Linguistics and Children Essay

This assignment will firstly explain the meaning of the following terms, communicative competence and metalinguistic awareness. Observations have shown that children do imitate older peers and adults when speaking as well as signs of creativity from an early age when developing language. Then the second section will evaluate the roles of creativity and imitation in regards to learning spoken English. This assignment will focus on the spoken English of young children. Part 1 Communicative competence – Is a term that refers to the way in which a language user communicates efficiently and successfully depends upon their communicative competence. Linguist Noam Chomsky depicted a variation within the term ‘linguistic’ which he divided into to competence and performance. The term linguistic performance is associated with incorrectly and/or repeated ungrammatical delivered actual utterances of language in use. Linguistic competence refers to the knowledge of the language system which will enable the speaker to distinguish the utterances that are grammatical in the language from those that are not. (Chomsky, 1965 cited in Book3, pg 48) However linguist Hymes believed speakers need to attain distinctive skills in performance such as what is the socially appropriate turn of phrase to accomplish the desired effect as well as knowing when to speak. With regards to children as well as learning the construction and sounds of particular languages they are actually learning the discourse procedures of their communities. The term also incorporates word meaning, grammar and pronunciations well as applying language aptly, verbally, written and non- verbal cues such as body language. (Book3, pg 201) Metalinguistic awareness – Is a term used to define an individual’s ability to reflect on the use of language in with regards to clarifying the transfer of linguistic skills and knowledge across languages. When a language user’s metalinguistic awareness develops they start to create new and refined use of metaphors such as the simile â€Å"life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get† they also begin to realise that statements can have an implied meaning as well as a factual meaning. They may even start to identify sarcasm along with contrariness which connects with an individual’s capability of telling and /or understanding jokes, manipulating language (Kerper, 2009) Part 2 Children can acquire language as a result of imitation however it isn’t the initial method into language acquisition due to children demonstrating creative practice of language. (Book 3, pg 27) Infants produce a variety of sounds during the initial year of their life in addition to experimenting with vocal play. (Book 3, pg 8) The rate of development differs between each child, for example it is rare for a child to skip the babbling stage, which usually occurs at the average age of 11months, and another factor that assists speech development is physiological maturation. (Book 3, pg9) Benedict, 1979 cited in Book 3, pg19 researched development of vocabulary of a small group of children (8) during the course of six months. The findings demonstrated children’s ability to understand and create words between the ages of 10 months and on average 1 year 9 months. By the time the child is 11 months and 15 days they are usually attain a comprehension vocabulary of twenty words. The process of attaining words in production takes longer than it does in comprehension, comprehension can usually occurs 4 months before production. With regards to ‘imitation’ the role of the caregiver (a term used for those individuals who spend the most time interacting with and looking after the child. ) (Book 3, pg 11) much research has been done in this area whereby the emphasis is on a pair in this case it involves the child and their main caregiver, this is also known as a term called a dyad. The findings from this research revealed that the person the child has most direct contact with impart the language surroundings that the child will model. Other linguistic modelling that adults provide is through caregiving schedules, for instances bathing and feeding, these routines provide occasions for conventional interactions concerning language. ‘Peek a boo’ A customary game that is usually played between infant and caregiver and generally in Western cultures. (Book 3, pg14) As a rule the adult attempts to grasp the infant’s interest the concealing their eyes behind a hand or an object after which a type of discourse occurs, for example the adult might say ‘Are you ready? ‘Then the infant’s vocalisations or actions are indicated as a response. This sequence of question –and – reply is continued until the apprehension develops at this point the adult takes their hand away or removes the object and says ‘Boo! ’ (Book 3, pg 15) Trevarthen and Aitken , 2001 cited in Book 3, pg 15 believed this kind of game could be termed ‘protoconversations’, because it is similar to a conversation. It requires turn – taking, each person’s turn relies on the previous is input of the partner, therefore it is contingent, the partners understand the sequence disclose the same intention. Therefore this kind of interaction initiates ceremonial features of conversations before young children are able to speak but prompt passage to language. A universal observation made regarding the type of dialogue directed to children by adults is that the dialogue differs to that addressed to other adults. Consequently caregivers amend their dialogue for instance delivery slowed down, intonation is amplified and an elevated pitch may be used. Older children also adapt their dialogue for younger children comparable to adults, this is also evident that older children are emulating adults and implementing this technique to young children. (Book 3, pg15) this dialogue style is referred to as child directed speech (CDS). Clifton Pye, 1986 cited in Book 3, pg 16 observed a community in Central America called Quiche, they spoken one of the native Mayan languages. The results showed a difference in the way in which Quiche caregivers and Western caregivers adapt their dialogue for young children. Regardless of this cultural difference in caregiver – child interaction, the children in the Quiche community were able to speak fluently in their native language. Shirley Brice Heath’s research 1983 cited in Book 3, pg 16 of black working-class English speaking community discovered that adults in this community didn’t usually use ‘baby talk’ when interacting with young children. The ways in which children’s grammar develop could also be due to imitation as well. Descriptive grammar is a term referring to how children organise and structure speech, it doesn’t link to the correct ‘English’ people should use. Investigations into children’s grammar showed that a constant procedure is involved in the attainment of grammar. Crystal, 1995, cited in Book 3, pg 25 acknowledged seven stages ranging from formative years to adolescent. In the early stages of grammatical development children apply brief utterances of two to three words without any grammatical markers; children are usually aged between 18 months to 2 years. In the next stage of usually 3 years children start to add markers to words such as tense ( I played), plural (one cat, two cats). The second stage within Crystal’s paradigm is a term called telegraphic speech during this stage, children do not use grammatical markers instead they use verbs, temporal adverbs, adjectives and nouns. The crucial information is apparent because the details and trimmings are removed; this telegraphic quality is stated in children’s imitation of adult’s speech. Also during the second stage it has been noted that children’s speech will likely to be: a more water; baby drink; allgone sticky. However in this instance it is unlikely that children will have heard adults make these types of utterances which means they can be depicted as unique utterances, and since the meaning will be comprehensible, this utterance can also be viewed as a success. This all goes to illustrate that even at the first stages of language development children are showcasing their creativity. Most adults especially parents have heard their child/ran emulate them using adult expression and even intonation. With regards to creativity and language development, numerous researches from the theories L. S. Vygotsky (1967) and Jean Piaget (1962) cited in Gillen, 2009 has found that there is a substantial link between play and language learning. Play encourages children’s imaginative thought process through playing with objects that will then eventually lead to a better understanding of their environment. As the child’s ability to create more meaningful representations develop so does the more complex their play becomes. Bloom, 1993, p.216 cited in Gillen, 2009, p 56. Observed that a ‘spurt’ in first words was usually due to development in play behaviours. From observations children unconsciously obtain rules about real-life behaviour, and implement what they have observed into their play with a mixture of their own imagination. When children are involved in pretence games with other children it is called sociodramatic play, within this type of play it is suggested that children practice different registers of talk that they observe to fit in with that role. To conclude it seems as though the interactions typically viewed of caregivers and infants are not essential and general characteristic initial language experience. There was a variance in comprehension and creation of vocabulary. Evidence derived from research of language acquisition is usually carried out from a limited collection of cultural and social backgrounds so the findings of primitive grammatical development in English are from language users of the normal criterion of the language. The section regarding play and language development suggests that creativity and imitation interlock, it appears that both coincide together it appears both weigh evenly in terms of forming spoken English. References Gillen, J. , (2009) Block C, Learning English, Unit 17 The relationship between play and language learning, The Open University Kerper, M,. J. ‘Metalinguistic awareness as defined through research’ San Diego State University 2009-08-10 Mayor, B. , Mercer, N. and Swann, J. (eds) Learning English, London, Routledge/The Open University.

Reducing Electrovision’s Travel and Entertainment Costs Essay

Reducing Electrovision’s Travel and Entertainment Costs Here is the report you requested January 30 on Electrovision’s travel and entertainment costs. Your suspicion was right. We are spending far too much on business travel. Our unwritten policy has been â€Å"anything goes,† leaving us with no real control over T&E expenses. Although this hands-off approach may have been understandable when Electrovision’s profits were high, we can no longer afford the luxury of going first class. The solutions to the problem seem rather clear. We need to have someone with centralized responsibility for travel and entertainment costs, a clear statement of policy, an effective control system, and a business-oriented travel service that can optimize our travel arrangements. We should also investigate alternatives to travel, such as videoconferencing. Perhaps more important, we need to change our attitude. Instead of viewing travel funds as a bottomless supply of money, all traveling employees need to act as though they were paying the bills themselves. Getting people to economize is not going to be easy. In the course of researching this issue, I’ve found that our employees are exceedingly attached to their first-class travel privileges. I think they would almost prefer a cut in pay to a loss in travel moderation. One thing is clear: People will be very bitter if we create a two-class system in which top executives get special privileges while the rest of the employees make the sacrifices. I’m grateful to Mary Lehman and Connie McIlvain for their help in collecting and sorting through five years’ worth of expense reports. Their efforts were truly Herculean. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to work on this assignment. It’s been a real education. If you have any questions about the report, please give me a call. This report analyzes Electrovision’s travel and entertainment (T&E) costs and presents recommendations for reducing those costs. Travel and Entertainment Costs Are Too High Travel and Entertainment is a large and growing expense category for Electrovision. The company spends over $16 million per year on business travel, and these costs have been increasing by 12 percent annually. Company employees make roughly 3,390 trips each year at an average cost per trip of $4,720. Airfares are the biggest expense, followed by hotels, meals, and rental cars. The nature of Electrovision’s business does require extensive travel, but the company’s costs appear to be excessive. Every year Electrovision employees spend more than twice as much on T&E as the average business traveler. Although the location of the company’s facilities may partly explain this discrepancy, the main reason for Electrovision’s high costs is the firm’s philosophy and managerial style. Electrovision’s tradition and its hands-off style almost invite employees to go first class and pay relatively little attention to travel costs. Cuts Are Essential Although Electrovision has traditionally been casual about travel and entertainment expenses, management now recognizes the need to gain more control over this element of costs. The company is currently entering a period of declining profits, prompting management to look for every opportunity to reduce spending. At the same time, rising airfares and hotel rates are making travel and entertainment expenses more important to the bottom line. Electrovision Can Save $6 Million per Year  Fortunately, Electrovision has a number of excellent opportunities for reducing its travel and entertainment costs. Savings of up to $6 million should be achievable, judging by the experience of other companies. American Express suggests that a sensible travel-management program can save companies as much as 35 percent a year (Gilligan 39-40). Given that we purchase many more first-class tickets than the average company, we should be able to achieve even greater savings. The first priority should be to hire a director of travel and entertainment to assume overall responsibility for T&E spending. This individual should establish a written travel and entertainment policy and create a budget and a cost-control system. The director should also retain a nationwide travel agency to handle our reservations and should lead an investigation into electronic alternatives to travel. At the same time, Electrovision should make employees aware of the need for moderation in travel and entertainment spending. People should be encouraged to forgo any unnecessary travel and to economize on airline tickets, hotels, meals, rental cars, and other expenses. In addition to economizing on an individual basis, Electrovision should look for ways to reduce costs by negotiating preferential rates with travel providers. Once retained, a travel agency should be able to accomplish this. Finally, we should look into the alternatives to travel. Although we may have to invest money in videoconferencing systems or other equipment, we may be able to recover these costs through decreased travel expenses. I recommend that the new travel director undertake this investigation to make sure it is well integrated with the rest of the travel program. These changes, although necessary, are likely to hurt morale, at least in the short term. Management will need to make a determined effort to explain the rationale for reduced spending. By exercising moderation in their own travel arrangements, Electrovision executives can set a good example and help other employees accept the changes. On the plus side, cutting back on travel with videoconferencing or other alternatives will reduce the travel burden on many employees and help them balance their business and personal lives much better. Electrovision has always encouraged a significant amount of business travel, believing that it is an effective way of operating. To compensate employees for the inconvenience and stress of frequent trips, management has authorized generous travel and entertainment (T&E) allowances. This philosophy has been good for morale, but the company has paid a price. Last year Electrovision spent $16 million on T&E–$7 million more than it spent on research and development. This year the cost of travel and entertainment will have a bigger impact on profits, owing to changes in airfares and hotel rates. The timing of these changes is unfortunate because the company anticipates that profits will be relatively weak for a variety of other reasons. In light of these profit pressures, Dennis McWilliams, Vice President of Operations, has asked the accounting department to take a closer look at the T&E budget. Purpose, Scope, and Limitations The purpose of this report is to analyze the T&E budget, evaluate the impact of recent changes in airfares and hotel costs, and suggest ways to tighten management’s control over T&E expenses. Although the report outlines a number of steps that could reduce Electrovision’s expenses, the precise financial impact of these measures is difficult to project. The estimates presented in the report provide a â€Å"best guess† view of what Electrovision can expect to save. Until the company actually implements these steps, however, we won’t know exactly how much the travel and entertainment budget can be reduced. Sources and Methods In preparing this report, the accounting department analyzed internal expense reports for the past five years to determine how much Electrovision spends on travel and entertainment. These figures were then compared with average statistics compiled by Dow Jones (publisher of The Wall Street Journal) and presented as the Dow Jones Travel Index. We also analyzed trends and suggestions published in a variety of business journal articles to see how other companies are coping with the high cost of business travel. Report Organization This report reviews the size and composition of Electrovision’s travel and entertainment expenses, analyzes trends in travel costs, and recommends steps for reducing the T&E budget. Although many companies view travel and entertainment as an â€Å"incidental† cost of doing business, the dollars add up. At Electrovision the bill for airfares, hotels, rental cars, meals, and entertainment totaled $16 million last year. Our T&E budget has increased by 12 percent per year for the past five years. Compared with the average U.S. Business’s travel expenditures, Electrovision’s expenditures are high, largely because of management’s generous policy on travel benefits. $16 Million per Year Spent on Travel and Entertainment Electrovision’s annual budget for travel and entertainment is only 8 percent of sales. Because this is a relatively small expense category compared with such things as salaries and commissions, it is tempting to dismiss T&E costs as insignificant. However, T&E is Electrovision’s third-largest controllable expense, directly behind salaries and information systems. Last year Electrovision personnel made about 3,390 trips at an average cost per trip of $4,720. The typical trip involved a round-trip flight of 3,000 miles, meals and hotel accommodations for two or three days, and a rental car. Roughly 80 percent of the trips were made by 20 percent of the staff–top management and sales personnel traveled most, averaging 18 trips per year. Figure 1 illustrates how the travel and entertainment budget is spent. The largest categories are airfares and lodging, which together account for $7 out of every $10 that employees spend on travel and entertainment. This spending breakdown has been relatively steady for the past five years and is consistent with the distribution of expenses experienced by other companies. Figure 1 Airfares and Lodging Account for Over Two-Thirds of Electrovision’s Travel and Entertainment Budget Although the composition of the T&E budget has been consistent, its size has not. As mentioned earlier, these expenditures have increased by about 12 percent per year for the past five years, roughly twice the rate of the company’s growth in sales (see Figure 2). This rate of growth makes T&E Electrovision’s fastest-growing expense item. Figure 2 Travel and Entertainment Expenses Exceed National Averages Electrovision’s Travel Expenses Exceed National Averages Much of our travel budget is justified. Two major factors contribute to Electrovision’s high travel and entertainment budget: †¢With our headquarters on the West Coast and our major customer on the East Coast, we naturally spend a lot on cross-country flights. †¢A great deal of travel takes place between our headquarters here on the West Coast and the manufacturing operations in Detroit, Boston, and Dallas. Corporate managers and division personnel make frequent trips to coordinate these disparate operations. However, even though a good portion of Electrovision’s travel budget is justifiable, our travelers spend considerable more on travel and entertainment than the average business traveler (see Figure 3). Figure 3 Electrovision People Spend Over The Dow Jones Travel Index calculates the average cost per day of business travel in the United States, based on average airfare, hotel rates, and rental car rates. The average fluctuates weekly as travel companies change their rates, but it has been running about $1,000 per day for the last year or so. In contrast, Electrovision’s average daily expense over the past year has been $2,250—125 percent higher than average. This figure is based on the average trip cost of $4,720 listed earlier and an average trip length of 2.1 days. Spending Has Been Encouraged Although a variety of factors may contribute to this differential, Electrovision’s relatively high T&E costs are at least partially attributable to the company’s philosophy and management style. Because many employees do not enjoy business travel, management has tried to make the trips more pleasant by authorizing first-class airfare, luxury hotel accommodations, and full-size rental cars. The sales staff is encouraged to entertain clients at top restaurants and to invite them to cultural and sporting events. The cost of these privileges is easy to overlook, given the weakness of Electrovision’s system for keeping track of T&E expenses: †¢The monthly financial records provided to management do not contain a separate category for travel and entertainment; the information is buried under Cost of Goods Sold and under Selling, General, and Administration Expenses. †¢Each department head is given authority to approve any expense report, regardless of how large it may be. †¢Receipts are not required for expenditures of less than $100. †¢Individuals are allowed to make their own travel arrangements. †¢No one is charged with the responsibility for controlling the company’s total spending on travel and entertainment. During the past three years, the company’s healthy profits have resulted in relatively little pressure to push for tighter controls overall aspects of the business. However, as we all know, the situation is changing. We’re projecting flat to declining profits for the next two years, a situation that has prompted all of us to search for ways to cut costs. At the same time, rising airfares and hotel rates have increased the impact of T&E expenses on the company’s financial results. Lower Profits Underscore the Need for Change The next two years promise to be difficult for Electrovision. After several years of steady increases in spending, the Postal Service is tightening procurement policies for automated mail-handling equipment. Funding for the A-12 optical character reader has been canceled. As a consequence, the marketing department expects sales to drop by 15 percent. Although Electrovision is negotiating several promising R&D contracts with nongovernmental clients, the marketing department does not foresee any major procurements for the next two to three years. At the same time, Electrovision is facing costs increases on several fronts. As we’ve known for several months, the new production facility now under construction in Salt Lake City, Utah, is behind schedule and over budget. labor contracts in Boston and Dallas expire within the next six months, and plant managers there anticipate that significant salary and benefits concessions may be necessary to avoid strikes. Moreover, marketing and advertising costs are expected to increase as we attempt to strengthen these activities to better cope with competitive pressures. Given the expected decline in revenues and increase in costs, the Executive committee’s prediction that profits will fall by 12 percent in the coming fiscal year does not seem overly pessimistic. Airfares and Hotel Rates Are Rising Business travelers have grown accustomed to frequent fare wars and discounting in the travel industry in recent years. Excess capacity and aggressive price competition, particularly in the airline business, made travel a relative bargain. However, that situation has changed, as weaker competitors have been forced out and the remaining players have grown stronger and smarter. Airlines and hotels are better at managing inventory and keeping occupancy rates high, and high occupancy translates into higher prices because suppliers have les reason to compete on price. Last year saw some of the steepest rate hikes in years. Business airfares (tickets most likely to be purchased by business travelers) jumped over 40 percent in many markets. The trend is expected to continue, with rates increasing another 5 to 10 percent overall (Phillips 331; â€Å"Travel Costs Under Pressure† 30; Dahl B6). Given the fact that airfare and hotel costs account for 70 percent of Electrovision’s T& E budget, the trend toward higher prices in these two categories will have serious consequences on the company’s expenses unless management takes action to control these costs. By implementing a number of reforms, management can expect to reduce Electrovision’s T&E budget by as much as 40 percent. This estimate is based on the general assessment made by American Express (Gilligan 130-140) and the fact that we have an opportunity to significantly reduce air travel costs by reducing or eliminating first-class travel. However, these measures are likely to be unpopular with employees. To gain acceptance for such changes, management will need to sell employees on the need for moderation in travel and entertainment allowances. Four Ways to Trim Expenses By researching what other companies are doing to curb travel and entertainment expenses, the accounting department has identified four prominent opportunities that should enable Electrovision to save about $6 million annually in travel-related costs.

British Airways – a Pr Case Study

INTRODUCTION: It was time when British Airways showed the world the future of travel with the opening of Heathrow Airports spectacular new Terminal 5. Opening on the 27th of March 2008, inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth (the second), the terminal completely failed in the first two weeks of its operation. Insufficient staff training and testing, coupled with a disruption in the Terminals IT systems led to around 500 flights being cancelled. SEGEMENTED ANALYSIS (What went wrong): 1. Logistics and Planning: Rather than properly training the Bag Handlers and staff members, they were simply shown around the whole Terminal.Where in weeks ago before the terminal was inaugurated they should have been trained with trail runs. Due to lack of training they found it difficult to navigate through the Huge building causing inconvenience to the passengers. Duties should have been delegated, and training should have been conducted in a specialized manner with people doing only their assigned tasks. 2. Technical and Human Errors: a. The computer systems didn’t recognize staff ID’s b. Doors meant to be open were locked. c. 17 out of the 18 terminal lifts were jammed d. The transit system meant to move passengers broke down. . Carousels, escalators, walkways and electronic screens all failed. f. Baggage handling system (capable of handling up to 12000 bags an hour) crashed by 11 am All of the above mentioned problems occurred because the whole terminal had never been tested in a â€Å"live† terminal situation. There was lot of miscommunication from one department to another also technicians were not alert as to what were the terminal requirements. 3. Lack of leadership and Hubris: One week before its openings BAA declared â€Å"We have a world class baggage system that is going to run perfectly on day one†.Despite the hitches reported by the baggage staff, the management was complacent and over looked all technical problems. Also the BA office that should have sorted out all such concerns were shut on the last week. The management shouldn’t have been so slug and unnerved about these technical faults. Everybody just seemed jubilant about the opening of the terminal, there by discarding chances of any problems that might occur. In fact the management should have cross-checked and re-run the whole terminal to make sure nothing went wrong specially after making tall claims in Public. 4.Low Morale and Goodwill: Staff complained that morale in the last few months has been very low. Whenever BA got into any mess the people helped out. But with a mistake of such degree even its goodwill evaporated. On the day, disoriented baggage handlers and stressed ground staff became surly and unhelpful as they didn’t know how to handle the situation and the problems kept unfolding. The management shouldn’t have let the problem reach such a level. There was a clear communication and gap and the Staff didn’t know how to react and just gave up under pressure as they didn’t consider it their fault. . Lack of Communication & Crises Management: BA decided to disappear right when the problems were beginning. There was a total breakdown in communication both internally and externally. There was nobody to help with announcement or information, monitors weren’t working, nobody to help with baggage. Only 2 out of the 26 information desks were operational. Passengers arrived but the flights were delayed, others were told their flights were cancelled when they were scheduled. There was chaos all around with nobody knowing what to do. The management at BA should have led by the front on such an occasion.Even if things were going the other way, they should have been there trying to find a solution instead of exiting via the back door, as they were in charge of handling any crises what so ever. This was one of the biggest drawbacks. 1. What advice would you give BA and BAA right now? Shutting T5 for a fe w days and then restoring operations is not an option as the Terminal is running and it would be a major problem, shutting all activities. Thus the management of BA and BAA should collectively stand up and 1stly publicly announce all the faults, so the customers know as to what went wrong.Then section by section they should start rolling work. Which means, shut down a particular section first, fix it up and move on to another. There by not totally shutting operations. The Baggage systems should be fixed first, after which the elevators etc should be fixed. Also they should make sure that they have an active workforce. Information Desks should be restored with people communicating exact details of the situation. The staff should be spoken to by the management themselves. It’s important their morale is boosted. Everybody should be assigned particular tasks and all the queries of the staff should be cleared.Communication both internally and externally have to be clear. Also as t he improvements happen, they should be conveyed to its customers with a due apology and a guarantee that nothing as such would happen again. 2. What do they need to learn from this crises? a. Staff inputs should be taken into consideration, and have to be duly dwelled upon as they are the people who run the terminal. b. The staff has to be informed about everything at all point of time. Internal Communication is very necessary. Also it should always be put across in a very positive and strategized away.Every problem needs to be conveyed, how it is conveyed should be thought about. c. The management should not shy away from its responsibilities. BA has a reputation to live up to. What they communicate and how they communicate is important. They just can hide when a crises rises up. There by next time around, their PR and Communication strategies should be in place to match every problem. d. A check should be kept on operations at all times. Also technicians should be on alert if any system fails. A contingency plan should always be ready with management. e.Also all necessary information should be conveyed to its customers and the media at the right point of time. The information Desk should be active and fully aware of every situation. 3. What do they need to do to restore their reputation and put things right with their customers? The opening of T5 was a huge embarrassment to BA and a Humiliation for BAA. What should have been an opportunity to rehabilitate Heathrow as one of the world’s greatest airports turned into a nightmare of Delays, passenger confusion and chaos. Five days on, 250 flights were cancelled and there was still a backlog of 15,000 baggage’s. a.Firstly, The BA and BAA collectively should face the crises and at the earliest solve all technical and human problems. b. Since everything is already out in the open, they should publicly apologize and count on its built brand name to work for them. It has a reputation and everybody make s mistakes. So rather than shying away, they should openly ask for another chance. c. All its customers should be compensated. Free air tickets, discounts, stay and living vouchers etc should be given to its passengers on case to case basis. d. A whole new PR strategy should be employed, which caters to image building and customer satisfaction. . Communication should be opened, the media and the public should be fully aware of why the crises happened and how they are being corrected to now suiting its customers. f. A whole new Advertising and Marketing strategy should be launched to repair the damaged reputation and attracting its customers back. g. Heathrow Airport is an integral airport, also BA has goodwill. That should be taken into account to re-construct its current mistake. h. Management should publicly and personally apologize to regain customer confidence. This are my findings and interpretations of this particular case study.

Importance Of Volunteering To Better Your School And Community Essay

With busy lives, it can be hard to find time to volunteer. However, the benefits of volunteering are enormous to you, your family, and your community. The right match can help you find friends, reach out to the community, learn new skills, and even advance your career. It will also look good on any of your college applications, because in this competitive world, most colleges or universities are looking for people that are actively involved in their community. Mostly those who volunteered are those who did really well in their school. Volunteering connects you to others. One of the better known benefits of volunteering is the impact on the community. Unpaid volunteers are often the glue that holds a community together. Volunteering allows you to connect to your community and make it a better place. However, volunteering is a two way street, and it can benefit you and your family as much as the cause you choose to help. Dedicating your time as a volunteer helps you make new friends, expand your network, and boost your social skills. Volunteering helps you make new friends and contacts. One of the best ways to make new friends and strengthen existing relationships is to commit to a shared activity together. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, especially if you are new to an area. Volunteering also strengthens your ties to the community and broadens your support network, exposing you to people with common interests, neighborhood resources, and fun and fulfilling activities. Volunteering can provide career experience. Volunteering offers you the chance to try out a new career without making a long-term commitment. It is also a great way to gain experience in a new field. In some fields, you can volunteer directly at an organization that does the kind of work you’re interested in. For example, if you’re interested in nursing, you could volunteer at a hospital or a nursing home. Your volunteer work might also expose you to professional organizations or internships that could be of benefit to your career. Volunteering can teach you valuable job skills. Just because volunteer work is unpaid does not mean the skills you learn are basic. Many volunteering opportunities provide extensive training. Volunteering can also help you build upon skills you already have and use  them to benefit the greater community. For instance, if you hold a successful sales position, you raise awareness for your favorite cause as a volunteer advocate, while further developing and improving your public speaking, communication, and marketing skills. Volunteering brings fun and fulfillment to your life. Volunteering is a fun and easy way to explore your interests and passions. Doing volunteer work you find meaningful and interesting can be a relaxing, energizing escape from your day to day routine of work, school, or family commitments. Volunteering also provides you with renewed creativity, motivation, and vision that can carry over into your personal and professional life. Lastly, volunteering helped a lot of people and while helping others you will feel very happy because you actually did something for them. Sometimes, it is not always about what you want, but what other want. You will also encounter a lot of different problems while volunteering, but if you actually take some time and helped them solving it, you will find out that volunteering is a very happy task. The highest of distinctions is service to others. To serve is beautiful, but only if it is done with joy and a whole heart and a free mind.

The Business of Sport and Entertainment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Business of Sport and Entertainment - Essay Example (Fullen, pg 287, 2006) The PESTEL analysis for this theatre is one of an important task, which should be done in an orderly manner in order to generate better outcomes. (Grant, pg 551, 2002) All the external factors should be properly measured and all the areas should be covered in order to know all the external factors, which can harm this theatre, and those factors, which can be the positive as well as useful for this theatre. All the factors should be considered well before the working of any project, in order to overcome any upcoming problem. (Babette, pg 228, 2008) The political element directly refers to political stability in any nation or country and also explains the political support for any business, direct or indirect. Main issues concerned with Rose Theatre are funds related, the theatre management has asked Kingston Council for around  £600,000 a year of council taxpayers’ and there are political pressures against proposal also (Surrey Comet, 11th November 2008). On the other hand, an economic element refers to the degree of market stability as well as freedom. There are other factors also to understand like how much the business is costing and how much it can generate to keep competitive. In the case of Rose Theatre the Kingston Borough Council has been supportive and has provided funds worth  £5m and also supported in other ways, now is the turn for the theatre to generate audience and money to keep running (Billington, 6 December, 2004). The social element refers to the demographic factor of any country or nation. Rose Theatre has one feature which is uncommon, it accommodates people at low prices to take front space and settle on cushions to watch plays. It attracts a large audience because of its status as one of the best theatres in town and has had many big names step onto its stage for productions (Britton & Worthington, p.181, 2009). The

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Assignment - Essay Example Some of the continuous changes in the environment these organizations operate in include international competition, increasing acquisitions and mergers, reformations of individual organizations, and technological advances as identified by Dowling & Welch (2004). The implications of these changes on various aspects of the organization vary depending on the individual organization, however, for international corporations that experience the impact of these changing dynamic environments it is necessary to adopt a greater level of flexibility and search for novel sources of competitive advantage. As mentioned above, skills and core competencies are regarded as the key elements essential for driving effective innovation and desired change, and therefore are the major source of competitive advantage (Gratton, 2000). As highlighted by Boxall and Purcell (2003), these changes do indeed qualify knowledge work and employee skills. In tandem, this offers the suggestion that Human Resource Devel opment (HRD) is the core function around which Multinational Corporations (MRCs) succeed and maintain competitive advantage. Although all organizations are bound in such external environments, particular organizational features put emphasis on some important disparities in the role profiles of the people who have been tasked with carrying out the operations in each specific organization. It is widely held that the prevailing competitive environmental condition and appreciation of the significance of knowledge and learning to gain a competitive edge are increase the status and power of the HRD function and lead to the emergence of varied opportunities for HRD professionals (Boud and Garrick, 2001: Carter, Hirsh and Aston, 2002: Harrison, 2006). The increasing challenges manifest in the organizational structure of MNCs lead to the creation of distinctive roles for HR and HRD professionals that are not available in domestic organizations or the national context (Peterson and Thomas, 20 07). This paper therefore discusses the role played by the HRD function in MNCs in an international context concerning the changing environmental circumstances that have been highlighted above. In addition, draws on the conclusion that the role of HRD in maintaining a competitive advantage in a global stage has become greater than ever before, and is mainly influenced by the international factors that come into play. The International Context and the Role of HRD in MNCs The extant surge in globalization has been identified as a central environmental factor that continues to shape the operations of HRD professionals in MNCs across the world. Globalization entails a large quantity of issues such as the growth in international, multinational and transnational organizations’ advances in technology, mergers, acquisitions, ad strategic alliances. Short and Callahan (2005) state that in the quest for organizations to go global or maintain their position at the international stage, t hey are likely to turn to HRD professional to offer advice and support on the most viable strategies and practices to adopt. However, globalization forces the HRD function of such organizations to transform their way of thinking about the nature radically, role and tools of people development in order to remain competitive. The methods, therefore, adopted by the HRD function in MNCs is mainly influenced by the decision of the organization to lean toward international convergence, divergence or to operate as a transnational

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 21

Assignment - Essay Example Thus, it would help to allow dripping of the faucet to dissolve the ice and prevent the growing volume of ice to bring about any further pressure against pipe walls. At night, the cooling of air happens at a speed greater than the cooling of water. Then from the surface of the lake, warm water vaporizes and blends with the colder air above it and due to the resulting temperature difference, warm water cools off becoming moisture in the form of droplets that suspend in the air. This suspension is actually the ‘steam fog’ which people often view as mist just on top of the lake’s surface. 3. A man who is 6 ft tall is standing in front of a plane mirror that is 2 ft in height. If the mirror is placed with its bottom edge 4 ft above the floor on a wall that is 5 ft away, how much of his image (i.e. what length of himself) can the man see? (Assume that his eyes are at the top of his head).  If the man moves to a point 10 ft directly away from the wall, with the mirror staying in place, how much of himself can he now see? You must show all of your work, including sketches, to get full credit. Where I and O both refer to the heights of the image and the man, respectively, while ‘di’ and ‘d0’ are the distances of each from the mirror. Using ruler to scale, the reflection the is 2.4 feet away from the mirror, so In this scenario, index of refraction of water is 1.33 @ room temperature whereas a typical crown grass has index of refraction = 1.52, so when Snell’s law n1*sinÃŽ ¸1 = n2*sinÃŽ ¸2 is applied, the angle of refraction (ÃŽ ¸2) would be greater than the angle of incidence