Van Helsing and the Unorthodox Monster Narrative

Rebecca Scheinert Monsters and Myths September 16th 2012 Van Helsing and Unorthodox Monster Narrative Monsters have become a regular fixture in the contemporary movie industry but it is important to remember these supernatural creatures were born from ancestors in nineteenth century gothic literature. These creatures were a cultural product of the social, scientific, and psychological concerns of a society that had lost its faith in religion. Each monster was a manifestation of a ubiquitous fear that remains relevant today.In the 2004 film rendition of Van Helsing, the director Stephen Sommers calls upon the famed vampire hunter from Bram Stoker’s Dracula to restore order to a world interweaving the plots of Frankenstein, and The Wolfman. The hero of Van Helsing has been stripped of any memory of his character’s history and triumphs but must seek to vanquish his enemy aided only my the folklore of 19th century Eastern Europe. Without a sense of identity, Van Helsing acc epts this task joined by the beautiful Anna Valerious who is cursed by her ancestors’ promise to destroy Dracula.The duo must face endless threats, apply knowledge of the occult, and confront their inner demons to reach the climatic final battle with Dracula where they must cling to their disappearing humanity in a world of monsters. Although Van Helsing and Dracula are dramatic foils for one another, their similarities become as apparent as their differences as the storyline develops. In this final scene from Van Hesling, Stephen Sommers employs and distorts traditional monster mythology to prove to its viewers that the dichotomy between hero and monster is not mutually exclusive.Initially, the physical character of the scene is the vehicle that transports its viewers from the couch in 2012 to the recognized world of monster myths. The viewers’ acceptance of the setting is imperative because it invokes a â€Å"willing suspension of disbelief† from the audience in which the time-honored mythology of the classic monsters’ stories is embraced as historical fact (Tudor 121). The horror film genre employs setting conventionally â€Å"to facilitate our entry into the fiction† where the unbelievable characters and events are embraced (Tudor 122).For this particular scene, the audience finds the characters in an archetypical gothic setting, the laboratory where Frankenstein was created (Van Helsing). In the Gothic tradition, writers â€Å"built plots around restless spirits, ageless monsters, and unresolved sins of the past that reappear to bedevil modern characters† (Worland 12). Stephen Sommers places the characters in their imagined place and time by interweaving â€Å"Frankenstein’s middle-European village, Dracula’s Transylvanian mountains, and The Werewolf of London’s fog-shrouded setting† into a location familiar to the genre audience.In this scene, the nineteenth century stylized lab is tal l and imposing with rich architectural detail. In the darkness of night, moments before midnight as indicated by the baroque clock, clusters of fire and blue electrical charges are the only source light. The midnight hour is universal symbol for the time when monsters roam the earth while the men sleep (Philips 515). The evident destruction in the laboratory conveys that it has already failed terrifically. The setting is a reminder that in gothic horror the â€Å"stakes are high because the struggle is mortal and metaphysical† (Worland 17).This elaborate laboratory is paradoxical setting because the events are occurring in a time with scientific knowledge but in a part of the world that remains unchanged by industrialization. Furthermore, by combining Frankenstein and Dracula, the powers of science are directly conflicting with the religious themes of the legend of Dracula (Tudor 87). While inside the burning laboratory it is evident that both science and religion have failed the characters. The integration of the monster’s settings is only the first device Sommers plays with.Horror operates through the tried strategy of â€Å"placing stereotypical characters in cumulatively eventful situations† which is a structure the audience expects through out the movie (Tudor 112). The genre hero is titled by Andrew Tudor as the â€Å"expert† and given the responsibility of bringing the world or disorder back to order. When we enter this scene in the shambled laboratory, it is undeniably recognized as disorder. Tudor goes onto say that â€Å"Dracula’s traditional opponent, Van Helsing† is the common ancestor of all of the genre’s experts (114). The original bestows VanHelsing with the capability and knowledge to vanquish Dracula but was written as â€Å"scholastic and eccentric† as a fold to a vampires ruthless charm (114). Sommers introduces Van Helsing in this scene defeated by battle, fragile, limping, and gaspin g for breathe. Although he is introduced as man, the identifiable wolf scratches across his chest and the striking of the clock foreshadow his transformation into a werewolf monster. Sommers reminds the audience of the human expert and monster foil when Dracula enters as a flying monster and Van Helsing enters as a wounded human.The audience is aware they are rooting for Van Helsing and weary of Dracula. Furthermore, Van Helsing’s monster is a werewolf, who are seen as â€Å"demonic innocents† entangled in a â€Å"complex web of ritualistic expectations† (117). A werewolf is a sympathetic monster because the audience can compartmentalize the humanity from the lupine cruelty by his separate physical forms. Van Helsing reluctantly assumes his monster form writhing during his transformation. However, he embraces his fate by tearing off his jacket and engaging in battle.Van Helsing’s internal conflict between embracing his monster form to complete his task to vanquish Dracula and fearing the loss of his human control is illustrated when he frightens himself from his lupine form into his human form while choking Dracula. This narrative trick confounds an active audience who is inclined to remain loyal to the expert protagonist who has become what he is destined to destroy. In addition, the characterization of Dracula in the scene manipulates religious iconography to further the juxtaposition between religion and science that was introduced in the setting.In this scene Dracula exhibits the expected traits of a vampire when speaking in his human form. He is â€Å"elegant† â€Å"clean† â€Å"attractive† but â€Å"evil† and manipulative (116). Upon discovering Van Helsing is now a monster as well he tries to coerce him into joining his fight. Dracula sees all monsters as equals on the side of evil united against humanity and the greater good, as â€Å"a part of the same great game† (Van Helsing). Dracula is a satanic character, the of the evil side in the eternal battle between good and evil.This character parallel is supplemented by the physical characterization of Dracula in his monster form. Sommers employs the standard devil veneer with horns, wings, and red coloring as a universal symbol for evil. Dracula is charming and sophisticated in his human form but as a monster he is the hideous disconfigured archetype for evil. This proves to the viewer the humans can be monsters and the monsters can appear as humans. The naked eye cannot discern between what is evil and what is good, even when the monster is as obvious and Judeo-Christian devil.In these cases, Sommer’s is manipulating with the monster iconography by transforming orthodox characters. Monster iconography has â€Å"developed through statements, repetition, and variations that the audience has come to understand† (Worland 18). There is an expected viewer response of hatred for monsters and empathy for humans, which the director is playing upon. Through this device, he makes the social commentary that any man has the ability to become a monster and there is a monster in all of us.At the same time, he is loyal to the narrative by making the expert an empathetic monster and Dracula a deceiving monster. Ultimately, the audience’s psychological response to the scene is necessary for Sommers to manipulate the genre’s traditions and mythology effectively. Through out the scene there is a shock cycle of tension construction and release. Within the smaller context of a singular scene, the microscopic shock cycle will build and release pressure, keeping viewers engaged until end (Tudor 109).There is relief with the â€Å"grotesque and painful end† of Dracula. Rick Worland titles this event a â€Å"bad death† that challenges the traditional conceptions of mortality and the social good (8). The audience does not feel sadness for the revolting murder of Dracula but they ex perience devastation at the loss of Anna. Although Anna’s death is more troubling to the audience, the producers do not let us see her â€Å"bad death†. Anna is mauled by Van Helsing as a werewolf as well but in a moment of suspense and ambiguity we can only see the back of the werewolf’s body.While the audience watches this genre for the suspense and gore, it is still troublesome to see the end of the heroine. The audience can digest her death as a necessary sacrifice and the final shock rather than cruel an unusual when they are spared the visual impact of her death. This can also be looked at through a Freudian perspective. Freud advocated a â€Å"resonation of the return of any actions or desires repressed by the dominant social order† through experiences such as watching horror movies or nightmares (Worland 15).All of the audience members have felt repression, whether it is from an external societal source or an internal repression of feelings or mem ories. The monster is a manifestation of this repression. All varieties of repression can be overcome by vicariously living through this scene because the monster is both a triumphant hero and a defeated antagonist. In the end there is silence and the tension is released because both monster threats has been nullified. Antithetically, because of the dual bad deaths, the audience is left to contemplate if the ends justified the means.The audience has released their feelings of repression through the shock cycle but is left to contemplate the questionable victory and the tragic death long after the scene is complete. At the heart of this scene, Sommers challenges viewers to question the traditional protagonist and antagonist relationship in the movie and with the audience. He does this by presenting characters and settings that elicit expectations for the course of the scene’s plotline. Then, by choosing a different path, there is a psychological response from the engaged viewe r.Over the course of the brief scene, there are series of surprises that are not from the blood and gore but from the distortion of century old stories. At the conclusion of the scene, the audience has worked through feelings of repression by witnessing the destruction of two monsters and the death of two characters but are more importantly inspired to question what the true manifestation of good and evil are. Works Cited Phillips, William H. Film: An Introduction. Boston: Bedford/St.Martin's, 1999. Print. Tudor, Andrew. Monsters and Mad Scientists: A Cultural History of the Horror Movie. Oxford [England: B. Blackwell, 1989. Print. Van Helsing . Dir. Stephen Sommers. Perf. Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale. Universal, 2004. DVD. Van Helsing . YouTube. YouTube, 16 June 2011. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. ;http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=jr60kvuKw3w;. Worland, Rick. The Horror Film: An Introduction. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub. , 2007. Print.

Does Khaled Hosseini’s Writing Matter?

Kevin Ortiz Ms. Meredith AP Literature and Composition 11/18/11 Does Khaled Hosseini's Writing Matter? Salman Rushdie is perhaps the most prolific foreign writer of modern times. As such, one can consider him a major voice in the criteria for what makes for a good expatriated writer. In his 1992 collection of essays, Imaginary Homelands, Rushdie sets forth multiple essential qualities the expatriated writer must possess. The most important three of these qualities are the ability to create universal subjects, must be daring, and encourage people to be open-minded. Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner mostly accomplishes these tasks, though coming short in one of Rushdie's major qualities. This is shown from the novel's subject matter, in conjunction with an article from online magazine Slate, which highlights the major flaw. Rushdie's first point is that an exiled writer should be able to â€Å"speak properly on a subject of universal significance and appeal. † Hosseini, in his many subjects pertaining to human nature that is present everywhere, accomplishes this task. One such topic in Kite Runner is loss. At some point or another, every human being has experienced loss. Whether it be the loss of a parent, like Amir losing Baba, the loss of a close friend, such as Amir's loss of Hassan, or loss early in life such as Sohrab's loss of Sanuabar, the reader can relate, regardless of race, place, or creed. The losses do not necessarily have to be physical, as the loss of innocence that occurs in the father-son tandem of Hassan and Sohrab is transferable to the everyday struggles one may face with beliefs, experience, or emotions. The easily acceptable nature of these topics as realities of the â€Å"normal† world, as well as being a clear burden on the characters in the universe set forth by Hosseini show that he is definitively able to accomplish the task of relating loss. Another such subject is that of redemption. Throughout the novel, Amir's conquest for the reconciliation of his deeds knows no bounds. This is very much the situation many people are in after a terrible mistake leaves them begging not only for forgiveness, but redemption. The people who are in these situations will often go to great lengths, risking their mental or physical well-beings in order to rest their conscience at the end of their journeys. For Amir, it meant the rescue of Sohrab, but for the common man, it can be as small as apologizing or as large as turning to an enemy in order for help. The ability of the themes, though being masterfully complex and unique, to be related to and associated with on a deep, connective level are clear indications that Hosseini has fulfilled the first task set out by Rushdie, to create universal subject matter. While performing extremely well in the area of creating a universally relatable subject matter, Hosseini falls short in one of the major tasks of Rushdie, being daring. While some may argue that Hosseini's depictions of rape and violence are edgy or daring, his presentation of them, is not. In fact, Slate argues that â€Å"the Hollywood elements of his story conduce to a view of Afghanistan and its dilemmas that is in the end more riddled with facile moralizing than even the author may realize. † The argument set forth by Slate's Meghan O'Rourke is that though Hosseini's novel does depict these brutal scenes, they are moralized. They are painted in a light where they are seemingly not allegorical or necessary, but simple tools for shock value or fear induction. It is because of this shortcoming, that he is firstly failing the task set forth by Rushdie, in being daring. He once more fails this task in the choice of writing style. Because Hosseini chose to write a book deeply engraved with Afghan culture, which is already a fine line for an English novel, one would hope that he would take the risk of writing with a style that mirrors the roots of the storyline. Instead, Hosseini chooses a cinematic approach, which mirrors that of American film, and American culture, which is a safe approach to the subject matter. He is not reflecting the risk that comes with changing between cultures for expatriates, therefore is not fulfilling the task set forth by Rushdie. Though Hosseini is able to mostly fill the requirements for what Rushdie defines as a great expatriated writer, the biggest flaw comes in his inability to take risks in his prose that reflect the risks taken by the exiles who preceded him. Though he does have flaws, the final task set forth by Rushdie, making the reader open-minded, is easily fulfilled by Hosseini and his subject matter. Hosseini’s use of the Hazara-Pashtun conflict is effective in that it creates a more in-depth look at how a place many generalize as having one ethnicity is actually diverse, but not without conflict. The conflict also humanizes both parties in showing that although societal standards separate them, Hazaras and Pashtuns are not always treated as less than equals. This concept works to make the reader aware that every Muslim that they may see, be it in America, France, or England, is more than simply a â€Å"potential terrorist,† but as many individuals with complex emotions and conflict, trying to create a new life. In addition, Assef’s introduction into the story further humanizes the Afghans. This is because, the concept of the Middle-Eastern groups bullying the world, the Afghan people are having their country destroyed by Assef, who is a neo-Nazi. His socially and morally despicable actions lead the reader to feel a sense of sympathy for the Afghan people. It is due to this feeling of sympathy that the standard Afghan is looked at as not only a human being, but an equal, with fears and oppression as great as that of a man from America to Japan. These two forms of humanization lead the reader to not only become more accepting of Afghan people, but all new people in general, showing that they could be as troubled and frightened as the person judging them. When judging an expatriated writer’s work, one often needs a guideline, or â€Å"measuring stick,† in order to truly gauge the significance of the writing. Salman Rushdie’s qualifications of the expatriated writer are extremely important in that they set that guideline for what an exiled writer should hope to achieve. Though Slate, and the reader, may find some fault with Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner’s ability to take risks, an amazing job is done at filling two massively important pieces of Rushdie’s philosophy in its universal appeal and ability to open one’s minds. In doing so, the clear answer to the titular question of this essay, â€Å"Does Khaled Hosseini’s Writing Matter? † is yes. Works Cited: Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. New York: Riverhead, 2003. Print. ORourke, Meghan. â€Å"Do I Really Have To Read The Kite Runner?. † Slate, 07/25/2005. Slate Magazine. Web. 20 Nov 2011. Rushdie, Salman. â€Å"Imaginary Homelands. † London Review of Books 4. 18 (1982): 18-19. 21 Nov. 2011 .

Walmart Store Analysis

Wal-Mart, â€Å"Always Low Prices, Always.† It is well known that one of the great keys to Wal-Mart’s formidable success is its lower-than-low cost of doing business. Wages in particular are as low as can be. Minimum wages and minimum benefits: that’s the way Wal-Mart stays ultra competitive.This report examines the state of Wal-Mart’s business practices and its effect on the economy. It will describe Wal-Mart as a non-union employer, paying lower wages to their employees than other retail and grocery stores. They do not offer benefits to all employees and most are unable to afford them.Between Wal-Mart’s business practices in increasing their profits and the need to recognize their social and ethical responsibilities, Wal-Mart needs to find a comfortable balance of profitability and responsibility in order to improve their reputation.During the process of writing this report, we found that there was much more information to be discussed about Wal-M art’s unethical business practice than what was reported. We also wanted to point out that although all companies do everything possible to lower their costs and maintain high production rates, Wal-Mart has crossed the line over the years by managing their profits in unethical ways compared to other large corporations who have been ethically and successfully managing their business practices. Information that can be found on Wal-Mart is changing everyday and it was  sometimes difficult to keep up.EXECUTIVE SUMMARYWal-Mart has been recognized as the leader in its industry and the largest company in the nation. With its powerful profit making abilities, Wal-Mart has grown from a local corner store to the money making â€Å"monster† it is today. The company has damaged its reputation over the years due to unethical choices made by its top executives. As a result, its anti-union stance has been singled out on issues concerning benefits, wages, and overall business practi ces.When reviewing Wal-Mart’s financial statements, one would be overwhelmed to see such high performances; but when you are a Wal-Mart employee, it is no surprise why that is true. Employees have been denied opportunities of advancement and pay raises. Lawsuits have been pending against the company with employees claiming they have been denied promotion opportunities in the company due to their gender, and some employees have sued for being over-worked and under paid.Wal-Mart has become so big in its industry, that it has lowered the wages through out the country and has influenced economic change. Since most of Wal-Mart’s employees live below the poverty line, it is difficult for them to afford health insurance when deductions out of their paychecks are sometimes as high as 33%. A Wal-Mart employee who obtains health insurance would have a very difficult time raising a family with this kind of premium. Wal-Mart employees are unable to receive healthcare benefits beca use the cost is too high and their wages are low.As a result, employees face a difficult time deciding whether to sacrifice such a large portion of their pay to obtain health insurance; in most cases Wal-Mart employees persist without health coverage. Deductions for health insurance are higher for Wal-Mart employees than other national retail employees. A Wal-Mart employee pays about 25% more for health insurance than the average retail worker. Wal-Mart has also been opposed by its female employees, who make up two-thirds of its workforce.Women have been discriminated in wage and have been denied any advancement to upper managerial positions – dominated my men. Men make approximately 5%-15% more than women and have a higher chance of advancing to a better position. Dukes vs. Wal-Mart, filed in 2001, was the largest lawsuit against a private employer in the nation and represented 1. 6 million female employees who were discriminated based on their sex. From lawsuits to employee complaints, Wal-Mart has been faced with a great deal of difficulties that have developed through their own unethical business practices.Although every company’s goal is to lower costs and produce large numbers, Wal-Mart has made sky-rocketing profits by unethically hurting its employees and cutting down their wages. Many question why Wal-Mart, the richest retailer in the world, chooses not to provide adequate wages or health benefits for its employees. If Wal-Mart were to reform its health benefits program, raise their product prices by as little as a penny, and create a bias free working environment for women, Wal-Mart would be in better terms with its employees and improve the reputation it sacrificed from the start.â€Å"SAVE MONEY, LIVE BETTER†, NOT ON WAL-MART WAGESINTRODUCTION BackgroundWal-Mart, the large international discount chain was founded by Sam Walton. On May 5, 1950, Walton purchased a store in Bentonville, Arkansas, and opened Walton’s 5 & 10. Little did the small town residents know that they would later become the headquarters for the world’s largest retailer store in the U. S. Through his savvy, and sometimes unusual, business practices, he and his associates led the company forward for thirty years.As Wal-Mart grew into a global corporation it is today, it has dealt with a great deal of criticism by outsiders. Wal-Mart’s ethical citizenship has been questioned numerous times and researched by many. There have been many doubts about Wal-Mart’s business integrity and questions whether their practices are ethical or not. Wal-Mart has faced, and is still facing, a significant amount of controversy over several different issues.Wal-Mart has been caught bribing its employees, discriminating against women, denying its employees of training or promotions, paying low wages, and providing high deductibles for health insurance. Wal-Mart is now paying the consequences and need to become socially responsible in order to maintain a better reputation with society. Although consumers are reeled in with the low prices Wal-Mart has to offer, others feel their ethical beliefs are more important than saving a quick buck.Statement of Purpose The purpose of this report is to examine Wal-Mart’s unethical business practices with a focus on employee wages and high health care deductibles. The report will question Wal-Mart’s aptitude to sell products cheaper than any of its leading competitors and yet maintain making a substantial amount of profit. The report will analyze the unethical practices that have developed through Wal-Mart’s history as a result of focusing on high productivity and profit making strategies.Scope The report will describe Wal-Mart’s unethical business practices that affect its employees. It will examine Wal-Mart’s unethical behavior in conducting business with an overall focus on employee wages.Limitations Time constraints have limited the ex tent of the research. There is a vast amount of information regarding this issue and we are unable to report it all. In addition, no funds are available to conduct primary research.Methods of Research The method of research for this paper was secondary research through databases, internet websites, and books. The research databases of California State University, Los Angeles, will be used to locate articles in current and past publication. The databases used are Lexis/Nexis and  Business Source Premiere. Also libraries, such as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library at California State University, Los Angeles and Los Angeles Public Library in Porter Ranch, California.The major findings of this study indicate that Wal-Mart being the world’s largest and richest retail chain is setting the standard on wages for retail workers and beyond. Because Wal-Mart has become so big, it has dragged down wages throughout the country. Wal-Mart has become what it is today by selling products at low prices and paying their â€Å"associates† even lower wages. Unhappy Wal-Mart workers complain as much about being over-worked as underpaid. Wal-Mart has its own stated policies at its employees’ expense. Wal-Mart pays it’s â€Å"associates† below basic living wage standards and even below poverty lines.Overworked and Underpaid EmployeesH. Lee Scott Jr. is the chief executive of the powerful corporation we call Wal-Mart. According to Mr. Scott, by selling vast quantities of goods at its trademark â€Å"Every Day Low Prices,† Wal-Mart has single-handedly raised America’s standard of living, saving consumers about $100 billion a year (Bianco 2). They feel that selling vast quantities of low price merchandise gives them the right to act as if they represent the American people. Scott states, â€Å"Wal-Mart also provides good jobs for hundreds of thousands of equally deserving employees, offers even part-time workers generous health insur ance and other benefits† (Bianco 2).He accuses greedy labor unions, inefficient supermarket chains, and other Wal-Mart opponents of distorting â€Å"the facts† to suit their own purposes. Wal-Mart insists on describing themselves as â€Å"pro-associate, not anti-union,† but is quick to suppress any and all attempts to have unions organize in its stores. In his book The Bully of Bentonville, Anthony Bianco describes how Wal-Mart has affected wages beyond their own company: Because Wal-Mart is so big, it has dragged down wages throughout the country.Economists at the University of California at Berkeley  found that Wal-Mart’s expansion during the 1990s cut the income of America’s retail employees by 1. 3 percent-or by $4. 7 billion in 2000 alone. What is more, the depressing effect of Wal-Mart’s expansion on payrolls extended well beyond retailing. According to a 2005 analysis by economists at the Public Policy Institute of California, take-h ome pay per person fell by 5 percent across the board following Wal-Mart’s entry into a country.The evidence â€Å"strongly suggest(s) that Wal-Mart stores lead to wage declines,  shifts to lower-paying jobs (or less skilled workers), or increased use of part-time workers. (4) Today, Wal-Mart is surrounded by controversy, but the greatest is from within. Unhappy employees are quitting and dozens of class-action lawsuits are pending against the company. Managers have been known to force employees to work extra hours without pay; either by eliminating breaks or by having them clock out and keep working â€Å"off the clock†. This is Wal-Mart’s way of saving on costs at the price of its employees. Store managers earn bonuses based on earnings.Since the corporation dictates the inventory and operating expenses, managers’ only control is labor costs. Joyce Moody, a former manager in Alabama and Mississippi, told the New York Times that Wal-Mart â€Å"threat ened to write up managers if they didn’t bring the payroll in low enough†. Depositions in wage and hour lawsuits reveal that company headquarters leaned on management to keep their labor costs at 8 percent of sales or less, and managers in turn leaned on assistant managers to work their employee’s off-the-clock or simply delete time from employee time sheet (ufcw.org).In the late 1990’s Wal-Mart’s annual turnover rate was a remarkably high 70 percent, 40 percent higher than in previous years (Slater 120). Wal-Mart does not see this as being a problem. The constant turnover reduces employees eligible for raises, promotions, benefits, and holds the average wage down. Just another way to keep payroll costs at a minimum.Employee WagesWal-Mart employs 1. 3 million workers in just the U. S. and operates more than 3,400 stores throughout the United States. A full time employee working 28- 40 hours a week at Wal-Mart is paid on an average of $250 a week. Be sides having low wages, those workers who are interested or eligible in obtaining health insurance for themselves or for their family pay high premiums and frequently don’t get the coverage they expect. The majority of Wal-Mart employees live below the poverty line and after making deductions in taxes and insurance coverage, a Wal-Mart employee’s salary is not enough to provide them a standard way of living.â€Å"The 2003 poverty guideline for a family of four is $18,400, $4,256 more than the $14,144 in earnings a full-time Wal-Mart worker earns at $8 per hour†¦ A household of four with a gross income of $23,920 or less could be eligible for food stamps -$9,776 more than a full-time, $8-an-hour Wal-Mart worker would earn in a year. † (www. aflcio. org) These numbers are even worst for part time workers. Today, one-third of Wal-Mart’s employees are part-time workers. They are limited to less than 34 hours of work per week and are not eligible for bene fits and must wait 1 year before they can enroll.Sex Discrimination in the Work PlaceIn addition to Wal-Mart’s low wages, its female workers are more disadvantaged and discriminated against in wage than its male workers. More than two thirds of Wal-Mart’s hourly employees are women and make up most of the lower wage positions which include: working the cash registers, stocking shelves and working the sales floor. Although men take responsibilities in these positions as well, the majority of men who work at Wal-Mart have positions as Management Associates or much higher ranked positions. Seventy-two percent of Wal-Mart employees are female and less than one-third of those women have management positions in the company.With that in mind, the average male employee was paid about $5,000 more in 2001 per year than the average female full-time employee. As Wal-Mart’s own workforce data reveals, women in every major job category at Wal-Mart have been paid less than men with the same seniority, in every year since 1997 even though the female employees on average have higher performance ratings and less turnover than men. (http://www. walmartclass. com).Dukes vs. Wal-Mart is said to be the largest and most famous gender discrimination lawsuit against a private employer and is the largest class-action suit in U. S. history, representing 1.6 million current and former female employees. Betty Dukes was the leading plaintiff in the case and sued Wal-Mart for sex discrimination; she was a fifty-four year old African-American woman who worked as a greeter for Wal-Mart.Factors such as seniority and performance were Wal-Mart’s main excuses and reasons that women earned from 5% to 15% less than men. It is disappointing to see that even the cashier positions, that are dominated by women, have men earning more than women. Wal-Mart not only overworks, under pays and discriminates against women, but it also provides neither childcare for workers or affor dable family health benefits.Unaffordable Healthcare DeductiblesWal-Mart employees are incapable of receiving healthcare benefits available for them because of its high cost and their low wages. Since most of Wal-Mart’s employees are unable to afford these health benefits, most of these individuals either turn to government aided insurance such as Medicaid, depend on their spouse’s plans, or expect to see a doctor in rare and emergency cases with no insurance. It is argued that uncovered Wal-Mart employees are not signing up for medical insurance and benefits because most of them exceed the income ceiling and are not eligible.Wal-Mart provides insurance for over 900,000 employees that are with and with out dependants. Employee premiums range between $143. 54 to $249. 71 per month for family coverage and $33. 04 to $72. 04 per month for single coverage. The National Average of workers covered by employer health insurance is 67 percent, and only 47 percent of Wal-Martâ⠂¬â„¢s employees are covered by the company’s health care plan. That is a huge gap when considering that each percent represents thousands of people.Most Wal-Mart employees have a difficult time deciding whether to attain health insurance or stay uninsured for the sake of saving money. ‘Cynthia Murray, who has worked at a Wal-Mart store in Laurel, Md. , for six years, suffers from asthma, but goes to see a doctor only when she suffers a bad attack. Murray is 50 years old, makes $9. 47 an hour, and says that the Wal-Mart plan that costs $23 a month has a $1,000 deductible, which makes it too expensive for her to use. Another plan subtracts $100 from her paycheck every two weeks.â€Å"I don't think anybody working at Wal-Mart has that kind of money,† says Murray. â€Å"All I'm asking from Wal-Mart is a fair share. †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Gogoi). Many Americans question why Wal-Mart, one of the richest companies in the United States, can’t offer affordable health i nsurance and pay a living wage. Comparing Wal-Mart’s employee health benefits and wages to Costco’s employee health benefits and wages, one will notice that Costco not only pays its employees higher than Wal-Mart but their deductions are far less. â€Å"The average wage at Costco is $17 an hour†¦. a full-time worker at Wal-Mart makes $7.50 an hour on average.Costco workers pay just 8% of their health premiums, whereas Wal-Mart workers pay 33% of theirs. Ninety-one percent of Costco's employees are covered by retirement plans, with the company contributing an annual average of $1,330 per employee† (Cascio). Based on these facts, it is easy to say that Wal-Mart employees are giving up a large portion of their paychecks to obtain health care. Wal-Mart employees who do have health insurance and receive coverage are paying more in premiums but receive less for their money; in large corporations this has become a trend.New laws have been passed intended to force large corporations to control employee wages and reduce insurance deductibles. From law suits to employee complaints, Wal-Mart has recently thought of ways to reduce the cost of health benefits. The new plan would charge monthly premiums ranging from $25. 00 for individuals to $65. 00 for a family, making that 45-65% less than what employees contributed in the company’s existing plan. But it is not enough to reform the reputation Wal-Mart has lost or the vulnerable employees they let down.ConclusionsHigh productivity and lowering costs is one of the top and most important objectives in business. Wal-Mart being the World’s largest retailer can afford to pay their â€Å"associates† more than what the minimum wage offers. They are in fact, the richest retailer in the world and yet neglect to provide their employees affordable health care with a livable wage. Even if Wal-Mart was to pass 100 percent of the wage increase on to consumers, the average impact on a Wal-M art shopper would be quite small.Wal-Mart’s choice of action toward employee wages, health benefits, and bias work environment have not only brought an enormous shadow over its employees’ lives but also over its own big business reputation. The injustice decisions made through out the history of Wal-Mart has changed many lives and has forever changed the American economy. In the business world, there is big, and then there is Wal-Mart. Recommendations Based on the conclusions presented above, the following actions are recommended: 1. Retaining â€Å"associates† already on staff would be more cost affective then high employee turnover. 2. Train employees. Give the opportunity to advance and have freedom to associate and organize. 3. Our analysis reveals that establishing a higher minimum wage for large retailers like Wal-Mart would have a significant impact on workers living in poverty or near-poverty. 4. In order to increase employee satisfaction, reforming the cost of health insurance would help keep Wal-Mart in good terms with their employees. 5. If Wal-Mart was to raise their prices by as little as a penny to the dollar it would afford them to pay the higher wages. Higher wages provide the employees opportunity to afford health coverage. 6. Implementing fair employment and labor practices. In other words, â€Å"Obey the Law†.

Relevant furniture piece or other interior design element in the Assignment

Relevant furniture piece or other interior design element in the Victorian period (1850-1890) - Assignment Example He acquired the idea of decorating the Armoire from his mother. The above piece of furniture had an approximated cost of thirty four thousand dollars (Online Garallies, p.1). The Fine Armoire above has a lot of significance to the Victorian period. Among its importance, include; it provide an inspiration of the fine arts that were being produced during the Victorian period. It also provides other designers a fundamental basis for their design given that the idea was invented earlier. The furniture above help to encourage innovation and creativity among the designers of the current era. The Fine Armoire is significant because it indicates the type of materials that were used by the designers during that period. It also provide an important reference of what the previous artist used to do during the Victorian period (Online Garallies,

The role of advertising and branding within the laptop industry and Dissertation - 1

The role of advertising and branding within the laptop industry and its effects on consumer purchase decision in Leeds United Ki - Dissertation Example It is due to the reason that the concepts largely relates to the tastes and perceptions of the customer which are quite challenging to be quantified. Results and Findings: The results obtained from the data search reveal that advertising is quite significant as an influencing factor of brand loyalty in the laptop market in the UK. However, besides effective advertising there are also various other factors that tend to create a strong impact on the brand preferences and consumer buying behaviour that in turn signifies the brand loyalty of the customers. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Chapter 1: Introduction 6 1.1.Significance of Study 9 1.2.Research Objectives 10 1.3.Research Questions 10 1.5.Overview of Chapters 12 Chapter 2: Literature Review 14 2.1. Introduction 14 2.2. Consumer Behaviour 14 2.3. The Need for a Consumer Behaviour Model 16 2.4. Model of Consumer Behaviour 18 2.5. The Major Factors of Influence on Consumer Behaviour 19 2.6. Cultural Factors 20 2.7. Social Factors 20 2. 8. Personal Factors 21 2.9. Psychological Factors 24 2.10. The Buying Decision Process 24 2.11. Buyer Decision Process 25 2.12. Importance of Branding 27 2.13. Brand Loyalty and its Effect on Consumer Behaviour 28 2.14 Advertising as a Major Component to Persuade Customers 30 2.15. Role of Advertising in Building Brand Loyalty 32 Chapter 3: Research Methodology 34 3.1 Introduction 34 3.2 Research Design 35 3.2.1 Historical Research 37 3.2.2 Quantitative and Qualitative Research 37 3.3 Validity and Reliability 39 3.3.1 Qualitative Study 42 3.3.2 Data Collection 43 3.3.3 Data Analysis 45 3.4 Primary Research 47 3.4.1 Questionnaires 47 3.4.2 Interview 48 3.5 Usage of Methodologies in the Research 48 Chapter 4: Findings and Analysis 50 4.1. Overview 50 4.2. Findings and Analysis of the Obtained Data 51 4.2.1. Advertising Strategies Adopted By Laptop Companies in the UK 51 4.2.2. Impact of Brand Awareness on the Consumer Buying Behaviour 53 4.2.3. Relationship between Advertising, Brand Awareness and Brand Image 54 4.2.4. Impact of Advertising on Sales of Laptops 57 4.2.5. Influence of Age, Employment and Gender on Brand Preferences and Consumer Buying Behaviour in the Laptop Market 61 4.2.6. Advantages of Advertising from Customers Point of View 62 4.3. Summary 64 Chapter 5: Discussion & Conclusion 65 5.1. Discussion 65 5.2. Conclusion 72 5.3 Recommendation for Further Improvement 74 Chapter 6: Learning Statement 77 References 80 Bibliography 90 Questionnaire 93 Chapter 1: Introduction The basic intention of marketing is to satisfy and fulfil the need of the organisational profitability and wants of the aimed consumers. Consumer is considered as God in marketing so (Skalen & Et. Al., 2008), the process of marketing and it’s planning revolves around the consumer. Marketing helps in identifying the prospective consumers, stacking up of brand in the competitive environment and most importantly the wants and intentions while making a buying decision. Long back, almost before 35 years, Peter Drucker had viewed that it is the mission of an organisation to â€Å"create customers† (Kotler, 2000). It had been particularly pointed out that it was possible for companies to raise their revenues by 25% to 85% by attaining a decline in defections of consumers just by 5% (Reichheld & Teal, 2001). Meanwhile, from the era of 1980, the most noteworthy and

Macroeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 8

Macroeconomics - Essay Example function of the economy is also referred to as total supply of the economy as shows the total supply of goods and services that the firms are willing to supply at given price levels. It also shows the capacity of the firms of the economy and the fact that the firms can supply the economy with the appropriate level of goods and services in order to satisfy the demands of the economy. Aggregate supply curves are made on the basis of long and short term which depicts the total supply function of the firms of the economy both in the long term and in the short term for the economy. There can be some shifts in the aggregate supply curve for the economy which can be attributed to number of different factors and variables affecting the economy. These factors can be many some of which may be the change in the size and quality of labor, the mere fact that the labor size has changed that is more and more labor is available to the firms for the production of their goods and services or that the labor which is already available to the economy has gained more and more skills due to which it has become easier to produce more for the economy. Other factors can be the change in technology or it can be said that the technological innovations can cause a shift in the aggregate supply curve of the economy. Â  Increase in wages, increase in production costs, changes in producer ta xes and subsidies, and changes in inflation can also be some of the driving factors in the shifting of the aggregate supply curve for the economy. Different schools of thoughts have different views of economics and therefore they have different approaches towards the determining of aggregate supply of the economy that is to be made to the economy. Aggregates supply is the function of aggregate availability of labor and other resources in the given time period and the price levels for the production of those goods and services that provide the aggregate supply of those goods and services to the

Enron Corporation Scandal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Enron Corporation Scandal - Research Paper Example The Enron Corporation was founded in the year 1985 and was one of the leading companies offering services in electricity, communications, natural gas and pulp and paper industries. The financial performance of Enron Corporation had also been uniquely impressive before its collapse in 2001 where its annual revenues showed an increase of $9 billion to over $ 100 billion from year 1995 to 2000. However at the end of year 2001 it was brought to attention and revealed that the company’s reported financial condition was sustained mainly because of the systematic, institutionalized and creative plan of accounting fraud. It has been reported by Thomas (2002), that the shares of Enron Corporation dropped from $90 per share in the mid of year 2000 to nearly less than $1 per share by the end of year 2001, this drastic decrease in the stock price of the company caused shareholders a loss of $11 billion. Thus Enron Corporation revised its financial statements for the past five years declar ing a loss of $586 million only. In the December of 2001, Enron fell to bankruptcy. Also with the revelation of Enron Scandal in 2001, Arthur Andersen, one of the biggest audit and accountancy partnerships also dissolved. Enron undoubtedly was the biggest audit failure but this company that was famous in the world, also became famous for its so sudden collapse (Li, 2010). The scandal of the Enron Corporation is one of the most notorious scandals of the American corporations. It is commonly believed by economists, historians and analysts that the case of Enron is undoubtedly a case of White Collar Crime. The term White Collar Crime is used as a phrase when various interrelated and overlapping areas of law including the misappropriation, securities law, fraud, bankruptcy, money laundering, financial frauds, corruption, tax frauds, cybercrime, government frauds, bribery etc happen or occur. Hence white collar crime is not a discipline that is autonomous rather it is interdisciplinary t hat tends to combine individuals and professionals from various professions and disciplines which may include auditors, accountants, law enforcement, investigators and attorneys (Â  Gill & Scott, 2008). In view of the white collar crime Enron Corporation which was a big name in the corporate sector and was of one of those corporations that were seen to be practicing price stability, merchant bank selling and hedging of funds. However the later discovery of this information that Enron was nothing less than a giant fraud changed the course of it. The nature of fraud at the company was both classic as well as modern frauds. The charges of White Collar Crime include: 1. Involved in Ponzi Schemes The company was engaged in the Ponzi scheme, whereby the top executives of the company that were in charge of running the company became rich at the expense of its employees and the investors. This all was happening with the support of Arthur Anderson, an accounting firm – which further disclosed that the main business of Enron Corporation was selling of stocks, which was the main profit generating source for the company (Pontell). 2. Involved in Hype and Dump Manipulation Schemes Similarly Enron was also involved in the hype and dump manipulation schemes, whereby it greatly inflated its stock prices

Property Law 1 Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Property Law 1 Assignment - Essay Example Mitchell had with Alfie. However, Ian as the new freeholder of the property cannot repossess the leased property, unless Mr. Mitchell violates the terms of the lease such as (a) does not pay rent (b) the original lease with Alfie specifies that the lease can be ended before the specified 25 year period (c) refuses to carry out any obligations that are executed in the lease agreement between Alfie and Mr. Mitchell*2. However, there is one important clause that must be considered in the light of the Land registration Act of 2002 which became active in 2003. Since Mr. Mitchell has acquired the property after the date of the new Registration Act, Alfie should have registered the lease title in favor of Mr. Mitchell*3. In fact, since the duration of the lease period is for 25 years, registration would have been mandatory even before the new Act. Hence, the first factor to be explored is whether or not Alfie and/or Mr. Mitchell have registered Mr. Mitchell’s term of lease absolute. In the event this has not been done, Ian will be under no obligation to allow Mr. Mitchell to remain except on renegotiation of new terms. But since Mr. Mitchell has paid some consideration in order to acquire a lease on the property, he will be entitled and within his rights to retain his possession of it and his lease allows him the right to peaceful possession and enjoyment of the outbuilding on which he holds a lease. Although he possesses the outbuilding, this is not a separate property but will be a part of the Albert Court property depending upon the legal description of the property and its boundaries as they have been spelt out in the title deed. Miss Watt’s term of tenancy is however a short term. The terms of the Land registration requirements under the new Act of 2002 will apply in her case*4. The new Law requires that all new tenancies of any length that start more than three months after the date

About my major and me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

About my major and me - Essay Example Fortunately, mathematics graduates have numerous career choices that are useful in excising practical skills learnt in the disciplines. Being a mathematician has always been my long-term aspiration. The Northern Colorado University, particularly the mathematics department, has a wonderful and equally professional preparation for mathematics undergraduates (Holton 120). The experience in the school will be significant in the realization of my dream. My goals include integration of math in the society to improve the quality of life. First, I would love to be a general mathematician to offer consultation services. My services should include assistance in data analytics for researchers, tutoring of junior math students and assisted budgeting for mid-sized businesses. Such services are very vital in Dubai during a time of economic down turn. In addition to the achievement of my goals, I would commit myself to motivating others in pursuing a major study in mathematics as well. As a tutor, I would love to integrate math in other disciplines such as physics and health

Discussion Board 10 - Chapter 13 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Board 10 - Chapter 13 - Essay Example I am able to resolve these conflicts because I use my leadership abilities in order to make them listen to each other and meet halfway whenever possible. I let them know that I respect everyones opinion and that I am empathic to their reasons. However, as I listen to their arguments, I make sure to take note relating to what I think will work for us and what will not. At the end of the bickering, I let them know that they actually have some common ground to work on that is sure to benefit the group and result in the outcome that we all expect to have for our project. Normally, after I ask them to reconcile their expectations based upon their common ground, the group members manage to see each others point of view quite differently from when they were talking at each other rather talking to each other. This results in a more cohesive group that can work together towards the completion of a common

Unit 10 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 10 - Essay Example It is also possible for women to make it to the professional level of the game thus breaking the stereotype that being a woman you can only be a spectator. Through a broader focus as well as access to quality education, these stereotypes are being broken. Thus through focusing on higher education, significant stereotypes can be done away with. Stereotypes are not mutable and therefore stereotypes applied to particular groups do not alter over time. This therefore means that we rarely change our stereotypes frequently. This is so even in the wake of disconfirming information; people often tend to cling to their obviously-wrong convictions If at all people can change their stereotypes, then they do so in 3 ways; Bookkeeping model-as people learn more contradictory information, they incrementally change the stereotype to align with the new information. Thus individuals usually need a lot of information for every incremental change. Secondly is the conversion model whereby individuals throw away old stereotypes and start all over again, frequently used when there is important disconfirming evidence. Thirdly is sub typing model which creates a stereotype that is new, mostly a sub-classification of the current stereotype (Rupert, 2010). Yes I have had an experience where someone applied a stereotype due to their interpretation of my skin color. I was on a tour in Africa and someone thought I am a Mexican and therefore asked much about Mexico. I had to kindly explain myself before they finally understood me and apologized profusely. Some of the authors discuss areas of misconception such as being mistaken for a waitress or a whore, for instance, in The Myth of the Latin Woman/Just Met a Girl Named Maria by Judith Ortiz Cofer gives several instances where she has been taken to be a waitress simply because she is Puerto Rican. She recounts another incident where a man blocked their way

Defining Moments in Canada Essay Example for Free

Defining Moments in Canada Essay Defining Moments in Canadian History During the 20th century, there were many events and situations that helped define the country of Canada. There were positive moments, but also a good amount of negative ones. Of course, the successful events kept Canadians in a positive light, but the negative situations helped Canada learn from its mistakes and went to prove how strong and brave its citizens were/are. The three most defining moments would have to be the Dieppe Raid, the Invasion of Normandy, and the Battle of Vimy Ridge. These three events not only assisted the country to become what it has today, but has also defined what the nation has become. The first defining moment of the 20th century was the Battle of Vimy Ridge. This particular battle was a military engagement located in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France during World War I. The main fighters were Canadian Corps against the German army. The battle took place from April 9 to 12, 1917. This was the beginning stage for the Battle of Arras, led by the British. The Canadian Corps was ordered to seize Vimy Ridge in April 1917. Situated in northern France, the heavily-fortified seven-kilometre ridge held a commanding view over the Allied lines. The Canadians would be assaulting over an open graveyard since previous French attacks had failed with over 100,000 casualties. (Cook) Main objectives were to take control over German-held high ground along an extensive escarpment. Doing so would allow the southern flank to advance without having to be heavily worried about enemy fire. With support from a nearby barrage, Canadians were able to capture most of the ridge within the first day of attack. The town of Thelus fell the second day, as did the crest of the ridge. The final objective was to capture another ridge located outside the town of Givenchy-en-Gohelle, which fell to the Canadian Corps on April 12. After that incident, the German forces had no choice but to retreat. This quick battle was successful due to a mix of tactical and technical innovation, powerful artillery support, extensive training, and thought-out planning. This event is a defining moment for Canada because it was the first time that all four sectors of the Canadian Expeditionary Force participated in a battle as a whole, therefore becoming a Canadian Nationalistic symbol of sacrifice and great achievement. The Canadian success at Vimy demonstrated that no position was invulnerable to a meticulously planned and conducted assault. This success had a profound effect on Allied planning. Though the victory at Vimy came swiftly, it did not come without cost. There were 3,598 dead out of 10,602 Canadian casualties. After Vimy, the Canadian Corps went from one success to another, to be crowned by their achievements in the 1918 advance to victory. This record won for Canada a separate signature on the Versailles Peace Treaty ending the War.(Battle of Vimy Ridge) The second definitive moment of the 20th century was the Dieppe Raid. This event was a World War II attack on the German occupied port of Dieppe on August 19,1942. The raid took place on the northern coast of France, and began around 5 am. Allied commanders were forced to call a retreat, a mere 6 hours later. Objectives included seizing and holding a major port to prove that it was possible and also to gather information. Allies also pl anned on destroying coastal defences, port structures, and all strategic buildings. The allied countries knew that they would eventually have to attack, so they figured they needed the practice. Another goal was to take some of Hitlers attention off of trying to invade Russia. The plan was to use 5000 Canadians and have a 1-day attack and retreat on the Nazi-held coastal town of Dieppe. The plan was also to be secretive and attack at dark. None of these objectives were met. The Soviet Union was pressuring the Allies to open a second front in Western Europe. The Allies, however, needed to build up their military resources before undertaking a full campaign. They felt that a large raid on the coast of France could force the Germans to divert more of their military resources away from the Soviet Union and also help in the planning for the full-scale assault to come. (Canada Remembers) The first mistake was that they reached Dieppe in broad daylight, making this surprise attack not very surprising. Also, the Dieppe forces became on high alert at Dieppe because French agents warned them that the British were showing a great deal of interest in the area. When the Allied forces arrived at the port city, its flanking cliffs were well defended. Thesoldiers were met with very heavy machine gun fire from little stations dug into overlooking cliffs. The Allied fire support was not nearly adequate enough and the attackers were basically trapped on the beach by series of obstacles and never-ending German fire. After less than 6 hours, the Allies were forced to surrender and many of the soldiers were stranded on the port, to be killed or to be taken prisoner by the Germans. The Allied forces were beaten severely, they definitely lost this battle, and they lost it hard. Numerous tactical and technical errors were made, resulting in huge amounts of Canadian deaths. The raid was a disaster: More than 900 Canadian soldiers were killed, and thousands more were wounded and taken prisoner. Despite the bloodshed, the raid provided valuable lessons for subsequent Allied amphibious assaults on Africa, Italy and Normandy. (Herd) This was, after all, one of the first attempts by the Allies on a German-held port. This was an important, defining moment for Canadians because the lessons learned there became the guidelines of what not to do in regards to future endeavours, and influenced preparations for the highly successful Normandy landings. The last definitive moment of the 20th century was the Invasion of Normandy (D-Day) on June 6, 1944. The Allies attacked the German-held beaches of Normandy, France towards the end of World War II. The landings were done in two phases; the first was an airborne assault landing consisting of 24 000 British, US, and Canadian soldiers shortly after midnight. The second was an amphibious landing around 6:30 am of Allied infantry. This attack was executed by all elements: land, sea, and air. The invasion required transportation of soldiers, and materials from England by aircraft and ships. These particular landings took place on an 20 km stretch of the Normandy coast on 5 seperate beach areas: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. The British armies took control over Sword and Gold, US took charge over Utah and Omaha, and Canadian forces stormed Juno. On June 6th, 1944, the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division and the 2nd Armoured Brigade were tasked with establishing a bridgehead on the beach codenamed Juno. This was an eight-kilometre long stretch of beach bordering Saint-Aubin, Bernieres, Courseulles-sur-Mer and Graye-sur-Mer. Assault troops were then to move towards the Carpiquet airfield, 18 kilometres inland. The 3rd Infantry Division, under Major-General R. F. L. Keller, was under command of the Second British Army. It was flanked on the left by the 3rd British Infantry Division that was to land on Sword beach (Lion-sur-Mer, Langrune-sur-Mer). To the right, the 50th British Division had as its target Gold Beach (La Riviere, Le Hamel, and Arromanches).(D-Day) Unlike the previous, unsuccessful raid at Dieppe, surprise was achieved at Normandy, thanks to bad weather and a very successful deception plan deployed in the months prior to the attack. The deceptive plan was used to distract Germanys attention from the possibility of landings in Normandy. Another key success was to convince Adolf Hitler that landings would occur at the Pas-de-Calais. At the same time of the attack, there wer e also decoy operations taking place. Fourteen thousand young Canadians stormed Juno Beach on D-Day. Their courage, determination and self-sacrifice were the immediate reasons for the success in those critical hours. The fighting they endured was fierce and frightening. The price they paid was high the battles for the beachhead cost 340 Canadian lives and another 574 wounded. (Juno Beach) By the end of D-Day, 30 000 Canadians had been successfully landed and all had penetrated further into France than any other Allied force! This was a defining moment for the country of Canada because, after all the previous, unsuccessful missions, they deserved a glorious victory. That is definitely what they got! All their hard work; preparing weapons, planting decoys, and all their extensive planning made this invasion so successful, and all the tedious work paid off. This event is definitive for me because my great-grandfather was involved in this attack, and thankfully returned home from it. There were definitely more than three defining moments for Canada during the 20th century, but the Battle of Vimy Ridge, the Dieppe Raid, and the Invasion of Normandy were three of the most significant. These events helped Canada grow as a nation, and made Canadians even more proud of their heritage and their country.

Can criminological theories help manage crime in the workplace

Can criminological theories help manage crime in the workplace Security management is a task that required diverse skills which include human management, time management and some fundamental theories as guiding principles. The essence of the knowledge of these theories in relation to criminology to Security Managers should not be undermined in order to have and effectively achieve the organisations set goals or key performance indicators. This essay shall focus on how the knowledge of these theories could enhance the performance of a Security Manager in the work place in relation to theft and theft related offences in the retail business environment. However, if we give heed to the macro theory of criminology, a bigger picture surrounding the cost of theft in the retail industry rather than just focusing on cost of goods stolen in isolation can be fully examined. It should be noted from the onset that there are some other offences which can be perpetrated as part of criminal conduct that can ensue alongside the particular offence of retail theft e.g. assault inflicted on staff who have no choice but to physically engage a thief in the workplace (BRC Retail Crime Survey, 2009). Various reports including the crime survey by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) indicate with interest that thefts in retail shops are also being perpetrated by employees, and therefore note should be made that the offence is not exclusively being perpetrated by customers. As mainstream surveys tend to cover those who are not under the category of the organisations labour force, it is important to consider this dimension in the essay as the impact of such losses to retail industry cannot be ignored. On many occasions, there are complimentary offences but aspects relating to theft shall be considered in this essay. There have been several schools of thought in relation to applying criminological theories to crime management. They suggested that effective crime managements could only be achieved by using these theories conjunctively. Strengths and weaknesses of these theories shall be analysed and their relevance to the theft management in a retail business environment shall also be considered. The class of the offenders guilty of this crime, motivational factors and how they are carried out shall also be discussed using the appropriate theories and a strategy to managing and reducing delinquency. The 1968 theft act proscribes theft as; ..A person is guilty of theft if he dishonestly appropriate property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it; and thief and steal shall be construed accordingly (Theft Act 1968, sec 1:1). Shoplifting is a common delinquency in the retail business which impacts on stock shrinkage and cost of business insurance. However in general public and media discourse, it is widely accepted that retail theft is a petty crime and there are attempts to explain this phenomenon using theories such as criminal deviant behaviour. In this context, and in such a class based society as the UK, it is not unusually that retail theft is associated with the underprivileged in the society. Such perceptions make it difficult for the police and security managers to take seriously the impact this crime has on high tax paying industries such the retail sector, which incidentally offers employment to millions of workers in the country. Some other criminological theories such as the expected utility principle can breed compliancy in the work done by security managers as this theory assumes that potential criminals are rational beings who can be deterred from committing offences because people will act in an a manner that will increase their benefits and reduce their losses. In this context, the expected utility principle suggests that the commitment of the supposed petty crime of retail theft by employees is unlikely to occur as workers will give heed to their vested economic interest in remaining employed. However, there may be a lack of indebt knowledge of what constitutes retail theft. For instance, an employee inadvertently using part of the companys inventory such as stationeries, souvenirs for self benefit and is within the ambit of the theft act 1968 is guilty of theft. Another sinister form of retail theft involves employees who connive with criminals and pretend not to see the crime being committed. These usually involve the use of false drivers licence and stolen bank statements. . . . . . . . . . .Fraud is an act of deception carried out for the purpose of unfair, undeserved and/or unlawful gain, especially financial gain. (BRC Retail Crime Survey, 2009:pg24). . . . . . . . . . .Card fraud in the BCS (British Crime Survey) is defined as using plastic payment cards, such as bank, debit, credit or store cards, to take money without permission or prior knowledge from a bank, building society or credit card account (or to charge money to credit/debit cards). (Home Office Statistical Bulletin 08/10:pg25). The 2008/09 BCS report reported that plastic card owners who had fallen victim of card fraud had increased. Only 6.4 per cent of card fraud victim confirmed that they were aware that crimes had been committed with their cards within the last 12 month compared to 4.7 per cent in the previous year (Home Office Statistical Bulletin 08/10:pg25). In a bid to demonstrate why people commit crime, the motivational factors, and various groups of people with criminal behaviours and how combinations of criminological theories help in crime management. Rational Choice and Routine Activities theories shall be considered in relation to their relevance to crime management in a mobile phone retailer like Carphone Warehouse Plc. Rational Choice theorists believe that offenders decision to commit crime is based on the available opportunity and that the benefit of their crime outweighing the costs (Nagin et al, 2002). Rational choice theorists believe that crime is a function of individual choice which is influenced by its costs and benefits (Akers et al, 2004). Researches have shown that out of 50 interviewees in a research on shoplifting, 88% admitted that they had shoplifted and 42% of these people take stealing as the only way to earn their living. The average age of offenders as gathered during the interview was 12 years (Schneider, 2005). It is important to have the indebt knowledge of crime costs and its benefit, proportionate sentence and the types of punishment given to those who have committed similar crimes in the past or whether they avoided punishments. With this knowledge in place, it will be more likely to deter crime if its costs are made higher than the benefits e.g., enhancing the protection in places, target hardening, and more punishments when offenders are caught. In a situation where punishments are certain, motivated offenders may not want to subject themselves to hard work before committing the offence (Cullen Agnew, 2002). Rational choice theory is very extensive in range with simple basic elements which are strong but at the same time flexible. Offenders decisions between choices at every point in time tend to be rational. However, the facts of the theory stands that for any crime to be committed, the perceived benefits associated with the crime outweigh its risk. Some people have taking criminal behaviour as a way of life. In some situations, decisions to commit crime are arrived at due to inadequate information available at the time of decision making and all these put together still reflect the important role opportunity plays in criminal act. In addition to opportunity, importance of the environment on crime cannot be undermined. In certain situations, offenders hardly ever have a detailed thought of all the various costs and benefits of their action as some decisions are taken spontaneously (Felson Clarke, 1998). In theory, there are three broad categories of offenders or workplace violence perpetrators; employees, strangers and the intending or potential customers or clients (Chappell and Di Martino, 2000). Employees in most cases take advantage of imperfect systems. In an ideal business environment, organisation should have records of their inventory through regular stock counts. The UK shrinkage rate as a percentage of retail sales stood at 1.29% which was Europes average in 2010 (Bamfield, 2010). In a bid to control and manage crime, Opportunity-reducing techniques are a vital approach which could be achieved by increasing the perceived effort of crime by target hardening, security control access to target and deflecting offenders from target. In cases of card theft, crime facilitators could be controlled by having the owners photos on credit cards, using plastic beer glasses in pubs etc. Another technique involves increasing the perceived risks of crime by security screening, formal surveillance by employees, manned guarding, CCTV and effective lightning which could take the place of a Natural surveillance and help in obtaining footage through the use of technology. Anticipated rewards of crime should also be reduced so as to discourage criminal act. Targets could be removed; there could be property marking, and reducing temptations by ensuring that every motivational factor is put under control. Educating everyone on codes of conducts, and acceptable norms would eliminate t he excuses of being ignorant (Clarke, 1997). It is important to understand the opportunities that facilitate workplace crime in order to combat or reduce the criminal act. In America, introduction of Caller identification devices have removed obscene and threatening phone calls which ordinarily depends upon telephone access and the ability of the caller to hide his own identity. However, rates of other crimes such as car theft and burglary would also be higher when, in fact, they are lower in Britain and some other countries in Europe. Customer theft remains a major source of retail crime in line with general acquisitive crime trends reported by the Home Office. The survey recorded 498,405 incidents of customer theft in total. The previous years survey revealed that retailers suspected they identified perhaps as little as half of all customer theft. The real level of customer theft experienced by respondents was probably somewhere in the region of 750,000 to 1 million thefts or even as high as 2 million for the whole industry (BRC Retail Crime Survey, 2009: Pg 12-13). During 2008-09, the value stolen per incident has continued to decline as retailers continue to improve the protection of high value items. The average value of goods stolen fell by 34 per cent to  £45 per theft. Whilst individual customer thefts may be many times this value, this figure falls comfortably within the range of Penalty Notices for Disorder, a disposal available to the police for first time offenders involved in low value crimes. Nevertheless, only about one third (37 per cent) of customer thefts are reported to the police. (BRC Retail Crime Survey, 2009: Pg 12-13). As a result, the Police Authorities, Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships and Neighbourhood Policing Teams are unlikely to be aware of the true level of customer theft occurring in an area. This is reflected in national figures of reported crime which differ significantly from retailers experience (BRC Retail Crime Survey, 2009: Pg 12-13). Contrary to rational choice theory which believes that opportunity is the main factor responsible for crime occurrence, routine activity theory as described by Cohen Felson explained in one of their published articles in 1979 suggests that Crime occurs when there is an intersection in time and space of a motivated offender, an attractive target and lack of capable guardianship. Changes in routine activities in society (e.g. where both couples are working, construction of new roads) can influence crime rates. Peoples daily routine activities affect the likelihood of crime being committed (Cullen Agnew, 2002). . . . . .The routine activity approach still offers the best explanation for the rise in burglary in the United States and Western Europe during the 1960s and 1970s. Included in this explanation is the finding that the best predictor of annual burglary rates is the weight of the smallest television set sold each year. Another important component of the explanation is that far more homes in this period were left unguarded in the day as more women entered Full-time paid work. In fact, the most general explanation of crime rate trends is an indicator of the dispersion of activities away from family and household settings. As people spend more time among strangers and away from their own homes, their risk of personal and property victimization rises (Felson and Clarke, 1998). Every individual has specific areas in which they carry out their daily routine activities and this is called the activity space, domain or a potential path area. This area includes both the places that are visited and routes to such locations from their places of abode. In as much as people are not static, crime will have a non-static nature. In reality, some places, properties or facilities attract more crime than others. It is important to understand that in routine activity theory, crime do occur when there is interaction between a potential offender and a suitable target in time and space; opportunity which is being created by the lack of capable guardianship cannot be undermined. It is very essential to identify the available opportunities and put in place measures to either make these opportunities less attractive or show that the cost outweighs the benefits. These could be achieved through the use of Security devices and technology, proper lighting of an area, orientation and educating staff and visitors through various audio visual devices etc. Many businesses and organisations combine some of these procedures to control and manage crime (Hayes, 1991). Criminological theories play important roles in crime control and management as guidelines to what a Manager should look out for and how these factors should be managed in order to reduce crime. In some occasions where the capable guardianship is available, thefts are being attacked by the detectives in the store or those on patrol (Hayes, 1993; Jones, 1998). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Fraud costs the UK in excess of  £20 Billion. It recognised fraud as a low priority within UK Policing and the UK itself as having an uncoordinated approach (Simms C, Chief Constable West Midlands Police, 2010). In theory, victims are protected by law and most of the conveniences extended to them in the past will no longer be available when the credit reporting agencies have been contacted to report the crimes that thereby impress a theft flag on the victims credit file. Future lenders would be sceptical in exposing themselves to such customers and as such would be demanding for additional information and documents to verify the genuineness of the person requesting for credit facilities. Though, there are different types of customers who visit the organisations on daily basis, some visit with the intention to shoplift, window shop, to see demonstration of new products and to purchase products. It is certain that these groups of customers, with different motives behave differently when they are in the shop and their approaches to staff differ. This is where the level of education on delinquent and staff awareness about customers behaviour have to be improved upon. Security and safety at work place is every employees responsibility. Theft as a workplace crime impacts negatively on all parties involved with the organisation. The business operational costs are increased as a result of losses due to theft and these costs are passed on to their clients and employees. In most cases, it results to increasing costs of security maintenance, insurance premium and other elements of operational costs which will affect employees benefits depending on the magnitude of losses suffered by the organisation. In recent years, retailers have taken action to reduce theft by employees which accounted for 7 per cent of all retail crime by value in 2008-09. Employee theft includes theft of anything of value from the retailer by an employee or an accomplice, such as stealing merchandise, cash, retaining receipts, voiding a sale after a customer has paid and taking the cash, overcharging, short-changing, false mark-downs, coupon and voucher stuffing, credits for non-existent returns or exchanging counterfeit goods for genuine merchandise, and sliding a product through a lane without charging. It can also include serious financial fraud, involving senior or managerial staff. Improved security measures and investigations by expert staff appear to have reduced the opportunity for offences therefore deterring employee-related theft (BRC Retail Crime Survey, 2008: Pg 15). It is apparent that the true cost of theft crime in the workplace is unknown as some factors cannot be quantified. This includes business disruptions, employee morale, loss of customs, management time wasted on incident reporting and documentation (British Chambers of Commerce, 2002). High level workplace theft may also lead to company insolvency. Based on this, it is very important to understand the workplace and the nature of crime facing the business before putting in place any crime anticipatory measures or displacement measures. Rational choice emphasises that opportunity is core in the decision making by offenders when it comes to delinquencies. It is obvious from all indications that once the opportunity is displaced or appears to be of any value, a motivated offender may not notice a likely target. As a result of this, opportunities have to be identified and modified before the related crime can be perpetrated. By virtue of the fact that opportunity is requisite to crime occurrence, it is agreeable that rational choice theory interrelates with the routine activity theory which believes that crime can only happen when there is interception of certain elements. Working in an environment where there is an opportunity of having access to money and property does not translate to committing crime. This shows a subjective aspect of opportunity. It is therefore important to understand that certain factors like social desirability for the product or property, conceal ability of target and proximity do have supportive role to play in conjunction with opportunity for theft to occur (Hollinger and Clarke, 1983). In conclusion, it is therefore compulsory that a Security Manager, who has understood the surroundings where he works, should recognize the risk component, opportunities, and inspirational factors for possible offenders; use the mix understanding of these theories to design an approach to prevent the entire potential crime avenues. The combine knowledge of rational choice and routine activities theories give an insight into what to look out for and how to put in place the preventive measures to control crime. Theft as a workplace crime that can be managed by understanding what items offenders are looking out for, opportunities surrounding such items, characteristics of the targets and detailed understanding of the environment where the targets are situated. It is therefore evident that the knowledge of criminological theories has an immense role to play in assisting the security Manager to manage crimes such as theft in the workplace.

Development Of Cruise Industry And Time Sharing

Development Of Cruise Industry And Time Sharing Abstract Since the last ten years the market has seen an extensive growth in the contemporary cruise industry and there has been an increase in customer research on the innovative naval design ideas, lengths of the cruising ships, including splendid destinations on the global scale, including on-board and on-shore activities, as these are the plans that can help the people in getting the vacations they want. OBJECTIVES This paper will attempt to explore Cruise Market Timesharing along with important market predispositions, and important and valuable markets for the cruising business. The paper will also explore the competitive nature of the cruising industry along with the major competitors in the cruising industry also taking into account the leading business strategy. INTRODUCTION Development of Cruise Industry Cruise industry symbolizes a small part of the vacation business environment which itself is a very small portion of the leisure business. The cruise industry is attributed by extraordinary value proposition, great demand, favorable guest demographics, high guest fulfillment rate and positive supply vs. demand balance. The business has seen a large development over time and it is anticipated to grow more in the following years. Though, in 2009, the development in business has turned down, but it is anticipated to lift up again as the global economy improves progressively from the recession. Seeing the development potential in cruise industry, the number of competitors has raised and the existing competitors will be growing their capabilities in the following years. (Middlemiss McNulty, 2007) The cruise industry has its roots dating back to the 1970s and this is the era that has been seen an enormous growth in the North American industry. It has been seen that there has been an increase of popularization that is considered as a key factor in the tourism sector with an increase in the cruising business becoming an important economic factor. Cruise industry is an important example of the globalization having many destinations all around the world, the customers of cruising industry belong to various countries as well as the employees of the cruising industries are from various continents. In addition to this an important fact is that in the past there was an increased level of detachment from the rest of the societies and the countries that are now reduced along with an increase in an economic, legal, ecological and social implication. A crisis-resistant industry with a varied offer of airlift choices and ports that are more modernized have made people choose cruising as an option for having vacations as there is an increase in the consumers knowing the fact that cruising is more relaxing, eventful and an adventurous choice for more than a million consumers coming in to cruise from global destinations. Cruising is now considered as a dynamic business that has been known for an increase in the products that it has offered with a development in potential markets. As observed there has been an average 8.5% increase in the annual growth in cruising industry since the last 20 years, with an addition of almost 90 million passengers since the 80s. the reports have suggested that more than 60% of the current customers have been generated in the last ten years . since that time there has been no slowing down as there were more than 13 and 13.5 million passengers between 2008 and 2009 as compared to 13 million in the year of 2007, and these increases are also being observed in the coming years. An important part to be considered in the case of cruising industry is the capacity and since the last ten years and more there has been an increase in the capacity of cruise industry. The history has it that there were only 40 cruise ships in 1980s, with an addition of 80 vessels in the 1990s, with a 40% increase between the years of 2000 and 2005. These years these fleets have joined newly designed ships that have caused a 25% increase in the cruise ships. Recently there has been an increased investment in newer and more innovative ships that have a capacity of more than 3,000 passengers. These ships promise to offer lower shipping and cruising rates thereby helping in developing a better economy of scale . Some of the activities that are offered by these ships include multi-story shopping centers, cafes, restaurants, art galleries. Thereby these ships offer more than just the cruising experience to the customers. In the case of cruising ships it has been seen that there is a fleet that has a capacity to carry more than hundred cruise ships having the capacity of carrying more than millions of passengers. These ships travel and cruise through many geographical locations on the global scale that can cover more than 500 destinations worldwide. Of these, these days, Caribbean cruises are the most popular ones, than the Mediterranean cruises and European cruise ships that have reached destinations that include Barcelona, Athens and the Greek Islands, Amsterdam, the Scandinavia Fjords, Helsinki, and San Petersburg. However, the North America is the main market for cruise trade. Though the area signifies the most mature marketplace of cruise business, with mainstream of travelers originating from the United States, it is still immature with large potential. Therefore, business players are working to raise their ship capabilities and lower berth capabilities to fulfill the increasing need of the business. Europe is the 2nd largest marketplace after North America, symbolizing the fastest developing marketplace. The European cruise business continues to boost its share of the international cruise marketplace, with United Kingdom being the biggest shareholder in the European marketplace. (Anonymous, 2006) The major strengths of the cruise line market are its extreme desirability among customers. Cruises attract to the US citizens desire of adventure. The 2nd strength is that cruise lines industry has demonstrated a great capability to modify their product to fulfill famous social trends and extend into untapped marketplaces. The current trend to present a large range of entertainments and the current fame of Theme Cruises has been a worthwhile asset. The presenting of different priced cruises is also sign of the industrys capability to change and as a consequence expand their marketplace. The spreading out into foreign marketplace is further proof of this strength (Mancini, 2003). The cruise line market has shown the capability to not only discover new marketplaces, but to take over them as well. And the final benefit is that the cruise line business operates at 100 percent capacity. The international cruise business is now looking towards Asia as a key development engine. The Asian cruise industry is increasing at a good growth pace. With the increasing middle class group and the growing interest of individuals in cruising businesses, this area gives ample development potential for the players. Being among the top ideal destination for passengers, the Australian and Singapore cruise market can witness large development in upcoming years. With an increase in the business of the cruising industry there has been an increase in the demand of better organizational structures and better planning and strategic structures that can increase competition on the global scale. These competitions are based on the potential markets that are being focused and that have been able to generate higher revenues with an addition of the markets from North America and Britain. Safety and Security Recently it has been found that the number of tourists worldwide who hire cruise vacations stands at approximately 13.4 million, symbolizing around 1.8 percent of the total global travel market, as anticipated by the World Tourism Organization. Roger Cartwright and Carolyn Baird, 2007 also mentioned that the far from being disheartened at this existing level of market portion, the business fully identifies the opportunities ahead as players expand into modern forms of cruises (containing the niche budget option); set their objectives on various demographic groups; and, head for new waters. (Cartwright Baird, 2007) Within one year there are more than 13 million passengers who enjoy the cruising each year and the main aim behind these cruises is to ensure the safety and enjoyment of the cruising customers. The help of extra protection provided by law enforcement agencies, FBI and U.S. Coast Guard, ensures the safety of the customers. In order to maximize the protection of the customers there are numerous codes that are to be followed by the cruise lines. CLIA policies have been recently approved that ensure an increased level of security. On an annual basis an examination known as Control Verification Certificate examination is conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard. An important part of the cruising industry is a Security Committee that is composed of security officers. These security officers are responsible for meeting the law enforcement and intelligence agencies in order to discuss the issues that relate to ship security and intelligence assessments. Competition in Cruise Industry Currently the cruise line business has been undergoing a period of huge development over the last 10 years. By some calculations, the cruise market in US alone has earned over $32 billion during 2005. Such income makes sure that the cruise business remains one of the very competitive across all marketplaces. Even smaller marketplaces have been experiencing a boost in cruise business operations. The Canadian marketplace has seen some ports increased over ninety cruise ship callings on a yearly basis and this is a large amount of traffic for a conventional smaller market. Therefore, the competitive profile for the business has boosted in terms of market share and competitive contention. (Dickinson Vladimir, 2007) These days it has been seen that the cruise shipping volume is smaller as there are barriers associated with the entrance and exits along with higher costs of selling and purchasing the cruise ships. In addition to this there are higher investments needed in the managing cruise lines as there are influences of these purchases on the multiple strategies related to organizational and management of these cruise lines. Important actors that have been identified in the case of increased and changing bargaining power and capability of the cruise industries in order to gain advantages of better economies include the size of the market that is effective in two different ways; a) There are a lesser shipbuilders and technology developers in the cruising industry that are able to accept the prices that are offered to them; b) There are a large number of suppliers and equipment thereby there is a great choice of bargain; Thereby there are a lesser number of companies left that are more vary of the potential threats that are faced by the companies for the clientele in order to provide the customers with options as improved vacation strategies, sightseeing vacations, including thematic parks. There are many opportunities that have caused planning diverse strategies that can help the specialization in specific areas of business. Newly designed strategies have also helped in the development of better cruising products that help to serve massive consumer markets. There has been a great change in the marketing strategy along with a great change in the brand image that has caused an improvement in the commercial environment. DISCUSSION The cruise industry has been seen to be threatened by such events as Achille Lauro hijack in 1985, the Iraq and Kosovo wars, and September 11 attacks, and these include the process of restructuration and merging in the cruising sector. Among the cruising companies, Renaissance Cruises was among the first ones to file for bankruptcy in 2001, after this American Classic Voyages and ten well-known brand names, a result of which there was a cease in operations thereby leaving the market open for the largest cruise companies that include Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Cruise Limited and Star Cruises. The Carnival Corporation, having a headquartered in Miami and London is considered as a leader in the cruising industry. This is the company that has over 12 cruise brands in North America, Europe and Australia operating more than 89 cruise ships, along with more than 65,000 shipboard employees and 170,000 guests all around the world. It has been seen that the corporate offices of some of some of the cruise companies are located in the United States and Europe as the clients of these organizations. The companies have their fleets registered in the countries as Panama, Bermuda, Liberia, and Bahamas. Some of the main revenues that are generated in this case are from the passengers and by the help of maintaining the clients that helps in the financial stability. On the other hand, it has been seen that the cruise fares play important roles in the commercial relations of the cruise industry. These days there is an increase in the number of items and services provided by the cruising ships for the customers. For instance as compared to the older days there is an increased number of spa and personal care services, shipboard stores and boutiques, photography departments and art auctions at prices that have been the cause of an increased competition. Some of these services are offered by the concessionaires and subcontractors. Other than these there are some Cruise companies that have started to introduce varied practices in order to build the customer base that makes them spend more money. These services include cybercafà ©s, satellite telephone services, restaurants and bars, and diverse revenue-generating schemes in passengers cabins that include the interactive multimedia and TV, minibars. One of the main aims that are linked with cruising includes relaxing and having a vacation whereas there is one class of consumers that are more into enjoying all kinds of services that are being provided along with enjoying all the destinations. Thereby there has been an increase in the kind of activities that are being offered at the cruise ships that include gambling, videogames, adventure sports, computers, culinary workshops, and virtual reality centers, theme nights and so on. On the other hand it has been seen that passengers on the cruise ships are also encouraged to participate in an increasing number of onshore activities. The marketing campaigns of these activities on the ships began in the 1980s and since that time there has been an increase in the number of excursion tours and port lecturers, contracted with local concessionaires and tour operators so that later on it can be sold to passengers onboard. Cruising may last for several hours as the time increase when there is anchoring and the ship is docked. These dockings also provide different themes and a number of activities that include sightseeing, as there are sites that include natural, ecological and bio spherical locations. Along with these the destinations include wildlife viewing; adventure sports excursions, adventure tours, along with diverse environments that include natural environments; and historical places and cultural tours, museums and monumental heritages. It has been seen that these days the cruise industry has been able to maintain good relationships with the land-based tourism industry. In addition to this the bargaining power has also increased in the recent years and these have impacts on the services and these bargaining powers have also provided additional income from selling of such products and services. It has been estimated that there is an additional income associated with an arrangement of the On-shore excursions and visits to ports for many cruise companies. Thereby as a service it has been seen that passengers are provided with a map from which the passengers can select their destinations. These maps also include service shops that are associated with the cruise shops along with commercial establishments in a specific area.. In the year of 1990, it was seen that there were changes in these strategies provided to the passengers as there was an introduction of the concept of Private Island. This concept was developed by Norwegian Cruise Lines and was later on adopted by other companies that were providing the cruising services in the Caribbean waters. These strategies have been the cause of additional incomes for these companies. Newer cruise companies have an additional control over some shops. Other than onboard revenue, there are many alternative ways by the help of which cruise industries are making money having better economic results as there has been an increase in the economies of scale and there has been an improved in the management systems. Economic scales have also shown changes in the case of cruising industries as there has been an increase in the port-related activities with an increase in the port based activities. Thereby ports are now the source of an increased incomes even since the 9/11 attacks, as there has been a redesigning of the cruise routes as these routes are now closer to United States. These changes in routes have now caused a great change in the market trends in the case of Caribbean cities that have offered a reduction in the port charges. One of the most important facts in this case illustrates the fact that cruise companies are now playing important roles in an economic development along with a port facilities and infrastructures. Future Trends Within a short time, there has been an increase in the potential growth of cruise industry with an increase in the capability to move ships and fleets with an increase in the cruising demands. There has been an increase in the fuel price in the face of economic crisis, an increase in the terrorism, along with an increase in the political instability have been some of the most important challenges that are being faced by the cruise industries. Since the last ten years, cruise companies have ordered new and improved ships on the daily basis. On the other hand, the new ships that have been ordered are the ones that the new ships have added additional 20 billion dollars with an addition of 85,480 berths in the cruising market. It has been estimated that until 2012 there will be an addition of 4.2 million passengers. On the other hand, cruising companies including Royal Caribbean International have been ordering more innovative and luxurious ships that have additional capacities that also include Genesis-class vessels, and these have the cost of around $1.65 billion. On the other hand it has been seen that these new ships have an additional capacity of 5,400 passengers and 2,100 crewmembers. However one of the main changes that have taken place is that there are slower economic changes that have caused reconsideration in the business having a control over the costs and a reduction in the costs. But there have been some studies carried out by the financial analysts and they have argued that there will be no effects of these economic changes on the passengers. There have been many arrangements made by these companies with additional fleets that are equipped with more innovative services and technologies. These services promise better services to the passengers as there has been an increase in the innovative ships that can offer better services and better environments to the passengers. Many cruise executives are convinced that the current economic situation has an advantage on the cruise companies. CONCLUSION It has been seen that the cruise companies is now a more competitive market business. There has been an increase in the development of the cruise business with an increase in the business competition with latest and more innovative ships and improved technology. With this there is an addition of many clients and customers that have become more demanding with increased demands of 24 hour entertainment. There is an increase in the strains that are being faced. There is a need to increase the clients as these clients are the only source of profits as there is a need to market share and sales volume. Thereby there is a need of new clientele that can help the cruise industry to compete with greater and better challenges. These days it has been seen that the companies are now competing for new Asian markets , Middle East, Amazon and Brazil, Greenland and the Antarctic regions, as it has been realized that there are regions that offer better prospects for profits.