Foreign Hospitality Industry in Switzerland Research Paper

Foreign Hospitality Industry in Switzerland - Research Paper Example   It is strategically located in the center of Europe, which ensures easy accessibility of all European markets. It is referred to as the center of competitiveness in Europe, as it plays an important function in financial markets internationally. It is also the center for many international organizations like World Trade Organization, WHO, and UN, among others. Therefore, the hotel industry can do well here as there are many potential customers who have to eat and spend in hotels.   Presence of international trading companies, law firms, and insurance companies, freight forwarding companies, security firms and surveillance firms certify Switzerland as a truly global business center. Switzerland has greatly improved over the past years as an investment center. It continually enhances foreign and domestic investments through improvement of circumstances and conditions. The improvement over the past years as an investment center is rated as follows;   Expansion of Mirvac group of hotels to Switzerland will improve the company’s reputation and image. Switzerland is an international country and presence of these hotels will ensure its loyal customers get their services, away from home. It will also make it be recognized internationally, as many foreigners come here. Therefore, it will market it internationally, and hence, investing in other countries will also be easy. Investing in Switzerland is, therefore, an important strategy for the company’s future prospects.   Globalization has had various effects on the industry of hospitality. The positive impacts are exposure to diverse cultures, large market, economic development, technology advancement, promotion of creativity, increased job opportunities, development of travel industry, and availability of international services. Exposure to different cultures will help managers in the hospitality industry to learn different cultures as they interact with people from different walks of life.

Video case report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Video case report - Essay Example However on this day, to everyone’s amazement, calls, emails and letters started flooding in, with every customer expressing dissatisfaction on various areas such as: product dissatisfactions, service delivery, the speed of the response and attention offered to the customers towards their complaints. The results were drastically affecting every sector within the firm, such as reduction on the sales, disruption on our production and dismissal of various workers. To provide a permanent solution, the firm had to put various factors in to account by laying out strategic measures to curb that occurrence ever repeating itself again. According to (Meredith 2010), a customer makes the business run and there is no particular firm that can chase away customers willingly; but the simple mistakes that various firms normally make, may be acts that result in chasing away customers in disguise. In every firm as many business people always put it, the â€Å"customer is the king† but may be this is what our firm didn’t establish or didn’t have established. ... According to (Zairi 2000), â€Å"Customers are the main purpose for running a firm, plus rather than them depending on the firm, the firm depends on them†. This indicates the importance of a gentle attachment between the firm and the customers. For (Hansemark and Albinsson 2004), they defined satisfaction as â€Å"overall customer attitude towards a service provider or the emotional reaction on what customers anticipate in relation to what they receive on their desired needs†. According to (Anderson 2000), customer loyalty is actually the result of an organization creating an atmosphere conducive to customers becoming repeat shoppers so that they can maintain or increase sales. Customer loyalty can only be achieved by providing and delivering what the customers desire and expect. Also (Oliver 1997), termed customer loyalty as that deep commitment to re-purchase a certain preferred product or service consistently in the future despite changes or influences with possibili ty of causing a change in the marketing behavior. Hokanson {1995), explains various factors that affect the level of customer satisfaction. This includes: employees’ knowledge on the product, friendliness, courteous and helpful staff, competitive pricing, good value of the product, billing clarity, timeliness and accuracy and quick service delivery. The most affected area as depicted in our firm by the dissatisfaction of the customers was on the profitability. According to (Hoyer 2001), satisfied customers provide the foundation of every successful business organization as it leads to repeat purchases and loyalty on the brands supplemented by a positive word of mouth. According to various researchers’, dissatisfaction of customers leads to

Evaluation of Supply chain performance Essay Example for Free

Evaluation of Supply chain performance Essay The contents of the paper comprise the case study of ACTAVIS BULGARIA EAD Sofia’s supply chain performance evaluation. It is elaborated in the paper that supply chain performance evaluation is not a simple concept; instead, it pertains to various drives, environmental factors, needs, technologies, and other forces. Managers must keep on evaluating the supplier’s performance in order to provide the company with competitive advantage. The evaluation and improvement of supply chain is somewhat oversimplified.   How the results of the evaluation will enhance the productivity of company is also discussed. Outline of Paper: The paper focuses on the supply chain management of the Actavis Bulgaria company and covers the following main points: The importance of measuring the performance of the organisations supplies chain (upstream and downstream). Key performance indicators to assess the company’s suppliers have been used. Critical examination of the possibilities for improvements of the downstream supply chain has been undertaken. Importance of Supply Chain performance evaluation: With the increasing globalization the competition between the firms is also increasing.  Ã‚   The Speed of delivery is becoming a key indicator of supply chain success. The dynamic nature of current and future operations requires constant analysis of medical materieldown to the individual item leveltransiting this pipeline. The goal of a supply chain should be to maximize overall supply chain profitability. Supply chain profitability is the difference between the revenue generated from the customer and the total cost incurred across all the stages of the supply chain. Supply chain decisions have a large impact on the success or failure of each firm because they significantly influence both the revenue generated as well as the cost incurred. Successful supply chains manage flows of product, information and funds to provide a high level of product availability to the customer while keeping costs low. Measuring the performance of the supply chain is critical to identifying troubled segments, determining success, and assessing operational capabilities. Measuring performance requires a metric that measures the time from demand creation to demand fulfillment at the customer level. Average customer wait time: a supply chain performance indicator Army Logistician, Nov-Dec, 2004 by David R. Gibson http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PAI/is_6_36/ai_n8704513 From the managerial focus, the performance measurement can be defined as the information regarding the processes and products results, that allows the evaluation and the comparison in relation to goals, patterns, past results and with other processes and products. Also, it is important to highlight that a managerial performance evaluation system needs to be focused on results, which should be guided by the stakeholder’s interests. Beamon Ware (1998) affirm that the adoption of performance indicators should deal with the following questions: Which aspects should be measured? How to measure these aspects? How to use the measures to analyze, improve and control the productive chain quality? It is noticed that this is not an easy task, once there are several indicators available and it is necessary to align the used measures with the involved companies goals. In this direction, Maskell (1991) emphasizes the establishment of a relationship between the performance measures and the company strategic objectives. According to Beamon (1998), previous researches indicate that the exclusive use of costs as a performance indicator is common among the companies. This happens because the performance measurement through a single indicator is relatively simple. It should be attempted, even so, to the fact that this practice can provide very superficial information about the reality. Beamon (1996) also affirms that the chosen indicators should present simultaneously, inclusiveness (to include the measure of all the pertinent aspects), universality (to allow the comparison under several operational conditions), measurability (to guarantee that the necessary data are measurable) and consistency (to guarantee consistent measures with the objectives of the organization). On the other hand, it is not recommended to simply discard costs as a performance indicator due to its importance. The alternative would be the adoption of multiple indicators, involving a cost combination with time, flexibility and quality, according to the company competitive priorities. Traditionally, the performance evaluation is limited to an isolated company or productive process. For an effective SCM it is necessary to expand these concepts beyond the company limits, involving all the supply chain players. It is necessary then, the development of a performance evaluation system embracing all the business units. This can be achieved through the adaptation of the traditional performance evaluation systems. Currently Actavis operates in the country split into two divisions Operations and Sales Marketing. Actavis Bulgaria Operations is a holding company responsible for the management of the three factories providing first class generic products, mainly for the Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian and CIS markets. The Sales Marketing division is represented in the country by Actavis EAD, a company registered under the Bulgarian law. It employs about 200 people and operates three warehouses in the country. Actavis EAD is mainly focused on marketing the Groups products as first class generics on the Bulgarian market, which is the third biggest market for the companys own brand revenues world wide. Following its strategy for a vertical integration on the Bulgarian market Actavis recently acquired one of the biggest local distribution companies, Higia. It is expected that the combination of Actavis strong portfolio and Higias strategically important foothold in the distribution of pharmaceuticals will provide a more direct route to the customers and also provide a stronger platform for future growth. Commercial entities licensed by the Ministry of Health for wholesale trading with pharmaceuticals. Due to the corporate structure of Actavis AD (Bulgaria), the wholesale companies are the end-users of the company, since Actavis AD (Bulgaria) does not distribute its products directly to pharmacies and hospitals but through its distributing companies (wholesalers) to which â€Å"to the market† sales are made. The value added by the distributing companies to the overall commercial activities of Actavis AD (Bulgaria) is defined both by the key position of our major partners in the whole pharmacy supply chain and by the ever improving logistics and warehouse capacities of the leading national distributing companies. The distributing companies are the company’s clients and at Actavis the customers are treated as a key to the company’s success†. The wholesalers’ role for the overall business of Actavis AD (Bulgaria) is extremely important also due to the fact that the key distributing companies (e.g. Commercial League, Sanita Trading, Kaliman) have developed vertical integration within the distribution channel, that is they own pharmacy chains. (Actavis, 2004) The generic pharmaceuticals industry is rapidly consolidating on a global basis with the key factors for future success being scale, geographic reach, product pipeline depth and access to low-cost manufacturing. The combination of Actavis and PLIVA achieves all of these crucial requirements and would create the third largest generic pharmaceuticals company globally, with the geographic scope and size necessary to compete with the largest industry players. Furthermore: * The two companies are a perfect fit which will enable a rapid integration process and create a business with a leading position in the key US, European and Asian markets and a robust portfolio covering the entire spectrum of generic and biogeneric pharmaceutical products. * PLIVA will become an integral part of the combined Groups growth strategy and benefit from increased investment and a strengthened infrastructure. Actavis plans to increase the number of employees in Croatia to generate stronger growth and greater success. Actavis intends to increase production and R;D activities in Croatia, which will ultimately lead to more jobs in the region. * The enlarged business will benefit from low cost manufacturing facilities, efficient distribution and enhanced supply chain capabilities. Actavis has a strong track record of being able to drive down manufacturing costs across the Group without impacting the employee base. * PLIVA will become the headquarters for a substantial part of the enlarged business, and at the same time benefit from Actavis global footprint and infrastructure. * Actavis will seek a stock listing in Zagreb to encourage ongoing support from the investment community in Croatia. * Actavis puts great value on PLIVAs Croatian roots and is committed to revitalizing the PLIVA brand and expanding its recognition in key markets. * Actavis has a high opinion of PLIVAs management team and envisages them playing a central role in the new company and sharing decisions regarding future strategy. 20. 04. 2006Actavis announces improved preliminary proposal to Pliva http://www.actavis.bg/en/News/Pliva+improved+proposal.htm Performance measurement of Actavis Suppliers: Supplier performance must be rated on each of these factors because they impact the total supply chain cost. Next we discuss how each factor affects total supply chain cost and how a supplier’s rating on the factor can be used to infer a total cost of using the supplier. 1.replenishment lead time: As the replenishment lead time from a supplier grows the amount of safety inventory that needs to be held by the buyer also grows proportional to the square root of the replenishment lead time. Lead-time performances by a supplier can directly the translated into the required safety inventory using equation 11.9. Scoring the performance of suppliers in terms of replenishment lead-time thus allows the firm to evaluate the impact each supplier has on the cost of holding safety inventory. 2. On-time performance: On-time performance affects the variability of the lead-time. A reliable supplier has low variability of lead-time whereas an unreliable supplier has high variability. As the variability of lead-time grows, the required safety inventory at the firm grows very rapidly. 3. Supply flexibility: Supply flexibility is the amount of variation in order quantity that a supplier can tolerate without letting other performance factors deteriorate. The less flexible a supplier is, the more lead time variability he will display as order quantities change. Supply flexibility thus impacts the level of safety inventory that the firm will have to carry. 4. Delivery frequency/minimum lot size: The delivery frequency and the minimum lot size offered by a supplier affect the size of each replenishment lot ordered y a firm. As the replenishment lot size grows, the cycle inventory at the firm grows, thus increasing the cost of holding inventory. For a firm using a periodic review policy, delivery frequency also impacts the required safety inventory. Thus, delivery frequency of a supplier can be converted into the cost of holding cycle as safety inventory. 5. Supply quality: A worsening of supply quality increases the variability of the supply of components available to a firm. Quality affects the lead-time taken by the supplier to complete the replenishment order and also the variability of this lead-time because follow-up orders often need to be fulfilled to replace defective products. As a result, the firm will have to carry more safety inventory from a low-quality supplier compared to a high-quality supplier. Once a relationship between supply quality lead-time and lead-time variability is established, each supplier’s quality level can be converted to the required safety inventory and the associated holding cost. The component quality also impacts customer satisfaction and product cost because of rework, lost material, and the cost of inspection. 6. Inbound transportation cost: The total cost of using a supplier includes the inbound transportation cost of bringing material in from the supplier. Sourcing a product overseas may have lower product cost but will generally incur a higher inbound transportation cost, which must be accounted for when comparing suppliers. The distance, mode of transportation, and the delivery frequency affect the inbound transportation cost associated with each supplier. 7. Pricing terms: Pricing terms include the allowable time delay before payments have to be made and any quantity discounts offered by the supplier. Allowable time delays in payment to suppliers save the buyer working capital. The cost of working capital savings for each supplier can be quantified. Price terms also include discounts for purchases above certain quantities. Quantity discounts lower the unit cost but tend to increase the required batch size and as result the cycle inventory.

Analysis Of Allure Magazine Usa Media Essay

Analysis Of Allure Magazine Usa Media Essay Allure, the first and only magazine devoted to beauty, is an insiders guide to a womans total image. Allure investigates and celebrates beauty and fashion with objectivity and candor, and places appearance in larger cultural context. (Allure Media Kit, 19th August 2008, p1) Well known for its pioneering approach to beauty, intelligent and truthful coverage of current issues that surround women, such as; The dangers of breast implants, eating disorders and Models addicted to heroin. Allure has been recognized for its strength and quality in journalistic writing, as well as its keen aesthetic sense seen in its photography. (Refer to appendix 3) And with it, summoned a strong following of readers that has soared to 1,150,000 (refer to appendix 1) since its beginning in 1991. (Allure Experts Reader Panel, Fas-Fax 31st December 2009) The Allure magazine is targeted towards urban women 18-49 years old with a middle income and a tertiary education. (Refer to appendix 1 2) They have a certain amount of disposable income which they enjoy spending on themselves and pride themselves in making informed choices on the products and services that they consume. In their social circle, they are influencers; informed and up to date on current affairs, trends, movies, restaurants, beauty products, fashion, music, etc. They like to be the first to know and the one that informs their friends. (Allure Experts Reader Panel, Fas-Fax 31st December 2009) Conscious about their appearance thought not obsessed by it, Allure is targeted at everyday women who are culturally universal; who dont take themselves too seriously and most of all possess a sense of humour. (Quantcast Audience Profile- Allure.com, July 2010) Allures editorial and advertising content reflects this, the products advertised and featured in Allure range from high street fashion labels; Calvin Klein Jeans, DKNY, Guess, Sisley to designer brands; Fendi, Gucci, Marc Jacobs and Coach. As for cosmetics and beauty products, the same applies; ranging from Maybelline, LOreal, Olay, Revlon, Garnier, to higher-end products; Lancà ´me, Clinique, Shiseido, Federic Fekkai, all tastefully selected with the above target market in mind. Unlike other womens magazines, Allure also contains advertising for cosmetic procedures i.e. Botox, pharmaceutical products i.e. contraceptive pills and prescription beauty products i.e. Latisse, an eyelash serum that encourages growth, showing that it does have a very specific reader. The Keatsian adage of beauty being truth and truth beauty seems also to guide the editorial philosophy of Allure; founding editor and current editor-in-chief Linda Wells. (Delving Beneath The Skin To Cover Beauty, MOSAICA, November 1998, p1) As a results of Wells innovative and bold direction, Allure has carved itself a niche amongst the traditional genre of womens magazines which concentrated solely on the latest fashion trends and beauty prescriptive; by tackling head-on some of the more serious issues that affect women. We were the first womens magazine ever to write about the dangers of breast implants, Wells explains. We did the first story on models that were addicted to heroin. Weve written about eating disorders in a way that no magazine has done. I think magazines were afraid to pull the curtains back on Oz and find out that Oz is just this little man. We pull the curtain back and say, Heres whats going on in the world.' (Delving Beneath The Skin To Cover Beauty, MOSAICA, November 1998, p1) Delving beneath the surface of beauty, fashion and womens health, Allure has been praised as the one magazine that consistently gives consumers the information that they need. With numerous awards in tow, including National Magazine Award, the Editorial Excellence Award (from Folio), and the Circulation Excellence Award (from Circulation Management), Allure is also highly regarded and recognized by the beauty industry for its truthful and informative reporting. It has won 29 awards from the American Academy of Dermatology, nine journalism awards from the Fragrance foundation, and the Excellence in Media Award from the Skin Cancer foundation. (Allure Media Kit, 19th August 2008, p1) According to Linda Wells, appearances are really important in this current day. Hence it has becomes important to women, the way in which they take care of themselves; and in the methods and process of taking care of themselves; how it makes them feel. It lifts their confidence. It gives a woman a sense of price and control. Confirming those feelings and the importance of keeping up appearances these days is something that is crucial to Allure. (QA with Linda Wells, 28th April 2009, Kaitlin Tambuscio, p2) Allure has a very strong and consistent editorial formula that has not changed over the years. (Refer to Appendix 4) Each issue has a specific editorial focus which changes according to trends and seasons, but it also has fixed features in certain issues through the year, every year i.e. Readers Choice Ballot in February, Readers Choice Awards in June, The Free Stuff Issue in August and Best of Beauty: Editors Choice Awards Breakthroughs in October. (Refer Appendix 8) In this analysis I am going to use three issues of Allure dating April 2005, August 2007 and March 2010. All three consists of six sections, listed in order; Beauty reporter, Fashion, Insiders guide, Health, Features and Regulars. There are many sub-sections within these headings but for the discussion of this paper, I am only going to discuss the few that stand out. Dedicated to beauty and acting as an insiders guide to a womans total image, Allures editorial content consists mainly of two categories, the external appearance; hair and make-up how-tos i.e. Back Stage Beauty Top 10 trends, cosmetic procedures (risks and benefits) i.e. Feature A Shot in the Dark; a growing number of women who are administering TCA peels and dubious fat-fighting injections to themselves, fashion trends i.e. Fashion Stakeout on Chloe Sevignys fashion choices, and skin care i.e. Beauty Reporter Youth Movement a review on six anti-ageing products, as well as internal well-being; physical and mental health i.e. Body News Testing Diets and Mood News Sad vs. Angry. (Allure Magazine May 2005, Condà © Nast Publications, p72, 88, 89, 139, 143, 252 168-190) Every issue consists of a balance of these two categories spread over the six sections of the magazine, contributed by a variety of writers and photographers. The sections in Allure magazine that forms the editorial format which in my opinion makes it stand out from its competitors are described as follows. Under Contributors, it highlights the contributors for that issue which are often various famous and freelance writers and photographers. This I feel gives consistent variety in terms of editorial as well as aesthetic value to the features. Beauty by numbers uses numbers and statistics to reveal interesting, unique and often humorous information about a topic in the issue which is related to beauty. (Refer to Appendix 5) Insiders Guide is a step-by-step guide by experts on three various topics including travel, beauty, entertaining and etiquette I.e. How to whiten your teeth? How to care for your shoes? How to stay cool under pressure? How to travel on your own? How to be a good houseguest? (Refer to Appendix 6) And finally, Beauty 101 a detailed pictorial guide on how-to create a look i.e. Low Ponytail, which also includes four tear-out cardboard cards for easy reference. (Refer to Appendix 7) Founded in 1991 by Editor in Chief Linda Wells, and directed by Vice President and Publisher Agnes B. Chapski since May 2008 (Allure Media Kit, 19th August 2008, p2), Allures masthead consists of almost one hundred staff (Refer to Appendix 9). It is owned by worldwide publishing company, Condà © Nast Publications which is one of the worlds most celebrated publishers. Their commitment to journalistic integrity, influential reporting and superior design combined with world-renowned editors, writers and photographers, which their magazines consistently feature; meld together to form an incredible stable of talent unmatched by any other publishing company. (A Brief History of the Condà © Nast Publications, 1993) Some examples of the prestigious lifestyle magazines that Condà © Nast Publications have under their belt are Vogue, GQ, Wired, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, amongst many others. (Refer to Appendix 10) Hence, it is no surprise that under the same publishing umbrella, Allure has also made its name as one of the most successful and innovative publications, backed by soaring circulation figures from its initial 250,000 in 1991 to its current 1,150,000. (Allure Media Kit, 19th August 2008, p1) The Magazines Handbook suggests that the average advertising/editorial ratio of consumer magazines should be around 60:40 (McKay, Routledge 2000, p142).; containing enough advertising to generate revenue but still giving the reader value for money in terms of editorial. When the advertising content in a magazine is much more than 60%, it becomes cluttered with too many ads and according to Litman; will lose the editorial interest of the reader. (Litman, Journal of Advertising 1997, p4) This is further backed up by Halls Magazine reports 2009, which show that in the last ten years, the advertising/ editorial ratio of magazines has kept closely to the 60:40 recommendations. (Refer to Appendix 11) Hence, Allure gives its readers good value as it has managed to come under the recommended 60:40 advertising/ editorial ratio as shown in Appendix 12. HISTORY OF ALLURE MAGAZINE Allure magazine was first published in March 1991 (Refer to Appendix 13) by Condà © Nast Publications Inc., it was the first magazine entirely dedicated to beauty. Linda A. Wells is the founding editor and editor-in-chief of Allure magazine. The current editor-in-chief, Wells started Allure because she wanted to create a womens magazine that was both informative and truthful; unlike the traditional genre of womens magazines that focused on the latest fashion and beauty products, Wells wanted to give consumers the information that they needed. (Allure Media Kit, 19th August 2008, p1) Allure has been and still is currently owned by Condà © Nast Publications Inc. since its inception. At the time of its premiere issue, Kathy Leventhal was the publisher; she only stayed with Allure for two years leaving in May 1993. However, in the time that she was with the magazine, advertising pages rose from 94.9% to 462%, in the first half of 1993 from the comparable period in 1992. Circulation also jumped 41.4% for the first five issue of the year, to 669,000. (Fabrikant, The Media Business, May 1993) Since Kathy Leventhals departure, Allure has seen a few more publishers come and go. Sandy Golinkin (Carmody, The Media Business, May 1993) replaced Leventhal as publisher from May 1993 but was dismissed in 1999 because of the declining market for beauty advertising. (The New York Daily News, May 2000) Next in line was Erica Bartman who took over from Golinkin but abruptly resigned in April 2000. Shortly after in May 2000, Suzanne Grimes became publisher at Allure and she helped turn around a three year financial slide , posting a 13% increase in revenue in the first and only year she was there, she left to be the Vice President-Publisher of another Condà © Nast Publications; Glamour. (Betzold, Advertising Age, June 2001) Nancy Berger Cardone was Vice President and Publisher of Allure from 2001; she left in 2008 to become Vice President-Publisher of Gourmet. Under her leadership, Allure enjoyed seven consecutive record-breaking years, she increased advertising pages by 50% and published the largest issue in Allures history. It was also during her tenure that Allure won Ad weeks Hot List and Advertising Ages Best Performer. (Gourmet Press Centre, 2010) Finally, replacing Cardone in 2008 is Agnes B. Chapski, she is also the current Vice President-Publisher of Allure. (Allure Media Kit, 19th August 2008, p2) There are two problems that Allure encountered during its life so far; the media/digital revolution which drastically changed the way media was consumed, and the Economic Recession which significantly affected advertising revenue. In order to keep up with the digital revolution Allure launched its website Allure.com on the 17th of May 1994, the website is consistent with Allures brand as the ultimate beauty expert resource. It feature the same sections that are present in the magazine such as; The Beauty Reporter, Inside Allure, How-tos, Trends, Salon Spa directory, Makeovers and also includes interactive elements such as Free stuff, Twitter and Videos. The website also enabled you to subscribe to the magazine. (Website Traffic Spy, 2010) During the Economic Recession Allures advertising revenue plummeted 41% in January 2009 from January 2008. January 2008 had 70 pages of ads and January 2009 only had 41 according to the Media Industry Newsletter due to clients cutting their advertising budgets to cope with the recession and turning to other less established downscale publications which offered heavy discounts. In an interview by The New York Times, Jack Hanrahan said, Allure adopted a smart strategy to combat the financial recession; they negotiated with advertisers in regards to paging but not on price as they had larger bases of ad pages. As it is a private company, it does not need to report quarterly revenue. This enables them to preserve their well-established pricing-position of being equitable across advertisers and not engaging in heavy discounting and negotiations to secure a small schedule. Instead, they encouraged the advertisers annual commitment to a magazine. (Clifford, the New York Times, January 2009) As you can see, is still very much alive today. With an active website that had a monthly traffic of 487,000 readers in May 2010 and a monthly traffic which averages 208,600 readers a month, we can say that it has effectively kept up with the digital age while still maintaining its market position in print with a circulation of 1,050,000 and a readership of 6,570,000. (Allure Experts Reader Panel, Fas-Fax 31st December 2009)

Diaspora and Syal’s Anita and Me Essay -- Diaspora Syal Anita Me Essay

Diaspora and Syal’s Anita and Me Diaspora, a term used to describe the dispersion of a people from their original homeland, has become an increasingly pertinent topic of discussion in contemporary society. Nalini Natarajan in the essay â€Å"Reading Diaspora† argues that â€Å"the phenomenon of diasporic populations is by no means new, but its scale in the twentieth century is dramatic† (xiii). Natarajan also argues that the nature of contemporary diasporic experiences, due to the global reach of technology and media is significantly more complex and ambivalent than earlier diasporic experiences. Literary works have become a major source of knowledge about Diaspora and Mishra Sudesh, the author of the essay â€Å"From Sugar to Masala: Writing by the Indian Diaspora† calls for a clear distinction between the old (sugar) and new (masala) diasporic movements. Sudesh argues that the old diasporic movement is marked by the semi-voluntary flight of Indians to non-metropolitan plantation colonies such as Fiji and Trinidad while the new diasporic movement is the post-modern dispersal of all Indian classes to thriving metropolitan centers such as the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. Sudesh claims that writers of the old diaspora tend to concentrate on the cracks within the experience while new diasporic writers tend to focus on â€Å"the liminal or threshold zone of intercutting subjectivities that define the experience of migrancy† (287). Sudesh places Meera Syal, the author of the novel Anita and Me, amongst the many writers of the new or masala Diasporas. Syal’s Anita and Me is a coming of age novel about a young girl, Meena, trying to cope with the inner and outer conflicts of a child of a minority culture facing both the temptati... ...h she may one day visit her parent’s homeland, India is not her home and neither is Britain. It is the space between these two countries, lifestyles, and cultures that has finally become her home. Works Cited Brah, Avtar. â€Å"Diaspora, Border and Transnational Identities.† Feminist Post-Colonial Theory. Ed. Reina Lewis and Sara Mills. New York: Routledge, 2003. Fludernik, Monica. Hybridity and Post-Colonialism. Germany: Stauffenburg and Veriag, 1998. Natarajan, Nalini. â€Å"Reading Diaspora.† Writers of the Indian Diaspora. Ed. Emmanual S. Nelson. Connecticut: Greenwich Press, 1993. Sudesh, Mishra. â€Å"From Sugar to Masala: Writing by the Indian Diaspora.† A History of Indian Literature in English. Ed. Arvind Krishna Melhotra. New York: Columbia University Press, 2003. Syal, Meera. Anita and Me. New York: The New Press, 1996.

Benjamin Franklin Essay example -- essays research papers fc

Benjamin Franklin-Scientist and Inventor Benjamin Franklin has influenced American technology, and indirectly, lifestyles by using his proficiencies and intelligence to conduct numerous experiments, arrive at theories, and produce several inventions. Franklin's scientific and analytical mind enabled him to generate many long lasting achievements which contributed to the development and refinement of modern technology. Few national heroes, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, played a more significant role in shaping the American way of life than Franklin. According to Fowler, "He personified the ideal of the self-made man, and his rise from obscurity to eminence exemplified the American dream" (32). Looby adds, "The study of Franklin's image for the past two centuries shows that his legacy had a distinctive place in American culture" (85). It has been felt by many people over the years that there was no United States inventor as great as Franklin until the time of Thomas A. Edison (Blow 24). Franklin's words to a friend in Pennsylvania, Joseph Huey, best explain his attitude not only toward what he considered his civic duties, but also his investigations as a scientist or philosopher. He made some of the most famous and certainly the most practical discoveries of his time. "For my own part, when I am employed in serving others, I do not look upon myself as conferring favours, but as paying debts. In my travels, and since my settlement, I have received much kindness from men, to whom I shall never have any opportunity of making the least direct return . . . I can therefore only return on their fellow men; and I can only show my gratitude for these mercies from God, by a readiness to help his other children and my Brethren" (Dineen 6). Wright quotes Franklin as saying, "As we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others," and, "we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours" (19). Franklin summarizes his attitude toward his inventions by asking the question, "What signifies Philosophy that does not apply to some use?" (Fleming 21). Another time Franklin is quoted as saying, "Utility is in my opinion the test of value in matters of invention, and that a discovery which can be applie... ...ngame, Roger. Benjamin Franklin: Envoy Extraordinary. New York: Coward-McCann, Inc., 1967. Clark, Ronald W. A Biography: Benjamin Franklin. New York: Random House, 1983. Cohen, I. Bernard. Benjamin Franklin: Scientist and Statesman. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1975. Dineen, Michael P. The Most Amazing American: Benjamin Franklin. Waukesha, Wisconsin: Country Beautiful, 1973. Donovan, Frank R. The Many Worlds of Benjamin Franklin. New York: American Heritage Publishing Co., 1963. Fleming, Thomas. The Man Who Dared The Lightning: A New Look At Benjamin Franklin. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1971. Fowler, Mary J. Great Americans. Grand Rapids, Michigan: The Fideler Company, 1960 Looby, Christopher. Benjamin Franklin. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1990. Meltzer, Milton. Benjamin Franklin: The New American. New York: Franklin Watts, 1988. Potter, Robert R. Benjamin Franklin. New Jersey: Silver Burdett Publishers, 1991. Seeger, Raymond J. Benjamin Franklin: New World Physicist. New York: Pergamon Press, 1973. Wright, Esmond. Franklin of Philadelphia. Cambridge Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1986. Benjamin Franklin Essay example -- essays research papers fc Benjamin Franklin-Scientist and Inventor Benjamin Franklin has influenced American technology, and indirectly, lifestyles by using his proficiencies and intelligence to conduct numerous experiments, arrive at theories, and produce several inventions. Franklin's scientific and analytical mind enabled him to generate many long lasting achievements which contributed to the development and refinement of modern technology. Few national heroes, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, played a more significant role in shaping the American way of life than Franklin. According to Fowler, "He personified the ideal of the self-made man, and his rise from obscurity to eminence exemplified the American dream" (32). Looby adds, "The study of Franklin's image for the past two centuries shows that his legacy had a distinctive place in American culture" (85). It has been felt by many people over the years that there was no United States inventor as great as Franklin until the time of Thomas A. Edison (Blow 24). Franklin's words to a friend in Pennsylvania, Joseph Huey, best explain his attitude not only toward what he considered his civic duties, but also his investigations as a scientist or philosopher. He made some of the most famous and certainly the most practical discoveries of his time. "For my own part, when I am employed in serving others, I do not look upon myself as conferring favours, but as paying debts. In my travels, and since my settlement, I have received much kindness from men, to whom I shall never have any opportunity of making the least direct return . . . I can therefore only return on their fellow men; and I can only show my gratitude for these mercies from God, by a readiness to help his other children and my Brethren" (Dineen 6). Wright quotes Franklin as saying, "As we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others," and, "we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours" (19). Franklin summarizes his attitude toward his inventions by asking the question, "What signifies Philosophy that does not apply to some use?" (Fleming 21). Another time Franklin is quoted as saying, "Utility is in my opinion the test of value in matters of invention, and that a discovery which can be applie... ...ngame, Roger. Benjamin Franklin: Envoy Extraordinary. New York: Coward-McCann, Inc., 1967. Clark, Ronald W. A Biography: Benjamin Franklin. New York: Random House, 1983. Cohen, I. Bernard. Benjamin Franklin: Scientist and Statesman. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1975. Dineen, Michael P. The Most Amazing American: Benjamin Franklin. Waukesha, Wisconsin: Country Beautiful, 1973. Donovan, Frank R. The Many Worlds of Benjamin Franklin. New York: American Heritage Publishing Co., 1963. Fleming, Thomas. The Man Who Dared The Lightning: A New Look At Benjamin Franklin. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1971. Fowler, Mary J. Great Americans. Grand Rapids, Michigan: The Fideler Company, 1960 Looby, Christopher. Benjamin Franklin. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1990. Meltzer, Milton. Benjamin Franklin: The New American. New York: Franklin Watts, 1988. Potter, Robert R. Benjamin Franklin. New Jersey: Silver Burdett Publishers, 1991. Seeger, Raymond J. Benjamin Franklin: New World Physicist. New York: Pergamon Press, 1973. Wright, Esmond. Franklin of Philadelphia. Cambridge Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1986.

Wind energy

Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using: wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, wind pumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines which are connected to the electric power transmission network. Offshore wind farms can harness more frequent and powerful winds than are available to land-based installations and have less visual impact on the landscape but construction costs are considerably higher.Small onshore wind facilities are used to provide electricity to isolated locations and utility companies increasingly buy back surplus electricity produced by small domestic wind turbines. Although very consistent from year to year, wind power has significant variation over shorter timescales. The intermittency of wind seldom creates problems when used to supply up to 20% of total electricity demand, but as the proportion incre ases, a need to upgrade the grid, and a lowered ability to supplant conventional production can occur.Power management techniques such as having excess capacity storage, dispatch able backing supplies (usually natural gas), storage such as pumped-storage hydroelectricity, exporting and importing power to neighboring areas or reducing demand when wind production is low, can greatly mitigate these problems. Wind power, as an alternative to fossil fuels, is plentiful, renewable, widely distributed, clean, produces no greenhouse gas emissions during operation and uses little land Any effects on the environment are generally less problematic than those from other power sources.As of 2010 wind energy production was over 2. 5% of worldwide power, growing at more than 25% per annum. The overall cost per unit of energy produced is similar to the cost for new coal and natural gas installations. Although wind power is a popular form of energy generation, the construction of wind farms is not u niversally welcomed. Fossil fuels are subsidized by many governments, and wind power and other forms of renewable energy are also often subsidized. For example a 2009 study by the Environmental Law Institute assessed the size and structure of U. S. energy subsidies over the 2002–2008 periods.The study estimated that subsidies to fossil-fuel based sources amounted to approximately $72 billion over this period and subsidies to renewable fuel sources totaled $29 billion. In the United States, the federal government has paid US$74 billion for energy subsidies to support R&D for nuclear power ($50 billion) and fossil fuels ($24 billion) from 1973 to 2003. (Energy subsidies are measures that keep prices for consumers below market levels or for producers above market levels, or reduce costs) During this same timeframe, renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency received a total of US$26 billion.It has been suggested that a subsidy shift would help to level the playing field and support growing energy sectors, namely solar power, wind power, and biofuels. History shows that no energy sector was developed without subsidies. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) (2011) energy subsidies artificially lower the price of energy paid by consumers, raise the price received by producers or lower the cost of production. â€Å"Fossil fuels subsidies costs generally outweigh the benefits.Subsidies to renewables and low-carbon energy technologies can bring long-term economic and environmental benefits†. In November 2011, an IEA report entitled Deploying Renewables 2011 said â€Å"subsidies in green energy technologies that were not yet competitive are justified in order to give an incentive to investing into technologies with clear environmental and energy security benefits†. The IEA's report disagreed with claims that renewable energy technologies are only viable through costly subsidies and not able to produce energy reliably to meet de mand.In the US, the wind power industry has recently increased its lobbying efforts considerably, spending about $5 million in 2009 after years of relative obscurity in Washington. By comparison, the US nuclear industry alone spent over $650 million on its lobbying efforts and campaign contributions during a single ten year period ending in 2008. Following the 2011 Japanese nuclear accidents, Germany's federal government is working on a new plan for increasing energy efficiency and renewable energy commercialization, with a particular focus on offshore wind farms.Under the plan large wind turbines will be erected far away from the coastlines, where the wind blows more consistently than it does on land, and where the enormous turbines won't bother the inhabitants. The plan aims to decrease Germany's dependence on energy derived from coal and nuclear power plants. Commenting on the EU's 2020 renewable energy target, Economist, Professor Dieter Helm, is critical of how the costs of win d power are cited by lobbyists. Helm also says that the problem of intermittent supply will probably lead to another dash-for-gas or dash-for-coal inEurope, possibly with a negative impact on energy security. A House of Lords Select Committee report (2008) on renewable energy in the UK reported a â€Å"concern over the prospective role of wind generated and other intermittent sources of electricity in the UK, in the absence of a break-through in electricity storage technology or the integration of the UK grid with that of continental Europe. Many wind power companies work with local communities to reduce environmental and other concerns associated with particular wind farms. In other cases there is direct community ownership of wind farm projects.Appropriate government consultation, planning and approval procedures also help to minimize environmental risks. Some may still object to wind farms but, according to The Australia Institute, their concerns should be weighed against the ne ed to address the threats posed by climate change and the opinions of the broader community. In America, wind projects are reported to boost local tax bases, helping to pay for schools, roads and hospitals. Wind projects also revitalize the economy of rural communities by providing steady income to farmers and other landowners.In the UK, both the National Trust and the Campaign to Protect Rural England have expressed concerns about the effects on the rural landscape caused by inappropriately sited wind turbines and wind farms. Some wind farms have become tourist attractions. The White lee Wind Farm Visitor Centre has an exhibition room, a learning hub, a cafe with a viewing deck and also a shop. It is run by the Glasgow Science Centre. In Denmark, a loss-of-value scheme gives people the right to claim compensation for loss of value of their property if it is caused by proximity to a wind turbine.The loss must be at least 1% of the property’s value. There have been numerous re ports of those living close to wind turbines suffering adverse health effects from noise, vibration and shadow flicker, and in 2009 New York Pediatrician, Dr. Nina Pierpont, claimed to have identified an effect for which she coined the term â€Å"Wind Turbine Syndrome†. An industry commissioned review of the current research on the possible health effects of wind turbine noise and vibration reported in 2010 that, â€Å"the sound (including sub audible sound) is not unique, and does not pose a risk to human health.Although the sound may cause ‘annoyance’ for some people, this in itself is not an adverse health effect. † The findings of the report have, however, been questioned on a number of grounds including; that the reviewing group did not include an epidemiologist, usually a given for assessing potential environmental health hazards, and that there was no clear description of the methods the researchers used to search for available research, nor how the y rated the quality of the research. In October 2010 The Society for Wind Vigilance held an international symposium concerning the subject.A study on wind farm noise published in 2012 by The US state of Massachusetts reported that people are annoyed by sound from wind turbines at far lower sound levels than they are by noises from railroads, aircraft, or road traffic. The study found the percentage of respondents who found noise levels highly annoying rose quickly as sound levels increased above about 37dbA (about the level of a conversation). Wind Power Is A very good resource for energy I think that everybody should use win power in the future