Revolutions in the West Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Revolutions in the West - Assignment Example With reference to Singer’s views, this paper aims to critically analyze and give views as to what can be termed ethical and justified with regard to such questions. In the process of establishing whether we should give aid or not to the poor, some people feel that giving aid helps only in increasing the number of people in the world. The end result is that more people end up in poverty (Dower, 1991). This argument seems a selfish one as the proponents view it as an increase in the global ecological catastrophes. When looked at empirically, then it would emerge that once basic developments are achieved in an individual’s life, population growth slows down (Dower, 1991). As well, being that global ecological dangers are connected to underdevelopment issues, affluence remains the only thing to be addressed (Dower, 1991). Whether this view would hold water with respect to giving aid to poorer countries and people, an analysis of Singer’s views would be critical. The question of whether wealthy people in affluent countries have a moral duty or not to help poor people in developing countries is a debate that Singer responds to by saying that we have an obligation to assist (Singer 172, 239). Considering the example he gives concerning a baby trapped in a pond, his premise and conclusion stand out both controversial and uncontroversial. A better analysis of whether this conclusion holds water or not shows starts by first examining the point of view that Singer gives (Singer 172, 239). Singer argues that if it is in our power to prevent something bad from happening, we should go ahead and do so by sacrificing anything of comparable moral significance. This is one view that would win the opinion of consequentialists and on the other hand repel those of nonconsequatentialists (Singer 172, 240). In his view, the conclusion he has can in a large way

Effects of Technology on the Hr Function Essay Example for Free

Effects of Technology on the Hr Function Essay Critically analyse the ways in which the increasing application of technology at work have an effect upon the HR function. The use of technology within HRM has grown considerably within recent years with the majority of large organisations now using technology of some form within their HR function (CIPD, 2005). As HR becomes increasingly reliant on technology it is important to assess its effect upon the HR function. Firstly, consideration will be given to definition of terms along with a description of the uses of technology within the HR function. Next the change in the structure of the HR profession that has developed alongside the emerging and growing use of technology will be addressed. The goals of the use of technology which have been afforded a significant amount of attention within the literature will then be outlined along with consideration of the realisation of these goals. In addition, the effect of shared service centres, which make significant use of technology, upon the role of HR practitioners will be addressed in conjunction with the views of HR practitioners themselves. Whilst little attention has been given to the situating of the use of technology in HR within a wider sociological perspective in the academic literature, an attempt will be made to consider the effect of technology upon HR within such a debate. Finally, conclusions will be drawn as to the impact of the use of technology upon the HR function. It is firstly important to consider what is meant by the use of technology within the HR function. The term e-HRM is frequently used to refer to the use of technology within the HR function. The use of e-HRM varies enormously within organisations and may be used for different purposes (Parry et al. 2007). The term Human Resource Information System (HRIS) is also used to refer to any system that helps an organisation to â€Å"acquire, store, manipulate, analyse, retrieve and distribute information about an organisation’s human resources† (Tannenbaum, 1990, p.28). However, the use of technology within HR is broader than the use of HRIS and may encompass manager and employee self-service, the use of staff intranets and e-enabled processes such and recruitment and performance management amongst others (Reilly, 2012). It is acknowledged that some current research focuses on the more recent developments in web-based technology, collectively referred to as social media technologies or Web 2.0 (see Reddington, 2012). However, the use of Web 2.0 is outwith the focus of this discussion. HRIS was originally used for standardising the gathering of information about and for employees (Kovach et al. 2002). However, the use of HRIS has subsequently developed and is now used more broadly for purposes such as recruitment and selection, learning and development, administration of flexible benefits and performance appraisal (Grensing-Pophal, 2001) or to manage HR and employee information across the whole employment cycle (Parry et al. 2007). Technology has also been increasingly associated with supporting integrated call centres, shared service centres and the use of manager and employee self-service (CIPD, 2007). There is a great emphasis in the literature about the potential goals of e-HRM (Marler, 2009; Ruel, Bondarouk and Looise, 2004). However, there has been less emphasis on whether these goals have been realised in reality (Parry and Tyson, 2011; Strohmeier, 2007). Alongside the development and increasing use of technology is the development and changing role of the HR function itself. Traditionally the HR function has been seen as being a largely administrative function, focussed on administrative processes such as the maintenance of employee and payroll records (CIPD, 2007). It would appear that in its search for identity and the resulting proposed need for transformation of the function (Ulrich, 1997), HR has made use of technology to attempt to facilitate this transformation (Shirvastava and Shaw, 2003). Ulrich (1997) has argued that HRM should become a strategic business partner, in addition to performing roles as administrative expert, change agent and employee champion. It has been suggested that the use of technology within the HR function may create the opportunity for HR to become more strategic by freeing up time through the automation of many administrative tasks (Parry et al. 2007). The provision of accurate and detailed information available through the use of HRIS could also enable HR practitioners to engage in a more strategic role as such data could be used to inform managerial decisions. The move to new service delivery models of HR and the development of technology can be seen as interdependent as without increasingly sophisticated technology the various elements of HR service delivery may not be as effective (Reddington, 2012). Drivers for introduction of technology can be described as being operational, relational or transformational (Kettley and O’ Reilly, 2003; Snell, Stueber and Lepak, 2002) Operational goals can be described as having a focus on reducing the administrative burden of HR and cost effectiveness, whilst enhancing the accuracy of data; relational goals relate to improving services for internal customers due to reported low levels of satisfaction with the HR function (Kyprianou, 2008) and transformational goals address the strategic aims of the business (Lepak and Snell, 1998; Martin et al. 2008). These drivers of e-HRM can be seen as addressing either transactional or transformational goals (Martin et al. 2008). Transactional goals relate to operational efficiencies or improved service delivery. There is talk of liberating HR through technology (Shirvastava and Shaw 2003) although this strong statement is qualified by the requirement that it informates as opposed to automates HR proc esses. The distinction between automating and informating is made by Zuboff (1988) whereby automating relates to increasing efficiency through computerising work processes and procedures with decreasing dependence on human skills. In contrast, informating refers to increasing effectiveness through acquiring information by using information technology and using that information to create new knowledge. Automating could be seen as relating to addressing operational goals whereas informating could potentially address the relational and transformational goals through provision of information to inform decisions and strategy. Despite the attention to the promise of technology in transforming the HR function, much less attention has been given to the impact of technology on the HR function and whether or not the highly prized strategic orientation of HR has been achieved (Lepak and Snell, 1998, Shrivastava and Shaw, 2003). Studies that relate to whether e-HRM is achieving its operational goals provide some mixed results (Strohmeier, 2007). In practice it would appear that HRIS is having a slightly better (but not statistically significant) impact in areas of information processing, for example improving the speed that information is available and the quality of the information available than in economic terms, such as reducing headcount, lowering operational costs and improving productivity and profitability (CIPD, 2005). However, within this survey, in a third of cases the reduction in administrative burden was less than was to be expected. Stronger support for the operational impact of e-HRM comes from analysis of 10 case studies by Parry et al. (2007) which showed that technology can lead to faster and more efficient processes, greater accuracy and consistency as well as a reduction in costs. A number of other studies also provide some evidence of the impact of technology on operational efficiency ( Marler, 2009; Ruel, Bondarouk and Looise, 2004; Ruta, 2005). However, it may be that some caution needs to be exercised in drawing conclusions on the impact of e-HRM in this area as it may be that the efficiencies achieved within the HR function are simply moved elsewhere within the organisation as the responsibility for some tasks is moved from HR to line managers or employees (Ruel, Bondarouk and Looise, 2004). There is some positive evidence for the relational impact of e-HRM, notably improvements in HR service delivery achieved through the increased accuracy of data or by simplification of processes (Gardener, Lepak and Bartol, 2003). However, the relational impact of e-HRM appears to have been granted little attention in the literature (Strohmeir, 2007). Whether technology has led to a transformational impact on the HR function appears even less clear than the impact it has had on transactional processes. Despite the identification by many organisations of transformational drivers being important in the adoption of e-HR (Watson Wyatt, 2002; Yeung and Brockbank, 1995) it would seem that the issue of whether e-HRM supports a transformation of the HR function into a strategic business partner is only â€Å"parenthetically addressed† (Strohmeir, 2007, p.28). Indeed, Bondarouk and Ruel (2009, p.508) state â€Å"organisations are definitely silent about whether their HR departments become more strategic with e-HRM†. Where evidence is presented it is contradictory in nature. It would seem that in some cases technology has not led to a more strategic orientation of the HR function and has been used mainly for automating operational processes (Burbach and Dundon, 2005; Dery, Grant and Wiblen, 2009; Kinnie and Arthurs, 1993; Tansley et al. 2001). Indeed, Broderick and Boudreau (1992) found that most organisations have only used technology to support a narrow range of administrativ e decisions, resulting in efficiencies in managing information but that the potential competitive advantage of technology has not been exploited. In contrast, other studies have offered some evidence that e-HRM has supported the strategic integration of HR with business strategy (Olivas-Lujan, Ramirez and Zapata-Cantu, 2007; Ruel, Bondarouk and Looise, 2004; Teo, Soon and Fedric, 2001) More recent research has provided some anecdotal evidence for a move towards a more strategic role (Parry and Tyson, 2011) although the evidence supporting the transformational impact compared with the operational and relational appeared to be the weakest. It would appear that there is far greater attention in the literature to the potential for e-HRM to have an impact in the three areas outlined above than there is accorded to the actual outcomes (Shrivastava and Shaw, 2003; Strohmeir, 2007). The reorganisation of the HR function and the introduction of shared service centres appears to have had an impact on numbers of on-site HR staff and a reduction in the number of HR staff to employees (Francis and Keegan, 2006). The operation of such shared service centres relies on technology that is characterised by formalisation, routinisation and centralisation resulting in an impact on staffing of such centres, which require specialised but generally low level HR administrators (Martin and Reddington, 2009). Research that addresses the issue of how HR practitioners have viewed the increasing use of technology appears to be limited to date. There is evidence that some practitioners may view the use of technology and an associated increase in the use of shared service centres cautiously because it has resulted in a reduction of face-to-face relationships, which is often the reason individuals cite for choosing a career in HR (Francis and Keegan, 2006). Martin and Reddington (2009) suggest that the significant role of technology within shared service centres will lead to a lowering of the status of those employed in such environments especially when compared to the status of HR business partners. It is arg ued that there is a risk of deskilling within the administrative function of HR and that staff may be confined to more routine tasks where they had previously had a wider role (Reilly, 2000). It is also suggested that within shared service centres different skills may be required and staff may be employed who have customer service skills but who do not necessarily have a background in HR as technical knowledge can be learned whereas the right attitudes may be harder to learn (Parry et al. 2007; Reilly, 2000). In addition to this, there is evidence that suggests that there a perception amongst HR practitioners of an increasing distance between those at the top and bottom of the career ladder and that people from outwith the HR function are â€Å"parachuting† into the top jobs (Francis and Keegan, 2006). This effect could possibly be explained by the requirement of new areas of expertise, such as technical, consultancy and project management skills (Parry and Tyson, 2011), which may require developing within HR practitioners and could possibly result in recruiting from outside the profession. Indeed a number of reports emphasise the skills of HR staff as a significant barrier to transformation of the HR function (see Reilly, 2012). The debate on the use of technology within HRM can also be situated within a wider sociological perspective. Whilst the sociological literature appears to focus mainly on the use of technology within manufacturing environments or of computerisation in general as opposed to within the HR function an attempt to situate the effect of technology upon HR could be made in terms of attempting to assess the effect upon the organisation of the function and the impact on the level of skills required. The attempts to understand the impact of technology upon the organisation of work have resulted in divergent views. The debate focuses mainly on two opposing views. The managerialist and essentially optimistic perspective associated with writers such as Blauner (1964) argues that the application of technology will render obsolete routine and more manual jobs and create more skilled and complex opportunities resulting in an overall effect of â€Å"upskilling†, along with organisations characterised by decentralised structures, reduction in hierarchy, increased worker autonomy and a prevalence of knowledge workers (for example, Attewell, 1992; Piore and Sabel, 1984) Such analysis suggests that in the earlier phases of industrialisation advances in technology tended to reduce skills and devalue work but that more recent technological developments have had the opposite effect. Examination of the increasing use of technology and its impact on skills levels has provided some evidence for a raising of skills levels (Daniel, 1987, Gaillie, 1991) In contrast, labour process theorists have argued that technological changes have a degrading effect on work and result in â€Å"deskilling† of the labour process and reduced worker autonomy, with a centralised, neo-Taylorist form of organisation, with separation of conception from execution (for example, Braverman, 1974; Zimbalist, 1979). The issues of the expansion of non-manual work and the apparent rising skills levels as suggested by formal skills gradings are not inconsistent with the labour process perspective (Gaillie, 1991) who argues that non-manual work has undergone a major transformation, r esulting in work that is increasingly routinized and mechanised (supported by the increase in office automation). From such a perspective non-manual workers are no longer accorded their relatively privileged position and are now accorded a similar level of skills as manual workers. Support for the process of deskilling can be found in many analyses of the effects of computerised technology (Meiksins, 1994) Analysis of the experience of employees within the call centre environment emphasises the process of deskilling (Desai, 2010) which is described by Taylor and Bain (1999, p.109) as a situation of â€Å"an assembly-line in the head†. The impacts of such call centre roles are often high turnover rates and high levels of absence (Ackroyd, Gordon-Dseagu and Fairhurst, 2006) and the effect on employees is outlined by Rose and Wright (2005, pp.156-157): â€Å"low skilled call centre jobs allied with high levels of technological and management controls do not contribute towards employee well-being and satisfaction† This account of the impact of technology resonates with the description above of shared service centres whose result has been the deskilling of the administrative function of HR and the recruitment of those who do not have a background in HR (Martin and Reddington, 2009; Reilly, 2000). However, whilst it could be argued that a labour process perspective accounts for the effects of technology on some aspects of the HR function, it does not address the effect on the function as a whole as it does not appear to account for the strategic end of the spectrum, where it seems that business partner roles are accorded status and prestige along with substantially increased salaries (Francis and Reddington, 2006). The role of business partners cannot easily be reconciled with the notion of deskilling. There has been a tendency to view the classification of either upskilling or deskilling as too simplistic and some writers have moved away from this conceptualisation of work by postulating that instead there is an increasing polarisation of the workforce in terms of skill level with at one end, highly skilled workers with high levels of autonomy and at the other end a lower skilled sector characterised by an intensification of work through deskilling and management control (Edw ards, 1979), who can be dispensed if surplus to requirements (Berger and Piore, 1981). This polarisation of the workplace appears to be a better reflection of the changing HR function with the autonomous business partner role, with the accompanying perception of a high level of skill and status at one end of the spectrum and at the opposite end, the shared service centre roles characterised by routine and deskilling. In relation to professional work, there is some argument that professionals have not been adversely affected by computerisation and continue to be accorded high status and prestige (Friedson, 1984, 1986). In contrast, it is argued that technology may have differing effects on professionals, depending on the relative status of the profession and on the status of individuals within the profession (Burris, 1998). It is argued that alongside polarisation of the workplace, there tends to be poorer career prospects for non-expert workers (Baran, 1987; Hodson, 1988) with higher level posts being filled from outwith the organisation (Hodson, 1988; Burris 1983,a,b) This issue within HR is highlighted by Reilly (2000) who suggests that there may be less opportunity for career development if lower level staff do not build the experience that they would gain in more generalist roles in traditional HR functions. As stated earlier, there also appears to be a perception that the higher status business partner roles are at least sometimes being filled not just from outwith the organisation but from outwith the HR profession (Francis and Reddington, 2006). Whilst the issue of the impact of technology upon the HR function appears to have been given little attention within research (Lepak and Snell, 1998; Shrivastava and Shaw, 2003) it would seem that what discussion there has been relates mainly to the promise of technology in transforming the HR function and facilitating a more strategic orientation. The reality of the impact of technology in achieving an impact in operational, relational and transformational areas is much less clear although evidence would suggest that the greatest impact is in achieving operational efficiencies. Alongside the development of the use of technology has been the reorganisation of the HR function. Although there has been little attempt to consider the impact of technology from a sociological perspective, it can be argued that the increasing use of technology, which has been used to support the shared service centre model may be resulting in a deskilling of an element of the HR profession and reducing career development paths for some practitioners. In addition, there appears to be a change in skills viewed as necessary within this function, with a focus on customer service skills as opposed to specialist HR knowledge. In contrast, although the evidence for a transformational impact of technology upon HR is weaker and more contradictory, there would appear to be a perception of a higher status role in the business partner, with accordingly higher remuneration, thus demonstrating a polarisation of the HR function in terms of both skills and status. However, this reorganisation of the HR function and the development of a more strategic orientation, which it is argued can be facilitated by the increasing use of technology, although being seen as having an upskilling effect on those in a more strategic role could be argued as achieving the opposite effect if the result is recruiting from outwith the profession. This could leave HR professionals in a precarious position in terms of career and skill development, which could at least in part be attributed to the effect of technology as without increasingly sophisticated technology the new models of service delivery may not be possible or at least may not be as effective. Whilst, a lack of academic attention to the actual impact of technology on the HR function requires that caution is exercised in drawing conclusions, the tendency to focus on the potential impact of technology could be followed in suggesting that the potential of technology in facilitating the move to a transformation of the HR function may be to tend towards a degradation of the HR profession, with low skilled staff employed in shared service centres and more highly skilled and valued business partners being recruited from outwith the HR profession. However, without significant further research in the area, in particular on the impact of technology and the accompanying change in service delivery models upon the career paths and development opportunities for HR practitioners, this conclusion remains just a potential. References Ackroyd, K., Gordon-Dseagu, V. and Fairhurst, P. (2006) â€Å"Well-being and call centres†, Institute of Employment Studies, Brighton [online]. Available at: http://www.employment-studies.co.uk/pdflibrary/mp69.pdf (Accessed 21st November 2012) Attewell, P. (1992) â€Å"Skill and occupational changes in U.S. manufacturing† in Technology and the future of work, P.S. Adler, New York, Oxford University Press. Baran, B. (1987) â€Å"The technological transformation of white collar work†, in Computer chips and paper clips, vol 2, H. Hartmaan, ed., Washington DC, National Academy Press. Berger, S. and Piore, M. (1981) Dualism and discontinuity in industrial societies, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Blauner, R. (1964) Alienation and freedom, Chicago, IL, University Chicago Press Bondarouk, T.V. and Ruel, H.J.M. (2009) â€Å"Electronic human resource management: challenges in the digital era†, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 20 (3), pp. 505-514. [online]. Available at: http://ezproxy.napier.ac.uk:2343/doi/pdf/10.1080/09585190802707235 (Accessed 10th November 2012) Braverman, H. (1974) Labor and Monopoly Capital, New York, Monthly Review Press Broderick, R. and Boudreau, J.W. (1992) â€Å"Human resource management, information technology and the competitive edge†, Academy of Management Perspectives, 6 (2), pp. 7-17. [online]. Available at: http://ezproxy.napier.ac.uk:2334/docview/210521060/fulltext PDF/13A99A5CA0029773271/6?accountid=16607 (Accessed 21st November 2012) Burbach, R. and Dundon, T. (2005) â€Å"The strategic potential of human resource information systems: Evidence from the Republic of Ireland†, International Employment Relations Review, 11 (1/2), pp. 97-117. [online]. Available at: http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=164472644509297;res=IELBUS (Accessed 21st November 2012) Burris, B.H. (1983a) No room at the top, New York, Praeger Burris, B.H. (1998) â€Å"Computerisation of the workplace†, Annual Review of Sociology, 24, pp. 141-157. [online]. Available at: http://ezproxy.napier.ac.uk:2334/docview/199730349/fulltextPDF/13A94B0278177DBCD7E/8?accountid=16607 (Accessed 10th November 2012) CIPD (2005) People management and technology: progress and potential, London, CIPD. CIPD (2007) HR and Technology: beyond delivery, London, CIPD Daniel, W.W. (1987) Workplace industrial relations and technological change, London, Frances Pinter. Dery, K., Grant, D. and Wiblen, S. (2009) Human resource information systems (HRIS): replacing or enhancing HRM, Paper presented at the 15th World Congress of the International Industrial Relations Association. [online] Available at:http://sydney.edu.au/business/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/72273/IIRA_Dery_et_al_HRIS_Replacing_or_enhancing_HRM_final.pdf (accessed 10th November 2012)

Overview Of The Hotel Industry Tourism Essay

Overview Of The Hotel Industry Tourism Essay The hotel industry is any types or forms of business relating to the provision of accommodation in lodging, food and drinks and various types of other services that are interconnected and which are intended for public service, both of which use the lodging facilities or who simply use the services or the production of certain of the hotel. Hotels offer enormous range of guests services such as banqueting, conference and fitness, sport and facilities, beauty spas, bars, sophisticated restaurant, casinos, night clubs and casinos. The Hotel sector consists of more than 15% of all the people who worked in the hospitality sector. Hotels falls into a number of different categories which includes the glamorous five-star resort international luxury chains, trendy boutiques, country house, conference, leisure or guest houses. Many are owner run which offer personalised service to guests. This very dynamic sector offers good quality accommodation, great variety of food and beverage, together with other services for all types of customers. With offering every kind of accommodation catering for every type of taste, the hotel sector is undeniably constantly growing and evolving, while refining its offering, improving its experience and creating new products to serve and satisfy customer on a local and global level. The hotel sector is always striving to offer excellent customer service throughout its operations. History of the Hotel Industry The history of the hospitality industry dates all the way back to the Colonial Period in the late 1700s. The hotel industry has been the subject of important development and growth over the years as it has faced World Wars, The Depression and various social changes. However, the hotel industry as seen today takes form in the early 1950s and 60s, leading the way for growth in to the dynamic industry. This had led to more and more people traveling not only for business but also for leisure reasons, leading to the development which can be seen nowadays. The idea of renting an accommodation to visitors appeared since ancient times, and the modern concept of a hotel as we know derives from 1794, when the  City Hotel opened in New York City; the City Hotel was claimed to be the first building designed exclusively to  hotel operations. The City hotel back then possessed 73 rooms and offered different types of service. Similar operations soon appeared in such nearby cities as Baltimore, Boston in 1809 and Philadelphia.   The  industrial revolution, which started in the 1760s, facilitated the construction of hotels everywhere, in mainland Europe, in England and in America. The advent of new ways of transportations, hotels and resorts outside of major cities were built in the countryside and began promoting their scenery and other attractions. The concept of the vacation was developed and available to more and more of the population. In the 1920s, hotel building entered a boom phase and many famous hotels were opened, From there a surge of hotels flooded American and the rest of the world with prominent names such as Radisson, Marriot, Hilton and more others. Organisations representing hotels worldwide The growth and expansion of the Tourism industry all over the world have been beyond expectation, whereby this have generated billions for recipient countries, hence making the tourism industry one of the most successful sector in international trade in services, while being for some economies their major exports. However, the hotel industry is a very dynamic sector which often faced economically difficult times reason why there has been the creation of several world organisations to monitor progress, promote and developed sustainable tourism in the hotel industry. The following are some of the world leading organisations representing the tourism and travel, and hotel industry throughout the world: i) World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) The (UNWTO) is one of the United Nations agencies, which is accountable for the advancement of responsible and sustainable tourism. Being the Word leading organization in the tourism sector, UNWTO promotes tourism as a mean for economic growth, development and environmental sustainability and offers the monitoring and assistance to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide. The UNWTO also encourages the implementation of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, to maximize tourisms socio-economic contribution, and is committed to promoting tourism as a tool in achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which aims is towards poverty alleviation and encouraging sustainable development. Moreover, the UNWTO plays also major roles in creating market knowledge, promotes competitive and sustainable tourism policies and instruments, fosters tourism education and training ii) International Hotel Restaurant Association (IHRA) The  IHRA is an international trade association representing the interests of the  hotel  and  restaurant industries. IHRA members are national hotel and restaurant associations throughout the world, and international and national hotel and restaurant chains representing some 50 brands. Officially recognized by the  United Nations, IHRA monitors international agencies on behalf of the industry, estimated to comprise 300,000 hotels and 8 million restaurants, employs 60 million people and contributes 950 billion USD annually to the global economy. iii) HSMAI Hospitality Sales Marketing Association International The Hospitality Sales Marketing Association International is the largest international association of travel sales and marketing professionals. The association have over 4,000 members from different travel and tourism organisations including hotels, resorts, airlines, cruise lines, car rental agencies, and others in 31 countries worldwide, with the purpose of improving sales and marketing, education and management skills in the hospitality organisations worldwide. iv) The  World Travel Tourism Council  (WTTC) The World Travel Tourism Council is the global authority on the economic and social contribution of Travel Tourism. It promotes sustainable growth for the industry, working with governments and international institutions to create jobs, to drive exports and to generate prosperity. It is the only body representing the private sector in all parts of the Travel Tourism industry worldwide. The WTTC activities attempt to settle the Travel Tourism industrys private and public sector affairs in order to bring forward sustainable change. Growth of Hotel Industry Worldwide . The rise in levels of  income  and standard of living  but also coupled with an increase in  leisure time has been especially beneficial to the tourism industry. The advent of  technological progress particularly through higher capacity cruise ships and aircrafts,  computerized reservation systems, better road transport facilities have played key roles in the global growth of hotel industry. Moreover, enhanced productivity have been favourable to the industry by helping to cut costs and making travel and tourism products more affordable without ignoring the fact that travel and tourism is now more  safe and secure  despite the terrorist attack which threatens the industry. As competition in the industry increases worldwide, the customers have reap great benefits in terms of   lower prices  coupled from a wider choice  as the organizations have to  differentiate their products  from the crowd to appeal to specific market segments but also strive to enhance the quality of their services.   More and more innovative approaches to marketing and promotion and creation  of new products are pulling the demand to the destinations. The  governments as a facilitator, fund provider and legislator  have also had played its part on the development of the industry.   New consumer needs and attitudes  have also fuelled the growth of specific segments for instance ecotourism is booming. One other factor but not the least is the increased  level of economic activity  which has led to an increase in business travel and also the growing trend of international mobility. Despite global economic challenges, hotel developments continue to progress, with new rooms injected into global supply by both independent hotels and group. Statistics According to the UN World Tourism Organisation, the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide was at only 25 million in 1950 is now set to reach 1 billion in 2012 and 1.8 billion by 2020 In an update of forecasts made at the beginning of the year, the World Travel Tourism Council (WTTC) predicts growth for the Travel Tourism globally of 2.7%, only slightly downgraded from the 2.8% that was expected for the industry at the beginning of the year. The main reasons for the adverse trends are that WTTC expects world GDP growth to be 2.3% in 2012; down 0.2% from the beginning of the year. The trend for Travel Tourism figures has been positive for the beginning of 2012 and has surpassed expectations from the start of the year. International tourist arrivals have grown 4.9% in the year from January to June, airline passenger traffic is up 6.8%, and hotel occupancy rates are up in many markets. In 2011 Travel Tourism accounted for 255 million jobs globally generating 9 per cent of world GDP while generating billions for host economies; explaining why the sector is a key driver for investment and economic growth. According to statistics from the World Tourism Organization (WTO), in 2008 an estimated 924 million international tourist arrivals, an increase of 1.76% compared to 2007. According to statistics from the World Tourism Organization (WTO), in 2008 international tourist arrivals amounted to 917 million visitors, representing an increase of 1.76% compared to 2007. In 2009, international tourist arrivals fell to 882 million, representing a worldwide decline of 4.4% over 2008. The worldwide destinations recorded a total of 600 million arrivals, International tourist arrivals in the whole world fell by 7% between January and August 2009, but the rate of decline has eased in recent months. These results and recent economic data, confirms UNWTOs initial forecast a 5% decrease in international tourist arrivals during the year 2009. Specifically, the global tourism in 2011 grew by 4.4 per cent, reaching $980 million international tourist arrivals. And the forecast for 2012 has just started, UNWTO expects grow that a somewhat lower rate, but allows to reach 1,000 million international tourists.

Suzuki Samurai :: Car Automobile Marketing Market

Suzuki Samurai In 1985, automobile company Suzuki was entering the American automobile market with the Suzuki Samurai, a lightweight off-road four-wheel drive vehicle. A dilemma that the American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC) was faced with was exactly how to position the Samurai in the American market. There were several options for them to do this, each of which had unique advantages and disadvantages, however only one that would effectively maximize the sales potential for the Samurai. The first option was to position the Samurai as a sport utility vehicle (SUV). The Samurai already had the look of a "mini-jeep", and already had four-wheel drive capabilities. Standing out from all other SUVs, the Samurai was smaller, lighter, and less expensive; suggested retail was about half the price of the average SUV. Leanord Pearstein, CEO of a competing advertising agency, preferred to portray the Samurai as a "tough little cheap Jeep." Those who had already purchased the automobile had also considered buying a Jeep or other sport utility vehicles. In 1985, the sport utility vehicle market was very small. Less than 3% of automobile sales in the United States in 1985 came from SUV sales. Douglas Mazza, who headed the Samurai operation in the US, had a goal to sell 30,000 units within two years, which would exceed all SUV sales in 1984. The second option was to position the Samurai as a compact pickup truck. The market share was two and a half times the compact SUV market. This would make it easier for Suzuki to enter is they positioned the vehicle in this way. In the pickup truck market itself, Japanese trucks sold very well; they accounted for 54% of total compact pickup truck sales. If they wanted to introduce the Samurai as a truck it would be more versatile and less expensive than a subcompact car. Since custom regulations for compact pickup trucks state that there must be a 25% tariff on all trucks imported in to the US, this is ten times the amount the tariff would be for a car. Pearlstein believed that even with the high tariff it would be worth paying in the long run, however this is still a significant cost. Another positioning strategy was to sell the Samurai as a subcompact car. This market was considerably larger than the previously stated markets. Pearlstein suggested that they should market this as an alternative to the "dull" automobile, a compact car with a "cuter" look.

Essay --

Customs and traditions differ from one part of Nepal to another. A conglomeration lies in capital city Kathmandu where cultures are blending to form a national identity. Kathmandu Valley has served as the country’s cultural metropolis since the unification of Nepal in the 18th Century.A prominent factor in a Nepali’s everyday life is religion. Adding color to the lives of Nepalis are festivals the year round which they celebrate with much pomp and joy. Food plays an important role in the celebration of these festivals. Religion: Nepal was declared a secular country by the Parliament on May 18, 2006. Religions practiced in Nepal are: Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Jainism, Sikhism, Bon, ancestor worship and animism. The majority of Nepalis are either Hindus or Buddhism. The two have co-existed in harmony through centuries. Buddha is widely worshipped by both Buddhists and Hindus of Nepal. The five Dhyani Buddhas; Vairochana, Akshobhaya, Rathasambhava, Amitabha and Amoghasiddhi, represent the five basic elements: earth, fire, water, air and ether. Buddhist philosophy conceive...

Incremental and Radical Innovation

In recent years, the importance of innovation in business cannot be emphasized too much. Along with rapid economic development, the cooperation having innovative ability enables them to own a place in this competitive society. In order to achieve the goal of survival, the firms need to understand the different types of innovation from incremental innovation and radical innovation for those firms who guarantee with the product quality, the lower cost and increasing profits.Following this essay, the difference between incremental and radical innovation are the distinctness of change level of technology and the difference of effectiveness. Following this essay, the effectiveness of two different types of innovation and an example of each types would be explanatory. Innovation can be used in invention or improvement of products, production process, organization and staff creativity. According to the change level of technology , there are different types of innovation, one is incremental innovation and the other is radical innovation.Utilizing which types of innovation depends on what kind of conditions does a cooperation faces. Different consequence would be reached while adopting these two types on innovative system. To begin with, the definition of incremental innovation is ‘doing what we do but better' (Tidd, Bessant, 2009, p. 27). It usually bases on improvement or boost the existing technology, products or process for maintaining the competitiveness of specific market. Adopting incremental innovation could results in enormous cost saving through upgrading or improving old products or service. Stamm,2003,p260) . In terms of reduction of inefficiencies and waste, which could benefit company from saving money, resources or time. Also this effectiveness from incremental innovation could benefit not only cooperation, but also customers. For example, a famous US airplane company – American Airlines Incorporated (AA). In 1986, when AA had faced a downtur n trend with profits, they cut a significant cost on their on board meal. (Maynard 2005). Their crew found out that 72% of passengers do not use olive in their salad catering from airplane.The price of salad was included five items, if they change their ingredients of food without olive, it can save $500,000 cost annual year. Since this incremental innovation had reduced the operating cost significantly, increasingly amenities had been cut for less spending such as playing cards, postcards and some toys for children. Although this type of innovation cannot bring new income directly, it does not mean it cannot save a enormous money. Compared with incremental innovation which means doing what we do better, the radical innovation refers to do something different. (Tidd, Bessant, 2009, p. 7) Radical innovation is the revolutionary change in technology or market. To make a breakthrough on the limitation of current technology and production capability , which could strengthen and sustain a firm's leadership in the market. Moreover, a radical innovation could change current competitive condition, creating a new market and making more opportunities for much benefits and profitability . For example a light emitting diode-LED which is a major device in current life. (It would be finished next time) These two different types of innovation are used in different conditions.Incremental innovation is generally a short-term innovation. On the other hand, radical innovation would continue more longer, usually over 10 years, referring to an high risk investment. Furthermore, radical innovation requires ability of high level of technology innovation, which means it need a relative large expense of investment rather than that of incremental innovation. (Ten3 Business e-Coach 2004) To sum up, in this changing commercial environment, each company should keep learning and carrying out knowledge of innovation to achieve their commitments with profits growth.

Domestic Violence Case Study

Field Study: House of Ruth Domestic violence is an issue affecting millions of families. As a result of the increasing incidents of abuse, the number help centers and outreach programs have amplified in urban areas. One of the most influential centers against domestic violence is the House of Ruth. Established in 1977 and located in an urban city area, the House of Ruth offers various services to women and children who are victims of familial violence.Their mission states, â€Å"The House Of Ruth Maryland leads the fight to end violence against women and their children by confronting the attitudes, behaviors and systems that perpetuate it, and by providing victims with the services necessary to rebuild their lives safely and free of fear. Our vision is that one day, every woman in Maryland will be safe in her own home. † (WEBSITE) House of Ruth provides various services to help families â€Å"rebuild their lives†, according to Executive Director Sandi Timmons. Through a iding the public in times of need, House of Ruth fulfills every level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.These needs are embodied by every individual. The first platform involves the physiological needs of a person. It includes physical necessities such as food, water, shelter, etc. House of Ruth provides two types of shelters. The first is an emergency shelter. This accommodation is described as, â€Å"temporary refuge for battered women and their children who are in immediate danger or at risk of homicide. † There are private bedrooms with bathrooms, a dining room, a kitchen, and a living room. Women and children receive the help they need to remove themselves from hostile situations. The length of stay is based on each women’s’ personal needs. The beginning of their stay is directed towards recovery and planning their goals,† says Timmons, â€Å"Women then move into the transitional phase where we partner with local businesses to access starting job s and secure housing. † Therefore, House of Ruth is addressing the physiological needs of the family as well as the second tier of the hierarchy: safety. Needs for safety are met by the family’s desire to protect its members from all types of danger. textbook) A critical resource provided is a 24 hour hotline that is available to all persons facing an emergency. This help line is confidential and connects victims with trained counselors. Along with their crisis intervention training, counselors are able to provide callers with legal referrals and plans for escaping abuse. Women seek to protect their children from being reared within an abusive environment which exemplifies the concept of safety needs. The medical needs of the women and children living in the shelter are also addressed.A health clinic is operated by the School of Nursing at John Hopkins University. House of Ruth also addresses the need for protection in the future, after the shelter. They operate the Mar jorie Cook Domestic Violence Legal Clinic with a staff of numerous attorneys and paralegals. With this service, a prolific amount of women are helped to obtain protective orders, peace orders, divorce decrees, custody of children, and child support (website) House of Ruth provides a safe haven for families and medical attention to those battered.The next stage addressed in pyramid of needs is that of social and belonging. When meaningful relationships have been made, members create a loving and accepting atmosphere (Textbook). Escaping any form abusive relationship is traumatizing and is not discriminatory. As Timmons explains, â€Å"There is no average client. Domestic violence breaks all socioeconomic boundaries. † Women living at House of Ruth are encouraged to develop relationships with other women within the shelter. Creating connections with others who have the same experiences is vital in gaining back the lost familial atmosphere.Dinners are served â€Å"family-styleà ¢â‚¬  to reinforce this concept. Large living rooms are also provided as a gathering place for women to simply enjoy time together; watching television and playing games build a key family strength. The staff of House of Ruth consists of licensed counselors and therapists. Free group therapy sessions provide support in escaping their once isolated lives. In order to capitalize on the counseling resource, women must recognize that they are not alone in their situation (House of Ruth, ). Leaders insist that women expound on their situation and exchange support.The root of their relationships comes from the mutual violence endured. By having relatable experiences, deeper connections are made possible. The unique transition programs offered by House of Ruth propel women into becoming self-sufficient. When asked about their transition program, Sandi Timmons stated, â€Å"By partnering with outside organizations, we are able to provide women with a stepping stone to rebuilding their liv es. Outsourcing helps us find starting jobs for women. † When women are given an opportunity to support themselves instead of their abusers, they are overcome with confidence.The belief of independence is instilled within women when they are able to provide for their families. Transitional housing offers apartments with supported rent to improve a families’ monetary condition. Women must stay a minimum of six months in the confidentially located rooms to ensure every victim’s safety. The stress of constantly struggling to pay for housing is relieved by this resource. Women and children would be frozen within the circular-traditional model of time if transitional services were not provided.Instead of barely meeting the financial demands of housing, women are assisted and able to provide for their family. Eventually, women are able to support themselves without outside assistance. It is evident in all aspects of life that when independence is gained, so is the conf idence in oneself. Self-esteem is built through the transition program; women are able to gain the respect that was lost in their abusive relationship. All of the services provided by House of Ruth help women in having a better chance of reaching the uppermost tier of the hierarchy: self-actualism.Though some critics argue that total self-actualization is impossible, women are given a better opportunity to attempt. Self-actualization is reaching an individual’s full potential and acquiring a sort of self-fulfillment. Psychologist Abraham Maslow describes it as, â€Å"†¦the desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming† (Cherry, ). Though total self-actualism may not be reached, House of Ruth propels women forward to become their own person. An overall happier life is entailed; victims can build their own attitudes.Women may develop personalities and characteristics that were not possible prior to living in the she lter. Creativity, spontaneity, and lack of prejudice are some traits that can be gained. House of Ruth is an extraordinary organization. Their resources provide endless opportunities for women to turn their lives around. Domestic violence takes away a families’ independence and the shelter offers an outlet to restore family strengths: commitment, spiritual well-being, affection, enjoyable time together, stress management, and positive communication (textbook). Those affected by familial abuse have an ccessible treatment facility and escape from aggressive situations. The services provided by House of Ruth are essential in decreasing the numbers of battered women who are left feeling helpless. The availability of each resource allows women to feel as if they always have a place to go. Works Cited (2010). House of Ruth Maryland. House of Ruth Inc. http://www. hruth. org/ Cheery, K. (2011). â€Å"What Is Self Actualization† http://psychology. about. com/od/theoriesofperso nality/a/hierarchyneeds_2. htm Moore, T. J. & Assay, S. (2008). Family Resource Management. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.