Physical Activity And Brain Plasticity - 1299 Words

In the article â€Å"Physical activity and brain plasticity in late adulthood† by Kirk I. Erickson, PhD, Ariel G. Gildengers, MD and Meryl A Butters, PhD provides insight to research on the effects of physical activity on the human brain in late adulthood. The article provides and overview of cognitive functioning in older adults. The purpose of the research in the article is to demonstrate how physical activity and other risk factors such as education, obesity, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, and depression can contribute to the cognitive impairment of the brain thus increasing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular problems, and cancer in people over the age of 65. The research methods and design for the experiments provide insight to how researchers utilize biological measurements, observations of the human brain and the experimental research method. The method for each of the experiments are based on more than one experiment and validity of the outcome provides insight to basically the same outcome at the end of the article. To understand the underlying research methods it is important for this summary to include all of the different experiments and their outcomes. The purpose of the first experiment was to â€Å"Establish molecular basis of physical activity on brain health (Erickson 1).† The experiment on physical brain activity was conducted on rodents in order to determine the effects on â€Å"learning and memory, neurotransmitter systems, metabolic andShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Physical Exercise On Brain Health1572 Words   |  7 Pagesand Physical Exercise on Brain Health Physical exercise does not only promote physical appearance and the body’s health, it also promotes brain health. The brain is a dynamic organ that replaces and repairs neurons throughout life. When people engage in exercise, rarely do they think about the potential affects it has on their brain. People that work out utilize various amounts of motor skills that have been acquired gradually through practice. Those utilized motor skills elicit the brains cognitiveRead MoreNeuroplasticity And Rehabilitation Of The Nervous System756 Words   |  4 Pagesnervous system. This process involves approaches intended to reduce impairments and disabilities, and ultimately improving quality of life. Neuroplasticity is the brain s ability to remodel or reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. This allows the neurons to compensate for injury and disease, and to adjust their activities in response to new stimulations or changes in their environment. It encompasses alterations i n neural pathways and synapses, in response to changes in behavior,Read MoreChildhood And Adolescence : Toward A Field Of Inquiry1072 Words   |  5 PagesArticle 4- Physical activity and brain plasticity in late adulthood: a conceptual review Andrea, M., Weinstein,S.L., Akl, K. E., Destiny, M. (2012). Physical activity and brain plasticity in late adulthood: a conceptual review. Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, USA. Retrieved from http://www.pagepress.org/journals/index.php/ar/article/view/ar.2012.e6 the authors in this article correlate physical exercise to brain plasticityRead MoreExplain Two Effects of the Environment on Physiological Processes1351 Words   |  6 Pagesand the brain. The two effect of the environment on physiological processes that will be discussed are the enrichment of certain environments on brain plasticity and the observation of experiences actions on the activation of mirror neurons. The first effect of environment on physiological processes that will be discussed is brain plasticity. Brain plasticity is the brain’s ability to rearrange its connections with its neurons, that is, the changes that occur in the structure of the brain as a resultRead MoreUnderstanding The Brain s Physical Operation948 Words   |  4 PagesUnderstanding the brain’s physical operation is essential to frame the relationship between brain and mind. The brain functions as a result of many complex processes; however, Jeeves and Brown narrow the brain’s activity into eight critical principles. These principles provide a background necessary to deduce insightful information from neuroscience’s current research of the correlation between our mental lives and brain systems. The first principle describes the PNS and CNS as action loops. AnRead MoreSymptoms And Treatments Of Ischemic. Stroke Therapy970 Words   |  4 Pages 2 Introduction Depending on the area of the brain that is affected by a stroke, patients may find they can no longer move certain body parts due to paralysis, they may have trouble talking or reading and their cognitive function is severely declined. Current after stroke therapy focuses mostly on palliative care and management of symptoms, instead of restoring cognitive or physical abilities, which are seen as a bonus rather than a desired outcome. It seems thatRead MoreAnalysis Of Arts And Music In Music And Education1524 Words   |  7 Pagesconcentrate on the core subjects and delete all art and music programs out of the curriculum. The alternative to cut these programs and most extra-curricular activities, was to start â€Å"a pay to playâ€Å" programs. Individual school districts offered music, art, and sports with the parents paying for the student to participate in the activities. The other option to allow music art and sports in the schools is to raise money through levies and taxes. Both options have shown to be ineffective. ResearchRead MoreThe Brain That Changes Itself : Stories Of Personal Triumph From The Frontiers Of Brain Science1653 Words   |  7 PagesThe book The Brain that Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science, written by Dr. Norman Doidge, provides different intimate experiences from people that recei ved help through neuroplasticity exercises. Each story describes how the brain is able to readjust itself. Brain plasticity can physically modify the brain by uncovering rewarding and tragic experiences. Changes in the brain can also occur as we age. Throughout the reading I learned several knowledgeableRead MoreBBCI Essay977 Words   |  4 PagesHigh Data Rate Wireless Communications for Brain-Computer Interfaces Overview: To achieve full success in experiments on brain plasticity, bi-directional brain computer interfaces (BBCIs) must deliver activity-dependent stimulation for extended periods of time in unconstrained environments [1]. BBCIs are neuroprosthetics used for fundamental research in neurophysiology and neural rehabilitation. The ability to stimulate the brain in response to single neuron action potentials have allowed for high-fidelityRead MoreWhat Does It Mean?871 Words   |  4 Pagesof not aging successfully. Due to the ease of access to unhealthy foods, low levels of physical activity, and generally unhealthy lifestyle choices, many Americans are not expected to age well. For example, the daily recommended amount of physical activity is 30 minutes of moderate activity, but with many American s making the choice to watch television or choosing desk jobs with little to no physical activity the outlook for aging successful looks grim for many. In this literature review, the fo cus

The Atomic Bombing Of Hiroshima - 871 Words

An Unnecessary Action The atomic bombing of Japan was an unjustified decision that many considered was inhumane. Through the use of atomic bombs, many innocents were harmed in one way or another. Berger described the atomic bombing of Hiroshima as a terrorist act and that it was evil. While Berger s argument was extreme, the U.S. still remains unjustified because they did not know exactly how much damage the bomb would actually cause. Bombing Japan, the U.S. harmed thousands of civilians and displayed the effectiveness of the atomic bomb despite having other options to end the war. By bombing Japan, many civilians were killed as a result of the U.S. s desire to use a new weapon. Laurence describes the bomb as, a thing of beauty to behold and Never before had so much brain power been focused on a single problem (11). This demonstrated how the U.S. saw Japan as a problem that needed to be dealt with quickly and that the new and supposedly destructive weapon was the best choice. Whi le the targets, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, were both production areas ,they were inhabited by a number of civilians. By choosing to drop the bomb, thousands were annihilated and any survivors began to suffer from radiation sickness shortly after. Because of its destruction, the U.S. believed the atomic bomb was a quick solution to the war. Although the atomic bomb was a new and quick solution to the war, the U.S. could have chosen other options to finish it. As a result of bombingsShow MoreRelatedAtomic Bombing of Hiroshima2216 Words   |  9 Pagesshocked the world by dropping an atomic bomb over the city of Hiroshima, Japan. (www.grolier.com) Hiroshima was a major industrial city with an estimated population of almost 400,000 people. A B-29 bomber was loaded with the Atomic Bomb and left the United States Pacific air base at 2:45 a.m. local time and dropped the bomb at 8:15 a.m. The bomb was detonated one minute after being dropped. The atomic bomb, nicknamed Little Boy, which was dropped on the Hiroshima City, exploded at an altitudeRead MoreThe Atomic Bombing Of Hiroshima2417 Words   |  10 Pagesdeals with a forensic analysis of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945 by first exploring the context in which it took place and has been presented to the world, and then undertaking a forensic examination of the event in light of modern criminological knowledge as well as two readings in the context of modernism and modernity. As Japan had begun losing the Pacific War, the United States commenced the Manhattan Project to develop the Atomic Bomb partly with the input from GermanRead MoreThe Atomic Bombing Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki2142 Words   |  9 PagesThe horrific atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan on August 6th and 9th of 1945 brought about several reactions in the United States. Starting with the controversial events leadi ng up to the atomic with the Potsdam Proclamation, many Americans began to wonder whether the total destruction of these two cities were necessary. However, immediate American responses and reactions to the bombs were contrary to what they became later on. Americans slowly stopped being ignorant of what had happenedRead MoreThe Atomic Bombing Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki Essay2146 Words   |  9 PagesThe atomic bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 is the most controversial military decision in the history of Air Power, and may even be the most controversial decision in history. The first of the bombings happened at Hiroshima, where the B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay dropped Little Boy, an Uranium-based atomic bomb. Structural damage estimates vary, with some sources claiming the blast and fires destroyed about 90% of the city (History.com Staff â€Å"Bombing of Hiroshima andRead MoreThe Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki671 Words   |  3 PagesThe B omb The atomic bomb was initially created during the time period directly preceding, and including, World War II. Although the United States was the first nation to actually utilize this devastating weapon in a combat situation, it is significant to note that several other nations, including Russia and Germany, were also rapidly attempting to manifest the technology that could produce this devastating weapon. The U.S. utilized this weapon against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki withinRead MoreThe Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki1656 Words   |  7 PagesDid the atomic bomb have to be used in World War II on Japan? There were multiple reasons why the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were necessary. One of which is to reduce the chance of Allied casualties if the war continued. Another reason was to prohibit the possibility that an Axis country such as Nazi Germany, could create an atomic weapon. A third reason or is whether or not the use of atomic weapons on innocent people was worth the media backlash. A final reason is that the workRead MoreHiroshima and Nagasaki Atomic Bombings1200 Words   |  5 PagesOnly three atomic bombs have been dropped in history. Little boy, was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Fat man was dropped on Japans capital, Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. And finally, Trinity was the code name for a test bomb which was a replica of Fat man. It was dropped on July 16, 1945 in New Mexico. A fourth bomb, named thin man, was proposed and scientists worked on it until it was aborted. These bombs were all used for war purposes in World War two. The code nameRead MoreThe Atomic Bombing Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki Essay867 Words   |  4 Pagescreate a better picture of the world. In doing research, Steve Sheiken, an historical researcher concluded, â€Å"Of the 76,00 buildings that stood†¦70,000 were completely destroyed in Hiroshima (Sheinkin, 204).† I am here only to inform the effects of the atomic bombing, impacting Japanese lives. These attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki remains one of the most infamous tragedies in history because of the large number of casualties that shattered Japan’s invincibility, leading to the Nuclear Era. Forecast:Read MoreThe Atomic Bombing Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki Essay866 Words   |  4 Pagesenable us to create a better picture of the world. In doing research, Steve Sheiken, a historical researcher concluded, â€Å"Of the 76,00 buildings that stood†¦70,000 were destroyed in Hiroshima (Sheinkin, 204).† I am here only to inform the effects of the atomic bombing, impacting Japanese lives. These attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki remain as one of the most infamous tragedies in history, mainly because of the large number of casualties that shattered Japan’s invincibility, leading to the NuclearRead MoreWas The Atomic Bombing Of Hiroshima And Hiroshima Justified?965 Words   |  4 PagesWas the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki justified? Discuss. The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ushered the world into a new era of warfare. Never before in the history of man had such destruction been wrought in the power of a single bomb. Thousands of civilians were incinerated and Japan’s war capitals were demolished. The horror and terror was unimaginable; yet the bomb had a purpose; to swiftly end the war. In today’s society, it is questionable whether the bomb should have

Martin Luther King Jr. Vs Malcolm X Essay Example For Students

Martin Luther King Jr. Vs Malcolm X Essay Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X grew up in different environments. King was raised in a comfortable middle-class family where education was stressed. On the other hand, Malcolm X came from and underprivileged home. He was a self-taught man who received little schooling and rose to greatness on his own intelligence and determination. Martin Luther King was born into a family whose name in Atlanta was well established. Despite segregation, Martin Luther Kings parents ensured that their child was secure and happy. Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925 and was raised in a completely different atmosphere than King, an atmosphere of fear and anger where the seeds of bitterness were planted. The burning of his house by the Klu Klux Klan resulted in the murder of his father. His mother later suffered a nervous breakdown and his family was split up. He was haunted by this early nightmare for most of his life. From then on, he was driven by hatred and a desire for revenge. The early backgrounds of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King were largely responsible for the distinct different responses to American racism. Both men ultimately became towering icons of contemporary African-American culture and had a great influence on black Americans. However, King had a more positive attitude than Malcolm X, believing that through peaceful demonstrations and arguments, blacks will be able to someday achieve full equality with whites. Malcolm Xs despair about life was reflected in his angry, pessimistic belief that equality is impossible because whites have no moral conscience. King basically adopted on an integrationalist philosophy, whereby he felt that blacks and whites should be united and live together in peace. Malcolm X, however, promoted nationalist and separatist doctrines. For most of his life, he believed that only through revolution and force could blacks attain their rightful place in society. Both X and King spread their message through powerful, hard-hitting speeches. Nevertheless, their intentions were delivered in different styles and purposes. King was basically a peaceful leader who urged non-violence to his followers. He travelled about the country giving speeches that inspired black and white listeners to work together for racial harmony. (pg. 135, Martin Luther King Jr. and the Freedom Movement) Malcolm X, for the most part, believed that non-violence and integration was a trick by the whites to keep blacks in their places. He was furious at white racism and encouraged his followers through his speeches to rise up and protest against their white enemies. After Malcolm X broke away from Elijah Mohammed, this change is reflected in his more moderate speeches. Malcolm X and Martin Luther Kings childhoods had powerful influences on the men and their speeches. Malcolm X was brought up in an atmosphere of violence. During his childhood, Malcolm X suffered not only from abuse by whites, but also from domestic violence. His father beat his mother and both of them abused their children. His mother was forced to raise eight children during the depression. After his mother had a mental breakdown, the children were all placed in foster homes. Malcolm Xs resentment was increased as he suffered through the ravages of integrated schooling. Although an intelligent student who shared the dream of being a lawyer with Martin Luther King, Malcolm Xs anger and disillusionment caused him to drop out of school. He started to use cocaine and set up a burglary ring to support his expensive habit. Malcolm Xs hostility and promotion of violence as a way of getting change was well established in his childhood. Martin Luther King lived in an entirely different environment. He was a smart student and skipped two grades before entering an ivy league college at only the age of 15. .u77b9c15453fc1ac93c0cc7784ff5512c , .u77b9c15453fc1ac93c0cc7784ff5512c .postImageUrl , .u77b9c15453fc1ac93c0cc7784ff5512c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u77b9c15453fc1ac93c0cc7784ff5512c , .u77b9c15453fc1ac93c0cc7784ff5512c:hover , .u77b9c15453fc1ac93c0cc7784ff5512c:visited , .u77b9c15453fc1ac93c0cc7784ff5512c:active { border:0!important; } .u77b9c15453fc1ac93c0cc7784ff5512c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u77b9c15453fc1ac93c0cc7784ff5512c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u77b9c15453fc1ac93c0cc7784ff5512c:active , .u77b9c15453fc1ac93c0cc7784ff5512c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u77b9c15453fc1ac93c0cc7784ff5512c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u77b9c15453fc1ac93c0cc7784ff5512c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u77b9c15453fc1ac93c0cc7784ff5512c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u77b9c15453fc1ac93c0cc7784ff5512c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u77b9c15453fc1ac93c0cc7784ff5512c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u77b9c15453fc1ac93c0cc7784ff5512c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u77b9c15453fc1ac93c0cc7784ff5512c .u77b9c15453fc1ac93c0cc7784ff5512c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u77b9c15453fc1ac93c0cc7784ff5512c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Of all the examples of injustice against humanity Essay He was the class valedictorian with an A average. King paraded his graduation present in a new green Chevrolet before his fellow graduates. He was raised in the perfect environment where dreams and love were generated. King and Xs childhoods are a study in polarity. (pg. 254, Reflecting Black) Whereas, Malcolm X was raised in nightmarish conditions. Kings home was almost dream-like. He was raised in a comfortable middle-class home where .

Shanghai Tang free essay sample

But the company was unable to establish its core customer outside its home market, Hong Kong,2 and it struggled to find a niche among successful, established global brands [see the Appendix for descriptions of a selection of successful global luxury brands]. In 2005, under new leadership and revised creative direction, Shanghai Tang expanded into several regional markets, with a particular focus on Asia. But was the company on track to become the first global Chinese luxury brand? Would David Tangis vision be realised? The Story I just thought to myself, that if you agree that China will eventually be the largest economy in the world, it was time to start a brand that was quintessentially Chinese. 3 David Tang, founder of Shanghai Tang David Tangis vision was to create a lifestyle brand that reintroduced traditional Chinese aesthetics to a new consumer audience. A self-described ibroker between East and Westi, Tang said that he constantly reconciled the various cultural influences he absorbed throughout his life. We will write a custom essay sample on Shanghai Tang or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Born into privileged Hong Kong society, Tangis grandfather made his fortune from the Kowloon Motor Bus Company. Tangis father owned racehorses, and his mother was a Hong Kong socialite. At the age of 14, Tang was sent to England to attend boarding school. Initially unable to speak English, Tang quickly adapted to the habits of well-bred British society and spent weekends visiting friendsi families at their country houses while attending the Pure School in Cambridge. He studied law and philosophy at Kingis College in London and then returned to China as a lecturer in philosophy at Peking University. 6 Tired of academia, Tang ventured into business, beginning with a job at Cluff Oil. He also became the exclusive importer of Cuban cigars to Asia and Canada and managed ia family investment fund, an oil-drilling business and a gold mine in Africai. 7 While he enjoyed success in these ventures, Tang felt a wave of opportunity flowing from China and set his sights on the creation of a life style brand that was quintessentially Chinese. He was determined to create a brand that embodied everything he loved about the beauty and mystery of China from days past. The idea was to reintroduce this aesthetic and the impeccable Chinese sartorial tradition to an entirely new audience in a way that was relevant to modern tastes. Tangis aesthetic was inspired by the Art Deco Shanghai of the 1930s, when the city was considered ithe pearl of the Orienti8. In August 1994, his vision was realised. The Shanghai Tang flagship, a 12,000-square-foot store on Hong Kongis Pedder Street, opened its doors to the public. Tang created Shanghai Tang as a lifestyle emporium where shoppers could purchase photo albums, watches, bedding, a sweater or a tailor-made qipao (a traditional Chinese dress) in one shop [see Exhibit 1 for product categories and price ranges]. He also sold communist era kitsch at upscale prices, like Mao Tse Tung watches and goods emblazoned with a red communist star, like the items sold in small side street shops in Hong Kong long popular with Western tourists. To elevate their country-of-origin status and mitigate Chinais reputation for making cheap, low-quality products, the items carried the label iMade by Chinesei. Wealthy tourists visiting Hong Kong, Shanghai Tangis core customer, often stopped at Shanghai Tangis flagship store to buy the signature Tang Jacket, a tunic with a mandarin collar in shockingly bright colours, or a silk handbag embroidered with cherry blossoms. In 1995, Swiss luxury conglomerate Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA (Richemont), the parent company of prominent luxury brands such as Cartier, Alfred Dunhill, Montblanc, Van Cleef Arpels and Chloe [see Exhibit 2 for brands by product category], became a major shareholder in Tangis company. The company paid Tang US$13. 1 million for a 40% stake and then bought out another partner to raise its stake to a controlling position. 9 The company owned brands under four major segments: jewellery, watches, writing instruments and leather goods and apparel. With a big luxury goods player like Richemont behind it, Tangis brand obtained something significant that no other Chinese fashion house had achieved: the financial and symbolic backing of a European luxury conglomerate. Tang dismissed speculation that, under Richemontis leadership, Shanghai Tang would showcase more mainstream fashions detached from Chinese influence. Our business is to always be quintessentially Chinese and to find our place within the mainstream. If we stop being Chinese, we will completely lose ourselves. 10 David Tang Riding the wave of self-created momentum (and with Richemontis deep pockets backing him), Tang once again dreamed big. Shanghai Tang began a rapid expansion, with plans to open stores in New York, London and several Asian cities. Tangis particular focus was the US. iI want to take New York. I want to pick it up and embrace it with a big squeeze and a sloppy wet kissi, Tang said. 11 In December of 1997, at a star-studded event that rivalled Hollywood premiers, Shanghai Tangis 12,500 square foot store opened. Sarah Ferguson appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show and gave Oprah a pair of Shanghai Tangis signature silk pyjamas. 12 To coincide with the store opening, high-profile Chinese actress Gong Li was featured in a print campaign, which included ads in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Harperis Bazaar and W. 3 Situated on Madison Avenueoprime fashion real estateothe New York store was poised to be the western beacon to its sister stores in the east. As was typical, Tangis excitement and vision were bold, but the dream proved too big for reality. In July 1999, the high-profile New York flagship closed only 19 months after it had opened and relocated to a smaller space down the road from the original. 14 There were several reasons why sales did not meet expectations. First, the company overestimated American consumersi interest in upscale Chinoiserie. Kristina Stewart, editor- in-chief of Quest magazine in New York, was quoted in an article saying, ithey certainly courted the Upper East Side scene and threw lavish parties there, but at the end of the day those lime-green Nehru jackets made better wallpaper. You canit wear that stuffi. 15 Second, the Shanghai Tang style was confusing for customers. There was incongruity in presenting both pre-revolutionary and cultural revolution styles in the same store, and the tongue-in- cheek, post-modern take on Chinais heritage was ultimately lost on the wealthy American buyer. Third, it was difficult to justify the prices for high-end Chinese trinkets because cheaper alternatives were readily available in Chinatown at the Pearl River department store on Canal Street. Finally, the choice of retail space on Madison Avenue meant high rent (US$2. 7 million annually), which ultimately sales revenue could not cover. Itis tough to start a brand. In one sense fashion is easy, but the competition is intense. Retail is a tough business, and weive pumped a lot of money into the brand, and I guess we shouldnit be surprised if itis a struggle. You look at something like Ralph Lauren. It took them 30 years to become established as a global brand. 16 David Tang New Direction Despite missteps in the American retail market, the Shanghai Tang Hong Kong flagship continued to do steady business and the company maintained its relationship with Richemont. In 2001, Tang decided to devote his time and energy towards other business ventures but he maintained a position on the board and was the brandis largest shareholder after Richemont. Richemont executives assumed a more active role in the companyis direction. In 2001, CEO Raphael le Masne de Chermont was recruited from another Richemont brand, Piaget, to refocus and redirect the ailing Shanghai Tang brand. Le Masne had stark but complimentary contrast to Tangis flamboyant leadership style and quietly transformed the company into ia lifestyle brandi of more aesthetic subtlety during the first few years that would be relevant to the discerning taste of the global luxury customer. 7 But le Masne took from Tangis mistake the lesson that would guide the brand going forward: iwe need to be more moderni. 18 In step with the companyis evolution, top management embodied the cross-cultural blending that would become the brandis signature: David Tang from Hong Kong, le Masne from France, creative director Joanne Ooi from America and marketing director Camilla Hammar from Sweden. As le Masne noted, iWeire a melting pot of multicultural people who work on the same vision: a Ch inese lifestyle brand thatis relevanti. 19 Planned Growth Le Masne reported that worldwide sales for Shanghai Tang in 2005 grew 43% from the previous year, and American sales (at boutiques in Honolulu and New York) were up 50%. 20 According to one source, yearly sales were somewhere between US$20n$30 million, with the majority of sales at the Hong Kong flagship. In 2005, new stores opened in Zurich, Shanghai, Tokyo and Bangkok, with stores in Beijing and Milan planned to open in 200621 [see Exhibit 3 for retail store locations]. The overall expansion included 11 new stores in the next two years bringing the total to 30. 2 The Asian market was iresponsible for 80% of the brandis sales. Richemontis latest annual report stated that overall sales in Asia (outside Japan) grew 20%, compared to 10% in Europe, 7% in the Americas and 3% in Japan, for the fiscal year that ended in March 2004i23 [see Exhibit 4]. Unlike Tang, le Masne was less concerned with dominance in America and set his sights on the rapidly growing wealthy class in China. This shi ft in regional focus, particularly for the luxury goods segment, appeared to be on track. A 2005 Ernst Young analysis of luxury goods consumption [estimated] that sales in China [would] grow 20% annually from 2005 to 2008. i24 According to the report, by 2015 China would overtake the US as the worldis second-largest consumer market of luxury goods after Japan. 25 However, the brand had to be relevant to both wealthy Chinese customers and wealthy non- Chinese customers, who had different points of reference for what was considered elegant Chinese style. Chinese consumers in the apparel market still seemed to belong to two extremes. Angelica Cheung, editor of Vogue China, said these two groups were ia very moneyed minority seduced by foreign luxury labels, and the overwhelming majority who are interested only in cheap, affordable clothing. Thereis not much for anyone in betweeni. 26 The companys three Shanghai stores sold 50% of their merchandise to local young, urban professionals. The other half was sold to westerners looking for Asian-inspired garments in rich fabrics and colours. Courting wealthy Chinese consumers appeared to be a good idea, but when attempting to build a luxury apparel brand translatable in several markets, it was easier said than done. Young Chinese women wish to be modern and chici, Cheung said. iWesterners might think that Chinese women look great in a cheongsam or similar Chinese clichEs but that sort of clothing reminds modern women of their grandmothers. Instead everyone today wants to look like Kate Mossi. 27 Consumer segments in Asian cities outside China also needed convincing, tho ugh of a different sort. For example, in Japan, the worldis largest luxury goods market, le Masne said customers wouldnit embrace a Chinese brand unless it had a certain cachet in France and Italy. 8 To stay relevant in the high-end fashion market, Shanghai Tang expanded its fashion horizons and collaborated with several top designers. The Shanghai Tang jewellery range, made by Sandra diAuriol, a French designer based in Hong Kong, sold well. Philip Treacy, famed accessories designer, made hats for winter 2005 and worked on another collection for spring 2006. A line of trendy, embellished T-shirts for spring 2005 came from Studd by Gabby Harris. And introduced exclusively to Shanghai Tang stores in May 2005 was a collection of special edition Puma shoes, the Shanghai Tang Peony. Le Masne expressed the intention to start lines of licensed products, such as eyewear and fragrances, that tended to significantly increase sales figures while at the same time introducing the brand to a wider audience who could afford the relatively cheaper products. The high-profile collaborations and possible line extensions, along with new stores, were intended to raise awareness of the brand. Rather than grand store openings and costly celebrity endorsements, Shanghai Tang focused on localised public relations and sponsored events relevant to each regional market. Also, prime retail locations remained central to its channel strategy of maintaining access to luxury consumers. In addition to its freestanding stores, Shanghai Tang opened shops in world- renowned hotels such as the Peninsula and the Four Seasons and, to court the wealthy traveller, it also opened shops in Hong Kong International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport. Design Much of the credit for Shanghai Tangis sales turnaround went to creative director, Joanne Ooi, who was recruited by le Masne in 2001. As the brand outgrew its kitschy image, Ooi introduced design statements that icombined Chinese culture references and sleek, contemporary clothesi29 [see Exhibit 5 for a selection of products]. It was reported that Ooi was offered her directorship after submitting the following comments on the Shanghai Tang flagship to le Masne: Itis an overpriced Chinese emporium that has no credibility with local Chinese people, let alone with fashion people. Its very narrow market is high- end tourists. Itis a once-in-a-lifetime destination shopping experience, a kind of fashion Disneyland. Plus, itis unwearable and eccentric. 30 Joanne Ooi, creative director, Shanghai Tang At the creative helm of the brand she once found risible, Ooi was clear on Shanghai Tangis international image, saying, ithe goal is to be the ambassador of modern Chinese stylei. 31 To achieve this, Ooi conducted her research for collections in art museums and read books on regional history. To serve as inspiration for the autumn 2005 collection, Ooi commissioned artwork iby established Chinese contemporary artists and young art studentsi. 2 For one collection, Ooi focused on Chinese calligraphy by turning traditional Chinese characters into decorative patterns. 33 iEthnic tribes in Chinais Hunan provincei inspired another collection of clothes, as did the ifur-lined clothing worn by Mongolian and Tibetan nomadsi. 34 Ooi preferred these design sources to fashion magazines and of-the-moment trends. More important, however, was that this established the credibility of the brandis intention to become an ambassador of Chinais national aesthetic. On this point, Ooi said, iI try to stay away from a pastiche of what Westerners think of as Chinese culturei. 5 Branding Chinese culture could be an effective point upon which to differentiate from European and American luxury brands. However, as the company expanded, the cultural branding angle became complicated and ran the risk of alienating potential customers in Asia. In short, exoticised images of Asia were less appealing to Asian consumers. While popular with a portion of Hong Kongis wealthy class, Shanghai Tang had not yet proved popular among Chinese consumers unconvinced as to why they should pay top-dollar for Shanghai Tangis reinvented Chinese style. Chinais First Global Luxury Brand? Since China had both economic and cultural cachet, Shanghai Tang and other Chinese brands were poised to enter a new era of heightened global interest in all things Chinese. 36 Would Shanghai Tang follow in the tradition of established global luxury brands associated with a national aesthetic? As le Masne said, iIf Hermes is a representation of French lifestyle-chic, or [Ralph] Lauren is [a representation] for the Americans, and Armani is for the Italians, why not Shanghai Tang for the Chinese? 37 Was the company on track to become the first global Chinese luxury brand? LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton LVMH was the worldis largest luxury goods company with more than 1,500 retail outlets (including 280-plus Louis Vuitton stores), around 150 DFS Group duty-free shops, Le Bon Marche department stores and hundreds of designer boutiques worldwide. In 1854, Woodworker Louis Vuitton started with a store in Paris to sell his handcrafted luggage. Vuitton int roduced the LV monogram in 1896 and opened stores in the US and England by 1900. In 1977 Henry Recamier, who was a former executive and married into the Vuitton family, entered the business and transformed the business from little-known status symbols to designer must-haves. Within ten years, sales soared from US$20 million to nearly US$2. 5 billion. In 1987 Recamier merged Louis Vuitton with Moet Hennessy (maker of wines, spirits and fragrances) and all were under the name LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton. When Bernard Arnault became chairman in 1989, LVMH increased its fashion holdings by buying Givenchy, Christian Lacroix and Kenzo. Arnault is credited for transforming the LVMH Group from a small producer of clothing and champagne to a global luxury conglomerate made up of the worldis most powerful luxury brands. LVMH owns such fashion brands as Berluti, Celine, Christian Dior, Donna Karan, Emilio Pucci, Fendi, Marc Jacobs and Thomas Pink. Central to the groupis strategy is management of its istar brandsi paired with product quality and a culture of innovation. According to Arnault, a star brand is a brand that is itimeless, modern, fast-growing, and highly profitablei. 8 The majority of LVMH brands have a long history of craftsmanship and were originated in Europe. The LVMH management strategy was to build a work environment that supported creativity while at the same time enforcing strict business discipline. Worldwide revenue in 2005 totalled US$ 16. 8 billion, up 11% from 2004. Ralph Lauren Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation originated the concept of the lifestyle brand. Ralph Lauren, born Ralph Lifschitz, ground ed his brand in a quintessentially American image of wealth and status and consistently carried this aesthetic throughout his retail stores and product lines. He began his career as a sales representative for Rivetz, a Boston tie maker, and in 1967 he began designing ties for Beau Brummel of New York. He named his own style division iPoloi because of the upper class image it evoked. In the early 1970s, Lauren partnered with Peter Strom to form Polo Fashions and focused on tailored menswear. In 1971 Lauren introduced his signature polo logo and his womenis line. In the same year, the first licensed Polo store on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and his first in-store boutique at Bloomingdaleis in New York City were opened. In 1980, Polo Ralph Lauren expanded further into licensed products, including home furnishings, jeans, fragrance and eyewear. In 1997 Polo went public and, following a large restructuring, bought back its European licensee to reclaim greater control of the Polo brand. The companys brands were: Polo by Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Black Label, Blue Label, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, Polo Jeans Co. , Rugby, Chaps, RRL, RLX, RL Childrenswear, and Club Monaco. Net revenue for fiscal year 2005 was US$3. 3 billion. Giorgio Armani Giorgio Armani was the sole shareholder of his US$ 1. 7 billion lifestyle business. The company licensed its name for perfume, watches and accessories, but continued to earn more than half of its revenues from apparel. 39 In 2003, 53% of his total sales were generated by garments, from sporty AX/Armani Exchange to the luxurious Giorgio Armani brand. Armani had stores in more than 35 countries. The companyis brands included: Giorgio Armani, Armani Exchange, Emporio Armani, Armani Jeans, Armani Collezioni, Armani Junior, Armani Casa and a Giorgio Armani Accessories store. To control the integrity of the brand, Armani owned Simint, the Italian holder of the Armani jeans license, and had several joint ventures with Italian manufacturing companies to bring its apparel production in-house while allowing for a controlled expansion of product lines. Armani studied medicine and was in the Italian army before starting working as a window dresser for La Rinascente department stores, where he later became a menswear buyer. His first design position was at Nino Cerruti. In 1975 Armani partnered with Sergio Galeotti and established Giorgio Armani S. p. A. The Armani label became known for its unstructured tailored suits. The business went global in the 1980s and gained greater recognition when the designer dressed actor Richard Gere in the film American Gigolo. Armani was successful in creating a true lifestyle brand, extending his design aesthetic into multiple product categories, even expanding beyond fashion and home furnishing. In 2004, Armani announced his intent to develop a series of Armani-branded and styled hotels. Hermes Hermes International sold a wide range of luxury goods, including scarves, ties, leather goods, watches, stationery and menis and womenis apparel. There were approximately 215 Hermes stores worldwide and around 40 retail outlets that sold Hermes products. The company did not grant licenses and made most of the products it sold. Famous for its leather goods, Hermes was founded in 1837 in France by harness-maker Thierry Hermes. Hermes won acclaim for its unique carriage design and its saddle stitch became a trademark. Thierryis son, Emile-Maurice, expanded the product range to include travel-related leather goods, including saddlebags, luggage, wallets, handbags and even jewelry. Emile also chose the well-known logo, the horse-drawn carriage. Clothing was introduced in the 1920s when Emileis son-in- law, Robert Dumas, took over the company. Dumas introduced the first Hermes scarf in 1937, which became one of the design houseis signature pieces. Dumasi son, Jean-Louis, took control of the company in 1978 when his father passed away. He brought in young designers to reinvigorate the brandis image. When the company went public in 1993, the family retained more than 80% of the share holdings. Hermes also owned crystal-maker Les Cristalleries de Saint-Louis, silversmith LiOrfevrerie Puiforcat, shoemaker John Lobb, 35% of Jean-Paul Gaultieris fashion business and 32% of German camera maker, Leica. In 2002, the company expanded its leather-working business and, through public campaigns, promoted the craftsmen and women behind its products. In 2005, net profit totaled US$298. 3 million, up 15% from 2004. As of 2005, descendants of founder Thierry Hermes owned 75% of the company.

Nuclear Energy Essays (5013 words) - Nuclear Technology, Actinides

Nuclear Energy Nuclear Energy You are watching the control panels and gages for rector two. Sitting comely you think about how easy your job is. It is a joke! All day you sit around and watch the gages for reactor number two just to make sure they maintain their settings. You don't even need to look at the gages either because a computer automatically regulates them without you. Life is so good. Suddenly all the sirens go of and the gages and displays spin wildly in every direction. The ground shakes and you can hear the sound of a deep rumble. Unknown to you, the reactor's cooling pumps have failed to cool the reactor's core and in 3 seconds the temperature went from 280 degrees centigrade to 4,000 degrees centigrade. The water that was in the reactor is instantly turned to steam which creates tremendous amount of pressure in the reactor core. Above the reactor core there is a 5 foot thick lead plate and above that there is a meter thick floor composed of iron, barium, serpentine, concrete, and stone. The explod ing steam fires the floor up like shrapnel. The metal plate goes through the four foot thick concrete roof like butter and reaches and altitude of sixty meters. You can hear ripping, rending, wrenching, screeching, scraping, tearing sounds of a vast machine breaking apart. L. Ray Silver, a leading author who covered the disaster at Chernobyl, said that within the core, steam reacts with zirconium to produce that first explosive in nature's arsenal, hydrogen. Near-molten fuel fragments shatter nearly incandescent graphite, torching chunks of it, exploding the hydrogen. The explosion breaks every pipe in the building rocking it with such power that the building is split into sections (11-13). You look down at your body and notice that it feels hot and your hands look different. Unknown to you a tremendous amount of neutrons are hitting your cells and taking chucks out of your skin. Suddenly everything goes black. The paragraph above describes the scene of what happened at Chernobyl nuclear plant a few years ago. From that time until the present many other smaller accidents have happened. From these accidents many people have died and millions have been indirectly affected. Nuclear energy has far to many negative problems than advantages. From the mining of uranium to disposal of nuclear waist there are problems of such magnitude that no scientist on this earth has an answer for. Nuclear energy has so many problems associated to it that it should be banned from the earth. To understand the threat of nuclear energy we must first understand what happens in a nuclear reaction. Ann E. Weiss, who has written several books on the subject of nuclear energy, described what happens inside a nuclear power plant. In a nuclear reaction the nuclei of its atoms split, producing energy in the form of heat. The heat makes steam which powers a turbine. Fission takes place in a nuclear reactor. The fuel used is pellets of uranium. In a modern reactor, half-inch long pellets of uranium are packed into 12 or 14 foot tubes made of an alloy of the metal zirconium. About 50,000 zircalloy fuel rods make up the reaction core. To control a nuclear reaction control rods made of cadmium is used which absorbs neutrons. With the control rods in place in the core, a chain reaction cannot begin. When the plant operators want to start the chain reaction they activate machinery that pulls the control rods away from the core. Once this is done a single free neutron is enough to set off the reaction. As the reaction continues, a moderator slows the neutrons down enough to ensure that they will continually split more uranium atoms. At the same time, the moderator acts as a coolant. It keep the overall temperature about 300 degrees Celsius. Since the temperature at spots inside the fuel rods may be as high as 1,100 degrees Celsius, enormous amounts of coolant are continually needed to keep the core temperature at the proper level. When the plant must be must be shut down the control rods are lowered all the way back into the core. That brings the chain reaction to

buy custom Student Assessment and Program Evaluation Process essay

buy custom Student Assessment and Program Evaluation Process essay The gathering of information by educators on student learning outcomes has been going on for several years. Some of the terms that have been used to describe this process are observing, examining, testing, quizzing, measuring, evaluating, appraising and assessing, but the primary goal of determining the educational achievement of students has remained constant. According to Popham (1999), assessing the students learning goals of professional development is a more complex process than most people anticipate. This is because it entails more than simply documenting students current learning status. Changes in students are the components of most development goals and more specifically, they involve improvements or positive changes. This shows that relevant information must be gathered and at appropriate points in time. To determine whether the students are improving, it may be necessary to assess them at the point of entry and then at a later point. Comparisons with other students may al so be necessary to isolate the effects of the professional development program (Johnson Johnson, 1994). Without knowing the students position at the beginning or without comparing them with others in the same level, it might be difficult to determine if any improvement or change has actually occurred. Gathering information at a later point is also important to measure retention and long time learning (Popham, 1999). The intended student learning goals of a program are usually the basis of determining the procedures to be used in collecting evaluation information. The outcomes to be measured can either be cognitive, affective or psychomotor (Popham, 199). In any educational program, the procedures and instruments used to assess the programs effects are central. Teachers have several ways of measuring students learning and the choice of an assessment procedure will depend on the stated objectives. This paper will critically evaluate the standardized tests and other alternative assessment programs. Importance of Assessment According to Linn Gronlund (2000), measurement refers to assigning numbers to certain characters of people, objects or events according to a rule governed system. In a classroom context, the rules that are used in assigning the numbers will normally create a ranking that shows how much of the attribute different students possess. They also defined evaluation as the making judgments about the worth or value of a set of measures using a rule governed system. It is important to assess students learning to provide all involved parties with a clear summary of how the student has managed to meet the teachers goals. Assessment of students is also important in order to monitor their progress. Teachers need to know whether their students synthesize their instruction and their understanding of all the material covered over time. This enables the teacher to make arrangements for students whose understanding is slower or faulty, such as remedial instruction (Linn Gronlund, 2000). Discovering that a student has any difficulty in understanding, and cannot learn at the same pace, like the rest of the students, it allows the teachers to decide on the appropriate and timely course of action. Other positive effects on various aspects of learning and instruction also arise from assessing a students performance. According to Brookhart (2000), classroom assessment directs students on what is important to learn, influences their motivation and understanding of competence. Assessment also structures students approaches to personal study and fosters the development of improved learning strategies and skills. It is one of the most potent forces influencing learning. Standardized Tests Goals and Strengths Commercially available standardized tests are commonly used by many programs to measure academic achievement of the students. Standardized tests are administered and scored in a standard or consistent manner. They are composed of a set of open ended or constructed responses items meant to measure higher degree of cognitive skills (William, 2006). The manner of scoring is usually predetermined and the procedures, conditions of administration and the interpretations consistent and standard. This consistency in administration and scoring allows more reliable comparison of results across test takers. The use of standardized exams in the U.S started in the 20th century after the Second World War. This was contributed by the need to standardize the highly de-centralized education system. The design of standardized tests is to provide the best match possible to what is viewed as the typical curriculum at a specific grade level. They provide quantifiable information (scores, proficiency levels, etc.) and outcomes that can be used in screening programs, for example, in identifying students whom may require additional assessment (Silbert Hintze, 2005). Using standardized tests is also advantageous because they provide information on a students areas of strength and weakness. Standardized tests also allow a comparison between a student and his peers in the same grade or age, and hence, assess development. These tests can also be used to assess a students progress over time, for instance, by re-administering a test after an intervention or a remedial program. The results of these tests can also be used to generalize a students skills. The results of one test can also be used to measure whether a student is improving uniformly by comparing one subject results with results of a different subject (Silbert Hintze, 2005). Critics Many people are of the view that standardized tests are important because they help measure students using a consistent process, teachers are held more accountable and it becomes easier to understand where problems occur. However, there has been criticism on the social and cultural repercussions of standardized tests. Becker (2001), argues that since these tests are designed by people in a position of power, it is possible for cultural bias against the have nots to arise. Since high performing schools are rewarded, while poorly performing schools are sanctioned by the current system, critics propose that standardized tests reward those at an advantage while the disadvantaged continue to hurt. This system is viewed to be exacerbating the race and class divide in the society through the education system (Burns, Dean Klar, 2004). Another concern is the increasing pressure on teachers to produce high test results. This comes about since teachers will teach for the test purposes instead of exploring approaches that may not produce results onpaper. Research on student achievement has highlighted problem associated with over-reliance on standardized tests. Such tests are now administered at every grade level and success or failure of programs defined in terms of test scores. Teacher and administrator salaries and their job securities are also linked to student performance in the standardized tests. The main areas of criticism are the content of assessment, formatting of items and item bias (Fuchs et al, 1991). Standardized tests generally often rely on multiple-choice questions. This item format provides for greater coverage of content and objective as well as efficient scoring. However, the item of interest by the format is the identification of the right answer. This type of response does not necessarily correspond to the type of responses regularly exhibited by students in the classroom, for example, the acquisition and synthesis of information (Deno, 2003). If the students are not familiar to the structure within which they are required to respond by the item format, then, their test performance may be affected. In another scenario, a student may identify the correct form when it appears as a discrete item in a test format, but use the form incorrectly in communication contexts. In this case, the results of a standardized test may make a student appear more proficient than performance would show (Shapiro, 2004). Inclusion of items that are biased against some kinds of students has also been a cause for criticism. These include ethnic minorities, limited English proficient, rural or inner city students. This criticism is based on the fact that the items reflect the culture, language, and/or the style of learning of the middle class majority (Shapiro, 2004). Test companies have endeavored to remove culture based items in tests, but this omission of questions from a meaningful context has been challenging for minority students. There are arguments that this method only measures superficial knowledge or learning. This is because students can easily cram what they think will appear in the test and fail to give other areas much attention. Standardized tests may also fail to match specific objectives and goals of a program or institution (Klecker, 2000). This therefore makes them more unlikely to provide the most appropriate way to evaluate the program. Criterion referenced data is considered more useful than norm-referenced data, the type produced by standardized tests. This arises from the premises that norm-referenced data does not clearly show the progress of a student over time. Criterion based data also allows easy administration of pre and post tests to measure development, while a standardized test may be cost prohibitive to administer such (Becker, 2001). Norm data may use norms rather than true national sample, thus making it unfair to those taking it. Another challenge is that it may prove difficult to isolate what changes are required since it is more summative than formative. This makes it difficult to identify areas of weaknesses and develop means to assist students with difficulties. In addition, receiving the results on time is also a challenge (Brookhart, 2000). Critics argue that the measures used in standardized tests fail to inform instruction adequately. For some students with disabilities, the standardized administrations may not be possible. Some accommodations may need to be done to allow the disabled students to take some test in the established standardized way (Becker, 2000). However, these accommodations can become modifications to then trait under measurement. The items used in standardized tests are also frequently unrelated to the behaviors and tasks required in a classroom setting. Recommendations for Improvement Non cognitive factors such as fatigue, attention, anxiety, can influence the test results taken at one point in time. These results will therefore be a reflection of the students ability or behavior at that point in time. The results of standardized tests also fail to provide the necessary information required in restructuring curricular or instructional change (Gay Airasian). These procedures also prevent the examiner from determining conditions under which the students performance may improve. Students with a language deficit can be used better to explain the shortcomings of this system. Assessing the performance of these students on their language proficiency will be unfair since their level of performance may be higher if instruction is delivered using a language they are proficient in (Popham, 1999). The goal of education is to produce morally developed citizens who fit well in the society. Education also provides an individual with an opportunity to develop skills and learn how to solve problems. Since people have different skills and abilities, it is important to acknowledge this and provide different forms of evaluating student achievement to avoid bias (Griffin, 1994). Measuring the cognitive (knowledge and understanding), affective (attitudes, beliefs and dispositions) and psychomotor (skills, behaviors and practices) outcomes of a program is important. Cultural, racial, class and gender differences must be taken into account by any assessment task or procedure. In this context, there are strong arguments favoring educators considering using alternative methods of assessing students and evaluating the program (Klecker, 20000. Even as educators continue to use standardized tests, it is necessary to supplement them with other types of assessments. Such additional forms of assessment are; Group Tasks or Activities Student learning can alternatively or supplementary be assessed by their performance on group tasks or activities. For instance, if the written test covered 25 of the 50 items covered, then the students can be put into groups and the remaining 25 items covered. These groups are composed of students who work together to tackle a complex problem or carry out a detailed experiment. The structuring of an appropriate group activity is such that each student has a vital role in the task. Group tasks, like any other authentic cooperative learning activities, should include a combination of individual accountability and group responsibility (Johnson Johnson, 1994). A popular design of group tasks is assigning students to perform an activity as a group. Each student is then expected to produce a written product based on that experience. Most group tasks and activities are used by individual teachers as part of their instructional process, but some large scale assessment systems include them as well. As explained by Popham (1999), they provide information on two key learning goals: They give information on a students ability to apply skills to produce outcomes that can be evaluated. They show a students ability to work with others in a team to find solutions to problems. However, it is important to address the limitations of group tasks and activities. Ensuring involvement of all students in developing group tasks and activities can prove challenging and time consuming (Popham, 1999). Scoring students responses can also be time consuming especially if the class is a large one. With proper planning, group tasks and activities are the best way to assess students if involving students in team work is one of the cognitive goals. Group tasks can also provide an important source of information on complex learning results when paired with specific scoring criteria that students are taught before the group activity (Klecker, 2000). Cooperative groups enhance a students understanding of concepts through interaction with peers verbally. They also provide information to the teacher on the cognitive processes students employ in giving responses. Group tasks are also an important aspect in reinforcing the learning environment in a classroom (Johnson Johnson, 199 4). Portfolios and Other Collection of Students Work These are compilations of students work that show what they have achieved so far. Most portfolios include collections of students written papers and other works completed in their process of learning (William, 2006). These collections demonstrate the progress of a student over the years. This form of assessment encourages the participation of all interested individuals (teachers, students, parents) in the documentation of the learning process. The papers are derived from a students daily classroom work. It involves taking samples of a students work, recording of students observations of learning experiences, and evaluation of students processes and outcomes. Although information from this type of assessment can be used for grading purposes, the main goal is to improve the instruction methods and students learning (Shapiro, 2004). Curriculum Based Assessment Although it falls under criterion-referenced testing, curriculum based assessment is considered an alternative to traditional standardized norm-referenced academic testing. It refers to a measurement that relies on direct observation and recording a students performance in the local curriculum as a basis of gathering information to make instructional decisions (Deno, 2003). Curriculum based assessment (CBA) has also been termed as direct assessment of educational skills, and is based on the assumption that assessment should be on what has been taught. CBA involves repeated measurement of a students academic skills (Linn Grolund, 2000). In each area of learning, probes are selected and used to gauge student performance. The probes are developed from curricular materials available in the students immediate learning environment. CBAs therefore provide a structured method to assess a students performance based on curricular assignments used in their actual learning environment (Brookhar t, 2000). The basic argument underpinning this assessment approach is that in evaluating their progress, students should be observed in their academic environment. Dynamic Assessment This refers to a type of learning assessment that makes use of an active teaching process. The goal of this process is to provide a modification in an individuals cognitive functioning and observe the changes that result in the examinees learning and problem solving strategies. The main goals of dynamic assessment are to: Assess the ability of a student to identify the principles behind a problem and use this understanding to provide a solution. Assess the most appropriate type and amount of teaching required to teach a student a specific principle. Understand any cognitive deficits and non cognitive factors that help explain failure in students performances and whether teaching can modify such factors (Gay Airasian, 1999). Dynamic assessment is a contrast of standardized assessment where examiners present items to examinees without providing any guidance or any other form of intervention designed to improve the students performance (Brookhart, 2000). In static assessment, an individuals deficits and disabilities are accepted and modification is done on the environment to allow the person work within the identified limitations (Johnson, Johnson Holubec, 1994). On the contrary, dynamic assessment is based on active modification where efforts are made to remediate the deficits or provide the individual with alternative strategies to solve probes to supplement their areas of weakness. Conclusion High stakes testing is linked to overreliance on standardized tests as the primary means of assessment and as the principle source of curriculum content. These high stakes testing poses critical consequences to students since use of a single measure (standardized test score) may determine graduation or promotion to the next level. Instructors are now held accountable of students performances (Becker, 2000). Without doubt, testing and accountability are important aspects of a program since assessment practices are the key to accountability and improved teaching processes. However, opposition arises from the use of a single measure of assessment through standardized tests. The decisions regarding progress, promotion and gradation using a single indicator to measure an individuals learning violate the ethics of teaching. The higher the stakes for testing, the greater the emphasis teachers will place on test preparation and teaching to the test as opposed to meaningful learning. Assessment should be driven by innovative curriculum design and effective teaching practices. Other types of assessments should be used to supplement standardized tests to enhance the spirit of research among students. As asserted by Becker (2001), no clear evidence exists that high test scores reflect actual improvement in student learning either at the individual or group level. No single measure can be used as a definitive measure of a students knowledge. Student assessment is constructive if the educational approaches used are research oriented and emphasize on equity in the academic processes. Not all students demonstrate well what they have learnt using standardized tests, biased assessment, policies and practices should not be used since they limit learning opportunities for individuals and hinder curriculum development and teaching. Buy custom Student Assessment and Program Evaluation Process essay

Psychology paper writting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Psychology paper writting - Essay Example SN is recently arrived to America and is living with her sponsor family, an older couple from Nigeria who are attempting to help their former countrymen find a better life. This couple had children in Nigeria, but lost them to disease and starvation before they were able to secure their own passage to America. Having lived in this country for several years, they are now in a position to help others and have determined to do this by offering shelter and support for one child at a time. The ‘family’ lives in a two-bedroom apartment of which SN has one room entirely to herself. SN was provided with education and lessons in English prior to her arrival in America, so she is able to interact with her classmates and keep up with regular classes at the local high school. My interview with SN took place within the apartment she shared with her sponsors. We sat within a very comfortable sofa group in the living room with the television turned off and no other noise happening in the house. Her sponsors were both at work at the time and SN had just returned home from school for the afternoon. Before conducting the interview, I had received agreement from both SN and her sponsors to speak with her about her background and present life and had set up the appointment to be sure everyone knew when it was to take place. SNs sponsors were invited to be present and I was willing to make arrangements to conduct the interview at a time convenient to their schedules if they so desired, but they felt SN would be more open and comfortable if she were permitted to speak without their presence. In making these arrangements, I shared the basic elements of my assignment with them and some of the questions I planned to ask. During the interview, SN sat quietly on the co uch, calmly answering my questions and occasionally expressing strong emotion, particularly when she

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A Case Study Of Turner Hotel Tourism Essay

A Case Study Of Turner Hotel Tourism Essay Front desk job of any hotel is very important from hotel sales point of view. Marketing and sales department is called revenue generator. Front desk job is part of the marketing department so its directly linked with revenue generation activities of a hotel. An employee working as front desk employee is having direct interaction with the guests. So it becomes very important for that employee to have all the chief characteristics of a good salesperson. A good sales person can convert first time guest in to repeat business guest by make him or happy and achieve customer satisfaction. This is the hospitality and customer demand only that can be kept in mind while handling customers at front desk that will bring customer satisfaction. Desired hospitality and less cumbersome process of check in and checkout will bring customer satisfaction. Working as a Front office manager or staff, first of all he or she should consider the available resources of the hotel concerned which need to be foc used to the materialization of the business. Good salesmanship is all about selling own product with acceptance of the customers. Whatever product one have, a good salesperson will sale that product and make feel to the customers that this is the right product he/she was looking for. This is simply quality of a sales person that he or she will find out the budget of a customer while conversation and offer the product that give within the budget feel to the customer. While conversation it is the quality of a salesperson to explain the facilities of the product to the customer that will again give feel of the right product customer was looking for. ( Abbott, P and Lewry, S (1999)) Customer relationship management is new concept in the field of any business. So it is the quality of a good salesmanship that helps in effective implementation and management of customer relationship in the hotel organization. In this competitive world getting new business, is a big challenge, so hotel organization believes in repeated business from the same clientele. With the help of knowledge and smartness in work of a salesperson-customer relationship is possible. These days it is being managed by ecommerce so knowledge of ecommerce to the front desk employee can be added quality of a good salesmanship and it will bring the business from existing clientele. If an organization utilizes the available resources properly, Implementation of yield management will make major changes in the hotel. It will bring maximum market shares of the city concerned. Guest generally always looks for the comfortable stay and the luxury facilities for their money. It is the quality that always speaks better than any other advertisement. So if front desk employee gives proper feedback to the hotel, hotel can maintains the quality towards the tariff and the interiors which will bring the maximum revenue within a short period. So it is the benefits of the good salesmanship. So as conclusion author would like to say that good salesmanship is very important while performing duty of front office department of hotel industry because it helps hotel not only to get good business but maintaining relationship with customers and feedback to the hotel for up gradation of its quality of product and services as well. Q.1 (2) Explain, with examples what selling techniques you might use when checking in a guest. Overall selling technique depends upon salesmanship and kind of guest but in general a front desk person has to apply his or her selling skills keeping in mind normal procedure of check in. Selling techniques for checking guest is nothing but a quality of good salesperson. A salesperson should be very friendly and caring to the guest so that customer will be satisfied. Sales person should use up sell technique first while explaining price of the available rooms, followed by prestigious pricing and cut rate pricing. Along with this salesperson should explain how brilliant the facilities are within the room to justify the price of the room. There may be a case that same room can be sold at different price. It is the duty of a good salesperson to find out the level of desire of the customer for the product he or she is asking for and charge price accordingly. During heavy demand of the accommodation it totally depends upon front desk employee-salesperson to maximize the yield of accommodation by selling the same product at different prices as per the customer profile and need. Being a good salesman a front office employee can suggest various pricing techniques-top down pricing, prestigious pricing, cut rate pricing etc, to the hotel to maximize its yield. So it is the quality of a salesperson to identify and recognize the level of demand and ability of a customer to pay for the same accommodation and fixed the price accordingly. (Abbott, P and Lewry, S (1999)) For example if there is arrival of guest first of all front desk person should handle the guest with friendly approach, asking for the kind of room he/she is looking for then explain the kind of room available with its pricing. First of all salesperson should try to sell the room at higher price than depending upon the negotiation skill of the salesperson and the budget of customer price can be prestigious or if required and supported by the market sentiment it can be cut rate price be fixed. After this negotiation skill guest should be registered and room should be assigned promptly. As per the situation if needed guest will be assisted in completing registration process. Then there will be verification of method of payment to be made by the guest-whether cheque, cash, card or payment by company etc. and then guest will be escorted to the room Q.2. Discuss the type of check in system that you would expect to see at the turner Hotel. Hotel Turner is a big chain of Hotel with 297 rooms hotel located in Central London. It is part of a well reputed group of hotels with 12 hotels running successfully in London and other major European cities. 42% of its clientele is corporate. Only 8% and 14% amount to walk-ins and leisure guests respectively. For this type of hotel, front office system should enable reception staff to make sure of keeping record of all bookings, position of accommodations, detailed about guests and amount billed and received as well. Hotel Turner would also require a system that should provide way to communicate with all travel agents and activity operators linked to the online reservation system. Hospitality management systems are the applications/ modules that smoothens a hospitality business. From the room service system in a restaurant, to online reservation and an easy and fast check in procedure, it enables efficient communication and management of operation, eventually growing business and revenue. (www.wikianswers.com) Features that Hotel Turner should possessed are includes: Date wise arrival and departure reports. Details of reservation and Guest ledger which should contains notes on special activities etc. Feature should make sure the availability of printers to print the guest cards to provide to guest. Provision to arrange different room to the guest. There should be a perfect system to integrate the bill of different department like-restaurants, spa, gift shop, etc. While check out all the possible payment option should offer to the guest so that inconvenience could be avoided. Hotel Turner should have a system that can be efficiently used for online reservation system. This type of software package is essential as per the hotels cancellation and Guarantee policy. Q.3how would the check in procedures differ when dealing with? (a) A guest with a reservation Usually guest check in procedure for reserved guest and chance guest is same except for slight variations. Check in procedures for a guest with a reservation will be as follows: Receive the guest with a smile, and greet according to the time. Check if he/she is holding reservation Get the guest registration card and fill it up with all the necessary and required details of the guest. Fill up the key and the welcome card If the guest is a foreigner, get the C form and fill it up. Allot the accommodation Fill the arrival register Preparation of information slips and then the same has to be sent to the different departments like telephones, room service and housekeeping etc. Open guest folio In case of VIP,etc. inform all the departments Pre-registration also involves room and rate assignment and creation of guest folio apart from producing registration card. There are many steps of registration process, because its little differs from hotel to hotel but mainly these are the six steps common to all the hotels: Course of action that is to be done before registration. Formality of making registration record. Offering the room. Then payment options could offer and fixed as per the convenience of the guest. Once above has been done then room key can be given. (b) A chance guest In the case when guest is a chance guest the process of check in would almost be same except some cases. Like as guest is a chance guest so there will be no earlier reservation done for the guest so in this case first of all as process front desk person should check for availability of rooms and there will be efforts to create room for him or her. Rest of the process like fill up the key and allotting the accommodation escorting till the room will be similar. There may be a case that in case of a chance guest a front desk employee has to utilize his or her negotiation skill for the price of the room as per the level of need of the room by the guest. This is the skill of the employee to materialize the opportunities then and there. So overall the difference in check in procedures for a guest with a reservation and a chance guest is not much- the only thing is role of a front desk person becomes very important because while negotiation and first interaction a materialization of an oppo rtunity can happen. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Q.4. Explain the necessity of overbooking and its legal implications in relation to Turner Hotel. The term overbooking is concerned with a situation which shows booking of the room have done excessively than the actual available room with the hotel. In general hotel does this because of reaching 100% occupancies. Hotel books over rooms than the available one with historic information and trend which includes unexpected cancellation. It is the synonyms of over commitment and oversold. No show has been a major cause of concern for the hotels all over the world. It amounts to major loss of revenue. However, no-shows and the early departures of the guests still continue to cost hotel money. Although reservation guarantee through the credit cards compensates hotels for only one nights stay in the case of a no-show, but the hotel still needs to recover for a loss of revenue incase that no-show guest had a multiple-night reservation. (http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals) Because of this panorama of no-shows and early departures, the hotel turner must unavoidably engage in some level of overbooking to help ensure that those potentially unsold rooms are filled. As we all know, hoteliers who occasionally overbook might have to walk guests once hotel is full. (http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals) Overbooking is very important element of the yield management. Generally hotels overbook to create backup of cancellations and no-shows. It is a kind of compensating the unexpected loss of the hotel. For this very reason, it is mandatory to forecast cancellations and no-shows. Inefficient overbooking generally results in unsold and unutilized inventory (rooms) while on the other hand excessive overbooking results in penalty cost which includes both the financial and prospective loss of the future revenue from the same customer and others due to customer dissatisfaction and the subsequent bad word of mouth. The optimal level of overbooking is where the anticipated cost of overbooking for the next unit to be sold is equal to the expected marginal revenue from that unit. (http://www.decisioncraft.com/dmdirect/revenue_management.htm) While the hotel industry attempts to portray overbooking as an economic necessity and legitimizes the process by attempts to provide guests with alternative accommodations, the hotels have failed to address the true effect and implicit costs association with the practice. Primarily because it is left to the individual state authoritys to regulate the industry. (http://legaldefinition.us) As far as Turner Hotel is concerned from the view point of overbooking, it is advisable not to go for overbooking because there will be breach of contract between hotel and its guests. But from the view point of business and maximizing revenue, it the only way to proceed little aggressively to achieve 100% occupancy. This is because after advance booking there is chances of cancellation of reservation as well, even if payment has been made in advance hotel organization has to bear loss for the foregone opportunities in case of booking not done. So keeping in mind these things and profit maximization it can be done equal to the normal trend of cancellation. Hotel Turner must find a room for everyone who has a reservation and shows up on time to save themselves from any legal complications. Q.5 a) Explain the benefits to a hotel of accepting group bookings? Group booking is simply acceptance of bulk business. In group bookings both the parties-customers as well as hotel can be benefitted. Customer gets benefit of low rates of the rooms due to the bulk booking and on the other hand hotel gets bulk business at a time so even at a less room cost per person hotel welcomes this kind of deal to get instant business and achieves its 100% occupancies. A group reservation is for a block of rooms in a hotel. The block of rooms can be for a convention, a meeting, a special event, a tour group (as in present case of hotel turner), or various other reasons. A group reservation can be as small as 5 rooms to thousand rooms depending on the size of the hotel. Usually every hotel has different norms and parameters for considering a booking as group booking, which generally depends on the number of rooms booked. By booking rooms in large quantities, the group receives a lower rate. Hotel is benefitted in this as they get business in bulk and their occupancy percentage increases giving them a competitive edge over their competitors. Group booking also makes the reservation process easy and hassle free for both; the guest as well as the front office associates. Usually when a group reservation is made a code is generated which is specific to that group and each reservation should include this code. To ensure that reservations get coded to the proper group and that correct rates are offered, the person taking the reservation should always inquire if the guest is part of that particular group. Bulk booking is beneficial to the hotel that is similar to any other business organization where organization gets benefits of bulk business. It is the deal that gives instant cash but per head cost becomes cheaper for the customer and organization both. But from organization point of view it is the instant cash that attracts bulk business and so to the hotel organizations. Other benefit of bulk booking is that there will be less chances of cancellation. In case of individual business if there is cancellation of the booking it is completely loss to the hotel organization. Buta chance of this kind of loss due to cancellation is very less because of concrete plan of the entire group. In group bookings even if one or two persons are not coming there will be almost no impact to the business because of the compact deal for the entire group-this may depends upon case to case, bulk booking is definitely good for the hotel organization. Q.5 b) what factors should the turner Hotel Front Office manager consider when deciding whether to accept the reservation request from Excelsior Tours? Group revenue management is evolving quickly. Revenue managers typically set guidelines for size and rate objectives based upon projected demand for higher valued transient demand. These criterions should be regularly reviewed and revised in hotel Turner. Even if a group request falls outside the preset parameters of the hotel, managers should still evaluate the request. (http://tutor2u.net/economics/revision-notes/a2-micro-price-discrimination.html) The basic objective of revenue management is to maximize yields. Acceptance of group bookings would be a great contribution towards achieving the basic objective of revenue management. So first of all Front office Manager of turner hotel should consider the objective of maximizing revenue of the hotel so keeping in mind this objective he or she should accept the offered group bookings. While deciding whether to accept the reservation request of 40 double occupancy rooms for 3 nights 4 days from Excelsior Tours, Hotel Turner should look into the room rate, which is currently GBP 300 on single occupancy. Among the major advances in Revenue Management technology is the incorporation of demand price- responsiveness for any property at any time period and for any market segment, including group. Other than the group being considered, front office manager must consider that this hotel might only have transient demand for these three days. Assuming that even if the forecasted demand shows that hotel can pick up 145 transient rooms each day at an average rate of GBP 320, which would give the 95% occupancy. Considering these assumed factors we can plot a line that shows incremental contribution at any given price point. From this hypothetical analysis, one can see that there will be break even (no profit no loss situation) with the group at a GBP 230 rate, and that one could generate an incremental contribution. This approach says all about the factors of accepting a group at a requested rate. Some more information is required to decide whether group booking should be accepted or not? This information is present occupancy level of the hotel. This information would have very helpful in deciding the acceptance of the deal. BIBLIOGRAPHY Abbott, P and lewry ,S (2002). Front Office Procedure, Social Skill, Yield and Management ,2nd edition , Burlington; Elsevier Hotel Front Office Management  By James A. Bardi Hotel Management and Operations by Michael J. OFallon, Denney G. Rutherford, International Encyclopedia of Hospitality Management by Abraham Pizam Robert. J, (1993), Marketing for the Hospitality Industry,kent,hodder Stoughton ltd. The Cornell School of Hotel Administration Handbook of Applied Hospitality Strategy by Cathy A. Enz, Sage 2010 Verginis, S. and c. wood R. (2002) Accommodation management perspective for the international hotel industry , London (U.K) ;Thomas Yeomand, I and ingold,A (1997) Yield Management Strategies for the service industries,great Britain. http://tutor2u.net/economics/revision-notes/a2-micro-price-discrimination.html) accessed on 27/11/2010 http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals) accessed on 02/01/2011 www.wikianswers.com)accessed on 2/01/2011 HOUSE KEEPING Question Part B Question No. (1) Role, duties and importance of housekeeping department. Housekeeping department is the most important part of any hotel. Housekeeping is responsible for maintaining the cleanliness, maintenance and the up keeping of all the rooms and the common areas in a hotel. No one wants to live in a hotel which is dirty hence this function has great importance for generating business. Since the hotel industry is highly competitive hence excellent service and cleanliness has an ever lasting impact on the guests and determines whether they will come again. Housekeeping aims to keep the hotel clean and comfortable so that the guests keep coming back again and again. M.N.Ahmed (2005) A hotel guest spends about one third of his stay in the room. The design and layout of the room and the furniture in the room is very important in comfortable stay and a good impression. Cleanliness of the room, linen, room supplies, comfortable bedding etc. are the main functions of the department. Besides the room housekeeping also has to look after the other area like bathrooms and toilets, stairways, common rooms, floral arrangements, laundries and dry cleaning, maintaining gardens, hotel walls and boundaries and other public areas. Medlik Ingram (1980) The layout of the housekeeping department varies from hotel to hotel and it depends on the size and physical space. It also depends on the anticipated business. The largest workforce of the hotel belongs to the housekeeping department. The housekeeping department can have the following staff depending on the size of hotel, executive housekeeper, assistant housekeeper, uniform room supervisor, uniform room attendants, helpers, linen room supervisor, linen room attendant, floor supervisor, public area supervisor, Executive Housekeepers Assistant Housekeepers Linen keeper Florist Floor Housekeepers Assistants Linen maids House porters Valets Room maids Staff maids Cleaners www.city-of-hotels.com Executive Housekeeper manages the entire housekeeping function of a hotel. This is a very responsible position. An executive housekeeper has to cooperate with other department heads hence; the person must have a good rapport within the organization and must possess good organizing skills. An executive housekeeper must have an eye for detail and be committed to the various training and development needs of the people working under him. [www.city-of-hotels.com] The various duties that an executive housekeeper needs to perform are: Responsible for cleanliness and appearance of hotel rooms and common areas in the hotel. Neat and clean appearance of employees, facilities, corridors, linen, shopping area, gardens and the area outside of the hotels. Hiring and training of the employees. Maintaining discipline among the employees and motivating the employees so that they perform their job well. Having a good knowledge of labour relations so that the employees do not overburden with work as per the regulations. Proper training of the employees so that they follow all the guidelines and give the best service to the customers. Executive housekeeper is also responsible for developing the standard procedures which has to be followed in the hotel. A standard procedure helps to prevent confusion, maintain discipline among the employees and also helps in performing all the activities smoothly without error. Maintaining good relations with other departments. Housekeeping is dependent on other departments like sales to anticipate future demand, purchasing to get the equipment etc. Hence a good relation with other department heads will help in smooth functioning and prevent last minute surprises. Executive housekeeper is responsible for personally inspecting the entire facility. This inspection has to be on a regular basis withoutfailure. Surprise inspections are also required to keep things in order. He/she is responsible for inspecting all the areas, linen in the hotel. He/she has to pay special attention for maintaining a pest free and hygienic environment. Executive housekeeper has to work closely with the General Manager and update him on the day to day activities in the hotel and also on the plans for any special events in the hotel. Executive housekeeper also has to keep a track of the lost and found items in the hotel. These items can be normal to very expensive. These have to safely kept and also handed over to the owner in the best condition. Executive housekeeper is responsible for preparation of the annual housekeeping budget and then submits it to the general manager for approval. Executive housekeepers also need to manage the suppliers of the housekeeping items and recommend the good suppliers to the purchasing department. Apart from the above the executive housekeeper also needs to check the incoming orders, inventory of the items, quickly attend to complaints, having the preventive maintenance of all the housekeeping items, and always motivating his employees to give their best. [Hotel house Keeping training manual, Sudhir Andrews, TMH 2005 ] Question No. (2) Summary of the main requirements for- Honeymooners, Retired Couples, Disabled customers, Families, Business travellers. The needs of the guests in a hotel are very individualistic. They vary from each other. The hotels classify the guests in various segments so as to cater to their specific needs. The hotel must have a good knowledge about each segment and their special needs. This knowledge will help them to have the facilities in place to cater to the needs as and when they arise. Honeymooners This segment consist of the couples aged between 25 to 39 years. This segment has their own unique needs. This segment focuses more on the comfort solutions that can be enjoyed by them during their stay with the hotel. [www.tourism.australia.com]. the people in this segment look out for an unforgettable experience. Apart from the stay they also look forward to visiting places and sightseeing. The hotel has to specially plan for this segment like royal room accommodation arrangement, flower decoration, romantic dinner night, access to special recreational facilities, sightseeing city tours and most importantly; taking care that they have minimum disturbance from the housekeeping staffs during their stay. Apart for all these any special needs also have to be catered so that the people have a nice stay. (www.honeymooninindia.com. ) Retired Couples This segment consist of couples whose age is about 60 years. This segment has specific needs which vary widely from other segments. Although this segment has a good spending power still it is price sensible and wants value for money. They want a good place to stay with peaceful environment. They do not want nightlife instead prefer to have a walk in the morning and evening. The hotel has to take care of their food recreation requirements. They might need special food due to health reasons. They also might need a doctor during their stay. The housekeeping also has to regularly check with them so as to cater to their needs. The facilities also have to be arranged in a different way so that the usage is not a problem. Disabled customers This segment has very special needs. They need lot of care and attention. The hotel needs to understand their disability and give respect and great attention to their needs. They might need a wheelchair and a doctor. These customers generally come with family member or helper so the need to the assistant also has to be taken care. The devices like television, washing and toilet equipments might have to adjust so that the customers can use them without any difficulty. Families value for money and affordability are the needs of this segment. The customers in this segment consist of husband, wife and kids. The customer looks for good and healthy meal for them and their kids. Recreation facilities for the kids like games and various sports for kids. Business Travellers The business travellers represent a large chunk of customers for the hotel industry. This segment includes people who travel on business representing commercial, industrial and governmental organizations. In case of business travellers the peak business demand is experienced from Monday to Friday nights. The reasons for visiting is for conducting business with a local company or for recruiting, training, management meetings, and stopping over between destinations. This segment needs special food, beverage and desserts, nightlife and good facility for meetings and conferences. The hotel also needs to have facilities for video conferencing, Wi-Fi facilities with good bandwidth. Female business travellers The needs of female business travellers are similar to the male business travellers. The special need of this segment is around safety. The ladies might have to travel at night. The hotel has to provide a cab which takes them to their destination safely. The hotel staffs also need to have a good idea about the city so that they can guide the lady if she wants to see places. The hotel can also look at having lady staff for catering to these customers. It is generally observed that the housekeeping staffs are common for the hotel rooms. By keeping lady housekeeping staffs for female customers would help in proper differentiation of the hotel. This would help to showcase that the hotel tries to cater to even the smallest of the details. Question No. (3). Suggest some strategies which the hotel might use to identify the needs and wants of its customers. Todays business environment is very turbulent, aggressive and highly competitive. The hospitality industry is characteristized by intense competition, constant changes, and a relatively high incidence of failure. These factors not only decide the firms profitability but also decide its survival. There is intense competition in terms of quality, price and market share, and environmental factors. To increase the market share the hotels need additional expenditure. At times the business might need to look at mergers. The hotels have been forced to relook at their existing managerial techniques, assumptions and philosophies. The hotels are not only looking at innovative sales and marketing strategies but are also looking at improving the operational efficiency. During the growth stage the hotels might do well without investing properly in service quality and marketing. The second stage is the maturity stage where the hotels have to deal with intense competitive environment. In this stage the survival requires to deal with intense competition, acquiring customers and to become more effective and efficient. In addition to the increasing concentration, there seems to be a trend towards upgrading quality and maintaining market share, while divesting out of problematic properties. In 1979, Holiday Inns and Sheraton, both among the leaders of the industry, were less concerned with growth and more concerned with improving the quality of properties. (Wyckoff and Sasser, 1981). This proves that the hotels have to develop innovative strategies to gain market share and redefine competition in terms of brand image and quality. The few things that a hotel can do to identify the needs and wants of its customers are objective setting, environmental analysis, organizational analysis, assessment, GAP analysis, Strategic choice and implementation. The hotel apart from improving the operational efficiency and marketing also needs to understand the needs and wants of its customers so that it is easier to get these customers. The hotel experience for a customer starts right from the moment he attempts to do the booking for the stay. The booking can be online or physically at the hotel. In case of online booking there are few important things that must be considered. All the details related to the hotel must be available on the website so that the customer can plan better. The transaction must be safe and quick. The customer must also be acknowledged on confirmation of booking. Every hotel must have CRM enabled s