The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 26

The day passed with much research, but with very little in the way of results, which left Elena feeling increasingly concerned for her comatose friend. By the time night fel and Aunt Judith cal ed to wearily inquire whether Elena's family would see her at al that day, they had sorted through the first bag of papers and Alaric had gone over a third or so of what seemed to be the notebook in which Caleb kept the record of his magical experiments, grumbling about Caleb's terrible handwriting. Elena frowned, flipping through another stack of papers. Looking through the pictures and clippings confirmed that Celia hadn't been among Caleb's planned victims. If the phantom had targeted her first, it must have been because she was rich in whatever emotion this phantom fed off. â€Å"Snippiness,† Meredith suggested, but she was careful to say it out of Alaric's hearing. The clippings and printouts also showed that Caleb was indeed obsessed with Tyler's disappearance, and that he had evidence and memories of two different time lines for the same period – one where Fel ‘s Church had been fal ing apart and Elena Gilbert had been dead, and one where everything had been just fine, thanks in the smal Virginia town of Fel ‘s Church, including the continuing reign of the senior class's golden girl, Elena. In addition to Caleb's own double memories, which covered only the summer, Tyler had apparently talked to him over the phone the previous fal and winter about the mysterious events surrounding Mr. Tanner's death and everything that fol owed. Although it didn't sound from Caleb's notes like Tyler had mentioned his own transformation to werewolf and conspiracy with Klaus, just his growing suspicions of Stefan. â€Å"Tyler.† Elena groaned. â€Å"Even though he's long gone, he manages to make trouble.† Alaric's examination of the notebook so far had proved that they were right that Caleb was a magic user, and that he was planning to use his magic both to take vengeance against them and to try to locate Tyler. But it hadn't shown how he had summoned the phantom. And despite Alaric's bringing any likely looking note, incantation, or drawing to Mrs. Flowers for inspection, they had not yet discovered what kind of spel Caleb had been doing, or what purpose the roses served. Stefan escorted Elena home for dinner, then returned to continue helping the others. He'd wanted to stay with Elena, but she had a feeling her aunt would not appreciate a lastminute dinner guest. The second Elena stepped through the door, she could feel Damon's lingering presence and remembered how, just hours ago, they had stood upstairs, holding each other. Al through the meal, while she told Margaret a bedtime story, and then during her last cal to Meredith to check on the rest of the group's progress, she'd thought longingly of him, wondering whether she would see him tonight. That in turn set off pangs of guilt related to Stefan and Bonnie. She was being so selfish, keeping Stefan's brother's return from him, and thinking of herself while Bonnie was in danger. The whole cycle was exhausting, but stil she couldn't contain her exuberance that Damon was alive. Alone in her room at last, Elena ran a brush through her silky golden hair and pul ed on the simple cool nightgown she'd wo rn the night before. It was hot and humid outside, and through her window she could hear the crickets chirping busily. The stars were shining, and a half-moon floated high over the trees outside. She cal ed good night to Aunt Judith and Robert and climbed into bed, fluffing the pil ows around her. She half expected a long wait. Damon liked to tease, and he liked to make an entrance, so he was quite likely to wait until he thought she would be asleep, and then sweep into her room. But she had barely turned off the light when a piece of darkness seemed to separate itself from the night outside her window. There was the faintest scuff of a footstep on the floor, and then her mattress groaned as Damon settled himself at the foot of her bed. â€Å"Hel o, love,† he said softly. â€Å"Hi,† she said, smiling at him. His black eyes glittered at her from the shadows, and Elena suddenly felt warm and happy, despite everything. â€Å"What's the latest?† he asked. â€Å"I saw a lot of fuss going on at the boardinghouse. Something got your sidekicks in a tizzy?† His tone was casual y sarcastic, but his gaze was intense, and Elena knew he had been worried. â€Å"If you let me tel everyone you're alive, you could be with us and then you'd know everything that's going on firsthand,† she teased. Then she grew somber. â€Å"Damon, we need your help. Something terrible has happened.† She told him about Bonnie, and about what they had discovered in the Smal woods' garden shed. Damon's eyes flamed. â€Å"A phantom's got the little redbird?† â€Å"That's what Mrs. Flowers's mother said,† Elena answered. â€Å"Stefan told us that he'd known of a rage phantom somewhere back in Italy.† Damon made a little pfft! noise. â€Å"I remember that. It was amusing at the time, but nothing like what you've been describing. How does this theory of Stefan's explain Bonnie's being taken? Or the appearance of the names when someone is threatened?† â€Å"It's Mrs. Flowers's theory, too,† Elena said indignantly. â€Å"Or her mother's, I guess. And it's the only one that makes sense.† She could feel Damon stroking her arm with the most featherlight touch, and it felt good. The hairs prickled on the back of her arms, and she shivered with pleasure in spite of herself. Stop it, she thought sternly. This is serious business. She moved her arm out of Damon's reach. He sounded amused and lazy when he next spoke. â€Å"Wel , I can't blame the old witch and her ghost mother,† he said. â€Å"Humans mostly stay in their own dimension; they learn only the tiniest piece of what's happening, even the most gifted of them. But if Stefan behaved like any self-respecting vampire and didn't go around trying to be human al the time, he'd have a little more of a clue. He's barely even traveled to the Dark Dimension except when he was dragged there to sit in a cage or save Bonnie. Maybe if he had, he would understand what was going on and be able to protect his pet humans a little better.† Elena bristled. â€Å"Pet humans? I'm one of those pet humans, too.† Damon chuckled, and Elena realized he had said that purposely, to rile her up. â€Å"A pet? You, princess? Never. A tiger, maybe. Something wild and dangerous.† Elena rol ed her eyes. Then the implication of Damon's words hit her. â€Å"Wait, are you saying this isn't a phantom? And that you know what it actual y is? Is it something that comes from the Dark Dimension?† Damon shifted closer to her again. â€Å"Would you like to know what I know?† he said, his voice like a caress. â€Å"There are a lot of things I could tel you.† â€Å"Damon,† Elena said firmly. â€Å"Stop flirting and pay attention. This is important. If you know anything, please tel me. If you don't, please don't play games with me. Bonnie's life is at stake. And we're al in danger. You're in danger, too, Damon: Don't forget, your name's been written, and we don't know for sure that whatever happened on the Dark Moon was the attack on you.† â€Å"I'm not too concerned.† Damon waved his hand disparagingly. â€Å"It would take more than a phantom to hurt me, princess. But, yes, I know a little more about this than Stefan does.† He turned her hand over and traced her palm with cool fingers. â€Å"It is a phantom,† he said. â€Å"But it's not the same kind we saw in Italy long ago. Do you remember that Klaus was an Original? He wasn't sired like Katherine or Stefan or I was; he was never human. Vampires like Klaus consider vampires like us who started out as humans to be weak half-breeds. He was much stronger than us and much more difficult to kil . There are different types of phantoms, too. The phantoms who are born of human emotions on Earth are able to intensify and spur on these emotions. They don't have much consciousness of their own, though, and they never get very strong. They're just parasites. If they are cut off from the emotions they need to survive, they fade away pretty quickly.† Elena frowned. â€Å"But you think this is another, more powerful kind of phantom? Why? What did Sage tel you?† Damon tapped her hand with one finger as he counted. â€Å"One: the names. That's beyond the powers of an ordinary phantom. Two: It took Bonnie. A regular phantom wouldn't be able to do that, and wouldn't get anything out of it if it could. An Original phantom, though, can steal her spirit and take it back to the Dark Dimension. It can drain her life force and emotions to make itself stronger.† â€Å"Wait,† Elena said, alarmed. â€Å"Bonnie's back in the Dark Dimension? Anything could be happening to her! She could be enslaved again!† Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she thought of how humans were treated in the Dark Dimension. Damon squeezed her hand. â€Å"No, don't worry about that. She's there only in spirit – the phantom wil have her in some kind of holding cel ; it'l want her safe. I think the worst thing that could happen to her is she'l be bored.† He frowned. â€Å"It'l sap her life force, though, and that'l weaken her eventual y.† â€Å"You think that being bored's the worst thing that could happen to her†¦ oh, at least until it drains al her life force? That's not good enough, Damon. We have to help her.† Elena thought for a moment. â€Å"So phantoms live in the Dark Dimension?† Damon hesitated. â€Å"Not in the beginning. The Original phantoms were relegated to the Dark Moon by the Guardians.† â€Å"Where you died.† â€Å"Yes,† Damon said caustical y. Then he rubbed the back of her hand in a silent apology for his tone. â€Å"Original phantoms are kept inside some kind of prison on the Dark Moon, just itching for a chance to get out. Like genies in a bottle. If something broke the prison wal , their ultimate goal would be to make it to Earth and feed on human emotions. After the World Tree was destroyed, Sage said things changed, which would make sense if an Original phantom managed to escape as things shifted after the destruction.† â€Å"Why come al the way to Earth, though?† Elena asked. â€Å"There're al those demons and vampires in the Dark Dimension.† She could see Damon's smile in the shadows. â€Å"I guess human emotion is extra-delicious. Like human blood is. And there aren't enough humans in the Dark Dimension to make a real y good meal. There are so many humans on Earth that an Original here can just keep on gorging on emotion and growing ever more powerful.† â€Å"So it fol owed us from the Dark Moon?† Elena asked. â€Å"It must have hitched a ride with you when you came back to Earth. It would have wanted to get as far from its prison as possible, so an opening between dimensions would have been irresistible.† â€Å"And it was freed from its prison when I used my Wings of Destruction and blasted the moon?† Damon shrugged. â€Å"That seems to be the most likely explanation.† Elena's heart sank. â€Å"So Bonnie's vision was right. I brought this. It's my fault.† He brushed back her hair and kissed her neck. â€Å"Don't think of it that way,† he said. â€Å"How could you have stopped it? You didn't know. And I'm grateful you used the Wings of Destruction: That's what saved me, after al . The important thing now is to fight the phantom. We need to send it back before it gets too powerful. If it gets a real foothold here, it can start influencing more and more people. The whole world could be in danger.† Elena half consciously arched her neck to one side so that Damon could get a better angle, and he gently traced the vein on the side of her neck with his lips for a moment before she realized what they were doing and nudged him away again. â€Å"I don't understand, though. Why would it tel us who it's going after next?† she said. â€Å"Why does it give us the names?† â€Å"Oh, that's not its own doing,† Damon said, and kissed her shoulder. â€Å"Even the most powerful phantom has to fol ow the rules. It's part of the spel the Guardians put on the Original phantoms, when they relegated them to the Dark Moon. A safeguard in case the Originals ever escaped. This way, their prey knows they're coming, and it gives them a fair shot at resisting.† â€Å"The Guardians imprisoned it,† Elena said. â€Å"Would they help us send it back?† â€Å"I don't know,† Damon said shortly. â€Å"I wouldn't ask them if I could help it, though. I don't trust them, do you?† Elena thought of the cool efficiency of the Guardians, of the way they had dismissed Damon's death as irrelevant. Of the way they had caused her own parents' death. â€Å"No,† she said, shivering. â€Å"Let's leave them out of it if we can.† â€Å"We'l defeat it ourselves, Elena,† Damon said, and caressed her cheek with his hand. â€Å"Stop it,† Elena said. â€Å"We have to concentrate.† Damon stopped trying to touch her for a moment and thought. â€Å"Tel me about your little friends. Have people been tense? Fighting? Acting out of character?† â€Å"Yes,† Elena said immediately. â€Å"No one's been acting like themselves. I can't put my finger on it, but something's been wrong since we got back.† Damon nodded. â€Å"Since it probably came with you, it makes sense that it would have targeted you and those connected to you as its first victims.† â€Å"But how do we stop it?† Elena asked. â€Å"What do these stories you've heard about the Original phantoms say about recapturing them once they've escaped from their prison?† Damon sighed, and his shoulders slumped a little. â€Å"Nothing,† he said. â€Å"I don't know anything more. I'l have to go back to the Dark Dimension and see what I can find out, or if I can fight the phantom from there.† Elena stiffened. â€Å"It's too dangerous, Damon.† Damon chuckled, a dry sound in the darkness, and Elena felt his fingers run through her hair, smoothing the silky strands, then twisting them, tugging them gently. â€Å"Not for me,† he said. â€Å"The Dark Dimension is a great place to be a vampire.† â€Å"Except that you died there,† Elena reminded him. â€Å"Damon, please. I can't stand to lose you again.† Damon's hand stil ed, and then he was kissing her gently, and his other hand came up to touch her cheek. â€Å"Elena,† he said as he reluctantly broke the kiss. â€Å"You won't lose me.† â€Å"There has to be another way,† she insisted. â€Å"Wel , then we'd better find it, and soon,† Damon answered grimly. â€Å"Otherwise the entire world wil be at risk.† Damon was saturated with Elena. Her sweet, rich scent in his nostrils, the throbbing beat of her heart in his ears, the silk of her hair and the satin of her skin against his fingers. He wanted to kiss her, to hold her, to sink his fangs into her and taste the heady nectar of her blood, that vibrant blood that tasted like no one else's. But she made him go, although he knew she didn't real y want to. She didn't say it was because of his little brother that she pushed him away, but he knew anyway. It was always Stefan. When he left her, he transformed graceful y into a large black crow again and flew from her bedroom window to the quince tree nearby. There, he folded his wings and shifted from one foot to another, settling in to watch over her. He could sense her through the window, anxious at first, her thoughts churning, but soon her pulse slowed, her breathing deepened, and he knew she was asleep. He would stay and guard her. There was no question: He had to save her. If Elena wanted a chivalrous knight, someone who would protect her nobly, Damon could do that. Why should that weakling Stefan have al the glory? But he wasn't sure what came next. Despite Elena's begging him not to go, heading into the Dark Dimension seemed like the logical next step in fighting this phantom. But how to get there? There were no easy paths. He didn't have the time to journey to one of the gates again, nor did he want to leave Elena's side long enough to travel there. And he couldn't expect to find something as useful as a star bal again by chance. Plus, if he did get there, being in the Dark Dimension would have special dangers for him now. He didn't think the Guardians knew he had come back from the dead, and he didn't know how they would react when they did. He'd rather not find out. The Guardians didn't care for vampires much, and they tended to like things to stay the way they ought to be. Look at how they had stripped Elena's Powers when she came to their attention. Damon hunched his shoulders and fluffed out his iridescent feathers irritably. There had to be another way. There was the slightest rustle underfoot. No one without the sensitive ears of a vampire would have heard it, it was so cautious, but Damon caught it. He snapped to attention and peered sharply around. No one would get to his princess. Oh. Damon relaxed again and clicked his beak in vexation. Stefan. The shadowy figure of his little brother stood beneath the tree, head tilted back, gazing in devotion at Elena's darkened window. Of course he was there, standing by to defend her against al the horrors of the night. And just like that, Damon knew what he had to do: If he wanted to learn more about the phantom, he'd have to give himself over to it. He closed his eyes, al owing every negative feeling he'd ever had about Stefan to wash over him. How Stefan had always taken everything Damon wanted, had stolen it, if he needed to. Damn Stefan, Damon thought bitterly. If his brother hadn't come to town earlier than him, Damon would have had a chance to make Elena fal in love with him first, to be the one to reap the utter devotion he saw in her eyes when she looked at Stefan. Instead, here he was, second-best. He hadn't been enough for Katherine either; she had wanted his brother, too. Elena, tiger to the kitten Katherine had been, would have been the perfect mate for Damon. Beautiful, strong, wily, capable of great love, they could have ruled the night together. But she had fal en for his lily-livered weakling of a little brother. Damon's claws clenched the branch he sat on. â€Å"Isn't it sad,† a quiet voice beside him suggested, â€Å"how you try and try, but you're never enough for the women you love?† A cool tendril of fog touched his wing. Damon straightened and looked around. Dark fog was winding around the quince tree, just at Damon's level. Below, Stefan stood unaware. The fog had come for Damon alone. With a private smile, Damon felt the fog envelop him, and then al was darkness.

Lottery Ticket’

Nothing is more cold and neutral in the allotment of fates among a group of equals than with a random game of chance. No one is favored neither is anyone discriminated against. Everyone enjoys the same chances of winning the pot viz. ‘the Lottery Ticket’ by Anton Chekov, just as much as everyone shares the same degree of nervous apprehension from being chosen among the lot as part of a dark ritual viz. ‘the Lottery’, Shirley Jackson. Many men have squandered their lives and property to follow the fickle goddess of circumstances. Likewise, societies throughout history from across different cultures have oftentimes done away with the long process of rational thought and quiet contemplation for a decisively quick way to decide on issues: through an impartial lottery draw of lives across the board. When chance is allowed to determine the fates of men, the results are irrevocable and are not open to discussion or compromise. Once mathematical statistics have chosen the roll, the consequences have the effect of law. Its concomitant mandate is as good as the universe itself has already firmly spoken on the matter. Both the short stories dwell on the central idea of lottery but the angles by which the scheme of it is scrutinized are in the opposite extremes. In brief, Anton Chekov’s ‘the Lottery Ticket’ tells of the sharp, positive change in the outlook of Ivan Dmitritch and his wife who both led an otherwise enervated and disillusioned life (Chekov 88). They were both thrilled with the prospect of being able to afford a few luxuries in life by winning a hefty sum of money from the lottery (ibid.). Ivan begins to imagine the myriad ways to spend the prize money just as his wife was likewise animated at the thought of traveling to places and improving her lot in life (ibid.). It does not take long before Ivan realizes that it was his wife’s ticket and the entire money belonged to her. He foresees the hypothetical situation where she would have him on a leash. Thus, to dispel the unsavory possibility of being subrogated to the wife, Ivan reveals that the ticket was spurious and the combination did not match the winning number. All at once, bliss was replaced with ill-humor. The resentment for their lives has never been more sharply felt. They had a brief taste of bliss although temporarily. From then on nothing will be the same for them again (Chekov 89). On the other hand, Shirley Jackson’s ‘the Lottery’ takes away the ecstatic pleasure one feels in winning the lottery and replaces it with abject dread and horror.   Without going much into details, a group of people in a certain remote village adopted the brand of lottery which was designed to indiscriminately pick the name of a person, on a fixed time and location, to be subjected to public lynching (Jackson 12). The lottery draw is not something that everyone looks forward to every time it was being held. Instead, it is largely anticipated with fear and terror (Jackson 13). Although the tradition is highly unusual and cruel, people in this community continue to practice the ritual even after its neighboring villages stopped doing it altogether (ibid.). Their talismanic attachment to the lottery is left unexplained although one can draw the connection between symbolic barbarism of backward societies and unquestioned belief in tradition. Nevertheless, the people do not take alarm at the punishment because everyone is statistically equal with the other. Only Tessie Hutchinson seems to be complaining precisely because she was on the fore about to suffer the injury and the unjust penalty of death (Jackson 14). In the same vein, the tradition is perpetuated to the younger generation who were at the frontlines eagerly casting out stones from a pile they have previously prepared. Lottery has been around in human recorded history since time immemorial. Abraham who took charge of large plots of land settled disputes on ownership and patrimony through a simple and efficient method of drawing lots (King James Bible, Gen. 1.18-25). The principle of deciding by lottery is practiced up to the present time. It is generally adopted to resolve issues because of its appeal to fair justice (From Grandpa with Love, 2). The flipside to this argument is that everyone shares both justice and injustice equally. Shirley Jackson’s ‘the Lottery’ is an exposition of this principle in the negative end, whereas, Anton Chekov’s ‘the Lottery’ takes off from the notion that fair play sometimes breed resentment and jealousy by the one who is un-favored against those who are favored. The short stories are cries against injustice, either asking â€Å"why not me?† or â€Å"why me?† in the end. Works Cited Chekov, Anton. The Wife and other Stories: The Tales of Chekov vol. 5. New York: Bibliobazaar Publishers Inc., 2003. From Grandpa with Love.   International Bible Society: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984. 12 February 2008. . Jackson, Shirley. The Lottery and other Stories. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005. King James Bible. New York: Hendrikson Publishers, 2003.

The Past, Present and Future of the Webcam

The past, Present And Future Of The Webcam If only everyone was able to experience life the way we get to now. Sometimes I just wish that back then people were able to see and speak to a spouse away at war in a matter of seconds, or be able to see your parents while away at collage any time you want. Just being able to attend a work meeting in the comfort of your own home, People reuniting with their families it’s just wonderful. We are now able to do this today thanks to the Web camera. This technology spread like wildfire as soon as it was created, and is currently used by millions of people daily.This part of technology has a bright future. If only sooner, in 1993 the webcam was invented, the Cambridge University researchers asked themselves â€Å"how will we be able to see the coffee pot from our desks, to be able to see if it was empty or not, so that we won’t have to make and unnecessary trip to the Trojan room before the coffee was ready†. Their experiment furthered by them updating the images of the digital camera in the Trojan Room to the Internet. And it turns out that they created the world's first webcam in the process. In 2000 the web cam became widespread.It slowly started to make it into the homes of everyone around the world, and built into almost every cell phone. Today the webcam is truly a success. From celebrities to average Joe’s, hell! Even the president president uses the web cam. I feel like this piece of technology has truly helped so many people in life, emotionally and physically. Now you can even have a web cam conversation with up to 10 people, use it for video security, and even monitor your child from another room. My dad thought this was amazing; the first thing he said was â€Å"this is great!Now I can check on grandma. † I know for a fact that my dad and so many other people are so grateful for this webcam stage in technology. The future for the webcam looks exceedingly bright. Scientist says â€Å"future of webcam technology will include the hologram webcams†. This means that it will almost be as if the person on the other side of the computer is right there with you. Some say that soon most interviews will be even be held through the webcam. I, for one know that I’m excited about the future of the webcam. And I’m sure that there are millions of people are just as excited.We’ll wait and see what the future holds. We probably won’t realize how good the webcam has been to us until it’s gone. The past and the present of the webcam is truly a blessing, and the future will hopefully be one too. Like Albert Einstein said â€Å"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity† and this continues to be true to this day. Reading Reference * http://www. brainyquote. com/quotes/topics/topic_technology. html * http://www. roulettechatsites. com/2011/12/holographic-webcam. html * http://www. ehow. com/in fo_8626014_history-webcam. html

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Fences - Essay Example Kittel when he was born to a German father and an African-American mother in 1945 and was raised in Pittsburgh mostly by his mother and his step-father. Wilson witnessed the areas where blacks were highly discriminated and undermined. He himself became the victim of racism when he was accused of plagiarism in school for writing a sophisticated essay and was thrown out of the institute. Fences portray the condition of blacks in the 1950’s. The play begins in 1957 between the Korean and Vietnam wars and ends in 1965. But the themes of the play directly hits the consciousness in a pre-civil-rights-movement and pre-Vietnam –war-era-psyche. In the play, Maxson is the representative of an amalgamation of black men’s history of the south and the present life of the north. Wilson’s plays take place in his home town of Pittsburgh and Fences is no exception. Wilson draws a clear picture of the America in 1950’s. He portrays the time through his play as a new world of opportunity when the blacks began to open up, leaving those like Tory, who were raised in the first half of the century, only to feel like aliens in their own land. The play Fences is divided into two acts, the Act I comprises of four scenes where as the Act II comprises of five scenes. The Play opens on Friday which is Bono and Tory’s pay day. Both the person goes to Tory’s house for their weekly ritual of drinking and chatting. Tory asked Mr. Rand, their boss about the discrimination done with the blacks and the reason for not allowing them to drive the garbage car and only engaging them to lift garbage. Act I also puts forward many other issues of the play like Bono thinking about Tory’s infidelity towards his wife and Cory (Tory and Rose’s son) recruited by a college football team. Tory moves back in time and start to narrate the story about his struggle in the July of 1943 with death. Lyons arrives at Tory’s house because he knows that it is Tory’s pay day. In the meantime, Rose

Innovation of Emirates 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Innovation of Emirates 2 - Essay Example Appraisal of the Organization The Emirates Airlines has had a profitable run for a while now, and this calls for an in depth look at the company. This will involve looking at the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities that the company has and the threats that the company has to its profitability. Strengths of the Airline As seen above, the company has managed to be profitable within the economic downturn that has faced many of her competitors. This certainly points to the strength that this company has to its advantage. One strong point of this company is the level of stability in terms of management that the company has. In light with this, the company is able to transact with its clients who have a high level of trust that the company will deliver when it promises to do so. Another upside to the state ownership is the fact the company has a secure source of funding for its existent or future plans. Unlike most other airlines that compete with the Emirates Airlines, t he issue of funding does not bring in as much headache as it does to a lot of her competitors. This is because the state is in complete control of the airline and has a much wider purse with which it can fund the airline’s operations. This, to a large extent explains why the company has been able to remain successful in the long run. The airline is also committed to the use of technology in improving its services. The company has embraced the use of online booking of its tickets as a way of easing congestion as well as improving the overall customer experience. The company has adopted the use of Verified by Visa (VbV) technology (Pan and Polishuk 2004). This is a move that has been calculated to ensure that the airline has a safer mode of transaction with its clients. Aside from that, this technology is also poised to place the airline on a leadership vantage point in relation to its competitors. In addition, this has the advantage of mounting the trust that the clients place on the airline securing their return services. The airline has also strength in terms of the services that it offers to its travellers. The premium customers will get a limousine ride from their homes or office to the airport (Shaw 2011). This action, which is part, of the company’s product differentiation strategy, is calculated to encourage more clients to explore the premium package. This is further accentuated by the services that the clients will get once they arrive at the airport. These services include a kerbside check-in facility to eliminate the hustle of carrying heavy language into the terminal and further a luxurious lounge and ease for the passenger during checking-in (Shaw 2011). This, obviously remove many of the hustles that go with travelling. Therefore, this has had the effect of ensuring that customer loyalty is upheld as well as customer comfort throughout their travel. Weaknesses of the Airline The airline has a number of issues that limit its performan ce. Some of these issues have a lot to do with the ownership and by extension the management of the airline. Accordingly, the government, having full ownership of the airline highly controls the running of the airline’s operations. The government’s say in the running of the airline is a hindrance in many times (Betz 2010). Though the government having a say in the airline is not such a bad thing in the ultimate outlook, it may constitute interference when it decides to overhaul a decision that the airlines’

Network Security Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Network Security - Term Paper Example (213) INTRODUCTION: It consists of various policies to prevent the misuse of the data or unauthorised access of the data by users who does not own it. Certain provisions and policies are made in this regard by the administrator, to ensure confidentiality of data .This system is so designed that authorization of access to data in a network is controlled by the network administrator only without interference of any other person. For this purpose, all users are given a separate ID i.e. the identity of the individual and a password by the administrator so that access to information and programs are allowed by that user only within their authority. It is a complex job and can be tackled by efficient, experienced and well-trained experts. Network security system is a combination of many computer networks which can be either public or private. It includes everyday jobs like conducting transactions and communications among businesses, government agencies and individuals. Networks can also be private, such as a network dealing a specific company, and others which might be open to public access. In organizations, enterprises, and other types of institutions Network security is involved so as to maintain the confidentiality of their data (King, 10). Role of Network Security: How does it protects you It performs the key role as the name indicates as quoted by (Bragg et al) : Unauthorized access: It secures the network, and does not allow any unauthorized access. Confidentiality : It also plays a chief role in protecting and overseeing operations being done and preventing their unknown user access. A Unique Name : Protection of a network resource requires the corresponding password and unique name as mentioned above in an earlier section. Executing Commands Illicitly: It is undesirable for an unknown and non-trusted individual to execute and run the commands server machines. Security system doesn’t allow any such activities. Protects the system from Viruses, worms an d Trojan horses: Many antiviruses are developed so that a secure system may be provided. Concept: The key feature of network security is allocating the user, commonly with an authentic username and a password. One-factor authentication: The password is something which known by the user only. This can he termed as one-factor authentication. Two- factor authentication: This something the user already has can also be used as his identity. For an example, A security token An ATM card Mobile phone number Any of the above belongings can be used as an individual’s identity in a secured network. Three-factor authentication: Every individual can be identified by something the user is. For an example, A fingerprint Retinal scan Firewall: It enforces access policies blocking the unauthorized network access. For instance, which services may be allowed to be accessed by the user in certain network? This feature is plays a very helpful and efficient role in preventing the unauthorized acce ss to the data. The only drawback of this component is that it way fails to detect any potentially harmful error like ‘Computer worms’ are being transmitted over the network (Radack, 215). Proxy According to Okechukwu et al.,( 480) Process of having one host act in behalf of

5 page in depth essay on any topic of criminal justice system of New

5 page in depth on any topic of criminal justice system of New York - Essay Example This paper will explore these and ultimately examine the relationship between incarceration and crime. The positive change in the prison statistics in the state of New York is attributed to the changes and reforms in the law enforcement policies of the state. The state has led reforms and innovations particularly in regard to the reformatory characteristic of its incarceration policy and its introduction of the modern parole. Reform was forced out of the policymakers because in the first half of 1990s, tightening revenues threaten the budget of correctional facilities and that the state correction facilities were then already overcrowded and still more prisoners are awaiting assignments. And so, one of the first acts as governor of the former Governor George Pataki was to loosen laws on minor repeat offenders in order to help decrease prison population and help ease the pressure on the correction system. (Clear, Cole and Reisig 15) Then the state legislature amended and relaxed the so-called Rockefeller Drug Laws, which made New York one of the strictest states when it came to polici ng drug offenders. Indeed, starting the latter half of the 1990s onwards, the prison commitments steadily dropped prompting the state to close some prison facilities and save millions of taxpayers’ money. The New York experience highlighted the requirement of effective prison policy – one that is characterized by a set of graduated options that can be tailored to specific situations. This led New York policymakers and criminal justice planners to one of its new policies - the use of a variety of alternative sentencing mechanisms, which include: residential community corrections; community service and alternatives to corrections; and, probation. (Mumpower and Ilchman 544) All these alternatives are considered to be less punitive and incapacitative than state prison, but in graduated degrees. Changes in law enforcement policies included the police making fewer

Principles of Marketing Management - Assignment 2

Principles of Marketing Management - 2 - Assignment Example The plan will cover different external as well as internal environmental analysis of the company for the purpose of having long term sustainability in the market and attain a better competitive position. Ikea Estates is a sister concern of Inter IKEA Holding. The company operates in a decentralised manner in which each division of the company owns its own responsibilities. In addition to this, different business lines and operations are handled by their own managements. In this context, Ikea Estates is a separate and independent concern under the flagship of Inter IKEA Holding. This division of the group deals in real estate properties like housing. The prime quest of this division is to create long term value for the division as well as entire group with the help of making investments in properties. In addition to this, the overall operations of the organisation includes the development of new properties, land banking and undertaking of the active management the portfolio of properties that can be proved quite efficient to retrieve maximum amount of returns from the investments (Property Division 2013). Ikea Estates was recognised as a separate division of the entire group in the year 1990, when housing and real estate market was on boom phase. This division of the country is quite expended and geographically diversified. There are 8 different European countries in which, the company has registered its footprint quite intensively. These countries are Spain, the Netherlands, the UK, Poland, Latvia, Belgium, Romania, and Lithuania ((Property Division 2013). The company is well known for its factory built housing schemes offered to the customers after the recent financial crisis. The concept of wood cladded and wonky roofed houses emerged by the company was exceptional and proved as one of the most successful business ideas after the recent financial crisis that has made the perception of people regarding real estate as an investment

Collaborative working between primary and secondary care in community Essay

Collaborative working between primary and secondary care in community mental health - Essay Example The National Service Framework acknowledges the growing mental health needs of the adult population in the community and the alarming rise of mental health problems in the population. The commonest problems have been recognised to be anxiety and depression; however, psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia and manic depression are also not uncommon. Although there had been a service provision for these individuals for specialist mental health care units, unfortunately that did not serve well, and most these patients would be cared by the general practitioner or the primary care team, since most of these patients prefer care by the primary care team. If a specialist care team provides support to these patients while the care continued to be provided by the GPs and the primary team, it was contemplated, given the proportions of referrals to the specialist services, that an integrated care provision involving collaboration between care teams would best serve the purpose. However, it was soon evident that the problem of mental health care was not just specialist or primary treatment alone. It has social service implications since during the psychiatric or medical ca re, these patients needed support in terms of housing, employment, and training. There were problems with medication compliance, immediate crisis management facilities, continuous follow-up and earliest interventions, social support, and dual diagnosis. These problems would need the involvement of specialist community team including social care, but they cannot function effectively without the help from the primary care teams. While this paints the ideal picture, the reality must be different, since reviews still indicate that there are gaps in care provision in the mental health sector. Therefore, only evidence from literature can indicate the areas of the gaps, their reasons, and ways to avoid them so this framework can work most

Technology in Classrooms Essay Example for Free

Technology in Classrooms Essay Tablets. Smartphones. Smartboards. The biggest issue society will have to face in the near future is effectively incorporating technology into public schools. There is a mass of new equipment being thrown haphazardly into classrooms. But do teachers know how best to use it, or are they left drowning, trying to determine how to avoid the increased number of student distractions that inevitably accompany it? This is the newest challenge. How much is too much? Technology has the potential to revolutionize the classroom if used correctly, but it could also be severely detrimental to the education of our students. Initially, the most difficult part is discovering all of the possible uses for the new equipment. A tablet, for instance, is usually used for playing games, checking email, and using social media. For some subjects, it is easier to relate these uses productively to the curriculum than it is for others. A common example is English versus math. In an English class, a tablet can be used for projects, researching information, working collaboratively with other students via email, social media, or both. In a math class, this same tablet appears to be more of a hindrance than a help. Typing math symbols is more effort than it’s worth, games always seem more interesting than learning the lesson, and there aren’t usually research projects about algebra. Despite these obvious barriers however, tablets can actually become a useful tool in all classrooms. There are many apps that can aide in learning, and more are being created every day. â€Å"Factor Factory†, â€Å"Picturing Fractions†, and â€Å"Khan Academy† can all be helpful in a math classroom, especially on a review day. Khan Academy is especially useful for students, as it has coherent lessons for several different subjects, and many levels within each. There are apps for teachers as well, including some for monitoring students’ progress and aides for planning lessons. All in all, having tablets in the classroom for student use can be exceedingly beneficial. What about smartphones? Many students carry an iphone, an Android, or some similar device with them daily. How can they be used in the classroom? Several teachers choose not to deal with them at all because they can be such a distraction. Texting, checking social media websites, and playing games can interfere with learning, so these teachers practice â€Å"phone surrender†, requiring students to place their phone in a designated container at the beginning of class each day and only retrieve them at the very end. While this does seem to help students focus, there must be a way to use the phones productively instead. The same apps convenient for tablets are also available for smartphones, so students can make use of online flashcards for studying, or watch video tutorials. Some students can text faster than they can write, so taking notes on a smartphone could be potentially easier. If a student misses class and needs to copy that day’s notes, the camera feature can come in very handy. These phones can even record a lecture, eliminating the need for the old fashioned tape recorder still used by some college students. This recording can then be easily shared with the class for those who are auditory learners. Instead of fleeing from these handy little devices, perhaps it would be better to embrace them in classrooms. Finally, there are new tools for the teachers. Just as document cameras eliminated the necessity for the overhead projector, smartboards are becoming more and more common replacements for the document camera. Not so long ago, a whiteboard that doubled as a touch-screen computer was completely out of the question. They seemed like some technology to be acquired in the far distant future, akin to flying cars and teleportation machines. Now, they’re quickly working their way into classrooms, and it’s time to consider how to practically apply them. Not all teachers have a class set of tablets or laptops at their disposal, but a smartboard is a good alternative. These interactive whiteboards can be used in many ways. First, they eliminate the need to scan notes onto the computer; with a smartboard, notes can be immediately saved to a folder on the desktop. This means no more scanners required in classrooms, as well as less hassle for teachers. Next, they can be used for lectures. The ability to switch between webpages and program windows with just a tap is priceless. Teachers are now able to switch over to an interactive visual on a website, then back to the notes, and then over to a short video, all without ever leaving the front of the classroom, and students can do the same while giving presentations. Allowing students to work examples on the board has always enhanced learning, and now these tactile learners can interact with problems even easier. In a physics class, projectile motion can be easily demonstrated on the whiteboard by switching to an internet window with a simulator and adjusting variables such as height, weight, and velocity to see the effects on distance and time. No more confusing diagrams drawn by non-artistic physics majors! A geometry class could also discover 3D shapes more easily this way. The possibilities are endless. It just takes a little exploring to discover everything these interactive whiteboards can do for us, and that is a task the teachers are going to have to tackle soon. Technology is everywhere, and upcoming generations will be more immersed in it than ever. In the next decade or two, it is time to embrace it in schools. So many students could be benefitting from it if teachers would keep an open mind instead of becoming overwhelmed by the onslaught of new programs and equipment they find themselves trying to adapt to. Education is such an important topic because these students will one day grow up to lead the country. The teacher’s job is to provide them with the best education possible to prepare them for the challenges they will face as adults in their lives and careers.

Reflection On ICT Eduction

Reflection On ICT Eduction Literacy is the learning to read and write proficiently while digital literacy is the ability to use different digital tools for learning in young children (Kazakoff, 2012; Green et al, 2006). Digital storytelling is more effective to children’s learning rather than the traditional way as it can support the current trends in teaching and learning. Through this rationale, it can be seen that the child’s writing skill and comprehension improved as she had fun through the process of creating the digital story. This rationale also discussed the implication of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the early years setting, the planning and the usage of digital story in the early years setting with the supports of policies, theories and curriculums that can develop children’s literacy, communication and language skills. ICT can be defined as anything that enable us to receive information, to interact with each other or to bring impact on the environment using electronic or digital device (Bolstad, 2004). There are many devices and equipment that can be use in an early years setting to encourage the usage of ICT such as cameras, computers, programmable toys and many more. ICT had brought an impact to the children learning and development, remarkably in their literacy development as children nowadays are living in a challenging and advance environment (Roney, 2008). Children should be provided with opportunities, for instance, through creating digital stories to develop ‘technological literacy’ to ensure their activeness and competence in their environment (Shah and Godiyal, 2000). Significantly in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), involving technology in children’s learning and development can support the progression of the children and also achieving the learning goals (Df E, 2012a). The synthesis report by Hatherly et al (2010) had shown the positive implication of ICTs for children’s literacy development. The report stated that children’s activities that are based on ICTs could develop children’s literacy, language and communication skill. Other than that, the use of ICTs can motivate children to speak and engage themselves in conversation and to tell and share their experiences through various ways, for example, through digital story-telling that would facilitate children’s literacy development. Through observation, I chose a child who love to draw because I wanted to develop her literacy skill by supporting her through her interest in drawing using story-telling as making connection with drawing to writing can allow children to understand how writing can relate to their images and also their visual imagery (NYSUT, 2008). Before I started doing anything with the child, I asked for the willingness of the child to participate in this assignment as her opinions and views are to be considered first according to UNCRC Article 12 (UNICEF, n.d). I met her parents where we discussed about the resource plan and how this will help her learning and development. The discussion lead me to the understanding that the child was not exposed much to electronic devices at home. However, they allowed me to work with their child and also agreed in helping the child to familiarise herself with the device after the discussion. I understand that this could be advantageous for the child’s lea rning as involving parents in children’s education can bring many benefits including improvements in children’s educational achievement and also increasing parents’ confidence in helping their child at home (DCSF, 2008). Through the discussion also, I decided to make the resource with tablet and audio recorder as it will allow the child to navigate the device better than by operating a mouse that might be hard for new learners (Pierangelo and Giuliani, 2008). I started telling different types of stories to give the child a better understanding on how a story should be. Telling stories to children can enhance their language learning by introducing them to different languages and narrative styles such as the stories’ prologue, climax and epilogue (Whitehead, 2010). I gave the child the freedom to choose what kind of story she wanted to write and we both agreed on writing an imaginary story inspired by the movie ‘Frozen’ according to the child’s interest as practitioners should support children to write about things that interest them (DfE, 2012a). She was able to start planning her story without much difficulties but she faced problem in using the tablet. At the beginning, the child had a hard time trying to use the application in the tablet but I did not help her immediately. I gave her the time to explore the device herself and after a few trial and error and some guidance, she managed to navigate the device suc cessful. As accordance to the Montessori Method ‘control of error’, children learning from their mistake themselves can help them to develop a skill and knowledge more proficiently as their confidence and self-esteem increased (Lawrence, 1998). Throughout the process of illustrating the story, I took up the role as a facilitator. When the child had difficulties in continuing the story, I used open ended question like â€Å"What should you say if someone gave you something?† and â€Å"How did the girl felt?† According to Piaget, the role of an educator is to aid the children to come to their own understanding and asking questions instead of telling the answers and this could improve children’s comprehension and vocabulary (Chamberlin, 2014; Teachnology Inc, n,d). The child wanted to incorporate fantasy element in her story where the snowman has the ability to talk and I strongly agreed. Encouraging children’s imagination can develop their social skills and improve their confidence in learning or acquiring literacy skill (The Reader’s Digest Association, 2014). I started to involve myself more in the making of digital story when the child started to write text on each drawing as practitioners should â€Å"support and scaffold individual children’s writing as opportunities arise† (DfE, 2012a:31). I wanted to know the child’s writing skill so that I can support her to reach her maximum potential in literacy within her Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). ZPD refers to the distance between what a child can do independently and what they could potentially do with the support of more knowledgeable adults and peers (Tools of the Mind, 2014). For example, I provided the child with short stories and few words’ flashcards related to her story that she can use. From the few options, she was able to choose which words she wanted to use, for instance, the word ‘build’ instead of ‘make’. There were a few spelling error where she invented herself through the sounds of the words but I encourage the chil d to continue without correcting her because children’s invented spelling can reflects their attempts in connecting the relationships of language’s sounds to the alphabetic system (Whitehead, 2010). I could see the child’s confidence in writing increased when she write without looking hesitant. Through this, I realised the child is developing positively in literacy as the child’s writing skill matched the early learning goals in EYFS where she could write simple sentences that can be read and could spell some words correctly and some phonetically reasonable (DfE, 2012b). Subsequently, I put all her completed drawings together using PowerPoint because it is an easy and accessible software where users can create and design their slides without much difficulties and it is suitable for new learners (Boundless, n.d). The child was very excited as it was her first time seeing a story in a digital form, moreover, she was involved in creating it. PowerPoint has the function where the child can easily choose the animation/effect that allowed her to portray her story better. For example, the child chose the curtain opening effect to display the starting of her story. The software effects that are used in a digital story enable children to link their story effectively and demonstrate understanding of their own story where children get to improve their reading comprehension (Vogel, 2007). Through the attractive and interactive way of presenting the story telling using the effects, I believe it will support the child’s literacy learning through the linking of words to image as according to Bruner, children from the age 1-6 years in his second mode of representation, iconic, the information that children had learned is stored in the form of images (McLeod, 2008). I also chose to use voice recorder to record the child’s voice because â€Å"writing with real voice has the power to make you pay attention and understand† (Elbow, 1981:299 cited in Nilsson, 2010). Voice recording had allow the child to express things she cannot write in words (Nilsson, 2010), therefore the child felt no barrier to explore her own vocabulary and I can see this when she said words that she did not write in her story. The child wanted to put music alongside with her voice and I agreed as it will display her emotions and expressions when she was creating the story. After completing the editing, I played the slides and praised her for her great work as treating her story interesting and reread it again can show the child that her effort was worth i t (Lawrence, 1998). Reflecting on this experience, I felt that the making and the usage of this resource alongside with the theories and approaches that I followed brought a positive result in enhancing the child’s language and emergent literacies and also allowing the child to understand better about ICTs. Through reflecting, I realised I should include more children in creating the resource as the children’s collaboration could encourage the exchange of knowledge in literacy happen during the discussion and planning to create the digital story. I also understand that digital storytelling is a fun yet effective way to support children’s learning because it enable the child to create stories that interest her and expanding her scope of learning in a modernized way. Now that I understand the impact of ICT in children’s learning, I will continue to incorporate ICT in my future activities with the children but with larger group of children so that children from diverse backgroun d can also have the opportunity to experience and learn from the usage of the technology. List of References Bolstad, R. (2004) The role and potential of ICT in early childhood education. Available at: http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/ict/4983 (Accessed: 29 November 2014). Boundless (n.d) The Advantages and Disadvantages of Powerpoint. Available at: https://www.boundless.com/communications/textbooks/boundless-communications-textbook/preparing-and-using-visual-aids-16/using-powerpoint-and-alternatives-successfully-85/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-powerpoint-323-5654/ (Accessed: 2 December 2014). Chamberlin, J. (2014) Bringing books to life. Available at: http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/10/books.aspx (Accessed: 29 November 2014). Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) (2008) The Impact of Parental Involvement on Children’s Education. Nottingham: Crown. Department for Education (DfE) (2012a) Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage. London: Crown. Department for Education (DfE) (2012b) Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. London: Crown. Green, S., Peterson, R., Lewis, J. (2006) ‘Language and Literacy Promotion in Early Childhood Settings: A survey of Center-Based Practices.’ Early Childhood Research and Practice, 8(1), 27-47. Hatherly, A., Ham, V., Evans, L. (2010) Effective Learning in Early Childhood Education? The Impact of the ECE ICT PL Programme: A Synthesis Report. Available at: http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/ECE/79138/1.-childrens-learning (Accessed: 30 November 2014). Kazakoff, E. (2012) Toward Defining Digital Literacy in Early Childhood. Available at: www.eetcconference.org/wp/Digital_Literacy_Early_Childhood.pdf (Accessed: 2 December 2014). Lawrence, L. (1998) Montessori Read Write. London: Ebury Press. McLeod, S. (2008) Bruner. Available at: http://www.simplypsychology.org/bruner.html (Accessed: 29 November 2014). New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) (2008) ‘How Drawing in Conjunction with Writing Contributes to Literacy.’ Journal of Best Practices in Education, 1(6), 36-43. Nilsson, M. (2010) ‘Developing Voice in Digital Storytelling through Creativity, Narrative and Multimodality.’ International Journal of Media, Technology Lifelong Learning, 6(2), 148-160. Pierangelo, R. and Giuliani, G. (2008) Teaching Students for Autism Spectrum Disorders. California: Corwin Press. Roney, J. (2008) Digital Story Telling for Language and Culture Learning. Available at: http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/2812 (Accessed: 29 November 2014). Shah, A. and Godiyal, S. (2000) ‘ICT in the Early Years: Balancing the risks and benefits.’ Journal of Computing in Early Childhood, 3(1), 15-30. Teachnology Inc (n.d) Piaget’s Theory on Constructivism. Available at: http://www.teach-nology.com/currenttrends/constructivism/piaget (Accessed: 29 November 2014). The Reader’s Digest Association (2014) 5 Benefits of Encouraging Your Child’s Imagination. Available at: http://www.rd.com/advice/parenting/encourage-your-childs-imagination/# (Acccesed: 30 November 2014). Tools of the Mind (2014) Zone of Proximal Development and Scaffolding. Available at: http://www.toolsofthemind.org/philosophy/scaffolding/ (Accessed: 28 November 2014). UNICEF (n.d) United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Available at: http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf (Accessed: 27 November 2014). Vogel, J. (2007) Research Supporting Digital Storytelling. Available at: http://courseweb.lis.illinois.edu/~jevogel2/lis506/research.html (Accessed: 2 December 2014). Whitehead, M. (2010) Language and Literacy in the Early Years 0-7. 4th edn. London: SAGE Publications. 1

Comparing personnel management and HRM

Comparing personnel management and HRM Human resources must be appreciated, located and recovered, organised and managed with great care. Sound human resource management practices are necessary for retaining effective workforce. The HR function of Hilton Hotels focuses on actions that build workforce competencies and motivation that in turn positively influence their corporate strategies and gives them a competitive advantage. INTRODUCTION 2.1 Terms of reference According to some authors, Human Resource Management (HRM) is no different from personnel management and maintains that the obvious change is a relabeling process (Legge 1989, Torrington 1989). However, the new terminology may at least rid personnel management from its unfortunate welfare image and other negative connotations Sisson (1990) and thus save the ailing function from marginalisation. Some Human Resource academics argue and maintain that new labels on old bottles may have their uses even if it is only for marketing purposes. (Armstrong 1987, Guest 1989). The aim and objective of this report is to critically analyse the human resource strategies and policies of Hilton Hotels. In order to critically analyse and evaluate the human resource methods of Hilton Hotels critically, human resource management theories and models have been discussed and related to the success of Hilton Hotels The main themes for this report are General HRM overview of Hilton Hotel, learning and development, reward systems and training and development. The ways in which their strategies and policies support organisational goals have been evaluated. Recommendations have been made in areas that require improvements. 2.2 Overview of HRM Human Resource Management emerged in the 1990s.It can be traced to Drucker, McGregor and Bennis Drucker (1955) who introduced management by objectives (MBO) proposing that managers should direct employees towards a common goal through directed leadership. McGregor (1960) advocated management by integration and self control a strategy for managing people which increases motivation and pervades the whole business. Bennis (1964) introduced the idea of organisational development (OD). He argued that people have complex cognitive and social need, they respond better to collaboration and reason rather than power based on coercion and threat; and an organisation should be based on humanistic, democratic ideas, replacing the mechanistic value system of bureaucracy. Factors such as globalisation, competition and technological innovation caused the fading of personnel management. This change increased people management which addressed more strategic issues that personnel management ignored. There was therefore the need for managers to be more strategic in terms of managing their work force hence a new way of managing people strategically. Human Resource Management can be defined as the planning, acquisition and development of human resources necessary for organisational success. (Kreitner, 1995, p. 331). French (1964) expressed the importance of human resources by saying it creates organisations and make them survive and prosper. He advocated that it is the talent and skill of employees in using other materials and energy that result in the creation of useful products and services. (Braton and Gold 2003) defines HRM as a strategic approach to managing employment relations which emphasizes that leveraging peoples capabilities is critical to achieving sustainable competitive advantage, this being achieved through a distinctive set of integrated employment policies , programmes and practices. Human Resource Management involves five key models; The Michigan model of HRM (USA) ( Tichy, Fombrun Devanna (1982), Fombrun, Tichy Devanna 1984) The Harvard model (USA) (Beer, Spector, Lawrence, Quin Mills Walton 1984) Guests (1987) Model of HRM (UK) The Warwick model of HRM (UK) (Hendry and Pettigrew ,1990) Storeys (1992) Model of HRM (UK) (lecture notes) 2.3 Background Hilton Hotels Corporation is recognized around the world as a pre-eminent lodging hospitality company, offering guests and customers the finest accommodations, services, amenities and value for business or leisure. The Hilton brand has, for more than 80 years, been synonymous with excellence in the hospitality industry. Hilton is able to offer guests the widest possible variety of hotel experiences, including city center hotels, convention properties, all-suite hotels, extended stay, mid-priced focused service, destination resorts, vacation ownership and airport hotels. (Hilton webpage ). Hilton Hotels was founded in 1919 by Conrad Hilton. Hilton has 2,645 hotels offering over 485,000 rooms to the general public. Currently Hilton employs 135,000 members worldwide. Positions at Hilton range from receptionists to general managers to CEOs. The company manages property holdings under different names around the globe. These include Hilton Hotels, Conrad Hotels and Hampton Inn and Suites. METHODS 3.1 Data collection methods The data used in this research has been obtained mainly from secondary sources. Hiltons corporate website, independent websites, online journals and text books have been used. These sources gave insight into Hiltons human resource management strategies. Text books helped link HRM theory to the practices of Hilton. 3.2 Issues and challenges The first challenge encountered by the group was deciding on which organisation to choose. Several organisations came up but eventually we decided on Hilton Hotels because they had a very attractive website with a lot of information we needed to complete the report. There was also the challenge that comes with working in a group. The Elevator graduate scheme for this year has been postponed. This made it impossible for us to gather adequate information in that section for the report. There were also problems accessing information for the other graduate schemes because such information is only made available during recruitment times. There was the issue of time constraints for the report due to other assignments due in the same week. RESULTS 4.1 Business strategies Traditionally, the firm had focused on place, product and promotion, by establishing the finest hotels in the most attractive, convenient and sometimes expensive places in the world. In the new millennium, particularly after the attacks on September 11th, Hilton has gone after the mid-priced client and the more affluent lodging clientele. The Hilton hotels focuses on the brand identity and quality, structural growth, brand equity, operational efficiencies and 100% customer satisfaction guarantee when it comes to their business strategies. In 2006 a new strategy that boosted the hotels profits was to maintain management contracts rather than full ownerships. Another business strategy of the Hilton hotels was to ensure to keep up to the promises of all the connectivity demands of the Hilton guests. This was done in May 2009 as Hilton hotels connected with BT (British Telecom) and ensured high speed internet usage in 60 Hiltons across United Kingdom and Ireland. This strategy ensured Hiltons commitment to extra ordinary levels of customer services (Wolf G.M. Neumann, Area president UK). Hilton opened midsized hotel segments to mark 20 years of award winning leadership in 2004. Hiltons started carrying out 20% reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, waste output and energy consumption, 10% reduction in water consumption t o prove themselves as environment and customer friendly. 4.2 HR Strategies Goals and Missions The Hiltons want to establish themselves as a world premium choice of hotels and want Hilton to be a brand inclusive of everything. It wants to boost its international connections and mark many locations as Hilton. Hilton hotels want to operate the business in a way that provides for current needs as well as allowing future generations to meet their own needs. Hilton hotels set their annual goals based on the prior years actual results and performance. At the end of the calendar year a hotel must have achieved their goals in each of the Key Performance Indicators of the Balanced Scorecard, the Hilton award winning performance measurement system.   The Key Performance Indicators are   Operational Effectiveness,   Revenue Maximization,   Brand Management,   Loyalty, and   Learning Growth.   Their mission is To be the first choice of the worlds travelers, building on the rich heritage and strength of our brands by: Consistently delighting our customers Investing in our team members Delivering innovative products and services Expanding our family of brands Continuously improving performance in our balanced scorecard (Hilton hotels corporation). The objective of Hilton is to matain a high standard in HRM and to create a business culture which everyone can grow and develop their careers. Giving themselves a 10 year time frame, Hilton is looking to add another 1000 properties to its international decision. They intend to move into areas such as Russia where they have never been before. HR strategy involves a central philosophy of the way that people in the organisation are managed and the translation of this into personnel policies and practices.It requires personnel policies and practices to be integrated so that they make a coherent whole and also that this is integrated with the business or organisational strategy. Hilton offers comprehensive HR support for managed properties. This support includes but is not limited to all of the following areas: full review of HR systems and standards to ensure corporate and governmental compliance, compensation administration, team member relations, risk management, professional education and training, HR information systems, in-house benefits support, legal and labour compliance, HR communications and workforce planning and analysis. Our HR team is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in every area of team member loyalty and support. Hilton follows different approaches to manage HR(Hilton webpage). Ethnocentric approach: In which central values and business practices of home country are prelevant. The criteria for valuation and control are ascertained centrally from the headquarters. Polycentric approach: In this, under the supervision of local managers, subsidiaries are developed in each every country which results in little communication between headquarters and subsidiary. Geocentric approach: it tries to involve more integration between centre and subsidiaries to ensure close co-operation between the different parts of the chain, and implement both universal and local standards for evaluation and control. (Johnson 2003). 4.3 Overview of Hilton HR practices Successful organizations keep people issues at the fore front of their thinking and at the core of their decision making and planning. At Hilton hotel they believe Only those who feel valued can truly add value. This is the ethos behind every decision they make. A highly successful organization is one that has a unique organizational culture. Hill Jones (2001) described organizational culture as the specific collection of values and norms that are shared by people and groups in an organization and that control the way they interact with each other and with stakeholders outside the organization. At Hilton, There is a culture of support and sense of belonging that all workers of the Hilton family of hotels are made to feel at the work place. On their careers at Hilton page, emphasis has been laid on the fact that, recruits will be part of a growing company and a special family that is dedicated to a positive, productive and diverse working environment. Management looks forward to the special skills that individuals will bring to the job and at the same time, they have made an assurance that they are committed to the success and growth of their workforce. This implies that, they have in place a very good employer employee relationship at a strategic and operational level which creates job satisfaction ( see appendix A).The word family has been used considerably in their site. And if you join us, what should you expect from Hilton Hotels? Yes, you should expect to work hard, but above all you should expect to be treated as an individual, be rewarded for good performance and giving the little extra touches to our customers those Hilton Moments and, of course, enjoy your time with the Hilton family. So whether you are a seasoned professional or just starting out in this very diverse industry we would be delighted to welcome you to our family. (Hilton Hotel website). It clearly employs that there is an atmosphere of collectiveness of the workforce and a feeling of belongingness which does not only benefit the workforce but the organisation as a whole and effect contribute to satisfactory productivity, motivation and morale. It is therefore not surprising that they have one of the most enviable records of consistent international growth. Their work force is also referred to as team members. Team consists of individuals with different skills, knowledge, ideas and capabilities drawn from different background to execute a particular task. (Stuster 1996). Hayes (2002) suggests that a team is unlikely to function well unless its members are able to communicate effectively with one another and unless it is able to get over the interpersonal problems and conflicts which arise between individuals. Referring to the workforce as team members implies there is effective communication, engagement and also the influence of one another among employees and management, which enhances their performance. Engagement can be seen as ultimately about performance, because harnessing the discretionary effort of people does improve performance. If individuals are performing at their top potential, then it makes sense that teams, divisions, departments and organizations will work more effectively. Customers will receive better service, efficiency will improve, waste will be reduced, and overall performance will be enhanced (LGA, 2009:1). Hiltons HR team is dedicated to the persuit of excellence in every area of team member loyalty and support. 4.4 Training and Development The continuous learning and development of individuals are of crucial and strategic importance to organisations and thereby also to the overall economy. Organisational approaches vary greatly, but organisations that demonstrate a high commitment to HRM policies include as part of this commitment extensive training learning and development enabling them to achieve superior performance through their people. (Beardwell 2007:263). Hilton relates the success of their business to the skills, energy, initiative and commitment of their employees and team members. There is constant review of benefits available to employees to make sure they are competitive and can attract and retain the best people. (CSR Report 2005). Esprit is a Human Resource Management Programme based on Hiltons brand service standards which are truly extraordinary, focuses on courtesy, communication and guest satisfaction. Esprit helps employees develop their skills through ongoing monthly reviews, evaluation, certificates, and rewards for improving their knowledge and skills. This leads to higher employee satisfaction, higher standards of guest service and higher revenue and profits. With such great employee satisfaction Hilton International is able to recruit and retain the best in the industry and maintain high standards of people management (David LeMan, Regional Director of Human Resources Arabian Peninsula).(Hilton annual report 2002). With this approach to human capital investment and development, Esprit sets Hilton apart. It is therefore not surprising they have the worlds best hotel brand. Esprit focuses on the four Hilton core values expressed in its training manual; Customer to know who our customers are and provide them with the product and service they want. Quality that the customer is provided with an exceptional product by exceptional staff in terms of service and flexibility. People to work together and enjoy being part of a team and pulling together to provide excellent service. Profit to ensure that sales are maximized in answering the customers needs and that costs are controlled without compromising quality. (Hilton webpage) Hilton has a history of promoting from within the company. They provide opportunities for personal and professional development. Hilton believes that with their mission of becoming the preeminent global hospitality company the first choice of guests, team members and owners alike, they can only achieve this by constantly developing their workforce so that they can keep in tune with trends and developments in the hospitality industry. Hilton University is a worldwide award winning online portal available for team members to learn, train and develop. With more than 700 courses to choose from, employees can discover the best way to welcome guests, manage their time or coach a team of co-workers. This is available in different languages and a wide range of subjects (700 courses) to offer learning opportunities for staff in order for them to develop their skills on the job. It ranges from management skills, personal development courses, learning a language or financial training covering a range of skills for the hotel industry, from operational and technical to finance and general management. (Treven 2001; Johnson, 2003; Data monitor 2004; Brochure) It is a great way for staff to learn because it has been designed to help individuals learn at their own pace. It can be accessed from the hotel or office and even away from work. There are also virtual classroom sessions where staff can learn alongside other team members. Over 10,000 Hilton employees around the world have completed more than 80,000 courses at Hilton University since its inception (CSR Report 2005). This is a clear indication that a large number of employees take active part in the development programmes (appendix B). People are the only source of differentiation and sustainable competitive advantage. Essential to that is learning. Hence the director general for the IDP claimed that staff management and development will become the primary weapon available to managers to generate success (Rena, 200) cited in (Beardwell 2007: 263). The continuous learning and development of individuals are, therefore, of crucial and strategic importance to organisations and thereby also to the overall economy. (Beardwell 2007:263). Hilton has recognised the fact that majority of its team members are not English speakers. In 2003, the company gave 200 people the opportunity to improve upon their English by assessing an on line programme called Global English. This has benefited those employees involved. Most of those who had the opportunity of taking part are form developing and under-developed countries that did not have access to formal education which is often taken for granted in the West. (Brochure; Article, 200 2; Cushing, 2004). Elevator and premier class are also forms of training and development programs at Hilton (Appendix C for requirements). The aim of elevator is to develop a group of talented, internationally mobile people and fast track them to General Management positions within 5-8 years of starting the Program. It entails an initial 18 month training that consists of two international nine month placement. It is a combination of operational, all-round experience working in the 4 main areas of hotel business operations namely Business, development, Human resources and finance. There is also off the job training and business driven projects to complete. During elevator, progress is constantly assessed to make individuals know how well they are developing. Participants take part in four residential courses during the period. They will also have access to Hilton University the online learning and development tool to make use of their online business library. The elevator programme helped Hilton win the Best Development Program for Young Employees award at the 2005 World wide Hospitality Awards. Premier class is a nine month management and development program for employees aspiring to be department heads within the business. It focuses on key management skills needed to drive personnel and business performance in their hotel. Topics covered in this program include managing people and improving quality. We live in a changing world, new ideas and approaches emerge every day. Problems arise that need new solutions. This means constantly learning to keep up with the rapid change in the business environment. Hiltons learning culture acts as a source of job motivation and job satisfaction for employees which in the long run benefits the organization. 4.5 Performance Management and Reward Systems An organisations reward strategy is perhaps the area which, for employees provides the biggest bridge between rhetoric and reality. It is not only an essential tool in terms of retention, motivation and recruitment, it is an opportunity to demonstrate the culture of the organisation in a way that has real impact on employees. (Briscoe 1995; DAnnunzio-Green, 1997). Hilton believes there is the need to recognize and reward deserving and outstanding employees for their hard work and success. Employee benefit package is made up of a wide variety of features depending on the division and grade of the employee. Equilibrium is a worldwide quality initiative developed by Hilton. The aim is to ensure that individual guest needs are met and because Service quality is central to this, Esprit has been developed to embrace the key principles of employee recognition, respect and reward. HILTON INTERNATIONAL ESPRIT CLUB Only those that feel value can truly add value (Hilton hotel website) Human beings are diverse and complex and have different needs at a particular time. Therefore what satisfy one person will differ from another and also how a person is motivated depends on the needs, motive or drive of the individual. (BuchananHuzynski, 2004). Esprit encompasses a series of competitive training and development initiatives and a rewards program that gives colleagues a choice of benefits. Employees automatically become members of the Esprit club after completion of the training program. Employees are encouraged to create Hilton moments. The reward for this is Star points, bonds or certificates the currency for Esprit. This can be earned through Hilton as rewards for achievement and great guest service. The star points can be redeemed through a range of benefits. Examples are discounted hotel accommodation and food and beverage, health club membership, special rates on flights and car rental and mobile phones. Other reward systems include the the bright idea award, employee of the year or month award. Employees can also be nominated to representatives of the Hilton exchange committee, a forum where team members share ideas with the management to improve the hotel. In addition to the basic pay and remuneration received by employees, additional features are made available such as corporate discounts on hospitality services and travel. 4.6 Recruitment and Selection According to Armstrong (2005) organizations require employees with the right skills to ensure and sustain competitive advantage. Hilton believes that although year after year independent research confirm that they are the worlds most powerful hotel brand operating over 2800 hotels worldwide in more than 80 countries, in order for them to remain number one, they need to attract and develop the right people to be regarded as an employer of choice. Hilton relies heavily on the internet to advertise for candidates. They use websites like CatererGlobal.com, Milkround.co.uk, jorapido.co.uk and their own corporate website careersathilton.com. Occasionally they advertise in their annual brochures. Beardwell (2007) described outsourcing as a distinct business function from inside the business to an external third party. He goes on to say that outsourcing has become more and more common. Hilton receives over 1 million resumes annually. The company was therefore faced with the challenge of streamlining the hiring process in order for them to effectively assess viable candidates from among hundreds of applicants for specific positions. There was also the issue of administration being burdened with huge paper applications. Hilton deployed Oracles PeopleSoft Enterprise Human Capital Management Suite as Hiltons HR system of record worldwide, improving productivity, efficiency, and flow of critical data. (Oracle web site). This move helped them manage over 1.5million resumes annually, reduced administrative cost and burden, and helped to eliminate the paper based recruiting process enabling candidates to apply online. One of the ways in which they achieve this is through their award winning fast track graduate development Elevator program. THE ELEVATOR SCHEME The elevator scheme comprises of four stages selection process Stage 1- Application form: an on-line application form will have to be filled at this stage. Information such as personal details, education and work experience will be required. Based on this form, you may be invited to progress to Stage 2 of the process. Stage 2 Analytical reasoning tests: The applicant will have to go through a number of tests to assess his or her verbal and numerical reasoning ability. Based on the results at this stage, the applicant will be invited to complete Stage 3. Stage 3 Psychometric tests: This stage entails a series of tests that measure the applicants values and preferences. Successful applicants will progress to the next stage. Stage 4 Assessment Centre: At this stage, successful applicants will be accessed as in depth on several competencies. Only those who qualify will be offered a place on the elevator program. (Hilton.co.uk 28/11/09). 4.7 Managing the Employment Relationship . Beardwell (2007) described the employment relationship as containing an economic component, the exchange of work for payment but also includes a sociological dimension centred by power and authority. Hilton Hotels have their own in house team of attorneys and paralegals that provide various forms of legal support to their hotel management teams. Management of Hilton Hotels believes it is their responsibility to provide their employees with training in employment law, antitrust, privacy and ethics. Legal support is also provided in areas such as hotel operations and resources which include online answers to frequently asked questions and periodic newsletters. A prewritten specialized form of agreement is made upon employment between employee and management .This is made up of pay, working hours, holidays, and notes on grievance and disciplinary procedures. Hilton has available a panel of qualified counsel that help manage both insured and uninsured litigation. They respond to government subpoenas like wage garnishments and other legal orders made by the government. Hilton has a principle of equal opportunities based on merit. No employee or job applicant should receive less favor on the grounds of sex, religion, age, nationality, race, disability, marital status, or disability. Hilton strives to meet high ethical standards. They abide by the provision of Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Being a global hospitality and leisure company means Hilton operates in different communities and employs people with different cultures thus the workforce will be diverse. Having an equal opportunity policy works to the advantage of Hilton. This will ensure fair treatment of employees and the avoidance of discrimination. Hilton operates a whistle blowing policy which allows employees to bring acts of discrimination to the attention of senior management. Health and safety throughout operations is practiced for the entire workforce. A culture of risk management to ensure accidents and incidents is kept as low as possible. 4.8 Employment Involvement Hilton stresses much on employee involvement at all levels of the organization. For example, during the graduate development schemes, participants are assessed based on real life situations. Hilton outsourced giving Susan H.Lickert Hospitality Consulting Group (SHL) the responsibility of handling the assessment centre aspect of the recruitment process. SHL designed the process to take the form of a real hotel day to day experience. Candidates are given roles like receiving guests, taking orders etc and are assessed on their performance. This offers a true picture of the high demands in the industry that the selected candidates will go through. This level of training candidates go through prepares them for any situation they are likely to encounter when they take up their roles in the company. It also helps managers to know whether they are progressing the right and the expected way. It is not surprising Hilton has committed and talented managers in their hotels worldwide. Hiltons goa ls and values are embraced from the very beginning by the trainees and this leads to them performing as a team rather than at the individual level. With the SPARK Management program, employees are assigned senior management mentors who support and encourage them to get involved with projects and activities in the company. Employees are also invited to create career development review of what they have learned and what they hope to achieve in terms of career development within their respective departments. 5.1 HORIZONTAL INTEGRATION Whichever major city one finds him or herself there is a big chance of coming across a Hilton Hotel. Hiltons rapid expansion globally, example in the UK was based on the acquisition of competitor hotel chains like Statis. One of their strategies is gaining 1000 more properties within the next 10 years. This is linked to their HR practices. Their international expansion included the purchase of Scandinavian hotel chain Scandic. The acquired hotels are carefully evaluated to see whether their property profiles fit with the property requirements of Hilton Bran. Those that do not meet the requirements are sold. They enjoy economies of scale that lead to increased profit margins because they have the ability to leverage higher brand awareness by owning more hotels and spending more on marketing communications. They also have the opportunity of expanding operations more efficiently and quickly by gaining access to capital markets. (Bowie 2004). 5.2 VERTICAL INTEGRATION To add value, HR needs to achieve vertical integration. Hiltons business strategy, organizational culture and values impact the vertical fit. Hilton has very clear and certain strategic goals and this helps them in achieving a better vertical fit. They are able to merge their Business strategy into designing of HR practices that are compatible with their strategy. Hilton continues to demonstrate that building a satisfied and valuable workforce is not a quick-fix procedure, but an integrated approach that permeates through every aspect of the organization. Hilton tries to recognize the importance of employ

Political Parties in the United States Essay -- Papers USA Government

Political Parties in the United States When the founders of the American republic wrote the U.S. Constitution in 1787, they did not envision a role for political parties in the governmental order. Indeed, they sought through various constitutional arrangements such as separation of powers, checks and balances, and indirect election of the president by an electoral college to insulate the new republic from political parties and factions. In spite of the founders' intentions, the United States was the first nation to develop parties organized on a national basis and to transfer executive power from one faction to another via an election in 1800. THE EMERGENCE AND PERVASIVENESS OF POLITICAL PARTIES The development of political parties was closely linked to the extension of the suffrage as qualifications requiring property ownership to vote were lifted during the early 1800s. With a vastly expanded electorate, a means was required to mobilize masses of voters. Political parties became institutionalized to accomplish this essential task. Thus parties in America emerged as a part of this democratic revolution, and by the 1830s were a firmly established part of the political firmament. Today, the Republican and Democratic parties totally pervade the political process. Approximately two-thirds of Americans consider themselves either Republicans or Democrats, and even those who say that they are independents normally have partisan leanings and exhibit high levels of partisan loyalty. For example, on average 75 percent of independents who "leaned" either toward the Republicans or the Democrats voted for their preferred party's presidential candidate in the five presidential elections held between 1980 and 1996. The p... ...n of "protest" voting for third-party candidates. Gallup polls revealed that in 1992, 5 percent of Perot's voters said they would not vote for him if they thought he could win. Third parties and independent candidates also face a potentially daunting postelection problem in the event they are successful in winning the presidency. This, of course, is the problem of governing — staffing an administration and then working with a Congress dominated by Republicans and Democrats who would have only limited incentives to cooperate with a non-major-party president. John F. Bibby is a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and is the former chairman of the American Political Science Association's political parties subfield. An authority on U.S. politics and government, Bibby has authored Politics, Parties, and Elections in America. Political Parties in the United States Essay -- Papers USA Government Political Parties in the United States When the founders of the American republic wrote the U.S. Constitution in 1787, they did not envision a role for political parties in the governmental order. Indeed, they sought through various constitutional arrangements such as separation of powers, checks and balances, and indirect election of the president by an electoral college to insulate the new republic from political parties and factions. In spite of the founders' intentions, the United States was the first nation to develop parties organized on a national basis and to transfer executive power from one faction to another via an election in 1800. THE EMERGENCE AND PERVASIVENESS OF POLITICAL PARTIES The development of political parties was closely linked to the extension of the suffrage as qualifications requiring property ownership to vote were lifted during the early 1800s. With a vastly expanded electorate, a means was required to mobilize masses of voters. Political parties became institutionalized to accomplish this essential task. Thus parties in America emerged as a part of this democratic revolution, and by the 1830s were a firmly established part of the political firmament. Today, the Republican and Democratic parties totally pervade the political process. Approximately two-thirds of Americans consider themselves either Republicans or Democrats, and even those who say that they are independents normally have partisan leanings and exhibit high levels of partisan loyalty. For example, on average 75 percent of independents who "leaned" either toward the Republicans or the Democrats voted for their preferred party's presidential candidate in the five presidential elections held between 1980 and 1996. The p... ...n of "protest" voting for third-party candidates. Gallup polls revealed that in 1992, 5 percent of Perot's voters said they would not vote for him if they thought he could win. Third parties and independent candidates also face a potentially daunting postelection problem in the event they are successful in winning the presidency. This, of course, is the problem of governing — staffing an administration and then working with a Congress dominated by Republicans and Democrats who would have only limited incentives to cooperate with a non-major-party president. John F. Bibby is a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and is the former chairman of the American Political Science Association's political parties subfield. An authority on U.S. politics and government, Bibby has authored Politics, Parties, and Elections in America.