Monday, December 30, 2019

What Is The Mind Body Problem - 2006 Words

*What is the mind body problem? Consciousness is the most fundamental facts of existence, it is what is most intimate to us yet at the same time the most mysterious. Consciousness is what makes life worth living if we were not conscious nothing in our life would have meaning or value. The mind body problem is as follows, there is something it is like to ‘be’ and this ‘being’ is fundamentally subjective and an organism has conscious mental states only if it is something that it is like to be that organism. It is incredibly perplexing to see how this could exist or somehow come into being by the objective world of matter. Science as it is practiced now can only describe the co-relation of matter to mind but is not able to explain this inwardness itself. Take for example the sensation of the colour blue, no account of any physical theory of light-wave could account for the subjective experience of blue, even further knowledge of how the light hits the retina and nervous processes set up by the light only gives a correlation of the objective processes to the subjective experience but does not explain the subjective itself. Thus we are left with is enigma what is this inwardness? *The inadequacy of current theories *In defense of speculative philosophy It has become fashionable to regarded Metaphysics as outdated and a waste of time in our modern intellectual culture however I would like to argue against this trend. There are two main reason why I think it is important toShow MoreRelatedRelationship Between Mind And Body929 Words   |  4 PagesIn philosophy, Mind–body dualism is any theory that states that the mind and body are two distinct kinds of substances or natures. The problem of the relationship of the mind to body arose from the works of Renà © Descartes, a French philosopher and mathematician of the 17th-century who gave dualism its classical formulation or made it to be what it is today. Conceived from his famous â€Å"Cogito, ergo sum† (Latin) meaning â€Å"I think, therefore I am,† he developed a theory of the mind as a nontangible andRead MoreThe Mind Body And Body1341 Words   |  6 Pages The Mind-Body problem arises to Philosophy when we wonder what is the relationship between the mental states, like beliefs and thoughts, and the physical states, like water, human bodies and tables. For the purpose of this paper I will consider physical states as human bodies because we are thinking beings, while the other material things have no mental processes. The question whether mind and body are the same thing, somehow related, or two distinct things not related, has been asked throughoutRead MoreThe Mind Body Problem : A Philosophical Dilemma Essay1292 Words   |  6 PagesThe mind-body problem is a philosophical dilemma that has perplexed philosophers, scientists, and students alike since the time of Renà © Descartes. Simply stated, the mind-body problem is: what is the relationship between the mind and body? However, the mind-body problem is not simple at all because from the simply stated question above, numerous other questions abound such as: does the mental impact th e physical? How does the mental impact the physical? What are mental and physical properties? CurrentlyRead MoreThe Mind Body Problem, By Rene Descartes Essay1331 Words   |  6 Pages Mind-Body Problem Oluwadamilola Kamson Philosophy 101: Introduction to Philosophy November 2016 INTRODUCTION The Mind-body problem dates back to Plato and was well received by the scholastic philosophers. However, it was Rene Descartes the famous French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist. The mind-body problem is not, of course, a single problem at all, but a large collection of problems which focuses upon the fundamental issue of reality and knowledge in so far as such analysisRead MoreThe Mind Body Problem By Mark Rowlands957 Words   |  4 PagesWarm Bodies, paints a beautiful picture of what love actually looks like, especially if it was between a zombie and a human being. This movie tells the story of a brain-dead, non-mentally functioning zombie and how true love has the power to turn this creature into a real man again. As stated later, according to the dualism, zombies do not exist, so that whole story line can be thrown out the window. Dualism separates the properties of the mind and the body. By looking at the mind-body problem, theRead MoreThe Mind And Body Problem1412 Words   |  6 PagesThe mind and body problem studies the relationship between the mind and the body, particularly the consciousness and the brain. The problem is traced to Descartes, who questioned how the immaterial mind could affect the material body. In his view, the mind is a thinking thing while the body is an extended thing, where the mind and the body are two separate substances, and held that there are two way causal reactions between the two. The problem arises when we question how an immaterial object affectRead MoreThe Mind / Brain Identity Theory1718 Words   |  7 PagesA person relates to the world through different mental and corporeal experiences. The former is associated with one having a (non-physical) mind, which contains beliefs, desires, feelings and so on, while the latter involves having a (physical) brain. The Mind/Body problem questions whether the mind and brain are the same or different objects. For a long time, the interpretation of these experiences has been much debated by philosophers and scientists. One influential interpretation is Descartes’sRead MoreThe Mind And Body Problem1046 Words   |  5 PagesPatel December 13, 2014 PHILO 1100-091 The Mind and Body Problem The issue of the origins of consciousness has been a problem that has philosophers and scientists alike, puzzled for years. Is it a matter of science? Can it be explained through neurobiological processes or is it just something that simply cannot be reduced to words? Rene Descartes had struggled to explain this problem through his idea of substance dualism. This idea states that the mind and body are of two separate worlds, the physicalRead MoreDualism And The Mind Body Problem Essay1223 Words   |  5 PagesDualism and the Mind-Body Problem The mind is perhaps the most fascinating part of the human body due to its complexity and ability to rationalize. In essence, the mind-body problem studies the relation of the mind to the body, and states that each human being seems to embody two unique and somewhat contradictory natures. Each human contains both a nature of matter and physicality, just like any other object that contains atoms in the universe. However, mankind also is constituted of something beyondRead MoreThe Theory Of Human Matter1179 Words   |  5 Pageshuman matter is normally referred to as the body. However, unlike other nonconscious objects made of matter, humans have a somewhat unique ability to create abstract opinions and thoughts. At this time we are the only species to have the ability formulate explanations for our own existence. Essentially stating that, we humans have minds . The two general aspects that make up the thing we call human are thought to be a mind and body. The brain and the mind are often mistakenly identified as one in

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Similarities Between Rock And Blues - 719 Words

This week we learned about many genres of music, some similar some different. The two genres I want to compare and contrast are Rock and Blues. When you hear rock music, you picture electric guitars, amplified sounds, and complex styles of play. But if you take a deeper look you would probably be surprised to learn that rock would not even have existed without simple 12-bar forms, antiphonal textures, or â€Å"walking bass lines† used in much blues music. Though Rock and Blues are distinctly different they have a lot of similarities that most likely go unnoticed. Rock and Blues were developed at almost the same exact time around the late 19th century. Blues originated from African American folk music and like Blues, rock music style can also be†¦show more content†¦In the 1950s, when rock was developed, one of the first groups to drift to it was teenagers, being attracted to its themes of rebellion and non conformity. Certain groups of individuals have sprung up aroun d certain musical styles. For instance, punk, techno, and ethnic music all include some type of subculture that embrace an entire lifestyle. This week I learned a lot about music and the different genres. The first genre I learned about was Motown. The Motown Sound is a style of soul music with original characteristics, including tambourine, drums, bass instrumentation, a distinctive melodical and chord structure, and a call and response singing style originating in gospel. The second genre I leaned about was Blues. Blues is a genre originated by African Americans in the South of the United States around the late 19th century. This genre emerged from roots in African musical traditions. Blues included spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, etc. The third genre, which I found most interesting and amusing was Psychedelic. Psychedelic music was influenced by the 1960s psychedelic culture, a subculture of people who used drugs such as LSD, mushrooms and DMT to experience visual and auditory hallucinations and altered states of consciousness. Fourth was the rock genre. Rock music is a form of popular music that kindled from rock and roll and pop music during the mid and late 1960s. The fifth genre was Reggae.Show MoreRelatedBritish Invasion1133 Words   |  5 Pagesdevelopment and maturation of a new variation of rock and roll. This innovating movement was initially inspired by some of America’s greatest rock and blues musicians including: Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Eddie Cochran, Chuck Berry, and so on. The establishment of the British music scene absorbed and completely reconfigured the traditional instruments, established music forms, and the same overused lyrics that once belonged to rock and roll. Two different schools with two differentRead MoreAnalysis of the Poem Elvis ´ Twin Sister687 Words   |  3 Pagesimagines him to be alive but as a girl. Henceforth, the poet shows similarities and differences between Elvis and his fictional female twin sister. Moreover, the poem i ncorporates Elvis’s rock ‘n’ roll music along with Christianity from a female perspective. This essay will examine the structure, imagery and language used in the poem to contrast Elvis’s life along with his imaginary sister who is a nun and the lavishness of rock ‘n’ roll. The poem has been structured in a way which helps the readerRead MoreComparing Rap And Country Music Genres1115 Words   |  5 PagesRacist,† by Brad Paisley and LL Cool J, the lines between rap music and country music officially blurred beyond recognition. Fans of country and rap music downloaded and purchased the single to see how two completely different genres would blend. Billboard statistics show that most fans appreciated Paisley and Smith’s efforts. Yet hardcore country and hip-hop fans insist that the genres are so different on the musical spectrum that no similarities could ever exist. However, current popular music isRead MoreHow Old Is The Oldest Oceanic Crust705 Words   |  3 Pagesdescribe the distribution of youngest and oldest crust in the Atlantic Ocean Basin. The color red represents the youngest crust in the Atlantic Ocean. The youngest crust is formed when two or more plates diverge in the mid-ocean ridges. The color blue, green and yellow are older crusts that are pushed away from the mid-ocean ridges when the youngest crust is formed, which is referred to as the sea floor spreading. 6) Look the Pacific Ocean Basin and compare it to the Atlantic. Specifically lookRead MoreThe Geological History Of The Valley1435 Words   |  6 PagesEven though, it share similarity to the other region in the Western Northern America province, what make Death Valley unique is the characters of the mountains and desert valleys are in a grand scale than the others. In addition, varies rock type and formation which include volcanic, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks makes the valley a great place for geological study (Green, 1997, p. 9). Today’s Death Valley we see has taken millions of years to take its present form. In this paper, we examiningRead MoreScience Of Space Exploration And Identification Of The Moon1406 Words   |  6 PagesIs there a single person who has not been over the moon? Who has not reached for the moon, mooned over someone, or promised the moon away? Every once in a blue moon, one might find a person who has seemingly hung the moon and stars. Yet we know far more about Earth’s lunar companion than just the idioms associated with it. Humans have been observing the moon for thousands of years. Scientists have been documenting, discovering, and debating this body for ages. Centuries of research have catalyzedRead MoreFormal Analysis Of North Shore Lake Superior By Lawren S. Harris1583 Words   |  7 Pagessense of harmony and contrast throughout the piece as well as the feeling of peacefulness. When the viewer witnesses the landscape, the composition exemplifies a scene of a beach in the winter with its many blue tones. The work of art resembles a beach with a cool atmosphere incorporating mostly blue, grey, and white. In the foreground, there is a tree trunk at the shore of the ocean which is centered and surrounded by many stones. The trunk has no texture due to the abstraction of its form; no detailedRead More The two Duffy poems I have chosen to compare the way she presents732 Words   |  3 Pagesmodest and simple, though with a cheerful character, rather like Elviss public character. The poem plays on the humorous difference between the life, manners and description of the nun, and the richness of rock and roll. For example, ‘Elvis Presley’s twin sister’ swings her hips in the same way as Elvis, though perhaps without the same effect, she also has the ‘blue suede’ shoes which Elvis wrote a song on and also performed . The form of the poem is quite regular as it contains five line stanzas Read MoreBands And Individual Musicians Influenced By The Beatles922 Words   |  4 Pagesas the first song on the MTV Unplugged New York album. Kurt Cobain wrote the song after a night of listening to the 1964 album Meet the Beatles on repeat (Staff, Legacy). Meet the Beatles was an early Beatles recorded that incorporated rock, motown, rhythm and blues, and rockabilly and after Cobain listened and analyzed this album â€Å"About a Girl† was born. When he presented it to the group he wasn t sure if they should release it because the sound was different from their grunge style (â€Å"Dave Grohl:)Read MoreThe Origins Of Jazz Into Hiphop940 Words   |  4 PagesThis semester we have learned about various artists that come from different genres. Learning about the Origins of Jazz into Hiphop was interesting. There are a lot of similarities between many of the artists back then with the artists of this time period. It was interesting learning about how much the music related to the social causes happening around certain time periods. It is almost as if music became a problem free zone for musicians of that time; it was an escape. Of the various artists there

Friday, December 13, 2019

Article About Advantage Phone in School Free Essays

According to a 2008 study by the Pew Research Center, 75 percent of teenagers ages 12 to 17 own a mobile phone and use that phone for daily communication through talking and text messaging. Although mobile phones may be a distraction in schools, there are many advantages to teenagers keeping and using their mobile phones–among them a number of educational and informational smartphone applications and the ability to pinpoint a missing teenager’s location via GPS tracking. One of the biggest advantages to a teenager having a mobile phone is the ability to call an emergency service in case of an accident or a towing service in case of a tire blowout while driving. We will write a custom essay sample on Article About Advantage Phone in School or any similar topic only for you Order Now According to the 2008 study conducted by the Pew Research Center, 75 percent of Americans claim to have used their mobile phones in emergency situations. Emergency agencies also support the use of mobile phones during an emergency by urging people to add the letters ICE (for â€Å"in case of emergency†) in front of certain names in their mobile phone directory to designate who should be called in case of an emergency. Many new phones also include GPS location technology, allowing parents to pinpoint the location of their teens or to locate lost or stolen phones. Smartphones allow teenagers to keep in touch not only with their friends, but also with family members, schools and emergency services. Facebook and other social media applications allow for instant updates on a teenager’s status, and mobile phones have revolutionized long-distance communication by including long-distance calling options in their service plans. The ability to send instant text messages is an added advantage, though it should be avoided while driving. According to the Pew Research Center’s 2008 study, an estimated 88 percent of teenage mobile phones users use their phones to connect through text messaging. Smartphones enable teenagers and college students alike to download course lectures, lesson plans and other applications designed to aid in education. Many applications provide books in digital format, much like a Kindle, while other applications, such as the USA Today or the New York Times app, condense every aspect of the print newspaper so it fits in the palm of a teenager’s hand. In addition, a number of informational and educational podcasts, as well as classes recorded in podcast format, are available for instant download to most smartphones. main idea 1. Cell Phones as an Aid in Emergency Situations * ability to call an emergency service in case of an accident or a towing service include GPS location technology, allowing parents to pinpoint the location of their teens or to locate lost or stolen phones. 2. Cell Phones as a Means to Connect * allow teenagers to keep in touch not only with their friends, but also with family members, schools and emergency services. 3. Cell Phones as Wellness and Educational Tools * enable teenagers and college students alike to download course lectures, lesson plans and other applicatio ns designed to aid in education. How to cite Article About Advantage Phone in School, Essay examples

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Does news provide unbiased facts or manipulated stories Essay Example For Students

Does news provide unbiased facts or manipulated stories? Essay I found the article, â€Å"It’s news, but is it true? † quite intriguing because I am often fooled by the misleading information on the news myself. I already knew the presence of â€Å"a new study† is made in science but I never really questioned its validity as more so its precision. In a section of the article, it states that up to 45 high-profile medical research findings all claimed to have found something that worked. However an epidemiologist John Lonannidis concludes that, â€Å"when finding were tested further, in larger and better controlled studies, almost a third turned out to be either wrong, or much weaker than the initial claim. † Evidently, the scientific research to resolve an epidemic is often an exaggeration of what it claims and in many cases the research cannot support its claim that it sets out. Therefore, the misinterpretation of information often misleads us to believe in invalid and inaccurate information in which we should use our reasoning in conjunction with logic to assess information before deeming it true. The media could care less if they are providing incorrect information because their only concern is receiving money from the news. I know that media is able to inadvertently oversimplify, misrepresent, or overdramatize scientific results. This becomes the prominent reason for only publishing ‘initial findings’ of scientific research and not so much its results of the findings as they are extremely probable to be proven incorrect. Therefore, our unavailability to the entire truth limits our ways of knowing since we are only provided with findings that are in most cases not justified leaving us with misleading information (most times). I found an interesting phrase in the article that puts the whole idea of scientific claim in perspective. In a newspaper, even though â€Å"science shows up in the headlines in black and white, it should instead appear in the infinite shades of grey that more accurately reflects the inherent uncertainty. Interesting way of thinking about science claim is by comparing shadings of gray to its uncertainty in real life which of course is true and bold black which would represent hard facts. As humans, we are naturally appealed by information that evoke an emotional response and something that is surprising. This being the reason why we are mislead by such information presented by media because we want to be told only what we like to be told. I think we should sustain our use of logic and reasoning before accepting all the gossip, unjustified scientific claims, and other fanatic claims in order to avoid being misled. imprecision of scientific research Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our International Baccalaureate Theory of Knowledge section.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Shooting Dad and Arm Wrestling free essay sample

From being only a physical communication to total opposites until adulthood, it is talked about. Manning and Vowell both effectively communicate the point of their story to us even though their stories are opposites of each other. Brad Manning’s story about his father is set up as a narrative to explain the relationship between each other. This is an effective way for Manning to get his point across. Manning gives a lot of descriptions of their physical relationship growing up and how he always looked up to his father for being big and strong. Manning use to love losing to his father in arm wrestling matches but as he got older and stronger and his father got weaker, he realized he had a lot more power now. â€Å"I might have preferred him to be always the stronger, the one who carries me. But this is impossible now; our roles have begun to switch. We will write a custom essay sample on Shooting Dad and Arm Wrestling or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page † Manning realizes that even though they only ever had a physical communication and love, they actually had emotional as well. If Manning did not include the descriptions for his father and him in an arm wrestling match, then we would not know to what extent that Manning looked up to his father, and if we did not know how much he looked up to his father we would not be able to see a change in Manning’s future, and if we did not see a change In Manning’s future this narrative would not have made sense and would be a waste. Manning effectively uses a narration with lots of description to show the depth of his relationship with his father. Brad Manning’s Arm Wrestling with my Father has a cheerful tone to it. Growing up Manning always enjoyed having a strong father and losing to him. When Manning came home for the week for college finals, you could tell he truly was enjoying the time with his family and especially his father. Growing up Manning always tried to gain the unconditional love of his father and he never seemed to gain it. Manning eventually beats his father in arm wrestling and it is all that he could ask for and more which shows how cheerful he was. â€Å"How could I have learned so quickly how it would feel to have overpowered the arm that had protected me and provided for me all of my life? His arms have always protected me and the family. † Even though Manning felt bad that his father lost, and he won, he was still happy to know that he had finally beaten his father. They both won something with that week of being together. â€Å"I realized then that Dad must have learned something as well, and what he said to me in that last hug was that he loved me. † They were able to breakthrough their physical love and go farther and Manning was happy about it and wanted to remember it for as long as he could. Manning effectively shows a cheerful tone by displaying how the roles changed throughout and the last hug. Sarah Vowell uses compare and contrast throughout her story about her father. In the beginning Vowell sees no similarities between her father and herself. Vowell does a good job comparing herself and relationship with her father because of all her details, even though they were not being compared for similarities and they were being compared for their differences. He is really into guns and is a republican, while she is not into guns and is a democrat. While Vowell and her twin sister were young their father took them to shoot their first gun. Vowell did not like it and was scared to pull the trigger, but her twin sister highly enjoyed it. From the beginning of the story you knew that Vowell and her dad were not close. When Vowell got older she realized she wanted to become a better daughter. â€Å"The older I get the more I’m interested in becoming a better daughter. First on my list: Figure out the whole gun things. † Vowell called her father up and asked to watch him shoot off the canon. Throughout the day with him she realized that they were not as distant as they thought they were. My dad and I are the same person. We’re both smart-alecky loners with goofy projects and weird equipment. † Vowell and her dad were closer than they thought even though they were into different things. If Vowell did not use compare and contrast then her audience would not understand both sides and if we did not understand both sides we could not properly understand the whole background of their relationship and if we did not understand their relationship we could not understand their current relationship and feelings. Vowell’s use of compare and contrast to set up her narration was overall effective. Sarah Vowell’s story Shooting Dad has a disagreeing tone throughout the story even though at the end, she goes along with what he asks. Vowell and her father did not get along or have any of the same interests of beliefs as each other whole she was growing up. â€Å"You wouldn’t have needed to come inside to see that is was a house divided. † Vowell did not agree with guns because she was a democrat but her father did since he was not. Vowell does not seem happy or okay with the gun situation from right off the bat. It is easy to see that there is going to be conflict over the guns and that Vowell does not agree with them. â€Å"‘Why, shooting crows is a national pastime, like baseball and apple pie. ’ Personally I preferred baseball and apple pie. † Vowell and her dad disagree and have different opinions on many different things. Vowell effectively uses this t one throughout the whole story with many side remarks and comments about her dad and their differences. It makes you feel like you are actually in the divided house and you can feel the tension build up as she grows up in the house. When she gets older, she still disagrees with the guns things, but she puts that thought asides to be a better daughter. Even though Vowell still disagrees with guns and doing it just for fun, she is able to see that if he is into it she will go along with it. Vowell effectively uses the disagreeing tone throughout the narration.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

European Imperialism essays

European Imperialism essays Chris Callahan March 13, 2000 Between 1875 and 1914, parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America came under influence of Imperialism. Imperialism is the domination of the political, economic, and cultural life of one country or region by another country. Imperialism was a self-sufficient way of living. European's wanted a self-reliant way of living and gained control of smaller countries and regions to spread influence throughout the world. Imperialism has helped countries build better technology, increase trade, and has helped to build large and powerful militaries. Technology skyrocketed during imperialistic times. Money was available to research and develop new products. New technology made it possible to produce goods in enormous quantities. This cause larger profits. Roads and railroads were built in Africa. They were used mostly to connect European settlements to the coast. They also served to make African products available to the world market. Medicine was also introduced to help people live longer and healthier lives. Technology has been a major factor in the growth of settlements. Technology is needed to better our societies. Another benefit of Imperialism is increased trade. Increased trade brings more money to the colonies, which in turn boosts the economic state of the colonies. Settlements would now be able to raise the living standards and build schools, farms, and communal facilities. (add more) Imperialism can help military power in the colonies to grow. This means that less and less wars would take place. A larger military also means more jobs for citizens. A larger military also means better protection from local territories. (add more) Overall, Imperialism has helped almost all the settlements in which it has been practiced. Imperialism has helped better technology, has improved trade, lowered taxes, increased p ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Based on recent events, discuss whether the stock markets are Essay - 1

Based on recent events, discuss whether the stock markets are efficient according to the EMH - Essay Example The investors will gain through selling their shares at a higher price than they bought them, thereby making a profit. In addition, they benefit from dividends realized by the company, though the value of dividend earned will depend on the number of shares that a person has. It’s not always that the investors benefit, they might experience losses when the share prices decrease. Shares are traded through share exchanges, which take the form of Over The Counter (OTC) or through listed exchanges.2 Efficient Market Hypothesis Companies, for a long time have been taking advantage of Efficient Market Hypothesis, which was developed in the early 1960’s by Professor Eugene Fama. This is a theory that shows how impossible it is for a person or a company to beat the market. It shows that when making selling or purchasing decisions, the value of available information is indispensable.3 It states the importance in three forms, the weak form, semi-strong form and the strong form. In the weak form, it’s said that the history of a company can be shown by the past prices. Some academicians however dispute this and say that the past outcomes of a company can never dictate the future. In the semi-strong form, the theory states that the prices not only show all past available information but can also predict and depict what the future will be like. In the strong form, it shows that prices can depict all information about a company, including the most private information, and will definitely affect the future. Investors can thus make their investment decisions depending on the information available.4 However, this theory does not stand to state that the information available is 100% certain about the future. It goes on to show that companies cannot overprice their shares or buy undervalued shares in an attempt to beat the market. New and available information is accessed by all and, people will therefore take any available chance and opportunity.4 However, rec ent happenings and events in the stock markets shows how efficient or not, the markets use the Efficient Market Hypothesis. There are cases of world’s most known investors withdrawing and selling their shares at an alarming rate. The case of Warren Buffet is a good example. He has been known to invest millions into shares in American companies, even where others were afraid of investing, and has reaped huge benefits from the investment.5 Recently, however, Buffet sold over 19 million shares he had in Johnson and Johnson, and more in Krafter foods. Others like John Paulson have also followed suit. Canada’s greatest technology firm, Research In Motion has not been spared either5. From 2009, its value has been dwindling at a rate that is hard to avoid. In the USA, it has experienced a 12% drop, all the way from 44% in 2007. In the Toronto Stock Exchange, it has experienced a 75% drop. 6 Its investors in the stock market are no longer interested in purchasing any more shar es. To them, it is not a risk worth taking. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has seen many of these changes. Companies are experiencing changes that they had not anticipated, which results to investors pulling out and selling their shares. These stock markets have not been able to steer away or take advantage of economic anomalies.7 The stock markets have been effective in utilizing the EMH. The investors had already had past information on what was to happen.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Organizational Diagnosis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organizational Diagnosis - Term Paper Example The obtained results are instrumental in devising solutions. As organizations are increasing around the globe, they are creating more opportunities for organizational problems. According to Papadopoulos (2009), increasing organizations make the organizational owners and managers to encounter different conflicts with their employees and different issues; thus, negatively affecting the productivity of an organization. However, it is imperative for such managers to consider conducting organizational analysis to ensure that every organizational subsystem is functioning effectively, increasing the effectiveness of an organization. Possible issues that might occur in an organization and their preventive measures Different organizations around the globe face many issues that affect their effectiveness; hence, distorting their productivity. Therefore, this paper will draw attention on these issues. Firstly, information security is a major issue to most organizations. Information insecurity h as turned out to me a major problem affecting most organizations since most of the current organizations rely on information technology in their operations. The threats and ferociousness involved in technology have made the protection of organizational private information to be a challenge. This has resulted into other companies hacking vital information concerning their competitor negatively interfering with them (Daft, 2010). In addition, the company managers also control the employees’ personal information denying them freedom to privacy. For example, there are some organizations, which manage the private information of their employees by accessing their emails, Facebook accounts and their communications on phone information. It is important for organizations to train their employees on information security for them to prevent hacking of their organizational private information. The organizations should also ensure that they form a key password for the organizational infor mation to prevent other competing organizations from interfering with their organizational privacy. In addition, organizational managers should ensure that they balance the employees’ freedom and privacy, while at the work place when it comes to managing their personal information. For example, there are some organizations, which take control of all their employees’ personal information by monitoring how they communicate through emails while at work, as well as their computers and other accounts (Daft, 2010). Therefore, it is important for organizations to possess privacy rights hence considering potential issues on employee privacy and autonomy among employees. Secondly, most of the problems in the current organizations arise due to communication problems amongst employees. Consequently, such problems results into dissimilar negative effects such as lowering employees’ productivity, job turn over and other activities within an organization. Poor communication i s a barrier to any organization’s productivity because good communication increases productivity by enabling employees to share ideas, point out potential problems and create an environment that can solve dissimilar issues within an organization. According to Ziegenfuss (2002), good communication process in an organization, results to less problems and conflicts. In order for organizations

Monday, November 18, 2019

The Effects of Global Warming on the Animals in the North Pole Essay

The Effects of Global Warming on the Animals in the North Pole - Essay Example This statement is significant as every living thing, undergoes the process of â€Å"inhaling† and â€Å"exhaling† carbon dioxide and oxygen, thereby resulting in a chemical balance in the earth’s atmosphere. Even a wide variety of human activities, which primarily include the burning of fossil fuels, industrial activities and the cutting down of forest for agricultural purposes and urbanization, are potentially increasing the volume of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, thereby upsetting this atmospheric chemical balance. The details of our complex climate systems are not sufficiently known to facilitate us in the prediction of the precise consequences of global warming in our planet. Our ability to accurately measure the human influence on global climate variation is essentially limited. The forecasted signals are still rising from the phenomenon of variability in climate and the concerned uncertainties. These include the magnitudes and patterns of prolong natu ral variability and the evolving patterns through times; and responses to changes in the concentrations of greenhouse gases and aerosols. However, it is an essential fact to be noted that, not everyone agrees that the surface temperature of the earth is on the increase. ... Scenario of global warming in the Arctic Circle The Arctic region comprises of the area that is north of the Arctic Circle (66 °34’N), a latitude which is barely 600km from the Shetland Islands. The Arctic Circle covers an area that is approximately 6% of the Earth’s surface, and is populated by almost 4 million humans, which includes indigenous people who have been inhabitants of the Arctic since the past 10,000 years. At the centre are the Arctic Ocean, which partly encloses the five coastal states of Canada, Greenland, Norway, Russia, and the United States of America. During the past five decades, the average annual temperature in the Arctic Circle has significantly increased by upto 3oC. It has been presumed that depending on the local areas and the carbon emissions in the future, the average annual temperature of the Arctic Circle will increase a further 2-9oC in the present year. The fact to be notified is significantly more than the average rise of annual tempe rature globally, which shows a rise of 1.8 - 3.4 °C. This significant rise in the temperature levels has inflicted global warming in the North Pole, which will also essentially feedback into enhanced global warming mainly due to the melting of ice and permafrost thaw. The degree of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean varies seasonally, portraying greatest in March and at the end of winter, while lowest in September at the end of summer. The analysis of the data of the past 3 decades which were obtained from the views of the satellites shows a significant decline in the sea ice. This decline was notified as beyond the natural variations, averaging 11.7% a decade in summer and 2.7% during the winter. It was

Friday, November 15, 2019

Hospitality Management: A Literature Review

Hospitality Management: A Literature Review Hospitality industry with regard to restaurant businesses in any country has become one of the biggest employers in every country. It has attained a higher status in all over the world and demands high standards of works from its employees. Employment opportunities are many in this industry, but require potential for personal qualities in each field. One of the many important things that an employer looks for among the many would be the keen attitude, friendly disposition, neat appearance, willingness to work, confidence, cleanliness, personal hygiene, efficiency, and honesty. Like in the Philippines, tourists act one major role in our hospitality industry as tourists serves as the main market for restaurant services. They make sure in a restaurant that a guest is attended and dealt with their needs or wants. Filipinos are very polite and courteous in making sure those tourists/guests who dine and stay are well entertained. As we speak, competition is huge in this industry that is why raising quality standards and improving service have always been their job to provide a better service. **Reference: An In-depth study on hotel and restaurant industry in the Philippines by Dr. Divina Edralin** (1.2) Restaurants have primary function on food and beverage. They are to provide food and drinks to the customers. Whether it is a small- or large-sized restaurant, there is a great diversity in the types of activities performed by a food and beverage department, requiring significant variety of skills on the part of its workers. Most full-service restaurants do a considerable convention and catering business. The typical convention uses small function rooms for meetings and larger rooms for general sessions, trade shows, exhibits or banquets. It is only through continuous cooperation and coordination that a restaurants food service function can be carried out effectively. Marketing and sales department on the other hand play a very important role in a restaurant business, in which their primary responsibility is to sell and attract customers on how good their products are. The division of work among the sales managers is based on the type of customers a restaurant is attempting to attract. The human resources department serves no customers, yet it plays a vital role in a restaurants efficient operation. They are the brains on employees recruitment, benefits, administration and training. They are expected to recruit, interview and screen prospective employees. In many restaurants, accounting department combines staff functions and line functions or those functions responsible for servicing guests. Their role is to record financial transactions, prepare and interpret financial statements, and provide the managers of other departments with timely reports of operating results. The most assets of an organizational design are efficiency, teamwork and coordination of activities within individual units. Success of every business not only by a restaurant is measured on its overall performance and not by the performance of one department alone, which I believe it demands strong leadership, initiative, cooperation, and coordination to achieve every goal and become successful. Reference: Pre-Feasibility Study for Restaurant Making by Wrexgler Mongaya/Pre-Feasibility Study on a Fast-Food Restaurant (SMEDA). (1.1) When asked about the business climate in the Philippines, entrepreneurs agreed that it is relatively easier to start a business here compared to other countries. They say it was less restrictive here in Manila. The lack of self-esteem is one, among others that hinders a lot of Pinoys to even start a business. For very small capital, anyone could easily try to make it on his own. Historically, restaurant referred only to places that provided tables where one sat down to eat the meal wherein the restaurant prepares and serves food, drink, and dessert to customers that were typically served by a waiter. They vary greatly in appearance and offerings, including a wide variety of cuisines and service models. There are various types of restaurant, be it a fast-food chain where one orders food at a counter while fine dine-in or sit-down restaurants are often further categorized as family-style. Restaurant industry has different approach with diversity on their products/services, food, drinks, accommodation any many others. When putting up a restaurant, the owner has on his/her mind what to present to the customers, that is why the diversity of each products and services depends on what restaurant business you have put up. Food is one of our basic needs. One of the most exotic food there is available is the Asian cuisine. Asian food, in all its hues and tastes, is becoming largely popular and well-liked by many Westerners. When compared to food in American and European continent, foods in Asia tend tends to stand out because of its diversity. Vast number of countries in Asia offer endless varieties of food, far from each other. Indian food, for example, has a wide array of cuisines to try out and it would take several lifetimes for even a food lover to taste and savor it all. Another one is the Far East. It is where the best example of Asian food is located like the Japanese and Korean cuisine and Asian cuisine is supposed to be predominantly rice-oriented but if we observe Chinese dishes use noodles in their dishes, instead of rice. In reality, each country in the region of Asia like the Philippines has its own unique cuisine, vastly different even from the cuisine of surrounding regions. Competition is part of this business. Reference: Pre-Feasibility Study for Restaurant Making by Wrexgler Mongaya /Pre-Feasibility Study on a Fast-Food Restaurant (SMEDA) 2 As of last year, there are more than 50,000 restaurant establishments in the  domestic economy and about 80% of them belong to the fast food sub-sector. Food franchising is extremely popular. There are over 1,500+ franchised quick serve restaurants, 24 casual dining and theme restaurants, and 600 coffee shops, bakeries, and confectioneries. And the numbers are still growing! U.S. based firms also have a very strong presence in the Philippine food franchising industry. To name a few, we have McDonalds, Shakeys, A&W; Burger King; Dominos; Kenny Rogers Roasters; KFC; Pizza Hut; Sbarro; Subways; Wendys; California Pizza Kitchen; Hard Rock Cafe; Outback; TGIF; Italiannis; Dairy Queen; Dunkin Donuts ; Haagen-Daz; Mrs. Fields; Orange Julius; Starbucks. Low barriers to entry characterize the industry. Capital investments  particularly for franchises can range from PHP5,000,000 to PHP10,000. Training,  marketing and distribution channels are arranged by the franchisor. Likewise, as  the franchisor provides the new entrant fully developed management and  production systems, prior knowledge and experience are not required of  franchisees. These characteristics of franchising, particularly of food  establishments, make the business very attractive for new entrepreneurs. The proliferation of one-stop shopping malls that offer various recreational  facilities and amenities, likewise, eases the entry of potential restaurant and fast  food players. These malls spare the restaurant industry from spending extensive  business development studies for their outlets; mall magnates Henry Sy and  John Gokongwei Jr. have established formidable track records in building malls. The industry in which the restaurant and fast food firms operate has  increasing consumer demand for every improving product. The growth is proven  by the rapid expansion of food outlets in key areas in Metro Manila and the  provinces. The popularity of fast food establishments came in the 1980s, and  over the last years, the industry has consistently posted double-digit growth  rates. Competition is fierce in the restaurant industry, particularly the fast food  sub-sector. The market is large but consumers are price conscious and exhibit  brand loyalty. With a wide range of restaurants and fast food establishments to  choose from, pricing schemes and marketing strategies determine market  shares. Market strategies of industry players, therefore, aim to achieve two  primary objectives: 1) hammer in value-for-money concepts; and 2) create  brand consciousness and loyalty. Market shares in the restaurants are won or lost in pricing. Industry  players regularly offer price cuts and discounts to lure in new customers. Moreover, major players invest heavily in advertising to create brand  consciousness and loyalty. Marketing strategies include raffle draws, free gift  items and specially prized meal combinations, discounted toys and school items  for every certain minimum food purchase. Celebrity endorsements are used in  the hopes that the market will identify with the endorser. 3 Likewise, intense competition urges players to come up with new products  to capture bigger market shares. Restauranteurs have to be keen at finding the  latest food and wine concoctions here and abroad and adapting them to local  taste. Targeting the Filipinos tastebuds, several fastfood chains that usually  serve only western food have introduced items that appeal to the local markets  palate. Raising quality standards and improving service have also been focal  points of competition, particularly in the fast food sub-sector. Players give  incentives and compensations to motivate employees to be efficient on their jobs  and thus help maintain the fast food outlets high standards of quality service and  cleanliness. Also, a major importance in a fast food and restaurant is courteous  and friendly personnel. Not surprisingly, speedy service is among the more  salient attributes people would highly expect from a fast food restaurant. Finally, to keep their share of the market, food chains find it necessary to  extend their service coverage by setting up other branches. Industry players who  have outlets that are visible in Metro Manila and in other key urban cities are  ones who are most likely to take in more profits. Malls, university areas, and  other places where there is heavy pedestrian traffic are the usual places where  fast food and restaurants are highly patronized. Restaurant and fast food industry players balance their marketing  concerns with the rising operation costs particularly that of imported food  ingredients. Profit margin erosion is usually remedied by either increasing prices  of final product/service or cut corners in production or the delivery of service.   Either solution may result in a shrinking customer base. Reference: Feasibility Study for Restaurant Making by Wrexgler Mongaya (1.3) People First Size and Scope of the Sector The sector covers 14 industries from hotels and restaurants through to events, gambling and travel services. There are approximately 146,000 individual hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism  business enterprises in Great Britain, of which 43 percent are pubs, bars and  nightclubs and an additional 34 percent are restaurants. The sector is dominated by small and medium sized enterprises (71 percent). However, they account for only 53 percent of the workforce. Businesses with over 250 staff account for less than one percent of businesses  but employ 43 percent of the workforce.   Productivity The sector has the lowest labour productivity of any sector in the UK economy,  with a similar service sector (retail) having double the labour productivity of the  sector. It lags behind its international competitors. Labour productivity is nearly a third  higher in the United States and nearly double in France compared to the rates  found in the UK sector. Workforce The sector employs close to two million people. The restaurant is the largest industry in terms of employment, employing over  half a million people (32 percent of the workforce), followed by pubs, bars and  nightclubs (18 percent) and hotels (14 percent). The sector has an important presence across the UK. However, England has  the greatest share of the sectors workforce (83 percent). The sector employs a young workforce with 15 percent of staff aged 16-19 and a  further 31 percent aged 20-29. 14 percent of the workforce are from ethnic minorities, higher than average  across the whole economy. 55 percent of the workforce are full-time staff. One in five (20 percent) of the sectors workforce are from overseas. This rises  to 62 percent in London. Core Occupation The sector employs both a large number of core occupations (specific to the sector) and  additional occupations (found in most sectors). The following provides employment  numbers for the sectors core occupations: Kitchen and catering assistants (394,600) Chefs and cooks (255,100) Bar staff (197,800) Restaurant and catering managers (148,200) Hotel and accommodation managers (57,700) Publicans and managers of licensed premises (46,900) Travel consultants (47,500) Leisure and theme park attendants (17,900) Travel and tour guides (15,900) Conference and exhibition managers (23,700) Hotel porters (11,300) Travel agency managers (9,000) Hard to fill vacancies and skill shortages 17 percent of sector establishments report having vacancies, 32 percent of which  are hard-to-fill   66 percent of these vacancies are hard-to-fill because applicants lack the  required skills. In terms of skills that employers find difficult to obtain from applicants, 50 percent  of employers report that applicants lack customer handling skills, 47 percent say  team working skills are lacking, 43 percent oral communication skills and 39  percent believe applicants lack problem solving skills. Labour turnover Labour turnover for the whole sector stands at around 31 percent (although large  employers sometimes report double or even treble this figure). Based on an average recruitment and initial training cost of  £673, this costs the  sector  £414m per year. However, only 17 percent of employers feel that their labour turnover is too high. Skills gaps 11 percent of the workforce do not hold any qualifications. 12 percent of hotel and accommodation managers, seven percent of restaurants  and six percent of publicans and managers of licensed premises have no  qualifications at all. At the skilled trade level, ten percent of chefs have no qualifications. 26 percent of businesses in the sector report they have staff who are not fully  proficient to meet the needs of their business compared to 19 percent across all  businesses. Training and development The proportion of employers offering training rose from 61 percent in 2005 to 66  percent in 2007 and stood at 68 percent in 2009. As regards training methods, employers most commonly offer informal training to  their staff with introductory/induction training also frequently available. Large operators are much more likely to provide training. Employers are most likely to provide training to supervisors followed by bar and  waiting staff. Housekeepers, room attendants and cleaning staff are least likely  to receive training. Industries covered Events, Food and service management, Gambling, Holiday parks, Hospitality services, Hostels, Hotels. Membership clubs Pubs, bars and nightclubs, Restaurants, Self catering accommodation, Tourist services, Travel services, Visitor attractions. (1.3) Reference: www.people1st.co.uk/research/ Last Updated: September 2010 British Hospitality Association The BHA is the leading representative organisation in the hospitality industry, representing hotels, restaurants and food service providers.   Aim to deliver real returns for the members, positively championing the industrys priorities through partnerships with government and with other associations and organizations. This organization identified five keys areas on which they will impart the role to lead the industry action and drive change namely: First the Economy- to champion a supportive fiscal environment for the industry to prosper in the context of global competition. Second, Employment- to bridge the gap between education and industry and to build a skilled workforce for hospitality. Third, Intelligent regulation- advising government to reduce the burden of costly regulation at national and local levels. Fourth, is the Sustainability- facilitating an industry-led effort to develop economic, social and environmental success in the short and longer term. Lastly, Health- proac tively shaping industry and public sector policy to enhance the wellness of our consumers. In brief, BHA aim is that, through combined efforts, the association can bring tangible, long-lasting, positive benefits to every members business. Reference: www.bha.or.uk/ hospitality industry (2.1) Restaurant Staffing and Structures The restaurant business is hierarchical. Like the army, everyone has a title and a role to play. Busboys and dishwashers are at the bottom, while managers and Executive Chefs are at the top. The staffing structure will depend on the concept of the restaurant. A coffee shop will not have an Executive Chef nor a Sommelier (wine manager) To run a successful restaurant they should be a staff for both the kitchen and the dining area. If its a large establishment it will require more staff in both areas. The kitchen requires a head chef to organize and oversee food production. A sous chef to take care of the kitchen when the head chef is off shift. Line cooks to do the cooking and plating. Prep cooks to make sure the kitchen is fully prepared for whatever situations may come up. A dishwasher to do the dishes and work on pealing vegetables. The dining area requires bus people to clear and set tables. Waitresses to take orders from the customers to the kitchen and deliver the prepared food. A front end manager to help deal with any problems and do the immediate supervising of the waitresses and bus staff. (2.2) All staff are responsible for the health and safety of the customers. Host/Hostess: responsible for greeting customers at the door, monitoring how many people are seated where and balancing the workload of the wait staff, tracking reservations and people waiting in line, and seeing customers to their seats 7 making sure they have menus. Oversees wait staff. Wait staff: responsible for ensuring the table is clean and set with clean utensils in the proper configuration, greeting the customer at their table in a timely fashion, ensuring the customers have drinks and time to decide on their order, taking that order accurately and conveying it to the kitchen. Responsible for monitoring their tables and ensuring their customers always have drinks and are generally happy; responsible for getting food from kitchen when its prepared and getting it to the customers, and presenting it without spilling it or touching customers unless necessary. Responsible for ensuring all meals are satisfactory to the customer, then getting out of their way while they eat. Responsible for coming back to clear the table when customers are done eating and asking if the customers want anything else; wash, rinse repeat until customer asks for bill. At that time wait staff are responsible for ensuring that the ill is accurate before presenting it to the customer. Cook: Inspects the kitchen prior to beginning cooking to ensure its up to standard regarding food safety guidelines, inspects all food items before use for any sign of cross contamination or spoilage, prepares food in accordance with food safety preparation guidelines to include cooking temperatures and times and presents food on the plate in a generally pleasing fashion. Oversees dishwashers. Dishwashers: responsible for making sure every piece of cutlery and flatware and cooking equipment is cleaned with the right amount of cleanser at the right temperature for the right length of time to maintain hygiene and prevent transmission of disease. Janitorial staff: responsible for overall hygiene of restaurant much more important than most people give them credit for, a good set of janitorial staff can keep a restaurant up to health code and prevent serious lawsuits by maintaining the restaurants standards of cleanliness. Most restaurants do not have this as a separate position, and include these duties in those of the wait staff without providing extra training. Manager: ensures all personnel are doing their job, counsels personnel on areas in which they are excelling and areas in which they need to improve, hires and fires as necessary, monitors customer satisfaction and handles all paperwork to include ensuring building is up to all safety codes and standards. Responsible for staff morale and overall restaurant productivity; may be responsible for advertising placement. Reference: restaurant.about.com (3.1) The biggest operational issue in foodservice over the next few years is how to lead and develop a multicultural and multigenerational workforce. According to J. Sullivan, as he tackled the industry issues, 40 percent of all restaurant employees are less than 25 years of age, and 28 percent of them do not speak English at home. And all of these will depend in terms of hiring, recruiting, performance and training. Todays food service and restaurant industry is a highly specialized world with unique legal needs. To survive in todays economic climate, savvy restaurant and business operators seek counsel from experienced lawyers before issue arise. Like, restaurant entity management training and related legal issues specific to the restaurant industry, manage food and beverage licensing and distribution agreements, franchise agreements and supplier contracts also assist those owners with the purchase and sale of existing restaurants, lease negotiations, and risk management, then assist with a variety of employment issues ranging from management training to employment disputes. The Restaurant Standard Operation Procedures (SOP) is commonly used to help most restaurant owners and managers to manage and guide the overall restaurant team and staff to increase the service performance and the overall objectives and goals of the business. If a restaurant does not have a proper training manual or SOP for the staffs, it is quite hard to deliver the highest service standards of what the customer needs and what they do expect to the restaurant. A good and well-managed restaurant should provide a routine training session to all of the staffs covering each restaurant operations technique, it can be weekly or bi-weekly training programs. By conducting several training programs, I am definitely sure it can be much easier for a restaurant business to maintain the effectiveness and efficiency of restaurant service operation. Once again, to make it simple and easy to understand As a new legislation in restaurant franchising, many people stating that seeing nutritional information in print next to the menu items will help them opt for healthier choices. However, others admit that it will make no difference to their menu choices .But for the consumers, they mostly appear to be in favor of the new legislation. In the UK, the government has announced that it will trial calorie counts for food sold in takeaways, restaurant franchises and canteens. It is seeking volunteer companies to display calorie content listings and believes that the rest of the industry will quickly follow suit once a standardized guide is agreed. (3.2) To sum up, there are few numbers of women managers in UKs hospitality industry especially in the restaurant business due to some factors involve in the process historical, traditional, societal, and even personal in nature. Regardless of other factors, the theoretical frameworks underlying the subject are dependent on the responsibility of every woman employee. Their efforts to reach the position that they deserve must be acknowledge by employers. They indeed possess a significant position in the corporate ladder. With this, men and women workers will definitely be equal. 9 Its not uncommon to change the image of an existing restaurant completely. This may be because of new owners, or perhaps the current owner simply wishes to change things up. If the restaurant hasnt been doing well, it might be time for a makeover. Start with a plan. Take time to work out all the details and everything will go smoothly like from paint colors to seating designs. Once you have a plan, you can simply work from the list. Do a market research, before making a decision for change, make sure to do a survey or other means of investigation to figure out just what people like and whether or not they will want the change. It can cost a lot of money to do research, but it will still cost less than changing everything to find there is no market for it. Research is very essential to any business and restaurants are particularly in need of it. Also, let your clients know. Changing image can cause people to feel insecure and uncomfortable if they dont know its happening. So, make sure it should be included in the marketing strategy. Advertise the restaurant is going to be new and improved and let people know why it will be better and what they can expect. This is particularly true if drastic changes will happen not only to the image, but also to the menu. Furthermore, changing the entire image of the restaurant can really affect the business, so take the time to think it through first. Market research to make sure that what is actually been doing is to be a better idea. Reference: restaurant-hospitality.com TASK 4 Food is very much a part of popular culture, and the beliefs, practices, and trends in a culture affect its eating practices. Popular culture includes the ideas and objects generated by a society, including commercial, political, media, and other systems, as well as the impact of these ideas and objects on society. Current Eating Trends Consumerism , a trend that is reflected in more people eating away from home; the use of dietary and herbal supplements; foods for specific groups (e.g., dieters, women, athletes, older adults); the use of convenience and functional foods; and ethnic diversity in diets. Mainstream populations in developed countries want low-calorie, low-fat foods, as well as simple, natural, and fresh ingredients. Internationally, there has been an Americanization of diets through the growth and use of fast-food restaurants and convenience foods . In developing countries there is still a need for some basic foods, and governments and the food industry are working to develop products that can reduce international food shortages and nutrient deficiency problems. Eating Away from Home Internationally, the proportion of money spent on food eaten away from home, as well as the number of restaurants, has been steadily increasing since the second half of the twentieth century. People may dine at formal, sit-down restaurants, at fast-food eateries, at cafes, or they may purchase food from street vendors. Fast-food restaurants have become very common, and are visited by all types of people. The growth and popularity of fast food has come to be known as the McDonaldization of America. Eating in these restaurants has decreased slightly among heavy users in the 18-34 age group, but has increased among other groups. Their popularity has also increased internationally. This simple meal demonstrates the complicated relationship between a culture and its food. In the twentieth century, there has been a preference for quick, portable meals popularized the fast-food burger. Over time the popularity of fast foods contributed to an epidemic of obesity. Many eateries now offer the option of larger serving (portion) sizes for a nominal additional fee (a super size). Eating away from home, and the shift to a more sedentary lifestyle , has been linked to the increasing rates of obesity. Dieting In an effort to lose weight people purchase weight loss pills; special herbal supplements; and formulated weight loss drinks, foods, and diet bars. People also join health clubs or spas, or buy special weight loss and exercise equipment, in an effort to lose weight and improve their health. Among the common types of diets people follow are food-focused, celebrity, exchange, and supplement-based diets. Food-focused plans, such as the grapefruit diet, the banana diet, or a wine drinkers diet, emphasize consumption of only one, or a few, foods. Celebrity plans generally have the backing of a celebrity, and exchange plans lump together into food groups items with similar calories, carbohydrates , proteins, and fats. Some diets incorporate a commercial meal, snack bar, food, or beverage that must be purchased. Supplements Pills, liquids, or powders that contain nutrients and other ingredients are now readily available in stores. Supplements that contain herbs (or some herbal components) are growing in popularity. However, supplement production and use is not always well regulated, so consumers must be careful about what they purchase and consume. Convenience Foods To satisfy individuals who want to eat well at home but are short on time or do not want to prepare elaborate meals, many eateries also offer take-out meals or items. Fully or partially prepared TOTE (take-out-to-eat) foods, including home-delivered meals, are generally referred to as convenience foods. As more women (the traditional preparers of family meals) enter the labor force, peoples desire to save time increases along with the use of convenience foods. Ethnic Foods People now eat foods with origins in cultures other than their own. Since the late twentieth century, however, there has been an increased incorporation of ethnic cuisines into diet, including foods from Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. This trend is part of a larger movement toward diversity in all aspects of life. Functional Foods The term functional food is often used in reference to foods that have nutrients (or non-nutrients) that might protect against disease. The term is used when referring to foods that have been fortified , have specific phytochemicals or active microorganisms added, or have been developed using genetic engineering techniques. However, all foods can support health in some way, and there is no legal definition of functional food. In addition, the actual benefit of these foods, if any, can vary and is open to interpretation. For example, both a candy bar and orange juice may have additional calcium added, and can therefore be called functional foods. The consumer must determine the benefit of such items. 12 Reference: www.fags.org/nutrition/ome-pop/popular E-recruitment means using information technology (IT) to speed up or enhance parts of the recruitment process. It can enhance the applicant experience, communicate the employers image and culture better, make the recruitment process faster, more accountable and standardised, increase the diversity of applicants, provide better management information on applicants and find the right E candidate for the job. E-recruitment is efficient and can produce cashable savings, such as reduced advertising spend or postage costs and non-cashable productivity gains as HR staff are freed up to carry out higher value tasks.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Forming the Pomegranate :: Fruits Foods Papers

Forming the Pomegranate pome ·gran ·ate Punica granatum Punicaceae Derived from Old French pome grenate: pome for apple and grenate, having many seeds. And there is also Latin: grantus, granum, grain, seed. This skin of a pomegranate is like tissue, the inside of the body, like blood clotting. Soft tissue. At least twenty-seven different hues of red. Or any other number, perhaps it is more. Pomegranate red when a lip is bitten, the inside of the mouth--soft tissues of the mouth. The fruit's body is deformed, rough, parched. Gentle dents, the kind found upon a child's skull--the way the cranial bones fuse together. Parched, callused: I think of browning manuscripts in libraries; I think of hands. I have one here I am trying to dry, letting it shrivel, concave upon itself. I am letting the dark, damp seeds inside wither. I place it in the fall of the sun, beneath my window. The pomegranate fits my hand, my palm that agrees to the rises and slopes of the fruit. My fingers curling across the indentations, uneven red ground. When Demeter, the goddess of the earth, lost her daughter Persephone, she made winter. The god of the underworld, pale Hades, saw the beautiful child (one can never help with whom they fall in love) and from his chariot he clasp the girl, descending into his dark land. He would have said I loved her because she was so light. Upon the earth the people were confused by the new cold and still Demeter refused spring until her daughter was returned. The other gods demanded of Hades the release of Persephone. In that dark land, soil as sky and all creatures a languid shade of gray, Persephone ate of a pomegranate. She ate six seeds and those small seeds, Hades' artifice, bound her to him for six months of the year, always. And so she rose to Demeter and still must return again to her melancholy groom, every year the same footsteps, the same chariot of black horses. Pomegranate beneath the soil, a muted shade of gray and seeds also a color she did not recognize. Pomegranate, which is regarded as food for the dead. I learned this fruit's story: pomegranate's origins in Iran, in the Himalayas. Later certain travelers carried its seeds on their journeys across the Mediterranean. It now claims many lands: India, Southeast Asia, the East Indies, tropical Africa.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Paper vs Plastic, Which Is Better

Thousands and thousands of people are shopping in grocery stores each day using either plastic or paper bags. They think of it as something that just holds their items. What they don’t know is how much it harms our environment. So the question is which is better? â€Å"3. 14 billion Plastic shopping bags and 53 million Kraft paper bags are produced annually to satisfy the national market, consuming 28. 5 million kilograms of plastic and 4. 8 million kilograms of paper†( Goldbeck 333). A man named Shropshire in Annapolis had a campaign to get rid of plastic bags and is referred to as the â€Å"the bag man. â€Å"12 million barrels of oil are needed to produce 100 billion plastic bags used in the United States each year,† He said. According to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency only 5% of those bags are being recycled and the rest are thrown into landfills. He also says that plastic bags from Annapolis land in Chesapeake Bay and marine animals swallow them, mistaking them for jelly fish. â€Å"Estimates prepared by the New York City Department of Sanitation suggest that if each New Yorker would use one less grocery sack per week, the city’s garbage could be reduced by 2500 tons every year, saving 250,000 taxpayer dollars â€Å"(Goldbeck 333). Some officials say. that producing the bags takes too much energy and they create environmental hazards. The only problem is that plastic is cheaper and create less landfill waste than paper bags. Plastic bags are made with polyethylene. 80% of polyethylene is made from natural gas; a non-renewable resource. According to the Boustead Consulting Association polyethylene uses less water, oil and energy. Plastic bags use 40% less energy than paper and plastic sacks. The alliance says, they generate 80% less solid waste. Donna Dempsey of the Progressive Bag Alliance, a group representing plastic bag manufacturers, says that an alternative to plastic bags like paper wouldn’t actually be greener. She also says that paper bags use up more fossil fuels in their lifecycle than plastic. Paper bags are made from a lot of trees. Paper grocery bags, are an American innovation and were designed in 1883. It’s also made from a Kraft (German: means course and strength) paper. According to the American Forest and Paper Association, paper collection is easily and readily available in most parts of the country. But like plastic, paper uses natural resources and creates pollution. The manufacturing of one paper bag uses 1 whole gallon of water! Trees have to dry for 3 whole years before making it into paper. Then it’s cooked under heat and pressure†¦Etc. So paper also use up resources. When paper is thrown away it’s either recycled or thrown in a landfill. Both paper and plastic bags can pollute and effect the environment. So it’s hard to say which is better to use. I f we want an option better for the environment its better to use neither of them. The best option there is out there is reusable bags.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Tariffs in the 1800 essays

Tariffs in the 1800 essays The debate over whether the institution of slavery should come to an end was not the only divisive to conflict America. Tariffs and states right to nullify acts of congress, nearly brought the country to a secession and the possibility of a civil war. These tariffs were detested by many southerners felt that they were being left out in the cold. Although the tariffs on Great Britain's goods had negative impacts they also had positive aspects throughout the United States. The tariff of 1812, which was proposed by James Madison, was one of the first taxes to be placed upon foreign goods. Originally this tariff was to help pay for internal improvements, such as roads, canals, and lighthouses. Tariffs continuously affected the southern states negatively. The south was not dependent on manufacturing as the northern states were, causing the south to become not as eager to tax European imports. These formations of tariffs began to increase the need for slaves in the south, who depended more and more on slavery agriculturally as the tariffs created additional competition for money. Slavery became such a problematic issue that the legislature created the gag rule, which was a rule created to lessen the time spent discussing or debating on the issue of slavery. Another tariff was placed on Great Britains goods in 1828. Jackson's vice-president, John C. Calhoun, called the 1828 tariff a Tariff of Abominations, a disgusting and loathsome tariff. As an agricultural region dependant on cotton, the south had to compete in the world market. Yet the high tariffs reduced exports to the U.S., and Britain began to buy less cotton. The south thought that the North was getting rich at the expense of the South. The South became fed up with this unfair treatment and threatened to secede from the Union. This threat angered President Jackson, who had proposed the Force Bill. This w ...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Food Law, Food Safety Risk Management The WritePass Journal

Food Law, Food Safety Risk Management Introduction Food Law, Food Safety Risk Management , p. 1). Furthermore, although the food was baked in a bakery in the neighbouring food authority, Elsewhere it will still be appropriate for the enforcement officer in Somewhere Local Authority to investigate this case because this is where the food was actually eaten. Since Mrs Its Disgusting found glass in a scone she purchased from the bakery it is evident that this would be harmful to her health as this is a serious matter which needs to be dealt with accordingly. Under Reg. 6 (1) of the FHR and section 10 of the FSA it is made clear that an enforcement officer authorised under the FSA may serve a notice on the food business operator ordering them to improve their business if they have reason to believe that the business is failing to comply with the Hygiene Regulations. In doing so, the officer will thus be required to; â€Å"State the officers grounds for believing that the food business operator is failing to comply with the regulations; Specify the matters which constitute the food business operators failure to comply; Specify the measures which the food business operator must take in order to secure compliance; and Require the food business operator to take those measures within a certain time period† (Reg. 6 (1) (a)-(d)). In deciding if there are reasonable grounds for believing that the food business operator is failing to comply with the regulations the officer would need to enter the premises and take necessary samples of the food being produced. Under Reg. 14 (1) of the FHR officers are permitted to enter the premises of a food business operator whether they are in or outside the authority’s area. Furthermore, under Reg. 12 the officer will also be permitted to take samples of food or articles so that they can be used as evidence in the event of proceedings. If any samples are taken, the officer will then need to decide whether they should be examined under Reg. 13 and in accordance with their powers under section 9 of the FSA. Regulation EC 178/2002 provides the general traceability provisions which will provided the officer with the ability to trace and follow the food being produced by the baker through all stages of production, processing and distribution (European Commission, 2007, p. 1). As part of the investigation process, it is also necessary for the enforcement officer to send details of the food complaint to; the manufacturer or importer of the food; the bakery where the food was purchased; and the Elsewhere local authority. This is because, the comments provided by the manufacture of the scones and the bakery may be able to establish what caused the problem and an overview of the precautions normally taken will be provided. In addition, they will also be able to demonstrate what steps will be taken in the future to prevent this from happening again. The Elsewhere local authority will also be able to â€Å"provide information on hygiene conditions at the production plant, the precautions taken and how well they usually comply with legal standards† (Embridge Borough Council, 2012, p. 1). Once the investigation has been undertaken, it is then up to the officer to decide whether an offence under the FSA has been committed. Since the bakery has rendered food that is injurious to health, it is likely that an offence under section 7 (b) of the FSA will be found. This is because an article appears to have been used as an ingredient in the preparation of the food which had caused Mrs I-D to sustain injuries. In deciding whether the appropriate action shall be a warning letter, formal caution or prosecution, the seriousness of the offence and the steps taken to avoid any future mishaps will need to be considered. Regardless of this, however, if the bakery is able to demonstrate that they had taken all reasonable precautions to avoid problems such as this from occurring then they may be able to put forward the ‘due diligence’ defense as provided for under section 21 of the FSA. If it can be shown that the person involved in the sale of the scones had acted with due diligence to prevent the commission of an offence from occurring then that person will not be found negligent (Wild and Weinstein, 2010, p. 627). Because of the broad nature of investigations, it is likely that the process will take a number of months since a lot of in-depth information needs to be gathered. This is because unless all of the relevant information is attained, a proper review of the case cannot be mad e and the due diligence defense will not be made out. On completion of the investigation, the officer will be required to write to Mrs Its Discgusting informing of the action that shall be taken. If the matter has been resolved informally during the investigation no further action will be taken and the food business complained of may want Mrs Its Disgusting’s and Mrs ID’s details so that they can send an apology or provide them with compensation. The permission from both ladies will first be needed, however, before any details can be passed on. In deciding what action shall be taken, the officer will need to decide whether the bakery had acted reasonably in order to prevent any risks of contamination and if not a plan of action will need to be devised so that care is taken to â€Å"identify and consider the risks of potential sources of contamination in the surrounding environment† (Brennan, 2006, p. 357). Accordingly, suitable controls will need to be developed and implemented so that future contamination is avoided (Sprenger, 2003, p. 229). This will ensure compliance with Regulation 852/2004 which makes it clear that all food business operators must ce rtify the â€Å"hygiene of foodstuffs at all stages of the production process, from primary production up to and including sale to the final consumer† (Europa, 2009, p. 1) in order to avoid damage to health. Compliance with Regulation 853/2004 must also be certified which lays down the specific hygiene rules relating to the microbiological criteria for foodstuffs. Available Options There a number of different options available for the investigating officer, yet it would be appropriate to serve a notice on the food business ordering them to make necessary changes to the production process in order to avoid a re-occurrence of this problem. This will require the officer to serve a notice on the food business, yet in order to decide what changes need to be made, the officer will be required to interview all those involved with production. Once this has been done, the officer may also want to undertake legal action so that Mrs I-D can make a claim against the food business for breaching their duty of care towards Mrs I-D. In doing so, it will need to be established that the food business did actually owe Mrs I-D a duty of care, that they breached their duty and that the duty caused the harm as in Caparo Industries plc v Dickman [1990] 1 All ER 568. Because Mrs I-D would have been so closely affected by the actions of the food business that they ought to have had her in their contemplation it is clear that they owed her a duty of care. This duty was thus breached by allowing the glass to enter the scone and the glass subsequently caused injury to Mrs I-D’s gums. As a result, it is evident that the food business shall be liable for negligence and that Mrs I-D should be compensated for the damage. This can be settled out of court but if the food business is un-cooperative; legal action will be the next step. And it will therefore be up to the food business to demonstrate that they acted with due diligence (Atwood and Thompson, 2009, p. 346). References Atwood, B. Thompson, K. and Willett, C. (2009) Food Law, Tottel Publishing, 3rd Edition. Brennan, J. G. (2006) Food Processing Handbook, John Wiley Sons. Elmbridge Borough Council. (2012) Food Complaints; What we can do about unsatisfactory food, [Online] Available: elmbridge.gov.uk/envhealth/food/foodcomplaints.htm [28 December 2012]. European Commission. (2007) General Food Law – Traceability, Health and Consumers, [Online] Available: http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/foodlaw/traceability/index_en.htm [29 December, 2012]. Europa. (2009) Food Hygiene, Summaries of EU legislation, [Online] Available: http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/food_safety/veterinary_checks_and_food_hygiene/f84001_en.htm [29 December 2012]. Food Standards Agency. (2011) Making Every Inspection Count, Internal Monitoring Advice for Local Authority Food and Feed Law Enforcement Team Managers, [Online] Available: food.gov.uk/enforcement/enforcework/ [27 December 2012]. Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council. (2012) Food, Pests, Pollution and Food, [Online] Available: rochdale.gov.uk/health_and_social_care/food.aspx [27 December 2012]. Sprenger, R. A. (2003) Hygiene for Management, London, Highfield Publications. Wild, C. and Weinstein, S. (2010) Smith Keenan’s English Law: Text and Cases, Longman, 16th Edition.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Possible Impacts of Marketing Innovation on the Organizational Culture Dissertation

Possible Impacts of Marketing Innovation on the Organizational Culture of a market leader, and Managerial Attitudes Towards its - Dissertation Example This two-way communication takes place over online social media (OSM), like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube (Shu & Chuang, 2011). In the last decade the marketing communication has adapted to this new possibilities and the international percentage of interactive marketing with the customer has tripled (Kottler, Wong, Saunders, & Armstrong, 2005). Marketing and innovation in marketing depend largely upon the leadership from the top management within an organization. The right organizational culture and the focus on marketing are crucial for companies in a competitive industry (Bridgewater & Doyle, 1998). A company?s organizational culture (OC) consists of its constitution, strategies, and corporate value. It also includes the common experiences and standards that characterize an organization (Buelens, Van den Broeck, Vanderheyden, Kreintner, & Kinicki, 2006). Many distinct definitions for OC exist, it is important to be aware of the differences (Driskill & Brenton, 2011). There are two major schools about OC, which differ mainly in the aspect by whom it can or cannot be influenced or manipulated. The â€Å"German approach† towards OC sees the origins of OC in the interaction of employees and therefore not changeable through decisions of top management. The â€Å"American approach† defines OC as something that belongs to the company and can be influenced at discretion by top management (Dixon & Dougherty, 2010). It will be the â€Å"German approach† that will be explored in this study. A positive OC supports performance and efficiency of a company and can lead to superior market positions; furthermore it is seen as giving benefit to the brand (Aaker & Joachimsthaler, 2000). OC is an important factor for most market leaders. Commonly they do not reach the top of the market or distinguish themselves through external factors that lead to advantage. Often times it is strong internal commitment and a functioning integration of employees, that leads to success. Market leaders strongly value a positive internal environment of the organization, especially in very competitive markets (Simon, 2009)(Spear, 2009). Within the international food industry the Internet has become popular over the last years to market products. Most major food brands are using the possibility to communicate with their customers and integrate them into their marketing (Grunert & Ramus, 2005)(Ballantine, 2005). Looking at Germany?s food industry, the meat product sector is a major segment for the economy, with an annual turnover of about 16 billion Euros (German-meat, 2010). The current market leader of this industry is Rugenwalder Muhle GmbH (RwM), with the largest market share and the highest revenue since a significant time span. Being the market leader innovation is extremely important to RwM. Within the German meat industry RmW is the only organization that currently uses OSM as a great part of their marketing mix. The connection that OC and innovation have within a company is found to be substantial; OC is

Friday, November 1, 2019

Entrepreneurial and Small Business Management Assignment

Entrepreneurial and Small Business Management - Assignment Example This study will also highlight on the business planning process as well as the various risks attached to it. The feasibility study In this study, interviews were seen to be so important in the process. They present various opinions regarding the market as well as people’s attitudes towards utilization of advertisements on the social media. Interview in hotels The interview began with hotels, which we thought were our greatest targets. We interviewed thirty hotels across the region and we were keen to observe their advertisement techniques. One manager Mr. Rahul from the Auris plaza hotel informed us that they have often depended on the internet to perform their advertisement and marketing. He welcomed the idea and informed to get back after one week to allow for sufficient consultation. Another thing that Mr. Rahul informed us about was that the number of customers they received was not sufficient and they needed more improved means of attracting customers to their hotel. Othe r hotels that we visited for interviews like the Golden sands hotel apartments, the Grosvenor house and Ramada Reira among others all welcomed the idea of magazine advertisements and they expressed their willingness to adopt the idea. Most of these hotels complained of poor attendance my the locals and claimed that most of their customers came from abroad, the locals need to be aware of the services available in this hotels so as to offer them equal chances and remove the perception of these hotels being so expensive. Also on our survey and interview list were large businesses and companies. These included local supermarkets and other manufacturing concerns. Most of them welcomed the idea and accepted to invest in this marketing plan. Most companies according to our interviews did not utilize the advertisement tool effectively since they majored on exporting to already established markets. However, some companies expressed their dissatisfaction, for instance the horticultural compan ies expressed their great worries over the seasonal markets that existed in the industry. They said that the time they export most is when demand for their products arises, and this is mostly during functions like valentines and Ramadan and Chrismas celebrations when people buy and present one another with gifts. The idea of publishing their products on a local newspaper and advertising them to citizens locally was a good idea and could largely boost their market. Of all the companies, we interviewed, only three were adamant about using our advertisement means, and this was majorly due to security reasons that they could not expose so much of their company profile. The others accepted. One thing however, that most of these companies wanted was advertising for them at low cost and then later on increasing the rates when the project is picking at a high pace. The last group that we visited was the single businesspersons. Most of these were not ready to adopt the magazine advertisement system since they saw it as an extra expense on their side. Of the 20 businesses that we visited, only 8 welcomed the idea of using magazine to advertise their products. From the feasibility tests performed in the hotels, industries and the businesses, hotels are observed to be readily available to adopt this strategy despite a few others still not courageous enough to take the step. Companies too also

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Stronger legislatures bring stronger and more stable democracy Essay

Stronger legislatures bring stronger and more stable democracy - Essay Example It is extremely difficult to achieve all three dimensions, and this explains its evasiveness. This essay will first introduce the concept of a stable democracy and then explain the role of a strong legislature in its existence. The essay will then use the UK and US legislatures as examples of the effect of strong legislatures on stable democracies and explain how these countries’ legislatures have contributed to their sound democracies. Finally, the essay will reaffirm the stance adopted by stating that stronger legislatures are vital for stable democracies. To understand the impact of legislatures on democracy, it is first necessary to understand that legislatures are, in most countries, branches of the executive (Saathoff, 2012:48). Their common role of making laws means that they are one of the ruling arms of any governments in which they exist. In addition, in most countries, legislatures are tasked with checking the powers and actions of heads of state. These two roles (law making and power checking) are key to gaining a critical perspective of the impacts of legislatures on democracy and stable democracies, in particular (Lelan, 2012:29). Let us consider two countries that often come to mind whenever the subject of stable democracies comes up: the United Kingdom and the United States. In the United States, the modern world’s beacon of democracy, Congress is the legislating body. Looking at the history of America, it is easy to see that Congress has been at the heart of most laws that have defined the country’s democr atic leadership and its institutional strengths. As a matter of fact, the US Congress is the perfect example of a well-oiled, purpose-driven, and powerful legislature (Roper, 2013:37). The powers of the Congress, and the manner in which it exercises them have made it both a representative of the American public in the government and a formidable critic of the same government (Barkan, 2008:131). Congress checks

Monday, October 28, 2019

Proposal to avoid managerial derailment and failure Essay Example for Free

Proposal to avoid managerial derailment and failure Essay Southwest Airlines strict adherence to its mission to provide the highest quality of customer service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and company spirit is a key factor to the company’s success (About Southwest Airlines Co, 2013). The airlines ability to commit to employees to provide them with a stable work environment that ensures equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Southwest prides itself on allowing all within the company to be creativity and innovative to help improve the effectiveness of Southwest Airlines. The most important benefit, employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer. Southwest uses an unorthodox leadership style created by Herb Kelleher. The basic idea is that the organization works like an upside down pyramid. The upper management is at the bottom and supports the front line employees, who are the experts. This strategy works for Southwest Airlines because management decisions are made by everyone in the organization, not just the head executives. The company’s emphasis on creativity and innovation bodes well for a company that stresses free will over structure and titles (About Southwest Airlines Co, 2013). While Southwest Airlines offers the bare minimum in flight options, it does meet and exceed customer expectations when it comes to service. They base their model on the motto, which states that if theyre happy, satisfied, dedicated, and energetic, theyll take real good care of the customers. When the customers are happy, they come back. And that makes the shareholders happy, (About Southwest Airlines Co, 2013). Southwest Airlines have managed to keep a happy medium between labor unions and contract employees by maintain a healthy relationship with its employees. It is an added benefit to offer employees longer hours with more than just competitive pay. Southwest has had the ability to succeed because of the vision to realize and obtain its goals in business. The focus on bare essentials for flight is the catalyst for its low cost business model. A low cost plane with short travel between major cities has equally allowed Southwest Airlines to focus on a specific type of consumer. The customer base for Southwest Airlines is largely the business class will take service or luxury when it comes to being efficient and cost effective. The ability to focus that theidea that customers, can be satisfied without having expensive options available for them, Southwest Airlines has successfully lured those consumers away from the bigger airlines. Combined with the influences of the internet, Southwest Airlines can continue to excel in the industry by bypassing travel agents and their fees ensuring to avoid any managerial derailments or failures. Reference About Southwest Airlines. (2011). Retrieved October 12, 2013, from Southwest Airlines: http://www.southwest.com/html/about-southwest/index.html