Thursday, October 31, 2019

Historical topics since 1500s Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Historical topics since 1500s - Assignment Example They were devoted, loyal and keen followers of the law. The force was created by Sultan Murad in 1383 (Rice, 1999). Devshirme. This was a Turkish term referring to blood tax. During this period, the Ottoman empire sent the military to abduct young guys. They were then converted to Islam. The ablest were trained for military and civil war. The age of the recruit was from 7 to 10 years (Menage, 1966). Mamluks. This is an Arabic word meaning property. It may also mean the slave of the king or white slave. It is, therefore, an Arabic designation of slaves. This dynasty lasted from 1250-1517. Mamluks had a special status in relation to the ordinary slaves and were considered to be real lords with status above freeborn Muslims. Oyo. This was a Yoruba kingdom or kingdom. It covered parts of Benin and Nigeria. In modern day, it is an inland state in southwestern Nigeria, and its capital is at Ibadan. It is the 14th largest state. It contains a number of natural features, and the climate is equatorial with relatively high humidity. Marco Polo. This was a Venetian merchant .his travels are recorded in livres des Merveilles. he was born in Venice hence Venetian nationality. He was born in 1254 and died in 1324. His book was highly publicized and introduced Europeans to Central Asia and China (Polo, 1854). Battle of Lepanto . This was a battle between Islamists and Christians. This fight took place in 1571 on 7th October. It was a naval engagement and it was between the Christians and the ottoman. The Islam were defeated at the end and more than 50000 casualties were reported. Enclosure. An enclosure is an area that is sealed off. Economic history defines compound as the process which ends traditional rights such as mowing meadows for hay. The appropriation of land can be done through a fence or other methods such as enclosing through a stone wall or such. St. Petersburg. This is the second largest

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Caligua Roman Empire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Caligua Roman Empire - Essay Example While most likely not intended to last a lifetime, the name stuck and most of history remembers him under this name. His reign only lasted from 37 to 41 A.D., ending bloody as many of the reigns of Emperors of Rome would end. For most of Caligula’s young life, he was not in Rome. He spent his time on the campaigns of his father, his childhood outside of the socialization of the center of his homeland’s culture. In addition, his father, according to writings by the historian Tacitus, was well known for disobeying orders from Tiberius, delaying his return to Rome and taking his army where he desired, thus instilling in Caligula an â€Å"apparent disregard for prioritizing State interests over personal ones†, a point that became clearly a part of Caligula’s reign (Adams 34). Germanicus’ predilection towards the Hellenistic culture also influenced the young Caligula, many of those aesthetics appearing during his reign. Hellenistic culture was a fusion of Greek, Middle Eastern and Eastern cultures which was sometimes interpreted for its decadence, as much as for its classical philosophies, as described by Green as being â€Å"bourgeois, decadent, and materialistic (7). Germa nicus was popular, however, and when he died in 19 A.D. there was an enormous amount of grief among the Roman citizens (Adams 98). Caligula returned home to Rome with his mother and siblings after the death of his father. While the time of his youth does not specifically suggest that he was intended to be the heir of Tiberius, his later experiences before the death of the Emperor make it clear that he was then considered his heir. During his teen years, Caligula bore witness to a plot by praetorian Sejanus in which his mother and elder brothers were arrested and eventually killed. Caligula, now in line for leading the empire, did not fall under Sejanus as the plot was uncovered and he was arrested and put to death by Tiberius in 31 A.D (Burns 53). Shortly after, Caligula was made the official heir of Tiberius and would ascend to wear the laurels at a very young age. Caligula became emperor of Rome on 18 March 37 AD at the age of twenty-four. At first his reign seemed like a break from the austere and conservative reign of Tiberius, but soon the senate became unhappy with his excesses. In the first year of his re ign, Caligula put an end to the paranoia of the trials of treason and the public executions quieted for a time. Tiberius had been a dark and troubled ruler in his later years, creating an atmosphere of fear and treachery. However, from what ever cause, Caligula was falling into deeper and darker madness which manifested in all kinds of debaucheries and blood sport. He had his two greatest supporters, the praetorian prefect Macro who had helped him in holding his inheritance as Emperor and another great supporter, Tiberius Gemellus put to death (Adams 152). His excesses fell into categories of shameful behavior, some of which have been highly influential in characterizing ancient Rome as a time of great debauchery. It is said that he had incestuous relationships with his sisters, having a great love affair with his sister Drusilla who is thought to have been his true love. While he exiled two of his sisters on islands, Drusilla was made his heir (Tinsley 245). It is also hinted at th at he had made part of his palace

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Effects of Internet Online Booking in Travel Agencies

Effects of Internet Online Booking in Travel Agencies Can High Street Travel Agencies Survive  With Online Travel Agencies? Contents (Jump to) Chapter 2 Literature Review Chapter 3 – Methodology Chapter 4 Findings and Analysis 4.1 UK Travel Industry, Current Analysis 4.2 Composition of Travel The travel industry represents the classic example of firms operating as agents between the seller and buyers as represented by the multitude of offers that are present in the industry. The foundation for this process was established in the pre-computer era that utilized direct reservation systems. This mode inculcated the industry and became the accepted operational norm as airlines had an exterior sales force as represented by these independent operations, and customers had a means to wade through the difficult maze of airline flight possibilities. The advent of the internet brought a new variable into the scenario whereby it provided consumers with a choice as a result of the capabilities of this medium to collect and display flight availability, schedules and pricing through search engine compiling. Transaction costs were lowered as a result of economies of scale and 24 hour availability, with the heart of the process fueled by utilizing consumers to conduct the work in finding b argains. This examination will seek to equate whether the traditional travel agencies known as High Street, representing brick and mortar operations in the industry parlance, can survive the onslaught to their business as represented by online travel agencies. The travel industry represents a phenomenon that we are all familiar with in terms of verbiage, however, the definitive meanings as represented by specific words may not be as clear as one would think. In order to provide the necessary verbal underpinnings for this analysis of ‘if High Street Travel Agencies can survive with online Travel Agencies’, a definition of terms seems in order. Travel represents a word that emanates from ‘travailen’ in Middle English, which means to toil, and has its roots in the French word ‘travailler (Wikipedia, 2007). It, travel, is defined as (American Heritage Dictionary, 2007) 1. being transported â€Å"†¦ from one place to another †¦Ã¢â‚¬  as represented by either a trip or journey, and, 2. the process and or time entailed in moving a person from a particular location to another. Travel can be further explained as tourism, which is the visiting of family and or friends, the process of commuting as represent ed by traveling to either work or other functions, the act of migration in moving one’s local or as a constant series of moves as illustrated by nomadic peoples, and as pilgrimages for religious reasons (Wikipedia, 2007). In the context of this examination, travel shall be defined by the transport of individuals for pleasure, tourism, business and personal reasons. A travel agency â€Å"†¦offers its services in the capacity of an agent †¦Ã¢â‚¬  and provides â€Å"†¦ travel and tourism related services to the public †¦Ã¢â‚¬  as achieved through the agency’s arrangements and agreements with â€Å"†¦ airlines, cruise lines, hotels and other suppliers of travel related services† (Department of the Treasury, 2002). Travel agencies â€Å"†¦ may contract directly †¦Ã¢â‚¬  with the aforementioned companies or through what is termed a â€Å"†¦ coordinating body such as the Airlines Reporting Corporation †¦Ã¢â‚¬  as well as other such agencies or bodies (Department of the Treasury, 2002). In addition to the aforementioned services, travel agencies may offer varied financial related services such as traveler’s checks and trip insurance. An important segment of the travel industry is represented by tourism, which Hermann Von Schullard, Austrian economist, stated is the â€Å" †¦ sum total of operators †¦ which directly relate to the entry †¦ stay and movement of foreigners †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (MedLibrary.org, 2007). The introduction of internet based online travel information, booking and ticketing systems introduced a new variable into the market which allows consumers to research ticket prices, schedules and related aspects at discounted prices as a result of the lower commissioning fees online services charge airlines for acting in their capacity as middlemen. This phenomenon caught on with the public and market share increasingly shifted in favor of online travel services as lower prices, instant access and no frill airlines captured their imagination. High Street travel agencies are thus caught in a battle for survival as a result, however there are market variables that indicate the penetration rates of online travel agencies has been slowing, but massive damage has already been done. If High Street travel agencies are to survive, they will have to capitalize upon inherent facets of customer attitudes and preferences as well as what their service type offers that can not be duplicated by c omputerized access that does not offer human problem solving skills for complex travel related problems that exist in varied circumstances. Chapter 2 Literature Review The rapid pace of changes and developments in the travel industry as a result of travel packages, consumer attitudes, economic variables, utilization histories with varied forms of booking methodologies and related aspects rendered the examination of the subject matter as contemporary. The research methodology deemed best suited to this study was ‘descriptive’ in that it is based upon the use of data, information, facts and associated resources to reveal the way things are. To this end, this examination relied heavily on Internet sources to provide the aforementioned. The definitions utilized herein to provide a basis for understanding of travel agencies as represented by the statement provided by United States Department of the Treasury was used as it represented a definition honed from a governmental classification of an industry sector which represented the culmination of intensive study to arrive at its meaning in a universal sense that is applicable. This same approach was utilized to conduct data and survey research which entailed the collection of information from the Tourism Society of England, the International Air Transport Association, ITB Berlin and IPK International, Internet World Stats and other sources. In conducting the research on the question as to whether High Street travel agencies can survive with online travel agencies, the first aspect that was noted is that the various travel and tourism books offered information on each sector from a dated perspective that did not take into account new developments, many of which appeared in 2005 through 2006 as new travel packages and the a new travel sector, cruises, emerged as an industry force. The preceding contention is supported by the data uncovered by surveys conducted by Travel Weekly in the United Kingdom that asked respondents in the travel agency sector direct questions regarding their impression and view of their industry. Such a source represents more viable research that was conducted during 2006, offers a more comprehensive base of industry information on how things actually are as it asked the experts in the field of study, travel agents themselves. Their responses on what they viewed as the emerging segment of most importance, cruises, which also represents their most viable revenue stream is data which was not found in the numerous research studies conducted by the World Trade Organization, PricewaterHouseCoopers, Accenture and World Stats. These sources were extremely valuable in providing supporting data on trends, patterns and other facets of the travel and tourism sector, however, information from industry insiders in the High Street sector represented t he foundation for the question being examined. ITB Berlin and IPK International offered invaluable information concerning the breakdown of consumer utilization of travel agency sectors, as did PriceWaterHouseCoopers and Internet World Stats. Accenture’s research gave depth to the previous information as it provided data on how and what consumers do in the process of seeking travel services. Michael Porter’s Five Forces Model provided the means to correlate all of the indicated data and survey information into a concise summary of High Street and online travel agency competitive points to hone in on the variables and factors that the prior sources offered. Chapter 3 Methodology In examining the context of whether High Street travel agencies can survive with online travel agencies it was determined that the research would have to delve into the nuances of the travel and tourism sector to determine the following: Components of the industry from an historical perspective Key aspects of varied consumer attitudes, preferences, trends and views Travel industry product components, trends, developments and projections Trend of High Street and online travel agency market share progressions Relationships and importance of differing travel segment components in both sectors in relationship to their inherent strengths and weaknesses as applied against each service model Variables and factors at work, along with developing trends that might have a bearing on the examination To accomplish the foregoing the methodology selected entailed the utilization of secondary research of a limited historical nature to provide background information to understand the context of the industry sectors and their changing relationships. The preceding was accomplished through the use of books and journals along with statistical information. Since changes in any industry occur quickly the reliance upon books and journals for contemporary developments was deemed as inappropriate and inconclusive. Therefore, to determine the present status of both sectors, the research and operative methodology centered upon the analysis of data as well as trends and inherent characteristics. To accomplish the preceding quantitative research was determined as the methodology as it â€Å"†¦ generates new information about the world †¦Ã¢â‚¬  by virtue of (University of North Carolina, 2007): Objectivity, whereby the potential for bias that could potentially affect and or influence the outcome is kept to a minimum through the collection of varying points of view from a number of differing sources. Rigorous, in that the researcch process utilizes data to uncover obvious as well as obsure information, with attention to accuracy and detail as underlying precepts. Systematic, in that the conduct of research seeks coherent data and information in order to equate the true undercurrents of what is the case as opposed to what appears to be the case in the study and analysis. The subject under examination represents a puzzle that is ruled by the governing question (International Research Network, 2007). The preceding helped to determine the reseach process, the identification of the sources of data as well as information, and the methodologies to be utilized. Kravitz (2006) states that there are differing types of research which can be used in a study. The one selected for this examination included descriptive along with quantitative as it entails the collection of information and trends through the review of data, surveys and examination of varied sources. Kravitz (2006) indicates that this research type is best at describing the way things are, and that the review of prior research aids in the process, along with contempory information. Chapter 4 Findings and Analysis 4.1 UK Travel Industry, Current Analysis As of 2002 there were 3,181 travel agencies in the United Kingdom, representing a growth rate of minus 17.2% that generated $11, 659 billion in sales (International Air Transport Association, 2002). Globally, the travel industry generates in excess of one trillion USD annually and is the largest industrial sector (Vogel, 2006, pp. 50-59). The Tourism Society of England indicates that domestically this segment of the industry generates 75 billion pounds in a highly fragmented industry (Tourism Society, 2007). In polls conducted by Travel Weekly, the British based industry travel magazine, travel agents were asked their views on a number of areas (Travel Weekly, 2007). 47% indicated that cruises would represent the biggest growth area in travel in 2007, followed by long haul trips at 32%, and domestic breaks at 21% (Travel Weekly, 2007). The implications of the preceding seemingly bode well for travel agencies in that these types of trips consumers seek the aid of professionals to aid them with arrangements, features, pricing and the varied packages that are available, which can be quite extensive. Travel agents indicated that they were worried, however regarding the state of the travel industry entering 2007, registering 61%, with 26% indicating confidence and 13% checking indifference as their response (Travel Weekly, 2007). Travel agent responses provide a valuable insight as to how they feel concerning various aspects and as the most up to date informational source such is being utiliz ed to provide a gauge on the prospects of High Street travel agencies and their battle for market share with online travel agencies. A significant response to the polls in this regard can be found in what travel agents thought about the price wars lowering High Street fares. 36% indicated that they believed that such would end up in lower prices, while 42% replied no, with 21% indicating probably (Travel Weekly, 2007). With respect to the dollar to pound exchange rate that has increased in favor of the pound, travel agents indicated that they felt Christmas shoppers would benefit the most, 51%, followed by New York City retailers at 23%, High Street travel agencies, 15%, and online retailers and airlines at 11% (Travel Weekly, 2007). The preceding represents an indication of travel agent’s attitudes toward High Street travel agencies that mirrors their responses concerning their battle for market share. This view was also confirmed by travel agent responses to if there is any future for independent High Street travel agents. 54% stated that they felt there would always be room for independent agents, with 27% indicating the affirmative but as part of a larger buying group, and 19% stating that they would not be able to compete against the larger companies (Travel Weekly, 2007). When asked about the importance of cruises to their industry, travel agents responded in the following fashion. 53% indicated that this area is growing in importance, with 21% stating that it represents the one area that they make money (Travel Weekly, 2007). 17% indicated that this segment is too complex and that they do not sell cruise packages, and 9% stated that cruise business is vital to their business only if they sell these via self packaging (Travel Weekly, 2007). Given that 47% indicated that the cruise business will enjoy the largest segment of growth in the industry in 2007, that seemingly indicates that High Street travel agencies are factoring in this segment as an important revenue stream. The utilization of the Internet as a booking method has seen high growth in Europe, mostly in flights as well as accommodations (ITB Berlin and IPK International, 2006, p. 13). The foregoing represents an approximated one/third of all outbound trips and also entails online booking for some segments of an individual’s trip as represented by hotel and vehicle reservations (ITB Berlin and IPK International, 2006, p. 13). ITB Berlin and IPK International (2006, p. 13) reports that the utilization of the internet is primarily the mode used for airline ticket purchases, with accommodations second, however, vehicle reservations leads both categories as a percentage of sales of the total. Table 1- Travel Bookings in Europe, January Through August 2006 (as a percentage of pre-bookings in total travel) (ITB Berlin and IPK International, 2006, p. 13) Total Internet Accommodations 78% 37% Flight 63% 38% Travel insurance 23% 6% Bus/coach 15% 2% Rental car 15% 10% Ferry 9% 7% Train 7% 4% Others 5% 3% Interestingly, travel agents utilize the internet as a source of information and the use of tour operators in placing their rates and packages online represents a key reason for the preceding (ITB Berlin and IPK International, 2006, p. 13). Consumers utilize the Internet for a large percentage of their travel arrangements, especially in the area of airline, accommodation and auto rental, as shown by the following: Table 2 – Information Sources Used by European Outbound Travelers, January through August 2006 (ITB Berlin and IPK International, 2006, p. 14) Source % share Internet 45 Travel agency 20 Friends/relatives 17 Travel guide 8 Travel brochure 7 Newspaper 3 Tourist office 2 TV 2 Others 5 The preceding seemingly indicates that incursions by Internet based booking in the cruise travel segment is going to remain low as a result of the complexities encountered in making selections and wading through the complex data and choices. As the main revenue source and growth area for High Street travel agencies, consolidation of the services offered in this area represents a strong foundation to be built upon. The consumer climate in the United Kingdom exceeds the confidence of travel agencies with respect to their outlooks. Travel Weekly’s (2007) poll in this segment indicated that 26% of them were confident, while ITB Berlin and IPK International (2006, p. 18) found that the United Kingdom and Spain are at the top of its consumer confidence survey as well as percentage of household consumption. Termed as a willingness to buy, said factor represents increased demand in the UK during 2007, and as the United Kingdom’s placement in this category has consistently been at the top, bodes well for the continued growth forecast in the industry. The growth in eCommerce has shifted the manner and way individuals utilize travel services. Originating in a paper on packet switching by Leonard Kleinrock of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1961, the theoretical underpinnings of Klienrocks work set the stage for the ARANET which was the distant forerunning to the internet (Internet Society, 2007). That beginning has reshaped the manner of global commerce, information availabilities, and created an entirely new set of industry classifications. One such manifestation is illustrated in the travel industry. The ability to search large quantities of data easily and instantly through varied online web sites, and travel agencies without any sales or pressure tactics makes the internet a technology that is ideally suited to the travel industry. In this medium consumers can search and explore at their leisure at any time reviewing all manner of destinations, travel times, pricing and comparative offers. This used to be the exclu sive domain of travel agencies, the search for fares, times, routes, seating, destinations and packages, through information networks that were unavailable to the public. Consumers do not have to queue at call centers, telephone or take a trip to High Street travel agencies, they can simply click online and search easy to find categories from their Internet browser. Online travel agents are able to offer 24 hour access to information that consumers can access and compare at any time, representing a boon to locating the best prices, dates, deals, destinations and packages. The online travel industry is just a decade old, however the impact of online agencies has been tremendous (Economist, 2005). The benefit of the Internet to consumers and travel providers such as airlines, hotels, car rentals and associated sectors is that it saves administrative costs enabling them to offer lower fares and rates (Economist, 2005). There are 37,600,000 internet users in the United Kingdom estimated for 2006 against a population of 60,000,000 people representing a 62.5% penetration rate with user growth rising by 144% between the period 2000 and 2006 (Internet World Stats, 2007a). The UK ranks 6th globally in the total number of Internet users (Internet World Stats, 2007b), and ranks 20th on terms of penetration rate (Internet World Stats, 2007c). Table 3 – Top 20 Countries with the Highest Number of Internet Users (Internet World Stats, 2007b) Rank Country Internet Users Population (2006 est.) Internet Penetration 1 United States 209,024,921 299,093,237 69.9% 2 China 123,000,000 1,306,724,067 9.4% 3 Japan 86,300,000 128,389,000 67.2% 4 Germany 50,616,207 82,515,988 61.3% 5 India 40,000,000 1,112,225,812 3.6% 6 United Kingdom 37,600,000 60,139,274 62.5% 7 Korea (South) 33,900,000 50,633,265 67.0% Table 4 Top 20 Countries with the Highest Number of Internet Users (Internet World Stats, 2007c) Rank Country Penetration (% Population) Internet Users Latest Data Population (2006 Est.) 1 Iceland 86.8% 258,000 297,072 2 New Zealand 76.3% 3,200,000 4,195,729 3 Sweden 74.9% 6,800,000 9,076,757 4 Portugal 74.1% 7,782,760 10,501,051 5 Australia 70.7% 14,663,622 20,750,052 6 Falkland Islands 70.4% 1,900 2,699 7 Denmark 69.4% 3,762,500 5,425,373 8 United States 69.3% 207,161,706 299,093,237 19 Netherlands 65.9% 10,806,328 16,386,216 20 United Kingdom 62.5% 37,600,000 60,139,274 The significance of these figures is that online travel agencies effectively are accessible to 62.5% of the UK population, which becomes more imposing when one considers that 16.7 million United Kingdom residents traveled outside of the country during 2006 (National Statistics, 2007). The utilization of travel outside the UK is utilized as internal country travel represents means generally using short air trips, train, car and coach for brief trips and stays and does not factor into the type of business profile utilized to a high percentage by High Street travel agencies. The impact of the Internet has caused a dramatic decrease in the number of brick and mortar travel agency locations in the United Kingdom as a result of shifting consumer booking patterns. During 2005, the intrusion of the Internet into the brick and mortar travel agency business caused 28 travel agency companies to fail, not to mention the numerous closing of the offices of the larger chains (m-travel.com, 2005). I n 2005, the number of brick and mortar travel agencies totaled 6,124, down considerably from the 7,513 in 1989 (m-travel.com, 2005). The good news is that cruise ship travel is up substantially, and the travel / tourism industry has been experiencing solid growth. However, the cruise ship segment is the sector of the industry that has shown the most dramatic gains. Lines such as Carnival, Princess, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean have either ordered or put into service over 30 ships in a few years representing a tremendous capital investment (Prestige Travel Systems, 2007). The lure of cruise ships lies in their first class accommodations and immersing passengers into a totally contained package of luxury, gourmet meals, on ship shops, athletics, movies, entertainment, restaurants all while cruising to destinations. Carrying in the area of 4,000 passengers, with 10 to 15 decks, the typical cruise ship boosts in the area of 10 restaurants, 250 waiters, and most are the same size or larger than the Queen Mary 2 (Guardian Unlimited, 2006). Industry executives in the cruise ship sector report that projections in cruise ship travel forecast it to increase in 2007 (Cruise Critic, 2006). The growth of this segment is good news to brick and mortar travel agencies as airline travel booking has been and is shifting to the online sector. The airline travel segment as a result of the Internet, and user penetration in the UK, 62.5%, has seen an increase in online bookings to the point where it now registers 53%, according to a survey conducted by Accenture (2005). The Report stated that 63% of respondents have booked hotels online, and that nearly two-thirds of those responding to the survey indicating that they expect to increase their use of low cost airlines where price is the primary consideration (Accenture, 2005). One of the key facets uncovered is that consumers are highly price sensitive and that since the 2003 survey it was noted that there has been a significant shift to online bookings from a live agent (Accenture, 2005). Table 5 – Primary Method of Booking Business Travel (Accenture, 2005) Online 53% Phone with a live agent 27% In person 12% Other 8% Table 6 – Internet Use for Flight Arrangements (Accenture, 2005) Research flight times and availability 79% Purchase airline tickets 66% Update and or change reservations 28% Specify personal flight preferences 26% Airline check in 22% Access account history or receipts online 19% None of the above 12% Other 2% Table 7 – Personal Travel Preferences, Airline Type (Accenture, 2005) Major network carriers 48% Low cost airlines 46% Not applicable 5% Other 1% The foregoing indicates a high do it yourself mode in airline bookings whereby the comparisons are rather straight forward. Features incorporated into online sites such as arranging your own seating has proved to be extremely popular, as has the printing of boarding passes and tickets (Economist, 2005). In fact, many online travel agencies are offering more than simply travel tickets and accommodations. Some have gifts shopping, hotel ranking sites, comments from other travelers, tickets to events and more, all in the effort to make the experience personable and get consumers to either remain on the site longer or return (Economist, 2005). As indicated under Table 6 Internet Use for Flight Arrangements, 79% of Internet users utilize online sites to research flight times and availability, while 66% actually purchase tickets. Naturally the more comfortable one

Friday, October 25, 2019

The African Experience: A Curse or Blessing :: Research Papers

The African Experience: A Curse or Blessing The native African places an immense amount of importance and respect on Nature. Its effects determine certain predicaments that control and direct African lives, and how outsiders, especially Westerners, perceive them. Never before has a group of people followed so religiously and faithfully a baffling phenomenon such as nature. Nature worship has deep roots in the African tradition and is now a full and indispensable branch of the African heritage. Nature defines Africa to the world as the â€Å"Cradle of Mankind.† To the African, Nature also acts as a mediator between the gods in the heavens and man on earth. This relationship, I feel, has been greatly misinterpreted by the vacuous and ethnocentric civilized world: it has been tagged as ‘black magic,’ ‘voodoo,’ and other meager figments of unfortunately parochial imaginations. What an insult! Oh may the gods forgive them, for they know not what they do. â€Å"In the beginning was the water, and the water was with god, and the water was god.† This quote clearly defines how the natural elements such as land (earth), sun, moon, lightning, and, in this case, water are considered not just as the vital necessities that help sustain life but as the gods of life. They are built honorary shrines as an act of appreciation and appeasement. In Egypt, in northeast Africa, a great temple was built for Isis, the water god. This temple was built so flamboyantly as an attempt to try and reflect architecturally how important the Nile is to the people of Egypt. Without the Nile, Egypt would have been a barren, desolate place, incapable of supporting life; just an eastern extension of the Sahara Desert. Therefore, the great river is considered a miracle, a miracle from the gods, given in order that man may continue to exist and not be annihilated. Hence the magnificence of the Temple of Isis. African peoples had a lot of mysteries in their continent which they tried to explain. And once again, they turned to their superiors in the supernatural world, the gods. For example, if lightning should strike, that would be an ominous sight, implying that the gods are angry with the people; an extraordinary harvest or rain after a long, intolerably dry season would be considered as an act of favor towards man by the gods. All this was the Africans’ way of trying to understand the unexpected and to explain the inexplicable, functioning much as science does in contemporary Western society. Why, then, does this entire system connote barbarism or a rustic, undeveloped mentality when used in its original context, or when approached by the

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Mitel Semiconducter Case Essay

Mitel Semiconductors is a division of Mitel Corporation. The semiconductors division focuses on the business communications segment of the overall semiconductor market. The segment is relatively small when compared to the semiconductor market as a whole but the segment is experiencing high levels of growth over the next five years. Currently Mitel Semiconductors holds 7% of the business communications segment and management would like to see market share double in the next five to six years. Mitel Semiconductors is quickly approaching full capacity at its Bromont Foundry that performs the entire FAB portion of the integrated circuit manufacturing process. In order to meet management’s goal of doubling market share over the next five to six years, Mitel Semiconductors needs to figure out a way to dramatically increase production to keep pace with demand. Since traditionally, Mitel Semiconductors is risk adverse management needs a creative solution that can be implemented using only the current amounts of cash and cash equivalents on hand. Mitel Semiconductors can increase capacity in three distinct ways. First, it can build or acquire a new foundry that can be brought online to produce more wafers for the integrated circuits. This would obviously cost the company a lot of money. It will also take considerable amount of time to get a new foundry up and running. There are however, a few alternatives that require less capital outlay and can be implemented in a matter of months. The next way Mitel Semiconductors can increase its capacity is to change their wafer size from 100mm to 150mm, 200mm, or 300mm. The increased size of the wafer can increase capacity from the increase in surface area. Each wafer would still require the same amount of processing time but could now produce more integrated circuits per wafer due to the larger size. Another way to increase capacity would be to better utilize the same surface area on each wafer. Equipment could be upgraded so that the circuits that were cut into the surface of the wafer were thinner. This would allow a more efficient use of space and more integrated circuits out of each wafer. The case presents each of these three options for Mitel Semiconductors to increase its capacity in six iterations. Convert Bromont to Larger Wafers Advantages  · Allows the division to convert to smaller line width for low cost  · Already making production equipment changes and installing advance clean rooms  · Increased capacity significantly  · Larger wafers would extend life of the plant  · 150mm could be accomplished without plant shut down  · Supply was plentiful and cheap Disadvantages  · $250 Million dollar cost  · Immature technology  · All costs hovering around the $150 million mark  · Cannot use current equipment  · Lack of supply because of glut of 200mm FAB’s  · Four year to plan, build, and get foundry operational  · 150mm wafers would cost $30-$40 Million and would take two years  · 150mm could run into the same problem as 100mm wafers Given the circumstances, a conversion of the Bromont Foundry over to 150mm wafers is the most appropriate alternative for Mitel Semiconductors. The larger sized wafers are too expensive for Mitel to consider given their risk adverse position. The company has available around $30 million in cash and cash equivalents that are net of its current liabilities. The conversion over to 150mm wafers can be accomplished in as little as two years but the most important thing is that it can be done without a plant shutdown so Mitel can continue to manufacture 100mm wafers until the project is complete. The project was estimated to cost between $35 million and $40 million so it fits in line with what Mitel has available to spend. The conversion to 150mm wafers would increase the Bromont Foundry’s capacity from 112,000 100mm wafers to 252,000 100mm equivalents because of the greater surface area. This increase in capacity will cover Mitel’s projected demand into the foreseeable future. The risk to this alternative is the fear that the industry will continue to move into larger sized wafers and it will become increasingly difficult to find suppliers for the 150mm wafer. If that should happen, Mitel would once again be in the same situation. Given the forecasted demand for Mitel’s semiconductors, there is not sufficient cause to upgrade the Bromont Foundry to sizes of wafers greater than 150mm. At anything larger than 150mm Mitel will find itself in an excess capacity situation and have to find ways to sell more integrated circuits.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Logical Database

2 Nonfunctional RequirementsFunctional requirements define the needs in terms of performance, logical database requirements, design constraints, standards compliance, reliability, availability, security, maintainability, and portability. EXAMPLE 1Performance RequirementsPerformance requirements define acceptable response times for system functionality. The load time for user interface screens shall take no longer than two seconds.The log in information shall be verified within five seconds.Queries shall return results within five seconds.Example 2Logical Database RequirementsThe logical database requirements include the retention of the following data elements. This list is not a complete list and is designed as a starting point for developmentBooking/Reservation SystemCustomer first nameCustomer last nameCustomer addressCustomer phone numberNumber of occupantsAssigned roomDefault room rateRate descriptionGuaranteed room (yes/no)Credit card numberConfirmation numberAutomatic cancellation dateExpected check-in dateExpected check-in timeActual check-in dateActual check-in timeExpected check-out date Expected check-out timeActual check-out dateActual check-out timeCustomer feedbackPayment received (yes/no)Payment typeTotal BillFood ServicesMealMeal typeMeal itemMeal orderMeal payment (Bill to room/Credit/Check/Cash)EXAMPLE 3Design ConstraintsThe Hotel Management System shall be a stand-alone system running in a Windows environment. The system shall be developed using Java and an Access or Oracle databaseIllustrate a timeframe needed to complete each task based on the requirements from question 2.(5 Marks)Answer Estimating time framesTo manage your time well, you should know not only what tasks you need to accomplish, but also when those tasks must be completed and how long they'll take. Making accurate estimates about how long a task will take is one of the keys to effective time management. Many management problems are the result of unrealistic estimates of how long it will take to complete specific tasks.If you estimate time frames accurately, you'll be able to schedule work efficiently and meet deadlines:schedule work efficiently  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Accurate estimates about how long tasks will take to complete make scheduling a lot easier. They ensure that you won't have to keep changing your schedule. If you have a task that you accurately estimate will take six hours, for example, you can allot that time in your schedule and be reasonably confident you won't have to change the schedule. But what if you didn't accurately estimate the time for that task and allotted it only three hours? It would throw your schedule off, and you'd need to rework it.meet deadlines  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ If you're accurate in estimating the time it will take to complete tasks, you'll be better able to meet your deadlines. If you're estimates aren't accurate, you may need to ask to change deadlines or disappoint others who are relying on you to complete certain tasks. With accurate time estimates, you'll also be more confident about setting deadlines because you know that the time you assign for completing each of your tasks is realistic. Time estimate equationIt's important to estimate the time frames for your tasks accurately so that you can schedule all your work effectively and meet deadlines. To go about doing this, you first need to know the requirements of each task and your experience with activities – both when they run smoothly and when they don't – to produce three time estimates:The  likely time  is the time that the task normally takes you to complete. It helps to consider the time it takes to complete the task without interruption. You should also think about a time frame you would be comfortable with based on your workload, the task, and any external factors that may delay or speed up the completion of the task.The  shortest time  is the least amount of time that you have taken to complete the task in the past. It may also refer to the shortest time in which you think you can complete the task if there are no interruptions or distractions.You can estimate the  longest time  by considering what may go wrong when performing the task and then adding this extra time to the task's likely duration. This estimate should be based on your experience of this type of activity in the past, as well as on any foreseeable difficulties.You use the three time estimates to calculate the shortest possible time to complete a task based on an average of the likely, shortest, and longest times. Because in most cases a task will take the likely time to complete, this time is given more weight. You need to multiply it by 4, add the shortest time, and then add the longest time. You divide the total by 6 to get the shortest possible time.One important thing to remember is that you must use the same measurements for each type of time. For example, if your likely time is a number of days, the shortest and longest times must also be in days. If your estimates are in different measurements, start by changing them so they are all the same. The time frames equation often produces a shortest possible time that is longer than the shortest time you put into the equation. This is because the equation helps ensure that you're realistic about how long things will take.To manage your time effectively, you have to estimate the time it will take to complete each of your tasks. Doing this ensures you can schedule your work appropriately and meet all your deadlines. To estimate the time frames for your tasks, you can use a simple time frames equation, which uses estimates for the likely, shortest, and longest times to calculate the realistic, shortest possible time that it will take to complete a task.https://library.skillport.com/courseware/Content/cca/pd_11_a02_bs_enus/output/html/sb/sbpd_11_a02_bs_enus002005.htmlFive threats to your business that you need to consider for the success of this system. Answer: After assessing the strengths and weaknesses of your business for your business plan, look for external forces, like opportunities and threats, that may have an effect on its destiny. These changes includeThe appearance of new or stronger competitorsThe emergence of unique technologiesShifts in the size or demographic composition of your market areaChanges in the economy that affect customer buying habitsChanges in customer preferences that affect buying habitsChanges that alter the way customers access your business Changes in politics, policies, and regulationsFads and fashion crazesList the threats and opportunities facing your business, and follow these guidelines:When listing opportunities, consider emerging technologies, availability of new materials, new customer categories, changing customer tastes, market growth, new uses for old products (think about how mobile phones and even eyeglasses now double as cameras and computers), new distribution or location opportunities, positive changes in your competitive environment, and other forces that can affect your success. When listing threats, consider the impact of shrinking markets, altered consumer tastes and purchase tendencies, raw material shortages, economic downturns, new regulations, changes that affect access to your business, and competitive threats, including new competing businesses and competitive mergers and alliances. Also think about the impact of expiring patents, labor issues, global issues, and new products that may make your offering outdated or unnecessary. If you're having a tough time getting specific, look back at the strengths and weaknesses, but this time, use it to list strengths and weaknesses of a competitor. You won't know as much about your competitor's capabilities as you know about your own, but you probably know enough to flag areas of strength and weakness. Your competitor's strengths are potential threats to your business, and its weaknesses present potential opportunities. http://www.dummies.com/business/start-a-business/business-plans/how-to-identify-opportunities-and-threats-in-business-planning/Three elements of risk All risk management standards agree that the goal of risk management is to enhance the chances of success of the relevant endeavor. However, each of them provides a different definition of risk: ISO31000:2009 calls it â€Å"effect of uncertainty on objectives,† the PMI â€Å"PMBOK Guide†Ã‚  has â€Å"an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative effect on the project's objectives,† and the preferred Risk Doctor definition is â€Å"uncertainty that matters. â€Å"Each description is true, but only partly so. This matters because, until we know what we are dealing with, we cannot manage it in the best way possible:If we use the ISO definition, then our first thought will be to focus on the  effect;If we follow PMI, then we will start from the potential  occurrence;With the Risk Doctor definition, we start from  uncertainty.Each of these — the effect, the event and the uncertainty  Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã‚  is a component of risk, but on its own is not a risk. Even taken in pairs they do not provide the full picture:an effect plus an event is  an issue;an event plus an uncertainty is  a prediction;an uncertainty plus and effect is  a concern.It is only when you put all three together that you can see what a risk is made of, and use this information to decide on what, if anything, to do about it. Of course, this then requires a longer definition, but the goal enhancing the chances of success is worth the effort.But what is â€Å"success†? It is more than simply â€Å"meeting objectives;† it must also include the condition of â€Å"complying with project constraints† in order for the final result to remain within scope. The three-part definition helps with three important stages of the risk management process:1.risk identification, it supports the structured description of a risk (â€Å"risk metalanguage†) in the form: â€Å"Because of , may occur, leading to In  2.risk evaluation, knowledge of potential causes allows you to evaluate the likelihood; identification of effects provides a basis for quantifying the impact. In  3 risk response planning, the different parts of the definition suggest different response approaches:for  threat avoidance, understanding the  situation  may allow you to stop it happening or protect against its results;understanding the  situation  can also be used to help us  exploit opportunities;in  risk transfer or sharing, we seek a partner better equipped to address the  effect;for  threat reduction  or  opportunity enhancement, we focus on the  effect  and/or the  likelihood; Example 1 Safety and security risks in hotelsA strategic framework for hotel safety and security has been designed for owned and managed hotels and is illustrated below, showing the identified groups of risks and describing the management activities carried out to mitigate those risks.2 Mitigating hotel safety and security risksRisks are identified at hotel level through various means including intelligence gathering, quality audits, risk management assessments and internal audits. They are also identified as a result of incidents, customer audits and self-assessment. Hotel management discuss issues at monthly safety meetings and action plans are developed. Risks are prioritised, assigned and improvement actions are identified, progressed and monitored. Action plans are reviewed at appropriate levels in the organization for issues that need to be escalated either to drive action or to develop common solutions. IHG believes it has a mature and capable systemic and systematic approach to managing hotel safety and security which both reduces the likelihood and impact of events. The embedded culture within IHG makes hotels and the corporation more resilient to unexpected or unidentifiable risks.https://www.ihgplc.com/files/reports/ar2009/managing-risks-in-hotels.htmlhttp://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/3-essential-elements-of-risk/business-management-