Monday, September 30, 2019

The American Health Information Management Association

The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) is an association of Health Information Management professionals whose mission is to be â€Å"the professional community that improves healthcare by advancing best practices and standards for health information management and the trusted sourced for education, research and professional credentialing† (http://www.ahima.org/about/mission.asp).The association provides its members educational training and certifications to better equip them for their roles as Health Information Management (HIM) professionals who occupy a number of roles from implementing electronic health records, clinical coding systems, and improving the quality of information (http://www.ahima.org/about/history.asp, http://www.ahima.org/membership/MemberEmployerFlyer.pdf).HIM professionals would find membership in this association an investment because it provides their members opportunities for continuing education keeping them at par with the late st developments of the health information management industry.The association also trains their members to endow upon them the skills crucial in the members’ development such as leadership and professional synergy (http://www.ahima.org/membership/ MemberEmployerFlyer.pdf).The information on this website, especially the opportunities for continuing education would greatly help me in my career as a health information manager.The knowledge I would be able to gain from the training and resource materials accessible only to members would make me a formidable candidate when I apply in a corporation.   Also, the certifications that I complete through them would open other career opportunities for me which would not have otherwise been available.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Home Away From Home

Each small step it took to move into my new home meant bigger and brighter responsibilities. From the drive down to IPFW to when I laid my head down to sleep was a positive moment that changed my life. This transition was the beginning of a new chapter in my life that I was proud to accomplish. Getting to this stage in my life I have yet to step foot in what was in store for my future. The morning of August 19th only a yawn away, anxiety ran through my body like a strike of lightening. I was feeling so many emotions I was not sure how to express how excited I was to be moving into an entirely new environment. As I prepared for the big move I also felt a sense of sadness in the air, here I was my mother’s only girl leaving off for college. While reviewing my old room checking just to see if everything was set I found myself sitting on the corner of the sheet less bed reminiscing on the good and bad memorize I held behind the walls of this house. I found it ironic that even though this place was so hard to forget it was easy to let go. As the road trip begun I realized that this was it, and there was no turning back. Everyone was saying their goodbyes even though they realize that it was not forever. The van was packed to its maximum, and the ride was roughly two hours away. I had to cease the moment and go to sleep or at least attempt to get some rest. I sat and watched cars pass by and I felt the stretch of distance from home I was becoming, I wondered if any of the cars I saw were headed to the same place as I was. I can honestly say that this day did not go according to plan. There was an issue that occurred of whether or not I was staying in my assigned room or moving into another, so part of the day was a little stressful. At the same time I could not let it get to me and effect what I had to get accomplished for the remainder of the day. In the mist of all that commotion I realize that life is full of obstacles waiting to hit you as soon as you turn the page of a chapter in your life. It is up to you if you allow something to hinder your goals and success. Entering the home of IPFW I was waiting to feel welcomed, like I was home again, but deep down I knew that it was not time to feel at home when I did not have the keys to my room. All kinds of thoughts began to run through my head because in a matter of hours I would be on my own to take care of myself. During the next couple hours I started to feel independent because I had keys to my dorm. As I walked up to the door my mom had a video camera watching me put in my key for the first time. It tickled me a little to know that this moment was just as big to her as it was to me. We began to bring in my belongings, boxes already labeled to where they belonged. I was so thankful to have some of my family there to help me unpack and it gave us more time to spend with each other before they left on their journey back to South Bend. The more it became closer for me to be alone the more I thought about how I never had this much responsibility handed to me at one time. At this time I began to feel overwhelmed, but I did not panic and become all worked up about the situation. There was no room for mistakes, even though I truly knew that I was going to make a lot of them. Getting to know a place was another task that would add on my experience. Later on we took a small trip to do some more last minute shopping for food. As the times go by, I realize that in a matter of time there will be no more running to my parents for help; because there was only me. I knew that from here on out that I had to build myself confidence and take on my own responsibilities. At this moment I am still absorbing the fact that I am going to be on my own. As the seconds go by I am becoming more comfortable with the fact that I have me, myself, and I to depend on for the rest of my life starting when my family walk out the doors of my dorm room. When I was here alone finishing up the last touches of my room and new home, I waited for my roommate to arrive. I was very glad that I knew her previous to coming down to Fort Wayne. As soon as we both ended our goodbyes with our families we just took a second to soak in our new life. I realize that soon the weekend would come to an end and class would begin, all fun and games will have to be set aside. Before I could do that, for one small moment I had to just prance around and jump on my bed. I did not really have a valid reason to why, but I felt the urge to express myself in a goofy manner. Once again I found myself sitting on the corner of the bed thinking about the future this time, and what it took for me to get there. This moment that lasted throughout the course of the day was a step that I was ready to take, but yet not sure where it would take me. Starting from that day my life would never be the same. Each day was all about survival on my own. I knew in order from me to make it through college I had to become socially active with my peers and life around campus. I take this moment and look at the negative and turn it into a positive because without negativity I do not think that we would able to appreciate the values of positivity. From that period on I have to rely on myself to fix my next meal, wake myself and be prepared for my next class. There is no room for dwelling on the past and wishing for what i do not have because it is not going to help me when it is not present. This moment set me up for a new beginning of my life and career. Decisions waiting to be made of the unknown. From this point I was an independent adult and no longer living under rules that I had to ask permission. The way I see it is I am free! When the day was finally complete I rested my head on the pillow and prepare for the following day. This moment help me become the person that I am today, someone that is driven to improve my abilities to better my skills and accomplish way more then what my eyes can envision.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Leadership In Action

A.   IntroductionThe paper to be shown herein particularly highlights the leadership skills of an IT Operation’s Team Chief in a Call Center Agency.   Call Centers are primarily known for assisting clients in facing troubleshooting issues with the client’s computer-operating procedures. Through a phone call from the client, the agents are able to connect themselves with the problem and thus be able to solve the issue though instructional details given over the phone towards the clients.The work of Call Center agents is most likely ranging from 24/7. This means that the shifting of schedules are reshuffled every now and then for the agents to be able to meet the 24-hour operation of the company. Indeed, seeing this situation, it could not be denied that this type of organization certainly needs an enthusiastic set of managers who are supposed to lead the tea, in getting the best results of the company while giving the clients the best service that they ought to recei ve.   In this particular manner, the author of this interview report decided to talk to one of the managers of the said Call Center Agency so as to be able to look deeper on how managers of the said type of organizations keep up with the challenges of meeting the different responsibilities left in their care which includes keeping up with business competition and empowering the workers in giving a quality performance for the entire organization.B.    Manager’s Basic InformationsFor the sake of privacy purposes, the manager noted here in would be referred to as â€Å"Mr. Team Chief†. The said individual agreed with the said title to be used in behalf of his identity to be able to cover his true name. He is among the ten other team chief managers of the IT operations management team. Like the others, he is assigned to a certain pool of agents whom he has to work with everyday. For at least two months, they are given the chance to empower a certain group, then after w hich they are transferred to other groups for the sake of establishing camaraderie among all the workers and inciting better motivational procedures to all the employees. (Goleman, 2000)Each pool of agents consists of at least 15 members each. The organization gives incentive to the agents who are able to reach an 80% performance level with the calls that he or she assists each wee. It is then the responsibility of the Operational Management’s Team Chief to help the employees reach this particular goal. Through assisting them with the difficulties of answering some of the most technical questions, the manager is able to give them the support that they need at work. However, the responsibility of a Team Chief does not end there. Aside from particularly supporting the team, he is also responsible for motivating them in a way that although the work id quite tiring, the agents would feel that what they are working for is all worth the efforts. Facing the different conflicts that the employees engage with every now and then is also left in the care of the team chief to resolve.C.   Organizational Behavior Management SectionIt has been mentioned earlier that the manager interviewed herein is held responsible for motivating, assisting and disciplining at least 15 call canter agents left in his care every time he goes to work. Not to mention that his job also requires him to possess a certain amount of considerable knowledge about IT operations, he also is accountable for having and applying sound judgment when several difficult situations arise. TO breakdown the topics on management that have been discussed by the author of this report with the manager, the following subtitles shall separate the issues basing from their impact on human behavior management procedures:People MotivationIt is the company’s protocol to reward a call center agent who was able to reach at least 80% satisfaction on the calls that he or she received in a week. It is then the r esponsibility of the team chief to assist others in reaching that particular goal. To be able to do so, â€Å"Mr. Team Chief† said that he opt to have empowering meetings 15 minutes before each shift. Once he is on the floor, he makes it a point that he is not just staying in his sit but instead he roams around the work areas of his team and sees to it that they are simply doing the right thing, Once a successful call has been delivered by an agent, he never forgets to acknowledge them and give them commendation. He added that in this job, he learned that making the people feel that they are of great worth to the company and the hard work that they put forward for the organization is given high regard is much better than motivating them in terms of monetary allowances.Punishment and PoliciesSince the shift of the agents is reshuffled every now and then, the organization allows at least a lee-way of three minute on floor preparation before the actual job. This means that the t ime listed on the schedule sheet given to the agents are at least three minutes earlier than the actual hour of operation. Hence, there is no excuse for being late. However, there are at times those agents who simply cannot arrive early because of some circumstances. Hence, what he does is to allow them three times of being late then on the fourth, they are held form work for at least an hour away from their schedule, this way they would not be paid for the first hour of their job even though they would work. This is just among the policies that â€Å"Mr. Team Chief† deals with. He usually deals with this particular problem making it one of the most overused policies in his team.Decision MakingThe usual; decision made by Mr. Team Chief is naturally on the track of whether to consider a call successful or not. The 80% satisfaction in the customer service given by the agents to their clients is scaled by the managers themselves. There is not a machine-based program that determi nes this particular progressive report. Hence, it is in their discretion if they are to flag a certain call successful or a failure. This then subjects them to being highly objective, not being influenced by favoritism and is completely guided by the essence of professionalism in their job. (Collins, 2001).Facing ConflictsAt some point, the employees get stuck with conflicts with each other, particularly because of their individual dispositions at work. Form this particular perspective, Mr. Team Chief tries it so hard to become much objective in listening to the disputes of the employees while trying to assess the roots of the problem. Once the root of the dispute has been resolved, the manager tries to fix the issue through helping the employees see the situation in each other’s perspectives, putting each other in other’s shoe on the aim of helping them see the situation in the implication of values depending on the personality of each employee. (Gottee, 2000)Pursuing the Breaking Ground for TeamworkIt is very important to work as one towards one [particular goal for this type of organization. This is the reason why for the manager, it is important to understand what is it that actually empowers his people to work on their performance in giving their job the best shot that they could provide the clients and the organization as well.   (Brown, 2002)The Implication of Leadership PrinciplesIn the book Spiritual Dimension of Leadership, the authors of the said reading material deliver their points of views on how to develop the intellectual insight regarding and spiritual beliefs. Based on the achievements of the authors Dr Paul D Houston and Dr Stephen L Sokolow, their main points are to express by public education the true meaning of faith in leadership and how to become a more enlightened leader, by having a common purpose and common vision. Through the said book, they discussed their hopes and dreams for themselves as well as for the public ed ucation, for the different leaders and for the world.Their major goal is to build a strong public education that will help the children to easily enhance their skills, and to support the needs of the students primarily with regards the moral and spiritual values. Thru public education, the different kinds of beliefs can easily be discussed in formal and legal ways, and public education is the best opportunity to build different essential concepts that will connect the people within the human society. Another goal that these two authors frequently develop is the â€Å"Dimension of Leadership†, though leadership is a great privilege to a person who has the chance in having the skills needed for it, the authors define the exact value of what are the valuable insights that a perfect leader should have. Also the responsibilities of the leader, which should always be his major priority for the benefits of his community; this will lead to a wellness and successful organization in th e society that he serves. Wise leadership in spiritual, moral, and educational program is one of the major keys in a certain country’s future success; it is the best way to create a fruitful result that can give hope to the citizens of a particular society.Moreover, in order to build and have better leadership status in the future, the authors of book entitled â€Å"Spiritual Dimension of Leadership† provide some important guidelines that will fit to the prospective leaders. They offer the eight key principles that can lead to a prospective leader to become a valuable and enlightened leader, it is important to discussed this eight key principle in order to understand and enlightened the important point of views on how to become a better leader and spiritual adviser to the societies and communities. These are the following guidelines that a prospective leader should have to seriously apply and understand carefully in order to empower his leadership.Intention- In leaders hip it is important to know what is the real intention of the leader in his activities and programs, because all the related activities that are usually directed by the leader and provided by the members will always reflect his physical and moral values.Attention- A true leader must always visualize the needs and benefits of his team; in order to develop a progressive idea the leader should always give his full attention to the programs and activities that are very beneficial to the community.Unique Gifts and Talents- Special skills and talents are God given gifts to every individual; it is also temporarily stored to human body, by building and developing a set of better programs and activities, leaders are extending their best to use their skills and intellectual thinking to provide a humanistic and unbiased leadership to his community.Gratitude- Leadership is not all about the giving of commands and duties, in order to achieve the main goal; an acting leader should have an interpe rsonal emotion, greater acceptance, and dipper appreciation for handling a serious obligation, also by receiving a lively sense of favors grateful acceptance is also required in order to have a better leadership practice application.Unique life lessons- Though leadership is always creating some comparisons, developing uniqueness is a big factor to create a better relationship towards other members, by using personal experience to provide a useful knowledge, â€Å"Unique life lessons† is a big contribution in having an enlightened leader.Holistic Perspective- This kind of principle is also required to inspire the members to also achieve their goals. By emphasizing the importance of the members in the society, through the implementations of the holistic perspective true leadership will be more effective.Openness- To achieve a wise leadership especially in education, openness is a big impact to create a better leadership. Leaders should always be open-minded in terms of the idea s and theories that are represented by the members of the public constituents. Any problems should seriously be discussed properly.Trust- The most important things that the leaders in spiritual and educational area should apply is trust, leaders should always create their different perspectives as well as the progressive idea on how to lead a certain group; however, trust is the major factor in continuously aiming and becoming a leader. However, trust remains to be the core reason needed for the leadership skill applications to be successful enough for the organizations being served.If the insights written within the pages of the book being discussed in here will always prevail within the society’s leaders, it could be easily expected that better days are ready to come ahead as the future generation of human civilization sprouts out to serve the different countries around the globe. The book indeed provides the most necessary inspiration that leaders need to posses in leading the nation or any other social organization, trust and knowledge that would lead to a more successful future and a more effective leading procedure.ConclusionFrom this particular presentation, it could be noted that managers are expected to deal with different arenas considering human resource empowerment as well as improving their performance level for the sake of establishing a fine reputation for the organization through the works of the agents. It is very much appealing how Mr. Team Chief insisted on the fact that what managers usually forget is that the motivation needed to fire up the interest of the workers in performing at their best is not at all times based on monetary measures. Sometimes, simply acknowledging them for a job well done already does the trick of motivating them to work well. The sincerity of the manager to help the employees bring out their best makes the essence of management a real gift to any business organization.Interviewee:Patrick Mendoza. (2007) Clie ntlogic Philippines. (Online Interview Through Chat Permission from the Clientlogic Administration). Loakan, Baguio City, Philippines.Further Readings:Collins, J. (2001). Level 5 leadership: the triumph of humility and fierce resolve. Harvard Business Review, 79(1), 67-76.Goffee, R. & Jones, G. (2000). Why should anyone be led by you? Harvard Business Review, 78(5), 62-70.Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership that gets results. Harvard Business Review, 78(2), 79-90.Brown, L. M. (2002). Click here  to access a review of Kouzes and Posner's book, The Leadership Challenge.Paul D. Houston , Stephen L. Sokolow. (2006). The Spiritual Dimension of Leadership: 8 Key Principles to Leading More Effectively. Corwin Press.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Argument Analysis Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Argument Analysis Assignment - Essay Example Jones argues that violent media is good for kids because its juvenile and violent qualities are appropriate to children’s need for identification, which will help them deal with their personal fears and anxieties and develop confident identities. The author uses ethos and pathos to successfully convince his audience that violent media is not entirely bad for children, but the strength of his claims weaken due to the fallacies of biased sample and confusing cause and effect. Jones utilizes ethos effectively because his own childhood and professional experiences demonstrate how violent media helps children cope with their unique challenges and aspirations. He begins his article with his childhood dilemma: â€Å"At 13 I was alone and afraid† (Jones par.1). This hook represents his identification with current children, for they too, being small and helpless, tend to be alone and afraid. He establishes that he knows what it feels to be young and to need something strong to hold on to. In addition, Jones narrates how the Incredible Hulk helped him cope with his childhood fears and insecurities. He stresses the Hulk’s role in his childhood life: â€Å"I had a fantasy self who was a self: unafraid of his desires and t he worlds disapproval, unhesitating and effective in action. ‘Puny boy follow Hulk!’ roared my fantasy self, and I followed† (par.4). Jones highlights that because of Hulk, he develops a stronger persona, a child who is more confident in facing the world’s uncertainties. Aside from personal childhood experiences, Jones effectively uses his professional work to underscore that violent media can help kids explore and develop their identities. He mentions his work with urban youth: â€Å"[With a psychologist, he] developed Power Play, a program for helping young people improve their self-knowledge and sense of potency through heroic, combative storytelling† (par.10). His work with the children indicates that he

Thursday, September 26, 2019

See word Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

CVS Company Challenges - Assignment Example The employees often complain that the management actively snoops on their social media accounts and dismisses people with questionable content. The company also takes serious actions against employees who make negative comments about the company on media sites. In addition, the company also imposes decisions on employees without their consent and penalizes those who are reluctant to adopt. Just recently, a cashier for CVS Pharmacy in Oakland California testified in court about the company’s practices. In that, penalizing employees who do not complete wellness examination is against California hour laws and wage. Roberta Watterson claimed that the $600 yearly health insurance addition charge for CVS employees who fail to complete biometric screening and health risk assessment is illegal in reference to provisions of the states Labor Code. Besides, employees complain that the CVS cut employee hours and assign more work for a single employee. For instance, one employee is tasked with the job of about three people in a poor working environment. Still, the company management gets upset when their Triple S score decreases. This clearly shows that the company values their interest most at the expense of employees’ wellbeing. Good business practices require that a company gives adequate and right information about the products. Instead, CVS is accused of constantly engaging in the wrong and misleading advertisement about their products in Los Angeles. The company also practices monopolistic and predatory business tactics to put small competitors out of business in America. To further add problems, the move to replace humans with self-check-out stations resulted in increased unemployment cases. The move also shows that the company is only concerned about making profits. Fair pricing of products is an issue of concern for most companies.

Economics of Competition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Economics of Competition - Essay Example The trend towards concentration had been present for the previous twenty years, but the 1980s were characterized, most notably, by the emergence of a small group of retail corporations whose turnover, employment levels, profitability and sheer market and political power came to rival the largest industrial corporations in any sector of the UK economy. Between 1982 and 1990, the market share of the top five grocery retailers increased from under 25 per cent, to 61 per cent of national sales, on one estimate, and a "super league" of just three firms began to separate out in terms of growth, profitability and annual capital investment. During years which have been described as the "golden age" of British grocery retailing, the immense oligopsonistic buying power wielded by the retail corporations came to condition all aspects of retailer-supplier relations, and created new corporatist relationships between the retailers and the regulatory state. Nowadays, there are many retailers who are trying to enter the competitive grocery market. However, it is difficult to gain substantial market share as the industry is very saturated and requires a lot of efforts for companies to become leading competitors. Below, the market share of the UK retail industry is presented. As we see from the table, only a few retailers present competitio... The "Others" that include hundreds of retailers constitute 14.3% and are relatively small shops that do not present a threat to the retails such as Tesco or Asda. The evolution of grocery industry and the competition in it reflects significant changes over the time. As we will see further in this paper, the competition in the grocery industry used to take place between the small shops which did not take a dominant position on the whole market of the country, but rather were located and competed on the small area. In present time, the situation is changed as big retailers try to capture the whole market of the industry. 2. Main grocery retailing competitors To understand how the competition of British grocery retailing evolved, it is first necessary to appreciate some of the key features of the retailer-dominated UK food system which emerged during the 1980s, for it was those features which drove that internationalization. Four features will be picked out. In practice these are intimately interconnected, but for purposes of discussion it is useful to separate them. In the early 1980s the top three firms-Sainsbury, Tesco and Asda-held a combined market share of around 20 per cent of national grocery sales. They had recently been joined by two other firms, the Argyll Group and the Dee Corporation (later Gateway), which were growing rapidly by takeover and merger. Between 1982 and 1988 the dominance of this "big five" group increased considerably. Their combined market share reached approximately 43 per cent by 1984 and 58 per cent by the end of 1988. By 1988, Sainsbury, the largest food retailer, had surged up the rankings of British companies by turnover, from 51st position a decade earlier, to 14th

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 26

Communication - Essay Example Juveniles have unique qualities which influence how the message should be delivered to them, these include: poor communication skills particularly the listening aspect of it. Most members of the group cannot listen to and comprehend court directives about behavior. Some juveniles, especially those in employment should have their employer being part of the solution, especially by enforcing compliance (Mark & Gamez-Rugama, 2015). Other juvenile offenders do not comprehend what is required of them due to insufficient education. As such, using simple language for communication will improve their compliance with the rules of engagement. There are many potential challenges in communicating the message to juveniles, these include: firstly, a negative attitude adopted by juveniles perceiving their neighbors or government agents as too hard-nosed and hell-bent on their destruction to listen to or follow their directives. Secondly, insufficient education and knowledge in juveniles usually complicate their understanding of what is right for them and their subjective thoughts (Haggard, 2014). Lastly, their young brains and weak personality may create unnecessary distractions and or lack of consistency in their responses to questions or issues directed to them, hence their erratic behavior. These weaknesses require constant support to them and monitoring of their moves, which would be costly if not impractical (Haggard, 2014). As Mark and Gamez-Rugama (2015) said, I would revise my approach in the video by adopting simpler, more personalized communication strategies such as mentioning names. I would also: capitalize on the mode of communication which is most effective for each individual, such as using gestures or non-verbal styles for disabled juveniles; use communication techniques which build effective relationships with juveniles so that they can develop a feeling of

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Delta Airlines Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Delta Airlines - Research Paper Example Generally a fluctuating exchange rate exists between dollar and euro which implies that one euro is not always equals to one dollar. Hence Delta Air Lines in order to finance its day to day operations has to exchange the euro for the dollars. The airline can be at a disadvantageous or in an advantageous position depending upon the current market situation. This leads to distortion in the earnings of the airlines as the currency exchange affects the revenue of the company. If euro is high as compared to dollars then while Delta Airline is converting its earning, which is from euro to dollar then the company will be able to benefit from this situation. Like for instance if 1 Euro = $ 1.20, then for every euro the company will get more dollar than what it had got if the situation is just reverse. Therefore, cost incurred in monetary terms by the company is of less or more value than company’s income recognized in monetary terms depending on the market condition. The airline compa ny engages in currency hedging in order to mitigate currency risk. Currency hedging signifies protecting against the fluctuations in the exchange rates by locking in a particular exchange rate or a series of exchange rates (Vasigh, Fleming & Mackay, 2010; Papaioannou, 2006)). Delta Air Line participates actively in the Fuel hedging program in order to manage the fuel price risk. This program helps in reducing financial impact that occurs due to change in the price of jet fuel. Different commodity and contract types are used in this fuel hedging program. The economic efficiency of the hedge portfolio is evaluated on a regular basis with the financial targets of the company. According to the prevailing market condition the hedge portfolios are rebalanced,... This paper stresses that there are a number of facilities that are provided by the airport where the airline operates. The airport looks for increasing their total income from commercial sources that creates both concession fees and rents. The rental income arises primarily by renting and leasing the space either directly or indirectly to the airport users like the handling agents, freight forwarders and airlines. On the other hand, concession fees are payment made by the service providers to the airport authority. Delta Air Lines that is operating in various countries also pays rent to the airport authority for using their space. The rent that the airline pays depends upon the area occupied by the company and the number of facilities operating in the airport. This essay makes a conclusion that the international operations of the company are subjected to competition from both foreign and domestic carriers. In such a scenario, the airline in order to operate profitably has entered into alliance with foreign carriers in which they have implemented code sharing and marketing agreement that in turn will increase the ability to sell international transportation and go beyond the traditional gateway cities like Asia and Europe. At the same time the other airlines that have entered into alliance has also benefitted from the alliance by entering into US market. Apart from this, the company is also heavily dependent upon technology for their day to day operations.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Macroeconomic Policies of UK Government in Achieving Objective of Low Essay

Macroeconomic Policies of UK Government in Achieving Objective of Low Inflation - Essay Example Mills argue that the United Kingdom has over the years had elaborate strategies to counter high inflation; the strategy targets the underlying rate of inflation (112). This strategy is justified because besides helping to control the level of inflation, it is also instrumental in checking the interest rate and the retail price index. In a bid to maintain a low level of inflation, the government has to contend with the unemployment in the economy. Currently, the rate of unemployment in the United Kingdom is 7%, while the inflation rate is 2.7% (Gordon 220). This rate of unemployment is not badly off as it shows that United Kingdom’s economy is at near full employment. High unemployment levels have adverse social and economic cost to the economy. Unemployed have low purchasing power, hence the rate of consumption is low (Gordon 220). The other characteristic of unemployed is that unemployed people lose their skills and morale with time; hence becoming less productive in the econ omy. The government is obliged to incur extra public expenditure to provide social benefits to the unemployed population. Finally, the adverse effect of high employment rate is that it results in increased cases of social evils such as crime, prostitution, and vandalism. In a bid to cushion the economy from inflation, the United Kingdom’s government permits some level of inflation in the economy. Striking a balance between inflation and unemployment brings about the concept of Philips's curve. Philips curve suggests that there exists a tradeoff between inflation and unemployment. As the UK government tries to thwart inflation, the rate of unemployment also goes up as shown in Figure 1. This is the case because the two macroeconomic elements have opposing... This paper analyzes the complex interrelationships between certain sets of macroeconomic policies in order to achieve opposing planned objectives of low inflation, employment and growth rate. In a bid to maintain a low level of inflation, the government has to contend with the unemployment in the economy. Striking a balance between inflation and unemployment brings about the concept of Philips's curve. Philips curve suggests that there exists a tradeoff between inflation and unemployment. As the UK government tries to thwart inflation, the rate of unemployment also goes up. This is the case because the two macroeconomic elements have opposing fiscal and monetary policies that are used to fight them. Inflation requires contractionary economic policies while unemployment requires expansionary fiscal policies. During high inflation, the government is forced to reduce public expenditure and increase the interest rate to reduce the money supply in the economy. However, when the government reduces the amount of public expenditures or the interest rate, the level of employment will go down. The most practical level of inflation and unemployment should be 3%; this scenario means that the economy is at near full employment, and the prices of goods and services are stable judging by the consumer index price. The bank of England is responsible for ensuring that UK’s economy attain sound macroeconomic levels in terms of price stability, full employment, economic growth and equilibrium in the balance of payment.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Social Behavior of the Silvered Leaf Monkey Essay Example for Free

Social Behavior of the Silvered Leaf Monkey Essay Adult Silvered Leaf Monkey (Trachyphitecus sp. ) can be distinguished by having silver-tip fur, with dark-skinned face, a feature which is entirely different from the infants. Infants can be seen as a starling bright orange. However, in Sabah (Malaysian Borneo) reddish adults also occur. Species Range Species of Silvered Leaf Monkeys can be found ranging from Indochina, Southern Burma, Southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia to Sumatra, Java, and Borneo. Group Size Species of Silvered Leaf Monkey are usually found in groups up to about ten. The average group size of Javan Langur is around seven individuals (V. Nijman, unpubl. data; cited in Nijman and van Balen, 1998). Based on Kool (1991) found that groups ranged in size from 6-21 individuals with one or two adult males in the group. Group sizes were observed to be larger on Lombok Island, Indonesia, in secondary and monsoon forests than in tropical forests (Supriatna et al. , 1986). Foraging Behavior of Silvered Leaf Monkey Silvered Leaf Monkeys are observed feeding on young leaf shoots or forest fruits in swampy areas, riverine forests and back-mangrove (â€Å"Silvered Leaf Monkey. † 2007). The diet of the Leaf Monkey consists of young leaves and leaf buds, including sweet and fleshy fruits (ripe and unripe), flowers, flower buds, and insect larvae (Kool, 1993). During times that fruits are unavailable or not in season, they increase the intake of young shoots/leaves. It was found out that half of the dietary intake for the subspecies T. auratus sondaicus consisted of protein-rich leaves (Kool, 1992, 1993). In addition to that, the leaves that, the Silver Leaf Monkey selects and prefers to eat consists of low-fiber contents which are easily digestible (Kool, 1992). Silver Leaf Monkey rarely eat mature leaves, they are observed to spent 20% of feeding time foraging on species of Moraceae. When the favored food are scares, their important food source are young leaves of the teak tree (Tectona grandis), (Kool, 1993, 1991). The midrib part of the leaf of teak tree are mostly preferred to be eaten by the Silver leaf Monkey. Nutritional Value of Their Diets Part of their diet, are high protein rich leaves and leaves with low fiber-content which are easily digestible. According to Kool (1993) twenty seven to thirty seven percent of their diets was fruit in which fifteen to twenty seven percent consists of the diets of unripe fruit, and ten to twelve percent of the diet ripe fruit. These fruits that they consume consists of higher amount of condensed tannins, (which according to Goltenboth 1976; Davies, et al. , 1998; Kool, 1992, is useful in the diet because they may reduce acidosis of the stomach by slowing down the rate of fermentation) and total phenolics. Part of the diet of the subpsecies T. auratus sondaicus are ripe fruits which was found causing acidosis in colobines, this is maybe the reason why colobines avoid eating this (Goltenboth, 1976; Kool, 1992). Some of the species also prefer eating fruits with seeds. Some of the important species of trees they prefer to consume are from Ficus sinulata, Ficis sumatrana and Vitex pinnata (Kool, 1993). Depending on what kind of fruits was in season especially during the month of July, August, September, January and February, the kind of food that different groups prefers, varies. Groups may feeds simultaneously having the same food preference. Individuals may be observed eating while the others are traveling or resting. It was also observed that compared to other group of adults and sub-adults the male Silvered Leaf Monkey fed less frequently (Brotoisworo and Dirgavusa, 1991). Locomotion It was observed that the silvered leaf monkey (Javan langur) moves through the forest, quadrupedally (Rowe, 1996). Social Behavior The species of Javan langur are found living in social groups of one or two adult males and some groups on Lombok islands are observed to have only one male. The males were observed to separate and travel solitarily or mixed with all-male groups. The male tends to maintain close proximity with other males the same is true with the females, who tend to maintain close proximity with other females. Aggressive behavior of adult females against one another of the same sex can be observed. Some females may tend to care infants which are not from them (Kool, 1991; Supriatna, etal. 1986; Bennett and Davies, 1994; Rowe, 1994; and Mengantara and Dirgayusa, 1994). Vocal Communication: Silvered leaf Monkey produced a sound like â€Å"ghek-ghok-ghek-ghok,† which serves as their alarm call (Gumaya et al). Reproduction: The species of silvered leaf monkey produces or gives birth to only one offspring at a time. References Bennett, E. L. and Davies, A. G. 1994. The Ecology of Asian Colobines. in Colobine Monkeys: Their Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution. eds. A. G. Davies and J. F. Oates. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. Brotoisworo, E. and Dirgayusa, I. W. A. 1991. Ranging and Feeding Behavior of Presbytis cristata in the Pangandaran Nature Reserve, West Java, Indonesia. in Primatology Today. eds. A. Ehara, T. Kimura, O. Takenaka, and M. Iwamoto. Elsevier Science Publishers: Amsterdam. Davies, A. G. , Bennett, E. L. , and Waterman, P. G. 1988. Food Selection By Two South-east Asian colobine monkeys (Presbytis rubicunda and Presbytis melalophos) in Relation to Plant Chemistry. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. Vol. 34, 33-56. Djuwantoko. 1994. Habitat and Conservation of Ebony Leaf Monkey in Deciduous Forests (teak), in Central Java. (abstract) XVth Congress of the International Primatological Society. Bali-Indonesia. Goltenboth, R. 1976. Non Human Primates (apes, monkeys and prosimians). in The Handbook of Zoo Medicine. (translation) eds. H-G. Klos and E. M. Lang. Van Nostrand Reinhold: New York. Gurmaya, K. J. , Adiputra, I. M. W. , Saryatiman, A. B. , Danardono, S. N. , and Sibuea, T. T. H. 1994. A Preliminary Study on Ecology and Conservation of the Java Primates Kool, K. M. 1991. â€Å"Behavioral Ecology of the Silver Leaf Monkey, Trachypithecus auratus sondaicus, in the Pangandaran Nature Reserve,† West Java, Indonesia: (abstract) Primate Eye. Vol. 44, 19-20. Kool, K. M. 1992. Food Selection by the Silver Leaf Monkey, Trachypithecus auratus sondaicus, in Relation to Plant Chemistry. Oecologia. Vol. 90, 527-533. Kool, K. M. 1993. â€Å"The Diet and Feeding Behavior of the Slilver Leaf Monkey, (Trachypithecus auratus sondaicus) in Indonesia. † International Journal of Primatology: Vol. 14(5), 667-700. Mengantara, E. and Dirgayusa, I. W. A. 1994. Social Behavior of lutung (Trachypithecus auratus sondaicus) in Pangandaran Nature Reserve. (abstract) XVth Congress of t

Saturday, September 21, 2019

How Do Water Boilers Work Environmental Sciences Essay

How Do Water Boilers Work Environmental Sciences Essay A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other liquid is heated in order to generate steam or vapor which is then used for other external processes. Water is a useful and cheap medium for transferring heat to a process. When water is boiled into steam, its volume increases about 1600 times, generating a force that is very explosive. This can be achieved by combustion of wood, natural gas, coal or oil. Electric steam boilers on the other hand use resistance to produce the required heat. The chemical energy from any of these external fuel sources is converted into heat which is then transferred to the water through radiation which is the transfer of heat from a hot body to a cold body without a conveying medium, conduction which involves the transfer of heat by actual physical contact and by convection, the transfer of heat by a conveying medium like air or water (EuropeanCommission, 2006). Since the development of the first boilers in the 18th century, boilers have evolved so as to increase their efficiency and low-cost design as well as pay more attention to air pollutant emissions like carbon monoxide and hydrogen chloride. These types of emissions depend on the type of fuel used and the load factor of the boiler. The power of a boiler is determined by the required steam mass flow rate, temperature and pressure. The amount of input fuel required depends on the fuel energy content and on the overall energy efficiency. A boilers performance is characterized by its steam pressure and temperature. Saturated steam is steam at boiling temperature for a given pressure, which is what most boilers produce and make use of. If more heat is supplied and the steam pressure rises above the saturation temperature at a given pressure, then the steam becomes superheated steam. This kind of steam though at a higher temperature, can decrease the efficiency of the steam generating plant . If more heat is supplied to the superheated steam, it becomes supercritical steam which can be used in power generation (USEPA, 2004). A closed boiler is one in which all the steam generated is returned to the vessel in form of water and is reused while an open boiler is one that does not return water to the original vessel. The boiler system comprises of three major parts which are: the feed water system, the steam system and the fuel system. The feed system supplies water to the boiler and regulates it to meet the systems demands. The steam system is responsible for collection and control of the steam produced in the boiler. This system is regulated and checked using pressure gauges and is directed to the point of use through an efficient piping system. The fuel system includes all the equipment used to generate the required heat which is dependent on the type of fuel used in the system (Hartford, 1911). There are three basic types of boilers which are used for industrial uses. These are the fire tube, the water tube and the fire box boilers. In the fire tube boilers, heat passes through the tubes which are surrounded by the water being heated. These tubes are arranged in banks so that the heat produced can pass through the vessel many times before escaping. Fire tube boilers are relatively small in size compared to the other type of boilers. In water tube boilers, heat is made to pass through the tubes which contain the water. These tubes are then interconnected to a steam outlet for distribution to the plant system. These types of boilers are the most commonly used because they are larger in size and can therefore withstand greater pressures and temperatures, though their initial and maintenance costs are higher. In a fire box boiler, the hot gases from the fire box which is the space where the fuel is burned are channeled into the tubes where they heat the water. Water is supplied to the boiler from the boiler feed water plant also known as the demineralizer plant. The demineralizer removes all salts present in the water by removal of hydrogen ions which are replaced with sulphuric acid. This water should be free of any foreign materials that could cause harm to the boiler and also decrease its performance. Some of these harmful substances include oxygen, positively charged ions of calcium, aluminum, sodium and zinc. There are also other negatively charged ions like carbonates, bicarbonates, silica and fluorides which could harm the boiler efficiency. The removal of oxygen is usually done in the de-aerator located after the ion exchanger. The de-aeration of the condensate returning from the process ensures that the water is free of oxygen bubbles that may inhibit heat transfer. In de-aeration, the dissolved gases are removed by preheating the feed water before it is allowed to enter the boiler. The removal of these gases is very important to the boiler equipment longevity as well as safety of operation. De-aeration can be done by chemical de-aeration, mechanical de-aeration or both. The chemical treatment is used to remove harmful substances that could cause build up in the heat transfer equipment. The economizer is used to preheat the water entering the boiler. This helps reduce fuel cost making the boiler more efficient (Shields, 1961). The water vessel in a boiler is connected to the heat source by metal rods which heat the water and convert it to steam. The steam is allowed to collect in the dome before exiting the boiler. The function of the dome is to force the steam to become highly condensed in order for it to exit the boiler with a large amount of pressure. A boiler also contains a drain which removes impurities from the water vessel and a chimney to allow heat to escape once it has passed the water vessel. It is vital for all boilers to have safety valves in order to allow excess steam to be released in order to prevent explosions. The heart of a boiler is a pressure vessel which is a closed container designed to hold gases or liquids at a pressure. This pressure vessel is usually made of steel or wrought iron. This pressure is obtained from an indirect source or from the application of heat from a direct or indirect source. If not properly maintained, boilers can be a source of serious injuries and can lead to huge losses in form of property destruction. Thin and brittle metals that make up some parts of the boiler could rapture or poorly welded seams could open up leading to violent eruptions of the pressurized steam. Collapsed boiler tubes could also spray the hot steam they contain into the air injuring the around (Reeves, 2001). Even with the best pretreatment programs, boiler feed water often contain some degree of impurities which normally accumulate in the boiler. The increasing accumulation of dissolved solids may lead to carry over of boiler water into the steam which may cause damage to the piping system as well as the process equipment. These suspended solids could also lead to the formation of sludge which will lead to a reduction of the boiler efficiency as well as it s heat transfer capability. In order to avoid these problems, water should often be discharged from the boiler in order to control the concentrations of the suspended and dissolved solids in the boiler. Discharging of the surface water is usually done in order to get rid of the dissolved solids while the discharging of bottom water is done in order to remove the sludge from the bottom of the boiler. Boiler blow down i.e. discharge of water from the boiler is a very important aspect of the boiler maintenance. Lack of proper blow down can lead to increased fuel consumption, extra chemical treatments for the boiler as well as increased heat loss. Also, since the blow down water has the same temperature as the boiler water, it can be reused in the boiler operations once removed. However, excessive blow down can lead to wastage of water, energy and treatment. The two major types of boiler blow downs are intermittent and continuous blow down. Intermittent blow down is done by manually fitting a valve at the bottom of the boiler which is removes the unwanted parameters. It requires large short-term increases in the amount of feed water put into the boiler which leads to a substantial amount of heat energy being lost. Alternatively, continuous blow down involves the steady and constant dispatch of small stream of concentrated boiling water being replaced with steady and constant inflow of feed water. The various energy efficiency opportunities in a boiler system can be related to combustion, heat transfer, water quality, avoidable losses and blow down. To maximize a boilers efficiency, the stack temperature should be designed to be as low as possible. Nevertheless, it should not be very low such that water vapor in the exhaust condenses on the stack walls. Automatic blow down controls that sense and respond to the boiler water conductivity and pH should be installed in order to reduce uncontrolled continuous blow down. In oil and coal fired boilers, soot should be removed as it acts as an insulator against heat transfer.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Catcher in the Rye- Sally Hayes :: essays research papers fc

Sally Hayes is dim person whose phoniness blinds her from Holden’s cries for help and dismisses him when he needs her most, her phoniness changes Holden and he himself is forced into bad decisions because of it. When Holden is waiting for Sally in the lobby of New York's Biltmore Hotel, the place is filled with girls his age, and he's watching them. â€Å"[I]t was sort of depressing" (123), thinking about what's going to happen to most of the girls he sees. They're all going to have conventional lives, he thinks, married to boring men. However, Holden later decides that life with a bore might not be so bad after all. At least a bore has control and a plan for his life, something he sees as admirable in Sally and a wish for himself. However, when â€Å"Sally started coming up the stairs, and [Holden] started down to meet her† (124) it represents the relationship between the two, Holden is always taking those few steps down as to not make Sally look dumb and she must always go the extra mile to show him how intelligent she can be. This relationship is highlighted during the intermission of the play when Sally is always looking around to find someone that she knows, as if she is tr ying to prove that she has intelligent â€Å"[s]trictly Ivy League† (127) friends. "I'm crazy," (125) Holden says, â€Å"a madman†(134). Of course, he means these statements as figures of speech, but they still indicate that he has some idea that he's behaving erratically. Sally suggests that they go ice-skating that is where Holden's troubles begin coming to a head, uncharacteristically he's willing to see himself, and not the rest of the world, as the problem. "I don't get hardly anything out of anything," he cries. "I'm in bad shape. I'm in lousy shape." (131) Unlike his use of "crazy" and "madman" earlier, this is no figure of speech for Holden. He's serious, he's admitting he's in trouble, and he's asking Sally to help him. However, Sally Hayes is the last person who might be willing to help him. She hardly understands most of what he's saying to her, despite her feeble attempts. Holden makes the further mistake of asking her to come live in the woods with him. Her response would be funny if Holden's con dition weren't so serious. As he has done all along, he's trying to reach out to someone.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Mother Daughter Relationship in I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olse

The Mother Daughter Relationship in "I Stand Here Ironing" by Tillie Olsen 'I stand here ironing,' a unique phrase uttered by a woman in her conquest of life. It may seem like an unwanted phrase to many, but it has deep meaning behind it. This phrase is almost whispered by the narrator of ?I Stand Here Ironing,? Tillie Olsen, and also by many other mothers going through an important stage in their lives. The stage in life that the mother in the story is going through is called child development, and within this complicated stage arise many new worlds of imagination, emotional journeys, and soothing memories. The whole story is based around a mother's view, and joy, of her child growing up in a world filled with barriers and hurdles that she must overcome. The entire point of view is that of the narrator, as a mother concerned with the way her child is being raised and the hardships she must overcome. She also witnesses her daughter?s happiness and the colorful meanings of life that she discovers herself. I believe this story is based around the hardships of growing up as a woman in the Nineteen-hundreds. It has all the symbolism of being a true feminist short story. As Elaine Orr expresses in her criticism, Tillie Olsen and a Feminist Spiritual Vision, about how ?Suddenly Emily is emblematic of all children, of the next generation??(EO 84) that the times were of the early feministic era. When feminists were about conquering oppression and rising above the rest of the doubt that society places upon them. She talks about how ?Emily will not survive. If she does not believe in future presence, in beginnings latent in her own life, all is lost: past, present, and future.?(EO 84) expressing once again how the times were differen... ...cts of the mother and the descriptions, which are presented to us from her, are very conclusive and need to be further examined to draw out any further conclusions on how she ?really? felt. The mother-daughter relationship between the narrator and her daughter bring up many questions as to their exact connection. At times it seems strong, as when the narrator is relating her childhood and recounting the good times. Other times it is very strained. All in all the connection between the two seems to be a very real and lifelike account of an actual mother-daughter relationship. Bibliography: 1. Orr, Elaine. Tillie Olsen and a Feminist Spiritual Vision. Jackson: University Press, 1987 2. Responding to Literature. ?I Stand Here Ironing?. Mayfield Publishing Company: Judith Stanford. 1999. Pg. 815-821.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Christianity and Buddhism Differences Essay -- essays research papers

Task one: 1. CHRISTIANITY Main Rituals: The sacraments are the main rituals, the connections between the sacraments with Catholicism and Orthodox are, Baptism, Holy Eucharist, Matrimony, Holy orders, Extreme unction and Reconciliation. Many of the sacraments are ignored by the Anglican Church however, Baptism and the Holy Eucharist is widely encouraged. Sacred Texts: The Sacred text of Christianity is the HOLY BIBLE, and this comprises of the old testament, Jewish scriptures and the new testament from Jesus`s birth to his death which had his teachings and writings within it. The HOLY BIBLE has the original texts from over 1500 years, including that new writings have been discovered this century; we haven’t published those an example would be, The Dead Sea Scrolls. Sacred Time: Christmas being one of the most important times during the year, according to the Liturgical Calender the most important times for a Christian would be Christmas, Easter which occurs in the Easter time/Season, which is during March, April and May. This season starting with the First Sunday of Lent, which is carried out until the Pentecost, this time is to reflect on Jesus`s life and death, his resurrection and his rising into heaven. Sacred Space: Christians believe that a holy place would be their church. Her they go about the worship of God and Jesus, apart from churches services of worship can occur such as The Vatican (Catholicism). Ways of Holiness: The Types of paths followers of god may...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Reality TV and the Effects on Youth

Reality television has come to dominate the television industry. There are educational reality shows and noneducational reality shows. They both have their entertainment values. The difference? One is productive television, and one is counterproductive. There is good and bad in everything, and everything is good in moderation, but counterproductive TV is taking over productive TV. The time slots to watch educational reality shows are generally later in the evening. It is almost as if TV is trying to â€Å"dumb down† America. Non-educational Reality Television â€Å"Noneducational† reality TV includes shows like Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Teen Pregnancy, and My Sweet Sixteen. These prime time shows target youth, but they do not teach lessons. In fact, they do the opposite, since many young people think it okay to emulate these reality show stars. All these shows are scripted. For instance, Jersey Shore is actually filmed on a set 80% of the time. Yet these shows are passed off as reality. These shows promote drinking and heavy sexual content. Nonetheless they air in the time slot that targets youth. Kids seem to be growing up faster than just 20 years ago; perhaps disrespect and aggression can be blamed on the influence of the shows they are watching. Instead of fighting and being rude to each other, it would be nice if the characters in these shows could, for example, reflect how ten ordinary people come into a house and work together to make the quality of life better for everyone. They could show the reality of working together to pay the bills and keep food on the table. They could teach how to step in when something bad happens to someone else and help them get back on their feet in one way or another. Instead they have gone in the direction of survival of the fittest. Is this really the image that should be shown and taught to our future leaders? If where America has been heading in the past 20 years, it is apparent that survival of the fittest is not working. Perhaps if prime time television were to promote working together, it might help ensure a productive future. Educational Reality Television Reality TV does have positive things to offer. Some educational reality shows are Dirty Jobs, Cake Boss, and Do You know Who You Are. These types of shows depict the reality of America. They show what truly makes America run, and teach true morals and genuine respect towards others. True, these shows are scripted as well, but they are geared toward education and not violence, or the promotion of teen pregnancy, and spousal abuse. These shows do not promote alcohol abuse or speculate who is having sex with whom. However, these shows are targeted toward adults, as they are on at a later time slot, and much of our youth is not interested in watching real life. Prime Time Television Prime time television is aiming for ratings rather than the promotion of morals. But I think they could produce productive TV and get better ratings. Viewers must take some responsibility, though, since we can control what our kids watch. If most people ban shows that deliver negative messages from our homes, ratings will plummet and I would imagine TV executives would completely restructure their programming very quickly.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Intercultural Communication and Conflicts Essay

The communication between different cultures is very difficult. Intercultural communication can lead to misunderstanding and confusion. You may offend someone without even knowing it. Nonverbal communication is challenge as well such as handshakes, eye contact, hug, and etc. These problems happened so many times from my fiancee who is from America and me who is from South Korea. One day, my father visited to our place for holiday. When my father walked into our place, my fiancee was lying on the sofa and then he said â€Å"Hi. In Korean culture, when adults come to you, you need to stand up and bow to them. That moment, my fiancee’s behavior was disrespectful to my father. This tells us that we grew up differently since we have different culture background. However, we both have the attitude where we like to learn about each other cultures. It gives us a better understanding and respect more. To me, language barrier is one of issue with communication. When I moved to America, I barely spoke English and I was really afraid of speaking with other people, especially in English; however, time went by, as went to high school, college and join in the Army in America, I became more interactive in communication with people. Also, my fiancee helps me to learn and correct my English skill. Interpersonal communication Thousands of people use more online email, texting, Facebook, twitter, and etc. to communicate now, because it’s easier and faster to communicate to others. On the other hand, online communications can be bad. More likely, face to face communication can be avoided. I realized that most people use smart phone anytime and anywhere now. Sadly, it happens during class, meeting, dating, waiting, and dining. In fact, one of my nieces who is 6 years old refused to talk and listen to me when I discipline her. Instead face to face communication, she wanted to text me to say â€Å"sorry. † I didn’t accept her apologize because I believe in true meaningful interpersonal communication should be face to face communication.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Legal and Ethical Implications Essay

In the classroom there is responsibility and duties for the teachers, students, as well as the parents. These responsibilities help the classroom to run smoothly and they help to build a well-managed classroom. Of those responsibilities teachers, students and parents need to understand legal and ethical issues in classroom management. This paper will discuss two articles and address the legal and ethical issues for classroom management. It will address how the articles relate to the rights and responsibilities of students, teachers, as well as the parents. Lastly, I will discuss how each article will make a difference in the way I will manage my classroom in the future. Article One: Untangling Legal Issues that Affect Teachers and Student Teachers This article discussed legal issues and focused on child abuse, safety in the art room, freedom of expression and religion, and special education and how these topics affects art teachers as well as student teachers. From the article I lear ned that the Tenth, First, and Fourteenth Amendments hold significance for educational law in the United States. Next, from the article I read that it is required by law that a teacher reports child abuse. The article defined child abuse as a non-accidental, patterns of injuries, sexual abuse, neglecting treatment, physical or mental injuries, or mistreatment of a child under the age of eighteen (Untangling Legal Issues that Affect Teachers and Student Teachers, 2009, page 48). Child abuse is a federal crime and teachers could be held responsible if they don’t report it. If it is not reported a teacher can receive a misdemeanor and the penalty could range from spending time in jail to being fined. Safety in the art room is another topic discussed in this article. From the article I learned that a teacher could be held liable for injuries if the injuries are found to be negligent. An example of a negligent injury is teacher not demonstrating to students the proper care and handling of materials and tools. Art teachers should not assume that materials are safe and they should send out permission forms that let parents know what material students will be working with, have parents lists their contact information, and any know allergies the child may have. The article states that the art room should be set up properly, hazardous materials should be labeled, and teachers should lock up hazardous materials. This article discusses how children with exceptional needs cannot be excluded public education. Also, I read in the article about freedom of religion and how teachers cannot preach their beliefs in school nor have religious conversations with student and I read how students have freedom of expression but it is the art teacher responsibility to make sure the students art work is displayed in a way that is appropriate. Then the article goes into detail to discuss the liability of student teachers. From the article I read that student teachers are responsible for the same duties as full time teachers and the liability is the same as also. After reading this article it has impacted how I will manage my class. It made me realize how important it is to get to know all of my student and their parents, how to pay careful attention to my students, how to set my classroom up appropriately, and make sure I demonstrate how to use materials appropriately. It definitely made me realize the importance of freedom of expression and religion. I will respect all my students and never try to force my religion on them. Also, I will report child abuse if I see it. I didn’t realize how important all these things were but this article made me aware and my outlook on classroom management is differently. When managing my classroom I will make sure it incorporates all these things like freedom of expression, religion, and I will make sure the classroom is set up in a way that I am able to monitor my students for things like child abuse and to make sure they use certain materials appropriately. Article Two: Using Time-Out Effectively in the Classroom In this article it discusses how to use time out effectively and how it could lead to legal problems if used ineffectively. From the article, time out is defined as a procedure or form of punishment where students are denied access to all opportunities for reinforcement and it is used when inappropriate behavior is displayed (Using Time Out Effectively in the Classroom, 2007, page 60). Time-out has been used by many teachers to address inappropriate behaviors in the classroom. There are four different types of time-out and they are: inclusion time-out, exclusion time-out, seclusion time-out, and restrained time-out (Using Time-Out Effectively in the Classroom, 2007). Inclusion time-out involves removing the reinforcement from the student. Some variations that involved in this type of time-out are ignoring and removal of materials. Exclusion time-out is when the student is removed from the enhancing setting that caused the behavior. Exclusion time- out requires a student to be removed from instructional activities. Restrained time-out which is the most preventive form of time-out requires both a restraint and restriction. Restrained time-out is when the teacher places the student into a time-out position and maintains the student and position using physical restraint (Using Time Out Effectively in the Classroom, 2007, page 62). Isolation time- out better known as Seclusion time-out involves the teacher removing the student from the classroom and places them in a room or assigned area where he or she is restricted from leaving until they serve their time in this area. From the article I read that time-out becomes ineffective when typical pitfalls include classroom environments that are insufficiently reinforcing to the students or when time-out procedures lose their punishing qualities and take on reinforcing qualities (Using Time-Out Effectively in the Classroom, 2007, page 62). Also, I read over some recommendations on how to make the classroom reinforcing, use effective teaching strategies, how to come up with a time-out plan, and how to develop a hierarchical behavior management plan. I learned that we as teachers should be trained in methods of controlling behaviors. I learned some ways time-out is used inappropriately. For example, a teacher used it for a mild behavior. By doing this it could result to legal problems. After reading this article it has definitely changed my view on how I will manage my class in the future. When I manage my class, I plan to apply time-out effectively and use it in a way that is appropriate and will reduce the misbehavior within the student. Next, I will make sure I develop a hierarchical behavior management plan as well as a time-out plan so that the behavior and time-out is managed properly. Next, I will document when I use time- out which includes important information like the student name, date, behavior, duration, etc. By doing this, this can assist staff in determining if time-out was effective an d this could reduce chances of legal problems. I will make sure I establish a time out policy and I will go over this policy with my students on the first day of school and send a copy home to the parents to make sure they understand the time-out policy. Conclusion There are many responsibilities for parents, teachers, and students when it comes to managing a classroom. Teachers need to make sure they take the proper precautions and follow the state laws and schools policies when managing a classroom, and students need to make sure they understand the rules, policies, and procedures in the classroom. Also, parents need to be notified of these rules, policies, and procedures. Understanding and communication needs to co-exist between parents, students, and teachers so that legal and ethical issues don’t arise. References Bain, C. (2009). Untangling legal issues that affect teachers and student teachers. Art Education: TX. Katsiyannis, A., Ryan, J., Sanders, S., & Yell, M. (2007). Using time-out effectively in the classroom. Teaching Exceptional Children 39(4), 60-67.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Purpose of Evaluating Customer Service Policies

Manual on Module II Introduction to Hospitality By Authors Mr Murray Mackenzie School of Hotel & Tourism Management The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Dr Benny Chan Hong Kong Community College The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Consultant Mr Tony Tse School of Hotel & Tourism Management The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Introduction to Hospitality Copyright  © The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region All rights reserved.The copyright of this manual belongs to the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Commercial use is strictly prohibited. Offenders will be liable to the legal responsibility. Schools need not apply for permission to copy this manual in whole or in part for non-profit making educational or research purposes. All other uses should gain prior permission in writing from the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Requests should be directed to the: Education Bureau 3/F, Room 1319, Wu Chung House 213 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong i Introduction to Hospitality Acknowledgements We would like to express our gratitude to the following organizations for giving us the permission to reprint some of the pictures and /or providing us with information for completing the curriculum support package: The Association of National Tourist Office Representatives in Hong Kong, ANTOR (HK) Centre for Food Safety, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department ii Introduction to Hospitality IntroductionA set of curriculum support package of tourism and hospitality learning and teaching materials is being developed by the Personal, Social and Humanities Education Section of Curriculum Development Institute, Education Bureau for the implementation of the senior secondary Tourism and Hospitality Studies curriculum in schools. The curriculum support package is comprised of eight manuals, and they are developed to broaden students’ knowledge of the eight different units of the Tourism and Hospitality Studies curriculum.The content of this manual – Introduction to Hospitality, should enhance students’ understanding of the dynamic nature of the tourism and hospitality industry. In addition, the manual includes activities to deepen students’ understanding and help them to apply theories and concepts. Furthermore, students should be able to develop enquiry, problem-solving and decision-making skills through these activities. All comments and suggestions related to this curriculum support package may be sent to: Chief Curriculum Development Officer (PSHE) Personal, Social and Humanities Education Curriculum Development InstituteEducation Bureau 13/F, Room 1319, Wu Chung House 213 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai Hong Kong April 2009 iii Introduction to Hospitality Table of Contents 1 Hospitality Industry †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 1 1. 1 Introduction to Hospitality Industry †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1 1. 1. 1 1. 1. 2 The Tangible and Intangible Nature of the Hospitality Industry †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3 1. 1. 3 2 The Nature of the Hospitality Industry †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 1Relationship between the Hospitality Industry and Tourism †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3 Accommodation Sector†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 2. 1 Introduction to th e Accommodation Sector†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 6 2. 1. 1 2. 2 Classification of Accommodation Establishment †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 6 Introduction to the Hotel Operations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12 2. 2. 1 Hotel Ownership †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2 2. 2. 2 The Functions and Departments of a Hotel †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 15 2. 2. 3 Introduction to the Rooms Divisi on †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 17 2. 2. 4 Front Office Operations †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 17 2. 2. 4. 1 Guest Cycle †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 18 2. 2. 4. 2 Front Office Department †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 22 2. . 4. 3 Types of Hotel Guest †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 36 2. 2. 4. 4 The Accommodation Product †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 37 2. 2. 5 Housekeeping Operations †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 41 2. 2. 5. 1 2. 2. 5. 2 In-room Guest Supplies and Amenities †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 49 2. 2. 5. 3 Room Status Codes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 50 2. 2. 5. 4Types of Guest Requests †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 52 2. 2. 5. 5 3 Housekeeping Department †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 41 Security Procedures †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 55 Food and Beverage Sector †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 57 3. 1 Introduction to the Food and Beverage Sector†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 57 3. 1. 1 Food and Beverage Operations (Hotel)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 7 3. 1. 2 Classification of Food Service Establishments †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 78 iv Introduction to Hospitality 3. 1. 3 3. 2 3. 2. 1 Types of Food and Beverage Services †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 82 Food and Beverage Service Principles †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 86 Basic Knowledge of Menus, Food and Beverage Services and Kitchen Operations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦. 86 3. 2. 2Ambience of an Establishment †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 98 3. 2. 3 Menu Planning and Design †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 110 3. 3 4 Food Safety and Personal Hygiene†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 117 The Role of Technology in the Hospitality Industry †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 240 4. 1 The Development of Technology in the Hospitality Industry †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 240 4. 1. 1 The Importance of Employing Up-to-date Information Technology †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 40 4. 1. 2 The Ways Technological Changes Improve the Operational Efficiency of the Hospitality Industry for Customers, Tourists and Staff †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 242 4. 1. 3 The Property Management System (PMS) in Hotels†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 243 References †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 246 v Introduction to Hospitality 1 Hospitality Industry 1. 1 Introduction to Hospitality Industry 1. 1. 1 The Nature of the Hospitality Industry What is the meaning of HOSPITALITY? There have been different definitions of Hospitality.Broadly speaking, Hospitality is the act of kindness in welcoming and looking after the basic needs of guests or strangers, mainly in relation to food, drink an d accommodation. A contemporary explanation of Hospitality refers to the relationship process between a guest and a host. When we talk about the â€Å"Hospitality Industry†, we are referring to the companies or organisations which provide food and/or drink and/or accommodation to people who are away from home. However, this definition of the â€Å"Hospitality Industry† only satisfies most situations. Can you think of any circumstances where the phrase â€Å"away from home† would not be accurate?Resort hotel 1 Introduction to Hospitality ACTIVITY 1 In groups, consider the hospitality industry in Hong Kong. Discuss the different sectors in the hospitality industry. (Hint: A sector of hospitality industry can be profit-making or non-profit-making. ) You may also give the names of some companies in the hospitality industry. One example has been given in the table below. Work on the table to see which group in your class comes up with the most appropriate examples. H ospitality industry in Hong Kong Sector Products/services provided Example Name of company/ organisation Food and BeverageFood and drink Fast food McDonald’s ACTIVITY 2 Look at the table that your group has just completed and compare the answers with other groups. Have you been to any of the above companies or organisations? What services did you receive from them? Were you satisfied with the way you were treated by the company or its staff? Did they understand what services you wanted? Did they provide what you wanted quickly and accurately? Was the staff member friendly or rude? Based on the discussion above, suggest five qualities or traits that a successful staff member in the hospitality industry should possess.Do you or your group members possess any of these qualities or traits? 2 Introduction to Hospitality 1. 1. 2 The Tangible and Intangible Nature of the Hospitality Industry In Activity 1, we learned about different types of products and services provided by the hos pitality industry. The physical products of hospitality, e. g. food and drink in a restaurant or the actual hotel room, are products that are sold at a price to the guests or customers (e. g. the price a guest paid for renting a hotel room, or the price a customer paid for buying a meal in a restaurant). These are often regarded as the TANGIBLE aspects of hospitality.However, our experience of the hospitality industry does not only rely on the tangibles. Think about your experience of being a customer in a restaurant or a guest in a hotel. What else, apart from the food in restaurants and the facilities in hotel rooms, do you think can make your hospitality experience more enjoyable and satisfied? A successful hospitality business does not only count on its products and services, but also how they are delivered. The qualities of staff and the way they deliver the service are often more important than the tangible products in making a hospitality experience satisfactory or unsatisfac tory.We call these the INTANGIBLE aspects of hospitality. Can you think of any INTANGIBLE aspects of the hospitality industry? 1. 1. 3 Relationship between the Hospitality Industry and Tourism As we have seen, the hospitality industry includes hotels and restaurants, as well as many other types of organisations or institutions that offer food, drink, shelter and other related services. These products and services are offered not only to people away from home, but also to local guests. A manager in the hospitality industry, therefore, must keep in mind the following three objectives: 1. Making the guests feel welcome personally . Making things work for the guests 3. Making sure that the operation will continue to provide service and meet its budget Apart from local guests, can you think of any other guests who may need services and products provided by the hospitality industry? 3 Introduction to Hospitality ACTIVITY 3 Now work in pairs and follow the instructions below: Tourist A â⠂¬â€œ You are an 18-year-old student from Beijing. You visit Hong Kong for the first time with your cousin who is also from Beijing this summer. As you are a student, you travel on a budget and are planning to come to Hong Kong round trip by train.You plan to stay in Hong Kong for 5 days/4 nights. Tourist B – You are a businessman from Sweden. Your company is a car manufacturer. You come to Hong Kong for an international automobile exhibition. You will fly to Hong Kong and stay for two nights before you fly to Singapore for another business meeting. You will stay in Singapore for two nights before going home. In two minutes, write down as many as possible of the products and services you would require from the different sectors of the tourism industry for your trip. Compare your answers with those of your partner.Do you have different or similar answers? How many of the points you jotted down are similar to those of your partner? Fill in the following table: A young student ( Tourist A) A business traveller (Tourist B) In Activity 3 we learned there are different kinds of tourists. Regardless of what type of tourist they are, they all need shelter and food and drink – the basic hospitality services – at ALL points of the tourism cycle, not just at the destination. This is why hospitality can be referred to as one of the principal dimensions in tourism, along with transportation, specialist shops and leisure activities.Unlike tourism, hospitality, however, serves both tourist and non-tourist needs. To enhance your understanding of the relationship between the hospitality and tourism industry, complete Activity 4. 4 Introduction to Hospitality ACTIVITY 4 The following diagram shows the relationship between the hospitality and tourism industry. Can you think of more services with examples to add to the diagram? Hospitality Industry Tourism Industry Hospitality Institutional/ Welfare Catering e. g. Hospital Catering Commercial Accommodation Ser vices e. g. Hotels, Guest HousesTransportation services e. g. Car Rental, Airlines In Activity 4 we learned the hospitality industry is a part of a wider group of economic activities called tourism. In addition, not all hospitality businesses are profit-making business. In this Unit, we have learned that there are two main business sectors in the hospitality industry: ? Accommodation – To provide accommodation (and usually food and drink) to people who for whatever reason are away from home ? Food and beverage – To provide food and beverage to local, commuting, transient customers and touristsThese two sectors will be covered in more detail in Units 2 and 3 respectively. 5 Introduction to Hospitality 2 Accommodation Sector 2. 1 Introduction to the Accommodation Sector 2. 1. 1 Classification of Accommodation Establishment Guestroom There is no generic rule for classifying accommodation establishments globally. One method is to divide accommodation into two main groups: ? ? Non-commercial Commercial Accommodation Non-commercial Commercial Hotels Private e. g. Private Home Non-profit e. g. Shelter Institutional e. g. University Figure 1: Accommodation structure 6 Introduction to HospitalityThe Hotel Proprietors Ordinance Chapter 158 provides a clear definition of a hotel: Hotel means an establishment held out by the proprietor as offering sleeping accommodation to any person presenting himself who appears able and willing to pay a reasonable sum for the services and facilities provided and who is in a fit state to be received. As Hotel is the predominant type of commercial accommodation in Hong Kong, we, therefore, will discuss in depth about how hotels can be classified. Hotels can be classified by: ? Location: e. g. city centre hotels, suburban hotels, airport hotels and highway hotels/motels ? Function: e. g. ommercial hotels and convention hotels ? Market segment: e. g. resorts, health spas, timeshares/vacation ownership and casino hotels ? Dist inctiveness of property: e. g. all-suite hotels, boutique hotels, extended-stay hotels, historic conversions and bed and breakfast inns ? Price and staff/room ratio ? Size: e. g. under 150 rooms, 151-300 rooms, 301-600 rooms, more than 600 rooms ? Rating (grading) : e. g. one-star to five-star or one-diamond to five-diamond In 2008, the Mobil Travel Guide used its own rating system to give awards to some hotels in Hong Kong, Macau and Beijing. Below is an excerpt from the following web link: ttp://stars. mobilinternationalratings. com/stars â€Å"Mobil Travel Guide, now in its 51st year as one of the oldest and most respected inspection and ratings system in the world, is pleased to announce its 2009 Four- and Five-Star Winners. Representing a landmark in the company's history, 2009 is the first year that international cities have been rated and received Star Awards, and the winners from Beijing, Hong Kong, and Macau are included. In November, Hong Kong and Macau were awarded with the most Mobil Five-Star rated hotels and spas for a given city in the history of the company. † 7 Introduction to HospitalityACTIVITY 5 With the aid of the above web link, list the five-star hotels and spas in Hong Kong as awarded by the Mobil Travel Guide in November 2008. ACTIVITY 6 The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has developed its own hotel classification system. Look up the information from the PartnerNet website (http://partnernet. hktb. com/pnweb/jsp/comm/index. jsp) and answer the following questions: a) How does HKTB define the hotels in Hong Kong? b) Does HKTB make public the listing of hotels by category? The following chart shows various types of accommodation used by travellers and their respective characteristics:Name(s) City centre hotels Characteristics These hotels are located within the heart of a city. The type may vary greatly from business, suites, residential, economy, mid-scale to luxury. Local example: ____________________ Suburban hotels Suburban ho tels tend to be smaller properties which usually provide full-service, and locate in suburban area. Local example: ____________________ These hotels are designed especially to accommodate air travellers. They offer a mix of facilities and amenities. The majority offer guests transportation to and from the airport.Local example: ____________________ Airport hotels They are designed for overnight stays for car travellers, often with very Highway hotels/Motels basic facilities. The rooms usually have direct access to an open parking lot. They are often smaller than most hotels. They are located on the outskirts of towns and cities. Local example: ____________________ Convention hotels These hotels can have 2000 rooms or more. In addition to accommodation, they provide extensive meeting and function space for holding conventions. There are banquet areas within and around the hotel complex.Most of them provide an in-house laundry, a business centre, airport shuttle service, and 24-hour r oom service. They are often in close proximity to convention centres and other convention hotels. Local example: ____________________ 8 Introduction to Hospitality Commercial They are located in downtown areas. They tend to be smaller than convention hotels. Meeting and function space are smaller, and there hotels are fewer banquet areas. Local example: ____________________ Resort hotels These hotels are located in picturesque, sometimes remote settings. Guests travel long distance to resorts. Usually, they tend to stay longer.Resorts typically provide a comprehensive array of recreational amenities, as well as a variety of food & beverage outlets ranging from informal to fine-dining restaurants. Local example: ____________________ Spa hotels They are located in resort-type settings or as part of city spa hotels. They provide accommodations, spa treatments, programs and cuisine. Programs offered vary widely. They may include relaxation/stress management, fitness, weight management, grief/life change and pilates/yoga. Spas have professional staff that often include dieticians, therapists, masseurs, exercise physiologists, and in some cases, physicians.Local example: ____________________ Timeshares/ This is a type of shared ownership where a buyer purchases the right to use the property for a portion of each year. In many cases, when the Vacation timeshare is purchased, the buyer receives a deed. This indicates that ownership the buyer can use the property each year at the time specified for the number of years based on the deed and the purchase can be handed down to the buyer’s heirs. Local example: ____________________ Casino hotels They have gambling operations which are the major revenue centres. They also provide live entertainment.A wide variety of luxury amenities, hotel services including fine and casual dining and shopping centres are typically available on site. Local example: ____________________ All-suite hotels The guest rooms in these hotels are larger than normal hotel rooms, with separate areas for working, sleeping and relaxing. A living area or parlour is typically separated from the bedroom, and some properties offer a kitchen set-up in the rooms. The amenities and services can vary widely. They can be found in various locations such as urban, suburban, or residential. Local example: ____________________ 9 Introduction to Hospitality Boutique otels Boutique hotels differentiate themselves from traditional hotels and motels by providing personalized accommodation and services/facilities. They are sometimes known as â€Å"design hotels† or â€Å"lifestyle hotels†. The price varies greatly. They are very different in their â€Å"look and feel† from traditional lodging properties. They are more intimate, and, perhaps, more luxurious, and stand out as an individual. The amenities vary greatly depending on what the hotel’s environment and theme chosen. For example, a boutique hotel may not of fer Wi-Fi Internet, air conditioning, or cable/pay TV if it is focus on comfort and solitude.Local example: ____________________ Extendedstay hotels/ Serviced Apartments These properties cater to guests who stay for an extended period. They usually offer full kitchen facilities, shopping services, business services and limited housekeeping services. Local example: ____________________ Historic conversion hotels These properties have historic significance. They have been converted into lodging establishments with retention of their historic character. Local example: ____________________ They are usually family-owned. They are private homes whose owner Bed and ives on or near the premises and rents out rooms to overnight guests. breakfast inns (B) The paid accommodation typically includes breakfast. A popular term is â€Å"B (i. e. bed and breakfast provided). The host often provides guests with assistance regarding directions, and information regarding the local area including sight seeing suggestions. It is usually located in rural areas and villages. Local example: ____________________ Guest houses Guest houses are similar to bed and breakfast inns. They range from low-budget rooms to luxury apartments. They tend to be like small hotels in bigger cities.Though the facilities are limited, most rooms are air-conditioned with en-suite shower and toilet. Local example: ____________________ Hostels They are very cheap accommodation. The sleeping arrangements are usually in dormitory style and there may also be self-catering facilities on site. Local example: ____________________ They are bedrooms on a ship or train for passengers. Local example: ____________________ Villas/Chalet They are self-catering accommodation in a private bungalow, usually rented to prestigious or renowned guests. In many cases, it refers to a s (usually small cottage with an overhanging roof in a seaside resort, e. . beach found in houses. skiing and Local example: ____________________ bea ch resorts) Cabins 10 Introduction to Hospitality ACTIVITY 7 Based on the characteristics of various types of accommodation listed above, browse the website and fill in a local example. In Activity 7 we learned that a hotel may fall under more than one classification. For example, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong is a luxury city centre and spa hotel. In addition, different types of hotel will offer different kinds of products and services for their guests and will be run differently to meet their guests’ needs.A luxury hotel may provide more personalised services and facilities that may not appear in a limited-service hotel. Examples include high-speed broadband Internet access, LCD televisions, DVD/CD home entertainment sound systems, 24-hour butler service and in-room dining, and 24-hour concierge and business services. 11 Introduction to Hospitality 2. 2 Introduction to the Hotel Operations Hotel swimming pool Hotel fitness centre 2. 2. 1 Hotel Ownership Another way to classify hotels is by their ownership, which can be: ? Private An independent hotel owned by a person/partnership/private company e. . Shamrock Hotel ? Local group Several hotels owned by a local company e. g. Harbour Grand Hong Kong, The Kowloon Hotel, Harbour Plaza Hong Kong, Harbour Plaza Metropolis, Harbour Plaza North Point and Harbour Plaza Resort City are all owned by Harbour Plaza Hotels & Resorts ? International group A hotel which is part of an international chain of hotels e. g. JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong is part of the Marriott International, Inc. 12 Introduction to Hospitality Hotel management Hotels can be operated in one of the following ways: ? Independently owned and operatedThese can be independent hotels, with no affiliation, that are being managed by the owners of the properties. ? Management contract Management contracts are hotel management companies which operate properties owned by other entities. In some cases, the hotel owners may arrange to run the ir properties through a management contract with a company that specialises in managing hotels. The reason for this is that the owner may not: – Have the necessary expertise – Desire to become involved in the operation of the hotel Benefits for the hotel management company: – Little or no up-front financing or equity involved Manage the property for the contract period such as five, ten or twenty years – Receive a management fee during the contract period ? Franchising Some investors prefer to use the franchising concept in running the hotel. Franchising in the hospitality industry is a concept that: – Allows interested investors to use a company’s (the franchisor) name and business format – Is made up of properties where the franchisees agree to run the hotel in accordance with the strict guidelines set by the franchisor – Allows a company to expand more rapidly by using others’ capital Benefits for the franchisee: Obta in from the franchisor the expertise in doing business such as site selection, planning, pre-opening training, operations manuals, information management, central reservation system, field support, quality control, purchasing, advertising, marketing, new products and concepts – The franchisee has complete control and responsibility over the daily operation of the property In return, the franchisor receives a joining fee and an ongoing fee from the franchisee. 13 Introduction to Hospitality ? Referrals Referral associations, e. g. Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), offer to hotels similar benefits as franchising, but at a lower cost.Some hotels choose to become a referral property. This means that the property is being operated as an independent hotel in association with a certain chain. These hotels refer guests to one another’s properties and share a centralised reservation system, a common logo, image, or advertising slogan. Hotels pay an initial fee to join a referr al association and further fees are based on services required. As the property has already been physically developed, the owner may want assistance only with marketing, advertising, management, or reservation referral.In addition, guests may find more variation among the referral properties as size and appearance standards are less stringent than those in a franchise agreement. However, every hotel is assessed and checked regularly to ensure that it maintains the highest standards. ACTIVITY 8 State two drawbacks for a franchisee joining a franchise company. ACTIVITY 9 Browse the website and find out two international hotel chains that provide management contract and franchising services to the hotel owners. 14 Introduction to Hospitality 2. 2. 2 The Functions and Departments of a HotelThe day-to-day operations of a hotel are the key factors determining the success or failure of its service. It is necessary to understand the structure of hotels in order to get an overview of how the organisation fits together. General Manager Resident Manager Rooms Division Engineering Security Human Resources Food & Beverage Sales & Marketing Accounts Figure 2: Major departments of a five-star hotel Regardless of the size of a hotel, the organisational structure will be basically the same. It is usually divided into several distinct departments, each responsible for a particular area of work.The larger the hotel is and the more facilities it offered, the more specialised the departments become. For example, the front office and housekeeping department are under the control of the director of rooms. The duties of key executives 1. General Manager The main responsibilities of the general manager (GM) include: ? Providing leadership to the management team ? Coordinating the work of all departments ? Participating in the formulation of hotel policies and strategies ? Leading the hotel staff in meeting the financial, environmental and community responsibilities Assuming full respo nsibilities for the overall performance of the hotel 2. Resident Manager The main responsibilities of the resident manager include: ? Holding a major responsibility in developing and executing plans developed by the owner(s), the general manager and other members of the management team ? Checking on operations, providing feedback and offering assistance when needed ? Completing, reviewing and summarizing statistical reports and sharing them with the general manager ? Assuming responsibilities for the daily operations and management of the hotel 5 Introduction to Hospitality Functions of major hotel departments 1. Engineering The engineering department is responsible for maintaining the physical plant of the hotel such as electricity, plumbing, air conditioning, heating and elevator systems; and for overseeing all mechanical and technical conditions of the hotel. 2. Security Security is an important concern in every hotel. The security department is responsible for implementing proce dures which aim at protecting the safety and security of hotel guests, visitors, hotel employees and the hotel itself.Examples include monitoring surveillance equipments, patrolling the hotel premises and maintaining security alarm systems. 3. Human Resources The human resources (personnel and training) department is responsible for hiring, orientation, training, wages and benefit administration, labour relations, employee relations, and staff development. 4. Food and Beverage The food and beverage (F) department provides food and beverage services to the hotel guests and visitors through a variety of outlets and facilities/services.Examples include lounge, bar, coffee shop, restaurants, banquet service, room service (also called in-room dining) and cake shop. 5. Sales and Marketing The main functions of the sales and marketing department involve generating new businesses for the hotel, coordinating advertising, as well as sales promotions and public relations activities aiming at e nhancing the hotel’s image. 6. Accounts The accounts department is headed by the financial controller who, as a key member of the management team, can guide the hotel to an increasing profitability through better control and asset management.In addition, this department is responsible for monitoring all of the financial activities of a hotel. Examples include overseeing accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, and cost control systems of the hotel; keeping records of assets, liabilities and financial transaction of the hotel; preparing the monthly profit-and-loss statement, coordinating with purchasing department and information technology department, and handling guests’ inquiries about billing. The functions of Rooms Division will be covered in detail in Unit 2. 2. 3. ACTIVITY 10Browse the website and find a five-star hotel in Hong Kong/Macau that has a video in English and Chinese promoting its services and facilities to the guests. 16 Introduction to Hospita lity 2. 2. 3 Introduction to the Rooms Division Rooms Division Front Office Department Housekeeping Department Figure 3: Organisation of the rooms division The main source of income for most hotels comes from the rooms division and the food and beverage department. In general, the rooms division comprises two major departments, the front office and housekeeping, which are involved in the sales or services of rooms to guests.The director of rooms is responsible to the general manager for the effective leadership and smooth operation of all departments that make up the rooms division. Front desk counter 2. 2. 4 Front Office Operations The front office is the nerve centre or hub of a hotel. It is the department that makes the first and last impression on the guests, and the place that guests approach for information and service throughout their stays. 17 Introduction to Hospitality Front desk clerk The three main functions of the front office are as follows: 1. Selling rooms 2.Maintain ing balanced guest accounts 3. Providing services and information to guests 2. 2. 4. 1Guest Cycle The operation of the front office department is mainly determined by the type and number of guest transactions which take place during the four different phases of the guest cycle as shown in Figure 4 and listed below: ? Pre-arrival The stage where the guest makes room reservation. ? Arrival The point when the guest arrives at the hotel. ? Occupancy The period during which the guest stays in the hotel. ? Departure The point when the guest checks out and leaves the hotel. 8 Introduction to Hospitality Figure 4: The guest cycle Complete Activity 11 to enhance your understanding of the various types of transactions and services which may occur between the guest and the hotel during different phases of the guest cycle. 19 Introduction to Hospitality ACTIVITY 11 Determine at which stage(s) of the guest cycle the following guest transaction or service could occur. a) Fill in the Answer column below with the correct alphabet (A-D) which denotes the four different stages of the guest cycle. A – Pre-arrival B – Arrival C – OccupancyD – Departure The first one has been done as an example for you. No. Guest Transaction or Service Answer(s) 1. Reservation A 2. Mail and information 3. Transportation 4. Telephone call and message 5. Check-in and registration 6. Flight confirmation 7. Room assignment 8. Safe deposit 9. Issuing of key 10. Baggage handling 11. Maintaining guest account 12. Bill settlement 13. Issuing of breakfast coupon 14. Currency exchange 15. Wake-up call 16. Check-out 17. Booking of theatre ticket 20 Introduction to Hospitality b) When you complete studying this section – 2. 2. Front Office Operations, try this activity again by filling in your answers using the guest cycle provided below. In Activity 11, we have learned that different types of guest transactions and services could occur in the four different phases of the gu est cycle which are being handled mainly by the front office department. The following will explain how different sections of the front office department are being organised to handle these guest transactions. 21 Introduction to Hospitality 2. 2. 4. 2 Front Office Department Front Office Manager Assistant Front OfficeManager Assistant Manager Telephone Services Manager Reservations Manager Front Desk Manager Guest Relations Telephone Supervisor Reservations Supervisor Front Desk Supervisor Telephone Operator Reservations Clerk Front Desk Clerk Chief Concierge Baggage Supervisor Baggage Porter Executive Floor Manager Senior Airport Representative Executive Floor/Business Centre Airport Representative Door Attendant Parking Parking Attendant/Driver Attendant Figure 5 Front office organisation chart of a large hotel Figure 5 shows an organizational chart for a front office.This illustrates the structure and lines of communication which operate within the front office. The front office department is headed by the front office manager (FOM) whose main duty is to enhance guest services by constantly developing services to meet guests’ needs. The FOM performs the following duties: ? Monitoring reservation status ? Looking over market mix and preparing occupancy forecasts ? Determining rate structures and supervising implementation of rate policies ? Reviewing previous night’s occupancy and average room rate ? Reviewing arrivals and departures for the day and the next day ?Making staffing adjustments needed for arrivals and departures ? Reviewing the VIP list, checking VIP rooms, meeting VIPs and entertaining them 22 Introduction to Hospitality (1) Telephone The telephone department is headed by the telephone services manager. The telephone supervisor and telephone operator process all incoming and outgoing calls through the hotel switchboard. Staff in this department generally possesses good language and communication skills. The members need to: ? Prov ide general information regarding the hotel or local attractions to guests over the telephone Place international calls, morning calls and wake-up calls as required by guests ? Administer the paging system of the hotel, which provides a communication service between certain hotel staff and management staff who are not always in their offices ? Administer the in-room movie system of the hotel ? Stay familiar with the names of Very Important Persons (VIPs) in the hotel ? Protect guest privacy by not disclosing room number, guest information and reporting suspicious person ? Communicate weather emergency to management, engineering, security and guests ?Perform the role of communications centre in the event of emergency In order to provide better service, some hotels have introduced the â€Å"one-stop service† with all guest requests being carried out through the telephone department. For example, if a guest called in and wanted to place a booking with the coffee shop, the line w ould be transferred by the telephone operator to the coffee shop in the past. With the â€Å"one stop service†, the telephone operator will take the booking for the guest. This can speed up the booking process and leave the guest a better impression. 2) Reservations The reservations manager takes charge of this section and makes decisions on whether room reservations/bookings should be accepted when the hotel is fully booked. That is, to stop taking room reservations or to allow overbooking of rooms. The reservations supervisor will monitor closely all the room reservations taken and report to the reservations manager when abnormal situations happen. For example, there is a larger number of room cancellations than usual. The reservations clerk will: ? Handle reservation request and prepare reservation confirmation slips ?Request guests to confirm or guarantee their room reservations ? Keep records of the details of each reservation and the number of room reservation taken for each night ? Provide the front desk with details of room reservation due to arrive the next day ? Prepare VIP lists ? Update guest history records Reservations may originate from different sources: ? Direct reservation via telephone, fax, letter, e-mail or Internet ? Reservation network systems such as Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) ? Travel agents ? Tour operators ? Meeting planners ? Walk-in 23 Introduction to HospitalityWhen a reservation request is accepted, the details of the room reservation such as guest name(s), staying period, room type and rate, method of payment, guest contact information and special requests will be recorded on a reservation form, as shown in figure 6, and in the computer. It is common practice for hotels to overbook during peak season in order to ensure full occupancy as some guests are likely not to show up. Overbooking refers to a situation when the hotel takes more reservations than the number of its rooms to accommodate. Therefore, reservations clerk will request guests to guarantee their booking during peak season.For guaranteed reservation, hotel will hold the room for the guest overnight or during the guaranteed period as the guest has prepaid for the room and no refund will be given if the guest does not show up. By contrast, a non-guaranteed reservation means that the hotel will hold the room until a stated cancellation time, normally up to 6 p. m. on the arrival date and then release the room for sale if the guest does not arrive. 24 Introduction to Hospitality RESERVATION FORM ________ ____________________ Title ___________________ Surname First Name __________________ Second Name Arrival Date: Departure Date: Flight/Time:Flight/Time: No. of Persons: No. of Rooms/Room Type: Room Rate: _____________________________________ Corporate Discount Travel Agent Airline Discount Discount Courtesy Package Discount Transportation Required: Airport to Hotel Hotel to Airport Round Trip Billing Instruction: Guest A/C Room on Comp any All Expenses on Company Other: __________________ Guaranteed By: Company letter/fax/e-mail Fax Deposit Credit Card No. : ________________________________ Expiry Date: ____________ Company Name: Telephone/Fax no. : Reserved by: E-mail Address: Confirmation: Yes/No Remarks: Approved by: Taken by: Date: Figure 6:Reservation form 25 Introduction to Hospitality (3) Concierge The concierge comprises of a large group of uniformed staff, including: ? Chief Concierge ? Airport Representative ? Driver ? Parking Attendant ? Door Attendant ? Baggage Porter ? Baggage Supervisor The chief concierge is the overall in charge of this section. He/she normally works at a desk in the main foyer. The following guest services are provided by the concierge: ? Providing information/advice on hotel products/services, entertainment, attractions, sightseeing tours and local restaurants ? Confirming airline passages and purchasing airline tickets Reserving tables at restaurants and tickets to shows ? Arran ging the hire of hotel limousine and other transportation service such as a private jet ? Handling guest requests and inquiries, e. g. shopping request and an inquiry concerning the direction to a local bank Airport Representative Duties include: ? Greeting hotel guests at the airport ? Arranging hotel transportation for guests from the airport to the hotel ? Answering inquiries from guests about the different means of transportation available from the airport to the hotel such as airport express train, airport shuttle and bus ?Taking hotel room bookings ? Assisting departing guests at the airport ? Liaising with airlines for special arrangements such as wheelchair for guests and the handling of guest baggage lost by the airlines Driver Duties include: ? Taking guests to and from the airport ? Acting as personal driver for guest upon request such as taking guest to his office or for sightseeing tour Parking Attendant Duties include: ? Parking cars for guests patronising the hotel ? Assisting the door attendant in ensuring that traffic at the main entrance is smooth 26 Introduction to Hospitality Door Attendant Duties include: Greeting all new arrivals ? Providing door service to guests ? Summoning baggage porter to assist arriving guests ? Calling taxis and providing the hotel address card for guests ? Paying taxi fare on behalf of the hotel guests who do not have local currencies ? Directing traffic and parking of vehicles at the main entrance In general, the door attendant works outside the hotel’s entrance. Hotel entrance Baggage Porter (Bell Attendant) Duties include: ? Handling guest baggage in and out of the hotel ? Escorting check-in guests from the front desk to their rooms and introducing facilities in the room Running errands for the executive office and hotel guests such as going to the post office buying stamps/sending parcels, doing grocery shopping and obtaining visa to China for guests ? Delivering to guest room newspapers, mail, fax, mes sage and parcel, etc ? Handling storage of guest baggage/belongings for late check-out, next arrival or outsiders to pick up Baggage Supervisor (Bell Captain) Duties include: ? Answering telephone calls from guests regarding luggage pick up from room ? Assigning baggage porter to handle the guest baggage ?Receiving guest article, such as a tailor-made shirt from outsider, and assigning a baggage porter to deliver it to the guest room ? Handling guest requests for postal services such as collecting the postage fee of sending a parcel from the guest 27 Introduction to Hospitality (4) Front Desk (Reception) The front desk is headed by the front desk manager whose main duty is to ensure that the hotel achieves the highest possible level of room occupancy and the maximum revenue. Front Desk Supervisor (Reception Supervisor) Duties include: ? Overseeing the smooth running of the front desk ? Compiling duty roster Greeting important guests (VIPs) ? Assigning rooms to guests ? Dealing with group arrivals ? Handling guest requests such as room change and complaints not being able to be handled by subordinates Front Desk Clerk (Receptionist) Duties include: ? Greeting the guest ? Providing information and promoting hotel facilities and services to guests ? Checking in the guest ? Maintaining guest account ? Checking out the guest ? Administering the safe deposit system of the hotel ? Providing foreign currency exchange service to guest Registration (Check-in) The purposes of registration include the following: Recording the arrival of guest ? Confirming the personal details of guest ? Satisfying legal requirements Stages of registration ? Preparing for guest arrival such as check for arrivals with special requests ? Greeting the guest ? Determining the room rate and assigning room ? Assisting guest to complete the registration form ? Checking guest’s method of payment ? Handing over mail, message, article received before guest arrival and breakfast coupon (if app licable) to guest ? Issuing room key to guest ? Escorting guest to the room and introducing room facilities as required by individual hotelFigure 7 shows the sample of a completed registration form. During the process of registration, the front desk clerk will request to see the guest’s identity card or passport to check if the guest is an alien, for verification purpose. When all formalities are completed, the front desk clerk will issue the room key to the guest. The baggage porter will then take the guest’s baggage and escort the guest to the guest room. 28 Introduction to Hospitality Guests who arrive at the hotel without having made a reservation are known as walk-ins. It is common practice for hotel staff to obtain from the guest a ubstantial deposit or credit card imprint before checking the guest into the hotel. ACTIVITY 12 Mr Christie, a walk-in guest, will stay in your hotel for one night only and will be fully responsible for all charges incurred. As a front desk clerk, how would you explain to the guest that you have to collect one night room rate (HK$2,000. 00) + 10% service charge + prevailing government room tax (e. g. 3%) + an extra HK$ 1,000. 00 for hotel signing privileges from him as the deposit for check-in? 29 Introduction to Hospitality Registration Form Guest Name: Welcome to Parkside HotelMr. Brent David Ritchie Number : 8200 River Road Date of Birth: 11 Oct 77 Nationality: Canadian Passport No. : Address: Room 1718 JP089556 Richmond BC Canada V6X 3P8 Tel/Fax No. : E-mail Address: [email  protected] com Destination: Engineer Arrival Date: 12 Sep 07 Flight/Time: Occupation: Next CX839/20:55 Company Name: Canada Departure 14 Sep 07 Date: CX838/16:35 Flight/Time: Room Type: Deluxe Suite No. of Nights: 2 Room Rate: $2300 (HKD) No. of Guests: 1/0 Room rate is subject to 10% (Adult/Child) Service Charge & 3% Government Tax Payment Method: VISA MASTER CUP AMEX CASH JCBDINERS OTHERS: ____________________ Guest Signature: Brent D . Ritchie I understand that the guest signature on the registration form is authorized for use of the credit card on the file for payment of my account for this and future stays. I agree that my liability for this bill is not waived, and agree to be held personally liable in the event that the indicated person, company, or other third party billed fails to pay part or all of these charges. Express Check Out Service: I hereby authorize Parkside Hotel to charge my credit card for all expenses pertaining to my stay. *Express