Comparing and Contrasting Hinduism and Bhuddism Essay

​Being dedicated is what it takes for these two religions Hinduism and Buddhism. They are considered a way of life for some people. They are two of the most influential and practiced religions in the world today. Millions of people partake in these historical religions. Hinduism dates back to 1500 B.C. Buddhism developed a little while after Hinduism. They both derived in the very rooted country India. Hinduism and Bhuddism have many similarities and differences. ​Hinduism and Buddhism are very similar in many aspects. Both religions goal is to reach enlightenment. Enlightenment means wisdom. In Hinduism it is described as moksha. In Buddhism it is described as Nirvana. In both religions they try and reach this state of perfect understanding. In both religions reaching this state of perfect understanding involves reincarnation. Reincarnation is known as rebirth. It is when an individual soul is born again and again until enlightenment is achieved. These two religions may be similar when it comes to their goal but they do have many differences that make the two separate religions. ​Hinduism and Bhuddism have huge differences. Both religions’ founder and origins are different. In Hinduism is a collection of religious beliefs. It is the result of cultural diffusion. Because of that Hinduism has no founder. Non-Aryan and Aryan beliefs intertwined and developed into one religion. There are thousands of gods in this engaging religion. Unlike Hinduism in Buddhism there is a founder. Interestingly Bhuddism derived from the same period as Hinduism. Bhuddism is the result of religious questioning. Siddhartha Gautman aka Buddha is the founder of Bhuddism. He went on a quest to seek religious truth and an end to religious suffering. From then on he was called the enlightened one and Bhuddism was developed out of his discoveries and philosophy. ​In conclusion, Hinduism and Bhuddism have many things they make them different and alike. Hinduism and Bhuddism are what shaped people’s beliefs and understandings in that time period. These are the two religions that developed in the Vedic age. Currently almost 1/5th of the world today practiced these two religions. They are two very respected beliefs still being applied to lives today.

Endangered Species Speech Essay

â€Å"DOOMED† was the headline on the front page of the United Kingdom newspaper, the Daily Mirror, in 1961. The article explained how rhinos were doomed to disappear from the face of the earth due to man’s folly, greed, and neglect. Rhinos once roamed many places throughout Eurasia and Africa and were known to early Europeans who depicted them in cave paintings. Long ago they were widespread across Africa’s savannas and Asia’s tropical forests, but today very few rhinos survive outside national parks and reserves. 52 years after the article we find that the diceros bicornis or the black rhino is indeed doomed. This rhino has been named critically endangered with a population today of only 4,848. These rhinos are found throughout southern and eastern Africa including Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Angola. My knowledge of the black rhino has increased dramatically due to my interest in endangered species. I became interested in endangered species when an advocate from the World Wildlife Foundation came to my school in 8th grade. Ever since, I have kept up with their website and read articles on what this incredible organization is doing for the advancement of endangered species. The St. Louis zoo is home to three black rhinos named Ruka, Kati Rain, and Ajabu. Ruka was born on January 14th, 2011 and was the first black rhino born in the St. Louis zoo in twenty years. In 38 zoos across the nation there are a total of 60 black rhinos. Although humans pose numerous threats to this critically endangered species of rhino, there are many conservation efforts being started to help increase the number of rhinos in the future. Why do rhinos matter? In almost all rhino conservation areas, there are other valuable plants and animals. The protection of rhinos helps protect other species including elephants, buffalo, and small game. Rhinos contribute to economic growth and sustainable development through the tourism industry, whic h creates job opportunities and provides tangible benefits to local communities living alongside rhinos. Rhinos are one of the â€Å"Big 5† animals popular on African safaris and they are a popular tourism draw in places like the Eastern Himalayas. The black rhino weighs around 1 to 1  ½ tons and the height of this rhino is relative to a 6 foot tall man. The rhino has two horns made of a substance similar to that of human fingernails. Sometimes the horns will fall off but they will eventually regenerate. The anterior horn near the front of the head is the larger of the two ranging in size from 3 inches to 5 feet. The shape of the horn also differs between sexes: with males tending to have thicker horns, and the females often longer and thinner ones. The female black rhino uses her horn to protect her young from predators such as lions, crocodiles, and hyenas. The men black rhino uses his horn to battle attackers. Humans are the only real threat to adult black rhinos. No other animal is a match for a full-grown rhino and its heavily armored body of very thick skin and lethal horns. Even though no animal is a match for a black rhino, humans are a major threat their population. Humans jeopardize the survival of the black rhino in many ways. Habitat changes have contributed to population declines. In southern Zimbabwe, privately owned rhino conservancies have been invaded by landless people. This reduces the amount of safe habitat for black rhinos and increases the risk of poaching. Poaching is the illegal practice of trespassing on another’s property to hunt or steal game without the land owner’s permission. Poaching is the leading threat against the critically endangered black rhinos. Poaching statistics released by the South African government reveal 668 rhinos were slaughtered—a 50% increase over 2011 and a staggering 5000% increase since 2007. Already, an additional five rhinos have been killed since the beginning of this year. Matthew Lewis, an African species expert, believes â€Å"poaching is a scourge that could wipe out decades of conservation gains made for black rhinos. A recent demand for the rhino horn has driven poaching to a record high level. In South Africa in 2010, a total of 333 rhinos were killed- almost one a day. In several Asian cultures, people believe that a rhino horn provides powerful medicine for a variety of ailments. Others, mainly those in northern Africa, use the rhino horns to make handles for special daggers. Since these rhino horns are usually very high in price, many poachers are willing to break the law and kill the se endangered animals. Poaching increases during times of political and economic instability. The social and economic conditions prevalent across much of the African continent include human population growth, poverty, instability, corruption and greed. During times of political instability and war outbreak it makes it hard to work on rhino conservation. The natives are worried more about the country as a whole than on helping conserve the rhino population. Despite the many threats against the black rhino, recent efforts have been made to increase the population. The World Wildlife Foundation has been involved in rhino conservation for nearly 50 years. The conservation efforts will expand existing protected areas and improve their management as well as establishing new protected areas, improve security monitoring to protect rhinos from poaching, and improve local and international law enforcement to stop the flow of rhino horn and other illegal wildlife trade items from Africa to other regions of the world. In October 2011, The World Wildlife Foundation successfully established a spacious and safe environment for black rhinos in an effort called â€Å"The Flying Rhinos†. Nineteen critically endangered black rhinos were transported via helicopter to a land vehicle. They spent less than 10 minutes in the air and the sedated animals woke up in a new home. This provided new territory where the rhinos have a greater opportunity to increase in number and live safe from poachers. Tracking the illegal wildlife trade and poaching will help the rhinos live safely in the wild. The World WildLife Foundation is setting up a rhino horn DNA analysis (RHODIS) that helps contribute to forensic investigations at the scene of poaching crimes and also serves as evidence to strengthen prosecution cases. TRAFFIC, the world’s largest wildlife trade monitoring network has played a vital role in helping develop innovative new transmitters to track rhino movements and protect them from poaching. They also helped set up an anonymous hotline that allows people to inform the authorities about poaching. To monitor and protect black rhinos the focus is on anti poaching patrols and more equipped law enforcement officers. Hopefully these valiant and strategic efforts will benefit the black rhino population in the future. Dr. Barney Long, an Asian species expert, expressed that â€Å"Rhinos have been an integral part of the natural world for tens of millions of years, and humankind is causing dramatic declines in just a few decades. We ca n change the outcome.† The black rhino is an incredible animal with many benefits to the world around us. Humans have been causing harm to species through poaching to use the rhino’s horn, political instability and war, and habitat loss. Although humans over the years have caused a decline in the rhino population, there are many conservation efforts in place to help increase the number of rhinos in the future. Tracking illegal wildlife trade and poaching, monitoring and protecting the areas where rhinos live, and creating new and innovative endeavors such as the Flying Rhinos are helping the rhinos tremendously already. The World Wildlife Foundation along with other organizations are putting in time and effort to save this amazing species of rhino, but they need your help! Push governments to protect threatened animal populations by increasing law enforcement, imposing strict deterrents, and reducing the demand for endangered species products. Hopefully, one day we will see the black rhino roam freely across the savanna once again.

Power and Privilege Exclusion by Race Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Power and Privilege Exclusion by Race - Essay Example There is no doubt that the law has been used to further discrimination against racial minorities. The law as a political instrument. In a case called City of Memphis v. Greene, 451 U.S. 100, 123,126-27 (1981), the attempt to use the law as an agent of political discrimination is obvious. A white neighborhood association did not want the members of a black neighborhood to drive through their residential area. The City of Memphis, bowing under the pressure of the whites, passed an ordinance that closed the most convenient street giving access to the center of the city. In what can only be described as a wrong-headed decision, the Supreme Court sided with the residents in the name of "residential tranquility." A more classic use of the law as a political instrument could hardly be constructed. The in-power whites did not want the blacks to drive their streets; evidencing pure racism. Their ability to convince the city to close the street and exclude the black community from conveniently driving to the city center demonstrates a regional disregard for those citizens; and the Supreme Court's action took that disregard to a national level. Imagine, if you were a black resident of Memphis at the time, how disenfranchised you would feel. The city, as well as the nation, is telling you to drive out of your way just to preserve the tranquility of white racists. This is not the use of law, it is the abuse of law to further the agenda of the powerful and keep the out-class down. Justice and fairness. Similar to the case above, and a decision which flies in the face of the notion of fairness, the matter of Hernandez v. New York, 111 S. Ct. 1859 (1991), comes to the fore. In this instance, a prosecutor sought to exclude the plaintiff from sitting on a jury simply as a result of Hispanic ancestry. The claim was made that individual Latinos might have difficulty in understanding written documents submitted during the course of the trial, and should not be allowed to sit as jurors. The implication of this assumption is as bizarre as it is inappropriate. While the Supreme Court sided with the prosecution for technical reasons, the racism implied in the very act is clearly apparent; and its extension as a precedent speaks volumes regarding the political use of power and the law. In fact, it should be noted that "[w]here a rule has such a massively disproportionate impact, it is tempting to equate the impact, exclusion of Latinos, with an intent to exclude that grou p" (Friedman and Israel 1745). While the prosecutor in the case may not have intentionally meant to discriminate against an entire class of people, the notion that Hispanics cannot sit on American juries because they may not speak the language well enough is an ugly message to send. Imagine living in the U.S. as a third-generation Latina and being told that you were unfit for jury duty because you were sub-literate. The point you would get was that you were incapable of participating in the legal system because you were inferior as a result of your race. This is neither just nor fair. Once again, the powerful have designed and are perpetuating the institutionalized structure of excluding any one not resembling the people of privilege.

Auditing theory and practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Auditing theory and practice - Essay Example The company follows (assumption) international accounting standards (IAS) and international financial reporting system (IFRS) for accounting and presenting its financial statements. In addition, since the company operates in UK, all the relevant UK laws and regulations are applicable for its operations, financial statements development and reporting along with disclosure requirements. The company is facing stiff competition in the perfect competition market in which it operates. This has caused the company to reduce its selling price in order to remain competitive in the marketplace. This cost cutting has adversely affected the sales revenue growth rate and hence, the profitability. This is a prominent business risk that the company has been unable to satisfactorily deal with; as a result, the company has to bear a loss in 2005. In addition, another glaring risk is the ownership structure of the firm and demise of the majority shareholder Mr. Kale. This might lead to power struggle in the company which ultimately results in loss of productivity and negative politics. Together these five areas can be used to gather insightful information about the company’s internal control environment and its effectiveness in preventing, detecting or mitigating risks to the company. The control environment refers to the overall organisation structure and values system. The commitment of top management is mandatory, and control environment study provides assurance about top management’s philosophy and operating styles. These are reflected in company’s policies, strategies and operating procedures. The auditor should conduct detailed interviews with top management and should study the company documentation to gather information about the control environment of the company; as top management is ultimately responsible for implementing and operating the corporate governance structure for the company. Studying the control environment with a view to identify management’s

Room 4 Moms Ideas Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Room 4 Moms Ideas - Article Example The researcher states that nurses have to ensure that there is; respect for human dignity, the good relationship between nurses and patients respect for the nature of health problems of the patients, privacy, and confidentiality of the patients is maintained, and more so, there is a good healthy environment. Nurses cannot achieve all of this attributes unless they have a good philosophy that guides them. It is good to appreciate the efforts put in place by room 4 moms. â€Å"Thank you for the efforts that you have put in place to offer the best services to your patients.† Jean Watson in his notes about human caring highlights some factors that can help one in caring for their patients. This factors are; ‘formation of humanistic-altruistic system of value, instillation of faith-hope, cultivation of sensitivity to one’s self and to others, development of a help and trust, human caring relationship, promotion and acceptance of the expression of positive attitude, neg ative feelings, systematic use of a creative problem and solving caring process, promotion of transpersonal teaching and learning, provision for a supportive, protective, or corrective mental, Physical, societal, and spiritual environment, assistance with gratification of human needs and allowance for existential-phenomenological-spiritual forces’. With all this in place then nursing becomes more philosophical, ethical and intellectually outlined. The room 4 moms come in with the issue of involving one's family in their nursing fields. This gives both the patient and the nurse to have a caring moment with each other. They both come together and share their unique life histories. The coming together at any given moment becomes an inclination point in space and time. During this time, experience and perception take place, but the moment shared together has a significant impact on the patient. They feel encouraged, and they feel both loved and wanted in the society rather than c onsidering them as the liability. The mom`s in rooms 4 believes in Watson`s theory about human caring. Watson at one point in his theory names ‘caring or healing for consciousnesses.

Chech the pic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Chech the pic - Essay Example The metal has been carefully shaped in the form of a horse’s body. The center of interest of the art is the body and torso that clearly resemble a horse. The ring of metal at its neck also presents the straps of leather and rope used to provide support to the horse rider. The scale of the art also presents a relation of the sculpture to visual arts. Its size resembles that of a mature horse. As a result, the scale offers the audience with a better view of the sculpture unlike in other small-scaled sculptures. Additionally, the balancing aspect has also been adopted in Deborahs artwork. The Balance has been emphasized where it has provided the composition with a stable structure that can stand on its own. Elements of the design have been emphasized on the sculpture including the space occupied, texture, and harmony among others. Her sculpture presents a smooth surface despite the perception that her artwork is m from scrap materials. The harmony is also emphasized due to its composition of similar units. Unity has also been emphasized on the artwork to the constituency of material used in the sculpture. The materials have been strategically places to present a unified artwork. A division of the artwork will change the entire perception of her work. Deborah Butterfields work has been recognized with various art conferences and awards. Notably, most of her works include the use of junk or scrap that is readily available to make her sculptures. She has mostly been known for making sculptures from pieces of wood and metal that she started from the early 1980s. Deborahs works have been recognized due to the application of different aspects of visual arts and film. Delilah has used different color themes in her artwork that could express different moods. The visual effects make different impressions to the observing eye. The hand in the artwork could symbolize a normal human hand that is used in hard work and

The Different Scial Status for Ancient Chinese Women Research Paper

The Different Scial Status for Ancient Chinese Women - Research Paper Example This essay stresses that the place of women in the society has always been an issue of concern for many decades. It is of crucial significance to note that in earlier days, women were considered less superior in many aspects of life. This consideration built a lot of misconception in the minds of the people, especially men in the society. The chauvinism aspects of the male species majorly reinforced these forms of misconceptions and ill beliefs towards the women. It is of crucial significance to note that male chauvinism as well as the ingrained mental misconceptions and ill beliefs led to several forms of oppressions to the women. It is important to note that these oppressions and sufferings that women underwent were a global ordeal in the ancient times. This paper makes a conclusion that it is critical to note that in the ancient days, the women were only expected to play domestic roles, limited to good mothering as well as performing other domestic chores. However, other roles within the society were preserves for men. Women were never allowed to run the families for this was purposefully a man’s role. In addition, women were not allowed to hold any offices. Moreover, the women were never allowed to take part in any constructive debates, discussions or sharing ideas in the society concerning certain issues. However, it is of crucial significance to note that with revolution as well as modernization, the situation has changed considerably. In the current world, women have been empowered to an extent that they perform same roles as men.

An inportant Miami building Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

An inportant Miami building - Essay Example Davis construction company. It is considered a good example of Spanish renaissance architecture given the design and components of the building. The following is a discussion of the style and components of the building. The design of the building was undertaken in 1927 by Phineas Paist, in July 1927 construction of the building began and completed in February 1928. Construction was undertaken by P. Davis Construction Company and total construction costs amounted to over $200 thousand, the hurricane that struck in 1926 led to a financial crisis and therefore the government had no option but to sell bonds in order to finance the construction of the city hall. Only two internal modifications have been undertaken one in 1956 and the other in 1958, the first modification which was in 1956 involved creating more room in the second floor, originally the second floor rooms were lit by the numerous windows on the semicircular side of the building, these windows were sealed and the room enlarged to create more room for public seating. In 1958 the first floor was modified to create room for more counters and during this modification new drop ceiling and lighting were installed. It is a three storey building containing ... The image above shows the semicircular wing, the rectangular wing and the tower. Descriptions: a. Exterior: The building is constructed in the Spanish renaissance style, it is a three storey apsidal shaped structure with a semicircular shaped part and rectangular shaped part, the semicircular shaped part is supported by twelve cylindrical concrete pillars and the wall below this shape has ten windows and four doors all spaced at regular intervals, on top of the semicircular part of the building are two flags post on each side. The top of the building is a three tier stone tower, each tier is square shape and that each tier is smaller than the lower tier. The top tier has a clock on each of the four sides and above it is a bronze bell that weighs 500 pounds. The middle tier has a square window on each side while the bottom tier is made of stone walls. The building has three entrances and this include the north, west and south entrance, the north entrance is the main entrance and has a panel supported by pillars containing the name City Hall. The south entrance has a balcony above two windows of the ground floor and it is supported by pillars while the west entrance also has a balcony supported by pillars. Each floor has a belt coursing and different from the others and this means that each floor has a different design, the first floor has no decorations and columns are ordered, the second floor is extensively decorated and has larger windows than the first floor, the third floor has smaller windows than the second floor, and finally the roof is made of Cuban barrel tiles. It is therefore evident that the exterior and interior design resembles Spanish renaissance architecture, and this is due to

Minnie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Minnie - Essay Example In the first stanza it is described about how the "sweet and cute" little Minnie becomes a responsible sister "at the age of four". In spite of her tender age since a baby boy is borne after her she has to take care of him. The line 'you are the big sis' connotes that the caring attitude and attention of the elders is now diverted from the girl child to the baby boy. Not only that, the girl is considered as big enough to take care of her little brother. The girl succumbs to the pressure of the elders and makes "compromises" throughout her childhood. Here "compromises" means the character Minnie has abandoned her rights of being loved and cared in her playful days for the reason that she is borne as a girl child and there is a boy already there who deserves more attention as per social norms. The second stanza provides a good continuity to the narration where Minnie, the character of the poem is in her youthful years. By the line "Wedding bells and diamond ring" it is intended that a girl in her nubile age can be of very romantic and contemplative about the beauties of everything. She dreams of love, romance, and an understanding life partner. The beautiful days, she dreamt of are not so long lasting for her. After marriage she hears from everybody that she has grown up to a "wise woman" and she should make adjustments with her husband, with the in-laws and with every situation. The line "Prudent Woman, respect man" is intended to the voice of the society which clearly speaks of male dominance and their presence at the helm of affairs. The allusion of male chauvinism can be very well deciphered from the above line. The third stanza typically describes the plight of woman particularly during her old age. Minnie is now completely alone. She has her children but has been deserted by all. Though she has poured her love, affection to all members of her family but those are hardly remembered by them. A widow who has not learned to face the challenges of the outer world often cries in the lone life. But what she can do except accepting the situation as they are and making compromises. The poem reiterates the prevalence of gender discrimination in the contemporary society, where woman has to take a backseat in the social hierarchy. Least importance is being given to their cause and comfort. Throughout their life they suffer by adjusting to the adverse situations. A Short Story: Independence Day It was an early awakening for Zayed. He sat and looked at his Grandpa's photograph. Usually, he wakes at six (of course after Mama's yelling), keeps his bedding and sleeping mat in proper place, brushes in few seconds and goes out to bring a pouch of milk. Everyday Zayed used to

Personal statment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Personal statment - Essay Example I have seen enough problems since my growing up years such as poverty, sicknesses, abuse, divorce, teenage pregnancies, addiction and related unfortunate events. I strongly believe that solutions exist in creative ways even in the direst situations and that I can be a part of this solution. I am most willing to take on leadership and set preliminary actions even in a very small way to contribute to the betterment of the neighbourhood I live in. I have been very interested to be involved in small projects that help individuals or groups that enables them to face crisis and get back to their abilities to take on their responsibilities in their families and function normally. I have always been an encourager to my friends and it has been almost â€Å"automatic† to me to offer them anything that I have that can be beneficial in improving their situation or achieving their goals. It is most vivid to my memory just about five years ago when one of our neighbour’s child, of 10 years old at that time, had been diagnosed of leukemia which resulted to his single mother having depression, also because she didn’t have enough financial support and resources to provide for her child. When I knew about this situation, I knew exactly what to do. I was moved with compassion and burning desire to help this single-parent family albeit I was very young at that time. I did several inquiries in Red Cross and other non-gover nment organisations that I know of, about what help can be delivered in this family. Eventually, through the cooperation of my parents, relatives and other friends in the neighbourhood, we were able to run fund raising activities by selling hand-painted crafts that bear the signature of the child with leukaemia. We were able to raise about 1000 pounds for the whole 6-month duration of our fund-raising. This provided a big sustenance to some of their needs. And the mother recovered from her depression, as we encouraged her to be active in the fund-raising that we

Ethnic group Essay Example for Free

Ethnic group Essay What do we mean by ethnicity and what are some of the most important types of ethnic identification? Discuss how a country’s transition to democracy might increase ethnic tensions in some cases and decrease it in others. According to Handelman, â€Å"ethnicity is a social construction with certain common qualities† (2001). What this means in my opinion is the ethnicity is identifying with a group based on what that group has similar or alike. According to that text the most identifying types of ethnicity groups are Nationality, tribes, race and religion. Nationality is almost self-explanatory; this identifier of ethnicity is based on what the commonalty of being from the same county or land. Nationality is the combination of having the same culture, speak the same language, and having the same genealogical background. An example of this ethnic group would be like native India to the Haitians or Japanese people. This leads way to the next group tribes. A tribe is, â€Å" sub-national groups, particularly in Africa, that share a collective identity which include language and common lineage† (Handelman, 2001). I believe that tribe is not limited to those in Africa but also reaches to the many various tribes in the rain forest to Austria. This group I feel is a sub group within nationality, tribes form the same land loses the connective to Nationality based on the separation of language, culture and linage. Next we have race, basically race is based on physical identifying characteristics such skin completion and so forth. Race can be a little more harder to identify correctly based on so many factors can cause the appearance of one race on another. Also with race, it can be a common factor with tribe and nationality but the two groups still have separation despite that common trait. Last but not least is religion, unlike the others this group can be a self-choice to join. This group at most times can be based on nationality, tribe or race but can change because one’s identifying with a particular religion. Ethnicity can play a role of hindrance and positive for movement towards democracy. As defined â€Å"democracy is measured by the transparency and fairness of the essential procedures governing the election and behavior of government officials† (Handelman, 2001). Based on the different groups of ethnicity, democracy can be hinders because of one’s strong connection to it group. For example, to have a full democracy both men and women should vote, some tribes and religions do not agree with women have voting rights. Some people are so proud of their nationality and some to their race that they feel that they are the better group and do not feel others should right. On the other end of the spectrum ethnicity can help with transition towards democracy based on it wanting to come together for a greater good. For instance two races or nationalities joining together against a common enemy fight towards a form of democracy. Handelman, H. (2011 ). Dependency, Modernization, and Ethnic Conflict. In The Challenge Of Third World Development (p. 113). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.

The Impacts Of Tourism Development Tourism Essay

The Impacts Of Tourism Development Tourism Essay The aim of the study is to examine the importance of tourism development in the region of Trou-aux-Biches whilst investigating the benefits and drawbacks of such a development. Objectives of study The objectives of the study are to Assess the perceptions of inhabitants towards tourism development in the region. Investigate the benefits and drawbacks of tourism development in the region. Explore the transformation that the region and the locals have experienced during its tourism development phase. To know to what extent the host community is involved in decision making concerning tourism development. Problem Statement Contemporarily, tourism industry is a thriving industry and has become a boon for many countries, most especially for the developing countries that have no other reliable and alternative resources other than tourism. Tourism contributes drastically to the local economy, social and environmental aspects (quoted from?!!). Many local communities recognize that tourism can inspire change in social, cultural, economic and environmental dimensions, where tourism interests have had a close bond with the local people (Richards Hall 2000, Beeton; 2006). Initially, the economic aspect is one of the most significant aspects which is affected by tourism as it acts as an export industry by generating revenues to the host country. A host nation will gain foreign exchange, which will contribute to improve the nations balance of payments (Liu and Var, 1986; Dogan, 1987, Gee et al, 1997) Furthermore, improvements in the social area are equally of vital importance as it helps the locals to get employment in the tourism sector. Thus, it decreases unemployment by creating new job opportunities (Sheldon and Var, 1984). Consequently, the inhabitants also have a better standard of living and advanced income with the tourism activities. Moreover, environment as well plays a fundamental role in the tourism context. The environment is perhaps one of the most vital providers to the allure and magnetism of a destination. Picturesque spots, pleasant climates and distinctive landscape attributes have an essential impact in tourism development and the spatial circulation of tourism movement (Coccossis and Nijkamp, 1995). Increasing for tourism encourages new infrastructure investment (Inskeep, 1991), and communication and transport possibilities (Milman and Pizam, 1988). However, if tourism is not well planned and managed, it may lead to negative impacts and reduce the efficiency of the positive ones. The benefits received from tourism development many not always be positive, but also has the prospective for negative outcomes at the local level (Lankford Howard, 1994). Thus, it is usually believed that residents perceptions are of vital importance and they should be involved in the crucial planning and policy consideration of the successful tourism development. Chapter 2: Literature review This chapter provides a synopsis on tourism development and most specifically residents perceptions regarding tourism expansion in Mauritius. Many examples are based on the region of Trou-aux-Biches where the opinions of the residents have been taken into consideration. The literature review will be based on the following topics which are mainly: tourism development, tourism impacts, and residents perceptions towards tourism development. 2.1 Introduction: Tourism is one of the largest growing industries in the world (Choi et al, 2008; United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) 2009). Tourism has been a great help and a boon to many countries, most especially the developing countries or countries with no alternative resources other than tourism. However in recent years, a change has been observed in the behavior of tourists. Tourists are now getting more and more interested in destination whereby local cultural, ethnics, indigenous customs and the historical heritage have their own importance and where they are managed in a responsible manner. There is no doubt that tourism contributes significantly to major economic benefits of countries, especially in the case of Small Island Developing State (SIDS) countries like Mauritius. Nevertheless, several studies have also shown that tourism industry also contributes to environmental degradation and negative social and cultural impacts (Choi et al, 2008). Nowadays, tourism is valued as an economic giant not only for developing countries but even for the developed countries worldwide (Chand et al, 2012). Tourism has been proved to be a means of economic growth and job creation in the local communities. The tourism sector does not only generate wealth but also enhance assess to fundamental services, for instance, infrastructures development, sanitation, telecommunication, transport and so forth. The residents support has a fundamental significance in the tourism development. If the residents do not approve of having tourists in their particular region, it can cause a huge chaos which can affect the whole community at large. That is why, the whole society needs to come together so that they can work for the benefits of their areas and hence, achieve heights. If seen closely, it is the people of the community itself that benefits enormously from the tourism development. Apart from the benefits mentioned above, they also come to learn abou t different cultures and languages; they become more confident and their communication skills get better. It also gives the people a real sense of pride and identity of their community. Even though tourism is beneficial in many levels, particularly economy, nonetheless, there are some strings attached to it. Tourism inexorably brings with it cultural and environmental degradation. For this reason, many tourism organization or hotels itself are taking initiatives to go green, that is, the latter are going towards sustainable development for a better future. 2.2 Tourism development in Mauritius: Tourism has come out as a chief development industry in many countries and Mauritius is no exception. This means that an increasing proportion of the worlds population is dependent upon the continuing growth of tourism for employment and income.(Faulkner and Tideswell, 1997). Mauritius being a small island in the Indian Ocean has been able to make recognition of itself in the tourism world and is considered today as one of the best and appreciated destinations in the world. The tourism industry in Mauritius adds up to 11 % and has been a crucial aspect in the overall expansion of Mauritius (Stephen Moores, 2012). Tourists love the island because of its tropical climate, natural and man-made appeals but mostly because of its exquisite beaches and lagoons and its cultural diversity. Mauritius has made a reputation for outstanding service in the tourism industry. Since the beginning of tourism in the island which was in 1970, this industry has been expanding accordingly, hence increasing from 18,000 in 1970, to 103,000 in 1977 and then to 656,450 in 2000 (Mauritius Attractions, 2013). After a decade, which is in August 2011, the numbers of tourists increased to 925,000 which is something spectacular in itself for the country (AXYS Stockbrocking Ltd, 2012). The numbers are already reaching 1 million visitors which was the prime purpose of the government. Though tourism is still the third pillar of the economy of Mauritius just after the manufacturing and agricultural sector, it is contributing significantly on the economy and has been also being a chief aspect in the development in Mauritius in general. Furthermore, the main market of tourists arrival in Mauritius is the European, chiefly from France and the Great Britain. The nearby Reunion French Territory is the most important short haul source market accounting for about 13% of total tourist arrivals (Mauritius Attractions, 2013). It is followed by South Africa, Germany, India, Italy, Switzerland, Australia, China and Russia (Wikipedia, 2012). During the recent years, there has been a drastic change in the arrival of tourists from the Republic of China as the government decided to diversify the market due to the financial crisis in Europe (Wikipedia, 2012). There has been a 5 % decline in the arrivals of tourists from Europe due to the economic downturn (Central Statistics Office, 2012). Although there has been a slight decrease from the tourists coming from Europe, the tourism revenue attained 30 billion for the period of January to September which in itself is quite enormous despite going through such struggle (Defi Media, 201 1). Nevertheless, in 2012 the Bank of Mauritius expected an increase in the tourism revenue from 42.8 billion to 43.2 billion Mauritius rupees thanks to higher arrivals (Bank of Mauritius, 2012). However, now Mauritius is making a huge attempt to expand new markets so that it can attract diverse type of tourists. Our tourist industry is extremely eurocentric and, given whats happening in Europe, we are suffering big-time, says Gilbert Espitalier- Noà «l, director of Espitalier Noà «l Ltd (ENL), a dynamic business group in Mauritius. After seeing one of Mauritius main competitors that is Maldives drawing interest in China tourists, hence Mauritius is also trying to do the same. Mauritius is also trying to pull attention on other markets like Russia and India (Stephen Moores, 2012). But with many west European countries in recession, a decline of 6 percent in European tourists to 279,643 -still around two-thirds of arrivals was partly offset by an increase of 16.7 percent in visitor numbers from Asia to 51,353, Statistics Mauritius said. 2.3 Tourism and the local community One of the most essential aspects of tourism is that it takes into consideration the ambitions and opinions of the local or host communities. Tourism can make a destination popular and well liked if they are welcomed in a good manner and well treated in that particular locality. When a community is implicated in one way or another in the tourism development in a region, it gives them a sense of being a part of this industry. Moreover, the locals usually are at high advantage of the tourism development occurring in their particular regions. Tourism has been a blessing in disguise for many residents and has brought a radical change in their lives. With the advent of this industry, the lives of people or the country at large has transformed to a great extent, whether it is the economy, job creation, standard of living, infrastructures, foster peace and stability among others. Tourism has helped Mauritius extensively on the economic level at such a time when the countrys other sectors were going through bad phases. Not only the coastal regions are at benefits of the tourist development in their regions but even region like Arsenal which is found in the North of Mauritius, is benefitting of this industry. The village has quite a number of shops and shopping malls where tourists come in masses to do shopping. Hence, it can be seen that tourism helps in almost all the medium and small ventures of the country. These days community-based tourism (give proper definition of community-based tourism!) is gaining esteem worldwide as an alternative to mass tourism. This new kind of tourism supports a connection with the local residents and the experimentation of diverse sensations. Community based tourism is thus regarded as a means to enhance community development, cultural heritage and conservation. It should also be used to deal with poverty (Equation, 2008). The chief advantages of Community based tourism (CBT) are observed to create jobs, alleviate poverty, pride and satisfaction, community capacity building, revenue for preserving and upgrading the cultural sites. . If community based tourism is well planned and done through the whole community, it can bring on great economic benefits to the community itself. Ultimately, local communities are the chief reasons that enable tourists to discover local habitats, wildlife and celebrate and respect traditional cultures, rituals and wisdoms. However, community-based tourism is not a cure and cannot be seen as the only solution but it can be used as a powerful tool to achieve areas development (Telfer Sharpley; 2008). Nevertheless, any community based tourism practices will not be fruitful unless it is carry out in a responsible manner. Community based tourism practices in Mauritius are very limited but exist in Mauritius. One example where community based tourism has been practiced is when there was the construction of Le Trou Aux Biches Hotel, whereby major benefits were provided to the inhabitants such as job creation, new health centre, new post office, new police station and better infrastructure. However, even throughout this practice there were some constraints such as poor marketing access. It is important to highlight that twenty three people, being inhabitants of the locality were unaware of the facilities and benefits that the project were bringing. Those twenty people even objected that an EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) license be issued for this project. It was later on after clearing all confusion that finally this project was finally accepted by the whole community. Hence, in this case it can clearly be concluded that a good communication system is important between the development organization and the community. 2.4: The roles of stakeholders in tourism development Tourist friendly destination is a concept that provides satisfaction by fulfilling tourists wants and needs through the maximization aspects of space, activity and products sans interference and or problems, beginning from a tourists place of origin all way to the desired tourism destination (Anuar, Ahmad, Jusoh Hussain, 2012). A thriving tourism development relies hugely on exceptional collaboration and communication between all stakeholders engaged in the tourism scheme. Hence, tourism is a complicated social structure. Stakeholders are any individual or groups who can affect or is affected by the success of an organizations goals (Freeman, R.E, 1984). Stakeholders can easily influence or be influenced or affected by the organizations deeds, aims and strategies. Moreover, the stakeholders in the tourism sectors are: residents, local companies, employees, media, or is competitors, government, business organizations, tourists, activists and last but not least, tourism developers. The figure below shows a tourism stakeholder map adapted by Freeman. Full-size image (10 K) Fig1: Tourism Stakeholder Map- Adapted from Freeman (Freeman 1984:55) Besides, it is imperative to include all stakeholders, and most predominantly the stakeholders, in the developing process of tourism. A tourism venture cannot thrive without their supports. Stakeholders in a tourist destination refer tourists (as demand), industries (as the supplier) and last of all, hosts like the local community and the environment (Pavlovich, 2003). In a study by Ritchie and Crotch (2003), stakeholders in tourism destinations are classified as suppliers and supporting industries, marketing intermediaries and facilitators, members of the public and local as well as foreign customers. The most vital thing to bear in mind is to take the consideration of the locals as they can easily damage the tourism destination by opposing to the decisions made by the topmost stakeholders. To begin with, the role of the government is a fundamental one as they are in charge in setting policies and legislative structures in the industry. Government involvement may be essential so as to help in decreasing poverty and also to enhance the involvement of tourism to socio-economic development. The main aim why governments should devise a tourism development strategy is initially to regulate and handle the negative areas of the tourism industry, mainly the negative social and environmental effects. (give examples to what government has contributed to tourism in Mauritius) 2.5: Residents attitudes towards tourism development It has been broadly known that tourism development is a mixed blessing for host communities. Mathieson et al (1982) defines the host community as the inhabitants of the destination area and it is their attitudes which will lead to the success of the tourism industry. Tourism development does not only make profits but it also inflicts costs (Jafari, 2001). Attitudes are described as the mind-set of an individual towards values (Allport 1966, p. 24) and as an enduring predisposition towards a particular aspect of ones environment (McDougall Munro 1987, p. 87). They are put together upon the perceptions and ideas of reality, but are directly linked to intensely held principles and ethics. Based on this insight of attitudes, researchers understood that residents attitudes regarding tourism are not merely the evidences of residents perceptions of tourism impacts, but the results of interaction between residents perceptions and the factors affecting their attitudes (Lankford et al. 1994). Moreover, tourism brings considerable social, economic and environmental impacts to local communities and the surrounding areas (Weaver et al, 2002). The nature and magnitude of these impacts have been a major concern for planners, community leaders and social scientists for several decades. Residents attitude toward tourism development is a much acknowledged research topic and in the last few decades, many researches have been conducted in this field. Hence, the emergence of several tourism impacts studies and ways to measure residents attitudes came into surface. The researchers began to use several resident attitude related attributes to outline perceived tourism impacts by the residents. In this decade, many researchers like Chen (2000), Andriotis (2005), Choi et al (2005), and Wang et al (2008) have studied different aspects of resident attitudes toward tourism. Furthermore, Chen (2000) investigated loyalty to tourism from an urban perspective in Virginia and three dimensions were used which were benefits, impacts and equity. A twenty seven attitude scale and three dimensions consisting of benefits, impacts and equity were used for this study (Mc Cool et al, 1994). It was found that the residents were likely to agree that first tourism attracts more spending and investment in the community economy; secondly tourism encourages a variety of cultural activities by the local population, thirdly, the overall benefits outweigh the negative impacts and last but not least, tourism provides many worthwhile employment opportunities (Chen, 2000). The results imply that urban residents were apt to believe that tourism creates benefits for their communities from both economic and cultural perspectives. Moreover, respondents were likely to have endorsing attitudes toward the tourism development surrounding their community. Besides, it was found that faith ful and devoted residents felt that total tourism benefits should surpass the negative influences whereas the non faithful locals were more alarming about the traffic congestion and land pricing. As far as Wang et al (2008) studies are concerned, the latter made an investigation from a rural perception. The key structure used in the study is the social theory exchange (Ap 1992) and it was carried out in Washington, North Carolina. The social exchange for this study uses the concept of sociology and psychology known as A Tourism Impact Attitude Scale (Lankford et al, 1994). The perceived personal advantages were subsequently considered and it was found that residents perceptions of personal advantages from tourism were intensely attached with their approach toward the tourism industry in a positive way. In the demographic outline where the genders were segmented, it was noticed that male respondents perceived less benefits associated with downturn improvement and occupations linked to arts and cultural features than their female counterparts. For this reason, additional segmentation was carried down with respect to the demographic profile. As far as Andriotis (2005) is concerned he also carried out a survey on the perceptions of the local people in Crete and their preferences for the tourism growth. In this survey, the perceptions of tourism growth were assessed in three Cretan community groups. To begin with, there were residents who generally rely on tourism employments, followed by non dependent residents and lastly tourism business people. It was found that all of the three groups showed a high degree of optimistic approach toward tourism and tourism development, although if there was some difference of judgments for the types of tourists, kind of facilities and actions deemed helpful for the island. In addition, there has been a different type of residents attitude which is known as Cohort Analytical Approach. This study concentrates upon the transformations in residents attitudes toward tourism over a period of time and the study was done by Huh et al (2007). A seven years periods Tourism Impacts Tourism is now particularly recognized as a foremost economic contributor in many destinations around the world, increasing value for foreign exchange but is also support for the export businesses and social, environmental and historical resources support and protection. As so many industries, tourism industry has also displayed a rapid growth and has become an international industry. Certain growths are communication technologies, comfort, speed, capacity and price on transport vehicles (Ceken et al., 2008). Costs of tourism and economic advantages reach practically everybody in an area in one way or another. Our quality of life of our citizens is impacted by the tourism economy that we have. (Barry Armstrong, 2004). Tourism impacts can boost an economys through various positive economic impacts. Nevertheless, it can also have some negative outcomes that can cause a downfall to a countrys economy. Positive economic tourism impacts: Today, tourism is one of the largest industries and offers the most economic revenue. Hence, various countries worldwide attach significance to this industry. In addition, tourism industry is a significant industry for developing, less developed and island countries such as Mauritius itself or Cyprus for instance, as it expands economic growth, foreign currency input, income and employment. These countries, principally island countries see tourism as an economic rescuer and knight in a shining armor and also an opportunity for growth. In other words, tourism offers imperative contributions for development in the country, as tourism is an element of development strategy (Ozbey, 2002). Tourism industrys extensive involvements to national economy are a known reality. For this very reason, developed and developing countries have attached enormous significance to tourism (Ozturk and Yazicioglu, 2002). Its excessive development and growth rates, considerable amounts of foreign currency inf lows, infrastructure improvement, and beginning of new organization and educational experience vigorously affect several sectors of economy, which positively contribute to the economic and social growth of the country as a whole (Mirbabayev et al, no year). A sector such as travel and tourism cannot fail to have influence on the cultures, people and most significantly the economies of destination regions or countries. Furthermore, it is most frequently the positive economic impacts that convince companies or businesses, governments and individuals to get engage with the tourism expansion in the first place. The largely highly developed western countries, such as Austria, Switzerland and France have gathered a big deal of their economic and social welfare on profits from tourism (Mirbabayev et al, no year). The tourism industry has the aptitude to provide a range of positive impacts, the most vital of which are: increased domestic income and foreign currency, increased employment, improved infrastructures, carrying capacity, improved standard of living, purchasing power increases when the income increases, goodwill of a country increases, community based tourism and so forth. Employment creation: Tourisms aptitude to create jobs is one of the chief motives why governments support its expansion. According to a current statistic, tourism provides about 10 % of the worldwide income and provides employment for almost one tenth of the worlds workforce (Mirbabayev et al, no year). As employment, in the year 2009, 1.2 million citizens worked in only Spa tourism in the world (turizmden.com, 2009).When evaluate with creating jobs in the manufacturing sector, service sector employments in tourism is perceived as a comparatively cheap and easy means of making employments accessible, given that the associated start-up expenses are generally lower. Tourism does not only create direct employments but it also creates indirect employments. The direct employments in tourism takes place in areas, for instance, hotels, transport operators, travel agencies, tour guides, government divisions and so forth. While for the indirect employments, there is banking, transport companies, construction and street vendors, For example, in Trou- aux- Biches, there are many salespersons who sell their products on the beaches and many craft markets are also available around in the coastal areas. Through the means of direct and indirect employments, tourism enhances the common purchasing power of ordinary citizens. Economic multiplier effect: Tourism not only generates employment in the tertiary sector but it also supports development in the primary and secondary sector of the industry. It is known as the multiplier effect which simply means how many times money spent by a tourist flows or circulates through a countrys economy. The direct economic impacts are those that take place at the front line of the tourism enterprise. Therefore, when tourists spend their money in hotels, restaurants,  transportation  and  communication  services and retail outlets, for example, this will create direct income, output,  government  revenue and  employment  effects, as well as requiring some direct imports of goods and services. (Fletcher, J.E, 1993) As for indirect one, for example, when tourists spend their money in a restaurant, thus the restaurant will use some of the money it obtains on food and beverages, transports, heating among others. The hotel in Trou-aux-Biches, for instance, buys vegetables from the local farmers who may use some of the money on clothes or fertilizers. The demand of the local goods and products rise as tourist often buy souvenirs and meals which enhances secondary employment. The multiplier effect carries on until the money is ultimately leaks from the economy through imports, which is the purchasing of goods from other countries. Increased foreign currency and domestic income: The travel and tourism sector produces revenues and wealth for local councils, private individuals, businesses, voluntary bodies and national governments-from the modest income earned by a couple running a bed and breakfast business in Trou-aux-Biches to the millions of rupees generated by the Beachcomber resorts in the region and the billions of pounds earned from tourism by many countries around the world. At global level, money that tourists spend in a country can play significant role to its balance of payments, for instance, the flows of money into and out of a country. Moreover, tourism contributes to the economy as foreign currency contribution and employment (Ozbey, 2002).  Many developing countries are going towards tourism industry as a way of boosting their foreign exchange and hence, spending the money they obtain from tourism to improve education, health and social facilities. Mauritius foreign exchange increased to 3046.30 USD Million in December of 2012 from 2990.70 USD Million in November of 2012 (Bank of Mauritius, 2013). Tourism also brings in huge amount of foreign currency for an LEDC (less economically developed country). One of the recurring themes of the twentieth century has been that poor countries have not often found that they do not have enough foreign currency to import the raw materials that they need. For example, Tanzania suffered from a severe balance of payment deficit, so much so, that it simply couldnt afford to import enough oil to industrialize. What tourism does is bring in foreign currency, which allows LEDCs to import machinery, in order for them to industrialize and commence economic development. Foreign earnings have also been used in this way in Kenya, where $400 million a year in foreign currency comes in, to buy the products and services necessary for development (EssayWriter.Co.UK, 2005) Better infrastructure: Besides, tourism speeds up infrastructure and superstructure development. Infrastructure works are water, electricity, roads, communication, transportation and so forth. Superstructure works are accommodations, restaurants, entertainment centers among others. Many countries work to meet the world benchmarks with such infrastructures and superstructure works. For example, in the year 2005, a second airplane was built in Antalya airport where a lot of investments were spent for transportation and telecommunication and hence, Antalya exerted to seize the world standards (Turizm ve Otelcilik Portali, 2009). Another example is the residents also benefit from infrastructure and superstructure facilities, several services such as police, fire brigade, health services (Ozturk and Yazicioglu, 2002). For instance the region of Trou-aux-Biches has seen a major transformation with the new development of roads, renovation of police station, facilities such as a modern dispensary, post office and a bank. It all happened because the tourism industry is flourishing in the region. Same applies for the expansion of the Sir Seewoosagur International Airport where the government is spending billions of money with the intention to accommodate more numbers of tourists. Hence in a way through tourism industry, the country is seeing great transformation which is in a positive way. It is good to remember that infrastructure and superstructure works prepared by giving significance to environment form great costs in the beginning, but these works will revolve as long-term income for future (Aslan and Aktas, 1994). Negative economic impacts: Positive socio-cultural impacts Tourism has several of socio-cultural impacts. This means that social constitution; the cultures and traditions can be influenced, altered, or even totally substituted due to tourism. These socio-cultural impacts are hospitality, culture (art, religions, and historical remains), education and custom and traditions (Kilià §, 2003). There is a strong connection between tourism and culture. For instance, it boosts attributes of local activities such as festival, art and folklore (Ozbey, 2002), supports to safeguard cultural and historical sites. Each and every of these aspects can actually create chaos in peoples holiday. Most particularly, historical treasures, ethnography and archaeological museums in Turkey can be taken as an example (Kilià §, 2003). For example, Istanbul links tourists with its cultural and historical appeals and due to its several attributes, it obtained 2010 Culture Capital of Europe title. Furthermore, in order to enhance the tourism industry, enormous capital is spent to protect and conserve the local heritage, to enhance infrastructures, to offer better local facilities which in turn creates better education system, enhanced leisure facilities, and hence a superior standard of living of the local people. The inhabitants become more knowledgeable as they interact with tourists with different languages.   Tourism gives appreciation opportunity existence of several cultures to tourists who learn these cult

Risk Management in Business: A Case Study

Risk Management in Business: A Case Study INTRODUCTION SITUATION Every day, there is the chance that some sort of business interruption, crisis, disaster, or emergency will occur. Anything that prevents access to key processes and activities can be defined as a disaster. Companies can experience many different threats to their mission critical systems such as fires, floods, lightning storms and humidity to disgruntled employees, hackers, human error, power failures and viruses. A disaster can happen at any time and it is vital to be prepared in the event that one occurs. NEED To be prepared for a business interruption, the organization must have a carefully crafted and comprehensive plan that describes risks, impacts, and step-by-step recovery strategies for critical business processes in various disaster and emergency scenarios. Without a plan, the team will be flying blind when an interruption occurs. The plan provides the necessary tools to mitigate interruptions and resume operations as quickly as possible, greatly facilitating decision-making and taking action when there is scant time and stress levels are elevated. CHALLENGE Using the information in the risk assessment to create effective recovery strategies for critical processes in all departments, incorporating these strategies into a comprehensive business continuity plan, and encouraging ownership of the plan across the organization, and ultimately, achieving the highest resiliency possible with limited resources. SOLUTION Create the recovery strategies department-by-department, process-by-process. This allows each department to focus on strategies specifically relevant to their critical processes without extraneous information from other departments. Do the same for your business continuity plan, writing smaller plans by department. Also, use a template to document your recovery strategies to ensure process consistency across the organization. Finally, have plans reviewed and approved by department heads and distributed to all employees to encourage ownership and pride in the plan. RESULT Each department in the organization will have a comprehensive action plan for business continuity outlining the steps to take to recover vital processes in various emergency scenarios. All employees will have their own copy of the plan, ready to use immediately when a disruption occurs. Employees will take ownership of the organizations business continuity effort and this effort will be further ingrained in the organizations corporate culture. CHOCOLATE MANUFACTURING COMPANY AN OVERVIEW The Chocolate Company since inception in 1990 has been largely responsible for satisfying the countrys demand for Chocolates and Sugar Confectionery. Situated at Rusayl Industrial Estates in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, the plant has various lines producing a wide range of confectionery like Éclairs, Toffees, Fudges, Caramels, Hard Boiled Candy and Enrobed Chocolates. These products are available in attractive packaging and premium Gift Boxes making them ideal for gifting as well as for own consumption. Most of the packaging in the Gift Pack segment has been carefully selected to ensure its enduring utility, thereby giving our valued customers an added benefit. The confectionery is produced by experienced personnel under stringent quality control and hygiene standards. State-of-the-art manufacturing facilities ensure products of international quality. The company in its relentless pursuit of quality obtained HACCP Certification in April, 2004. The Company, through its uncompromising stand on quality and competitive pricing, has successfully penetrated countries all over the Gulf, the African continent, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, USA and the UK. The principal business processes involved are Procurement of raw materials and consumables. Production and Quality control. Distribution and marketing. Inventory Management. Pricing and cost control. Feedback from consumers and redressal systems. Publicity and promotional activities. Recruitment and HR. Finance Administration. Corporate communications and public relations. Legal and secretarial matters. Investor relations. Maintenance of equipment and other assets. Capital expenditure for equipment and other purposes. IT systems and telecommunications. Transportation and Logistics. Today, manufacturing sector companies like chocolate manufacturing operates in increasingly complex, competitive and global markets. The ability to manage risks across geographies, products, assets, customer segments and functional departments is of paramount importance. The inability to manage these risks can cause irreparable damages. Chocolate company will always face the likelihood of being impacted by uncertain or adverse future events. These uncertainties will have an impact on a companys ability to generate capital and shareholders returns. The company Board expects that management will not only look at where the company may be exposed to risk, but also how these risks can be managed to influence favorable business outcomes. RISK AND RISK MANAGEMENT Risk Management Methodology followed by the chocolate company The risk management methodology at the chocolate company encompass the scope of risks to be managed, the process/systems and procedures to manage risk and the roles and responsibilities of individuals involved in risk management. The framework is comprehensive enough to capture all risks that the company is exposed to and have flexibility to accommodate any change in business activities. The chocolate companys effective risk management methodology includes Risk Policy framework. Identification of risks. Measurement and Impact Assessment. Management of the risks. Monitoring Reporting and Control. A. Risk Policy Framework The following fundamental principles should be considered by the company to develop and implement a proactive risk management program and help them to identify any potential areas of concern: Acceptance of a risk management framework: A formal risk management framework is needed at this company, to guide the integration of risk management into the companys day to day operations. Corporate governance and risk: At this company,corporate governance is the prime responsibility of the Board of Directors and the General Manager. It combines legal duties with responsibilities to improve and monitor the performance of the company. Establish the risk response strategy: Following the agreement on the risk assessment rankings in all functional departments, management action will need to be taken to reduce the risk levels where they have been deemed unacceptably high or alternatively remove constraints where they are preventing the business from pursuing opportunities. Assigning responsibility for risk management change process: It is important for the company to ensure that the daily operation of the business supports this strategy and that the staff understands the proposed changes. Re-sourcing: Risk management is the responsibility of all levels of management. Communication and training: Implementing a communication and training program is important to introduce the concept of risk management. Monitoring of risk management process: To ensure that risk responses gaps are filled and that the risk responses continue to operate effectively and remain appropriate in light of changing conditions. B. Identification of Various Risks of The Company While drafting this Risk management Policy, the primary risk exposures at the company X that are identified is provided below, which are inclusive but not exhaustive and it will be the responsibility of the Risk Management Committee to review these on a periodic basis. I. Market Risks It is the risk that the value of the company will be adversely affected by movements in market rates or prices, foreign exchange rates, national global fluctuations, credit spreads and/or commodity prices resulting in a loss to earnings and capital. The market risks identified at this chocolate company are as follows Government Policy risks Product Risks Environmental risks Volatility of export orders Price Competition in the local export market Currency fluctuation for export orders II. Operational Risks The operational risks identified at chocolate company are as follows Fire Allied Risks Machinery breakdown/ obsolescence Volatility of Raw material Packing material prices Quality/ Ageing risks of Raw material/ Packing material Delivery risk of Suppliers Loss of data information- IT security Manpower Availability risks Accidents Inventory carrying risk III. Reputation Risks These are risks arising from negative public opinion resulting from failures of process, strategy or corporate governance. The Reputation risks identified at this company are as follows Contamination-hygiene Product expiry/Shelf life Corporate Governance IV. Credit Risks Non receipt of receivables or delay in receipts is the credit risks attributable to the company. These may be identified as Payment risk from customers-local Payment risk from Customers- export Security from customers Advance to Suppliers V. Liquidity Risks The possibility is that the company will be unable to fund present and future financial obligations. These may be identified as Cash flow working capital management CAPEX decisions Cost overruns VI. Strategic Risks Risk those are arising from adverse business decisions or the improper implementation of such decisions. These may be identified as follows Business Plan forecasts. Attrition of key people. C. Risk Prioritizing and Impact Assessment Risk Prioritizing To adequately capture institutions risk exposure, risk measurement should represent aggregate exposure of the company to both risk type and business line and encompass short run as well as long run impact on it. To the maximum possible extent the company should establish systems / models that quantify their risk profile. However, in some risk categories, quantification is quite difficult and complex. Wherever it is not possible to quantify risks, qualitative measures should be adopted to capture those risks. The company should utilize a Risk Matrix to evaluate the level of risks which are identified in the Company. The Risk Matrix is formed by assessing the probability of the risk, the severity of the risk, and the quality of control that exists specific to those risks. Scoring is attributed for each the three parameters namely probability, severity and Internal control. The aggregate score is computed and ranking of the risks is ascertained. The probability of the impact occurring is arranged ranging from low to high. Scores assigned as 4 for High, 2 for medium and 1 for low. Severity of the Risk is assessed as High, Medium and low based on the experience and normal prudence. Scores assigned as 4 for High, 2 for medium and 1 for low. Quality of Internal control is also similarly categorized as high, medium and low. The scores assigned in the reverse order since the better the existing control the lower is the impact and vice-versa. So scores here can be assigned as 4 for Low, 2 for Medium and 1 for High. Aggregate Score was thereafter computed after adding the individual scores for each parameter. Companys Risk Matrix using the above method is shown in Annexure I ii. Impact Assessment The company being a medium scale manufacturing unit should focus on the manageable risks like Operational risks, Liquidity risks and Strategic risks. Market risks, Credit risks and Reputation risks though an integral part of risk management may not need detailed impact assessment at this stage unless the probability of such factors seem to be out of proportions in time to come. Impact assessment of the Operational risks, liquidity risks and strategic risks at the company termed herein as Manageable risks, can be assessed as follows Risk associated with any event has two components, loss severity and loss probability. Loss, in itself consists of expected and unexpected components. The unexpected loss component could be severe or catastrophic. Usually, expected losses are adjusted for in pricing or in reserve allocation. Unexpected losses require capital allocation. Given that operational risk, liquidity and strategic risk events are most often subject to internal control, any manageable risk system that passively measures these risks would clearly be inadequate. Once risk factors are identified as likely causes of the Risk losses, mitigating steps need to be initiated. While quantification would indicate risk magnitude and capital charges, it may not by itself suggest mitigating steps. This makes it advisable for the company to combine qualitative and quantitative approaches to manageable Risk. The broad steps involved here would be: determine the types of operational losses that could occur identify the causal risk factors estimate the size and likelihood of losses Mitigate associated risks Qualitative Approaches Qualitative approaches involve Audits, Self-assessments Expert / collective judgment. Critical Self-Assessment: (CSA): This is one of the common qualitative bottom-up approaches where line managers of the company can critically analyze their business processes given specific scenarios to identify potential risks and gaps in their risk management processes. Tools like questionnaires, checklists and workshops are used to help the managers analyze the risk profile of their business units. The key idea behind this method is that businesses managers of this company are in the best position identify and manage the Operational Risks pertaining to their business units. Risk Audit Employing the services of external (or internal) auditors to review the business processes of a business unit is another approach. This process not only helps identify risks but also helps put in place the oversight organization for the manageable risks. Key Risk Indicators (KRI) Using the KRI approach the company can blend the qualitative and quantitative aspects of Operational Risk management. Factors that have predictive value and that can be easily measured with minimum time lag can serve as risk indicators. Some risk indicators inherently carry risk related information, for instance, indicators like sales volumes, order size, etc. Others are indirect indicators, for instance, production budgets, production lifecycle, performance appraisal etc. Key indicators are identified from several potential factors and are tracked over time. The predictive capabilities of the indicators are tested through regression analysis on historical loss data and indicator measurements. Based on such analysis, the set of indicators of the company being tracked can be modified suitably. Over time, as the model gets refined, the set of indicators can provide early warning signals for operational losses. D. Management of the risks Managing Market Risks: The chocolate company may be exposed to Market Risk in variety of ways as described earlier such as environmental issues, export orders, future contracts, Price competition, customer profile and marine transportation risks. Besides, market risk may also arise from activities categorized as off-balance sheet item. Government Policy Risks: Change in government policies, tax rates, introduction of new tax regimes, reduction or abolition of incentives etc carry risk to any entity in terms of its costing and pricing. In the short and medium term the company does not perceive any major risk in this segment, however the management has to be aware of any forthcoming changes that the government might envisage. Should there be any drastic change in Government policies that would affect its profitability especially in case of exports; the Company has contingency plans for producing at an alternative location outside Oman. Product Risks: Since the product is that of food item the company has to be 100% careful to maintain the product quality, product specification, pack sizes, contents in each pack etc. Producing lesser or poor quality products and not as per specification is a risk which company X needs to constantly be aware off. To mitigate such risks the company X should develop a well defined production policy develop a well defined Quality control and checks policy develop a well defined storage and Distribution policy Environmental risks: The company does not use and generate hazardous substances in its manufacturing operations. Hence the chances that the company may in future are subject to liabilities relating to the investigation and clean-up of contaminated areas is negligible. However the company should have a laid down policy of disposal of waste at pre-designed disposal points mainly for the rejected, expired and damaged items of raw materials, finished products and packing materials. Volatility of export orders: Some customers and sectors served by the company are directly dependent on general economic development, competition and frequent fluctuations in demand for their products. The prices for these products are, in part, dependent on the prevailing relationship between supply and demand. Possible price fluctuations are therefore apt to have a direct influence on each customers working capital management decisions, with subsequent influence on the customers Order Intake. This may lead to volatility in the development of Order Intake of the company. The company has a policy of geographically diversifying its customer base, as also expanding the customer base in each export market, so that transfer to less volatile locations can be made in short notice. Price Competition in the local export market: The Company does business in very competitive local and export markets. In spite of the competition the company has a 70% market share in the local market and its export business is expanding.Both these local and export markets in which it competes are highly fragmented, with a few large, international manufacturers competing against each other and against a high number of smaller, local companies. Sometimes new entrants or existing players suddenly lower their prices to get rid of the companys products. This has, in some cases, adversely impacted sales margins realized by certain of companys products. To mitigate this risk the company has taken the following steps: Maintaining complete information of its Competitors with respect to their latest technological developments, market strategies, new investments, management changes etc. Has developed emergency alternative plans to introduce different product ranges with minimal structural changes with similar or lower prices. Currency fluctuation for export orders:The Company exports its products to a large number of countries like Canada, USA, Australia, African countries, and the Middle East. Almost all export orders of the company are fixed in US dollars. Since Omani Rail is pegged with US Dollars, the fluctuation of the currencies in would have negligible impact on the export realizations at company X. Company X has a policy of booking export orders in terms of US dollars to avoid the risk of currency fluctuations. Managing Operational Risks: Being a chocolate manufacturing company, it deals with the retail market. The most important risks are those of Operational risks. Operational risk is associated with human error, system failures and inadequate procedures and controls. It is the risk of loss arising from the potential that inadequate information system; technology failures, breaches in internal controls, fraud, unforeseen catastrophes, or other operational problems may result in unexpected losses or reputation problems. Fire Allied risks: These are general risks applicable to almost all establishments. This includes Material damage to the companys property due to Fire lightning, Earthquake, Third party impact, Accidental damage, explosion, riot strike, storm tempest, burst pipes, Own Vehicle impact, malicious damage, and theft. The company should take necessary steps in mitigating such risks by taking â€Å"Property All Risks Insurance Policy† â€Å"Loss of profit insurance cover† Machinery breakdown/ obsolescence: This risk identified is a major risk element as the company has been established two decades earlier by using imported refurbished Plant and machinery. Though most of the machinery is in running condition as of now the chances of spare part obsolescence is quite high in a majority of such machines. The physical status and the possible mitigation for major machinery can be shown in ANNEXTURE II Volatility of Raw Material/ Packing Material prices: The Company faces a medium level risk in its Raw material Packing material prices. The main raw materials at are Sugar, Glucose, Milk Powder, vegetable fat, coconut, coco whey powders. The packing material required is Wrappers, Bags, Gift boxes, Gift Tins and cartoons. Other than a few packing materials almost all of the raw materials and packing materials are imported as shown below Quality risk Raw material Packing material: This is a medium sized risk and the company should take reasonable care to mitigate such risks. Since the majority of the raw materials and packing materials are imported by the company, the purchase committee should implementing a stringent policy of Should have a multiple suppliers from the same country or region. Should have proper Quality checks for each Consignment while receiving delivery. Should have a stringent penalty clause on variation of specifications in the agreements with suppliers. Delivery risk of Suppliers: This is major risk element at the company because of the fact that in most cases purchases are imported and made through Letter of Credits. Non Delivery or delayed delivery in such purchases may affect the performance of the company. The company is implementing proper penalty clauses in the purchase agreement for delayed and/ or non-delivery of the ordered items. Transporting risks: In case of local sales, the company transports the products mostly through its own personnel. The company therefore, takes a general Transit Insurance policy covering accidents and theft. Inventory carrying risk: Inventory Carrying risks are of three types: Storage risk Overstocking under stocking risk Expiry risk Storage risk The storage policies currently are The company can keeps the entire inventory in closed warehouses. Over-stocking Under-stocking: The company can maintain a good optimized production planning system in correlation with its sales plan so that it can have a optimum stocking policy. The current production plan is quite satisfactory and hence the risk is low to medium. But the company is mostly dependent on Export market, the volatility of export orders may lead to overstocking or under-stocking of inventory. Expiry risks: This risk is low to medium. Expiry risks of inventory can be mitigated by proper planning of Sales, Purchase, Production and Distribution. The Storekeeper needs to maintain up-to-date records. A system is being implemented to provide on-line information about the stock position i.e. the quantity in stock, Re-order period, Ordering level and the Expiry dates of each of the Raw material, packing material and finished stocks to the Sales, Production and Purchase department so that immediate action can be taken by the respective departments. Manpower Availability risks: There is a shortage of skilled manpower in Oman. This is however met with the expatriate staff employed mainly from the sub-continent. The company therefore faces a medium risk in terms of availability of skilled manpower. The company can met unskilled manpower availability with the local Omani population and also from expatriate staff. The gap of skilled labor availability is likely to increase and therefore the costs also increase. To mitigate such risks, the company can develop long term strategy to invest in higher capacity production machines so that the requirement of manpower is kept low. Accidents: The Company can face a chance of accidents at the factory, however the accident risks at the company is low, as it does not deal with hazardous material and the production processes are not complex. However the company may face risks from mechanical or electrical installations which cant be entirely ruled out. So the company needs to take the following steps: By providing ELCB (Electric Leakage Circuit Breakers) in all electrical circuits and ACBs for the main transformers By providing Hot masks to the manpower Having a good machinery breakdown policy Constant monitoring of the gas line leakages The company needs have a Manpower Accidents and Injury Policy to cover the possibility of injury or death of manpower within the factory premises. Managing Reputation Risks Reputation of the company may also get hamper in various situations some of which are Contamination-hygiene: Being in the Food sector the company should take utmost precaution to avoid any sort of contamination in its products which will reach to the general mass. The company should take precaution for the quality of the raw material and packing material that is required for the entire production process and the stocking procedure. The company can follow the following policy: Stringent Quality control checks of Raw materials and packing materials Stringent Quality checks of the entire production process Maintaining Hygiene standards of the Government of Oman both in production and stocking. Sample testing at each stage Have a third Party damage policy insurance coverage owing to contamination Product expiry/Shelf life risks: This is again a very vital risk to the company as it is in the Food sector. The Government of Oman is very stringent in its laws to avoid expired products to be sold to the general public. So the company should take utmost care to avoid this risk by providing a stringent Distribution policy of its finished products Checks and controls before distribution of products. Monitoring distributed products on a daily basis Attributing Responsibility to a Senior Personnel for the management Corporate Governance: Corporate Governance Policies and Procedures manual are already in place at the company. Hence the risk associated with it is low. The management has to ensure proper compliance of the policies already undertaken to avoid any risk of reputation arising out of non-compliance of corporate governance. Managing Credit Risks: Credibility Risk of Customers: The Company should develop a credit policy based on regions, volume and credibility ranking of the parties. Export: The Company exports to a wide range of countries. The contacts of customers are mainly through visits and through mail. It is initially very difficult to assess the credibility of the customers abroad. The risk element is therefore medium and high. The company should mitigate this risk in the following manner: The company should back up the export orders by Letter of Credit from the parties. In case L/C mode is not practicable, the company can ask for advance payments or Security deposit, or post dated cheques which will cover the entire order taken prior to effecting delivery of the goods. The company currently did not enter into any distribution agreement with any export party and deals with parties on a case to case basis The Company can set up a network of distributors for handling exports sales as far as practicable. The company can also set up more than one distributor; in each region/country, so that price advantage can be achieved through minimal risk. The company should select distributors with proven track record, and the distributorship agreement should be through a internationally binding legal contract. Local: Local sales are affected by the company mainly to retail customers like supermarkets and hypermarkets, small shops and to two distributors in the interior. The company should take the following steps: Sale to all hypermarkets and supermarkets where the volumes are above a certain limit are, as far as possible, affected by means of an annual contract with all modalities and terms and conditions clearly laid out. For single shop outlets, the company may face the risk of shop closing down and non-payment or delayed payment. To counter this company should maintain small stocks with such shops and should have a regular but frequent collection system. In case of distributors the company should have legally binding distribution agreements. Limit setting: An important element of credit risk management is to establish exposure limits for each single customer and distributors. The compan

Essay --

Brielle Weyandt English 10 Honors Harding 18 December 2013 Miracle at Philadelphia Many factors affect the strength of a nation’s government, but one in particular created the foundation for a country hundreds of years afterwards. The Constitutional Convention occurred in Philadelphia during the hot, humid summer of 1787, at a Philadelphian state house. Delegates from twelve of thirteen states all convened to create the Constitution that would become the supreme law of the nation, and would let power fall in the hands of the people. The author of Miracle at Philadelphia, Catherine Drinker Bowen, narrates the trials and contributions of delegates from the developing states that eventually built a bustling nation of liberty and freedom. Those four months spent in one room calmly debating how to improve the government is arguably the most important moment in American history. After claiming independence from Great Britain, America had a tremulous start with thirteen states governing themselves using the Articles of Confederation and therefore not united under one whole government that set and regulated tax and commerce. With the states usually arguing and not providing financial support to the government, Shay’s Rebellion had begun in Massachusetts, urged by farmers, in protest of the tax collections and economic chaos. Without the political unrest caused by that one event, the future of America would have turned out differently; it would likely have been that the states would have plunged into massive debt and lost the freedoms achieved after the American Revolution. Afterwards, people had urged the creation of an effective government to support them, thus creating the Constitutional Convention. At the Convention, fifty-five delega... ..., fought over the threatening of liberties and failure to protect an individual’s unalienable rights. Before the Anti-Federalists were appeased twelve states had ratified the Constitution, which allowed for the new government to take effect. The government went officially into effect March 4, 1789 with its first Congressional meeting and election and inauguration of George Washington as the President. However, states still wanted a list of rights written into the Constitution. The resulting ten of the proposed amendments gained ratification and inclusion into the Constitution, later to be enacted and provided to citizens of the United States. For many, the Constitution is the document meant too symbolize the freedom and liberty associated with America; over the course of a few years the most important aspects of a nation were created that still affect generations.

Aldous Huxleys novel, Brave New World. Essay -- English Literature

Aldous Huxley's novel, Brave New World. In Aldous Huxley's novel, Brave New World, John the Savage is a combination of the two societies in which he exists. He is also an outsider in both. By having such a removed character, Huxley is able to create the perfect foil that brings out the flaws within the societies. As an outsider, John sees some of the paradoxes that exist in the New World. Upon coming to the New World, John sees religious influence in certain objects and customs although Mustapha Mond says that religion has become unnecessary. Mond claims that the society is "independent of God," (p. 233) however there are still strong undertones of religious sanctity and ritual within the society. In essence, the sign of the T that is made with reverence is the same ritual as crossing oneself with the sign of the cross. The symbolism of the T in accordance to Ford may be in honor of the assembly line and efficiency that produced the Model T. The very act of crossing oneself with a T over the stomach, as opposed to the heart, implies that the act is performed in homage to greed and desire. Another seemingly religious act is the usage of the word "Ford." As with the T, the word "Ford" is connected to Henry Ford and is used as a term of expression or blasphemy. The word is used throughout the text in the exact same context that the old society uses "Lord" or "God." And, it just so happens that the word "Ford" rhymes with the word "Lord," which further relates the two sayings. Within the New World, the rites of the Solidarity Group resemble the Christian communion rites. The President begins the ceremony, as would a priest, with a hymn and begins passing the communal cup of soma along to the members of th... ...ery change is a menace to stability" (p. 224) and one "can't make tragedies without social instability." In a world like this, there seems to be no hope for change. Even though The Controller admits to Helmholtz that "I like your spirit as much as I officially disapprove of it," (p. 229) it is a private admiration that will never have the courage to let itself be known to the obeying public. By trying to preach to the new society about freedom, John became a martyr in a society where there should be no martyrs. John essentially fulfilled his desire to be sacrificed when he realized that "they might be killed if he didn't help them, and that he might be killed if he did," (p. 214). Essentially, John became a figure similar to Jesus Christ in a society that refused to admit His presence. Sadly, the cost of a life was not enough to change a stubborn society.

Movie Essays - Romanticism in the Film Version of The Big Sleep

Romanticism in the Film Version of The Big Sleep      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Raymond Chandler's novel The Big Sleep, he presents two sisters, Vivian and Carmen. These women become the central characters, aside from Philip Marlowe, and they control much of the action in the novel. The 1946 film version of The Big Sleep, however, manipulates Chandler's characters considerably. Aside from playing with the dialogue of the novel, the screen-writers change the very essences of Vivian and Carmen. Perhaps it is the casting of the film which forces changes from the novel, or perhaps the Production Code keeps the writers from developing the women in the way that Chandler does; either way, the film version of The Big Sleep makes the story romantic and often cliche.    Vivian and Carmen, sisters, are presented by Chandler as psychotic and dangerous women. Vivian, is described in detective Philip Marlowe's thoughts as "tall and rangy and strong-looking...Her hair was black and wiry and parted in the middle and she had the hot black eyes of the portrait in the hall"(Chandler 17). She is cool and manipulative, instantly suspicious of Marlowe's presence in her world, and she plays her suspicions off as insults. When she meets Marlowe, she says, "So you're a private detective,...I didn't know they really existed, except in books. Or else they were greasy little men snooping around hotels"(Chandler 18). Marlowe plays right back at her, countering every snide remark with one of his own. When Vivian tells Marlowe she doesn't like his manners, his response is,    I'm not crazy about yours...I didn't ask to see you. You sent for me. I don't mind your ritzing me or drinking your lunch out of a Scotch bottle...I don't mind if you ... ...ynamic together, the script is allowed to be less than what the novel created. This is exactly what happened with The Big Sleep. Marlowe and Vivian took a backseat to Bogart and Bacall. The sisters, Vivian and Carmen, had to be altered to create the effect of romance and intrigue. There was really no other way to go within the restrictions of the Production Code, as Carmen couldn't be played up to her full potential, so the director took Vivian and made her the leading lady. The essences that Chandler created for these two women were dynamically altered for the film in order to create two women without the demons or psychoses that he had intended.    Works Cited    Chandler, Raymond. The Big Sleep. New York: Random House, 1939. "Memorable Quotes from Big Sleep, The (1946)." IMDB. Internet. Accessed: April 1999. Address: http://us.imdb.com/