Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Differences Between Vietnam and British Food Essay

When we talk about the differences between Vietnamese and English culture, we can think of many things, namely literature, style of music, arts, †¦ One of these highlight culture is culinary. And I will tell you some differences of the two cuisines. Initially, both English and Vietnamese have 3 meals per day, but British food has traditionally been based on beef, lamb, pork, chicken and fish and generally served with potatoes and one other vegetable while people in Vietnam have rice, pork and vegetable as the main ingredients. Secondly, the most common foods eaten in Britain include the sandwich, fish and chips, trifle and roasts dinners, opposite to pho, banh mi, xoi in Vietnam. For example, a typical English breakfast is more likely to be a bowl of cereals, a slice of toast, orange juice and a cup of coffee but in Vietnam, people usually eat pho, banh mi, xoi or instant noodles. Another differences is eating manner. English people eat with a knife, fork or spoon (with the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right one) while Vietnamese usually use chopstick and spoon. In the meal, the British usually use napkins and drink during meal meanwhile Vietnamese do not use napkins but wash their hands and their faces before and after every meal. They don’t drink during eating, they drink afterward. In addition , in Viet Nam, rice is the main starch and meat is cut into small pieces before cooking because they never use knife during meal but in Britain potato or bread is the main starch and meat is cooked in big pieces, they cut it during eating Finally, before having meal, people in England normally pray for the God because of providing them with food, however, in Vietnam, everybody (especially young people) have to invite other members having meal. There are so many differences in British and Vietnamese cuisine. The differences indicated above can show that the British culture is significantly different from the Vietnamese one. But in the trend of integration Viet Nam and Britain have more acculturation, especially cuisine. For example, there are so many places in Viet Nam selling British food such as sandwich, fish and chips and vice versa.

Descriptive: T-bone Steak and Pan

Juan Olivarez English 1301PW1 Descriptive Essay Stepping through the door, that familiar smell creeps through my mind and I can't refrain from grinning from ear to ear. As I take my next step, my heart pounds and my head goes numb with a sense of bliss and satisfaction I will soon be experiencing. Placing the bags down slowly, I can't help but feel them slipping from my grasp as my palms sweat from the anxiety from the moment that is no more than just an hr away. The trill and excitement I get from seeing my girlfriend cook is something that is erotic, even though the act itself is so innocent. Taking the items out of the bag, slowly I make sure one last time that the list she gave me is complete and all items are checked off. With the excitement of a young child asking for a delicious piece of candy, I call out her name. Walking in the room with a smile that lights up the room, like a flare lighting up a dark place and making an eerie setting feel like home, she looks at me and sighs to me letting me know the theatrics are about to start. She starts off by slowly, yet sensually slipping the apron over her head and tightly fastening the belt around her curvy and luscious hips. Pulling a hair clip off from her sleeve, she throws her head forward and grasps her hair with a stiff yet subtitle movement and then proceeds to lift her head as she clinches the clip in her soft and beautiful brown hair. One by one she places the items on the counter with a look of urgency to fill my pallet with the delicious food she prepares with her own two hands. She finally takes out a thick and hardy T-bone steak, as pink as a rose on a beautiful spring day, an onion as yellow as bright as the sun. Finally the long and healthy asparagus comes out waiting to feel the heat of the pan and sting of the oil it will saute in. Bending down she pulls out a pan and firmly grasps the handle like a soldier going into battle with her weapon of choice. Click, Click, Click goes the stove as she lights the flames that will create the tempting meal she will prepare. Placing the pan on the stove, she pulls the oil from the shelf and starts to slowly drizzle the oil on the pan like an artist preparing her canvas for a wonderful masterpiece. Looking back at me she asks me in a gentle voice asking how I’d like it cook. Medium Well I replied. Letting the pan and oil heat up, she snatches an onion from the counter and tosses it up and catches it behind her back as if trying to mimic a jester at a circus. Her playfulness is exuberating and like an Asian master chef she stabs the onion in its core and continues to slice it with the ease of cutting through a soft piece of butter. Testing the oil she tosses a piece of onion in the pan with the care of a person tossing a young child a ball. Crackle, crackle, crackle the onion goes as it sizzles in the oil. Tossing the rest of the onions in pan, the smell becomes intoxicating and the taste of the onions caramelizing like sugar can already be sensed on the tip of my tongue. A minute later she gathers the asparagus, counting slowly making sure as not to get to many or too little to throw into the pan. With a spatula firmly grasped in one hand and 12 pieces of asparagus in the other, she shovels the onions to one side and lays the asparagus one by one letting them slit off her pinky in order to keep from blistering her soft hand with oil. Within minutes the mixture of both smells starts playing tricks on my mind by making me feel like I’m in a five star restaurant. Flinging a plate from one hand to another, she grabs the pan and slowly leans it onto the plate while the onions and asparagus slide down like jello slithering off your spoon. Yummy is in my tummy with what's coming up next. At last, it's time for the main course to take the stage. Using the same pan and oil that is saturated with essence of onions, she turns up the flames that will gently blister the first side of my steak. As the oil starts to crackle, she holds the steak with both hands and throws it in with no regard to her own well being. Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle is all I need to hear before my senses start to overwhelm my body and cause me to feel a sense of fainting. The smell is memorizing, sweetness from the onions and the fat from the steak give it an aroma that can't be described. Bliss is just a short time away. Five minutes pass and she uses the spatula to lift the steak from its boiling brew of oil, onion and grease. Holding the steak up in the air as the grease slowly drips down, she waits to let the pan heat up once again in order to see the other side of the steak. Splat is the next sound I hear as she drops the steak on the uncooked side. Once again, the sizzling sound is so tempting that licking my lips is the only way for me to handle my temptations. I walk up to the stove with the curiosity of a young child, I look in to the pan and see a gorgeous steak popping and bathing in its own grease. As I peer in the pan, I see a brown pinkish colored steak with hints of black in the pan is a moment I would never get tired of. I close my eyes and let the smell engorge my nose and allow it to hinder any other sense in my body. Click is the next sound I hear followed by the sound of her voice saying â€Å"it's done†. Sitting on the table I see a plate with a huge tempting steak that is engulfed with brown caramelized onion and a side of lanky strips of asparagus. My weapons of choice are my trusty silver knife and fork, which sit harmlessly to my left. A glass of wine as red as blood sits to my right, as my napkin lays on my lap with no sense of purpose in my mind. A single candle stares me in the eye, blinding me from the beauty that sits across me in her long black dress. Hair hanging down like vines from a tree she glances at me and asks me to close my eyes and give thanks for the things we have. Closing my eyes I slowly nod my head and begin to silently give grace for the things in my life. The moment is calm, silent and eerie as I conclude my thoughts and cautiously raise my head. My eyes hesitate to open as if them not wanting to realize the moment I’m in. Opening my eyes there is rush to my head as I sit there in silence and a cold feeling on my face. The lights are on and the room is empty. Nothing sits on the table as I imagined, no one sitting across from me nor was there an aroma in the air from the delicious meal I had already tasted in my mind. A grin sits on my face from ear to ear as I realize my mind wondered from the paper I was supposed to be writing. No girl, no food, no problem. This moment hasn’t' happened yet but I sit here confident that one day it will, when she steps into that door!

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Critical Thinking Assignment on the Movie “Crash”

There are many characters in the movie â€Å"Crash† that catches one’s attention. Yet, for the purposes of this paper, Officer Tom Hansen, played by Ryan Philippe in the movie, shall be discussed. In the controversial movie, Crash, Hansen is a rookie cop whose partner, Officer Ryan (played by Matt Dillon) was portrayed as a bigot.On this particular film, their assignment was to locate a missing vehicle reported to have been stolen by African Americans in one of L. A. ’s posh neighborhoods. As a young officer, he was subject to the authority of his partner, who seemed to have unconventional ways of which he did not approve of.In the beginning, he instinctively questioned his partner’s seemingly cruel treatment of African-American members of the community. He witnessed, for example, his partners maltreatment of a couple who they caught performing fellatio inside their car. In a scene in the movie, Officer Ryan uses force and authority in molesting the women (played by Thandie Newton) while the husband (played by Terrence Howard) looked on helplessly. When Hanson tried to intervene, he was intimidated by his partner and he was forced to do go back to the car and do nothing.This created an animosity between the partners. Later on, he asked to be re-assigned to work with another officer. In the course of this exercise, Hanson find himself working alone and incidentally, crossed paths with the African-American husband whose wife his partner molested the night before. In the new situation, he was trying to pacify Mr. Cameron Thayer, as he had just reversed a situation when 2 young African American males tried to hi-jack his car. When Officer Hanson came to the scene, Mr. Thayer was threatening to shoot the delinquent who tried to steal his car while the police in turn, were ready to shoot him.Officer Hanson, in an effort to make up for his partner’s mistakes, pleaded with his fellow officers as he attempted to calm Mr. Thayer down un til he submitted his weapon. The story goes on to show how Mr. Hanson is exposed to the multitude of perspectives and manifestations of prejudice in his workplace and his encounters. Later on during the day, on his way back home, ponderous on the prejudiced encounters he had, he accommodated a hitch hiker, who was of African American descent.Officer Hanson’s mind, full of the conflicts he witnessed and his own confusing thoughts, tragically succumbs to the paranoia in his mind and ends up shooting his passenger whom he thought was carrying a gun. His innocence and his moral confidence shattered, he intensified the act by running away from the responsibility when he threw the body on the side of the road ad burned the car. The character of Officer Hanson was portrayed to experience, both roles conflict and role strain. In the film, Crash, Hanson’s role strain stems from his status as a police officer.Case in point, during his partner’s molestation of the director ’s wife (Thandie Newton), he was torn between his duty to maintain protocol as a partner, and his duty to the citizens in protecting their rights. In roles strain, there is a difficulty in resolving issues concerning a single, particular role that is played by an individual. In this instance, Officer Hanson makes was not able to work out the strain, initially but he tried to make up for it by saving the director, Mr. Thayer from getting into more trouble with the law.On the other hand, role conflict arises from a difficulty in resolving issues that involve the different roles an individual plays in society. In Officer Hanson’s case, role conflict arose when he shot his passenger on his day off. In this case, there is a conflict because in status, he is a police officer and it is his duty to report crime and enforce the law. However, in this situation, he is the perpetuator of a crime and he could not turn himself in. Officer Hanson was not able to resolve this role con flict when he opted to follow the instinct of self-preservation and made measure to cover up his crime.The stress that the character experienced led to the performance of a deviant act. In the movie, Officer Hanson ended up committing a crime. Further more, he did not submit himself to the law, instead, he covered up the act by burning is car and throwing the body on the side of the road. In this instance, his paranoia and his state of mind at that moment, after encountering several instances of prejudice which stuck into his consciousness, might have contributed to his act of deviance.Although, the shooting of the passenger could have been viewed as an act of self-defense, he crossed over to the side of deviance by not taking responsibility of his actions. Among the Theories of Deviance, one that is most related to Officer Hanson’s character is the Labeling Theory. This character, primarily wanted to be a â€Å"good cop†. That was why he wanted to get away from Office r Ryan, who was portrayed as a bigot. However, his exposure to the reality of social encounters and the labels that people throw at each other created some form of confusion in his mind.Though he set out to be an idealistic and optimistic type of person, the labeling of the races he encountered, particularly the African Americans, affected his judgment and his suspiciousness made him succumb o the paranoia that seemed to be gripping other officers in his profession. The mistaken belief of both Officer Hanson and his young passenger Peter Waters (played by Larenz Tate) stemmed from the labels that the society they lived in assigned to the different kinds of people residing in the community and this eventually led to both to their demise.In the film, the audience witnesses the internal struggle Officer Hanson faces in his experience as a rookie police officer. It can be said that he tried to triumph over the prejudices that were prevalent in his coworkers but. He was striving to be fa ir to all the people of different races and ethnicities he encountered. In his own way, we seemed to be trying to make up for what the other people of his race were exhibiting. He did not approve the acts of injustice which he saw being performed on people of other races, particularly the African-Americans.However, Officer Hanson eventually gave in to the predisposition of his ethnicity, even unknowingly. He is of the Caucasian race. A comparative study made on Caucasian and African Americans show that â€Å"from birth, Caucasians have a racial internal solidarity mechanism. Regardless of income or geographical location, Caucasians instinctively bond with each other and not African Americans to amass wealth and power. (White, 2007) In the character of Officer Hanson, it may be that he instinctively reacted to a situation based on what people of his race have grown accustomed to.Although he tried to fight against it, he still could not shake it off easily. Unknowingly, he responded to a shared consciousness and upheld the value of self- preservation. Race refers to differences and similarities that are relatively similar in biological features and recognized by society as significant to set these group of people apart. (Jones, 2005) The Study by White further states â€Å"Caucasians have an internal racial cohesive mechanism and believe in racial solidarity. Caucasians understand that solidarity groups amass wealth and power.Once wealth is amassed through cohesion, Caucasians determine who gets what resources, when they get those resources, how many resources they get, and how long the resources are allocated. Solidarity preserves the Caucasian race, and ensures that group members are privileged. Caucasians understand the premise behind racial cohesion, and they view cohesion as racial solidarity. Although these definitions cannot directly explain the choices made by the character of Officer Hanson, it gives one an idea of the prevailing value system existing within the community of his ethnicity.It is perhaps, more important to consider is his selective perception of the situation in viewing his responses to certain situation in the film. Selective Perception is how humans interpret particular encounters and experiences based on their own judgment, as influenced by their background, their state of mind and their value systems. In the case of Officer Hanson, his eventual commission of a crime resulted from his perception of the situation he was in. It can be inferred that this perception was influenced by his current experiences but it could also be from his own value systems and his existing frame of mind.Although, he appeared to be a person who would opt to do the right thing, who tried to rise above the everyday conflicts of race that he came across, in the end, he became a victim of his own selective perception. In trying to balance his conflicting roles and in trying to sort out his own feelings, he was in a perpetual state of guar dedness. Consequently, he was not able to clearly assess the situation and over estimated its gravity. This selective perception leads to the demise of the recipient of his guarded paranoia and undefined hostility.In the end, his role and self- perception was completely altered as well. REFERENCES Jones, Richard A. (2005) Race and Revisability Journal of Black Studies 35, 612-632.Henslin, James (2007) Essentials of Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach. (7th Ed.).Pearson: Allyn & Bacon White, Stephen (2007) â€Å"Variables that Inhibit Middle and Upper Class African Americans From Achieving Racial Cohesion†. National Social Science Association. 21 April 2008 .

Monday, July 29, 2019

Taylorist Job Designs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Taylorist Job Designs - Essay Example The manufacturing industry is used to refer to businesses or companies which deal with transformation of raw materials within manufacturing or production processes into semi finished or finished products or goods. This is achieved through the use of various tools machines and human capital or labor. Examples of businesses within the manufacturing sector include companies which produce food, textiles, chemicals, equipment and machines (Prabhu, 2011, p. 23). The service industry on the other hand refers to the industry which offers its clients, customers or consumers with services such as communication, entertainment and transport as opposed to goods.   Pruijt (2005, p. 77) further illustrates that service companies provide intangible services and attract its customers through provision of customized and convenient services and service options.Soft versus Hard HRM in Absence Management The soft model of human resource management is argued to be an appropriate approach through which a bsenteeism within a company or business organization can be avoided. McGregor’s theory Y is the basis of the soft HRM which reflects that work is seen as a natural phenomenon and part of the normal living of individuals. In this sense therefore individuals should not be coerced into presence and participation in work activities (Larsson, Vinberg & Wiklund, 2007, p. 1147). The soft model of HRM causes a positive attitude among employees towards their work activities and as a result preventing absenteeism.

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Management Perspectives on Leadership & Motivation Assignment

Management Perspectives on Leadership & Motivation - Assignment Example She is a kind of leader who looks towards every single matter with deep interest because she is of the viewpoint that negligence towards even a minor issue can result in big problems for the company. She wants to be fully aware of every single issue related to the company. She is also a transformational leader because she has always motivated her employees to show improved efficiency and productivity. She focuses on creativity and innovation. It is due to her effective leadership potential that has kept General Motors on a top position among auto manufactures in the very intense competition within this industry. From the interview, we realized that Ms. Barra has always tried to motivate others to do their best for the company. She motivates employees by making them aware of the benefits that they can receive upon the completion of their assigned job tasks. She has played her role in building the culture of respect and encouragement within the organization in order to keep employees satisfied with their jobs and motivated towards achievement of goals. She thinks employees as the most precious asset of the company and does everything to meet their needs which we think is the best way to keep employees motivated. Although she is both an effective leader and a successful manager, but we think she is more of a leader as she has a visionary outlook and is able to see long-term effects of any organizational activity. She possesses the ability to influence others using creative and emotional thinking powers of the right brain. She said that today employees are not usually satisfied with their jobs and employee turnover is high even when finding a good employment opportunity is not easy. According to Ms. Barry, keeping employees motivated and lowering the employee turnover are the two main issues for organizations these days. Refer to your Summary Table to complete this section. Provide a two to three page summary (single-spaced, please)

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Visual dynamic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Visual dynamic - Essay Example As a photographer, Brandenburg was well-known for being dissatisfied with the pictures that he took; out of hundreds of rolls, he would often only submit a handful for publication. In 1981, the United States Postal Service commissioned Brandenburg to come up with a set of wildlife stamps. Throughout his career, Jim Brandenburg has received much recognition from his peers and photo critics alike. In 1988, Brandenburg was named the Wildlife Photographer of the Year by BBC Wildlife and The Natural History Museum. Three years later, Brandenburg received UN recognition, the Global 500 Environmental World Achievement Award, and was presented the award by the king of Sweden. Outdoor Photography Magazine included Brandenburg in its list of â€Å"40 Most Influential Nature Photographers.† Brandenburg also used his popularity for to help others by establishing the Brandenburg Prairie Foundation in 1999. The purpose of this organization is to protect the prairie in Brandenburg’s home state of

Friday, July 26, 2019

Business Law (David adamson Case) Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Law (David adamson ) - Case Study Example The defendant’s website offered sufficient quantity of contact which implies that it was interested in conducting business in Idaho. The defendant willingly participated in a business deal which culminated into a purchase of its product by minors. Thus, it is reasonable to argue that the â€Å"Makers Mark, Kentucky Bourbon† had sufficient contact to create a business relationship. The second aspect is whether the transfer of the case would uphold the notions of fair play and substantial justice as laid forth in the Intl Shoe Co. v. Wash case. Incidentally, â€Å"Makers Mark, Kentucky Bourbon† engaged in a business relationship that had potential legal implications. It is therefore fair play for the case to be conducted in Idaho since it is the location where the dispute occurred. The delivery of justice in this case would not be compromised since the defendant was already doing business in Idaho and it is therefore reasonable for them to settle a legal dispute in Idaho. In determining the case law to be applied, the court should take account of the place where the alleged dispute occurred. The dispute occurred in Idaho and this implies that the case should be heard in Idaho. The second aspect in choosing the case law is the evaluation of the relevant policies underlying the field of law and justified expectations. According to Bertram v. Norden, it is necessary for the state to have the necessary legal framework to handle the case and the expectations of the aggrieved parties must be addressed. Idaho as the legal framework to handle the case and both parties should reasonably expect the dispute to be resolved at the place of business. The domicile and the place of business relationship of the parties are also important in determining the case law to be applied. In this case, the domicile of the aggrieved parties is different and the place of business relationship is

Thursday, July 25, 2019

The O.J. Simpson Murder Case Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The O.J. Simpson Murder Case - Term Paper Example He is also known for his world record breaking run in the USC sprint relay quartet at the NCAA track championships in Provo, Utah. In 1968, he won the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award, and the Walter Camp Award. He also holds the record for the Heisman's largest margin of victory. Being American Football League's Buffalo Bills' first overall pick in the 1969 Common Draft, he was also the first professional football player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season. He also holds the record for the highest yards-per-game average in a single season. He was a great figure in the world of sports and is idolized by many sportsmen. He was also inducted to Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. O.J Simpson also starred in some movies. His career ranges from dramatic to comedic movies. His dramatic movies include The Cassandra Crossing, Capricorn One, The Klansman and The Towering Inferno. His comedy movies include The Naked Gun Trilogy and Back to the Beach. He had a good career in movies a nd had a successful run in acting in ads one of which was about a comic book. He quickly sprang up to status of a celebrity with a huge following. He started his own film production company called Orenthal Productions in 1979. NBC was considering airing his series called Frogmen but the project was cancelled when he was arrested for murder. Known mostly due to his career in professional football and being a respected commentator, everything related to O.J Simpson was of public interest. On June 13, 1994, O.J Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman were found murdered outside Brown's Bundy Drive condo in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles, California. O.J Simpson immediately became the prime suspect of the crime due to some evidence that included a 911 call made by Nicole Brown on January 1, 1989 in which she informed the police that O.J Simpson would hurt her physically. Simpson could be heard yelling in the background of that call. The two were di vorced 2 years prior to the murders. Simpson was not located immediately after the incident. There were speculations that he might have committed suicide after a letter by him was presented by his friend, Robert Kardashian, who was also one of his defense lawyers. He was, however, spotted later when one of his friends was being pursued. A low-speed chase ensued as Simpson threatened to commit suicide. 8 hours later, the chase ended and Simpson agreed to surrender to the police. He was allowed to speak to his mother before his arrest. He spent one hour with her. (F. Lee Bailey & Jean Rabe, 2008) On June 20, 1994, Simpson pleaded not guilty to both murders when he was arraigned. The grand jury that was called initially to determine whether to indict Simpson for murders was dismissed on June 23 as there were qualms about the attainment of an unbiased result. Media had excessive coverage regarding this case and it was suspected that the initial jury might lose its objectivity. Jill Shiv ely and Jose Camacho testified in the court with Jill saying that she saw Simpson’s car in the vicinity of the place of incident and Jose identifying the fact that he sold a knife to Simpson which was quite similar to the one that was used in the murders. They sold their stories to newspapers and were not presented in the court as witnesses afterwards. (L. Jones, Thomas, n.d) On July 7, it was ruled that Simpson was to be brought to trial

Mot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mot - Essay Example In order to help unmotivated students, a process called attribution retraining is employed that involves modeling, socialization and practice exercises among others. Moreover, other potentially helpful practices can be incorporated such as portraying effort as investment rather than risk, portraying skill development as incremental and domain specific and always focus of mastery. During early childhood development, children express their concern through curiosity and explore new things. However, as children grow, their psychosocial environment influences their learning behavior and learning frequency. Many children though physically present in the classroom remain absent mentally. They do not want to invest their mind and energy towards learning things. It is therefore, important for educators to first understand students’ attitudes and beliefs towards learning and then help minimize students’ lack of concern. Understanding student motivation is very important. In simple terms, it can be defined as the students’ desire to participate in a specific task. However, it is also directly associated with students’ academic achievement. Students can get motivated in two ways: intrinsically and extrinsically. In the former case, motivation comes from rewards inherent to a task. However, extrinsically motivated students perform task to avoid punishment such as grades, teacher approval, etc. However, the phrase, motivation to learn is mainly associated with academic achievement. It does not matter whether the task is intrinsically or extrinsically motivated or not. Well, there are various factors that influence student motivation including modeling, communication, instruction, socialization, etc. In addition, home environment also shapes the students’ attitudes and beliefs towards learning. Parental care, encouragement and explaining answers to numerous

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

What academic class has been your favorite and why Essay

What academic class has been your favorite and why - Essay Example In art, I try to conceptualize what to draw; to analyze why this method would be most preferred given the forms, structures, materials that are contemporarily available. There is this anticipation and waiting to determine the outcome of one’s strategies; of the combined details that produce a unique and aesthetic form – materializing before one’s eyes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Consistent with the Columbia University’s mission of focusing on intellectual mobility, social mobility and career mobility, my personal and professional goals include gaining the theoretical framework in arts and enable me to excel in this field of endeavor. I am aware that although I have manifested interests in arts and mathematics in my high school years, there is much to gain in pursuing higher education in terms of developing the skills, knowledge, and abilities that would make me a connoisseur. There is much to appreciate in the field of arts and I plan to pursue even higher education to delve into the Master of Fine Arts program if and when allowed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The evolution of arts have undergone significant changes and contemporary art continues to be transformed through the multidimensional skills gained by students from Columbia University. I am confident that what initially began as favorite subjects in math and art would be transformed to productive applications that would benefit future generations.   

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Eco-system Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Eco-system - Case Study Example According to lundy.org.uk (1999) provision for the establishment of statutory Marine Nature Reserves was included in the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act. After public consultation, on 21st November 1986 the Secretary of State for Environment declared a statutory reserve at Lundy. The Management of Marine Nature Reserve was given to English Nature by "the statutory advisor to Government on nature conservation in England" (lundy.org.uk, 1999) i.e. the English Nature is responsible to look after the Marine Nature Reserve. Landmark Trust employed a Warden for funding who lease the island in association with the Devon Sea Fisheries Committee that regulates and manage fisheries in the area. Devon Sea Fisheries Committee and English Nature jointly proposed the first statutory No Take Zone which is a 3.3 square kilometer of sea on east side of the Lundy Marine Nature Reserve in the UK. According to this proposal of No Take Zone none of the marine life including lobsters, fish and crabs of the sea should be taken and if any one does he/she is punishable under Marine Life Act. The No Take Zone has received support from every quarter of life i.e. from local fishermen to Lundy management, Advisory Groups and Devon Sea Fisheries. The main purpose of the No Take Zone proposal and according to bbc.co.uk (2006) was introduced to try to reverse the problems caused by over-fishing, which has depleted stocks in the oceans. This step was taken to protect and restore marine life, which dipped a new low because of over fishing that depleted the marine stocks in the ocean. The above figure shows how the Marine Nature Reserve was divided into zones. The following are the zones of Lundy Marine Nature Reserve: Red area: It is a highly restricted area and is protected 24/7 all through the year. Fishing or collecting or catching of sea life of any kind is not permitted and if any one does they would certainly face heavy legal penalties. The No Take Zone that was proposed by Devon Sea Fisheries Committee and English Nature and according to lundy.org.uk (1999) stretches north to Lat 51 12.04N, south to Lat 51 10.07N and east from Lundy's shores to Long 004 39.00W. There are restrictions to divers also. There is no permission of any kind for anchoring or diver shot lines. Yellow area: In this fishing is not allowed except potting or angling. This zone is known as Refuge Zone. Green area: This zone is known as Recreational Zone and is strictly restricted as for the Yellow Zone and it is a protected area. No fishing is allowed except potting and angling. The Black Circles are the legally protected wrecks. Strictly no diving or fishing, only those will be allowed fishing who are having license permission from English Heritage. General User Zone: Any severe laws do not restrict the Blue area as it is in the case of other zones that are heavily guarded zones. It covers the remaining part of the Marine Nature Reserve and is generally termed as General User Zone. In this zone everything is allowed i.e. from fishing or catching any marine life including lobsters, fish, etc., to sailing. Only spear fishing is not allowed. Some of the long term benefits of No Take Zone are as following: Considerable increase in populations of fish and shellfish stock in and outside No Take Zone. Establishment of refuge for fish and shellfish stock effectively in the restricted No Take Zone. Fishermen around the

Monday, July 22, 2019

Good Governance Essay Example for Free

Good Governance Essay Good Governance has 8 major characteristics. It is participatory, consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and follows the rule of law. It assures that corruption is minimized, the views of minorities are taken into account and that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making. It is also responsive to the present and future needs of society. But there is one characteristic I like most, it is the Accountability. Accountability is a key requirement of good governance. Not only governmental institutions but also the private sector and civil society organizations must be accountable to the public and to their institutional stakeholders. Who is accountable to who varies depending on whether decisions or actions taken are internal or external to an organization or institution. In general an organization or an institution is accountable to those who will be affected by its decisions or actions. Accountability cannot be enforced without transparency and the rule of law. Maybe some of you will ask why is accountability important to Governance? It is because it evaluates the ongoing effectiveness of public officials or public bodies ensures that they are performing to their full potential, providing value for money in the provision of public services, instilling confidence in the government and being responsive to the community they are meant to be serving. Being accountable is also being liable, responsible for every person that affects your decision. For example, me as a Student leader we are here to serve students, to fight for their rights. Therefore, we must consider first the sake of the students before we make a decision. Because when we took our positions there is a corresponding responsibility that we must face. Reproductive Health Bill informally known as the RH Bill, are proposed laws in the Republic of the Philippines aiming to guarantee universal access to methods of contraception, fertility control, sexual education, and maternal care. For sure you are wondering why this issue is in this essay, well I believe this issue is related on being accountable. Why? Did government even consider that our country is well known to be a religious country? That, in every time they use those contraceptives they are actually killing an innocent life? They always say that this is the only way to surpass, lessen poverty. But it’s actually wrong, do they consider the effect of this or should I say to they consider themselves accountable/liable for this? Corruption is definitely one of the problems seen by the citizen and the government as well. There have been lots of controversies relative to government officials being involved with money issues. The thing is that even though there are hearings and investigations, the truth never seems to come outwhether its positive or negative news. Poverty and employment would also be among the problems. There are more people that are going hungry. Government and Us are all accountable to it. Why? We as a citizen we can make a living among ourselves because at the end of the day we are still the driver of our own life. But, as a citizen we voted those who are on the position now because we believe that they will minimize our burdens. At the point that we elect them they are already accountable. But after they got what they want all their promises turn to trash. They do things without even considering us. In the end, nothings happen. Accountability or being accountable can be achieved by putting and doing all our jobs in our hearts. Yes, it’s hard but we chose to be in this place all we need to do is face it effectively and do the best we can for the better. Don’t be scared to commit mistakes because those are our experiences and lesson learned. Remember, think first before you make a decision.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

State-funded faith schools

State-funded faith schools This paper will look at the way in which state-funded faith schools came into being in the United Kingdom. It will argue that government educational policy and its immigration and integration policies play a key role in determining the need for the provision of state faith schools. The state funding of faith schools has a long history in the United Kingdom. The National Society of the Church of England founded 17,000 schools to offer education to the poor between 1811 and1860. (DfES, p.2) The state funding of these schools began in 1870 when Church and other voluntary institutions began to receive funds to supplement and assist them in their educational provision. (Cush, p.435) As at January 2008, of the 20,587 maintained primary and secondary schools in the UK, 6,827 have a religious character and of these nine are Muslim. (Bolton, 2009,Table 1) There are three types of schools with religious character in the UK maintained, academies and independent schools with the state providing funding for the first two. Maintained schools are either: voluntary controlled which means the Local Education Authority provides all the funding in return for control mostly over religious education and governance (most Church of England schools are voluntary controlled); and voluntary aided where the state provides 90% of the funding for more control over religious education and governance (most other denominations fall into this category, especially Roman Catholic schools). (Cush p. 435-436). Christian and Jewish faith schools were the only faith schools receiving state funding until 1998 when the Islamia Schools Trust, after a battle of 12 years, was awarded voluntary aide d status for its schools. Whilst there are only nine state funded Muslim schools, there are over 100 Muslim schools in Britain. These independent schools tend to co-ordinate their efforts through the Association of Muslim Schools. On November 11th, 2007 during Prime Ministers Questions, the government stated that regarding education it is committed to a diverse system of schools driven by parental needs and aspirations; that the Government does not have targets for faith schools but remains committed to supporting the establishment of new schools by a range of providers. (Bolton, 2009, p.14) Reaffirming the Governments position on faith schools, Ed Balls, the then Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families said on January 9th, 2008: It is not the policy of the Government or my Department to promote more faith schools. We have no policy to expand their numbers. That should be a matter for local communities. (Bolton, 2009, p.16) The drive for some members of the Muslim community towards their own faith schools needs to be understood in light of the backdrop of Muslim migration into the UK, their subsequent integration and recent world events. The first Muslims arriving from South Asia in the 1950s were semi-skilled or unskilled labourers. They had a tendency to stay insulated from the wider community this being as much a function of their own choice as a response to the racism and social exclusion they were experiencing. (Hefner, p.227) Subsequent open immigration policies of the 1970s allowed their families to follow and now 75% of all Muslims in the UK are from South Asia. According to the 2001 census, the approximately 1.6 million British Muslims make up roughly 3% of the population. (Hefner, p. 227) In the UK, Muslim has become synonymous with Pakistani. Third generation British-born Muslim families no longer think of themselves as immigrants, although what it means to be a British Muslim is still a concept being negotiated. Our identities are defined as much by our own understanding of our histories as by how we think others perceive us. In recent years, the identity of Muslims has been tied up with world events and striking representations in the media. Since September 11th, 2001, Muslims have been bombarded by an overwhelmingly hostile media and a government apparently intent on impinging on the liberties and human rights of its Muslim citizens. Salma Hafejee described an event that evoked not uncommon feelings in her 21 year old son. Speaking on a film for Our Lives, a project which explored the insights and experiences of Muslim women in Bradford, she told the story of a weekend visit her son took to Barcelona. Coincidently, on the weekend of his trip there had been a series of arrests made in Barcelona in connection with what h ad been described as terrorist activities. On his return home, her son was met by police and questioned for several hours. She said he had always felt British and believed that his British passport would protect him, but for the first time he felt an alien in his own home. (Speak-it, 2009) One can well imagine that this experience and the constant barrage of negative images relating to his faith in the media must have been bewildering. Naturally surrounded by such hostility and otherised in this way, a community would have a tendency to close ranks and look inward for comfort, protection and security. This situation can be seen as some justification for why the Muslim community turned to Muslim schools to preserve their communal identity and Muslim practices. The Education Reform Act 1988 states that schools should promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and in society Some Muslims were beginning to question whether a non-Muslim schooling environment would be able to adequately fulfil that need for their children. The Education Act of 1944 made religion the only subject it was compulsory to teach in school, but the teaching of religion is relatively superficial, meaning that from the perspective of those for whom a religious ethos is important, mainstream schools are unable to provide the spiritual and religious dimension adequately. How governments deal with the provision of religion does seem to have some bearing on the educational choices of parents. An examination of Belgium and The Netherlands shows that when the government provision of religious education is high, the demand for religious schools is muted. In Belgium, 4% of the population is Muslim primarily of Turkish or Moroccan descent. Since 1975, it has been the law to provide Islamic instruction in state schools on the same basis as other religions are taught. The first, and only, state funded Islamic primary school opened in 1989 and seems to be linked to the inability of two municipalities to appoint officially recognised teachers and thereby their refusal to provide Islamic instruction. In The Netherlands, 6% of the population is Muslim and also primarily of Turkish or Moroccan descent. The state does not have a policy for the specific provision of Islamic instruction and there are 45 Islamic schools in The Netherlands. (Merry, 2005) In the UK, the lack of adequate provision of religious education in mainstream state schools, the hostility of the media, the government and the public to their faith and community, and the recorded underachievement of Pakistanis in mainstream schools combine to form a powerful motivator for Muslim parents to take over control of the education of their child. Given the UK governments expansive rhetoric about promoting and supporting Britain to be a multi-cultural society, and its stated commitment to a diverse system of schools driven by parental needs and aspirations, the support of Muslim state funded schools is an easy stretch. But an agreed definition of a multicultural society seems woefully lacking. The government has a policy of promoting multiculturalism but if it is unable to define what a multicultural society could look like, how does it know that the policies it is promoting are effective to meeting this end? Todays multicultural Britain has many faces dependent largely on ethnicity, geography and social class, which in turn is one of the determinants of educational achievement. Is multicultural simply the acknowledgment of diversity in our society or is it an engagement with that diversity to create a society that is pluralistic? Does it mean that we are all free to live in our own sub-worlds without interface with the wider community or does it mean that we are encouraged to engage with each other? Where is the thread that binds us as citizens if we live entirely culturally independent lives? This was a question that was raised by Ray Honeyford more than twenty years ago and it is still a question that warrants addressing thoughtfully today. In 1982 Bradford Council issued guidelines for its aim in education. These included: preparing children for a life in a multicultural society; countering racism and the inequalities of discrimination; developing the strengths of cultural and linguistic diversity; and responding to the needs of minority groups. Ray Honeyford was a headteacher in a Bradford middle school and he was concerned that the educational policies he was expected to implement were unworkable. He argued that the 20% of Bradfords Islamic immigrant population had intentions to remain in Britain. For their sake and for the sake of others, they should participate fully in British life, and that in order to do so effectively their education needed to stress the primacy of the English language, and British culture, history and traditions. (Dalrymple, 2002) In 1984, Honeyford wrote an article that was rejected by The Times Educational Supplement before being published by the far right Salisbury Review. The fact that it was this publication that was the first method of transmission connoted a lot to its readers and no doubt would have influenced the subsequent interpretation of the article itself. In Education and Race an Alternative view Honeyford (2006) suggested that the perversion of language (he had a Masters in linguist ics) around race and cultural issues had made it impossible to speak honestly about the concerns and realities that our increasingly diverse society was throwing up. He highlighted that lumping together all non-whites into one category that was black created a dichotomy of anti-white solidarity. What we, today, call other-ing. His primary concern was the impact of an imposed multicultural mindset on the education of his students. British law obliges a parent to ensure that his or her child is registered and attends school regularly. He argued that the tendency for Asian families to take their children out of school and send them to the sub-continent for months at a time was not only illegal but had obvious negative educational effects. The Department of Education and Science turned a blind eye leaving headteachers, like Honeyford, to comply with an attendance policy based on the parents country of origin. He found this indefensible and cast it as an officially sanctioned policy of r acial discrimination. (Honeyford, 2006) Honeyford further highlighted that the absence of English as a primary language of instruction at the school left the ethnic white minority students in his schools educationally disadvantaged. His broader concern was how the functioning of inner cities with its production of ethnic ghettos, and multi-racial educational policies could produce an integrated and harmonious society. He concluded: I suspect that these elements, far from helping to produce harmony, are, in reality, operating to produce a sense of fragmentation and discord. And I am no longer convinced that the British genius for compromise, for muddling though, and for good natured tolerance will be sufficient to resolve the inevitable tensions. (Honeyford, 2006) Post-publication, Honeyford endured a protracted and bitter campaign against him leading to his eventual early retirement. The vitriolic response to his assertions for better and more integrative education did not raise the government action. Issues raised by the Honeyford Affair continue to be debated more than two decades later. Honeyfords tough and courageous questioning of issues that the government was too uncomfortable to raise and try and work through have left a lasting vacuum on integration and the harmonious and multicultural world we reasonably aspire to. In light of these affairs, the debate on faith schools which predominantly relates to maintained schools leads us first to ask what the aim and purpose of education is. Is education intended to provide us with skills for employment, in which case it is driven by a practical measurable output? Or is in intended for, as Aristotle called it, human flourishing? And are these two necessarily mutually exclusive? If education is deemed a human right, then what role does the child play in determining the education that he receives? These questions dont seem to have been directly touched upon by those debating the desirability of faith schools. Given the faith school debate touches on areas of education, politics and religion it is unlikely to be a dispassionate one. Most of the debate is opinion- rather than evidence-based (Cush p.440) and writers on the issue repeatedly bemoan the lack of empirical evidence to substantiate claims from either side. As Muslims are becoming acutely aware of their minority status, the drive towards Islamic schools is as much a response to the attack on their identity as it is about the ethos of education. According to Heffner and Zaman (2007, p. 228) In recent years, the issue of Islamic education has been a vital part of the debate about what it means to be a British Muslim today and an important terrain in the negotiation of identity, citizenship and co-existence. Mainstream education tends to view the world though an Anglo-Saxon lens and achievements are Europeanised. The study of the contributions made by Muslim scholars over the centuries in many subject areas is a boost to self-esteem and those calling for Muslim schools are looking for a change in the way the world is viewed. The mission statement of the Islamia Trust Schools states that it strive[s] to provide the best education in a secure Islamic environment through the knowledge and application of the Quran and Sunnah. (Islamia) What this requires is a reconception of the way in which any subject can be taught, negotiating as it must through the Quran and the Sunnah. The argument being made is that Muslim children are becoming de-Islamised (Khan-Cheema, p.83) and that mainstream schools are failing to provide an ethos in which all, not just secular, aspects of a childs life are catered for. Concern for the lack of single sex provision in the mainstream for girls is also voiced as a co ncern and a reason for requiring the provision of Muslim schools. The academic underachievement of Pakistanis in mainstream schools is well recognised, but their achievement in faith schools is well above average (Bolton, 2009). The direct connection linking improved academic results and faith schools should be made cautiously as academic achievement is also liked to the economic and social class of the family. The case against Muslim faith schools is a compelling one. Those fighting this position say that these schools are a breeding ground for fundamentalist and intolerant religious views that are not inclusive of the majority. They propagate segregation and voluntary apartheid and create ghettos which exclude other races and faiths, thus creating social division. With Islam almost universally cast as a threat to world order this raises questions relating to citizenship and loyalty. Those in this camp may draw some of their inspiration from the position Honeyford took on the need to integrate rather than segregate more than 2 decades ago. Why would, and how could, an immigrant who lands in the UK who is able to create for himself an environment that reflects culturally, socially, and educationally the one which he left, have any opportunity to build loyalty to his host country. Clearly the governments position on what a multicultural Britain would look like needs to be debated much more openly if only so we can try and understand how we will get there. A laissez-faire each-to-his own policy cannot surely provide the way forward. The questions Honeyford asked more than 20 years ago, distasteful as they were, are questions we might need to ask again today. References Bolton, Paul Gillie, Christine (2009). Faith schools: admissions and performance. House of Commons Library Standard Note SN/SG/4405 Cush, Denise (2005). Review: The Faith Schools Debate. British Journal of Sociology and Education, Vol.26, No.3 (Jul.,2005), pp. 435-442 Department for Children, Schools and Families (DfES). Faith in the System: The role of schools with a religious character in English education and society. Hefner, Robert W. Zaman, Muhammad Q. (2007) Schooling Islam: The culture and politics of Modern Muslim Education. Princeton University Press. Hewer, Chris (2001). Schools for Muslims. Oxford Review of Education, Vol. 27, No. 4, The State, Schools and Religion (Dec.,) 2001), pp.515-527 Hewitt, Ibrahim (1996). The Case for Muslim Schools in Issues in Islamic Education. The Muslim Educational Trust, London. Hussain, Imitiaz, A. (2003), Migration and Settlement: A Historical Perspective of Loyalty and Belonging in British Muslims: Loyalty and Belonging, ed Mohammad Siddique Seddon, Dilwar Hussain, Nadeem Malik. The Islamic Foundation, Leicestershire. Khan-Cheema, Muhammad, A. (1996). British Muslims in State Schools: a positive way forward in Issues in Islamic Education. The Muslim Educational Trust, London. Lawson, Ibrahim (2005). Leading Islamic Schools in the UK: A challenge for us all. National College for School Leadership. Merry, Michael S. Driessen, Geert (2005). Islamic Schooling in Three Western Countries: Policy and Procedure. Comparative Education, Vol. 41, No. 4 (Nov., 2005), pp. 411-432 Parker, Stephen (2005/2006). Review: In Good Faith: Schools, Religion and Public Funding. Journal of Law and Religion, Vol. 21, No. 1 (2005/2006), pp. 217-219 Speak-it Productions (2009). Film Our Lives Project http://www.youtube.com/ourlivesproject#p/u/4/lFnuhPijzXM

Emirates Airways Customer Perception

Emirates Airways Customer Perception For this project, we have used both primary and secondary data. As part of our primary data, a survey questionnaire was created and handed out to 50 passengers who have and continue to fly with Emirates Airlines. The aim of the questionnaires was to shape peoples perceptions of the brand and analyze whether or not Emirates is meeting its marketing mix objectives. Findings are spread out throughout the paper where relevant, and detailed tabulated form can be found in the Appendixes. 1.1 Introduction to the Organization In 1974, three years after independence, the rulers of the UAE decided to establish a joint flag carrier: Gulf Air. However, a tense relationship between the airline and the Dubai government existed ever since its inception, as the latter re fused to give in to Gulf Airs demands to abandon its open-skies policy. In reaction, Gulf Air reduced frequencies and capacities to and from Dubai by more than two thirds between 1984 and 1985 without advance notice (Wilson 2005). Since foreign carriers proved unable or unwilling to fill the gap, Dubais then ruler, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, convened a team of experts headed by Maurice Flanagan and later joined by Tim Clark and the rulers then 26- year old son, Sheik Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum to devise an emergency plan. The groups recommendation to set up a home carrier for Dubai was quickly accepted by the ruler, but he imposed two conditions: The new airline should meet the highest quality standards; And there would be no additional capital injections from the government other than the agreed USD 10 million start-up capital. On October 25th, 1985, Emirates first flight departed to Karachi, using an A300, wet-leased from Pakistan International Airlines. The rest is history. In 1987, Emirates began to serve it first two European destinations London Gatwick and Frankfurt. In 1995, it has operated an all wide body fleet, and in 2001, 2003 and 2005 Emirates placed some of the largest aircraft orders ever. As of October 2007, Emirates route network extends to 91 destinations on all continents. In its last business year, ending March 31st, 2007, the airline transported 17.5 million passengers and 1.2 million tons of cargo on 102 aircraft. Currently, 118 aircraft are on firm order (of which 20 will be all-freighters), including 55 A380 and 43 B777. PART TWO 2.0 Situation Analysis According to Kotler Keller (2008), situation analysis is a systematic collection and evaluation of past and present economical, political, social, and technological data. It is aimed at (1) identification of internal and external forces that may influence the organizations performance and choice of strategies, and (2) assessment of the organizations current and future strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. 2.1 Market Summary Airline Industry Portfolio The UAE airline industry is one of the aspiring industries not just in the Middle East and the surrounding South Asian, North African Region, but the world itself. The industrys huge market growth and success in the Middle East and the world is crucially based on the UAE, and especially the cities strategic geographical location and the governments determination to make the country an international business hub connecting the East to the West and vice versa. During the global recession and economic crisis, the airline industry in the UAE in comparison to other airline giants such as British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France and KLM and other business sectors within the country was the least affected. The UAE airline industry, which includes Etihad and Emirates, was affected by the crisis but has successfully resurfaced at being profitable in the year 2010 and has since contributed effectively to the growth of the countrys total economy (Bloomberg Business week, 2010). Emirates Airline Portfolio Emirates Airlines is one of the most successful and major airlines in the Middle East, currently operating around 3200 passenger flights per week, from its hub the emirates of Dubai to over 110 destinations in 62 countries (Emirates Airlines, 2011). This makes Emirates one of the fastest growing airlines in the airline industry. The Airline Industry is one of the dynamic and fastest growing industries in the world and has influence in the countrys economic growth, international investments and in tourism, mainly due to the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 which allowed the industry to change its category of a public utility service to a much market driven industry (Florian, 2010). 2.1.1 Market Demographics and Needs Emirates Airlines initial market consists of consumers and businesses located in the United Arab Emirates, mainly the Emirate of Dubai. Emirates goal is to cater the needs and demands of the ever growing population of the UAE especially the expatriates residing in the UAE who are the thriving workforce of the UAE and make up approximately 75 percent of the population of the country (UAE-Economic Development, 2010). Dubais and as a result Emirates spectacular growth in recent has been accentuated by two complementary factors: sound politics and its very favourable geographical location. Currently the Emirates Airlines market demographics are divided in three sectors, and they are: 2.1.2 Market trends and target market growth The soaring price of oil and the financial crisis had a tremendous effect on the airline industry. Most of the airlines were suffering from fuel price hikes and were running out of cash. However, Emirates Airlines had proven to be the most efficient and profitable despite the extra costs because of its strategic placement of its products in the market share by creating separate market sectors. These market sectors are part of Emirates product portfolio and have been divided in product share. Emirates Airlines current product share is: (Source: Emirates Group, Annual report, 2010) The reason for Emirates Airlines to design such a product share was simply to adjust its marketing strategy after the effects of the global financial crisis. The adjustment was made to accommodate factors that were pertaining to the demand (requirements) and supply (drivers) for its customer base who were also affected by this crisis. The current product share seems to be working fine for Emirates especially after the global economic crisis, which scarred many businesses in the UAE, especially government owned businesses. The crisis, however, has enormously affected its overall performance rating as a prestige high class inboard service that Emirates Airlines previously used to market to clients as a high value service. Emirates had to revaluate its cost and benefits to accommodate the passenger market needs of a cheaper, faster and safer means of transportation by downsizing its experienced onboard staff members and replacing them with inexperienced workforce and by underplaying the various onboard service options it previously use to boast about just few years before the crisis. 2.2 SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is a tool that identifies the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of an organization, as its a fundamental and simple model that analysis the capabilities of an organization as well as its potential opportunities. The information for the analysis is derived from environment and further categorized into internal (strengths and weaknesses) and external (opportunities and threats) analysis. (M. McDonald, 2007) SWOT Analysis 2.3 Competition As said by the managing director of Emirates, forget about protection against competition. Thats not how Dubai works (Business Strategy, 2005). Well carriers such as Lufthansa, British Airways, Air Canada, and Air France are among the few competitors of Emirates. Emirates Airline is not affected by their direct competition in the air space. It is the accusations of unfair competitions posed on Emirates Airlines by these leading airlines that cause a major threat to Emirates. As a lie is continuously repeated, people start to eventually believe in it. 2.3.1 Accusations Spearheading the regions development strategy, and emblematic of the economic success of the UAE, Gulf carriers benefit from financial support from their local state, which provides a wide array of services: airports, civil aviation authorities, airport and navigation charges, and finally complementary infrastructure. Furthermore, these airlines enjoy a favorable tax environment, as there is no corporate tax or social security charges in their country (Business Strategy, 2005). In return to such accusations from its competitors, Emirates have denied these accusations by providing the below fact and figures (Emirates Group, 2011): Emirates purchases fuel on the same terms and conditions as other commercial airlines. Fuel accounts for 30% of Emirates total expenditure. Emirates Group states that it has recently paid the Government of Dubai US $776 million in dividends in return for the seed capital gifted to the airline at its ince Emirates total cost of benefits provided to expatriate employee amount to more than US 400 million per annum. On the other hand, Emirates also faces competition from its neighbors such as Qatar Airways, Etihad airways and other competitors such as Gulf Air, Singapore Airlines, and low cost airlines such as air Arabia. For analysis we will shed light on Etihad and Air Arabia. (See Appendix) Etihad Airways are competing with Emirates strategy for best standards in quality in its three product classes. In addition, working aggressively on its infrastructure expansion plans poses a high level threat to Emirates Airlines. Air Arabia: Due to the economic downturn and recession, customers have become highly price sensitive to the market. Air Arabia has become the emerging low cost airlines based in Sharjah and supported by its government, which attracts customers in terms of monetary value by providing cheap travel with an increasing high standard. PART THREE 3.0 Marketing Strategy Baker (2008) states that Marketing strategies is a process that can allow an organization to concentrate its limited resources to the greatest opportunities to increase sales and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage We would use this guideline to affirm, dissect and comment on Emirates Airlines marketing strategy. 3.1 Mission Statement A mission statement is aÂÂ  strategicÂÂ  marketing andÂÂ  business development tool that adds value because they define yourÂÂ  products / services, goals and cultureÂÂ  to your employees, suppliers, customers, vendors, and the media.ÂÂ  A Mission Statement captures the uniqueness of yourÂÂ  company andÂÂ  acts as a base line for quality,ÂÂ  service and yourÂÂ  marketing messages (John, 2006). Emirates Airlines, or rather Emirates Groups mission statement is simply committed to the highest standards in everything we do (Emirates Group, 2011). Being a vast enterprise by itself, Emirates Group has been quiet successful in embodying the mission of committing to the highest standard onto one of its two core corporation Emirates Airlines, the other being DNATA, by marketing the brand of Emirates as the pinnacle emblem or a luxury standard throughout the world as an emerging Global Brand. This mission has contributed to the company garnering global praises for excellence in every aspect of its business in travel and tourism since its commencement. Emirates Airlines is a brand that is truly emerging as a global icon with its logo representation in Arabic script as a symbol of its origin. Emirates has committed on building an operational and service approach as a true global provider, by delivering high quality service and catapulting itself as the industrys youngest and most advanced fleet to retain its ever growing loyal customers worldwide. Emirates is able to achieve this boasting quality as an emerging global brand by updating its fly roster to 100 destinations in over 60 countries with more than 14 million passengers annually. 3.2 Value Proposition A value proposition is the collection of reasons why a person or company benefits from buying something (L. Richman, 2006). This statement should convince a potential consumer thatÂÂ  one particularÂÂ  product or service will add moreÂÂ  value or better solve a problem than other similar offerings Throughout the years, Emirates Airlines has successfully created a customer-focused value proposition, by offering a combination of products and services, information and experiences customized for its market demographics for each of its destination, it has also claimed that the geographical location of its hub (Dubai) is also a value proposition. This approach had led to an array of product offerings such as: The popular onboard ICE system (an Information, Communication and Entertainment system) fully loaded with hundreds of entertainment channels on demand All-in-one communication device accommodating customer needs of surfing the net, emailing or simply calling a land line whilst in the sky Competitive pricing and time effective routes to over 110 destination Dubai and personalized exclusive lounges for its clientele and the frequent flyer program Skywards also adds value to Emirates Airlines. Skywards Program plays a key role in facilitating Emirates build strong customer relationships. All the above product offerings have facilitated Emirates to deliver its value proposition to its customers and support its mission statement of committing to high standards. 3.3 Marketing Objective Important part of marketing strategies is its objective. According to Dess, an objective of an organization should be directed towards generating greater profits for the company and also towards customers and society at large (2008). It is given that an objective of any competitive organization in its marketing strategy is to be successful in a specific setting which needs a detailed investigation and detailed studies of the surrounding environment of the market, its competitors and key factors that influence the market (both internal and external). With this in mind, the organization should than aim for best results to benefit the company. Hence, Emirates Airlines or rather Emirates Group has carefully devised and constructed an objective and fused it with the groups mission statement. Emirates Groups mission statement is simply Committed to the highest standards in everything we do. In the beginning, Emirates Airlines objective was simply to be the national carrier for the Emirate of Dubai. Later on, with successful entry to the Middle East and Sub-Continent market with a strong financial backing from the Government of Dubai the objective was to be the Elite Flying companion and a dominant figure which focused on the provision of the inflight experience as a customer value in the market. Due to success and further expansions to other markets, Emirates soon realized that its objectives kept on changing and adapting to the targeted market. Below are Emirates current objectives: (Source: Emirates Group, 2010) In our opinion, Emirates decision on keeping the objective of the company specific and coherent to current situation of its target market is a good decision in this ever changing and growing industry, where various factors such as laws, resources, political barriers, wars and international laws can directly or indirectly effect a companys objective and therefore effecting the marketing strategy. 3.4 Target Markets According to Nils (2007), Target Market is the specific group of customers that a company aims to capture from the total population. It is particular market segment at which the marketing campaign is focused after penetrating the market. Quality Destination ServiceEmirates Airline targets the whole globe at its target market. To reduce the complexity, target market is be divided into three parts which are further sub segmented into four parts to suit the target market according to their needs. Price Business travellers pay a lot of attention to convenience since they have to spend a lot of time on airports and airplanes. Touch points that they come across are lounges, frequent flyers, safety and good service and interaction systems. Emirates Airlines serves this market quite perfectly. It segments it with the help of quality and service such as skywards awards, availability of lounges in airports, comfortable seats, in-flight services (internet, telephone systems, entertainment systems lastly good food service) Leisure travellers pay a lot more attention on the flexibility of prices and destination compared to business travellers. Emirates Airline segments this market by destination and price by providing them with opportunity to book early and save, facility to provide visa, holiday packages for new destination each time and lastly a huge variety of destination routes. Cargo: A very strong focus on cargo traffic, which generates 20 percent of Emirates revenues one of the highest percentages in the airline industry 3.5 Positioning Positioning is the perception in the minds of the target market regarding companies brand or product (Ries, 1981). Elaborated by Ries (1981), positioning is an organized system for finding a window in the mind. It is based on the concept that the only time communication can take place is at the right time and under the right circumstances. Apparently, true needs and physical value are the main ingredients in which the company has to base its brand positioning in the minds of the target market. Business class focuses on brand values such as punctuality, reliability frequency, prestige and state conscious (Stephan, 2007). Therefore, airline should position itself to suggest it as a choice for successful people, for the product category of the business class. Leisure class focuses on price of the ticket as their prime factor. Therefore, brand position should be done in terms of value for money. According to Simon, Emirates has set out to be an innovative, modern, and customer-oriented provider of high quality air travel services (2005). He also added that brand positioning is that of a leading, international and quality airline serving the global community (Simon, 2005). In terms of the Emirates target market (business and leisure travelers), Simon adds, Today, air travel is affordable and accessible, and for Emirates, the whole world is our oyster. All customers are important to Emirates, and we strive to provide them with the best possible value for their money, regardless of which class passengers travel in. However, weve always considered the frequent business traveler the people who literally fly to work- as pivotal to our marketing strategy (2005). In terms of the target sub-segments (price, quality, destination, service), officials of Emirate Airlines say From the service provided at the point of ticket purchase to staff at the check-in counter; from facilities offered in our airport lounges to in-flight entertainment and service. At all customer touch points, Emirates pays close attention to our product and service to ensure that we deliver on our brand promise of innovation and quality (2005). In terms of delivering the value proposition of the brand Mr. Simon (2005) further adds, We operate a fleet of modern, wide-bodied aircraft equip these aircraft with the latest in-flight amenities and entertainment systems; We invest in the latest technologies to enable faster and more efficient handling of such functions as ticketing, baggage and cargo handling; We recruit our award-winning cabin crew from over 100 countries around the world and train them to the highest standards so you can be sure there will be someone who speaks your language onboard; We hire gourmet chefs to design and plan our in-flight catering menus; We invest millions of dollars to provide advanced engineering support for one of the worlds youngest fleet of aircraft; and the list goes on across the airlines business units. However, during the process of building a brand, the company also faces emerging challenges to sustain its global brand image. Brand Indigo LLC acknowledges that high levels of brand recall concurrently raise the expectation levels of customers (2010). Were living in an age where the majority of the people are tech savvy and any form of criticism and dissonance can be openly discussed in various blogs. This therefore may wear down the built brand esteem (Brand Indigo LLC, 2010). Brand Indigo LLC suggests that service recovery plans will have to be in put in place in quick earnest, or else customer franchise maybe negatively affected (2010). In addition to all the above, A Dubai based newspaper reported to Emirates that they are receiving reports about their slipping service which can be supported drops in Emirates Skytrax Airline year ranking (Gulf News, 2010). 3.6 Strategy Summary The strategy summary reflects on the ways that the company will meet its objectives by placing strategic communication patterns that can help develop the desired position. With the perspective of branding in mind, the first and utmost aspect relating to Emirates rise as a global brand is its leaderships vision and foresight in linking the brand to its marketing strategy and committing the budgets and resources required for its strategic and tactical impact. Given the aspirations of the Emirates brand in being global, innovative and a customer-oriented provider of high quality services, the key to its success has been Emirates airlines ability to apply the brand in all aspects of its customer interactions. By paying close attention to its product and service to ensure that Emirates deliver on what the brand promises of innovation and quality. Another Cornerstone of Emirates Marketing strategy is sponsorships; Emirates branding employs all the major traditional and new marketing tools, but the most effective approach that help it to connect with its customers and enhance its brand awareness by sponsoring the major sporting events. PART FOUR 4.0 The Marketing Mix Kotler Keller (2006) define the marketing mix as the combination of elements that you will use to market your product. There are seven elements: Product, Place, Price and Promotion, People, Process, and Physical evidence. They are called the 7Ps of the marketing mix. 4.1 Product/Services A product is simply a marketing offering, whether tangible or intangible, that someone wants to purchase and consume. In reality, while decisions related to the consumable parts of the product are extremely important, the TOTAL product consists of more than what is consumed (Christian, 1994). The total product offering and the decisions facing the marketer can be broken down into three key parts (Appendix 2): Core Benefits Actual Product Augmented Product Core Benefits: The first layer of the product as defined by Cant (2009) is it represents the heart of the product Emirates airlines Core Product is the Air transportation of passengers and Cargo Actual Product: The second layer of the product as defined by Cant (2009) is the tangible product or service offered to the consumer For Emirates: Emirates First Class, Business class, Emirates holiday, in-flight entertainment system, luxury service, online check in, courteous spa. Augmented Product: .the third layer of the product as defined by Cant (2009) is the tangible product plus the additional customer services and benefits (also called features). For Emirates: National carrier of Dubai, chauffer service, lounges and spa, Dubai as transit hub and the most important is the private terminal at Dubai international Airport. Source: Three Levels of a Product, 2010, Marketing Teacher, accessed 12/02/2005, http://www.marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-three-levels-of-a-product.html Questionnaire findings suggest that people fly with Emirates for benefits other than the medium of transportation, such as travel experience (Appendix 2). 4.2 Price The price of the marketing product mix is the amount of money charged for a product or service or the sum of the values that consumers exchange for the benefits of having or using the product or service (Armstrong, Gary and Philip Kotler, 2009). Yield pricing Which offers its consumers discounted rates on early purchases, higher rates on late purchases, and the lowest prices on unsold inventory before it expires (Kotler Keller, 2006). Time Pricing It is an important element of Emirates pricing policy. With ticket fares varied by season, day, hour, early bird offers allow Emirates to charge a passenger less. Luxuries. The airline tries to position itself as having the highest value possible for consumers. Passengers who purchase business class, for example, have a complementary limousine pick-up, included in the fare of the ticket. Through collecting primary data research for our project, we found Emirates and Etihad have almost the same prices, with Qatar Airways having prices that are much lower than its competitors. In response to competitors reactions, it is best for Emirates to continue managing to maintain prices, simultaneously adding value by constantly improving the quality and consumers expectations of its services. Questionnaire findings show that 60% of the people surveyed say Emirates is relatively expensive compared to others (Appendix 2). 4.3 Promotion Defined as the communication link between sellers and buyers for the purpose of influencing, informing, or persuading a potential buyers purchasing decision (Kurts, 2010). Many promotional activities are not really focused to stimulate immediate purchase, but are rather aimed to move the potential buyer a step forward in the buying process (Van W.1997). Sponsorships For Emirates, sponsorships believed to be the best ways to connect with passengers. (Emirates, 2011). Emirates have sponsored more sporting events than any other airline or company in the world (Hagey, 2009). According to the head of Emirates Airlines marketing department for the past two decades, below are breakdowns of how the budget was spent in the past, compared to the present (Hagey, 2009). Past Advertising 70.00% of budget Public Relations 30.00% Present Sponsorships 55.00% of budget Advertising 45.00% Marketing now makes up about 2.7%, compared to 2.3% previously (Hagey, 2009).The key indicator of success is the association people have of various events with the brand. For instance, the Arsenal player and the word Emirates immediately connects. In fact, the mere association of Arsenal or Dubai with Emirates is proof that sponsorship model works wonders for Emirates. Advertising. The airline also advertises in newspapers, billboards, magazines, and even on television channels such as CNN, for instance. Emirates use reminder advertising to increase brand awareness in the various markets. With the right amount of spending on advertising, Emirates marketing mix is very much in line with the companys objectives. . The most memorable ad with the passengers seems to be the Dubai Welcomes the World with Wonderful life by Black playing in the background (Appendix 1). Passengers have stated that it gives them a sense of calmness and excitement and they associate the advertisement with the cosmopolitan image of the emirate of Dubai (Appendix 1). Sales Promotions. Emirates Airlines often offers best deals, and discounts on specific travel destinations, at specific times of the year. The website of the airline offers the best available prices and gives the consumer the opportunity to pick the price of choice, at flexible dates. Gifts Emirates Airlines offers children on board the airline various branded gifts. Emirates could stress more on social media in order to build strong customer relationships with its passengers and build its own network of loyal customers. 4.4 Place Place represents the location where a product can be purchased. It is often referred to as the distribution channel. It can include any physical store as well as virtual stores on the Internet (Jerome, 1975). Emirates Airways distributes its ticket through quite a few touch points such as: Sales agents ( all over the world) Corporate website Customer service call center (Reservation and booking) In the future, Emirates Airlines can strengthen its place strategies by deploying more sales agents and branches in general. Moreover, it can provide more touch points in the leading malls around the world for an easy access for individuals to book flights. Questionnaire findings show that 80% of the people prefer to use the Internet as the source of ticket purchase, as it provides the best discounted price (Appendix 2). 4.5 People Service, expertise and skills of the people who work for the company and they can be used to set you apart from your competitors (Stephen 2007). . Recruitment and use of the staff and people It is an essential ingredient in any organization, and with the appropriate staff members at hand, the organization can obtain a competitive advantage. Emirates Airline has a staff of 36,652 (Emirates Fast Facts, 2011), who go through training to obtain the right skills and service knowledge that is vital in a service-providing company. Emirates could work on the inseparability characteristic of its service. It is therefore crucial for the cabin crew to remain patient and positive in conflicting situations, so as not to distort peoples perceptions of the brand. Prior to downsizing, Emirates had a staff of very experienced cabin crew members. Recently, however, as previously mentioned above, Emirates uses a mix of experienced and inexperienced cabin crew members. To improvise its people strategy Emirates should make their cabin crew wear name tags to create a friendly atmosphere on board the flight, but would also add to the cabin crews responsibility of complying with the right behaviour that would not damage the brand. Most of the Emirates passengers that were surveyed agree that the cabin crew is friendly and welcoming (Appendix 2). 4.6 Process Defined as the procedures, mechanisms and flow of activities by which services are used by the customer (Koichi Shimizu 2003). Emirates airline has a simple process for its passengers since the time of booking their flight to the time they depart or arrive from Dubai Airport. Emirates own its own terminal three at Dubai international airport to further simply the process (See Appendix 3). The diagram illustrates the whole process through which a passenger goes through since the time he arrives at the airport car park to departure. Emirates airline offers various types of check- in processes. For instance: online check-in, self-check in at the airport to simplify the process even f

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Plath’s Daddy Essays: Language in Plath’s Daddy :: Plath Daddy Essays

Language in Plath’s Daddy The speaker of "Daddy" might be seen as our collective inner child, the voice of a world that has "fallen a long way." There is an implied gain in the poem -- of catharsis, liberation -- but "Daddy" is fundamentally a poem about loss. The speaker has finally and irrevocably disabused herself of the notion of a "recovered" childhood, the dream of "the waters off beautiful Nauset." There is no going "back, back, back" to some illusory idyllic existence, no way to make whole that "pretty red heart": the first oppressor in this poem is the unrealized past ("You died before I had time--"). The poem exemplifies this in its form, the nursery-rhyme sound, the ooh, ooh, ooh of the end rhymes, so jarring in contrast with its substance, its images of stark brutality. Childhood and innocence are corrupted herein by the inescapable internalization of "wars, wars, wars." Conventional images have undergone a desecration: "Not God but a swastika"; not father but devil; not husband but vampire. Langu age, rather than a means of connection, has become an obstacle, confining the self ("The tongue stuck in my jaw. / It stuck in a barb wire snare. Ich, ich, ich, ich . . . ") Language, as a conveyor of images, is itself the subject of this poem -- the "foot" in line three is as much metrical as it is metaphorical, one could argue. Plath's "Colossus," her apprenticeship in the Western poetic tradition, with this poem is junked in the "freakish Atlantic," just another thrown off oppressor. The language of this world has conveyed the speaker to a place of horrors: "obscene," it is "An engine, an engine / Chuffing me off like a Jew. / A Jew to Dachau, Auschwitz, Belsen." In this sense, Plath's appropriation of Holocaust imagery, much castigated, must be seen as subsequent to that imagery's appropriation of her -- and, by extension, of us all. Plath demonstrates in this poem that the horrors of history are fundamentally personal, that human history is simply personal! history writ large, that the brutalities of the age inform every childhood, that the notion of innocence is a sham, a game of cowboys and Indians, to use a less highly charged analogy, against a backdrop of the Trail of Tears.

Friday, July 19, 2019

My Family: God Blessed Our Family with Robbie Essay -- Personal Narrat

Robbie is my eight-year-old brother. He is autistic. Autism is a developmental disability that interferes with the normal development of the brain in the areas of reasoning, social interaction, and communication skills. Because of autism, Robbie has severe delays in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and even in play activities. Robbie does not do what is normal for a child of eight and he acts much younger. Things that most children do automatically have to be taught to Robbie. Robbie goes to school every day. He is in a special education program that has helped him greatly. The TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication Handicapped Children) technique is used. It is a highly structured program with a great emphasis on functional and communication skills. Despite Robbie' inability to speak, he has learned how to communicate his needs and wants to others by using a Ma... ... Tank and "Friends" series and several of the Disney videos. He loves playing with "Tickle Me Elmo" and doing puzzles. But most of all Robbie enjoys eating. Pasta and noodle soup are his favorites. He is able to get the ingredients together by himself so all Mom has to do is turn on the stove and watch it cook. Robbie is autistic but he is also a very smart, funny, and loving person. He is so special and I am so happy to have such a special brother like Robbie.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

A Psychological Analysis of Romeo and Juliet Essay -- William Shakespea

A Psychological Analysis of Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet was obviously not written to fit the psychoanalytic model, as the theories of Freud were not developed for centuries after Shakespeare. Shakespeare wrote to Renaissance England, a culture so heavily steeped in Christianity, that it would have blushed at the instinctual and sexual thrust of Freud’s theory. However, in order to keep literature alive and relevant, a culture must continually reinterpret the themes and ideas of past works. While contextual readings assure cultural precision, often these readings guarantee the death of a particular work. Homer’s Iliad, a monument among classical works, is currently not as renowned as Romeo and Juliet because it is so heavily dependent on its cultural context. Just as writers have the liberty to reinterpret works to make them more relevant to their particular time, so to should commentators be allowed to criticize a work with modern ideas. For all the blatant and covert sexual content of Shakespeare’s p lays, they are in no way subscribing to a psychoanalytic construction. With that said, a psychoanalytic construction makes this play more relevant to modern readers, as psychoanalytic ideas are so pervasive they are either thoughtlessly accepted or flippantly rejected. Either way, Freudian ideas are a filter through which modern readers can understand the actions of Romeo and Juliet. The ideas used to interpret this play are not classically Freudian, but rather a more contemporary understanding of psychodynamics as influenced by modern existential theory. The ideas of Ernest Becker, one of the more influential figures in the new psychoanalysis, are used throughout this psychological examination. Suicide is the doma... ...t life. Suicide is the most extreme manifestation of this fear of life. A more moderate manifestation of this fear is depression. Early in the play, Romeo is described as having depression like symptoms. As the love affair progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that Romeo can not handle life without Juliet. By the end of the play, he kills himself because he can no longer have Juliet. Romeo’s final act of suicide is not completely based on the death of Juliet. The depression he exhibits at the onset of the play is already exhibiting his desire to escape life. Works Cited Becker, Ernest. The Denial of Death. New York: The Free Press, 1973. Cox, Marjorie C. â€Å"Adolescent Processes in Romeo and Juliet.† Psychoanalytic Review 63 (1976). 379-392. Faber, M.D. â€Å"The Adolescent Suicides of Romeo and Juliet.† Psychoanalytic Review 63, (1976). 169-181.

Kudler Security Report

Kudler Fine Foods IT Security Report and Presentation Security Considerations CMGT/400 Kudler Fine Foods IT Security Report and Presentation Security Considerations According to Whitman and Mattord  (2010),  The ISO 27000 series is one of the most widely referenced security models.Referencing ISO/IEC 27002 (17799:2005), the major process steps include: risk assessment and treatment, security policy, organization of information security, asset management, human resources security, physical and environmental security, communications and operations management, access control, information systems acquisition, development, and maintenance, information security incident management, business continuity management, and compliance (Chapter 10, Security Management Models). 1.Risk assessment and treatment 2. Security policy: Focuses mainly on information security policy 3. Organization of information security: For both the internal organization and external parties 4. Asset management: Incl udes responsibility for assets and information classification 5. Human resources security: Ranges from controls prior to employment and during employment to termination or change of employment 6. Physical and environmental security: Includes secure areas and equipment security 7.Communications and operations management: Incorporates operational procedures and responsibilities, third-party service delivery management, systems palnning and acceptance, protection against malicious and mobile code, backup, network security management, media handling, exchange of information, electronic commerce services and monitoring 8. Access control: Focuses on business requirement for access control, user access management, user responsibilities, network access control, operating system access control, application and information access control, and mobile computing and teleworking 9.Information systems acquisition, development, and maintenance: Includes security requirements of information systems, correct processing in applications, cryptographic controls, security of system files, security in development and support processes, and technical vulnerability management 10. Information security incident management: Addresses reporting information security events and weaknesses and management of information security incidents and improvements 11.Business continuity management: Information security aspects of business continuity management 12. Compliance: Includes compliance with legal requirements, compliance with security policies and standards, and technical compliance and information systems audit considerations The â€Å"SANS: SCORE† (2012) website provides a free audit checklist for organizations to verify if they comply with the ISO 27002. The following table represents the SANS audit checklist as it relates to Kudler Fine Food’s frequent buyer program. Security policy: Focuses mainly on information security policy | |Section |Audit Question |Security Consider ations |Security concern if |Mitigation | | | | |removed | | |Information security policy|Whether there exists an Information |A security policy is |Without a security policy |Define what needs to be | |document |security policy, which is approved by the |necessary to guide all |in place the restriction |protected in order to | | |management, published and communicated as |access or to block |of information would be |develop a security policy. | | |appropriate to all employees. |access to information. |lost.Uncontrolled access|The importance of the | | | | |will result in the loss of|information should | | |Whether the policy states management | |company information. |determine the severity of | | |commitment and sets out the organizational| | |the security. | | |approach to managing information security. | | | | |Review of Informational |Whether theInformation Security Policy is|The security policy |Without the review of |Each policy should be | |Security Policy |reviewed at planne d intervals, or if |should be reviewed as |security policies they |reviewed periodically to | | |significant changes occur to ensure its |business practices, |will most likely become |ensure its effectiveness. | | |continuing suitability, adequacy and |hardware, software, and |out dated and lose | | | |effectiveness. |the way in which |usefulness. Each policy owner will be | | | |information is shared | |responsible for the review | | |Whether the Information Security policy |change. |Without giving each |of the policy. | | |has an owner, who has approved management | |section of the policy an | | | |responsibility for development, review and|Each part of the policy |owner the policy will have|Each change will be brought| | |evaluation of the security policy. should have an owner who|no one responsible for its|before management before | | | |is responsible for |maintenance. |being brought into action. | | |Whether any defined Information Security |keeping it up to date. | | | | |Pol icy review procedures exist and do they| |A policy to review new | | | |include requirements for the management |A review procedure |policies or changes made | | | |review. should be in place, each|to current policies should| | | | |change made should be |be in place to discourage | | | |Whether the results of the management |reviewed by management. |unauthorized changes. | | | |review are | | | | | |taken into account. | | | | | |Whether management approval is obtained | | | | | |for the revised policy. | | | |Organization of Information Security | |Section |Audit Question |Security |Security concern if |Mitigation | | | |Considerations |removed | | |Management commitment to|Whether management demonstrates active support for |An active role |Without the active support|A definition of the role | |information security |security measures within the organization.This can be|by management |of management the security|management should play in | | |done via clear direction, demonstrated commitment, |is needed to |policy will lose its |the commitment to the | | |explicit assignment and acknowledgement of information|ensure the |effectiveness. |security policy should be | | |security responsibilities. |effectiveness | |stated in the security | | | |of the security| |policy. | | | |policy. | | |Information security |Whether information security activities are |Security |Information security |Ensure that the owner of | |coordination |coordinated by representatives from diverse parts of |activities need|activities need to be |each policy is responsible | | |the organization, with pertinent roles and |to be |organized by employees |for all activities | | |responsibilities. |coordinated by |with higher roles and |associated with the | | | |representatives|responsibilities. The |policies. | | |that carry |security policies protect | | | | |pertinent roles|the information and all | | | | |and |activities associated with| | | | |responsibilitie|the security policy should| | | | |s. |be made by responsible | | | | | |parties. | |Allocation of |Whether responsibilities for the protection of |The business |Without a clear set of |A clear set of instructions| |information security |individual assets, and for carrying out specific |will suffer a |rules governing the |will be provided to ensure | |responsibilities |security processes, were clearly identified and |great many |protection of individual |that each individual asset | | |defined. |losses due to |assets and security |and each security process | | | |unclear |processes the business |is clearly defined. | | |detentions of |will surely suffer a loss. | | | | |procedures. | | | |Authorization process |Whether management authorization process is defined |Authorization |Without the use of an |Any and all information | |for information |and implemented for any new information processing |processes need |authorization system a new|processing facilities need | |processing facilities |facility within the org anization. to be clearly |information processing |to be given ownership to a | | | |stated in the |facility would be left |member of management. This| | | |security |vulnerable for attack. |member needs to ensure the | | | |policy. Any | |security policy is | | | |new information| |followed.Using the proper| | | |processing | |authorization system is | | | |facility needs | |critical to securing the | | | |to have an | |information contained | | | |authorization | |within. | | | |process | | | | | |implemented. | | |Confidentiality |Whether the organization’s need for Confidentiality or|The NDA should |Without the use of an NDA |The NDA needs to be | |agreements |Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) for protection of |be clearly |the legal ramifications |reviewed periodically to | | |information is clearly defined and regularly reviewed. |defined. This |are greatly lessened. A |ensure that any changes in | | | |will help to |business needs to protect |the business are reflected | | |Does this address the requirement to protect the |ensure the |its data to the fullest |in it. | | |confidential information using legal enforceable terms|information is |extent of the law. | | | |not | | | | | |compromised. | | | |Contact with authorities|Whether there exists a procedure that describes when, |This is |The time it takes to act |A plan must be in place for| | |and by whom: relevant authorities such as Law |important to |in an emergency is crucial|different types of | | |enforcement, fire department etc. should be |the physical |to keeping employees and |emergencies involving any | | |contacted, and how the incident should be reported. |security of the|the business safe. A plan|outside authorities. This | | | |business and |must be in place to avoid |can help to prevent | | | |the employee |potential losses due to |injuries and harm done to | | | |within. |unforeseen events. |employees and the business. |Contact with special |Whether appropriate contacts with special interest |Contacts with |Allowing a third party |A policy needs to define | |interest groups |groups or other specialist security forums, and |third party |group access to any |the steps needed to apply | | |professional associations are maintained |groups need to |information can be a risk |for special interest groups| | | |be approved my |to the business. All |and how the relationship is| | | |management. third party associations |maintained. | | | | |should be approved in | | | | | |advance by management. | | |Independent review of |Whether the organization’s approach to managing |Security |The loss of strength to |To ensure the highest level| |information security |information security, and its implementation, is |management |the security of |of security a review should| |reviewed independently at planned intervals, or when |should be |information can occur |be implemented periodically| | |major changes to security implementation occur. |reviewed at |through time (small |and whenever a major change| | | |planned |changes) or when a major |takes place. | | | |intervals and |change has taken place. | | | | |when major | | | | | |changes occur. | | |Identification of risks |Whether risks to the organization’s information and |Allowing third |Allowing third parties |Strict rules and an access | |related to external |information processing facility, from a process |parties access |access to the business |policy must be implemented | |parties |involving external party access, is identified and |to the network |network and the contents |to allow a third party | | |appropriate control measures implemented before |poses serious |of the business systems |access to any information | | |granting access. |risks to the |poses a serious threat to |in the business. | | | |integrity of |the integrity of the | | | | |the |system. | | | |information. | | | |Addressing security when|Whether all identified security requirements are |Allowing |Allowing customers access |Access to information by | |dealing with customers |fulfilled before granting customer access to the |customers with |to information in the |customers should be stated | | |organization’s information or assets. |the access to |business system poses a |in the security policy. | | | |certain |threat. Customers should only be | | | |information can| |allowed access to minimal | | | |help to | |information, a separate | | | |increase | |website or informational | | | |customer base | |address. | | | |and customer | | | | | |awareness. | | |Addressing Security in |Whether the agreement with third parties, involving |All third party|Agreeing with a third |Any third party contract | |third party agreements |accessing, processing, communicating or managing the |agreements |party contract can hold |should be reviewed by the | | |organization’s information or information processing |should be |some legal ramifications. |legal department to ensure | | |facility, or introd ucing products or services to |reviewed before| |the contract agrees with | | |information processing facility, complies with all |implementation. | |all of the businesses | | |appropriate security requirements | | |security requirements. |Asset Management | | | |Section |Audit Question |Security Considerations |Security concern if |Mitigation | | | | |removed | | |Inventory of Assets |Whether all assets are identified and an |The businesses assets |Without a clear definition|Each new asset will be | | |inventory or register is maintained with |need to be registered to|of assets the business |registered and assigned an | | |all the important assets. |ensure their safety. |could suffer a loss or |owner. | | | |theft of assets. | | |Ownership of Assets |Whether each asset identified has an |The security policy must|The business could suffer |Each new asset should have | | |owner, a defined and agreed-upon security |include clearly defined |a loss without giving the |an owner and restr ictions | | |classification, and access restrictions |parameters for |asset an owner and |to its access. | | |that are periodically reviewed. |registering assets. defining access | | | | | |restrictions. | | |Acceptable use of Assets |Whether regulations for acceptable use of |Legal issues and profits|Without regulations on the|Defineing all acceptable | | |information and assets associated with an |losses could occur from |use of assets the company |uses of business assets is | | |information processing facility were |the misuse of assets. |could suffer losses and |crucial. | | |identified, documented and implemented | |legal issues. | |Classification guidelines |Whether the information is classified in |Classification of |By classifying information|All information should be | | |terms of its value, legal requirements, |information is crucial |is can be easier to |classified in terms of its | | |sensitivity and criticality to the |to the business. This |determine who has access |va lue, legal requirements, | | |organization. |will determine who has |to it. |and sensitivity to ensure | | | |access to the | |it is only accessible to | | | |information. |authorized users. | |Information Labeling and |Whether an appropriate set of procedures |A set of organizational |Unorganized information |All information should be | |handling |are defined for information labeling and |parameters should be |can result in the loss of |organized within a set of | | |handling, in accordance with the |devised to create a |the information. |parameters defined in the | | |classification scheme adopted by the |classification scheme. | |classification scheme. | | |organization. | | | |Human Resources Security | |Section |Audit Question |Security Considerations |Security concern if |Mitigation | | | | |removed | | |Roles and responsibilities |Whether employee security roles and |All personnel authorized|Unauthorized access of |All confidential | | |responsibilities, contractors and third |to access confidential |this information could |information should be | | |party users were defined and documented in|information needs to be |result in identity theft. |handled by authorized | | |accordance with the organization’s |identified by management| |personnel only. | |information security policy. |team. | | | | | | | | | | |Were the roles and responsibilities | | | | | |defined and clearly communicated to job | | | | | |candidates during the pre-employment | | | | |process | | | | |Screening |Whether background verification checks for|All applicants |If not performed, persons |All employees should be | | |all candidates for employment, |considered for |with a history of theft |free of any criminal | | |contractors, and third party users were |employment have to |could be hired. |history that may cause | | |carried out in accordance to the relevant |undergo a criminal | |concern to the company. | | |regulations. |background check prior | | | | | |to a job offer bei ng | | | | |Does the check include character |made. | | | |reference, confirmation of claimed | | | | | |academic and professional qualifications | | | | | |and independent identity checks | | | | |Terms and conditions of |Whether employee, contractors and third |Management must define |Unauthorized access of |To prevent confidential | |employment |party users are asked to sign |what information is |this information could be |information to be disclosed| | |confidentiality or non-disclosure |confidential in |used for personal use. |to unauthorized persons. | | |agreement as a part of their initial terms|accordance to existing | | | | |and conditions of the employment contract. |laws and company policy. | | | | | | | | | | |Whether this agreement overs the | | | | | |information security responsibility of the| | | | | |organization and the employee, third party| | | | | |users and contractors. | | | | |Management responsibilities|Whether the management requires employees,|Management must define |Unauthorized access could |To prevent confidential | | |contractors and third party users to apply|which users have to have|be used for personal gain. |information to be disclosed| | |security in accordance with the |this access. | |to unauthorized persons. | |established policies and procedures of the| | | | | |organization. | | | | |Information security |Whether all employees in the organization,|Management and Loss |Private information could |To educate all personal | |awareness, education and |and where relevant, contractors and third |Prevention must develop |be disclosed to |about privacy policy. | |training |party users, receive appropriate security |a training program and |unauthorized persons for | | | |awareness training and regular updates in |establish how often it |personal use. | | |organizational policies and procedures as |needs to be | | | | |it pertains to their job function. |administered. | | | |Disciplinary process |Whether there is a formal discipl inary |Management must |Private information could |To advise employees what | | |process for the employees who have |establish corrective |be disclosed to |recourse their actions will| | |committed a security breach. |action measures if there|unauthorized persons for |have. | | | |is a security breach. |personal use. | |Termination |Whether responsibilities for performing |Management must advise |If an employee was not |To define the procedures of| |responsibilities |employment termination, or change of |what actions will |properly terminated could |terminating employment. | | |employment, are clearly defined and |terminate employment and|result in a lawsuit. | | | |assigned |what procedures are | | | | | |involved in the | | | | | |termination process. | | |Return of assets |Whether there is a process in place that |Management must define |If not returned, certain |To ensure that all | | |ensures all employees, contractors and |what materials employees|company items could be |appro priate company | | |third party users surrender all of the |must return upon |used for personal use. |materials are returned. | | |organization’s assets in their possession |employment. | | | | |upon termination of their employment, | | | | | |contract or agreement. | | | |Removal of access rights |Whether access rights of all employees, |Management will define a|If not defined, it is |To prevent unauthorized | | |contractors and third party users, to |timeframe in which a |possible that a terminated|personnel from accessing | | |information and information processing |terminate employee |employee could still |company information. | | |facilities, will be removed upon |access is removed |access company | | | |termination of their employment, contract | |information. | | | |or agreement, or will be adjusted upon | | | | | |change. | | | |Physical and Environmental Security | |Section |Audit Question |Security Considerations |Security concern if |Mitigation | | | | |removed | | |Physical security perimeter|Whether a physical border security | | | | | |facility has been implemented to protect | | | | | |the information processing service. | | | | | | | | | | | |Some examples of such security facilities | | | | | |are card control entry gates, walls, | | | | | |manned reception, etc. | | | |Physical entry controls |Whether entry controls are in place to |Physical access to |potential for security |server room should be | | |allow only authorized personnel into |system |breach through |locked with access | | |various areas within the organization. | |unauthorized access to |restricted to authorized | | | | |physical equipment. |personnel.Sophistication | | | | | |of restraint would be | | | | | |dependent upon importance | | | | | |of information and budget. | |Securing offices, rooms, |Whether the rooms, which have the | | | | |and facilities |information processing service, are locked| | | | | |or have lockable cabinets or safes. | | | |Protecting against external|Whether the physical protection against |corruption and/or loss |loss of critical data. |Data and system redundancy,| |and environmental threats |damage from fire, flood, earthquake, |of information due to | |off-site storage and/or | | |explosion, civil unrest and other forms of|environmental conditions| |multiple servers at | | |natural or man-made disaster should be | | |different locations. | | |designed and applied. | | | | | | | | | | |Whether there is any potential threat from| | | | | |neighboring premises. | | | | |Working in secure areas |Whether physical protection and guidelines| | | | | |for working in secure areas is designed | | | | | |and implemented. | | | | |Public access delivery and Whether the delivery, loading, and other | | | | |loading areas |areas where unauthorized persons may enter| | | | | |the premises are controlled, and | | | | | |information processing facilities are | | | | | |isolated, to avoid unauthorized access | | | | |Equipment sittin g |Whether the equipment is protected to | | | | |protection |reduce the risks from environmental | | | | | |threats and hazards, and opportunities for| | | | | |unauthorized access | | | | |Supporting utilities |Whether the equipment is protected from | | | | | |power failures and other disruptions | | | | | |caused by failures in supporting | | | | | |utilities. | | | | | | | | | | |Whether permanence of power supplies, such| | | | | |as a multiple feed, an Uninterruptible | | | | | |Power Supply (ups), a backup generator, | | | | | |etc. are being utilized. | | | | |Cabling security |Whether the power and telecommunications | | | | | |cable, carrying data or supporting | | | | | |information services, is protected from | | | | | |interception or damage. | | | | | | | | | | |Whether there are any additional security | | | | | |controls in place for sensitive or | | | | | |critical information. | | | | |Equipment Maintenance |Whether the equipment is correctly | | | | | |maintained to ensure its continued | | | | | |availability and integrity. | | | | | | | | | | |Whether the equipment is maintained, as | | | | | |per the supplier’s recommended service | | | | | |intervals and specifications. | | | | | | | | | | | |Whether the maintenance is carried out | | | | | |only by authorized personnel. | | | | | | | | | | |Whether logs are maintained with all | | | | | |suspected or actual faults and all | | | | | |preventive and corrective measures. | | | | | | | | | | | |Whether appropriate controls are | | | | | |implemented while sending equipment off | | | | | |premises. | | | | | | | | | | |Are the equipment covered by insurance and| | | | | |the insurance requirements satisfied | | | | |Securing of equipment |Whether risks were assessed with regards |off-site data storage |off-site data may be |proper security measures in| |off-premises |to any equipment usage outside an |centers provide a level |compromised or otherwise |place to ensure integrity | | |o rganization’s premises, and mitigation |of redundancy to |corrupted due to |of data. | | |controls implemented. maintain integrity in |insufficient security | | | | |the event of a local |measures | | | |Whether the usage of an information |breach | | | | |processing facility outside the | | | | | |organization has been authorized by the | | | | | |management. | | | |Secure disposal or re-use |Whether all equipment, containing storage | | | | |of equipment |media, is checked to ensure that any | | | | | |sensitive information or licensed software| | | | | |is physically destroyed, or securely | | | | | |over-written, prior to disposal or reuse. | | | | |Removal of property |Whether any controls are in place so that | | | | | |equipment, information and software is not| | | | | |taken off-site without prior | | | | | |authorization. | | | |Communications and Operations Management | |Section |Audit Question |Security Considerations |Security concern if |Mitigation | | | | |rem oved | | |Documented Operation |Whether the operating procedure is |Management should set |Without direction, |To establish how the | |Procedures |documented, maintained and available to |guideline about how each|employees would not know |company is to operate on a | | |all users who need it. |function should operate |what to do throughout the |daily basis. | | | |in the company. |day. | | |Whether such procedures are treated as | | | | | |formal documents, and therefore any | | | | | |changes made need management | | | | | |authorization. | | | | |Change Management |Whether all changes to information | | | | | |processing facilities and systems are | | | | | |controlled. | | | |Segregation of duties |Whether duties and areas of responsibility|Management is |No one would be |To establish accountability| | |are separated, in order to reduce |responsible for |responsible for ensuring |for task performed in each | | |opportunities for unauthorized |assigning area of |tasks are complete d. |area. | | |modification or misuse of information, or |responsibility. | | | | |services. | | | |Separation of development, |Whether the development and testing |Management needs to |Incorrect information |To prevent incorrect | |test, and operational |facilities are isolated from operational |establish a separate |could cause a delay in |information is not given to| |facilities |facilities. For example, development and |network. |production or development. |incorrect personnel. | | |production software should be run on | | | | | |different computers.Where necessary, | | | | | |development and production networks should| | | | | |be kept separate from each other. | | | | |Service delivery |Whether measures are taken to ensure that |Define what measures are|Goods and services will |To ensure that service | | |the security controls, service definitions|needed and establish who|not be done in a timely |level is established and | | |and delivery levels, included in the third|to monit or. |manner. |maintained. | |party service delivery agreement, are | | | | | |implemented, operated and maintained by a | | | | | |third party | | | | |Monitoring and review of |Whether the services, reports and records |Define what measures are|Goods and services will |To ensure that service | |third party services |provided by third party are regularly |needed and establish who|not be done in a timely |level is established and | | |monitored and reviewed. |to monitor. |manner. |maintained. | | | | | | | |Whether audits are conducted on the above | | | | | |third party services, reports and records,| | | | | |on regular interval. | | | | |Managing changes to third |Whether changes to provision of services, |Define what measures are|Goods and services will |To ensure that service | |party services |including maintaining and improving |needed and establish who|not be done in a timely |level is established and | | |existing information security policies, |to monitor. |manner. |maintai ned. | | |procedures and controls, are managed. | | | | | | | | | | |Does this take into account criticality of| | | | | |business systems, processes involved and | | | | | |re-assessment of risks | | | | |Capacity management |Whether the capacity demands are monitored|Management must decide |Systems will not be able |To establish who will | | |and projections of future capacity |if a third party will be|to process information |monitor computer systems. | | |requirements are made, to ensure that |needed to assist with |needed in a timely manner. | | | |adequate processing power and storage are |their IT needs. | | | | |available. | | | | | | | | | | |Example: Monitoring hard disk space, RAM | | | | | |and CPU on critical servers. | | | | |System acceptance |Whether system acceptance criteria are |Management must decide |Systems will not be able |To establish who will | | |established for new information systems, |if a third party will be|to process information |monitor computer syst ems. | | |upgrades and new versions. |needed to assist with |needed in a timely manner. | | | | |their IT needs. | | | |Whether suitable tests were carried out | | | | | |prior to acceptance | | | | |Controls against malicious |Whether detection, prevention and recovery|IT personnel must ensure|Unauthorized access could |Establish measures to | |code |controls, to protect against malicious |proper measures are in |lead to system shut down. |protect from virus and | | |code and appropriate user awareness |place. | |malware. | | |procedures, were developed and | | | | | |implemented. | | | | |Controls against mobile |Whether only authorized mobile code is | | | | |code |used. | | | | | | | | | | |Whether the configuration ensures that | | | | | |authorized mobile code operates according | | | | | |to security policy. | | | | | | | | | | | |Whether execution of unauthorized mobile | | | | | |code is prevented. | | | | | | | | | | |(Mobile code is software code that | | | | | |transfers from one computer to another | | | | | |computer and then executes automatically. | | | | | |It performs a specific function with | | | | | |little or no user intervention. Mobile | | | | | |code is associated with a number of | | | | | |middleware services. | | | | |Information backup |Whether back-ups of information and |IT personnel will ensure|If not properly manage |To establish back up and | | |software is taken and tested regularly in |that system is properly |could result in loss of |recover of data procedures. | | |accordance with the agreed backup policy. |working. |data. | | | | | | | | | |Whether all essential information and | | | | | |software can be recovered following a | | | | | |disaster or media failure. | | | |Network Controls |Whether the network is adequately managed |IT personnel must ensure|Unauthorized access could |Establish measures to | | |and controlled, to protect from threats, |proper measures are in |lead to system shut down. |protect from virus and | | |and to maintain security for the systems |place. | |malware. | | |and applications using the network, | | | | | |including the information in transit. | | | | | | | | | | |Whether controls were implemented to | | | | | |ensure the security of the information in | | | | | |networks, and the protection of the | | | | | |connected services from threats, such as | | | | | |unauthorized access. | | | |Security of network |Whether security features, service levels |IT/Third party will |The company may not be |To establish what security | |services |and management requirements, of all |advise management the |aware of what is needed to|features of needed to | | |network services, are identified and |necessary requirements |secure the network and the|maintain the network. | | |included in any network services |needed for the network. |system is broken into | | | |agreement. | |compromising information. | | | | | | | | |Whether the ability of the network service|