Domestic Tourism Essay

Whether it is to rest, discover new things, meet others or to have a unique experience, everyone has a right to tourism; in short, there are not, there should not be, and there cannot be two categories of human beings, those who can be tourists and those who can only receive them. These two activities are, in fact, but two sides of the same human activity; both of them are noble and respectable and everyone is entitled to them. Domestic tourism (DT), historically speaking, is in fact the first form of tourism that was practised and today it continues to account for the most part of this activity by far: it is estimated that out of the 4.8 billion tourist arrivals per year (2008 figure), 4 billion, or 83%, correspond to domestic tourism. Likewise, the UNWTO’s economists estimate that at the global level domestic tourism represents: * 73% of total overnights * 74% of arrivals and 69% of overnights at hotels * 89% of arrivals and 75% of overnights in other (non-hotel) accommodations In light of these impressive figures, one is prompted to ask three questions: 1. What are the characteristics of domestic tourism? 1. AS FOR ITS CHARACTERISTICS, especially when compared to international tourism, it is possible to start with three fundamental observations: * 11. In contrast to international tourists, domestic tourists know the destination, its language, its customs, its laws, its climate, its cultural context. This has at least two consequences: * 111. As a general rule, domestic tourists are more demanding, especially when it comes to the quality of products, and also with regard to their consumer-protection rights * 112. Out of the four main motivations of tourists (discovery, encountering others, experiencing something unique, resting) the last two are certainly more prominent among domestic tourists * 1121. They seek a very wide diversity of types of destinations and tourism activities, in other words, the range of product offerings should be as broad as possible. * 1122. At the same time, domestic tourism is practiced more in a sedentary (staying in the same place) than a nomadic manner, the latter being more suited for more distant destinations. * 12. Second characteristic: domestic destinations are nearer * 121. Visits are more frequent and there are more repeat stays, notably with family and especially in the rural region of provenance of many urban residents * 122. Land transport is predominantly used: 88% compared to 51% for international tourism * 13. Third characteristic: as the destination is nearer and land transport is used more, the cost of trips is lower: * 131.Given that the barrier represented by trip cost is brought down, domestic travellers seek the best price-quality ratio, or often the lowest possible price, in all segments of the tourism value chain: accommodation, food services, tourism activities, shopping, etc†¦ * 132. they therefore seek alternative, non-hotel accommodations because, among other things, they are going to return several times to the destination and, while there, they prepare subsequent stays by informing themselves about the local accommodation offerings * 133. last, but not least importantly, they stay for longer periods * 14. The combination of these three basic characteristics (knowledge and proximity of the destination, lower cost of transport) brings about an entire series of other consequences; five of them can be mentioned: * 141. The social composition is broader, and domestic tourism involves all social strata, from the richest to persons with modest (but stable) incomes * 142. Certain social categories are much more highly represented in domestic tourism than in international tourism: * families * children and teenagers * seniors * disabled persons * households with modest but stable incomes * 143. This social diversity gives rise to a large diversity in the demand, in terms of accommodation and tourism products as well as activities and destinations. * 144. DT is less geographically concentrated and is relatively better distributed throughout the national territory, with a strong presence in the region of provenance of families. * 145. Unit expenditure is markedly lower than in international tourism, especially interregional tourism, but the overall volume of expenditure is markedly higher. 2. What is its impact on the social life of a country or a region? Five types of main impacts can be mentioned: * 21. DT is much less sensitive to crises, whether economic (e.g., 2009: substitution effect), natural, health or political (e.g., 2005 civil unrest in France). It is therefore an excellent crisis shock-absorber, especially in the case of economic crises. * 22. Due to its income redistribution effect (from tourists to local populations) and its various multiplier effects all throughout the value chain, it is an excellent tool for territorial development, for example for: * zones under redevelopment: e.g., northern China, southern Poland, eastern Germany, northern France, Wales * zones of rural exodus * mountain regions (in France, extremely poor regions in the Alps at the start of the 20th century) * 23. It is an excellent instrument for easing social tensions: * by allowing social categories of modest income to gain access to holidays and rest * by preventing situations where the same people (from the same countries) are always the tourists and with the same people receiving them * 24. It can serve to launch a destination (e.g., some of the oldest resorts of European tourism; the very new resort of Mazagan, Morocco, launched in October 2009 for the domestic market) * 25. From the macroeconomic point of view, it makes it possible to amortize national spending on international tourism: * physical investments: transport, accommodation, development and protection of public spaces (examples of Languedoc, Costa del Sol, Chinese seashore resorts) * intangible investments, mainly training and quality 3. How can we develop strong domestic tourism? One caveat: There is no magic formula and much depends on the national and regional context. A second caveat: The development of domestic tourism should not be regarded as antagonistic or alternative to international tourism; these two forms of tourism are different to be sure, but they complement each other closely and one should not be neglected in favour of the other. It is nevertheless possible to identify some broad guidelines: 31. Diversifying and developing * 311. transport: * low-cost air transport: the comparative advantage of low-cost airlines vis-à  -vis â€Å"traditional† airlines has to do with reductions in ground costs: (headquarters, booking, stops) and turnaround rate: consequently, the shorter the flight, the more competitive low-cost airlines are; it is thus a means of transport that is particularly well-suited to domestic tourism * railway network and especially high-speed rail * road and highway network (e.g., French and Austrian Alps, US) * 312. accommodation * hotels: developing family-run hotels and voluntary chains of independent hotels (pooled marketing, promotion, sales and quality standards) * residences (self-catering by families) * seasonal rentals: notably by developing quality standards and encouraging the establishment of voluntary chains for sales and promotion * camping sites, by moving upmarket (e.g., Morocco) * rural inns: notably through incentives (tax or subsidy) for the renovation of old buildings (a lot of examples worldwide) * bed & breakfasts, by providing them with a legal framework that clearly distinguishes them from hotels (taxation, definition of products, quality standards) * youth hostels * categories for nature, sea and snow (avoiding the serious errors of France on the subject of safety and security regulations) * 32. Adapting accommodations to local demand: the matter of family composition, e.g., China, Europe, Arab countries. As a general rule, accommodations adapted to families are: * larger * lower: one or two storeys * allow greater autonomy: kitchens, washing machines†¦ * allow long stays (sedentary tourism) * 33. It needs consequently to address the matters of: * land costs and development; * very long-term public and semi-public financing; * tax policy * 34. Expanding the demand: this is the role of tourism for all, namely policies that consist in: * 341. Making the demand more solvent, that is, â€Å"boosting† the purchasing power of families with modest incomes through: * holiday vouchers (Italy, France, China) * specific subsidies to low-income families (France, Russia), to young people and to seniors (Spain) * preferential rates on rail transport for families, young people, seniors * 342. Subsidizing accommodations meant for social purposes: works councils, associations, local groups or governments (e.g., in Belgium, Mexico, Brazil) * 343. Developing accessibility for disabled persons. * 35. Developing structures for activity organization and promotion at the regional/provincial level and at the local level (tourism offices) This document is an adaptation of a lecture delivered during the  « Rencontre internationale sur le dà ©veloppement du tourisme domestique  » Algiers, 9 Dec. 2010

Management Method of Jack Ma

Management Method of Jack Ma Summary Jack Ma is a wonderful leader, he use his talent create Alibaba this successful company . This article is about Jack Ma and his management methods ,it is mainly focus on 4 parts : target ,system of values , mission and teamwork . Jack Ma use his special management skill create a new era . This article will show us how important management and leadership are , also tell the rules for manage company and employee . What can those skills bring us and how to use them in our daily life . Content page Summary2 Content page3 Introduction4 Target4 System of Values5Mission5 Teamwork6 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦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 Reference8 Introduction Jack Ma is a legend , he is the leader of Alibaba , the founder of the world first E-commerce platform. Jack create a miracle , his c ompany use to be a small company with only 500000 yuan's capital , now it's market capitalization become more than 20 billion dollar . Jack know less about technology information , but he proficient in management , in his opinion , if you have enough management skill layman also can manage the expert .He believes , a good leader must be versatile ,in his understanding, the relationship between leader employee customer and owner is really important , good management method can help you to solve all these questions . In the following article I will introduce some Jack Ma's management skill and talk about the reason of his success . Target Nowadays there are always more choices for a us, but this may not be a good thing for a company , so the leader should have a clearly target , their work is not finding new opportunity but say no to useless things to them .Leader should find out the most correctly way for his company , make sure they will run on a normal track . Jack Ma use a story t o explain this point of view : if there are 10 rabbits , which one should you catch ? Too much choices will made you feel dazzle , the person who wants to catch all the rabbits must be the loser , cause they can not concentrate on one thing , and can make decision . So iust seize the opportunity which is best for you . Jack Ma believes ,A company who wants to be successful must concentrate on one target , too many goals will disrupt morale , employees not knowing which course to follow .Jack Ma raised that , ALibaba should be a longevity company , he proposed a goal for long and directional , he said this kind of goal can do good on the development of his company . Because of this kind of goal derives a series Alibaba ‘s related system and culture . Of course , the reason why Jack can notice the specific importance of a concentrated target is : When the company was found , Jack use to attract plenty of enterprise ‘s MBA to his company by big amount of funds , but 12 seni or manager except him was overseas staff , so the company did not run well because of their different management methods and goals.This gives him a lesson , so he knows that , staff who have dreams and willing to pay for the company is much better that a staff just used to work in a big company , the latter are technical-oriented , they are not stable and have their fixed pattern , if they work together , they must imped each other . Alibaba needs staff who have dreams for their team , they working for Alibaba ‘s dream , a long life company , in their first venture period they only use one month to turn their company from world ranking 8000 to 2000 .Now it become a world famous company , so we can know the importance of the target . System of Values Jack Ma used to talk about the importance of culture to a company in his lecture , just like company ‘s DNA , system of values is the nuclear of organizational cultural . System of values is a judgment of the importance of th ings , the system of values of a organization is a decision factors of development . What is the important things to Alibaba , Jack Ma summed up as six pats : customer first , integrity , dedication , change ,passion and teamwork .Jack Ma put customers in the most important part , staffs should become customer service to their instinct . Jack knew that , nowadays concept is very indistinct , what the customers need are genuineness service . The nuclear is made their product according to the market and listen to customers attentively . As a E-commerce platform , Alibaba use the world ‘s original creation B2B system , after exchange their idea to customers , they found the main problem that over 87% company worry about is integrity , so Alibaba first provide Trustpass service .Jack Ma ‘s opinion is provide good service so that we can have more customers . After B2B system , Alibaba then create B2C and C2C system and new trading platform like Zhifubao . Jack Ma considered t hat short term passion is worthless , only lasting passion can make money . But what is lasting passion ? Now Alibaba is ! 0 years old , the average age of their staff is 26 , Alibaba is still in childhood , after 10 years the company become 20 , their staffs are 36 years old , they are in prime of life and have boundless prospects .Jack leave more chance for the young people , cause they can last the passion of the company , Jack Ma ‘s management method tell us we should give more chance to young people , they are the fresh bloody for a company , they can always inject passion to their work and make good use of their competition . Mission Mission is a kind of identity , for business occupation is staff ‘s mission . Mission is the eternal power for staff . Jack's third management method is based on training staff ‘s mission , make staff work for them wholeheartedly .Looking at the world-renowned enterprises , their success is inseparable from the mission . As a E-c ommerce platform , Alibaba use the world ‘s original creation B2B system . After B2B system , Alibaba then create B2C and C2C system and new trading platform like Zhifubao and Aliwangwang . Jack found a college for cultivate the business ability of college students . They also provide training lessons for their own staff so that they can improve themselves . They departure from the fundamental , provide more chance for young businessman .Except for providing quality service , Alibaba also undertake social responsibilities initiativly . Jack Ma treat his own business career as a public property. During the period of WeiChuan earthquake in 2008 , Alibaba donated 5000000 , after that they established a special fund of 25 million . Because of this kind of mission and dedication for clients and customers , made Alibaba become a reliable company . Teamwork In Jack ‘s opinion , CEO means customer , employee and owner . He also think that the biggest fortune for a entrepreneur i s his employee , they are a team , a team provide chance for the hole company's success .One piece of log creates a small fire, adequate to warm you up, add just a few more pieces to blast an immense bonfire, large enough to warm up your entire circle of friends; needless to say that individuality counts, but team work dynamites. said Jack Ma . Businesses of today are largely concerned about their profits. They are taking every possible step to increase their turnover. The most important aspect that has a very substantial and positive impact on any business is teamwork. Effective teamwork is very significant for a company to use employee potential to the fullest.Teamwork is not only used in the corporate world to achieve targets on time, but also in the world of sports. If a team works towards a goal collectively, no one can stop it from reaching its goal. Due to the importance of teamwork in business, employers prefer to hire employees who are good team players . For becoming a goo d and effective team player in your company, you are required to have a particular set of skills and capabilities said Jack Ma You most importantly should have a good listening skill.This surely proves to be useful in listening to ideas, views, suggestions and conceptions of other employees or subordinates. You should be able to discuss the ideas and strategies suggested by your colleagues. Encourage the participation of every member in the team for a collective effort to achieve a goal. You also need to be able to share knowledge and understanding among the team members. A not to be missed skill is to give respect to others. If you want to be a good team player, you should learn to respect people and their ideas.These are just a few essentials that are required for becoming a good team member. Why is Teamwork Important in Business? Jack Ma Said there are several reasons Achieving Goals It is a widely understood concept, that united we stand and divided we fall. Same is in the case of a team in a business. Collective team activities are very important if the company or a process wants to reach its goal. There are some tasks that cannot be done individually, but can be easily accomplished by working in a team. Increasing Individual LearningIn simple terms, a team is a group of people who have come together for achieving a common objective. Therefore, in a group of people, there are many intelligent minds and brains working. When team members work together as a team, they can learn the skills and capabilities of each other and advance their knowledge. This certainly can be beneficial in your professional as well as personal life. Resolving Conflicts There are many types of conflicts that may arise in the company, which may in turn have an adverse effect on the collective output.In order to resolve business conflicts; the knowledge, understanding and expertise can be used efficiently for determining solutions to the problems. This significantly helps the business to grow. Good Communication Communication is an inevitably important factor in teamwork. When employees work in a team, they are able to pass on their ideas clearly. This rules out the possibilities of miscommunication due to complex hierarchy in the company. And due to ideas and concepts passed clearly, there is no scope for misunderstanding.Generating New Business Improvement Ideas If a manager encourages team members to participate in collective decision making, he will be able to reach a good strategy by considering views and suggestions from all members. The business can also think of incorporating ideas suggested by the team members. Employee participation in the management is a very effective tool in meliorating business strategies. Those in the team leadership should conduct team building activities for letting employees know each other better, and work in a team effectively.Conclusion Jack use his special management method create a new era for both him and his company . Al ibaba now the world famous company bring us lots of successful experience that worth to learn . A successful leader should know how to manage his company , good management method can bring us not only profit but also plenty of potential wealth . Reference PuZhu 2008 10-01 Jack Ma Talks about Management HaiTian publishing house Teamwork(2010),baidu,[online],availablefrom http://www. buzzle. com/articles/why-is-teamwork-important. tml Jack,Ma'sManagement,(2008)xinlang,,availablefrom http://ilove07ad. blog. 163. com/blog/static/1272196572009931391948/ Leadership or Alibaba ,(2010),xinlang,available from http://blog. sina. com. cn/s/blog_4c6c39790100096a. html Jack Ma talk about Management (2008),xinlang,available from http://ishare. iask. sina. com. cn/f/21979664. html Leadership challenges (2009),baidu available from http://www. linkedin. com/answers/international/internationalization-localization/INT_INZ/56289-8296586

(Social classes of Aztec Civilization) Research Paper

(Social classes of Aztec Civilization) - Research Paper Example As a people, the Aztecs have a dynamic social system and these social classes shall now be discussed in this paper. This paper will describe and discuss the social classes of the Aztec civilization in order to arrive at a more academic and specific understanding of the Aztecs and in order to further comprehend the social workings of ancient civilizations. In general, the Aztec civilization was classified into different social groupings. The emperor was at the very top of these classes and beneath him were the nobles and the priests (Lambert, n.d). After the nobles and priests were the merchants, craftsmen, and the peasants, at the very bottom of these social groupings were the slaves (Lambert, n.d). In this society, the merchants were considered to have a class of their own and they were known to inhabit their own areas in the cities where their children often ended up marrying the children of fellow merchants (Lambert, n.d). Merchants who had to travel long distances to trade their wares were called pochteca. The slaves in Aztec society were those who committed crimes and were later sentenced to slavery; and others were poor people who were forced to sell themselves into slavery (Lambert, n.d). These slaves still had some inherent rights – they could marry or buy their own property and their children were considered free men (Lambert, n.d). The foundation of most societies is the family. This is also the same for the Aztecs where the family unit is considered a very important part of their society. Such family unit consists of the parents and their unmarried children (Oracle, n.d). The members of the family support each other and each member is nurtured and is taught basic survival functions. In many cases, these families often grow to extended proportions to include the married children and their children. These extended families are often called upon to

Electronic Health Records in the UK Research Paper

Electronic Health Records in the UK - Research Paper Example This is in part informed on the fact policy debates are fueled by bogus, self-defeating attitudes. One of such thinking is that the United States is incapable of affording to cover the uninsured, when in real sense a synchronized monetary system is the chief instrument for cutting cost down, and there relatively inexpensive ways to do it. Even more, the biggest viewpoint, seized by many medical specialists, is that they would be unable to find more authority than they have before now under commercial managed care. Nevertheless, health care systems elsewhere grant medical specialists superior institutional muscle (James, 2005). In the fall of June 1941, a British civil servant, radio personality and educator Sir William Beveridge was requested to execute social modernization after World War II. He had previously worked as a civil servant whereby he interacted with the impoverished in the East of London. At this time, Beveridge observed the numerous paradoxical, biased programs for une mployment, housing, child support, amid other programs run by various departments under conflicting doctrines. As a result, Sir William Beveridge concluded that the only crucial approach was to deal with all the programs at once, in a manner that would form affiliations among the individual and state. The Beveridge account Social Insurance and Allied Services, advocated for all-inclusive health care as an element of a postwar government grand plan endorsing employment, housing, education and social security. However the Beveridge preparation provided just a preface and faltering sketch, it recognized an important vision and became an instant success. The Beveridge report for tax-based state health service as a communal good provided a rudimentary alternative to the existing Bismarck plan of National Health Service (Polly, 2003). Waiting records are a universal pressure valve in numerous systems that cut back on far too much spending. In the National Health System, the standard waiti ng time for discretionary hospital-based care is 46 days. The distinction by social status in seeking services, and admittance are nominal by international standards, though more affluent people are always adept at maneuvering any public service. The British system has been privileged to have private sector for the rich who want faster and plusher optional care. This quarter clinical value is not superior by a margin of 9 percent. The formulated policies favor a duplicative coverage for voluntary dealings for which medical professionals charge very abnormal fees. Private care is intense in the larger London quarter and other cities. Currently, all private admittance and day cases total more than 2%. The world and International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization have played a crucial role in the transformation of British Health sector (Scott, Randall & Vogt 2007). The existing design for the new NHS by the current British government is even more determined than the transf ormation shaped by Margaret Thatcher. The NHS was largely criticized as no longer affordable and or sustainable. Restraining it to an emergency and benefit service would have been glaringly politically practicable and would have been received well by the public-private joint venture premises of

The Irish Image in Contemporary Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

The Irish Image in Contemporary Society - Essay Example In 19th century newspaper cartoons, however, those same qualities are portrayed as negative, as the irresponsible antics of a mentally inferior people. This is a stereotype that has managed to survive into modern politically correct society. Before emigrating to America during the Famine years of the mid 19th century, the Irish had long endured racial intolerance from the British. In a letter to his wife, Charles Kingsley wrote, "...I am haunted by the human chimpanzees I saw [in Ireland]... I don't believe they are our fault...But to see white chimpanzees is dreadful; if they were black, one would not feel it so much," (Curtis, 1968). Phrenology, the study of cranial shapes and characteristics, became highly popular between 1800 and 1850 (Wohl, 1990), and asserted that the Irish skull shape was not that of a human being's, but closer to that of an ape's. The Irish were "primitive." John Beddoe, president of the Anthropological Institute from 1889 to 1891, wrote in his book The Races of Britain (1862), that all intelligent men were orthognathous, meaning they had smaller jaw bones, while the Irish were prognathous (more prominent jaw bones) and were thus more akin to Cromagnon man (Wohl, 1990). Punch cartoons of the Iri sh reflect this belief, depicting them with long, drooping upper-lips and apelike features. The circumstances that the Irish went on to face would often be linked with this belief. In the 1840s, a fungus infected the crops of Ireland and an estimated one-fourth of the population died of starvation (The History Place, 2000). Reports were made of finding bodies lying in the road with green foam oozing from the mouth because the deceased had been eating grass to stave off hunger (The History Place, 2000). Thus, in 1847, the United States saw the largest mass immigration in history. Boston, which had a population of 115,000, was suddenly inundated with 37,000 Irish immigrants (The History Place, 2000). New York City, which had a population of 372,000, saw 52,000 Irish in 1847 (The History Place, 2000). In Boston, the Irish were greeted with scorn by the English Puritans, who saw their rural manners and poverty as boorish. Of all of the foreign immigrant groups, the Irish were the poorest (The History Place, 2000). As soon as they stepped off the boat, they were herded into large houses that had been subdivided into apartments, often with no water or ventilation (Th e History Place, 2000). There were so many Irish arriving, however, that many actually slept in the gardens, backyards, and alleys surrounding the house (The History Place, 2000). A Boston Committee of Internal Health reported these houses as: "a perfect hive of human beings, without comforts and without common necessaries; in many cases, huddled together like brutes, without regard to age or sex or sense of decency. Under such circumstances, self-respect, forethought, and all the high and noble virtues soon die out, and sullen indifference and despair or disorder, intemperance and utter degradation reign supreme," (The History Place, 2000). That could be why the city's crime rate increased by a breathtaking 400 percent (The History Place, 2000). The Irish gained such a notorious reputation for rowdiness and violence that many

Masafi staregic marketing pan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Masafi staregic marketing pan - Essay Example 8 Core Competencies 8 Future Industry Analysis 8 Market Analysis 9 Perceived Customer Value 9 Customer Analysis 10 Segmentation 10 Targeting 11 Positioning 11 Marketing Strategy 13 Service Marketing: 7Ps Framework 14 Brand Strategy 18 Final Budget 20 Recommendations 21 Appendices 25 Executive Summary The study will propose a marketing plan for Masafi’s mineral water. The project will start with the mission and vision of the organisation. Following these, the study will provide a brief history of Masafi. A PLC and BCG matrix has been implemented for the purpose of the study. Then a market analysis has been conducted in order to understand the customer value and current customer trend. Then the study will provide a marketing plan including overview of the industry, key competitors, STP analysis and Marketing Mix. Finally, the study will provide recommendation plans basis on the critical issues. Background Analysis Masafi is a growing FMCG company in the Gulf and Middle East regi on headquartered in Dubai. The organisation used to manufacture and distribute mineral water and other food products (Masafi, 2013a). Here the project will conduct a marketing audit for the mineral water and will propose a new marketing plan for the products. ... Product diversification and business expansion in different global markets. Retention of long-term leadership within the mineral water industry. Expansion of brand portfolio and provision of social and health services for the global community. Vision The vision statement of Masafi is â€Å"Premium Products for Enhanced life†. Organisational Setup Masafi was founded in the year 1976. Masafi has been able to enter the domestic market with an estimated start-up capital of 5.5 million US dollar. In the year 2007, Masafi earned revenue of 40.2 million US dollars. Masafi has joint ventures with several international companies. For example, the organisation has joint ventured with UAE based organisation Khadamat facilities in order to recycle the plastics that are used for packaging (Carter and Dunston, 2006, p.161). Product Portfolio Analysis The product portfolio analysis will determine the key product lines of Masafi in terms of Market share, PLC and BCG Matrix. Sales or Profit In the year 2002, Masafi managed to increase its growth by 8%. At that point of time, the economic situation was not favourable for mineral water industry. However, the organisation managed to sell more than 3.6 million litres of mineral water bottles in that specific year. Several experts at that point of time expected that the organisation would avail a significant growth during the next 10 years. In the year 2012, the organisation increased its growth by 6% comparing to the last year. In terms of market share and profit, the key products of Masafi are mineral water bottles and facial tissues. Product Life Cycle Masafi’s mineral water has a short life cycle. From the starting years, the organisation has introduced mineral water of various flavours. The

Police Profiling Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Police Profiling - Term Paper Example It can be remembered that several activists, especially college students, participated in mass protests against racial discrimination i.e. in the early 1960’s, with people such as Martin Luther King, Junior coming into the limelight (Erlich & Susan, 2000). In the process of conducting these protests, civilians, mostly whites, embarked on a mission to disrupt through violence and intimidation whereby protestors were beaten to death. Instead of performing their national duties to protect these citizens, the police at that time instead connived with the vigilantes to suppress the blacks, most notably by escorting the buses carrying protestors only to lead and leave them in the hands of vigilantes (Erlich & Susan, 2000). Driving while black in the US is a terminology which emanated from the practice of state police harassing black motorists without any legal basis (Meeks, 2002). In this context, black citizens are always suspected to be criminals and it is the perception of most o fficers that the car being driven by them is either stolen or the occupants are on a mission to commit crime. In San Diego 1997, a Shawn Lee was arrested and detained for more than an hour on the basis that he was driving a vehicle, which, perceivably, did not befit his status as it was an expensive Jeep. In his statement, the arresting officer defended himself by implying that he was acting on information the police had of a similar vehicle which had allegedly been stolen the previous night, which of course turned out to be a lie (Meeks, 2002). The issue of immigration in the modern America has also promoted police profiling against Americans of Hispanic origin. This is due to the perception that the society has against these people whereby they are viewed as potential illegal immigrants, who are out to disrupt peace in the country by the virtue of numerous criminal activities associated with countries such as Mexico, which include and not limited to drug trade, involvement in crim inal gang activities among others. In this context, a person of Hispanic origin has higher chances of being stopped and questioned by highway police on suspicion that he could be in the country illegally. In 1997 for example, an operation conducted by the US border patrol in conjunction with Chandler Police resulted to the arrest of approximately 430 illegal immigrants. However, more than 200 legal US citizens of Hispanic origin were arrested in the process, an action which resulted to the suing of the authorities, who were made by the courts to pay $400000 as compensation to the victims (O’Reilly, 2002). Similarly, the September 11 attacks on the US left the country in a state of phobia against people of the Middle Eastern origin (Holbert, 2004). This is due to the reason that the attacks were perpetrated by terrorists i.e. al-Qaida, which is an Arab dominated criminal network. Therefore, the police will always have a predetermined mind that whenever they encounter such peop le, there is a high possibility that they could be associated with the terrorist group and therefore it is a must for them to act more vigilantly towards them as opposed to the other Americans. According to supporters of this profiling, this is a measure to ensure that the security of the citizens is protected from possible threats especially if it is conducted efficiently in all points of entry into the country. On the other hand, critics view it as unnecessary and

Concretely, colonial policies in Africa were driven by economic Essay

Concretely, colonial policies in Africa were driven by economic factors and not by concerns about the type of society colonial rule would bring about. Discuss - Essay Example This is what came to be known as the "Scramble for Africa". Many historians debate on the reasons as to why European nations rushed to establish colonies and territories in Africa, finding it hard to agree upon a single cause. One thing is very clear though; the colonial policies in Africa were driven by economic factors and not by concerns about the type of society colonial rule would bring about. Colonialism, whether it was by the Belgian, British, German, French or any power was not supposed to be a kind enterprise. The reason behind colonialism was one: exploitation of human labor and economic surplus accumulation. Consequently, capitalism did not spare labor exploitation even if it took spilling blood so as to fulfill the agenda. Britain developed and became a post-industrial nation with financial services increasingly becoming important in its economy. The financial exports kept Britain going, especially its capital investments based outside Europe. The surplus capital was profitably invested not in Britain but overseas, where abundant raw materials, limited competition, and cheap labor made bigger premiums possible. Imperialism inducement arose due to raw materials demand, unavailable in Britain and Europe. These included rubber, copper, tea, cotton, and tin. In Africa, the European’s capital investment was relatively little compared to the other continents. The companies which were involved in commerce were not relatively big, apart from De Beers Mining Company owned by Cecil Rhodes, who carved out north and south Rhodesia for himself and his company, as did King Là ©opold II with the Congo Free State and later Belgian Congo. Europe was experiencing an economic depression during the late 1800’s.as a result, the colonial governments did not have enough for spending on economic development, political administration, and social programs in their new colonies. A policy was formulated for the colonies to â€Å"pay for themselves.† In

Military's last barrier to Equality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Military's last barrier to Equality - Essay Example I agree with author that in the current environment of gender equality, there is urgent need to rescind the restrictions on women in combat positions. Indeed, women must have the freedom to choose the area of military services where they want to serve, even if they are dominated by men. McSally has justifiably pointed out that if women can be employed in combat positions in Iraq and Afghanistan, they have the right to those positions in their home ground also. Women have amply shown that they are capable of competing with their counterparts in the battle areas also. In Iraq and Afghanistan, they have won medals for bravery and served in various combat areas like frontline battle where they have killed enemies and have also sacrificed their lives for a better world; at checkpoints they have searched women and children for weapons and last but not the least is that have successfully carried their responsibility of acting as agent in counterinsurgency plans. These are all important area s of combat positions that have been successfully breached by women soldiers. Hence, they have earned the rights to serve in these areas in their country also. Interestingly, the decision to restrict entry for women in various areas of military services like infantry, artillery, tank, special services and other specialty areas is not due to any law passed by Congress. It is in fact, the decisions of Department of Defense that have not been updated to keep with changing times. Author asserts that Mike Mullen, Chairman of Joint Chief of Staff, has realized that contemporary environment is highly vulnerable to explosive situations like terrorist acts of violence and ‘everyone is in a combat zone’. Thus combat related military policies need to be reviewed. National security advisor to President Obama has also stated that ‘women are already serving in combat [in Iraq and Afghanistan] and current policy should be updated to reflect realities on the ground’. These are important indicators to change and would encourage inclusion of women in combat positions in American military. Recently President Obama had passed the strictures to allow homosexuals within the military services. This was the most radical but much needed initiative that hugely supports the concept of equal opportunity for all. The court of law had intervened in the area of defense to ensure that constitutional rights of citizens is not flouted in the garb of social sanctity to various modes of sexuality. Sexual equality has indeed come of age and it is fervently believed that department of defense would now pave way for women in areas that were hitherto restricted for them. The ban of women in various positions and areas of military were broadly based on flimsy excuses. It was believed that ‘their position could disrupt cohesion, may create sexual tension, there will be insurmountable privacy issues; they don’t (as a class) have what it takes†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ etc. T hese are feeble reasons to promote gender differentiation. They lower the esteem of not only American military but also that of American constitution that thrives on freedom of individuals to choose and their right to equal opportunities in all areas of work. President Obama has often emphasized that justice, fairness and equal rights for all must become a ground reality. It is hoped that the same would also be implemented within the various areas of military services and allow women access

Women in the American Revolution Essay Example for Free

Women in the American Revolution Essay As had been the pattern in Europe over the centuries, women in early America were not supposed to play any political role in society. Following the ideas and values brought here from the Old World, colonial leaders decided that womens main place was in the home, centered around conventional activities for example housework, cooking, cleaning, as well as childrearing. Besides taking care of the household, it was accepted; women could partake in some phases of the religious life of the community. However a sharp difference was drawn between religion and politics. When the question arose in early Massachusetts regarding possibly permitting all church members a political voice irrespective of their other status, Puritan minister John Cotton argued that merely independent adult men had the essential qualifications to act sensibly in the political sphere. Women and Servants, he said, are not reckoned â€Å"capable of voting in the choice of Magistrates, though they may be and are, church members. †1 Cotton and others felt that women may exercise some decision-making authority within the family, however in society at large men alone could be rulers. Certainly, not all men in early America had access to the political realm. As noted in Reverend Cottons remarks, bound servants were to be excluded. Furthermore, religious dissenters, white men without property and, certainly, black slaves were generally barred from any form of political participation. Members of these groups, along with women, had been conventionally looked upon as lacking the independence and personal qualities believed essential for becoming a voter or officeholder. Thus far women were obviously a special case, which is perhaps why it ultimately took longer for them to lawfully get political rights. Perhaps, too, it elucidates why in colonial times few theorists even measured the prospect of women having any sort of political role. In the second half of the 18th century, certain writers elaborated further as to why women did not belong in the political ground. A foremost advice book of the time, The Polite Lady, published in England however extensively read in America, stated that womens natural abilities were not equal to such a difficult task as politics. Female education, as currently conducted, said the author, was too slight and superficial to allow women to be competent judges of such matters. Just before the colonists stated their independence, Massachusetts lawyer and emerging statesman John Adams reiterated some of these views. Like the previous writer, Adams did not assert that women lacked any intellectual capacity. To a certain extent, he thought that they were unsuited both by temperament as well as training for such a worldly pursuit as politics. â€Å"Their delicacy, Adams insisted, renders them unfit for practice and experience in the great business of life, and hardly enterprises of war, as well as the arduous cares of state. Besides, their attention is so much engaged with the necessary nurture of their children, that nature has made them fittest for domestic cares. †2 Women in the Patriot Cause: These few instances of female participation despite, the foregoing criticism reveals the fact that women were not seen as having a justifiable place in the political community. The passage of time had brought much development to the colonies however none concerning any institutionalized political role for women. That women should have no business dealing with matters of state was an approach maintained not merely by notable men in America but as well among the great minds of the late 18th century European Enlightenment. Outside of the French philosopher Condorcet, no intellectual of the period seriously thought that women belonged in the public sphere. Though, the American Revolution would force as a minimum some rethinking of womens connection to the political realm here in the New World. Even though no formal context existed for women entering the civil polity, they would in several ways become attached to the movement looking for political independence from England. As historian Linda Kerber has noted, womens services turned out to be highly sought after either for the army or on the home front. Consequently, women were challenged to commit themselves politically and then validate their allegiance. In a little while the age-old question was raised: could a woman be a loyalist, an essentially political person, and, if so, what form would it take? The issue, as Kerber indicates, never achieved full resolution. However without doubt many women, at least for a time, went beyond their conventional roles and started engaging in some kinds of public activity.

How To Assess Information And Knowledge

How To Assess Information And Knowledge The main aim of this assignment is to provide Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd, on how to assess information and knowledge internally and externally to improve decision making and taking while creating strategies to increase personal networking to widen involvement in the decision-making process. This assignment also helped Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd develop communication process to improve the gathering and dissemination of information and organizational knowledge. Furthermore it assessed the current approach of information management by Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd also highlighted with suggestion and the way the culture effects the communication procedure is recognized and discussed. Acknowledgement This project could have not been written without Mr.Frank Gunasekara. Who encouraged and challenged me through my academic program. He never accepted less than my best efforts. Thank you. I make no claim to be comprehensive since what is collected in this project are materials that I found in articles, Books, Interviews and the internet. A special thanks to the authors mentioned in the bibliography page. I would like to acknowledge and extend my heartfelt gratitude to my family and friends. And specially to Mr.Suranga Liyanarachi [Human Resource Manager] of Anverally and Sons [Pvt] Ltd. Words cannot express what I owe them for there encouragement and whose patient love enabled me to complete this project. And especially to Allah, Who made all things possible. Table of Contents List of Illustrations Organizational Structure à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. 8 L1 Introduction of Anverally and Sons [Pvt] Ltd. Anverally and Sons [Pvt] Ltd., was founded by a man with a great vision, the late Mr. Anverally. Which was over a 100 years ago, His vision was to establish the finest pure Ceylon teas. After a century passed his vision was made a reality by his successors. Today Anverally and Sons [Pvt] Ltd, exports the finest teas in the world to over 37 countries which includes Europe, Asia, CIS states and the Middle East. And being registered members of the Colombo Tea Traders Association, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, National Chamber of Commerce, the Export Development Board and the Srilanka Tea Board. Being having a good relationship with a number of plantation companies and estates around the island, Anverally and Sons [Pvt] Ltd has some of the most experienced tea tasters in the business, Vital for the important process of blending that makes Ceylon Tea so famous around the world today. Mission OUR MISSION IS TO CREATE PERFECTION SECOND TO NONE IN EVERY OUNCE OF TEA WE EXPORT [Anverally and Sons [Pvt] Ltd, Website] www.anverally.com/ceylon-black-green.html Organizational Structure Director of Operations and Logistic Director of value added Tea Director of Bulk Tea Director of Finance Senior Executive Human resource manager TEAM General Manager MD/ Chairmen [Figure 1] Organizational structure is the frame work, typically hierarchical, within which Anverally and Sons [Pvt] Ltd. Arranges its lines of authority and communications, and makes sure to allocates there rights and duties. This organizational structure shows the manner and the extent to which power, roles and responsibilities are delegated, coordinated and controlled and how information flows between levels of management. Being having a Horizontal structure [Flat hierarchy] the number of people in layers is less. Anverally and sons being having a wide span of control there are many employees reporting to a superior. But in the narrow span of control only a few employees are reporting to a superior. Being having a wide span of control at Anverally and Sons communication is faster because the message travels faster and shorter distance in the flat structure. There for in this organization communication is more effective and can respond to the changes in the market faster. However in tall structure it takes more time to respond to the changes in the market. Range Of Organizational Decisions Example : At an economic crisis, This is when all the decisions are made by the head-office or the top management. All the decisions making power are help by the top managers and managers at the lower levels do not have power. When important decisions are to be made Anverally and Sons will get the company centralized in all departments and there will be a similar set of rules and regulations. This may lead to greater consistency and when everyone follows the same system there will be more consistency and this will reduce confusion among different departments. It was explained that at Anverally and sons that senior managers are taking all the decisions since they are more matured and experienced and there for the decision will be a good quality decision that will benefit the whole organization. However if junior managers takes the decisions, the decisions may not benefit the organization since they are not experienced. However if Anverally and sons pass down the decision making power to other areas departments or divisions in the business allowing decisions to be taken away from the top management. This reduces the workload for the senior management and there for will make decision making faster. By passing decision making powers to lower levels will speed up the decision making progress and. This will make the organization more flexible and it will be able to react to the changers in the market quickly. And as a result the business will be able to retain its skilled force [work] because everybody will be involved in decision making. Anverally and Sons [Pvt] Ltd being a growing company decision making should be decentralized as there are a lot of operations. Information required at different Levels of organization At Anverally and Sons [Pvt] Ltd, Strategic Level decisions are taken into consideration by only the Chairman and General Manager which includes them to deal with complex issues, It involves high level of risk since the future is very unpredictable and decides on the objectives of the organization. Tactical Level is handled by the Directors/Executives and they are responsible to ensure that resources are obtained and use effectively and efficiently to accomplish the organizations objectives. Directors/Executives in tactical level operations are the Dir. Operations and logistics, Dir. Value added tea, Dir. Bulk Tea, Dir. Finance and Senior Executive Human resource Director . Operational Level is managed by the Managers and their respective teams, Marketing manager:- Should do an analyst about the competitors and identify its break troughs and make advantages decisions for the organizationa and mainly about the the organizations Products, Price, Place and Promotion. Human Resource manager :- Manages the overall sector of human resource services, programs and policies. Some of the major areas an HRM manages can include as Recruiting staff, Organizational Development, Performance management and improvement systems. Shipping department manager and Logistics head are included as well. They ensure that every top level task they have received is carried out effectively and efficiently. And at this level decisions what needs to be taken into consideration like day to day activity decisions are apart of this department. Effective Communication With Stakeholders Anverally and Sons [Pvt] Ltd does pay a great number of attention to their stakeholders, Whose behaviors and attitude will mean a lot for their difference between the success and failure of the companys organizational mandate. Communication with stakeholders is important and critical for the organization, For the communication to be effectively done Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd should identify their key stakeholders. Set Communication Objectives Before developing a message campaign, It is important that Anverally and Sons [Pvt] Ltd to clarify the reason and objectives behind the communication. The main objective of the communication is to inform the stakeholders of some pending action or decision, to engage with them or maybe to prevent or overcome some problems. However if the organization is to inform or raise awareness than affecting the perception or its behavior, the approach of communication will be varied. Choosing a Communication format Messages communicated can vary from personal encounters to mass communication. For an Example: If the objective is to change the behavior, two-way communication is required for anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd, such as telephone contact or face to face interviews should be used with stakeholders. But if the information which should be one-way informed then it could be used in newspapers, magazine or public service announcements on radio or television could be an appropriate choice for anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd. Getting feedback on Effectiveness The ultimate goal of effective communications with stakeholders is getting the feedback from the respective stakeholders themselves. By having conducted the research with all relevant constituencies in order to know if the desired message have been received and the expected results with the communication effort. Research can be in the form of Telephone or Internet interviews. Communicating with, Customers :- Customers buys the goods and services. And are expecting quality tea which is safe and in reasonable price. Suppliers :- Suppliers supply the raw materials. Suppliers expectations are continuously high volume business, Timely settling their invoices. There for if the supplier is not happy with the business dealings it may lead to stop supplying the materials. The method used to communicate with these stakeholders is by electronic communication. Internal and External Source of Organization Internal Sources of communication means communication within the organization, Information can be of many types, Example of some major internal source: Organizational Information: Internal source of information to gather data about the organization which includes strategic plans, exit surveys, Focus groups. External Sources of information are where the organization gathers information from official and unofficial sources, but who are effected with the business externally. Example : Sending a message to a supplier Anverally and Sons has a strong strategy of Communicating and motivating its employees. The reason for Anverally and sons to manage its decisions is by having a good communication environment, Good communication does encourage team work. Team work will result in new ideas, New ideas lead to innovation. Good decision making will allow faster decision making. When decision making is fast the business organization can react to changes in the market quickly. Methods of communication used by Anverally and Sons [Pvt] Ltd Oral communication : Which is one to one communication Example : Telephone conversations, Meetings, Interviews, Staff appraisal meeting. Scenario : When the tea cartons are ready for shipment and there is no space for storing since the shipment is being delayed then the Distribution manager contacts the Shipping manager directly and solves the immediate problem. Positives out of this method are that the communication will be more clear and effective because there is immediate feedback and body language can be observed. However if the communication consist of many document it is advisable to note them down in writing so that there will be written records of it. Written communication : A written record is available there for it can be referred back later and will have no disputes as there is evidence. Example : Notice, News Letters, Reports, etc.. However this will be time consuming and there will not be any immediate feedback. Electronic communication : This is the main method where Anverally and sons use for decision making. Since of the high speed communication and immediate response can be identified. Its a more cost effective way for and example : Email is cheaper than postal mail. And a large quantity can be downloaded from the internet. The head office situated in Colombo and the factories being placed in rural areas people still can work as a team due to electronic communication. This method can be sent and received at anytime of the day there for it is more flexible.As a factor to be concerned for Anverally and sons is that, If electronic communication is using text, audio and video messages. Then this can be sent through one communication line. However this way of communication can affect the company by hackers and viruses. It could also lead to information overload since with the internet the information available is too high and could result it such. And to get the employees trained to deal with electronic communication the company will have to have as expense such a training cost. Recommendation for Improvement. At Anverally and Sons [Pvt] Ltd it is identified that the organization use to communicate with their employers and employees using the electronic communication method than oral discussions. As noted the company has few errors of communication as to whom to report or inform. Being having a flat structure the organization has a wide span of control but according to the programs the organization conducts the process of communication is wrong since they use reports and flyers about Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd in every program they conduct. Since Anverally and Sons [Pvt] Ltd being an internationally recognized tea export company. It is important to ask, is it enough for Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd to limit their communication to the current amount. According to the conditions Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd should start up using the oral method more often so that they could communicate to their employees/employers throught face to face discussions. This method would lead to get more innovative ideas on how to prove the service and increase its potential. Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd should start having group meetings among the different level of the company, This would lead Employees and top management to have a better understanding since there is more human interaction, Besides Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd has to clearly state to whom the employees have to inform regarding different issues and problems they face during operations. Being having a Flat structure it is important to practice horizontal communication since it would help make the internal communication better. And lead to all departments to have better understanding and be more productive. L3 Existing process of communication Anverally and Sons [Pvt] Ltd does use the two way communication process, which is upward and downwards communication. Being having the downward communication Anverally and Sons [Pvt] Ltd use to provide information on their current programs and ongoing projects, Since Feedback is also identified the medium used is by daily announcements at the Factory and by having notice boards at every branch and other different media to their employees about the current issues of the business. And having the upward communication process, Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd, Use this method to communicate with the higher authority through electronic device regarding the various problems which arises from the tactical and operational level. So this method helps them to talk about the issues and their concerns and how to over come these. However since customers are encouraged to contact Anverally and Sons [Pvt] Ltd through the Internet [E-mail] to obtain more information or to make a complain. Since this method is used in the organization their can be miscommunication within the middle layer management since E-mail can be time consuming to answer complicated questions or their might be many misunderstandings because cultural differences in the explanation or understanding of certain words, There for using oral communication [telephone] may be considered as a better solution for providing detailed answers. Greater integration system of communication Anverally and Sons [Pvt] Ltd being an internationally recognized tea exporter, Needs to have a proper communication system and thats critical for its success. If the employees at Anverally and Sons [Pvt] Ltd are not effectively communicating with their customers, clients and other experts, the business will have to face negative situations. Improving effective communication skills within the work force is a important skill that should be mastered. Few of the points Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd should look into to make sure all workers are communicating effectively. Executive Information System [EIS] This is a system planned to make and support the information and decision made by the senior executives at Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd, it also provides easy right to use both internal and external information valid to meet its calculated goals of the business. Internal Data Organizations financials Organizations resources External Data Stock market Economic databases New services Under this system executives at Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd will be having a clear moniter of companies performances and will be able to forecast, spot and analyze problem, Identifying opportunities and to track competitors activities. Management information system [MIS] This system provides managers at middle level for organizing, evaluating and to resourcefully run their departments, and it also provides past, present and future predicted information with the help of software, data bases and hardware applications. To improve this system Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd should develop a technological usage agreement for its staff which help the business and maintain its staff from being disobedient. Includes agreement issues such as off beam web surfing, prohibits visiting virus sites etc.. And also should maintain a schedule of maintenance, this would manage to update and scan for virus and prevent data loss or system crash. Transaction process system [TPS] This system is designed to practice the day-to-day dealings of Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd since the business has over 600 outsourced employees advancing this system may lead for the labor-intensive business transactions cto be replaced by automated processes. And their for anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd can improve its operation efficiency and decrease its transaction cost. Communication Skills of a good manager As the interview with Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd, Human resource executive Mr.Suranga Liyanarachi. It was identified that there were positives and negatives shown as a manager with his communication skills. Clear communication skill :- As a manager it was clear and effective flow of information which was handed over to the interviewer this makes a good skill of clear communication. Assertive communication skill :- With the ability to express his opinion, ideas, requirements and sentiment in a uncomplicated, non-hesitant way, while also being very diplomatic and respectful of the other person. Integrity :- He is a manager with a lot of integrity in other words is a person who says what he thinks and does what he say hell do. As a result Team transparency, creative approach and performance naturally arise from this. Personal Plan to improve communication skills Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd being having spotted a weakness of their communication system will have to over come its situation to satisfy its clients and customers and other related experts. Causes for lack of team work Lack of clearness about decision making Who has authority over what, Methods for making decisions are changing or unclear. Lack of team communication skills Discussions, conversation, listening disagreement decision Fundamental nature of the work is not very understandable so its mutually dependent, and therefore teamwork is not really needed. There for to over come this situation Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd should implement these strategies as follows, Define member roles and responsibilities. :- Every member has its role to be done and more over it should not overlap with confusion, If the work load are being distributed equally the smoother the work would flow. Acknowledge and reward team members :- This is to ensure that all team members know how their individual effort has contributed to the companies common goal and will give confidence to all stakeholders to repeatedly share their individual input with the entire team. Importance of team meeting and Group discussion to improve communication Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd being having a competitive business nature will need standard personal interaction more that ever. Although they have once a week meeting with all executive heads and have meetings every three months on strategic planning, By having electronic communication [telephone and online communication] may allow for convenient and speedy way of communication with customers and also may open up a new opportunity for quick sharing of ideas. But setting up a business meeting within the business will create different effects on the business, Benefit : Information distribution A key benefit will be that it provides an opportunity to share information such as financial updates or may help to recognize new employees for more complex issues. An genuine meeting pinpoints a moment in time and place to have in detail discussions with no other distractions or work getting in the way. Disadvantage : Time However Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd can drain out its companies productivity when having its staff to spend more time on meetings, therefore to over come this reason Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd must try to limit the amount of time that the staff spend in meetings. L4 Identify how information can be used as controlling and coordination method for Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd. Word controlling is used as a way of monitoring the companies actions and behavior by using its information. And the word coordination means as how information is prearranged in a way that can be collected for companys action and activities. As noted from the interview, Information helps to assemble the act of the HR division and the finance subdivision, Where HR division helps to grant information to finance subdivision to make monthly financial statement for the staff. Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd control their daily supplies because information helps them to know how much of tea leaves is needed for each day. consequently information from the logistics sector and storage department will let the shipping department how many tons of tea leaves are being exported everyday. So that there will not be any storage or over production overlapping. And in this same situation we can see the coordination of the logistics sector and the storage department because without the information of shipping department the company wont be able to control its production, storage and exporting requirement for each day. Approaches to the collection, formatting, storage, disseminating information and knowledge. Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd collects information for the function to increase its business efficiency and success in order to make desire turnover along with to sustain in future by making different judgment depend on the information they collect. Information collection Export department Products[taj,al-athur] exported to the clients and the quantity of each product sent per day. Website collects the customers information since they register in the companies website when placing an order for a particular product. Information collected are : name, address, phone number and few financial information. News paper and reports collects information about the competitor by annual reports or financial reports, and they also gather information about the current rules and regulations. Formatting information Customer profile Collection of customer information will be analyzed and divided into customer gender, location and personal information as collected. Export department processes the information on the quantity of exports during the day and the profits made by each product, availability of product and to end with calculates the earnings for the day. Storing information Customer profile Customer information Export department would store the information in the system under daily exports. Secondary researched data would be kept in a separate file. Dissemination of information Being having the customers information in the system, once a placement is made by the customer the customer care reports to the factory department and prepare the amount of tea needed and deliver it to the customer. Reports and magazine information will be spread to the respective departments such as competitors marketing strategy would be handed over to the marketing department. How Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd manage its knowledge At the operations of Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd, it is identified that there is two types of knowledge being used. Explicit knowledge : Is a record of how each task is to be performed by plan and actions. Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd being having its factory employees outsourced, it was found that employees tend to change there profession within the factory and that simply helped by the explicit knowledge, this is where all guides and instruction on how to operate its machine would be written or documented, therefore the quality of the product will not change although the employee changes. Tactic knowledge : It is found that in Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd, Human resource Department that they recruit and train their employees, Since most of them have only explicit knowledge they lack from tactical knowledge there for they team them up and give them projects on real time and real situation handling project and these are supervised by a manager and at the end of the day they discuss with the trainee about the mistakes and how they should improve to handle problems. How IT system could be used as a communication management and controlling tool for Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd. IT system helps Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd, as a communication management and a controlling tool because this system helps to solve complex issues. Example : Its isnt easy for the staff to record all its sales into a paper and there is likely chances for making error, IT system will help to reduce its difficulty since it makes less human acceptance in processing information, there for this leads to increase the productivity of the work and saves time for the staff. Improvement of collecting, formatting, storage, disseminating information and knowledge Information collection: While having a website Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd can have a representative at every country where they manage to export the most so that the customer can gain more customer satisfaction by having a face to face conversation. Competitors information: This can be identified by attending trade shows and by joining industry associations. Formatting information: By implementing a back-up system and a paper backup system since if the IT system fails then there would be information paper as well for quick references. By getting an IT system out sourced would increase its IT potentials since they will be mainly working on IT related area and would be risk free. Dissemination: It is helpful if the information system is grouped for the exact department like if the employees information can be directly directed to the HR department so then it would make it easy for them to take decisions since they are responsible for employees issues. Implementing a strategy to improve access to system of information and knowledge to others as appropriate For a strategy to be implemented, Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd should identify its current problem and its future problem, Example : By only one HR department it is hard for them to look into all its employees information and manage them and mean while if there is an order placed by a client then the business should contact the IT department and then collect information and then pass them to the processing department. There for to handle the situation Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd should develop a plan to save its business, where it helps to enter a broad area of the information system of the business that will put together key business development so that information will be spread into all departments and make things easy. And after the plan is developed the implementation should help to train the staff on how to use the system and to make sure the system is working efficiently and effectively. Organization Culture effecting on the business It was noted that Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd uses a paternalistic style of communication which is that they believe that employees need direction and it is important that they are supported and cared properly. The company does consult to find out views but the decisions are made by the top level management. Therefore the company would have improved decisions making as many ideas are involved and also it increases its employees productivity. More you do more you get [Culture slogan, Interview HR manager] Conclusion This assignment includes a variety of understandings regarding the communication procedure and IT systems of Anverally and sons [Pvt] Ltd. It is found that the company uses diverse verity electronic devices to communicate and they use the up-down method of communication throughout the company. However the recommended type of communication system and IT system is to have a more likely to have a positive effect on the company.

Sense And Sensibility Themes Essay -- essays research papers

"Sense and Sensibility" In Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility there is a theme that runs along with males in the novel. The first born sons are forced to deal with the promotions and abilities that come along with the laws of primogeniture, yet even with all they get they do not lead an altogether happy life. The men that are "first-born" are in fact too swayed by the power and obligation that comes with their estates. In the novel the first sons are viewed in a negative light, yet the second-born sons have less responsibility to be what society wants them to be and are allowed to be his own. Although Edward Ferrars, is a firstborn, his mother disinherits him because of his lack of focus and ability to be all she wants him to be; as John Dashwood remarks "Robert will now to all intents and purposes be considered as the eldest son." We know that Colonel Brandon is a second son because he has an older brother who married his old sweetheart, Eliza, many years before the novel's plot begins. And whereas these characters are the heroes of the novel, all the eldest sons are cast in a negative light, including John Dashwood, Robert Ferrars, and Colonel Brandon's older brother. In Austen's day, the eldest sons were the ones who inherited all the family property according to the laws of male primogeniture. However, in spite of these inheritance laws, it is the second sons who ultimately find happiness in the novel; thus they make content lives for them...

Classification of Movie Goers :: Classification Essay

Classification of Movie Goers Many people go to the movies. The movies are an escape into a fantasy world. Everyone has a different preference on what kind of movie is the best. Romance, horror, action, and comedy are different types of movies. The kind of movie someone goes to see can give clues to what kind of person they are. People who prefer horror films obviously like to be grossed out or like to be frightened. The horror fans probably tend to enjoy suspense and anxiety. One might suspect these people love to go on frightening roller coaster rides or do other things that would cause suspense and anxiousness. People of this nature might enjoy things that most people would not, considering the amount of gore produced in many horror films. For example, some people watch surgeries on TV. These shows contain blood and things disturbing to others. It would make sense to say that the person who has no problem with the gore in the movies could probably watch and enjoy a surgery on TV. Comedy, most people enjoy going to the movies and laughing. Although most people do enjoy a comedy here and there, some people try to be like the characters in them. These people love to laugh and try to make others laugh whenever possible. Sometimes this is a good thing and one would not mind being around them because they are actually funny. Nevertheless, some of them are down right annoying. If someone tells them they are annoying then that just means to them that they have to try harder to get people to laugh. People who love comedy always seem to love going out and having fun with their life. These types of people rarely get mad either. People who enjoy going out and living up life probably watch action adventure type movies. The ones who like these movies would probably get a kick out of being chased by the police in a car. Risky habits such as doing things that are against the law and hoping they don't get caught could be a trait of a person who likes action adventure movies also. Another thing they might participate in is extreme sports like bungie jumping or skydiving. They might watch the news on TV and hope that a big story with action might come in. Over all they seek what they see in the movies.

The Lost Duke of Wyndham Chapter Four

Ten minutes later Grace was in the Wyndham carriage, alone with the dowager, trying to remember just why she'd told Thomas he shouldn't commit his grandmother to an asylum. In the last five minutes the dowager had: Turned the carriage around. Shoved Grace out and to the ground, where she'd landed awkwardly on her right ankle. Sent the Willoughby sisters on their way without the slightest explanation. Had the Wyndham carriage brought around. Outfitted aforementioned carriage with six large footmen. Had Grace tossed inside. (The footman doing the tossing had apologized as he'd done so, but still.) â€Å"Ma'am?† Grace asked hesitantly. They were speeding along at a rate that could not be considered safe, but the dowager kept banging her walking stick against the wall, bellowing at the driver to move faster. â€Å"Ma'am? Where are we going?† â€Å"You know very well.† Grace waited one careful moment, then said, â€Å"I'm sorry, ma'am, I don't.† The dowager speared her with an angry stare. â€Å"We don't know where he is,† Grace pointed out. â€Å"We will find him.† â€Å"But, ma'am – â€Å" â€Å"Enough!† the dowager ground out. Her voice was not loud, but it contained sufficient passion to silence Grace immediately. After a moment passed, she stole a glance at the older woman. She was sitting ramrod straight – too straight, really, for a ride in the carriage, and her right hand was bent and angled like a claw, pulling back the curtain so she might see outside. Trees. That's all there was to see. Grace couldn't imagine why the dowager was staring out so intently. â€Å"If you saw him,† the dowager said, her low voice cutting into Grace's thoughts, â€Å"then he is still in the district.† Grace said nothing. The dowager wasn't looking at her, in any case. â€Å"Which means,† the icy voice continued, â€Å"that there are only a very few places he might be. Three posting inns in the vicinity. That is all.† Grace rested her forehead in her hand. It was a sign of weakness, something she usually tried not to display in front of the dowager, but there was no maintaining a stiff facade now. They were going to kidnap him. She, Grace Catriona Eversleigh, who had never so much as nicked a ha'penny ribbon from a fair, was going to be party to what had to be a high crime. â€Å"Dear Lord,† she whispered. â€Å"Shut up,† the dowager snapped, â€Å"and make yourself useful.† Grace grit her teeth. How the devil did the dowager think she could be useful? Surely any manhandling that needed doing would be performed by the footmen, each of whom stood, as per Belgrave regulations, five feet eleven inches tall. And no, she did not mistake their purpose on the journey. When she had looked askance at the dowager, the reply had been a terse, â€Å"My grandson might need convincing.† Now, the dowager growled, â€Å"Look out the window,† speaking to her as if she'd turned idiot overnight. â€Å"You got the best look at him.† Dear God, she would gratefully forfeit five years off her life just to be anywhere but inside this carriage. â€Å"Ma'am, I said – he was at the end of the drive. I didn't really see him.† â€Å"You did last night.† Grace had been trying not to look at her, but at that, she could not help but stare. â€Å"I saw you kissing him,† the dowager hissed. â€Å"And I will warn you now. Don't try to rise above your station.† â€Å"Ma'am, he kissed me.† â€Å"He is my grandson,† the dowager spat, â€Å"and he may very well be the true Duke of Wyndham, so do not be getting any ideas. You are valued as my companion, but that is all.† Grace could not find the outrage to react to the insult. Instead, she could only stare at the dowager in horror, unable to believe that she had actually spoken the words. The true Duke of Wyndham. Even the very suggestion of it was scandalous. Would she throw over Thomas so easily, strip him of his birthright, of his very name? Wyndham was not just a title Thomas held, it was who he was. But if the dowager publicly championed the highwayman as the true heir†¦dear God, Grace could not even imagine the depth of the scandal it would create. The impostor would be proven illegitimate, of course – there could be no other outcome, surely – but the damage would be done. There would always be those who whispered that maybe Thomas wasn't really the duke, that maybe he ought not be so secure in his conceits, because he wasn't truly entitled to them, was he? Grace could not imagine what this would do to him. To all of them. â€Å"Ma'am,† she said, her voice quavering slightly. â€Å"You cannot think that this man could be legitimate.† â€Å"Of course I can,† the dowager snapped. â€Å"His manners were impeccable – â€Å" â€Å"He was a highwayman!† â€Å"One with a fine bearing and perfectly correct accent,† the dowager retorted. â€Å"Whatever his current station, he was brought up properly and given a gentleman's education.† â€Å"But that does not mean – â€Å" â€Å"My son died on a boat,† the dowager interrupted, her voice hard, â€Å"after he'd spent eight months in Ireland. Eight bloody months that were supposed to be four weeks. He went to attend a wedding. A wedding.† Her body seemed to harden as she paused, her teeth grinding together at the memory. â€Å"And not even of anyone worth mentioning. Just some school friend whose parents bought themselves a title and bludgeoned their way into Eton, as if that could make them better than they were.† Grace's eyes widened. The dowager's voice had descended into a low, venomous hiss, and without even meaning to, Grace moved closer to the window. It felt toxic to be so close to her right now. â€Å"And then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  the dowager continued. â€Å"And then! All I received was a three-sentence note, written in someone else's hand, reporting that he was having such a fine time that he believed he was going to remain.† Grace blinked. â€Å"He didn't write it himself?† she asked, unsure why she found this detail so curious. â€Å"He signed it,† the dowager said brusquely. â€Å"And sealed it with his ring. He knew I couldn't decipher his scrawl.† She sat back, her face contorting with decades old anger and resentment. â€Å"Eight months,† she muttered. â€Å"Eight stupid, useless months. Who is to say he did not marry some harlot over there? He had ample time.† Grace watched her for several moments. Her nose was in the air, and she gave every indication of haughty anger, but something was not quite right. Her lips were pinching and twisting, and her eyes were suspiciously bright. â€Å"Ma'am – † Grace said gently. â€Å"Don't,† the dowager said, her voice sounding as if it might crack. Grace considered the wisdom of speaking, then decided there was too much at stake to remain silent. â€Å"Your grace, it simply cannot be,† she began, somehow maintaining her courage despite the withering expression on the dowager's face. â€Å"This is not a humble country entail. This is not Sillsby,† she added, swallowing the lump that formed in her throat at the mention of her childhood home. â€Å"We are speaking of Belgrave. Of a dukedom. Heirs apparent do not simply vanish into the mist. If your son had had a son, we would have known.† The dowager stared at her for an uncomfortably sharp moment, then said, â€Å"We will try the Happy Hare first. It is the least uncouth of all the local posting inns.† She settled back against the cushion, staring straight ahead as she said, â€Å"If he is anything like his father, he will be too fond of his comforts for anything less.† Jack was already feeling like an idiot when a sack was thrown over his head. So this was it, then. He knew he'd stayed too long. The whole ride back he'd berated himself for the fool he was. He should have left after breakfast. He should have left at dawn. But no, he had to get drunk the night before, and then he had to ride out to that bloody castle. And then he'd seen her. If he hadn't seen her, he would never have remained at the end of the drive for so long. And then he wouldn't have ridden off with such speed. And had to rest and water his mount. And he certainly wouldn't have been standing by the trough like a bloody bull's-eye when someone attacked him from behind. â€Å"Bind him,† a gruff voice said. It was enough to set every pore in his body into fighting mode. A man did not spend his life so close to the noose without preparing for those two words. It didn't matter that he couldn't see. It didn't matter that he had no idea who they were or why they'd come for him. He fought. And he knew how to fight, clean and dirty. But there were three of them at least, possibly more, and he managed only two good punches before he was facedown in the dirt, his hands yanked behind his back and bound with†¦ Well, it wasn't rope. Almost felt like silk, truth be told. â€Å"Sorry,† one of his captors mumbled, which was odd. Men in the business of tying up other men rarely thought to offer apologies. â€Å"Think nothing of it,† Jack returned, then cursed himself for his insolence. All his little quip earned him was a mouth full of burlap dust. â€Å"This way,† someone said, helping him to his feet. And Jack could do nothing but obey. â€Å"Er, if you please,† the first voice said – the one who'd ordered him bound. â€Å"Care to tell me where I'm going?† Jack inquired. There was quite a bit of hemming and hawing. Minions. These were minions. He sighed. Minions never knew the important things. â€Å"Er, can you step up?† And then, before Jack could oblige, or even say, â€Å"Beg pardon,† he was roughly hoisted into the air and tumbled into what had to be a carriage. â€Å"Put him on a seat,† a voice barked. He knew that voice. It was the old lady. His grandmother. Well, at least he wasn't off to be hanged. â€Å"Don't suppose someone will see to my horse,† Jack said. â€Å"See to his horse,† the old lady snapped. Jack allowed himself to be moved onto a seat, not a particularly easy maneuver, bound and blindfolded as he was. â€Å"Don't suppose you'll untie my hands,† he said. â€Å"I'm not stupid,† was the old lady's reply. â€Å"No,† he said with a false sigh. â€Å"I didn't think you were. Beauty and stupidity never go as hand in hand as one might wish.† â€Å"I am sorry I had to take you this way,† the old lady said. â€Å"But you left me no choice.† â€Å"No choice,† Jack mused. â€Å"Yes, of course. Because I've done so much to escape your clutches up to now.† â€Å"If you had intended to call upon me,† the old lady said sharply, â€Å"you would not have ridden off earlier this afternoon.† Jack felt himself smile mockingly. â€Å"She told you, then,† he said, wondering why he'd thought she might not. â€Å"Miss Eversleigh?† So that was her name. â€Å"She had no choice,† the old lady said dismissively, as if the wishes of Miss Eversleigh were something she rarely considered. And then Jack felt it. A slight brush of air beside him. A faint rustle of movement. She was there. The elusive Miss Eversleigh. The silent Miss Eversleigh. The delicious Miss Eversleigh. â€Å"Remove his hood,† he heard his grandmother order. â€Å"You're going to suffocate him.† Jack waited patiently, affixing a lazy smile onto his face – it was not, after all, the expression they would expect, and thus the one he most wished to display. He heard her make a noise – Miss Eversleigh, that was. It wasn't a sigh exactly, and not a groan, either. It was something he couldn't quite place. Weary resignation, perhaps. Or maybe – The hood came off, and he took a moment to savor the cool air on his face. Then he looked at her. It was mortification. That's what it had been. Poor Miss Eversleigh looked miserable. A more gracious gentleman would have turned away, but he wasn't feeling overly charitable at the moment, and so he treated himself to a lengthy perusal of her face. She was lovely, although not in any predictable manner. No English rose was she, not with that glorious dark hair and shining blue eyes that tilted up ever-so-slightly at the edges. Her lashes were dark and sooty, in stark contrast to the pale perfection of her skin. Of course, that paleness might have been a result of her extreme discomfort. The poor girl looked as if she might cast up her accounts at any moment. â€Å"Was it that bad, kissing me?† he murmured. She turned scarlet. â€Å"Apparently so.† He turned to his grandmother and said in his most conversational tone, â€Å"I hope you realize this is a hanging offense.† â€Å"I am the Duchess of Wyndham,† she replied with a haughty lift of her brow. â€Å"Nothing is a hanging offense.† â€Å"Ah, the unfairness of life,† he said with a sigh. â€Å"Wouldn't you agree, Miss Eversleigh?† She looked as if she wanted to speak. Indeed, the poor girl was most definitely biting her tongue. â€Å"Now if you were the perpetrator in this little crime,† he continued, allowing his eyes to slide insolently from her face to her bosom and back, â€Å"this would all be so very different.† Her jaw tightened. â€Å"It would be,† he murmured, allowing his gaze to fall to her lips, â€Å"rather lovely, I think. Just think – you, me, alone in this exceedingly luxurious carriage.† He sighed contentedly and sat back. â€Å"The imagination runs wild.† He waited for the old lady to defend her. She did not. â€Å"Care to share your plans for me?† he asked, propping one ankle over the opposite knee as he slouched in his seat. It wasn't an easy position to achieve, with his hands still stuck behind him, but he was damned if he'd sit up straight and polite. The old lady turned to him, her lips pinched. â€Å"Most men would not complain.† He shrugged. â€Å"I am not most men.† Then he offered a half smile and turned to Miss Eversleigh. â€Å"A rather banal rejoinder on my part, wouldn't you say? So obvious. A novice could have come up with it.† He shook his head as if disappointed. â€Å"I do hope I'm not losing my touch.† Her eyes widened. He grinned. â€Å"You think I'm mad.† â€Å"Oh, yes,† she said, and he rather enjoyed her voice again, washing warmly over him. â€Å"It's something to consider.† He turned to the old lady. â€Å"Does madness run in the family?† â€Å"Of course not,† she snapped. â€Å"Well, that's a relief. Not,† he added, â€Å"that I am acknowledging a connection. I don't believe I wish to be associated with cutthroats such as yourself. Tsk tsk. Even I have never resorted to kidnapping.† He leaned forward, as if imparting a very grave confidence to Miss Eversleigh. â€Å"It's very bad form, you know.† And he thought – oh, how lovely – that he saw her lips twitch. Miss Eversleigh had a sense of humor. She was growing more delectable by the second. He smiled at her. He knew how to do it, too. He knew exactly how to smile at a woman to make her feel it deep inside. He smiled at her. And she blushed. Which made him smile even more. â€Å"Enough,† the old lady snapped. He feigned innocence. â€Å"Of what?† He looked at her, at this woman who was most probably his grandmother. Her face was pinched and lined, the corners of her mouth pulled down by the weight of an eternal frown. She'd look unhappy even if she smiled, he thought. Even if somehow she managed to get that mouth to form a crescent in the correct direction – No, he decided. It wouldn't work. She'd never manage it. She'd probably expire from the exertion. â€Å"Leave my companion alone,† she said tersely. He leaned toward Miss Eversleigh, giving her a lopsided smile even though she was quite determinedly looking away. â€Å"Was I bothering you?† â€Å"No,† she said quickly. â€Å"Of course not.† Which couldn't have been further from the truth, but who was he to quibble? He turned back to the old lady. â€Å"You didn't answer my question.† She lifted an imperious brow. Ah, he thought, completely without humor, that was where he got the expression. â€Å"What do you plan to do with me?† he asked. â€Å"Do with you.† She repeated the words curiously, as if she found them most strange. He lifted a brow right back at her, wondering if she'd recognize the gesture. â€Å"There are a great many options.† â€Å"My dear boy,† she began. Her tone was grand. Condescending. As if he'd only needed this to realize that he ought to be licking her boots. â€Å"I'm going to give you the world.† Grace had just about managed to regain her equilibrium when the highwayman, after a lengthy and thoughtful frown, turned to the dowager and said, â€Å"I don't believe I'm interested in your world.† A bubble of horrified laughter burst forth from her throat. Oh dear heavens, the dowager looked ready to spit. Grace clamped a hand over her mouth and turned away, trying not to notice that the highwayman was positively grinning at her. â€Å"Apologies,† he said to the dowager, not sounding the least bit contrite. â€Å"But can I have her world instead?† Grace's head snapped back around in time to see him nodding in her direction. He shrugged. â€Å"I like you better.† â€Å"Are you never serious?† the dowager bit off. And then he changed. His body did not move from its slouch, but Grace could feel the air around him coiling with tension. He was a dangerous man. He hid this well with his lazy charm and insolent smile. But he was not a man to be crossed. She was sure of it. â€Å"I'm always serious,† he said, his eyes never leaving those of the dowager. â€Å"You'd do well to take note of that.† â€Å"I'm so sorry,† Grace whispered, the words slipping out before she had a chance to consider them. The gravity of the situation was bearing down on her with uncomfortable intensity. She had been so worried about Thomas and what this would all mean for him. But in that moment it was brought home to her that there were two men caught in this web. And whatever this man was, whoever he was, he did not deserve this. Perhaps he would want life as a Cavendish, with its riches and prestige. Most men would. But he deserved the choice. Everyone deserved a choice. She looked over at him then, forcing herself to bring her eyes to his face. She had been avoiding his gaze as much as she could, but her cowardice suddenly felt distasteful. He must have felt her watching him, because he turned. His dark hair fell forward over his brow, and his eyes – a spectacular shade of mossy green – grew warm. â€Å"I do like you better,† he murmured, and she thought – hoped? – that she saw a flicker of respect in his gaze. And then, quick as a blink, the moment was gone. His mouth slid into that cocky half smile and he let out a pent-up breath before saying, â€Å"It's a compliment.† It was on the tip of her tongue to say, Thank you, as ridiculous as that seemed, but then he shrugged – one shoulder only, as if that was all he could be bothered with – and added, â€Å"Of course, I would imagine that the only person I would like less than our esteemed countess – â€Å" â€Å"Duchess,† the dowager snapped. He paused, gave her a blandly haughty stare, then turned back to Grace. â€Å"As I was saying, the only person I would like less than her† – he jerked his head toward the dowager, not even honoring her with a direct glance – â€Å"would be the French menace himself, so I suppose it's not that much of a compliment, but I did want you to know that it was sincerely given.† Grace tried not to smile, but he always seemed to be looking at her as if they were sharing a joke, just the two of them, and she knew that it was making the dowager more furious by the second. A glance across the carriage confirmed this; the dowager looked even more starched and upset than usual. Grace turned back to the highwayman, as much out of self-preservation as anything else. The dowager showed every sign of an imminent tirade, but after her performance the night before, Grace knew that she was far too besotted with the idea of her long-lost grandson to make him her target. â€Å"What is your name?† Grace asked him, since it seemed the most obvious question. â€Å"My name?† Grace nodded. He turned to the dowager with an expression of great scolding. â€Å"Funny that you haven't asked me yet.† He shook his head. â€Å"Shameful manners. All the best kidnappers know their victims' names.† â€Å"I am not kidnapping you!† the dowager burst out. There was an uncomfortable moment of silence, and then his voice emerged like silk. â€Å"I misunderstand the bindings, then.† Grace looked warily at the dowager. She'd never appreciated sarcasm unless it emerged from her own lips, and she would never allow him the last word. And indeed, when she spoke, her words were clipped and stiff, and colored blue with the blood of one secure in her own superiority. â€Å"I am restoring you to your proper place in this world.† â€Å"I see,† he said slowly. â€Å"Good,† the dowager said briskly. â€Å"We are in accord, then. All that remains is for us to – â€Å" â€Å"My proper place,† he said, cutting her off. â€Å"Indeed.† â€Å"In the world.† Grace realized that she was holding her breath. She could not look away, could not take her eyes off his when he murmured, â€Å"The conceit. It's remarkable.† His voice was soft, almost thoughtful, and it cut to the bone. The dowager turned sharply toward the window, and Grace searched her face for something – anything – that might have shown her humanity, but she remained stiff and hard, and her voice betrayed no emotion when she said, â€Å"We are almost home.† They were turning down the drive, passing the very spot where Grace had seen him earlier that afternoon. â€Å"So you are,† the highwayman said, glancing out the window. â€Å"You will come to regard it as home,† the dowager stated, her voice imperious and exacting and, more than anything else, final. He did not respond. But he didn't need to. They all knew what he was thinking. Never.