The pioneer experiences Essay Example for Free

The pioneer experiences Essay The western migration of the mid-nineteenth century was a time of uncertainty for America.   It was also a time of excitement because of the new adventures that awaited Americans.   Although western migration was difficult, many chose to undertake it because they wanted a new life, riches, and a chance to own their own land.   There was also a religious aspect, as some people moved to be missionaries to the Native Americans and to form new churches and religions. The pioneer experiences of men and women differed in several ways.    This is evidenced by the writings of Lydia Allen Rudd and Elizabeth Dixon Smith Geer.   Elizabeth talked about constant rain and carrying two children through the mud and water.   She also talked about looking for shelter for her sick husband and watching him deteriorate.   She also writes about how the children had great responsibilities such as driving cattle and oxen. Elizabeth talks incessantly of the impossibility of cooking or staying warm and dry.   Much of this has to do with when she and her family chose to travel.   She also writes that with her husband ill, â€Å"the whole care of everything falls upon [her] shoulders (Geer 1847).† This contrasts sharply with Lydia Allen Rudd.   Though in her account there is rain, she remains upbeat, sharing the soaring vistas and her experiences with the Native Americans.   All is not grand, however.   She speaks of seeing the graves of men and women having died of measles and cholera.   Her diary tells of reaching Salem, Oregon, and also Burlington.   There, they are successful in finding both employment and housing for the winter (1852). Men, on the other hand, saw much more violence in their lives.   In looking at Edward Gould Buffum’s account of life in the gold mines, he tells of the â€Å"trial† of five men who were consequently lashed, and three of those men who were tried for attempted murder and robbery.   A jury found the men guilty. Buffum notes that â€Å"the charges against them were well substantiated, but amounted to nothing more than an attempt at robbery and murder; no overt act being even alleged (1850).†Ã‚   The sentence was death by hanging, and they were hanged that very day.   Such was frontier justice.   Buffum even protested against the mens’ death sentence, but stopped when the mob threatened to hang him. Government played a huge role in encouraging and supporting westward migration.   This was accomplished by the Homestead Act of 1862.   It took affect on the first of January of 1863.   It gave anyone twenty one or older who is a citizen or intended to become a citizen, and â€Å"who had never borne arms against the United States Government or given aid and comfort to its enemies† entitlement to land at $1.25 per acre, so long as the claim did not exceed a hundred sixty acres. The only thing the person had to do was swear out an affidavit that they were the head of household, or is twenty one, or given service in the US armed forces, never borne arms against the US and never given aid or comfort to its enemies.   The person also had to hold the land for five years. The idea of Manifest Destiny fit in well with the actual experiences of the pioneers.   Though the road was tough, the rewards were great, as many people made their fortunes in the west.   Manifest Destiny, or the idea that America had a God-given right to all of North America did fit in well with the actual experiences of the pioneers.   It did not, however, respect the culture of the Native Americans.   Native Americans were forced to move from ancestral lands, and some began to assimilate.   This was largely due to the amount of missionaries that moved from the east to Oregon. Their goal was to â€Å"civilize† the â€Å"savage† Native Americans.There was, however, a place where the Americans and the Native Americans came together without argument.   That place was called Middle Ground.   It was a place where Native Americans and Americans came together for trade.   Manifest Destiny also affected communications.   Mail traveled over a route known as the Butterfield Trail. This trail between Saint Louis and SanFrancisco took two weeks for mail to travel it.   This helped to foster the development of the Pony Express.   It ran for eighteen months and used relays of young riders to move mail slightly faster than traditional mail.   Many went to Oregon and California to seek their fortunes and establish new lives. Sometimes, this involved religious differences.   The Mormons for example, moved because they were not accepted in either New York or Illinois.   In the two female accounts that were discussed, the women moved with their families to seek a new life in Oregon.   In the account of Edward Gould Buffum, he had spent six months in the California gold mines. Even Horace Greely got into the idea of Manifest Destiny, advocating for a transcontinental railroad as a way to facilitate communication and transportation to the new territories.   He also talks about the need for education and â€Å"virtuous women (Greely, 1860).†    Additionally, he discusses the need for the families of the men in California to have their families.   He feels settlement would again be facilitated by a transcontinental railroad.   Families would move with their men, and more families would be willing to move out west on the comfort of the trains, rather than take the wagon trains through the uncertain weather.   The growth of towns showed that people were taking the idea of Manifest Destiny seriously.   The mass migration of immigrants to California numbered 80,000, and the city of San Francisco grew from 848 to an astonishing 60,000. The pioneer experiences and Manifest Destiny walked hand in hand through history.   Manifest Destiny’s goal of taking over the continent combined with the curiosity of the American Pioneer.   Their experiences helped forever shape the new America.   The United States Government helped by passing the Homestead Act, which encouraged people to settle in the new territories.   Though their experiences were different, collectively, men and women helped shape a new America full of new challenges and new rewards. Bibliography 37th Congress, Homestead Act of 1862. 1862.http://wpscms.pearson.cmg.com/long_longman_mhlus_0/0,11867,3125072- content,00.html (accessed March 8, 2009). Bauer, William J.. Dismantling Indian Country in the Nineteenth Century. History: Reviews of New Books 36, no. 2 (2008): 49-52. Buffum, Edward. Six Months in the Gold Mines. 1850.http://wpscms.pearson.cmg.com/long_longman_mhlus_0/0,11867,3124634- content,00.html (accessed March 8, 2009). Geer, Elizabeth. Journal. 1847. 1848.http://wpscms.pearson.cmg.com/long_longman_mhlus_0/0,11867,3124638- content,00.html (accessed March 8, 2009). Graulich, Melody. Review of West of Emerson: The Design of Manifest Destiny. Amercan   Literature 76, no. 3 (2004): 617-619. Greely, Horace. An Overland Journey. 1860.http://wpscms.pearson.cmg.com/long_longman_mhlus_0/0,11867,3124701- content,00.html (accessed March 8, 2009). OSullivan, John. The Great Nation of Futurity. http://wpscms.pearsoncmg.com/long_longman_mhlus_0/0,11867,3124755- content,00.html (accessed March 8, 2009). Rudd, Lydia. Diary of Westward Travel 1852. 1852.http://wpscms.pearson.cmg.com/long_longman_mhlus_0/0,11867,3124798- content,00.html (accessed March 8, 2009).

Jumeirah Beach Hotel Marketing Mix Analysis

Jumeirah Beach Hotel Marketing Mix Analysis Hospitality industry is one of the fastest growth areas in UAE economy and Dubai market also. There are a lot of hotels, which provides wide range of products in Dubai. In which, Jumeirah Beach Hotel is well-known because of its luxury and high ranking. To understand Jumeirah Beach Hotel success, we focus on analyzing its marketing mix with four main elements such as product, price, place distribution and promotion. Secondary data such as internet sources, reports and primary data such as reviews of customers through survey are collected to analyze Jumeirah Beach Hotel marketing mix. In additional, three other elements (process, people and physical evidence) of extended marketing plan are also mentioned in analysis summary to expanding our understanding about this hotels performances and success. Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai introduction Jumeriah Beach Hotel, opened in 1997, is a luxury hotel and premium family destination in Dubai. This hotel is one of Jumeirah groups projects, whose want to be a world class luxury international hotel and hospitality management company, committed to be the industry leader in all of activities through dedication to stakeholders, colleagues, customers, business partners and owners. After completion in 1997, the Jumeirah Beach Hotel became the 9th tallest building in Dubai and offer exclusive accommodations in the unique city in Dubai. Jumeirah Beach Hotel is located seaside on Jumeirah Beach and have total of 33,800 square metres (364,000 sq ft) of beach for visitors use. Beside the hotel is the Wild Wadi Water Park, which is unlimited for guest in the hotel access to. The beachfront area where the Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel are located was previously called Chicago Beach. In addition, Jumeirah Beach Hotel is not far from the international airport and only about 25 km from the downtown Dubai. For construction style, this hotel is built as a dynamically shaped 26 storey curved design built in the shape of a breaking wave; the building stands 93 meters high and 275 meters long.As a beach resort that is completely given to the pleasures of life, Jumeirah Beach Hotels in Dubai provides to customer: 598 rooms and suites 19 private beachside villas Over 20 restaurants and bars Conference and Banqueting facilities Talise Complimentary access to Wild Wadi Water Park The Hub Sinbads Kids Club As many its success during development process, we can review main key results from 2006 to 2009 as follows (Picard F. ) Increase the overall hotel revenue by 10% by conducting an aggressive revenue management strategy Maintain a colleague turn over at 18 % JD power guest satisfaction index 800 points Increase the Dubai Holding Health and Safety audit by 28% within a year Manage to Achieve the highest Health and Safety score since 3 years Hotel HACCP certification Meet and Greet all new colleagues and host a quarterly lunch with all new promoted to a management role And its awards received since September 2006: TripAdvisor.com Travelers Choice Awards 2006 Best Luxury Hotel World Dubai Quality award 2007, award recognize by the government of Dubai Jumeirah Beach hotel, rank 70 out of 100 hotels as results of Institutional investor survey, the world best hotel survey. Daily Telegraph Travel Awards, Jumeirah Beach Hotel Favorite resort hotels For the third year in a row, readers of one of Germanys leading business travel magazines, Business Travelers, chose Jumeirah Beach Hotel as the Best Hotel in the Middle East In 2012, Jumeriah Beach Hotel in Dubai have got the award of Travelers Choice ® 2012 Winner and been at Rank 13 of 452 hotels in Dubai (Trip advisors ) All of information shows that Jumeriah Beach Hotel in Dubai have been getting sustainable development and becomes one of the successful hospitality business in Dubai. Marketing mix analysis Product: The analysis focuses on explaining how the Jumeirah Beach Hotels products are developed to sustain competitive advantage Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai gets successfully because of its sustainable competitive advantage although it has only launched in 1997. Main keys of its sustainable competitive advantages are identified as follows: First, Hallmarks, Guiding principles and core standards of Jumeirah group is applied in its day to day activities. Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai promotes for integrity, teamwork, recognition, innovation, continuous growth, people focus as its culture and core competencies. With all of its performances, based on primary and secondary data collected, Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai gets 5 star rating with 5 criteria such as cleanliness, Facilities, Services, Location and Pricing. Thousands of reviewers have wonderful experience with this hotel because of its services and products. Second, Making customers its first priority and striving constantly to exceed their expectations. Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai provides premium family destination for customers with plenty to do for all ages. For example, it offers the standard room categories, which will sleep up to 2 adults and 2 children. Other room categories will sleep up to 3 children also so all of family members can easily stay together and enjoy their moments in this hotel. They are always available for child offers. They always bring the extra values for customers as free entry to The Wild Wadi Water Park. In addition theres a selection of childrens pools together with a climbing wall and extensive water sport options. About the meals, the resort also take care about children needs and requirements so they offer a choice of child-friendly restaurants with childrens menus and dining offers available throughout the year. They also create very comfortable playground for children with its 1,178 square meters o f total play, chill and swim areas in Sinbads Kids Club. There is a lot of great fun, fully supervised activities for children of all ages. Sinbads Kids Club meets international standards of children services and also provide very fantastic world to play for children. For babysitting services, in-room babysitting can be arranged with 24 hours notice. Charges will be made on an hourly rate basis plus travelling expenses. Applying the approach of making customers its first priority in activities, Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai has satisfied its customers and got very good reviews from them. Third, Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai performs its values by leading by example and role modeling a culture of excellence in everything it does. Evidence of this value is reflected by its customers. Based on primary data collected from a survey of Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai, we can see many impressive comments about its services. Angela Chan commented that The hotel emphasizes guest services and be excellent at this. All of staff is very pleasant, knowledgeable, ultra smiley and friendly , Great service, fantastic facilities as commented of Caroline Rodgers and The restaurant is perfect. The service and staff also fantastic as commented of Anonymous. Fourth, it always provides consistently superior and innovative products and services As reviews of customers, Jumeirah Beach Hotel has very good services at rate 5 star because its services are efficient, welcoming and friendly in spite of the demand masses. In this hotel, we can find consistently superior and innovative product and services such as: Nine premium types of room, including Ocean Deluxe Room, Ocean Deluxe Balcony Room, Ocean Club Executive Room, Ocean Junior Suite, One Bedroom Ocean Suite, Two Bedroom Ocean Suite, Three Bedroom Ocean Suite, Beachcomber Suite, Presidential Suite Diversified types of Dining and bars such as 360 °, Al Khayal, Beachcombers, Carnevale, Der Keller, Dhow Anchor , Go West, La Parrilla, La Veranda, Latitude, Latitude Creations, Marina, Ocean Blue (Beach), Palm Court, Pool Bar, Uptown Bar, Villa Beach, Waterfront, Fantastic facilities with Spa, The Gymnasium, Water Sports, Sinbads Kids Club (Luxury world wide collection) Price The analysis focuses on explaining how prices are set to reflect the organizations objectives and market conditions Because Jumeirah Beach hotel focuses on luxury services and want to become leader of hospitality industry as Jumeirah groups vision, it set price quite high in comparison with other luxury hotels in Dubai. Its room rate is from 422 and up when it is ranked as the twelfth of 452 hotels in Dubai (Trip advisors) We can compare its room rate with other luxury hotels as table below: Hotels Rank Room rate $ Al Maha Desert Resort 1 1059 and up Grosvenor House Dubai 2 305 and up Dar Al Masyaf at MadinatJumeirah 3 571 and up One and Only Palm Dubai 4 608 and up Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort Spa 5 273 and up Raffles Dubai 7 312 and up Jumeirah Beach Hotel 12 422 and up (Compare price of 19 hotels in Jumeirah Beach) With room rate of 422 and up, Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai achieve both of organizational objectives (luxury hotel and excellent services) and competitive advantage by pricing. Distribution This analysis focuses on explaining how distribution is arranged to provide customer convenience As we know that, Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai is one of Jumeirah groups project so it can get benefit from distribution channel of Jumeirah group. First, this hotel joined in distribution channels of Jumeirah group with many online booking partners and sales agents such as Booking.com, Agoda, hotel club, Travel republic.co.uk, Hotel Pronto, Lastminute.com, viva stay, on hotel, vacenza.com, hotels4u.com à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ These partners help this hotel provide customer convenience in booking and taking sales off. Second, this hotel has own distribution channels by direct sales and its sales agents as netflight.com, Hayes Jarvis, accorhotels.com à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Jumeirah Beach Hotel also has best price guarantee for customers who book directly with it through its website. With combination of distribution channels of Jumeirah group and Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai distribution channels, customers are provided convenience to book room and taking sales off to save their money. Promotion This analysis focuses on illustrating how promotional activity is integrated to achieve marketing objectives Because of many competitors in market segmentation of luxury hotels, Jumeirah Beach Hotel performs sales off strategy to promote sales. For examples, they always have special offers such as 4nts fr  £949 Includes Free Half Board per person based on two people sharing an Ocean Deluxe Room on a half board basis. Inclusive of private transfers, scheduled economy seats and all applicable taxes (Luxury worldwide collection) Jumeirah Beach Hotel announced that they have many other offers for customers and speak daily to their hotels to source better prices. In other ways, they have proper promotion strategy with partners to reach customers such as customers can save up to 70% if they booking through online booking partner. Analysis Summary Marketing mix is very important for one enterprises and Jumeirah Beach Hotel is not out of this theory. Four P elements (Product, Price, Place distribution, Promotion) this hotel have appropriated with its marketing objectives, its market segmentation and become to very important elements of its success. In additional, three other elements of extended marketing mix such as process, people and physical evidence also support to hotels success. About process, Jumeirah Beach hotel in Dubai has clear process, which is applied by teamwork and innovation theory as its statement we work towards common goals through open communication, mutual support and win win attitude. We respect our differences and build upon our strengths and we are open minded, challenging conventional thinking, improving our processes and implementing new ideas faster than our competitors (Jumeirah website) About people, this hotel has very good staffs, which always satisfy customers and contribute to its excellent reviews. Rating of services is always at 5 stars About physical evidence, we can easy find features for a luxury hotel as in room arrangement, scene, facilities, dining and bars and also equipment in types of room. Rooms at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel offer panoramic views of the beach, the harbor and the park and are equipped with cable / satellite channels, a safe and a plasma / LCD TV. With the features of floor-to-ceiling windows and private balconies, rooms offer a DVD player, a private bathroom and tea and coffee making facilities. Internet access is also provided. In conclusion, Jumeirah Beach Hotel marketing mix is evaluated as appropriated to its objectives, culture, marketing segmentation and vision. With its excellent performances, Jumeirah Beach Hotel will get higher ranking from its customers and become hospitality industry leader in Dubai as its vision and statement. Appendices Types of room in Jumeirah Beach Hotel Ocean Deluxe Room: have 2 main features breathtaking views of the Arabian Gulf spacious seating area and walk-in shower Ocean Deluxe Balcony Room: have 2 main features Beautiful views with the most breathtaking views of the Arabian Gulf Equipped with a king size bed, a spacious seating area, walk in shower and a separate bath. Ocean Club Executive Room: have five main features: 50 square meters (538 square feet) added Priority check in/out in the comfort of the Club Executive Lounge, luxurious amenities, breakfast options at Beachcombers, Latitude or in the comfort of the guest room. Guests with children have access to the Premium Leisure Club where breakfast is served. Ocean Junior Suite: have 2 main features Relax in the privacy of your very own sun terrace, dine alfresco or entertain in the sitting/living area. Can access to the Club Executive Lounge and breakfast is served in Latitude or in the comfort of own room. One Bedroom Ocean Suite: have 2 main features: Can access to the Club Executive Lounge and breakfast is served in Latitude or in the comfort of own room. Guests with children have access to the Premium Leisure Club and breakfast is served in either the Premium Leisure Club, Latitude or in the comfort of own room. Two Bedroom Ocean Suite: have 2 main features Can access to the Club Executive Lounge and breakfast is served in Latitude or in the comfort of own room. Guests with children have access to the Premium Leisure Club and breakfast is served in either the Premium Leisure Club, Latitude or in the comfort of own room. Three Bedroom Ocean Suite: have 2 main features Can access to the Club Executive Lounge and breakfast is served in Latitude or in the comfort of own room. Guests with children have access to the Premium Leisure Club and breakfast is served in either the Premium Leisure Club, Latitude or in the comfort of own room. Beachcomber Suite: have six main features 148 square meters (1,593 square feet) added Two bedrooms, kitchenette, 2 sun beds. Direct and easy access to the main pool area and the beach. Close access to the executive pool and Wild wadi Waterpark. Can access to the Club Executive Lounge and breakfast is served in Latitude or in the comfort of own room; Guests with children have access to the Premium Leisure Club and breakfast is served in either the Premium Leisure Club, Latitude or in the comfort of own room. Presidential Suite: have four main features 160 square meters (1,722 square feet) added c Special Features: Two floors with separate living, dining and sleeping areas. Large bedroom on the upper floor with bathroom and whirlpool. Lower level living room with bar counter and terrace. Sea view. Can access to the Club Executive Lounge and breakfast is served in Latitude or in the comfort of own room. Guests with children have access to the Premium Leisure Club and breakfast is served in either the Premium Leisure Club, Latitude or in the comfort of own room (Luxury worldwide collection)

Stephen Dedalus in James Joyces A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Ma

Stephen Dedalus in James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man When the soul of a man is born in this country there are nets flung at it to hold it back from flight. You talk to me of nationality, language, religion. I shall try to fly by those nets The spirit of Ireland is embodied in young Stephen Dedalus, the central character of James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Like the Dedalus of Greek myth, Stephen must grow wings so that he may fly above the tribulations of his life. As he matures, Dedalus begins to understand his position in life, and decides to rise above the turbulent Ireland of the early 1900s in a rebellion against society, a struggle against his beliefs and a struggle against his heritage. Joyce wrote A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man in the decade preceding its first publication in 1916. The early 1900s was a turbulent time for Ireland, a time in which many groups and individuals were making pushes for an Independent Ireland. Joyce brings Irish politics in as a major theme for Stephen Dedalus to address. Stephen often Idolizes or admonishes different characters in Ireland's political landscape. Among these revolutionaries were the IRB (Irish Republican Brotherhood), Charles Steward Parnell, The revolutionaries of the 1916 Easter Rising and Sinn Fein. In the same year A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man was published, between 1000 and 1500 Irish patriots tried to capture the town of Dublin on Easter Day. The Easter Rising, as it was called, led to the death of approximately 1000 Irishmen and 500 Britons. Of the 1000 Irishmen, many were women and children, while of the 500 Britons; all were either soldiers or policemen. The Easter Rising was not a spontaneous ev... ...k, Rev. Timothy D. The Dedalus Factor: Einstein's Science and Joyce's Portrait of the Artist. The Modern World. 4 April 2002 http://www.themodernword.com/joyce/joyce_paper_clark.html The Early Years. Joyce and his time. 4 April 2002 http://web.nwe.ufl.edu/~kershner/bioa.html Fitzgibbon, Constantine. 1916 Easter Rising. 1916 The Rising. 4 April 2002 http://www.users.bigpond.com/kirwilli/1916/ James Joyce. Ultima actualizacion. 4 April 2002 http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~vfores/joyce.html Mythography. The Legend of Daedalus in Myth and Art. Mythography. 4 April 2002 http://www.loggia.com/myth/daedalus.html Niebuhr, Reinhold. The Serenity Prayer. Bread on the Waters. 21 April 2002 http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/special/serenity.html Timeline. James Joyce Resource center. 4 April 2002 http://english.ohio-state.edu/organizations/ijjf/jrc/jrctimel.htm

An Analysis of Human Resources Management at TNT Essay -- Business Hum

An Analysis of Human Resources Management at TNT TNT is the European market leader in global express distribution, logistics and international mail. Wherever a company operates TNT will make sure that their documents, consignments and business mail are delivered safely and on time using their integrated air and road networks. Their international operations are focused on the key areas of world trade in Europe, Asia, North and South America. They also have strong domestic networks in Australia and Europe. Their operational networks are supported by sophisticated technology which as well as ensuring service reliability provides real-time, on-line information on the status of the consignment. Their central philosophy is to put the customer at the heart of their business. They aim to be companies’ business partner devising solutions for all their customers' distribution needs by combining their core capabilities to create new products and services. The HRM of TNT empower employees to provide the fastest and most reliable service which involves upholding the quality principles for the benefit of all stakeholders involved with the organisation thereby enabling them to achieve the vision. The quality principles of TNT are: customer care, leadership, people, communication, resources, suppliers, processes and the impact on society. For each of this principles the HRM makes sure and show how its needs to be carried out: Â · Customer Care: Always listening to and building first class relationships with their customers to help TNT provide excellent standards of service and client satisfaction. Â · Leadership: Inspiring all members of the TNT team to be outstanding achievers and building on their make it happen policy through clear direction, support and accountability. Â · People: Recognising individual and team achievements, promoting from within wherever possible and encouraging everyone to enjoy rewarding careers that provide security and job satisfaction. Â · Communication: Working hard at all times to encourage clear and honest two-way communications which foster teamwork, they must get through attitude and staff involvement through an open management style. Â · Resources: Employing the best people in a first class working environment and supporting them with ongoing training, reliable equip... ...ager or by the job holder’s superior. The performance appraisal gives the managers the chance to reward employees and to thank them for doing a good job. Appraisal normally takes place once or twice a year. In some organisations it happens every month every three months. The more often it is done the better. At TNT appraisals happens every six months. The benefits of performance appraisal for the organisation are: Â · It helps employees to identify training needs. Â · It may reveal other problems – for example, there may be workplace difficulties with other staff (eg it might be caused by sexual or racial harassment). Â · It may untap useful new skills. Â · It improves communications between employees and managers – a few words of encouragement and praise for doing a good job are often highly motivating. Â · It provides disciplinary documentation – if the employer needs to dismiss somebody, the existence of through appraisal records, which identify the person’s inabilities, or lack of effort will be very useful. Â · It helps to fix pay rises – increasingly people get performance related pay which is based upon the appraisal interview.

Political and Economic Issues Along the U.S. and Mexico Border Essay ex

Introduction and Statement of Purpose According to Jason Riley (2009) there are an estimated ten to twelve million illegal immigrants living within the United States (p. 54). According to Cieslik, Felsen, and Kalaitzidis (2009), over half of these illegal immigrants are from Mexico (p. 185). These population estimates have led the United States to take action along our border. We have built a fence, deployed various surveillance systems, and currently employ thousands of U.S. Border Protection officers. These actions have made the issue of illegal immigration a highly debated topic within the United States and Mexico. This debate will be explained from a political, economic, and an integrated perspective. The Political Perspective on the Issue Politics have severely impacted the issue of immigration along the U.S. and Mexico border. Within the United States, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has been extremely active regarding immigration along this border. Branton and Dunaway (2009) stated, â€Å"Governor Bill Richardson declared a state of emergency in four counties along the U.S.-Mexico border† (p. 289). Governor Richardson was concerned with, â€Å"Ravages of terror and human smuggling, drug smuggling, kidnapping, murder, the destruction of property, and the death of livestock† (Branton & Dunaway, 2009, p. 289). Influenced by Governor Richardson’s concern, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano also declared a state of emergency, â€Å"As a desperate attempt to get the attention of the federal government† (Branton & Dunaway, 2009, p. 289). These are all valid concerns when public safety is a top priority of any elected government official. Another political figure concerned with violence along the U.S.-Mexico border is Pat ... ..., I. (2007). Does border enforcement deter unauthorized immigration? The case of Mexican migration to the United States of America. Regulation & Governance, 1(2), 139-153. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=7&hid=13 &sid=7c49dcc1-50b3-45c4-8b94-2ede81fd093d%40sessionmgr12 Delacroix, J., Nikiforov, S. (2009). If Mexicans and Americans could cross the border freely. Independent Review, 14(1), 101-133 Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&hid=13 &sid=7c49dcc1-50b3-45c4-8b94-2ede81fd093d%40sessionmgr12 Emmott, R. (2010, September 15). U.S. and Mexico border wall a costly failure film says. Reuters. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE68E6JG20100915 Riley, J. L. (2009). Let them in: The case for open borders. New York, NY: Gotham Books.

Film Analysis: the Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Essay

In the movie, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, the holocaust which happened in history was clearly depicted. It was shown in the film how the Jews were poorly treated by the Nazis at that time. Hence, here are some instances in the film where prejudice, bias, discrimination and ethnocentrism were depicted. First is prejudice—Merriam-Webster describes prejudice as an injury or damage resulting from some judgment or action of another in disregard of one’s rights. Prejudice was most evident in the ending scene where the Jews from the concentration camp were put inside a large gas chamber, and they were made to believe that they were just going to take a bath, but the truth is they are to face their death. Also, the fact that they were confined inside a concentration camp was already a huge example of prejudice since this has taken away their freedom. Bias, on the other hand, is a personal and unreasoned judgment. This was shown in the part where Schmuel was in the house of Bruno doing some work. He was given food by Bruno, but they were caught by a Nazi soldier. Schmuel was trying to defend himself by telling the truth, but the Nazi soldier still believed Bruno’s lies just because Schmuel was a Jew. Next is discrimination which is having a prejudiced or prejudicial outlook, action or treatment towards others. In the film, when Bruno and his family transferred to Auschwitz, there was an old Jew who were like their house help. He received discrimination since he was treated as if he had a contagious disease—the children were not allowed to interact with him. Also, Bruno’s dad constantly reminded him that he cannot go out of the confines of their home, especially to the â€Å"farm† Bruno saw from his window. This restriction was discriminating because it showed how the Nazis shied away from the Jews. Lastly, ethnocentrism is characterized by or based on the attitude that one’s own group is superior. Hence, it can be deduced that the film centered on ethnocentrism which existed at that time when the German Nazis believed that they are superior to the Jews, thus giving them the right to put the Jews to near extinction. This ethnocentrism gave rise to the holocaust which was the main story of the film.

Dannon Case Analysis Essay

In 2007 and 2008, Dannon, the #2 yogurt provider, was losing valuable market share to its top competitor Yoplait. Despite the growth opportunity in the domestic U.S. yogurt market, Dannon’s growth had surprisingly slowed. At the end of 2008 Yoplait was the U.S. yogurt market leader with 35.4% of the market dollar share while Dannon only held 28.9% of the market. Yoplait held a competitive advantage over Dannon that gave it a huge leg-up. Dannon lacked the external CSR that had come to build Yoplait a valuable and loyal brand following. Most notably was the â€Å"Save Lids to Save Lives† breast cancer awareness campaign that Yoplait put on every year since 1997. Dannon had their own CSR initiatives; however, they were internally communicated. This ended up hurting Dannon’s exposure and community relations in the market place. To be a formidable competitor for Yoplait, Dannon must eliminate Yoplait’s CSR competitive advantage while customizing its own CSR initiatives to generate new sales opportunities. The U.S. is not a large consumer for yogurt. Comparatively speaking, France and Switzerland consume over four times as much yogurt as the United States despite being sizably smaller. If Dannon uses external CSR to show consumers that eating Dannon yogurt is an important staple in a healthy diet, this can generate new sales opportunities for Dannon. Externally communicating these messages to the public allows Dannon to show-off the time and money they spent researching the health benefits of yogurt. Not only can Dannon eliminate Yoplait’s competitive advantage but it can also grow new revenue streams by educating people that yogurt is a valuable and essential part of a healthy and well-balanced diet. Problem Statement Despite heavy marketing efforts in a growing U.S. yogurt market, Dannon was stagnant as the #2 Yogurt producer in the domestic U.S. and was unable to take over Yoplait for the #1 spot in 2009. Dannon was not only unsuccessful in leap frogging Yoplait to become the #1 yogurt producer, they were also losing market share at the same time. Data Analysis  In 2008, Yoplait stood as #1 in the market place with a 35.4% market dollar compared to Dannon who held a 28.9% market share. 67% of Yoplait’s sales were comprised of the Light and Staples segments. This number is staggering considering that Dannon’s overall company mission is â€Å"bringing health through food to as many people as possible.† Dannon also has â€Å"The Dannon Institute† foundation, which was active in research and education on healthy eating and dieting. Despite the mission of the company and the research that Dannon conducted, Yoplait was far more successful because of the external communication of their CSR. Since 1997, Yoplait has run its â€Å"Save Lids to Save Lives† breast cancer awareness campaign. It is well-known by consumers and this external CSR has allowed Yoplait to build a strong and loyal brand. Even though Dannon has done their own CSR initiatives, they were communicated internally as most consumers were unaware of the Dannon Institute and what is done there. According to a survey done by the branding company Landor Associates, 77% of consumers think that companies should engage in social responsibility. If people are unaware that Dannon is being socially responsible then this could explain why they are not competing as much as they could be in the Light and Staples segments. Alternatives 1. Dannon could externally communicate their CSR to make consumers aware of the internal CSR they were already doing. 2. Dannon could increase their marketing and advertising budget in the Light and Staples segments to attempt to pry-away market share from Yoplait. 3. Dannon could run special taste testing promotions at retail outlets to get people to try and hopefully like their yogurt. 4. The company could advertise as the corporate company of Dannon rather than focus the advertising on the individual brands like it already does. Key Decision Criteria 1. Increase sales and market share 2. Increase customer satisfaction and corporate image 3. Be consistent with corporate mission or strategy 4. Improve (or at least maintain) profitability 5. Within our present resources or capabilities 6. Within acceptable risk parameters 7. Ease or speed of implantation 8. Minimize environmental impact 9. Maintain and build employee morale and pride Alternatives Analysis 1. Even though Dannon has been partaking in CSR for quite some time it has always been done internally rather than externally. Because of this, consumers are unaware of the Dannon Institute, which has been active in researching and educating about healthy eating. If Dannon communicated this to its audience it could enlighten people on the benefits of healthy eating and how yogurt could be a healthy staple to people’s diet. This could potentially cause more people to purchase yogurt and also cause current yogurt buyers to purchase more frequent. The negative to this is that these CSR efforts could be seen as a copy-cat to Yoplait. People may not believe the findings, as they could think these findings are just a sales pitch to get them to believe that they should buy yogurt. Also, there is no measurable ROI for this strategy. 2. Increasing their marketing budget for the light and staples segments could give Dannon a lot more exposure that potentially could take away the huge market share that Yoplait holds. With Activia already a huge success, the increase in marketing is two-fold. It aims to generate new buyers as well as aiming to get current customers (such as Activia buyers) to purchase their products in other segments. The negatives of this are the cost. Dannon would be spending more money without having any differentiation or competitive advantage over Yoplait that would cause customer’s to switch. 3. The advantages to taste testing are self-explanatory because the hardest part of getting someone to buy a product is the fact that they need to be willing to try it first. Giving people a free chance to try it can give them a gauge to see if they like it. It also gives current Yoplait buyers the chance to see if they may like Dannon’s taste better. The biggest con is the cost because Dannon is giving away free product. For the promotion to have any chance of success, yogurt would need to be given free to thousands of retail outlets across America which is a huge initial hit on profit. Another con is that yogurt is not a staple of the American diet so new; non-yogurt eaters may not even be willing to try it in the first place. 4. Currently, Dannon advertises by their individual brand. By advertising on the corporate level it could give credibility to the Dannon brand altogether. This credibility could give a competitive advantage through engagement with the community and customers. The biggest problem with this is that Yoplait had been doing this for years with their â€Å"Save Lids to Save Lives† campaign. This gave Yoplait a sizeable competitive advantage. Because something like this was already being done by Yoplait the effects of Dannon mimicking Yoplait would barely yield, if any, competitive advantage. Recommendations  Based on the facts presented, I think it is important for Dannon to externally communicate their CSR initiatives. Yoplait has had a sizeable competitive advantage with their â€Å"Save Lids to Save Lives† campagain which has given them a leg-up on Dannon since 1997. The reason for Dannon to externally communicate their CSR efforts is two-fold. To eliminate the competitive advantage Yoplait currently holds as well as educating consumers about the health benefits of yogurt to generate new and residual revenue for the company. In regards to Dannon’s CSR, they have some of the best kept secrets going. The problem with that is that they are currently secrets and customers don’t know about their internal CSR efforts regarding people, nutrition and health and nature. The Dannon Institute has been around since 1991, with the mission â€Å"to develop and disseminate scientific knowledge on diet and nutrition to benefit public health.† Had Dannon externally communicated this when they first launched the Dannon Institute they could have held the competitive advantage that Yoplait currently holds. It is crucial for Dannon to externally communicate the projects and research that they are currently doing so that it lessens from marketability and uniqueness of Yoplait’s CSR. In regards to potentially facing backlash for what appears to be copying Yoplait’s CSR efforts, this is not the case for Dannon because the two efforts are much different. Yoplait is simply donating and engaging customers to donate towards a worthy cause. Dannon, on the other hand, is actively engaging in research on healthy eating and the benefits of how yogurt can improve health and quality of life. Yoplait is not actively engaging in breast cancer research. While they are promoting a worthy cause, they are not doing so hands-on. Dannon is not simply donating money to â€Å"look good in the public eye,† but rather, they are spending time and money to investigate how their products promote a healthy life-style and how engaging children in a healthy lifestyle can help prevent diseases such as a diabetes and obesity. This is much different than what Yoplait is doing and may even lead to a slight competitive advantage in Dannon’s corner for their active engagement regarding healthy eating and the benefits for children who follow a healthy life-style. The biggest benefit of externally communicating Dannon’s CSR is generating new sales by educating consumers about the health benefits of yogurt. Yogurt is more of a staple in Europe, where France in Switzerland consumer over four times as much yogurt as the United States despite being much smaller in population. This is why there is excellent potential growth in the U.S. yogurt market. The big question is how does Dannon convince the U.S. population to buy more yogurt? The answer is educating them on the health benefits of yogurt and why it is an important staple of a healthy diet. The U.S. economy is a huge market for dietary supplements. In 2006, The Economic Impact Report, completed by Dobson | DaVanzo, a Washington D.C.-based economic research firm, quantified that the dietary supplement business was responsible for over $20 billion dollars in sales. This is over six times larger than the domestic U.S. yogurt market. People in the U.S. are very active consumers when it comes to buying products that will help them lose weight. Dannon can cash in on untapped potential by externally communicating the weight-loss benefits of adding yogurt to a healthy diet. People buy dietary supplements because they are advertised to aid in weight loss. By marketing and educating the public on the research that Dannon yogurt can also aid in weight loss may result in a spike of sales while also regaining the lost market share to Yoplait. Action and Implementation Plan Dannon’s Executive Committee is to meet immediately. Marc Jove Gesti, the Senior Vice President of Marketing will be responsible for drafting and crafting a commercial and press release about the Dannon Institute, its previous findings and their current projects. Ken Strick, the VP & General Counsel will be responsible for reviewing and revising any legal aspects. These include claims such as â€Å"Yogurt, when consumed with a healthy and balanced diet can help aid in weight loss.† This prevents anyone from suing the company who thought they could eat yogurt in combination with any other type of food and expect to still lose weight. Eric O’Toole, Vice President of Sales will work to explore new opportunities with health and supplement companies such as GNC. When the word gets publicized about how Yogurt plays a valuable part in weight-loss and dieting, Dannon can market and sell its product across stores where dietary supplements are sold. Lastly, Albe Wendt, Vic e President Research and Development will work on developing a high-protein yogurt that is crucial for post-workout recovery as well as helping people reach their recommended daily protein intake.