Category: Uncategorized

Name

Professor

Course

Date

Letter of Advice

Our Ref:

12 April 2013

John and Fred

New York 9087

BY Email HYPERLINK “mailto:jfpicframe@hotmail.com” jfpicframe@hotmail.com

Dear Client,

YOUR PROPOSED START UP PICTURE FRAMING BUSINESS

First we would like to express our gratitude for giving us an opportunity to advise you on various aspects of your business. The letter consists of the vital procedures and some background information about the business you are about to start. We also included the cost agreement that helps to set our fees and estimated costs.

Introduction: we give advice concerning the legal procedures involved before you start your business. Our team carries out extensive research to ensure that you get the most accurate information. We also assure you that the advice we provide is always credible and your interests are valuable to us. Our company does not dwell much on the finances involved in businesses, so we advise you to seek professional help for commercial or financial viability. The letter does not include profitability and aspects such as competition because we are not aware of the number of picture frame businesses in the area.

Due Diligence: Like any other business venture, the photo frame business requires a thorough evaluation of the financial and commercial aspects. Financial documentations are essential for smooth running of your business. They will help you manage your finances in an appropriate manner. You may also want to find out about the preferred picture sizes to determine the appropriate picture frames that will meet the needs of your clients. The accountant must complete the business plan and we should confirm that you completed the task before you go ahead with the transaction. The business plan may also include the materials you may use for your frames. This aspect requires you to carry out extensive research on marketable picture frames.

We highly recommend the following searches:

The zoning certificate

Outstanding issues under Council notices

Enquire about the landlord to know the solvency status and any unresolved charges or liabilities.

If the landlord is a company, evaluate each of the directors to acquire a solvency status.

Building inspections

Extensive research to ensure that no Authority has interests that could have negative effects on the business

Ownership: there are several business structures, but the main ones are:

Sole trader: this is business by one person. An individual carries out all the transactions in the business alone.

Partnership: a business by various people but not as a company. It involves various people who have common interest in the business and also make contributions to the development of the business.

Trust: holds the property to ensure that everyone benefits from the business. When many individuals run a business, they should trust each other to ensure smooth running of the business.

Company: a legal entity that does not include shareholders. It includes a group of people who may have a common interest but may not make contributions to the run the business.

We also require all the details necessary for the operations in the business. A purchase structure is also vital because it will help you determine the right measures before you enter any lease. Liability issues may also have an immense impact on the structure of the business. You should analyze every aspect of your business to help you give an account of all the activities. After you determine the corporate structure, you should give us relevant details of the business for us to register the entities with the local authorities. The accountant should carry out an appropriate review before they make any approval.

Ownership and related Issues:

Intellectual property Issues: this helps to protect the trade name of the business. It involves the registration of a trademark with the country’s IP. The trademark will give you ownership and private use of the name you register. We request you to advise us in case you want us to proceed with this issue.

Business Name: you should consider whether the business will possess the same name as the company. You should also determine whether you should register a different trade mane. You may contact us in case you have any queries concerning this aspect.

After registration of the business entities you may register a trademark to protect business transactions and also reduce the chances of exploitation of commercial interests. For instance, your trademark may consist of the name of the business or an image that suggests the activities involved in your business.

Town Planning (Zoning): The zoning of the land for carrying out the proposed business should be effective. You should consider council zoning because the council makes most of the approvals regarding the business. The council must approve all the building work on the land.

The Building Department of the council is also vital because they will advise you in case you wish to make changes on the use of the business or building work. They will help you evaluate the constraints and opportunities offered by various authorities. This may help you make appropriate decisions regarding the significance of the business on the property. You will need a written permission from the owner of the property to review the council’s files. You should also find out about proposed future developments that would affect the business in future.

You should visit the council offices to review the files related to the development work of the property. We do not have immense experience on such matters, so you should seek professional advice.

Rates: the buyer and the seller apportion the council and water rates at the date of completion.

State of Premises

State of Repair: Appropriate professionals should inspect the business premise and relevant inventories before you sign the Lease.

Building Reports and Pest assessments: Pests may destroy the pictures frames and other documents stored in your premise. This may cause immense loss and mistrust especially by clients. Pest control may also be a menace, so you should investigate the premise before you start the business.

Development Application/ Approval: Development Applications and Certificate of Compliance are the documents that will help you in this research. They will help you determine the legality of buildings around your premise to be sure about the status of the land you want to use for the business.

Finance: Finance is a crucial aspect in any business. You informed us that the bank will fund this venture. This requires you to know various terms and conditions and the processes involved to acquire funds from the bank. You should know the loan

You should have extensive information on the terms of loan facility agreements or other financial accommodations offered by any financial institution. You should also know the security required by the institution in case you need to extend your funds. You should also know the legal effect of providing guarantors in case of any default.

Insurance: we do not have essential information to provide financial and insurance advice. You should seek advice and also insure your business for full replacement of equipment and stock. Lenders would also want you to name them in the policy as individuals with interest in the business, so you should also insure the contents under a policy. Worker compensation cover and public liability insurance also require an appropriate level.

Stamp Duty: a stamp duty is necessary in case you borrow money to finance the business. Your financial institution may give you the relevant details in this issue.

Lease: if the current tenant has a lease, then they should assign it to you. Below are the key provisions related to leases that may be useful to you.

Item Lease Provision Comment

1 Term: Five year term with an choice of additional five years.

Options: 2 Lessor:

Lessee: ensure that the lease has correct entity 3 Premises: provision of correct description of the premises

Folio Identifier: 4 Rent: rent should appear in the overall expenses

Rent review: 5 Costs: outgoings payable by tenant are part of the landlord’s legal costs for negotiation, planning and completion of the lease.

Lessee’s proportion: you should check to know how much you are accountable for. 6 Promotion Levy: not always necessary 7 Assignment: you should know your rights to determine the appropriate consent and circumstances that withholding of the consent. 8 Permitted Use: you should specify this detail because th breach of lease may have effects. 9 Business hours: the council regulates the business hours, so you should enquire about this information at the council offices. 10 Redecoration date: some leases may not require this. 11 Maintenance: you may have to contribute to the maintenance costs 12 Insurances: a tenant should possess insurances such as:

Public risk

Building Insurance

Plate Glass

Worker’s compensation

Public Liability Insurance: may vary between $15- $25 million dollars 13 Default (Essential Terms): these are provisions that give the landlord authority to terminate the lease in case you breach the agreement. They include,

Lack of proper insurances

Lack of property maintenance and repair

Inappropriate use of the premises

Obligations to make necessary payments

Failure to submit Rent and outgoings 14 Guarantees: These ensure that the tenant meets the requirements of the Lease. The guarantee should be an individual who promises to face the consequences in case the other party defaults. This is a secondary obligation

Bank Guarantee: equivalent to three months Rent

You should have an idea of all the costs you should pay in relation to the Lease. These may include Rent, insurances, bank guarantee and outgoings. This will help you determine the necessary ones and the inappropriate ones.

We are also aware that you will be present during the negotiation of the Lease.

You should read the Lease carefully to ask any other relevant questions. We may also request the Landlord’s solicitor to make amendments if you have special requests.

General Taxation Implication: We do not have the essential details to offer taxation and financial advice. We cannot provide details concerning taxation implications and penalties of this business transaction. Your accountant should carefully examine the taxation preparation of the proposed purchase. They should also provide written advice concerning this information.

If you have any queries and would like further explanation, you may contact the us any time.

Yours Faithfully,

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Xxxxxxxxxx

Part B

Question 1

Corporate governance is the set of systems, processes and principles that govern a company. They act as guidelines for controlling and directing the procedures in the company as it strives to achieve its goals and objectives. They also ensure that stakeholders benefit from the processes of the company. The stake holders include the board of directors, customers, shareholders, employees, management and the society. Corporate governance may include aspects such as transparency with regard to all transactions involved in the company, accountability towards stakeholders and enhancement of fairness in all the transactions.

Corporate governance is significant because it enhances foreign investment. Many foreign investors analyze the procedures involved in running a company to determine whether they can rely on the company. Corporate governance is a way of selling the company to the investors. It also enhances the relationship between the shareholders and the management. It also attracts customers because they want to associate themselves with companies that value their needs. Corporate governance also motivates employees to perform their duties efficiently. The society also benefits from appropriate corporate governance through community development projects. Corporate governance also improves the relationships of companies and the the authorities, for example the local government.

Question 2

An executive director is an employee of a company who is also part of the board of directors. They have a specified role in the company, so they take part in the daily procedures that take place in the company. They may act as the finance managers of the company. A nonexecutive director is a member of the board who actively takes part in decision making of the company, but they are not employees. They may take part in suggesting disciplinary actions against significant members of the company’s management. A non-executive director only takes part in the board proceedings of the company. An executive director may also enter into contracts that benefit the company. He also has extensive knowledge on every scope of the company, but a nonexecutive director has vague knowledge on the field of the company. A nonexecutive director provides external information to the board members of the company. He also takes part in ensuring that the company meets the interests of its stakeholders.

Question 3

The concept of fiduciary refers to a legal relationship based ion trust. A company may entrust its development funds to another company because of their ethical relationship of trust. A fiduciary is an individual or a party that acts on behalf of another in relevant circumstances. A fiduciary duty is the top most standard of care. Each party must place the interest of the other party before theirs.

Fiduciary is relevant in the context of management of companies because it enhances development. The managers should build a trust relationship with the employees to acquire information that may improve the company. The employees will also be free to air their views because they know that the managers will strive to make decisions that have positive effects on the employees. Fiduciary also helps a company to compete effectively in the market. The employees will not disclose any private information about the company, so the managers will share all the relevant information with their employees. Employees get motivated when they realize that the management respects their decisions.

Student’s name

Professor’s name

Course

Date

Mark Twain’s books analysis

Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born in 1835 in Florida, Missouri. The Hailey’s comet marked the entry of the young child into the world. Later in life, he could use it to predict his death. In his words, he came with the comet and that he would go with it. It was a surprise that this eventually happened. He was the sixth child of Jane and John Marshall Clemens. However, out of the seven children, only four survived the harsh childhood conditions as was common at the time. At the age of four, the family relocated to Hannibal, Missouri. The port town greatly influenced his publications such as “Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”. The latter book is regarded as the Great American Novel by many literalists. John Clemens served as an attorney and judge. Twain described him as an intelligent and stern disciplinarian. His mother had a natural sense of humor and took care of them compassionately. The parent’s traits can be reflected in his character and books (Wuster).

Hannibal town was majorly dusty and quiet and was surrounded by great depths of forests and natural landscape that formed the setting of his two books named above. The Mississippi river was always lively with rafts, skiffs, and steamboats. Consequently, the boys in the town dreamt of being steamboat pilots. At the time, it was a well-paying job that caught the eye of the boys. His father died of pneumonia when Twain was eleven. As a result, Twain dropped out of school to become a printer’s apprentice. “Well, everybody does it that way, Huck.” “Tom, I am not everybody.”― Mark Twain, Later, Twain worked as a typesetter at the Hannibal Journal that his brother Orion owned. Here, he wrote several humorous sketches that were printed in the newspaper. At eighteen years, he left Hannibal and moved to several cities where he worked as a printer.

In 1856, Twain got a chance to train to fulfill his long term dream. He worked with a riverboat pilot that taught him the ways of the pilot. He learned how to row his boat in the muddy waters. In 1857, he became a cub pilot on the Paul Jones’s steamboat until 1859 when he received his pilot’s license. Twain worked as a steamboat pilot for four years, during which he familiarized himself with the towns along the river. He also learned of their practices and dialect, which would later influence his works. In 1861, the American Civil War broke out, effectively terminating his tenure as a pilot. Driven by loyalty, Twain joined the confederate forces but resigned under two weeks (Wuster).

Mark Twain joined an expedition to the Nevada region, which would later influence his work on “Roughing It”. S. L. Clemens began to use the pseudonym “Mark Twain” while in the Nevada Territory specifically for humorous sketches and travel letters. He maintained his official name for serious pieces. The humorous works garnered more fame than his serious writings. In light of this, he focused his mind on writing humorous pieces. For six years between 1864 and 1870, Twain wrote several articles and humorous letters to newspapers. In 1870, he married Olivia Langdon, who had rejected his first marriage proposal. Twain would later describe the meeting as love at first sight (Click 22). The Longhorns were stern slave abolitionists and immensely influenced his views about slaves. “Who knows, he may grow up to be President someday, unless they hang him first!” Aunt Polly about Tom Sawyer” Twain grew up in Hannibal, which held moderate perceptions about slavery. Twain stated that he never saw anything wrong with it because of the vicinity he was nurtured in. Olivia was a blessing to Twain’s work. Consequently, Mark Twain wrote many letters supporting the antislavery movement (Wuster).

In 1869, he published “Innocent Abroad”. The publication was an instant achievement that made him give up his career as a journalist-reporter and venture into writing short stories and novels. In these publications, he used satire to illustrate the claimed superiority of the Old World in disparity to the familiar American common sense. The satire is also eminent in later works such as “A Tramp Abroad” “The Prince and the Pauper” and “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court”. Twain’s best works were shaped by his life as a child, youth, and pilot on the Mississippi River. His interaction with these peoples’ culture and dialect influenced his works on the respective books. “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” was his most successful best-selling book until his death (Twain).

The 1890s were the darkest part of Twain’s life. First, he was bankrupt at the time and was forced to makeshift to survive. Secondly, his family was sick at this time and was living in Europe. The decade was marked by dark humor, which reflected the sorrow he was going through. His work on “Pudd’nhead Wilson” addressed issues of slavery that were ongoing in the South. Works such as “Tom Sawyer Abroad, ” “Detective, ” and “Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc” were among his worst-selling novels majorly because they were written hurriedly to pay back his creditors.

Mark Twain’s story about Huckleberry Finn is a sequel of Tom Sawyer, which is a story packed with adventure and pleasure. Twain uses satire and humor to address the essential issues in 19th century America. Several fundamental themes namely, slavery, lies, betrayal, morality, and true friendship form the core of this great masterpiece (Bin). The author tries to show a biting satire founded on the American South romanticism. The book also points out the way of life of the pre-civil War American society. As one reads through the book, one cannot help but get allured to the way of life of these people. Finn is portrayed as a naive boy in pursuit of freedom who meets a black American, Jim who had run away from his mistress because she had made plans to sell her out (Click 28). The raft serves as imagery of freedom, which they seek throughout their journey. The travels are characterized by trials and dangers that help to strengthen their friendship. “So endeth this chronicle. It being strictly a history of a boy, it must stop here; the story could not go much further without becoming the history of a man.” The book chose some sympathetic approaches to racism and slavery and was therefore heavily criticized. It was banned in some southern American states (Bin).

Huck was a runaway kid. He was escaping his father, who was constantly beating him, and he sought to free himself from this social injustice. Huck met Jim at Jackson Island, together with whom their journey began. Each of the scenes shows the naivety of Finn towards the issues in society. He describes things in a blunt, straightforward manner. For example, he said that “Humans beings can be awful cruel to one another”. The words describe the situation between the Grangerfords and the Shepherdsons (Mark). In this world, slavery was accepted entirely. It was a crime for a slave to run away from their home. A slave could only be of service to his master for the rest of his life. Slavery was the order of the day, especially in the South.

Finn and Jim are metaphorically used to portray the minorities in society. Pap reveals the section of humanity that is corrupted. Widow Douglas and Miss Watson represent the proportion of the comity of religious women, while the judge embodies the government that enacts laws. The author uses humor to depict the end of romanticism and the beginning of realism. Huck is an agent of realism, unlike Sawyer. Huck cannot comprehend the tenacity of Tom’s reasoning, which provides the humor. Twain utilizes devices to attack romanticism throughout the novel. For example, the twig snap incident in chapter one is an attack on it. Another theme is the moral compass, which heightens when Huck states that he would rather go to hell than betray Jim. He seeks to rescue his friend, who ironically does not need his help (Mark).

The readers get a chance to drown themselves in the life of the American people of the 19th century. Mark Twain acquired the status of the Great American Humorist from the success of this book. The author is successful in making us understand the issues of racism, slavery, and realism that dominated at the time. “Right is right, and wrong is wrong, and a body ain’t got no business doing wrong when he ain’t ignorant and knows better.” Slavery and racism were prevalent in the 19th century. Even though, Lincoln had passed abolitionist bills, the country was far from healing. Besides, the aftermath of the war is known as the reconstruction period when the citizens questioned these issues.

Works cited

Bin, Yu. “A Critical Analysis on Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Foreign Language Research 2 (2015): 12.

Click, Ben. “Rhetorical Listening, Silence, and Cultural (Dis) identifications in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Revisiting the “Raft Episode” Again, Ugh!.” The Mark Twain Annual 16.1 (2018): 11-28.

Mark, Twain. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 2015.

Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Strelbytskyy Multimedia Publishing, 2018.

Wuster, Tracy. Mark Twain, American Humorist. Vol. 1. University of Missouri Press, 2017.

Mark Zuckerberg: 2016-2018

Student’s Name

Institution Affiliation

Mark Zuckerberg: 2016-2018

When Mark Zuckerberg was a student at Harvard University and he was developing the social network platform Facebook he never thought that it would end up being a billion-dollar company and business (Kirkpatrick, 2018). To him, the social network platform was like a mission. He aimed to enable individuals to understand the environment around them (Kirkpatrick, 2018). More than 15 years later, the platform has over 1 billion users connecting individuals around the world irrespective of their backgrounds and geographical positions.

While Facebook is a successful leading social media site in the world in relation to its competitors such as Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, the company has faced several tumultuous periods in its history notably one being the year 2016 and 2018. In 2016, the company was associated with a political firm named Cambridge Analytica, which was able to access the information of at least 50 million Facebook users without their consent. In the same year also, the company was accused of failing to thwart Russia’s attempts of interfering with the U. S’s 2016 elections. Also, in 2018, the company was faced with another scandal that involved a security data breach after hackers had managed to take advantage of a vulnerability in the “view as” feature on the online platform site. As a result, the hackers had been able to access the information of at least 50 million users while an additional 40 million were also considered to be vulnerable to the attack (Isaac & Frenkel, 2018). For this reason, the company faced an uphill task in repairing their image considering that their stock market prices were crashing as well as the number of its users.

To salvage the situation, the 35-year-old tech tycoon took it upon himself to repair the company’s image. He decided to testify before Congress in response to an allegation on its role in influencing the 2016 federal elections (Kirkpatrick, 2018). Also, he opted to apologize to the public and its users for the mess that the company had made (Kirkpatrick, 2018). As a result, the CEO and the company released a 5,700-word document which was its manifesto on what they would do to earn their customers’ trust once again (Kirkpatrick, 2018). Due to this, the company’s image was getting repaired and as of now, the company’s stock market has been improving drastically (Trefis, 2020, par. 2). Also, the CEO has been vocal in championing various community organizations as well as projects that are aimed at reducing diseases. In return, this has managed to repair the firm’s reputation in some way.

Due to the abovementioned steps especially the approach in building trust, the company has managed to repair most of its issues. In an online platform trust is an essential part of a business. Users want to know if their information is n safe hands and this is why most online platform companies always have to ensure that they can protect the privacy of their users. Since the scandals that the company faced, Zuckerberg has managed to be at the forefront in rebranding the company’s image as far as assuring their customers of their privacy. Besides, due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, the tycoon has also opted to continue to assert his control on the firm by pushing aware dissenters (Seetharaman & Glazer, 2020).

In conclusion, Mark Zuckerberg played a crucial role in helping his company to overcome a significant number of tribulations that dented the company’s image in terms of the trust. It should also be noted that currently, he also owns other successful social sites such as Instagram and WhatsApp. Due to the effect of fake news on Facebook, Zuckerberg opted to incorporate some of the measures to these other social media sites, which in turn, has enabled them to flourish. Zuckerberg’s character illustrates what it takes for organizational leaders to step up and navigate their company’s through trial times. From what Zuckerberg endured has enabled d the company to once again rise above their expectations and if they continue to tread this path they would eventually be among the best in the industry considering that the tech industry is quite tricky. On the other hand, while the company still has a long journey ahead of them in terms of challenges, they do have the right form of leadership to overcome such changes.

ReferencesKirkpatrick, D. (April 2018). The Facebook Defect. Time. Retrieved from https://time.com/5237458/the-facebook-defect/

Isaac, M & Frenkel, S. (September 2018). Facebook Security Breach Exposes Accounts of 50 Million Users. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/28/technology/facebook-hack-data-breach.html

Seetharaman, D & Glazer, E. (April 2020). Mark Zuckerberg Asserts Control of Facebook, Pushing Aside Dissenters. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/mark-zuckerberg-asserts-control-of-facebook-pushing-aside-dissenters-11588106984

Trefis, T. (Feb 2020). Facebook’s Stock Has Gained 70% Since 2017. Why? Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2020/02/27/facebooks-stock-has-gained-70-since-2017-why/#33a1ae64bf9ds

Letter of Advice

Mr. Jyrgal Usen is a citizen of Krygyzstan by nationality but he is currently residing in Australia. He wishes to sponsor his father who is a citizen of Krygyzstan to acquire a Contributory Parent (Migrant) Visa (Subclass 143) that will help him to migrate to Australia. There are several issues and details that Mr Usen and his father will need to be aware of as they proceed with the application process. Mr Usen must be settled in Australia as a citizen, permanent resident or is an eligible citizen of New Zealand. Further, he must have been a lawful resident of Australia for a period of not less than two years, though shorter periods may be considered in some special circumstances.

Mr Usen’s father must demonstrate that at least half of his children are Australian citizens, are permanent residents of Australia or are eligible citizens of New Zealand. Further, he should have more than half of his children living in Australia as Australian citizens, as permanent residents of Australia or as eligible citizens of New Zealand than in any other country. On top of the Mr Usen, his sponsor must pass the test of eligibility. If Mr Usen is under 18 years, his father may also be sponsored by relative or guardian of Mr Usen, Mr Usen’s partner, a community organization or a relative or a guardian of the Mr Usen’s partner. The sponsor chosen must be a person prepared to provide the applicant with assurance of support.

Mr Usen’s father and his dependants who are sixteen years and above must be free from any condition or disease that is considered to be a threat to the health of the public or that could cause danger to Australian community. They should be free from disease or condition that is likely to result into significant treatment costs or which is likely to require health care or community services that are in short supply or that would prejudice the access of these services to Australian citizens. In addition, they must be free from any criminal records. Since they are applying for the visa in Australia, Mr Usen’s father will be required to provide police certificates for each country he has lived in the last 12 months or the last 10 years, since he is applying from Australia. As well, he must not have any outstanding debts to Australian government.

If Mr Usen’s father is currently in Australia, he may be prevented from applying this visa in case his visa had been refused or cancelled since his last visit in Australia and he has not acquired a substantive visa. Further, he may be denied the visa if the last visa was granted on condition that he would not be given another visa while he is in Australia. He may also be denied the visa in case he holds a sponsored visitor visa or he is on immigration detention. Finally, his they will be required to pay visa application charge after lodging the visa application and it is paid in installments.

References

Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Contributory Parent (Migrant) Visa (Subclass 143),

2012, [Accessed, 27 September, 2012], HYPERLINK “http://www.immi.gov.au/migrants/family/parent/143/” http://www.immi.gov.au/migrants/family/parent/143/

Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Contributory Parent (Migrant) Visa (Subclass 143)

– Sponsor Eligibility, 2012, [Accessed, 27 September, 2012], http://www.immi.gov.au/migrants/family/parent/143/eligibility-applicant.htm#b

Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Contributory Parent (Migrant) Visa (Subclass 143)

– Applicant Eligibility, 2012, [Accessed, 27 September, 2012], http://www.immi.gov.au/migrants/family/parent/143/eligibility-applicant.htm

A Critical Analysis on the Development Trends of the Management of Hospitality

Background Information

The field of hospitality management is diverse. It has got both academic and professional connotations. From an academic standpoint it entails the study of the proper ways of managing the hospitality industry, while from a professional standpoint it comprises of all efforts geared towards the management of all hospitality industry institutions such as hotels, tour and travel agencies, etc. In this regard, it can be argued that hospitality management begins right at the school level and proceeds into the active professional practice (Singh, 2000).

Ideally, the hospitality industry comprises a vast network of services. For instance, when persons travel to new places, book hotels, eat out in restaurants, watch movies, visit cultural sites, and engage in other leisure activities they are patronizing various institutions forming the broad hospitality industry (Talwar, 2006). In this regard, managers of these institutions need to be well aware of their duties as well as the expectations of their clientele so as to accord them the optimum hospitality. For instance, they (managers) should be experienced enough so as to comfortably accommodate any known and unknown managerial challenges that may crop up (Boella & Goss-Turner, 2005).

To achieve these seemingly complex feats the realm of hospitality management has undergone phenomenal developments over the years. When looking at hospitality management from an international standpoint many aspects emerge as may be determined by a number of factors such as, disposable income, assess to credit facilities, availability of leisure time, varying cultural needs and most importantly the urge to preserve unique cultural practices while still embracing globalization and integration (Talwar, 2006).

Studies that have addressed the Topic

Boella and Goss-Turner (2005) asserts that the management of the hospitality industry and/or institutions encompasses several chains of personalities. Over the years these salient management areas have experienced significant developments as institutions have struggled to remain competitive and hospitable (Andal-Ancion, 2003). Perhaps in trying to conceptualize some of these development trends in the management of hospitality it is wise to perceive a hospitality institution as a conventional business entity, say a beef factory. Under normal circumstances, business entities are expected to generate profit, hospitality institutions are also expected to make profit. Though hospitality institutions are meant to provide leisure-based services to their patrons, it is wise to assert that they can only be in position to achieve this feat if they are making profit.

As such therefore, one of the most phenomenal development trends in the management of hospitality institutions and/or industry is sales and marketing. Other salient development trends may be indentified from the realms of human resources, finance, risk mitigation, conservation of the environment, renovation of old captivating sites, and launching of new products among many other areas. Tellingly, these development trends have been taking place within Boella and Goss-Turner (2005) five-point job description framework whose central premise is that, development trends in the hospitality industry should be in harmony with the customer’s, society’s, colleagues’, employer’s and employee’s expectations (p.40).

The realm of event management entails the active utilization of project management skills. Over the years, the number of events falling under the hospitality industry has continued to increase. Cultural festivals, conferences, sports meetings, as well as musical events are some of these events that continue to draw large numbers of leisure enthusiasts. Tellingly, as Ramsborg et al (2008) assert, these large number of attendees have been occasioned by a range of factors which include but not limited to the following, wide-reaching and convincing marketing gimmicks, proper financial management measures, sound human resources management measures, sound product development strategies, and most importantly, sound operations management practices.

Hotels management is one of the critical facets of hospitality management. Over the years various cadres of hotels have sprouted courtesy of the new services which have been launched to carter for the diverse and highly dynamic leisure enthusiasts tastes. Today hotel management encompasses the realms of food and beverages, accommodation, conferencing, as well as indoor sporting activities. Basically, depending on the nature and scope of services accorded to clients, the following hotels cadres can easily be identified: full service, full service upscale, select service, extended stay, as well as limited service. Needless to say, these diverse services needs to be properly managed so as to enhance efficiency, as such therefore, persons occupying management position in contemporary hotels need to be academically and professionally competent (Singh, 2000).

The management of tour and travel agencies has undergone a rapid transformation. Ideally, this has made such agencies to move from the traditional businesses that merely sold transport related services to clients to more vibrant and integrated hospitality institutions. Initially, most travel agencies used to operate under large travel entities such as airlines and hotels. They used to make profit through commission given by these large hospitality institutions, however, with the advent of the internet; travel agencies have been forced to venture into other transport related services so as to remain relevant. Today, many travel agencies provide diverse range of services which include cruise vacations bookings, the provision of general tour and travel information as well as the provision of traditional transport services (Andal-Ancion, 2003).

Theme park managers have found themselves faced by new management challenges occasioned by the rapidly changing clientele demands. Technically, theme park managers are entrusted with the main duty of ensuring that proper business strategies are constantly formulated and implemented so as to ensure large numbers of leisure enthusiast throughout the year. Contemporary theme parks managers have been transformed from mere supervisors of employees tasked with cleaning and trimming overgrown bushes and lawns to active team leaders who carryout financial, technical, operational tasks related to organizing of recreational events, travel bookings, as well as the integration with other hospitality institutions (Woodside & Martin, 2007).

Scope of the Study

This study scope will be narrow by fair terms. Precisely, the study will narrow down its scope on four hospitality industry institutions – hotels, travel agencies, theme parks and event organizing firms. In each of these four core hospitality institutions the study will seek to extract critical information pertaining to the development trends that has since been witnessed in the realm of management of hospitality. The trends will oscillate within the following core areas: Dynamics of international tourism and hospitality; international tourism marketing; human resource management in organisations; managing tourism and hospitality among small medium enterprises; international hospitality case studies; decision making for managers; event management; and ethical dimensions of tourism. Even so, it is wise to point out that only information touching on the way managers in the hospitality industry go about serving their clientele while still maintaining good rapport with their employees as well the members of the public on one hand, and keeping at bay fierce competition from their rivals on the other.

Aims and Objectives

The core aim of this research study is to “carryout a comprehensive analysis of the development trends made thereof in the field of the hospitality management.” From this core aim the following objectives can be drawn out. To find out the:

Nature and scope of hospitality industry vis-à-vis the prevailing leisure demands.

Salient development trends registered among the four selected hospitality institutions.

Forces behind these development trends.

Impacts of such development trends on the four hospitality institutions.

The future of management of hospitality in the face of the contemporary challenges.

Impact of academic and/or professional training on developments trends registered in the management of the four selected hospitality institutions.

Methodology

Research Design

The realm of hospitality management falls within the social sciences domain. As such therefore, the study requires an appropriate research design capable of extracting the maximum amount of information from the respondents and the processing of such information in the most efficient yet simple methods. To this end, an exploratory qualitative research methodology will be the most appropriate as it is capable of the respondents’ perceptions of the development trends made in the realm of management of hospitality. Drawing on Creswell (2003) opinions on various research methods for tackling social phenomena it can be wisely asserted that a qualitative research design offers the best option for examining how various hospitality industry stakeholders perceive of the development trends that have since taken place within the industry.

Sampling

The study population will be practicing managers of at least four hospitality industry institutions (hotels, transportation agencies, event organizing firms, and theme parks). To enhance fair representation of the target demographic, these institutions will be distributed within a 100 square miles area in California, US. In arriving at the sample, the researcher will identify at least five entities in each institutional category, that is, five hotels, five event organizing firms, five transportation agencies, and five theme parks. From each of these four sets of institutions, the researcher will randomly select two managers to make up a total of 40 participants.

As hinted only 40 managers from this study area will be considered for the study. This will be done in accordance with Ader, Mellenbergh, and Hand (2008) opinions on the ideal size of study sample. Tellingly, these authors hold that a study sample should not be too big neither should it be too small. Selecting mangers based on the length of their service will ensure that the number of potential participants is narrowed down while at the same time enhancing the quality of information to be collected. In this regard, the researcher will rely on the willingness of the managers to take part in the study.

The researcher will rely on the up-to-date employee inventory in each of the institutions sampled. From this employee inventory, the researcher will then single out managers with at least five years of working experience and list them in a list, for each entity, for example, five lists in the case of hotels. The researcher will then prepare consent request letters for participation and dispatch them to the identified mangers through the post office. A response form and an open “postage-paid” envelope will accompany these letters to ensure guaranteed response. The managers will be given at least one week to return the consent forms.

After studying the responses, the researcher will prepare 20 lists of managers willing to participate in the study. Each list will be numbered from number 1 to say, 20 in an alphabetical order. Then while utilizing a random number generator, the researcher will select 2 numbers from the alphabetically listed names. The names represented by these two numbers will form the study sample (Bartlett, Kotrlik, & Higgins, 2001).

Data Collection

The study will rely on primary data collected using interviews. These interviews will be structured according to the questioning techniques offered by Creswell (2003) so as to capture as much information as possible. In this regard, both open and closed questions will be used. In addition, some interview questions will include mini-questions (follow-up questions) so as to enhance depth of the information collected.

The interviews will be conducted on a face-to-face basis within the institutions so as not to interrupt the participants work schedules. Even so, to enhance participation the managers will be given the opportunity to choose the venues most convenient to them Creswell, 2003).

Data Analysis

Due to the complex nature of the proposed topic, data collected through the structured interviews will be analyzed using the coding and memoing method. This method will enhance accurateness and preciseness is enhanced throughout the process of analyzing and drawing meaning from the data (Birks, Chapman, & Francis, 2008).

This data analysis method draws its impetus from Patton (2002) who opines that coding and memoing process entail singling out key themes from the raw data. In this regard, the raw data will be scrutinized then basing on the research problem, the researcher will closely study the information so as to identify all the salient development trends witnessed in management of hospitality realm. Then while employing the services of a transcribing machine, the researcher will prepare short notes representing these salient development trends (Reiss & Judd, 2000). The transcribed data will be further scrutinized and then coded into short meaningful units. Lastly, the coded information will be taken through an ad hoc process that will involve the filling of frequency tables and graphs (Birks, Chapman, & Francis, 2008).

Study Limitations

Given the complex nature of this study topic it is expected that the study will engage a relatively large number of participants from a wide geographic area perhaps in all the US states. However, due to limitations of resources the study sample will only comprise of 40 participants selected from hospitality institutions spread across the state of California. This is by fair terms a significant weakness given that the few managers (40) may not hold similar perceptions on the development trends on the contemporary hospitality industry across the globe. Future studies should engage a larger and sample so as to enhance the validity of the collected and analyzed data.

Main Tasks and Timescale – Chart

No. Date Task

1. Jan 31, 2011- XXXX General preparation – reading of relevant literature.

2. XXXX – XXXX Sampling

3. XXXX – XXXX Fieldwork – collection of data using interviews.

4. XXXX – XXXX Analysis of data

5. XXXX – XXXX Interpretation of data

6. XXXX – XXXX Preparation of the dissertation manuscript

7. XXXX – XXXX Preparation of the dissertation fair copy

8. XXXX – XXXX Submission of the completed dissertation

References

Ader, H. J., Mellenbergh, G. J., & Hand, D. J. (2008). Advising on research methods: A consultant’s companion. Huizen, The Netherlands: Johannes van Kessel Publishing.

Andal-Ancion, A.,Cartwright, P.A. & Yip, G.S. (June 2003). The digital transformation of traditional business. Cambridge, MA: MIT Sloan Management Review. 44(4); 34–41.

Bartlett, J. E., II, Kotrlik, J. W., & Higgins, C. (2001). Organizational research: Determining appropriate sample size for survey research. Information Technology, Learning, and Performance Journal, 19(1) 43–50.

Birks, M., Chapman, Y. & Francis, K. (2008). Memoing in qualitative research: Probing data and processes. Journal of Research in Nursing, 13(1); 68-75.

Boella, M.J. & Goss-Turner, S. (2005). Human resource management in the hospitality industry: an introductory guide. Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann.

Creswell, J.W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA” Sage.

Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative evaluation and research methods. Newberry Park, CA, Sage Publications.

Ramsborg, G.C. et al (2008). Professional meeting management: Comprehensive strategies for meetings, conventions and events, (5th Ed.). Kendall/Hunt Publishing, Dubuque, Iowa.

Reiss, H.T. & Judd, C.M. (2000). Handbook of research methods in social and personality psychology. Cambridge University Press.

Singh, R. (2000). Hotel and Hospitality Management (management, Tourism). India: Kalpaz publications.

Talwar, P. (Ed.) (2006). Hotel and hospitality management: Housekeeping. India: Isha Books.

Woodside, A.G. & Martin, D. (ed.) (2007). Tourism management: analysis, behaviour and strategy. CAB International.

 

A Critical Analysis On Whether Experiencing A Building Is Individual Or Personal

Introduction

In situations when one visits or gets an experience with buildings, whether they are historical, contemporary, buildings which have very different backgrounds culturally or even the ones of our very own culture a possibility that one will be affected in one way or another by the said buildings. The term ‘affect’ can be defined as one that produces change or effect in the individual who is having experience on the actual building (This is on the base level). From the architectural perspective, the term could mean harboring emotions, feelings or even making the experiencer’s mind be impressed. Even if the the mind’s intellectual impressing could suggest a reaction that is positive, the triggering emotion’s notion could either be negative or even positive. People will have different experiences on one building hence will have different stimuli, express different views which are from the liking and disliking the perspective of the building fully or partially.

The paper will focus on developing a critical analysis that will look into whether experiencing a building is individual or personal or whether it relies on the assumptions or agreements among certain groups of people, professionals or subcultures. It will also look at the extent in which the response and interpretation depend on the prior knowledge, experience or education or taste. I will continue to look into the way architects build on special effects and qualities of designs which are able to trigger emotions that are positive to the audience, and the way they get to know that the effects will be able to work on the intended ways. Towards the end, I will look at whether the architecture audience is pre established so that the positive or negative reactions from illiterate people is irrelevant and only the ones from the educated architectures are accepted with seriousness as they have informed and intelligent views.

Emotions

People have always talked of the way people’s emotions are affected by architecture. However we also need to ask ourselves how emotions affect designs. People need to be very courageous to be in a position to talk about the way they feel when they are invaded by emotions. At this moment, the feelings are negative. The ones who ate in a position to express themselves will laugh, cry, talk, shout or even scream. Others will show their emotions through things such as creative expressions sometimes done unconsciously (Word press, 2010). It is possible to look at the architectural movements which have been in the past which would give an idea of what caused certain situations for instance what could be created by an architect who is relaxed, or sad. Le Corbusier who taught architect for a long time later thought that whatever he had taught throughout his career was wrong. He later created a Ronchamp, France which was meant to prove this. One thing that is evident in this field is the fact that the experience which is obtained over many years of learning and practicing is a major factor in the evolution that an architect undergoes. This is true in any field all together. However, emotions play a great role in the lives of artists.

Some times people do not like to accept the fact that our feelings affect the things we do or create and imagine that it is the external agents that inspires what we do. This feeling is as a result of the fact that we feel it could reduce the extent of seriousness we have on the same. It is important however to look at it as an idea of enriching so that the moment we learn and be able to control by utilizing the emotions that are positive, we could have a better emotionality level when it comes to the buildings.

Change

Change in architecture and buildings is seen to be a paradigm shift which embraces transience in life and culture of today which advocates for change. The architecture has always been in the service of providing shelter and protection, memorialize and contain our lives and enterprises. The architecture has been able to work hard and provide better buildings. The buildings made have been able to adopt and withstand forces of elements and time. This calls for very enduring mind and also durable materials. The current trend is such that we are provided with very many trends, styles and other different changes. New methods to sustain the adaptability of the buildings in the world has started and is called architecture of change. It is able to make people free from environments and buildings that are bland boxes which are made up of mute walls and immutable materials. This makes architectures be in a position to design buildings with emotion so as to be able to deliver experiences which are controlled by meaning as well as content. The design as well as architecture shows culture’s ideas, traditions and values. Now that we are very much mutable and the initial world which is built has mostly been about permanence, new tools are required to be in a position to reflect the society. The change in architecture designs make use of information that is refreshable, contents, messaging, images, luminosity, transparency, digital technologies and activity as major components used in choreographing and shaping the social experience. The main target is on the setting of people stages for the roles and lives making use of the communication as a medium and message (Foy, 2004).

People hold the believe that the buildings are used as a means to be able to strengthen the traditions and counterchange them as well as confirm the presence of the cultural values. There is however the need to be in a position of sharing information, perpetuate myths, tell stories, knowledge and lessons through the structures. Some of the evidences of this in the early days include the Egyptian tombs which have hieroglyphic tattoos, the early Asian and South American temples which have sculptures and also bas reliefs, the Palaces and Cathedrals are full of paintings, mosaics, murals, glass windows that are stained all with messages. On the other hand, if we consider the current generation which has been trained digitally are able to process several images which are interactive. The importance of telling narrations on buildings to cultures of media savvy and also possibilities of having the technology that is digitally empowered may combine to make places where one is very much likely to become engaged in sight, sound, thought and touch.

References

Word Press.com. (2010) Emotional Architecture. Word Press. Com Retrieved from JuhaniPallasmaa( the eyes of the skin

Bad News Letter

Mr. John Chikwen,

I appreciate you reaching out and for the contributions that you have made to our division in the last year. However, I am denying your request for a recommendation for promotion. As much as you have contributed as an IT recruiter, there are also some key areas of improvement that must be honed before I can recommend you to the Account Manager Position.

As I mentioned, I am grateful for your dedication to our team, and your willingness to stay late in order to complete your work does not go unnoticed. However, as you are well aware, I hold my employees to stringent performance standards, and if I were to grade you today, I would give you a C. This is not to say that I cannot recommend you in the future, but I want to see you prove yourself as a successful IT Recruiter before you move on to the Account Manager position – one that requires yet more planning, dedication, and leadership.

As I am sure you recall, you have barely met the minimum standards for performance during my last two appraisals. Rather than exceed expectations, you have skimmed the surface and done just enough to get by. Mind you, the work you have completed has been satisfactory, but our division needs excellent Account Managers, not ones that are barely meeting requirements. In order for me to recommend you for a promotion, you must push beyond your regular capabilities and prove to me that you will not only meet requirements as an Account Manager, but exceed expectations.

In order to prove yourself a worthy candidate for promotion, you must accomplish the following benchmarks within the next six month period. First, you must average sixty phone calls per day and schedule at least five in-person interviews per week. Of the five interviews per week, I expect you to place at least one tech professional in a job every two weeks. Furthermore, your attrition rate must be less than eight percent, and I want to see a twelve percent average spread per contracted worker. In addition, you must average a 95 percent over the next six phone shops. If you accomplish each of these benchmarks, and I witness a measurable increase in effort over the next six months, I will gladly reconsider recommending you for promotion.

I encourage you to continue working hard in the office; the benchmarks I have set for you will be difficult to attain but you are more than capable of accomplishing them. Thank you again for your request, and I look forward to helping you grow professionally over the next six months.

Sincerely,

Your name here

Name

Professor’s name

Course

Date

Background

Across many countries in the world today, there exist many interventions and programs aimed at improving the lives of the local community members. To name a few examples, communities have united to help develop solutions for their most pressing needs, including domestic violence, health, security, and education. Worth noting, in order to tell if the initiatives are effective, evaluation is necessary. Evaluation has to do with the systematic gathering of all data concerning the characteristics, activities, and outcomes of a particular program (Vedung, 88). The intention is to use this information to make decisions on the necessary areas of improvement. By making proper judgments grading the program at hand, the program is better placed to achieve its future goals. Needless to say, proper evaluation is feasible and must be carried out within the stipulated time, resources, and political context. Furthermore, evaluation is done to serve a specific purpose, as such, ethics should be observed in order to find accurate findings. The questions found in an evaluation depend on project length, the interviewer, and the intended use of the collected information. This essay touches on the subject matter of evaluation within the context of Drive Smart, a road safety program aimed at curbing drunk driving through public intervention and education. Further, it touches on the would-be goals and the standards for judgment for the evaluation.

Description of the Subject Matter

Drive Smart Program is the focus of the evaluation. This program aims at saving lives through eliminating drunk driving through the avenue of education and public intervention. In this scenario, the evaluation must involve all the necessary stakeholders, including those interested and those being impacted by it (Fell, 38). The government’s task force on road safety matters seeks to introduce a docket that advocates for smart driving. The program aims at helping millions of lives lost to drunk driving across various communities. There is a need for all the community members to come to terms with the dimensions of the problem of reckless driving. As communities get trained on strategies of maintaining road safety on the road, both as drivers and passengers, they also need to be enlightened about the necessary actions that can be taken to fix this problem that has many negative consequences on individuals and, by extension, the society. Worth noting, the government task forces have identified a road safety program abroad. The program entails all the aspects the team has been searching for. The Taskforce seeks to adapt this program as a pilot program. To design the program to suit their needs perfectly, the task force has to liaise with the organization. Worth noting, if the pilot program emerges successful, the task force shall proceed to expand its implementation in various communities across the state. The task force has some monies available to fund the entire program to completion.

Goals of the Evaluation

The evaluation will be conducted on the pilot program, which will inform the implementation of subsequent programs. The primary purpose of evaluating the Drive Smart program is to determine its effectiveness in attaining the set goals and objectives and know the program’s reception from the community. Additionally, it will provide the project engineers with the cost implications of the adoption of the program. The most interested individuals in the evaluation are the participants of the program, task force members, and potential donors who would be interested in supporting the expansion of the program. The subject matter of evaluating pilot programs for road safety is the best as it helps the people designing the project know if it is achieving the intended objectives. Because the evaluation is being done on a first-time project, lessons learnt from this experience will be used to improve future projects even before they are implemented.

Standards of Judgment

Some of the criteria that can be employed to assess Drive Smart program’s efficiency entail having laid out deliverables that will be used to probe the performance of a program. For instance, data shall be gathered from community members regarding their familiarity levels with the project and project goals. This can be done by administering anonymous questionnaires with the community members. Open-ended questionnaires are most preferred as it grants them an opportunity to note down how they came to know about the program and the kind of information that was availed to them about the project goals. Another standard that can be used is probing the statistics of individuals that use safe rides such as Uber and other taxis to get home. This will help determine the visibility as well as the impact of the program. The more number of people found to be using taxis following a drinking spree indicates a positive reception from its intended audience. Moreover, knowing the number of individuals who report drunk driving can also be used to judge the project’s performance. This is an indication that community education is impacting positively on the behavior of people. Additionally, it is prudent that the team pay attention to the total number of road accidents occurring during the night. This information can be accessed by National Statics Corporations and from traffic police dockets of the federal and state police. Finding out the number of accidents taking place is a viable way of identifying behavioral change in the intended target audience.

For this program to be successful, standards of performance for the laid out criteria must be developed. These standards are thresholds used for determining whether the project is successful of not. First, the project will be deemed successful only if 80% of the total community residents will have known about the project and its goals within the first year. Another indicator of success would be if there is a 20% increase within the first year in the individuals using taxis. Furthermore, a 20% decrease in the whistleblowers that report incidences of drunk driving would sign that the intended outcomes are being achieved. Lastly, if the number of car accidents recorded every night decreases by 10% within the first two years, it would be a positive indication of the programs performance. Before concluding as to whether the project should continue or not, there is a need to determine if the foreseen changes stem from the program implementers efforts or other factors.

Conclusion

Evaluation is a strategy used by program implementers to assess the program’s efficiency and determine whether the project is attaining its intended goals and objectives. In the world today, many development programs are being implemented by development partners. They hope to improve the lives of the community by using the available resources and time. Drive Smart is a safety initiative aimed at saving lives through eliminating drunk driving through the avenue of education and public intervention. In conjunction with the task force from the Office of the Governor, community members will collaborate on the project. Being a pilot project, Drive Smart aims to determine the effectiveness in attaining the set goals and objectives and know the reception the program will get from the community. Further, it will provide the project engineers the cost implications of adoption of the program. Some standards of judgment that can be employed include collecting data about the residents’ familiarity with the project’s goal and taking note of the number of accidents recorded during the night. Another criterion is finding out the member of people that report instances of drunken driving.

Works Cited

Fell, James C., et al. Evaluation of responsible beverage service to reduce impaired driving by 21-to 34-year-old drivers. No. DOT HS 812 398. United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2017.

Vedung, Evert. Public policy and program evaluation. Routledge, 2017.

Name:

Professor:

Course:

Date:

Bad Things Always Happen to the Good People- Analogy of Hector

Summer has always been my favorite season. The long days and short nights, warm temperatures, getting together with friends and family, fun activities, and the relaxation everyone seems to get from the slow rhythm of these three months bubbles my joie de vivre. Well, one summer ago, I got a fantastic opportunity to work as a personal assistant for a family friend whose other assistant had gone for her maternity leave. I would hold this position till the school’s reopened for the fall semester. I was thrilled to get this position since it meant I would move to California as the Law firm our family friend works in was set up there. My mother implored me not to go so far away. She tried to lure me into staying by promising me gifts such as a new car but the experience of working in a law firm in Los Angeles was more enthralling (Pg. 543: Book XXII: 74-75). Moreover, the fact that I did not have to wait tables in the scorching sun was enthralling. I could not wait!

After arriving in the multi-specialty law firm, I was quickly introduced to the team I would join. This team comprised of the secretary, the personal assistant (me), five paralegals and a three law interns. This team worked for Tim Jones, a criminal defense lawyer who also happened to be the family friend. During my orientation, it was made known to me that nothing but my best was required, I had to be well-organized and disciplined. Everything I did was linked to the success of the organization. After two hours in the firm, I knew that the success of the firm was everything. Everyone drummed it in, from the interns to the paralegals, to Mr. Jones himself. My responsibilities included managing Mr. Jones’ diaries, meetings, and appointments, preparing his reports, handling the biometric attendance system database, and organizing his work in the tray. I was being paid by the hour and therefore had to bill my hours. I was on a grace period of three days, and in these three days, the former P.A. would show me how the job was done. By the end of the third day, I had taken up the duties. I did not find it difficult but sometimes I had to stay long nights while Jones worked. I did not mind this since I would bill this and get paid for overtime.

After the first two weeks, I got used to my new job. I did not stand in awe every morning marveling at the height of this building that held the law offices, neither did the vastness of the lounge at the entrance make me feel tiny and insignificant. I enjoyed walking on the luxurious plush carpeting that covered the floors of the firm. The first days had been a little dull as I did not have any friends and had to work for long hours. However, after a fortnight, I had metamorphosed into a social butterfly and was starting to enjoy the summer in Los Angeles. During the weekend, my colleagues would take on a tour of the city and hang out at the Marina Del Rey Beach. Mr. Jones had commended my work and said that he would always find a slot for me to fill when on school breaks. Moreover, he would find me a job after school due to the proper working ethics I displayed. The summer had never been better than this. However, I did not know that this would be short-lived.

The interconnectivity of our work made Jack Riley and me very close. He was Mr. Jones’ secretary and had been helpful in my settling in at the firm. I had grown to trust him and sooner than later, we were hanging out after work. Jack Riley energetic and vivacious, he lit up our office. Unlike other people in the office, Riley did not mind sharing his staplers, paper clip, and files. However, this generosity almost always led to his tools of work missing. He would then result in using mine. We developed a fine friendship and later on, one of the paralegals, Michael Smith, joined in on the friendship. We would have lunch together and

One warm Friday afternoon, when the office was slowly grinding to a halt to usher in the weekend, Michael strolled to my desk to check on me about the weekend’s plans. He found me updating the database on billable hours for all employees in Tom Jones’ office. He was inquisitive about the working of the database. I explained to him just as I had been taught. He then asked if it would be possible to alter these hours and if one would be caught. I was surprised at this question since I had never thought of robbing the firm, He seemed to notice my shock and quickly brushed it off my laughing and said that he was just curious. I forgot about this, and we quickly resumed into our conversation about plans that weekend. Jack Riley then entered the office and walked straight to us smiling asking what he agreed upon. Smith told him that we had made plans that evening and that he was invited. Since our boss was absent that Friday, Riley suggested that we leave the office early. I told him that it would not be possible since the FRID devices would easily show that we left work early. Smith then lit up and told me that since I worked with the database, I would only tamper it this once to cover our backs. I was reluctant at first, but after some convincing, I decided to do it this one time. I knew it wrong, but I did not want to fail my friends. I tried talking Smith out of this, but he was reluctant. Just like Hector had talked to his brother Paris in a bid to make him return Helen to Menelaus King of Sparta, I explained the consequences of this deed to Smith, but he stated that he would take the blame for it if trouble arose (131. Book III: 69-98).

The following Monday, I reported to work as usual. Like other Mondays, I was swamped with work, and the office telephone was continuously ringing with new clients looking for Mr. Jones. Mondays were always busy and the hours flew by so quickly that I did not realize it was five already. Today I was working late because I wanted to clear Mr. Jones’ tray before he came in the next day. It would not be a bad evening since Smith and Riley were keeping me company. However, as night approached, I realized I had not seen them yet. At eight pm, I was done with my workload and decided to leave for home. As I passed Riley’s and Smith’s cleared desks, I knew they had left for the night. This baffled me for they had not clocked out in the biometrics system. I called Riley as I checked out of work,

“Hello, I thought you guys were working late tonight?” I asked.

“Oh, yeah. We forgot to inform you. We stepped out for a quick drink then one thing led to another, we could not make it back to the office. You know what to do, don’t ya?”

Riley’s answer froze me as I walked out of the firm’s revolving doors. My mind raced as I heard those words. My throat was dry with apprehension, I grunted some words and hung up. “What had I got myself into?” I asked myself as I hailed a cab.

Bad news travels fast. Soon, the other seven employees in Mr. Jones office knew about this incidence and smiled politely when they saw me. One evening, two paralegals approached me and asked me to do whatever it is I do to the systems and show that they had billed in more hours. I could not say no since I knew that denying their request would land me in big trouble. Just like Hector had rushed to announce that his brother Paris would fight King Menelaus to end the war, I thought that things would get better if I accepted to bill in more hours for everyone (pg. 125: Book III: 910-930). I, therefore, billed in more hours for all the people in the office hoping that the summer would end before I got caught.

That week, Mr. Jones asked to shut his office door and asked me about the billing and why there had been an increased expenditure on wages in his particular office. I told him that I did not know anything about it, but I knew that my pink face, sweaty palms, and tremor in voice had given it all away. I could not concentrate on my work, and could not get anything right. Mr. Jones told me to help prepare the conference room since there would be an inquest into the matter by the firm’s finance department. It was just routine to ensure that there was nothing fishy going on. Everyone would be questioned about their working hours and whether or not they clocked in and out at the right time.

After I heard the words “inquest,” I knew that this would be over for me. Later that fateful Thursday, Smith came to talk to me and assured me that he would defend me. Due to my naivety, I believed him. Later on, I realized that just as Athena had tricked Hector by disguising as his ally Deiphobus, so had Smith had tricked me. I knew it was over for me and I attempted to save face by facing the inquiry committee and being honest. I attempted to make amends for my behavior, but just as Hector had lost to Achilles, I could not convince the committee of my innocence, I knew that my time in this beautiful city was up and that I had lost my job just as Hector had lost his life (pg. 551: Book XXII: 350-360).

After everyone had been interviewed, I was called back and asked to write a letter explaining why I had committed the crime. The committee explained that Smith had incriminated me and had promised to show them how I had achieved this. He said that he did not want to report because of my relationship with the boss and was scared that it would cost him his job. His testimony not only killed my chances for retaining my job but dragged my name and the little hope I had for a career at the prestigious firm as Achilles did to Hector’s body (pg. 554-555: Book XXII: 460-480). On the plane back home from California, I went through my ordeal over and over, until I realized that there was a lesson in this. I had learnt never to be a pawn- just like Hector had fought a battle that was not his and got destroyed, so had I.

Works Cited.

Homer, , Stanley Lombardo, and Sheila Murnaghan. Iliad. , 1997. Print.

Lessons on Ethics

Author

Institution

Introduction

Taking stock of every progress that is made on the way is imperative in determining whether one’s academic journey is on course. Indeed, this involves the review of the knowledge that has been gained, as well as its applicability to real life situations. This is the only way that an individual would determine the worth of the academic journey, the course units, as well as the concepts, theories and knowledge that has been learnt in such courses. This paper is, essentially, an evaluation of the ethics course undertaken, the concepts learnt and their applicability in real life.

Analytical skill building

This comes as one of the most fundamental progresses that this course has allowed. Analytical skills refer to the capacity of an individual to visualize, articulate, as well as solve uncomplicated and complex problems and concepts, thereby making sensible decisions thereof on the basis of the available facts and information. This course has given me the capacity to apply logical thinking to the gathering and analysis of information, which essentially allows me to design and test varied solutions to problems, as well as formulate plans for the same.

This is especially with regard to the analysis of papers and information. This course involved the perusal of voluminous papers and literary works. A comprehensive understanding of such information required that I ask certain questions prior to getting the information. These include determining the information needed, the time allotted to the papers, what I need to know or even what I know already. Indeed, I am no longer embarrassed of asking the seemingly simple questions even as I allow the research me to the different directions. Considering the importance of such research, I never make assumptions as to the sufficiency of the time allocated, ease of finding the information or even the availability of similar information. Considering the high possibility of occurrence of mistakes and errors, I have learnt to cross reference research and information, as well as look deeper so as to determine the intrinsic or real value of information. This also allows for determination of the authenticity of the sources of information so as to determine what authority the authors of such information have to come up with credible information. The examination of issues such as factory farming necessitates the examination of statistics especially considering its impact on the health of individuals. Such an issue would necessitate a clear line of thought especially when examining the ethical side of it. This is the case for other issues that touch on ethics including euthanasia, abortion and death penalty and issues that touch on the confidentiality of patient information. The course has given me writing skills that would allow me to make a case for any side of the argument pertaining to these issues.

This may be evidenced by the improved quality of papers that I have written in the recent times. Not only are the papers made up of quality information, but also the sources used are credible and authoritative. On the same note, the information is always presented in such a way that the reader would be flowing with the papers rather than skimping though without a logical flow. This would essentially underline why I did not go straight to tackling the sections that are outlined in the instructions but rather gave the reader a soft landing through a carefully thought-out introduction.

Knowledge acquisition

While every course allows for the acquisition of varied skills, the implicit knowledge of the concepts, theories, perspectives and ideas in the course comes as the primary goal. Indeed, any course undertaking would be deemed unsuccessful if at the end of the day the individual did not grasp the fundamental concepts, ideas, perspectives and theories that are outlined in the course. In my case, I would say that I have at least grasped the general ideas of the concepts and perspectives brought out in the course. This is especially with regard to the theories of ethical decision-making, including utilitarianism, altruism, and egoism ethical theory of decision-making. In utilitarianism, an individual would determine the how appropriate a course of action is by examining the benefits and the costs with which it comes. In this regard, the varied options or potential solutions to a problem would be examined and their potential benefits and costs evaluated (Thiroux & Krasemann, 2009). These would then be compared amongst the varied potential solutions, with the one that has the most benefits against costs for the largest number of people being taken. This is irrespective of how unethical or “morally upright” the course of action may be. In this case, the theory states that no action is intrinsically wrong or right, rather this would be determined by the consequences as this theory aims at maximizing the utility of a particular course of action for the greatest number of people (Thiroux & Krasemann, 2009).

Altruism, on the other hand, is a practice where an individual is primarily concerned about other people’s welfare. This has nothing to do with duty or moral obligation that an individual has to other people, rather it revolves around some motivation for an individual to offer that is of value to another person rather than oneself (Thiroux & Krasemann, 2009). In its pure form, altruism would revolve around making a sacrifice for another person while expecting no benefits or compensation, whether direct or indirect.

Egoism, on the other hand, would be the opposite of altruism, as the individual would determine the best course of action by determining the course of action that would bring the greatest good, benefit and pleasure to oneself alone (Thiroux & Krasemann, 2009). In this case, the individual would primarily look at his own good and welfare irrespective of how bad the course of action is to another part.

The list of theories outlined here is simply not exhaustive especially considering the multiplicity of ethical principles described including beneficence, least harm, justice and respect for autonomy among others. These would go a long way in allowing for an analysis of decisions made and the basis for their making.

Practical application

The utility of any form of knowledge revolves around its applicability in real life situations and in tackling day-to-day issues. Indeed, this is the only way that any form of knowledge would be said to be beneficial to any individual. Indeed, the concepts and perspectives that have been examined in this course would go a long way in guiding my decision-making in my daily life. It goes without saying that every day comes with its own challenges and problems with numerous decisions and choices to be made. In most cases, there are conflicting solutions to the varied moral or ethical dilemmas that I come across. It is worth noting that in most cases, the application of the theories examined in the course is not absolute. In most cases, the decisions I make are not merely synchronized to one theory, rather they involve a combination of theories.

For instance, there was this one instances when my neighbor gave me some money and asked me to buy her some lottery tickets. She insisted that I should not mix those coins with mine and I should use those coins specifically to buy her tickets. I am not an ardent buyer of lottery tickets but this time round, I chose to buy some for myself alongside some for my neighbor. When the lottery hour came, I realized that my neighbor’s tickets had won some substantial amount. Of course, my neighbor wanted to know whether her cards had won any money, in which case I had to make a decision on whether to reply in the affirmative or not.

In this scenario, I had to combine varied theories in determining the most appropriate course of action. However, I happen to particularly like the utilitarian theory of ethics as it allows for a logical pattern of decision making. First, I am under an obligation to give out the winning card as the money that had bought it belonged to the neighbor. On the other hand, I had to consider the fact that I was in a financial rut and I could, in fact, do with some extra coins. On the same note, there was no relationship between the coins that she had given me and the tickets that I bought. In this regard, I could comfortably say that I was at liberty to make any decision. Nevertheless, I chose to tell her that they got mixed up, in which case I could not know which one was hers’ or mine. In this case, I would offer to split the money, thereby settling my financial issues and assuaging my conscience with regard to denying her what may be seen as her right. This means that both of us would be happy with the decision, and since the neighbor does not know whether it is her, she is bound to be fine with it.

This is simply one of the moral dilemmas where the ethical theories learnt in the course have been applied alongside other concepts.

References

Thiroux, J. P., & Krasemann, K. W (2009). Ethics: Theory and Practice 11/e VitalSource ebook for Kaplan University (1st ed). Pearson Learning Solutions.