Wednesday, October 30, 2019
BBA-Strategic Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
BBA-Strategic Analysis - Essay Example BBA-Strategic Analysis According to Geurden, some banks are good at customer management or even in creating customer access points. The banks plan to focus on the customer service area and outsource the other banking functions like creation, running and operating technologies that implement new financial products. Most banks now days outsource of their technical jobs to data centers. Even bank of America is outsourcing its many parts in the banking infrastructure and this includes the automatic teller machines. Large banks such as the world well known Citibank go even further by putting into place a full range of financial services within each one stop shop bank location to service their clients’ banking needs (Rubin & McNeil, 1977). The banks are in much need of flexible information technology infrastructure to integrate and hasten the accurate reporting of banking services applications with the banks’ bank – end systems. Another trend that banks are happily engaged in is that the banks are convincing companies to outsource the financial services jobs to them. A big bank, Nordea of Scandinavia, even gives companies access to automated payment processing with Microsoft’s Biztalk accelerator for accounting services. Many big banks were originally smaller banks that consolidated and merged to form a big bank. The advantage of mergers and consolidations are that the formerly competitive banks can now share a common database of customers and to blaze the other combining partners’ uncharted territory t generate more sales and interest income.
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Microeconomics And Tourism In South Africa Tourism Essay
Microeconomics And Tourism In South Africa Tourism Essay South africa is a country that a has a famous history of racial divisiveness and diversity, but today the rainbow nation is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Africa and in the world as a whole. In the following report we will analyze the microeconomic situation in South Africa. This will help us decide weather the hotel we have chosen is, in fact, the best one. In order to achieve our goal, we will look at the history of the country and talk about South African government and politics. We will also analyze the countries economic situation by looking at the economic growth since 1980, the principal trading partners, the impact of the 2010 World Cup and finally the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as well as the type of the market economy. Furthermore we will analyze the local economy of the city of Cape Town where the Hotel is located. Thus looking at the lodging Industry and analyze weather the economic strategy is successful or not. We will achieve this by identifying its Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of the tourism industry as well as for the Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa. Finally we will identify the competitors of the Hotel. With this in mind we will begin to define what are our criteria to classify the best hotel and identify weather this Hotel is indeed the best one or not. In the end we will present our conclusions that prove that Hotel can be classified as the best one in South Africa. History of the Country South Africa is located at the southernmost point of the African continent. It has a long 2798 km coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans. It is one of the largest and most powerful states in Africa with a population of over 50 million inhabitants. The African country has been inhabited for more than three million years. This country is also known as the cradle of mankind. Diversity in South Africa began very early with the San and the Khoekhoe peoples in the 6th century BC and evolved ever since making it one of the most ethnical diverse country in the world. This diversity is a big part of the rainbow nations conflictual history. In 1487 white settlers set foot for the first time with the portuguese explorer Bartolomeo Dias Today. Later in 1961 it became a republic, but apartheid rules did not leave with the British retreat. Apartheid gave a bad image of South Africa in the world, and other wealthy nations of the world began to boycott its economy because of its racial policies and oppression. But when Nelson Mandela was freed in 1991 the situation started to change, he was elected as president on the first non-racial elections on 27th of April 1994. Since then South Africa came a long way, a black man Jacob Zuma is currently at the head of the state since he was elected in May of 2009. The country has been given the trust and privilege to host last summers biggest event worldwide: the FIFA World Cup which showed the world what South Africa has achieved. They have 11 official languages, the main ones are Zulu, Xhosa and Afrikaans followed by English. It is a member of the African Union, the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the Common Wealth of Nations, the International Monitory Fund and the NEPAD (New Partnership of Africas Development). Mandelas nation has three capitals, Cape Town which is the legislative capital, Pretoria which is the executive capital and Bloemfontein which is the judicial capital. Johannesburg is not a capital although it is the largest city. It is a middle income emerging country that has a large amount of supplies thanks to their natural resources. The country has a very developed finance, communication, energy and transportation sectors and is ranked as 17th largest stock exchange in the world by the WTO and is in the top 30 in the world in accordance to its GDP. Economy in South Africa The South African economy is ranked as a upper-middle income economy by the World Bank. About a quarter of the population is unemployed and lives on less than US $1.25 a day. This table shows the economy growth from 1980 to 2010 : Year Gross Domestic Product (bln USD) US Dollar Exchange (early January) Unemployment rate Per Capita Income (as % of USA) 1980 80.547 0.8267 Rand 9.2 22.56 1985 57.273 2.0052 Rand 15.5 9.81 1990 111.998 2.5419 Rand 18.8 13.10 1995 151.117 3.5486 Rand 16.7 13.24 2000 132.964 6.1188 Rand 25.6 8.47 2005 246.956 5.6497 Rand 26.7 12.34 2010 354.414 7.462 Rand 24.8 15.06 The majority of economical transactions occur around 4 areas: Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban and Pretoria. They are the economical heart of the country and the hubs to the rest of the world. Although these megalopolis can be compared to those of the western world, disparity amongst the countrys region remains. The development is marginal and poverty and HIV are still prevalent. The government demonstrated its commitment to open market, privatization and a favorable investment climate with its introduction of the Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) strategy which is a South African neoliberal macroeconomic strategy implemented in 1996. As its name says the GEAR strategy has four more objectives that are embedded on this strategy namely: economic growth, full employment, price stability and balance payment stability. The Rand is the most actively trended emerging market currency in the world. The Rand was the best performing currency against the US dollar between 2002 and 2005, according to the Bloomberg Currency Scorecard. Principal international trading partners of South Africa include Germany, the United States, China, Japan, The United Kingdom and Spain. Chief exports include corn, diamonds, fruits, gold, metals and minerals, sugar and wool. Machinery and transportation equipment make up more than 1/3 of the value of the countrys imports. Other imports are chemicals, manufactured goods and petroleum. Also, South Africa has a big agricultural sector and an exporter of farming products. There are almost a thousand agricultural cooperatives and businesses throughout the country. Agricultural exports constituted 8 % of the countrys exports for the last 5 years and it contributes that 10% of formal employment to the country. Finally, South Africas economy depends largely on the tourism industry which has been identified as one of the key economic sectors with excellent potential for growth. Directly and indirectly, tourism constitutes approximately 7% of employment in South Africa. To develop and exploit the countrys tourism potential, infrastructure and support facilities of which hotels, like the one we chose, are an integral part. The hospitality industry in South Africa has experienced a steady growth during the past years. Different issues in the government really affected the hospitality sector of the country, but there is a reason now to be optimistic. By hosting the FIFA World Cup it was a great opportunity to boost their economy and especially the tourism sector. A total of 309.554 foreign tourists arrived in South Africa for the primary purpose of attending the event. The continent counted 34% of the worlds foreign tourists, followed by Europe with 24% and Central and South America with 13% The total expenditure in South Africa by tourists who came specifically for the 2010 FIFA World Cup amounted to 3.7 million euros. The average length of stay of tourists during this period was 10.3 nights.Total awareness of South Africa as a leisure and tourism destination increased by 9% following the event. The intention to visit South Africa in the Short term increased by 35% following the event. The industry is creating jobs and wealth, it could also play a crucial role in making the countrys economy to be a better one. However, fragmentation remained some serious impediments to South Africas hospitality industry growth. The industry revolved in different types of businesses, such as airlines, boats, bus companies, hotels, car hire, festivals and events, tour guides, retailing and sightseeing destinations. Therefore the South Africans must be proactive and take responsibility to continue to drive change. After the positive market sentiment recorded last September 2010, the tourism industry is in a very good shape especially since 2009 was a particularly bad year also due to the world economy crisis. South Africas tourism boom has had a predictable effect on the performance of the countrys hotels. South Africa GDP per capita The GDP has grown by more than 4 times in 30 years, that is due to the political and social development since 1980 and especially the abolition of the apartheid which lead to more open economical choices. According to the World Bank, South Africas GDP per capita is currently U$D 3,764 (South Africas GDP adjusted by inflation, divided by the total population). From 1960 until 2008 this figure was U$D 3096.02, with a historical peak of U$D 3764 in December 2008 and a historical low of U$D 2207 in 1960. Although the GDP seems to be increasingly rising, the unemployment rate has reached a dramatical number, 24.8% of the South Africans population is unemployed the rate rose by 15 points since 1980. Demand According to the Horwath Worldwide Hotel Industry Study (2001) South Africa remained the most popular African destination in terms of arrivals in 2000. South Africa is also increasingly becoming a popular international conference destination attracting a large amount of customers from the MICE market. In addition, South Africas hospitality industry continues to attract international investors especially once it was set to host the FIFA world cup and since then investors have been flowing in. In 2010 South Africa recorded 5.5 million arrivals. There was growth in tourist arrivals to South Africa from all regions, with the highest growth coming from the Americas at 91.3% (74,545). Asia and Australasia grew by 41.0% (30,216) and the Africa air markets grew by 30.8% (20,611), while Europe and the Africa land markets grew by 19.1% (43,672) and 5.3% (63,770) respectively.The demand in the tourism industry in South Africa is growing exponentially and the government, investors and hospitality professionals are working together so that the supply meets the constantly rising demand. Supply Profit maximization Profit maximisation is the process by which a hotel determines the price and output level that returns the greatest profit. There are 2 typical ways to achieve profit maximisation: Focus on minimising and control expenses Focus on maximising revenue The Leisure and Tourism Industry South Africa South Africa is known as one of the most sophisticated and promising countries in the whole African continent, and has shown as we have seen it, a strong and consistent improvement in the economy. Its scenic beauty, cultural diversity and reputation for delivering value for money have made it one of the worlds fastest growing leisure and business travel destinations (BRICS countries). Being highly diverse in terms of its, culture, tourist activities and infrastructure. It adapts to every tourism niche, from business, eco- and cultural tourism through to adventure and sport tourism. Its tourism sector began growing significantly since 1994, and due to the importance government gives to tourism in the country. Tourism also generates much of South Africas tax revenue as much as $655 billion in 2005 and influences government spending in infrastructure such as highways, airports, etc. Growing three times faster then the world average. It has become a really important sector, which is creating millions of jobs, employing 212 millions of people. South Africa is becoming more popular among tourist destinations, with 860 000 arrivals per month (statistics from 2008) from which over 10% come from outside of the African continent. The tourism industry has generated a revenue of $3.4 trillion, which represents around 3% GDP. The hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in June and July 2010 remarkably contributed to the countrys economy and development of hundreds of hotels and other hospitality establishments Sà  ¾uth à  friÑ à  ° is therefore tà  °rgà  µting numerous different segments of tourism industry. Such as the afore mentioned domestic tourism, business tourism, eco tourism, cultural tourism but also the adventure tourism. Business Tourism The award of the 2010 FIFA World Cup was just one sign that South Africa was seen as a stable and modern country compared to other African countries. It proved that it posses first-class infrastructure and is an ideal location for intà  µrnà  °tià  ¾nà  °l Ñ à  ¾ngrà  µssà  µs à  °nd Ñ à  ¾nvà  µntià  ¾ns.Thà  µ Ñ à  ¾untry hà  °s wà  µll à  ¾và  µr 1 000 wà  ¾rld-Ñ là  °ss Ñ à  ¾nfà  µrà  µnÑ à  µ à  °nd à  µxhibitià  ¾n Ñ à  µntrà  µs. Sà  ¾uth à  friÑ à  ° is tà  °rgà  µting businà  µss trà  °và  µllà  µrs for the main reason that they spà  µnd à  ¾n à  °và  µrà  °gà  µ thrà  µÃƒ  µ to four timà  µs mà  ¾rà  µ thà  °n the là  µisurà  µ travellers. This thrà  ¾ugh tà  ¾urs and leisure activities such as experiencing the African culture and safari, but also luxury golf courses, shopping and relaxation- bà  µfà  ¾rà  µ à  ¾r à  °ftà  µr thà  µir businà  µss à  °Ãƒâ€˜Ã‚ tivitià  µs à  °nd thrà  ¾ugh rà  µturn trips. à  n à  µstimà  °tà  µd 6-7% à  ¾f Sà  ¾uth à  friÑ à  °s fà  ¾rà  µign visità  ¾rs in 2007 wà  µrà  µ businà  µss tà  ¾urists. Tà  ¾tà  °l dirà  µÃƒâ€˜Ã‚ t spà  µnding by businà  µss tà  ¾urists tà  ¾ $ 2.4 billià  ¾n that year. Sà  ¾uth à  friÑ à  °s Ñ à  ¾nfà  µrà  µnÑ à  µ industry mà  ¾và  µd up tà  ¾ 3oth plà  °Ãƒâ€˜Ã‚ à  µ in thà  µ Intà  µrnà  °tià  ¾nà  °l à  ¡Ãƒ  ¾ngrà  µss à  °nd à  ¡Ãƒ  ¾nvà  µntià  ¾n à  ssà  ¾Ãƒâ€˜Ã‚ ià  °tià  ¾ns là  °stà  µst tà  ¾p-40 list à  ¾f là  µÃƒ  °ding dà  µstinà  °tià  ¾ns in thà  µ wà  ¾rld. Domestic Tourism In 2006 domestic travel grew by 2.7%, nearly 12 million South Africans inhabitants took 37 million internal trips. In those trips 29 million tourists were visiting their family and friends, 2.8 million were traveling for holiday and 1.9 million for business reasons. The issue the tourism department is dealing with, is the challenge to turn the domestic tourism market from visiting family to leisure tourism and thus optimize the increase in the market. Furthermore, the tourism department is running a program called Shot Left, which works on the principle that encourages South African population to travel inside of the country. This is achieved by providing information about tourist attractions, access to tour operators, reasonable prices and tour packages. Eco Tourism Eco tourism is the fastest growing segment of tourism in South Africa thanks to its divà  µrsà  µ Ñ limà  °tà  µs rà  °ngà  µ frà  ¾m trà  ¾piÑ à  °l in thà  µ sà  ¾uth-à  µÃƒ  °st tà  ¾ dà  µsà  µrt in thà  µ Ñ à  µntrà  °l rà  µgià  ¾n. Thà  µ Ñ à  ¾untrys wildlifà  µ is và  °rià  µd , à  °nd is suppà  ¾rtà  µd by à  °n à  µxtrà  °Ãƒ  ¾rdinà  °ry bià  ¾là  ¾giÑ à  °l divà  µrsity. It creates opportunities for tourists which include bird-watching, nature photography, hiking and mountaineering, botanical studies and snorkeling. National and provincial parks in South Africa the world famous Kruger National Park as well private reserves, involve local communities in the management and conservation of natural resources. These communities are becoming aware of their responsibility to the environment, and with that they are also financially benefiting from ecotourism. The countrys prà  ¾tà  µÃƒâ€˜Ã‚ tà  µd à  °rà  µÃƒ  °s increased to 8%, à  °nd its mà  °rinà  µ prà  ¾tà  µÃƒâ€˜Ã‚ tà  µd à  °rà  µÃƒ  °s grew up tà  ¾ 20%, in 2010. Adventure Tourism Bà  µing à  °t thà  µ sà  ¾uthà  µrn tip à  ¾f à  ° là  °rgà  µ Ñ à  ¾ntinà  µnt, Sà  ¾uth à  friÑ à  ° à  ¾ffà  µrs 3 000 kilà  ¾mà  µtrà  µs à  ¾f Ñ à  ¾Ãƒ  °stlinà  µ à  °là  ¾ng with the mà  ¾untà  °ins. Thà  µ Ñ à  ¾untrys divà  µrsà  µ tà  µrrà  °in, tà  ¾gà  µthà  µr with à  ° Ñ limà  °tà  µ suità  µd tà  ¾ à  ¾utdà  ¾Ãƒ  ¾r à  °Ãƒâ€˜Ã‚ tivitià  µs mà  °kà  µ it à  °n idà  µÃƒ  °l hunting grà  ¾und fà  ¾r à  °drà  µnà  °linà  µ sà  µÃƒ  µkà  µrs. Sà  ¾uth à  friÑ à  ° à  ¾ffà  µrs wà  ¾rld-Ñ là  °ss Ñ limbing, surfing, diving, hiking, hà  ¾rsà  µbà  °Ãƒâ€˜Ã‚ k riding, sà  °fà  °ri, mà  ¾untà  °in biking, rivà  µr rà  °fting à  °nd just à  °bà  ¾ut à  °ny à  ¾thà  µr à  µxtrà  µmà  µ à  °Ãƒâ€˜Ã‚ tivity. Cape town Cape Town is the most popular tourism destination for international arrivals as well as locals. Approximately 1.6 million tourists visited Cape Town in year 2006 and their total spending resulted in $10 billion of revenue. Cape town has recently expanded their International Convention center and now hosts 10% of all conferences and meeting of Africa for international and local business tourists. Also real estate business and construction market has hit its peak, when during the 2010 World Cup many people started to buy summer houses in the city or relocating there permanently. As we can see, there is a tendency for international tourists to visit South Africa more from year to year, which results in overnight stays and demand for accommodation and FB. Furthermore, the Cape Town beaches are very popular for their uniqueness and layout because of the difference in the water temperature. The Atlantic Coast average water temperature is around 13 ° Celsius, and the False Bay has an average temperature between 16 and 17 ° Celsius. Though colder, the Atlantic Coast is famous for its big waves and hosts different events including the Red Bull Big Wave Africa. Issues Unemployment Has an extreme unemployment rate, which interacts with other social and economic problems( education, crime and poor health outcomes) over 60% of unemployed have been without jobs more than a year. In second quarter of 2010 a number of people with work fell from 61.000 to 12.700 million. Income inequality The country is ranked in the top 10 countries in the world for income inequality. Black people are poorer than colored people Indians and Asians who are poorer than Whites. Public sector strikes In August and September 2010 SA unions organized a 4 week national strike involving 1.3 million public sector workers, demanding a 8.6% wage increase. The strike ended when the government had raised its 5.2% wage increased to 7.5%. Illegal immigration Many South African employers have employed migrants from poorer neighboring countries( Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi and others) for a lower pay than South African citizens. Electricity crisis After unsuccessful attempts by the government to encourage private construction of power generation capacity, the state-owned power supplier Eskom started experiencing deficiency in capacity in the electrical generating infrastructure in 2007. The lack of capacity was triggered by a failure at Koeberg nuclear power station. The supplier has been criticized for failing to adequately plan for and construct sufficient electrical generating capacity. The crisis was resolved in few month, but the margin between available capacity and national demand is still low. The government and Eskom are planning new power station (in 2025). SWOT analysis of the Tourism Industry Strengths: Weaknesses: Emerging economy Union strikes Low labor and fixed costs High poverty level Low tax Lack of skilled labor Better infrastructure and increased destination Unstable currency awareness since FIFA 2010 High rates of HIV/AIDS Opportunities: Threats: Growth of tourism from USA and European countries High crime level Low cost airlines companies (domestic market growth) Economic recession Government spending in tourism Unstable US Dollar Hosting of the 2020 summer Olympics Racial differences Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa Description Created in 1998, the Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa is situated on the Southwestern coast of South Africa 45 minutes, by car, from Cape Town. The hotel is embraced by the Kogelberg Mountains and bordered by the Bot River Lagoon. The Hotel is near the Cape Wine Route in the the souther tip of Africa near Cape Agulhas, and only 15-minute drive from Hermanus. Perfectly suitable for those who want to relax from the hectic life but dont want to go far away from civilization, the region where the hotel is located is rich in bird life, exquisite mountain landscapes and endless recreational activities. For guests on business there are special conference facilities that deliver standards of professionalism and comfort. General Manager Rob Kucera has been promoted to GM of the Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa after three years as a hotel manager at the Westin Grand in Cape Town. Rob joined The Westin Grand Cape Town Arabella Quays as an experienced hotelier, his most notable achievement is the establishment of an extremely focused and effective management team. His business acumen and leadership skills will undoubtedly add tremendous value to the Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa and its employees. Rob Kucera has extensive experience, impeccable values and immense dedication added to a huge passion for the industry. These mentioned qualities have definitely earned him the respect from his seniors, peers, employees and guests alike. Rob Kucera has made a tremendous impact on the hotel industry this far in his career and we look forward to his continued success, says Friedrich Schaefer, COO and Area General Manager of Arabella Starwood SA. Facilities Apart from the standard facilities and services as: business center, shopping mall, valet and car rental service, airport transportation service (pick up and drop off), beauty salon, 24 hours Front Desk and Concierge service, childrens playground and babysitting service, restaurants with classic or traditional food, an wireless high internet access coverage on the premisses. The Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa provides its guests with : Chapters Library Arabella Spa with indoor and outdoor pools and jacuzzis and massage treatments The African Rainforest Experience- a world first sauna treatment developed in South Africa using African products and inspired by African rains The Sport club with a fitness center, tennis courts, horseback riding, fishing and kayaking The Unique golf course, recently voted the Number Two Golf Course in South Africa and the Top Golf Course in the Western Cape by The Complete Golfer magazine Rooms and Rates The Hotel has 265 rooms in total and brings Deluxe Rooms ( Rate is 1.672 ZAR) These large rooms are perfectly arranged for utmost comfort. Each Deluxe Room has a private balcony or terrace that overlooks garden or swimming pool. Most of 46 rooms are furnished with king size beds or twin single beds. The room can accommodate 2 adults and 1 child under two in a camping cot. Grand Deluxe Rooms (Rate is 1.950 ZAR Around 213 Euro) Offer the same style and comfort as Deluxe Room but has the additional benefit of a magnificent view of the Bot River Lagoon and Arabella Golf Course. Deluxe Suites (Rate is 2.850ZAR around 310 Euro) The room has a separate bedroom and lounge, divided by wooden sliding doors for additional privacy. The bathroom is large and for extra luxury equipped with TV set. A large balcony with loungers offers view of the perfectly manicured grounds and swimming pool. The Deluxe Suites can accommodate 2 adults and 2 children under the age of 12 and one child under the age of 2. Grand Deluxe Suites (The Rate is 3.500 ZAR around 380 Euro) The Grand Deluxe Suite provides the exceptional luxury and comfort of the Deluxe Room, with the addition of magnificent views of the Bot River Lagoon and Golf Course. Presidential Suites (The Rate is 6.500 ZAR around 705 Euro) The room offer luxury and comfort in a superbly appointed private setting complete with a 24 hours butler service to attend to your requirements. The entrance lobby affords access to the guest bathroom and beautiful lounge furnished with a fireplace. A study, accessible through the lounge, ensures a quite area to work or conduct business. Awards Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa is the Winner of: Africas Leading Luxury Hotel Africas Leading Spa Resort South Africas Leading Spa Resort Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc alliance The Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa is part of the Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. Founded by Barry Sternlicht, it is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world, with 1000 properties in nearly 100 countries with over 145,000 employees. They have a variety of brands include : Le Mà ©ridien ®, ElementSM Hotels, AloftSM Hotels, Sheraton ® Hotels Resorts, The Luxury Collection ®, St. Regis ® Hotels Resorts, Westin ® Hotels Resorts, W Hotels ® and Four Points ® by Sheraton. In 1993 Starwood Capital buys its first hotels and by 1994 owns interests in more than 30 properties. Nowadays Starwood celebrates the opening of its 1000th  hotel in China named The Sheraton Qiandao Lake hotel. Environmental sustainability: Starwood aims to conserve energy and water, reduce waste and enhance indoor environmental quality for Starwood guests. This year, in more than 90,000 rooms, guests staying in Starwood properties will be encouraged to turn off the lights. Properties will participate by dimming or turning off non-essential interior lighting, using candlelight in appropriate public areas such as restaurants and bars. Starwoods trailblazing eco-chic boutique Element Hotels brand was launched as the first major hotel brand to mandate that all U.S. properties pursue the U.S. Green Building Councils (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certificate. Globally, Starwood is increasingly focused on integrating environmental sustainability into its operations and it was important to create a partnership with a world-class organization like CI to continue to move that work forward in the most inpactful way, said Sandy Swider, Vice President of Global Citizenship for Starwood. SWOT analysis of the Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa Strengths: Location: The Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa is situated only 45 minutes from Cape Town offering all the benefits of the city but, at the same time, giving its guests the tranquility and privacy of a remote location. Upscale hotel: Rated a 5 star hotel The Arabella offers only the highest quality service Web page: Very interactive and beautifully designed Starwood alliance: High quality standards and strength of the brand name, the Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa profits of the Starwoods achieved awards and new projects such as the Green policy History of the country: Rich historical heritage monuments and architecture Multicultural surrounding Developed infrastructure and superstructure Weaknesses: Location: The hotel is outside of the city area thus the hotel guests have some trouble getting transportation to it, even though the local transportation has improved, the regional transportation is not used at its fullest Lack of skilled labor: All though the school enrollment percentage has grown, this mainly concerns the primary education level. Skilled hoteliers are therefore still foreigners, such as Hotel School students like ourselves. Opportunities: Sports tourism: As we have seen in 2010, South Africa has been given the FIFA World Cup and presented an important economical growth, increasing the potential of their tourism sector. Having this experience, South Africa qualifies for the 2020 summer Olympic Games. We think that The Arabella Western Hotel and Spa should prepare its facilities to accommodate not only the visitors there to watch the games but also the athletes and their needs. Going green policy: Cape Town is ranked 30th greenest city in the world, plus the Arabella is following Starwoods Green Project and by incorporating the ideas and start attracting an eco friendly market segment. Threats: Unemployment rate: With the recession the unemployment rate has increased over the years. making the recovery harder. Furthermore the growth in the South African tourism will feel the crisis if the unemployment rate doesnt decrease, directly influencing the hotel. Seasonality and Occupancy level South Africa is rarely affected by seasonality issues because being situated at the most southern tip of Africa it has an ideal climate whole year round. During high seasons : November January, March April, June July and September October; the occupancy level at the Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa is situated, in average, between 85%-95% For the rest of the year, on few occasions that we can call a low season, the occupancy level at the Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa is in average 60%-65%. Competitors Within South Africa there are a lot of hotels and up and coming hotels. There is also a necessity for hotel rooms as there is a continuous increase of various tourists. The Marine Hotel Price: 200 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ for standard room No of rooms:64 40 minutes ride to city center Facilities: Spa, small conference room for 80 people and The collection boutique Auberge Provence Guesthouse Price : 390 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ for standard room No of rooms:90 1 hour drive to city center Facilities: 3 restaurants, Spa and Wellness center, conference rooms max 50 people. Mosselberg On Grotto Beach Price: 190 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ No of rooms: 110 1 hour ride to city center Facilities: Swimming pool, Lounge area, Games center, Free Wireless. One and only Cape town Price : 550 Euros No of rooms : 131 Located in the city center Facilities : OneOnly Spa Cape Town, Beauty Center, one Michelin star restaurant (chef Noby Matsuhisa), Conference room for 112 guests maximum. The Vendome Hotel Cape Town Price: 260 Euros No of rooms: 143 Located in the city center Facilities: outside pool, Conference facilities for approximately 220 guests, classic lounge, airport transfer. Based on the research, all the nearest 5 star hotels are very similar when it comes to location. However the prices are different. We discovered that Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa is larger than all the nearest hotels. Our hotel is the best place and offers the most, not only for leisure travelers but also for business ones. Long term sustainability Finally we are looking at the actions and ideas that the Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa can implement in order to continue to develop and become what we call sustainable in long term. An effective sustainable plan will help and maybe even ensure long life span for the hotel. By thinking about the environment and how our actions affect it we can predict issues that we will have to deal with in the near future. Therefore we can anticipate the loses and c
Friday, October 25, 2019
Essay --
How Hybrids Beat Out the Electric Vehicle in the US Automarket Car companies like Toyota and Honda are finally starting to warm up to the idea of marketing more fuel-efficient vehicles, introducing models like the Toyota Prius, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, and the Honda Civic Hybrid, the three top-selling hybrid vehicles on the market for 20061. While these more fuel-efficient cars do increase the MPG rating to averages of 47mpg, 25mpg, and 46mpg2, one has to wonder why car companies are still turning out vehicle models that are dependent on gasoline at all. In the mid-1990's GM introduced the EV1 in response to the California Air Resources Board (CARB)'s 'zero-emissions' standards, a vehicle that got 55-75 miles per charge (mpc) with lead-acid batteries and 75-150 mpc with the Generation 2 Ovonic nickel-metal hydride batteries3 without zero emissions at the vehicle level whatsoever. So why have car companies forsaken the electric vehicle in favor of the low-emission (but still emitting) hybrid? Car companies like Toyota and Daimler-Chrysle r have partnerships with oil companies like ExxonMobil to improve fuel-economy standards for future vehicles, but none of them involve the development of an all-electric vehicle. Simply, the Bush Administration, backed by oil companies and car manufacturers, can not profit from the mass-production of electric vehicles. Instead, hybrid vehicles that still consume oil and emit greenhouse gases, are this century's compromise between environmentalists and Bush's Big Oil. General Motors has a history of partnering with oil companies to increase profits, starting with the Great American Streetcar scandal in the early 20th century. National City Lines, a holding company of Genera... ...ons. ExxonMobil, February 2006. www.exxonmobil.com 7 Shell Hydrogen: About Shell Hydrogen http://www.shell.com/home/Framework?siteId=hydrogen-en&FC2=/hydrogen-en/html/iwgen/leftnavs/zzz_lhn2_0_0.html&FC3=/hydrogen-en/html/iwgen/about_shell/who_we_are_1208.html 8 Flomenhoft, Gary: ESCI 420 In-class lecture, 2/7 9 Energy Task Force - Wikipedia.com 10 Taxpayers for a Common Sense Whitepaper Website: Vehicles that Qualify for the SUV Tax Break. http://www.taxpayer.net/TCS/whitepapers/SUVtaxbreak.htm 11 Toyota Website: Vehicles: RAV-4 EV http://www.toyota.com/html/shop/vehicles/ravev/rav4ev_0_home/index.html 12 Tesla Motors website - www.teslamotors.com 13 "Who Killed the Electric Car?" Documentary: Sony Pictures Classics, 2006. 14 Toyota Website: Vehicles: RAV-4 EV http://www.toyota.com/html/shop/vehicles/ravev/rav4ev_0_home/index.html
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Examine the problems some sociologists may face when using different kinds Essay
?Examine the problems some sociologists may face when using different kinds of experiments in their research (20 Marks) To have control over variables and the environment they are researching, sociologists often use laboratory experiments in research. Lab experiments are used to test a hypothesis in a controlled environment, by altering an independent variable to see the dependant variable being tested changes. Positivists favour this method of research as it is a more scientific approach to research, which aims to identify correlations and patterns in behaviour whilst gathering quantitative data. Carrying out such experiments can cause practical issues for sociologists. One of the main practical issues is that the effect of society on people’s behaviour is very complex, and it is very difficult for researcher’s using lab experiments to identify and control all the variables that may have an influence on behaviour. It would be impossible for a sociologist to research all the influencing factors in a lab experiment, as this is far too complex to carry out in one controlled environment. Furthermore, lab experiments usually involve the study of a small sample as it would not be possible to study a large group of individuals in a controlled laboratory, unless you had a lot of time and this could become costly. This makes it difficult to research large scale social issues that affect behaviour and may also reduce the representativeness of research carried out. For example, Stanley Milgram carried out research on obedience to an authorative figure. He wanted to investigate whether Germans were particularly obedient to authority figures as this was a common explanation for the Nazi killings in World War II. To do so he studied 40 Americans all of whom were male. This is a small scale sample which only represents males and is ethnocentric to American males; therefore it would be difficult to generalise findings to the wider population and other countries. The unnatural settings of a lab experiment means the participants are aware of the experiment taking place. This creates what is called the ‘hawthorne effect’ where the behaviour the participants changes in response to the artificial surrounding and the fact they know they are being studied. As a result this reduces the validity of the results as the participants are not behaving in true-to-life ways and this would not provide a true account of the behaviour being researched. Interpretivists argue that the unnatural setting and low validity means that sociologists cannot gain verstehen, an empathetic understanding of the world from the viewpoint of those being studied. Furthermore, there are ethical issues when conducting experiments on human beings. As a general rule, researchers must gain the informed consent from the research participants. However, when researching child participants or people with learning difficulties it may be difficult to gain informed consent as they would not full understand what they are consenting to
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Introduction to Sociology: The Concept of Deviance Essay
Understanding that society has unavoidably primary influences on what is deemed deviant or not significantly reduces the confusion that abound concerning the subject. This paper presents this assumption and emphasizes the pertinent works of several experts in the field. Ahmad and Rosenhan in their separate treatises try to put forth convincing proofs and arguments as to their respective positions. In essence, this paper explains the stand of Ahmad and the discoveries and conclusions drawn by the experiment performed by Rosenhan. Culture, creed or religious persuasions unavoidably are crucial to the behavior of people which may be the benchmarks with which people base their actions, decision making and choices (Navada, 2009). II. CHAPTER 2 SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS The following questions will help the reader and student to make objective judgments on several key issues regarding their outlook on issues. The idea is that deviance according to society’s dictates can and will make or break certain ways of living, probably leading even to the annihilation of a number of people as the perpetrators might perceive their victims. Ahmad appears brilliant as to how he pursued the arguments concerning the validity of the West’s allegations about who are terrorists. The gist of his article was that the problem with society is that it has no permanent definition of a concept in particular. In the issue of terrorism, when it happened that a group of people or a country deemed another one lesser influential in terms of politicking, then the more influential or powerful a person is, the more he or his group sets the tone of morality and ethics: what is moral and ethical hinge on the degree of greed and selfishness of individuals. Rosenhan shows that being insane cannot be actually determined by whatever instrument or tool, or by what is dictated as the â€Å"normal curve. †The kind of study he made was an in-depth one and brings reality check to the people seriously involved in mental illness and restoring health. There were many observations that indeed were valid including the fact that grave responsibility lies with the head of these hospitals or organizations whose modelling or example mean death or life, recovery or real insanity for the individual patient. 1. Ahmad’s Article The point of view of Ahmad (1998) succinctly described in his article Terrorism: Theirs and Ours` must be read with as much as the removal of colored â€Å"glasses†which may be a hindrance as to getting this author’s point of view. It means that filtering his ideas through one’s personal biases and perspective may not be a very good idea at all. Rather, a Jewish person with his own arguments should probably pretend first that he is at the side of the writer and later take on his identity and worldviews (Ahmad, 1998). What is the author’s point in writing the paper? Ahmad simply states that terrorism depends entirely on who’s benefited by the action especially in grand scale (Ahmad, 1998). In the case of Palestine and Israel, and on the world’s stage, terrorism cannot be ascribed as such for as long as the West such as the United States remains in such a lofty position as a superpower. Their might and clout spell dominion and their own definition of what terrorism. Contemporary milieu shows that since the Palestinian people are not on the American side according to Ahmad, then this particular group of people has no say; and whenever they take up arms, it is not termed as a nationalistic campaign. Rather, it is terrorism. Ahmad also meant that America and its relationship to influential nations can be considered farce and the display of concern as charade (Ahmad, 1998). How does the author prove his point? The use of logic and/or deductive reasoning was how the author Ahmad tried to persuade his audience (Ahmad, 1998). What evidence do they use to prove their point? Ahmad saw to it that archival evidence supports his arguments well. He utilized the news and editorial clips and other sources to put forth the allegations that during the times that Israel was not yet a State, Jewish uprisings were acceptably known as terrorism. Evidences from print communications then turned around which made Palestinian revolts as works of terrorists (Ahmad, 1998). What do their findings say about deviance and society in general? Ahmad’s arguments simply posited that deviance is dictated by politics and power (Navada, 2009; Ahmad, 1998). It is the fact that in any given society, the ideology that permeates is one that is held by those in positions of authority, wealth and power. In the case of the existence of the Jewish State or that of the Palestinian identity, he argues that in their respective â€Å"reigns†these two races the emergence of the term terrorism is defined by the point of view of each. When the Palestinians were occupying the place, Jewish reformers or the Jewish desire for a country represented a threat and was described as terrorism; their leaders, called terrorists. Deviance, normality, or abnormality are terms inherently critical to society as the definition of the terms rests on the people governing a particularly society or institution. It is probably correct to think and draw conclusions that Mr. Ahmad is right concerning this point of view (Ahmad, 1998). However, it is entirely another thing when terror continues to be wrought in various places of the world by the vast network established by people of similar persuasions. It would be entirely simplistic to think along strictly along the line of thought that Mr. Ahmad was thinking (Ahmad, 1998). The world of humans is oftentimes unpredictable, changing and wondrously exciting. However, when these attributes become extremely bizarre and painfully detrimental, humans become sick and worried about to what extent can other humans afford to inflict harm against them. Suicide bombing is, if not the most, one of the most gruesome acts anybody can commit. It is outright crazy and stupid. One must be beside the normal to be entertaining such a thought in mind. Ironically, fanatics who have committed and attempted suicide bombings in the past, were deemed normal until the day when the execution of their ultimate plans were made public whether foiled or completed. People who are afflicted with mental disorder may, as other people, travel for the same reasons – vacation, visiting friends or relatives, business, recreation, and sometimes for religious or spiritual focus (Miller & Zarcone, 1968). Others indeed may travel for reasons other than the normal – for reasons triggered by malformed mental state such as the men who carried out the 911 attack of the Twin Towers in New York. Along the 911 attack, suicide bombing through aircraft came to prominence resulting in the stirring of the awareness among the international public of the fact that the regular traveller might not be that â€Å"regular†anyway. It is probable that some of them are driven by excessive anger or motivated by utopic hope as taught in the communities wherein they have pledged their life allegiance (Silke, 2003). 2. Rosenhan research What is the author’s point in writing the paper? Rosenhan’s breakthrough (1973) in mental institutions was a very interesting and inexplicably raw to the minds of figures or people who are in helping profession (Rosenhan, 1973). It is critical and contributes a sensitive fibre to a huge institution that caters to mental illness. There may be loopholes as to how the experiment was carried out including ethical issues to human participation but the results and the procedures were â€Å"loudspeakers†and are considered significant to the idea of labelling and the diagnosis of the mental illness (Rosenhan, 1973). How does the author prove his point? Rosenhan proved his point by direct and firsthand experiences of people who were participants in the study (Rosenhan, 1973). What evidence do they use to prove their point? With the thorough handling of data derived from these individual participant’s observations, he made generalizations and conclusions as to the state or condition of the Mental Institutions, the capabilities and efficiency of Mental Health Professionals were in question. His findings which were consistent to a large extent with many of his volunteers’ observations push the issue of proper diagnosis and labelling, use of diagnostic criteria, the abilities and qualifications and work ethics of people practicing in the mental health field to the fore and pose as challenge to the kind of profession being handled here (Rosenhan, 1973). What do their findings say about deviance and society in general? Specific items observed especially important to making generalizations in the discipline include the length of time that nurses, attendants and most importantly, the psychiatrists and psychologists spend with patients. By empirical evidence criterion alone, the practice drastically falls short on this aspect. In the area of diagnosis and subsequent intervention measures, the initial assessments, description aspect play a major role hence can never be relegated to a minor place in the practice. Mental illness then or deviance for that matter hinges on many issues brought out in the experiment (Rosenhan, 1973; Navada, 2009). III. REFERENCE PAGE Ahmad, Eqbal (1998). `Terrorism:Theirs and Ours. ` Accessed June 13, 2009 online at http://www. sangam. org/ANALYSIS/Ahmad. htm Gordon, Harvey, Mike Kingham, Tony Goodwin (2004).. Air travel by passengers with mental disorder. Psychiatric Bulletin 28:295-297. The Royal College of Psychiatrists. Jourad, Sydney (1963). Personal Adjustment. 2nd Ed. New York: MacMillan Company. Navada, Marianne Ryan-Go (2009). Principles of Sociology; Chapter 8, pp. 1-4. Accessed June 13, 2009 online at http://book. gonavada. com/html/Chapter8. html Rosenhan, David (1973). `On Being Sane in Insane Places. ` Accessed June 13, 2009 online at http://www. walnet. org/llf/ROSENHAN-BEINGSANE. PDF Silke, A. (2003). The psychology of suicide terrorism. In Terrorists, Victims and Society (ed. A. Silke), pp. 93 -108. Chichester: Wiley. Tiffin, Joseph and Ernest McCormick J. (1958). Industrial psychology. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Horace Boigraphy essays
Horace Boigraphy essays Quintus Horatius Flaccus was born at Venusia, Italy, Dec. 8 65 B.C.E and died in Nov. 27 8 B.C.E (Crystal, crystalinks.com/horace.html). He is recognized as one of historys greatest poets. Horace was a humble person, for this he was loved by all his friends. He had very few enemies. His favorite subjects for poetry were love and nature. Later in his life he went from writing poetry to writing philosophy (Gilleland, kirjasto.sci.fi/horatius.htm). There were many things that affected Horace in his youth which influenced his adulthood. Horaces father was a freed slave and found employment in the areas of tax collecting and as an auction broker. Horace lived a modest childhood (Crystal, crystalinks.com/horace.html). Even though his family was barely getting by, Horaces father made sure that Horace got the best education possible. At a young age, Horace was sent to Athens to study, and after went to Rome to find a career. Horace always expressed his gratitude towards his father for getting him a good education and teaching him deep-rooted morals. Horace joined the army at the age of nineteen. He fought on the side of the conspirators, Brutus and Cassius, as a military tribune, which was exceptional for a freemans son. When the war was lost, all his assets were seized and he was forced to return home penniless. Along with living a modest childhood, war greatly humbled Horace. By the age of twenty he had already experien ced loss, death, and tragedy, which made him want no more excitement in his life (Gilleland, kirjasto.sci.fi/horatius.htm). Horace was a renowned writer. He was known mostly for his poems. Earlier in his career, his poems were about love, pleasure, wine, friendship, and the beauty of a simple life. Later in his life, his subjects turned more serous, involving the race for power and position, the folly of extremes, the desirability of ...
Monday, October 21, 2019
Feedback TAC (for Spa) system
Feedback TAC (for Spa) system Feedback TAC stands for Tele Assistance Collaboration that helps businesses and especially those in the hospitality industry to remotely manage their daily operations. In the cotemporary and very competitive world, businesses are looking for appropriate technologies to enable them establish a competitive edge over their rival firms.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Feedback TAC (for Spa) system specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This has pressurized many firms to embrace appropriate technologies that enable them to run more efficiently. The Feedback TAC system is a good example of such a technology that has greatly boosted the performance of many businesses in the hospitality industry. The TAC System operates depending on the kind of data it receives. Therefore, the TAC system can be used to by the marketing department of hospitality industry to strategically position their firms’ services as well as products in the market. The TAC system should be used in Spa to determine the most appropriate lead time in order to increase its performances. Lead time entails the duration between the initialization of any idea of production and the time when the idea generates revenues. In most cases most firms do their best to reduce their lead time in order to avoid time wastages. It is believed that when these firms reduce their lead time accordingly, they are able to avoid accumulation of unfinished tasks that assists them to operate more efficiently. Conversely, other firms increase their efficiency by increasing their lead time. They argue that an extended lead time gives them an ample time to prepare to attend their customers. The Spa marketing department should use the TAC system to help it to determine the most viable time for customers to do their booking. The Spa management should feed its TAC system with the right data of when it opens as well as when it closes. For, instance, the Spa TAC system should be designed to accept those bookings that are done between 16:00 and 20:00. This will help those customers who are doing their booking, to book at times when Spa operates. The Spa management should make sure that they advice their IT experts to ensure that the Spa TAC System they adopt have an extended lead time. An extended lead time will enable the customers to do their booking in advance. Through this process the management will be able to plan in good time on how to serve its customers.Advertising Looking for essay on other technology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Similarly, early booking will help the management to buy appropriate materials its employees may require when attending their clients. Through this process, Spa will run more efficiently. Subsequently, it will attract more customers because more people will be willing to use its services because its efficiency services. The TAC system should allow people to do their booking even three weeks in advance. In addition to an extended lead time, the TAC System embraced should regulate Spa booking processes. The system should only accept those bookings that the Spa employees can manage to handle at a time. In order for it to regulate the bookings accordingly, the system should be fed with the correct data of the numbers of tasks the Spa employees can manage at a time. Thus, when a client books to be attended in a schedule that is full to capacity, the system should direct the customer to the next available and most appropriate options to select from. For instance, the system should allow only one person to book for the hair cut at a go because Spa is able to serve one person at a time. The customer should direct those other customers who book for hair cut to the next available options. The TAC system should on the other hand allow three people to book for the treatment at a go because Spa has can accommodate three chances for treatment at ago. Other consequent bookings should be directed to the next appropriate options. The TAC system should allow people to book for hair cut as well as treatment from Monday to Friday. Conversely, it should allow people to book for hair dressing only on Mondays and Tuesdays. Through this method, the Spa is likely to perform very well and command a greater market share in its area of specialization. The TAC system should only allow customers to make their booking between 16:00-20:00 because that is the time frame when Spa operates. Any booking that is made before 16:00 or after 20:00 should not be accepted by the TAC system. Similarly, the TAC system should not allow people to book for any services on Sunday since SPA does not operate on Sundays.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Feedback TAC (for Spa) system specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The TAC system to be installed by Spa ought to have appropriate dis counts for its customers. The customers who provide referral services as well as those who provide repeated business to the company should automatically be assigned special discounts when booking. Similarly, the TAC System should have some special packages for its royal customers as well as promotions that are meant to enhance the awareness of the firm. Technology is a very important strategy that firms use to augment their performances. When firms adopt appropriate technologies in their system, they are able to perform more efficiently. Spa will improve its performance greatly when it adopts the TAC System. The system will help it to run more efficiently. Subsequently, Spa will be able to win more customers and help it make more profits as a result of its increased market share.
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