Abnormal Psychology- Schizophrenia

Abnormal Psychology – Schizophrenia Introduction There are a number of problems with defining psychological abnormality. They include problems with cultural relativity and social norms, what is normal within one culture or society may be considered abnormal within another. There are also problems with statistics as some abnormalities have too few or too many statistics to compare and the statistics may not always be reliable. Under the medical model all psychological disorders are considered illnesses. There are two classification systems to diagnose different disorders.These are the International Classification of Diseases & Health Related Problems (ICD) and Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The most up to date editions currently in use are ICD-10 and DSM-IV although DSM-V is due to be released in May 2013. (Jabr, F (2013)) Schizophrenia According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) schizophrenia is a severe form of mental illness. It is a treatabl e psychological condition that affects 24 million people worldwide. It mainly affects 15-35 year olds and is more likely to occur in males but anyone of any age or gender, can develop the condition.It affects thinking, perceptions and language and causes the patient to hear voices and to have hallucinations and delusions. Symptoms ICD-10 diagnostic criteria †¢ At least one of: o Thought echo, thought insertion/withdrawal/broadcast o Passivity, delusional perception o   Third person auditory hallucination, running commentary o Persistent bizarre delusions †¢ or two or more of: o Persistent hallucinations o Thought disorder o Catatonic behaviour o Negative symptoms o Significant behaviour change †¢ Duration o    More than 1 month †¢ Exclusion criteria o Mood disorders, schizoaffective disorder Overt brain disease o Drug intoxication or withdrawal (Wing, J. K. & Agrawal, N. (2009)) Behavioural Explanations and Therapies The behavioural approach suggests that sch izophrenia is simply learned behaviour learned through operant conditioning. Sammons (2008) suggests that the reason schizophrenia tends to run in families is due to children learning the behaviour from their parents. Social learning theory also suggests that although there may be some symptoms present once a patient is around others with schizophrenia they learn symptoms by seeing others demonstrate them.It is difficult to explain how the hallucinations and delusions suffered by a schizophrenic can be explained as learned behaviour; true behaviourists think this is irrelevant as they are only concerned with the physical behaviours not what is happening in the mind. Paul and Lentz (1977) carried out a study into operant conditioning as a treatment for schizophrenia. They set up a token economy on a hospital ward where they rewarded patients for appropriate behaviour by giving them tokens that they could exchange for luxury items.It was found that only 11% of the patients in the test group continued to require drugs for their symptoms compared to 100% of the control group. (AQA, (2010)) This demonstrates that operant conditioning as a treatment is very effective; however behaviourists do not care whether the patient is still hearing voices as long as they behave like they are not. In the Paul and Lentz study the patients may still hear voices but have simply learned that if they behave as though they are not they will be rewarded. This means that the schizophrenia has not actually been cured. Biological Explanations and TherapiesThere have been a number of studies conducted that suggest there is a biological cause for schizophrenia. Through family resemblance studies it has been discovered that a normal person with no family history of schizophrenia has around a 0. 2-2% chance of developing the condition, whereas a person with one schizophrenic parent has a 13% chance of developing it. The chances increase to 46% if both parents have the condition. (Head, P (20 12)) This information may not be reliable as it was based on information from records and memories and memories can easily be distorted or misinterpreted.The Copenhagen High –risk study looked at children aged 10-18 and classified them into low risk, of developing schizophrenia, and high risk groups. They removed the risk of environmental factors that could distort the results by grouping the children by age, gender, residence and economic status. This made the study highly reliable as it meant the only factor that should affect results was genetics. The study found that only 1. 9% of children in the low risk group developed schizophrenia whereas 16. 2% of the high risk children did.This shows support for the genetic explanation for schizophrenia. Iverson (1979) carried out post-mortem studies. He found that there are high levels of dopamine in brains of schizophrenics. It is suggested that schizophrenia is caused by high levels of dopamine in the brain or more dopamine recep tors in their brains. This is supported by the success of chlorpromazine drugs as a treatment for the condition. There are however problems with this explanation. One problem is that there is no evidence that excess dopamine causes schizophrenia.It could be that schizophrenia causes excess dopamine. (AQA, 2010) Biological treatments for schizophrenia are anti psychotic drugs and chlorpromazine which blocks dopamine receptors in the brain. These drugs have been proven to work as they reduce the number of patients spending a long time in hospital; however drugs are not a cure. They only control the symptoms if a patient stops taking these drugs the symptoms will soon return. This is known as the ‘revolving door syndrome. ’ There can be a number of reasons for this to happen; firstly a patient may ave a fear of getting well. The patient may find it difficult to imagine life without schizophrenia or enjoy some part of it. Another reason is that the patient may stop taking t he drugs they are prescribed due to side effects. (Fritscher, L (2012)) The side effects of these drugs can include drowsiness, dizziness, disturbed vision, weight gain, blood clots and tremors. (Net doctor (2012)) Patients may feel that the side effects are worse than the original illness and stop taking the prescribed medication which then starts the cycle again. Psychodynamic Explanations and TherapiesThe psychodynamic explanation for schizophrenia is that the Ego is being over taken by either the Id or Superego. Freudians would suggest that there has been a problem in childhood, most likely a problem with the mother, the ego doesn’t develop as well as it should which means the id can easily take control. (Sammons (2008)) The Ego looses control and the patient will enter a child like state, known as ‘primary narcissism’, which causes fantasy to be confused with reality and delusions of self importance which cause the patient to be highly demanding similar to a baby.Hallucinations and delusions are caused by the Ego trying to regain control and reality. There are problems with the psychodynamic approach; firstly there is no scientific evidence to support the explanations. Secondly it has generally been regarded that since anti psychotic drugs work to treat the symptoms that the biological explanation is more reliable. (Sammons (2008)) Freud did not see any point in treating schizophrenics as he believed that it had been caused by the broken ego which is the part of the psyche that he would engage with, as this was so badly damaged he believed there was no way to cure schizophrenia.More recently the main psychodynamic treatment for schizophrenia has been psychotherapy. Rosen (1946) brought patients into a child like state to be able to then nurture them to redevelop a strong ego and ultimately rebalance the psyche. There have been problems with this form of treatment as it is out of date and the results that were found by Rosen are less li kely to be effective today as the definition of schizophrenia has changed and the cases Rosen treated would not be considered to be schizophrenic today. Also Drake & Sederer (1986) actually found that his form of therapy could worsen symptoms and prolong the patients stay in hospital. Cognitive Explanations and Therapies The cognitive approach agrees with the biological evidence that there is a high genetic contribution to schizophrenia but realises that there must also be other causes and it is important to take these into account. The cognitive model suggests that although genes can create a disposition to develop schizophrenia it only actually develops as a response to stresses such as trauma or infections.Cognitive psychologists fail to take environmental factors such as family and lifestyle into account. Cognitive psychologists believe that the faulty thought patterns are what cause schizophrenia and not a result of the condition. It is suggested that there is a fault with the way in which schizophrenics process information and that it is difficult for them to filter out irrelevant information. Hemsley (1993) suggested that schizophrenics have problems processing information in their memories and new information coming in. It is also suggested that there is a problem with the functioning of the in built schemas.Hemsley explains that the reason schizophrenics hear voices is because they do not realise that their thoughts come from memories and therefore believe them to be voices. There is however very little evidence to support Hemsley’s ideas except for some research on animals which cannot be directly compared with human behaviour. Frith (1992) suggested that people with schizophrenia find it difficult to distinguish whether the information is coming from an internal or external source. He believed that most of the symptoms of schizophrenia can be explained by problems in three different cognitive processes.The first is the inability to generate w illed action. The second is the inability to monitor willed action, and the third is the inability to monitor the beliefs and intentions of others. Frith suggests that these problems come from faulty wiring in the brain. There is evidence to support this from his study where he gave specific tasks to schizophrenics and monitored the cerebral blood flow. He found that this was different to what he would expect to see in a person without schizophrenia. The cognitive explanation of schizophrenia is very popular in terms of helping ordinary eople understand the condition. It is also made more reliable by the fact that they take into account other factors such as genetics as well as psychological factors. The cognitive approach also has limitations as although it does well to explain the symptoms of schizophrenia it cannot explain the causes alone without looking at the biological model. PAGE 13-14 Conclusions In conclusion there are a wide range of explanations for schizophrenia includi ng genetics, environment and traumatic experiences. There are also a wide range of treatments including drugs, psycho therapy and behavioural therapy.All of these explanations and therapies have credit on their own but also have limitations. The best way to treat schizophrenia is through a combination of treatments such as drugs used with cognitive-behavioural therapy. Most people with schizophrenia are managed through treatments however many people will relapse. This would then trigger a new round of treatments. Continued support even after recovery helps to reduce the chances of relapse. (NHS choices (2012)) References o AQA, (2010) schizophrenia: Explanations and treatments [online] available from: www. aqabpsychology. co. k/2010/07/schizophrenia-explanations-and-treatments [accessed 5. 2. 2013] o Fritscher, L (2012) Revolving Door Syndrome [online] available from http://phobias. about. com/od/glossary/g/Revolving-Door-Syndrome. htm [accessed 11. 2. 2013] o Head, P (2012) Biologi cal Explanations of Schizophrenia [online] available from: http://www. springwood. norfolk. sch. uk/Downloads/Psychology/BIOLOGICAL%20EXPLANATIONS%20OF%20SCHIZOPHRENIA. pdf [Accessed 6. 2. 2013] o Jabr, F (2013) The Newest Edition of Psychiatry’s â€Å"Bible,† the DSM-5, Is Complete [Online] available from: http://www. scientificamerican. om/article. cfm? id=dsm-5-update [Accessed on 11. 2. 2013] o Net Doctor (2012) Chlorpromazine – Side Effects [online] available from: http://www. netdoctor. co. uk/brain-and-nervous-system/medicines/chlorpromazine. html. [Accessed 11. 2. 2013] o NHS Choices (2012) Schizophrenia – Living with [online] available from: http://www. nhs. uk/Conditions/Schizophrenia/Pages/living-with. aspx [accessed 6. 2. 2013] o Sammons (2008) Schizophrenia [online] available from: http://www. psychlotron. org. uk/resources/abnormal/A2_AQB_abnormal_schizophreniaPsyBehActivity. pdf [accessed 5. 2. 2013] Wing, J. K & Agrawal, N. (2009) Concepts of Schizophrenia [online] Available from: (http://www. health. am/psy/more/icd-10-and-dsm-iv-concepts-of-schizophrenia/ [accessed: 2. 2. 2013] Bibliography o Mcleod, S. (2008) Abnormal Psychology [online] available from; www. simplypsychology. org/abnormal-psychology. html [accessed 5. 2. 2013] o WHO (2012) Mental Health – Schizophrenia [online] available from: www. who. int/mental_health/management/schizophrenia/en/ [accessed 5. 2. 2013] http://alevelpsychologynotes. blogspot. co. uk/2007/10/schizophrenia. html by TAZMANIAN_DEVIL a 2007

Marketing: Sustaining Competitive Advantage

The major problem which prevented Callaway Golf Company from achieving its goals is lack of application of change management principles by the management. CGC was very successful in the environment of 80s but the management of the company did not realize that the situation changed in the 90s, and failed to react to the changes appropriately. 2. Situation Analysis. When CGC started operating in the market, the environment was very favorable for the company. There were very many people willing to play golf and the management of the company was efficient in targeting its customers. The company established very high prices in comparison with prices of competitors, but customers were willing to pay extra for a better product. Competitors in the market were not able to offer products of the same high quality with CGC. Besides, the number of competitors was very low. CGC constantly came up with innovations which attracted the attention of consumers while competitors were still too weak to compete with CGC’s innovations. The industry had only a few companies which did not create great danger for CGC. CGC’s sales were constantly increasing due to the increased number of new and retained customers. Consumers preferred their brand because it was much better known than any of the competitors. CGC spent large amounts of money on advertising budget in order to attract even more consumers. All of the factors of external environment were very favorable for CGC in the 80s. Even though CGC was very successful during 10 years of its activity in the market and remained in the top of the industry during all that time, it did not guarantee that the company would always get large profits. The situation in the market changed rapidly in the following years, and CGC’s management failed to react to the changes. First, the interest in golf started fading. It became more difficult for CGC to acquire new consumers. Second, the number of competitors also changed, and CGC was one of the reasons of that. Capital always flows in the direction of profitable industries. If in the past companies did not seek to enter the industry of golf equipment, after CGC started making large profits in it, many investors decided to start the companies produce golf equipment. In the beginning, these companies did not have large sales but eventually they started getting more and more powerful. Third, the nature of consumers changed a lot and the same strategy of high pricing was not always efficient. Fourth, CGC’s relationships with retailers were not very successful. CGC did not pay enough attention to establishing warm contacts with its retailers (for example one of the retailers mentioned that CGC’s terms of payment were not as favorable as the ones of other companies). CGC did not consider it necessary to provide special training for salespeople. Fifth, internet shops became very popular among customers but CGC did not want to increase its online sales, and thus was left far behind in e-commerce. CGC’s had to keep track of the changes which occurred in the market, but it failed to. In order to be successful, the company needed to establish a change management team as soon as the environment started changing. The change management team would be responsible for establishing a new structure of the company, training of employees and constantly fine-tuning the marketing mix of the company according to the changes of the environment. 3.Alternatives. Other alternatives to the establishment of change management team include: making minor changes in the marketing policy of the company in order to meet short-term goals; coming up with radical innovations in order to attract new customers. The first alternative could be useful for the company in the short run because it would allow it to temporarily increase sales and stop having losses. However, changes only in the marketing policy of the company would not be enough to keep the sales at a high level in a long run. Eventually, sales would start dropping again. The second alternative could be perfect in case if the industry was characterized by radical innovations, like computer industry. However, it is simply impossible to come up with some golf product which competitors would never be able to make in the industry of golf equipment production. Even if CGC achieved the increase in sales due to the innovations, competitors would soon start producing a similar product. Golf equipment industry is simply unable to come up with a product similar to Microsoft Windows which dominates the market in the computer industry. 4. Recommendation. The creation of change management team in CGC is therefore the most suitable solution for the company. It will enable CGC to achieve not only short-term but also long-term goals. The company needs to be restructured so that its structure better answers the requirements of the new environment. The new vision of the company also needs to be established. The change management team in the project needs to consist of eight people, five of which belong to senior-level management and three to top management. The main factors which the change managers need to weight to implement the change strategy successfully include: the size of the target market which the company will work on after the changes come into force; addressing immediate concerns which are important for the realization of the company’s goals; choosing priorities concerning centralized and de-centralized structure; the possibility of resistance to changes of certain employees; possible complications in adjusting of employees to the new structure. The program includes a deep analysis of factors which prevent the organization from growing, both internal and external. It requires the identification of the main internal and external factors driving change in the organizations. The change management team needs to achieve the following goals: restructure the company; provide balanced training for employees; improve the marketing mix of the company; increase the percentage of online sales of the company from 1% up to at least 40%. The company will be able to acquire new customers with the help of online shopping. It is also very important for CGC to pay attention to the relationships with retailers because in the competitive environment, the retailers determine the success of the producer in many ways. By providing adequate training of salespeople, CGC will also be able to increase its sales. 5. Implementation Plan. The implementation of change management plan in CGC is recommended to be done on the following steps: Creation of change management team; Identification of the major issues and guidelines which have to be addressed during the change process and establishment of management goals; Encouragement of employees to participate in the research of issues subject to change; Applications of various tools to reduce the resistance of employees to changes; Creation of a new vision in the company; Introduction of a new organization structure; Empowerment of employees and their involvement in the decision-making process in the company. Bibliography. Kotter, J.P. â€Å"Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fall.† Harvard Business Review, 73(2): 59.67. 1995. Mercer D. Marketing. Blackwell Business. 1992.

Discussion 707 5 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion 707 5 - Assignment Example Through inter-professional collaboration, the group can allocate duties among themselves and establish vital contacts with other medical planning professional (Kaur, Roberton & Glasgow, 2013). They can also embrace technology in conducting cost analysis, compiling statistics, scheduling of project activities and the delivery of educational knowledge to patients. The measurable outcome of this project is the number of patients presenting any complication related to diabetes mellitus. The outcome is suitable as it is easily measurable, and it correlates with the impact of the individualized educational session. The data points that the clinicians may use is blood sugar level in a patient and the rate of compliance with the medication. The blood sugar level is an appropriate data point as it depicts the chances of contracting diabetes. The frequency of compliance with medication also determines the possibility of attracting diabetes. Alternatively, the frequency of compliance to the recommended dietary specification also can serve as a data point. The group can use gender and age as the specific client demographic data points. Gender data point can depict how the correspondence between heath education varies with sex of an individual (Ford, 2010). Age data point shows how different individuals with different age groups respond to the education provided by the health

The Four Functions of Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Four Functions of Management - Essay Example Planning is the process of developing the business mission and objectives and determining how they will be accomplish (Evron, 1994). The planning function allows managers to create business strategies to determine the long term objectives of the company. This function is very important because a manager that does not adequate plan the business trajectory of a company can expose the company to business risks. Planning involves the evaluation of internal and external factors. Forecasting methods such as the Delphi method can help a manager determine the future demand of the company’s product. Based on this information a manager can plan the future equipment, labor, and inventory needs of the enterprise. The second managerial function is organizing. Organizing involves allocating and configuring resources to accomplish the goals and objectives established during the planning process (Mcnamara, 2009). The function involves determining the best organization structure to optimize the work performance of the workers. As organizations get larger the organizing function becomes more important. A lack of organization can lead to business chaos. An example of a company whose managerial staff failed to perform the organizing function adequately is Enron Corporation. A manager that organizes well the company’s resources is able to increase the work performance of the employees. The nature of a business influences the way a manager organizes an organization. The matrix organization structure is better suited for innovative companies. In business environments in which the customers expect fast results a manager can empower the employees to make their own decisions. The third managerial function is leading. Leading involves influencing people’s behavior through motivation, group dynamics, communication, and leadership (Rane, 2007). There is a direct correlation between motivation and employee performance. A

Country Report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Country Report - Research Paper Example India’s agricultural industry makes up 18% of the country’s GDP and around 66% of the national population relies on this industry for a source of living (Hanko Hackberry Group n.d.). An excellent information technology industry leads the services sector in India. India’s trade shortfall reached $16.86 billion in November 2014, which is the highest since early 2013 (Sedghi 2013). This shortfall is below November 2013’s record of $10.6 billion, as well as the market’s projected deficit of $15.6 billion. Imports increased 26.79% annually and exports rose 7.27% (Pawar and Veer 57). This made India’s balance of trade average at $1.932 billion in 2014 from 1957 with record tops and lows in 1977 and 2012 of $258.9 million and $-20.211 billion respectively (Hanko Hackberry Group n.d.). This trade shortfall reached a seven-month maximum of $131.5 billion in September 2014. An outstanding decline in exports drove the rise in India’s trade shortfall. Foreign sales tapered by 5% yearly in October 2014, which compared to the 2.7% growth of September. At the same time, imports slowed down significantly from a 26% increase in September to a poor 3.6% growth in October 2014 (Sedghi 2013). This notable decline in imports ec hoed a restraint in gold demand and a decline in oil imports. India’s Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act has been regulating imports and exports since 1992. This act gave the government vast regulation powers over the country’s trade operations. The country’s overall commodity trade rose more than three times from 2006’s $252 billion to 2012’s $794 billion (Hanko Hackberry Group n.d.). A majority of India’s exports have been moving to Asia and Africa with Asia’s share growing to 51.6% between 2011 and 2012 from 2001 and 2002’s 40.2% (Sedghi 2013). Europe, as a destination of India’s exports, saw a deceleration from 24.7% in 2001 and 2002 to 19% in 2011 and 2012. India’s main export commodities were

The improvement of the writing style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The improvement of the writing style - Essay Example The improvement of the writing style Language barriers leave this writer without confidence but I do want to learn. There’s been so much information given and through hard work and diligence, I intend on being a good writer. I thank everyone for their insights and critical reviews that are sometimes painful. Hopefully, the end result is a better more clear writing style with apparently less effort. My first paper â€Å"Late Flight† at the end of January is potentially my best paper. I say â€Å"potentially† because I now understand the importance drafting, searching for ideas, outlining, peer review, rewriting is to the writing process. Creating a story or report is similar to building a house. The Designer (writer) must incorporate all known laws, know about all the materials needed, understand the weight of the structure and add supports where necessary. The paint is the title of the paper, and the entry way is the very first line capturing the reader using a â€Å"Wow!† appearance. My first paper lacked many details and the entry way was unlit and not swept. I now know it should have been written this way: â€Å"In Shanghai, down below, the raindrops fell like tears flooding my hopefulness with despair. The next time I am home, I will provide towels to my friends as I say ‘Good Bye’ from a bubble window 30,000 feet above them on my way to America.† Peer review and writing are much clearer to me now reflecting what is inside of me rather than what I see on the surface. I think now Chinese, Americans, Canadians or anyone feels the same types of separations the same. It is the mapmakers, the ones who draw the lines saying â€Å"You are not the same as the other person five feet away on the other side of the line† that turn people against each other. We are mostly the same people without the lines; and our differences are naturally different and wonderful! My second paper on guns might have been too one-sided in opinion. It is true that terrible tragedies did occur from gun-toting assassins but I did not ‘reflect’ deeply enough probably because English is a difficult language for me. On a deeper reflection, if the government did ban guns altogether then people would not stop killing each other. In my own c ountry, The Nanking Massacre in 1937 might have been different if the population had been armed. My use of Obama as a point suggesting it was his fault government didn’t do something about gun control was short sighted. Men and women in Congress are the Law makers in the USA and it is their responsibility to pass laws laid before them. I have read were it was said the main reason Americans should have guns is to protect them from an over-bearing government. I can’t say if I believe this or not because I have not thought about the matter enough; I’ve learned that technique’ in this class, â€Å"Think before you write.† Today, after the learning more about structure, I would probably write the paper with less emphasis on decisive language intended to galvanize and polarize each side of the issue; for and against. I know now this issue is quite important to the American public and if my paper were to make a difference, my paper needed to attract the c ompeting side by using arguments designed to speak to their values of â€Å"Love, honor, dignity and independence.† I would write it like this: Weapons designed for defense of Individual liberties and rights seem to add a loophole to those wanting to rain destruction down on innocent civilians. The balance between the 2nd Amendment and wanton murder again tipped in favor towards those focused on mass killings leaving more questions than answers. There must be a deeper discussion by all interested parties or headlines will continue to incite fear

How the revolution affect the cultural and human relationship Essay

How the revolution affect the cultural and human relationship - Essay Example This was initiated in between 1966-1976 by Mao Zedong the chairman of the Communist Party of China at the time. The movement had significant influence on the people of China an estimated a quarter of the entire humanity today socially and also economically. In Liangs autobiography the revolution affected his family and his adequate access to education in their hometown of Changsha as a result its turbulent political campaigns. The effects of the revolution are seen in the entire life of Liang Heng starting from his family break up, being sent to the countryside for "re-education and later on as Liang works as a factory worker (Liang, 1983). Despite the revolution starting as a political campaign in the Peoples Republic of China, the revolution had immense effect on the cultural and human relationships with the people of China as Liang Heng writes in his book "Son of the Revolution" (Liang, H. 1983). Among the effects on the cultural relationships is seen in the education system. The revolution affected the intellect in the society as they were the ones running the central government operations at all levels of administration. Liangs father and mother had attained a high school education by this time. The revolution saw many young and energetic Chinese make an effort to attain higher education to be considered for better employment including Liangs himself. The cultural relationship between education and revisionist was changed during the revolution. Many saw higher education later on as a gateway to satisfactory job and decent housing (Jiang, 2007). The revolution affected the human relationship within many Chinese families including Liangs family. During the Hundred Flower Campaign Liang Hengs mother was sent away for labor reform as it was called during the time of the revolution (Liang, 1983). This was mainly due to Liang Hengs comment. This brought about the first division of

History of Black and Indian relations among the Florida Seminoles Essay

History of Black and Indian relations among the Florida Seminoles - Essay Example As early as 1689, Africans fled from British-American colonies to the Spanish controlled Florida in search of freedom. A new influx of these freedom-seeking blacks reached Florida during the American Revolution. During this Revolution, the American slaves agreed to fight for the British in exchange for liberty. They built settlements near the Seminoles as both had a common interest to escape slavery. They built separate villages of thatched-roof houses surrounded by fields of corn and swamp rice, and they maintained friendly relations with the mixed population of refugee Indians (Joseph A Opala). The Seminoles Indians also allied with the British for this fight. This brought the two – the Africans and the Indian Seminoles - into increased contact with each other. Members of both the communities sided with the British during the War of 1812. This helped them to solidify their ties. Gradually the two groups came to view themselves as part of the same organized tribe. Their relat ions solidified to such an extent that the US Government could not break them apart. Intermarriages and friendships were common. They became such close allies that they came to be known as the Black Seminoles. At this point when the Africans and the Indian Seminoles first came into contact, the Seminoles were themselves recent immigrants to Florida. The Africans adopted their clothing and the Indians acquired taste for rice and appreciation for their music and folklore. At that time, they were known as Gullahs.

Commercial Law Assignment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Commercial Law Assignment - Case Study Example In fact, he speaks very little English. This means that Nathan may not be able to make an informed bargain or decision, if he engages in a contract where the other party speaks English due to the limitation in language. On the other hand, John works as a sales representative with a telephone company known as Dubious Connections Pty Ltd. He sells telephone contracts. John was aware that Nathan knew nothing about telephone contracts and that he did not understand most of the matters that are discussed in English. Nathan was influenced to enter into a contract by John, as the latter told the former that there was a special promotion just for that day and that if the former signed that day, he was entitled to a free iOS7.1 telephone. Therefore, Nathan was under undue influence to enter into this contract, given that he did not understand much English to have the capacity of making an informed decision. In addition, John explained the main features of the contract, but he knew that Nathan did not understand most of the details. John did not offer to get an interpreter to explain the terms and conditions of the contract to Nathan, who thought he could terminate the contract any time and simply return the phone. Nathan was not aware that the contract was to run for three years, and terminating the contract at any time during this period, Nathan would have to pay the full contract price of $3,120, plus $ 800, which is the price of the iOS7.1 telephone. However, after two months into the contract, Nathan found out that the additional expense of the monthly phone bill was difficult to manage, given that he received a meager allowance from Red Cross. Nathan now wants to terminate the contract and return the phone. From the aforementioned issues, a determination whether there was a valid contract between Nathan and Dubious Connections Pty Ltd is made. Also, the remedies available to Natha n are outlined and discussed. Unconscionable conduct

French Culture vs American Culture Research Paper

French Culture vs American Culture - Research Paper Example As in playing a game of chess, knowing how to plan several moves ahead and anticipate what move your opponent could make accordingly, is essential to winning or the success of a goal. Culture, as defined by Brooks Peterson (2004), is a composition of several aspects of a people. â€Å"Culture is the relatively stable set of inner values and beliefs generally held by groups of people in countries or regions, and the noticeable impact these values and beliefs have on the peoples’ outward behaviors and environment (Peterson 17).† Understanding values of a society does not always mean that a person will act according to those values, given a certain set of circumstances. As Japanese children are trained early on to work together in a group and value this aspect of working, this may not actually occur in a business situation unless the right elements of understanding the goal and who does what, is precisely defined for them. Themes can be viewed as big themes such as famous actors, or little themes, such as the latest trend in android phones. In the United States, technology and new media are considered little themes and Angelina Jolie is a big theme. For the French, foreigners who can speak French while in their country, will fare much better than the Americans, who float from one town to the next, asking who can speak English. It is a certain type of snobbery that the French have about foreigners being in their country (Peterson 25). The ‘Big Five’ personality traits used in determining cultural intelligence, as proposed by both Peterson (2004) and in the work of Engle and Nehrt (2012), are neuroticism versus emotional stability, extraversion, openness to experiences, agreement versus antagonism, and conscientiousness versus undirectedness or lack of focus (Engle and Nehrt 36). In having these attributes, a person is able to adjust and assimilate with another culture without standing out as a sore thumb, thus providing a company the oppo rtunity to work with others on a global basis. Americans, however, in business situations, are more readily adaptable to other cultures than those who have cultures that are not so heavily integrated as is found in the United States (Earley and Mosakowski 139). As many Americans, particularly in large Northeastern cities, come from foreign countries or at least grew up in a family with a non-American background, it is easier to assimilate other cultures than those people who come from a predominantly one-culture world in their country. As global companies move their businesses to Southern states in the U.S., this trend is also growing here as well. Different styles of how to approach a joint project between two global countries, one, French and one, American, may show that Americans are ready to move ahead while the French prefer to have all the details worked out and the numbers in place before even taking the first step (Peterson 54). Some of this could be put down to the fact tha t governments work differently from one country to the next and therefore, have learned to work according to the criteria presented by regulations and government restrictions. Working this side out, takes a bit of doing, depending on which country the project will actually be implemented in (Earley and Mosakowski 140). In choosing those with cultural intelligence for positions of conducting projects with foreign companies, it is

Effective communication Essay Example for Free

Effective communication Essay Describe situations where you have effectively demonstrated each of the forms of communication mentioned Effective communication is an important part of my job role. On a daily basis I need to communicate with various different people. Firstly, I have to collect the information from various parts of our organisation, this is normally done over email, however on some occasions this requires further explanation and this would be done over the telephone or face to face. Once the information is prepared, I distribute this via emails, internally to the managers to review. Once this has been reviewed by the management team, I then distribute this externally to the client. What did you do to help communicate effectively? I send out the ‘raw data’ to the client each week, however I then send out a pack that summarises the figures in a clear and precise format. For the period review, the data is put into a PowerPoint presentation. The client gets a copy of the slides that we discuss. We discuss each meeting whether anything should be changed going forward. There have been occasions we have gone into more detail, and others where we have summarised as the client is happy with the figures behind this. How have your communication skills helped you to improve your performance elsewhere? The effective communication in this particular example has increased my confidence in certain areas. I also think that by asking for feedback regularly, I can ensure I am reporting exactly what people want to see in the formats they want too. I have applied this to other areas of my job role.

War on Drugs Essay Example for Free

War on Drugs Essay Not surprisingly, cases like the foregoing generated a public backlash-perhaps the only significant one since the War on Drugs was declared in 1982. It pressured Congress into creating what is known as the innocent owner defense to such in rem forfeitures, but even that gesture of reasonableness is largely illusory. First, the defense does not redress the gross imbalance between the value of property forfeited and the personal culpability of the owner. For example, a Vermont man was found guilty of growing six marijuana plants. He received a suspended sentence, but he and his family lost their 49-acre farm. Similarly, a New York man forfeited his $145,000 condominium because he sold cocaine to an informant for $250. The law provides no limit to the value of property subject to forfeiture, even for very minor drug offenses. Second, the innocent owner defense places the burden on the property claimant to demonstrate that he or she acted or failed to act without knowledge, consent or willful blindness of the drug activities of the offender. Thus, the Federal government instituted forfeiture proceedings in the Delray Beach, Fla. , area against numerous properties containing convenience stores or other businesses where drug transactions took place, claiming that the owners made insufficient efforts to prevent drug dealings. Placing the burden on the claimant imposes expense and inconvenience because the claimant must hire a lawyer to mount a challenge to the seizure. Moreover, many cases involve the family house or car, and it often is difficult to prove that one family member had no knowledge of or did not consent to the illegal activities of another. For instance, a Florida court held that a claimant did not use reasonable care to prevent her husband from using her automobile in criminal activity; thus, she was not entitled to the innocent owner defense. A particularly cruel application of this kind of vicarious responsibility for the wrongs of another is seen in the governments policy of evicting impoverished families from public housing because of the drug activities of one unruly child. The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 specifically states that a tenants lease is a forfeitable property interest and that public housing agencies have the authority to hire investigators to determine whether drug laws are being broken. The act authorizes eviction if a tenant, member of his or her household, guest, or other person under his or her control is engaged in drug-related activity on or near public housing premises. To carry out these provisions, the act funded a pilot enforcement program. In 1990, the Departments of Justice and Housing and Urban Development announced a Public Housing Asset Forfeiture Demonstration Project in 23 states. The project pursued lease forfeitures and generated considerable publicity. In passing this law, it must have been obvious to Congress that many innocent family members would suffer along with the guilty. Perhaps it was thought vital, nonetheless, as a way of protecting other families from drugs in public housing projects. As experience proves, however, even evicted dealers continue to deal in and around the projects. It is hard to take public housing lease forfeitures very seriously, therefore, other than as a symbolic statement of the governments tough stand against illegal drugs. Destructive consequences A policy that destroys families, takes property from the innocent, and tramples the basic criminal law principles of personal responsibility, proportionality, and fairness has spillover effects into other public policy domains. One area in which the fanaticism of the drug warriors perhaps is most evident is public health. Drugs such as marijuana and heroin have well-known medical applications. Yet, so zealous are the anti-drug forces that even these therapeutic uses effectively have been banned. Marijuana, for instance, has many applications as a safe and effective therapeutic agent. Among them are relief of the intraocular pressure caused by glaucoma and alleviating the nausea caused by chemotherapy. Some AIDS patients also have obtained relief from using cannabis. Yet, marijuana is classified by the Attorney General of the U. S. , not the Surgeon General, as a Schedule I drug-one having a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medicinal use, and lack of accepted safety for utilization. It thereby is deemed beyond the scope of legitimate medical practice and thus is not generally available to medical practitioners. The only exception was an extremely limited program of compassionate treatment of the terminally or seriously ill, but even that has been eliminated for political reasons. Assistant Secretary James O. Mason of the Department of Health and Human Services announced in 1991 that the Public Health Services provision of marijuana to patients seriously ill with AIDS would be discontinued because it would create a public perception that this stuff cant be so bad. After a review caused by protests from AIDS activists, the Public Health Service decided in March, 1992, to stop supplying marijuana to any patients save the 13 then receiving it. There also are beneficial uses for heroin. Terminal cancer patients suffering from intractable pain generally obtain quicker analgesic relief from heroin than from morphine. Many doctors believe that heroin should be an option in the pharmacopeia. Accordingly, in 1981, the American Medical Association House of Delegates adopted a resolution stating that the management of pain relief in terminal cancer patients should be a medical decision and should take priority over concerns about drug dependence. Various bills to accomplish that goal were introduced in the 96th, 97th, and 98th Congresses. The Compassionate Pain Relief Act was brought to the House floor for a vote on Sept. 19, 1984, but was defeated by 355 to 55. Although there were some concerns voiced about thefts from hospital pharmacies, the overwhelming concern was political and symbolic a heroin legalization bill could not be passed in an election year and, in any event, would send the public the wrong message. The final and perhaps most outrageous example in this catalog of wrongs against public health care is the nearly universal American refusal to permit established addicts to exchange used needles for sterile ones in order to prevent AIDS transmission among intravenous drug users. In 1991, the National Commission on AIDS recommended the removal of legal barriers to the purchase and possession of intravenous drug injection equipment. It found that 32% of all adult and adolescent AIDS cases were related to intravenous drug use and that 70% of mother-to-child AIDS infections resulted from intravenous drug use by the mother or her sexual partner. Moreover the commission found no evidence that denial of access to sterile needles reduced drug abuse, but concluded that it did encourage the sharing of contaminated needles and the spread of the AIDS virus. Notwithstanding the commissions criticism of the governments myopic criminal justice approach to the drug situation, the prevailing view is that needle exchange programs encourage drug abuse by sending the wrong message. Public safety is sacrificed when, nationwide, more than 18,000 local, sheriffs, and state police officers, in addition to thousands of Federal agents, are devoted full time to special drug units. As a result, countless hours and dollars are diverted from detecting and preventing more serious violent crimes. Thirty percent of an estimated 1,100,000 drug-related arrests made during 1990 were marijuana offenses, nearly four out of five for mere possession. Tax dollars would be spent better if the resources it took to make approximately 264,000 arrests for possession of marijuana were dedicated to protecting the general public from violent crime. The intensive pursuit of drug offenders has generated an enormous population of convicts held in prison for very long periods of time as a result of excessive and/or mandatory jail terms. It is estimated that the operating cost of maintaining a prisoner ranges from $20,000 to $40,000 per year, depending upon the location and level of security at a particular prison. With more than 800,000 men and women in American correctional facilities today, the nationwide cost approaches $30,000,000,000 per year. This is a major diversion of scarce resources. These financial burdens are only part of the price incurred as a result of the relentless drive to achieve higher and higher arrest records. More frightening and damaging are the injuries and losses caused by the early release of violent criminals owing to prison overcrowding. Commonly, court orders impose population caps, so prison authorities accelerate release of violent felons serving non-mandatory sentences in order to free up beds for non-violent drug offenders serving mandatory, non-parolable terms. For example, to stay abreast of its rapidly growing inmate population, Florida launched one of the nations most ambitious early release programs. However, prisoners serving mandatory terms most of them drug offenders, who now comprise 36% of the total prison population are ineligible. As a result, the average length of sentence declined dramatically for violent criminals, while it rose for drug offenders. Murderers, robbers, and rapists often serve less time than a cocaine mule carrying a kilo on a bus, who gets a mandatory 15-year term. A Department of Justice survey showed that 43% of state felons on probation were rearrested for a crime within three years of sentencing. In short, violent criminals are released early to commit more crimes so that their beds can be occupied by nonviolent drug offenders. Civil libertarians are not heard often defending a societal right to be secure from violent criminals, much less a right of victims to see just punishment meted out to offenders. In this they are as shortsighted as their law-and-order counterparts. The War on Drugs is a public safety disaster, making victims of us all. However uncomfortable it may be to admit, the undeniable reality is that drugs always have been and always will be a presence in society. Americans have been paying too high a price for the governments War on Drugs. As Federal judge William Schwarzer has said, It behooves us to think that it may profit us very little to win the war on drugs if in the process we lose our soul. http://www. serendipity. li/wod. html

Indian Culture And Infosys Ltd Commerce Essay

Indian Culture And Infosys Ltd Commerce Essay Throughout management history, culture has played a more important role in organisation for both employers and employees, as it provides a background to understanding an organisations identity rules and mission. This essay evaluates the effect of organisational culture based on the theoretical research, Cultural Dynamic Model of Mary Jo Hatch (1993), as well as observations of the companys climate and interview with one of the employees of the company. It will consist of the general information about culture, features of Indian national identity, basic culture theories and description of the Cultural Dynamic Model and its main processes. Limitations of this analysis will also be mentioned at the end of the report. Moreover, each part of the report will include an application of the processes of the model to the Indian IT company Infosys Ltd, which specialises in offshoring technology services and has more than 100,000 employees worldwide. Considering the culture within organisations, it is essential to emphasise that culture is an extremely difficult topic, and it can be defined in many ways  [1]  . According to Lundberg (1990) culture as a day-to-day sense may be understood intuitionally, and includes a variety of aspects, such as being a broad and shared by group members psychological phenomenon within any stable organisation with a history. It has invisible symbolic and deeply buried values and assumptions in its core, which can be gained and modified in some rare cases  [2]  . Indian Culture and Infosys Ltd. Infosys culture is a reflection of its co-founder, Narayan Murthy, who imposed a southern Indian culture, and consequently recruited individuals from that region. As the company grew, it decided to recruit from different regions to take advantage of the countrys cultural diversity. Kanungo, Sadavarti and Srinivas (2001) suggest that organisational culture in India has been linked to organisational success or less successful performance (p.30). This explains Infosys strong culture and drives to improve employees well-being. In order to manage diversity, corporate policies became more flexible and employee focused by providing benefits such as accommodations, sets of recreational facilities and other advantages for their welfare  [3]  . Hence, Infosys recognise the importance of cultural differences because of its potential to increase the companys overall performance. Furthermore, Indian opinion leaders and policy makers encourage employee involvement, as organisations cant afford to neglect their cultural dimension (Kanungo, Sadavarti and Srinivas , p.51). Additionally, organisations that can nurture the innovative dimensions of their culture in a person-centered manner are more likely to treat culture as a meaningful organizational process (Ibid., p.52) that encourages growth of IT in India. Cultural Theories Allaire and Firsirotu (1984) see organisations as sociocultural systems and organisations as systems of ideas. In the former, social and cultural components are integrated and synchronized in the organisation, where the focus lies with values, norms, and beliefs and with the interaction of individuals who constitute concrete collectivities (Ibid., p.195). In system of ideas, culture is located in the minds of culture-bearers or viewed as systems of knowledge of learned standards for perceiving, believing, evaluating and acting (Ibid., p.148). Furthermore, Schein (1990) has an alternative approach to organisational culture. In his research he identifies it on three levels: observable artifacts, values and basic assumptions. The observable artifacts are the visible manifestations of an organisations culture such as the physical and material objects and the level of technology. He suggests that it includes everything from the physical layout, the dress code, the manner in which people address each other, the smell and feel of the place, its emotional intensity (Ibid., p.111). The values, which are located between the artifacts and the basic assumptions, determine the behavioral norms. At this level the focus is on how people feel and think (Ibid., p.112). The Basic assumptions are difficult to detect and change. They determine the unconscious perceptions, thought processes, feelings, and behavior of individuals (Ibid., p.112). The model below displays Scheins model of organisational culture. Source: Schein 2004, p. 26 The chosen model The model we will apply to Infosys is Mary Jo Hatchs (1993) The Dynamic Model. It is an enhanced model based on Scheins (1985), which emphasises on symbolic and process factors. The Symbols aspect was introduced to the elements of Scheins model, which makes this model more complex. Connecting these elements together made a spinning wheel structure, which was interpreted as being able to operate both forward (proactive/prospective) and backward (retrospective/retroactive). This in turn has created a more dynamic relationship between the elements as opposed to a static relationship between them. The Mary Jo Hatch model we will use is displayed below. C:UsersFrankDesktopdynamic model.jpg Source: Hatch 1993, p. 660 Manifestation The point of entry to using the model is variable, as this will be influenced by the research topic. For this particular study, we will use assumptions as the starting point for our analysis (Hatch, 1993). The process between assumptions and values is manifestation, which can be further sub-categorised into proactive (assumptions to values) and retroactive (values to assumptions). Infosyss vision is to be a globally respected corporation. The underlying assumptions consist of having high standards and having an enthusiastic approach to learn, as well as being hard working, competitive and honest. The processes of proactive manifestation shapes these intangible assumptions into distinct values of the company, such as impressing the client, being the market leader, being fair and ethical as well as constantly striving for perfection (Infosys Ltd, 2012). Retrospective manifestation occurs when there is a change in values, which can lead to possibly maintaining or transforming existing assumptions. The CEO of Infosys and managing director included employees as intangible assets in their 2011 balance sheet and stated that their employees were their value. Numerous employees assume that their employer, disregards their hardworking efforts, which contradicts existing assumptions. Ultimately, it could possibly have enough influence to change the current assumptions and create a new set of assumptions. Realisation According to Hatchs dynamics model (1993), an organisations artifacts are the most realisable aspects of its culture. Realisation transforms values into artifacts (proactive realisation) and accordingly, keeps or changes the existing values through the production of new artifacts (retroactive realisation). As emphasized by one of the ex-employees of Infosys, the company has built an environmentally friendly strategy. This can be made clear from Infosys operating using a clean power source of windmills that are attached to each building and the use solar powered mini-vans for handicapped and pregnant women for transportation within the company. Furthermore, they give large amounts of money to charities, focusing on poor people and children education. In addition, following a natural disaster in any part of the world, an online portal is opened for donation transactions. If an employee wishes to donate money it will be debited from their salary. Infosys believes that everything should be provided for the people it employs. Most of the buildings are like well designed and include food courts, sport facilities and employee care centers. In some cases a 4-star hotel is included, as well as gardens and other leisure facilities. Infosys wants to encourage communication between project members and employees to create a good work ethic, for example various activities are organised after each project completion to help employees get a better understanding of each other, to ultimately promote efficient work processes and good outputs/performance. Awards for the most effective people are presented each year. In addition, employees have the chance to meet and talk to the top management team. Moreover, there are daily quiz competitions and music meetings organised for the employees. Mondays and Tuesdays everyone is required to be in formal dressing. There is a flexible approach to communication, employees are encouraged to talk informally to each other and fun and jokes are allowed. The methods above increase employees effectiveness and creativity. People are generally self-motivated inside the company as they are continuously monitored by their supervisors and managers who use a check list of attributes. The monitored period is discussed on a 6 month basis as a part of the appraisal cycle. Regular efficiency reports are also distributed to announce the department with the best performance. Moreover, there are weekly internal newsletters informing the employees of the companys news and other relevant subjects. These cultural artifacts have been incorporated in the organisations culture through a long process of experimenting and assessment in order to reflect the companys values. Since they are absorbed in the culture, they work retroactively to realign values as culture adjusts to their presence (Hatch 1993, p.667), which means that artifacts through retroactive realisation have the ability to alter the organisational values throughout time, although it is a long process. Symbolisation Symbols are referred to the visible, the physical manifestations and to the indicators of organisational life. Symbols are experienced as tangible and can be noticed through sound, touch, sight and smell (Rafaeli and Worline, 1999). Symbols and artefacts are indistinguishable and a list of organisational symbols consists of the corporate logos, slogans, stories, visual images and metaphors (Gioia, 1986 cited in Hatch, 1993, p. 669) while corporate behaviour consists of values and norms and corporate communication consists of public relations and advertising. In Infosys a particular dress code is followed which is considered as a part of companys corporate design where men are required to wear full sleeve shirt and tie and women are meant to wear full formal wear like salwar kamij. Prospective symbolisation suggests that an artefact is an objective form in a literal meaning. Firstly they arise as just artefacts and by adding cultural processing they get recognised as symbolic forms by the organisation (Brown,1993 and Tompkin, 1987 cited in Hatch, 1993, p.670). Retrospective symbolisation enhances prospective symbolisation which furthers the meaning of the aspect. In addition, Infosys logo remains one until retrospective symbolisation takes place which results in the emblem meaning much more such as an image for purpose and vision corresponding to its slogan Powered by Intellect, driven by values (Infosys Limited, 2004). Corporate behaviour is the attitude of an organisation when it is considered as a single body. Values define customer satisfaction and leadership. Norms are for the long term development of Infosys and the best standards of corporate governance should be applied for greater prosperity such as an increased customer base and profits. The company applied a good level of external communication and it never compromised on its profit margin. External clients are aware of the Infosys service quality, are never concerned about bargaining the terms and conditions and always wants to give their business to the company. Also, the company keeps its client well informed concerning progress of their project, through weekly meetings. Infosys is a knowledge intensive company which recognises the value of its human assets in maintaining an enhanced culture. The business activities of the company are anchored into the pillars of corporate behaviour which are business ethics and corporate social responsibility. According to the interviewee Infosys main ethic is based around the notion that Client is the Boss and that it tends to prioritise client requirements over its own as long as their margin standards are met. Also, Infosys adopted schools in villages and took full responsibility of education of children; ex CEO runs his own non-governmental organisation in which they use to raise funds for the poor. Interpretation In terms of cultural assumptions, it can be useful to refer to not only the Dynamic Model, but also the original model of Schein, where the assumptions are viewed as the core content of the organisational culture. As basic assumptions consists of unconscious and strong granted beliefs within an organisation (Schein, 2004), in Infosys it can be seen as a less hierarchical and friendly atmosphere between employees as a part of the culture of the organisation. However, from a cultural dynamic perspective, interpretation is considered as a bidirectional process that contains an interaction between current symbols and basic assumptions. Schutz (1970, cited by Hatch, 1993) claimed that interpretation was a significant medium for establishing the meaning of an experience and involved the retrospective and prospective interpretations simultaneously. The former is a move from basic assumptions to current symbols, which can be seen in relation to Infosys as the activities for a successful completion of the work. Emotional satisfacion from the rewards can be related to the competitions and games organised by the company. The Prospective path introduces an influence on basic assumptions from symbols, such as newly created activities and rewards systems, which may influence the creation of new assumptions and opinion within the company. According to Ricoeur (1976 cited in Hatch, 1993: 674) interpretation should be viewed as a second-order experience of symbolisation which can be distinguished with the direct experience. Hatch (1993) summarised interpretation in two points: Firstly, current symbolisation experience was interpreted in an existing cultural frame and revised assumptions by constructing some new meaning. The prospective interpretation focuses more on the move from external symbols to company assumptions and also involves a reciprocal effect. Infosys describes itself as multi-cultural because of its global and diverse recruitment base. It may be a significant reason and stimulus for the free, active, inclusive and innovative work atmosphere inside the company. Employees from different nations and regions bring various and contrasting opinions and work styles to the workplace, which promote the development of innovative and specific ideas, methods and perspectives. Multi-cultural employees offer a special cultural content for Infosys, who gives a symbolic significance to it. Secondly, cultural assumptions had effects on symbols and supplied opportunities for culture to re-establish existing symbolised content and engage new symbols. Infosys emphasises on its innovation and freedom, for example it organises events at least twice a year where lower level employees get to meet top management. Sports, culture and art are supported and several fun clubs and activities are provided. It also has a rich internal communications to supply opportunities for employees to know how their organisation works, how decisions are made, and what drives the company to develop. Limitations of report interview Although the chosen model for this analysis is very complex, there are still limitations to the report. Firstly, the fact that only one person was interviewed limits the report because the perception of an individual does not necessarily represent the rest of the employees. Moreover, our main source of information is the Infosys official site. However, it is understandable that there is a strict policy about the information available on their website. Secondly, the Cultural Dynamic Model has a few underlying limitations. Hatch tried to fill the gaps in Scheins model by adding symbols as a new category and used the interpretation process to explain the relationship between symbols and assumptions. However, the explanation for this process was relatively short in comparison to other processes within the model. Furthermore, the processes of the model concentrate on cognitive and social behaviours, but not on the relationship between the members of the organization (Hatch 1993). Future research should work on expanding the interpretation processes of the model to make it clearer, as well as including interrelationship factors into the model. Conclusion Infosys emphasises on the importance of culture. It uses a hierarchical structure, however this does not imply it uses a rigid chain of command, and a strict set of rules. The Company values its employees, its diversity and the different skills and working practices employees bring to it. Furthermore, it is concerned with their well being and this can be shown by employees being classed as assets on their balance sheet. It provides a relaxing environment for employees to work in and provide them numerous benefits to increase productivity, efficiency and innovation. In addition, it enables low level employees to meet and interact with top management by organising at least two events every year. Additionally, certain rules and regulations still exist to ensure efficient working practices. Infosys has found the right proportion of rules and regulations with freedom and relaxation, and this is what gives it strong organisational culture. Word Count: 2,648

A Lost Word :: essays research papers

A Lost Word   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One word in the English language above all others throughout the history has caused more controversy, both in terms of human fatalities and words written about it than religion. Religion has been a subject of major controversy long before there was an English language, long before there was a word for the concept. What follows however, is not a discussion of the controversy, or history for that matter. What follows is a discussion of the word and it’s meaning. â€Å"Religion† since it’s first minting has come to be an immensely broad term. So broad in fact that It defies a singular comprehensive definition. The word has come to refer to a loose and chaotically organized system of aspects and ideas, topics of you will. Many philosophers have attempted to define religion but only succeed in identifying a new topic. Overlap is always the case but this continual attempt to define the word has only resulted in the continuation broadening process.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One such philosopher who sought a comprehensive analysis of religion was Karl Marx. Marx explained religion is economic, social and psychological terms. For his purposes Marx succeeded admirably. Marx held that man creates religion for himself and that when he looks into religion he sees his hopes and desires that have realized themselves through fantasy. Key in Marx’s conception is that religion is a construct. Without man there is no religion, that is to say there is nothing behind religion except a reflection of ourselves. The hope that man puts in religion, god, and an afterlife are simple fantasy. This hope is a resignation of the hope that satisfaction can be gained in the immediate world. We believe in a happy afterlife because we have given up hope in this life. The hope is a total illusion. It is the opinion of Karl Marx that due to the nature of religion, specifically its dependence on the fantasized and projected hopes of oppressed people, that w hen oppression ended, that religion would cease to be a compelling issue to man.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Far from the radical and political atheism of Marx stands Rudolf Otto. Rudolf, rather than examining religion from a secular and economic perspective, Otto focuses on the mystical and personal experience of religion. In fact Otto defines religion as the experience of awe and mystery. Otto describes a feeling of awe in the grasp of what is not so much perceived so much as it is felt.

Essay --

Podcast Paper: Troubled Asset Relief Program Name: Institution: The Global Financial Crisis and Troubled Asset Relief Program In 2008 the global economy experienced its worst economic turmoil in 2008 since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The effects of the crisis started to show in mid 2007 and by September 2008, the situation was out of hand. The world stock market had plummeted, huge financial institutions had collapsed and the government in the developed economies had put in place measures to rescue their economies from disintegrating. The first clear indicator of the crisis was in 2007 when the high prices of homes in the United States nose-dived and there were massive defaults on mortgages. The US financial sector soon started trembling and before long the world’s financial markets were in tatters. The US financial sector was the main casualty and the effects were felt by many businesses and people that rely on credit. The auto industry was on its knees with a number of players in the industry filing for bankruptcy; indeed, they only stayed afloat through government bailouts. Indeed, every se ctor of the global economy felt the stinging impact of the crisis with the US bearing the blunt effects. Even though massive fiscal and monetary policies prevented the US economy from collapsing, recovery has been very slow. The government policies were not applauded by many Americans who believed that the government was bailing out the same institutions responsible for the crisis. Among the government programs initiated during the recession was the Troubled Asset Relief Program. It was created by the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act to address the biting financial crisis that was at its peak in September 2008. The trea... ... captured by the interests of Wall Street that usually do not serve the welfare of the American people. In fact he pointed out that no single presidential candidate had the willpower to streamline the operations of the financial systems. However, he states that since there are Members of Congress, who severed relations for the sake of the economy and its people, the same people can be the driving force towards meaningful reforms. The American people should never be subjected to such humiliation by a few large financial institutions that have the material resources to influence the decision makers in the economy. In fact, if political will as well as proper legislation and regulation existed, the American people would have reaped optimum returns from the bailout program. Equity stake at the collapsing huge banks would have given the taxpayer greater returns.

Choctaw Tribe Essay -- Sociology, Dead, Spirit

When a Choctaw tribal member became terminally ill, it was common practice for the medicine man to inform the family of impending death (Swanton 1931:170). Upon death, the Choctaws believed that the spirit of the dead continued on a voyage to either the good hunting ground or the bad hunting ground. This journey would take many days, which would require the proper provisions. A dog would sometimes be slain in order to accompany his master on the long journey. After the introduction of horses, they, too, were killed so that the spirit had means of transportation. Food, drink, clothing and shoes were also offered (Cushman 1999:302, Swanton 1931:170). After death, the corpse was placed on a scaffolding about five or six feet above ground. The platform was constructed of timber and placed on poles. The body was then covered with a blanket made of animal skin and tree bark so not to attract scavenging animals. The body remained in this position until the flesh decayed, approximately four to six months (Cushman 1999:302-3). During this time, immediate family was considered to be in formal mourning. Each day for a short period of time, family members would be found weeping at the scaffolding (Fogelson 2004:507). Once the flesh had decayed, the bone picker began his ritual. â€Å"The Bone-Picker never trimmed the nails of his thumbs, index and middle fingers which accordingly grew to an astonishing length – sharp and almost hard as flint – and well adapted to the horrid business of their owner’s calling† (Swanton 1931:176). The remaining flesh, tendons, muscles and nerves were ripped from the skeleton, bundled up and placed on the corner of the platform and burned, or disposed of in a field (Cushman 1999:303, Swanton 1931:1... ... the spirit would feel guilt or fear, and attempt to dodge the stones. Slipping from the log, he would fall into the raging river and over the waterfall, landing in rapidly swirling pool of water. Pulling his beaten, tattered, and unclothed body from the water, the shilup, begins his journey into the bad hunting grounds. Every step is filled with the pain from briars, thorny trees, chestnut burs. The sun never shines and cold winds are always present. Every spirit encountered is an enemy with no safe place to take refuge. Food is scarce, due to unfertile soil, and hunger is constant. The bad hunting grounds are perpetually lonely, with only the joyous sounds coming from the other side of the mountains. The doomed spirits constantly struggle to climb the treacherous mountains, but to no avail. They are eternally destined to an afterlife of desolation.

Impact of Global Financial Crisis on Hospitality Sector Based

Impact of Global Financial Crisis on Hospitality Sector Based in Mumbai Region Oshma Rosette Pinto Assistant Professor, Pillai Institute of Management Studies and Research, New Panvel Navi Mumbai E-mail: pinto. [email  protected] com ABSTRACT The Global financial crisis from 2005 to the present is considered by many economists to be the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. It was triggered by a liquidity shortfall in the United States Banking system which resulted in the collapse of large financial institutions, the bailout of banks by national governments, and downturns in stock markets around the world.In India, the global financial crisis badly impacted the Indian tourism and hotel sector that resulted in decline in the number of foreign tourists, decline of Foreign Direct Investment Inflows and affected the gross domestic product of India. The study is related with the Impact of Global Financial Crisis on Hospitality Sector based in Mumbai region, Mum bai region will include, Mumbai, Thane and Navi-Mumbai based Hospitality industries. The primary data is collected through interview method. The questionnaire is chosen as resource to collect the information.The secondary data is collected through various magazines, journals, scholarly articles, research papers and various authentic websites of various Hospitality industries. The paper attempts to analyse the impact of global recession on Hospitality sector in India especially Tourism and Hotel Industry in the country. Further the paper focuses on the challenges faced and opportunities that can be availed during and after global financial crisis. Keywords: Challenges, Opportunities, Foreign direct investment, Foreign tourist inflows, Gross domestic product.INTRODUCTION The Hotel industry is linked to the tourism industry which forms the most important support service that affects the Foreign Tourist Arrivals to any Country. In recent years many international hotel chains like Marrio tt International, Intercontinental Hotels Group are setting up hotels in India and many international tour operators are establishing operations VOLUME NO. 1, ISSUE NO. 2 ISSN 2277-1182 1 ABHINAV NATIONAL MONTHLY REFEREED JOURNAL OF REASEARCH IN ARTS & EDUCATION www. abhinavjournal. com rom India. A rapidly growing middle class, the advent of corporate incentive travel and the multinational companies into India has boosted prospects for tourism. The turmoil in global financial markets had generated new concerns for the hospitality industry. India had a biggest drop in corporate travel spending falling to 25% in year 2009 compared to year 2008. Growth rate of the aggregate sale of hotel companies fell down to 9. 1% during Dec. 2008 quarter from growth rate of 17. 4% during Dec. 2007 quarter.There was decline in India's average annual GDP Growth from historical high of 10. 10 percent in September of 2006 and a record low of 5. 50 percent in December of 2004. The financial year 2008-20 09 was an unforgettable one for the Indian tourism and Hotel industry, with the Mumbai terror attacks and global economic down turn affecting the industries performance. The Hotel industry also, observed an overall decline in occupancy and Revenue per Available Room in most cities. The adverse impact of economic downturn on India? s tourism was far less than global tourism industry.OBJECTIVES The objective of the study is To know how the Hospitality Sector of India was affected during recession. To know the current overall industry position and how can it be developed in future. To know the steps taken by the Government of India to curb the effect of recession on Hospitality Industry through its policies. REVIEW OF LITERATURE â€Å"The financial downturn that is impacting developed economies are likely to get worse as the European countries, the US and others go into a deeper depression due to the increase in Job losses which often follows recession.The slump in the market and incr eased job losses will have some important implications for the changing tasks of human resource professionals. As the unemployment continues to increase, HR professionals are likely to be dealing with more stressed employees who are the sole wage earners in their families†. [Mujtaba, 2008} â€Å"The global economic crisis has brought to the forefront of organizations the concepts of viability and survival which at these times can be desperate pursuit.There are three main reactions in organizations, namely the corporate reactions in organizations, namely the corporate reaction to remain viable, the employee reaction to survive the turbulence, and the human resources reaction including recruiting and hiring talent, corporate organization, training and institutional learning†. [Kathleen Patterson & Gray Oster, 2008] In emerging economies, growth is projected to slow down appreciably but still may reach 5. 0 percent in the year 2009. The overall recruitments are lower for t he industry this time as companies remain cautious amidst the global financial crisis. [Srivastav, 2009] METHODOLOGY The data is collected through various sources like secondary data from various magazines, journals, scholarly articles, research papers and various authentic websites of various Hospitality industries. The primary data is gathered by using Interview Method of various VOLUME NO. 1, ISSUE NO. 2 2 ISSN 2277-1182 ABHINAV NATIONAL MONTHLY REFEREED JOURNAL OF REASEARCH IN ARTS & EDUCATION www. abhinavjournal. com hospitality industries? authorities. The data will be analysed by using MS-EXCEL to find out various trends and to draw the graphs for the interpretation of data.The selected respondents will be representatives of the total population. Here the higher authorities of hospitality industries become the population. The questionnaire is chosen as resource to collect the information. Research will be conducted on clear assumptions that the respondents would give frank an d fair answers in a pragmatic way and without any bias. LIMITATIONS The study is limited to major Hospitality Industries of India and the data is limited to 7years. The major hospitality Industries includes Taj Hotel, Kamat Hotel and Leela Hotel.UTILITY The rationale of the study is that there are various factors that affect the Indian economy but the researcher through this study wants to find whether the impact of global recession has affected the Indian economy severely or gradually decreases with new initiative policies. The utility of the study is to know how are the Hospitality industries growing after global recession in terms foreign tourist arrivals, generation of foreign exchange reserves and how are they contributing to the Indian economy in terms of GDP, reduction in inflation, rising of stock markets. FINDINGS AND DATA ANALYSIS ?To know how the Hospitality industry of India was affected during recession. Table 1. Growth of the hospitality sector before the recession Nam e of the Hospitality industries Taj hotel Kamat Hotel Leela Hotel Growth of the hospitality sector before the recession Significantly negative Slightly negative No impact Slightly positive 4 4 Significantly positive 5 Interpretation: Before the global recession began, we can see that Taj hotel had significantly positive growth, Kamat and Leela hotel had slightly positive growth. Table 2. Effect on the operations of your company during recession.Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Operations of Hotels in Crores Taj Hotel Kamat Hotel Leela Hotel 699. 16 45. 86 123 873. 24 48. 04 154 1127. 57 56. 98 112. 34 1617. 31 124 158 1823. 16 152. 67 125 1534. 03 112. 68 133. 09 1520. 36 134. 08 145 ISSN 2277-1182 3 VOLUME NO. 1, ISSUE NO. 2 ABHINAV NATIONAL MONTHLY REFEREED JOURNAL OF REASEARCH IN ARTS & EDUCATION www. abhinavjournal. com Interpretation: The operations of the hotels from 2004-2010 vary mainly due to global recession and terror attack on Taj and Oberio hotels in 2009 which s ent threat waves to the world.Most of the customers and shareholders became unemployed due to cost cutting and there was huge downfall in the financial market. ? To know the current overall industry position and how can it be developed in future. Table 3. Changes in the number of employees during the recession. Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Number of Employees of in thousands Taj Hotel Kamat Hotel Leela Hotel 7609 4200 4500 8005 5000 6000 7500 6500 7500 6405 6700 8400 6700 7600 8600 4300 5000 5300 6500 6800 6700 Interpretation: The average number of employees during the recession in Taj Hotel is 6568, for Kamat Hotel is 5971. 429 and Leela Hotel is 6714. 86. As per the table, in the year 2009 the number employees in Taj, Kamat and Leela hotels are less compare to other years. The change in number of employees in the hospitality sector during the recession was due to sudden reduction in creation of employment; new appointees to the organisations were sent back home with adv ance 3months salary due to company policy of cutting costs and salary of many employees were reduced by 20% of their actual salary. Table 4. Taxes paid by the company during Global Recession Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Taxes paid by the hospitality sector in Crores Taj Hotel Kamat Hotel Leela Hotel 35. 2 4. 12 34. 33 88. 22 7. 40 33. 77 13. 35 8. 10 23. 04 12. 43 11. 03 34. 44 13. 45 67. 29 43. 35 15 31. 8 25. 89 25. 07 55. 55 30. 09 Interpretation: As per the data , the taxes paid by the hotels vary from 2004-2010 as the operations and sales slowed down due to global recession and terror attack on Taj and Oberio hotels in 2009 . In the year 2005 the taxes paid were very high as we had high tourists inflow from both inbound and outbound. VOLUME NO. 1, ISSUE NO. 2 4 ISSN 2277-1182 ABHINAV NATIONAL MONTHLY REFEREED JOURNAL OF REASEARCH IN ARTS & EDUCATION www. bhinavjournal. com Table 5. Net profit of the company during the Recession. Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 201 0 Net Profit of hotels in Crores Taj Hotel Kamat Hotel Leela Hotel 60. 65 0. 70 11. 78 105. 86 6. 97 21. 35 183. 78 4. 069 105. 98 322. 39 15. 57 110. 07 580. 47 27. 40 134. 08 107. 11 5. 66 50. 78 153. 10 7. 08 154 Interpretation: As per the data , the net profit earned by the hotels vary from 2004-2010 as the operations and sales slowed down due to global recession and terror attack on Taj and Oberio hotels in 2009 .In the year 2008 the profit earned by most of the hotels was very high as we had high tourist? s inflow from both inbound and outbound. Table 6. Investments made by the company during the recession Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Taj Hotel 600. 83 607. 01 656. 57 962. 81 977. 58 1182 1169 Investments in Crores Kamat Hotel Leela Hotel 0. 17 117 0. 164 124 0. 163 135 3. 98 156 15. 08 147 25. 07 126 74. 70 112 Interpretation: As per the data, investments made by the hotels vary from 2004-2010 as the operations and sales slowed down due to global recession and terr or attack on Taj and Oberio hotels in 2009 .In the year 2007, 2009 and 2010 the hospitality sector had to investment more on assets in order to earn more customers and to generate employment Table 7: Number of tourist passengers in India during the recession Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Number of tourist arrivals in India Including Inbound and Outbound Taj Hotel Kamat Hotel Leela Hotel 1234153 967494 550000 297538 192061 290000 1710434 1594735 1650000 828695 488491 385000 156370 289915 158000 360971 590286 490000 2129544 1371613 1470000 ISSN 2277-1182 5VOLUME NO. 1, ISSUE NO. 2 ABHINAV NATIONAL MONTHLY REFEREED JOURNAL OF REASEARCH IN ARTS & EDUCATION www. abhinavjournal. com Interpretation: The number of tourist arrivals during the recession vary year wise. In the year 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009 the number of tourists in India from both inbound and outbound are less compare to other years. This decrease was due to slow down of business in Indian and foreign Market, high a ttrition rate, unemployment, reduction in pay scale, no incentives and cost cutting.Due to these reasons tourists could not afford to travel either for business or for holidaying with family. Table 8. Effect on the remittances/ foreign currencies during global recession Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Remittances of foreign currencies from hospitality sector in Crores Taj Hotel Kamat Hotel Leela Hotel 245. 03 150. 22 200. 25 300. 50 225 245 315 275 215 275 300 225 345 285. 25 230 200. 02 110. 45 100. 03 445 250 300. 05 Interpretation: The remittances from foreign currencies during the recession vary year wise.In the year 2009 the number of tourists in India from other countries is less compare to other years. This decrease was due to slow down of business in Indian and foreign Market, high attrition rate, unemployment, reduction in pay scale, no incentives and cost cutting. Due to these reasons tourists could not afford to travel either for business or for holidaying with fa mily. Table 9. Affect on the Total assets of the company during Global Recession Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Total Assets in Crores Taj Hotel Kamat Hotel Leela Hotel 2371. 11 16. 3 1145 1068. 85 14. 72 1234 4336. 59 11. 78 1156 5242. 55 15. 91 2116 6848. 77 17. 78 4234 9160. 22 13. 09 2349 8646. 01 15. 90 3450 Interpretation: The total assets during 2005 are less compared to 2004. There was increase in investment of assets during 2006-2008 but there was decrease in investments of assets as the operations and sales slowed down due to global recession and terror attack on Taj and Oberio hotels in 2009. In the year 2009 and 2010 the hospitality sector had to investment more on assets in order to earn more customers and to generate employment.VOLUME NO. 1, ISSUE NO. 2 6 ISSN 2277-1182 ABHINAV NATIONAL MONTHLY REFEREED JOURNAL OF REASEARCH IN ARTS & EDUCATION www. abhinavjournal. com ? To know the steps taken by the Government of India to curb the effect of recession on Hospi tality Industry through its policies. ? The hotels Taj, Kamat and Leela strongly agree for the importance of branding of their products during recession. 1. Importance of branding during recession 2. Policies undertaken by Government during the recession period. Looking at the slowdown in tourism sector seriously, the ministry announced Policy measure to promote tourism in the country and it declared year 2009 as Visit India year?. ? Further the Government tried to provide Complimentary services to foreign tourist, involving leading hotels, tour operators in its tourism promotion programs and stressed on providing security facilities for tourist arrivals. 3. Measures or future developments made by your company post global recession. TAJ HOTEL New Properties Opened- The Company? efforts of restoring the once resplendent Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad eventually fructified with the grand opening of the Taj Falaknuma Palace in November 2010, with an exclusive get together of global connoi sseurs of luxury who came together in Hyderabad for this occasion. Expansion in Domestic and International Markets- The Company ventured into new geographies by entering into management contracts in Mexico and British Virgin Islands for development of high end Luxury Resorts.The Company continued its thrust on flagging properties under the â€Å"Gateway† brand in prominent economic, commercial and industrial centres of India by signing management contracts for hotels in Chandigarh, Ludhiana and Kolhapur. It has signed management contracts in leisure destinations such as Shimla and Rishikesh for a Gateway and Vivanta by Taj resort respectively. KAMAT HOTEL Expansion of projects: B W Highway Star Private Limited which is the subsidiary of Kamat hotel has presently two operational hotels at Pune under the brand name „The Orchid? and „VITS? esides restaurants and banquet halls. Management Contracts- the Company is having management contracts for managing hotel propert ies at Aurangabad, Karwar, Udaipur, Delhi and Pune. LEELA HOTEL Expansion of projects – The opening of Gurgaon hotel and residences heralded the arrival of the Company in the Delhi National Capital Region. This property, with 322 guest rooms and suites and 90 serviced residences, is operated under the â€Å"The Leela Kempinski† brand. This contemporary designed hotel with large banquet halls and state of the art facilities has been well received by the business clientele.VOLUME NO. 1, ISSUE NO. 2 7 ISSN 2277-1182 ABHINAV NATIONAL MONTHLY REFEREED JOURNAL OF REASEARCH IN ARTS & EDUCATION www. abhinavjournal. com Marketing Alliances- the Company has Sales and Marketing alliances with Kempinski Hotels, Europe? s oldest Hotel Group, established in 1897, and is also a member of The Global Hotel Alliance based in Geneva, Switzerland, which is an alliance of high profile independent hotels worldwide. The Company has entered into an alliance with Preferred Hotel Group whereby all our hotels from June 2008 have become members of this luxurious collection nder their most premier segment Preferred Hotels and Resorts. This will enable our hotels to acquire greater recognition of this brand in the USA as premium and luxury hotels and would give opportunity to leverage further 29 global sales offices in the USA, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and Australia among others. This will also facilitate our relationship with four of the largest consortia – American Express, CWT, BCD and Hogg Robinson. SUGGESTIONS Need to rationalise the taxation on the hospitality industry.The hospitality sector has to adopt a single luxury tax across the country. To reduce procedural delays a provision of single-window clearances at the local, State and Central Government levels has to be formed. Tax holiday would encourage Foreign Direct Investment in this sector, more players to set up hotels and to bridge the shortage of rooms. Need to provide Capital Investment to the country – The India? s hospitality sector is expected to grow at 8. 8% between 2010-19 and India to get capital investment worth US $ 94. billion by 2019. Measures have to be taken to achieve the expected growth of Capital investment in India. Need for Economic generation to the country-The hospitality industry provides extreme opportunity to India in terms of contribution to its GDP and employment generation. The Government policies should focus at increasing tourist arrivals in the country and facilitate investments in tourism infrastructure, which will lead to significantly higher multiplier effect on the key economic parameters of the Indian economy.Need to generate Strong Sales and Marketing network- The hospitality industry lacks highly trained and motivated sales force in India excluding few hotels like Taj, Oberio and Leela. A Strong sales force always provides extensive reach and penetration in the market. Need to have Strong Food & Beverage Skills: There is a requirement o f strong Food beverage skills in Hospitality sector as it becomes a forte of any hotel or restaurant. This strengthens the hospitality sector to open number of Food and Beverage outlets, in partnership with celebrity chefs.Reduction of Geographical and economic risk. The hospitality sector has to reduce the Geographical and economic risk in order to increase its presence internationally in key gateway cities and resorts in South East Asia and other countries. VOLUME NO. 1, ISSUE NO. 2 8 ISSN 2277-1182 ABHINAV NATIONAL MONTHLY REFEREED JOURNAL OF REASEARCH IN ARTS & EDUCATION www. abhinavjournal. com CONCLUSION Service sector plays important role in Indian economy. Within the Service sector tourism and hospitality industry has more importance about generating employment, yielding foreign exchange.National income growth and providing base to other industries regarding tourism directly or indirectly The demand for travel and tourism in India is expected to grow by 8. 2% between 2011 an d 2019 placing India at the third position in the world. With its close ties to the tourism industry, the Indian hospitality sector is expected to see an estimated investment of USD 12. 17 billion during 2011, and in addition of over 20 new international hotel brands by 2011. Further capital investment in India's travel and tourism sector is expected to grow at 8. % between 2011 and 2019 while India is expected to get capital investment worth US$ 94. 5 billion in the travel and tourism sector in 2019. Foreign tourist arrivals are expected to grow to 10 million by 2012 and the domestic tourism is expected to increase by 15% to 20% by 2015 as per the Ministry of Tourism. Government of India is allowing 100% Foreign Direct Investment in Hotels and Tourism, through the automatic route. This forms as investment opportunity that helps the Indian hospitality sector to contribute Rs. 8,50,000 crores to the GDP by 2020 ( approx. 800 million USD). The Hospitality sector has to initiate a numb er of steps to further strengthen the sales and marketing network in the domestic as well as the international markets by conducting successful road shows in international fairs and. New Personal Relations agencies need to be appointed in international level to achieve step-up media visibility in foreign countries. Over the years the hospitality sector needs to build a large network of partners and associates to participate in its growth as they form an important part of the Hotel/restaurant strategy.To successfully counter the risk from growing competition and the new properties, The hotels and restaurants have to renovate and reposition all their key properties. It should improve its service levels by providing uniform and best service across all their subsidiary hotels. The hospitality sector has to aim for control its operating and financial leverage by expanding through management contracts and leveraging the strengths of their Associates. REFERENCES I. Journals and Magazines 1 . Batra G. S. , Tourism in the 21st century, (1996) Anmol publications Pvt. Ltd 2.Dirk William velde and Swapna Niar, (2005), Foreign Direct Investment, service trade negotiations and development -Federation of Hotels & Restaurants Association of India ltd, Govt. to review FDI in Tourism Sector, News and Features, New Delhi, February 13, (2007), Investment opportunities in Tourism Sector, Government of India portal Investment Commission. VOLUME NO. 1, ISSUE NO. 2 ISSN 2277-1182 9 ABHINAV NATIONAL MONTHLY REFEREED JOURNAL OF REASEARCH IN ARTS & EDUCATION www. abhinavjournal. com 3. Manpower recruitment in Hotel industry, A market plus report of Ministry of tourism, Government of India. . Meyer, D, Foreign Direct Investment in Tourism – The Development Dimension – Expert Advisory Committee (2005- 2006). Funded by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Geneva, Switzerland. 5. Usha C. V. Haley, (2001), Tourism and FDI in Vietnam, Haworth Press, pp 67-90 6. Con ference on Tourism in India – Challenges Ahead, 15-17 May 2008, IIMK 109 II. Websites 1. www. fhrai. com, 2. http://www. investmentcommission. in/tourism. html 3. http://tourismindia. com 4. www. sarkaritel. com 5. www. ar-khil. com 6. www. Ihcl. com 7. www. theleela. com VOLUME NO. 1, ISSUE NO. 2 10 ISSN 2277-1182