Mans Existence Defined by Being and Nothing Essay Example for Free

Mans Existence Defined by Being and Nothing Essay I. Introduction What makes a person alive? Should existence be defined simply by a persons biological and physical ability to move and breathe? Is existence proven by the mere physical presence of a living person? Philosophers down the ages have advanced many theories of how human existence is defined. Some have advance theories based on the establishment of being after the fulfillment of a lifes purpose. Others opined that a persons fear or experience of dread and nothingness defines existence. Some however believe that it is a combination of these yin/yang forces that define human existence. II. Discussions on Existence, Being and Nothingness People are defined as human beings in Biology.   It is what separates humans as a specie from animals.   But shouldn’t the word â€Å"human† be enough? What is the significance of the verb â€Å"be?†   Several theories have been advanced to define the tangible things one sees in life but as philosopher Martin Heidegger noticed, they have forgotten to ask what to â€Å"be† really is (Philipse. 1998. p18). The question of what defines human existence has intrigued philosophers over the ages. Theories have gone beyond the basic qualification of life as the simple and obvious ability to move and breathe. Existentialism however, puts forward the more abstract concepts of defining one’s being as influenced by boredom, freedom, commitment and alienation (Warnock.1970.p.4).   It separates the human existence into â€Å"being† and â€Å"nothing.† What makes a human a â€Å"being†? According to Heidegger, a de-constructional view of existence is necessary to include the essence of humans being as opposed to the classical thought of the obvious and therefore unexplored being (Philipse, 1998.p.3). One of Heidegger’s main influences, Edmund Huserll (Grimsley.1960.p.37) said that philosophy should be described in the context of human experience and goals.   People do and live in accordance with one â€Å"plan† or goal.   Heidegger modified this with his theory of â€Å"care,† (Cochrane. 1956. p112) which, simply stated means that a person’s priorities or what he or she considers important defines their existence.  Ã‚   For him, it is the motivation and the individual needs that define a person’s existence and thus shapes them into what they are. In his work â€Å"Being and Time,† Heidegger created the representation â€Å"Dasein† of the individual that seeks to answer the question as to why he exists.   He states the Dasein is â€Å"thrown† into a world of possibilities and responsibilities, and to account for his existence, the Dasein must take responsibility for all these possibilities (Cochrane, 1956 p. 136). Another philosopher who advances the notion of a reality governed by consciousness, Rene Descartes in his â€Å"Meditations on First Philosophy† states that in human existence, the only thing that cannot be doubted is consciousness.   Reality can have many illusions, but a human being’s consciousness is constant which therefore makes it the only truth (Snooks, 1998.p 26). The famed German philosopher George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (Stace,1955. p. 44) summed it up in the statement â€Å"the rational alone is real† which presented the idea that everything can and will only be expressed in rational categories His various works reflected methods predominantly rooted in logic According to Hegel,   the degree of comprehension of concepts is only limited or expanded by the standards of knowledge a person possesses and the level of society he belongs to (Stace,1955. p. 46)   . The ideas of existentialism contradict this. The definition of a person’s existence is not dependent on rational thinking but rather their individual â€Å"beings† in the world they were born in.   Reality in reference to one’s existence is subjective. In Sartre’s â€Å"Being and Nothingness,† he defines the actuality of man’s ideal of completion as the fulfillment of state of â€Å"Being† while nothingness is the failure or lack of this actuality (Schilpp. 1997.p.48) Like Hegel, Sartre also used the concepts of â€Å"Being† in terms of â€Å" in itself†, â€Å"for others†, and â€Å"for and in itself.†   Unlike Hegel however who defined these as organizational thought processes and logic in the individual, Sartre stated these terms with definitions done to identify and qualify the subjective and objective facets of human existence. Regarded as the â€Å"Father of Existentialism,† and one of Hegel’s greatest critics, Soren Kierkegaard (Malantschuk, 2003.p.11 )was a Danish philosopher who proposed that it is an individual’s feelings such as dread and anxiety that lead to making choices that define a person’s life. Kierkegaard believed that the difference between an individual’s self-perception of being and nothingness stems from the â€Å"individuality† of a person and that includes emotions and passions. A persons existence therefore, is brought about by his fears. He cites a parallel of faith and atheism.   In his theories that were viewed as anti-organized religion, Kierkegaard states that for a person to be able to â€Å"make a leap of faith,† one must first have doubt. Otherwise, one may not be able to differentiate faith from everyday emotions. In the same way, Being cannot exist without â€Å"Nothing† and vice-versa (Malantschuk, 2003.p.90) Kierkegaard also advanced the   paradoxical theory of the Concept of Dread (Ussher, 1968.p. 52). According to Kierkegaard’s concept of Dread, it is only when one has experienced total misery that one can recognize and experience life and living. Only by being a sacrificial Isaac would he recognise himself for the beloved of Abraham: and no miracle (he knew in the end) would intervene. (Ussher, 1968.p. 27). It is not unusual in today’s times to hear the maxim â€Å"You never know what you have unless you’ve lost it.†Ã‚   The misery or anxiety at the thought of losing something makes one realize how much value they have truly assigned to something. The thought of this is echoed in German journalist Helmut Kuhn’s â€Å"Encounter with Nothingness: An Essay on Existentialism† (1949): The question of existence is urged upon us chiefly by our interest. We raise it when we care for the existence or the nonexistence of something. When darkness closes down, we do get excited about the existence of light (Kuhn, 1949) Immanuel Kant presented a style of inquiry that takes to consideration the physiological and empirical facets of a person’s state of Being. Kant believed that an introspective approach was necessary for one to understand and make sense of ones own being (Kant, 1965). Sartre, one of the strongest critics of Kantian theory argues that the notion that human emotions are insignificant and occasional â€Å"situations† that occur of an individual’s behavior is unacceptable. Moreover, emotion must not be considered as a set of empirical facts gained through introspection or as a corporeal phenomenon , but rather as an organized form of human existence   (Schilpp, 1997.p.13) As a person’s existence and state of â€Å"Being† are subjective, so is the definition of â€Å"nothingness.† The lexicon meaning of the word â€Å"nothing† is given as â€Å"1 : not any thing : no thing; 2 : no part;   3 : one of no interest, value, or consequence† In philosophy however, despite the many theories that sought to define existence, the definition of the word nothing seems to be universal.   It simply means failure to attain a state of Being through lack of fulfillment and failure at the attainment of purposes or goals. III. Summary The human being and existence is a complex and paradoxical concept.   All the concepts are true in a sense, but were never really complete in describing or pinpointing the meaning of life. Different schools of thought range from describing human existence in a mathematical sense then evolving into the more abstract consideration of complex human emotions. Classical philosophy in its rational and logical basis, says it is Mind over matter. Sartre, Hegel and Heideggers philosophies are summed up in the End justifies the Means. Kierkegaards neurotic view of the existence as a result of anxiety and dread is summed up in You dont know what you have until youve lost it. IV. Conclusion Given the many points of view advanced, there remains a constant, and that is recognition of the human free will. It is the will that makes a choice that rational, experiential or pessimistic, influences the End that defines and justifies a persons existence. A persons experience of past and present in addition to his perception of what the future could be are subjective.   The significance people place on certain things is also subjective.   Reactions are subjective.   Life is subjective.   One can choose to define existence in the manner of different philosophies. However, it is important to note that these schools of thought are not rules that encompass every persons experience of life.

Asian Stereotypes Essay Example for Free

Asian Stereotypes Essay Stereotypes are everywhere in todays society. The media today such as television, radio, and the internet constantly remind us of the stereotypes for different races, genders, religions, and numerous other categories. Stereotypes of Asians in particular have been around for a fairly decent length of time. In the late 19th century, the term Chinky Chink was used to describe the American fear that a large number of Asians would immigrate to the United States. Americans were afraid that the Asian immigrants would invade the country and take jobs away from Americans. At this time, many anti-Asian feelings were expressed, especially on the West Coast, through headlines such as The Yellow Peril' (Los Angeles Times, 1886). In 1924, the Immigration Act was passed, limiting the number of Asians allowed into the United States because by then they were considered an undesirable race. Racism back then eventually evolved into the stereotype ingrained in todays society. One of the more common Asian stereotypes in our world specifically pertains to East Asians. East Asia as a phrase usually refers to the countries of China and Japan, as the main countries subject to stereotyping. Generally, Asians are portrayed as being smart in subjects such as math or science, hardworking, politically ignorant, and very polite and inoffensive. They are also portrayed as having no peripheral vision, which supposedly leads to bad driving. Common stereotypes are martial artists, geeks, and foreigners. Being foreigners, Asians are attributed to speaking poor English and replacing the letters -l and -r with each other. Muttering random nonsense and using words that rhyme on -ng sounds like ching, chang chong is another depiction commonly associated with Asians. Asians in America are considered to be inadaptable, inherently fixed in their own culture and unable to become truly American. A common stereotype for Asian parents is that they only care about their childrens grades and academic future. They dont allow their kids to go out with their friends, as parents of other ethnicities are wont to do. Instead, sons and daughters of Asian parents are told to stay home, study hard, get into a good prestigious college, and live life with a high-paying, high-status job. Old Chinese and Japanese people are described as being extremely wise with long beards, the image drawn from the Chinese philosopher Confucius. East Asian food is stereotyped as well, the most well-known Chinese food among Westerns being egg rolls, chow mein, and chow fun, and fortune cookies. Surprisingly enough, most of the Chinese food Westerns love to eat is almost 100% a Western adaptation of the original. The fortune cookie we know today was invented in America, not China as most ignorant people believe. Asian stereotypes based on physical appearances also exist. During World War II, efforts were made to distinguish enemy Japanese from friendly Chinese simply through physical appearance therefore leading to further stereotyping and the attribution of physical traits to each group. Such stereotypes include slanted eyes for slits. In the past, Asian men in particular have been thought to be fairly feminine. The main reason for this stereotype lies in the fact that Asians used to do what was considered womens work. These Asian workers were, as a whole, shorter than the average American man, sported long braids, and sometimes wore long silk gowns. Chinese men were seen as an economic threat to the white workforce so laws were passed that prevented the Chinese from working in many different industries. Due to those laws, Asians were forced to do what was deemed womens work by the society at the time. In the media, Asian men were often compared to white women. Two important fictional Asian characters in Americas cultural history are Fu Manchu and Charlie Chan. Both were created by white authors Sax Rohmer and Earl Biggers in the early 1900s. Fu Manchu is an intelligent, evil Chinese murderer with plots of world domination. He is the picture of Americas imagination of a supposedly mysterious and threatening Asian race. On the other hand, Charlie Chan is a submissive Chinese detective who solves cases while politely accepting or ignoring the numerous racist insults thrown at him by the white American characters. Charlie is the picture of Americas view of a good Asian. Both characters found huge popularity in many novels and views. Through these two characters invented by white Americans however, the American consciousness has been disillusioned with these stereotypes of Asians. As Asian men have stereotypes, Asian women also have stereotypes created mainly through the minds of perverted Americans. Asian women have been described as aggressive sexual beings. Western culture has promoted stereotypes of Asian women, calling them Dragon Ladies, China dolls, and Geisha girls. According to UC Berkeley Professor of Asian American Studies Elaine Kim, this stereotype of Asian women being submissive sex objects impedes their economic flexibility and has caused the increase in demand of ethnic pornography. Stereotypical portrayals of Asian women created by sexist white men continue to be a presence in movies despite their now disguised form. Researchers have theorized that the common stereotypes today could possibly be influencing the perception of Asians ability and probability of earning managerial positions. The stereotypes involving Asians as nerds, submissive, and quiet leads to the mindset that Asians are a good labor source. Therefore, this leads to the expectation that Asians are incompetent leaders. Because our society today values individuality, Asians find it extremely hard to fit in with these expectations, due to their original values of close families and groups. This stereotype has sometimes led to Asian employees being taken advantage of and lowers the likelihood for Asian professionals to be considered for a management position. Asians are supposedly highly qualified scientists and engineers, but lacking characteristics for leadership positions. Among all other racial groups, Asians have the least chance of advancing into leadership positions. A pattern has been created of education helping entry into professional fields, over-representation in technical fields, but under-representation in executive positions. The stereotype that Asian students are geniuses prevents them from accepting academic and emotional problems and asking for help. Whether they are excelling or having problems, it is imperative to acknowledge that Asian students may be experiencing school, social, and family stresses in order to uphold their model Asian image. Stereotyping Asians increases peer discrimination such as being threatened, having racist comments said to them, and being excluded from activities. By only focusing on the Asian stereotype of exceptional students and generalizing all Asians with it, this model does not take into consideration the large number of Asian American students and their families who suffer from poverty and illiteracy. WORKS CITED Chen, Tina T. Asian American Empowerment. Model Minority. May 2004. Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University. 15 Dec. 2008 . Kim, Angelea, and Christine J. Yeh. Stereotypes of Asian American Students. ERIC Digest. 15 Dec. 2008 . Stereotype: East Asian stereotypes. Wikipedia. 14 Dec. 2008 . Stereotypes of East and Southeast Asians in the United States. Wikipedia. 14 Dec. 2008 . ? Response By doing this project, I have learned much about stereotypes and essentially racism against Asians. Prior to doing this project, I had already known some stereotypes, even some which were used on me. Among some of those I knew are Asians as smart students, Asian parents as very academic focused, and Asians that have poor English and driving. In reality, I had planned on writing a research paper on stereotypes in general, but there probably wouldve been too many aspects to cover. Therefore, I decided to choose a single stereotype, which was the East Asian stereotype. Through researching, I have learned many different stereotypes for Asians. For example, I now know different stereotypes pertaining to Asian men as well as Asian women. While writing my research paper, I was rather surprised at the number of stereotypes I was unaware of. On the other hand, I already knew some of the stereotypes mentioned. It was just a matter of taking some of the stereotypes in my own life to add details to the stereotypes I found online. By the time I finished researching and writing my paper, I felt like I knew tons more about Asian stereotypes than I had before. It was a bit saddening to see how many completely wrong conceptions there are today of Asians. Although I am Asian myself, I do not find any offense in any of these stereotypes for I know that they are not true. They may apply to a majority of the Asian American population, but I rest in the knowledge that I can be an exception to the stereotypes set by todays society.

Carnival Cruise Lines Today

Carnival Cruise Lines Today This document is based on the Harvard Business Case study about Carnival Cruise Lines Applegate, Kwortnik, Piccoli, 2006. It is written as a master thesis for the Master of Information Management (MIM) studies by Christianne Aussems, Nathalie Claes, Eric Janssen and Cornà © van Schaik, under the supervision of Piet Ribbers, Professor of Information Management, all at TiasNimbas Business School in Tilburg. 1.1 About this report This report describes the information management strategy for Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL) for the period 2007-2011. It proposes changes in organization, management, systems, and governance structure for CCL and describes the implementation plan, including prioritization and a costs and benefits analysis. The target audience of the report is Myles Cyr, CIO of Carnival Cruise Lines, and in addition for the strategic management level of CCL. 1.2 Assignment description | Aim and Scope [Bob Dickinson informed the board about the goals for the next years. He wants Carnival Cruise Lines to stay the market leader and to improve the repeat guest rate. He is convinced that the potential value of customer data is growing. Therefore he is looking for a way to manage customer relationships more adequately. In the meeting he also mentioned the desire to reduce the gap between quality improvements and customer perceptions of the services. Myles Cyr agrees on establishing a new sales strategy for the years to come and on the necessity to know the customers better. He wants to incorporate an overall vision on and evaluation of the information architecture and the existing information systems. At this moment he and Dwayne Warner are thinking of starting the preparation an extensive revision (possibly a rebuild) of the shipboard systems (Property Management System and Point of Sale Systems) including the replacement of the Sail Sign card (with magnetic strip) by a chip card in combination with the introduction of portable equipment based on the IP protocol. Myles Cyr explicitly asks to elaborate on the opportunities of IS to contribute to the business and to the value chain. The board is expecting that the relative IT operating costs can be reduced in the next years. He expects an analysis and evaluation of the current state of IT/IS. What is good? What possible weaknesses are there? What problems have to be solved? Which improvements are opportune? He expects a balanced report containing your proposals to enhance the quality of data processing and information provisioning (including handling customer data). Carnival Cruise Lines can only resist and beat the market forces, if the company is innovative, acts agile and reacts fast and effectively to changes in the markets.] Topics to be incorporated in report: -Existing bottle necks that have to be removed. -Changes in organization, management, control concept and governance. -Changes in systems, data processing and data provisioning. -Change management process to meet the proposal. -Implementation plan including prioritization. -Risk assessment of the components of your advice. -Improvement of security and risk management (especially privacy protection). -Costs and benefits analysis of the proposed alternatives. 1.3 Structure Beschrijven van fase naar fase Cindy 1.4 Approach To gather extra information on IT in the cruising sector there was the opportunity to do qualitative research at another cruising organization being Royal Caribbean. Gekozen voor andere maatschappij om huidige bedrijfsvoering niet te verstoren/verontrusten? The research performed here was qualitative research trough semi structured interviews As described in the bookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ p467. For this research the entire IT executive team (see appendix) was found willing and able to participate. Interview guides were created, for these interviews. These described the goals and topics of the interview and the questions to be asked. This gave the researchers a structure to ask the questions, not to forget important questions and not to get distracted from the goals of the interview. On the other hand this approach also gave flexibility to discuss unforeseen but relevant topics. On forehand it was not clear for all the interviewees what their role and responsibilities where and what to ask them . This approach also gave the flexibility to start the interview with just a few questions but in the end having gathered a lot of information. Being able to interview more than 10 different IT executives in different roles and on different levels also gave an insight on important topics on that moment. Interview guide interview minutes For the execution of the interviews there was a clear division of the roles between the interviewers, there was one interviewer in the lead for asking the questions, one checking whether all the questions were asked and one making notes for the meeting minutes. Ruimte Literatuur 1.5 Constraints Timing Tool selectie reeds gedaan 2. Carnival Cruise Lines Today Carnival Corporation plc is a global cruise company and one of the largest vacation companies in the world. Carnival generates all of its revenues from the cruise industry. The companies wide-ranging product offerings provide guests with exceptional vacation experiences at an outstanding value. The success in providing quality cruise vacations has made Carnival the most profitable company in the leisure travel industry. Carnivals stock is dually listed on both the New York Stock Exchange and on the London Stock Exchange under symbol CCL. Carnival is the only company in the world to be included in both the SP 500 index in the United States and the FTSE 100 index in the United Kingdom (Carnival Corporation PLC, 2012). Carnival Corporation operates a fleet of 100 ships, with another seven ships scheduled for delivery between now and March 2016. With approximately 200,000 guests and 77,000 shipboard employees, there are more than 277,000 people sailing aboard the Carnival fleet at any given time (Carnival Corporation PLC, 2012). For the purpose of our report it is crucial to understand how the Carnival Cruise Lines corporation works today. We need to understand how the various aspects of the business are set up and how they work together. Only after a true understanding of the current situation, we can come with proposals for improvement and indicate the impact on current ways of working. In literature one can fine many models that can be used to look at an organization with an internal perspective. In appendix X we provide an overview of some management models we have found in literature, with an explanation why, when and how it should be used. Since our report needs to cover the implementation of a new IT management strategy, we have decided to use McKinseys 7S model. This model, developed in the 1980s, involves 7 factors, which can be categorized as hard and soft elements. Hard elements can be identified and influenced more easily. They would be driven by the organization charts and reporting lines within the business and they may include the systems you use to get work done. Soft elements are, by their very nature, more difficult to manage and may be affected by the culture of the organization. But you have to apply yourself to these as much as the hard elements, as they provide the support structure for the successful implementation of any change, and they are al l interdependent on each other. Figure X 7S framework (McKinsey) The hard elements in the 7S-model are Strategy, Structure and Systems; the soft elements are Style, Shared Values, Skills and Staff. In order to understand the 7S-model better a brief explanation is given below. Hard elements:   Strategy by using mission and vision the organizations objectives become clear.   Structure how is the organization structured and which hierarchical layers are there   Systems all formal and informal methods of operation, procedures and communication flows Soft elements:   Style this is about leadership and management styles   Shared values the standards and values and other forms of ethics within an organization in which vision, corporate culture and identity are the key elements   Skills these concern both the skills of the organization and those of the employees   Staff this is about the employees, their competences and job descriptions 2.1 Strategy of CCL The mission of Carnival Corporation is to take the world on vacation and deliver exceptional experiences through many of the worlds best-known cruise brands that cater to a variety of different geographic regions and lifestyles, all at an outstanding value unrivaled on land or at sea (Carnival Corporation PLC, 2012). The vision statement of Carnival is the following: to consistently deliver fun, memorable vacations at a repeat value. Derived from this mission and vision, Carnival Cruise Lines has set up the following strategic objectives: to be the leading cruise operator in all segments entered and to maintain the most up-to-date fleet of cruise ships in the world to develop new cruise segments and innovative cruise packages to reach a larger number of potential and past cruisers employ sophisticated promotional efforts to achieve a greater awareness by the public concerning the availability and afford ability of cruise travel attract the first-time and younger cruisers (Carnival), experienced cruisers (Holland America), upscale cruisers(Seaborne), and cruisers wanting a sailing vacation (Windstar) promote cruises as an alternative to land-based vacations provide a variety of activities as well as ports of call be innovative in all respects of operations of the ship. BRON Dominant market share Carnivals biggest strength is its huge scale and scope. It is twice as large as its biggest competitor and competes in nearly every market and segment worldwide. This gives Carnival enormous power over the cruise industry as a whole. It enables the company to undertake projects that grow the industry, gives it a platform for continued mergers and acquisitions activity, and helps Carnival negotiate with major manufacturers of cruise ships (Levin, Jones, Slade, 2011). Strong acquisition strategy Carnival has the ability to obtain companies through acquisitions. By using an acquisition strategy, the Corporation has been able to position itself in each geographical market in the world and rank itself as number one in the cruising sector. Comprehensive portfolio The corporation has a large fleet capacity and operates 11 of the most recognizable cruise brand names. Carnivals portfolio of brand names appeals to almost every niche market, from budget minded, contemporary to luxury cruises. Each cruise line operates globally and is targeted at one or more nationalities (see Appendix X). 2.2 Structure of CCL Carnival Corporation plc has two main headquarters, Carnival Place in the US and Carnival House in the UK. The constituent Corporation and plc are separate listed companies with different shareholder bodies, but they jointly own all the operating companies in the group. Carnival Corporation owns the majority stake. As part of the merger between Carnival Corporation and PO Princess Cruises in 2002, it was agreed that PO Princess would be relisted as Carnival plc in London, remaining a separate company with a predominantly British shareholder body. Both headquarters have their own management team, strategy, and IT organization. Uncoordinated business operations Historically, Carnival has been run by the Arison family as a coalition of largely independent businesses. Each cruise line largely manages its own customers, marketing, distribution, sales, ports, and logistics. This approach has had benefits: internal competition means that each line operates better than any would in isolation. The business operations of the cruise lines are not centrally managed. Better coordination of these business operations could generate additional benefits for Carnival (Levin, Jones, Slade, 2011). Strong financial position Carnival is one of the most profitable cruising companies. The companys average net income (FY2005 to FY2009) amounted to 18.1% compared to the industry standard of 6.3% (Marketingteacher, 2012). The firm is dual listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange under the symbol CCL. Since the company is dual listed, it has the ability to raise more funds from investor than its competitors. With this also come greater stability due to different markets being affected by different economic occurrences, political issues, and societys views (Corporate information, 2006). Decreasing profit The profit of Carnival has diminished over the last years. The net profit was $1,790 million in FY2009, a decrease of 23.2% as compared to 2008. Another weakness is that Carnival reports their financial statements in dollars. About half of their revenue is generated in a non-US currency, but is reported in terms of US dollars. The value of the dollar against Euro appreciated from 1.60 in January 2010 to 1.53 by April 2010 against the Pound. If the dollar strengthens it would record a lower revenue than is actually earned (Marketingteacher, 2012). Clear focus cost leadership Carnival Cruise Lines has a clear focus on Cost Leadership, i.e. CCL offers its product to the mass market. Therefore the highest focus is put on the price and keeping the price as low as possible. Once the customer is on board the ship, additional revenue is created by having the customer pay for everything that was not covered in the base price. Carnival is such a large company that it has significant cost advantages over most of its competitors. Strong marketing Carnival invests explicitly and effectively in print and television media. Their promotions target the lifestyles of each group of customers (Marketingteacher, 2012). Over-dependence on US market Carnival derives a majority of its revenue (nearly 52%) from US customers. In 2009 the revenue from the North American market registered a double digit decline. The over-dependence on the US market makes Carnival vulnerable to the economic fluctuations of the American economy and this company is dependent on customers disposable income] (Marketingteacher, 2012). Poor safety record There is no public database of major cruise accidents, but Carnival has a notably worse safety record than other cruise companies. The Costa Concordia tragedy has been the most recent in Carnivals safety woes. The Center for Disease Control does track all major viral outbreaks on cruise lines. In the 2009-2011 period, Carnival-owned companies accounted for 56% of all viral outbreaks, compared to a 48% average market share. The company is also thought to have a worse safety record for persons lost at sea, especially in the Carnival brand: of the 179 disappearances since 2000, Carnival Cruise Line alone accounts for nearly 30% of them (Levin, Jones, Slade, 2011). Incidents/Bad press In 2009, Carnival experienced bad press when three passengers fell off ships in a three week period. There were a total of 22 incidents of passengers falling overboard in 2009. In December 2008, passengers on the Carnival owned Oceania cruise ship were attacked by Somali pirates. Such events reflect negatively on the company and the industry. 2.3 Systems in CCL Within Carnival Cruise Lines every brand is seen as a separate business unit, with its own profit and loss statement. Decentralized systems This decentralization translates into a decentralization of systems as well. Decisions arent always communicated from the one cruise line to the other, which leads to duplication of effort. This decentralization of the business organization translates to the IT organization as well. Every brand has its own IT department with own systems and infrastructure. Legacy systems There are many legacy systems, since there arent many players in the cruising sector, most of the strategic important applications are custom made. This leads to a spaghetti landscape in which integration is very difficult and which affects the speed to market significantly. No integrated CRM system Carnival doesnt use an integrated CRM system for the whole corporation. Customers from the one cruise line arent recognized as a repeat customer with a different cruise line within the group, this has an immediate effect on the pricing for repeat customers. The yearly capital planning of investments is done on US and UK Headquarter level as well as on the different cruise line level. This will most likely lead to lack on synchronization and duplication of costs and efforts. 2.4 Style within CCL The leadership style at Carnival Cruise Lines can be called family-like. People with the right skills are hired and are giving the support and room to do their jobs correctly. This family-like leadership style is a management style that Ted Arison already used when he was still steering the company. Ted Arison had a non-hierarchical approach to management, meaning that he delegated a lot of work downwards in the organization, allowing him to oversee the bigger picture. People are encouraged to be hands-on and take calculated risks. Taking risks also means that mistakes can occur, however Carnival uses a no blame culture through which people feel empowered (Managementparadise, 2012). Carnival has a separate training and development department set up in the organization. The corporation invests heavily in coaching of high potentials by giving them learning opportunities that are fit for their personal needs. 2.5 Shared values of CCL Derived from the mission and vision of Carnival (see 2.1.1) the company has set some company values that wear a high priority. These values are: Honesty, integrity, fairness, hospitality and teamwork. The values are deemed important to do their job in a correct manner. Carnival, as all other cruise lines in the industry, takes much proud in the focus they put on the environment. They invest heavily in health and safety, both for customers and for employees. There is a very strong focus on the environment and to work in a greener way. Charity is also one of the key components of their social responsibility strategy. 2.6 Skills at CCL Working in the leisure industry requires some specific skills that you cannot always learn. Most important skills that someone working in the leisure industry would need, are the following: Customer focused Empathy Team work Stress resistant Multi-cultural Service orientation Multi linguistic Since Carnival Cruise Lines wants to be seen as the cruise line that delivers fun, the attitude of the employees is very important as well. The employees need to be cheerful and enthusiastic. 2.7 Staff at CCL Cruise ships typically operate with three classes of crew. The first is the officers: these professionals are highly paid and given ultimate command of the ship. The second is entertainers and wait staff: typically lower-paid, but from the same countries as the cruisers that they serve. Finally, most of the ships crew is drawn from developing countries. While pay is low, the salary can represent an attractive opportunity for these workers, who often work 10-month contracts without being able to see their homes and families. Turnover is high, and few of the crew see working on a cruise ship as a viable long-term career. Staff remains 24/7 on board of the ship, have their own cabins at the lowest two decks of the ship. Only officers are allowed to mix between guests, this at special occasions and in formal attire. Other crew members have dedicated times during which they can be present on guest decks. Operational excellence experience Carnival has achieved below-industry-average costs and above-average revenue historically. This is largely due to the companys immense experience in owning and operating cruises, as well as some smart strategic plays. That advantage makes expanding into new markets vastly easier for Carnival than for a smaller player or upstart firm. Carnival has the largest pool of data to draw on to determine what does and does not work and has the most experienced marketers of cruises in the world. These soft advantages let Carnival potentially segment its customers more efficiently than competitors (Levin, Jones, Slade, 2011). 3. Carnival Cruise Lines Competitive Position 5 forces model of Porter (Levin, Jones, Slade, 2011) According to Michael Porter, the state of competition in an industry depends on five basic forces (Porter, 1980). These forces are: Bargaining Power of Suppliers, Bargaining Power of Buyers, Threat of New Entrants, Threat of Substitutes, and Rivalry among Competitors. The collective strength of these combined forces determines the ultimate profit potential of an industry. The following paragraphs are based on Levin et al. (Levin, Jones, Slade, 2011) and interviews at Royal Caribbean. 3.1 Bargaining power of suppliers Supplier Power within the cruise line industry is moderately strong. Most of a cruise ships supplies are bought on an open, competitive market. The threat of integration by these suppliers is very low. One notable exception is Carnivals new builds. There are only 6 major shipyards that have recently built cruise ships, and 2-3 more that either perform conversions or have built ships before 2000. Capacity and capability at these main builders is also limited, so Carnival Corporation relies on a limited number of manufacturers for its new builds. The high supplier power within the shipbuilding is weakened because the relationship is symmetrical: cruising is a similarly concentrated market. Additionally, the massive purchase value of a new ship provides a sizeable incentive for ship suppliers to provide cruise liners with competitive pricing. Additionally, cruise ship companies such as Carnival face extensive switching costs, both in building and running a ship. Switching a ships manufacturer is hugely expensive for cruise companies because, typically, the shipbuilder owns the right over a ships design, which means that, in switching shipbuilders, cruise line companies have to incur high monetary and time costs in redesigning the ship. Such a switch can cost the cruise line company millions of dollars. Further, there is high input differentiation between ships, meaning that, while there are alternatives for the majority of supply components (both in ship construction and in cruise service), the cruise ship company markets specific ships and amenities to the consumer, thereby increasing switching costs and supplier power. 3.2 Bargaining power of buyers Buyer power within the cruise line industry is relatively low. By contrast to most other vacations, more than two thirds of cruises are still booked through travel agents. Further, customers are spread around the world and do not have any mechanisms through which they can express a collective voice or exert collective power, leaving them with minimal control. Additionally, customers do not have the ability or resources to create the cruise experience by themselves it is, by nature, a highly packaged deal. In addition, the experience offered by a cruise is very unique, and differs from other types of vacations enough that customers who prefer cruises are likely to choose them over other types of vacations, so long as the cost is not a substantial barrier. Buyer power is increased by internet search engines which enable comparisons of price and specifications across multiple locations, brands, and companies. In addition, the continued high reliance on travel agencies increases buyer p ower because travel agencies make volume purchases and can demand lower prices based on the volume of customers they refer to specific companies. 3.3 Threat of new entrants The risk of entry of new competitors to the cruise line industry that could provide a plausible threat to Carnival Corporation in core markets is low. Entry into the high-end cruise line industry requires capital of approximately $1 billion since it costs, on average, $400 million to build a ship. Further, large cruise ships employ hundreds of sailors and crew that are trained for sea duty, which creates an additional cost. Since brand recognition is very important in the cruise line industry, it would take a new competitor valuable time to build an identity and reputation in order to be able to compete with the incumbents. Lastly, there are strict government and international regulations that are involved with a cruise company. Obtaining proper permits to operate, as well as the political connections, would also cost a company a large amount of time and resources. In Asia, however, Carnival might be more concerned about new entrants. Asian operations, markets, and customers are much less defined than in the Americas or Europe, and expectations of cruise quality and scale are lower. There are numerous Asian entrepreneurs and companies that might be able to tap into this fast-growing market. 3.4 Threat of substitutes There are many substitutes, such as all inclusive, Club Med, and alternative vacation packages. However, market research indicates that cruise lines provide higher customer satisfaction than land based vacation packages. Cruisers express an overall 94.8% satisfaction rate with their experiences. Any vacation can be substituted for, and there is not a high cost to change, which makes the threat of substitution seem very high. This trend has fueled the continuing evolution of the cruise vacation experience. Over the years, cruise lines have expanded itineraries to include more diverse ports of call and have introduced innovative onboard amenities and facilities to compete with land based travel. These onboard experiences include cell phone access, Internet cafes and Wi-Fi zones which allow passengers to feel as if they are connected on land. They have also added onboard experiences such as rock-climbing, bowling alleys, surfing pools, multi-room villas, multiple themed restaurants and expansive spas, health and fitness facilities that easily rival land-based options (CLIA, 2012) Although there are many substitutes to the cruise line industry, they cannot replicate the cruise line experience. 3.5 Rivalry of competitors Carnival is the leading company within the cruise line industry due to its multiple fleets and significant international presence. There are significant barriers to entry and exit within the cruise line industry, which has resulted in a high concentration ratio. The cruise line industry is effectively an oligopoly market, where several major cruise liners make up more than 90% of the market shares. Carnival is constantly engaged in marketing and pricing battles with these competitors, making internal rivalry central to the industry. Additionally, cruise lines have historically been subject to heavy mergers acquisitions activity, and Carnival sometimes competes to acquire even more share. Overall, Carnivals branding is strong within the industry, and even stronger within its market category (contemporary). When compared to its competitors, Carnival continues to remain a formidable force in the cruise industry. Figure X: 5 forces model for Carnival Cruise Lines 4. Cruise Industry Developments We will use a PESTEL analysis to provide the context of the cruising industry as a whole, in order to understand the organizations role in relation to the external environment. The PESTEL analysis provides a context for the organizations role in relation to the external environment. The PESTEL analysis technique is often used in conjunction with a SWOT analysis to assess the situation of a business. PESTEL covers Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental factors. The analysis consists in carefully determining all factors and finding out exactly in what way and to what extent these factors influence the company. Each category of factors is of crucial importance to advanced strategic management (Marketingminefield, 2012). Figure 2 gives an overview of PESTEL factors for the Cruise Industry. The PESTEL analysis is further explained in the following sections of this chapter. Political Economic OPPORTUNITIES Growing market in Asia Multiple trade organizations and lobbyist: -Cruise Lines International Association -Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (trade organization) -International Council of Cruise Lines; Cruise industry lobbyist -North West Canada Cruise Association (trade organization for Hawaii and Pacific North West) -Passenger ship Association -International Maritime organization (IMO) part of the United Nations OPPORTUNITIES Profitable business; cruisers spend typically more on vacation then non cruisers Pricing based on data analysis Big market share to capture; cruising industry is the fastest growing branch of the total leisure industry THREATHS Global economic recession Decrease in growth for South of Europe due to bad economy High fuel prices THREATS Geopolitical instability -Terrorism actions Tax loopholes Social Technological OPPORTUNITIES Strongly favorable Demographics Changing consumer trends: more focus on health, spa arrangements, more diversity in dining and other selling points Changing role of travel agent Number of online bookings is increasing and increasing more every year OPPORTUNITIES Changing consumer trends: Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), connectivity Technological development in satellite communication: -State of the art technology possibilities on the ship -Higher connectivity on the ship THREATHS Due to the exploding market in Asia, systems need to be set up in Chinese characters. This is a challenge for most systems Outsourcing level 2 b 3 support is difficult because the knowledge is very specific THREATHS Overblown media attention when something happens on a cruise ship Environmental Legal THREATHS Events in the outside world (9/11, Costa Concordia crash and Ash cloud Iceland) OPPORTUNITIES Complex diversity of environmental, health and safety legislation Figure X: PESTEL analysis Cruise Industry 4.1 Political Factors Political factors represent the way and extent to which a government influences the economy and the business. Specific areas are: labor law, tax policy, tariffs, trade restrictions and environmental law. Geopolitical Instability [In 2011, the Arab Spring revolutions ca

Prop. 36 The Real Truth :: essays research papers

Proposition 36 The Real Truth As you might already be aware there is a ballot initiative on this upcoming November’s election about drugs, and drug treatment. This measure is called Proposition 36. If this measure were to pass, state law would be changed, so that certain non-violent adult offenders who use or possess illegal drugs would receive drug treatment and supervision in the community, not prison. Right now California is ranked number one in the nation for its rate of imprisonment for drug offenders. If Proposition 36 passes, California could become number one for its treatment for drug offenders. The measure also provides state funds to counties to operate the drug treatment programs. Additionally, studies have shown that drug treatment is a far more effective than prison in reducing future criminal activity. Robert Roseman, a 51-year-old heroin addict from Sacramento says, â€Å"I was always able to get drugs in prison†¦all you’re going to learn in prison is to do crime better.† Stephen V. Manley, President of Drug Court Professionals says that, â€Å"Proposition 36 doesn’t provide â€Å"court-supervised† drug treatment. It ties the hands of judges, hurts legitimate treatment and effectively decriminalizes heroin, methamphetamine and other illegal drugs. Drug courts hold drug abusers accountable with regular drug testing and consequences for failing treatment— accountability not found in Proposition 36.† Drug testing is a part of court-supervised drug treatment everywhere in California today, and it will continue to be under Proposition 36. There are no legal barriers to drug testing. Judges can and will order appropriate levels of testing of offenders placed in treatment under the initiative's system; Proposition 36 simply does not tie judges' hands by prescribing a one-size-fits-all regimen for all offenders. A positive drug test can be treated as a violation of probation. Judges can also require individual offenders to pay for their own drug testing, as they do now in the "drug court" system, if they can afford it. (The cost of a test can be $4 to $7 per test.) The fact is tens of millions of dollars in state and federal funds already go to drug testing of criminal offenders through the court system and probation system. If more money is needed, this can easily be appropriated from the hundreds of millions of dollars saved each year by this initiative. Proposition 36 mer ely requires that its monetary appropriation for treatment programs must go to providing treatment services, where the need is so great.

Computer Use in the Construction Industry :: Expository Essays Research Papers

Computer Use in the Construction Industry Technological advances are benefiting the construction business in many different ways. On-line services, estimating software, and blueprint design (CAD) are just some of the areas that have enhanced the building world. Commercial and residential contractors are suddenly seeing how computer technology can benefit their business and are now utilizing it more and more everyday. For the past thirty to forty years, construction, technologies, and practices had hardly changed. From the drawing boards to finished product, building science stayed very conventional and for the most part simple. According to Building Performance Construction Services, â€Å"Builders are adverse to change.†1 They had a system and it worked, so why change it? Statistically proven, over the past couple of years there has been a significant increase in competition and customer demand. Thus, forcing companies to use advanced building materials, techniques, and technology to keep up to date in the competitive world. Computer programs like estimating software, Computer Aided Drafting (CAD), Excel, and Access are all designed to draw, compute, and keep track of information for you. Estimating software uses pre-programmed data to come up with price figures; they are virtually error free and can be done fast, in a fraction of the time it would take to complete a task in longhand. Computer Aided Drafting, or (CAD), can draw plans that are exactly to scale and viewable in 3D from every angle imaginable. This allows new modern design techniques and style to become possible and put to use. Excel and Access create spreadsheets and compute equations to organize and categorize necessary material. Excel can perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, as well as many other functions automatically which can then be applied to a document on the computer, saving a lot of time and paperwork. It is obvious that programs like these make the managerial side of construction much faster and easier. Using advanced equipment is another way computers have revolutionized the building industry. Electronic tools are constantly improving with the use of lasers, digital equipment and battery-power. Lasers for cutting or leveling purposes enable projects to be more precise and accurate. Digital equipment can save needed data on the jobsite to a card/disk, which can then be downloaded and accessed from a computer system. Advances in battery technology can now power many tools changing the way the construction process is approached.

Big Brother :: Creative Writing Essays

Big Brother "Wake up!" a stern voice called from above. Her weary eyes slowly began to open. It was absolutely bright, however no windows were visible. Only electric lights running endlessly in parallel lines covered the ceiling of the hall. She was sitting in the very centre; her head crouched between her knees. She was afraid to speak or question where she might be. She could hear footsteps in the distant but could not make out where they were coming from. The burning lights had gradually blinded her eyes. This must be the Ministry of Love she thought. It seemed hours ago that she was thrown violently into this premises and she was starving. She understood why she was here but did not understand how. She participated in sexual acts that were strongly condemned by the Party. The crime would be punished by death, no questions asked. When will they shoot her? She wanted her life to end now. Freedom is to say that humans have two eyes. She will never experience freedom again she pondered. O'Brien entered the hall. She could tell by his distinctive strides. He grabbed her by the hair and began speaking in an authoritative tone, "You are here for committing crimes against the Party's principles. You are thinking why I am not going shoot you. Are you not?"She gave him a look of disgust and purposefully did no answer. "There is no need to be silent," he commanded, pulling her hair even harder. She was not going to allow physical intimidation to force her to speak. "You will have to talk sooner or later. I will help you Julia. You must understand that you desperately need help. What are your feelings towards Big Brother?" he assured her. Silence. She was not going to answer him she had nothing to lose. She knew she was going to die and she wanted to die defiant. "How many eyes do human beings have?" O'Brien asked her. Silence. "You are thinking two. Of course you are. It is unquestionable. However, humans have three eyes, not two. You think this is ridiculous. Look again. Concentrate. Tell me how many eyes to humans have? Look closer," he ordered, giving her a hard kick. Silence. "Before I leave you for the time being, think about these questions: How do you feel about Big Brother and Winston Smith? Remember humans have three eyes. You did see it, did you not?

Finance Case

CASESTUDY: Goodweek Tires, Inc. After extensive research and development, Goodweek Tires,Inc. , has recently developed a new tire, the SuperTread, and must decide whether to make the investment necessary to produce and market the SuperTread. The tire would be ideal for drivers doing a large amount of wet weather and off-road driving in addition to its normal freeway usage. The research and development costs so far total about $10 million. The SuperTread would be put on the market beginning this year and Goodweek expects it to stay on the market for a total of four years.Test marketing costing $5 mil-lion shows that there is a significant market for a SuperTread-type tire. As a financial analyst at Goodweek Tires, you are asked by your CFO, Mr. Adam Smith, to evaluate the SuperTread project and provide a recommendation on whether to go ahead with the investment. You are informed that all previous investments in the SuperTread are sunk costs and only future cash flows should be conside red . Except for the initial investment which will occur immediately; assume all cash flows will occur at year-end.Goodweek must initially invest $120 million in production equipment to make the SuperTread. The equipment is expected to have a seven-year useful life. This equipment can be sold for $51,428,571at the end of four years. Goodweek intends to sell the SuperTread to two distinct markets: 1. The Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Market The OEM market consists primarily of the large automobile companies (e. g. , General Motors) who buy tires for new cars. In the OEM market, the SuperTread is expected to sell for $36 per tire. The variable cost to produce each tire is $18. 2.The Replacement Market The replacement market consists of all tires purchased after the auto-mobile has left the factory. This market allows higher margins and Goodweek expects to sell the SuperTread for $59 per tire there. Variable costs are the same as in the OEM market. Goodweek Tires intends to rai se prices at 1 percent above the inflation rate. Variable costs will also increase 1 percent above the inflation rate. In addition, the SuperTread project will incur $25 mil-lion in marketing and general administration costs the first year (this figure is expected to increase at the inflation rate in the subsequent years).Goodweek’s corporate tax rate is 40 percent. Annual inflation is expected to remain constant at 3. 25 percent. The company uses a 15. 9 percent discount rate to evaluate new product decisions. The tire market Automotive industry analysts expect automobile manufacturers to produce 2 million new cars this year and production to grow at 2. 5 percent per year thereafter. Each new car needs four tires (the spare tires are undersized and are in a different category). Goodweek Tires expects the SuperTread to capture 11 percent of the OEM market.Industry analysts estimate that the replacement tire market size will be 14 million tires this year and that it will grow at 2 percent annually. Goodweek expects the SuperTread to capture an 8 per-cent market share. You decide to use the MACRS depreciation schedule (seven-year property class). You also decide to consider net working capital (NWC) requirements in this scenario. The immediate initial working capital requirement is $11 million, and thereafter the net working capital requirements will be 15 percent of sales. What will be the NPV, payback period, discounted payback period, AAR, IRR, and PI on this project?