Star Fruit - Averrhoa Carambola essays

Star Fruit - Averrhoa Carambola essays The plant I have chosen is commonly called star fruit and its scientific name Averrhoa carambola L. The star fruit is in the oxalidaceae family, and it originated in Southeast Asia. Although star fruit is now grown throughout many tropical and warm subtropical areas of the world. In the United States, they are grown commercially in southern Florida and Hawaii (Crane). Of all the many locations that star fruit are grown Taiwan claims to grow the very best star fruit. The carambola or star fruit is a slow-growing, short trunk evergreen tree with its many branches forming a bushy canopy that is rounded. Mature trees seldom exceed 25 to 30 feet in height and 20 to 25 feet in width. The leaves are soft, medium green, and smooth on the top and faintly hairy on the bottom. They are sensitive to light and will fold together at night or when the tree is shocked (Fruit Gardner). The flowers are small pink to lavender colored and have five petals and sepals. The actual fruit is a fleshy berry w ith a wary surface. They are two to six inches long with five prominent longitudinal ribs. Slices cut in cross-sections are star shaped. The skin is thin, yellow, and smooth with a waxy cuticle. The flesh is yellow, translucent, crisp and very juicy. Star fruit is sweet and even sweeter when allowed to ripen on the tree. They are low in calories and a good source of potassium and vitamin C (Crane). The seeds are edible, but usually, a fruit contains less than twelve. They are long, thin, light brown, and enclosed by a gelatinous aril. Star fruit grows best in tropical climates although they also do well in warm subtropical climates that may experience occasional freezing. They are not too particular about soil types, but they will grow faster and bear more fruit in rich loam. Star fruit need moisture for best production; this means regular watering or irrigation. Young carambola trees should receive light applications of fertilizers every 60 to 90 days ...

The Adoption of the Controllable Pitch Propeller by the Outside World essays

The Adoption of the Controllable Pitch Propeller by the Outside World essays Canada is not exactly known for having produced several ground-breaking inventions or discoveries in her time. However, the period of rapid technological advancement that she incurred during the third period of the history of engineering in Canada brought with it several important engineering inventions which had their roots in Canada. The creation of the controllable pitch propeller was one such invention which was perfected in Canada and was so successful that this primarily Canadian development spread throughout the world. Wallace Rupert Turnball lived in Rothesay and it was there that he carried out his experiments in aeronautical theory beginning in 1902. His specialty was that of dihedrals which he studied in a wind-tunnel. He looked at water borne hydroplanes propelled by motor-driven airscrews. An airscrew the Great Britain term for a propeller. A standard propeller consists of anywhere from two to four blades each a section of a helix, the geometric form of a screw thread, hence the term airscrew. The first plane had two air-screws on each side whereas the second one had only one, more highly efficient propeller located at the rear end of craft, near the pilots seat. However, both had an uneven torque of engine that was in fact destructive to the efforts of the propeller. Turnball experimented with all different types of air-screws; some with a 30 gauge track that were 300 long for truck. With each air-screw he tested, he recorded the propeller thrust, rpm and the forward speed. Wha t determines the forward speed is the distance that a propeller will move in the forward direction when the shaft of the propeller is rotated 360o. Assuming that there is no slippage, this distance is termed the geometric pitch. The propellers that Turnball tested had diameters ranging from 1.5 up to 3.5, all different dimensions and shapes. Upon his return to Rothesay in 1918, after ...

TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT (TQM) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT (TQM) - Essay Example Quality control is a process that is employed in order to ensure a required level of fineness and quality in a product or service delivered by a company. Quality assurance, on the other hand, is a process in which products are checked in order to know whether those products will be able to meet customers’ expectations or not. Along with quality assurance and quality control, companies also adhere to the key principles of total quality management, such as, quality oriented management, customer focus approach, and continuous improvement in order to guarantee the development of superior quality products. In recent years, many scholars have researched the role of quality management systems in the success of businesses. There has been a great concern about the use of different quality frameworks and this concern has led many researchers to study the role of those frameworks in ensuring the provision of highest quality to customers. Some key quality frameworks, such as, Six Sigma framework, BEM framework, and ISO 9000: 2001 framework play a vital role in the manufacturing of high quality products. In this paper, we will discuss the role of total quality management in the success of a company or organization. We will examine the way total quality management helps a company improve its performance in market and increase customer base. The paper will include a discussion about the key principles of total quality management, as well as a discuss on quality assurance and quality control. Moreover, the paper will also include a review about the key developments in the evolution of quality and the role of strategic quality frameworks and quality improvement tools and techniques in improved organizational performance and productivity. Quality is the key to organizational success. It refers to the delivery of high quality products to satisfy customers, as well as to improve business performance.

Value of Concept of Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Value of Concept of Innovation - Essay Example Value innovation aims at seeking new and completely different value curves. High growth companies employ an approach that offers unknown value and compete by summoning the existing conditions. For this reasons they achieve sustained high growth in both revenues and profits. On the other hand, the less successful companies take a conventional approach, that is, they strategically work towards beating their competitors. In making their competitors irrelevant, the high growth companies employ a strategic logic referred to as value innovation (Kim, 2014). Discovery of hidden demand and creation of new demands are problems that value innovations redefine. The business model canvas aids an organization in carrying out structured, solid and strategic conversations surrounding new and existing businesses. Global companies employ the canvas in the management of strategy or in creating new growth engines (Verstraete, 2011). For businesses that are starting up, the model is used in search of an appropriate business model. The business canvas model aims at helping an organization move beyond product based thinking and towards thinking based on a business model. In a bid to explain the value of the business model in discussion, Nespresso a daughter company of Nestle shall be of reference. The company utilizes the tool in their regular planning and cycles of development. It is a company affiliated with the food and beverages industry. The business canvas model is used in the creation of a blueprint of their strategy. The model provides clarity in the foundation and direction for the impending conversation. Still on strategizing, the tool is utilized for strategic planning per business unit because it provides the organization with general information on the progress of the business units. The business canvas model works as a common language across the units of the business and provides the

Studies in English Literature Essay Example for Free

Studies in English Literature Essay Henry V, positioned during the critical move from the Theatre to the Globe, can serve as a case study for this kind of economic close reading. It tells a story of continual repositioning, good and bad decisions, business errors, and the workings of a company that was trying to succeed financially but was far from assured of success. From 1598 through 1599, the Chamberlains Men dealt with a series of difficulties. One of these difficulties was related to politics: the companys choice of Henry V as a topic, assuming that it would be topical and popular, and the subsequent return of the earl of Essex in defeat. But most of the companys problems were internal and economic. [3] The search for a theatrical home took up most of the companys energy, through the Blackfriars financial fiasco, in the bitter battles with Giles Allen over their lease (which resulted in pulling down the Theatre), and through their commissioning of Peter Street to build a new theater in Southwark, the Globe. Another major blow was the departure of William Kempe from the company. Henry V shows the strains of making a series of accommodations to fit financial and internal crises: casting changes, location changes, and changes in topical references. These accommodations can be seen in the prologues, in the accommodations to the casting, in the break from 2 Henry IV, and finally, quite possibly, in the Bad Quarto text of 1600. In 1597, James Burbage died, leaving his sons capital invested in the Blackfriars Theater. He had bought the Blackfriars on 4 February 1595/96. [4] His plans to move the company there had been frustrated by the petition of the inhabitants, including the companys own patron, Lord Hunsdon: [W]hereas one Burbage hath lately bought certaine roomes in the same precinct neere adjoyning unto the dwelling houses of the right honourable the Lord Chamberlaine and the Lord of Hunsdon, which romes the said Burbage is now altering and meaneth very shortly to convert and turne the same into a comon playhouse, which will grow to be a very great annoyance and trouble [ldots] both by reason of the great resort and gathering togeather of all manner of vagrant and lewde persons that, under cullor of resorting to the playes, will come thither and worke all manner of mischeefe, and allso to the great pestring and filling up of the same precinct, yf it should please God to send any visitation of sicknesse as heretofore hath been [ldots] and besydes, that the same playhouse is so neere the Church that the noyse of the drummes and trumpetts will greatly disturbe and hinder both the ministers and parishioners in tyme of devine service and sermons [ldots] there hath not at any tyme heretofore been used any comon playh ouse within the same precinct, but that now all players being banished [ldots] from playing within the Cittie by reason of the great inconveniences and ill rule that followeth them, they now thincke to plant them selves in liberties. [5] The petitioners object to the increased traffic, the noise, the nature of the audience (vagrant and lewde persons), and to the possibility of the plague. Perhaps most significant is their statement that the players are banished from the city and now thincke to plant them selves in liberties. It has often been assumed that the freedom sought by the playing companies was primarily political and that the companies were marginalized. [6] Steven Rappaport points out, however, that the liberties were economically attractive to those who wished to avoid city regulation in order to make more money. [7] The liberties were, therefore, enterprise zones, and as such were equally attractive to theatrical companies seeking economic freedom. In short, the inhabitants of Blackfriars successfully blocked the move. The Chamberlains Men were losing their lease at the Theatre and had nowhere to go. Adams, John Cranford. The Globe Playhouse: Its Design and Equipment. 2nd ed. New York: Barnes Noble, 1961. The years all other theatres of its type had to be closed down, refurbished, or replaced. And until its accidental destruction in 1613 the Globe was the principal theatre, public or private, in all London, occupied exclusively by the leading theatrical company, during that companys strongest years. In short the Globe witnessed indeed it helped materially to create the golden years of Elizabethan drama. If for no other reasons this study of the Globe would be justified. But its chief object is to prepare the way for a fuller understanding of Shakespeares plays. The stage for which he wrote differed radically from our modern stage, and as a consequence his techniques and conventions were unlike those of Broadway and Hollywood. As Mr. Tyrone Guthrie observed (in The Listener of April 10, 1958): Shakespeare will always have to be butchered so long as his work has to be produced in a sort of theatre for which the plays were not written, to which they are positively ill-adapted; a sort of theatre designed for effects which are irrelevant to Shakespeares purposes, and inimical to the kind of effects he sought. If we are to comprehend his genius as not only the leading dramatist but also the leading theatre craftsman of his age, we must bring more to a study of his plays than the theatrical assumptions and techniques of today. It is important to the study of Shakespeare and his fellow dramatists to understand the design of an Elizabethan public stage and the extent to which that stage was equipped with fixed or alterable scenery, with traps, machines, and properties all helping to enlarge and sustain the scope and force of dramatic illusion. It is essential, for example, to know where the audience was placed in relation to any given unit of the multiple stage, and whether the inner stages (where such scenes as the murder of Desdemona or the blinding of Gloucester took place) were remote and dimly lighted or were in full view and well lighted. It revives some of the excitement Shakespearean.

Development Of Art :: essays research papers

What Is Art? -An In-Depth Analysis-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Human’s have always struggled to express themselves. Art, is considered by many to be the ultimate form of human expression. Many assume that art has a definition, but this is not the case. Art, it can be said, is â€Å"in the eye of the beholder.† This simply means that what you consider art, someone else would not. Art is part of a person’s internal emotions, which signifies why different people see art as different things. Every type of culture and era presents distinctive and unique characteristics. Different cultures all have different views of what art can, and would be, causing art itself to be universally renowned throughout the world. The first art to be recorded was done by the early Egyptians who used it as a form of communication and to signify their religious beliefs. Their beliefs were centered around their many Gods which helped in aiding their visual representations. What made Egyptian art unique, was that every picture told a story of an important event in the society, which helps us study who they were as a people, and what their life struggles were. This primitive form of art laid the ground- work for the many types of art which would follow it. The next important era was the time of Greek art. Their work was greatly influenced by the Egyptians. Their early art was very geometric in shape and glorified Gods and people in their works. Eventually as time progressed, they began to soften their edges and lines and concentrate on the human form, which they considered the most beautiful of all creation. Christian art was the next big leap for art. This art was more colorful and displayed vivid images and scenes. The introduction of the mosaic was probably the greatest contribution of the period. In the fifteenth century, the Renaissance period involved brighter colours and new mediums that the world had never seen before.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Through these early stages of art discussed above, it shows how the foundation for today’s modern works was laid out. They show how art has developed from simple cave paintings, to the tremendous force in society that it is today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Art is one of the most intriguing and exiting forms of human expression. A picture can tell a thousand words and often stir up feelings inside the viewer. Art is all around us.buildings,electronic equipment like a computer, and even automobiles are all a form of art.

Las Vegas Resort Project

Project Final Lake Las Vegas Boardwalk Resort Tourism You are a member of a firm that specializes in the development of world-class resort hotels around various parts of the world. A client has hired your firm to create a report and recommendations for a new resort somewhere in the United States. Course Project Lake Las Vegas Boardwalk Resort Development planning A boardwalk signifies relaxation and ente rtainment. What better place to build a fabulous boardwalk entertainment village than in the tourist capital of America beautiful Las Vegas, NV, to be more specific, Lake Las Vegas.This is a lush lakeside retreat located only 15 minutes east of the famous â€Å"Las Vegas Strip. † It is surrounded by natural red rocks and borders the Lake Mead Recreational Park. Several other hotels have already graced this manmade lake along with two award winning golf courses, and gourmet restaurants and exquisite shopping. Currently, there are two lakeside parcels remaining with great fronta ge and access to the shops and golf as well as many aquatic activities including sailing, fishing, canoeing, and small boating. Development of the structure would be made through a partnership with Lake LasVegas LTD, the chief land owner within this region. We feel that with a strategic partnership with the land owner, in the form of a land lease, our overall build-out costs would be drastically reduced and would yield pleasant tax incentives for this form of business structuring. We aim to build a traditional boardwalk style entertainment center complete with amusement hub and retail shops to add to the atmosphere. We also are planning on building a freestanding roller coaster, Ferris wheel, and Merry-Go-Round to add in to the boardwalk theme.An artist rendering of our anticipated plans would look something like this. There were nearly 40 Million visitors to Las Vegas in 2012, bringing a total of $9. 5 Billion in gaming revenue to Clark County. These figures are poised to increase steadily through 2020 and this doesn't even take into consideration the added revenues from hotels, restaurants, and retail shops. We can bring a little slice of a vacation retreat and truly make this a desert oasis. Environmental impact The Greater Las Vegas Valley is located in southern corner of Nevada.It lies bounded on the west by several mountain ranges and drains a 1,564-square-mile watershed southeastward through Las Vegas Wash into Lake Mead. Lake Mead, was created hen in the 1930's the Hoover Dam, was built in a section of the Colorado River creating what is now the largest reservoir in the US. This reservoir receives water runoff from the Rocky Mountains throughout Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah. Lake Las Vegas is currently another manmade offshoot of Lake Mead and developed for the purpose of becoming a master planned community.The water used is diverted through piping upwards throughout the community for reasons such as usage in homes and business for drinking water as wel l as the reclaimed water is then used for landscaping golf courses as well as watering the additional plants and shrubbery n the region. As for the wildlife in the region, it has all been preserved as natural for the area. There is also an assortment of water fowl, which can be seen flying about the area due to the lush creation ot this oasis. Complete intrastructure nas already been developed and is awaiting further investment potential.The addition of our boardwalk entertainment complex would be a welcome fit to this existing lakeside resort town. Sociological impact Since its inception as a gambler's paradise, close to the Mecca of Los Angeles, CA back in the mid 1940's, Las Vegas has developed into more of a normal metropolis with a liberal attitude. The gambling, alcohol and partying has grown Las Vegas into a town with two sides; one with the entertainment â€Å"anything goes† attitude and the other where suburbia can flourish with schools, hospitals and regular employm ent.The Las Vegas Metro area now encompasses a population of nearly 2 million, and is still growing. IT has its economic downturns as the rest of the country also does, yet it seems to bounce back as much of the revenue coming through this area is transient from elsewhere. Las Vegas as of recently has developed into more of a family friendly location complete with Amusement theme parks, water parks and utdoor activities for children. It is this atmosphere we are tapping into, with our devotion to amusement and excitement with a boardwalk relaxing atmosphere.Economic feasibility and Market With the aforementioned nearly 40 million tourists last year bringing with them their 9. 5 Billion in gambling revenue, along with other spending capital it is only logical to use this location as a prime target location for our boardwalk concept. The tourism industry has recovered pleasantly from the most recent recession and Las Vegas has shot back into action with three additional planned themed resort casinos being built n or near the Las Vegas Strip within the next 5 years.The competition is booming and with it comes a necessity for action. The future expansion planning within the Las Vegas Area calls for additional development of highway roads, as well as further expansion of the current monorail system within the strip-downtown gambling corridor leaving more expansion available to the surrounding areas. Our Lakeside resort is begging for attention and we aim to Jump in first with our themed attraction. Management and maintenance Our boardwalk hotel is patterned after the popular Kemah Boardwalk Inn, located in Galveston TX.This regional attraction has been in operation since 1997 and is only growing in popularity with both Texas residents as well as visitors to the Galveston Bay. By comparison, the Kemah location has only 52 rooms and is more dependent upon seasonal tourist business, whereas our Lake Las Vegas location will be twice the size with over 115 rooms and the ability to remain busy with both tourists and locals alike all around the year. It is with this main difference as well as the addition ofa fully operational casino floor which will allow our operation to flourish and become prottable within the first 6-8 years. Las Vegas Resort Project TourismYou are a member of a firm that specializes in the development of world-class resort hotels around various parts of the world. A client has hired your firm to create a report and recommendations for a new resort somewhere in the United States. Course ProjectLake Las Vegas BoardwalkResortDevelopment planningA boardwalk signifies relaxation and entertainment. What better place to build a fabulous boardwalk entertainment village than in the tourist capital of America beautiful Las Vegas, NV, to be more specific, Lake Las Vegas. This is a lush lakeside retreat located only 15 minutes east of the famous â€Å"Las Vegas Strip.† It is surrounded by natural red rocks and borders the Lake Mead Recreational Park. Several other hotels have already graced this manmade lake along with two award winning golf courses, and gourmet restaurants and exquisite shopping.Currently, there are two lakeside parcels remaining with great frontage and access to the shops and golf as well as many a quatic activities including sailing, fishing, canoeing, and small boating. Development of the structure would be made through a partnership with Lake Las Vegas LTD, the chief land owner within this region. We feel that with a strategic partnership with the land owner, in the form of a land lease, our overall build-out costs would be drastically reduced and would yield pleasant tax incentives for this form of business structuring.We aim to build a traditional boardwalk style entertainment center complete with amusement hub and retail shops to add to the atmosphere. We also are planning on building a freestanding roller coaster, Ferris wheel, and Merry-Go-Round to add in to the boardwalk theme. An artist rendering of our anticipated plans would look something like this. There were nearly 40 Million visitors to Las Vegas in 2012, bringing a total of $9.5 Billion in gaming revenue to Clark County. These figures are poised to increase steadily through 2020 and this doesn’t even ta ke into consideration the added revenues from hotels, restaurants, and retail shops. We can bring a little slice of a vacation retreat and truly make this a desert oasis.Environmental impactThe Greater Las Vegas Valley is located in southern corner of Nevada. It lies bounded on the west by several mountain ranges and drains a 1,564-square-mile watershed southeastward through Las Vegas Wash into Lake Mead. Lake Mead, was created when in the 1930’s the Hoover Dam, was built in a section of the Colorado River creating what is now the largest reservoir in the US. This reservoir receives water runoff from the Rocky Mountains throughout Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah. Lake Las Vegas is currently another manmade offshoot of Lake Mead and developed for the purpose of becoming a master planned community. The water used is diverted through piping upwards throughout the community for reasons such as usage in homes and business for drinking water as well as the reclaimed water is then used for landscaping golf courses as well as watering the additional plants and shrubbery in the region.As for the wildlife in the region, it has all been preserved as natural for the area. There is also an assortment of water fowl, which can be seen flying about the area due to the lush creation of this oasis. Complete infrastructure has already been developed and is awaiting further investment potential. The addition of our boardwalk entertainment complex would be a welcome fit to this existing lakeside resort town.Sociological impactSince its inception as a gambler’s paradise, close to the Mecca of Los Angeles, CA back in the mid 1940’s, Las Vegas has developed into more of a normal metropolis with a liberal attitude. The gambling, alcohol and partying has grown Las Vegas into a town with two sides; one with the entertainment â€Å"anything goes† attitude and the other where suburbia can flourish with schools, hospitals and regular employment. The Las Vegas Metro area now encompasses a population of nearly 2 million, and is still growing.IT has its economic downturns as the rest of the country also does, yet it seems to bounce back as much of the revenue coming through this area is transient from elsewhere. Las Vegas as of recently has developed into more of a family friendly location complete with Amusement theme parks, water parks and outdoor activities for children. It is this atmosphere we are tapping into, with our devotion to amusement and excitement with a boardwalk relaxing atmosphere.Economic feasibility and MarketWith the aforementioned nearly 40 million tourists last year bringing with them their 9.5 Billion in gambling revenue, along with other spending capital it is only logical to use this location as a prime target location for our boardwalk concept. The tourism industry has recovered pleasantly from the most recent recession and Las Vegas has shot back into action with three additional planned themed resort casinos being buil t on or near the Las Vegas Strip within the next 5 years.The competition is booming and with it comes a necessity for action. The future expansion planning within the Las Vegas Area calls for additional development of highway roads, as well as further expansion of the current monorail system within the strip-downtown gambling corridor leaving more expansion available to the surrounding areas. Our Lakeside resort is begging for attention and we aim to jump in first with our themed attraction.Management and maintenanceOur boardwalk hotel is patterned after the popular Kemah Boardwalk Inn, located in Galveston TX. This regional attraction has been in operation since 1997 and is only growing in popularity with both Texas residents as well as visitors to the Galveston Bay. By comparison, the Kemah location has only 52 rooms and is more dependent upon seasonal tourist business, whereas our Lake Las Vegas location will be twice the size with over 115 rooms and the ability to remain busy wi th both tourists and locals alike all around the year. It is with this main difference as well as the addition of a fully operational casino floor which will allow our operation to flourish and become profitable within the first 6-8 years.We are tentatively with contacts from regional Hotel management companies as well as casino managements for partnerships in our operations. We see the necessity to have this run like a four star hotel but with the relaxed nature of a holiday theme park with a casino. For our purposes of this project we are leaning toward Harrah’s Management Company. Harrah’s has the experience and technical know-how to handle all aspects of this venture and we would be pleased to have them as a strategic alliance.As for the financials we have developed a nice breakdown which will follow, but to begin, we are creating a budget for a hotel with 115 rooms to cost in the neighborhood of $22 million, additionally we will purchase a Roller Coaster, Ferris w heel and Merry-Go Round to cost an additional $3 million and the boardwalk construction build-out of approximately $5 million. This will all be financed with competitive commercial rates at 8.5% interest rate amortized over 30 years, with a balance due in 5 years. This is a standard financial package available through most commercial banks.We anticipate the retail shops and food establishments to be leased out with a competitive lease based upon the size, and location of the shop as well as with an additional gross revenue % additive. This is also standard for commercial leases in this arena. We hope to garner at least two separate nationally competitive restaurant chains leaving a final place for an independent to keep us fresh. As for the shops, these will all be leased as a first-come first-serve basis and will be contingent upon fitting in with the established atmosphere.As you can see based upon our pro-forma figures there will be plenty of room remaining for additional revenue generation as well as for advertising. We also plan to pay of the underlying note quicker than the banks anticipate. This will save us thousands in financing and interest charges. We do not currently have any interesting in additional properties as this property will undoubtedly require future planning and development to keep the theme fresh and popular with the tourists.Landscape architecture and structural architectureAs for the design and layout of the building, an anticipated concept is located here. It will be a seaside structure with the balconies facing both the lake as well as the entertainment center. Every room will have a view of the activities below and the lake activities. The Roller Coaster and Ferris wheel will be placed directly adjacent to the boardwalk and the hotel as to not defray from the majestic view of the boardwalk. The first floor of the building however will be the shops and restaurants with patios jetting from them into the boardwalk for more of a seasid e feel.The lower portion closer to the Lake will hold the Merry-Go- Round as well as additional seating for live entertainment, whether it be musical groups or live performing magicians and street performers. However from the top of the Ferris wheel, we are anticipating views clear out to the city lights of Las Vegas and to include the â€Å"Strip.†Interior design and decorationThe interior and dà ©cor of the hotel will accompany that of the theme, it will be of a nautical feel with black and white portraits of classic carnival settings. Many of these carnival and boardwalk photos will be of the tourists home towns which will add to a sense of realism and personalization. Light blue or yellow and whitewash trim will be the main color scheme while allowing a sprinkle of color to pop where the exciting locations are to be showcased. The interior of the rooms will also be stylized to transport the guest to a seaside location where fun relaxation and entertainment will be abunda nt.We plan to have several aquariums located throughout the property where different sea creatures can complete the full package. Some of the fish we plan on bringing in would be from the west coast and much will be from the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico, we may even bring in some sharks to place in a tank behind the lobby bar. This will be simply to add to any realism of seaside adventure.

The Human Resources Scorecard: Linking People

Providing the tools and systems required for leading a measurement managed HR architecture, this important book heralds the emergence of human resources as a strategic powerhouse in todays organizations. Three experts in the field outline a powerful measurement system that highlights the indisputable role HR can play as both a prime source of sustainable competitive advantage and a key driver of value creation. They draw from an ongoing study of nearly 3,000 firms to outline a seven-step process they call an HR Scorecard, specifically designed to embed human resources systems within a firms overall strategy and manage the HR architecture as a strategic asset. Building on the proven Balanced Scorecard model, they also show how to link HRs results to measuressuch as profitability and shareholder value-that line managers and senior executives will understand and respect. The authors argue that human esourcess strategic role begins with designing an HR architecture-the HR function, the HR system, and strategic employee behaviors-that relentlessly emphasizes and reinforces the implementation of the firms strategy. Using compelling examples from a variety of leading companies, they explain how to develop and implement an HR Scorecard in order to both manage the HR architecture as a strategic asset, as well as measure the contribution of that asset to firm performance. Personal Review: The HR Scorecard: Linking People, Strategy, and Performance by Dave Ulrich I recently re-read this book and have even higher regard for it now than I did I when I first read it soon after it was published in 2001. Becker and Huselid later co-authored The Workforce Scorecard with Richard W. Beatty. With rigor and eloquence, they examine three separate but related challenges: Perspective (with an emphasis on differentiation), Metrics (and their relationship to strategy execution), and Execution (which holds senior executives and line managers accountable for workforce success). They suggest that all organizations which successfully meet these three challenges (i. e. those which â€Å"do it right†) have these six characteristics in common: 1. HR professionals spend less time on employee performance than they did five years ago 2. The relationship between workforce success and strategy implementation defines the ROI of new HR initiatives. 3. Creating a shared mind-set is not taken for granted. . The HR function has a staffing structure that effectively balances the tension between being a strategic partner and delivering efficient and effective HR services. 5. Strategic workforce measures are â€Å"owned† and coordinated by a single individual or task force. 6. Senior executives, line managers, and HR professionals consider the results of the measurement system worth the implementation effort. Although it may seem to some who read this brief commentary that will be of substantial value only to large organizations, I hasten to reassure them that, after appropriate modifications, what Huselid, Becker, and Beatty recommend in The Workforce Scorecard can help any organization (regardless of size or nature) to improve the quality of their strategy execution by developing the right perspective on the contributions of its workforce to its success, and, by developing the right execution strategy to ensure that its managers are ready, willing, and able to use workforce metrics to drive business success. It is important to keep these points in mind when reading The HR Scorecard and I strongly recommend that, if possible, The Workforce Scorecard be read in combination with it, preferably but not necessarily afterward. Robert Kaplan and David Norton wrote three articles for Harvard Business Review (â€Å"The Balanced Scorecard,† â€Å"Putting the Scorecard to Work,† and â€Å"Using the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management System†) which led to a series of books in which their insights were developed in even greater depth. According to Norton who wrote the introduction to The HR Scorecard, in the New Economy, human capital is the foundation of value creation and that up to 85% of an organization's value is based on intangible assets. â€Å"This presents an interesting dilemma: The asset which is most important is the least understood, least prone to measurement, and, hence least susceptible to management. † He goes on to commend the co-authors of The HR Scorecard for three specific contributions: their development of causal models which illustrate the relationship of HR value drivers with business outcomes and hereby take the Balanced Scorecard to the next level of sophistication; their research on the drivers of highperformance organizations to provide a framework to decision-makers with which to formulate and implement strategies for human capital growth; and finally, their insights into the competencies required by HR professionals, competencies which can enabler an organization to deliver on the promise of its measurement system. In essence, the co-authors of The HR Scorecard identify and explain linkages – indeed the interdependence — between and among people, strategy, and performance. Only by understanding these linkages and their independence can decision-makers in any organization (regardless of size or nature) accurately measure the nature, value, and impact of human capital on the bottom line. Moreover, decision-makers can then make much more accurate measurement of each individual in terms of the value she or he adds to the organization and, more importantly, to those on whom that organization depends for revenue. Customers who purchase products, of course, and clients who purchase services but also members who purchase members and benefactors to contribute donations. Here are two other substantial benefits of establishing and then maintaining a HR scorecard: 1. It can guide and inform hiring decisions which ensure that an organization increases its human capital with those to add new value 2. It can also guide and inform decisions concerning the allocation of tangible resources, especially when there are unexpected major developments (either threatening or promising) in the given organization's competitive marketplace. When concluding their brilliant volume, the authors observe that while much of the work of an HR scorecard is technical, the delivery of the Scorecard is personal. It requires that HR professionals design to make a difference, align their work to business strategy, apply the science of research to the art of HR, and commit to learning from constant experimentation. When you create the HR Scorecard, using the approach we describe, you are actually [begin italics] linking HR to firm performance [end italics]. But you will also develop a new perspective on your HR function, practices, and professional development. In measurement terms, the benefits will far outweigh the costs. I presume to add two concluding suggestions of my own. First, that HR professionals use the Scorecard initially to measure their own performance so they can determine how, as individual executives, they can add greater value to their organization. Next, that all others in senior management also read this book as well as The Workplace Scorecard to increase their own understanding of (a) how and why to link people, strategy, and performance enterprise-wide and (b) how to manage human capital much more effectively (also enterprise-wide) when executing strategy.

The Whirlpool essays

The Whirlpool essays To many people pride in ones country is an important thing. The characters in the novel The Whirlpool show their pride in and love for Canada in different ways, many of the characters have their own way of seeing Canada. In an article on The Whirlpool and Canada, Dr. Kelly Hewson discusses the ways in which the characters see Canada and each other. The characters in The Whirlpool have different views and ideas about Canada and what it means to be and think Canadian. In order to be a member of a group one must think like the group. Canadians have their own ideas and ways of thinking Canadian. Canadians feel that they have to keep Canada safe; they feel the need to claim ownership and to protect something (Hewson 380). Canadians act as if Canada is something that needs to be protected from the Americans that would come in and try to steal it or take over. The novel, written from a Canadian viewpoint, shows Americans in a different light than they would be viewed in an American novel. In Davids point of view all Americans are not only alike but they all want to take want ever they can from the Canadians. Any American was bred to take over things your water supply, your mineral deposits, your entire country, your wife (205). According to David, Americans are savages that need to conquer and destroy. When Patrick cant find the flower hes looking for David accuses the Americans of taking all of them. David said the Americans probably stole every example (133). Even had the flowers been growing there in the first place it is still likely that some Canadians may have picked some if not all before an American even happened upon them. David feels that Canada needs a common enemy, namely the Americans, to unite Canada. There are many ways of thinking Canadian, the biggest of which see Canadas history as either an accomplishment or a process. David ...

Apophenia †Filling the Blanks

Apophenia - Filling the Blanks Apophenia Filling the Blanks Apophenia Filling the Blanks By Maeve Maddox Readers comments on What Does [Sic] Mean? point up the curious feature of the human mind that infuses meaning into the meaningless. I always thought it was an abbreviation for â€Å"Spelling Is Correct.† I think I read on this site that someone believed â€Å"sic† to stand for â€Å"said in context†. I had previously thought it was an acronym for â€Å"Spelled InCorrectly†. This type of fill-in-the-blanks reasoning is at work in elaborate conspiracy theories and when someone sees the face of Jesus in a tortilla. The tendency to find meaning in the partially-known is called apophenia: finding meaning or patterns where none exist. Unfamiliar with the source of the notation [sic], readers make use of the letters and the context to create something that makes sense to them. We all fall into this kind of fallacious reasoning at some time or another. Uncomfortable in a new situation, we hear laughter and are certain that the people are laughing at us. The narrative of the movie A Beautiful Mind revolves around the protagonists apophenic beliefs. For those of us who write fiction, some aspect of apophenia must be at work when we spin whole narratives out of a chance remark or the glimpse of an oddly-dressed person on a train. The human mind craves meaning. We look at our lives and see a meaningful narrative. We find evidence for beliefs that other people find preposterous. If you browse the Wikipedia articles that stem from the one on apophenia, youll find several types of this kind of thinking. One type is called Mortons Demon, named by Glenn R. Morton to explain what was at work in his mind when he believed in a widely-held theory he no longer believes in. Morton entered the study of physics believing firmly in creationist theory. His study of geology changed his belief. He then gave a name to the type of reasoning that had enabled him to believe in a theory with insufficient physical evidence: Mortons demon stands at the gateway of a persons senses and lets in facts that agree with that persons beliefs while deflecting those that do not. With a national election only days away, were being hammered with all kinds of assertions about the candidates. Its probably a good time for voters to watch out for apophenia in their thinking. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Similes from Literature to Inspire YouHang, Hung, HangedIs "Number" Singular or Plural?

The theory of utilitarianism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The theory of utilitarianism - Essay Example Utilitarianism theory is referred to by some as the consequentialist ethical theory. It is expressed in the form that asserts that people should always act so as to produce the greatest ratio of good to evil for everyone. This has great appeal in the area of welfare economics and does not differ dramatically from the philosophies and beliefs of Keynes, Pareto, and Pigou; some might even include Marx in this category. The utilitarians believe that when choosing between two actions, the one that produces the greatest net happiness should be the one chosen. Where most of them disagree with one another is in the area of how this principle should be applied. There are also several stated weaknesses in this concept. It ignores actions that appear to be wrong in themselves; it espouses the concept that the end justifies the means; the principles may come into conflict with that of justice; and it is extremely difficult to formulate and establish satisfactory rules of application.Utilitarian ism manifests itself in two major forms. The stronger of the two is so-called act-utilitarianism. Under this system, the moral agent considers the consequences of only the action under consideration. The second system is called rule-utilitarianism. Here the moral agent considers a set of rules by which life should be lived. The basis of accepting or rejecting a rule is whether the consequences of everyone following the rule will result in the maximum probable good consequences. Rule-utilitarianism may be regarded as a weaker form of utilitarianism than act-utilitarianism.... Most professionals are already familiar with a system that acts very much like utilitarianism: cost/benefit analysis. In the cost/benefit system the manager attempts to balance the probable costs of taking a particular course of action with the probable benefits to be derived. Most people realize that cost/benefit analysis becomes more and more sticky as the analysis moves away from measurability in terms of dollars. Measurement of benefits has been particularly problematic. Writers on this subject have attempted to balance the costs of companies reporting on their adherence to social responsibility with the costs of not doing so. Bentham was classified in England as utilitarian with the application of hedonism on the social level; that is, happiness is the end of all human existence. He based his social reform on what he considered right and wrong, which in turn was developed from his definition of utility (Rosen 19). Utility was measured on a pain-happiness relationship, which was reduced to a common denominator: money. This reduction to the common factor of money was necessary because different people have different utility for the same item. Although his ideas were considered controversial at the time, they were later accepted by many, as can be seen in a recent study conducted by the American Council on Education of more than 200,000 students. The survey showed that more than three quarters of college freshmen now think that getting rich is what will make them happy and what life is all about. Twenty years ago, only 39 percent indicated that affluence was an essential goal; at that time, a "meaningful phi losophy of life" was what mattered -- a goal that now motivates only a minority of students (Rosen 21). Critics of utilitarianism

LEADERSHIP Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

LEADERSHIP - Term Paper Example In this context, it can be said that having open heart requires leaders to stimulate and encourage others for taking a chance to foster desired changes. On the other hand, having open determination necessitates leaders to take risks and brave steps. Essentially, making a positive difference in the professional context requires executing the unconventional aspects. Every challenge includes confrontation of status quo. This denotes that in order to make positive differences, leaders will need to experiment the unconfirmed aspects, dug deep in the implicit aspects and challenge the unrestrained parts (Wren, Hicks and Price 3-47). THESIS STATEMENT Focusing on this aspect, the paper discusses how a leader in a professional context can challenge the status quo and make a positive difference. The objective of the paper is to identify the challenges which can be faced by a leader while making the difference. Furthermore, the paper also intends to develop a plan for changing the present profe ssional context. In line with this aspect, the paper further provides examples of two exceptional leaders in the field of politics who had made positive differences in their field namely Franklin Roosevelt and George Washington. PLANNING FOR CHANGE AND IMPROVEMENT IN PROFESSIONAL CONTEXT In the professional field, change has become a common mode of operations for most of the organizations. The change initiatives are intended to improve the performance of organizations. One of the key skills required for a leader to commence such changes is ‘context thoughtfulness’, i.e. the capability to understand the context and accordingly plan methods for change which would be effective for such a context. Successful change necessitates context-based approach. In the professional context, there are several approaches which require the consideration of a leader such as change type and management style. A common way of describing the type of change is to syndicate speed related to cha nge with the level of change. In accordance with speed, change can be reactive or proactive. Reactive context is a type of context where organizations require undertaking certain changes instantly due to a crisis situation. On the other hand, proactive context is a context which is related with long-run strategic development. In this aspect, the planned change is based on proactive context, i.e. the planning would be made for developing the context on a long run basis. This type of change in the professional context is referred as system change i.e. implementing more sophisticated technology in the workplace. This change will definitely lead to changes in policies, processes and job roles of people in the organizations. The key reason for change is to enhance the benefits of an organization with respect to more productivity and effectiveness (Hailey and Balogun 153-178). Successful change requires changes from status quo to future state. Following is the plan for changing status quo in professional context: Demonstrating the Change: This is a phase in which a leader requires demonstrating various ways to change ‘status quo’. In order to shape the behavior of people effectively towards change, values of change will be expressed to everyone within the organization. The value will comprise both individual