Daddy Long Legs Essay

Jerusha Abbott was brought up at the John Grier Home, an old-fashioned orphanage. The children were wholly dependent on charity and had to wear other people’s cast-off clothes. Jerusha’s unusual first name was selected by the matron off a gravestone (she hates it and uses â€Å"Judy† instead), while her surname was selected out of the phone book. At the age of 18, she has finished her education and is at loose ends, still working in the dormitories at the institution where she was brought up. One day, after the asylum’s trustees have made their monthly visit, Judy is informed by the asylum’s dour matron that one of the trustees has offered to pay her way through college. He has spoken to her former teachers and thinks she has potential to become an excellent writer. He will pay her tuition and also give her a generous monthly allowance. Judy must write him a monthly letter, because he believes that letter-writing is important to the development of a writer. However, she will never know his identity; she must address the letters to Mr. John Smith, and he will never reply. Jerusha catches a glimpse of the shadow of her benefactor from the back, and knows he is a tall long-legged man. Because of this, she jokingly calls him Daddy-Long-Legs. She attends a â€Å"girls’ college,† but the name and location are never identified. Men from Princeton University are frequently mentioned as dates, so it might be assumed that her college is one of the Seven Sisters. It was certainly on the East Coast. She illustrates her letters with childlike line drawings, also created by Jean Webster. The book chronicles Jerusha’s educational, personal, and social growth. One of the first things she does at college is to change her name to â€Å"Judy. † She designs a rigorous reading program for herself and struggles to gain the basic cultural knowledge to which she, growing up in the bleak environment of the orphan asylum, was never exposed. At the end of the book, the identity of ‘Daddy-Long-Legs’ is revealed.

Book Review: To Room Nineteen

In this way, Suntan's high and low points are drastically influenced by her social and physical situations. Suntan's life Is sprinkled with a series of high points all centered on her level of independence at that particular time. For example, her happiest moments In life transpire when she leads a semi-separate life from Mathew, she has a separate Job, friends, and apartment; her social and physical situations overlapped but were not dependent on Mathews at this time. Suntan's next moment of relief ensues when she comes across Mrs..Downtrend's motel, although the room itself was, â€Å"ordinary and anonymous† (Leasing 878) it's the social environment here that Susan craves; feeling detached from herself and almost reinvented gives her the temporary relief she needs to go home and be content with her life with Mathew and the children. Like a drug addict looking for her next fix Mrs.. Downtrend's motel will no longer feed Suntan's crave for solitude anymore, so she instead look s for a new relief and finds it in Fried's motel. Fried's motel is frequented by hookers and is a much worse establishment Han Mrs..Downtrend's, but here Fred lets her be and gives her the feeling that, â€Å"she was alone and no one knew where she was† (Leasing 883), which satisfies the social privacy she desires. Suntan's final moment of relief occurs when she decides to take her life away In Freed motel; In this way she leaves the world content with the relationships she's left behind including her husband and children, while ultimately entering a permanently new social and physical environment giving her the fresh start she was looking for.Although Susan had many high points that were influenced by her social and physical environments she also had many low moments that were influenced by the same factors. Susan experienced many low moments; all of these unfortunate events were in some way influenced by her social and physical environments at that time. The first low point Susan faces occurs after she becomes Mrs.. Railings and they start a family. After having children Susan quits her Job and transitions into becoming fully dependent on Mathew, this change In social and physical atmosphere coupled withMathews Infidelity causes the first crack In Suntan's character. Subsequently, years later Suntan's next low experience occurs when the twins go to school, instead of on her, this change in the social situation drives her to a new low mood. The next low point strikes when Susan finds out that Mathew knows about Fried's Motel, as it is no longer hers, â€Å"The peace in the room had gone. She was constantly trying to revive it, trying to let go into the dark creative trance (or whatever it was) that she found here. (Leasing 886); her last area of peace has been found causing the final break in her character. In conclusion, Susan Railings death can be seen as the fate of a women who couldn't handle the life of a housewife and loses her sense of self onl y to find it in death, which acts as the ultimate change of social and physical environment. To conclude with a quick recap, â€Å"To Room Nineteen† by Doris Leasing is a story of the events leading to a woman's death due to post marital depression.

Country size Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Country size - Essay Example South Korea is found in East Asia in the south of Korean peninsula. South Korea covers an area of 38, 023 square miles (98,500 kilometers), with 148 miles coast line. South Korea has an estimated population of 51,170,969 people. South Korea is bordered by North Korea virtually in all directions to the north, Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea, and to the east. North Korea is the state that is close to South Korea (Simon, 2014). The United States is made up of 52 states, it has an estimated population of 297,976,000 people that is expected to grow thought at a slow pace. To the north, the United States is boarded by Canada while to the south he boarders Mexico. Found in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia lies between the red sea and the Persian coast. Saudi Arabia borders Kuwait, Iraq and Jordan to the north, United Arab Emirates and Qatar to the east, Oman and Yemen to the south. Saudi Arabia covers an approximate of 756,981 square miles. Saudi Arabia has an estimated population of 22,023,5 06. Nauru is the third smallest state, it is located in the west of Pacific Ocean, she has a population of close to 13,500 people and covers an estimate are of 21 kilometers square miles and borders Australia to the east. Tuvalu covers an area of 26 kilometers square; she has a population of 10, 441 people, and it found in the south of Pacific. San Mario covers approximately 6i kilometers square, and has a population of 28,117 people; she is located near the Adriatic coast (Simon, 2014).

BMW's Market Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

BMW's Market Strategy - Essay Example As such, BMW’s market strategy will be evaluated and analyzed for optimal performance. Pros and cons of BMW’s market strategy BMW has been a leading auto manufacturing company that has maintained its niche market leadership through strategic market plans. The target segmentation and highly creative advertising have been its major elements of success. BMW has introduced different variants of its luxury cars to cater to the different segments of the market. The selective target marketing has helped it to exploit the requirements of people coming from myriad backgrounds. With the evolving times, people’s purchase behaviour underwent dramatic changes. While initially social class represented the high end BMW cars, consumers’ changing demands, vis-a-vis design variety, size, price, and style choices became the major factors in buying decisions. BMW started with 3, 5, and 7 series that only varied in size and not design. But 1980s was distinct in its populace of baby boomers, yuppies, and other fast upcoming segments of the market; the representatives of these segments had money to flaunt and expected new products and services from manufacturers. ... Shultz (2001) strongly believes that it is the end-users who now control the markets rather than the marketers. The fast changing demography of increasing pluralistic society has significantly impacted the market strategy. The socio-psychological paradigms have emerged as crucial elements that influence buying decisions. Personal choices representing people’s changing social status and family compulsions have become important issues. Indeed, according to Assael (1998), family is considered to be the most important consumption and decision making unit. A big comfortable family sedan may be required by affluent families for their family outing, or sleek and sophisticated fast paced machine may be the choice of new breed of young turks. The BMW’s decision to develop more categories within its various series was, therefore, not only necessary but also an extremely important ingredient of its strategic plans. It helped to penetrate new market and maintain its competitive adv antage in the market. Moreover, consumption pattern and lifestyle are intrinsically linked to the changing cultural paradigms in the contemporary environment of rapid globalization. Ennis (2009) argues that culture impacts the changing lifestyle of people and, consequently, influences their consumption pattern of the product. It is especially true for persons who are the main decision makers and control the finances. Furthermore, Kotler, Brown et al. (2010) assert that in the contemporary environment of globalization, brand creation and brand equity hugely facilitate in maintaining competitive leverage as the products are same. The brand provides the customer with a quality product which satisfies his or her needs and establishes a market

What are the elements of a binding contract Essay

What are the elements of a binding contract - Essay Example For the purpose of this analysis, it will be assumed that all parties are not minors, do otherwise have contractual capacity, and that none of the acts being negotiated are contrary to the law. It is worth noting that in all three cases, the parties involved failed to commit their agreements to written form. Though verbal contracts are technically enforceable, the proof is hard to come by unless two disputing parties manage to agree to the facts. The elements in each case will be evaluated against the standard of contract validity.Question 1. In Chong vs. Lee, the first and foremost finding is that a contract never existed. Their agreement fails in every way to meet the legal definition of a contract because of fundamental defects, so there was no contractual agreement to breach or sue to enforce.Way Lee offered to sell five reconditioned motorbikes to Chong for a set price, but Chong didn't accept Lee's offer; he deferred his answer indefinitely, saying he would "think about it." No contractual agreement was created at that time because there was an offer but no acceptance, and both elements must be present to create a valid contract.When Chong wrote to Lee a week later, he included additional sale conditions, specifically regarding painting the bikes. No contractual agreement was achieved in this instance, either. By changing the terms of Lee's original offer, Chong was effectively making a counteroffer, and implicit in a counteroffer is a declination of the original offer, which then ceases to exist (Graw, 2002). The Postal Rule states that an acceptance is considered conveyed and takes effect at the time it is deposited in a valid postal receptacle or given to a legitimate postal worker properly prepared for posting. A contract would have been formed even if the letter had never been received by the other party. See Adams v. Lindsell (1818). But that rule would not apply here, the main reason being that the letter Chong posted was not a simple acceptance of the original offer, but a counteroffer, and Lee could not have been presumed to have agreed to it without any knowledge of it. Even if Chong's letter had been a simple acceptance of the original offer, a question would have arisen as to whether Lee had intended his original offer to Chong to remain good for a week or whether such a length of time would be deemed reasonable by a judge. It appears from the fact that Lee sold the bikes to other parties that he considered a week too long. Chong clearly believed that he had an agreement with Lee after he posted the letter, and he relied on that belief when creating contracts of his own with other parties to whom he planned to on-sell the bikes. If a contract had existed at that point with Lee, the fact that Chong relied on it would have prevented its revocation or modification. See Drennan v. Star Paving (1958). As it is, Chong is still obligated to perform under his agreement with the other parties, with whom binding contracts appear to have been created, even if he has to find another source for reconditioned bikes of the same type in the appropriate colors and/or pay a different price for them. If he fails to do so, these parties could successfully bring a breach of contract suit against Chong. The conclusion regarding an action by Chong against Lee for breach of contract is that it would fail because Lee was not a party to any valid contractual agreement with Chong at any time. Question 2. In Jones vs. Jimmy and Lee, the most important aspect of the case in the beginning is that Jimmy was not present when Fred Lee offered Jimmy's services to Norah Jones, so at that

News story critique Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

News story critique - Assignment Example To achieve this, the paper will draw evidence from the news article to analyze the framing of the sex research in these news outlets in relation to our studies in class. It is clear that sex research is very significant in the modern society. Indeed, sex research leads to improved sexual behaviors, reduced negative sex outcomes, delayed starting of sexual activity among the youth, increased protection during sex, reduced sexual partners. Moreover, the media frames the sex research to influence mass opinion. Ideally, framing in research refers to how individuals or groups perceive and communicate the reality in the society. In the media, framing of a research topic defines how the media influences the public opinion and such influence may be behavioral or attitudinal. Indeed, Van Gorp establishes that the framing process assesses the impact of the present cultural phenomena in relation to the present social realities. Indeed, sex and sexuality are social realities in our society and a s such, the media frames the research on this topic to the effect of the society. The media frames the sex research in a unique yet convincing manner. The media frames the sex research from a qualified and authorized author. For example, the news article states that the respondent to the research, Dr. Levant is a professor of psychology and director of the Psychology Department Counseling Clinic at the University of Akron (New York Times, 2013).  As such, the article asserts that the information therein is reliable and authorized. The article does this to convince the audience in trusting in the information given in the article. More so, the audience is likely to adopt the advice there in due to the authority of the author. The news article also claims that the respondent in these articles has actually taken part in other studies. For example, the article states that Dr. Levant had written other related books that include â€Å"Men and Sex: New Psychological Perspectives (New Yor k Times, 2013).†Ã‚  With this background, the articles can influence the public opinion on the topic sex and sexuality by relying on the information contained in the news articles. Furthermore, the article frames the research by portraying the fact that the society forwarded questions about male sexuality to the professor and such questions represented the sex issues in the entire society. Nevertheless, the article reckons that the professor answered only the questions related to his expertise and thus the society should trust such answers. For example, the articles frame the research by analyzing some of the asked questions, which included how old-single men can date in 2013 (New York Times, 2013). This relates the cultural sex phenomena to the present social reality. The article also addresses the question of sexual health problems that affect many in the society like the inability to maintain an erection or climaxing too soon. The advice to such problems relates to the gene ral society and thus shapes the public opinion on handling such problems. For example, the articles frame the questions and answers of low testosterone, denied sexual activity, and unfaithfulness in sexual affairs (New York Times, 2013). These questions apply to both males and females and their response therefore shapes the public opinion. Moreover, cases of sexual affairs between partners of different ages also suffice in this research. Nevertheless, th

Financing new ventures Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Financing new ventures - Assignment Example This product solution allowed large scale manufacturers of state-of-the-art very large scale integrated circuit (VLSI) manufacturers to monitor, test, and validate the mechanical and structural integrity of their production as part of essential manufacturing quality control procedures. Maintaining a leadership position in the ATE industry was management's main strategic vision. As a company, STC's primary mission and goal of management was to grow and be known as the global leader in designing innovative new testing technologies and providing integrated quality management systems for electronic equipment and components manufacturers (Missionstatements, 2013). As a direct consequence of their objectives the company required to invest heavily in research and development in order to stay ahead of the competition (Nash-Hoff, 2011). As an internal strategy and in order to remain financially feasible and minimize the impact of research and development costs in the company's bottom line, ST C aimed to spread their large R&D expenses across a large amount of sales by pursuing participation in most major segments of the industry and market their products and services globally throughout Europe, North America and Asia. As an industry during the period of 1975-1984 the ATE's and computer related technologies were going to a period of constant flux and dramatic shifts in available technologies. The advent of the new technological breakthroughs exponentially expanded the consumer and industrial electronics market, from personal computers to household electronic equipment such as cordless telephones and microprocessor based home appliances to automated teller machines, mainframe computers, and industrial automation equipment (Wordinfo). At the time just like in today's computer market new technological breakthroughs such as the introduction of a new computer chip can change the course of the whole industry and make previous silicone chip products practicably obsolete almost o vernight. The traditional product development life cycle of design, building a prototype, redesigning and making a new prototype had become obsolete due to time constraints and the fact that computer chips had become too complex and prohibitively expensive to follow the old industrial design model (Ulrich, Eppinger). The rapid and evolving nature of the industry meant that in order to stay competitive and deliver innovative products that the consumer wanted the firm relied heavily on speed to bring products from initial design to market readiness. The process involved having reliable testing processes and costs considerations that were always paramount in the viability of any new product introduction. High quality, reliable, and cost effective ATE solutions became an essential part of the industry in order for manufacturers to survive and remain competitive. Additionally, with the growth and advent of ever more complex semiconductor components manufacturers found it too complex and cost prohibitive to design and build their own testing equipment in-house. During the period of 1978 to 1984, the industrial ATE market grew at an average of 28% per year and sales increased from $359 million in 1978 to $1.6 billion by 1984. 2) During the period of 1980-1984 STC possessed the broadest testing product lines in the market and reaped the financial benefits in

Public Relations Marketing Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public Relations Marketing - Coursework Example This particular study focuses on the strategic PR practice as a measure in the Department of Transport in London intending to implement campaigns addressing road accident deaths. Strategic PR: A Theoretical Background: The need for PR arises from the various problems that might arise in an organization in dealing with the PR and understanding of the organizational activities. Community relations are extremely necessary in this context. The practitioners of PR encounter various problems that require the need for strategic management. The primary role of PR practice is to manage and develop the different relations in association with an organization. This may include relation with the employees, with the general public and with any stakeholder of the organization. It has been observed through earlier studies that the usefulness of the PR is not clearly understood by the managers and that a strategic and planned technique is required in order to solve the problems. With time, the resear ch and understanding have led to successful understanding of strategic PR practice. Now, organizations are more involved with the incorporation of the PR measures and enhancing successful relationships (Austin & Pinkleton, 2006, pp.2-7). ... e might be a decline in the records of the road deaths in the city, yet the number seems to be high that requires sufficient measures to curtail the effects of drinking and drugs to take the toll on human lives. Particularly during occasions, the intake of alcohol and drugs increase creating more difficult situations to be handled. Thus based on the nature of this problem, the Department of Transport (DoT) in London requires taking measures appropriate to the needs in solving the issues and preventing such road deaths in the city. Concerned Objectives: The DoT has seriously taken up the concerns of preventing road deaths in London. As the Director of Communication at the DoT, I have plans to set up a PR firm to design and implement a public information campaign prior to the festival of Christmas and address the issues of road deaths occurring as a result of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The HM treasury has agreed to provide a budget of ?2m for the purpose. I plan t o utilize the amount in involving start-up agencies to set up for the account of Dot. The purpose of choosing start-up agencies is to restrict the excess expenditure of funds. The agencies selected are mostly comprised of postgraduates who have recently majored in the strategic communication management. The startup agencies have been selected such that the objectives are fulfilled through specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound manner. The four agencies I plan to invite are: (i) Broadgate Mainland, (ii) Diffusion PR and Communications Ltd, (iii) Startup PR, and (iv) Parys Communication. A Brief Overview: Broadgate Mainland: It is a UK based multiple awards winning independent PR agency performing their activities in several areas of PR development. The team working

Eradicating Cheating in the Educational System Essay

Eradicating Cheating in the Educational System - Essay Example At a very young age, the students are exposed to adult problems like facing the necessity of putting food on the table and taking care of their younger siblings. They carry the burdens of problems supposedly faced by their parents; however, due to the fact that oftentimes a father is in jail or a mother is struggling with drug addiction, the children are oftentimes faced with the very real demand that they begin to find alternative ways to earn money of their own so that they can help supplement the meager earnings of their family. With such a kind of life, the students are exposed to hardships that pressure them to cheat in order to survive in an increasingly challenging educational environment. Furthermore, in order to examine and understand the factors that oftentimes leads students to cheat in the first place. By way of perception, educators and police often consider these youths to be a mere extension of their parents; i.e. drug dealers and cheaters who are threats to the peace and order of the traditional community. They know they are selling drugs and they are watched by the requisite authorities in similar ways as are adults. Sometimes, they are also made as assets when the opportunity arises. They know they are tough so that even if they are young, they play rough with them. The children’s parents look up to them to take responsibility in their families. For instance, Michael is expected to provide for the family’s needs and in the eighth episode of season 4, he even gives his mother money instead of the mother giving him what he needs (The Wire Season 8 Episode 4 [34:37]). The familial and environmental backgrounds of the children demand them to become tough as they are and lost interest in schoolwork. However, to the teachers, the children are still children and human beings. Although most of them are failing in their classes, teachers like Prezbo do their best to seek to  continue to impart knowledge to the children in their classrooms.  

AN INVESTIGATION OF IT INVESTMENTS IN SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED Essay

AN INVESTIGATION OF IT INVESTMENTS IN SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED ENTERPRISES - Essay Example The primary research will include a short survey which will contain basic questions on the use and adoption of IT in the business. An area of the UK will be chosen for this survey, preferably an area where the author resides to reduce the costs associated with travel and to increase survey response. No personal information will be made public and participants will be notified of this. The author will use online and library resources to obtain a list of SMEs in the selected area. As a result of the methodology, the research will largely be descriptive as it will be collecting information from surveys (Creswell 2003). The research will also be explanatory because the author will attempt to provide an explanation between IT investment and productivity in SMEs (Creswell 2003). This also means that the research will be largely qualitative. Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are considered to benefit the economies they serve, as they create employment and attract investment into certain areas. However, due to their size they are not able to always access and enjoy the advantages of much larger companies. For instance, large enterprises often have direct access to international and local capital markets, as they can afford the transaction costs (Enterprise Development Agency 1998). This suggests that SMEs are confined to regional markets which does not fully maximise their potential. Larger enterprises are also able to market their products and services across national boundaries whereas SMEs will be restricted to national and/or regional boundaries (Enterprise Development Agency 1998). If one considers the characteristics of SMEs, one will find that most of these enterprises are relatively small and have high operational costs which may prevent them from expanding into larger, more successful enterprises. Howeve r, there have been concerns that SMEs may not expand at a favourable rate due to their lack

Toyota and Hilton Hotels Essay Example for Free

Toyota and Hilton Hotels Essay Preliminary Links Toyota and Hilton Hotels are the two companies chosen to answer the questions given for this assignment. The product service divide is more of a continuum in these two companies, with Toyota using large doses of intangibles to enhance its products, and all Hilton hotels offering strong product elements in their superlative service. The Internet sites of the 2 companies, including their web pages for investors have been used for this assignment, with a standard text on Services Marketing, which also covers product elements of the Marketing Mix. The web site of the New York Stock Exchange, where both companies are listed, has also been used. Marketing Comparisons   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Both companies have brands for multiple segments (Payne, 2002). Toyota has automobiles for various purposes, while Hilton has different kinds of hotels for each category of guests. However, individual product brands are subordinate to corporate brands in both cases (About Toyota, 2006 and About Hilton Hotels, 2006). Hilton remains within the premium segment space in its service category, and does not operate any budget hotels, while Toyota offers economy models and commercial vehicles apart from its luxury range. Toyota therefore has a broader product range than Hilton. Distribution channels for automobiles and hotels are distinct. Recruitment and training of front-line staff matter more for Hilton, while Toyota relies on agency and franchise personnel for most of its marketing: the People element of the Marketing Mix is therefore critical for Hilton, but incidental for Toyota.   The Process element of the Marketing Mix (Payne, 2002) also matters for a hotel business, while there is less variability in customer interaction for Toyota. Process is more important for internal efficiencies in Toyota, whereas they impact directly on service levels in the business of Hilton. Promotion is more developed in Hilton with international guest room reservations available in real time on the web site, whereas Toyota prefers to make isolated compartments of its marketing activities in various countries. This difference may be related to greater global uniformity in the decision process for reserving hotel rooms than that for investing in automobile purchases. Overall, each company has to focus on different elements on the Marketing Mix, as relevant for their respective strategies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Toyota faces a more intense competition than Hilton, as the latter has locations as advantages for many of its properties, and has significant capacity utilization guaranteed by airlines, travel agents, and similar industry associates. The numbers of brands that can challenge Hilton are fewer than the equally reputed manufacturers with which Toyota must contend. However, Hilton must contend with more brand switching opportunities, while Toyota customers are tied in for much longer periods. Toyota’s financing business ties in customers, which is a resource that Hilton lacks (Listed Company Directory, 2007). Word-of-mouth promotion matter equally for both companies, but Toyota has to make a greater effort for after-sales service. Toyota must provide customer finance amenities through arrangements with financial institutions, something which does not concern Hilton. However, the latter must provide lines of credit for major clients, whereas Toyota enjoys an immediate realization of sale proceeds convention (considering the automobile business in isolation and as distinct from the financing arm).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Physical Evidence and Preferential Customer elements (Payne, 2002) are vital ingredients of the Hilton Marketing Mix, whereas Toyota can rely more on its distribution chain to provide these values to customers. Maintenance of public areas and exteriors, even during lean season, is an additional cost burden to be borne by Hilton, but this would be significant in the pricing structure of Toyota’s products: Toyota manufacturing plants are not generally in customer views!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Both companies are free to price their products without regulation, but Hilton must contend with the deep discount norm for its industry, while Toyota is not as dependant on promotions and deals, except for occasionally unsuccessful models.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Both companies have composite and effective marketing functions as evidenced by the strengths of their brands, though they have to deploy different strategies to suit their respective business lines. Comparison of Operations   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Both companies believe in strong centralization and group control. Both Toyota and Hilton have sound and extensive headquarter organizations (About Toyota, 2006 and About Hilton Hotels, 2006), and exercise invasive degrees of standardization on their operations in various countries. However, Toyota has to contend with more ethnicity, and is more present in the third world, whereas Hilton basically caters to rather uniform business and vacation classes, with a strong focus on the developed world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Though Toyota does have manufacturing plants around the world, construction of new properties and maintenance of existing ones presents larger engineering and project management challenges for Hilton. Storage and transport of finished goods, on the other hand, must concern Toyota, whereas they would not figure in agendas at Hilton. Purchasing is more complex for Toyota, with more sophistication involved in sourcing semi-precious metals, steel, and other strategic materials. Toyota has also to implement more transparency in its operations, since it is registered under the ISOI 14001 series (About Toyota, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Toyota also has to maintain more tracks of its customers and product locations because of the possibility of recalls, whereas Hilton does not have to contend with such possibilities. Toyota also has more regulations with which to contend, while Hilton has more freedom to set its quality standards.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Toyota is strongly influenced by technology, with new models, standards, and materials causing regular discontinuities in routine operations, whereas Hilton enjoys a more stable environment in this respect. There have been some improvements in telecommunications and entertainment, which have occasioned guest room upgrades at Hilton, but these are simple and minimal compared to emission standards, engine performance, and design changes with which Toyota must deal all the time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It would appear that Hilton is in a less complex type of enterprise, while Toyota has to deal with more inter-relationships and different business atmospheres. Comparison of Human Resources Management   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The relative natures of business make people more important for Hilton than for Toyota: this is reflected in the competencies promoted in the respective web sites (About Toyota, 2006 and About Hilton Hotels, 2006). Technology and systems weigh so heavily in Toyota’s success that it can rely on smaller numbers of subject-matter specialists, whereas even one customer upset at the behavior of low-level staff, can dilute the Hilton brand. The Human Resources challenge for Hilton is to inculcate the core brand values in every employee at all its properties. The People and Preferential Customer elements of the Marketing Mix matter more for Hilton than for Toyota.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Recruitment is highly centralized in Japan for Toyota, while Hilton must retain local expertise for this purpose in all major countries and regions. Searching for quality talent is a more exhaustive task for human resources professionals in Hilton, since the process has to reach in to lower levels of the organization. Production-line jobs at Toyota are easier to specify and for induction training purposes, and the numbers and importance are on the wane in any case, because of the spread of robotics. Artificial intelligence cannot replace the human element at Hilton. Both companies are equally vulnerable to industrial relations in certain countries, which tolerate militant postures by Unions-the U.K. would be a prime example of this common concern. Toyota and Hilton are in similar situations when it comes to negotiating with external leaders for their blue-collar workers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Career planning, appraisal, and remuneration matters are probably more international at Hilton, and relatively ethnic in a Japanese sense at Toyota. Senior Executives at Hilton are more eclectic than at Toyota, so their mobility options are also greater. Diversity issue matter more at Hilton, because Toyota conforms to a more conservative and closed pattern as a clearly Japanese entity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Human Resources Management at Toyota has an additional function compared to their peers in Hilton, with respect to training of franchisee and distribution chain employees. Hilton follows the business model of strongly branding all the properties which it operates, apart from the ones which it owns, while Toyota is clear-cut in leaving customer service to associates in its distribution chain. However, disgruntled customers at show-rooms will hurt the Toyota brand, so the company has to be able to influence people who are not their own employees. Comparisons of Accounting and Finance   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Both companies are publicly listed on U.S Exchanges (About Toyota, 2006 and About Hilton Hotels, 2006). However, Toyota offers only Advance Depository Receipts, retaining equity ownership exclusively in Japan. We may therefore expect that both companies have to follow similar treasury standards. The accounting, disclosure, and governance standards of the United States, which are amongst the best in the world, would apply to both companies. Both companies have adequate investor information on the web sites, and must follow accounting practices of comparable if not the very same standards.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are however, major differences in corporate finance strategies. Toyota invests capital in entities which it does not own fully, whereas Hilton develops revenue lines from properties which it does own. Both companies are in capital intensive lines of business, and both are vulnerable to seasonal fluctuations in cash inflows.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Neither company is backward integrated in to ownership of key suppliers. Public statements about future business prospects indicate that both companies have exhaustive planning and budgetary control systems in place, though information on their internal processes is not available.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Both companies have ambitious capital expenditure plans, and exhibit high credit-worthiness and potential for leverage. The lines of business and investor environments are too different for relevant comparison, but Toyota has greater return and value appreciation potentials.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Toyota has a finance business apart from its core activity of automobiles (Listed Company Directory, 2007). This tangent is to help customers and sellers pay for the company’s products. Hilton does not require any such service for its clients and associates. One may conclude that the Toyota needs more complex accounting procedures because of the need to keep track of dues from customers. Both companies have adequate representation of the finance function in their top management groupings, and neither is known to have been cited for financial irregularities, or for audit and disclosure lapses. It is possible to conclude that the accounting and finance companies of both companies meet the best international standards. Toyota has been recognized by the New York Stock Exchange for excellence in investor relations, which is an additional and significant feather in the cap of its finance function: Hilton cannot claim any such public recognition of excellence in its finance function as yet. Comparison of Information Management   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The online reservation amenity and the reward program for loyal customers show, from the respective websites, that Information Management is more fully used by Hilton. The Toyota website lacks multi-media Information Technology use, which could have enhanced browser experiences. It may be that the company uses Information Technology more fully for secret internal processes, but such technology application is lacking in the public space for the company. Hilton also has concrete evidence of using Information Technology to enhance customer value through its express check-out facility, whereas Toyota makes no mention of such conveniences at its show rooms, or for after-sales-service alerts. Toyota has not used opportunities of newsletters and clubs for its customers, which Information Technology offers. The customer response facility on the web site is better and easier to use in the case of Hilton (About Toyota, 2006 and About Hilton Hotels, 2006). Hilton does not allow customers to feel any difference in properties which it operates without owning, whereas Toyota has no perceptible use of Information Technology to standardize customer experiences at all the show rooms and outlets where its products are retailed. Hilton does a better job of enhancing its brand through useful information on related matters, such as places of interest near its properties, whereas Toyota seems to be pre-occupied with hard product features of its models alone. However, both companies use Information Technology to build images of being attractive employers, and devote spaces on their websites for corporate and recruiting issues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Overall, Toyota needs a superior accounting and finance function, and encounters more complex operations, while marketing is of equal importance to both companies, and while Hilton excels in Human Resources Management, and Information Technology. Comparison of and Recommendations for Productivity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The productivity comparisons for these two companies and my recommendations in this regard, relate primarily to business definition, and to levels of integration and disengagement. Hilton suffers chronic underutilization of its competencies. Enhanced airport services, airline operation, and conducted tours, are the sorts of horizontal integration it should consider to generate more revenue from its base of fixed costs. It may be justified in staying away from actual travel work such as airline operation because it would call for large influxes of fresh commitments, but by improving retail services at airports, and by conducting packaged events for premium customers groups, it can certainly capture significant new values and high margins, without adding to the present infrastructure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hilton should also move faster out of North America in to emerging markets and popular adventure and eco-tourism destinations, because this would leverage its expertise in constructing and operating hotels, more fully. The company must have accumulated know-how which is used only marginally in the mature markets in which it is focused now.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Finally, Hilton should copy other chains and build its culinary expertise and resources in to processed food brands, brands of alcoholic beverages, especially wines, and specialty outlets for fine dining.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Overall, Hilton’s productivity is hampered by a narrow business definition. It has acquired assets and built capabilities to support the corporate brand that have large and profitable applications outside the field of hotels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Toyota has gone to the opposite extreme of Hilton, and spreads its resources too thinly for optimal returns. The fixed costs of design, dealer support, and after-sales-service imply that it should exit from economy-priced product and customer segments. The expansion of premium-priced segments in major markets justifies exclusive focus on them, in productivity terms. It is significant that Toyota has experienced losses through recalls of one of its cheaper models in the recent past (Listed Company Directory, 2007). Developing pressures on the environmental conservation front demand that it concentrate more on new technologies for its engines, at the cost of resources presently tied up in low value segments, even if they contribute high volumes. The company is still in the process of creating new manufacturing capacities (Listed Company Directory, 2007), so this is an opportune time for it to consider restricting its involvement in segments with relatively low returns.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rising customer expectations and the spread of some of its hitherto proprietary technologies to competitors, also point to the need to try and serve fewer customer groups, albeit to do this with greater effectiveness for the segments in which it decides to remain. Such an approach may require that it move away from shared dealerships to owned-showrooms in star markets, while withdrawing support activities for other markets that do not yield top returns. Business contraction will improve productivity for Toyota: the company is better off than Hilton in this parameter, but needs to review some of its operations in order to sustain the edge. Comparison of and Recommendations for Quality   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Toyota is a step ahead of Hilton in terms of quality, primarily because of its ISO 14001 registrations (About Toyota, 2006). It is one of the first companies in the automotive sector to seek ISO registration. The company has reduced the amount of land it needs for manufacturing, and the quantity of paint it consumes, because of ISO procedures. The registrations have also resulted in important productivity gains in areas such as recycling and waste management. The ISO system leads to continuing improvement, so by maintaining its ISO status, Toyota can look forward to continuing quality gains. Though the company continues to suffer from occasions for model recalls (Listed Company Directory, 2007), the probabilities of such events are low.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The decentralization of Toyota’s operations is also responsible for its strong ratings in terms of quality. The company brands similar models very differently in each country, and is sensitive to ethnic needs and perceptions. The company is able to meet top quality standards by considering the views and needs of local customer groups with care. Though the ownership and top management of Toyota is centralized in Japan, the company is sensitive to the peculiarities of all customers and geographical groups which it tries to serve. It is a mark of Toyota’s excellence in quality that it has been able to garner market shares from established manufacturers of luxury automobiles, and has brands with top ranks in premium segments.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Though Hilton is a quality brand in general terms, it does not follow the ISO system, and suffers set-backs as a consequence. One of its hotels has recently been forced to suspend operations because of a virus outbreak (Listed Company Directory, 2007). The company also faces litigation from the family of a person killed inside a room-sized air-conditioning unit in one of its properties (Listed Company Directory, 2007). These are recent examples, and the company is vulnerable to more incidents of this nature at any time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Overall, company is not a matter to be left to chance, or something which can be limited to certain compartments of the business alone. Hilton will need to adopt a system which makes quality more assured in all aspects of its operations. The recent incidents reported indicate that while the company may be well versed in such quality aspects as house-keeping of its rooms, it lacks appropriate standards in other technical areas related to security and public hygiene. Every enterprise will have limits and gaps in its areas of expertise, and only a system such as ISO can raise quality standards uniformly. However, the recent incidents are exceptions and Hilton is generally associated with high quality standards. The popularity of its reward system for regular guests, and the premium rates it charges are indicators in this respect. Overall, Toyota has a more reliable quality system in place, compared to Hilton, and the latter can catch up through a systematic and concerted effort. References About Toyota, 2006, Company Website accessed January 2007 from:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.toyota.com/about/shareholder/ About Hilton Hotels, 2006, Company Website accessed January 2007 from http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/brand/about.jhtml Listed Company Directory, 2007, New York Stock Exchange Web Site, accessed January 2007 from http://www.nyse.com/about/listed/listed.html    Payne, A. 2002 The Essence of Services Marketing, Prentice-Hall

Marks and Spencer: Structure and Culture

Marks and Spencer: Structure and Culture 1. INTRODUCTION Marks Spencer is British institution. Opened in 1884, the company emerged as a major retailer of clothes, food, household items and financial services. By 1997, Marks Spencer was an international company with sales of over  £8 billion and very high net profit margins. However, the group experienced a shocking reversal in fortune at the turn of the 21st Century when its main customer base, women aged between 35 and 55 began to stop shopping at their stores. This posed a very serious threat to the companys survival and Marks Spencer thought hard and long about how to rectify the situation. It did so by introducing bold new moves changing its corporate culture and by strengthening existing systems and processes. By doing so, the company was able to regain its loyal customers and grow once again. Yet, the last few years have been challenging as the company was badly affected by the global economic crisis. This report outlines the changing structure and culture at Marks Spencers. It provides a comparison of the contributions of the key business functions to the organizational change. It also identifies the key stakeholders of the organization and the key issues of managing them. Finally, a SWOT analysis is done for Marks Spencer along with an assessment of its long term future prospects. 2. CHANGING CORPORATE CULTURE AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE All organizations have their own cultures, which consist of the values and beliefs shared by its members which determine to a considerable degree how managers respond to problems and opportunities. But corporate culture can become static and excessively bureaucratic over time, even among successful organizations (Huff et al, 2009). An organizational culture is powerful because it automatically shapes the way members see their world. Any culture is deeply rooted in beliefs and values that members have internalized. When beliefs and values are held without challenge for a long period of time, they are even less likely to be questioned (Robbins and Judge, 2007). The norms rarely change to accommodate those who deviate from them. Inertia sets in and employees become stuck in a rut. Employees become resistant to change and are unwilling to do things differently because they involve inconvenience and uncertainty. This could ultimately destroy the company. Like most successful organizations, Marks Spencer was a victim of its own success. Its corporate culture because inflexible, rigid and resistant to change because it was felt that since the company was successful, there was no need to change. Deeply entrenched was a sense of employee entitlement regarding remuneration and working hours. However, when it became clear that the old culture was unable to cope with changing demands of the marketplace, the top management decided on a major revamp. As a result, employees became less resistant to change and began to embrace new ways of doing things. Employees were willing to work for longer hours if it meant better pay and they were less resistant to the fact that they might lose their jobs if the company performed poorly. They were also sent for learning and education programs to equip them with new skills sets so that they were better able to cope with changes in the working environment. All these efforts contributed to the change in corporate culture which is now more dynamic and flexible. A number of major changes were also made to the organizational structure. The formal chain of command was flattened to a certain extent and in doing so the company became more agile and responsive to changes in customer demand and taste. The regional management structure was simplified to delegate more responsibility to individual store managers to give them more autonomy. 3. CONTRIBUTIONS OF KEY BUSINESS FUNCTIONS TO ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES 3.1 Finance The finance function plays a critical role at Marks Spencer in cutting costs and eliminating unnecessary expenditure. The entire value chain was examined to determine where and how costs could be trimmed. As a result, the company was able to reduce costs, provide better prices to the customers and improve its overall profitability. Ultimately, it is the shareholders who stand to gain the most from the initiatives made in terms of maximization of shareholder wealth. 3.2 Marketing To attract new customers and retain existing customers at Marks Spencer, the marketing function critically examined the cause of declining sales. The main cause negative customer perception of its main customer base women aged between 35 and 55 that the clothes sold at Marks Spencer were unfashionable and even dowdy. Therefore, the marketing function decided to split up the long-cherished St Michaels brand into a number of categories to cater for different customer needs. Consequently, the company launched three new product categories for women (www.marksandspencer.com, 2011). The first, the Perfect and Classic ranges were for basic purposes, for example jeans, sweaters and plain shirts. The second range, Autograph is for the more fashionable woman of a larger demographic group. The final range, per una, is targeted at the younger woman of ages 25 to 35 and is of average dress size. By segmenting its products for different markets, the company was able to regain most of the sales it lost. Different marketing campaigns are held for each range and this makes the companys products appear more attractive to customers. 3.3 Operations A number of critical changes were made to the companys operations. For one, the supply chain was made leaner and in doing so, the company made substantial savings. Fewer suppliers were used and this facilitated transparency and response time. The lead time was reduced and the company placed a greater emphasis on timeliness and quality. These contribute to leaner operations which lead to higher profits. 3.4 Human Resource This function is critical to the successful implementation of a strategy. The HRM function at Marks Spencer played an important role in changing employee mindset and modifying the corporate culture to be more attuned to the changes that need to occur (Hitt et al, 2004). As a result, employees were more receptive to change and aware of the sacrifices they need to make. 4. KEY STAKEHOLDERS The key stakeholders of Marks Spencer are shareholders, management, employees and customers. The following diagram shows their relative importance and power: Power of Stakeholders Meet Their Needs Key Player B, C A D Least Important Show Consideration Interest Key: A Shareholders B Management C Customers D Employees 5. MANAGING KEY STAKEHOLDERS Shareholders would like to maximize their wealth. Share maximization is through share price appreciation and dividends (Aaker, 1996). Therefore, satisfying this group would require increasing profits and the company profile. Management is concerned about maintaining control over operations. Their goals are sometimes similar to that of shareholders but in some cases they differ (Daniels et al, 2007). Hence, there is the agency problem. The employees at Marks Spencer are most concerned about job security and work conditions. Ideally, they would like jobs that pay well and have good hours. However, this may be incompatible with the goal of wealth maximization of shareholders as employee benefits will erode profits. Similarly, if employees are unionized, they may cause problems to management and reduce its influence. Hence, management must strike a balance between making employees and shareholders happy. Customers are concerned about satisfying their needs and wants. Managing them effectively would require Marks Spencer to improve its product offering to make satisfied customers who make repeat purchases. 6. SWOT ANALYSIS 6.1 (S)trengths Excellent control system for suppliers, inventory and layout of stores. Very high quality products Efficient and modern production techniques Good understanding of its core customer base. 6.2 (W)eaknesses Generic clothing that is often perceived as unfashionable An image of being boring 6.3 (O)pportunities Global expansion Utilizing more overseas suppliers to achieve cost advantage Maximize use of existing technology to obtain competitive advantage 6.4 (T)hreats Competition with premium quality clothing manufacturers Competition with discount stores Economic downturn 7. FUTURE PROSPECTS Marks Spencer is facing a very difficult time. After its successful business turnaround, it is once again facing problems due to the recession. Indeed the next few years may be a very difficult time for the company. Not only is it facing competition from high end retailers but discount stores as well. Meanwhile, the middle class is shrinking and if the company does not take bold steps, it may collapse. To succeed, the company must grow its market share by penetrating new markets or new product lines. 8. CONCLUSION Marks Spencer is a company with a long history of success. To overcome its current difficulties, it must draw on its strengths, overcome its weaknesses and revamp its strategy to stay relevant and competitive.

Database Management System

Database Management System Database for more Complex Information data Aim To review Why OODBMS is the DBMS of Choice for Complex data. Introduction: The aim of this research is to review why Object oriented database system (OODBMS) is the database management system of choice for complex data application OODBMS is a database management system that supports the modelling and creation of data as objects, includes supports for classes of objects, inheritance of class properties, methods by subclasses and their objects. Some Client Server application uses RDBMS for data storage and Object oriented programming language for development. This type of scenario would have performance issues because objects must be mapped to the database tables this is referred to as impedance mismatch. To avoid this object-relational impedance mismatch problems caused by having to map object, it became necessary to have an alterative method of storing and mapping data. Client server application using RDBMS as described above is not a good choice for complex data as such OODBMS provides a better alternative. Origin and History of OODBMS Database Management System (DBMS) is software designed for managing and controlling access to databases. DBMS is â€Å"a shared collection of logically related data (and a description of this data) designed to meet the information needs of an organisation† (Connolly Begg). The first DBMS was introduced in the ‘60s and before this time, data handling was done using file based method. File based method stored data in individual data files with interface between programmes and files. Mapping happens between physical and logical file, where one file correspond to one or more several other programs. Extensive programming in third generation language like Cobol, were used in creating, manipulating and accessing data. There are so many problems with this method of storing data e.g. increased programme maintenance and development time, redundant data, weak security, separation and isolation which means each program maintains its own set of data, users of one program may not be aware of holding or blocking by other programs. As a result of the limitations in File based method a better way of data handling was required which led to the creation of DBMS to address these problems. The need to organise and share data on large sized projects also contributed to the creation of DBMS. DBMS control the organisation and structure of the data storage and is independent of the program that is being used to access the data. Early DBMS systems represent the first generation of DBMS and theses are: Hierarchical design by IBM Information Management System IMS.IMS is still the main hierarchical DBMS used by most large mainframe installations. Network design by General Electric Integrated Data Store (IDS) -CODASYL (Conference on Data Systems Languages) or DBTG Systems The main problems with the Hierarchical and Network designs are that the Systems lack structural independence and are very complex The distinguishing feature of storing data in files and databases is that multiple programs and types of users are able to use the databases. Relational database management system (RDBMS) The term Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) was introduced by Edgar Frank Codd in his paper, â€Å"A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks† which was published in 1970. This paper formalized the basis for a RDBMS. RDBMSs are referred to as the second-generation Database Management systems, and the definition of what constitutes a relational database system with the guideline for the development of RDBMS is in Codds 12 Rules for relational systems published in 1985. RDBMS has three main characteristics which are: Information are held in form of a table, where data are described using values. Data in the table columns should not be repeated. Use of Standard Query Language (SQL). Relational model is the main data model and the foundation for many leading database products that include DB2 from IBM, Informix, Oracle, Sybase, Microsofts Access and SQL Server, and Ingres. The market for RDBMS represent close to a multibillion-dollar. No need for the use of predefined keys to input information in RDBMS which make it more flexible than the first generation DBMS. Also SQL is easy to learn making RDBMS more productive. the main advantage of RDBMSs is the ease with which users can easily create, access and manipulate data if need be. Other benefits of RDBMS are: Multi-threading for users. Asynchronous Input/Output for performance issues. Data Partitioning. Parallel database queries for processing complex query. Scalable architecture. Advanced management tools and security with automatic data logging and recovery Referential Integrity for Data consistency. Transactional management features for database consistency Though RDBMSs has served effectively for number of years, it has certain limitations that were exposed by increasingly demands for complex data types and high performance applications. RDBMS limitations include but not limited to the following: Relational databases are unable to handle complex multimedia data such as images, video and audio clips due to lack of storage capacity. RDBMS support only few simple datatypes, e.g. integer, floating point, character string and date/time. These user-defined datatypes are useful just for defining value domains. Some RDBMS support binary large objects (BLOBs, image, text) which are used as pointers to external storage, these objects are difficult to manage and exchange. Standard SQL is limiting, which made vendor to create specific extensions such as, Sybase Transact-SQL, Oracle SQL*Plus. Also RDBMS do not work efficiently with languages such as Java scripts and C++ which emerged after the RDBMS original development Impedance mismatch: The data type in the database systems is mismatching with the complex data structure created by application. RDBMS also uses mixed different programming paradigms, in which data with different types and locations are handled at the same time. Information in RDBMS are in tables where relationships between the entities are defined by values. Data in RDBMS cannot represent Real World Entities; normalization leads to relations that do not correspond to object in the real world Because of the above limitations and the challenges of Complex data applications, Internet and the Web usage, Object-oriented databases management system (OODBMS) was introduced in the 1980s. OODBMS offer extensible and controlled data management services, consistency, data independent and secure environment, to object-oriented model. OODBMS handle big and complex information systems that RDBMS was unable to handle. RDBMS has been very successful with huge investments in its development by many big database vendors. RDBMS has many loyal customer base in the corporate relational databases community and a large Industry based on RDBMS applications and systems development. Because of this, major RDBMS vendors (Oracle, IBM, and Informix) came up with another DBMS called Object Related Database Management System (ORDBMS) to allow organisations to run legacy systems and new Object Oriented based systems in parallel, and gradually migrates to the new ORDBMS technology as its benefits become more apparent Thus RDBMS vendors developed ORDBMS as a way to meet the challenges of the traditional RDBMSs and as a future proof for corporate investment. However ORDBMS still fail to hide the inherent mismatch between relational and object oriented database models. Object oriented database system (OODBMS) have their origin in Object Oriented Programming Languages (OOPL). OODBMS started as a research in the mid ‘70s, the research is based on having a real database management support for graph-structured objects. Around this time also, several shortcomings of RDBMS were highlighted within the database community and It was also acknowledge that OOPL had very strong advantages over the non-OOPL for many programming applications. Some of the advantages are: Strong encapsulations which make it easier to program large and complex applications Inheritance features, which enable code reuse. Application programmers also want to make object persistent that is object lifespan should extend beyond single program execution One of the early researches project on OODBMS was the ORION Research Project in the early 1980, which was conducted by Won Kim at the Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation (MCC). Two products were developed from the research, the ITASCA that is no longer in existence and the Versant OODBMS. Some other OODBMS commercial products are Gemstone that was known before as Servio Logic, Gbase (Graphael) and Vbase (Ontologic) In the early ‘90s addition products entered the market, some of these are: Objectivity/DB (Objectivity, Inc) ObjectStore (Progress Software, as acquisition from excelon which was originally Object Design) O2 snd Versant Object database (Versant Corporation) ONTOS (Ontos Inc formally Ontologic) ITASCA Jasmine (Fujitsu, marketed by Computer Associates) Some of these products are still available in the market with the introduction of new commercial Open source products in early 2004 e.g InterSystems , Ozone, Zope , FramerD and XL2. The open source products are gaining high recognition in the markets. The concepts of persistence to object programming language have been added to OODBMS. Early commercial products were integrated with programming languages e.g. Gemstone uses Smalltalk, Gbase uses LSIP and Vbase uses COP. C++ is the dominant language during the early 90s for OODBMS markets. Java and C# were introduce by vendors in the late 90s. The open source object databases are entirely written in Object Oriented Programme languages like Java or C#, e.g. db4objects (db4o) and Perst (McObject). Chris Muller has also recently created another open source Object database called Magma (Written in Squeak). Open Source products are reasonably affordable and easy to use and this opes the second growth period for Object database. Manifestos â€Å"The Object Oriented Database Manifesto† by Atkinson et al, 1989 listed the mandatory features that a system needs before it can be known as an OODBMS. Object oriented database manifesto abandons the relational model design by determining the basic rules of object database systems. The characteristics of the object DBMS is grouped into three by the Manifesto. Mandatory: Encapsulation, Object identity, types/classes, complex objects, overriding combined with late binding, inheritance, extensibility, persistence, computational completeness, concurrency, ad hoc query , secondary storage management and recovery facilities.. Open: this is decided on by the designer and include the representation of system, uniformity of type system and the programming paradigm Optional: includes multiple inheritance, type checking, inferring, distributions, versions and design transactions The OODBMS manifesto was unacceptable by some relational database professional, so another competitive manifestos was introduced â€Å"The Third-generation System Manifesto† by Stonebraker et al 1990.This manifesto retain all features of relational Database System that are practically proven (e.g. SQL) and augment the old features with new ones, e.g. the object-oriented concepts. â€Å"The Third Manifesto† which is written by Darwen and Date 1995 rejected both the object-oriented ideas and SQL which according to them defeat the relational models ideas, and to return to the genuine relational model and Codds 12 rule. The document produced for this manifesto is very controversial, from the current way software engineering and query/programming languages are done now. The arguments presented in this manifesto are more ideological rather than technical and this make the manifesto very difficult to be accepted by many databases professional. The newest version of the manifesto (2006) still retains these ideological assertions. Object-Oriented Database Management System Development review OODBMS stores Objects rather than data such as Integers, strings and real numbers, Objects consists of Attributes and Methods Attributes: They are data that defines the characteristics of an object. This data may be integers, strings and real number, or the data may be a reference to a complex object. Methods: This defines the behaviour of an object and methods are procedures or functions. The introduction of OODBMS was to reduce impedance mismatch between programming languages and database management system, to offer performance advantages and to provide clear support for complex user defined type including the ability to call, store and query complex object directly The developments of OODBMS support the modelling and creation of data as objects, extends programming languages with capabilities like data recovery, concurrency control, persistent and other relational capabilities. OODBMS are used when there is a need for good performance processing on complex applications because it takes a revolutionary approach to database management. OODBMS do not use table to store data, data are stored in objects and it handles concurrent access and provides a persistent store for objects in a multi-user client/server environment. OODBMS uses class definitions and traditional Object Oriented languages such as, C++ and Smalltalk for defining and accessing data instead of using separate language like SQL in defining, manipulating and retrieving data. OODBMS can be viewed as an extension of the OO language, providing direct integration to database capabilities. Object-Oriented database development initially focuses only on application that manages complex information like the Computer Aided Software Engineering, Aided Manufacturing (CAM) and Computer Aided design (CAD) applications. Other applications where object-oriented database technologies are now being used include: Telecommunications applications Hospital applications Finance institutions Multimedia applications Document/quality management OODBMS development enforces object oriented programming concepts such as data encapsulation, polymorphism, object Identity, inheritance as well as database transaction management concepts e.g the ACID PROPERTIES (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation and Durability) which improve the integrity of the system.. OODBMS also support secondary storage management systems with ad hoc query languages , these permits the management of very large data. The inclusion of data definition within operations definitions in Object Oriented Database Management System has the following advantages: The defined operations are not dependent on the database application running at the moment and they apply ubiquitously. Inheritance allows the development of solutions for complex problems incrementally, and this is achieved by defining new objects in terms of the previously defined objects. Extension of Datatypes to support complex data such as multi-media, this is done by defining new object classes which have operations to support the new kinds of information. Object identity (OID) enables objects to be independent of each other in the database. Data encapsulation, this allows the internal state of the object to be hidden. Objects that are encapsulated are the ones that can only be assessed by their methods instead of their internal states. There are three types of encapsulated objects: Full encapsulation, here all the operations on objects are performed through message sending and by the execution of method. Write encapsulation, here the internal state of the object is allowed for reading operations only. Partial encapsulations, this allows direct access to reading and writing to some part of the internal state Another distinguishing characteristic of objects is that they have an identity that is independent of the state of the object. For example, if one has a car object and we remodel the car and change its appearance, the brake and the tires so that it looks entirely different, it would still be recognized as the same object we had originally before the changes were applied. Object-identity allows objects to be related as well as shared within a distributed computing network. All of these advantages come together to provide significant help to database application developers making development easier. The advantages also allow object-oriented databases development to solve information management problems that are characterized by the need to manage: A large number of different data types, A large number of relationships between the objects, and Objects with complex behaviours. An application development where this kind of complexity exists includes engineering, manufacturing, simulations, office automation and large information systems. Currently there is no widely agreed standard for what constitutes an OODBMS and no standard query language for OODBMS that is equivalent to what SQL is to the RDBMS. The Object Data Management Group (ODMG) a consortium of Object-Oriented Database Management System (ODBMS) vendors and interested parties working on standards to allow the portability of customer software across ODBMS products and to create a standardized Object Query Language (OQL) and object definition language (ODL). The work of ODMG on object data management standards completed in 2001 and the group was disbanded. The final release of the ODMG standard is: Object Database Standard (ODMG-3.0). Because the ODMG group was dissolved in 2001and this made the standardization of Object database languished. Another group was formed in 2005 called the OMG,s Object Database Technology Working group (ODBTWG) which is now working on a new standard to reflect recent changes in OODBMS technology. The main features of an OODBMS development is the way in which object is access in a transparent way such that interaction with persistent objects is the same as interacting with in memory objects. RDBMSs require the use of interaction through a query sub-language like SQL and the use of ODBC, ADO or JDBC. All this is unnecessary with OODBMS. In OODBMS when a request is made for an object in the database, the object is transferred into the applications cache where it is either used as a temporary value that is detached from the main version in the database so any updates to the cached object will not affect the object in the database. Object can also be used as the exact copy of the version in the database, so here any updates to the object are shown in the database and any changes to object in the database means the object has to be retrieved again from the OODBMS. There are a number of implementation of OODBMS with both research and commercial application. Each implementation is different based on the Object oriented languages, which form their origin. Some of these developments are discussed below: Gemstone: This was mainly based on smalltalk and its data definition and manipulation language is called opal. Gemstone do not provide all of most of the object-oriented features, it does not provide multiple inheritance. Iris: This is a research prototype, with the purpose if meeting the needs of applications like CASE tools, CAD etc. (Fisman et al (1987). It is designed to be accessible from any number of programming languages VBase: This is commercially available and is built with a schema definition language concept when objects are defined as data types. The main purposed of Vbase is to combine the procedural language with persistent object support, it also has the strong typing inherent in object systems for both language and database. O2: This is based on the framework of a set and tuple data model. It is designed with the purposed of integrating database technology with the object- oriented approach, for an all in one system. (Lecluse , et al 1988) Most of the OODBMS development discussed, tried to meet object orientation approach in someway, they do this by implementing various OODBMS features. There are major differences in the physical implementation of each model as well as the number of features implemented. Two Examples of companies using OODBMS are: British Telecominication uses Versant Mclaren develop the Formula one racing car uses Jasmine OODBMS Comparison criteria between RDBMS and OODBMS including the pros and cons. RDBMS and OODBMS differ in many ways example is in application domain, performance, usage, current market demand and support from vendors. RDBMS and OODBMS comparisons are done to get a better understanding for how the two databases differ and why OODBMS is better for large complex applications. A significant difference between object-oriented databases and relational databases is that object-oriented databases represent relationships explicitly, supporting both navigational and associative access to information data. As the complexity of the interrelation between database information increases, so is the advantage of representing relationships explicitly increase too. Explicit relationships usage also improves data access performance over relational value-based applications. Support for Object Oriented Programming Language (OOPL): Object Oriented Programming is not ideal for RDBMS, programmers spend most of the of coding time mapping the program object to the database In OODBMS, programming is direct and extensive, OOPL are designed to allow an application developer to create a complex sequence of instructions with less difficulty Standards: The defined standard for RDBMS is SQL, with main elements being DDL, DML DCL. The current version of the standard is SQL 3, SQL 3 defines the new features used in ORDBMS. ODMG is the group that maintains the standards for OODBMS the main components of standard being ODL and OQL. Most recent version of this standard is ODMG-3.0 and there are no new standard yet to reflect the advances in OODBMS technology. Product Maturity: RDBMS is a second generation and in a much matured stage. RDBMSs have good implementation with many support services such as the tool support for reporting, data transformations, OLAP tools etc. RDBMS is available from many vendors; this made it an obvious choice for most of the users. OODBMS is the 3rd generation DBMS making it relatively new, it emerged after the RDBMS, new ODMG standard still not in the final stage. Some implementations are available but still do not fully support all the features. Simplicity of use: The table structure in RDBMS is very easy to understand by user and also RDBMS has many end-user tools. OODBMS is mainly for developers, not many end user tools are available for object database products but this is hopefully expected to improve over time. Versioning of Data: Versioning of data is not supported by RDBMS but the user using multiple records with some of the attributes describing the versioning information can implement this feature. Versioning are defined by the user Versioning is supported naturally by OODBMS this is to maintain multiple versions of the data objects Complex data relationships: RDBMS provides basic relational tables, user-defined sets of records with system-defined domains, in addition to more high-level types defined in application. OODBMS has the same type system for system-defined and user-defined types. It is open-ended. Performance: OODBMS performed better than RDBMS based on the Object Operations version OO1 benchmark that was done on the OODBMS software (GemStone, Objectivit0079/DB, Ontos, Objectstore) and RDBMSs (Ingres and Sybase) in 1989 and 1990. Object in OODBMS is a better model of the real world entity than the relational rows in regards to complex applications. OODBMS outperform RDBMS when it comes to handling complex and interrelated data. Also the lack of impedance mismatch in OODBMS means they provide significantly better performance than RDBMS. Impedance mismatch require the mapping of one data structure i.e. tables to another data structure i.e. objects and this slows down performance on in RDBMs. Also the client catching features in OODBMS improve performance and also no joins are required in OODBMS Application Domain: RDBMS is used for large administrative systems, with many instances of simple data types; it can only handle short transactions and few data at a time. OODBMS is for design applications, with many and complex object oriented data types, handles long transactions and large client data. Semantic Gap (DDL/DML Vs. PL): RDBMS offers relational tables in some DDL and a standardized DML with client/server support and with embedded SQL in many Programming languages(PL). SQL is not computationally complete. Applications may have further, often high-level types and special storage structures expressed in some PL. In OODBMS, same OBJECT-ORIENTED PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES like C++ and small talk is used for both client and server. It does accommodate only object-oriented languages and does not accommodate cobol. The database PL is computationally complete. Query Optimization: This is very strong in RDBMS because of the restricted set of data type. OODBMS has poor query optimization because of the complex data structure Primary Keys: In RDBMS rows are uniquely identifying based on the value and also no two records can have the same primary key values this is to avoid error conditions. In an OODBMS, Object Identifiers (OID) which are system generated are used to uniquely identify an object and this is done behind the scenes and this is completely invisible to the user. With this feature in OODBMS there is no limitation on the value that can be stored in an object, thus increasing the efficiency of the database. Vendors Support : RDBMS is highly successful because of the large market size but most of the vendors of RDBMS are adding the capabilities of Object oriented to their applications so they are moving towards ORDBMS. OODBMS are targeting niche market because they lack of support from Vendors. This is due to the fact that the market for RDBMS is very large and it is difficult for vendors to move away from legacy systems that are mostly based on RDBMS. OODBMS Functionality and performance review: Complex process integration among companies is the driving force for adopting OODBMS. The capabilities of Objected-oriented programming language are integrated to the technology of DBMS in OODBMS. Designs of Object database are quite different because object database design is the essential part of the overall application design process. In OODBMS the Object classes used is the same as the classes used by the programming language. Data are stored in tables with columns and rows in relational databases i.e. data are represented in two-dimensional view. This is effective for applications that are simple, straightforward system, possessing low volume. RDBMS is good for application with simple relationships between data. Relational database technology failed to handle the needs of complex information systems because it requires the developer to force an information model into tables where relationships between entities are defined by values and, Relational database requires translation of sub-language like SQL and call interface like JDBC/ODBC. All these slows down the RDBMS data performance Support of abstract object interfaces is actively provided by OODBMS. It manages types, classes and methods, including the execution of methods. Data can be represented in more than two-dimensional view and relationships between data are represented explicitly which improve data access performance The basic functionality of relational database management systems is combined with new functionality of Object oriented in OODBMS. The basic functionalities are: Persistence Transaction Management and Concurrency control Security Recovery Data Access performance Query. Persistence: This is the ability of an object to be stored on a permanent medium and can survive program termination or shutdown. i.e. it can survive the duration of the OS process in which it resides. Persistence data to survive transaction updates they have to be stored outside transaction context. The addition of persistent to objects is essential to making OODBMS applications useful in practice this because most applications need to handle persistent data. Persistence is dealt with in OODBMS by the addition of persistence to object programming language like C++, Smalltalk and Java. OODBMS support persistent objects from data distribution, programming languages, transaction model, versions, schema evolution and generation of new types. Another way OODBMS offer persistence is through Inheriting from a common class. Transaction Management and Concurrency control: The use some form of versioning systems is the means of managing updates to multiple data at the same time in OODBMS, without any interference from one another. OODBMS products allow the objects to remain in the client cache after committing a transaction this is done so that the application is able to reference it again soon. This feature increase performance with the way data are stored and retrieved from the database. Concurrency control enables users to see the same view of object data in OODBMS. This allows a lot of reads and writes operations to go on in parallel while ensuring that the data is in consistent and good state. Security: Secure OODBMSs have certain characteristics that make them unique. The concepts of encapsulation, inheritance, information hiding, methods, and the ability to model real-world entities in object oriented environment provide security model in OODBMS. OODBMS may encapsulate a series of basic access commands into a method and make it public for users, while keeping basic commands themselves away from users. Little work has been done in OODBMS application to add security mechanism against malicious misuse of data. Recovery: Recovery features in OODBMS allow a consistent state of the database to be reinstated after a system crash or failure. This is done by either by rolling back the uncommitted transaction or rolling forward of transactions that has been committed but not completely flushed to disk. Data Access performance

Internet - We Must Put an End to Virtual Rape :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

We Must Put an End to Virtual Rape "Any unwanted sexual act is a crime of violence" (Victims Information, 1998). Do you believe that? When referring that quote to rape, it almost sounds like a broad definition of it. But what about virtual rape? Does an unwanted sexual encounter on computers also count for a crime of violence? This is an important question for our society today to address for the simple fact that technology is the wave of our future and as our world becomes increasingly intertwined with the virtual world, we need to be prepared for the problems that our new virtual world might present. For me, as for many others, rape is definitely a much more serious and dangerous encounter than virtual rape. But all the same, virtual rape should not be dismissed for the effects it has on the people involved. I am going to present to you three main points. First, I'm going to define virtual rape by taking you through one of the most well known cases that actually occurred in the virtual world. Second, I w ill define rape in our world. Third and finally, I will take you through some of the different issues that are brought up while discussing virtual rape versus real rape. We'll start off with my first point of what is virtual rape? "They say he raped them that night" (Vitanza, 448) is the beginning of an intriguing story, A Rape in Cyberspace, in which the author, Julian Dibbell, answers that very question. With the horrifying tale of Mr. Bungle and his victims, legba and Starsinger, Dibbell reiterates the events that took place on the LambdaMOO on that Monday night in March. The LambdaMOO is a MUD, which is short for "multi-user dungeons." According to a journal article in Maclean's, "MUDs are virtual communities, little universes that exist only on the Internet. Users from around the world can access the host program, which allows them to assume an identity and develop an alternative self" (Chidley, 51). With the LambdaMOO defined, let's look more closely at the virtual rape Mr. Bungle committed on legba and Starsinger that took place there. Mr. Bungle, Starsinger and legba are persona's of the people who created them for the use of virt ual portrayal while logged on at the LambdaMOO.

Chushingura :: essays research papers

In the play Chushingura, retainers have the highest respect for their masters. Retainers in this play will fight to the death to honor their masters. Loyalty is expected of each retainer even if the samurai must disturb public order to honor their master’s name. Enya’s retainers stay loyal to him even after his death. Forty-seven men swore to revenge their master’s death, risking their lives and disturbing public order. Even when a retainer fails his duty, he will seppuku so to die honorable for his failure. For example, Kampei believes he has shot his father in law because of the bag of gold the mistress described that Yoichibei was carrying. In reality Kamei shot Yoichibei’s killer, but ironically Kampei believes he has shot Yoichibei himself. Kampei seppuku’s for a horrible crime that he unknowingly didn’t commit because it was so dishonorable to him. Suicide was his only way to die with any honor. Kampei portrayed so much loyalty for his family that when he believes he has failed, he commits suicide. Kampei is allowed to join the attack on Moronao after the retainers see his loyalty to his family. Enya, on his deathbed, tells Yuranosuke to avenge his death. Now it is Yuranosuke’s duty to ful fill his master’s request. Enya’s loyal retainers form a group of forty-seven men and conspire to kill Moronao to honor their master. The retainers wear black and white coats that symbolize unfailing loyalty when they invade Moronao’s compound and behead him. Samurai’s have a duty to be loyal and fulfill the request of his master. Justice is a theme that the play implies about the samurai. Throughout the play Moronao insulted people, so in the ending, Enya’s retainers serve justice. For example, Moronao insults Wakasanosuke because lady Kaoyo turns him down. Wakasanosuke plans to kill him and is ready to

How do the later war poets differ in their treatment of war Essay

How do the later war poets differ in their treatment of war from early war poets? World War I was noticeable for the vast amounts of poetry that was produced from many of the soldiers. The poets wrote vastly over the years 1914-1918 and they all expressed many different opinions. It was a way of getting their views across to other people. Some of the poems even made aware of the fact and the true horror of the war. During the first half of World War I, the poems that were produced had a very patriotic and glorious view to them. As the war progressed, the poems became more bitter as the true extent of what was really going on, was unveiled. Some of the poets we will be looking at include Wilfred Owen and Laurence Binyon. For early war poetry, we have studied four poems. These are: 'The Soldier', 'Rendezvous', 'For the Fallen', and 'Fall-In'. The poets who wrote these poems are: Laurence Binyon, Rupert Brooke, Alan Seeger and Harold Begbie. These poems in general, had a very glorious, patriotic feel to them. Because the war had just started, people did not know what the war was going to be like. Nor did they no how many people would be killed. These poems were used as propaganda by the government so that many young men would enrole for the army. 'For the Fallen' is an elegy. Being an elegy during the war, you might have been mistaken for thinking that it is not a very glorious poem. But this poem celebrates the death of the soldiers and is celebrating the work that they have done for their country. This poem gives a personification of England and describes the soldiers when they were young. This poem constantly uses alliteration throughout. 'They fell with their faces to the foe' is a good example. Th... ...Hero' is a poem about a mother receiving the bad news that her son is dead. This poem has an AABBBCCDEDEFF rhyme scheme. In the second verse, the rhyme scheme has changed. This is because Sasson wanted a change of meaning in the poem. 'Suicide in the Trenches' has a regular and constant rhyme scheme. Every two lines are a rhyming couplet. This keeps the flow of the poem constant. It is criticizing the British public who cheer for the soldiers, just as they are about to go to war, but the public themselves, do not know what the soldiers are about to face. It is a very bitter poem. 'They' is another very bitter poem written by Sasson. This time, Sasson is criticizing the church for making the war sound like a crusade. The poem uses a rhyme scheme of ABABCCDEDEFF. It has two versus and both end in a rhyming couplet. This is used for impact and emphasis.

Hotel Management: Quality, Speed, Dependability, Flexibility, and Cost Essay

(a) make sure that the way he manages the hotel is appropriate to the way it competes for business; 1. Training and development of staff 2. Planning & Staffing 3. Marketing & Service innovations 4. Operations and management improvement 5. Welfare and motivation to employees (b) implement any change in strategy; (10 marks) (c) develop his operation so that it drives the long-term strategy of the hotel. (10 marks) 2. What questions might Wernie ask to judge whether his operation is a Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, or Stage 4 operations on Hayes and Wheelwright’s scale of excellence? (20 marks) 3. The case describes how quality, speed, dependability, flexibility and cost impact on the hotel’s external customers. Explain how each of these performance objectives might have internal benefits. (50 marks) Speed Speed means do thing fast. Speed means fast response to requirements of external customers or new conditions, speedy decision making and speedy movement of materials and information inside the operation. It’s benefit are: 1. Speed reduces inventories – reducing i inventories mean increasing the utilization of rooms and restaurant, that fast cleaning and preparing the available rooms and dinner tables for external customers adds revenue for organization, and improving the efficient of working. 2. Speed adds flexibility – fast response adds the capability for operations to the flexibility dealing with urgent things. 3. Speed adds dependability – fast delivering for the latest information among other department of operations, such as the newest customer entrance information, available room information, adds the dependability for each internal operation’s coordination and communication. Dependability Dependability means do things on time. Dependability means well management and coordination with each operation ensuring other process. are reliable, such as delivering right material or information on time, correct foreseeing and planning the facilities, reorder and workforce. It leads to more effective operation. It effectively arranging the facilities, information, material, workforce, money and time to ensure all of them can be available at any time, saves the time to wait or to look for the other substitutes. Dependability arrangement reduces the chance of repeating input resources or some resources leaving unused increasing the cost of maintain or store fee, or labor cost. Flexibility Flexibility means change what you do. It means according different requirements or things to fast handle with, making change or decisions , flexibility arranging and coordinating operations’ work. 1. Flexibility saves resources – can prevent unnecessarily repeating planning, spending, and using resources such as time, money, workforce, to follow the traditional ways to do things done. 2. Flexibility increase speed of response – being able to give fast service for customers depends on the operation being flexible. Flexible operations speedily transfer extra skilled staff and equipment to the urgent conditions and emergencies will provide the service with other customer’s needs. Quality Quality means ‘doing things right’. For Mutiara, quality means consistently producing impeccable services, using top-class and durable materials to create the right impression and environment, and anticipating and preventing all potential problems in advance. It is benefit to make life easier inside the operation. 1. Good quality leads to stable and efficient processes that less mistake, easy for coordination for matching the standard of processes, dependable and advance equipments and tools to use adds dependability for internal customer. 2. It reduces cost for Mutiara due to it is fewer the chance to make mistakes. Redoing or correcting mistakes, or to reducing confusion or irritation for each people; second, it also reduces the labor cost. Dispelling some serious troubles or problem always needs more staff or more time to do it, thus, it results in the labor cost added, such as part-time salary, overtime compensation. The more minimizing mistakes, the more minimize the excess labor costs to pay for doing excess works; third, less mistake and using top-class and durable materials also result in saving expenditures such as maintaining fee, cost of materials resulted by mistakes, transporting fees, and other excess expenditures.