Biology Lab. Introduction to Science Essay

You should submit your document in a Word (.doc or .docx) or Rich Text Format (.rtf) for best compatibility. Exercise 1: Data Interpretation Table 1: Water Quality vs. Fish Population Dissolved Oxygen |0 |2 |4 |6 |8 |10 |12 |14 |16 |18 | |Number of Fish Observed |0 |1 |3 |10 |12 |13 |15 |10 |12 |13 | | 1. What patterns do you observe based on the information in Table 1? The patterns that I observe based on the information in Table 1 are: †¢ The level of ‘Dissolved Oxygen’ consistently increases by an increment of 2 with each subsequent data point †¢ The ‘Number of Fish Observed’ seems to fluctuate with no real consistency (with the exception that after the peak # of 15 fish was observed, the next 3 data points reflect â€Å"10, 12, 13† which was the same # of fish that were observed in the exact order prior to reaching the peak 15. (In short, the pattern 10, 12, 13 seems to have repeated itself.) †¢ The level of ‘Dissolved Oxygen’ does not seem to decrease when the ‘Number of Fish Observed’ decreases 2. Develop a hypothesis relating to the amount of dissolved oxygen measured in the water sample and the number of fish observed in the body of water. Based on the information provided in the table, I would hypothesize that the number of fish observed has no bearing on the level of oxygen dissolved. This hypothesis would be based on the fact that the dissolved oxygen steadily and consistently increased by an increment of 2 with each progressive data point. When the number of fish observed was significantly increased from 3 to 10, the dissolved oxygen level only increased by 2. Conversely, when the number of fish observed significantly decreased from 15 to 10, the dissolved oxygen still maintained that consistent increase of 2. 3. What would your experimental approach be to test this hypothesis? The experimental approach that I would use to test this hypothesis would be to obtain a 2 freshwater fish tanks, fresh water, fish, an aquarium water level meter and a dissolved oxygen meter. In one tank, I would ensure that the aquarium was filled with a specifically determined level of water and measure the level of dissolved oxygen present with no fish. Then I would gradually begin adding fish daily, starting with one fish. Each day I would ensure that the water level remained the same as it was prior to adding the first fish and I would continue increasing/decreasing the total number of fish daily. I would also consistently measure the dissolved oxygen levels as I introduced or removed fish to observe the levels. In the 2nd fish tank, I would ensure that the level of freshwater and dissolved oxygen matched the levels of the first fish tank prior to adding  any fish. Then, I would add the maximum number of fish that I intended to observe in the 1st tank and observe the oxygen level. For the duration of the experiment, I would not ensure that the water level remains the same but I would not modify the total fish in this tank. I would also observe the oxygen levels in the 2nd tank throughout the experiment. 4. What are the independent and dependent variables? The independent variable in this experiment would be the total number of fish being observed, and the dependent variable would be the dissolved oxygen. 5. What would be your control? My control in this experiment would be the 2nd fish tank, which I would not fluctuate the total number of observed fish. 6. What type of graph would be appropriate for this data set? Why? The most appropriate type of graph to utilize, which would best illustrate the data being compared in this example, would be a line graph. I would use a line graph because it most clearly and effectively demonstrates how the two independent data sets are related, as well as how their independent fluctuations in volume affect one another. 7. Graph the data from Table 1: Water Quality vs. Fish Population (found at the beginning of this exercise). You may use Excel, then â€Å"Insert† the graph, or use another drawing program. You may also draw it neatly by hand and scan your drawing. If you choose this option, you must insert the scanned jpg image here. [pic] 8. Interpret the data from the graph made in Question 7. The data from the graph supports my hypothesis that the total number of fish observed does not have any bearing on the level of dissolved oxygen, which steadily increases by a level of two with each data point. Exercise 2: Testable Observations Determine which of the following observations (A-J) could lead to a testable hypothesis. For those which are testable: Write a hypothesis and null hypothesis What would be your experimental approach? What are the dependent and independent variables? What is your control? How will you collect your data? How will you present your data (charts, graphs, types)? How will you analyze your data? 1. When a plant is placed on a window sill, it grows three inches faster per day than when it is placed on a coffee table in the middle of the living room. – TESTABLE †¢ Hypothesis – The plant will grow at a faster rate per day when it is placed on a window sill as opposed to being placed on a coffee table in the middle of a living room. †¢ Null Hypothesis – The location of the plant has no bearing on the growth rate per day. †¢ Experimental Approach – I would gather four identical plants, two of which I would I would rotate between the living room and window sill daily, and the other two would remain static in their locations for the entire duration of the experiment. I would treat and care for all plants in an identical manner, ensure that their respective locations remained precisely the same, as well as measure and record the growth of each plant daily. After a sufficient period of time had elapsed, I would record the final relevant data in Excel, and insert a line graph with all four plants incorporated into a single chart, which would also demonstrate the growth rate over time. Subsequently, based on the information contained within the data points, and the line graph comparison, I would draw a final conclusion and present my data to interested parties in the form of a brief Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. I would include a brief summary of the intent of the experiment, a detailed explanation of the tools and exact process in which I used to conduct my tests, and all of the raw data statistics relative to the daily growth rate of all four plants. †¢ Dependent Variable – The location of the plants. †¢ Independent Variable – The growth rate of the plants. †¢ Control – The 2 static plants. 2. The teller at the bank with brown hair and brown eyes and is taller than the other tellers. – NOT TESTABLE 3. When Sally eats healthy foods and exercises regularly, her blood pressure is 10 points lower than when she does not exercise and eats unhealthy foods. – TESTABLE †¢ Hypothesis – Sally’s blood pressure will be lower when she eats healthy foods and exercises regularly. †¢ Null Hypothesis – The fact that Sally eats healthy foods and excercises regularly will have no effect on Sally’s blood pressure. †¢ Experimental Approach – I would first observe and record, for a sufficient period of time, Sally’s eating habits, exercise regimen, and blood pressure, when she is not eating as healthy or exercising as regularly to accurately gauge a reliable average of the range of her blood pressure in this phase of the experiment. Then, I would ensure that Sally was placed on a healthy eating plan, approved by a nutritionist, and prescribe an exercise routine. Sally’s eating habits and exercise regimen would again be recorded daily, along with her blood pressure statistics and other relevant information. I would track and record the daily relevant statistics in Excel, and I would also use a line graph to illustrate the comparison of her blood pressure over time under the two different scenarios. Subsequently, based on the information contained within the data points, and the line graph comparison, I would draw final conclusion and present my data to interested parties in the form of a brief Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. I would include a brief summary of the intent of the experiment, a detailed explanation of the tools and exact process in which I used to conduct my tests, and all of the raw data statistics relative to the changes in Sally’s blood pressure as well as her diet and exercise habits throughout the experiment process. †¢ Dependent Variable – Sally’s eating and exercise plan. †¢ Independent Variable – Sally’s blood pressure reduction. †¢ Control – the phase of the experiment when Sally’s blood pressure is observed and recorded when she is not eating healthy or exercising regularly. 4. The Italian restaurant across the street closes at 9 pm but the one two blocks away closes at 10 pm. – NOT TESTABLE 5. For the past two days the clouds have come out at 3 pm and it has started raining at 3:15 pm. – NOT TESTABLE 6. George did not sleep at all the night following the start of daylight savings. – NOT TESTABLE Exercise 3: Conversion For each of the following, convert each value into the designated units. 1. 46,756,790 mg = _46.7568 kg 2. 5.6 hours = _20160 seconds 3. 13.5 cm = _5.31496_ inches 4. 47  °C = 116.6  °F Exercise 4: Accuracy and Precision During gym class, four students decided to see if they could beat the norm of 45 sit-ups in a minute. The first student did 64 sit-ups, the second did 69, the third did 65, and the fourth did 67. 2. The average score for the 5th grade math test is 89.5. The top 4th graders took the test and scored 89, 93, 91 and 87. – Both Yesterday the temperature was 89  °F, tomorrow it’s supposed to be 88 °F and the next day it’s supposed to be 90 °F, even though the average for September is only 75 °F degrees! – Precision Four friends decided to go out and play horseshoes. They took a picture of their results shown to the right: – Neither A local grocery store was holding a contest to see who could most closely guess the number of pennies that they had inside a large jar. The first six people guessed the numbers 735, 209, 390, 300, 1005 and 689. The grocery clerk said the jar actually contains 568 pennies. – Neither Exercise 5: Significant Digits and Scientific Notation Part 1: Determine the number of significant digits in each number and write out the specific significant digits. 405000 – 3 (405) 0.0098 – 2 (98) 39.999999 – 8 (39999999) 13.00 – 4 (1300) 80,000,089 – 8 (80000089) 55,430.00 – 7 (5543000) 0.000033 – 2 (33) 620.03080 – 8 (62003080) Part 2: Write the numbers below in scientific notation, incorporating what you know about significant digits. 70,000,000,000 = 7 X 1010 0.000000048 = 4.8 X 10-8 67,890,000 = 6.789 X 107 70,500 = 7.05 X 104 450,900,800 = 4.509008 X 108 0.009045 = 9.045 X 10-3 0.023 = 2.3 X 10-2 ———————– TYPE YOUR FULL NAME:

Green Mountain Coffee Essay

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters opened as a cafe in 1981 in Vermont. They roasted their own coffee and before long, demand grew and local restaurants and inns began to order their premium roasted coffee as well. Today the Company has extensive wholesale, direct mail and e-commerce operations. Green Mountain Coffee now has a distribution facility and two production sites in Vermont, and a manufacturing and warehousing facility in Knox County, TN (GMCR.com). GMCR’s operations are managed through two business units. The Specialty Coffee business unit produces coffee, tea and hot cocoa from its family of brands, including Tully’s Coffee, Green Mountain Coffee and Newman’s Own Organics coffee. The Keurig business unit is a leading manufacturer of gourmet single-cup brewing systems and markets its patented single-cup brewing systems for consumers at home and away-from-home. K-Cup portion packs for Keurig Single-Cup Brewers are produced by a variety of licensed brands, including Green Mountain Coffee, Starbucks, and Tully’s Coffee (GMCR.com). Keurig, Incorporated, which became a subsidiary of GMCR in 2006, is the second business unit of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. Keurig was launched in 1990 by Peter Dragone and John Sylvan, who asked themselves why do we brew coffee by the pot when we drink it by the cup? From this question, the concept of Keurig K-Cup portion-pack brewing was born. Keurig brewing systems employ a design that utilizes single serving pods of coffee grounds that the machine pushes hot water through and into the waiting cup. The result is a fresh, hot cup of coffee that has not been sitting in the coffee pot waiting to be poured. In 1998, after eight years of development, Keurig released an industrial-strength, single-serve machine that delivered a perfect cup of coffee or tea every time. Keurig brewing systems employ a design that utilizes single serving pods of coffee grounds that the machine pushes hot water through and into the waiting cup. The result is a fresh, hot cup of coffee that has not been sitting in the coffee pot waiting to be poured. K-cups are offered in 249 varieties on the Keurig website. Most retail grocery stores sell several varieties of K-cups. There are two types of Keurig brewers, the K-cup system and the new Vue brewing system. There are 12 different K cup style brewers. In the spring of 2012, Keurig released a Vue brewing system that gives the consumer the ability to customize their drink by offering more cup size options and by brewing specialty beverages, such as lattes and cappuccinos. To date, there is only one model of the Vue brewing system available. Competitor Analysis The market for single-cup coffee brewers is a fairly new one and has very few companies selling single-cup brewing systems. The market is an oligopoly, with GMCR’s Keurig holding approximately 75 percent of the US market share (Foxbusiness.com), followed by the Tassimo by Kraft, Nescafe’s Dolce Gusto and Senseo. The global leader is Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Nespresso system with 35 percent, followed by Senseo brewers with 18 percent, and Kraft Food’s Tassimo with 8 percent. Green Mountain ranks fourth globally with almost 8 percent (Geller & Dalal, 2012). Almost all of the coffee brewers in the market are priced between $75 and $175. For around $100, the consumer has a choice of a hand full of basic brewers. The single-cup brewers each have their own system with pods or cups that work exclusively with their machine. Most of the companies in the market make most of their profit from the sale of their coffee as opposed to their machines. Mr. Coffee released a new machine in the fall that is compatible with Keurig’s K-cups specifically to edge in on Keurig’s share of the market. It is compatible with Keurig’s K-cups and is less expensive to the consumer. The main competitors in the mainstream single-cup coffee system market in the United States are Keurig, Tassimo, and Senseo. The less competitive players in the market are Mr. Coffee and Nescafe, while Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Nespresso is currently the only serious contender in the high-end market in the United States. GMCR invests significant resources and capital in engineering and research and development in order to keep Keurig’s position as the leader in the single-cup brewing market. As a result, they have a strong and growing portfolio of market-leading, proprietary technology. Keurig’s integrated engineering team drives fast and original product development in brewers, portion packs, and high-speed packaging lines; all three areas that supported Keurig’s single-cup system. The engineering team at Keurig includes mechanical, software, and nutritional science, as well as quality assurance and industrial engineering. The company’s emphasis on quality products, easy-to-use features, and innovative technologies has earned Keurig high marks in customer satisfaction. GMCR started distribution of the new single-cup Keurig premium coffee system to office coffee service and food service providers in 1998. Keurig’s strategy to gain market share in the office market is to sell machines to distributors and encourage them to give the machines away or lease them for a small fee. The economics of the strategy works for distributors because the real profit is in selling K-Cups. Keurig sells it’s machines, both to distributors and to individual consumers, at near cost and gives the machines away or rents them cheaply to businesses, in order to secure the customer’s business. They make up the cost in less than six months just on the sales of their K-cups. Keurig has licensed several additional coffee roasters to package gourmet coffee and teas into K-Cups, all of which pay royalties to Keurig based on the number of K-Cups shipped. In addition to offering Green Mountain Coffee and Newman’s Own Organics and Celestial Seasonings Tea brands, which are packaged and sold by Green Mountain Coffee, Keurig offers several other North American K-Cup brands, such as Caribou, Folgers and most recently, Starbucks (Starbucksdrinks.com). The weaknesses of GMCR’s Keurig are that the K-cups are not recyclable and create more waste than traditionally brewed coffee, since the cups are made of plastic and aluminum. The company has received some bad press for being not eco-friendly enough. Another significant weakness is that Keurig’s strategy relies heavily on selling K-cups. The company makes most of it’s profit from the sale of coffee. However, in the fall of 2012, two of Keurig’s patents expire and other companies will likely begin producing pods that are compatible with Keurig brewing systems. Already, there are reusable cups on the market that consumers can buy to fill with the ground coffee of their choice. Tassimo is made by Kraft and was first introduced to the market in 2004. There are three Tassimo single-cup brewers currently on the market. Tassimo brewers use non-reusable plastic beverage pods called Tassimo discs (T-Discs), which are produced by Kraft. Each has a barcode printed on its label, which the machine reads to calculate the amount of water, brewing time, and temperature for the specific beverage. The strengths of Tassimo’s strategy are centered around their unique barcode. While Keurig pods are pre-measured to have one amount, no matter how strong or how large you want your coffee, the barcode on the T-Disc tell the Tassimo brewer exactly how to make the perfect cup of the drink in the disc. Tassimo’s T-Discs also use liquid milk, instead of powdered milk in their T-Discs and is capable of making beverages with frothed milk (Tassimodirect.com). The result is that the consumer can make better specialty drinks, such as lattes and cappuccinos in their Tassimo. Also, the market has already seen the introduction of reusable cups for the Keurig, that the consumer can fill with the ground coffee of their choosing. This is bad news for a company that makes virtually all of its profit from coffee sales. There are also reusable pods for the Senseo. Tassimo is the only system that is protected because of their unique barcode system. The weakness that is holding Tassimo back from taking more market share is the lack of popular brands of coffee available in T-Disc form. While Keurig has lots of big name coffees available in K-cup form, Tassimo’s most well-known brand available in T-Disc is Maxwell house. A very recent, and concerning, weakness is that Tassimo recalled 835,000 coffee makers in the United States and another 900,000 in Canada after dozens of reports of the brewers spraying hot liquid, coffee grounds or tea leaves (http://www.cpsc.gov). There have been 140 reports of incidents with the brewers spraying hot liquid, coffee grounds or tea leaves onto consumers, including 37 reports of second-degree burn injuries. This is very bad for Tassimo because when people do internet research to help them decide which single-cup brewer is right for them, this recall is the first thing they will see. Senseo is made by Sara Lee, who recently bought the brand from Philips, and was one of the first single-cup brewers on the market in 2001. Unlike the other single-cup systems, the Senseo uses coffee â€Å"pods† instead of cups. The pods are made of coffee-filter paper and the consumer has the option to use one for a regular strength, or small, cup of coffee or to use two pods for a larger cup, such as a travel mug, or for a stronger cup of coffee. The ability to choose one or two pods is Senseo’s biggest strength. Reviews from coffee critics consistently give Senseo high marks in flavor and quality when compared to the other popular single-cup coffee systems. Senseo’s weaknesses are that they have built an unattractive brand image and that they do not have contracts with any well-known coffee companies and have very little variety in the coffee pods that are available. They produce 11 coffee blends, all under the Senseo name, for the Senseo brewer (senseo.us). In an interview in February, Sara Lee’s Executive Chairman, Jan Bennink, told Reuters that the Senseo is â€Å"a very unsexy machine† (reuters.com) and that young people do not want to be associated with the brand. Market Analysis Worldwide coffee sales peaked at $70.86 billion in 2011. Sales of single-serve packets accounted for $5.75 billion of that, or 8 per cent (Geller & Dalal, 2012). The single-cup coffee market grew at a rate 31 percent from 2010. Most Americans who consume coffee are still drinking traditionally brewed coffee. Coffee brewed in a single-cup machine from a pod, K-cup or T-Disc cost more than twice as much as the average ground coffee brewed in a drip coffee maker. There are few barriers to entry into the single-cup coffee market. Companies that already have brand-name recognition are more able, and likely, to produce their own single-cup system. One barrier to entry is that there are already some highly recognized names in the market that will make it difficult for an unknown company to compete. Another barrier is the high cost of entry into the market. Developing the technology to create a single-cup brewing system that will take market share from the established players is a daunting task that will discourage small companies from attempting to move into the market. The most interesting potential entrant to the market is Starbucks. In March, 2012, they announced that they will be releasing a single-cup coffee system later this year (Andrejczak, 2012). This is interesting because Starbucks and GMCR struck a deal in 2011 to sell Starbucks coffee in K-cups. The K-cups have been a huge success for both companies. So far, both companies are denying that the release of Starbucks’ Verismo will negatively affect the sell of Keurig machines and K-cups. The Verismo is being marketed as a high-end, high-pressure, specialty coffee system, more similar to the Nespresso than the Keurig and Tassimo, but considering how popular the Starbucks K-cups are, it will be interesting to see how it’s release affects Keurig and the single-cup coffee market. The Nespresso is worth mentioning in the potential entrants section because although they have been making single-cup machines for some time, they are only recently trying to grow in the United States ma rket. They are opening small boutiques in major cities, most recently in San Francisco this year, and advertising on major television channels. They market their product as a high-end system, but it will be interesting to see how much of Keurig’s market share they take. The substitutes in the single-cup coffee brewer market are traditional drip brewer coffee makers, caffeinated sodas, energy drinks and coffee from a coffee house, such as Starbucks, or from a fast food restaurant. McDonalds has invested a lot of money and advertising in the last five years reinventing their image as a hip coffee shop. Consumers can now get good coffee and specialty coffee beverages like cappuccinos and frappuccinos through the drive-thru window at a reasonable cost. Suppliers have moderate bargaining power in the market. If companies that produce coffee do not want to put their coffee in K-Cup or T-Disc form, that hurts the companies that manufacture the brewing systems. Senseo has no relationship with coffee producers, and it has drastically affected their business. Customers have moderate bargaining power as well. Most of the pods, discs and cups for the systems are sold in grocery stores or mass merchandisers. If Wal-Mart throws their support behind one of the companies, that company is more than likely going to experience growth in sales, while the other companies will be negatively affected. Likewise, if customers decide that they do not agree with the values, cost, etc of one of the companies in the market, they can take their business elsewhere and the loss of sales would hurt the company. However, if they are particular about the brand of coffee that they drink, they are tied to the company that sells that brand in a form that can be brewed in their machine. Keurig is the only machine that sells Starbucks coffee, for example, at least until the Verismo debuts this fall.

Barack Obama - Address to the People of Berlin

Barack Obama Address to the People of Berlin delivered 24 July 2008, Victory Column *Thank you to the citizens of Berlin and* and thank you to the people of Germany. Let me thank Chancellor Merkel and Foreign Minister Steinmeier for welcoming me earlier today. Thank you Mayor Wowereit, the Berlin Senate, the police, and most of all thanks to all of you for this extraordinary welcome. Thank you. I come to Berlin as so many of my countrymen have come before; although tonight, I speak to you not as a candidate for President, but as a citizen a proud citizen of the United States, and a fellow citizen of the world. I know that I don’t look like the Americans who’ve previously spoken in this great city. The journey that led me here is improbable. My mother was born in the heartland of America, but my father grew up herding goats in Kenya. His father His father my grandfather was a cook, a domestic servant to the British. At the height of the Cold War, my father decided, like so many others in the forgotten corners of the world, that his yearning his dream required the freedom and opportunity promised by the West. And so he wrote letter after letter to universities all across America until somebody, somewhere answered his prayer for a better life. That is why I am here. And you are here because you too know that yearning. This city, of all cities, knows the dream of freedom. And you know that the only reason we stand here tonight is because men and women from both of our nations came together to work, and struggle, and sacrifice for that better life. Ours is a partnership that truly began 60 years ago this summer, on the day when the first American plane touched down at Tempelhof. On that day On that day much of this continent still lay in ruin. The rubble of this city had yet to be built into a wall. The Soviet shadow had swept across Eastern Europe, while in the West, America, Britain, and France took their stock of their losses, and pondered how the world might be remade. This is where the two sides met. And on the twenty-fourth of June, 1948, the Communists chose to blockade the western part of the city. They cut off food and supplies to more than two million Germans in an effort to extinguish the last flame of freedom in Berlin. The size of our forces was no match for the larger Soviet Army. And yet retreat would have allowed Communism to march across Europe. Where the last war had ended, another World War could have easily begun. And all that stood in the way was Berlin. And that’s when thats when the airlift began, when the largest and most unlikely rescue in the history brought food and hope to the people of this city. The odds were stacked against success. In the winter, a heavy fog filled the sky above, and many planes were forced to turn back without dropping off the needed supplies. The streets where we stand were filled with hungry families who had no comfort from the cold. But in the darkest hours, the people of Berlin kept the flame of hope burning. The people of Berlin refused to give up. And on one fall day, hundreds of thousands of Berliners came here, to the Tiergarten, and heard the city’s mayor implore the world not to give up on freedom. â€Å"There is only one possibility,† he said. â€Å"For us to stand together united until this battle is won†¦The people of Berlin have spoken. We have done our duty, he said, and we will keep on doing our duty. People of the world, now do your duty. People of the world, look at Berlin.† People of the world look at Berlin! Look at Berlin, where Germans and Americans learned to work together and trust each other less than three years after facing each other on the field of battle. Look at Berlin, where the determination of a people met the generosity of the Marshall Plan and created a German miracle; where a where a victory over tyranny gave rise to NATO, the greatest alliance ever formed to defend our common security. Look at Berlin, where the bullet holes in the buildings and the somber stones and pillars near the Brandenburg Gate insist that we never forget our common humanity. People of the world look at Berlin, where a wall came down, a continent came together, and history proved that there is no challenge too great for a world that stands as one. Sixty years after the airlift, we are called upon again. History has led us to a new crossroad, with new promise and new peril. When you, the German people, tore down that wall a wall that divided East and West; freedom and tyranny; fear and hope walls came tumbling down around the world. From Kiev to Cape Town, prison camps were closed, and the doors of democracy were opened. Markets opened too, and the spread of information and technology reduced barriers to opportunity and prosperity. While the 20th century taught us that we share a common destiny, the 21st century has revealed a world more intertwined than at any time in human history. The fall of the Berlin Wall brought new hope. But that very closeness has given rise to new dangers dangers that cannot be contained within the borders of a country or by the distance of an ocean. Think about it: The terrorists of September 11th plotted in Hamburg and trained in Kandahar and Karachi before killing thousands from all over the globe on American soil. As we speak, cars in Boston and factories in Beijing are melting the ice caps in the Arctic, shrinking coastlines in the Atlantic, and bringing drought to farms from Kansas to Kenya. Poorly secured nuclear material in the former Soviet Union, or secrets from a scientist in Pakistan could help build a bomb that detonates in Paris. The poppies in Afghanistan come to Berlin in the form of the heroin. The poverty and violence in Somalia breeds the terror of tomorrow. The genocide in Darfur shames the conscience of us all. In this new world, such dangerous currents have swept along faster than our efforts to contain them. And that is why we cannot afford to be divided. No one nation, no matter how large or powerful, can defeat such challenges alone. None of us can deny these threats, or escape responsi[bility] in meeting them. In the absence of Soviet tanks and a terrible wall, it has become easy to forget this truth. And if we’re honest with each other, we know that sometimes, on both sides of the Atlantic, we have drifted apart, and forgotten our shared destiny. In Europe, the view that America is part of what has gone wrong in our world, rather than a force to help us make it right, has become all too common. In America, there are voices that deride and deny the importance of Europe’s role in our security and our future. Both views miss the truth: that Europeans today are bearing new burdens and taking more responsibility in critical parts of the world; and that just as American bases built in the last century still help to defend the security of this continent, so does our country still sacrifice greatly for freedom around the globe. Yes, there have been differences between America and Europe. No doubt, there will be differences in the future. But the burdens of global citizenship continue to bind us together. A change of leadership in Washington will not lift this burden. In this new century, Americans and Europeans alike will be required to do more not less. Partnership and cooperation among nations is not a choice; it is the only way, the one way, to protect our common security and advance our common humanity. That is why the greatest danger of all is to allow new walls to divide us from one another. The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand. The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes; natives and immigrants; Christians and Muslims and Jews cannot stand. These now are the walls we must tear down. We know We know that these walls have fallen before. After centuries of strife, the people of Europe have formed a Union of promise and prosperity. Here, at the base of a column built to mark victory in war, we meet in the center of a Europe at peace. Not only have walls come down in Berlin, but theyve come down in Belfast, where Protestant and Catholic found a way to live together; in the Balkans, where our Atlantic alliance ended wars and brought savage war criminals to justice; and in South Africa, where the struggle of a courageous people defeated apartheid. So history reminds us that walls can be torn down. But the task is never easy. True partnership and true progress requires constant work and sustained sacrifice. They require sharing the burdens of development and diplomacy; of peace and progress. They require allies who will listen to each other, learn from each other and, most of all, trust each other. That is why America cannot turn inward. That is why Europe cannot turn inward. America has no better partner than Europe. Now Now is the time to build new bridges across the globe as strong as the one that binds us across the Atlantic. Now is the time to join together, through constant cooperation and strong institutions and shared sacrifice and a global commitment to progress, to meet the challenges of the 21st century. It was this spirit that led airlift planes to appear in the sky above our heads, and people to assemble where we stand today. And this is the moment when our nations and all nations must summon that spirit anew. This is the moment when we must defeat terror and dry up the well of extremism that supports it. This threat is real and we cannot shrink from our responsibility to combat it. If we could create NATO to face down the Soviet Union, we can join in a new and global partnership to dismantle the networks that have struck in Madrid and Amman; in London and Bali; in Washington and New York. If we could win a battle of ideas against the communists, we can stand with the vast majority of Muslims who reject the extremism that leads to hate instead of hope. This is the moment when we must renew our resolve to rout the terrorists who threaten our security in Afghanistan, and the traffickers who sell drugs on your streets. No one welcomes war. I recognize the enormous difficulties in Afghanistan. But my country and yours have a stake in seeing that NATO’s first mission beyond Europe’s borders is a success. For the people of Afghanistan, and for our shared security, the work must be done. America cant do this alone. The Afghan people need our troops and your troops; our support and your support to defeat the Taliban and al Qaeda, to develop their economy, and to help them rebuild their nation. We have too much at stake to turn back now. This This is the moment when we must renew the goal of a world without nuclear weapons. The two superpowers that faced each other across the wall of this city came too close too often to destroying all we have built and all that we love. With that wall gone, we need not stand idly by and watch the further spread of the deadly atom. It is time to secure all loose nuclear materials; to stop the spread of nuclear weapons; and to reduce the arsenals from another era. This is the moment to begin the work of seeking the peace of a world without nuclear weapons. This is the moment when every nation in Europe must have the chance to choose its own tomorrow, free from the shadows of yesterday. In this century, we need a strong European Union that deepens the security and prosperity of this continent, while extending a hand abroad. In this century in this city of all cities we must reject the Cold War mind-set of the past, and resolve to work with Russia when we can, to stand up for our values when we must, and to seek a partnership that extends across this entire continent. This is the moment when we must build on the wealth that opens [sic] markets have created, and share its benefits more equitably. Trade has been a cornerstone of our growth and global development. But we will not be able to sustain this growth if it favors the few, and not the many. Together Together we must forge trade that truly rewards the work that creates wealth, with meaningful protections for our people and our planet. This is the moment for trade that is free and fair for all. This is the moment we must help answer the call for a new dawn in the Middle East. My country must stand with yours and with Europe in sending a direct message to Iran that it must abandon its nuclear ambitions. We must support the Lebanese whove marched and bled for democracy, and the Israelis and the Palestinians who seek a secure and lasting peace. And despite despite past differences, this is the moment when the world should support the millions of Iraqis who seek to rebuild their lives, even as we pass responsibility to the Iraqi government and finally bring this war to a close. This This is the moment when we must come together to save this planet. Let us resolve that we will not leave our children to a world where the oceans rise and famine spreads and terrible storms devastate our lands. Let us resolve that all nations including my own will act with the same seriousness of purpose as has your nation, and reduce the carbon we send into our atmosphere. This This is the moment to give our children back their future. This is the moment to stand as one. And this is the moment when we must give hope to those left behind in a globalized world. We must remember that the Cold War born in this city was not a battle for land or treasure. Sixty years ago, the planes that flew over Berlin did not drop bombs; instead they delivered food, and coal, and candy to grateful children. And in that show of solidarity, those pilots won more than a military victory. They won hearts and minds; love and loyalty and trust not just from the people in this city, but from all those who heard the story of what they did here. Now the world will watch and remember what we do here what we do with this moment. Will we extend our hand to the people in the forgotten corners of this world who yearn for lives marked by dignity and opportunity, by security and justice? Will we lift the child in Bangladesh from poverty, and shelter the refugee in Chad, and banish the scourge of AIDS in our time? Will we stand for the human rights of the dissident in Burma, the blogger in Iran, or the voter in Zimbabwe? Will we give meaning to the words â€Å"never again† in Darfur? Will we acknowledge Will we acknowledge that there is no more powerful example than the one each of our nations projects to the world? Will we reject torture and stand for the rule of law? Will we Will we Will we welcome immigrants from different lands, and shun discrimination against those who don’t look like us or worship like we do, and keep the promise of equality and opportunity for all of our people? People of Berlin people of the world this is our moment. This is our time. I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we’ve struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We’ve made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions. But I also know how much I love America. I know that for more than two centuries, we have strived at great cost and great sacrifice to form a more perfect union; to seek, with other nations, a more hopeful world. Our allegiance has never been to any particular tribe or kingdom indeed, every language is spoken in our country; every culture has left its imprint on ours; every point of view is expressed in our public squares. What has always united us, what has always driven our people, what drew my father to America’s shores is a set of ideals that speak to aspirations shared by all people: that we can live free from fear and free from want; that we can speak our minds and assemble with whomever we choose and worship as we please. These are the aspiration[s] that join the fates of all nations in this city. These aspirations are bigger than anything that drives us apart. It is because of these aspirations that the airlift began. It is because of these aspirations that all free people everywhere became citizens of Berlin. It is in pursuit of these aspirations that a new generation our generation must make our mark on the world. People of Berlin and people of the world the scale of our challenge is great. The road ahead will be long. But I come before you to say that we are heirs to a struggle for freedom. We are a people of improbable hope. With an eye toward the future, with resolve in our heart, let us remember this history, and answer our destiny, and remake the world once again. Thank you, Berlin. God bless you. Thank you. Thank you.

Hospitality Management Major Marketing Class - Interview Project Essay - 1

Hospitality Management Major Marketing Class - Interview Project Additional Info - Essay Example These principles have enabled the company edge competition and increase market penetration (Slack, 2007). It defines its services as good music, good food, and good services. Essentially, hotel Pennsylvania is a classic pub that embraces the American culture and provides the revelers with quality music, performances, and quality food. The customers of the cafà © are attracted to the courteous services, fun, and lively ambience. The Hotel Pennsylvania values the business ethics and practices, which has enhances the companys mission in leveraging the market (Slack, 2007). They have the advantage of sound financial records and out matches its competitors, has the experience and delivers a strong coffee brand reputation. Arguably, the company is widely known to have the largest coffeehouse chain globally (White, 2006). They employ the best brains in the industry and offers employees with extensive benefits and high salaries. Employee motivation translates to high quality of goods and services. The hotel has been in the business for a long time and understood that strategic supplier partnerships are critical in enhancing the success. This has enabled them to bring forth efficiency in logistics and supply chain management (Steinhoff, 2003). Inherently, strategic supply partnerships stand on a better position in helping companies heighten their level of logistics and supply chain management. The importance of such strategy is improving cost efficiency and reliability. The revolutions in the technology world and Internet accessibility made the urban population develop a new social class of persons with the urge to get rich and enjoy a good life. The people embraced the culture of success, good life and productivity (Steinhoff 2003). Notably, New York has a huge traffic, which provides them with an opportunity to expand their business. They have competent employees in terms of chiefs, who make special diet menu that

To what extent does the internal environment of E.ON enable it to Essay

To what extent does the internal environment of E.ON enable it to survive and prosper in a global knowledge economy - Essay Example The aspect of knowledge economy would also include the extent to which E-on has used innovations as a part of its strategic framework towards attaining excellence in the global knowledge economy. The report also contains an analysis of the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats using the SWOT analysis. Furthermore the external environment has also been analysed by using the PESTEL framework. Competitive framework is another significant area which demands considerable attention hence an analysis of the Porter’s five forces model applicable to E-on has also been discussed in the study. This has been followed by the analysis of the external environment with regards to the opportunities of the market and finally the level of synchronisation or harmony of the organization with regards to its changes in the business environment have been analysed so as to formulate effective strategies for the future in an attempt to gain sustainable competitive advantage. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 5 Background to the organization 6 Internal Analysis 7 Congruence with the External Environment 7 Organizational Structure 8 Leadership 10 Politics 11 Human Resource Management 11 Corporate Culture 11 Innovations 12 Customers 14 Stakeholders 15 External Analysis 15 PEST analysis 15 Porter’s Five Force 17 Summary of the Internal and External Analysis (S-W-O-T) 18 Internal Strengths and Weaknesses 19 Strengths 19 Weakness 20 External Opportunities and Threat 20 Opportunities 20 Threats 21 Conclusion 21 References 22 Bibliography 25 Annexure 26 Introduction Globalization has changed the business dynamics and the environment in which organizations operate in the markets. Business organizations are now looking beyond national and geographical frontiers to enter into new territories. This has significantly increased the rate of completion among the market players. The change in business dynamics of the external environment has forced organizations t o adhere with the global knowledge economy by bringing about innovations in their business processes. Innovations not only help in generating organizational excellence but also help to formulate measures that seek to counter the competition in the markets. Knowledge is perhaps the area which can be used as a tool to gain leverage of the prevailing knowledge based economy. According to Corey & Wilson knowledge economy is defined as â€Å"an economy that increasingly relies on technology and knowledge factors of production and wealth creation, in addition to labour and capital† (Corey & Wilson, 2006, p.206). Operating in a knowledge economy also involves making full use and proper application of the benefits of the knowledge economy in every business process of the organization. The evolution and use of ICT in business organization largely follows from the implementation of the elements of knowledge economy in the business organizations (Brinkley, 2006, p.4). The emergence and evolution of knowledge economies can be traced to the beginning of the industrial revolution. Since then it has been a continuous story of technological evolution with the present age of internet and highly advanced technologies which are increasingly used by business organizations to gain competitive advantage. Another interesting aspect is that technological innovation has not only inculcated among the developed nations but also among the developing nations which has

Analyze color developments in 17th-century Flemish and French Research Paper

Analyze color developments in 17th-century Flemish and French tapestry, focusing on Rubens, Jacob Jordaens, Simon Vouet and Mich - Research Paper Example There has been an extensive list of tapestries as well as tapestry workers with all the precisions and details that are required with regards to the subjects (Delmarcel, 1999). During the late 16th Century the Flemish painting was very much influenced by the Italian Renaissance. Most of the Flemish painters were influenced by this and thus there emerged the adoption of the Italian baroque in the French baroque in the 17th Century. The Flemish baroque flourished especially through the hands of great painters such as Rubens and Jacob Jordaens. Most of the tapestry which were mainly expressed the same way as paintings took the centre stage in this era. Tapestry is referred to as a type of work that involves coloured threads that are intertwined on lines that are stretched horizontally or vertically to form a substance, a web and also produce a combination of lines as well as tones that are similar to those derived from a painter with his brush. Woven tapestry is regarded as one of the b est forms of art expression that is known in the world. In the Middle Ages period tapestries were known to have a utilitarian function (Delmarcel, 1999). The main aim for their development was to be able to protect the medieval rooms against cold weather and damp, to insulate big rooms so that they could be comfortable quarters or to cover the austere walls of the big castles. Tapestry with regards to France is one of those traditions that have made a great contribution towards the beauty of the French heritage. In the 17th Century tapestry in France led to the formation of the Gobelins factory during the reign of King Louis the fourteenth. The factory which was based in Paris employed up to about 800 artisans who were majoring in the production of tapestries meant for the royal courts. Tapestry weaving has been established over the years among various cultures. The ancient Incas and the Egyptians buried the dead using tapestry woven clothing. The civic buildings of the Greeks had t heir walls covered in tapestry too. However, it is the French based medieval weaver who brought up the craft (Harris, 2005). The medieval weavers were able to extract their dyes from insects and plants within a range of close to twenty colours. For instance red colour originated from madder, pomegranates or poppies and blue was produced by woad. The medieval weaver based their work on sketches that they used from their imagination as well as humour. With regards to the Flemish and French tapestry the focus of this paper is going to analyse the colour development in the 17th Century with focus on Jacob Jordaens, Rubens, Michel Corneille as well as Simon Vouet. It is goes with no doubt that the history of past art was reliant on the use of colour. We are only left to imagine and picture the extraordinary concept that was adapted by the renaissance and mediaeval palaces and churches with the use of the tapestries and wall paintings (Harris, 2005). History of colour in the Flemish and F rench tapestry among other forms of art is partial due to the fact that a lot of the artwork and the colour in the art has survived or perished but only in a changed form. Colour in art is regarded to as an element of art which is produced when there is presence of a light striking on an object and then it is reflected back to the eyes. There are three aspects of colour that were used to describe the French tapestry which were designed in the 17th Centur

Theories of Adolescence Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Theories of Adolescence - Assignment Example In addition to these developments, individuals going through the process of adolescence often experience a number of physical and sexual maturation changes. The adolescence stage of human development generally starts at puberty before eventually ending at the age of between 18 and 21 years. One of the main theories of adolescence is Erik Erikson’s psycho-social theory of personalitydevelopment. The core concept that is seen to be presented by Erikson’s theory is that the most essential characteristic of adolescence in humans is the undergoing of an identity crisis and the subsequent acquisition of an ego identity. Erikson argues that during the adolescent stage of development, individuals must establish a sense of personal identity in addition t avoiding the dangers seen to be posed by identify confusion and role diffusion (Ratele& Duncan, 2003). In my personal experience, I support the postulations made by Erikson’s psycho-social theory of personality developmentas they match my own personal experiences while I was undergoing through this stage of development. During my adolescent years, I underwent an identity crisis as I was easily impressionable and often tried to copy the behavior and characteristics of the â€Å"cool† kids in school and some of the characters in my favorite TV show. Although it took some considerable time, I was eventually able to develop my own unique identity. Another key theory of Adolescence is Roger Barker’s Somatopsychological theory of adolescence (GuerreroandChaÃŒ vez, 2009). According to Barker, during adolescence changes affecting an individual’s endocrinology, physique and body dimensions experienced at a significantly accelerated rate as compared to the rate at which they were experienced during the individual’s preadolescent years. As a result of these change, a number of corresponding psychological situations

704 discussion 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

704 discussion 1 - Assignment Example The needs have further increased care cost. Dynamism in care needs is another factor to the inefficiency and ineffectiveness and rise in chronic diseases among the aging population is an example and identifies need for time and resources for understanding the problems and suitable intervention measures. Poor response to the dynamic environment and poor organization of the care system is another factor that leads lack of intervention or inappropriate intervention to care problems. These are consistent with observations by the Institute of Medicine (2001). I might consider incorporating some of the rules in my capstone redesign through establishing a leadership role for implementation of the redesign rules. The leadership would seek to influence implementation of the rules and effectiveness of the rules on healthcare outcomes investigated in the capstone. The content of the roadmap reading informs methodology of my capstone through suggesting an experimental design for data collection and data analysis on possible effectiveness of redesigning the health care system (Institute of Medicine, 2008). Based on the content, a redesign can be implemented in sample and comparison done with data from a sample of the same population, but without redesign. Institute of Medicine. (2001). Crossing the quality chasm: A new health system for the 21st century. Institute of Medicine. Retrieved from:

Field Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Field - Assignment Example It is also worth noting that most of the values and beliefs are shared amongst all Christian denominations such as the belief that Jesus Christ is a son of God and the savior of the whole world from the sin of mankind. The following writing is part of the findings I got after interviewing my neighbor who is a strong protestant and Christ follower. He says he is born again and Jesus Christ is his savior. According to the Interviewee, Jesus Christ is a son of God He is believed to be from the David‘s descendants. He is believed by Christians as the messiah who came to establish God’s kingdom in the world. Jesus teachings and ministry is very unique and it emphasizes on preaching compassion, forgiveness and love. Jesus is also known as a miracle worker and a healer who resurrected a few dead bodies during his times and many Christians still believe that His powers are still with them and that they can also perform same miracles. Christians believe that Jesus died and resurr ected in order to save Christians from their sins. Christians worldwide believe that their prayers can only be heard by God if they pray in Jesus name. Christians further believe that whenever they pray or ask anything in the name of Jesus then their prayers are answered instantly. Unanswered prayers are thought to be held by the devil who does not want to see God’s people prospering. Christians are all over the world especially in Europe, Africa, South and North America and the religion rapidly spread to several parts of the world because of the need to spread gospel and show people around the world the truth. Christians believe that spreading the gospel is part of their responsibility and that God rewards whoever spreads the gospel and win many souls in the name of Jesus Christ. Nevertheless Salvation from sin and hell is by God's grace, based on the work of Jesus Christ alone and that salvation can only be received by faith apart from any human performance or merit. Accord ing to Christians, Eternal life is a gift of God and nothing can separate the believer from the love of God and that as unbelievers face eternal punishment, believers face eternal life. Jesus being the center of the Christian faith His teachings are taken seriously and he even set out two big commandments (Love God and love your neighbor) which is considered very vital amongst Christians. The Christian believe that Jesus also told his followers to spread the gospel to all the nations by sharing their faith in Christ Jesus. According to the Christian, Christians believe in giving and assisting the less fortunate people in the society as a way of receiving blessings from God. Christians are encouraged to donate food and any other material thing to the others as a way of sharing as per Jesus teachings. They even think that caring for the less privileged people and even the sick and aged is very important and it is a way of showing love to the victims. Christians believe in the Word of God which is purely written in the Bible and they claim that Bible is the manual of life and that every issue pertaining life is found in the Bible. They believe that the Bible authors of the Bible were inspired by the spirit of God and that everything written in it is the truth which sets them free from every hook of life. Reading Bible or scriptures is very important amongst the Christians since it gives them revelation

Assesment 3 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Assesment 3 - Coursework Example Hence the informal sector is often excluded. The question can’t be answered unambiguously. Whenever the some goods or services are produced that implies the generation of income and wealth in one hand and on the other hand the producer has to pay the factors. So the cost-benefit analysis will finally let us know whether the wealth is depleted or not. Money is the most accepted medium of exchange. This is the primary and unique function of money. Money, as a medium of exchange, has facilitated the transactions greatly. At the absence of money there would be direct barter of goods and services. There are many difficulties. For example a transaction requires a double coincidence of wants. To find out such situation it requires time and transaction cost. But if there is a common medium of exchange any body would convert his good or service into the medium and later on purchase his required commodity by that. Moreover there are some goods which are indivisible into small units. That difficulty can be recovered by converting into money which is divisible. Money customarily serves as a measure of value or unit of account to express the values of good or services. It is used as a measuring scale. In such a way the absolute prices of each goods are measured. Once the absolute price of each commodity is obtained the relative price of one commodity in terms of other can be easily measured. Otherwise in the absence of money, in a n commodity space we have to remember n!/2!*(n-2)! Number of relative prices. So the usage of money eases the calculation of absolute and relative prices. Due to the capacity of money to act as a medium of exchange and measure of value, money is commonly used as a standard of deferred payment. This applies to payments of interest, rent, salaries, pensions etc. In terms of money these payments are settled. Large fluctuations in the value of money (due to inflation or deflation) weaken the base of

The Religious Traditions of Buddhism and Confucianism Essay Example for Free

The Religious Traditions of Buddhism and Confucianism Essay No other force in our collective history is as influential in shaping our world as religion has been. It is a force that continues to define and redefine the world as we know it. Nations and countries have been established and destroyed all in the name of religion. Political lines are being redrawn even as we speak with religion as the main weapon of choice. No other force can affect people and compel them to action as much as religion does. It keeps followers together even while it keeps people of different faith out. It is source of cohesion and conflict at the same time (Cristi, 2001, p. 223) People who would not normally use force on another will gladly fight in the name of faith. A call to arms in the name of religion is the best way to assemble an army, fueled with righteous anger against the perceived enemy. Most, if not all civil wars have been fought in the name of religion. The enduring conflict in Northern Ireland between Catholics and Protestant, as well as the violence of Buddhists in Sri Lanka against the Hindu Tamil proves such a point. For all its awesome power, the exact nature of religion remains shrouded in history. Some scholars believe that religion arose from man’s necessity to make sense of living, and his compelling need to understand the mysteries of life. (Hume 24) Over the years, religion has come to be defined as an organized system of practices structured around some supernatural or divine belief. Religion is faith practiced in the context of reality. They are rules that guide certain kind of faith or belief. (Derrida Vattimo 6) Most cultures that exist in the world today are greatly influenced by the predominant religion of their respective places. The most common manifestations of religion can be seen through prayers, rites, and traditions that certain religious denominations practice. The most dominant religions of the world include Catholicism, Islam, Jew, and Hinduism. Other religions such as Protestantism are offshoots of Catholicism. Some, like Confucianism and Theravada Buddhism remain contentious. Some regard the two as religion, while others argue otherwise. The question is how did others came to be recognized as religions while others remain ambiguous? How do we make the distinction between religion and religious traditions? This paper argues that while Confucianism and Theravada Buddhism may not be religion, they are nevertheless religious traditions by virtue of their organized and specific rules of behavior. Theravada Buddhism is the dominant school of Buddhism. The two major schools of Buddhism that emerged from Buddha’s teachings are simply different representations of the same core principles. At first it may seem contradictory that a philosophy that espouses non-violence and universal tolerance will have a division. However, there exists neither conflict nor competition within these two main schools and the schools that followed after; the schools are more of a reflection of the place, time, and circumstance where Buddhism grew and became a way of life. Because cultures and histories differ, our perspectives on Buddha’s teachings can differ as well. (Gyatso 113) The emphasis of Theravada Buddhism is on individual attainment of nirvana, as opposed to enlightenment for all as advocated by Mahayana. Mahayana believes that Buddhists should not just be concerned about their own enlightenment, but aim to enlighten others even if it means sacrificing their own (Gyatso 168). The Mahayana form has more â€Å"religious† conventions, including worship or veneration Buddha and other divine beings. They also venerate sacred objects and icons and follow certain religious rituals. Theravada Buddhists, as an offshoot of their beliefs do not have the same features of the Mahayana. The â€Å"selfish† orientation and the unadorned nature of Theravada Buddhism perpetuate the perception of a non-religion. However, it should be said that apart from this fundamental difference, these two major schools adhere to basically the same principles. (Gyatso 170). For purposes of clarity, Buddhism, as discussed here refers to Theravada Buddhism because it is the school that is most often the target of â€Å"religious† debate. Buddhism has more close to 400 millions of followers worldwide. Buddhists ascribe to certain ways of living and behaviors that are unique to their faith. The main debate whether Buddhism is a religion or not stems from the fact that Buddhists do subscribe to the belief of an all-knowing and all-powerful deity. Buddhists do not worship any sentient, supreme being; and in the same vein, they do not have specific beliefs about the afterlife and the world that exists therein. The association of religion with the belief in gods and afterworlds to the exclusion of everything else is a mistaken notion that most people stubbornly adhere to. While belief in gods and some form of afterlife is a common characteristic of most religions, it is not a feature that distinguishes religion from those that are not. It may be argued that while Buddhism has no specific god who they believe can save them, they nevertheless have some sense of the divine or the ultimate truth; a truth that Buddhists believe any one individual can attain by their own determination. For Buddhists, one’s love for of one’s self is the chain that bonds us to a life of suffering and only by following Buddha’s path can a person be liberated from the cycle of causation and rebirth. Freedom from causality is the state of nirvana (William 142). Buddhists believe that our world is a world of suffering and causality, where one action causes another to take place. Followers of Buddhism denounce violence and espouse the principles of non-violence in all aspects of their lives. The virtue of nonviolence is one the key precepts of Buddhism, which is why followers are strict vegetarians and pacifists, Another major tenet of Buddhism is meditation. Buddhists believe that by going into your own thoughts, you cleanse and purify your soul. Meditation, while relaxing the body, sharply focuses the mind, thus enabling us to purge negative energy and achieve clarity of thought. Meditation is a keystone in Buddhism; without which one cannot achieve the awakening that they are looking for (William 167). Meditation as a cornerstone of Buddhism came from the fact that Buddha himself attained enlightenment after a long period of mediation. For Buddhists the meditation technique produces a sense of calm, but it does not entirely lead us away from all of our sufferings. Regardless of the proven benefits that meditation brings, it does not provide a complete pathway to enlightenment. Buddhists combine calm meditation with or insight meditation (William 198). Calming the body and then calming the mind. This type of meditation is intended for the development of a heightened sense of awareness about the world and our place in it. It asks us to be aware of what we are doing at the precise moment we are doing it. Some people call this process metacognition, or awareness of our awareness. Once this is achieved and sustained, then enlightenment will soon follow. The origin of Buddhism is traced to an Indian prince named Siddhartha, who, in spite of the wealth and power that surrounded him found no true happiness in them. Siddhartha had a lingering discontent; there was a compelling need for him to find the meaning and purpose of life; a need so urgent that he was willing to leave the comforts and safety of his home in search of answers. And so Siddhartha travelled the world in search for his personal truth. It took many years and experiences and deep reflections, until one day, under the Bo Tree, he found absolute clarity and illumination. (Penney 17) From thereon, he called himself Buddha which means the enlightened one. He continued on his travels but this time to teach the path of enlightenment to those who seek it. It is important to note that some Buddhist scholars fall into the trap of analyzing Buddha’s teachings that they neglect the actual spiritual experiences of Buddha, which is more important than the first. To grasp the spirit of Buddha, it is necessary to know the experiences of Buddha himself. Enlightenment, which is the final goal of all Buddhists, is an absolute state of acceptance and the absolute absence of discrimination, ignorance, and suffering. By ignorance, Buddha means spiritual unawareness, the inability to consciously seek the truth and recognize it once it has been found. In the end, the message of Buddhism is clear, that one must follow the Middle Path or take a detached view of reality for an individual to see his involvement and separation from everything in life. Once this state of detachment has been achieved, then will come the realization of how our live are empty in its absolute oneness with the universe. This realization of emptiness is achieved when one seeks constant awareness of experience and thought through meditation and by consciously taking the Middle Path in all of life’s extremes. While Buddhism if more focused on existential experiences, it does have the same goals as other forms of religion: transformation and growth. Religion, through the prescription of certain doctrines and rules of behavior, seeks the betterment of all its followers. Buddhism encompasses all aspects of the follower’s life. In fact it might be argued that Buddhism is more stringent in their rules as other denominations of faith. Because Buddhists are not subservient to any god, they do not claim monopoly of truth and salvation as well. Would-be-followers are not forced to forsake their original religion as long as they follow the Buddhist way of life, which is non-negotiable. The same â€Å"religious† issues beset Confucian philosophy. The absence of an omniscient potentiate excludes it from the list of what the world recognizes as religion as well. Confucianism was based on the teachings of Confucius, renowned ancient Chinese philosopher. While Buddhism focuses on suffering and enlightenment, Confucianism is more about human behavior in the context of civilized society. During the Qing Dynasty, Confucian teachings were organized and proclaimed as China’s state religion. (Yao 28) This political move stained the public’s perception of Confucianism, making it even more difficult to be classified as a religion. However, Confucianism is strictly about how to live a morally upright life based on good deeds and good citizenship. Despite this political underpinings, Confucianism remains the ideology of choice for most Chinese.

A Cultural Comparison - Romanian vs. Canada Essay Example for Free

A Cultural Comparison Romanian vs. Canada Essay Authored by Cristina Hurà © 2 November, 2012 International Communication Supervised by Professor Jeanine Deen Word Count: 2440 Abstract The paper discusses the comparison between the Canadian national values displayed by Rogers Communications and Romanian national values displayed by COSMOTE Romania through their commercial advertising and how they do so. The research findings use Hofstede’s cultural dimensions to classify the behavioural differences amongst Canadians and Romanians and thereafter identify the variations in cultures and values. Furthermore, Hofstede’s country scores determine what kind of cultural differences exist among both countries while examining the individualism- collectivism (IC) dimension, the masculinity-femininity dimension (MF) and uncertainty avoidance (UA). Keywords: Canada, Romania, Cultural Dimensions, Hofstede, individualism- collectivism (IC), masculinityfemininity (M F), uncertainty avoidance (UA), national values. Introduction To begin, the cultural dimensions used throughout this research consist of three out of five dimensions created by Hofstede being the individualism- collectivism (I-C) dimension, the masculinity-femininity dimensions (M F), and uncertainty avoidance (UA). They are compared in COSMOTE Romania’s and Rogers Communications’ TV commercials. Both COSMOTE Romania and Rogers are wireless communication networks providers. To understand COSMOTE Romania and Rogers’ underlying principles, that are also connected to their consumers national values, their slogans can be identified as â€Å"our world is you† (COSMOTE Romania) and â€Å"your most reliable network† (Rogers). The first comparison deals with individualism displayed in the Canadian commercial and the collectivist/familial aspect displayed in the Romanian commercial. In addition, the MAS index is used. The Romanian commercial demonstrates â€Å"femininity† in the sense that two men are caring for each other and COSMOTE Romania takes pride in being able to connect these two, or people in general, because in Romanian dominant values in society are caring for others and quality of life. The Canadian commercial demonstrates a high standard of performance, and this is why Rogers Wireless sells â€Å"as your most reliable network.† In the commercial(s) the actors are usually presented in a business setting, where two men are being compared. One has a phone that runs off a Rogers network and he is very efficient with all his business matters, while the other is inefficient because he doesn’t have a Rogers phone and never has service, or applications that contribute to his work performance. Furthermore, to compare the uncertainty aspect, the Canadian UAS index is very low, meaning that they are more willing to accept new changes, such as new wireless networks or mobile phones in this case. COSMOTE Romania may offer new phones and new services, however, their message doesn’t focus on new technology, it focuses on making it easier to maintain traditional aspects of society, such as interpersonal relationships and familial bonds. The message is clear that they help connect people, and their slogan directly translated â€Å"our world is you† also demonstrates the caring/feminine aspect of Romanian culture. Hofstede’s Country Scores Literature Review The primary source of information used throughout, is Hofstede’s book, Cultures and Orgagnizations : Software of the Mind. It is important to understand his cultural dimensions and define them in order to comprehend the basis of this research. The first dimension is individualism vs collectivism. Cultures that display individualistic characteristics are thought to be independent and only take care of themselves and their immediate families. This defines the â€Å"I† culture. On the contrary, collectivist cultures work together and take care of one another, while their identity pertains to the â€Å"we† culture. The second dimension of masculinity – femininity refers to cultures that can associate and value achievement, heroism, assertiveness and material reward for success (masculine) vs. cooperation, modesty, caring for the weak and quality of life. In a feminist culture, citizens look out for one another and aim to achieve consensus. The final dimension that is used to examine the commercial advertisements is uncertainty avoidance. This dimension compares those cultures that are uncomfortable with the uncertainty and such as unforeseeable results relating to business concepts, for instance. Countries with strong UAI aim to control the future instead of allowing it to happen and maintain rigid attitudes. In comparison, countries with a weak UAI score are more relaxed and will allow for a life without strict plans and control. (Hofstede, 2010) A Romanian professor, Nicolae Bibu, from West University Timisoara also identifies Romanian culture characteristics as being collective and feminist with high uncertainty avoidance, which supports Hofstede’s country scores. He writes a piece named Convergences of the Romanian societal culture with European culture clusters in the process of European integration. The role of intercultural teams management in increasing European cohesion and analyzes Romanian culture as an Eastern European (EE) country as he finds that most EE countries have similar societal values. He states that â€Å"EE cluster’s societal values is characterized by much more performance, future oriented, humane, lower level of power differentiation, a higher level of structure (uncertainty avoidance), and a higher level of gender egalitarianism. The profile of Romanian societal values is quite similar to EE scores.† (Bibu, 2008) Canadian culture, being highly individualistic with low uncertainty avoidance is supported by three authors Scott J. Vitell Saviour L. Nwachukwu James H. Barnes as they write their piece The Effects of Culture on Ethical Decision-Making: An Application of Hofstedes Typology. 3 This paper deals with the way different cultures approach ethical business practices and their notions of what is ethical, depending on their national values as described by Hofstede. The authors compare individualistic cultures with low uncertainty avoidance and use Canada and the US to compare them to Japan, having opposing values. Their research describes the way business practitioners behave when making ethical decisions. Canadian business practitioners consider themselves to be primary stakeholders whereas; the Japanese would consider other employees and stakeholders to be more important. (Vitell; Nwachukwu; Barnes, 1993) This highlights the differences between cultures high and individualism and those who are high on collectivism. Romania would be in line with the Japanese culture on this score. This research paper supports the findings while comparing Romanian and Canadian commercials as it defines similar behaviours in business practitioners than in the messages portrayed in the commercials being analyzed. Thus, the examples the authors offer demonstrate and explain how the different behaviours reflect national values. Method Primary Research To determine whether or not Hofstede’s country scores based on individualism- collectivism (IC), masculinity-femininity (MF) and uncertainty avoidance (UA), participant observation was used in a natural setting, with a narrative recording. Thereafter, the findings have been applied to determine if it would be logical for the Romanian commercial to display collectivist, feminist aspects of society with a high level of uncertainty avoidance and if it would also be logical for the Canadian commercial to display individualist and masculine aspects of society with a low level of uncertainty. Having visited Romania several times and more recently, I observed the way people interacted with one another and drew conclusions regarding their mindset that would reflect their cultural values. Three age groups were observed: 20-30, 45-55, 75-85. For Canada, the knowledge gained from growing up in the country is used and the same age groups are kept into consideration. Secondary Research COSMOTE Romania offers information on their vision, stance and philosophy which is found on their website. This was used to identify their purpose and relate it to the ways COSMOTE projects themselves through their commercials. Rogers Wireless also offers plenty of information on their corporate website which was used to compare the same internal message that they project to the public. In addition, Hofstede’s country scores and cultural dimensions and the additional sources that offer patterns of behaviour with opposing cultural dimensions are used to support the validity of commercial messaging intending to relate to cultural values (see literature review). Results Cultural values are most obvious in older age groups. However, depending on familial values and personality, some may be carried down to the younger generations as it has been apparent. Spending a weekend in Brasov, Romania, a group of three males, aged 21-30 were observed in their interactions with their girlfriends and amongst each other. All three males will be named X, Y and Z for this narrative recording. X and Y are childhood friends, where as Z is a recent acquaintance. All three males displayed caring qualities for each other even with the new acquaintance. They look out for one another in the sense that they offer all their belongings without any question. The same goes for the females, 1, 2 and 3. 1 and 2 are cousins and 3 is a recent acquaintance as well. Female 3 invited the new females 1 and 2 into her home with male Z instead of having them find a hotel to stay for a weekend. All members greet each other very closely by kissing each other on the cheek and the host will always have drinks or food to offer the guests. The guests always bring a gift to the host as sign of respect. A bizarre observation: the birthday girl pays for all her invitees. She is celebrating herself so she doesn’t see why others should pay for her if she wants to have the people she is closest with spend her birthday with her. This displays the collectivist aspect of Romanian culture. In addition, all grandparents consider it their duty to care for their grandchildren while grandparents will always be taken care of by their children even if it means taking them into their home until the end of their lives. Similar observations were made amongst the other age groups. Family and relationships are very important in Romania, and everyone is a team player. More obviously amongst the elders, order is very important. They appreciate certainty and do not take risks for the sake of living. Plans are important to be followed and decisions are made very ethically and logically. This is obvious in the way the elders interact with me, being one of a younger generation and even the advice they give about future plans and career paths. Romanian’s appreciate the relationships they have with their friends and family over material goods (a fast car, brand name items etc.) This is due to the fact that average salary in Romania is very low and thus, they try to appreciate what they already have instead of seeking material goods that are difficult to afford in the first place. Another factor that contributes to the high level of uncertainty avoidance is the communist regime that was led by Ceaucesc u until 1989. Those who lived in his time still maintain a rigid code of conduct. Ceaucescu’s regime ruled around the fact that the government must know everything about all citizens. There are no secrets so that no citizen could have any information to over through the government. In Canada, family isn’t always number one. There are many more families that are distant and don’t follow their day to day lives or check up on each other regularly than in Romania. People are risk takers. They seek instant gratification rather than carefully planning out what to do the next day, what to do with their lives in general, and what logical decision to take. Having European friends in Canada and Canadian ones as well, the differences in values are more obvious when visiting their homes. The atmosphere is different. They don’t have offerings for their guests, and the guest isn’t expected to bring an offering in return. Dinner is usually made separately from the parents or re st of the family. Everyone seems to be on their own in practice, which exemplifies the more individualist aspect of Canadian culture. Work will come before family, as has been observed. It seems like there is always competition, representing the masculine aspect of society. Material goods represent success. There are plenty of opportunities in Canada to achieve over average salaries. Due to the fact that people are individualistic and there are no expectations to care for those who are beyond their immediate families, they can focus on their business success which in turn gives them a competitive edge to be the best. This doesn’t necessarily start in school as has been observed among my friends, but when it’s time to enter the work place, money is very important. This of course also depends on personality and the family background or history. In Canada, â€Å"innovation† is a regularly used word when companies are describing their values. This again, represents the lower uncertainty avoidance as Canada’s cultural values don’t include a rigid structure and are more laid back. Thus, innovation is valued even though new ideas may or may not work risk is exciting. Conclusion By reflecting on what life in Canada is like, and by having analyzed the different interactions amongst people in Romania, it is safe to say that Hofstede’s country scores are indeed accurate. Romania is a collectivist, feminist society with a high level of uncertainty avoidance. Canada is an individualist, masculine society with a low level of uncertainty avoidance. The commercials display these findings by symbolizing values through behaviour. COSMOTE Romania’s commercial shows an elderly man, and a middle aged one both sitting on a bench. The elderly man see’s a butterfly and asks the man sitting next to him â€Å"what is that?† The man responds, â€Å"a butterfly.† The same question is asked three times before the middle aged man is frustrated. When the elderly man asks the middle aged one to read a passage from a book he shows him, the story unfolds. The middle aged man used to ask his father (the elder) over and over what that (the butterfly) is and his father would answer every time, without anger or frustration. This defines the care the father showed his young son, and how the now grown up son should treat his father. Here, the symbol of a feminist, collectivist society is obvious. The message at the end of the commercial is â€Å"we are offered so much time to talk, but we don’t find the time to listen† and COSMOTE’s network helps you find that time to listen. The Rogers commercial shows two business men having lunch, and one is anxious because he has to get back to work in time, as his cell phone doesn’t offer the same capabilities that the other man’s does. The man with the Rogers cell phone is able to do some work while he’s having lunch so he doesn’t have to rush back to his desk to finish his work. This demonstrates the masculine and individual aspect of society as one man is ahead of the other in his work, and it symbolizes a sort of competition. They don’t work together as they are looking out for individual needs. Also, the message Rogers carries across is a rise in technological innovations making it obvious that uncertainty avoidance in Canadian culture is low. Limitations to the research include the limited settings of interpersonal interaction in Romania and also, the fact that I was not able to visit Canada again, my observations were based on the general knowledge and experiences I had encountered in the past. There were not many publications or research available on Romanian and Canadian values and how they are represented in society or through marketing communications. However, due to the fact that I have been close to Romanian and Canadian culture, I was able to relate my findings in accordance to the messages and values displayed in both commercials and identify the accuracy in Hofstede’s country scores. Commercial Links COSMOTE Romania http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc-76rGfVBk Rogers Communications http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V15Cfnwo8Lsfeature=related Works Cited Bibu, N.(2000). Comparative Management. The cultural approach. Mirton Publishing House, Romania, pp.9-10. Accessible at http://ssrn.com/abstract=1156343 Mooij, M de (2009). Global Marketing and Advertising. Understanding Cultural Paradoxes. Sage publications. Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G.J Minkov M. (2010). Cultures and Organizations : Softwares of the Mind . Published by McGraw-Hill. Pepenel, Madelaine; Voicu Ioana-Iulica.(2010). The Organisational Structure of Telecommunications Companies Case study: The OTE Group. Accessible at http://ssrn.com/abstract=1804512 Roper, Steven D. (1994). The Romanian revolution from a theoretical perspective. Communist and Post-Communist Studies.Volume 27, Issue 4, December 1994, Pages 401–410. Accessible at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0967067X94900043 Vitel l, Scott J.; Nwachukwu, Saviour L.; Barnes, James H. (1993). The Effects of Culture on Ethical Decision-Making:An Application of Hofstedes Typology. Journal of Business Ethics 12: 753—760. Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands. Accessible at: http://wwwkrcmar.informatik.tumuenchen.de/lehre%5Clv_materialien.nsf/intern01/632C3F7767 61A11BC1257871005959C6/$FILE/Paper%2018.pdf Verluyten, Paul S. (2010) Intercultural Skills for International Business and International Relations: A Practical Introduction with Exercises. Published by: ACCO, Belgium. Samovar, Larry A; Porter, Richard E; McDaniel, Edwin R; Roy, Carolyn S. (2010). Communication Between Cultures, 8th edition, International edition. Published by: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Websites http://geert-hofstede.com/dimensions.html http://www.rogers.com/web/Rogers.portal?_nfpb=true_pageLabel=about_landingcustomer_t ype=Residential http://www.cosmote.ro/en/WhoWeAre.aspx?style=stylesns=-10002cid=17218

Financial Analysis Report Hyatt Finance Essay

Financial Analysis Report Hyatt Finance Essay This report is prepared to analyse the financial statements for Hyatt Hotel Corp. I have analysed three years Balance Sheet and Income Statement for the year 2009 to 2011. An introduction has been provided with the key data of Hyatt, its geographic spread, market, brands, strategy and a brief history is covered. Income Statement Analysis is performed followed by various financial ratios, profitability ratio, solvency ratio, liquidity ration and activity ratios has been calculated and compared for the years 2009 to 2011. A discussion on how well the Hyatt has performed with in the industry has been provided. Its performance is benchmarked with two other industry leaders, Accor Hotels and Marriott Hotels. Some of the issues identified are discussed in conclusion. All the findings are supported with data available from the financial statements. Balance sheet analysis is done and various ratios have been discussed in details. Hyatts performance is evaluated for the year 2009, 2010 and 2011. At the end a conclusion is made followed by some recommendations to buy, sell or hold on the investment is provided. HYATT was established in 1957 by Mr. Jay Pritzker, after acquiring Hyatt House Motel located near Los Angeles International Airport. Hyatt became a public company sector company in 1962 as both Pritzker brothers Jay Donald expanded the family business into North American Management Hotel ownership country. Hyatt became the global hospitality leader after its Launching of innovatively designed Hyatt Regency Atlanta in 1967. Hyatt is now named as Hyatt Hotels Corporation after Hyatt International Hyatt Corporation was conjoined in to one company and operating for Pritzker Familys interest (Hyatt 2013). Hyatt believes in expansion, innovativeness diversification this represented by its 9 competitive brands owning 500 properties which are globally spread around the world into 46 countries. (Hyatt 2013). Each brand is designed uniquely to offer a distinguished experience of Food Beverages, ambience and services to the guests. It is their attitude and personalized touch that makes the stay memorable. Park Hyatt which is known for its luxury sophistication has a spread of 30 hotels in major gateway cities of America, Europe, Africa Middle East, and Southwest Asia Asia Pacific. ANDAZ as the name suggests has a unique design and at the same time has insights of local neighbourhood. The company has 9 hotels under this brand. Grand Hyatt has huge infrastructure and spectacular design, with innovative concepts of food and beverage. It is preferred brand for grand weddings, convections and meetings. Hyatt brand has 28 properties. Hyatt Regency is aimed for business travellers convention travellers, equipped with most of modern technologies and guest friendly atmosphere. Hyatt Place is ranked no. 1 select service brand by Business Travel News 2012 Survey, it has a wide range of 172 properties in United States and Costa Rica. Hyatt House was formerly known as Summerfield Suites and is designed in residential size to make the guest feel at home as it offers extended stay in all their 54 properties. Hyatt Resorts are all located at the vacation destinations thus they are well known as beach resort, mountain resort, dessert Resort etc. they are most conveniently constructed with all the leisure around to make the tour relaxing and adventurous. Hyatt Vacation Clubs are time share properties which offers ownership to the members to enjoy access to any Hyatt Vacation club in addition to their home destination, Hyatt entered into vacation ownership in 1994(Hyatt 2013). Hyatt has partnership with 19 diversified non profit organisations and contributes them in their various activities; this is a part of their social responsibility. Hyatt has identified specific market segments and their competitors in order to make their services the best and customer friendly, like introducing Web Check in for any Hyatt properties, various spas and leisure activities at tourists and business properties, has identified requirements of amenities by guest feedback and introduced it. The company understands that customer satisfaction is totally dependent on employee satisfaction in a service industry and their asset is their work force, therefore Global Hyatt was awarded as 2011 Best place to work. Hyatt has also been awarded as Best Elite program in Asia-2012 for boosting their guests loyalty through Gold, Diamond and Platinum memberships. This strategically planned program offers complimentary stays and services; this ensures higher frequency of their guests. One of i ts major introductions of competitive strategy is ANDAZ which is an eco friendly brand and an intelligent innovativeness to decrease the carbon footprints. Hyatt accomplishes it mission and goals by Diversity and Inclusive Framework for building and focusing on their work place, work force and market place (Hyatt 2013).Hyatt has 60 individual spas with the original concept of healing with water and it introduced its spa in 1972, in Indonesia. This is a strategy of diversification and expansion. Hyatt plans to introduce an Eco Track web based tool for monitoring Hyatts environmental impact by gathering monthly data of their environmental goals, it aims to start full fledge by 2015. This would include reduce energy consumption, water consumption, green house emission and waste sent to the landfills in comparison to 2006 levels. Hyatt Union Square in Manhattan along with restaurants of One Five hospitality group is in pipeline for April 2013, besides that Andaz Tokyo, first Andaz Hotel in Japan is to open in 2014. Park Hyatt Mallorca is the first Hyatt hotel in Mallorca, an island in Mediterranean for which Hyatt has entered into an agreement with Spanish real estate company. Moreover Hyatt plans for expansion and growth in the competitive hospitality industry by diversification and innovativeness (Hyatt 2013). Income Statement Analysis How has the group performed? In last three years of Hyatts performance (year 2009 to 2011) review I can state that its sales has been increased each year, the increase is not constant but each year has shown overall increase from the previous year as shown in Appendix-I Profit Loss Statement of Hyatt. The % movement (sales) of year 2009, 2010 and 2011 is 6, 5 and 11 respectively. From the last three years of review, it can be said that the performance indicators are showing a positive upward trend for the company (Hyatt 2013). The percentage movement of rooms in the year 2009 was not very promising for the company but the positive trend of sales improved the room % movement for the year 2010 and 2011 as 4.1 and 8.5 respectively. The average occupancy data supports the increase in sales for years 2009-2011. For the said period average occupancy is 65.7, 70.9 and 72.5. (Hyatt 2013) REVPAR defined as revenue per available room has shown an upward increase from year 2009 to 2011 ($103 to $122) refer to the values in Appendix-I Profit Loss Statement of Hyatt. The companys revenue has been on steady increase as per REVPAR. The average room rate (ARR) often known as average daily rate (ADR) has been on increase in the last three of review. The ADR or ARR for the said years are $157, $163 and $169 for the year 2009, 2011 and 2011 respectively. The % movement increase for the years 2009 to 2011 is 4% to 7.6%. The company has seen a growth of REVPAR despite some of its properties were under renovations during the period 2009-2010 as mentioned in the annual report of the company. From its North American Management and Franchising, the companys revenue has increased due to the increase in franchisee and other fees increased due to improved profitability across the portfolio. Hotel industry/companies are evaluated in terms their ability to generate profits on sales, known as profit margin. Poor pricing and sales volume can bring down the profit margin. The gross profit for the last three years of the company has increased from $579 to $741 thereby increasing the gross margin % from 17.4% to 20%. This shows that the company has been performing well and its management has control over its expenses. The net profit has fell sharply in the year 2009 which is -$43. This sharp fall was due to the high operating expenses and low operating income, added to it was low equity earnings and high interest expenses. Net profit shows a rapid upward trend in the year 2010 and 2011 i.e. $66 and $113. This was due to the high operating income at hand and low interest expenses. This indicates that the company has recovered from losses and looks more promising in the year 2010-11. The net profit margin of the company has increased from negative to positive value showing profitable growth earnings for the company. The net profit margin for the last three years is -1.29%, 1.87% and 3.06%. Benchmarking of the Company (Hyatt): The benchmarking of the company is performed with two of industry leaders named Accor Hotels and Marriott Hotels. Various financial ratios are compared for the years 2009, 2010 and 2011. Profitability comparison of two industries: ROA: Hyatt has shown a better return on assets or in other words a better profitability of hospitality industry (-0.65) as compared to Accor (-2.3) and Marriott (-5.3). The performance of Hyatts has been steady and its profitability has increased in three years term to 1.53%. In the year 2011, Hyatt is under performing as compared to Marriott but better than Accor which has ROA of 0.60% as shown in following graph: Fig 1 In the year 2010, Accor has a very high ROA followed by a sharp fall in year 2011, which indicates that very high fluctuations of ROA possess a higher risk of instability of the company. ROE: Another key ratio is return on equity which compares the net income of the companies with owners investment. Hyatts ROE has shown a gradual increase for the last three years. Compared to Accor and Marriott in the years 2009, it was the best investment company in hospitality. In 2010, Hyatt has shown a gradual increase of 1% on ROE as compared to Accor and Marriott which has shown a very sharp rise of 100% and 29% respectively. A company with a higher ROE is a better investment than one with a lower ROE since it has a stronger ability to generate cash flows internally; however, this is not completely accurate. Looking at the Accor and Marriott for the year 2010, they show a high ROE values, but the following year they have shown a greater investment risk as compared to Hyatt, the graph below represent the same. Fig 2 EBIT: Lower EBIT ratio means the company is less capable of meeting its liabilities. If the ratio is 1.5 or less, then it is considered a high risk and its ability to meet its interest expenses may be questionable. As compared in 2009, Hyatt is not performing well as compared with Marriott whose EBIT is 3% as compared to Hyatts -0.09; however, in 2011 the situation is upside down. Hyatt is performing well as compared to Marriott. The EBIT of Hyatt is -2.49% whereas Marriott stands on -12%, refer to the graph below: Fig 3 After analysing various financial ratios between three groups of hotels, I have analysed that, Hyatt has performed better and shown constant improvement in recent three years, whereas Accor and Marriotts have shown huge up and downs throughout, which describes these groups have less stability. Balance Sheet Analysis The total assets of Hyatt have shown an upward movement for the year 2009 to 2011 from $7,155 to $7,507 or in other words, the percentage movement of total assets has a sudden rise from 1% to 5% for the year 2009-2011. This is due the fact that the total non-current assets have increased from $5,146 to $5,916 even though the current assets have decreased from $2,009 to $1,591 for the said period. Looking at the current assets trend the financial perform has taken the downward trend from year 2009 to 2011. This downward trend of current assets has raised the questions about how quickly the company can meet its liabilities if the need arises? Combined with the non-current assets of the company the overall movement is upward. The reason for the increase in total assets is the year 2011 is due to the high increase in property equipment assets; refer to the Appendix-I Balance sheet of Hyatt. (Hyaat 2013) Current ratio of the company shows its liquidity power, in other words, liquidity ratio analyse the company ability to carry out its short term obligations. For companys liquidity ratio for the year 2009, 2010 and 2011 are 4.06, 3.63 and 2.8 respectively. High current ratio in the year 2009 and 2010 indicates a high risk as management was not investing the companys assets productively to grow the revenue in 2009-10. This also means that the company has too many idle assets not being invested. Total current liabilities has increased from year 2009 to 2011 from $495 to $568, this is mainly due to the Accrued expenses increase for the year 2011 from $188 to $306. The total current liabilities movement has taken a sharp dip from 20% to -5% and then rise to 15% for the year 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively. This also led to the net assets for the company decreased from $5040 to $4828 from year 2009 to 2011. The inventory turnover rate of the company has risen from 25.1 in 2009 to 42.5 in 2011. This growth was appreciated by the shareholders because it implies that company has become more capable of efficiently turning its inventory into sales in these three years. Companys earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) increased quickly in the last three years (from $5 to $142), which finally resulted in a big increase of profit margin in 2010. Return on assets measures how much profit a company can squeeze out of its assets. A higher return is preferred. The situation of the company is much better in the later years as compared to the starting years of analyses. Its return on assets ratio has increased year by year in the last three years. The ROA % has increased from -0.6% to 1.5%. Return on equity ratios are used to interpret a companys ability to generate earnings from its investments. (Andrew, Damitio, Schmidgall 2007). ROE% for the company has shown a steady increase from -1% in 2009 to 2% in 2011, the profit margin% increased to 3.06% from -1.29% (because companys net income had become positive) respectively(Hyatt 2013) Debt ratio measures how much debt a company has in its total assets. A lower debt ratio can be interpreted as the company being capable of carrying its liabilities since there are enough assets (Andrew, Damitio, Schmidgall 2007). Companys debt ratio increased from 42% to 55% thereby meaning that the companys ability to satisfy its liabilities has decreased. The financial leverage of the company is the ratio of its total liabilities and total assets. The lower the ratio is, the better the company is performing and has a lower risk of failing down or becoming bankrupt. The leverage ratio for the company has shown a decline from -29.6% to -35.7% from year 2009 to 2011 which shows a lower financial risk for the company. Interest coverage ratio determines companies ability to pays interest on outstanding debts, here company has shown constant downfall in interest cover from -0.09, -2.91 and -2.49 for year 2009-11 respectively. Here companies ability to meet interest expenses are questionable, company is in burden by debt expenses (Andrew, Damitio, Schmidgall 2007). Conclusion The Hyatt has shown an increase in its performance and reviewing its last three years of Income Statement and Balance Sheet it is evident that this group is doing better than its other two competitors in hospitality sector; however, there are some issues with its investment policies. Its management did not invest its assets efficiently which led to a higher current ratio in the year 2009-10 exposing the company as high risk to meet its liabilities. This behavior is also supported by return on assets ratio. In the later year, the company has shown a decline of leverage ratio, putting the company into better financial shape and making low risk company in its sector. To sum up, there was a significant increase in companys financial statement in 2011. Compared to 2009, its revenue and net income increased sharply, while its total assets grew by $7507 million dollars. The equity of company decreased to $4828 million, while there was an increase of the total liability to $2679 million. According to the previous analysis of Hyatt Hotel Corporations financial performance from 2009 to 2011, it is clear that company has experienced a sharp increase of its revenue and net income in 2011. One of the main reasons is that the occupancy rate and room rate increased. Overall, trends are looking decent and I would recommend buying the investments in the company.