Operation Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Operation Management - Research Paper Example I have used Benchmarking, "Lean," and Business Process Reengineering for this purpose. I believe this approaches are the most suitable for the case of hotel business. I focused on shop – floor control process to examine it in more detail. I have chosen this operation because I believe this is one of the most important aspects of the hotel business. There are some considerations to analyze when applying the methods. At the same time there are some difficulties in application of the methods on practice. The way to solve them is to have a picture of all the business, not a particular process only and pay attention of each process features at the same time. Hotel is complex business that belongs to the service industry. It provides clients with a range of services which might be considered as separate business units, for instance, restaurant and hotel. At the same time, incorrect functioning of one unit or even service might negatively influence all the business. This makes operat ion management very important in this business and ability to set each process so that all hotel is functioning as one mechanism is considered as the mix of science and art. There are methodologies developed by scientists and managers to help to coordinate processes of design, supply, planning, shop-floor control, environment, technology and quality aspects of the business. The selection, collection and analyzing data must be accorded to the aims of the manager. I attempt to understand the business, analyze all the processes, detect fields for improvement and utilize tools and approaches to make processes more effective. Therefore, methods of the Black Box, Business process mapping, Benchmarking, "Lean," and Business Process Reengineering were used. Although, there is core information about the hotel I need some more to provide quality research and implement the tools. First of all I need a list of processes in the hotel with their description, indicators of effectiveness, input res ources and output quality. The very important information is the flow of clients for each of the processes. Besides, I need features of the hotels environment which influence the processes. For example, it’s suppliers, targeted clients, and other circumstances. Therefore, it is not enough to know only general information to implement the most of process improvement methods. First of all I would use the Black Box model to analyze the hotels activity in general, understand basic processes in the hotel and examine their effectiveness. Hotel is a kind of organization that has its inputs and outputs. There is a need to understand inputs and outputs before opening the â€Å"Black Box†. Inputs in hotel are 4 M’s: Manpower is all work of hotels personell (waters, hostess, administrators, cooks etc.), machinery is all kinds of mechanisms in the hotel that are used more than one operational cycle (kitchen ovens, ventilation system, cleaning machines, dishes etc.), materia ls are everything not inclyded in Manpower and Machinery that is used for only one operational period (food, napkins etc.). Money is special kind of resources needed to provide a hotel with neccesary oportunities to buy other three M’s when they are needed. The output of the hotel is different kind of services for their clients, for instance, sleeping, feeding,

History-Modern American Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History-Modern American Culture - Essay Example Thus, the progressivism arose as the main political ideology of America in the first half of the twentieth century. The underlying concept of progressivism was that the government could be used to improve the society. The reforms took place in all spheres from education, medicine, finance, insurance, industry, railroads, and so on. Under the leadership of Theodore Roosevelt, political and business leaders, and journalists like Ida Tarbell, and Lincoln Steffens, the country began to clean its systems up; cities began to appear cleaner and healthier, workplaces became safer and workers received more consideration from their employers and many of these changes were the result of ‘enlightened self-interest’1. Some notable achievements of progressivism were the antitrust laws, state and national income taxes, strict regulations on businesses, laws regarding minimum wages, the decision to have direct election of senators, and the Federal Reserve System. Some other developments that had a significant role in shaping American society were the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 and the establishments of juvenile courts. In addition, the Nineteenth Amendment allowed women’s suffrage. ... It enabled militarism, conscription, and allowed the federal government to intervene heavily in all regional affairs in the name of war and gave the central government total control over economy and the whole nation. Another important thing was the coming of females to the social front as envisaged by Progressivism. The National Defense established an Advisory Committee on Women’s Defense Work, thus enabling females to have a better position in the society, though indirectly, through food control and voluntary work in support of the war effort. Yet another point according to Rothbard is that the war has made it necessary for economy to cooperate with the government later allowing the government to have more control over the economic monopolies2. Though the Great Depression and World War II battered American economy, it again flourished considerably. As a result of the new social changes, wealth was more equitably distributed and the government had more control over investment, development and research. The GI bill enabled many to have education, many owned their own homes, and as a result of the growth, unemployment went down and wages rose considerably. Thus, one can say, the liberal consensus of America reached its peak. Probably as a result of the many wars it fought, the National Security Act recognized the federal government and a National Security Council was set up to advice the president. as Bigsby points out, the wars and the potential threat from Soviet Union helped the government to proceed with its aggressive military plans of alliances, treaties and military bases in many countries throughout the world3. A marked change in the position of Blacks in America did not take place until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965. Thus,

An Overview Of Trends In Tourism

An Overview Of Trends In Tourism Tourism is a rapidly changing industry. Outline the key trends in tourism demand at the start of the 21th century and examine their impact on accommodation providers. Tourism is a travel outside for the usual environment. People travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The 21th Century tourism has become a popular global leisure activity that will grow in new heights as it becomes more accessible to a larger cross section of the global population. The tourism industry is one of the most resilient and dynamic sectors of the economy and will result in commensurate economic opportunities for developed and emerging destinations around the world. A big number of challenges will be also created in attracting and serving increased tourism demand and in mitigating any potential negative externalities that will emerge as a result of tourisms rapid growth. The tourist industries of the successful destinations will strike a sense of balance in developing by monitoring international trends, ensuring that the benefits of tourism are more than any potential negative impact and achieve a more fair distribution of tourism profits. Tourism is a profi table business and that is a good reason for countries to focus on honing their abilities in tourism. The 21th century improves that tourism is a rapidly changing industry. In 2001 was a decrease of 0, 6% in international tourist arrivals, compared with 2000, and the decrease is continued for the first six months of the 2002 of 0, 2%. In 2008, there were over 922 million international tourist arrivals, with a growth of 1.9% as compared to 2007. International tourism receipts grew to 642 billion euro in 2008, which mean an increase in of 1.8%. The international demand for a travel suffered a slowdown that began in June 2008, as a result of the late 2000 recession. During the first eight months of 2008 the growth from 2007 to 2008 was only 3.7%. The markets of Asian and Pacific were affected. Europe stagnated during the summer, while the Americas performed better, reducing their expansion rate but keeping a 6% growth from January to August 2008. During the same period the Middle East continued its rapid growth reaching a 17% growth as compared to the same period in 2007. This slowdown on international tourism demand was also reflected in the air transport industry, with a negative growth in September 2008 and a 3.3% growth in passenger traffic through September. The hotel industry also reports a slowdown, as room occupancy continues to decline. During September and October the global economic situation deteriorated dramatically, as a result of the global financial crisis. For the remaining of 2008 the growth of international tourism is expected to slow even further continuing into 2009. The slowdown in demand growth has already hit the top spender countries. The long-haul travel is the most affected by the economical crisis. This negative trend intensified as international tourist arrivals fell by 8% during the first four months of 2009, and the decline was exacerbated in some regions due to the outbreak of the influenza AH1N1 virus. During 21th century tourism industry is characterized by numerous issues and trends that present threats and opportunities. Many countries suffered from terrorist threats that have been increased. After the attacks in New York and Washington that followed by two wars, in Afghanistan and Iraq and continued with terrorist attacks in the Bali (bombing 2002 and 2005), in London, Madrid, Bangkok and other destinations. The result of this terrorist attacks is to increase the need of people for safety and security. These procedures are creating inconvenience. Inconvenience we see at the airports with longer lines and in visa policies and standards that are stricter. Another issue of this century is that China growth into a large source markets in the Asia Pacific region. China has become a primary focus of the worlds tourism industry and the Chinese nationals have been increasingly visiting international destinations and this trend will continue to increase from now on. During this century new destinations are coming to the tourism market. India, Egypt, South Korea, Vietnam, New Zealand, South Africa, Eastern Europe and the Philippines have been recently launched. As a result competition to mainstay destinations, such as Australia, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia, increases. The UNWTOs Tourism 2020 Vision forecasts that international arrivals are expected to reach nearly 1.6 billion by the year 2020. The total tourist arrivals by region shows that by 2020 the top three receiving regions will be Europe (717 million tourists), East Asia and the Pacific (397 million) and Americas (282 million), followed by Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. Regions like Europe and America are expected to show lower rates. Europe will achieve the highest level of arrivals, although there will be a decline from 60% in 1995 to 46% in 2020. It will be fast grow in the long-haul travel worldwide at 5.4% per year over the period 1995-2020, than intraregional travel, at 3.8%. In an attem pt to increase the value and synergy for the tourist and the participating economies the emergence of sub-regional cooperative agreements is on the rise. In the long term prospects is also to increase the awareness and consciousness among travellers for the sustainable and green tourism. For many countries tourism is vital. Greece, Thailand, Egypt, Fiji, Maldives are examples of these counties due to the large intake of money for businesses with their goods and services and the opportunity for employment in the service industries associated with tourism. ¶ These service industries include hospitality services, such as accommodations, including hotels and resorts. Even with problems related to the global economic slowdown, travel and tourism are already part of consumer behavior. That mean that people like to travel are still willing to travel. The European countries have observed increases in domestic tourism, more travel within the same region, increases in travel by road and rail, increases in the individual trips, more direct booking, and an increased use of low-cost airlines. Some changes are temporary but many of them are structural. The supply has two main elements, the destinations and the industry. The future of the destinations depends on their ability to adapt to demand. The effects are more visible in the industry. The tour operators and the accommodation providers have been hit harder by the weakness of the outbound markets, later booking, the tendency towards shorter length of stay, and cost-cutting on business trips. The industry has to adapt to these new facts. The hotels all over the world enjoyed a boom through mid 2007. The levels of the occupancy were high as the room rates and the levels of the travelers were strong. However, the global financial crisis put a damper on hotel occupancy that continued into 2008 and 2009. A big number of hotel construction projects have been cancelled. Travel and tourism operators best-positioned to suffer the least damage are those able to offer low-priced options. In order to avoid losing sales  ¶during the periods of economic slowdown hotels and airlines have increasingly invested in low-cost brands. This economic downturn led to an increase of demand for low and mid-priced hotel and dec reased the demand for luxury hotels. The travellers looking for economy travel accommodation. On the other hand the average daily room rates become higher because of the non-existed competition and the low number of chained hotel outlets. http://www.ncsu.edu/tourismextension/documents/top10traveltrends.pdf http://www.ensino.uevora.pt/tmp/cursos/PPT/TIC/aula_02_anexo2.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism http://www.traveldailynews.com/pages/show_page/7543-Tourism-Trends-by-Tourism-Control-Intelligence http://www.tiac-aitc.ca/english/documents/advocacy/2009/2008StatisticsCompendiumFinal.pdf

Aruba :: Free Descriptive Essay About A Place

Aruba Aruba’s culture is a collection of values, beliefs, and traditions from several nations over hundreds of years. The language, architecture, schooling, language, festivities, and folklore have made the Aruban natives the people they are today. The native population has ethnic roots in Arawak, African, and European peoples. This is evident in the local foods, architecture, celebrations, and languages. There is also a mix of expatriates from Europe, the Caribbean, and Latin America working in various industries on the island. Culturally, Aruba has strong ties to Holland; it’s colonial occupier and present-day partner in the Netherlands kingdom. The official language of the island is Dutch, seen on street signs, government documents, and several local newspapers. Most people of Aruba, particularly those in the tourism business, speak English . There are four languages spoken overall there and they are Dutch, English, Spanish, and Papiamento. Papiamento is not a dialect but a language that is evidence to the many influences of older languages and Aruba’s culture and traditions. It has traces of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French and local Indian languages. It is a language that began in Curacao in the 1500’s in an attempt to help slave owners communicate with their slaves. It’s a comparatively easy language to learn with a limited vocabulary and a spicy rhythm that makes it â€Å"fun†. The challenging aspect of Papiamento is the importance of proper emphasis on the right syllable. If this is done incorrectly another meaning to the word intended may be interpreted. Some examples of Papiamento are as follows; Very good is Hopi bon, Good Morning is Bon dia, Good Afternoon is Bon tardi, Good Evening is Bon nochi, and Have a good day is Pasa bon dia. Even with a limited knowledge of Spanish an d French, one can find similarities and traces of the two within these few phrases . The education system of Aruba has established the same standards to those employed in the Netherlands. Teachers communicate with their students primarily in Dutch. English is required of students by the fourth grade and many become fluent in their early adult years. Spanish, French, and German are three other languages offered to students while attending school. On the island, school facilities include a secondary education, a teacher’s college, a law school, and technical and training establishments.

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald Essay

Many characters in the Great Gatsby parallel to Fitzgerald life. For example, Daisy, the women Jay Gatsby has been basing his whole life on, is similar to Zelda Sayre, who would not marry Fitzgerald at first because of his lack of success. Gatsby and Fitzgerald both met vital women to their lives at dances, and both while they were stationed at camps in the army. Gatsby met Daisy at Camp Taylor in Illinois, where they danced and fell in love. However, after Gatsby went off to war, they never got back together again. Fitzgerald met his wife, Zelda, at Camp Sheridan in Alabama. Instead of going off to war (his regiment was ready to go to Europe, but the Armistice came before they could leave the States), he went to New York to get enough money to marry Zelda. In the movie version, Daisy tells Gatsby that â€Å"Rich girls don’t marry poor boys. † This line was taken straight out of Fitzgerald’s life. The father of his first love, a young woman by the name of Ginevra King, supposedly told him that after Fitzgerald asked for Ginevra’s hand in marriage. The Great Gatsby is F. Scott Fitzgerald’s most renowned book, and still one of the most read novels in American literature. A book with this much success was obviously was a product of great influence. The Great Gatsby draws many extensive parallels between F. Scott Fitzgerald’s life and this novel. These similarities range from basing characters off important people from his personal life to interweaving intricate love relationships he went through into the novel to recreating the American Dream. The book comes as a direct result of many of the events in Fitzgerald’s early life. First off, are the most noticeable parallels, the character he chooses. Fitzgerald parallels himself in two of the main characters in The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby, and Nick Carraway. Nick represents Fitzgerald’s passive, or indecisive, and observant characteristics. On the other hand, Gatsby shows Fitzgerald’s passionate and active attributes.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – 3

Ernest Hemingway probably summed it up best when he said, â€Å"All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn† (source). We’re dealing with quite a book here. Published in 1885, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain’s follow-up to the Adventures of Tom Sawyer, carved new territory into the American literary landscape in several ways. As one of the first novels to use a specific region’s vernacular in its narration, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn set a precedent for many other distinctly American works to follow. Some readers didn’t exactly â€Å"get† this new colloquial style, however.Accustomed to the proper prose of Hawthorne, Thoreau, and Emerson, some readers didn’t know what to do with Huck’s particular way of storytelling. Aside from the novel’s new style of writing, Twain’s decision to use thirteen-year-old Huck as the narrator allowed him to include certain con tent that a more civilized narrator probably would have left out. At first, Twain’s novel was labeled crass by some readers. The book was even banned in schools for its use of the n-word which is ironic, given that the novel is up in arms over slavery. Even today, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn makes â€Å"Banned Books† lists.Twain’s novel jumped head first into one of the biggest issues of its day: racism. Although the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed over two decades before Huckleberry Finn’s original publication date, African-Americans everywhere were still victims of oppression and racism. They were technically â€Å"free,† but often by name only in Reconstruction-era America. Many southerners were bitter about the outcome of the Civil War. By guiding his characters through several states of the Confederacy, Twain was able to reveal the hypocrisy of many pre-war southern communities.As a southerner himself, Twain had first-hand exp eriences to draw on, and he was able to walk the fine line between realistic depiction and ironic farce. Not to mention, Twain created the now-iconic character of Jim, a runaway slave who convinces Huck that African-Americans are deserving of freedom, and that equality is a goal for which we all should be fighting. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is now considered to be one of the Great American Novels, mostly due to how it so heartily champions the American ideals of freedom, independence, and rugged individualism.Huck’s dedication to his own moral standards and his bold sense of adventure and self-sufficiency have earned him a place in the All-American Hall of Fame. In addition, Twain is a hilarious storyteller, and the plot of this novel is a roller-coaster ride of moral dilemmas – so trust us when we say that if you haven’t taken the ride yet, you probably should. Why Should I Care? Mark Twain wrote Adventures of Huckleberry Finn twenty years after the Am erican Civil War. Slavery had been abolished, and the North and South were making up (albeit with some residual anger).So why publish a highly moralistic tale about a system that was no longer in place? Weren’t race issues a moot point once slavery was out of the picture? Hardly. Freedom didn’t mean equality by any means – not legally, socially, or practically. (See Shmoop History's â€Å"Jim Crow in America† for more. ) Actually, come to think of it, this isn’t an outdated notion at all. Rules and laws often don’t accurately reflect what’s really going on. From a legal standpoint today, we have equality of race; yet racism is still a problem.Men and women are equal, yet many still see a â€Å"glass ceiling† for women in the workplace, meaning they often have invisible boundaries to advancement. That doesn’t mean laws are useless. Laws may not immediately effect change, but we’ve seen that they do precede change. While laws can affect how people act, it takes more to change the way we think. We can’t rely on laws alone. That’s where The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn comes back into the picture. We need people like Mark Twain to remind us not to be self-congratulatory for starting a process in motion,