Women Entrepreneurs May Be Defined Business Essay

Women Entrepreneurs May Be Defined Business Essay The Indian women are no longer treated as show pieces to be kept at home.They are also enjoying the impact of globalisation and making an influence not only on domestic but also on international sphere.Women are doing a wonderful job striking a balance between their house and career. Dr. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairman Managing Director of Biocon Ltd., who became Indias richest woman in 2004, was educated at the Bishop Cotton Girls School and Mount Carmel College in Bangalore. She founded Biocon India with a capital of Rs.10,000 in her garage in 1978 the initial operation was to extract an enzyme from papaya. Her application for loans were turned down by banks then on three counts biotechnology was then a new word, thecompany lacked assets, women entrepreneurs were still a rarity. Today, her company is the bigget biopharmaceutical firm in the country. Neelam Dhawan, Managing Director, Microsoft India, leads Microsoft India. She is a graduate from St. Stephens College in 1980,and also passed out from Delhis Faculty Of Management studies in 1982. Then she was keen on joining FMCG majors like Hindustan Lever and Asian Paints, both companies rejected Dhawan, as they didnot wish to appoint women for marketing and sales. STATUS OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN INDIA Women entrepreneur as defined by the Government of India is an enterprise owned and controlled by a women having a minimum financial interest of 51 % of the capital and giving atleast 51 % of the employment generated in the enterprise to women.   On the basis government offers incentives and concessions to women entrepreneurs.   However, women entrepreneurs severely criticize this definition which sets out a condition of employing more than 50 % women workers.   They point out that this is discriminatory and any enterprise set-up by women should qualify for the concessions offered to women entrepreneurs. Women entrepreneurs are no longer as hard to find as they were a few decades ago.   However, a lot still remains to be done before the impediments in their way, in the form of unfavourable policies, hostile attitudes or lack of opportunities, are removed and women can function shoulder to shoulder with men.   Non-government organizations promoting women entrepreneurship play a critical role in removing obstacles.   Women as entrepreneurs have to play a key role in the overall economic development of the country.   It is estimated that presently women entrepreneur comprise 10 % of the total entrepreneurs in India with the percentage rising every year and it is likely in another five years, women will comprise 20 % of the entrepreneurial workforce.   This figure is given by Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) as 39.4 %. With corporates eager to associate with women-owned businesses, and a host of banks and NGOs keen to help them get going, there has rarely been a better tim e for women with zeal and creativity to start their own business.   Traditionally, women in India were associated with tiny enterprises called 3Ps Pickles, Pappads and Pepper.   In urban cities of India, more and more women are successfully running day care centres, placement services, floriculture, beauty parlors and fashion boutiques.   Of late, technically and professionally qualified females are launching their small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in click and portal areas like information technology, multimedia, telecommunication and some have become very successful knowledge entrepreneurs.   Even in rural areas, self-help groups (SHGs) are empowering women to start their own business enterprises. Endowed with the famous female intuition that helps them make the right choices even in situations where experience and logic fail, the Indian women have innate flair for entrepreneurship.   Although men and women may be motivated by different goals and expectations, women entrepreneurs are just as competent, if not better, than their male counterparts.   Connie Glaser reports in her famous book When Money Isnt Enough, that male entrepreneurs are motivated by the potential to earn lots of money, while women start their own companies (SMEs) because they seek greater control over their personal and professional lives.   The capabilities and environment with which men and women operate are completely different.   Moreover, women have a few problems in pursuing their SMEs which their male counterparts do not.   If we really want to promote entrepreneurship among women we have to necessarily differentiate entrepreneurship on the basis of sex. Let us look at the key changes for the Indian women entrepreneurship over the last five decades.   Women entrepreneurs of The Fifties, took to entrepreneurial business activity where there was no income generating male or took charge of enterprise her husband had left.   In The Sixties, many women educated in schools and colleges began to have business aspirations and set-up SMEs.   Women entrepreneurs of The Seventies, was the critical mass of women who educated professionally and some set-up their own SMEs in emerging and new areas.   The women entrepreneurs of 50s, 60s, and 70s had accepted both their social and occupational roles.   They played the two roles and tried to balance both.   However, in The Eighties, the women were educated in highly technological and professional disciplines and they set-up their more sophisticatedly managed SMEs.   In The Nineties, women entrepreneurs were qualitatively different breed of women.   They were qualified, capable, compet ent and assertive.   They made better choices of opportunities and ideas, and set-up SMEs which they managed to grow their professionism. Women in The Nineties have often questioned their traditional coding of their roles and have become conscious of the voice of their identity.   The women entrepreneurs of The 21st Century, set-up businesses in IT, Telecom, and financial sectors and they were pioneers and mavericks.   In this millennium, the Indian women world has to cross a major threshold and enter an unknown land.   They have to walk a path where none existed with the sense to discover and fathom new heights with their effectively managed and technically sophisticated SMEs. Among the 94.57 lakhs SMEs owned by men functioning in India, 86.92 % are unregistered and registered units amount only to 13.08 %. In the total number of SMEs owned by men in India more than forth-fifths of the SMEs (86.92%) are unregistered. PERSONAL ENTREPRENEURIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MALE AND FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS General Characteristics   General characteristics of the Indian male and female entrepreneurs that have been noted in this study areas follows: Female Entrepreneurs Women tend to be more cautious and avoid risky ventures that would increase their vulnerability and expose them to possible loss of savings, more so when the impetus to become an entrepreneur arises from circumstances such as loss of job, divorce or death in the family. Business ventures are therefore kept small and products are quite diversified, rather than specialized. Activities are focused on household commitments, namely, to improve living conditions and consumption levels of their families and to educate their children, rather than focused on profit-driven motives. Hence they tend to choose businesses that allow them to balance family and business responsibilities. Sectors to which they gravitate generally exhibit lower growth potential and lower profits. Womens attraction to the services sector is thought to be linked to the view that women are inherently maternal and see themselves as providers for their families, hence their predisposition to enter this sector. The creative capacity of women, which is seen to be greater than that of men, allows them to be more responsive to market conditions, thereby contributing to their survival. Not unrelated to this is the tendency of women to underestimate their skills compared to men. As a result, they are more eager to avail themselves of opportunities for self-improvement through skills upgrading and confidence building. Male Entrepreneurs Male entrepreneurs are generally perceived to be more self-confident and possess better business skills. Men tend to be more profit-oriented, and are greater risk-takers with expectations of greater financial returns. Overall, men have access to a better support system, partly because of their longer experience in the business arena, but more so because of the strength of their networking, and the male bonding phenomenon, variously known as the old boys club. In addition, men generally hold positions of power in organizations and political institutions and have greater control over the decision-making processes (loan approvals etc.). Men enjoy a clear advantage with respect to accessing credit and investment capital, and acquiring market information, which together facilitate their entry into more profitable, high growth sectors. The mobility of men tends not to be as constrained by domestic responsibilities. Difference between Personal Entrepreneurial Characteristics    Based on general information gathered from respondents the main differences in personal entrepreneurial characteristic between female and male entrepreneurs are as follows: Female Entrepreneurs Many female entrepreneurs are said to be in business out of economic necessity. Women tend to underestimate their skills in comparison to men. They are very eager to take advantage of opportunities such as seminars, bazaars, etc. to help them to upgrade their skills and business capabilities, as well as to build up their level of confidence. Women tend to be more cautious in their approach to business in the sense that they are more patient than men, and are willing to wait for a longer period of time for their businesses to grow. Motivation between men and women seems to be different. Women tend to operate in small business and maintain a clear focus on their additional duties and obligations to their family/household. Hence, their main priority is in having adequate finance in hand to meet family commitments, even if they do not obtain an income or salary at month end. Women tend to be largely in the services sector. One view advanced by a key informant is that as women are inherently maternal and intrinsically see themselves as providers for their families, they have a predisposition to enter this sector. Women tend to start businesses that they can manage adequately and financially, bearing in mind that they may also be heading the household in the absence of a male figure. In this case, womens time has to be appropriated prudently between business and familial responsibilities. Women tend to have an aversion to debt, particularly if they have started their business from a position of disadvantage. The view suggests that women entrepreneurs tend to avoid potentially risky business activities that may increase their vulnerability and expose them to the loss of their savings sometimes life savings. A possible additional risk for women could be the fear or embarrassment of being viewed as a failure within the context of a perceived male-dominated society. Womens creative capacity is seen to be greater than that of their male counterparts. Women can diversify more quickly than men in order to remain viable within the market even though this market is small in many cases and they are seen to be more flexible than men as well. Male Entrepreneurs Male entrepreneurs are perceived to be more confident than their female counterparts. They have a better support system, principally because they have more experience in business activities. They are perceived to possess more and better business skills than women. They are seen to be more systematic than women. They tend to be more enterprising in terms of taking higher risks with the expectation of attaining higher financial returns on their investments. Challenges of women entrepreneurs Women are subjected to discrimination in their entrepreneurial endeavours due to various gender-related causes. This discrimination has adversely impacted on their ability to raise or secure capital, to acquire and further managerial talents, and to capture market opportunities. Women are often subjected to greater scrutiny as they approach traditional lending institutions for assistance. This has resulted in many women being discouraged from venturing into business activities on their own. However, it needs to be mentioned that those women who have done so have been quite successful at managing and operating the respective businesses. This refers in particular to women who have been successful in areas such as basketry, food vending, hair dressing, clothes designing, and food manufacturing such as pepper sauces, making syrup and the packaging of various spices. No clearly defined policy framework existed for SME development. In this case, in the views of key informants, there seemed to be gender discrimination in favour of male entrepreneurs. One example given speaks to the issue of males obtaining loans more easily and readily than women from commercial banks to finance their business ventures which, in some cases, were similar to those of women. The Indian Governments recent policy framework has sought to redress some of these imbalances. A wide range of credit facilities is available. However, SMEs persons including women, experience numerous difficulties in accessing funds. There is a lack of readily available information on opportunities for investing in SMEs.   In this regard, women who are starting from a perceived situation of disadvantage in the market especially if they are operating at the periphery of the formal economy are constrained in relation to maximizing their economic potential. The absence of an entrepreneurial culture has permeated all levels of society.   This has resulted in the SME sector being regarded as a less attractive investment option in India. When combined with other barriers, few women find SMEs an attractive career pursuit. Female entrepreneurs may lack business management, marketing and accounting skills.   These skills may be very weak. This may be compounded by the lack of resources and in some cases the will to upgrade these skills. The educational system does not include entrepreneurial education, training and development in the curricula as a crucial area for national economic development. Women who would otherwise benefit from this educational emphasis are inevitably denied early access to the rudiments of business in India6. Major Problems of Women Entrepreneurs The major problem observed are as follows : Women face intensive financial constraints as loans not easily available to them being females a gender bias. Women have over-dependence on intermediaries, middlemen and brokers who exploit rather than helping them. Women face the problem of scarcity of raw materials and depend upon suppliers and middlemen who exploit them charging higher prices. Cut-throat competition in entrepreneurship creates more hurdles to women entrepreneurs. In the case of women entrepreneurs, the cost of production goes high as compared to industries run by their male counterparts.   This creates problems of marketing due to high prices. Women have low mobility as compared to male entrepreneurs because of social hurdles, family responsibilities and discrimination by family members. Women give more priority to family ties and relationships than economic aspects.   This prevents them from becoming successful in entrepreneurship. India being a patriarch society, female daughters dont have rights over the property of their father and hence discriminated by financial institutions. Female entrepreneurs cannot get sales tax number without a male partner which causes a great problem for them.   This is male chaunism that is also in the beginning of the 21st Century. Because of lack of information networks, education and training, potential and existing female entrepreneurs are exploited by unscrupulous agents and brokers7.   There are numerous other problems and challenges which discourages women to undertake entrepreneurship and self-employment as a career option in India as well as many other developing countries of the world.   The government must come-up with clear policies in favour of women entrepreneurs so that female entrepreneurship development can be promoted and further encouraged making them as equal partners in the society.

Royal Caribbean And International Travel Tourism Essay

Royal Caribbean And International Travel Tourism Essay The travel industry provides many positive aspects into leisure vacationing. It offers the ability to enhance ones self knowledge. A more cultural diverse knowledge will also broaden business choices. International travel has impacted businesses worldwide. Executives and employees increase their knowledge with different cultures, legalities and politics. This gained knowledge improves the corporations structure with financial, marketing, sales, management practices in addition to personal fulfillment. The cruise industry fits perfectly into this way of enhancement. Leisure travel and cruising has impacted many different economies, such as the United States and abroad. They do so by integrating and expanding regional markets, sales, supply, and demand across the globe. Purpose of Study This papers purpose is to explain the benefits of travel and the cruise industry in a corporate infrastructure. Royal Caribbean, the cruise industry and other travel methods will show how and why corporate executives choose to incorporate leisure into business. Some limitations of study would be the lack of knowledge and experience in managing an entire corporation in the United States or internationally. Also, the travel industry and cruise lines main focus is offering consumer vacations primarily to United States citizens. Only in the recent two decades have they embarked on becoming more globalized. Definition of Terms Terminology within this paper will be of common knowledge and common sense. Any unusual terms used will be explained in the section it resides. Review of Literature Organization of the cruise industry Annual cruise reviews from the Passenger Shipping Association (PSA), announced the cruise industry will grow after prior years of economic slowdown. Despite the slumping economy, Royal Caribbean has continued to expand its fleets, introduce new port of calls (stops and ship destinations) and itineraries. In addition to American growth, international growth has also been reported. The United Kingdom is expected to double its passengers in 2010. The increase in passengers is attributed to Royal Caribbean, Holland America, MSC and Maritime Voyages (Griffiths, 2010, p. 10). Since the late 1980s the United States accounts for two-thirds of the global cruise market. Also, Europeans and Asians are quickly capturing shares in this growing industry. This is shown by Royal Caribbeans global expansion strategy by easing ships into Asia. Since 2009, Asian passengers increased to one million due to the rise of the middle class. Royal Caribbeans expansion strategy has left a footprint for other cruise lines to follow. Adam Goldstien, President of Royal Caribbean acknowledges his job is to lead a brand that delivers the Wow! (Kolesnikov-Jessup, 2008, p. 12). Strategy and organizational architecture Strategic planning often involves working with the National Tourism Organization (NTO). Although it has been argued that the NTOs of different countries describe strategic planning as an overall government strategy its mission is to research, develop and promote tourism on an economic level. NTOs help organizations in several aspects such as improving organizational levels, management, and performance to provide the needs of the organization, the industry and itself (Soteriou and Roberts, 1998, p. 21). Different models of plan of action are used depending on the industry, economic environment and organizational needs. Royal Caribbean uses the most common type, known as the normative model. This strategy requires a proactive view in establishing and achieving goals, such as to observe environments and economic conditions, assess internal capabilities, and research and development (Soteriou and Roberts, 1998, p. 21). This proactive view consists of restructuring the organization. There are several factors that affect the organizations operations. These factors include, control systems, incentives, organizational culture, processes, and people. This is referred to as organizational architecture of a company. These five factors are divided into subunits often called product divisions, national operations and functions. These divisions provide the ability to improve on executive decision-making, integration of teams domestically and internationally, and the coordination of processes and activities. Processes are the method of how decisions are agreed upon and approved (Hill, 2009, p. 451). Internal capability Royal Caribbeans level of competency is a major determinant on whether the NTOs normative model will be successful. Some factors of competency are whether management understands the commitment to the past, present and future development of the organization. Other factors are time management, the ability to deal with disruptive crises, manage disruptions and the desire to focus on what is important to the organization (Soteriou and Roberts, 1998, p. 21). Royal Caribbean and the NTOs main focus are to become more globalized. Decisions on how to perform and achieve the ultimate goal is important. Most of the critical issues are centralized to hierarchy executives at the main headquarters in Miami, Florida. For example, strategic and financial decisions are primarily the responsibility of the President and board of directors. These major company changes and objectives need to be kept consistent, avoid cultural problems, and poorly repeated activities (Hill, 2009, pp. 451-452). International local offices have more of decentralized decision-making capabilities. Local offices in Italy, Germany, United Kingdom, Brazil, Spain, Australia and Singapore have better flexibility, control and professional freedom. For example, if there are employee, entertainment, ship safety and maintenance issues with ships in the Australia region, that local office has the ability to make quicker decisions in resolving problems (Hill, 2009, p. 453). Globalization of the cruise industry Globalization is important for most organizations to expand through the ever-changing world of technology. Over twenty years ago cruise ships were exclusively available to travelers of the United States. Royal Caribbean, the second largest cruise line behind Carnival Cruise foresaw globalization as a way to help lead the industry into the millennium (Griffiths, 2010). Significant changes and benefits have spanned over-seas. New emerging market industries have appeared in some European countries such as Germany and Italy. Royal Caribbean and other large cruise lines have invested time and money into these countries to utilize their prime locations and joint ventures for ship building. While Royal Caribbean expands their fleets, they are also helping to improve economies. Improvements can be seen in providing employment and wages to drawing attention to the European nations through tourism (WTTC, IFTO, IHRA, ICCL, 2002, p. 45). According to MaryAnne Howland of Black Enterprises, globalization encompasses mixing business with leisure. Whether your single or have a family, business trips do not require suffering through boring hotel stays and horrible food. With the ease of internet access, making reservations for the next business trip can also be you and your familys next mini-vacation (2004, p. 125). In addition to having quality time to yourself and saving costs to the company or client, business trips can now involve family, education and the chance to broaden your cultural diversity. Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines offer exactly this-with ports all over the world, amenities and activities for all age groups. While the family is enjoying themselves, conferences and meetings can be conducted with minimal interruptions with a more refreshed attitude. Globalization also provides more opportunities in obtaining new contracts, prospects, and clients enabling positive memorable first impressions with personal meetings (Mancini, 2004, p. 15). Although obtaining flights and hotels all over the world are the primary choice of conducting business and gathering new prospects and clients, cruising has offered a different option. For most executives, being away from the family and children is the first sacrifice when building an organization. Business trips can often span over several weeks of time especially when traveling overseas. Some business dealings are conducted via the internet and conference calls, but nothing makes a better impression than in-person meetings when closing the deal. This aspect proves why it is undeniable the ease of flights and hotels as a primary choice of conducting travel. With all success comes sacrifice and in most instances it is the personal lives of family that carries that burden. This inevitably creates stress for the executive in addition to the family dynamic. Stress not only affects the family dynamic, but will also transfer into the workplace. This is where Royal Caribbean comes into the picture. They provide a choice of combining work and pleasure. The family no longer has to always sacrifice personal happiness and growth for the sake of better careers and higher incomes. It is true, families can fly to worldly destinations on business trips, but unless they are familiar with the country, location and culture most often they are stuck in the hotel. With Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines, this is no longer a problem. Safety is their number one priority in addition to reaching the different age groups of providing fun and entertainment. Everything is inclusive, from staterooms (sleeping quarters), food, pools, gyms, daycare to bars, casinos and shopping (Mancini, 2004). Regional economic impact on global economies The United States and international economies are in dire need of recovery. According to the Travel Trade Gazette business travel is on the rise and will be an important factor in repairing global economies. Corporations such as Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise among other large companies are trying to achieve that competitive edge. A survey recently revealed that approximately seventy-nine percent of organizations prefer a more personal approach in conducting business. Eighty-nine percent of business executives believe face-to-face interaction is crucial to finalize the deal. It is essential for executives to visit and personally interact with people and analyze new market industries, especially in a recession (Travel Trade Gazette, 2010, p. 11). The cruise industry has impacted many different economies in addition to the United States. The most well known areas are Mexico, Alaskan, Hawaiian, Bahamian and Caribbean locations. More recently a new trend has emerged. Several countries offer unexplored and untouched regions. Despite pirate-infested waters, Royal Caribbean among other larger cruise lines is adding new routes to their itineraries. Some itineraries include Asia to Europe, South and West Africa, Australia, Mediteranian and Singapore to Rome. Each different port offers several offshore excursions. These lesser-explored areas create excitement to the consumer. For example, Africa currently offers heritage tours remembering past slave trades. National parks, exquisite beaches, chimpanzee and hippopotamus sanctuaries are only a few of the choices consumers have, while cruising with Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines. These underdeveloped, international areas have increased in revenue because of the cruise industry r evenue from tourism that would not have normally been accessible other than by air (Jainchill, 2010, np). Despite recent port additions Royal Caribbean felt the hard reality of three key factors in the early 1990s. These three factors affected most of the cruise industry; the war in the Middle East, the United States recession and increased costs of supply, primarily fuel. Glenn Withiam of Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administrations cited from analyst Arthur Little that the United States recession was affecting the cruise industry, tourism and international economies worse than the war (1992, p. 1). Although the early 1990s looked bleak, four encouraging factors were offering a positive outlook leading up to the year 2010. The four factors were; the consumers continued interest in adventure and cultural diversity, the cruise industries earned reputation from word of mouth of having the best customer satisfaction, decreasing production schedules on fleet expansions and cost control because newer ships run more efficiently. Other interrelated lesser, encouraging factors will continue to be higher air fares, more conservative lending institutions and the slowing of supply due to space constraints in shipyards (Withiam, 1992, p. 9). Cultural diversity and impact Royal Caribbean offers luxury and lavish attention which can be enjoyed by vacationers and executives on business trips. Cruise ships offer interesting and exciting destinations and an excellent way to visit several different geographic areas in a short period of time. In addition to meeting new prospects on port-of-calls, cruise ships have the most cultural diversity within its passengers (Magic at sea: The cruise industry, 2005). When vacationing or conducting business on or off the ship, it is important to be aware of different societies and their shared values and norms. The last thing desired is to offend societies or possible new customers or business partners (Hill, 2009, p. 89). Religion and ethical systems (or moral principles) play a large part in shaping cultures (p. 96). Royal Caribbean embraces cultural diversity. They believe in employing a well rounded workforce and inspiring other cruise lines to adopt the same way of thinking. They often choose to employ people from the different country and island destinations that are on the itineraries. Employing people from local cultures exposes passengers and fellow employees to new learning experiences (Our Company, 2010). According to the International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL) the cruise industry employs about eighty five to ninety percent of people from international countries. As Royal Caribbean is providing new cultural experiences for everyone onboard, these international or local workers are gaining financial independence, personal autonomy, economic, social and cultural equality. Extensive training and education required for all company personnel provides a sense of pride and empowerment not otherwise gained in the country of origin (WTTC, IFTO, IHRA, ICCL, 2002, p. 48). In addition to providing a more diverse environment on ships, it has been proven that cultural dining and entertainment is exciting to consumers. For example, employing European, Japanese and Mexican chefs offer the chance to taste the very best cuisine that would normally be available only in four-star restaurants and hotels. Foreign entertainment coordinators also provide unique experiences in traditional and exotic shows. Cultures are never constant and are always changing through the decades thus providing an endless array of different styles of entertainers and entertainment (Our Company, 2010). Discussion Review of Findings Royal Caribbean has helped lead industries into a new way of vacationing and business travel. Their global expansion strategy, positive impact on the United States, international economies and cultural diversity has been noticed by many different industries and corporations worldwide. Smaller cruise lines have also noticed how globalization has affected the market. Unfortunately due to their lack of capital, fleets (numerous ships) and vision they are unable to effectively compete with the large corporations like Royal Caribbean. These smaller organizations are primarily localized in small city-limit areas and are often privately owned and operated. These limitations keep them from expanding. Working with the NTO, Royal Caribbean has improved on several internal levels of the organization such as, management and performance. Their strategy focuses on a proactive view when making decisions in regards to company goals, research, development and internal capabilities. Although determinants sometimes exist such as lack of competency, commitment and conflict management skills, most of these abilities can be learned through experience, proper training and role models. Globalization has been a key part of the cruise industrys success in the last three decades. Creating new itineraries and new foreign relations has helped Royal Caribbean and their leading competitor Carnival Cruise to expand their fleets and improve the United States and international economies. To keep a competitive edge on industry markets, executives from all over the globe have the choice to utilize cruise ships to achieve a more personalized first impression to confirm and close the sales deal. Nearly ninety percent of organizations prefer a personalized method. Royal Caribbean and the cruise industry continually strive to improve different economies, increase supply, demand, and boost revenue to countries that would not normally obtain the benefits of tourism. Interpretation/Analysis of Findings Economic slowdown will continue to occur in the future. This affects all economies and markets, including the travel and cruise industry. Since the conception of Royal Caribbean in the 1970s, they showed ambition and promise for a bright future. In the 1980s Royal Caribbean among other large cruise industries accounted for two-thirds of the globalized cruise market, even though this ratio had not yet included the growing interest in European and Asian countries. The National Tourism Organization appears to be of great help to large corporations trying to break into globalization. Their strategic planning and general know-how seems to be having an overall positive effect for Royal Caribbean. Their internal levels of; management, research, development and financial restructuring has helped them lead the industry and influence other corporations. Their market strategy, entrepreneurial spirit and NTO support helps guide them. Strategy changes such as their target market of GenerationX and Baby Boomer age groups, adopting new accounting methods, and implementing new financial practices like the Dupont system of analysis (Block, S., Hirt, G., Danielsen, B., 2009), has proven to be successful and going in the right direction. Although, snapshots of their stock fluctuates and is currently showing a slight drop of .07% according to the Wall Street Journal (Company Research: RCL Stock Quote, 2010), internal organizational changes to become more globalized has increased their asset turnover and return on assets in addition to their enthusiasm (Block et al, 2009). Their belief in cultural diversity within the workforce has created wonderful experiences for vacationers and executives alike. Providing a more diverse environment has proven to be successful in maintaining the excitement of consumers. Exotic entertainment and destinations, to four-star dining experiences has set Royal Caribbean apart from the average cruise line. The goal of creating that Wow! factor appears to be working. Summary and Conclusions Royal Caribbean will continue to grow, as they have for the past four decades. Keeping a competitive edge and continuing to strive for more globalization while being proactive in decision making will ensure their successful existence in the cruise industry for years to come. Although the National Tourism Organizations strategy planning is considered a government plan by most countries, they have significantly helped Royal Caribbean and the travel industry in becoming more globalized. Working with the NTO will also help them stay focused on the continual improvements with their internal levels and capability of the organization. Globalization is the key to Royal Caribbeans success. Although they probably would have continued to stay in business it would have been at a smaller scale. Their expansion into European countries is what has cemented their legacy in the new millennium. Building local offices in countries like Italy and Australia, in addition to ship-manufacturing joint ventures in areas such as Finland, Germany and France has improved cultural diversity, increased fleets and intensified economies with employment, wages and tourism. Royal Caribbean has also provided another choice for executives to mix business and the family dynamic. In this dire need of economic recovery, the executives or owners of other companies and industries should be Royal Caribbeans next demographic to strongly focus on. Leisure travel and cruising has impacted many different economies, such as the United States and abroad by integrating and expanding regional markets, sales, supply, and demand across the globe.

Smile Molds :: essays research papers

Slime Molds   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are over 500 different types of slime molds, or myxomycetes as the scientific world calls them. Slime molds have been difficult to classify for years do to the fact that they exhibit characteristics of both fungi and animals. In the feeding stage, the slime molds moves about as a mass of protoplasm(the plasmodium)feeding on bacteria, spores, and other organic matter, much like an amoeba does. When conditions become unfavorable , the plasmodium changes, taking on the appearance of a fungus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are two major types of slime molds in the Protist Kingdom. The first kind are the Plasmodial slime molds or true slime molds. They are a rather large singled celled mass with thousands and thousands of nuclei called a plasmodium. They form when individual flagellated cells gather together in a bunch and fuse. This results in one large cytoplasm. The second kind of slime mold spends most of its life as single celled organism that lives alone. It is also known in the scientific world as acrasiomycetes. They release of a chemical signal, gather together, and become a mass called a pseudoplasmodia and eventually multicellular slug. They have different reproductive means and are often separated from plasmodial by scientist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many kinds of slime molds reproduce by means on spores. The spores drift along in the wind or are carried about by animals and insects much like seeds are. Also, like seeds the spores wait until conditions are favorable before developing. The spore are unable to move on there own. If smile molds reproduced sexually they may be considered to be an Animal instead of an Protist. However, not all slime molds reproduce exactly the same way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The slime mold has a simple environment. They can be found in cool, damp places were they can easily find food. Most species that feed on decaying organic matter, bacteria, protozoa, and other minute organisms, which they engulfs and digests. They may live on plants, but do not try to kill the plant to eat. They do not mean to harm the plant, although they sometimes smother the plant in which they are living on by not allowing sun light reach the leaves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A slime mold may be either bright colored or inconspicuous. They come in many different shapes and forms. They can be found in different sizes ranging from less than an inch to several feet wide. They also come in many different colors.

Different Deaths in Death Be Not Proud and Do Not Go Gentle Essay

I feel uncomfortable making comparisons because a successful work of art, whether it is a poem or a painting, has to be judged on its own merits. â€Å"Death Be Not Proud† and â€Å"Do not go gentle† are both great poems, by two poets with different philosophic outlooks and different ways of looking at the world, written at different times, and in different styles. On the surface both these poets seem to be talking about the same things but a careful reading of the poems show that their views differ in both substance and in style. John Donne was a metaphysical poet of the early 17th Century, a clergyman, the Dean of St Paul’s in London (WikiSource). The label â€Å"metaphysical† was attached by the critic Dr. Samuel Johnson to a group of 17th century poets who shared a common style: they employed wit, subtle argument and linked our ordinary life to the eternal, â€Å"looking beyond the palpable† (Lukà ¡cs). Dylan Thomas was a mid-20th century Welshman, who worked for the BBC and drank himself to death before he turned forty. Apart from great poetic talent, there is little in common in their poems. John Donne writes about death. In fact he addresses death directly: Death be not proud, you are neither mighty nor dreadful, you do not really kill: â€Å"One short sleep past, we wake eternally/ And death shall be no more; death thou shalt die.† (Donne) The poem expresses a defiant faith in the hereafter and in resurrection. Death is cut down to size with simple but powerful arguments. Dylan Thomas’s poem is not about death but about dying; it is not an argument-based poem but an emotionally-charged poem, wordy and repetitive. The repeated phrases increase the impact of the emotion on us: â€Å"Do not go gentle into that good night† an... ...h but about loss. So perhaps modern poets tackle death indirectly. The modern sentiment that is acceptable is friendship and love; to mourn a friend (or a father) is therefore acceptable. This way, modern poets slide past the death problem. Works Cited Auden, W.H. â€Å"Stop all the clocks.† 1936 Brooke, Rupert. "The Soldier" London: Sidgwick & Jackson, 1915. John Donne.19 November 2007 Madden, Frank. Exploring Literature. New York: Pearson, 2007. Donne, John. â€Å"Do not go gentle† pps.1238-1238. Madden, Frank. Exploring Literature. New York: Pearson, 2007. Thomas, Dylan. â€Å"Death be not proud† McGough, Roger. â€Å"Let me die a young man’s death† Penguin Modern Poets. Vol 10. London 1972. Metaphysical poets. 22 November 2007

Management and Leadership Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Management and Leadership What is leadership? Leadership is having the ability to give guidance to those that will follow. Those that follow will help to complete the mission. Leadership is a soft science, just as anthropology, sociology and psychology. It cannot be proven exactly what it is. Leadership is an art, the skillful application of leadership behaviors beyond techniques is much the same as the skillful application of brushstrokes by a master painter. Leadership is both rational and emotional. It involves both sides of human experience. It includes actions and influences based on reason and logic as well those based on inspiration and passion. Leadership is a social process shared among all members of a group. Leadership development comes through experience. We all learn from our different experiences. Whether positive or negative, they are our tools for growth and development. What is management? Management is a position of authority. Management says what need to get done and supplies the material to get it done. Management tends to be the more educated than the experienced. Managers can be trained to hold a position. Management is a position of leadership. Can leadership and management be the same? Leadership and management are not the same. Anyone can be a manager and not have any followers. Being able to manage is knowing the aspects of a mission. A leader knows the aspects, has the knowledge and the skills to accomplish the mission. But leadership and management work hand in hand with each other. The management sets the stage and the leadership makes it happen. Leadership is a human relationship process. No scientific method can be used for testing leadership. Leadership is based on human factors and no two humans are the same. Managers are not only interested in status quo, but also production, expansion and growth. Management was a system to control machines. Leadership can never be controlled. Where one sits in life determines what you see. To be a good manager one must look at views from different perspectives. As situations change, leadership relations change. Leadership cannot be transactional. It can only work if both parties keep their agreements. A class survey was held to compare leaders to managers. The overall opinion was that they are similar in many ways. A leader and a manager can be one in the same. The difference be... ...ent opinions. Many studies have been done and know one still knows what makes a true leader. We are far from finding conclusive answers to them. Even those individuals with extensive knowledge of leadership research may be poor leaders. Leadership does not occur without followers, and followership is an easily neglected component of the leadership process. Leadership is everyone business and everyone responsibility. Thinking about leadership can help a person become a better leader than you are right now. In conclusion, my opinion is as follows. The leadership process is a total learning process. We all are leaders in our own way at different times in our lives. For example a father or mother with children, their children look to them for guidance. They also learn their values and about their culture through them. That is having leadership abilities. Friends look to each other for advice and different experiences that each of them have done. Some people perform leadership acts on the daily basis and don ´t even realize it until they think about it or until someone brings it to their attention. That ´s why it ´s said that a part of learning about leadership is to always think about it.

How to Prevent Air Pollution

HOW TO PREVENT AIR POLLUTION Let us take a nice look to talk about what the a? r polluti? on really is. I mean the reality is that the issue of air pollution control needs is something that we all are well aware of. But are we facing the exact way that we have to prevent it? Really, its a major problem to the whole of the continent and it can cause a global warming to all over the world. There are three steps that we have to take to solve this air pollution problems: recycling, saving energy and placing factories outside of the city.Recycling is one of the best ways to reduce air pollition. The first step we need to take is that we have to pro duce less to conserve mor energy. second, We see many people throwing things in the roads in our daily life. some of these people foced them to do this with out containers on the road and some others do this by offens? vely. So we have to put containers to every were posible and we have to show the others who do this by consciously. also, we ha ve to work hard to stop what ever can increase air pollition. y the way we have to stop using volotile organic compounds (VOC) which are the gases that are emitted from certain materials. These materials include spray paints, pesticides, glues, permanent markers, etc. Instead of going for materials that contain VOCs, we have to go to the products that contain water as basically or have low levels of VOCs. Second step that we can prevent air pollution is saving energy. Suerly, how much energy we save, reduces the amount of air pollution in the air. imple steps that we can save energy is using les natural gasses, gasoline and electricity which can actually save a lot of fossil fuels. In order to save electricity, we to take small steps like using fans instead of air conditioners, turn off electrical appliances when we leave a room, replace our incandescent lights with fluorescent lights, use solar energy, use a microwave to heat up small meals than burning the gas stove, purchase ener gy saving appliances, and so on.Also there is another step that we can save energy to reduce air polution. For example when we are driving, we to take these steps like obeying the speed limit, replacing our car's air filter on time, accelerating gradually, keeping our tires inflated properly, buying cars that are designed to emit low pollution. The last step is that we have to locate factories outside of the cities. As we all are well aware of, factories produce a lot of carbon dioxide which is very dangerous to the hole global. The reality is that we need them because they are necesary to our lives. But the only way we can reduce their harmfulness is that we have to make them outside of the cities. Also we have stop doing same factories which are same work if there are enough factories that can do the job as much as we need. Because building same factories will only increase the emissions. In conclution, we have to take these above steps to prevent this global problem which is air pollution.Actually no matter where you live, air is that one element that will always be around you. So, if you think that staying at home will keep you safe no matter how polluted it is outside, you are completely wrong. Infact if you see many recent researches which are talked to air pollution, you would know that air pollution is the leading cause of many air borne diseases like bronchitis, asthma, non fatal heart attacks, and other respiratory conditions leading to premature deaths all across the globe.

Informal Speech Outline

First Man in Space Topic: Yuri Gagarin General Purpose: To inform Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about first man who escaped Earth’s gravity and appeared in space. Thesis: Gagarin was to be the very first man being in space. Introduction Attention Getter: What would you think if I ask who was the first man in space? First idea is Neil Armstrong? Isn’t it? But what if I say that there was cosmonaut from Soviet Union who traveled in space one year earlier? Significance of Topic: Sounds not familiar?Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made history on April 12, 1961 when he became both the first person in the world to enter space and the first person to orbit the Earth. Establishment of Ethos: Since childhood, this man was a hero of mine that’s why I decided to investigate his biography more detailed. Thesis: Gagarin was to be the very first man being in space. Preview Statement: So today we will go on tour to the spacecraft and take a look at Yuri Gagarin’ s life background, his road in becoming a cosmonaut, and the historic flight itself. (Transition: So let’s start our trip by finding out Yuri Gagarin’s life background. Body I. According to article â€Å"Life and Death of Yuri Gagarin† published in Engineering and Technology magazine on April 2011, Yuri Gagarin was born in March 9, 1934 in a small village west of Moscow in Russia (then known as the Soviet Union). Yuri was the third of four children and spent his childhood on a collective farm where his father, Alexey Gagarin, worked as a carpenter and bricklayer and his mother, Anna Gagarina, worked as a milkmaid. A. Like millions of people in the Soviet Union, the Gagarin family suffered during Nazi occupation in World War II. After a German officer took over their ouse, the family constructed a small mud hut where they spent a year and nine months until the end of the occupation. 1. Life was difficult during the war and the Gagarins were kicked out of their ho me and moved to another city. B. When Yuri was fifteen he entered a vocational trail and learned to be a metalworker. 1. In two years as the best student he was sent to continue his study to Saratov high technical school. a. While studying there, he joined the Aero Club where he trained to fly an aircraft. b. This hobby predetermined his future charge; Gagarin decided to devote his life to aviation.C. In 1955 he enrolled into the Russian Air Force and two years afterwards graduated with honors from the Soviet Air Force Academy. 1. However, while Gagarin enjoyed being a fighter pilot, what he really wanted to do was to go to space. a. Since he had been following the Soviet Union's progress in space flight, he was confident that soon they would be sending a man into space. b. He wanted to be that man. (Transition: Now that we know life background of Yuri Gagarin, lets move to a how Yuri became a cosmonaut. ) II. His desire was so strong that in 1960 he applied to be a cosmonaut. A.Acc ording to â€Å"First man in space† published in About. com on May 5,2010, Yuri Gagarin was just one of 3,000 applicants to be the first Soviet cosmonaut. 1. Out of this large amount of applicants, just 20 were chosen and Gagarin was one of the 20. B. During the extensive physical and psychological testing required of the chosen cosmonaut trainees, Gagarin excelled at the tests while maintaining a calm behavior as well as his sense of humor and readiness to the upcoming flight. 1. Later, Gagarin would be chosen to be the first man into space because of these skills. (Transition: Now lets take a look at the historic flight itself) III.So on April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin boarded Vostok 1 (the name of the spaceship) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome located in Kazakhstan. A. Although he was fully trained for the mission, but no one knew if it was going to be a success or a failure. Gagarin was to be the very first human being in space, truly going where no man had gone before. B. Gagari n was rocketed into space, using an automated system. 1. Gagarin was not given the control to the spacecraft during his mission because scientists were worried about the psychological effects of being in space; it wasn’t discovered by that time. C.After entering space, Gagarin completed a single orbit around Earth. The spaceship’s top speed reached 17,600 miles per hour. At the end of the orbit, spaceship reentered the Earth's atmosphere. 1. Gagarin was in space exactly 108 minutes circled the entire globe. 2. Right before he landed, a farmer and her daughter spotted Gagarin floating down with his parachute. a. Once on the ground, Gagarin, dressed in an orange spacesuit and wearing a large white helmet, Gagarin terrified two women and it took him a few minutes to convince them that he is a human, not an alien and to direct him to the nearest phone.D. For this accomplishment Gagarin was awarded medal and title hero of Soviet Union. 1. Yuri Gagarin’s successful fl ight into space paved the way for all future space exploration. Conclusion Summary Statement: So, now you know a life background of Yuri Gagarin, his road in becoming a cosmonaut and his historic flight. References Bizony, Piers, (April, 2011). Life and Death of Yuri Gagarin. Engineering & Technology. 31 (2), pp. 35-37 Rosenberg, Jennifer (May 5, 2010). The First Man in Space. Available at: http://history1900s. about. com/od/1960s/a/yurigagarin. htm. Last Accessed March 15, 2013.