Bill to Law at Malaysia

3. Explain the process how a Bill becomes Law. Malaysia was a former British colony and prior to its independence a commission was appointed to draft the Federal Constitution based on the system of parliamentary democracy practiced in the Great Britain. Similar to the Westminster System, Malaysia’s Federal Constitution divides the structure of government into three branches – Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary. Under the doctrine of separation of powers, the Legislature is the body which has the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. There are two legislative assemblies under the Westminster system, an upper house (In Malaysia, it is called the Dewan Negara) and a lower house (Dewan Rakyat). Before an Act becomes a law, it is called a Bill. There are two types of Bills, a Public Bill and a Private Bill. Under the Public Bills, there are Government Bills and Private Members Bills, where Government Bill is normally introduced by a Minister and Private Member Bill is initiated by a Member of Parliament. A Private Bill is a proposal for a law that would apply to a particular individual or a group of individuals, or corporate entity. A Bill will have to go through several stages before it becomes a law. When a Bill is introduced to MPs in the parliament, it is called the First Reading. The title of the Bill is read out and copies of it are copied out, no debate takes place, but there will be a vote on whether the House wishes to consider the Bill further. During the Second Reading, the general principles contained in the Bill are debated by the MPs. Frequently, during this stage; public attention will be drawn to the proposal and the debate between the MPs who support and against the bill begins. At the end of the debate a vote is taken – a majority of MPs must be in favor of the Bill in order for it to progress any further. If the Bill passes the Second Reading, it will come to the Committee Stage. At this stage, a detailed examination of each clause of the Bill is undertaken by a committee and the committee will subject the Bill to line-by-line examination and make amendments. The membership of the committee will usually be those MPs with special knowledge, or interest, in the subject of the Bill. Next, the amended Bill goes to the Report Stage – the Bill will be reviewed by the House where it started. The amendments will be debated in the House. The Third Reading is the final vote and debate on the Bill. It is almost a formality, since a Bill which passed through all the stages is very unlikely to fail at this late stage. Another vote will be taken and if passed, then it goes through a similar process in another House. Finally, a Royal Assent by the King is needed in order for the Bill to formally become a law. Under the Constitutional Amendment Act of 1983, the King cannot refuse to sign the bill if it has been passed by both of the Houses in the parliament. Thereafter, the Act is gazetted and becomes an Act of Parliament.

The steps of a strategic learning process

Benjamin Franklin once said, â€Å"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. I involve me and I learn†. It shows the importance of learning and education. Knowledge is the only thing in the world that can be forever kept and so we understand the importance of the learning. To achieve learning and/or a desired goal, you must be ready to practice, be motivated, and have proper exposure to every detail of the course content. There is not any existence of life without the process of learning.Readers shall acquire skill through the principles of learning and their use in the school, in this essay. In order to fully comprehend the information learned, practicing and reviewing is crucial. By practicing and reviewing course content, the success of understanding the information will be within arm’s reach. Being able to understand the information will be useful when writing tests or quizzes by allowing memorization of the content. Repeating words or sentences from lessons or homework, is one way to move information from short term to long term memory.As well redoing math problems or homework, which is a great way to better recognize how something is done, or should be done after getting the wrong answer. In addition reviewing notes or homework with a buddy can improve the knowledge of the subject, by having a buddy show the correct answer to the questions or notes that were wrong. Finally the last way of being able to fully understand what has been taught is by reducing the amount of notes taken. Decreasing the size of notes taken can help long term memory skills by reviewing less, and giving the most important information needed.Through having the most important information memorized, for tests or quizzes, this will allow for easy recollection of material learned and will give the correct answer. In conclusion by following the practicing and reviewing methods given, it will ensure full comprehension of the information learned. Motivation is a big fact or in student success because motivation drives us to do many things not only at school but at home as well. Motivation can help us succeed at school because it can drive us to take that extra mile in anything we choose.An example of this is if you’re in English class and asked to write a minimum of 3 paragraphs. While most people will do 3 paragraphs, a motivated person will write 5 paragraphs and earn a 90% instead of an 80%. Motivation can be used at home also. An example is if you have a test coming up but don’t want to review until the day before the test. Although this is common for many people, a motivated person will review their notes several days before the test.This is because that person is motivated to be successful and they know that by sacrificing a couple hours each day, they have a greater chance at being a successful student. It’s a fact that students who attend school regularly learn more and are more successful in school than students who do not. People who attend school regularly learn to accept responsibility, an important lesson for a successful life. People who develop good attendance habits in the early grades will be more likely to continue them throughout their school career, as well as into their chosen career.Regular attendance is critically important, because students who miss school miss out on the exposure of course content. As a result, the student is more likely to fall behind, and miss important socialization concepts that enhance the ability to understand and follow directions or, ultimately, plan for the future. Just by being present at school, the student is learning how to be a good citizen by participating in the school community, learning valuable social skills, and developing a broader world view. Learning social skills is just as important as learning history, math, science, and English.To summarize, in order to achieve learning and/or a desired goal, a student must be ready to practice, be motiva ted, and have proper exposure to every detail of the course content in order to be successful in achieving the best process of learning. Education is so important that there are so many steps and levels to be delt and learnt from in order to achieve goals, and success. To be the best possible learner, follow these steps and put them into use in the classroom so then you can have the right steps of a strategic learning process.

An Agile Methodology and a More Traditional Approach Essay

An Agile Methodology and a More Traditional Approach - Essay Example I have categorized these factors into project size and duration, the risk involved and people.   One major shortcoming of the agile approach is project size. Project size comprises of elements such as the budget of the project, the project’s duration and the organization of the project team. A large team or huge budget means that the project is big and therefore requires more resources, workforce and general coordination of all these elements. The traditional approach to project management methodologies aids these process by providing plans and facilitating more detailed documentation for better advances communication and ease of coordination.   According to the book, ‘Project management fundamentals: key concepts and methodology’ â€Å"There is a limit to the size of the problem that can be solved with a given number of people† (Haugan, 2011). Haugan goes ahead to show the existing relationship between methodology and communication. A cording to him, the level of methodology rises with an increase in the number of people. The mobile phone company seems to have a number of stakeholders in the management of the project, therefore, in this case, I would advise ten to use the traditional approach. However, if the people involved are less than forty, they should consider using the agile approach. When it comes to making a decision in regards to project duration, since the project needs fast completion, it is advisable for the mobile company to use agile methodology because traditional methodologies involve lengthy outputs (Goodpasture, 2010).   The company also has to consider customer adaptability to the new product as another great factor in deciding what approach to use. In the agile approach, the customer has the ability to evaluate the progress of the software and alter the direction of the software development.

Review of the movie Waiting for Superman Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Of the Waiting for Superman - Movie Review Example The film was an exhaustive documentary about how America’s public school has degraded which in part can be attributed to policy maker’s neglect and the teacher’s recalcitrant stance against any progressive suggestion that could improve America’s public school system as it now lags behind in terms of STEM performance (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) among developed countries. This sorry state of America’s educational system is narrated against the backdrop of America’s policy of No Child Left Behind which was supposed to provide quality education and opportunity to every child in America. To highlight the disconnect between policy and actual sorry state reality of America’s educational system, the story followed the story of five children as they attempt to get a decent education from good schools – which are the charter and magnet schools. These charter schools provide quality education with the right assistance for the learner only that it is not provided to every child in America. In fact, it has to be won through a lottery which in effect, the film depicted that the children’s future in America, especially those who are underprivilidged, rest not on the putative policy of No Child Left Behind but rather on chance depending on the bingo caller’s reel or randomized computer program which made the whole situation not only disgusting but sad. (Prisco). This is the situation where Geoffrey Canada and Michele A. Rhee came where they have to put up against reactionary system and hostile union to do what is right for America’s public school system, at least in their respective jurisdictions, to improve them. Mr. Canada was an untiring educational reformer who was not discouraged by the surrounding of Harlem to put up a school that provides quality education and sends students into college. It was difficult but through persistence and standing against all odds, Mr. Canada was able to overcome funding difficulties to make the Harlen Children’s Zone school operational. Ms. Rhee equally did a daunting task being the Chancellor of Washington D.C. public school system where she vehemently challenged the current status quo of America’s educational system. Doing the right thing with her job meant making unpopular decisions and standing up against the deeply entrenched teacher’s union. In carrying out these tough decision, she has to make a very unpopular decision of closing ineffective schools who are described in the film as â€Å"academic sinkholes† and â€Å"drop out factories† (Waiting for Superman). This was to give way to performing schools to have more resources and provide quality education for children. She also has to stand up against the union who would vilify her because the teacher’s union exalt teachers no matter how ineffectual nor incompetent they are to be heroes and therefore they should not be fired even if they underperform. Ms. Rhee was just a single person but she had to put against an organized union that made up virtually impossible to fire a teacher who had gained tenure after two years of teaching. This system of making it impossible to fire incompetent teachers after gaining tenure is one of the reasons why America’s public school system is deteriorating. If the education system has to improve, this meant standing up against them. They are so protective of their tenure even if it contributed to the deterioration of the public school system that when a proposal was offerred to exchange tenure for merit that would enable teacher’s higher pay, the Washington Teachers’

Bank Annual Report Assignment - Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bank Annual Report Assignment - Economics - Essay Example Other mining activities accounted for ASD 0.83 billions forming 0.22% of the total GDP.Thus taking the contribution of mining industries to 32.78 %( Annual 2004). Annual Report of the Central Bank of United Arab Emirates for the year 2004 has the data at Table (2-1) that Manufacturing and Construction Sectors contributed ASD 70.43 billions to 2004 GDP at constant prices of ASD 323.60 billions. In percentage terms this contribution came to 21.76 %( rounded off to 22%). Table(2-2) of the Annual report further shows that Manufacturing and Construction Sectors contributed ASD 78.02 billions to 2004 GDP at current prices of ASD 378.61 billions. In percentage terms this contribution came to 20.61 %( Annual 2004). Table(2-8) ,captioned 'Employees by Economic Sectors' , of the Annual Report of the Central Bank of United Arab Emirates for the year 2004 has the data that UAE had a total of 2.46 million employees in UAE in 2004.Of this 0.27 million were engaged in the Government Sector forming about 10.98% of the total employees. As against this Oil& Gas, and Manufacturing sectors deployed 0.35 million employees which formed about 14.23 % of the total employees (Annual, 2004).Thus more number of employees were deployed in Oil& Gas, and Manufacturing sectors when compared to the Government Sector.

Silent film Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Silent film - Assignment Example The main idea of silent movies was the moral and social issues of the developing era. These included poverty, women’s suffrage, child labor, contraception, prostitution, immigration, political corruption, prisons, and divorce (Usai and British Film Institute 22). Today, Americans think that silent films are subject of interest for the innocent age. However, they are filled with significant social and political constituents. These were people preoccupied with issues such as political corruption, sources of crime, abandoning sexual norms, and changing women role. Many early films also included themes against authority, making fun of bumbling police officers, dishonest politicians, and meddlesome upper-class reformers (Usai and British Film Institute 22). Gender relations were also a component of early silent film. Before 1905, Kathy Peiss noted that movie screens were full of indecent sexual images, shocking humor, and many glimpses of women undressing or scenes of passionate kissing. The effect of the films on the younger generation was to make them be independent and dissociate themselves from divisions in the

The language of health informatic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The language of health informatic - Essay Example ts or characteristics of the database includes the ability for it to have a simple decoding formula whereby all parties on the system can easily decode data that are put in the system and use these data in a way and manner that best meets their needs. Again, the data ought to be highly accessible. Accessibility in this case would touch on the need to ensure that the programming is designed at the level and standard of the user’s information technology knowledge. Finally, it is important to structure the database in such a way that even though it can be accessed easily, it cannot be easily penetrated by intruders. That is security should be a key factor. Database would be found to include among other things, personal data that touches on name, age, gender, religion and insurance information of patient (Gillespie et al, 2009). This is followed with patient profile, which includes data on aspects of the patient daily life including occupation, education, marital status, children, hobbies, worries, needs, patterns and habits (Tune and Salzman, 2012). Furthermore, the database looks at medical history of the patient as well as physical examination and laboratory data. When it comes to these areas, chief complaints, area of present illness, past medical history and medication are clearly spelt out on the database. The database could therefore be said to be an electronic system that makes the identification of the patient easier for the practitioner. Indeed, it is worth stressing the point that having a database that merely spells out and possesses the characteristics and medical data above is not enough. Rather, these data must be presented and handled in such a way that it represents the best form of utilization for the health practitioner. It is in such regard that the need to have a uniform coding and standardization of the data becomes important. In a multi-facility regional hospital such as this one, data that are uniformly coded in a single system would bring a

Comparison & Contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparison & Contrast - Essay Example ertain issues, he is mostly talking in general terms, on the other hand Harper lays out a clear plan as to what his party intends to do when it comes into power. It is important for political parties to explain just what they intend to do once they come into power and how they will go about achieving it, as well as mention what they have done in the past, this instils confidence in the voters that they are ready to run the country, as well as shows the commitment of the political party to the voters. The fact that a political party is not only committed to gaining power, but is sincere about working for the people should be made apparent to the voters as much as possible. When the leader of a political party simply talks in general and vague terms, the voters may feel disappointed because they do not find any solution to the problems that they face and they do not feel that their issues are being taken seriously. On the other hand, when it is shown to them just how serious the politi cal party is, by illustrating not only past performance, but also insistence on mentioning the party platform again and again, it shows the voters that the said political party and its leader are seriously considering the solutions to the problems the citizens face, be they economical or social. When it comes to explaining the steps that would be taken by the political party when it gets elected, it is easy to incorporate the message in campaign speeches. Interestingly enough, both leaders also agree that there is a need to bring Canadians closer and to build bridges between people. However, again, Layton is vague about how his party would accomplish it, even though he states his party is â€Å"ready for this change†, Harper is clear that it is high taxes, high spending, high unemployment, and high mortgages that creates resentment and divisiveness in the public. Interestingly, here Harper does not rely on any evidence to back his claims up. But on the other hand, he does lay out, and in quite a lot of detail too, how his party would achieve a more cohesive Canada – by keeping the taxes low and by creating more jobs. It is noteworthy that when a political party has not only planned a policy, but has also been running it with success, the voters have more confidence in it. Harper lays out the means through which the jobs will be created. The latter mentions the Economic Action Plan that his previous government has implemented and which resulted in job creation before and, thus, proven its worth. It is ingenious of Harper to use the success of his Economic Action Plan as a bid for reelection, because the people have seen the fruits the plan has borne, and, thereby, would be more amenable to his stance than that of others who have not laid out any concrete plans. It is also a good strategy to mention all the pamphlets and other written material available that will keep the voters more informed as well. Harper, in

Article Analysis by Geoffrey Ribbans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Article Analysis by Geoffrey Ribbans - Essay Example 2. Article Summary Ribbans in his article explore one of the major thematic concerns of the play La Verdad Sospechosa i.e. lying. In this article the writer throws light on the pros and cons of lying as well as he also illustrates various human behaviors to the common habit of lying. Moreover the play as well as the article supports the cliche that a lie is never a solution for a problem because one lie always leads to another and consequently leads to a series of lies in order to hide one truth. Ribbans has used various textual excerpts from the play to support his understanding and interpretation of each lie that is spoken in the play and he points out that each act of the play introduces a new lie that gives a new dimension to the plot of the play consequently the play comprises of four major lies followed by other meager lies. 2.1. Analysis Ribbans in this article reiterates the purpose of the Alarcon’s use of the theme of lie. He states that the writer makes use of his wr iting technique to mock the double standards and hypocrisy of the society and the nobility.

Sampling and Data Collection Plan Essay Example for Free

Sampling and Data Collection Plan Essay Team D has chosen to look into whether or not should Pear Inc. should start putting their resources into either Laptops or tablet electronic devices. Putting resources into a venture that may or not pan out could be detrimental to that same company. As an example; Kodak and their choice not to expand into digital, something they created, and stay the course with their polyurethane film (Mui, 2012).In the end the choice the public made was to go to digital and have the image saved for ever instead of the inevitable fading of pictures and the breakdown of the film making Kodak play catchup. Population, Size, and Target When considering of finding the population we have chosen social media for all sexes, ages, financial, and country demographics. The reasoning behind the choice is Pear’s product utilizes this source of media in particular. In addition social media is heavily used by the same people who frequent these sites. The sampling would reflect on Pear’s target audiences assisting in the choice of which direction to go with Pear’s resources. It determining size team D would like to obtain a min of 10% of the population of random sampling. Due to the time limit restraint of the weeks leading up to week 4 team D would like to see a 300 individual response to the choices of our chosen sampling element. Sample Element Team D had talked about data mining, survey source, and observation. Data mining would need to look at the sales of both the Pear Book and the Pear Pad in a given business cycle of the most current year (Stat Soft, 2014). This is due the fact technology is growing so fast looking at data, even one year ago, may provide incorrect data in which put Pear on a different direction then it should be taken. Also data mining would only answer the direction the company is being taken too by the market and not determining  or understanding the cause of the direction. Data mining is also a form of observation. Pear could send out certain employees to different electronic store, web sites, chat rooms, or to any form of commerce to look at the all sales both Pear’s and its competitors, however still wouldn’t answer the question of where to place Pear’s resources. Pear must determine to logically and have firsthand knowledge of what people are thinking about before they go and purchase. What are their choices and needs to be filled when using their chosen electronic device. Personal lives continue to change. Meaning people might be going to college, High School, into video gaming, or just in need a device as a medium of entertainment. Pear has chosen to perform a targeted survey in which 9 questions would be asked. The survey would ask if they were to look for electronic devices today what they would be looking for. Additional questions would be asked: Age Income Laptop or tablet Gender Usage (business, pleasure, or both) Video gaming How much time on device (laptop or tablet) Prices of either Laptop or tablet Is brand type important Storage capacity Using the survey is putting the trust in the individual to answer the questions truthfully and accurately. However the moment the individual steps into the business or orders their device their mind may be changed at the point of sale. If there is a change this is the degree of variance and would be used in the confidence makeup of the sampling. We hope to have a 95% acucuracy. If we only have 300 answered surveys and we wanted to look at the age of those surveyed we would take the age range and find the mean. As an example let call the mean 26.7, then we would find out the standard deviation of those surveyed and receive 2.5. Then we would look to find the 95% interval of 1.96. I would calculate the formula of 1.96(2.5/sq root of 300) and receive the answer of .28 (rounded to the nearest tenth). Then I would take the mean of 26.7and add or subtract .51, (26.7+/-.51) the results are 26.42,26.98. In conclusion Team D would conduct a survey on an established social media site on the internet. Total the number of responses hoping to have at least 300 or more. The reliable information would need to be trusted because the questions are granular and generic enough to not have personal information. So protection would only be how many persons answered the question and nothing personable. Storage of the data would be password protected. References Mui, C. (2012). How Kodak Failed. Retrieved on October 9, 2014 from http://www.fo rbes.com/sites/chunkamui/2012/01/18/how-kodak-failed/ SHMA (2012). 4 Types of Consumer Buying Behavior. Retrieved on October 9, 2014 from http://managementation.com/4-types-of-consumer-buying-behavior/ Stat Soft (2014). What is Data Mining (Predictive, Analytics, Big Data). Retrieved on October 9, 2014 from http://www.statsoft.com/Textbook/Data-Mining-Techniques

Concept of Influence in Leadership

Concept of Influence in Leadership Influence is defined as the force one person exerts on another person to induce a change in the targeted individual. Influencing can change a persons behavior, attitude, goals, opinions, needs and values. Influence is a necessary part of leadership. It is concerned with how the leader affects followers. Influence is a necessary ingredient of leadership, without influence, leadership is non-existent. The influence dimension of leadership requires the leader to have an impact on the lives of those being led. To make a change in other people comes with an enormous amount of social and ethical burden. Various types of influence processes and the factors affecting them Leaders use variety of influence process to alter the behavior of people. The influence process changes according to the demands of the situation. Influence processes refer to the five ways leaders shape organizational variables including people and resources. The five influence processes are direct decisions, allocation of resources, reward system, selection and promotion of other leaders and role modeling. Each will be discussed in detail in the following paragraphs: Direct decisions:Â  Direct decisions provide the leaders the ability to influence the choices of their followers. This ability to influence comes with the control leaders have in formulating mission and vision aspects of an organization. The most important aspect giving power to leader in the organizational structure is their ability to influence the variables affecting their followers through direct decisions. Leaders ability to make decisions influencing organizational structure give them the power to dictate decision making in the organization and set overall direction of the organization. Allocation of resources: Leaders make use of their power over various organizational resources such as human, money and technological resources to significantly impact the way work is carried out in an organization. For example if a department is in serious need of funds a leader has the power to grant additional money to the department in addition to the portion allocated to the department in the annual budget. Reward system: Leader can make use of their power to reward to influence the actions and behaviors of their employees. A leader can offer monetary incentive to followers in case the followers conform to certain behavioral standards and achieve goals necessary for meeting the overall organization objective. Selection and promotion of other leaders: Leaders can also influence their followers by making use of their power to promote the leaders who meet individual as well as organizational goals and objectives. Role modeling: Finally one of the most important ways leaders can mould the behavior and opinion of their followers is by acting as a role model. Followers always follow the path leader is taking. If a leader possesses high moral and ethical standard there are greater chances that their followers will also have high ethical and moral standards. Analysis of the influence process used by Andrea Jung, Indra Nooyi, and Brenda Barnes Influence processes used by Andrea Jung Direct decisions: The CEO of Avon Corporation, Andrea Jung has taken numerous successful decisions that have changed the image of Avon in the beauty and cosmetics industry. She emphasized the importance of sales force saying that they were at the heart of Avon and that Avons future success depends on their efforts. She also strongly emphasized the importance of internet sales. Andrea Jung also worked to change Avons traditional focus from the 30-55 year old women to the younger 16-24 year old women citing the reason that this segment of around 17 million women has a purchasing power of over $100. She also eliminated seven layers of management and got rid of 25% of the senior staff. Allocation of resources: Andrea Jung strongly favors allocation of huge budget for the Research and development function of her organization, believing that it has potential to give off higher benefits in return. Andrea Jungs decision to invest heavily in RD paid off when the companys sales increased by 45% in 2004. Reward system: Sales representatives making huge profits for the company are rewarded with paid holiday trips to eye-catching tourist attractions like Tenerife, Cyprus and Madeira. Selection and promotion of other leaders: When Andrea Jung took over Avon Corporation there were no women past middle management. Today 85% of Avons top management team in U.S. being composed of females ([emailprotected], 2005). Role modeling: Andrea Jung with her determination, courage and distinctive managerial style is a wonderful role model for coming generations of female leaders. Influence processes used by Indra Nooyi Direct decisions: At PepsiCo. Indra Nooyi has been credited with several key decisions that have positively enhanced the performance the company. Her decisions including the divestiture of fast food restaurants (Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC), the acquisition of Tropicana and the merger with Quaker Oats provide remarkable examples to the sharp talents Indra Nooyi has in turning ideas and plans into realities. Allocation of resources: Indra Nooyi redirected about one third of PepsiCos marketing budget this year towards social media campaigns and digital promotions including her ReFresh Project campaign. Indra Nooyi takes community building seriously and has undertaken a $20M grant program to help community building causes. Reward system: Apart from monetary rewards, Indra Nooyi strongly believes in the importance of non-monetary rewards as well. She sends the spouses and parents of her companys top performers personal hand written thank-you letters (Keller Price, 2011). Selection and promotion of other leaders: Indra Nooyi stresses the importance of developing future leaders so that when the top level leaders leave their jobs their absence is not felt (Keller Price, 2011). Role modeling: Indra Nooyi is a role model for millions of young girls back home in India. It is a signal to them that with extreme dedication and hard work they too can scale apparently unreachable heights. Influence processes used by Brenda Barnes Direct decisions: The CEO of Sara Lee has undertaken number of direct decisions during her tenure at the company. Her first major decision was to sell its non-core businesses to focus on the core business. She also decided to increase Sara Lees presence in the international market, because of this decision in 2008, 75% of the companys operating income came from international (non-U.S.) market. Allocation of resources: When Brenda Barnes first assumed the role of CEO of Sara Lee she took the decision to allocate $250m towards RD and marketing in addition to the allocated amount in budget, she undertook the decision to boost the annual sales at least by 2% to 4%. Reward system: At Sara Lee rewards are tied to employees performance on job. Employees are encouraged to buy companys stock and naturally it gives provides them an incentive to perform exceedingly well on their jobs since it will translate into profits for them (Griffin Moorhead, 2011). Selection and promotion of other leaders: Brenda Barnes promoted leaders to higher echelons of the organization depending on their skills and performance level on job (Griffin Moorhead, 2011). Role modeling: Brenda Barnes is a great role model for women looking for finding a balance between career and home. She took a career break and left her job as the CEO of Sara Lee for looking after her children (Bulik, 2004). Conclusion Influence is the force a person exerts on another person to change their opinion or alter their behaviors. Leaders frequently use a combination of influence strategies. It is a well-known fact that people who use a wider variety of tactics are typically perceived as having greater power and influence. Leaders have to determine the method that is most likely to influence others by considering the individuals, groups, and situations involved.

Kalevala Koru :: essays research papers

Kalevala Koru Introduction The history of Kalevala jewellery went back to the Association of Kalevala Women who aimed to safeguard ancient Finnish culture tradition. Making-making was regarded by them as one way to honour national history and culture heritage as well as one way to raise funds for the Association of Kalevala Women. The name Kalevala came from the national epic because of its strong connection Established in 1937, Kalevala Jewellery started to produce jewellery in 1940. In 1940s, though facing difficulties of lacking raw materials and skilful workforce in production, the jewellery sold very well both at home and abroad partly due to the fact that demand exceeded supply, partly due to its attendances at jewellery exhibitions which enlarged its brand fame. 1950s saw the steady growth of Kalevala till 1960s, however modern jewellery gained an increasing market share at the same time. In the early 70s situation improved a bit then replaced by a sliding down at the end of the decade till the beginning of 80s when the Association had to give financial aid to help it out. Then thanks to a change in fashion in the mid-80s, Kalevala won over new customers when young women wanted big, ethnic jewellery. The main product ranges of Kalevala were ancient and archaeological jewellery, historical jewellery and modern jewellery. Bronze was used as main raw materials to make jewellery, next was silver and then gold. Bronze jewellery contributed a large part of total production (70%). The silver and gold works accounted for 22 % and 8 % respectively. Almost the entire Kalevala jewellery range was available in both bronze and silver. Every year over 400 models were being produced, of which most were available in various forms, like pendants, earrings, necklaces, brooches, rings for girls and tiepins and cufflinks for men. The production process was so labour-intensive that in 1996 85 out of 143 employees worked for production section. With the joining of new CEO, Kalevala stepped into a new stage. By motivating employees, investing in production machines and R&D, focusing on three market segments which targeted young women, working women and loyal users and improving customer services which included re-adjusting salesmen’ attitude towards retailers, automating administrative work, adapting to a changing environment, Marja Usvasalo managed to achieve best performances in the period from 4/1995 to 3/1996 with profit increased greatly by 39% compared with previous year though it had to be reaffirmed that from 1988 till 1996 period the corporate performances had been improving.

Essay --

La’Shya Bradford November 10, 2013 Eng 102-H1 Dr Amy Carmines Double Standards â€Å"I am America. I am the part you won't recognize. But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own; get used to me.† – Muhammad Ali African American women in the workforce have been seen as the lowest percentage in many companies. Corporate America is the toughest for women of color, due to the culture of companies and the value of women to many leaders of these companies. Today I will specifically be talking about Pepsi Corporation and how they could help turn this stereotype around and open the doors to many more African American women. The Pepsi corporation should expand their corporate leaders by increasing the African American women population as an attempt to diversify and highlight to many the value of women of color in corporate America. The history of women has been defined as lower positions of life for ages. Having to take the back seat to male figures has been the way of life for women in general. Since before we could even think back Greeks had the same view of women as we did and still do to some extent. For instance, let's refer to Greek mythology such as The Odyssey. Penelope is the wife of Odysseus and the mother of Telemachus And even though she is queen of Ithaca she has to play the back seat to all men. Even her own son whom she lives with and by his rules due to the absences of her husband and her son age approaching a mans. On page 89 in Homer: The Odyssey Telemachus demonstrates his authority. He says â€Å"So mother, go back to your quarters. Tend to your own task, the distaff and the look, and keep the women working hard as well. As for giving orders, men will see that, but ... ...effective organizational knowledge.. Bring solutions by offering lighter, more diverse ways to help better understand customers. Take steps to ensure that staff is attempting to share useful knowledge that’s relatable and nurturing to the customers. Pay attention to what your employees learn from customers. The Pepsi corporation should expand its corporate leadership by increasing the African American women population as an attempt to diversify and highlight to many about the value of women of color in corporate America. This will help them take away from this stereotype of African American women in the workplace and the value of women in general. This routine can also help Pepsi stay true to its company culture as one of the first companies to open doors for African Americans and the women's community. Their position values will be more respected and recognized.

Antioxidant Vitamins and Cancer :: Medicine Medical Essays Health

Antioxidant Vitamins and Cancer Cancer is one of the world's number one killers; nearly 75% of all Americans are affected by this disease. Thus, much time and research has been put into finding a preventative means of slowing the deaths attributed to this disease. Research by the scientific community coupled with propaganda from the media has brought antioxidants to the forefront in preventative medicine against cancer. This site will discuss what the claims are about antioxidant vitamins and what science has shown to in fact be true. This site is simply a summary; a beginner's guide to an ever-changing world of antioxidant research. Antioxidants and the role of oxygen free radicals Antioxidants work in protecting your body from cancer by reducing the effects that oxygen free radicals have on cell damage. This oxidative stress has both internal (digestion of certain nutrients, fighting off bacteria, etc.) and external or environmental causes. The oxygen free radicals are atoms or groups of atoms with unpaired electrons formed between the interaction of oxygen and certain molecules. These radicals immediately attach themselves to other cells in order to balance out the number of electrons and become stable. Once formed, these free radicals can have a very destructive impact on a cell. Those radicals which do not cause death to the cell can stimulate the growth of cancer when they interact with and cause damage to the DNA within the cell. Scientific evidence suggests that these oxygen free radicals play important roles in the expansion of tumors and the acquisition of malignant properties. (Role of Oxygen Free Radicals European Journal of Cancer. 32A(1):30-8, 1996 Jan.) To prevent this free radical damage, the body utilizes a defense system made up of antioxidants. The antioxidant molecules interact with the oxygen free radicals and halt the spread of cancer causing cells with damaged DNA before other vital molecules are damaged. The main micronutrient antioxidants are vitamin E, beta-carotene, and vitamin C. Additionally, a trace metal known as selenium is required for the proper functioning of one of the body's antioxidant enzyme systems. Since the body cannot produce these micronutrients itself, they must be ingested through the diet. (http://www.liberty.com/home/appaloosa/protx.html) Vitamin E: Vitamin which helps protect our bodies when they are exposed to environmental pollutants that interfere with healthy oxygen metabolism. It is a fat soluble vitamin found in nuts, seeds, vegetable and fish oils, whole grains, fortified cereals, and apricots. Antioxidant Vitamins and Cancer :: Medicine Medical Essays Health Antioxidant Vitamins and Cancer Cancer is one of the world's number one killers; nearly 75% of all Americans are affected by this disease. Thus, much time and research has been put into finding a preventative means of slowing the deaths attributed to this disease. Research by the scientific community coupled with propaganda from the media has brought antioxidants to the forefront in preventative medicine against cancer. This site will discuss what the claims are about antioxidant vitamins and what science has shown to in fact be true. This site is simply a summary; a beginner's guide to an ever-changing world of antioxidant research. Antioxidants and the role of oxygen free radicals Antioxidants work in protecting your body from cancer by reducing the effects that oxygen free radicals have on cell damage. This oxidative stress has both internal (digestion of certain nutrients, fighting off bacteria, etc.) and external or environmental causes. The oxygen free radicals are atoms or groups of atoms with unpaired electrons formed between the interaction of oxygen and certain molecules. These radicals immediately attach themselves to other cells in order to balance out the number of electrons and become stable. Once formed, these free radicals can have a very destructive impact on a cell. Those radicals which do not cause death to the cell can stimulate the growth of cancer when they interact with and cause damage to the DNA within the cell. Scientific evidence suggests that these oxygen free radicals play important roles in the expansion of tumors and the acquisition of malignant properties. (Role of Oxygen Free Radicals European Journal of Cancer. 32A(1):30-8, 1996 Jan.) To prevent this free radical damage, the body utilizes a defense system made up of antioxidants. The antioxidant molecules interact with the oxygen free radicals and halt the spread of cancer causing cells with damaged DNA before other vital molecules are damaged. The main micronutrient antioxidants are vitamin E, beta-carotene, and vitamin C. Additionally, a trace metal known as selenium is required for the proper functioning of one of the body's antioxidant enzyme systems. Since the body cannot produce these micronutrients itself, they must be ingested through the diet. (http://www.liberty.com/home/appaloosa/protx.html) Vitamin E: Vitamin which helps protect our bodies when they are exposed to environmental pollutants that interfere with healthy oxygen metabolism. It is a fat soluble vitamin found in nuts, seeds, vegetable and fish oils, whole grains, fortified cereals, and apricots.

My Scholarship

Learning is never confined within the four walls of a classroom. However, it is through the four portals of the academe wherein the appreciation of learning begins. It is a domain wherein Ideas and theories clash, different views and perspectives are expressed and the onward steps to civilization are witnessed. Indeed, the education system is one of the most potent instruments of every country. It establishes the foundation of a strong and every state. Anyone who receives good training is armed with confidence, stature and grace. Education acts as an efficient shield against any adversities that are encountered in the real world. An educated individual enjoys the privileges of encountering different chances and opportunities that can improve his or her life and therefore contribute to the whole community. For every parent, seeing their child attain a degree is something that they can be proud of. All the years of struggles and hardships has finally come to an end since education is indeed, one of the best gifts that any parent can provide. Likewise, this scenario has also created a great impact and change in my life. It has been quite some time when I received my high school diploma. Looking back, the ephemeral and nostalgic moments bring back a hodge-podge of bitter-sweet memories. But I guess, none can be sweeter when I was admitted in the College of Technology. The institution offers two year courses to bachelor degrees in computer-related courses such as programming, network administration etc. The institution is known for drafting students who have the potential to pursue a bachelor degree. For two and a half years, I have survived all the storms that came along my way. It was indeed a great battle, but I managed to pull it off. All the blood, sweat and tears that I have rendered are worth the wait since I was able to finish my two year course. However, this did not prevent me from achieving one of my most precious dreams—and that is to attain a bachelor degree. Fueled with motivation and desire, I started to work so that I can support myself. Afterwards, I gathered all my guts and applied for a degree in the college. Unfortunately, my hopes and dreams seemed to disappear into thin air. My GBA did not qualify. The college requires a grade of more than three and a half. I must admit that at some point I felt discouraged. It seemed that hope has finally betrayed me. But then again, the warrior in me refused to give up.   I know that rough seas make a skillful sailor. I continued working for three long years. I consider it as a blessing when I was immediately hired right after I graduated. Those opportunities do not usually come to other individuals. Others have to wait for months before they can finally get a decent job. Mostly of my previous work were on a temporary basis. Yet in a short span of time that I have stayed in a particular company, I have gained a lot. The experiences I have encountered exposed me to different situations wherein my decision making skills were continuously challenged. Those were the times when I seized the opportunity to develop more of my talents and skills. I knew that in the future, I would surely benefit from it. During those moments, each day is a lesson learned mistakes to correct and small steps to the fulfillment of my long term goals and dreams. As I overcome the challenges that I encountered I am gaining more experiences that are related to my course. The jobs that I have entered served as a good training ground and inspiration for me to pursue my dreams. As I continue with my life, the awaited opportunity came and knocked me off by surprise. The minister of high education announced that the government is now opening its doors to individuals who want to pursue their degrees in the United States. Scholarships were offered to those who are highly interested. At first, I have no idea that such situation would occur. This is most especially true when the 9/11 attacks took place. Before the tragic event, the ministry of the higher education used to launch scholarship programs to different countries. These include the United States and the United Kingdom. However, when the attacks occurred, scholarship programs in the United States were suspended until 2004. By the time 2004 came, the king of Saudi Arabia negotiated with the American government. The two parties decided to open the scholarship program once again. At first I was having doubts on whether I should seize such opportunity—to a certain extent that the mere thought of applying for the scholarship program sent shiver to my spine. Finally I gathered all my guts and fill out the online application. Hesitations, anxieties and nervousness accompanied me as I answered every question. Will I be accepted? Will I be rejected? These are the questions that entered my mind. Deep inside of me, I know that I have the smallest chances of being accepted. I know that there are other individuals who are better than me and competition is indeed very fierce and stiff. Yet, ten minutes after, a shocking revelation engulfed my soul. I received an email stating that I was chosen as one of the scholarship program’s candidates. At first, I cannot believe my eyes. It seemed like I was trapped in a beautiful dream wherein waking up translates to a sorrowful requiem. Honestly, I found it hard to convince myself that I was among the chosen few. There are many aspirants and I am included in the crà ¨me of the crop. A miracle was happening and I could not believe my eyes. All the memories that I had three years ago flash back. During those times I was heavily preoccupied in processing my application for a university in Saudi Arabia and several minutes later, the last thing I knew was that I was already a candidate for the United State’s scholarship program. I wasted no time and immediately processed all my papers and necessary documents. I now have the chance and the opportunity that I have been waiting for such a long time. Now that it was already within my grasp, I never wanted it to vanish in an instant. Upon the completion of the requirements, I submitted it to the ministry of higher education. Afterwards, I got my schedule for the initial interview. Armed with courage and bravery I faced the scrutinizing eyes and critical minds of the panelists. The panel was comprised of respectable members of the academe. Doctors and professors who are working in Saudi Arabia universities are chosen to be among the panelists and they know whether the applicants or students were serious via asking certain questions like: why are you going there? and why did they choose such majors? Through answering those questions, the panel determined whether the applicant is indeed serious about the scholarship program. I was hoping that I would pass the interview and my instincts never failed me. I saw my name in the list. A month later, I was required to take yet another test. It is similar to SAT which seems to be its counterpart in Arabic. The exam concentrated on math, physics and chemistry. When I was told that I passed the exam, I could not feel anything but joy and excitement. I was aware that I was already on the final step. I had another interview in the United States’ embassy in Saudi Arabia. This time, the interview is for my visa. An American guy asked me questions that are related to my degree of specialization, the reason behind choosing it, the state where I came from and how long will I stay in the country. I gathered all my confidence and answered all the questions with honesty. After that I was told that I will get my visa after a week. Within the week, I was filled with joy and enthusiasm as I received my passport and student’s visa. The long wait is over, my destiny’s already fulfilled.   

Negligence: Duty of Care and Buick Motor Co.

Negligence, duty and Breach of Duty. To constitute a legal action against some one’s negligence, several requirements to be fulfilled. First one is that there must exist some duty of care towards the plaintiff by the defendant. The second one is that the defendant should breach such duty of care imposed on him. The third one is that the negligence done by the defendant should be the cause of the harm resulted to the plaintiff. The fourth one is that the harm should have some monetary value. In Haynes V Harwood (1935) 1 KB 146 at 152, Judge Greer L.J, pointed out these requirements in his judgement stating that â€Å" Negligence in the air will not do: negligence, in order to give a cause of action, must be the neglect of some duty owed to the person who makes the claim†. The simple meaning is that if one done negligence actions, in a place, which is untouched by other people, in such a place, there would not arise a duty of care toward others. Therefore the question of the breach of such duty of care would also not arise. In such a situation a legal action on negligence can not be instituted.To understand above elements pertaining to negligence in law of tort, we shall discuss them in detail. Duty of Care In  tort law, a  duty of care  is a  legal  obligation  imposed on an individual requiring that they adhere to a standard  of  reasonable  care while performing any acts that could foreseeably harm others. It is the first element that must be established to proceed with an action in  negligence. The claimant must  be able to show  a duty of care imposed by law which the defendant has breached.The duty of care may be imposed  by  operation of law  between individuals with no  current  direct relationship (familial or contractual or otherwise), but eventually become related in some manner. At common law, duties were formerly limited to those with whom one was in  privity  one way or another, as exemplified by c ases like  Winterbottom v. Wright  (1842). In the early 20th century, judges began to recognize that enforcing the privity requirement against hapless consumers had harsh results in many  product liability  cases.The idea of a general duty of care that runs to all who could be foreseeably affected by one's conduct (accompanied by the demolishing of the privity barrier) first appeared in the landmark U. S. case of  MacPherson v. Buick Motor Co. (1916) and was imported into UK law by another landmark case,  Donoghue v Stevenson  [1932]. MacPherson v. Buick Motor Co. , 217 N. Y. 382, 111 N. E. 1050 (1916) A famous  New York Court of Appeals  opinion by Judge  Benjamin N. Cardozo  which removed the requirement of  privity of contract  for duty in  negligence  actions The  plaintiff, Donald C.MacPherson, a stonecutter, was injured when one of the wooden wheels of his 1909 â€Å"Buick Runabout† collapsed. The  defendant,  Buick Motor Company, had manufactured the vehicle, but not the wheel, which had been manufactured by another party but installed by defendant. It was conceded that the defective wheel could have been discovered upon inspection. The defendant denied liability because the plaintiff had purchased the automobile from a dealer, not directly from the defendant. The portion of the MacPherson  opinion in which Cardozo demolished the privity bar to recovery is as follows: If the nature of a thing is such that it is reasonably certain to place life and limb in peril when negligently made, it is then a thing of danger. Its nature gives warning of the consequence to be expected. If to the element of danger there is added knowledge that the thing will be used by persons other than the purchaser, and used without new tests, then, irrespective of contract, the manufacturer of this thing of danger is under a duty to make it carefully. That is as far as we need to go for the decision of this case . . . . If he is neglige nt, where danger is to be oreseen, a liability will follow† Donoghue v. Stevenson  [1932] The case of  Donoghue v. Stevenson  [1932] illustrates the law of negligence, laying the foundations of the  fault  principle around the Commonwealth. The Plaintiff, Donoghue, drank ginger beer given to her by a friend, who bought it from a shop. The beer was supplied by a manufacturer, Stevenson in Scotland. While drinking the drink, Donoghue discovered the remains of an allegedly decomposed  slug. She then sued Stevenson, though there was no relationship of contract, as the friend had made the payment.As there was no  contract,  the doctrine of  privity  prevented a direct action against the manufacturer. In his ruling, justice Lord MacMillan defined a new category of delict (the Scots law nearest equivalent of tort), ( based on â€Å"implied warranty of fitness of a product† in a completely different category of tort–â€Å"products liability†) b ecause it was analogous to previous cases about people hurting each other. Lord Atkin interpreted the biblical passages to ‘love thy neighbour,' as the legal requirement to ‘not harm thy neighbour. He then went on to define neighbour as â€Å"persons who are so closely and directly affected by my act that I ought reasonably to have them in contemplation as being so affected when I am directing my mind to the acts or omissions that are called in question. Reasonably foreseeable harm must be compensated†. This is the first principle of negligence. Breach of the Duty The test is both subjective and objective. The defendant who knowingly (subjective) exposes the plaintiff/claimant to a substantial risk of loss, breaches that duty.The defendant who fails to realize the substantial risk of loss to the plaintiff/claimant, which any  reasonable person  [objective] in the same situation would clearly have realized, also breaches that duty. Breach of duty is not limited to professionals or persons under written or oral contract; all members of society have a duty to exercise reasonable care toward others and their property. A person who engages in activities that pose an unreasonable risk toward others and their property that actually results in harm, breaches their duty of reasonable care.An example is shown in the facts of  Bolton v. Stone,[5]  a 1951 legal case decided by the  House of Lords  which established that a defendant is not negligent if the damage to the plaintiff was not a reasonably foreseeable consequence of his conduct. In the case, a Miss Stone was struck on the head by a cricket ball while standing outside her house. Cricket balls were not normally hit a far enough distance to pose a danger to people standing as far away as was Miss Stone.Although she was injured, the court held that she did not have a legitimate claim because the danger was not sufficiently foreseeable. Causation For a defendant to be held  liable, it must be shown that the particular acts or omissions were the cause of the loss or damage sustained. Although the notion sounds simple, the causation between one's breach of duty and the harm that results to another can at times be very complicated. The basic test is to ask whether the injury would have occurred but for, or without, the accused party's breach of the duty owed to the injured party.Even more precisely, if a breaching party materially increases the risk of harm to another, then the breaching party can be sued to the value of harm that he caused. Sometimes causation is one part of a multi-stage test for legal liability. For example for the defendant to be held liable for the tort of negligence, the defendant must have (1) owed the plaintiff a  duty of care; (2) breached that duty; (3) by so doing caused  damage  to the plaintiff; and (4) that damage must not have been too remote. Causation is but one component of the tort.On other occasions causation is the only r equirement for legal liability (other than the fact that the outcome is proscribed). For example in the law ofproduct liability, the fact that the defendant's product caused the plaintiff harm is the only thing that matters. The defendant need not also have been negligent. On still other occasions, causation is irrelevant to legal liability altogether. For example, under a contract of  indemnity insurance, the  insurer  agrees to indemnify the  victim  for harm not caused by the insurer, but by other parties.Where establishing causation is required to establish legal liability, it is usually said that it involves a two-stage inquiry. The first stage involves establishing ‘factual’ causation. Did the defendant act in the plaintiff’s loss? This must be established before inquiring into legal causation. The second stage involves establishing ‘legal’ causation. This is often a question of public policy: is this the sort of situation in which, d espite the outcome of the factual enquiry, we might nevertheless release the defendant from liability, or impose liability?

Insecurity in Nigeria

INSECURITY IN NIGERIA This essay is written to give information on the causes and solution to the insecurity in Nigeria. From this, we see that it is expressly stated in our Constitution that the Government(s) is ultimately responsible for the security of lives, property, etc of the people of Nigeria. Internal security, or IS, is the act of keeping peace within the  borders  of a  sovereign state  or other  self-governing territories. This is done generally by upholding the national  law  and defending against internal security threats.Responsibility for internal security may range from  police  to  paramilitary  forces, and in exceptional circumstances, the  military  itself. (Wikipedia) Threats to Internal security Threats to the general peace may range from low-level  civil disorder, large scale  violence, or even an armed  insurgency. Threats to internal security may be directed at either the state's citizens, or the organs and infrastructure of  the state  itself, and may range from petty  crime, serious  organized crime, political or industrial unrest, or even domestic  terrorism.Foreign powers may also act as a threat to internal security, by either committing or sponsoring terrorism or  rebellion, without actually  declaring war. Forces and Agencies Governmental responsibility for internal security will generally rest with an  interior ministry, as opposed to a  defense ministry. Depending on the state, a state's internal security will be maintained by either the ordinary  police or law enforcement  agencies or more militarized police forces (known as  Gendarmerie).Other specialized internal security agencies may exist to augment these main forces, such as  border guards,  special police units, or aspects of the state's  List of intelligence agencies. In some states, internal security may be the primary responsibility of a  secret police force. The level of authorized force used by agencies and forces responsible for maintaining internal security might range from unarmed  police  to fully armed  paramilitary  organizations, or employ some level of  less-lethal weaponry  in between.For violent situations, internal security forces may contain some element of military type equipment such as  non-military armored vehicles. But enough of definitions and insinuations. What we are talking about is not merely petty crimes, armed robberies, etc, but terrorism and bombings, armed insurgency, e. g. the Niger Delta problem, which seemed to have died down a bit of recent, after all the hullabaloo of Amnesty, Jos ethnic/religious killings, Boko Haram massacres and bombings in Abuja, Maiduguri and other northern cities, etc.What every Nigerian should be doing is asking and demanding answers on what has been done so far since October 1st, 2010 Independence Day Twin Bombing in Abuja FCT. Not to mention numerous bombings in Maiduguri, Bauchi and Adamawa. Mind you, these a re not the first instances of such insecurity. Insecurity has been with us probably since we became a Republic, only we decided to turn blind eyes to it. When the CIA report of 2005 predicted the collapse of Nigeria in about 15 years time, patriots and critics alike reacted differently to the report.For me, as much as I wanted to dismiss it, something kept niggling my mind that this might be a true prophetic scrutiny of the state of Nigeria. Not because the CIA is dependable in its security analysis, after all, they didn't get it right to prevent 9/11 2001 from happening, but events in Nigeria seemed to suggest that while other countries in the sub-region were developing, Nigeria was retrogressing despite its claim to democracy.People expected the then Government of Obasanjo to take this warning as a chance for Nigeria to look inwards, engage with the report, and work on those predictive indices that could lead to the predicted failure. But, inopportunely, the Obasanjo government di smissed the report in its totality. In a way, the dismissal is not entirely a surprise, since our leaders, over the years, are prone to such habits of shielding the truth from their people, not caring as long as it does not happen in their time; are actually very ignorant of what is going on around them, and are obstinate and tyrannical in their nature.The current general state of insecurity in Nigeria has now lent weight to the report. It must be recalled that while the report was released at the advent of the so-called Niger Delta crisis, since then several acts of bombings and killings by the extremist Islamic sect, Boko Haram, the carnage between ethnic Birom and the Hausa/Fulani in Jos, and the political violence that followed immediately after the 2011 Elections results, mostly in the northern part of the country, have further cemented the insecure state of the country.Starting with the usual religious/ethnic oriented conflicts, to the Jos ethnic/religious/political conflict o f 2008, regrettably, the northern states have shown that security of persons and properties is still far from being realizable. However, the current crisis which started in Bauchi and has engulfed other states in the north has elements of theocratic opinionated ambitions in it. While the fundamentalist group – Boko Haram's – demand for the jettisoning of a western behavioral pattern and the imposition of strict Sharia law can be described as absurd to say the least, we should equally view it with all the seriousness it deserves.What the current trend of violence is imprinting on the psyche of Nigerians is that the government security apparatus is incapable of guaranteeing the safety and security of its people. This would, therefore, impact on the general human security of the people as the situation promotes fear, while at the same time limiting the peoples' ability to develop economically. At the same time, the state's capacity to attract investors becomes limited as a result of the insecurity.For instance, states like Enugu and Bauchi that have huge tourism potential would be losing out on this front On different terrorist attacks, listen to what leaders with political will had to say: On 9/11: â€Å"This is an act of war against the United States. We'll hunt down the terrorists. They can run but they can't' hide†¦ † – George Bush London Bombing: â€Å"We'll track down the terrorists and bring them to justice† – Tony Blair UN House Bombing: â€Å"Terrorism is a global phenomenon. May be it is Nigeria's turn. † – Goodluck Jonathan So what our supreme leader is saying is that, â€Å"why not, it’s our turn to start getting blown up†.How much more should we expect? That shows you the depth of intelligence and care of our leaders. Security was a driving issue in the last Presidential campaign following bomb blast by Niger Delta militants and attacks of police by members of the extremist Is lamic group, Boko Haram in the northern part of the country. President Jonathan campaigned very hard to convince Nigerians that his government was meeting those security challenges. But the rioting, mostly in the North, that followed immediately after his election raised questions, which are still unanswered, about security preparedness.At least 800 people were said to have been killed in these Muslim-Christian electoral violence. â€Å"As president, it is my solemn duty to defend the constitution of this country. That includes the obligation to protect the lives and properties of every Nigerian wherever they choose to live,† he said Challenges ; Proposed Solutions: Mr. President should acknowledge the failure of the security agencies hence there should be a complete overhaul of the Security Agencies in the county to pre-empt these security breaches. In particular, the failure of the intelligence services to contain the recurring security breaches.The spate of bombings has on ce more brought to limelight the need for a Sovereign National Conference. Until these structural distortions and anomalies are addressed, the monster of insecurity will loom large and Nigeria will once more be listed as a terrorist nation. Mr. President has to act decisively to execute his Office, and this can be achieved by implementing the anti-terrorism law and punish culprits of such heinous crimes capable of causing instability in the nation. This will vitiate the implementation of Mr. President's transformational agenda.The long-term effect is that the on-going terrorism will discourage potential investors in Nigeria. At the speed Nigeria is deteriorating, there is a strong desire for a  SOVEREIGN NATIONAL CONFERENCE  so that all ethnic  nationalities  can make their stand known  this amalgamated country. The way forward is for us to keep laying emphasis on the need for the evolution of six regions. The federation should stay but let every region grow at its own pac e. The Western region has clearly set the  pace going by the result of the  last election.All the Western states voted massively for the Action Congress party (ACN), a party that  is not sufficiently  different  in programmes from the Action Party of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Each region should have their own police Force. MOPOL and Interpol  could be transformed into the only Federal Police crack elite team. The rest members of the police force should be dismembered and directed to return to their regions. It is  the duty of the regions to now retrain, equip and pay them. Second, the judiciary is not helping matters at all. This institution  is heavily  compounding our problems.It has got to really sit up. Cases of corruption are not  meant to be compromised at all, let alone adjourning them endlessly. The judiciary ought to have, at this stage in our development, evolved time scales  for cases. There  ought to have been  a time to determine a case; time to c lose that case; and time to deliver  judgment and pass sentences. In Nigeria, cases that bother on corruption and insecurity have most often been compromised thus the law is no longer acting as a deterrent. What is happening in Jos is too gory to narrate.The endless killing going on in that city has made the demand for regional governmentt more pertinent. The country cannot just continue to toe the line of extinction. Most Nigerians  do not value human lives. They debase them. Most  have become conditioned to act of carnages, brigandage, looting, massacre,  butchery and bestiality. Thirdly, the Federal government should always be decisive on issues that bother on insecurity. We have never had strong leaders. From Shagari to Yar ‘Adua and now to Jonathan, what we have heard were leaders handpicked and imposed on the people.We have over the years been denied leaders that would bring us out of the woods. First were Awo in 1979 and, controversially, Abiola in 1993. We have never had it so bad. OBJ was an imposition by the Northern oligarchy. Corruption was commonplace under OBJ. Now under Jonathan, what we have is intertwined corruption and insecurity. Ethnic and the foregoing problems and criminal activities individually and collectively create insecurity and breach of the peace that are likely to or indeed affect legitimate social and economic activities in the country.These problems also have the very damaging consequence of giving the signal to the rest of the international community that Nigeria is not a safe and secure place and as such not suitable for economic investment and activities. This is particularly important in view of the efforts being made to create the desired atmosphere to attract foreign investment. Beyond the effects of security concerns on the economic fortunes of the country, the nature of the security challenges facing the country also have implications for the country's political system.As mentioned earlier, social cohesion among various groups and interests is important in the process of national political development. Therefore, the constituent parts of the country must be and indeed feel that they are being carried along in the process of national governance. Experience has shown that widespread discontent and loss of confidence in the system have ways of affecting national political stability. Invariably continuing escalation of violence and crises across the country will impinge on the survival of our democracy.Accordingly, there is the challenge to rethink and improve on policy and institutional means of dealing with security concerns arising in the country. At the political level, the federal, state and local governments should evolve programmes of cultural and political education and orientation that seek to enthrone the fundamentals of democracy so that the political contestants as well as the generality of the citizens imbibe principles and practices essential for sustainable democracy.Such programmes must also address specific tendencies that create security breach and concerns in the country. In addition, a process of legislative and constitutional review should be initiated to assess the country's constitution and amend or expunge as necessary areas that have been found to give rise to conflicts and security problems. The process should also introduce new provisions and legislations that will ensure better and more effective interplay of interests among all groups and stakeholders in Nigeria.Such exercise should also embrace ways of making the country's democratic space more open, free, fair and tolerant as exists in other democracies around the world. Among specific lingering political issues that should be addressed are: the laws relating to political parties and their activities; the establishment, funding and activities of the electoral body; local and state government relationship; allocation of national resources and revenue; citizenship rights; devolution of security powers to states and local governments.In addition, the legislative and constitutional review should also embody security sector reforms that will make the security agencies and institutions more effective in combating crimes and other threats to national security and make them accountable to the democratic political system and structures. These democratic structures include the states and local governments. I believe that we need to give a more concrete understanding to the definition of governors as the chief security officers of the state.In all, what we need is a good government, no more no less. And a good government is possible in as much as people who are put in positions of authority are allowed and are committed to discharge their duties without fear or favors; are determined to serve with zeal and patriotism; are not ready to sell out to international capital and are ready to stand by the truth and die for it.In all, there is no mono cultural theory that is a cure -all to the diverse nature of insecurity in Nigeria but I believed and stand by the theory that Nigeria should evolve into six regions, each region having its Premier or Governor, each region has a right to retain its states or to abolish- the choice is theirs in the region to make; each region should be in charge of its Education,  Security, Health, Agriculture, Housing, Transport and Energy policies.The Central Government should be in charge of the Army, Central Bank, Customs, Prisons and Immigration services, MOPOL and Interpol, ALL WORKING at the same time IN THE INTEREST OF THE COUNTRY. The objections to this Soveriegn National Conference are coming significantly from the core north unbeknownst to the people from that region that the fallout from that conference would sufficiently be in their favour. Pessimism is a social disease but in a society of rights, it is right! Insecurity in Nigeria INSECURITY IN NIGERIA Underlying the quest for national security in Nigeria is the issue of political morality, which focuses on the question of defining the relationship between the state and the various groups in the society. Political morality properly construed seeks to establish and sustain the essential conditions for the smooth functioning of the state and society. It is in this light that we identify the problem of the moral basis of Nigeria’s security to be a vital imperative of national reconciliation, national survival and national development in the new millennium.Our examination of the moral foundations of national security is all the more significant when we examine the trend of events in the history of military and economic growth in Nigeria, especially under the erstwhile military regimes of Abacha and Babangida. This essay is particularly concerned with showing the pattern of ethical degeneration that led to the systematic and institutionalised erosion of pers onal and collective peace, safety, stability and harmony within the Nigerian society.Also, the need for an examination of the ethical basis of human social existence in Nigeria is further highlighted by president Obasanjo (1999: 8) who 245National Security, Social Order†¦ in the October 1999 national day speech emphasized that there is a need to examine the moral foundations of all our actions and to continue to search for the conditions that will make Nigeria a just, free and wealthy society. Obasanjo’sstatement clearly implies that the country is yet to achieve the much desired level of ethical conduct and respect for human dignity that can ensure the maintenance of security, peace and order in the society.Indeed, the history of Nigeria shows that the practice of genuine moral conduct and the guarantee of adequate personal and national security for all segments of the society has been an illusive and futile project. An examination of the spectrum of national life revea ls the incidence of corruption in high and low places, conflicts and confusion in various communities and regions, greed and selfishness as the guiding principles of human social interaction, as well as a situation of pervasive lawlessness in the conduct of daily life .As aconfirmation of the problem of national security in Nigeria the Nigerian Bar Association [NBA] has stated that there is increasing national decay and insecurity, which is seen in the regressing economy, unviable hospital facilities and health services, lack of good pipe borne water, transportation and fuel problems that have overwhelmed the society (Nwankpa 2000: 8). We may also add that the problem of national security is seen in the increasing situation of lawlessness, violence and criminality that have become endemic in the nation.The evidence of the dismal state national security is seen in what Onyegbula (2000: 24) describes as the diminishing standard of living and the deteriorating social infrastructures an d educational system. For instance, the roads, refineries,hospitals and schools have not been functioning at their optimum levels. More so, the existence of a poorly trained police force, has compelled the abdication of the security of lives and property of Nigerians to the ethnic militia groups and other dubious civil defense and vigilante associations.Together, these civil and institutional security agencies and groups participate in the institutionalized brutalization, extortion and repression of the people. Thus, our argument is that the erosion of both the dignity of the human person and the sanctity of the social order, has ensured that the establishment of genuine national security in the nation has not been adequately guaranteed.More importantly, the earlier approaches, which have been adopted in the attempt to provide national security in Nigeria, have not been successful. Hence, there is a need to seek a new approach to the resolution of the problem of national security in Nigeria and a good point to start the discussion is to attempt a conceptual analysis of social order as a prelude to the examination of national security. Oham Ugochukwu This day Journalist OHAM UGOCHUKWU YEAR 10 ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Ritz Carlton Сase Study

The history of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. originates with The Ritz-Carlton, Boston. The standards of service, dining and facilities of this Boston landmark serve as a benchmark for all Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts worldwide. The legacy of The Ritz-Carlton, Boston begins with the celebrated hotelier Cesar Ritz, the â€Å"king of hoteliers and hotelier to kings.† His philosophy of service and innovations redefined the luxury hotel experience in Europe through his management of The Ritz Paris and The Carlton in London. The Ritz-Carlton, Boston revolutionized hospitality in America by creating luxury in a hotel setting: Private bath in each guest roomLighter fabrics in the guest room to allow for more thorough washing White tie and apron uniforms for the wait staff, black tie for the Maitre d’ and morning suits for all other staff, conducive to a formal, professional appearance Extensive fresh flowers throughout the public areasA la carte dining, providing ch oices for diners Gourmet cuisine, utilizing the genius and cooking methods of Auguste Escoffier Intimate, smaller lobbies for a more personalized guest experienceCesar Ritz died in 1918 but his wife Marie continued the expansion of hotels bearing his name. In the United States, Albert Keller bought and franchised the name and established The Ritz-Carlton Investing Company. In 1927 The Ritz-Carlton, Boston, opened and other hotels followed in New York (at Madison and 54th), Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Atlantic City and Boca Raton, followed by the Miami hotels including the south beach location. However, by 1940 none of the hotels were operating except The Ritz-Carlton, Boston. The hotel embodies the vision of Cesar Ritz, Yankee ingenuity and Boston social sensibilities.The Ritz-Carlton south beach resort was first created in 1953 with the acquisition and restoration of the Morris Lapidus-designed Di Lido Hotel in Miami's South Beach district. The new resort featured 375 rooms; a 16,000 -sq.-ft. spa located on the third level; and 20,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, including a 10,000-sq.-ft. ballroom capable of seating up to 1,000 guests. The historic restoration retains the exterior flavor of the Morris Lapidus design, characterized as Art Moderne or MiMO (for Miami Modern). A three-story addition on top of the existing eight-story hotel, along with the incorporation of other surrounding buildings into the new resort, brings the Ritz-Carlton to approximately 500,000 sq. ft. These futures along with the rich history of the building make this hotel resort one of a kind and a must see destination.II. Company ProfileThe Ritz-Carlton South Beach hotel lies on Miami’s most famous beach and is located just steps from Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road. This is a 10-block  pedestrian esplanade with the best shopping, dining, nightlife and people-watching South Beach Miami has to offer. This hotel caters to the most discerning hotel guests, dignitaries and celebrities and includes features that you may not find anywhere else. The hotel has 375 luxurious guest rooms, including two poolside lanai wings in the style of early Miami Beach. It also provides more than 20,000 total square feet of exceptional South Beach meeting and conference facilities and a 16,000-square-foot Ritz-Carlton spa.This resort is a prime location, within walking distance to Miami's Ocean Drive, Lincoln Road and South Beach nightlife. The hotel went through a complete restoration of the original 1953, Morris Lepidus-designed, landmark South Beach Miami hotel in order to provide their customers with the luxurious experience associated with the Ritz Carlton name. The hotel is rated as a triple a diamond tier 4 hotel, making it the recipient of the highest rating award for a luxury hotel. Guest Room Features & Amenities400-450 square feet Views of the Atlantic Ocean, pool, and South Beach Contemporary, warm furnishings inspired by South Beach’s vibrant ocean destination with the luxuries of home, accented with colors of blue, sea mist green, and coral Generously sized desks iPod docking stations, with AM/FM clock radios In-room laptop-compatible safe Computer and fax hookups Multi-line telephones with hold button Choice of one king or two double beds Goose down and non-allergenic foam pillows Luxurious 100% cotton linens Sumptuous marble baths Suit, skirt and padded hangers Fully stocked mini refreshment bar Rollaway beds available ($50 per day) All rooms in our South Beach hotel are non-smokingProperty Features & Amenities The Ritz-Carlton Spa The Signature Shop Two restaurants, including upscale dining and casually chic oceanfront lounge dining Elevated outdoor pool and private day beds overlook the Atlantic Ocean $2 million original art collection featuring established and emerging artists 24-hour room serviceValet parking available at our Miami hotel: Daily $27 / Overnight $36 Limousine services available upon request Personal shoppers available up on requestIII. Balance scorecardThe balanced scorecard is a strategic planning and management system that is used extensively in the hotel industry to align business activities to the vision and strategy of the organization, improve internal and external communications, and monitor organization performance against strategic goals. The balanced scorecard has evolved from its early use as a simple performance measurement to a full strategic planning and management system. The â€Å"new† balanced scorecard transforms an organization’s strategic plan from an attractive but passive document into the â€Å"marching orders† for the organization on a daily basis.It provides a framework that not only provides performance measurements, but also helps planners identify what should be done and measured. It enables executives to truly execute their strategies. The Ritz Carlton uses this strategy and is comprised of some key basic concepts, which are Financial, Customer, lear ning and growth, and internal business processes. By adopting this crucial strategy, Ritz Carlton south beach will be able to create a consistent level of service and ensure a path of future growth.A. Service cultureWho We Are The Ritz Carlton separates itself from its competitors in the hospitality industry by offering experiences of exceptional quality. Our objective is to  be considered the best luxury hotel brand in the world with each and every location personifying that goal to our customers. We build properties that are designed to take you away to a dream of unlimited possibilities and while also creating a service culture that is the best in the industry. Doing so allows Ritz Carlton to satisfy the needs and tastes of our customers, and to maintain our position as the world's premier luxury hospitality company.What We Believe Our greatest asset is our team. We do not label our staff with the term â€Å"employee† or â€Å"worker† because it takes a true team effort to provide the type of experience that the Ritz Carlton is world renown. We believe that each team member exemplifies that notion and proudly instills the image of Ritz Carlton to our customers. Our success depends on the work of our team and we will always be known as having the best team members in the land.How We Succeed We succeed when all the core components of the BSC are achieved. We must focus on the needs and desires of our customers while also maintaining a safe and surplus level of revenues and profits while minimizing our expenditures. We must account for our outside competitive set and deliver a product to our customers that cannot be matched.How We Behave We demonstrate our behavior through hard work, compassion, and a true love for what we do. We pride ourselves on having the best code of conduct policy which adheres to all state and federal guidelines while ensuring the happiness of our guests and team members.B. Balance Scorecard table (exhibit 1) â€Å"A br oad look†(Exhibit 2) â€Å"a detailed look into BSC†Perspectives Objectives Measures Target Initiatives/Actions Financial 1.Increase Revenue 2.Increase RevPAR 3.Increase profit margin 4. Minimize expenses P&L statement STAR reports Department operations reports Operating budget -Maintain RevPAR Index Achieve higher ADR, RevPAR and OCC% than comp set 30-40% profit -secure market share from competitors. -Maintain optimal ADR by appropriate revenue management – Up sell high margin services Customer -Customer service – No guest dissonance -Happy guests-Customer Satisfaction Repeat customers Referred customers -Online surveys -100% customer satisfaction – Repeat business -Loyalty-Monitoring social media -Mystery shoppers -Score cards with incentives to give any feedback -Creating internal network for sharing customer ifo between associates Internal Business Processes – Adherence to brands standards for operations processes – Following stand ard operation and billing procedures in the catering department -Service errors -Failure rates -Maintenance and renovation of physical assets – Guest complaints – Bill disputes-3ÃŽ ´ level of quality for all business processes – Less than 1% bill disputes -Hiring an Operations control manager – standardized Training for all employees -operating inventory cycle monitoring Learning and Growth – Grooming and retaining the best associates. – Shorter work hours and rested more attentive employees in catering department. – Internal Promotion – Turnover rate – Associate retention – Employee overtime – Employee burnout – Service satisfaction ratings for F&B department -70% promotion from within -turnover below 40% hourly & 10% managerial -5-15% overtime for F&B employees maximum -Developing effective training programs-Quarterly reviews and evaluations – Incentives for employees staying in the company -promotion from withinThe BSC tables shown in exhibit 1 and 2 highlight the objectives considered important for the Ritz Carlton at south beach to succeed. Due to the fact that it is a luxury property, the objectives considered in this table are aligned with strategies targeting upscale travelers with unique demands and needs. In a luxury hotel, the top line revenues and profits depend on the level of guest satisfaction.It is assumed that wealthy travelers are willing to pay a premium if all their needs and demands are satisfied. Thus exquisite hotels such as The Ritz Carlton depend directly on the level of satisfaction of their guests as well as the public perception of their brand name and property when setting room rates and other pricing strategies. With all being said it makes sense that such an emphasis is put on the level of service in this second exhibit of BSC.The balanced scorecard approach allows a hotel to asses what its biggest area of opportunity is to succeed and buil d upon that to better serve its customers worldwide. Financial and business process measures are taken into account to assure that the company is running at optimal efficiency and that money is being made at an acceptable rate. Although these measures are important, they would mean nothing without the loyalty, retention, and happiness of your team members. In this case, the Ritz Carlton is a luxury hotel, so focusing on the retention and overall happiness of your team members is what will ultimately benefit you the most.Companies make it a priority in finding and retaining top team members, but it is very difficult. This is why managers must acknowledge the presence of such members on their staff and make an effort to keep them in the company. The retention and development of these members is key in the success of the hotel. You must also understand that not every person is suited for the luxury service culture, so finding the best mix and combinations of team members will bode help ful in the long run. Training courses and a structured system for development should also be put in place to ensure a consistent service culture.A huge retention meter would be to offer employees incentive for their performance. This can be money based, recognition based, or promotion based. Internal promotion is a practice adopted by upscale properties more than many other types of hotels because the team member is battle tested. They have been brought up from within he/she has learned the company culture along the way and already has the attitude and approach needed to be successful. Another benefit is the fact that this person is familiar with a large portion of the hotels operations, making the transition easy to any department or manager role when needed.Maintaining and exceeding financial goals and measures are important to the short-term operational success of the hotel; however, the purpose of the Balanced Scorecard is to emphasize the importance of non-financial measures fo r the success of the business. By following this objective, you will create team member satisfaction, which will cause the customers to experience the full luxury experience, and it will all trickle down to the bottom line, which is increased revenue, and high profits from all departments.C. Strategy mapThe Strategy Map below shows how the four perspectives of the BSC influence each other and how the objectives in the bottom affect the ones above them. This ultimately leads to superior workforce effectiveness. Not only does this show workforce effectiveness, but also the overall guidelines to superior financial performance.IV. Operating Budget(See attached Excel document)Market segmentsThe Ritz Carlton at south beach differentiates its potential guests into 2 main market segments – corporate (business travelers) and leisure (vacationers).Corporate Luxury hotels have traditionally focused on the business traveler because of the amount of money they make and spend, and the freq uency of their visits to the property. However, many of the luxury brands including the Ritz, have shifted their focus to other segments. Business travelers rarely use all the amenities available to them at the resort, and restrict their visit to a â€Å"professional† exposure.Even with that known, Corporate business during high season is still considerably high. Luxury brands do not discount as much as their lower end neighbors. During low season the hotel can try to attract some large corporation meetings to offset other lost opportunities.Leisure Just as stated above, the leisure segment is picking up popularity each and every year and many luxury properties have concentrated their efforts in attracting these leisure guests, whose main purpose is to utilize wide array of services and products offered, thus generating additional revenue through the alternative revenue sources. (Unlike the business traveler). There are multiple types of subgroups within the leisure segment s uch as transient, and group rates.The transient rates vary depending on the time of year or season. For luxury hotels such as the Ritz Carlton, the rates can skyrocket in season, and fall drastically off-season. Group rates are tailored to meet the needs of different companies, charities, and other organizations with better pricing for bulk deals. Rooms Department – a P&L evaluationThe sample data below was fabricated to reflect similar numbers that is shown their most recently available STR report. The data is an approximation, but will show key patterns in ADR, RevPAR, Occupancy percentage, and revenues.Jan Feb March April ADR $649 $729 1399$ $679 OCC% 80% 88% 95% 85% RevPAR $519.20 $641.52 $1329.05 $577.15 Revenue $5,841,000 $6,735,960 $15,450,021 $6,492,93730 28 31 30May June July August ADR $329 $379 $389 $299 OCC% 60% 52% 55% 41% RevPAR $197.40 $197.08 $213.95 $122.59 Revenue $2,294,750 $2,217,150 $2,487,168 $1,379,13731 30 31 30Sept October Nov Dec ADR $319 $379 $399 $ 529 OCC% 49% 65% 68% 75% RevPAR $156.31 $246.35 $271.32 $396.75 Revenue $1,817,103 $2,863,818 $3,052,350 $4,612,21831 31 30 31CATEGORY YTD AVERAGES ADR $539 OCC% 68% REVPAR $405.72 REVENUE 4,573,634 total = 54,883,612From the data above, we can get a clear picture of how the different times of year affects the hotels key measures. Average Occupancy Levels for this segment have been estimated at 68%, which was estimated from the charts above. Many luxury hotels, including the Ritz Carlton, keep a relatively high occupancy through the year because of brand recognition and popularity. The ADR rates were estimated through the research of other competing properties in the area.The RevPAR was then calculated by multiplying the OCC% by the ADR. The RevPAR indicates how well the Revenue managers did in optimizing the financial performance of the hotel. Luxury hotels such as the Ritz Carlton typically stay away from the â€Å"price war† tactic of attracting business, but on slower mon ths, doing this may actually increase your revenues and all the other key measures. Food and beverageThe DiLido Beach ClubThe only oceanfront restaurant and lounge on South Beach with a relaxed, chic ambiance perfect for people-watching Ocean-table cuisine features a selection of fresh local seafood, small plates, salads, sandwiches and a selection of homemade sangria Home to special events including the Down-home, Beachfront Crab boil or D.B.C and the Far East Summer Nights 1 Hours of Operation:Open seven days a week from 12- 8 p.m.Lobby Bar A chic, relaxed but vibrant gathering spot designed for socializing, sipping cocktails, enjoying light bites and people watching, located in the hotel's upper lobby Live entertainment at this South Beach restaurant Friday and Saturday from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Signature cocktails by master mixologist Ramsey PimentelBistro One LR Contemporary American bistro infused with Spanish flavors. Specializing in fresh, local seafood and exceptional st eaks. Miami’s leading Sunday Brunch featuring delicious cuisine, unlimited mimosas, champagne, Bloody Mary’s and live entertainment every Sunday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. 1 Hours of Operation:2 Breakfast: 7 a.m. – 11 a.m./Saturday and Sunday until 11:30 a.m. 3 Lunch: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. 4 5 Dinner: 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.lapidus Lounge Lapidus Lounge, named after the famed architect Morris Lapidus – who designed the hotel when it was built in the 50s, serves specialty cocktails, light bites and sushi inside amongst the sophistication and poolside under the stars.CompetitionAlthough the Ritz Carlton has the name recognition and the luxurious fortitude to be the top dog in its competitive set, the hotel still has a few direct competitors in the south beach area of Miami. These hotels include:1. SLS hotel south beach 2. The W south beach 3. Bentley hotel south beach 4. Z ocean beach hotelThese hotels are direct competitors to the Ritz due to their similar p ricing strategy and their â€Å"suite style† rooms. These hotels do provide something that the Ritz cannot. Customized experiences. These hotels do not have the brand recognition and corporate structure so they can adapt to customer wants and needs on the fly. This is there main advantage in the marketplace. P & L overviewAfter careful review of the P&L statement, we can see that the rooms department generates the most total revenue for the hotel and food and beverage and Clubs and entertainment generate the rest of the revenue. Clubs and entertainment is very revenue driven, but lacks profit margin, so focusing on other areas is key for the Ritz. With the emergence of the Internet and mobile devices, it’s safe to say that telephone reservations are at an all time low, causing that department to bring in relatively low figures.The spa for the hotel is generally provided as a luxury for the guest but is not intended to be a moneymaking department for the hotel. Many tim es that service is deemed complimentary in which the hotel would incur a loss liter for that sale for the room. With fixed and overhead expenses being as high as they are, the key takeaway from this is to maximize the room revenue and profits by providing a luxurious experience through all of the other departments.