Alice Munro, Canadian Short Story Writer

Alice Munro, Canadian Short Story Writer Alice Munro Facts Known for:  short stories; Nobel Laureate in Literature, 2013Occupation:  writerDates:  July 10, 1931 -Also known as: Alice Laidlaw Munro Background, Family: Mother: Ann Clarke Chamney Laidlaw; schoolteacherFather: Robert Eric Laidlaw; fox and turkey farmer, watchman Education: University of Western Ontario, B.A. 1952 Marriage, Children: husband: James Armstrong Munro   (married December 29, 1951; bookstore owner)children:3 daughters: Sheila, Jenny, Andreahusband: Gerald Fremlin (married 1976; geographer) Alice Munro Biography: Born Alice Laidlaw in 1931, Alice loved reading from an early age.   Her father had published a novel, and Alice began writing at age 11, pursuing that passion from that point on. Her parents expected her to grow up to be a farmer’s wife.   Her mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s when Alice was 12. Her first short story sale was in 1950, while she was attending the University of Western Ontario, where she was a journalism major.   She had to support herself through college, including selling her blood to a blood bank. Her early years of marriage were focused on raising her three daughters in Vancouver, where she had moved with husband, James, after their marriage in December, 1951.   She continued writing, mostly privately, publishing a few articles in Canadian magazines. In 1963, the Munros moved to Victoria and opened a bookstore, Munro’s. After their third daughter was born in 1966, Munro began to focus again on her writing, publishing in magazines, with some stories broadcast on radio. Her first collection of short stories, Dance of the Happy Shades, went to print in 1969.   She received the Governor General’s Literary Award for that collection. Her only novel, Lies of Girls and Women, was published in 1971. This book won the Canadian Booksellers Association Book Award. In 1972, Alice and James Munro divorced, and Alice moved back to Ontario.   Her Dance of the Happy Shades saw publication in the United States in 1973, leading to wider recognition of her work. A second collection of stories was published in 1974. In 1976, after reconnecting with college friend Gerald Fremlin, Alice Munro remarried, keeping her first married name for professional reasons. She continued to get recognition and wider publication. After 1977, the New Yorker had first publication rights for her short stories.   She published collections more and more frequently, her work becoming more popular, and often recognized with literary awards.   In 2013, she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Many of her stories have been set in either Ontario or in western Canada, and many deal with the relationships of men and women. Books by Alice Munro: Dance of the Happy Shades, 1969Lies of Girls and Women, 1971   (only novel published)Something Ive Been Meaning to Tell You, 1974Who Do You Think You Are?, 1978The Moons of Jupiter, 1982The Progress of Love, 1986Friend of My Youth, 1990Open Secrets, 1994Selected Stories, 1996 (28 of Munro’s previously published stories, including many of her best known to that point)The Love of a Good Woman, 1998Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage Stories, 2002Runaway: Stories, 2004The View from Castle Rock, 2006Away From Her, 2007Alice Munros Best: Selected Stories, 2008Too Much Happiness: Stories, 2009Courting Johanna, 2009New Selected Stories, 2011Dear Life, 2012 Teleplays: A Trip to the Coast, in To See Ourselves, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), 1973Thanks for the Ride, in To See Ourselves, CBC, 1973.How I Met My Husband, (broadcast in The Plays the Thing, CBC, 1974), Macmillan (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1976.1847: The Irish, in The Newcomers: Inhabiting a New Land, CBC, 1978. Awards Governor-Generals award, 1969, 1978, 1987B.C. Library Association Outstanding Fiction Writers award, 1972Great Lakes Colleges Association award, 1974Province of Ontario Council for the Arts award, 1974Canada-Australia literary prize, 1977National Magazine Awards Foundation Gold Medal award, 1977, 1982Foundation for the Advancement of Canadian Letters and Periodical Distributors of Canada Authors award, 1980Marian Engel award, 1986Canada Council Molson prize, 1991Commonwealth Writers prize (Canada and Caribbean Region), 1991Trillium Book award, 1991Order of Ontario medal, 1994Canada-Australia Literary Prize, 1994Canadian Booksellers Association Author of the Year award, 1995Giller Prize, 1998, 2004D. Litt.: University of Western Ontario, 1976Medal of Honor for Literature, National Arts Club (New York), 2005Lifetime Achievement Award, Vancouver Public Library, 2005

Homeless veterans in the US Essay Example

Homeless veterans in the US Essay Example Homeless veterans in the US Essay Homeless veterans in the US Essay 19-30. Bascetta, C. ( 2005 ) . Homeless veterans. [ Washington, D.C. ] : U.S. Government Accountability Office. Baumohl, J. ( 1996 ) . Homelessness in America. Phoenix, Ariz. : Oryx Press. Jasper, M. ( 2009 ) . Veterans rights and benefits. New York: Oceana. McNamara, R. ( 2008 ) . Homelessness in America. Westport, CT: Praeger. Peterson, M. ( 1987 ) . Homeless Veterans, Continued. PS, 38 ( 7 ) , 774-775. Rosenheck, R. , A ; Koegel, P. ( 1993 ) . Features of Veterans and Nonveterans in Three Samples of Homeless Men. PS, 44 ( 9 ) , 858-863. Sweet, M. ( 1987 ) . Homeless Veterans. PS, 38 ( 1 ) , 78-79. doi:10.1176/ps.38.1.78

Policy advocacy to fight HIV discrimination and stigma Essay

Policy advocacy to fight HIV discrimination and stigma - Essay Example The HIV/AIDS-related stigma refers to the negative attitudes, prejudice or maltreatment that is directed at HIV infected people. Some of the consequences that are brought about by discrimination include being shunned by relatives and general community. It also takes the form of being maltreated in the healthcare, education institution and lack of rights. The stigma may also result in the psychological damage of the concerned individual. With increased development of drugs that could improve the living condition of people living with HIV, research has shown that stigma is still the single most barriers to the policy actions of governments. It is, therefore, necessary to formulate and implement a policy that would reduce the stigma associated with HIV. Stigma is the main reason why people are afraid to go the health institutions to determine if they are infected or not. One may, therefore, suspect that they are infected but would prefer to stay in denial so that he or she may not be pu blicly humiliated. The fear of the social disgrace from both friends and general society makes the HIV become a killer disease despite the availability of retroviral medicines. It is the view of this paper that effective sex and HIV education policy needs to be established to prevent stigma. This would be a more effective way of preventing the devastation of AIDS epidemic in the USA as it would not only increase awareness of the scourge but equip the young people with skills to provide support to the infected and affected.

A Comparative Narrative Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Comparative Narrative - Term Paper Example Both the countries have an open economy. Their relations have enhanced rapidly after the free trade agreement between them, which reduced their existing trade barriers (Berkelmans, Davis, McKibbin & Stoeckel, 2001, pp. 1-112). On the other hand, trade relation between China and the US has been a topic of serious discussion in recent times. Due to sustained growth in economies of both the countries, there has been a considerable enhancement in import and export activities between them (Wang, 2010, pp. 165-210). This paper intends to analyze the present trade or business relations between the countries of China and Australia with the US. Furthermore, the paper would aim to present a comparative analysis with regard to the business relationship between Australia-US and China-US. Discussion Trade is an important aspect for economy of any country. In the modern day context, trade between countries has expanded rapidly primarily owing to the enhanced globalization. In this portion of the p aper, the trade relations of Australia and China with US would be exemplified. Trade Relations of Australia with the US The two nations i.e. Australia and the United stated share a healthy trade relationship. Both the countries share many cultural and traditional values among them. Trade is equally important to both the countries. Approximately 11% of the Australian exports are conducted with the United States. Moreover, the United States is the origin of one-fifth of the imports of Australia (Garnaut, 2002, pp. 123-141). The US is one of the major single investors in Australia. The main source of finance of Australian’s firms is from the US investors. The extent of merchandise and services trade between the two countries is quite positive. It was observed that in the year 1999, the total trade involving the two countries was valued at around US$23.3 billion. 90 % of trade deficit between the two countries is in terms of merchandise and the remaining 10% is of services (Berke lmans, Davis, McKibbin & Stoeckel, 2001, pp. 1-112). Both the countries possess an open economy. To enhance their relation in terms of business, the two countries have undergone a free trade agreement (FTA) to minimize the existing trade barriers between them by a considerable extent. Both the countries have been recognized to be aware of the economic gains that would arise from the agreement. After the agreement both the countries have experienced an increase in welfare (i.e. distinguished by household consumption) and production (i.e. recognized by GDP) due to the reduced barriers. Australian welfare continued to rise from 0.3 percent to 0.5 percent. After the agreement, Australia enjoyed a US$2 billion annual increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) i.e. 0.33 percent increase. Similarly, the US also experienced an increase of US$2.1 billion annually in their GDP i.e. 0.02 percent increase. It can be seen from the GDP scenario that the Australian economy was more benefitted by the trade agreement than the US economy. Overall, there was an optimistic economic gain for both the Australian and the US economy from the trade agreement. The undertaking of the agreement would further increase the trade among the two nations in the future (Berkelmans, Davis, McKibbin, & Stoeckel, 2001, pp. 1-112). Nevertheless, there are certain barriers in relation to trade that prevail among the two nations. For the United States, the trade of dairy, sugar, shipping and commercial vehicles has certain barriers. The barriers to Australian sugar exports generate from high tariff which is almost equal to 80%. There are certain other barriers on trade of cotton, financial and metals services among others that exist for Australian

Mango Medley Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Mango Medley - Essay Example According to Mango Medley’s official website, the business operates between 5:00 P.M. to 12:00A.M weekdays and 12:30 P.M to 12 A.M on weekends. However, it is important to note that the restaurant specializes in Asian cuisine and desserts with much attention in mango delights (Mango Medley). The prices of their dishes vary between $4 and $8 for deserts and $10 to $28 for cuisines. It has been successful in bringing in customers who are keen on their products, and who have less time to socialize during the day but can only find time at late night. Mango Medley has established a standard in the restaurant business in Sun set area owing to the quality of products it serves to its customers through its diverse menu items. The main area of concern of the business is to provide Hong Kong style dessert to local customers living in the surrounding neighborhood especially the young Asian customers, and other customers who may be interested in the cuisines and late night deserts. It purposes to turn the Chinese habitual tradition of gathering around late night to partake their desert into their advantage by opening late into the night. This is not the only target going by the decision to include a diverse menu which takes care of other locals living in the area. Sunset area of San Francisco has a population that has kept on swelling with Asian population more than other races. This explains the reasons why the leadership of the area is being steered by Asians, example being the present mayor. The 2013 estimate report on the census shows that Asians comprises over 33% of the Sun set population translating to over 837,442 people in San Francisco area alone (USCB, 2013,Areavibes & J, 2013). This group’s population is reported to be growing faster relative to other races in the area hence the need to focus on their favorite dish. Other groups are also targeted but not majorly. Chinese especially those coming from Hong Kong, Chengdu or Southern China have a

Significance Of Social Media Of Pepsi Marketing Essay

Significance Of Social Media Of Pepsi Marketing Essay Marketing has always been a challenge for firms since making the company, brand or product appealing to the customer with the intention of increasing sale volume. Companies therefore tend to come up with innovative marketing strategies to gain customers attention. Traditional marketing approaches such as TVCs, printed advertisements, telemarketing etc. have lost their charm due to bombardment of same old marketing techniques. Customers are now fed up of promotional activities and tend to get annoyed due to excessive marketing. Moreover customers are so much aware and knowledgeable now a day thanks to internet that they themselves pick out what marketing activities they need to see and what to block out. Moreover social networking communities on the internet have created the flow of information more dense and fast since positive peer reviews, marketing blogs and number of Likes on a companys page now make up the customer equity of a firm. This is why more companies are moving towards social media marketing as it is a rather inexpensive and easy way to reach a large audience with similar taste. We can say that the proverb Birds of the same feather flock together is the basis of notion for increasing interest in social media marketing. The major reason is that social networking websites have communities in which people loyal to a particular brand or users of a product or any specific taste or activity tend to get involved and interact. This interaction and engagement is what we call as Resonance in the brand resonance model which is the top most stage of brand development (Kevin Lane Keller, 2001). More and more companies are now adopting this strategy to directly communicate with the targeted customers while providing them with exactly what they need. Such marketing strategies also enhance the chances of positive word-of-mouth marketing which is the most influencing marketing strategy we know till now. This report will further determine how different companies im plement this marketing strategy along with the positive and negative aspects associated with this strategy. Pepsi Refresh Project Pepsi is one of the worlds largest companies and a leader in the beverage market with a tough competition from Coca Cola. In fact we can even state that both these companies tend to form a kind of Oligopolistic competition in the market and enjoy large market shares by strategically dividing the worlds region among them. Pepsi is well known for innovative TVCs and tend to spend a huge amount of capital in this marketing strategy. In 2010 however marketers at Pepsi got the idea of utilizing the social media marketing technique for enhancing the brand equity. They played a huge gamble by trading their Super bowl opening ad position with a social campaign worth $20 million. This was a huge risk for Pepsi since they initially did not have a large following on social networking websites like Twitter and facebook in contrast with more than 4 million facebook fans of Coke (Digital Buzz Blog , 2010). However Pepsi launched this marketing campaign in which grants were to be made to an innovat ive idea which impacts the community or environment and gets the highest number of votes on social networking websites namely Twitter and facebook. Pepsi very interestingly combined two marketing techniques in their strategy one was using social media and the other one was marketing for social good. Thus Pepsi was actually looking at mutual benefits and gaining free publicity for this strategy. This technique proved a great success for the firm since the mere number of visitors on their website increased by 800% (Moir, 2010) and their following on Twitter and facebook increased significantly too. Other companies say their success and tried to imitate as well since the successful execution of this viral marketing strategy was as living proof that social media is the future of marketing. Significance of Social Media As stated earlier and in several other sections of this report social media is gaining popularity day by day. According to statistics facebook has more than 800 million active users and 100 million active users of Twitter and growing. Thus we can see that these social networking websites are themselves a huge ground to market the company and create awareness with increased recognition and recall strategies. It is not only the mere number of user but there are several other features which allow the companies to interact with the customers in a rather innovative manner. For example companies can post their pictures, activities, information regarding products and about the company. Moreover the more significant aspect of social media is getting live on spot feedback from the customers. Companies can even measure their brand equity and build it through social media since it allows customers to engage with the company and other customers. Before the emergence of social media concept of co mmunities and brand engagement was not so popular so we can say that this marketing channel has a great impact on marketing strategies of today as well as tomorrow. Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media Marketing Even though social media marketing has gained popularity and companies claim that it has a significant influence on the profit of a company yet the relevance of number of followers on a social networking website with the actual sales is debatable as stated earlier. There are a number of advantages and disadvantages associated with this strategy. We will first look as the advantages Inexpensive marketing strategy as compared to traditional techniques Direct communication channel with the customers Innovative marketing techniques allows sharing the experiences and associations of consumers Ability to reach a large audience without any geographical boundary with no additional cost Encourages customers to engage with the brand community and other customers such creating brand resonance Even with all these advantages on hand there are some disadvantages associated with this marketing technique such as lack of expertise required to handle social media marketing (Sandilands, n.d.). If not executed properly which means updating statuses and posts on at least daily basis then this strategy can only become an additional cost for the company without any positive impact on the revenue. Moreover since social media is based on freedom of speech almost anyone can say anything therefore any negative comments might also trigger negative emotions over a large scale just like positive comments do. In the same way as positive viral marketing is healthy negative viral marketing by a competitors or any regular person may prove to be detrimental for the company. Impact of Social Media Marketing on Pepsi Pepsi gained huge advantage from implementation of this viral marketing strategy. However we might say that the correlation between the popularity of a social media marketing strategy with the actual increase in revenue is still a topic to be debated yet companies find a significant increase in their brand equity after successful implementation of social media marketing techniques such as Pepsi did. As a proof we can see that the number of followers of Pepsis facebook page in 2010 was around 25,000 however as of today the number has leaped to more than 9 million followers. This can be regarded as a huge success (even though it is still far behind Coca Cola with 55 million+ followers) since it is also a fact that only those companies enjoy a large following who have higher customer loyalty which is indirectly judged by the will to engage with the brand. The company tends to promote their brand by posting videos, pictures and updates regarding events organized by Pepsi. They encourage customers to upload their own photos regarding experiences with the product and ask random questions like Who hides their Pepsi in the fridge to connect and relate in a rather informal way with the customers. The company also boasts about the number of Tweets it gets per minute regarding a certain project. This strategy has proved to be quite beneficial for the company since more people following the page means more people talking about the product and more people talking about it means higher engagement with the brand which indirectly enhances the revenues of the company. The Chief Consumer Engagement Officer at Pepsi, Frank Cooper, states that at Pepsi they believe that social relationships are a foundation for the effectiveness of their marketing plan the customers tend to communicate with real life social networks about why they love the product and this word-of-mouth marketing influences revenue and profit (Silverstein, 2010). Social Media Marketing in Other Businesses As states above social media marketing and online presence has become a norm in the business sector. The main reason behind it is the growing number of internet users. People tend to Google products they want and read their specifications and reviews online before making a purchase. Therefore every other firm is adopting social media marketing strategy and integrating it as a formal marketing strategy in their business plans. We will discuss two other business which are implementing this marketing technique and enjoying its benefit. Samsung Samsung has its own page on facebook called Samsung Mobiles USA it is one of the several pages associated with the company. The page currently has more than 21 million users following it which makes this page a huge success. The customers interact with other users of the product, share their experiences, give reviews and even take part in contests arranged by the company. The company also uses this page to advertise the latest releases and informing customers about upcoming products. For example the recent post of Samsung Mobile USAs page is about the innovative features of Galaxy Note II which has around 40,000 Likes. By analyzing the data we can conclude that Samsung also rests on top of the Brand Resonance Model and enjoys great customer engagement thus strengthening its brand equity. Lamborghini Another example is of luxury cars manufacturing company Lamborghini which has official community on facebook and Twitter. The company has around 5 million followers on facebook alone which makes a huge fan following since this company tends to target a niche market. The company uses these social media channels to promote their cars along with additional products such as Lamborghini Original Accessories which lovers of this brand can buy even. The company also uploads videos regarding sneak peeks into the luxury cars and other specifications which might interest the customer. We can see that companies dealing in any business sector from beverages to cars to automobiles tend to utilize social media to communicate with the most precious asset of a company Customers. Impact of Social Media Over the Next Decade A major impact of Social Media over the next decade as stated by Asur, S., Huberman, B. A. (2010) will be that companies may be able to predict the success or failure of an offering without actually launching it. This will be done through social networking websites just like companies are doing right now however statistical models can be applied to check the success rate of a product/service. Moreover marketing gurus state the e-marketing will be the future of marketing since customers are no longer attracted to the traditional marketing techniques. What the customers now need is a rather customized and direct approach through which they are listened as much as companies communicate about themselves. To achieve this target companies will be using social media channels such as facebook and Twitter to form long-term relationships with the customers. We can even say that social media might become the next big thing for advertisement leaving TVCs and print media behind. The main reason is obviously the changing preferences of targeted customers which are mostly Generation X and Y who tend to be more tech savvy and internet users. Even the current statistics of facebook and Twitter show the road ahead as researches state that 55% users of facebook state that they are likely to recommend a brand after becoming its fan and 34% of the marketers have stated to generate their leads through Twitter (Digital Buzz Blog, 2012). With such statistics we can conclude that social media has a bright future ahead and over the next decade who knows we might be teaching the business students 4 Ps of Social Media Marketing Mix. Moreover this marketing channel will cause a paradigm shift a will change the face of marketing as we know it. Old marketing practices will be abolished and considered obsolete. The companies which will not move forwards and adapt this new strategy will be losing on a major competitive edge which companies highly active on social networking websites will gain . Conclusion Since social media marketing has itself become a viral marketing technique it has become a business norm for companies to mark their presence online or else they might be considered lacking in their marketing aspects. However such innovative marketing techniques since totally different from the traditional marketing techniques need to be implemented tactfully. Just like marketers were needed for developing a traditional marketing plan in the same way experts are needed for socializing on the social media with the public and making their pages meaningful, relevant and distinctive for the customer. The marketing campaigns should also include something customers can relate with since it is more like an informal interaction channel with the customer through which companies can communicate about them along with listening to what the customers have to say. This is why companies tend to encourage customers on social networking websites to share their feelings, associations and experiences w ith the product. Such sharing of information creates a healthy and long-term relationship between customer and the company. This marketing strategy allows the companies to disseminate information regarding any upcoming event, product or launch directly to the end user thus eliminating any intermediary cost which was incurred in traditional marketing approach. However as stated earlier that this strategy along with several advantage has some drawbacks to it as well but which strategy doesnt? Even if the pros are contrasted with the cons of social media strategy we will see that its benefits outweigh the disadvantages. Therefore companies who need to build brand equity must get themselves socially involved with the public and build relationships with their customers just like Pepsi did. The proof of success of viral marketing through social media can be seen in numerous examples one of which is the new song Gangnam Style by PSY which gained millions of views in a matter of days thus s ocial media is the next big thing in marketing.

Company of Lovers :: essays research papers

THE COMPANY OF LOVERS: JUDITH WRIGHT Judith Wright’s 1946 poem â€Å"The Company of Lovers† makes a juxtaposition of two essential forces of major impact upon human existence, the effects of love and those of death. Within the poem it can be noted that the two stanzas reflect each of the certain themes. The first, a universal description of love and the ambitions two lovers might have, whilst the second a reflection of how quick all may soon be lost through the loneliness of death. Wright is renown for her use language, and many of her poems contain paradoxes in which the reader is confronted with a phrase completely unrealisable, but effective in portraying the nature of the poem. â€Å"The Company Of Lovers† itself opens with the use of a paradox â€Å"†¦We meet and part now†¦Ã¢â‚¬  instils an image of simultaneous unity and depart, evoking in a sense of temporary cohesion that may soon be lost. This may represent a changing nature of ‘lovers’ and perhaps such a quick meeting and farewell represents the promiscuous nature of some who class themselves as ‘lovers.’ Nonetheless, a different approach is taken as the first stanza introduces ‘the lost company’ which could quite well represent lost ideals or values that once offered what was a company of lovers, which has now become short-term relationships. This emphasis goes on to describe, with passion, the joining of ‘hands together in the night’ of those â€Å"who sought many things, throw all away for this one thing, one only† – love. Such descriptions change, however, as the last lines change in tone, bringing forth a harsh reality, even to those submerged in the unified joys of love with a strategically placed ‘narrow grave’ to emphasise the loneliness of death. Ambiguity can also be noted through the use of many words within the poem, even from the first lines of the title itself. The word ‘company’ has several connotations of which could signify the reader being within the company of lovers, or perhaps lover’s in the company of one another.

Surgical Site Infections

Surgical Site Infections Elizabeth Griffor HCA 375 Continuous Quality Monitoring & Accreditation Instructor: Annajane Schnapp October 27, 2012 I chose to do my paper on the hospital-acquired condition of surgical site infections. In this paper I will discuss what a surgical site infection is, why it is considered preventable, the legal implications related to the patient, the role disclosure plays, accreditation expectations, and analyze the cost of continuous quality monitoring as it relates to quality.Surgical site infections account for 40 % of all hospital-acquired infections ( HAIs) and are unnecessary and largely preventable. Use of antibiotics is fundamental in preventing surgical site infection and includes three core elements: 1. appropriate selection, 2. timing of the first dose, 3. and discontinuation postoperatively. It used to be the standard practice to â€Å"shave and prep† a patient prior to surgery, but a study done in 1992 revealed that surgical site infectio ns were 50% lower in surgery patients whose hair was removed with clippers rather than a razor.One of the most common complaints from surgery patients is being cold in the holding area, operating room, and the post anesthesia care unit ( PACU) . This is uncomfortable and can increase risk of complications; such as surgical site infections. Glucose control is also important as a method for decreasing surgical site infections ( Frances, 2005). Guidelines for preventing surgical site infection are at the preoperative stage, intraoperative stage, and postoperative stage. They are as follows: 1. Preoperative stage: Patient preparation- Identify and treat all infections before surgery; postpone surgery if possible until infection is resolved. * Do not remove hair by the incision site unless it interferes with the operation; use electric clippers immediately before surgery if hair must be removed. * Have patients bathe or shower with an antiseptic the day of the surgery or the night before . * Thoroughly wash and clean at and around the incision site to remove gross contamination. * Keep hospital stays as short as possible to limit the patient’s exposure to nosocomial infections.Antimicrobial prophylaxis- * Work with the physician, pharmacist, and administer a prophylactic antibiotic only if it is indicated; antibiotic chosen should be effective against common pathogens that cause surgical site infections. * I. V. administration of the antibiotic should be timed so it is concentrated when the incision is made. * Do not use Vancomycin for antimicrobial prophylaxis routinely. Surgical team preparation- * Keep fingernails short, no artificial nails; bacteria and fungi can colonize on your hands if you wear artificial nails. Surgical team members who have signs or symptoms of an infectious illness need to promptly report this to their manager and occupational health service personnel. * Surgical team members that have draining skin lesions should be relieved from d uty until infection has been ruled out, they have had therapy, or the infection is gone. * It is also suggested that no hand or arm jewelry be worn, as well as nail polish. 2. Intraoperative stage: Ventilation- * Maintain ventilation in the operating room and maintain a minimum of 15 air changes per hour. Keep the operating door closed as much as possible. * Limit the number of staff entering the operating room. Surfaces and equipment- * Clean surfaces or equipment with hospital disinfectant if they are soiled with blood or body fluids before the next operation. * Do not perform special cleaning or closing of operating room after contaminated or dirty operations. * Sterilize all surgical equipment according to guidelines. * Assemble sterile equipment and solutions just before using them. Surgical attire- * Before entering the operating room, a surgical mask and hood that covers he hair on the face or head must be worn. * Sterile surgical gloves must be worn, putting them on after a sterile gown. * Shoe covers are not necessary for preventing surgical site infections. Vascular access- * Adhere to the rules of asepsis when placing intravascular devices and administering I. V. drugs. 3. Postoperative stage: Incision care- * Use a sterile dressing for 24-48 hours on an incision after surgery. * Wash your hands before and after any contact with the surgical site, even when changing the dressing. Use a sterile technique when changing dressings. * Teach the patient and family about incision care, signs or symptoms of surgical site infection, and when to report any symptoms (Adams, 2001). Following these guidelines can effectively reduce or prevent surgical site infections. Although nothing is 100% full proof, surgical site infections can be reduced and prevented in most situations. If an infection is not present at the time of admission and becomes evident after 48 hours of hospitalization; it is considered to be hospital acquired.Following the above mentioned guidel ines indicates quality health care practices. By using these techniques, surgical site infections will be prevented and reduced resulting in quality care; benefiting both the patient and the hospital. A legal implication related to a patient developing a surgical site infection, results in more cost to the hospital, less profit, and leaves them open to possible lawsuits. Hospital acquired infections affect 1. 7 million hospitalizations, cost $ 8. 1 billion to treat, and lead to 2. 3 million total days of hospitalization.Infections are the fourth most expense in hospitals, costing $ 252,600 per hospital on average, and each afflicted patient requires $ 24,500 more in care on average as a result. Examples of lawsuits filed due to hospital infections are as follows: July 2008, couple awarded $ 2. 58 million after the patient contracted a deadly type of staph infection ( MRSA), resulting in the loss of a kidney, and an amputated leg and foot. November 2008, jury awarded $ 13. 5 million to a woman’s family after she died of an infection aused by flesh-eating bacteria; contracted during cancer treatment. And November 2008, a woman reached a confidential settlement of $ 16 million when a hospital failed to detect a flesh-eating bacteria, before and after she gave birth, resulting in the loss of three limbs and several organs ( Gaffey, 2010). According to the AMA’s code of ethics, it is a requirement that a physician should at all times deal honestly and openly with patients concerning medical errors. Several doctors cite the risk of litigation as grounds for caution when discussing medical errors.Practicing defensive medicine such as ordering more tests or consults has become the norm to avoid malpractice suits. 94% of physicians say they would inform a patient if a mistake was made that caused an injury. Concern regarding legal liability which might result from telling the truth should not affect a physician’s honesty with a patient according to the AMA’s Code of Medical Ethics, however some skeptics maintain that it is easier to brag about virtue, than actually follow it ( Rice,2002).For the most part physicians agree that honesty is the best policy. Many doctors in a survey confessed to errors such as; prescribing the wrong medications, wrong dosage, misinterpreting x-rays, misinterpreting lab reports, etc†¦ One physician stated that being upfront about his mistakes, talking to the family, and apologizing probably avoided a lawsuit. Most doctors agree that it is better to be upfront about a mistake for several reasons, they are: 1. That it always comes out eventually, 2. Dishonesty causes more damage and loses the public’s trust, 3.Honesty decreases the chance of being sued, as well as it is the right thing to do, and 4. They want their patients or family to hear it from them first ( Rice, 2002). Communicating with the patient or family, educating them on the procedure and signs or symptoms to look for can prevent surgical site infections. Being open and honest with the patient and their family when an error occurs can possibly help to avoid a lawsuit. Honesty is always the best policy when providing quality health care.In October 2008, CMS announced that it would no longer pay for hospital-acquired conditions. It is their view that if a hospital has a good standard of practice and multidisciplinary care guidelines that these events should not happen and can easily be prevented. This is not to penalize health care, but to improve the safety of patient care and improve the quality of care by establishing standards of care and protocols. The Joint Commission has also implemented similar reporting and nonpayment initiatives to improve safety and improve the quality of care ( Lisa, 2009).The Joint Commissions new national patient safety goal to prevent surgical site infections includes a requirement to look for surgical site infections for up to 30 days after a procedure. The Center for Disease Control ( CDC) estimates that between 12% and 84% of surgical site infections are found after patients are discharged from the hospital. Joint Commission surveyors will be looking to see if the following protocols are being followed: * Hospital educates health care workers involved in surgical procedures about healthcare –associated infections, surgical site infections, and the importance of prevention. Before all surgical procedures, the hospital educates patients/family about surgical site infection prevention. * Hospital implements policies and practices aimed at reducing surgical site infections. * Hospital conducts periodic risk assessments for surgical site infections. * Measurement strategies follow evidence-based guidelines and surgical site infections are measured for the first 30 days after surgery. * Hospital supplies surgical site infection rate data and prevention outcome to leaders, practitioners, nursing staff, and other clinicians. Antimicrobial ag ents for prophylaxis used for a particular procedure or disease are administered according to standards and guidelines. * Administer I. V. antimicrobial prophylaxis within one hour before incision. * Discontinue the prophylactic antimicrobial agent within 24 hours after surgery. * When hair removal is necessary, use clippers or depilatories ( Hospital Infection Control, 2008). Localized improvement occurs when a team is developed to look at a specific problem; such as the rate of surgical site infections. Organizational learning occurs when this process is ocumented and results in the development of policies that are implemented; such as a protocol for preventing surgical site infections. Process reengineering occurs when a major investment blends internal and external resources to make changes; such as being accredited by the Joint Commission and following their guidelines for prevention of surgical site infections. Evidence-based medicine involves the selection of the best clinica l practices; implementing surgical site infection control guidelines or protocol to reduce cost and increase profit (Sollecito & Johnson, 2013).The most effective strategies for improving health care quality are: clinician-directed audit and feedback, clinical decision support systems, specialty outreach programmes, continuing professional education based on interactive small-group case discussions, and patient-mediated clinician reminders. Pay-for-performance strategies directed to clinician groups and organizational process redesign are modestly effective ( Scott, 2009). In my opinion using the organizational learning strategy would generate the best outcome and cost the least to implement.Having a team put together to gather data on surgical site infections and implementing a protocol or guidelines to follow to prevent these events would result in less cost and increased profit. In conclusion, surgical site infections are for the most part preventable. Following protocols or guid elines can greatly reduce surgical site infections. Educating staff, patients, and their families, can have a big impact on preventing surgical site infections and implementing these strategies reduces cost and increases profit. References: Adams, A. 2001). Preventing surgical site infection ( SSI): Guidelines at a glance. Nursing Management, 32 (8), 46-46. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/231438710? accountid= 32521. Frances, A. G. ( 2005). Best-practice protocol is: Preventing surgical site infection. Nursing Management, 36 (11), 20-26. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/ 231393974? accountid=32521. Gaffey, A. D. RN, MSN, CPHRM, FASHRM. ( 2010). Legal Implications of Healthcare- Acquired Infections. Retrieved from http://www. ahe. rg/ahe/conference/2010/content /092910/a. Lisa, M. S. ( 2009). Compliance with CMS â€Å" never events† billing requirements. Journal of Health Care Compliance, 11 (5), 33-36. Retrieved from http://search. proqu est. com/ docview/227916352? accountid=32521. Rice, B. (2002). Medical errors: Is honesty ever optional? Medical Economics, 79 ( 19), 63-72. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/227734141? accountid=32521. Scott, I. (2009). What are the most effective strategies for improving quality and safety of healthcare?Internal Medicine Journal, 39 (6), 389-400. Doi:http://dx. doi. org/ 10. 1111/j. 1445-5994. 2008. 01798. x. Sollecito, W. A. & Johnson, J. K. (2013). Continuous quality improvement in health Care (4th ed). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. ISBN: 9780763781545. The joint commission update for infection control: SSI goal: Look for infections a month after procedure. (2008). Hospital Infection Control, Retrieved from http://search. Proquest. com/docview/758852362? accountid=32521.

Four Season Hotel Analysis

Amy Huboi TIP-Four Seasons Resorts and Hotels The company that I have chosen for the theory in practice report is the Four Seasons Resorts and Hotels. The company is dually listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol FS and it is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol FSH. The company originated in Toronto, Canada over forty years ago when owner and CEO, Isadore Sharp, opened up the first Four Seasons hotel. His concept was to create a chain of luxury hotels that offered excellence in service and amenities.The hotel currently has sixty-four properties in twenty-nine countries. The majority of properties are held under the Four Seasons and Regent hotel brands. The company has also established branded share ownership properties and private residences. My personal interest in this company is a result of my husband’s employment at the Four Seasons Aviara over the last nine years. I have seen first hand how this company takes immense pride in their staff and their well-being.The company also has extensive training for employees and provides many benefits, such as promotions and management training programs. The company has been extremely successful throughout the years because of their strong focus on specific market segments and their needs. The company has utilized successful strategies, which have aided in their financial success and stability when other competitors have failed or taken a loss. Chapter 1 Mission Statement and Values The Four Season’s has created a mission and values statement that encompasses the company’s goals, beliefs and principles.The mission statement has been developed to serve as a starting point for the company’s overall business strategy. It is also meant to be a source of guidance for Four Season’s employees. Their mission statement incorporates four important attributes of the company; â€Å"who we are,† â€Å"what we believe,† â€Å"how we behav e,† and â€Å"how we succeed[1]. † The Four Seasons main purpose is to provide the finest luxury accommodations to their guests. The company’s goal is to be regarded as the best in hotel and resort management.The Four Seasons believes their employees are their most vital assets. The quality of the employees is paramount for the company in their achievement of organizational objectives. Four Seasons believes it takes a unified and cooperative employee effort to satisfy the guests’ needs and to achieve success in the industry[2]. The company has developed the philosophy that individuals (employees and guests) should be treated fairly, ethically, and respectfully. Four Seasons has adopted the â€Å"Golden Rule,† which states: â€Å"Do unto others as you would have others do unto you[3]. This has become the underlying foundation for the Four Seasons company culture. Although the Four Seasons wants to be known as the leader in the luxury hospitality ind ustry, they have a strong belief that the pursuit of this objective should not overshadow their high ethical standards. The overall financial goal of the company is to earn â€Å"a fair and reasonable profit† in order to protect the investments of all stakeholders[4]. Four Seasons also focuses on long-term strategies, which ensures profitable growth. Chapter 2 Porter’s Five Forces ModelRisk of Entry by Potential Competitors: Low The companies in this specific industry offer customers a highly differentiated product. The luxury hotel industry has high brand loyalty among their customers. This can be justified by the premium price customers are willing to pay for a hotel room. According to Karl Huboi: â€Å"Once a guest experiences luxury hospitality they will never settle for anything less[5]. The existence of strong brand loyalty is difficult for new entrants to break unless they offer a superior service, which can be quite costly.It is difficult for new entrants to g ain access to the capital requirements needed to develop and build a luxury hotel. It can cost over $200 million to build a new luxury hotel and this does not include the cost of employees and marketing[6]. The industry’s incumbents have established relationships and experience, which enables them to achieve significant cost savings. In addition to brand loyalty and costs the new entrants must also contend with the probability of retaliation from the established hotels. Rivalry Among Established Companies: HighThe luxury hospitality industry is fairly concentrated. There are approximately 10 key competitors of the Four Seasons. The hotel companies are: Accor, Fairmont Hotels, Hilton, Hyatt, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, Orient-Express Hotels, Ritz-Carlton, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Thistle Hotels and Wyndam[7]. The level of diversity among the companies is medium to low because the majority of the companies provide similar types of high quality service. The high cost of b uilding, furnishing and servicing the hotels in the industry create high fixed costs and high exit barriers.In addition to monetary costs the companies also have strong relationships and bonds with employees, investors and guests, which are difficult (financially and emotionally) to divest. As a result of the economic downturn in the last few years the hotel industry has experienced slow or even stagnant growth. There were several hotel companies that held back development projects and laid off employees in order to avoid a financial loss. Currently, there has been a steadily increasing demand for luxury hotels in the lodging industry. The Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Starwood luxury collection, St.Regis and W Hotels luxury chains are the primary hotels that have begun to witness the increase in consumer demand[8]. Power of Buyers: Low The consumers of the luxury hotel industry purchase a low volume in relation to the industry’s total capacity. The level of differentiation tha t the companies offer is high. This makes it difficult for consumers to compare luxury accommodations with standard accommodations. Consumers that want to stay at hotels, such as the Four Seasons, are willing to pay the higher premium because they value the service.When the quality of the service is high the buyer usually has low pricing power. There is very little threat of backward integration from the consumer due to the high costs of startup in the luxury hotel industry. Power of Suppliers: Medium The number of suppliers to the hotel industry is extremely high. The types of suppliers for hotels include: furniture suppliers, linen and bedding suppliers, food suppliers, decor suppliers, appliance suppliers, and uniform suppliers. The availability of substitutes is generally high, except when supplies are developed exclusively for hotels.For example the Four Seasons uses specially made Bulgari and L’Occitaine products in their hotel bathrooms. The Four Seasons also has mattr esses made specifically for the hotel rooms. In instances like these hotels can become reliant on specific supplies. The majority of hotels have regional contracts with suppliers. This locks the hotel companies into using certain suppliers and creates switching costs. Supplier power is slightly reduced by their reliance on the hotel industry, especially in the case of uniform and food suppliers[9]. Power of Substitutes: LowThere are substitutes for lodging, such as camping, hostels and motels, but none of these offers the service and amenities that luxury hotels provide to their guests. This is the main reason why there is a low threat of substitutes to the luxury hotel industry. Overall, the luxury hotel industry can be relatively profitable due to the low threat of new entrants, low power of buyers and low threat of substitutes. Chapter 3 Building Blocks of Competitive Advantage There are four â€Å"building blocks† that create a competitive advantage for companies: superio r efficiency, superior quality, superior innovation and superior customer responsiveness.Each of these factors can contribute to increasing the consumer’s perception of quality and decreasing the company’s cost structure[10]. The Four Seasons Hotels strives to achieve superiority in each of these components thus allowing them to maintain an advantage over their key competitors. At the Four Seasons employee productivity is the main measure of efficiency. The company has developed a rigorous interview process to ensure the hotel hires employees that match the Four Seasons criteria. Four Seasons requires that their employees have strong moral values, teamwork mentality and high quality work ethics[11].The Four Seasons has also developed extensive employee training in order to further develop the employee’s skills and traits. The company believes in empowering their employees in order to shorten the process when dealing with problems. This gives the employees a sens e of importance and pride at work regardless of their status at the hotel. The Four Seasons also provides full benefits and other perks, such as â€Å"comp nights,† in order to further generate employee satisfaction, productivity and to realize the guests experience[12].The superior quality of the Four Seasons experience is measured by the guest’s perception of service and value. A key indicator of the consumer’s value for the Hotel’s service is the achieved daily room rates (ADR). If a guest perceives the quality and value of the Four Seasons to be high then he/she is willing to pay a higher room rate. The company’s overall ADR has increased by 4. 3% in 2003. This was above the average ADR for the luxury hotel segment. The high quality of the Four Seasons service/product is also reflected in the numerous awards and accolades they have received.Several of the Four Seasons have achieved the five diamond status, which is a prestigious award given by the American Automobile Association (AAA). In 2004 the company had 19 properties that were awarded five diamonds[13]The Four Seasons has also dominated many surveys and polls, such as Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report. In 2003 the company had over 13 hotels listed on the top fifty of the Harper’s Hideaway Report[14]. The Four Seasons has been a pioneer in developing innovative standards in the hotel industry[15]. They were the first U. S. ompany to include bathroom amenities, like shampoo, bathrobes, hairdryers and make-up mirrors in their hotel rooms[16]. The Four Seasons provides 24-hour room service, overnight dry cleaning, shoe shining and fitness centers. The hotels also prepare specialty meals for guests who prefer low fat meals or who have dietary requirements. The innovation of these standards has created and strengthened brand loyalty among guests who value these types of services and attention to detail. The Four Seasons has made an unwavering commitment on pro viding â€Å"uncompromising service† to their guests[17]. Uncompromising service is more than a paper strategy, it has become the defining competitive difference for Four Seasons[18]. † The power that the company gives to their employees allows them to quickly and efficiently handle the most unusual requests. This enables the company to exceed the guest’s expectations of consumer responsiveness. Chapter 5 Business-Level Strategy The Four Seasons has developed their business strategy based off the concept of differentiation. They provide their guests with a distinctive and unique level of service.Their customer focus is primarily business travelers, corporate groups and leisure travelers. Although the hotels generally attract certain clientele the Four Seasons policy does not allow for discrimination and believes all guests deserve the same exceptional experience[19]. The company has created a strategy that focuses on four important components. The Four Seasons co ncentrates on â€Å"small to medium sized luxury hotels[20]. † This allows hotel management to effectively operate each hotel and provide the guests with more intimacy. The hotel company also concentrates on hotel management services instead of hotel ownership.Management service is one of the Four Seasons main distinctive competencies. The company has established partnerships with investors who provide the backing for hotel development. The investors receive ownership in the hotels while the Four Seasons takes sole responsibility for managing the hotels and resorts. Approximately, ninety to ninety-five percent of the companies earnings are a result of the management fees[21] The company currently has majority ownership in only three properties[22]. Another component of Four Seasons strategy is their â€Å"golden rule† philosophy.The company believes it is important for every level of employee to participate in treating others fairly and respectfully. This principle cre ates an atmosphere, which facilitates a positive work environment and adds to the guest’s experience. The Four Seasons has also identified their â€Å"uncompromising service† as another component of their strategy and as their â€Å"distinctive edge† against competitors[23]. The company’s knowledge and background in creating unique experiences for customers provides the Four Seasons with pricing power thus giving the company an advantage over rivals. Chapter 6 Mature IndustriesThe hotel industry is a mature industry. There are several different types and sizes of hotel companies, but the larger companies generally dominate the industry. The luxury hotel segment focuses more on non-price competition to deter new entrants, such as market penetration, product development and market development. The Four Seasons concentrates on increasing their market share and continuous growth by developing new hotels in different regions. At the end of 2004 the number of F our Seasons properties will have reached 70. The company president, Isadore Sharp, hopes to have a total of 100 properties by 2010[24].The Four Seasons has also begun to expand into new niches or markets with product proliferation. In 1997 the company opened its first luxury vacation ownerships (timeshares) at the Four Seasons Resort Aviara in Carlsbad, California. The company believes this is another way to reach and satisfy guests who value the quality of Four Seasons experience. â€Å"The Four Seasons Residence Club experience will bring an exclusivity, privacy, luxury and service level never before available in the vacation ownership arena[25]. † They have also opened up residence clubs at the Scottsdale, Jackson Hole, and Punta Mita properties.In addition to the fractional ownership venture the company has also developed private residences in Jackson Hole, San Francisco, Miami and Scottsdale. The luxury hotel segment rarely uses price-based competition, such as price sig naling or pricing games. These types of tactics can drive down room rates to a level that is not profitable for any company in the industry. This is not the goal in the luxury hotel segment. Many companies, like the Four Seasons, want to create superior value so they can justify the premium room rates. The Four Seasons does not believe in using pricing games as a strategy to deter entry.It against their policy to cut prices as a competitive means. This strategy is warranted by the fact that the hotels attract guests based on the product not the cost[26]. Chapter 7 Technical Standards There are many established standards or specifications that must be upheld for a hotel to be classified as a luxury accommodation. These standards are also important in the selection of hotels to be deemed a five diamond or five star establishment. According to the AAA the factors to be considered when judging a hotel are its age, size, architectural design and appeal. In ddition the AAA bases its asses sment on the guests overall impression of the establishment[27]. It is important for luxury hotels to follow these criteria and to receive superior evaluations because these ratings impact the hotels credibility among consumers. There are also other specific features that hotels must have in order to achieve five star or five-diamond status. Some of the examples are: valet service, 24 hour room service, live flowers and plants inside the rooms and premises, real wood detailing, fine art work, fitness centers, minimum of two restaurants (one being fine dining) and pressing services[28].These standards make up the dominant design for each Four Seasons Hotel. This means that every hotel that is built must adhere to certain specifications that have been established by the industry. The differences that do exist among the hotels are seen in varying features such as the furnishings, architectural layouts, color schemes and locations. Chapter 8 Multidomestic Strategy The Four Seasons has f ollowed a multidomestic strategy throughout their expansion into international and domestic regions. The key distinguishing feature of multidomestic companies is that they extensively customize both their product offering and their marketing strategy to match different national conditions[29]. † This strategy is also feasible when the company is not reliant on cost reductions for maximizing profitability. In the luxury hotel industry it is necessary to modify certain aspects when entering the global market. The Four Seasons has maintained the highest levels of local responsiveness in their aggressive overseas expansion.The modification of the hotels for different regions is often reflected in the hotel design and in the service features. When the Four Seasons builds hotels they always take into account the natural environment of the location. For example the, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa have been designed to resemble the tropical huts of the region[30]. The Four Seasons also considers the size of the hotel when entering a new location. It is important to not build a hotel that over scales its environment because it could be seen as offensive to the community.The Four Seasons is also conscious of blending the local culture in with the service features of the hotels. For example each hotel offers cuisine that is unique to its location[31]. The Four Seasons has been successful at transferring their distinct corporate culture and core standards to each hotel it manages. The company is not overly concerned with lowering costs thus making it possible for them to provide customized service and quality regardless of the hotels location. The premium rates charged by the Four Seasons for their customized product offering offsets the added costs of being locally responsive. Chapter 9Horizontal Integration In the mid 1990’s the Four Seasons decided to horizontally integrate by acquiring Regent International Hotels, a luxury hotel chain in Asia[ 32]. The Regent brand was experiencing a significant financial burden and was on the verge of bankruptcy. The Four Seasons decided that acquiring the Regent Hotels would help them build their market share. After being extensively investigated by Regents investors, the Four Seasons was sold the right to takeover Regent’s fifteen properties[33]. The acquisition allowed the Four Seasons to become â€Å"the dominant company in the luxury hotel market worldwide[34]. After the Four Seasons became listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto and Montreal Stock Exchanges in 1997, the company decided to sell off the Regent brand. The Four Seasons sold only the â€Å"rights to future development of the Regent Brand name to Carlson Hospitality Worldwide, a global leader in hospitality services[35]. † The agreement between Carlson and Four Seasons allowed both companies to utilize the Regent brand reputation as a source of competitive development. The Four Seasons still maintains ownership rights to eight of the established Regent Hotels.The Four Seasons was fortunate to acquire another company that actually increased their overall value and market share. Traditionally it is difficult for firms to successfully horizontally integrate because of the difficulties associated with merging company cultures and accurately estimating the benefits of integration[36]. The company was able to look past any potential risks in order to see the future opportunity for growth. Chapter 10 Joint Ventures The Four Seasons has recently formed a joint venture with the cruise ship developer, Ocean Development Group.The companies plan to develop and launch the luxury cruise ship by 2006[37]. The Four Seasons will be responsible for managing the cruise ship. The concept for the cruise ship is similar to the ResidenSea, which provides its guest with the atmosphere of home while at sea. The joint venture is beneficial for both companies because they can share the risks and costs associated with the development and marketing of the cruise ship. The business venture also allows each company to focus on providing their specific assets and capabilities that will enhance the success of the project.The Ocean Development Group will own the cruise ship and will be responsible for the cost of development. The Four Seasons will use their distinctive competencies in management service to operate the hotel under their name. The company will use their skills in customer service to create an atmosphere that is comparable to any Four Seasons on land. IRME’s SouthWest: Both the Four Seasons and Soutwest airlines have developed strong company cultures. The companies also view their employees as their most important asset.Both companies believe that productive and loyal employees are a source of efficiency and profitability for the company. Southwest uses employee efficiency to lower costs and the Four Seasons uses their employees to create high differentiation. Harley Davidson: Both Harley Davidson and Four Seasons focus on providing their customers with a highly differentiated product/service. The companies have also developed strong brand loyalty among their customers by providing a unique experience and by being responsive to customer needs. Airborne Express: Both companies have not developed extensive advertising campaigns (i. e. TV ads).Airborne Express has avoided this because they want to avoid attracting certain customers (like non-business shippers). The Four Seasons does not advertise on a large scale because they do not need to appeal to the general public. Their customer focus is only on specific market segments, like the business traveler. It would be a waste of resources for both companies to participate in mass marketing because of their customer focus. Dell & Shaw: The Four Seasons, Dell and Shaw have all developed strong business models, which have added to their profitability and allowed the companies to experience signi ficant advantages.Dell developed the direct selling business model, which allowed the company to capture a specific market (big businesses and knowledgeable buyers). Shaw developed a business model focused on providing inexpensive wine by mass marketing. This allowed the company to realize economies of scale and lower cost savings. The Four Seasons has developed a business model that is based on providing differentiated service by focusing on their expertise in hotel management services instead of hotel ownership.Coke & Pepsi: The Four Season’s key competitor is the Ritz-Carlton, but unlike Coke and Pepsi the companies do not participate in competitive pricing and marketing strategies. Interesting Points An interesting fact that I have learned from doing this report is that the Four Seasons main business focus is in providing hotel management services. I was unaware that they only had majority ownership in three properties. I also did not realize that they had several differe nt investors for each developed property.This strategy has been successful for the Four Seasons, because it allows them to earn significant profits (an operating margin of 53% in 2003) through the use of specific skills and assets[38]. Another interesting thing I have learned is that the Four Seasons was able to maintain profit levels well above their competitors throughout the past economic downturn. The company refused to lay off employees and cut room rates (which is important to my husband and I) when several other hotel companies made significant cutbacks to decrease their overall costs.The Four Seasons believed that lowering cost and service standards would ultimately have an adverse effect on the company’s reputation and established brand loyalty. This strategy has allowed the company to retain their status and to earn higher ADR than their competitors. Works Cited AAA Five Diamond Award. 2004. www. ouraaa. com Four Seasons Annual Report. 2003. www. fourseasons. com. F our Seasons EmPact. 2004. Karl Huboi’s Employee Handbook. â€Å"Four Seasons Receives Top Billing by Readers of Andrew Harper’s Report Rank as Best City Hotel in the U. S. and Abroad Plus Best Hotel in 10 Major Cities. † PR Newswire. (September 9, 2003). ww. factiva. com. Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kura Huraa. 2004. www. fourseasons. com. Garrahan, Matthew. â€Å"A New Spring for Four Seasons. † Financial Times. (November 26, 2004). www. factiva. com Hill W. L. , Charles and Gareth R. Jones. Strategic Management Theory: An Integrated Approach. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004). Hoover’s Company Profiles. Four Seasons Hotels Inc. (November 14, 2004). www. factiva. com. Huboi, Karl. Interview with Four Seasons Employee. (December 1, 2004) Warson, Albert. â€Å"Hotels are Hot. † Mortgage Banking 65. (October 1, 2004). www. factiva. com. ———————– 1] Four Seasons Annual Report, ( 2003), p. 6, www. fourseasons. com [2] Four Seasons Annual Report, p. 6 [3] Four Seasons EmPact, Karl Huboi’s Employee Handbook, p. 8 [4] Four Seasons Annual Report, p. 6 [5] Karl Huboi , Interview with Four Seasons Employee, (December 1, 2004) [6] Karl Huboi [7] Hoover’s Company profiles, Four Seasons Hotels Inc. (November 14, 2004), www. factiva . com. [8] Albert Warson, â€Å"Hotels are Hot,† Mortgage Banking 65, (October 1, 2004), www. factiva. com. [9] Karl Huboi. [10] Charles W. L. Hill and Gareth R. Jones, Strategic Management Theory: An Integrated Approach (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004), p. 6 [11] Karl Huboi [12] Karl Huboi [13] Four Seasons Annual Report, p. 11 [14] â€Å"Four Seasons Receives Top Billings by Readers of Andrew Harper’s Report Rank as Best City Hotel in the U. S. and Abroad Plus Best Hotel in 10 Major Cities,† PR Newswire (September 9, 2003), www. factiva. com. [15] Four Seasons EmPact, p. 7 [16] Four Seasons EmPa ct, p. 7 [17] Four Seasons Annual Report, p. 8 [18] Four Seasons Annual Report, p. 8 [19] Karl Huboi [20] Four Seasons Annual Report, p. 7 [21] Matthew Garrahan, â€Å"A New Spring for Four Seasons,† Financial Times (November 26, 2004), www. factiva. om. [22] Four Seasons Annual Report, p. 7 [23] Four Seasons Annual Report, p. 7 [24] Matthew Garrahan [25] Four Seasons EmPact, p. 8 [26] Matthew Garrahan [27] AAA Five Diamond Award, (2004), www. ouraaa. com. [28] Karl Huboi [29] Charles W. L. Hill and Gareth R. Jones, p. 272 [30] www. fourseasons. com/maldives/index. html. [31] Karl Huboi [32] Four Seasons EmPact, p. 8 [33] Four Seasons EmPact, p. 8 [34] Four Seasons EmPact, p. 8 [35] Four Seasons EmPact, p. 8 [36] Charles W. L. Hill and Gareth R. Jones, p. 304 [37] Hoover’s Company profiles [38] Four Seasons Annual Report, p. 12

Substance Abuse Essay

Substance Abuse Essay Substance Abuse Essay Substance Abuse When you are talking about the different views on substance abuse you are talking about the sociocultural view, cognitive - behavioral view, psychodynamic view, and the biological. Each of these views believes that that something different causes individuals to have problems with substance abuse. Sociocultural view on substance abuse says that individuals have a substance abuse problem because of pressure from their peers, stress from everyday life, as well as economic problems. Although I understand that people get pressure from their peers in thinking that they have to look, act, or do certain things in order to fit in. I also understand the pressures of everyday life and the constant heart ache that it can cause when you feel like you are stuck and going nowhere in your life. I can even understand economic problems and the stress that it can cause and the feeling of needing to get away. When it comes to the treatments that they believe will work for individuals substance abuse problems they believe are a good source of treatment are self-help groups. Self-help groups refer to the programs like narcotics anonymous, alcoholics anonymous, and marijuana anonymous. Whereas I think these are great programs where people can go and talk about what they are going through without fe eling like they are getting judged I do not believe that these programs by themselves would keep someone from their drug of choice if they really want to do it. Psychodynamic view on substance abuse believes that an individual that suffers from substance abuse is because of the lack of nurturing during childhood. Many people can look at their childhood and say that they did not get that feeling from their parents as they were growing up that their parents cared. I see this everyday where I work, and these children truly have gone through their life not knowing what unconditional love is and turn towards a drug to make that feeling go away. Psychodynamic view on substance abuse believes that the best treatment is centered on the resolution of their underlying needs and conflicts. This form of treatment is usually a form of therapy to help them get a better understanding of what their needs truly are and how they can start healing. Cognitive – Behavioral view on substance abuse believes that individuals that suffer from substance abuse are individuals that suffer from anxiety, depression, as well as many other issues. My sister is not only a recovering alcoholic but her substance of choice was cocaine. She would drink to escape from any form of conflict and found that after a while when the alcohol did not work anymore she went to cocaine and then told me she spent most of her tome chasing the original high. The treatments that they suggest are detoxification, outpatient as well as in hospitals and clinics. Although there are studies showing that this form of treatment works for some, I do not feel that this would keep a person off their drug of choice. All that would have to happen is for them to go back around their friends and get that urge and they are right back to square one. Biological view on substance abuse believes that an individual suffering from substance abuse because they inherited it from their family genetics. This is basically saying that if your

Leadership challenge in GAS Co Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Leadership challenge in GAS Co - Essay Example 5.2. Many car manufacturers have begun to convert their product designs to run on greener alternatives than petroleum fuels. 5.3. Cars and land vehicles using the green technologies will be in mass production by 2015 (three years from this report), in increasing volumes every year, pursuant to mandatory provisions in international agreements and EU directives. 5.4. At present, GAS Co. is still aggressively expanding its conventional gasoline stations which, while offering biofuels, are still designed primarily for petroleum fuels; there are no special design or system considerations yet for alternative fuels. 5.5. The firm’s executives still loyally pursue the original strategy of their parents to pursue the petroleum business which is its present competency; no new competencies are being developed beyond ethanol gasoline (E85). 6. Strategy to overcome the challenge to the leadership 6.1. The present leadership must resolve to break away from its traditional strategy and consi der gaining new competencies in the alternative technologies. 6.2. Aggressive construction of refilling stations should be suspended, pending new designs pursuant to the new competencies. 6.3. Environmental scanning should be conducted to determine the technologies most likely to be adopted in their franchise areas. 6.4. Massive reorientation of R&D and engineering designs, followed by HRD, training, and operations, should follow the decision as to what innovative technologies to adopt. 6.5. New franchise contract should be revised and existing franchises renegotiated in accordance with the proposed technical changes. 7. Conclusion The leadership should assess the new technical, regulatory, and business environment and articulate their company strategies and plans to ensure the firm’s... The organization upon which this discussion shall centre is a petroleum company which, for confidentiality purposes upon the company’s request, this study shall be designated as GAS Co. The firm’s business is the wholesale and retail distribution of petroleum fuel and lubricant products. The firm is based in an emerging Asian economy, and presently has some 500 retail stations located throughout the Southeast Asia and Pacific region, and about 30 depots that store quantities of downstream petroleum products (i.e., diesel, kerosene, unleaded, ethanol (E85), and premium gasoline). GAS Co. began in 1978 as a family corporation which offered mass storage facilities for petroleum and petrochemical based products; it then expanded into providing wholesale supply of petroleum products to industrial and manufacturing clientele. Thereafter it entered into a partnership with one of the world’s leading suppliers of lubricant additives, which enabled the company to undertake its own research and development in lubricants. Not long thereafter, when the downstream oil industry was deregulated by the national government, GAS Co. took the bold step of being the first local petroleum retailer to establish its line of refilling stations. It is now the leading local petroleum retailer in the country, and continues to expand by franchising its fuel refilling stations, which it began in the 1990s.

Hip Hop Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Hip Hop - Essay Example This paper gives a relationship between the aspects of written poetry and the hip-hop music lyrics. Just like normal English poems, the string of words used in the lyrics of a hip-hop genre has a pattern seen in the lines. Mos Def’s lyrics depict the same pattern depicted in poems. He uses rhyming words such as tomorrow, follow, there it is, and where it is, to build a rhyme in his rap. English poems use these feet to build strings in the flow of the poem. Poets bring together repetitions of similar strings of feet in composing the lines of a verse. Hip-hop uses rap and music to bring out the rhyming elements in the verse. Thus, poetry will rely greatly on the reader to discover the rhyme in the verses (Bradley 39). Poetry and hip-hop lyrics use language to present information above the literal meaning of what the writer conveys in the lyrics. In essence, both writings are rich in the use of symbolism. When Mos Def speaks of getting a rash on his lips from speaking the King’s English, he means something very different from what the words represent. The use of symbolism is an ancient art of poetry. Symbolism is the backbone of language and dictates a writer’s command of the language (Bradley 49). Apart from symbolism, alliteration, metaphors, and similes, are other uses of language in poetry. The art of comparison forms part of the major technique that hip-hop artist use in writing their lyrics. In his lyrics, Mos Def compares his success’ brightness to be so bright that everyone watching him will have to use squinted eyes to have a look at it. By this, he shows that no one is capable of reaching the heights that he has attained already. The use of language in poetry helps the reader build vivid descriptions as he reads along. In rap, it helps the listener to understand clearly the message that the rapper brings along (Bradley 55). Metaphors in poetry emphasize on the comparison aspects in a poem making a poem interesting.