Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Investment management Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Investment management - Speech or Presentation Example Price of growth stock is higher in ratio with its earning whereas the price of value stock is undervalued than based on strength of its fundamental. Hence, difference can be determined by the P/ E ratios. This can also be measured using the ratio of book value to market value. Growth firms’ BV/MV ratio is lower which refers high growth whereas value firms have higher BV/MV ratio. This ratio also receives impact from dividend paid by firms as growth firms pay less or no dividend and reinvest which provides investors with capital appreciation benefit. Value stock pays higher dividend. Level of cost of equity and rate of return on assets which are component of DDM affects BV/MV ratio. Value stocks have high cost of equity which increases its ratio along with risk. Growth stocks have higher rate of return on assets and or/ high growth that lowers its ratio. Both stocks can be beneficial for investors based on their risk appetite and return needs. Investors looking for continuous stream of income shall be less diverted to growth stocks. Value stocks are invested inn in expectation of correction in their bargain price in future. These ratios can also change with change in dividend strategy; increasing dividend decreases growth would get BV/ MV ratio increased or vice versa. Similarly, correction in price of value stock that increases its price would decrease its BV/MV ratio. Hence, these are time based measures defining investment strategies. A portfolio shall have both stocks in order to get benefit of diversification (Hagin, 2004). MLH company with beta of 0.5 and a dividend yield of 12% p.a. can be declared as value stock as it has higher dividend. Beta of MLH Company determines its price receiving less movement momentum than overall market. Also beta is used in defining required rate of return assets which increases its numerator of DDM leading to relatively higher

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Key Elements In The Service Concept Tourism Essay

Key Elements In The Service Concept Tourism Essay INTRODUCTION In service organisations, in order to guarantee customer satisfaction, operation managers need to ensure that the customers are delivered the service they require. The service concept is a shared outstanding by customers, employees and shareholders of an organisation of the nature of the service provided and received. Service concept defines what an organisation is selling and what a customer is buying. The service concept can be described as follows : The organising idea : the essence of the service bought or used by the customer. The service experience : how the customer is treated by the service provider and the experience of the customer has of the organisation and its facilities. The service outcome : the end result of the service for the customer. The service process : the way in which the service is delivered. The service value : the benefits perceived by the customer against the cost of the service. In general we can say that : = A service concept acts as service specification. = A service concept should provide sufficient detail to make it clear what the organisation is selling/providing and what the customer is buying /receiving. = A service concept is more emotional than a business model, deeper than a brand, more complex than a good idea and more solid than a vision. = A service concept contains the organising idea for the service. There are some key elements in the service concept which is illustrated in the figure below : Service Concept Service Operation Organising idea Service experience Value of the service Service Outcome Figure : Key elements of Service concepts In this coursework I am going to explain the service concept of Radisson Blu Hotels Resorts. Radisson Blu Hotels Resorts is part of the Rezidor Hotel Group, and currently operates over 155 hotels in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with another  47 projects under development. Radisson Blu is a first class full service hotel brand with key differentiators such as the 100% Guest Satisfaction Guarantee and the Yes I Can! spirit of service. The Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the fastest growing hotel companies in the world. Its current consists of 274 hotels in operation and under development in 47 countries accumulating nearly 55,000 rooms. Rezidor manages selected Carlson brands in Europe, the Middle East and Africa: Radisson, Park Inn, Regent and Country Inn. What make Radisson Blu unique to customers ? Most of their competitors have fantastic rooms, comfortable beds,  award winning  architecture and catchy advertisements aimed at achieving and exceeding guest service expectations, but due to some exceptional service concept , Radisson Blu is separate from similar hotels which make them unique to customers. The following exceptional service concepts make Radission Blu popular among customers : Yes I Can! Over a decade in the works, Yes I Can! is Radissions special service philosophy that sets them apart from the competition. Being hospitable is all about giving guests your undivided attention and when guests stay at a Radisson Blu hotel; the hotel manager, the waiter, the receptionist, the porter- everyone plays a vital role in delivering a memorable guest experience. At Radisson Blu , Yes I Can! is the companys mission and a way of life which guides them to meet any challenge and identify every opportunity. Whether their guests are in Glasgow or Capetown, Beijing or Rome, they are assured consistently excellent service. 100% Guest Satisfaction Guarantee In the fiercely competitive industry, they stand apart from the rest, thanks to their special Yes I Can! service spirit.   They love what they do and as proof of that, they promise to deliver a 100% Guest Satisfaction Guarantee. Their staff will do everything to ensure that customers leave their hotel happy, so if there is a complaint, it is noted and takes into serious considerations.. If customers complaint remains unresolved or they leave disappointed, any one of their staff can invoke the 100% Guest Satisfaction Guarantee. This means that customers will not have to pay for their room or the service in question. To keep customers coming back time and again, they strive to provide an exceptional service level at all times.   This is their promise to customers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ or their money back. So, if any customer is dissatisfied with anything during their stay, the hotel wants to let them know so that they will Endeavour to make it right. Express Check-Out Even with their improved departure process with Satellite Reception desks, some guests cannot spare the time to check-out in the morning. For their guests in a rush they offer Express Check-Out to save valuable time and ensure an efficient and accurate check-out, by offering the options of sending invoice by email, mail or a quick pick-up at the reception desk. Late Check-Out Check-out from Radisson Blu hotels as late as  6 p.m. (subject to availability) instead of the normal check-out time at no extra cost. Their aim is to accommodate the needs of their guests and offer tailor made flexible solutions. [emailprotected] All guests staying at Radisson Blu hotels throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa can now get Free high-speed Internet access as part of the Radisson Blu [emailprotected] service concept. Check-in to a Radisson Blu hotel and log on to customers corporate network, access email, download music, shop, customers can do whatever it is they like to do online, and do it for free! Free high-speed Internet access comes with easy-to-follow, simple instructions. The service includes high-speed as well as wireless Internet access. Since most Radisson Blu hotels are wired, all hotel guests can access the Internet from anywhere in the hotel: rooms, meeting facilities or public areas, by using their name and room number. Breakfast on the go! For their guests on the go with no time for a sit-down breakfast, they offer the Grab Run takeaway breakfast. Tea and coffee in disposable cups along with fresh fruits and energy bars are available on a special table in the lobby so that none of their guests miss out on the most important meal of the day. One Touch Service Customers can access the following services with the touch of a button : INFORMATION/CONCIERGE: request special information on local events   ROOM SERVICE: have meals delivered to customers room   WAKE-UP CALL: their front desk will make sure customers wake up on time LAUNDRY: obtain laundry service, or 3-hour express service   HOUSEKEEPING obtain an iron, ironing board or extra pillow and blankets   MAINTENANCE: 24 hour a day service to ensure their is comfortable and convenient Super Breakfast Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and the last impression a guest has of a hotel before leaving. The Radisson Blu Super Breakfast is an extensive buffet featuring a range of food items selected from the best of Continental, North European, and American cuisine. Free high-speed Internet With their easy-to-follow instructions, customers can log on to their corporate network, access email, download music, shop, do whatever it is they like to do online. Long committed to being among the first to anticipate the needs of the busy traveller, Radisson Blu has been offering Free high-speed Internet access to all guests who stay in their hotels. Just check-in to Radisson Blu hotels across Europe, the Middle East and Africa get free access to the Internet as a part of their [emailprotected] Connect service concept. Room Styles They Offer their guests a choice of room styles. A popular feature of Radisson Blu hotels and resorts for over 12 years, there are now more than 20 different room designs to choose from. 3-hour Express Laundry The average guests stays at a hotel for less than two days, which makes getting laundry done a complicated matter. But at Radisson Blu they have dispensed of this complication with 3-Hour Express Laundry. All shirts, blouses, socks, underwear, pants and other pieces of clothing, handed in before 8 p.m. will be returned fresh and clean that same evening. Satellite Reception Satellite Reception desks are individual counters in the lobby that offer guests a more personalized, efficient, informal and relaxed service when checking-in/out. Anne Sà ©monin Bath products Offering a holistic and personal approach to beauty, Anne Semonin is a high-end French brand that is known for its philosophy Every skin is unique. Anne Sà ©monin was among the first to combine essential oils and trace elements, a standard that today is a benchmark in the industry.   Customers can check into one of their hotels and be spoiled with a unique range of her products, exclusively produced only for Radisson Blu Hotels and Resorts. CONCLUSION Thinking about the service concept not only help managers understand their business but also challenges them to view their business in ways that can make it stand apart from other organisations. Service concept is a strong strategic tool that can make an organisation successful if implementations of those concepts are done properly. Every organisations service concept is different and focus is needed on those ideas to get the competitive advantage.

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Humour in Educating Rita Essay -- Educating Rita Willy Russell Ess

The Humour in Educating Rita ‘Educating Rita’ is a humorous play that was written by Willy Russell in 1979, based on his own life. It is set in Liverpool and depicts the perseverance of a working class, 26-year-old hairdresser with no qualifications called Susan, or as she is called throughout the play, ‘Rita’, as she tries to ‘discover herself’ by participating in an English literature course at the Open University. Her lecturer, who is from a more middle class background, Frank, is somewhat of an unorthodox one; he is frequently found to be drunk and, during one lecture, he is so drunk that he falls off of the rostrum in the hall! This erratic behaviour leads to him being sent to Australia for two years. In this essay, I am going to discuss how I might direct this play so that I achieve humour for the audience. There are four main aspects that create the humour in the play ‘Educating Rita’: the first of which is the comedy of the character. This is when a character in the play is perceived as being humorous by the way that the character speaks or a trait that the character has. When Rita enters Frank’s classroom in the first scene, she blurts out: â€Å"I’m coming in, aren’t I? It’s that stupid bleedin’ handle on the door. You wanna get it fixed!† As director, I would have the actress playing Rita fall through the door and point towards Frank, as if to order him to fix the door. The actor playing Frank would have to put on a stern face, looking in disbelief at Rita; in shock at the way she entered. Considering the fact that this is an interview situation, the audience would be shocked, as the language is totally out of the blue and inappropriate for such a formal situation. Also the fact that she ... ...e rostrum- an action that occurs because of his drunkenness. Along with Frank’s drinking, Rita’s entrance to the play is an example of extremely effective comedy of character. However, as the play progresses and Rita becomes more aware and cognisant of her actions the comedy seems to derive from Frank’s drunkenness. There is much to be said as to how you would direct this play. Personally I would involve more than just the two characters Frank and Rita. This would give me as director, the chance to introduce more humorous situations. Other occurrences that would possibly make the play more interesting could be added to the play with the introduction of extra characters. Willy Russell wrote this play to be performed, but I must wonder why he wrote the play with only two characters if he did eventually see the play being performed on the silver screen.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Cyberbullying as a Social Issue Essay

           There are varius social issues that need to be highlighted today, but cyberbullying has in one way or the other impacted on everybody. Bullying is categorized as hostile behavior where a prevailing group abuses its authority by threatening a less central group (Maher, 2008). Bullying is a by-product of the capitalist society that advocates for personal advancement over any other goals. From a tender age, children are encouraged to be the best they can be. Instincts push people to achieve these results at any cost. The overriding instinct in most instances is personal survival and the need to dominate others. If an person does not have the right values, they devise ways to intimidate others out of the competition. In the past incidents of bullying were limited to the relatively few cases of face-to-face bullying. All this has changed in the information age. Proliferation of communication devices combined with the internet provides fertile ground for bullying. One re ason that could explain the rise in Cyberbullying is the anonymity that the internet affords. People know that they do not have to account for their actions online and therefore tend to be more belligerent than usual. In the past the threat of physical confrontation in bullying was always present, however, the internet has largely diminished that threat. Forms of cyber bullying          Previously, I thought that only on field bullying existing. However as we went deeper in the course I realized that there exists different types of bullying. I also came to learn that cyberbullying takes more than one form. Cyberbullying refers to a range of activities done online that are harmful to the well-being of the victim (NoBullying.com). These may take the form of flaming where an argument between two people quickly spreads to include more people each taking one side of the argument and hurling insults to people on the other side. Another form is harassment, where a bully humiliates the victim by sending hurtful images, text messages, or emails about the victim. This type of bullying has grown with the recent trend of making memes. Memes are images containing a message meant to ridicule the victim. Denigration is another form of Cyberbullying; the bully attacks and tarnishes the victims through spreading false information about them.             Impersonation is another form of Cyberbullying. The bully assumes the identity of another person with malicious intent. Closely related to this is outing where someone gains personal information about the victim using dishonest means such as impersonation. The bully then publicizes that information with the aim of humiliating the victim. We also have stalking which involves following the victim online in an unjustified way. As illustrated, Cyberbullying involves a myriad of activities taking place in the online space. These activities involve both passive and active participation by victims and bullies (InDirect) Causes of online bullying               Online bullying may happen for several reasons. First, bullying by popular kids happens because they want to maintain their popularity (Donegan, 2012). Such people use bullying to validate their popularity. Often, this requires the support of backers and henchmen who remain on the sidelines cheering actively and passively as the bully brings down the victim. This kind of bullying is likely to target famous people since attacking them provides the bully with potential for attracting more attention. In addition to popularity, hurting others makes such people feel powerful. The more people they bully the more powerful they become. Taking on famous figures boosts the power of such bullies to even greater heights (NoBullying.com).                The other group of online bullies is people who are less socially successful. This group forms the bulk of cyber bullies. They find solace in bullying as it helps them cope with their low self-esteem. Their objective is to fit in with their peers and bullying provides a chance to help them achieve this goal (InDirect). Cyberbullying requires even less courage than traditional forms of bullying. The internet with its anonymity helps people show their true colours. Cyber bullies might not be bullies in real life but since the internet provides them with anonymity, they take advantage of that to bully others (Donegan 2012).               Effects of CyberbullyingStudies have shown that bullying causes emotional damage to its victims though most of these victims find it difficult to admit it. In a study involving over 3000 students, researchers learnt that out of all bullying victims, 38% felt vengeful, 37% were angry, while 24% felt helpless. Another study conducted by the Cyberbullying Research Centre using a sample size of 468 students drew almost similar conclusions. They found that out of all the female victims 39% felt frustrated, 36% felt angry and 25% felt sad about it, the males figures were 27%, 36% and 17% for each of those respective categories. Females seem to show high susceptibility to bullying than males. However, this is hardly surprising since males tend to admit emotional weakness less readily than their female counterparts do (Hinduja & Patchin, 2009).             Sociologist Robert Agnew developed the Great Strain Theory, which hypothesizes that victims of bullying can develop problematic emotions, which cause deviant behaviour. The victim goes through a vicious cycle and this can result to the victim developing antisocial behaviour as they try to process their emotions and find an outlet for their anger and frustration (Hinduja and Patchin, 2009).               Bullying also takes a toll on the bully. According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention report, over 60% of males with bullying tendencies between grade six and nine were later convicted of at least one crime in their adult life. This is in comparison to 23% of people who did not bully. Forty per cent of these former bullies got at least three conviction by the time they were age 24 years; this is in comparison to 10% of those who were not bullies (Donegan, 2012). When bullies use bullying as a coping mechanism it leads to development of a vicious cycle for both the victim and the bully (Oleus, 2001). Evidently, bullying has a heavy toll on the society, the effects of this habit are long lasting, and some individuals feel the repercussions throughout their life. Solutions             Solutions to Cyberbullying will come from solving the general problem of bullying since Cyberbullying is only a subset of the wider problem of bullying. Wiseman reports a study conducted in Nevada that identified six essential elements in dealing with bullying in schools; availability of a reporting procedure, integration in the curriculum, student-centred approach with students taking the initiative of stopping the practice, prevention rather than punishment, effective punishment to deter the practice, and keeping up with technology. A solution to bullying must incorporate all stakeholders involved in growth of a child starting with parents and teachers (Wiseman, 2011). Conclusion          Capitalism subconsciously fosters bullying by placing pressure on individuals to succeed. However, this is not a reason to tolerate this vice. Competition is only good if it is fair and productive. The rise in bullying should be viewed in the context of moral decay of the society. Advances in information technology and emergence of social media have led to the evolution of bullying with new forms of bullying occurring in this new space. The toll of bullying in society is huge and steps must be taken to address this menace through legal and social means. References Donegan, Richard. â€Å"Bullying and Cyberbullying: History, Statistics, Law, Prevention and Analysis.’’ The Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications 3.1(2012): 33-40. Web. 1 May 2014 Hinduja, Sameer and Patchin, Justin.(2009) â€Å"Safe and Responsible Social Networking Strategies for keeping yourself safe online.† Cyberbullying Research Centre. Web. 1 May 2014 InDirect. (2013) â€Å"Bullying on Social Networks.† Web. 1 May 2014 NoBullying.com (2010). â€Å"six unforgettable Cyberbullying cases. Tyler Clementi: New Jersey vs. Dharun Ravi, 2010†. Web. 1 May 2014. Olweus, Dan.(2001) Peer harassment: a critical analysis and some important issues. New York: Guilford Publications Wiseman, Brian (2011). Cyberbullying in schools: A research study on school policies and procedures. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Source document

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Celebrity Exploitation

No to Celebrity Exploitation Celebrities have been the eye-candy for mostly all walks of life. Many look up to celebrities whether it’s because of their beauty, talent, and or their accomplishments in life. Because of those reasons, celebrity culture has become one of our national obsessions. We feel the need to know every single thing that happens with all the famous stars, and have no problem invading their personal space. The paparazzi make celebrities feel like they’re a moving target – even when they’re not in public. They shouldn’t need to feel like that.Celebrities should be entitled to live without paparazzi exploitation, because at the end of the day, being a celebrity is just a job. They are people, too, and they are not entitled to entertain us with their private lives. There are many celebrities who have their privacy breached, and one of the recent celebrities to be exploited would be Kate Middleton. The Duchess of Cambridge has always been in the spotlight from the very beginning: to every event she has attended, her wedding, and now, her honeymoon – which was supposed to be personal.Tabloids everywhere published bottomless pictures of Kate Middleton, while she was on her second honeymoon with her husband. I feel the paparazzi have gone TOO far, with breaching one’s privacy. Is it really necessary to take pictures of people naked (yes, celebrities are people, too), without their consent? Kate Middleton has always been a huge role model for many people around the world, and to have the paparazzi try to degrade her image by exposing her personal body parts to the world is not right. Yes, she’s royalty, but she’s still human.I doubt any of you would like to have pictures of you naked leak out all over the internet without your permission. Before the bottomless scandal of Kate Middleton, there was another celebrity, which in my opinion, shouldn’t have been harassed the way she has g otten for her actions. Kristen Stewart, a very well-known actress, who have mostly gotten her fame from being the lead actress in â€Å"The Twilight Series†, had been heavily criticized by society, because she slept with her director – who is married and has children.But for crying out loud, Kristen is how old? 22? Her brain isn’t even fully developed yet, since the human brain fully matures at 25, according to a National Institutes of Health study. Jodie Foster, a well-known actress wrote a critique of Kristen Stewart, defending her. She wrote that, yes, celebrities get huge salaries, but that doesn’t mean that the media has a right to invade their privacy, and destroy someone’s sense of self. Kristen doesn’t deserve all the crap she’s been getting – at the end of the day, she’s only human.All of us make mistakes. So many people have affairs and they’re not being bashed on, what makes Kristen different? Creating tabloids about her mistakes isn’t helping with her well-being, and that’s why so many young celebrities turn out to be ill and do other reckless things. Many young celebrities have been consumed by the media’s judgement, and end up drowning themselves in drugs, sex, and parties to try and get away from it all. A perfect example would be Lindsay Lohan.Lindsay started her career at the age of 3, and now, she is currently 26 years old. Being 26, she has already been arrested several times for reckless driving and possession of drugs. Not to mention, her wild party lifestyle at the clubs. Now, she’s looked down upon many, after each and every mistake she has done. The paparazzi is partly to blame for trying to constantly expose these celebrities and their mistakes, feeling as if they are a moving target, being judge constantly by society to fit a certain standard just because they’re famous.The last celebrity, in my opinion, who is a great example of g etting over-exploited by paparazzi, was Princess Diana. Princess Diana was killed in a car crash, while trying to get away from paparazzi. This is a perfect example of a celebrity who has been harassed by paparazzi to a point of death, just because they wanted to get the new scoop of her and her lover, Dodi Fayed. I don’t think famous people should have to struggle being constantly harassed by paparazzi.It’s hard enough having to fit everyone’s standards of being a celebrity in public -good fashion, pretty face and body, and personality. They shouldn’t feel the need to fit that persona when they’re not in public. In conclusion, celebrities are normal people, too. They shouldn’t get criticized by media if they have been caught by the paparazzi doing things that may be considered scandalous. I’m pretty sure many people do what celebrities do in their private life, in their everyday lives.Yes, celebrities make more money and are generall y far more interesting than normal people, but sometimes, a little too much attention from the media can affect their personal lives. Being a celebrity is a job. And just like any other job, there’s a time and place just to have your personal time. Paparazzi can take pictures of celebrities when they’re in public, but please, they shouldn’t go so far as to invading one’s private life just to gain money. Just try putting yourself in these famous people’s shoes – I bet you wouldn’t want your personal lives be exploited, am I right?