Forum memos Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Forum memos - Case Study Example A good case study is the American International Group Incorporation. The company violated Delaware laws and stakeholder’s rights by accepting to be rescued by the federal government in exchange of a majority stake in the insurance company. Further, the company refused to provide its shareholders/company owners an opportunity to vote on major issues on a bailout proposal. The government was to give out $85 and receive $79.9 percent stake in return that violated Delaware corporate law. One of the investors by the name Wilma Walker filed a suit in court. His actions caused the senior director of the company to resign managers including chief executive officer since the act led to the loss of $180 billion and the American International Group risked being collapsed. This was a deal backed by the U.S Treasury Department, and it was designed to prevent chaos that threatened other financial companies (Bloomberg, 2008). American International Group also did not adhere to good corporate governance by converting the preferred shares into common stock without any approval from shareholder. The company also had to part with $1.6 billion to settle allegations of influential leaders because the company had misled stakeholders and lied in worker’s compensation program (Bloomberg,

Tea Leaves Essay Example for Free

Tea Leaves Essay Fuente 4th block 18 February 2013 Divination by Tea Leaves The divination of tea leaves began in the 17th century when tea became a very popular drink. As people began drinking their tea, they came up with tasseomancy, or tasseography, which is just a type of tea leaf divination. People prefer divination by tea leaves because it is the easiest and most accessible for everyday people. It is a form of scyring. First of all, Tea is poured into a cup without a strainer, and the inquirer contemplates their issue and then drinks all the tea. With the moisture left in the cup, they then spin the leaves three times clockwise and turn the cup upside down. Then someone reads the pattern of the tea leaves and determines the inquirers fortune, be it good or bad. Many people do not use this form of divination for it takes more psychic ability than non-psychic. You read the symbols based on standard interpretations. It’s said that the closer to the rim the leaves are, the sooner they are to happen. The rim is labeled as the future, whereas the bottom of the cup is the distant future or the outcome of your conflict. The only problem is that there are different systems of symbolic interpretations. Choosing the right type of tea leaf divination is key to becoming comfortable with the system and get accurate readings. However, divination isn’t used to make your decision for you. Divination is merely used to help inspire you in making your own decisions. The tea leaves seen can be depicted in different ways depending on how open your imagination is. As said above, there are many different ways that you can read your tea leaves. You just have to find the one that is suitable for your situation and make sure you keep an open imagination. Works Cited www. divinationbytealeaves. com www. wicca-spirituality. com .

Tour Operations Sector Of The Travel Industry

Tour Operations Sector Of The Travel Industry The aim of this assignment is to investigate the tour operations sector of the travel and tourism industry, including the different types of operator, their products and services, the scale of the sector and how it has been affected by trends and developments. Learners will explore the stages involved in developing a package holiday and develop skills associated with determining a selling price for a holiday and the distribution methods used by tour operators to sell holidays. The travel industry predicts a continuing move away from packages towards independent travel coupled with Britains slow exit from the recession; tour operator bookings show that the desire to take holidays in 2010 is stronger than ever, as compared to December 2008 to March 2009. (Aito 2010) The demand for cheap deals are no longer the driving factor in tour operator bookings, consumers are now more concerned about customer service, and this is jumping ahead of price. Spain remains Britains favourite holiday destination. It is familiar to many, and easy to reach from across the UK on no-frills airlines. The Canaries Island for example is a bright spot for tour operators with a lot of new-build accommodation over the past decade and more all-inclusive than in other areas. The big two are increasingly branding major resort hotels for particular client types. The Gran Melia Palacio de Isora in Tenerife will be part of Thomsons flagship Sensatori resorts brand from May, offering luxury f or adults with an emphasis on spa treatments. First Choice is adding a new Holiday Village in Lanzarote at the Flamingo Beach hotel, offering families all-inclusive holidays in apartment-style accommodation. Specification of Assessment This assignment is in two parts Task 1 Covers Learning Outcome 1 and Learning Outcome 4 (LO1 and LO4) Task 2 Covers Learning Outcome 2 and Learning Outcome 3 (LO2 and LO3) TASK 1 You are required to write a report on Tour Operations in the 21st Century showing how the Industry has developed, the size, scale and complexities of tour operations today and to examine the implications of current trends and decision making on the industry. Within this task you are expected to address LO1 and LO4. (P1, P2, P9 and P10) Please read requirements 1 and 4 for this task. TASK 2 Within the Tour Operating Industry, you are required to develop and distribute a tour operator package, explain the stages of the product development, draw up timescales, prepare a package costing, evaluate and recommend distribution. Within this task you are expected to address LO2 and LO3. ( P3, P4, P5, P6, P7 and P8) Please read requirements 2 and 3 for this task. Requirement 1 -Investigate the tour operations sector of the travel and tourism industry Describe the tour operations sector of the travel and tourism industry Pass P1 1.2 Explain the effects of current and recent trends and developments on the tour operations Sector of the travel and tourism industry Pass P2 Desmonstrate creative thinking for tour operations current, recent trends and future developments discussed in Q.1.2 Distinction D3 Requirement 2 Explore the stages involved in developing packages 2.1 Describe the stages and timescales involved in developing the holiday package Pass P3 2.2 Explain the suitability of different methods of contracting for different components of the Package holiday and different types of tour operator Pass P4 Determine a selling price for a package holiday from given information Pass P5 Identify and apply strategies in developing a package holiday to a particular destination as discussed in Q.3.1 Merit M1 Present and communicate appropriate findings as required in Question 3.3 Merit M3 Requirement 3 Review the role of Brochures Methods of Distribution used to sell Package Holidays Explain the planning decisions taken for a specified brochure Pass P6 Explain the suitability of alternatives to a traditional brochure for different types of tour operator Pass P7 3.3 Explain the suitability of different methods of distribution used to sell a holiday for different Types of tour operator Pass P8 Use critical reflection and Evaluate the different types of tour operations and different methods of Distribution used to sell holidays and justify conclusions as discussed in Question 4.3 Distinction D1 Requirement 4- Examine strategic and tactical decision making for tour operators 4.1 Explain the strategic decisions made by different types of tour operator Pass P9 4.2 Explain the tactical decisions that could be taken by a specified tour operator in different Situations Pass P10 Apply methods and techniques used by different types of tour operators to make strategic decisions discussed in Question 2.1. Merit M2 4.4 How to take responsibility for managing and organising activities to explicate the deliberate decision that could be taken by a specified tour operator in different situations discussed in Question 2.2 Distinction D2 Plagiarism and Collusion Any act of plagiarism and collusion will be seriously dealt with according to the regulations. In this context the definition and scope of plagiarism are presented below: Using the work of others without acknowledging source of information or inspiration. Even if the words are changed or sentences are put in different order, the result is still plagiarism. (Cortell 2003) Extension and Late Submission Collusion describes as the submission of work produced in collaboration for an assignment based on the assessment of individual work. When one person shares his/her work with others who submit part of all of it as their own work. If you need an extension for a valid reason, you must request one using a coursework extension request form available from the college. Please note that the lecturers do not have the authority to extend the coursework deadlines and therefore do not ask them to award a coursework extension. The completed form must be accompanied by evidence such as a medical certificate in the event of you being sick. Outcomes Assessment criteria for pass To achieve each outcome a learner must demonstrate the ability to: 1 Investigate the tour operations sector of the travel and tourism industry 1.1 Describe the tour operations sector of the travel and tourism industry 1.2 Explain the effects of current and recent trends and developments on the tour operations Sector of the travel and tourism industry 2 Explore the stages involved in developing packages 2.1 Describe the stages and timescales involved in developing the holiday package 2.2 Explain the suitability of different methods of contracting for different components of the Package holiday and different types of tour operator 2.3 Determine a selling price for a package holiday from given information 3 Review the role of brochures and methods of distribution used to sell package holidays 3.1 Explain the planning decisions taken for a specified brochure 3.2 Explain the planning decisions taken for a specified brochure 3.3 Explain the suitability of different methods of distribution used to sell a holiday for different Types of tour operator 4 Examine strategic and tactical decision making for tour operators 4.1 Explain the strategic decisions made by different types of tour operator 4.2 Explain the tactical decisions that could be taken by a specified tour operator in different situations Note: All outcomes must be met for a pass Merit Descriptor Distinction Descriptor M1: Identify and apply strategies to find appropriate solutions. D1: Use critical reflection to evaluate own work and justify valid conclusions. M2: Select/design and apply appropriate methods/ techniques. D2: Take responsibility for managing and organizing activities. M3: Present and communicate appropriate findings. D3: Demonstrate convergent/lateral/creative thinking. Achievement of a Pass grade A pass grade is achieved by meeting all the requirements defined in the assessment criteria for each individual unit. Achievement of a merit or distinction grade All the assessment criteria and merit grade descriptors need to be completed within a unit to achieve a merit grade. All the assessment criteria merit and distinction grade descriptors must be completed within a unit to achieve a distinction grade. Suggested Support Materials Books Holloway J C The Business of Tourism (Longman, 1999) Bull A The Economics of Travel and Tourism (Longman, 1998) Laws E Managing Packaged Tourism (International Thomson Business Press, 1997) Middleton, Victor T C and Clarke J Marketing in Travel and Tourism, Third edition (Butterworth-Heinemann, 2001) Yale P The Business of Tour Operations (Longman, 2000) Further reading ABTA/AITO Code of Conduct ABTA Handbook ABTA Information Bureau Holiday Statistics CAA document number 221, 384 International Passenger Survey Package Travel Regulations Travel Trade Gazette Travel Weekly Websites Websites www.abtanet.com Association of British Travel Agents www.aito.co.uk Association of Independent Tour Operators www.caa.co.uk Civil Aviation Authority www.firstchoiceplc.co.uk First Choice Holidays www.fto.co.uk Federation of Tour Operators www.mytravelgroup.com My Travel Group www.thomascook.com Thomas Cook www.tui.com TUI ASSESSMENT FEEDBACK SHEET GUILDHALL COLLEGE Programme: BTEC Higher National Diploma (HND) in Travel Tourism Management Unit Number and Title: Unit 15 Tour Operations Management Unit Level: H1 Assignment Ref Number: 15.1.1 Tour Operations Management Module Tutor: Margaret Amankwah Email: [emailprotected] Date Set: 22/March/2010 Learner Name: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Learner ID: Information/feedback on assessment and grading criteria Assessment Criteria (Pass-P) Achieved Evidence Feedback Remarks P1Describe the tour operations sector of the travel and tourism industry Yes/No P2 explain the effects of current and recent trends and developments on the tour operations sector of the travel and tourism industry Yes/No P3 Describe the stages and timescales involved in developing the holiday package Yes/No P4 explain the suitability of different methods of contracting for different components of the package holiday and different types of tour operator Yes/No P5 determine a selling price for a package holiday from given information Yes/No P6 explain the planning decisions taken for a specified brochure Yes/No P7 explain the suitability of alternatives to a traditional brochure for different types of tour operator Yes/No P8 Explain the suitability of different methods of distribution used to sell a holiday for different types of tour operator Yes/No P9 Explain the strategic decisions made by different types of tour operator Yes/No P10 explain the tactical decisions that could be taken by a specified tour operator in different situations Yes/No Grading criteria (Merit-M; Destination-D) Achieved Evidence Feedback Remarks M1 Identify and apply strategies to find appropriate solutions. Yes/No M2 Select/design and apply appropriate methods /techniques. Yes/No M3 Present and communicate appropriate findings Yes/No D1 Use critical reflection to evaluate own work and justify valid conclusions. Yes/No D2 Take responsibility for managing and organizing activities. Yes/No D3 Demonstrate convergent/lateral/creative thinking. Yes/No Assessors general comments: Assessors Signature à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Date à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Print Name: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..Resubmission Date.. Learners comments: Signature à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Date à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Print Name: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Feedback of this coursework will normally be given to students four weeks after the submission of an assignment.

Creative Art Therapy: Essay -- essays papers

Creative Art Therapy: Creative art therapy is a technique that implements theory of three major schools of thought: PSYCHODYNAMIC HUMANISTIC BEHAVIORISM „Y Uses: Therapists use this implementation of theory and introduce this technique to the client at the appropriate time to facilitate creativity, personal growth, and therapeutic change. PSYCHDYNAMIC Creative art therapy can be used as a medium to capture hidden impulses, and emotions. This technique also helps to explore unconscious secret desires and fears. Jung ¡Ã‚ ¦s regard for imagination and creativity as one of the major forces of healing. Jung also introduced therapist to the role of active participant in the creative endeavor. Free association „ « HUMANISTIC „ « Creative therapy helps client move towards self-discovery. The client sees self emerge through the development process. (Positive self regard) „ « Art therapy can be used to help the client feel more relaxed in the therapeutic setting. (self disclosure) „ « This technique can be used as an  ¡Ã‚ §active listening ¡Ã‚ ¨ tool to help client express emotions or feelings that can not be verbally expressed. „ « Art therapy encourages the client to view themselves as individuals. „Y BEHAVIORISM „Y Art therapy can be used to modify maladaptive behaviors. „Y True art therapist may have a great deal of difficulty with the above because this approach may be viewed as conforming as opposed to individualization and creativity. „Y (For this purpose, I will not spend much time on this approach) Focus Population of creative art therapy: All; depending on the specific technique being used. Who are art therapists? „Y Art teachers „Y Psychotherapist „Y Psychologist „Y Creative specialist „Y Social workers „Y Psychiatrists Do I have to be artistic? „h No, the therapist does not have to be artist. Artistic ability is not the focus of art therapy. Art students who practice art therapy are sometimes considered possible liabilities because they may be more artistic than the client and the possibility of critiquing the clients work. „h Creative art therapy is not about what the finished product looks like, but what it represents in the form of expression.(the client ¡Ã‚ ¦s) Important to note: „h Exhibition of client ¡Ã‚ ¦s artwork for others to see with out written consent is an invasion of the client ¡Ã‚ ¦s privacy! Æ’Ã ¡ Some E... .... Function:Information gathering Child, adult „h Kinetic family drawing ¡Xclient uses paper, pencils, crayons to draw a picture of a family doing some thing together. (Rapport builder, gather information about other family member. Client verbalizes where he or she fits in the family.) „h Scribble drawings ¡Xtherapist and client take turns drawing scribble while other verbalizes an image. (Builds rapport, becomes a transitional project) „h House plan ¡XTherapist either uses dollhouse or draws a house plan. Client draws or positions family of dolls in areas of the home. (Information gathering. Awareness of roles and relatedness to family and environment) Function: Family or group therapy „h Murals or collages ¡Xtherapist provides pictures, magazines, paper, glue, scissors, markers, etc. Therapist also chooses a relevant topic. The group of family work as individuals and as a group to convey a feeling or message through the artwork. (issues are open) Function: Past becoming present Geriatrics „h Treasured objects ¡Xclient is asked to bring in most precious possessions. Sharing of meaning and related experiences to the objects. (Self  ¡Vdisclosure building trust, active listening)

The Shark Net

What we, as individuals, perceive to be real; to actually exist, is both objective and subjective. Everyone’s perception of realism varies greatly; from friend to friend, neighbour to neighbour and even from parent to child. It is this perception of an individual’s reality that ultimately defines who they become. To define a person, it is often said that we should analyse their behaviour, as it is their behaviour that reflects their state of reality. A person’s behaviour may depend on their surroundings; the era in which they live, their social interactions or even their physical environment.The era in which they grew up, for instance, will adversely reflect on an individual by default as society forces their morals and beliefs of what is right – what is reality, onto them. There was once a time where it was the norm for women to take on and settle into their role as a housewife, and for men to go to work and be the sole provider of a family. Now, women ha ve just as many expectations placed onto them career wise as men, and as a result, in general, women come off as more confident and independent as compared to being submissive and unsure, as was the case back in the day.Their behaviour clearly shows that their sense of reality has changed as society has progressed. In Robert Drewe’s memoirs, The Shark Net, he retells of his being dragged along to the sermon of evangelical Billy Graham, by his mother. Despite the pressure placed on him by his family, to conform to a life free from religious sin, sex and adultery, he rebels. Quite often is Drewe home late after liaisons with various females. His behaviour reflects a reality quite different to that of his Christian mother, a woman who he has been brought up by since birth.In this case, it is his rebelious behaviour that defines his perception of reality as a result of his relationship with his mother. But why did Drewe desire so greatly to rebel? The move from Melbourne to Perth was a substantial one for Drewe. He went from the â€Å"frosty lawns and trimmed hedges† of an urban, cosmopolitan city to â€Å"the most isolated city in the world,† what was essentially, in comparison, a desert. As a result, just as the people of London vary from the people of New York, Drewe encountered a whole new type of people.To rebel against his mother meant to conform to the people of Perth, as he wished so desperately to fit in, whereas his mother wished to be in control. The controlling nature of his mother contrasts to that of Drewe in his wish to embrace the unknown. The unknown being what was now, in fact, the reality of living in Perth. Drewe’s mother, Dorothy, is unable to accept this new truth, as it nullifies her prior beliefs. However, for Drewe, the reality is clear, succinct and remarkably self-explanatory.This results in the way unto which the two respective individuals inevitably turn out, as it gives a clear indication of the ways in whi ch they behave. What is interesting to note is that memory and reality are interdependent of one another. A person’s reality can be based upon memories, but these memories can be selective depending on a current sense of reality. Memories also falter, and hence, the selectiveness and reliability of Drewe’s memory comes into question. Was he biased in his representation of himself in his youth in comparison to his mother, for instance? Was his mother really the control freak he made her out to be?In the same way, in the study of history, when analysing a primary or secondary source, the reliability of the author is always considered, noted and expanded upon, as it may give an inaccurate representation of depicted events – it may not portray the reality of the situation; what really went on. As Chuck Palahniuk writes in Fight Club, â€Å".. you're not how much money you've got in the bank. You're not your job. You're not your family, and you're not who you tell y ourself†¦. † but you are, who you behave to be. So one must ask what is responsible for their behaviour in order to fully understand the definition of their individual reality.

Real Estate Section of “The New York Times”

Real Estate Section of â€Å"The New York Times† strategist at TD Securities in Toronto. (Adler) Residential Sales prices are differs as per the region and facilities required in the apartment The average price for one bedroom apartment in Manhattan Upper West Side would cost $325,000 - $400,000 for 600 Sq. Ft. of accommodation space. Similarly, one bedroom apartment in Manhattan West Harlem will cost $400,000 - $600,000 for 700 Sq. Ft. Prices are higher for apartments in Upper East Side and Chelsea area ranging from $700,000 to $1.4Million. A four-five bedroom apartment in Four Boroughs will cost between $365,000 to $733,000 depending on the area Tottenville or Riverdale or Bayside. Apartment in Brooklyn Heights area are costlier. Two to Three bedroom apartment in Long Island will cost somewhere in between $270,000 to $775,000 if area is selected from Sound Beach or Port Washington or Cold Spring Harbor. Old Westbury area accommodations are costly and vary between $1.5 million to $2million for a four-bedroom apartment. In Westchester or Putnam, two-three bedroom apartment prices vary from $364,000 to $1.3million. In Rockland or Orange, one can find two-five bedroom apar tments in between $344,000 to $900,000. Similarly in New Jersey, it will cost $250,000 to $1.15Million for three-four bedrooms apartment. A three-bedroom 2002 Sq. Ft. apartment in Stuyvesant, N.Y will cost $299,000; two-bedroom at Miami Beach, FLA will cost $305,000 for 1,180 Sq. Ft and two-bedroom unit in Cincinnati will cost #309,000 for 3,400 Sq. Ft. The national home price index showed an 8.9 percent decline in the third quarter of 2009 from the third quarter of 2008, a substantial improvement over the 14.7 percent decline in the annual rate of return in the second quarter of 2009. (Hernandez) The data on home construction showed a decline in the rate of single and multiple-family home building, contributing to an overall decrease of 10.6 percent in housing starts from September. In total, construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 529,000 housing units in October, falling short of the 600,000 predicted by analysts. Building permits, an indicator of future construction, declined as well, to an annual rate of 552,000, from 575,000, also falling short of forecasts. (J. C. Hernandez) I found the real estate section very helpful. You can buy, sell or rent a home easily. It is extensively informative for people who are new or unfamiliar with real estate prices in United States.