incompetent foo ls, who are clumsy and no better at taking care of children. Media images also reflect cultural stereotypes of woman. Media has created two images of woman: good and bad. Good women are pretty, deferential, and focused on home, family and caring for others. Subordinate to men, they are normally cast as victims, angels or loyal wives and helpmates. The other image of women in the media offer us an evil homebody, being seen as a witch, bitch or sexual character who is represented as hard, cold aggressive, all the things a good woman is not meant to be. A good example of this bad woman character is Alex in Fatal Attraction who is an extreme version of how bad women are generally portrayed. In childrens literature, we encounter witches and mean stepmothers as villains, with beautiful passive females like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty as their good counterparts. These reinforce the social norms for the role of being male or female, from a young age and throughout individuals lifes. Having seen the Medias stereotypical portrayals of woman and men, we find that the relationship between both sexes is similarly portrayed in ways that reinforce stereotypes, starting with womens dependence and mens independence. The Little Mermaid significantly highlights females dependence on males for identity, with the Little Mermaid giving up her identity to be accepted by her lover. Analysis of MTV revealed that it portrays females as passive and waiting for mens attention, while males are shown ignoring, exploiting and directing women (Brown, Campbell Fisher, 1986). In rap music videos and many advertisements, womans primary roles appear to be objects of male desires. Manifesting male dominance and female subservience. Men are usually shown positioned above women and women are more frequently pictures in varying degrees of undress. The media often uses gender as a tool for comedy. The television series Two and a Half men is almost completely about gender, and represents women as objects of sexual pleasure for the main character. Even the theme song men, men, manly men foreshadows the overall theme of gender stereotypes. The final 2 significant ways the media portrays women and men is with mens authority and womens incompetence and woman as the primary caregivers and men as breadwinners. One of the most persuasive ways in which the media do this is through commercials. Woman are shown routinely anguishing over dirty floors and bathrooms only to be relieved of their distress when Mr Clean shows up and tells them how to keep their homes spotless. Magazines play a key role in promoting pleasing others as a primary focus of womens lives. K. Pierces study (1990) found magazines aimed at women stress looking good and doing things to please others. Telling women how to be me, only better by dyeing their hair to look younger, how to lose weight so youll still be attractive to him and how to prepare gourmet meals so hes always glad to come home. Constantly these advertisements emphasize pleasing others, especially men, as central to being a woman and the message is lined with the warning that if a woman fails to look good and please, her man might leave (Rakow, 1992). In conclusion it can be argued that sociology will never fully be able to define gender as we are born with certain biological traits that will always be there and unarguably play a part in our gender. However in answering what gender is, there is constant recognition of our gender roles that come with our gender. The masculinities and femininities of being a man or a woman. These are significantly influenced by our exposure to certain socialisation tools starting at a young age with our parents to then being influenced by numerous external forces throughout our lives such as the media. Sociology is not able to provide a clear definition of our gender as it is primarily biological but gender could be seen as irrelevant without our gender roles which come with our sex, which in theory sociology can help explain and define.

Starwood Hotels And Resorts Worldwide Inc Marketing Essay

Starwood Hotels And Resorts Worldwide Inc Marketing Essay Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc is one of the most well recognized corporations in the hospitality industry. Founded in 1991 as a real estate company first under the name of Starwood Capital Partners it developed to be a top hotel owning, operating and hospitality management company. What really distinguishes Starwood from other hospitality companies is its philosophy towards hotel customers, employees and guest services (Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc., 2010). Providing unparalleled guest experience, high quality services products, creating team spirit among employees and by using an innovate customer approach it managed to be one of the leading companies in the hospitality industry (ibid.). Performing in the hospitality market since 1993, it developed to a global enterprise with the acquirement of Westin Hotels only 4 years after it first operated. In 1998 Starwood purchased the ITT Group, owner of the Sheraton and Four Points by Sheraton brands (ibid.). Today the company owns 992 properties all over the world (appendix 1). The majority of these properties are located in North America, where Starwood has presence with 533 hotels and 298.500 rooms in total. The company has also presence in Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia and Latin America (Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc., 2010). Most of the properties are franchised or operated in joint venture with individual hotel owners. Only 63 of the hotels are privately owned. At this moment 145.000 employees work worldwide for hotels managed and operated by Starwood. The Group is consisted by nine hotel brands and one residential and vacation Ownership Company (appendix 2), (ibid.). St. Regis: St. Regis hotels and Resorts are properties which provide high-end service to satisfy the most distinguished and demanding guests, both business and leisure travelers (Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc., 2010). The Luxury Collection: This brand operates unique and exceptional hotels and resorts, usually classic buildings or palaces. The aim of Luxury Collection is to provide extraordinary services and experiences concentrating in the destination (Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc., 2010). W: W Hotels and Resorts is a new brand of ultra modern, fashion and trendy hotels that is now developing throughout the world. W offers services and experiences never offered by any company in the past. Some examples are the WhateverWhenever service and the unique design and internal environment (Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc., 2010). Westin, Le Meridien and Sheraton brands are the three historical and largest brands of Starwood. All of them operate in the upper scale of hospitality industry. Le Meridien is the most classic of them and provides a distinctive French style in all of its properties. Sheraton is the largest brand of Starwood and operates business city hotels and leisure resorts, whereas Westin hotels are distinctive for their gracious style and are ideal for those, who seek a superior guest experience (Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc., 2010). Four Points is a brand operating medium scale comfort hotels (Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc., 2010). Aloft, opened in 2008, is a collection of hip hotels with modern rooms. Aloft is similar in concept with the W brand but with cheaper rates (Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc., 2010). Element Hotels and Resorts, also opened in 2008, is a brand inspired by Westin and consists of environmental and nature friendly hotels (Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc., 2010). One of Starwoods key to success is based on its approach towards enterprises development, which generates from the idea of continuously growth, targeting top markets. Therefore there is no surprise that among the corporations future goals is the expansion in China market; a strong financial country with a huge market and many business potentials (Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc., 2010). 2.Financial Assessment Evaluating the financial assessment of a company is possible either by comparing one company to another one of the same industry or by comparing data of different financial years. In Starwoods case, in order to perform companys assessment the second method will be used; comparison of different years. Hence, from year 2008 to 2009 there was a significant decrease in return of equity, falling from 20.3% to 3.8% indicating that Starwood was not able to generate return for shareholders (figure 1). Caused partly by the fall of return of assets from 5.20% in 2007 to 1.80% in 2008 reaching -1.30% in 2009, showing that Starwood didnt use efficiently its assets to generate profit. Referring to return of capital one of its downside is that it doesnt represent something specific about where the return is being generating. Therefore its not a precise choice of financial evaluation (About.com, 2010). Figure 1: Ratio Analysis for 2007-2009 3 Year Annual Ratios (Year End) Fiscal Period 2007 2008 2009 Return on Equity (%) 26,10 20,30 3,80 Return on Assets (%) 5,20 1,80 -1.3 Profit Margin (%) 9.00 6.00 2.00 Gross Margin (%) 28,10 26,40 21,80 Net Margin (%) 8,80 5,60 1,50 Asset Turnover (%) 0.64 0.61 0.54 Fixed Asset Turnover (%) 1.6 1.64 1.41 Inventory Turnover (%) 7.81 6.09 3.74 Debt to Equity (%) 173 216 160 Current Ratio (%) 0.87 0.81 0.74 Acid Test (%) 0.53 0.44 0.35 Coverage Ratio (%) 8.28 4.55 1.48 Note: Euromonitor International, (2010) Our own Calculations Furthermore, a major drop from 8.80% to 1.50% in net margin occurred during the years 2007 and 2009 revealing that not all of its income is converted into profits. Regarding profit margin in 2007 for each dollar of sales Starwood generated $0.09 of profits, when in 2009 for each dollar of sales Starwood generated $0.02. Also, gross margin indicates that the company will retain $0.28 in 2007 for its dollar of revenue, to be able to pay additional costs and expenses, whereas in 2009 retained $0.21 for the same purpose. Concerning net margin there was a gradual fall from 8.80% in 2007, to 5.60% in 2008 and finally to 1.50% in 2009 meaning that finally for every dollar earned by Starwood, the profit is $0.015 (Investopedia ULC, 2010). Additionally, asset turnover remained almost the same. In 2007 asset turnover was 0.64, in 2008 0.61 and in 2008 it dropped to 0.54 showing that a smaller percentage of sales was able to be generated from the companys assets. Therefore fixed assets turnover had also a small decline from 1.6 in 2007 to 1.41 in 2009. Moreover there was also a substantial decline in inventory turnover from 7.81 in 2007 it fell to 6.09 in 2008, whereas we only had 3.74 in 2009 suggesting that the companys inventories are not marketable as they used to (Investopedia ULC, 2010). As far as debt to equity is concerned there was a significant rise in 2008 from 173% in 2007 to 216, but after a year it fell again to 160%. Also, current ratio had a slight decline from 0.87 in 2007 to 0.74 in 2009. Regarding acid test in 2007 it was 0.53 decreased to 0.44 in 2008 and in 2009 reached 0.35, indicating to investors and to Starwood how quickly the assets can be converted to cash in order to pay their current liabilit ies. Finally, coverage ratio from 8.28% in 2007, dropped to 4.55% in 2008, reaching 1.48% in 2009 (appendix 4.2). Hence, the company will be in danger in the future if the coverage ratio remains around 1.0% or falls below 1.0%, because at this case that will mean that it is not able to meet its obligations (Palepu, Healy, Bernard, Peek, 2007). 3.Financial Performance, Forecast Evaluation In order to perform a financial evaluation of Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide Inc. it is necessary to collect information regarding the balance sheet (appendix 7), income statement (appendix 8) and cash flow statement (appendix 9) of the company. Using these financial statements we were able to calculate the financial ratios, that were presented previously and to produce the forecast models (appendix 10 11 12 ). Also, as presented in Figure 2, Starwoods greatest Dividends per Share rate were in 2006. From that year the dividends per share followed a downward flow to 0.90 in 2007 and 2008 to reach the amount of 0.20 in 2010, the lowest for the past 10 years. This could have happened due to new equity issue. Figure 2: Per Share Data for years 2000-2009 Annual Per Share Data (Year End) Fiscal Period 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Revenue per Share ($) 22,43 20,06 23,36 22,89 25,72 27,26 28,20 30,90 32,27 25,20 Free Cash flow per Share 1,60 1,44 2,04 2,29 1,17 1,37 0,61 2,57 0,93 2,01 Earnings Per Share ($) 2,08 0,73 1,78 1,53 1,89 1,92 4,92 2,72 1,80 0,38 Dividends Per Share 0,69 0,80 0,84 0,84 0,84 0,84 13,90 0,90 0,90 0,20 Book Value Per Share 20,48 19,21 20,29 21,54 22,94 23,77 14,19 10,42 8,86 9,87 Note: (Euromonitor International, 2010) Moreover, Starwoods greatest Dividends per Share rate was 13.90 in 2006. From that year the dividends per share followed a downward flow to 0.90 in 2007 and 2008 to reach the amount of 0.20 in 2010, the lowest for the past 10 years. This could have happened due to new equity issue or the decrease of net income from the year 2006 to 2009. Earnings per Share(figure 3) is also a rate that is affected from the relegation of net income from $1 billion in 2006 to $71 millions in 2009. Operational Income is also a factor that indicated that Starwoods financial condition is not in a good position. Figure 3 Note: Our own Diagram Figure 4 Note: Our own Calculation Regarding the forecast models, firstly the moving average model is calculated as well as the weighted moving average model. However these forecasting models are providing predictions only for one future period, in this case for the year 2010. The same situation applies for the exponential smoothing model. After making two assumptions for the value alpha (0.6 and 0.05) it is proved that this model is also not appropriate, because it provides forecasts for one future period. The most accurate forecasting method for Starwood is the linear regression model. After calculating a and b, which are necessary for the formula y=a+ bx (appendix 10.2, 11.2 12.2) the yearly (seasonal) ratio is estimated (Higgins, 2009). After these calculations the estimation of the sales (appendix 10.3), profits (appendix 11.3) and cost forecast (appendix 12.3) was completed. 4. SWOT Analysis Strengths à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Massive investment on Sheraton brand hotels. Starwood spent billions of dollars on renovations and new hotel openings in order to strengthen Sheraton globally and renew its corporate image (appendix 13), (Euromonitor International, 2010). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Hotel ownership: Starwood is selling its properties in return to long year management contracts of the same properties. This tactic is generally called Sale and lease back and is used in order that the company decreases its expenditures for maintaining the buildings. Starwood sold many of the leased, owned or operated by joint venture properties (Euromonitor International, 2010). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty program. The loyalty program of Starwood is well known in the tourism and hospitality industry and attracts new customers due to the benefits, innovative services and promotions in partnership with other companies offered to them (Euromonitor International, 2010). Also, to offer more benefits to their customers Starwood has cooperated with American Express to create a Starwood credit card (appendix 14). Weaknesses à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Luxury Brand Hotels. Starwoods collection contains only luxury, up-scale and mid-scale brands. There are no economy hotels for business or leisure travelers that dont afford luxury brands. Starwoods competitors are present in budget hotels with brands for example Ibis, owned by Accor and Holiday Inn Express owned by IHG (Euromonitor International, 2010). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ U.S. market oriented. Starwood has a large presence in the United States and that makes the company extremely dependant on the economy situation of the country. The U.S. economy upturns and downturns have direct effects on Starwood (Euromonitor International, 2010). Opportunities à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Aloft brand. This new Starwood brand gives the opportunity to travelers that cant afford the other luxury brands to have access to modern hotels with high-tech design and facilities (Euromonitor International, 2010). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Growth in Asia. Asia and especially China are the emerging markets for Starwood in the fore coming years. China is the second largest market right now and Starwood plans to double its presence there by 2012 (Euromonitor International, 2010). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Attraction of wider range of travelers via the social media networking sites. By developing mini-sites in every social media site, Starwood could attract new target groups of customers that never before have used its services or sometimes havent even heard about Starwood brand name (Euromonitor International, 2010) . Threats à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Consumer behavior. Starwood, having only a collection of luxury and upscale hotels is reliant to any changes in travelers behavior. Spending for luxury goods and services is usually the first thing that gets deleted or decreased from every business or family budget (Euromonitor International, 2010). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Travel industry downturns. Travel and tourism industry have experienced in the past a lot of uncertain and unexpected recessions due to facts like terrorism, enlarging fuel prices, political instability economic conditions or extreme weather conditions that caused major catastrophes. These effects could still happen anytime in the future. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The above point about industry downturns leads most of the times to less credit availability to the companies. This means that there will be fewer investments in tourism either in forms of renovations or new build hotel openings (Euromonitor International, 2010). 5. Competitive Challenges In general 2008 for the hospitality industry was a good year. More specifically a 5% growth occurred at that time, followed however by a significant fall of 11% during the year 2009 due to the economic crisis. Starwood enterprise was affected by this crisis by a 12% fall in that year. Therefore, one solution to avoid the catastrophe was to lower room rates and cut costs. But what Starwood did was to try and gain customer loyalty. One way to do that was by making him feel like home. Another way to offer 1000 reward points for every night the customer stayed at their hotel (Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc., 2010). Starwoods policy was by no means lower the price of the room rates significantly as some of their competitive did. Since it would be very difficult for them to recover after the crisis and the customers would become adapted to the discount room rates. Thus, it would be very difficult for Starwood to raise the room rate prices again. Eventually they would manage to do so, but it would take too much time (ibid.). For 2010 Starwood plans to launch its campaign of rediscover Sheraton, which cost US$ 6 billion in order to renovate and built new rooms, lobbies etc of Sheratons properties. A step, that will give Sheraton and Starwood a leading advantage (Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc., 2010). 6. Future Prospects The unpredictable and unstable economic situation in U.S and Europe resulted to the decrease of Starwoods revenue by 18% comparing the years 2008 and 2009. The weakening economic environment and the general reduction of business traveling led Starwood to offer an innovative promotion through the loyalty program called Preferred Guest. Starwood offered a 50% discount for guests staying from November until January 2010 (Euromonitor International, 2010). The future prospects for Starwood in order to adapt to the always evolving hospitality environment is first to franchise some brands to other hotel operators and owners (Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc., 2010). This means that Starwood could give permission to a 3rd organization to operate and be the master franchisor of its brands in a country or market that Starwood doesnt have prior experience. Second prospect intention is to increase sales booked directly from the companys website. That will lead to higher customer satisfaction and revenue increase. Another intention is to increase the number of guests joining the loyalty program and thereby increase the occupancy rates (ibid.). One final overall intention is to make the most out of what technology has to offer to hospitality and therefore boost the operating efficiency. Even though the information needed for Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide Inc evaluation was sufficient, there were some important statistics missing regarding Starwoods individual hotel brands and internal data for every country that Starwood is operating. Having these records we could have made a more informed report containing future prospects for each particular brand. Furthermore, if we had more information and data regarding taxes, distressed costs, market signaling, companys flexibility and management incentives we could make more efficient financial decisions (Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc., 2010),. 7. Recommendations Geographic expansion Starwood has already a large presence in North America and Europe covering a wide range of properties, from historical palaces to ultra modern and hi-tech hotels. Starwood is now starting to expand in China, India and other Asian countries. Additionally the company should expand its business to Africa and Middle East but certainly should focus on China as it is the rising economy of our days (Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc., 2010). The Chinese, in a few years, are expected to be the largest number of travelers worldwide both for regional and international tourism. It is rational for any company to have strong presence in this country in order to create loyal guests of the future (appendix 15). Affordable Luxury Starwood created new concepts in hospitality a few years ago when introducing the brands aloft and Element. In that way these two new ideas were offered to new target groups of travelers that in the past would have never chosen to stay in a Starwood managed hotel. Element is the eco-friendly brand of the group while aloft is the first hotel company of the group doesnt concentrate on business travelers but focuses on young travelers that dont want to spend large amounts of money but still enjoy staying in a modern, comfortable and hi-tech environment (Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc., 2010). Cost controlling Due to the global unstable economic situation companies and organizations like Starwood should deliberate to reducing their operational costs. This means that hotels should maximize the use of their existing resources and increase their efficiency. To give an example of that (Euromonitor International, 2010). New target groups In the near future Starwood should invest in new hospitality industry segments and new target group of both business and leisure travelers. Generation Y in a few years will have the ability to afford staying in a Starwood hotel. This is the reason why Starwood through the two new brands, element and aloft, should focus on developing them to attract the new generation (Euromonitor International, 2010). Customer experience The key point of success for the existing well-known brands of Starwood is to increase customer satisfaction and make each moment he spends using the services unique. This objective can be achieved from considering customers feedback and trying to adapt to their needs (Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc., 2010). Budget hotel brands A new trend that has been developed the last few years is for hotel chains to adapt low budget hotels. This doesnt mean under any circumstances that the quality standards will be lowered. Only that these specifically brand will provide more affordable services to future hotel guests. Other hospitality chains have recognized the market need for more inexpensive hotels and have already launched their budget hotels (Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc., 2010). 8. References About.com. (2010). Interest Coverage Ratio. Retrieved September 13, 2010, from beginnersinvest.about.com: http://beginnersinvest.about.com/od/incomestatementanalysis/a/interest-coverage-ratio.htm Ashpfoundation. (2009). SWOT Analysis. Retrieved September 21, 2010, from www.ashpfoundation.org: http://www.google.ch/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ashpfoundation.org/leadershiptoolkit/swot-analysis-sm.jpgimgrefurl=http://proiecte4.parvezbd.com/swot-de-starbucks.htmlusg=__6eEJug33fGnGxWj8RZmFQl5hfjg=h=371w=368sz=79hl=destart=0zoom=1tbnid=ui8SJD5s Credit Card Offers IQ. (2008). New Changes To The Starwood Amex Card. Retrieved September 21, 2010, from creditcardoffersiq.com: http://creditcardoffersiq.com/credit-card-news/new-changes-to-the-starwood-amex-card/ Euromonitor International. (2010). Starwood Hotel Resorts Worldwide Inc in Travel and Tourism World. Retrieved September 11, 2010, from www.portal.euromonitor.com: http://www.portal.euromonitor.com/Portal/ResultsList.aspx GuruFocus.com. (2010). HOT Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide Inc. ($47.45) . Retrieved August 27, 2010, from www.gurufocus.com: http://www.gurufocus.com/financials.php?symbol=HOT# Higgins, R. C. (2009). Analysis for Financial Management. New York: The McGraw- Hill Companies. Investopedia ULC. (2010). Fixed-Asset Turnover Ratio. Retrieved September 11, 2010, from www.investopedia.com: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/fixed-asset-turnover.asp Investopedia ULC. (2010). Gross Margin. Retrieved August 11, 2010, from www.investopedia.com: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/grossmargin.asp Investopedia ULC. (2010). Net Margin. Retrieved August 11, 2010, from www.investopedia.com: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/n/net_margin.asp Investopedia ULC. (2010). Return On Assets ROA. Retrieved September 11, 2010, from www.investopedia.com: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/returnonassets.asp Investopedia ULC. (2010). Return On Invested Capital ROIC. Retrieved September 11, 2010, from www.investopedia.com: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/returnoninvestmentcapital.asp Miles, D. P. (2009). Hotel Reward Programs: Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG). Retrieved September 21, 2010, from pointsmilesandmartinis.blogspot.com: http://pointsmilesandmartinis.blogspot.com/2009/06/hotel-reward-programs-starwood.html Palepu, K. G., Healy, P. M., Bernard, V. L., Peek, E. (2007). BUSINESS ANALYSIS AND VALUATION. London: Thomsom Learning. Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (2010). Company Overview. Retrieved September 9, 2010, from www.starwoodhotels.com: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/corporate/company_info.html Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (2010). Company Values. Retrieved September 9, 2010, from www.starwoodhotels.com: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/corporate/company_values.html Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (2010). Development Support. Retrieved September 8, 2010, from development.starwoodhotels.com: http://development.starwoodhotels.com/development_support/ Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (2010). Sales Marketing. Retrieved September 10, 2010, from development.starwoodhotels.com: http://development.starwoodhotels.com/sales_marketing/ Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (2010). The beauty of Starwood is the beauty of choice. Retrieved September 8, 2010, from development.starwoodhotels.com: http://development.starwoodhotels.com/brands/ Valane, J. (2009). Starwood Hotels Resorts: Fairly Valued At Current Price. Retrieved September 21, 2010, from seekingalpha.com: http://seekingalpha.com/article/35371-starwood-hotels-resorts-fairly-valued-at-current-price

Hounds Of The Baskerville :: essays research papers

The Hound of the Baskervilles Sir Aurthur Conan Doyle   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One night Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson came back to there office and found a walking cane. After finding this walking cane Holmes and Watson examined and made hypothesis of who could have left this walking canes here. After making a conclusion Dr. Mortimer came in the office with a case of homicide on Sir Charles Baskerville who had died that week. Dr. Mortimer explains what had happened to his friend. Dr. Mortimer thought that even though it was a clean death he thinks there is some foul play. Holmes and Watson decide to take the case. Afterwards Dr. Mortimer and Sir Henry Baskerville go back to the hotel. When they leave Holmes and Watson decide to follow them. Holmes and Watson discover that there is someone following Sir Henry and Dr. Mortimer. When they return to the hotel they discover a note that is telling Sir Henry to stay off the moor. When Holmes and Watson go to see Sir Henry for breakfast when Sir Henry tells Holmes that he was missing a boot he had bought the day before. After he observes the threat of the death and sends Dr. Watson down with Sir Henry to the moor. After a slow week Watson observes that Ms. Stapleton saying to go back to London to Watson. Watson puts that into his first memo to Holmes. In his second Memo he had put in that there was a convict on the moor. Also during that memo he mentioned that he heard the howl of a strange animal. He also adds the description of all the suspects. One night they follow Barrymore into a room where he has a candle up against the window. Watson found out that the convict on the moor is Mrs. Barrymore’s brother and they were feeding him. Watson and Sir Henry decided to go catch the convict that night. That night they chase the convict to run from the moor when they see a shadow of a man in shape somewhat like Holmes. Later that week Barrymore gives Watson some critical evidence of who could have killed Sir Charles. Barrymore gives Watson an end of a burnt letter with the initials L.L. The next day Watson goes to everyone in the moor who has the initials of L.L. He finds out it was Laura Lyo ns and goes to her the next day.

Polymerase Chain Reaction Lab :: essays research papers

Title: Polymerase Chain Reaction Simulation Propose: The propose of this lab was to understand how by running a gel electrophoresis on a batch of DNA we are able to see how many approximately cycles it has gone through. Methods: Casting the Agarose Gel In this experiment .8% solution was used. By using a 250ml flask the buffer solution was prepared. Using the equation to make enough solution for the entire lab class the equation had to be multiplied by four. The contents of this equation were added to the 250ml flask and swirled to evenly distribute it contents. Then a mark was placed on the outside of the flask to indicate the level of the solution before heating. The flask opening had perafilm placed over it so that there was little to no evaporation. The solution was then placed in the microwave and heated. The solution was then heated for one min and swirled for evenly dissolved Agarose. The Agarose was then cooled, so that it was not to hot and the plate would crack. Some water was added to the solution because of there was some evaporation during heating. Once the gel had cooled, it was poured into the plate between the rubber dams. The plate was filled about half way up the comb arms. These d ams are placed in the plate to prevent leaking. Then the gel was added and allowed to completely soiditify, which takes around 20mins. Preparing the Gel for Electrophoresis once the rubber dams have been removed (carefully), the comb was then removed. Then the buffer was made. The buffer was made by using the equation, but also multiplying it by four, for the three lab groups. Then the chambers around the gel plate is filled with the buffer, just enough buffer to cover the gel plate in a very small amount. Then the dyes were loaded to there correct wells. Once the gels were added (carefully) the lid was placed on the plate and system was turned on. The system ran for about 10mins. (Hint the system is running when there are bubbles occurring in the buffer solution. Once the gel had been run the exactly gel had been removed from the buffer, placed on tin foil and moisten with a small amount of buffer solution. Then the gel had a DNA Instastain sheet placed on top of it. The sheet was placed on the gel firmly and a beackr and gel casting tray were placed on top of the gel.

HIV/AIDS in the Workplace

  HIV[1] is the virus that causes AIDS[2], an epidemic that is killing working adults in their prime years with no cure in sight.   In fact, AIDS has become the second leading killer of adults in the United States today.The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that approximately fifty percent of people infected with AIDS today are between the ages of 25 and 44 and are currently employed. In Per Austin/Travis County Health and Human Service Department, there were 4,239 documented cases of HIV/AIDS in 2005, and many were in the workforce.AIDS is sweeping across the nation and taking talent from the nations work pool at an alarming rate.   Many employees and employers are unaware of the increasing numbers of their peers that are plagued by this disease because of the lack of education in the workplace.   The effects of insufficient education are and will be costly for all employers in the future years.The stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS yields discrimination in the work environment.   Idle gossip and exclusion are the most prevalent forms of discrimination and often leave those that are infected feeling ostracized from their peers (Dunlap, Mary C, 35).Other forms of discrimination include, firing, unsupported transfers, and lost promotions.   Employees that are subject to these discriminations based on their illness can suffer from a myriad of problems including, low self esteem, hopelessness, and shame.The lack of education in the workplace encourages employees and employers to continue discrimination.   Because people bring their bias and prejudices into the workplace, it has become the job and responsibility of the employer’s human resources team to educate its employees on the topic of HIV and AIDS.Media hype also feeds the beast of discrimination by stereotyping people who are infected by HIV/AIDS and by providing false information about how the disease is transmitted from person to person.Although information in the last two dec ades has come a long way to educate the public, the population is still dumb to many facts about the virus and how it affects them in their daily lives when they come in contact with a person who is infected.The media in the last two decades is redeeming itself by providing truthful information about this disease.   There are many forms of materials from pamphlets, websites, newspaper articles, and public announcements that are now available to business to educate on the epidemic.These materials squash the myths that HIV/AIDS can be contracted through drinking fountains, toilet seats, and shaking hands.   Those employees that do not have access to this type of information, however, still believe the myths and are still discriminatory against infected peers.Discrimination against employees that are infected cost employers money due to work disruption, low productivity, and potential legal problems.   â€Å"Employers need to recognize that there are talented, motivated people l iving with HIV/AIDS who can bring valuable expertise to the workplace-and that current valued employees may contract HIV/AIDS.†(Franzoi, 5)By not recognizing this, employers are setting themselves up for a potentially huge loss.   Employers need to consider the big picture and what this catastrophic illness and the discrimination that comes along with it can mean for their business; because thus far, lawsuits arising from HIV/AIDS is more than any other disease in the history of the nation.They need to consider insurance and health care cost, job accommodations, disability requirements, and confidentially and privacy laws to name a few.  Ã‚   These effects could cost employers money in the long run.There are many laws that now protect employees who are infected with HIV and AIDS, but little is known about these laws and how they affect the working community of those who are infected.The Americans with Disabilities Act â€Å"†¦prohibits employment discrimination on th e basis of disability.†    The Family Medical Leave Act allows for protected, unpaid leave from employment for persons with serious illnesses, including HIV/AIDS for up to twelve weeks in a twelve month period; and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects against discriminatory treatments.Despite the increasing number of laws set up for persons who are infected, education is still needed to reduce legal problems and management errors.â€Å"73% of working Americans surveyed feel that their employers should offer a formal workplace AIDS education initiative.† (Employee) Also, â€Å"75% of American adults view their employer as the most reliable source for unbiased, trustworthy HIV education.† (Brown, 2).The desire for education has been voiced by the working public, so why do employers continue to make policies about HIV and AIDS in the workplace but not take the initiative to develop a formal training program?The Teacher Retiremen t Systems of Texas has a policy in place mandated by the state of Texas called Human Immunodeficiency Virus Services Act (1989).The policy brings awareness that discrimination against people infected with HIV and AIDS will not be tolerated, and the laws that protect them.   This policy is disclosed at the time of hire, but is not reviewed; and a mass email is sent yearly to current employees.When it comes to formal policy most people do not take the time to review the information on their own; therefore, employees are still ignorant to the facts surrounding HIV and AIDS in the workplace.

Personal Marketing Plan Personal Essay

Introduction Upon completion of my undergraduate degree in Aviation Management, I will pursue a career with a major airline. Not only will I realize a life long dream but also it will be a personal accomplishment in an academic road that was often complicated. Ideals may change, values do not and some things just take a little more time to achieve. Situation Analysis *Significant Life Events Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona solidified my passion for a career in aviation. Ivy League it isn’t but it can be classified as the Harvard of the Skies for all practical purposes. That letter of acceptance provided me the validation I needed and the assurance that those with aviation expertise thought I â€Å"had what it took†. For the next three years I lived with people that shared the same aviation zest and passion that I do, the drive to succeed, to be the best that you can but learned that your attitude is what will get you places and skills can always be learned. When I was in middle school I underwent surgery for a â€Å"suspicious tumor† that had developed on my arm. Although day surgery provided me an opportunity to miss school for the day and a few days of sympathy from my family it wasn’t until my follow up visit with the surgeon that I realized the seriousness of the situation. When Dr. Coletta asked me if I had any concerns now that he had removed the â€Å"mass† I expressed my disappointment with the scar he’d left. Politely he answered that I at least had an arm to  be scarred because he truly felt that the mass was malignant and amputation was a consideration preoperatively. How inconsequential a scar was when faced with the loss of a limb. What is that saying about not sweating the  small stuff? I was born on August 15, 1978 and my grandfather died August 15, 1975. Although this happened 3 years before my birth it was an event that has held significance for me none the less. â€Å"VaVoo† was an immigrant and working class who labored 12 hour days in road construction so his children could have a better life. Though uneducated he believed in a college education, doing the best you could for anyone that employed you and strong values. I have cherished his qualities my entire life. *Accomplishments Earning a varsity letter for high school track taught me the value of team work and tolerance. Certainly there was personal accomplishment in my individual achievements but I opened myself up to a whole new range of rewards that I had never given much credence to before. It gave me a new outlook on the value of how much more we could accomplish as a group and the true recognition was in our school’s accomplishments and not Kevin Osborn’s. On Friday, November 13, 1998 I attained my private pilot’s certificate, another of life’s milestones. Every day at Embry Riddle I worked harder to advance my goal no matter how small it was. I had set my expectations high and with perseverance and hard work I realized personal success. I received the Presidential Award for Innovation as an instructor for College Success 101. This all started as an opportunity to earn some extra money before the term started and an  inflated ego that convinced me that it was a â€Å"no brainer†. After all, how difficult can it be to teach 20 new freshmen? My budget was lean and I looked through a new lens to view challenging situations, problems and tasks. I created an environment and style that invited participation from my students and a culture in which fun and humor were part of the normal day  and we all learned something when the final bell rang. *Dissapointments In my junior year at Embry Riddle I became ill and was forced to adjust my career path and my life. Flying jumbo jets wasn’t going to happen, I needed to come home to Florida to be closer to my support systems and eventually enroll in another university to complete my education. I learned how fragile life really is and that we really don’t know what life has in store for us. We can plan and prepare but when faced with change we have to make the best of things and move along. The past is gone forever and my life is today and now. *Interest Inventory MostLeast ManagingWriting AdministratingSelling ExploringFinance Innovating Training Counseling *Strengths Osborn 4 Professionalism Strong interpersonal communication skills and courtesy Adaptability to change Driven to succeed Positive attitude and motivation Self management Strong values Perform at my highest level and do my best. Team work Tolerance Perseverance and hard work Goal oriented Innovation *Weaknesses Financial aptitude Writing Selling products, cross selling *Opportunities Although the airline industry is in the business to transport people from one  place to another they could not function without those who keep the airplanes operating on schedule. The airline industry has become the major provider of public transportation for Americans traveling between the nation’s cities. Scheduled airlines now account for 92%  of public passenger intercity travel. The outlook for the airline industry is good and continued growth is likely. Airline jobs are located in every city that airlines serve and even in a few they do not serve. Of course, the larger the city, the greater the variety of job opportunities. Morale is generally high among employees and jobs with the airlines carries an aura of prestige and reflects the vitality of technological progress. A non-flight opportunity of interest is that of a flight dispatcher. In cooperation with the pilot, the dispatcher furnishes a flight plan that enables the aircraft to arrive at its destination on schedule with its maximum payload and the least operating cost. The flight dispatcher considers en route and destination weather, winds aloft, alternate destinations, fuel required, altitudes and traffic flow. The dispatcher’s signature, along with that of the pilot, releases the aircraft for flight. The dispatcher must be familiar with navigation facilities over airline routes and must ride periodically in the cockpit with the crew to observe routes, conditions and airports (avjobs.com). *Threats The deregulation of the airline industry, which began in the mid 1970’s, greatly changed the ways the airlines operated. Overall the result has been an expansion of the airline industry and a surge in hiring in most job categories. However, there is a down side: the industry has become less stable. Airlines have merged; others have gone out of business entirely, causing a dislocation of employees. â€Å"The economic health of the airlines,  however, is directly related to the economic strength of the country as a whole, as well as to outside influences such as the cost of fuel† (Freiberg 72). Objective Ten years into my career in aviation I hope to be an airline manager with British Airways at Heathrow Airport. My duties will be administrative dealing with station operations, passenger aspects, ground service, equipment, fueling and all facets of running the station. Other responsibilities will include reviewing operating statistics from the previous day, budget items, and meetings to discuss operational issues. An airline manager in this environment could command a $70,000 annual salary. Some of the characteristics I posses for success in this type of job relate to motivation and self- management. Number one is goal oriented and secondly is time management. You need to be open minded, capable of analyzing, evaluating and implementing. Since I enjoy a challenge I would welcome promotional opportunities. Target Market An entry level, post graduation position, will probably be that of a station manager for a small airline. Responsibilities will include responsibility for all flight and ground operations such as aircraft handling, passenger services, and air cargo operations. Selling tickets, checking baggage, preparing passengers and manifests, operating teletypes and computer terminals may also be included in the job duties. Aviation industries of interest include the Federal Aviation Administration, Airlines and Airports, all who require skilled professionals an aviation-related field that present career challenges. â€Å"The FAA operates the world’s biggest and safest aviation system with  responsibility for the licensing and certification of aircraft and pilots, for the security of  airports, and for the around-the-clock operation of the nation’s air traffic control system† (FAA.gov). Airports are gateways to the cities and countries they serve and provide a variety of jobs locally and nationwide contributing billions to the national economy. Although a career with a large international airport would be the most desirous employment with Boca Aviation would be an acceptable entry- level opportunity. The airlines provide job opportunities in every city they serve with the greater variety of job opportunities in the larger cities. â€Å"The largest concentrations of airline career opportunities are in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Atlanta and Boston: (). Foreign airlines flying into the United States hire Americans to handle their passenger and air cargo business, an opportunity that cannot be overlooked.