International Business. European Union

The Evolution of the European Union After the Second World War, Robert Schumann proposed a plan to unite Europe; however, he realized that it could not be done at once. He proposed that it could be built through its achievements. The union began by the establishment of three European Communities; Coal and Steel Community, Atomic Energy Community and the Economic Community (Harrop 24).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on International Business. European Union specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The treaty which established the Economic Community is a Rome treaty which was a framework treaty that led to the attainment a Customs Union. The treaty also set out objectives that led to the development of guidelines for policies in economic activities. The treaties that established European communities created institutions that were in charge of activities of each community (Nugent 216). In mid-eighties, the building blocks for the European Community changed with the establishment of a single European Act. An internal market was established in 1992, and during this year, the Maastricht Treaty led to the formalization of the European Union; this defines a community that has common policies in different areas (Harrop 43). In 1999, a Monetary Union was established together with a common citizenship, foreign as well as security policies. The union started operating on three pillars: Common Foreign and security, the European Community, cooperation in police and judicial criminal matters. Political structure in the European Union â€Å"The European Union consists of European countries that are democratic; they are committed to working for peace and prosperity† (Tatham, 2009). This union has five institutions, with each institution playing its specific role. These institutions include the European Parliament, Court of auditors, Court of justice, European Commission and the European Union council. Apart fr om these five institutions, there are other important bodies such as the European Investment Bank, European Ombudsman, European Central Bank, Committee of the regions and the European Social and Economic Committee. The European Union has a rule of law, which is fundamental to the union where all its procedures and decisions are based on the union treaties and are agreed upon by all the member countries (Hix and Hoyland, 209). The Union is unique on its own in that it is not a federal government and it is also not just a union of a countries; its political system was established on a chain of treaties and has been evolving over the past years.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The treaties represent both the national interests and collective interests. The treaties have primary legislation, and it is from the primary legislation that secondary legislation is derived; it is thro ugh the secondary legislation that the union impacts the lives of its citizens (Nugent 186). The legislation consists of directives, regulations and recommendations and these laws are according to the policies of the European Union. The decisions about the laws are made by the European Parliament, the European Commission and the European Union Council. The position of the Council is presided over by each member country after very six month, and each council meeting is attended by each member country’s minister, and the decision on which minister to attend the meeting is made basing on the topic on the gender. The European Parliament is a body that is elected to represent the Member states citizens, this body also participates in the process of legislation with the election of its members scheduled to take place after five years. The Council and the European Parliament share legislative power and have an equal responsibility during the adoption of the European Union budget; th ey debate of the budget proposed by the European Commission, and they can pass the budget or reject it (Hix and Hoyland 323). Through the budgetary powers, the parliament is able to influence policy making in the European Union. The body exercises democratic control; it has the mandate of dismissing the Commission through the adoption of censure motion; the parliament also ensures that the policies of the union are managed and implemented correctly. The European commission is an institution which does its activities with political independence, and makes shore that the interests of the union are protected. It also ensures that the regulations and directives of the union are adopted by the Parliament and the Council, and if not the offending party is taken to the Court of Justice by the Commission (Hix and Hoyland 212). The commission also proposes new EU legislation; therefore, it is mandated to take action to help the Council and Parliament to agree. On the other hand, the commissi on is under the Parliament; therefore, it is answerable to the Parliament.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on International Business. European Union specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Single European Act The Single European Act is an act that was signed in The Hague and Luxembourg, and started functioning in 1987. The act represents the European Communities first treaties’ modification. Among other modifications, this modification gave the European Council a formal recognition with the creation of a court and an introduction of new procedures for legislation (Nugent 48). The parliament was given veto powers on the accession of new members and agreement conclusion with associated member states. The force behind the adoption of this act was in Article 8A; this article sets the single objective of the market. In 1985, the programme of the Single market objective proposal implied that the approval of many dire ctives sought to eliminate obstacle that had been recognized. The act also had a significant policy on industrial relations and employment; the Social Action Programme of the commission in 1989 brought to light the concern of working time. This issue could have concentrated on the effects of working time on completion in the local market; it could have allowed for the approval by majority voting, however, the issue could have raised a question of whether to exclude the proposal from the majority voting regime considering paragraph 2 in Article 100A (Nugent 167). During this event, there was an argument by the commission on whether the regulatory practices on diversity regarding working time flexibility threatened health and well-being of workers; this argument was meant to push for a way out to Article 118A. The challenge by the United Kingdom to the choice of the Commission regarding working time directives was adopted by the council, but it did not succeed. The Establishment of th e Euro Euro is a currency used by the members of the European Union; it is also used in Kosovo, Andorra and Montenegro. This currency is as a result of monetary reform during the Roman Empire in Europe. The creation of this currency perfected the single market in Europe; it is through the euro that Europe achieved political integration.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The idea of the euro was in Europe for decade; this is according to the Rome’s treaty in 1957, however, the currency formally started circulating in 2002 (Eliassen 78). In 1979, there was an introduction of the European Monetary System together with locked exchange rates within the participating countries; this set basics for the single currency creation. After seven years, the euro was created after the participating member countries created exchange rates between their currencies; this created a monetary union (Hill et al 57). The transition took 3 years with the use of euro as electric money, and later, the euro notes and coins took over; up to now, the member states use Euro as a single currency and they have a common central bank as well as a common interest rate. Enlargement of the European Union Currently, the European Union has an ambitious plan of enlarging its integration; the enlargement is aimed at reuniting the Europe as a continent. The union believes that the m ove will consolidate democracy and peace in Europe and make the European people to share the benefits which have been accrued through the progress of the European Union together with the welfare generated by the integration (Bradley et al 205). More countries have applied to be members of the European integration. The members and the union are still negotiating about the circumstances of their integration with the union (Weiler 39). Each country is unique, therefore, members are negotiating with the unions at their own pace and this depends on the situation in each country. The European Union gives rules for members who want to become members; for a country to be a member of European Union, it should have a stable democracy, which would ensure that there is a rule of law, protection from minority groups and human right protection (Nugent 146). The country’s market economy must be functioning well and its public administration should be in a position to apply as well as manage EU laws. Works Cited Bradley, John et al. Integration, growth and cohesion in an enlarged European Union. Chicago: Springer, 2005. Print. Eliassen, Kjell. Foreign and security policy in the European Union. New York: SAGE, 1998. Print. Harrop, Jeffrey. The political economy of integration in the European Union. Camberley: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2000. Print. Hill, Charles et al. Global Business Today. Whitby: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, Limited, 2006. Print. Hix, Simon Hoyland, Bjorn. The Political System of the European Union. Sydney: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011. Print. Nugent, Neill. The government and politics of the European Union. Durham: Duke University Press, 2006. Print. Tatham, Allan. Enlargement of the European Union. Cambridge: Kluwer Law International, 2009. Print. Weiler, Joseph et al. Integration in an expanding European Union: reassessing the fundamentals. Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell, 2003. Print. This essay on International Business. European Union was written and submitted by user L1v1a to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Immigrant Voting Eligibility and Requirements

Immigrant Voting Eligibility and Requirements Naturalization typically increases as national elections draw closer, as more immigrants want to participate in the democratic process. This is especially true if immigration issues become important to the campaigns, as in 2016 when Donald Trump proposed building a wall across the U.S. border with Mexico and putting sanctions on Muslim immigrants. Naturalization applications increased by 11% in the 2015 fiscal year over the year before, and jumped 14% leading into 2016, according to U.S. immigration officials. A surge in naturalization applications among Latinos and Hispanics appears linked to Trumps positions on immigration. Officials say by the November election, close to 1 million new citizens could be eligible to vote an increase of about 20% over typical levels. More Hispanic voters is likely good news for Democrats who have relied on immigrant support in recent national elections. Worse for Republicans, polls showed that eight out of 10 Hispanic voters had a negative opinion about Trump. Who Can Vote in the United States? Simply put, only U.S. citizens can vote in the United States. Immigrants who are naturalized U.S. citizens can vote, and they have exactly the same voting privileges as natural-born U.S. citizens. There is no difference. Here are the basic qualifications for voting eligibility: You must be a U.S. citizen.Green card holders, or permanent residents, are not allowed to vote in national elections. A few localities - only a few - allow green card-holders to vote in municipal elections. But otherwise, as an immigrant, to participate in state and national elections, you must have completed the naturalization process and earned U.S. citizenship.You must have lived in the state where you’re intending to vote for a minimum period of time. It’s usually 30 days but does vary from some states to others. Check with your local elections officials.You must be at least 18 years old on or before election day. A few states permit 17-year-olds to vote in primaries if they will turn 18 by the general election. Check with your local elections officials.You must not have a felony conviction that disqualifies you from voting. If you have been convicted of a serious crime, you must get your civil rights restored to vote, and that’s not an easy process.You must not have been declared â€Å"mentally incompetent† by a court of law. Immigrants who are not naturalized U.S. citizens face serious criminal penalties if they try to vote in an election illegally. They risk a fine, imprisonment or deportation. Also, it is important that your naturalization process is completed before you try to vote. You must have taken the oath and formally become a U.S. citizen before you can legally vote and participate fully in American democracy. Voting Registration Rules Vary by the State The Constitution allows the states wide discretion to set voting registration and election rules. This means that registering to vote in New Hampshire can have different requirements than registering to vote in Wyoming or Florida or Missouri. And the dates of local and state elections also vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. For example, the forms of identification that are acceptable in one state may not be in others. It’s very important to find out what the rules are in your state of residence. One way to do this is to visit your local state elections office. Another way is to go online. Nearly all states have websites where up-to-the-minute voting information is readily accessible. Where To Find Information on Voting A good place to find out your state’s rules for voting is the Election Assistance Commission. The EAC website has a state-by-state breakdown of voting dates, registration procedures and election rules. The EAC maintains a National Mail Voter Registration Form that includes voter registration rules and regulations for all the states and territories. It can be a valuable tool for immigrant citizens who are trying to learn how to participate in U.S. democracy. It is possible to use the form to register to vote or to change your voting information. In most states, it’s possible to complete the National Mail Voter Registration Form and simply print it, sign it and mail it to the address listed under your state in the State Instructions. You can also use this form to update your name or address, or to register with a political party. However, once again, states have different rules and not all states accept the National Mail Voter Registration Form. North Dakota, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands do not accept it. New Hampshire accepts it only as a request for an absentee voter mail-in registration form. For an excellent overview of voting and elections across the country, go to the USA.gov website where the government offers a wealth of information about the democratic process. Where Do You Register To Vote? You may be able to sign up to vote in person at the public places listed below. But again, remember that what applies in one state may not apply in another: The state or local voter registration or elections office, sometimes known as the elections supervisor’s office.The department of motor vehicles. Yes, where you get a driver’s license is often also the place where you can register to vote.Certain public assistance agencies. Some states use the social services network to promote voter registration.Armed services recruitment centers. A military recruiter may be able to help you sign up to vote.State-run programs that help people with disabilities.Any public entity that a state has designated as a voter registration center. Do some research to find out if there’s a government facility near you that might be able to help. Taking Advantage of Absentee or Early Voting In recent years, many states have done more to make it easier for voters to participate through early voting days and absentee ballots. Some voters may find it impossible to make to the polls on the Election Day. Perhaps they’re out of the country or hospitalized, for example. Registered voters from every state can request an absentee ballot that can be returned by mail. Some states require that you give them a specific reason - an excuse - why you are unable to go to the polls. Other states have no such requirement. Check with your local officials. All states will mail an absentee ballot to eligible voters who request one.  The voter may then return the completed ballot by mail or in person.  In 20  states, an excuse is required, while  27  states and the District of Columbia permit any qualified voter to vote absentee without giving an excuse.  Some states offer a permanent absentee ballot list: once a voter asks to be added to the list, the voter will automatically receive an absentee ballot for all future elections. As of 2016, Colorado, Oregon and Washington used all-mail voting. Every eligible voter automatically receives a ballot in the mail. Those ballots can be returned in person or by mail when a voter completes them. More than two-thirds of the states - 37 and also the District of Columbia - offer some sort of early voting opportunity. You can cast your ballot days before Election Day at various locations. Check with your local election office to find out what early voting opportunities are available where you live. Be Sure To Check for ID Law in Your State By 2016, a total of 36  states had passed laws requiring voters to show some form of identification at the polls, usually a photo ID.  Roughly 33  of these voter identification laws were expected to be in force by the 2016 presidential election. The others are tied up in the courts. Laws in Arkansas, Missouri  and Pennsylvania laws have been struck down going into the 2016 presidential race. The remaining 17  states use other methods to verify the identity of voters. Again, it varies from state to state. Most frequently, other identifying information a voter provides at the polling place, such as a signature, is checked against information on file. In general, states with Republican governors and legislatures have pushed for photo IDs, claiming a higher standard of identity verification is needed to prevent fraud. Democrats have opposed photo ID laws, arguing the voting fraud is virtually non-existent in the United States and the ID requirements are a hardship for the elderly and poor. President Obama’s administrations have opposed the requirements. A study by researchers at Arizona State University found 28 cases of voter fraud convictions since 2000. Of those, 14% involved absentee ballot fraud. â€Å"Voter impersonation, the form of fraud that voter ID laws are designed to prevent, made up only 3.6% of those cases,† according to the study’s authors. Democrats argue that if Republicans were really serious about cracking down on the rare cases of fraud that have occurred, Republicans would do something about absentee voting where the likelihood of misconduct is far greater. In 1950, South Carolina became the first state to require identification from voters at the polls. Hawaii started requiring IDs in 1970 and Texas followed a year later. Florida joined the movement in 1977, and gradually dozens of states fell in line. In 2002, President George W. Bush signed the Help America Vote Act into law. It required all first-time voters in federal elections to show a photo or non-photo ID upon either registration or arrival at the polling place A Brief History of Immigrant Voting in the U.S. Most Americans don’t realize that immigrants - foreigners or non-citizens - were commonly allowed to vote in elections during the Colonial era. More than 40 states or territories, including the original 13 colonies leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, have allowed foreigners voting rights for at least some elections. Non-citizen voting was widespread in the United States for the first 150 years of its history. During the Civil War, Southern states turned against allowing voting rights to immigrants because of their opposition to slavery and support for the North. In 1874 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that residents in Missouri, who were foreign-born but had committed to becoming U.S. citizens, should be allowed to vote. But a generation later, public sentiment had swung against immigrants. The growing waves of new arrivals from Europe - Ireland, Italy and Germany in particular - brought a backlash against giving rights to non-citizens and accelerating their assimilation into U.S. society. In 1901, Alabama stopped allowing foreign-born residents to vote. Colorado followed a year later, and then Wisconsin in 1902 and Oregon in 1914. By World War I, more and more native-born residents opposed allowing newly arrived immigrants to participate in U.S. democracy. In 1918, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota all changed their constitutions to deny non-citizens voting rights, and Indiana, Mississippi and Texas followed. Arkansas became the last state to ban voting rights for foreigners in 1926. Since then, the way into the voting booth for immigrants is through naturalization.

Financial Policies and the Value of the Firm Literature review

Financial Policies and the Value of the Firm - Literature review Example The research identified that the matter of a firm’s dividend policy and its effect on current share prices. The effects of different dividend polices on current share prices based on assumptions of perfect capital markets, rational behaviour on the part of investors and perfect certainty. The assumption of perfect markets means that all traders have equal access to information and transaction costs such as brokerage fees and transfer tax which are normally associated with the sale and purchase of shares are non-existent. Rational behaviour indicates a preference for more instead of less and an indifference to the form that wealth takes – whether it is in the form of cash payments as dividends or increases in the market value of shares. Perfect certainty on the other hand indicates that investors have no doubt in relation to the investment and financial policy of the firm as well as the future levels of profitability of all firms. Stiglitz extends the argument that the f inancial policy of the firm is irrelevant to a multi-period model. The reason for this extension is to give consideration to a wider range of financial policies to include not only a debt to equity ratio but a dividend retention ratio, a debt maturity structure and possibly the holding of securities in other firms. While stressing the importance of financial policy on the value of the firm to students of finance, Stiglitz indicates that ‘if the conditions under which the â€Å"irrelevance† theorems obtain’ are considered to be realistic it results in a reduction in the tools that they require to function effectively. Stiglitz (1974) suggested that it is possible to place the decisions that a firm makes into four groups: i. the way in which investment is financed; ii. the way in which revenue is distributed; iii. the amount that should be invested in any particular projects; and iv. the projects that should be undertaken as well as the techniques that should be em ployed. The first two relates to the firms financial policy while the last two relate to its investment policy. Stiglitz (1974) highlights the fact that there is a relationship between both types of decisions which may not be obvious. Stiglitz (1974) also indicates that two different but still closely related propositions have been confused. While they assert that a firm’s financial policy does not affect its value. The first asserts that the individual does not prefer one financial policy over another and specifically to the debt to equity ratio implying therefore that there is determinate ratio for the economy as a whole while the second indicates that there might be some preference as there may be a determinate debt to equity ratio for the economy as a whole but the financial policy of a particular firm makes no difference. Stiglitz (1974) concludes that the first preposition is stronger because it indicates that the financial structure of the economy and therefore the fir m is irrelevant while the second indicates its irrelevance in relation to the firm only. Stiglitz (1984) points out that the decisions that the firm makes are interrelated and so the decision to increase dividend and still decide to invest would suggest that additional capital needs to be obtained. If a loan is obtained to facilitate the investment then less would be available in the following period and to either retained earnings or dividends would decrease. If instead, shares are issued to facilitate the decision to invest then the amount distributed to shareholders in the following period would decrease if retained earnings is left unchanged. Stiglitz (1974) points to shortcomings in Baumol and Malkiel (1967) and Modigliani and Miller (1958) in their discussion of on how taxation impacts the optimal financial policy of the firm. Baumol and Malkiel (1967) and Modigliani and Miller (1958) observed that debt reduces the amount of tax that a firm is

The CPAs in the Accounting Profession Research Proposal

The CPAs in the Accounting Profession - Research Proposal Example In smaller organizations, there is less specialization and more combining of responsibility for the various accounting functions. Larger business enterprise typically employs internal auditors who review the work done by accountants and others within the enterprise and report their findings to management. In addition to auditing financial reports generated by the accounting system, they review the operational policies of the company and make recommendations for improving efficiency and effectiveness. Although internal auditors are employees of the enterprise, they must be independent with respect to the employees whose work they review. Some accountant known as Certified Public Accountants or simply known as CPAs, do not work for a single business enterprise. Rather, they provide a variety of services for many different individuals and business clients, which is categorized as external financial reporting.Certified Public Accountants perform public accounting and independent auditing . CPAs practice either individually or in firms. Due to the important of personal liability for professional conduct, public accounting firms are generally organized as professional corporations. These corporations provide many of the benefits of the corporate structure, but retain personal liability for the professionals involved. Almost all big and publicly held corporations are audited by a few large CPA firms; and numerous small businesses and non-public entities are serviced by regional and local CPA firms, including a large number of sole practitioners. In these firms, the role of auditing is often less important than the areas of tax reporting and planning and systems consulting. A CPA in a smaller firm is expected to be something of an accounting generalist, as opposed to the more specialized positions of CPAs in large regional and national firms. With respect to external financial reporting, the most important service provided by the CPAs is the independent audit of financial statements. As independent auditors, Certified Public Accountants play a critical role in the reporting of financial information to external users who make their decisions concerning their relationship to the enterprise, such as: creditors and potential creditors, investors and potential investors, financial analysts, government agencies, and other interested parties. In performing an independent audit, the CPAs responsibility is to examine the financial statements to be furnished to external users and to express an opinion as to the fairness of the statements in adhering to the generally accepted accounting principles (Nikolai and Bazely, p.10). The auditor's opinion is communicated in a report that accompanies the financial statements. The opinion is based on evidence gathered by the auditor from the detailed records and documents maintained by the com pany and from a review of the controls over the accounting system. The need for independent audits resulted from the emergence of the corporate form of business and the resulting separation of ownership and management. A significant proportion of the productive activity in the United States is conducted by publicly held corporations; that is, by corporations whose securities are sold to the general public. The stockholders who own the corporations are primarily investors and are generally not involved in the operations of the business. These investor-owners rely on management to operate the business and report periodically on the performance and financial

Comparing analytical themes Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Comparing analytical themes - Thesis Example The origin of Transnationalism in Africa can be traced back to the post independence period in the 1960s. Most countries in Africa got their independence from their colonial masters and this ushered in a new set of leadership throughout the continent. The political class emerged as the de facto custodians of the post colonial state and thus took most of the national resources. The civil class that comprised of educated and informed citizens was left out of the decision making process and this generated intense struggles for power and influence (Okome & Olufemi, 2012). This gave rise to transnational dynamics as some citizens struggled to cope with national and global forces. The authors argue that globalization preceded transnationalism. Globalization can be defined as the process through the world has integrated through interchange of ideas, trade and culture. Further, advances in technology have made it possible for people from diverse geographic locations to communicate with other. Imperatively, geographical boundaries no longer restrict the flow of communication and ideas among all the people in the globe. It can be argued that indeed there has been a high level of interconnectedness as has been witnessed in the recent past. Globalization was also fuelled by the inevitable interdependence of countries for trade under other aspects of cooperation. With the realization that no country can prosper alone, the concept of globalization was slowly established as countries strived to be linked. Inevitably, Africa had to play its role in the globalized world. The world economy is interconnected and all the regions have a stake in it. After colonialism, African countries had to grapple with the new realities of managing themselves. This responsibility of African states managing themselves came with the requirement that the countries had to be economically empowered. The poor infrastructure in most post colonial African countries meant that the countries

Environmental Impacts and the Hospitality Industry

Environmental Impacts and the Hospitality Industry ABSTRACT: The hospitality sector presents a variety of environmental aspects that, depending on the activity, may have a significant impact on the environment. Its users are consuming  resources such as energy and water on a daily basis and generating a great deal of solid waste and effluents. The hotel industry, banking sector and hospitals are examples of some of  the sectors that provide us with more information on this issue. This work discusses the  main environmental impacts generated by the hospitality sector and highlights the possible  environmental strategies that can lead to improvements in environmental management in  this particular activity. INTRODUCTION: Most people are aware that there is a need for all of us to take care of the environment, if we are not to threaten the ability of the earth to support future generation. Some aspects of the environment are very obvious from our day to day lives, such as increasing traffic levels, together with the associated air pollution and loss of green belt. Environmental issues, particularly the relationship between our actions and the environmental impacts in terms of primary, secondary and tertiary effects. ( Kirk 1996). Environmental impacts is a study of all the factors which a land development or construction project would have on the environment in the area, including population, traffic, schools, fire protection, endangered species, archaeological artefacts and community beauty. In another way possible adverse effect caused by a development, industrial, or infrastructural project or by the release of a substance in the environment. This also increases the need of sustainability development. It is a development that meets present needs without endangering the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development is contrasted with other modes of development that lead to social and ecological damage, at both the local and global levels (Harris et al 2002). According to Jan Peter Bergkvist, Director of Environmental Sustainability, Scandic xix. There are three prime reasons for putting effort into sustainability: first, it preserves our environment for future generations; s econd, it adds that extra dimension to guest satisfaction, which in turn makes us a more attractive company; and third, it saves costs and improves profitability. AIM: The aim of the position paper is to critically analyse and discuss the environmental impacts and its effects on the hospitality industry. This position paper will also explain the various positive and negative effects of environmental impacts of the hospitality industry and the methods, strategies adopted to control them. MAIN BODY: TOURISM, HOSPITALITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT- To say, an environmental impact is the negative aspect of human activity on the biophysical environment. Increasingly consumer attitudes are favouring environmentally responsible businesses. This has extended to travelling where consumers are considering environmental issues when making travel plans and purchases. A reflection of this is seen in the growth of ecotourism, which has grown by 30% worldwide in recent years compared to 8% for traditional tourism. The Conference Board of Canadas long term forecast shows that the accommodation industry will experience an annual growth of approximately 3% between now and 2015 (Eco efficiency centre). This arises sustainability development in the hospitality industry also. The concept of sustainable development has been expanded to cover seven key aspects. They are futurity, inter-generation equality, participation, the balancing of economic and environmental factors, environmental capacities, emphasis on quality as well as quantity and compa tibility (David kirk). Environmental pressures have affected a much wider range of industries. Initially the concern was related only to the industries which caused direct pollution of the environment. But now it has become a wider issue and relates not only to the outputs but also to the whole operation. The hospitality industry also becomes a core industry to be discussed in this issue of environmental factors, as it exposes many of the conflicts which arise in implementing environmental policies. Many hotels and restaurants are situated in the areas of outstanding natural beauty, in historic cities and in regions with a delicate ecological balance. So there might be a question whether this addition of new facilities will destroy the uniqueness or its habitat which is already suffering from too much of development and tourism. But the hospitality industry is linked with various other industry which cooperates together to bring in a successful business which is mainly focused on pr ofit. The hospitality industry is also a major customer oriented industry. So we must also consider customers, many of whom seek as part of the hospitality experience to be pampered with lashing of hot water, high pressure showers, freshly laundered linen, an ample supply of towels, copious supplies of food and drink, the availability of swimming pools and saunas and the limousine to take them to the airport. Whatever we do to reduce the environmental impact of hotels can only be either with the consent of customers or taking the main consideration as customer satisfaction. Many hospitality organisations are situated on a location were that is suitable for the customer or according to the customer needs. And it is therefore not situated in a place where there will be minimal effects from traffic, cooking smells and the noise of the disco and other adverse outputs. This kind of local pollution is not considered to be a big issue, but it does affect peoples attitudes towards the indus try (David kirk). The hospitality industry does not cause gross environmental pollution nor it consume vast amounts of non-renewable resources and therefore it may not be in the front line of environmental concern. The industry is made of relatively large number of small operations, each of which consumes relatively small amounts of energy, water, food, paper and other resources, and which add only a small amount of pollution to the environment in terms of smoke, smell, noise and chemical pollutants. The industry employs 10% of the population and can have a major impact in developing awareness and good practice (David kirk). According to Goodno the push of legislation and the pull of consumer pressure groups, compounded by the cost savings which can result from reducing waste, many companies are now taking environmental management seriously. The main environmental impacts due to the hospitality industry are CO2 emissions, CFC emissions, noise, smoke, smells, health of staff, waste energy, waste water, waste food, waste disposal, agricultural ecology, purchasing policies, transportation policies, sale of souvenirs made from endangered species, location of hotels in fragile locations. According to the Annual report of the world travel and tourism environmental review there is a recognition that environmental issues will become much more prominent as a factor which influences consumers, regulators, pressure groups and destinations and that the tourism industry will need to show increasing concern for these issues. The WTTC have developed a strategy, known as the GREEN GLOBE, in order to promote environmental management among hotel and travel environment. These vary from waste management to the development of eco-hotels and the classification of hotels on the basis of environmental impact (David kirk). Environmental impacts of the hospitality industries- Positive impacts It sometimes educates the public about the local environment and the importance of protecting the environment, eg the Great Barrier Reef. The tourism and hospitality industries often create employment and business opportunities in an area, contributing to the local economy. Hospitality and tourism buildings and venues are being designed and/or redesigned so that their impact on the environment is reduced and they merge in with the local environment better. Many enterprises are now employing more sustainable practices in order to promote a green image that appeals to consumers, eg using organic products, recycling, using less toxic chemicals and using more energy and water efficient fittings. Negative impacts The presence of buildings and tourists may destroy the local environment and habitat of native animals. The hospitality industry contribute to waste issues, eg food scraps, oil and chemical disposal. Many hospitality venues are noisy. The hospitality and tourism industries consume a lot of energy and water, eg electricity for air conditioning, refrigeration (www.hsc.csu.edu.au). The environmental impact is broadly classified as: ASETHETIC IMPACT CULTURAL IMPACT ECOLOGICAL IMPACT SOCIAL IMPACT POLITICAL IMPACT Aesthetic impact means causing destructive image of a surrounding by various factors such as development etc. The image of a destination possesses importance from a practical marketing perspective for many reasons. Often hospitality industry fails to integrate its structures with the natural features and indigenous architectural of the destination. Large, dominating resorts of different design can look out of place in any natural environment and may clash with the indigenous structural design. A lack of land-use planning and building regulations in many destinations has facilitated sprawling developments along coastlines, valleys and scenic routes. The sprawl includes tourism facilities themselves and supporting infrastructure such as roads, employee housing, parking, service areas, and waste disposal (www.gdrc.org). Examples include lakes around Rotorua, New Zealand, that have suffered from blue-green algae and, on occasion, have been closed for recreational activities (Journal of sustainable tourism).

The Impression of Life on the Western Front in the Blackadder Goes Fort

To what extent does the 'Blackadder Goes Forth' series give an accurate impression of life on the western front? In this essay I will be writing about life on the western front and the trenches in The First World War and how accurately the 'Blackadder Goes Forth' series portrays it. The First World War started on 4th August 1914 because the Archduke of Austro-Hungary, Franz Ferdinand got shot by a Bosnian named Gavrillo Princip. Austro-Hungary declared war on Bosnia and all the allies got involved and it turned into a huge World War which lasted longer than expected. The war then finished in 1918. Blackadder goes Forth was written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton in 1989. Both of them have historical backgrounds. Blackadder is a BBC comedy series set in the trenches of the Western Front in The First World War. It starred Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Laurie, Tony Robinson and Stephen Fry. It was filmed in a studio in front of an audience. It was intended for an adult-thinking audience. It was made to entertain and also give the audience some historical knowledge about the trenches. I will be evaluating the last episode ?Goodbyeee? to see how it compares to real life on the western front. On the western front the soldiers had to build trenches to provide defence for the army and hold their position to show their opponents they weren?t going anywhere. The trenches were built in a crocked line next to each other because if the line was straight and a shell landed on it the explosion would kill and injure much more people then if it was straight. They had barbed wire and Sandbags at the top of trench to protect them from enemies coming in and attacking them. The trench had many layers and at the bottom there were dug outs were the sold... ...ries. There was lots of useful information to a historian about recruitment, the tactics and if they were changed the casualty rate could have decreased, and that there was a huge presence of death in the trenches. There was also some information about the weather and the trenches but it didn?t seem too wet and cold in the dug outs, which it would have been because of the awful weather at that time. Some things were imprecise about the trenches like there wouldn?t have been a sink, the dug out was too big and it looked too warm in there. The inaccuracy is because of the filming conditions and they wouldn?t have been able to fit a camera crew and the actors into a smaller dug out and they couldn?t have made it too wet as they were filming in a studio. I would still rely on the episode ?goodbyeee? to tell me what life was like in the trenches and on the western front.

3RTO Assessment Essay

Learning outcomes: 1. Be able to explain the factors that affect an organisation’s talent planning, recruitment and selection policy. 2. Be able to identify appropriate recruitment and selection methods. 3. Be able to contribute to the recruitment and selection interviewing process for a job role. 4. Understand the importance of effective induction. All activities should be completed Activity 1 Write a short report on Talent Planning in organisations which : identifies and assesses at least 4 factors that affect an organisation’s approach to attracting talent identifies and explains at least 3 organisation benefits of attracting and retaining a diverse workforce describes at least 3 factors that affect an organisation’s approach to recruitment and selection describes the benefits of at least 3 different recruitment methods and 3 different selection methods explains at least 3 purposes of induction and how they benefit individuals and organisations. includes an induction plan that identifies areas to be covered, timelines and those involved in the process. Activity 2 Carry out the main stages of recruitment and selection activity for an identified role. Brief: You are a member of the Head Office human resources team for a national retail group and have been asked by one of your larger store managers to recruit a Human Resources Officer for his store to work 3 days per week. Their duties will include all staffing and training duties associated with the running of the store for 150 store staff. You should use this brief to inform your work in carrying out the following tasks: produce a job description and person specification for the role draft a written advertisement or a brief to your Recruitment Agency to attract talented individuals to apply develop selection criteria and shortlist from a minimum of 3 applicants who have applied for the role (application form attached) as a panel, interview 1 applicant for the role and decide if they should be offered the post identify which records you would retain with a short explanation of the legal requirements Draft an example of a letter to an appointee and one example of a letter written to a non -appointee. You will be observed and assessed by your tutor using the attached observation record. Activity Resources Application Form (3 pages) Observation Record (1 page) Assessment Criteria Evidence to be produced Activity 1 Report of approximately 1200 words Activity 2 Observation record for each member of the group. The following documents to be produced by each group: Job Description and Person Specification Agency Recruitment Brief or advertisement Selection criteria Completed short listing record List of interview questions used in the Panel Interview Interview assessment form List of records from process which will be retained with an explanation of the legal requirements Letter to both successful and unsuccessful applicants To be completed by assessor(s): Unit Code Learning outcomes Assessment criteria Assessor comments Provide rationale for judgements against each assessment criterion and identify areas for development 3RTO 1. Be able to explain the factors that affect an organisation’s talent planning, recruitment and selection policy. 1.1 Identify and explain at least 3 organisation benefits of attracting and retaining a diverse workforce 1.2 Identify and assesses at least 4 factors that affect an organisation’s approach to attracting talent 1.3 Describe at least 3 factors that affect an organisation’s approach to recruitment and selection 2. Be able to identify appropriate recruitment and selection methods. 2.1 Describe the benefits of at least 3 different recruitment methods 1.3 Describe the benefits of at least 3 different selection methods. 3. Be able to contribute to the recruitment and selection interviewing process for a job role. 3.1 Produce a job description and person specification for the Part time Human Resources Officer role. 3.2 Draft a written advertisement or a brief to your Recruitment Agency to attract talented individuals to apply. 3.3 Develop selection criteria and shortlist from a minimum of 3 applicants who have applied for the role. 3.4 As a panel interview 1 applicant for the role and decide if they should be offered the post. 3.5 Identify which records you would retain with a short explanation of the legal requirements. Draft an example of a letter to an appointee and one example of a letter written to a non appointee. 4. Understand the importance of effective induction. 4.1 Explain at least three of the purposes of induction and explain how they benefit individuals and organisations. 4.2 Include an induction plan that identifies areas to be covered, timelines and those involved in the process. Identify and assess 4 factors that affect an organisations approach to attracting talent and retaining a diverse workforce. Award Winning Training programmes on offer In the company that I work for when we are trying to attract talent into our business we promote our award winning training programmes as we want to attract people who want to move forward within the business and have the drive to do that. We offer training programmes for all levels from associate through to pub manager and area manager if that’s where our staff wishes to go. Benefits We promote our work life balance offering employees a healthy balance of each. Potential for employees to move all over the country, if they want to. We have students working in one pub in the term time and during summer and winter breaks they can transfer to a pub closer to home without losing any benefits. We offer many bonuses to working for our organisation when your particular pub does well in regards to mystery customer depending on the score your pub receives means that you could potentially earn up to 5% of your monthly salary. We also offer in house style competitions where we get the staff to compete between themselves to up sell products which not only benefits us but also the staff as at the end of the quarter there is a prize for the winner. Brand We are a very stable, company to work for and during the last 30 years we have grown to have more than a 900 pubs all over the UK and Ireland. We are investing in people who seek talent and can help us grow the business we give them opportunities to suggest ideas and how we could improve the business. Being such a well-known brand also helps us attract the right talent and to be able to retain them due to the vast opportunities that we  are able to give them. Diversity We want people from all backgrounds as without them we would not be able to move forward as a business as we need diversity to create more ideas and challenge us in our everyday lives. We also offer everybody the opportunity to be able to take up the training programmes which can only benefits the organisation diversity. Identify and explain at least 3 organisational benefits of attracting a diverse workforce. Having a diverse work force can help with productivity as they may challenge other team members to have healthy competition to come up with ideas on how to improve the business by thinking outside the box. Also having diversity can help any business and we have such a diverse community wherever you are it can only help to have that in your business as we would be able to understand the needs of our community better. Also having a workforce that is diverse can help the organisation to grow and succeed by encouraging creativity. Also within any business we need our workforce to have different skills as they can bring different ideas to the table it also helps build confidence in the team as each member would feel that they would be able to contribute to the business. Describe 3 factors that affect an organisations approach to recruitment and selection. Within each organisation has to take into consideration when recruiting is the current economic climate during the last recession company growth has slowed down so the need to recruit began to slow down as people were less likely to leave as they need the security of a well-established company that was secure in the current climate. Within every organisation whether large or small there they would have a recruitment and selection policy, there are factors that affect the way in which they recruit and select. Firstly we have to ensure that there is a genuine vacancy when we have established this  we can then put in place the recruitment and selection process. We need the authority to be able to place a job advert and dependant on the type of job we are recruiting for would depend on where we would advertise. If it is a highly skilled job we need to advertise in the right places whether that would be a website, publication dedicated to that particular profession. We also look within our business to see whether we have staff that could potential fill the role that has become vacant. We have to ensure that we when we advertise we are not discriminating against age, race, social or educational background. Also when we are advertising a vacancy there are laws that affect the way we attract talent as we need to ensure when we word an advert, application forms to job descriptions that the words are not discriminative and not showing favourable treatment with regards to age, gender or disability. Recruitment Benefits Job advert via recruitment agencies We can depending on our budget place adverts in various publications that can be dedicated to the type of person we are wanting to attract it can also help us which a wide audience. We can also use recruitment agencies as they potentially may have people who are looking for a job within our business on their files. On line with a website dedicated to certain profession Advertising on line can be very cost effective and can reach all over the country and all over the world especially if we are looking for a type of skilled person to join our organisation. National campaign If a company is expanding especially like the organisation that I work for we place adverts in all our pubs Selection Benefits Application form When we advertise a vacancy on-line we can ask the potential employee to fill out our application form as on that form we would be able to get them to  answer questions which are specific to the criteria that we are looking for in a potential employee Telephone interview Telephone interviews is a cost effective way of screening candidates for a vacancy and through this method we can short list candidates and at the same time prepare them for interview Interview Interviews are a great benefit as it’s gives the employer a chance to meet face to face. Interviews can be done with a panel to ensure that there is fair practice and ensure that no discrimination has taken place. Explain 3 purposes of induction and how they benefit individuals and organisations. Inductions are hugely beneficial to both the new starters and organisations as at the inductions is where we can introduce the new starters to the culture of the company, the history of the organisation, health and safety and also introduce them to certain policies and procedures of the organisation which need to be explained to them before they start. For the new starter it can mean that they can hit the floor running as they have an understanding of the culture of the company making them feel at ease and also benefits us as we are safe in the knowledge that we have given them the best possible start to help them do the job that we employed them to do. Day Time Topic Who Tuesday 8am-830am House keeping Welcome to the company Line manager Company history 830-845am Message from the managing director Managing director video message. 845-9am Ice breaker Line manager 9-930am Company culture Expectations required from company employees. Line manager 930-10am Breaks 10-11am Company policies and procedures. Health and safety policy Fire and bomb procedures and what we do in the event of either. Food hygiene basic understanding of food safety. Line manager 11-1130am Team task asking the group to list ideas that they feel are potential hazards in the business and what we would need to look for and how to prevent accidents in the work place. Line manager Group activity 1130-midday Q&A Tour of the company Line manager 12-1215pm Training plans to be given employees Line manager 1215-1245pm Any other business Welcome package Contracts handed out Line manager Reference used in TMA Introduction to Human resource management Charles Leatherbarrow, Janet Fletcher and Donald Currie Home learning College VLC Resourcing Talent ecompanion

Free Essays on Report

Samuel Johnson, following in the footsteps of other great English critics, was a great poet. Johnson’s poetry was different from any other writer in the late eighteenth century. He used poetry as a tool for an escape from the reality of life. Johnson would also use poetry as a tool for expression of emotion and praise for accomplishment. When Johnson wrote a poem of praise or to express emotion he would still convey his message beyond reality. He would emphasize an event so immensely that it would seem unrealistic. If being real, or reality, is something sensable, then The Vanity of Human Wishes is the poem in which Johnson best display’s these tools of writing for the purpose of escape. With all of his undertakings, from politics to writing critiques, Johnson used writing poetry as his release from reality and the hardships in his life. In 1780 Samuel Johnson wrote â€Å"A Short Song of Congratulation.† It is a poem of praise to the actions of the nephew of a fr iend of Johnson. In the poem Johnson depicts the the young man defying the authority of his wealthy family and squandering a substantial inheritance. He is writing about more than the escape of a friend’s nephew, he is writing about his escape from a less than flawless childhood. In the poem Johnson relays to his subject, â€Å"If the guardian or the mother / Tell the woes of willful waste, / Scorn their counsel and their pother, / You can hang or drown at last† (25-28). Johnson is using the life and actions of another to relay the struggles he went through as a child to become successful. Johnson’s subject had to separate himself from his prominent family in order to be his own man, or â€Å"hang or drown at last,† which symbolizes a freedom to live of die as he wishes. When Johnson uses the word â€Å"guardian† in line 25 he is referring to his own childhood but not to his parents. He groups his hardships, such as his nerve disease and appearance from a different disease, ... Free Essays on Report Free Essays on Report Samuel Johnson, following in the footsteps of other great English critics, was a great poet. Johnson’s poetry was different from any other writer in the late eighteenth century. He used poetry as a tool for an escape from the reality of life. Johnson would also use poetry as a tool for expression of emotion and praise for accomplishment. When Johnson wrote a poem of praise or to express emotion he would still convey his message beyond reality. He would emphasize an event so immensely that it would seem unrealistic. If being real, or reality, is something sensable, then The Vanity of Human Wishes is the poem in which Johnson best display’s these tools of writing for the purpose of escape. With all of his undertakings, from politics to writing critiques, Johnson used writing poetry as his release from reality and the hardships in his life. In 1780 Samuel Johnson wrote â€Å"A Short Song of Congratulation.† It is a poem of praise to the actions of the nephew of a fr iend of Johnson. In the poem Johnson depicts the the young man defying the authority of his wealthy family and squandering a substantial inheritance. He is writing about more than the escape of a friend’s nephew, he is writing about his escape from a less than flawless childhood. In the poem Johnson relays to his subject, â€Å"If the guardian or the mother / Tell the woes of willful waste, / Scorn their counsel and their pother, / You can hang or drown at last† (25-28). Johnson is using the life and actions of another to relay the struggles he went through as a child to become successful. Johnson’s subject had to separate himself from his prominent family in order to be his own man, or â€Å"hang or drown at last,† which symbolizes a freedom to live of die as he wishes. When Johnson uses the word â€Å"guardian† in line 25 he is referring to his own childhood but not to his parents. He groups his hardships, such as his nerve disease and appearance from a different disease, ...

rattlebone essays

rattlebone essays A novel or a collection of short stories? may be a question that a critic asks about Rattlebone. Maxine Clair portrays both arguments with her energetic writing style. A blend of random comments and many unique phrases intermix with the intense plot. Writing like this gives the reader a more relaxed state and the book seems more alive and real. In answer to the critique question, Maxine Clair is writing a novel because of an abundant supply of foreshadowing, a collection of narrators, a recurrence of characters, and a process commonly known to man as aging. Suggesting that Rattlebone is in fact a novel, foreshadowing occurred in several places during the book. Clair uses this writing method by mentioning the name October Brown, partly because Brown is involved at the beginning and towards the end of the book. Ms. Brown became an important part of Irenes life, not only by being one of the main reasons for her parents divorce, but also by helping Irene accomplish one of her goals. The time that occurred between these two events in the book connects Rattlebone and is a very good use of foreshadowing. Another example of Clairs use of this writing method is the experience of the divorce between Irenes parents. This long-term process displayed Irenes parents as being unforgiving. At first his wife forgives James Wilson for the affair that he enjoyed with October Brown, but after a period of time, Pearl also had her share of the fall in their relationship. At this time, neither one of Irenes parents would forgive the other nor make up with the other. This example again shows the use of foreshadowing by Clair by evolving the event over several chapters with different narrators. Irene, the narrator in several different stages of the divorce between her parents, speaks her feelings of disgust and always tries to keep her parents relationship together. Another side of the sto...

With reference to ONE country, discuss the ways that particular Essay

With reference to ONE country, discuss the ways that particular landscapes can come to symbolise national identity - Essay Example to its present view depending upon the predominance of particular nations and communities which were considered ‘literate’ and had the means and material to document their comprehension. The dominance of religion, race and its assertion on the human populations are still having far reaching consequences despite all the scientific progress. Ancient civilizations like Egypt, Mesopotamia, Inca, China and India have their own peculiarities associated with the geographical features of their particular regions. However the most visible effect on the world has been that of European dominance, particularly the English colonial era and its impact in influencing the mindset of the people who were subject to colonial rule. The Earth without its living mass is a very cruel and inhospitable territory. It is just a small speck in the vast magnanimity of the limitless universe. Visualized from a perspective of an alien, one cannot but wonder how life has evolved on this planet. There is a continuous struggle for existence between the forces of nature and the living things, be it plant or animal. Man being the supposedly most intelligent living form on this planet has modified nature in a manner suitable for the sustenance of its own species. Plants, animals, water and land have been tamed and manipulated by mankind to serve its own survival. However as a corollary the Earth has also imparted its own colour on mankind depending upon locale, resources and material and given rise to particular and distinct communities. The cultural identity thus owes much to mother earth. Mankind has further elaborated itself into the form of countries or nations which have come to symbolize the manner, in which people live, behave and work. This has lead to our present perspective of the world wherein we can clearly demarcate the national identities of people and come to expect particular behaviour patterns from people belonging to a nation. The longitude and latitude, water and mineral

Aristotle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Aristotle - Essay Example In a comparative assessment of political systems, Aristotle’s remarks on the perversions of democracy have proved to be a prominent tenet of political discussion and questioning. As a staunch realist, the Greek philosopher propagated the assumption that the idea of a government, which in essence is perfect, complete or best is one which is unattainable and utopian. Sidgwick (1892) argues that Aristotle’s categorization of the kinds of governments is not his own, but it is in fact the result of a pursuit to represent the ideas of his predecessor and teacher, Plato by stating the former’s concepts with an augmented degree of even greater disagreements for the various types of political systems to possibly avoid allegations of unoriginality or literary theft (Sidgwick 141-144). Aristotle’s primary premise is based upon his definition of the constitution which he describes as an association of positions that are reliant upon the degree of authority or power po ssessed by various social classes in their division amongst the citizens. In the philosopher’s categorization of the ultimate political system in comparison with one which is perverted, the underlying variable is the quantity of rulers in each scenario or governmental setup. Aristotle establishes that in the case of ‘rule by many’ as opposed to ‘rule by one’, democracy is a term linked with a perverted depiction of an otherwise positive concept of polity, which leads to the incidence of corruption, unequal distribution of wealth, anarchy and a consequent obliteration of the state. It should however be noted at no point does Aristotle completely discredit democracy as a hollow shell by presenting alternating scenarios where the degree of its perversion is decreased. The main criticism that Aristotle places on the system of democracy is how demagogues are able to manipulate and eventually direct the perceptions, opinions and emotions of the public such that laws begin to lose meaning and government decrees begin to hold more significance. When such situations prevail, a democratically elected leader is transformed into a monarch or a an implicit dictator who imposes a repressive rule over the people, without the people even being aware of it, as everything happens under the veil of democracy. It is also believed that when power is vested in the hands of poor people, who are illiterate and uninformed, they will not be able to execute effectively the responsibilities that come with holding esteemed positions. In stating so, however, Aristotle does agree that a complete exclusion of the lower class from the affairs of the state is not an appropriate option because taking such an action would increase animosities and discrepancies between the rich and the poor rather than bridging the differences. Capitalist democracies of today have failed to recognize that a mere label of democracy that is apparently working on the basis of equalit y and justice is not enough to claim that the workings of a political system are successful when a vast global population that lives below the poverty line is suffering so greatly. For Aristotle, democracy still stands as a form of government which has a lesser degree of perversion in comparison wit