Wang Gang Referral Consuming Fashion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Wang Gang Referral Consuming Fashion - Essay Example The essay "Wang Gang Referral Consuming Fashion" discovers the generation Y, fashion and consuming. Stating precisely, there are various apparent characteristics deciphered by the Gen Y group. For instance, this group is learnt to be culturally and racially diverse. Additionally, this group is regarded to be highly independent, rendering meagre consideration towards collectivism approaches. The populace belonging to the Gen Y group also feels empowered to take every requirement according to their wants indicating a higher degree of consumer bargaining power in the international context. Focused on the significance of Gen Y customers in today’s international marketing phenomenon, the discussion presented henceforth will intend to render a comprehensive understanding of the behavioural traits deciphered by the populaces. In this regard, the demographic, psychographic and lifestyle choices of the customer group will be studied, which will further be analysed to identify the chall enges and the opportunities rewarded to the marketers worldwide. In keeping with the recent market conditions, ‘Gen Y’ people are learnt to have an enormous potential as the prospective customers for various products and/or services. The people belonging to this group have grown up in the period of economic stability and affluence which, in turn, were quite effective in bringing up constancy as well as rapid advancement in their lifestyle. Therefore, the people belonging to this generation largely desire.... Gen Y group Demographic Characteristics of Gen Y In keeping with the recent market conditions, ‘Gen Y’ people are learnt to have an enormous potential as the prospective customers for various products and/or services. The people belonging to this group have grown up in the period of economic stability and affluence which, in turn, were quite effective in bringing up constancy as well as rapid advancement in their lifestyle. Therefore, the people belonging to this generation largely desire to pursue an affluent lifestyle. These people are often monitored to be highly persuaded towards entertainment and style deciphering lesser significance concerning the monetary attributes. Thus, it can be argued that people belonging to this age group can be more effectively lured with attractive features rather than offering price concessions (Aeffect, Inc., 2000). According to the US Census Bureau, in relation to the figures published in 2000, the Gen Y group comprised people who fund amentally belonged to the age group of 5 years to 22 years, including around 70 million people, i.e. 25.9% of entire population of the nation (Aeffect, Inc., 2000). From a generalised perspective, the families of Gen Y are observed to be very much culturally diverse and lead a busy life. For instance, according to the recent statistics of US demographics, the entire population of Gen Y customers include 15% of African-American, 5% of Asian and 14% of Hispanic citizens. Consequentially, this considerable diversity has resulted in creating a significant distinctness among the buying behaviours of the consumers belonging to this segment. Thus, in order to provide complementary products to the Gen Y buyer segment, the marketers need to come up with varied offerings to meet their needs (Aeffect, Inc.,

Henry Fayol Essay Example for Free

Henry Fayol Essay The Industrial Revolution of the 19th Century had paved the way to the development of organized systematic approaches to management. One of the most influential contributors to the management theory is Henry Fayol. He was the first management theorist who used the term ‘administration’. His theory is generally understood as administrative management theory or Fayolism. In his theory, he focused on the top-level management and managers’ actions, divided the activities of an organization into 6 groups and identified 6 managerial qualities for a manager. Importantly, he devised the famous 14 principles of management and 5 elements of management process. After this, people begin to study his theory and accord the full positive evaluation of his contribution until some decades after his death. This project assignment gives a review about the overview of life and the development of key work of management theorist, Henry Fayol. The aim of the project is to understand his concepts of management that are practical in top-level management. Another goal with the project is to examine his principles and elements of management as guidelines to be applied for all managers. And also, this project assignment gives some points of view about his theory contributes to modern concepts of management and his achievement in his lifetime. Henry Fayol was a French administrative management theorist and well-known as the father of modern management. He had a extraordinary life. He was born on 29 July 1841 in Istanbul, Turkey. Born that year, his father was an engineer who was appointed superintendent of works to build a bridge over the Golden Horn in Istanbul. A few years later, he and his family returned to France in 1847 when he was a child. Had a period time, Fayol studied at the mining school ‘Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines’ in Saint-Etienne of France and eventually graduated in 1860. When he was age of 19, he began working as an engineer at a large mining company which a coal-mining and iron foundry combine, ‘Compagnie de Commentry-Fourchambeault-Decazeville’ in Commentry, France. Through his efforts, he was promoted as mines manager and ultimately became the managing director of the company in 1888. He changed company’s operation with his entrepreneurial approach to management thinking. At that time, the company employed more than 1,000 people. By 1900, the company was one of the largest producers of iron and steel in France and regarded as a vital national industry. In his career, he held that position over 30 years until 1918. Unfortunately, he was dead at age of 84 on 19 November 1925 in Paris, France. As early as 1900, Fayol formulated and wrote papers about his administrative management ideas from his own experiences. He examined the nature of management and first mentioned the ‘elements’ of administration which came from his book. His book was published in 1916 and was named as ‘Administration Industrielle et Generale’, a comprehensive theory of administration where he described and classified administrative management roles and processes. In 1949, Constance Storrs translated his book in English and entitled ‘General and Industrial Management’ which led to his theory was recognized by others. Henry Fayol emphasized the importance of taking a wider view on the organization as a whole, but the analytical approaches were similar. In his work, ‘General and Industrial Management’ which was published in English in 1949, he outlined his theory of general management which he believed could be applied to the administration of any industries. He enlightened managers on how to accomplish their managerial duties and the practices in which they should engage. He paid attention to the functions of administration and to this end he presented the principles and elements of management. As Fayol mentioned in his book: â€Å"Everyone needs some concepts of management; in the home, in affairs of state, the need for managerial ability is in keeping with the importance of the undertaking, and for individual people the need is everywhere in greater accordance with the position occupied.† excerpted from General and Industrial Management. Firstly, Fayol observed the organizational functioning from manager’s point of view. He found that all activities of an organization could be classified into six groups. These six groups of activities always present in a managerial post and are clearly shown in the following figure 2. Figure 2: 6 Activities of an Organization Technical activities relate to production, manufacture and adaptation; Commercial activities involve buying, selling and exchange; Financial activities search for capital and its optimum use; Security activities look for protection of property and persons; Accounting activities include stocktaking, balance sheets, costs and statistics; Managerial activities consist of planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating and controlling. Fayol pointed out that these activities exist in every organization. He argued that all managers required capability in all six functions. He also insisted that the managerial position determined the level of each function where full covered the total job and varying percentages should be assigned to each function. He further observed these six groups of activities and divided his approach of studying management into three parts: managerial qualities and training, general principles of management and elements of management process. In managerial qualities and training, Fayol identified the essential qualities required for a manager. According to his observation, the qualities of a manager have to possess under six aspects of qualities. These six aspects of qualities required are clearly shown in the following figure 3. Figure 3: 6 Managerial Qualities Physical qualities contain health, vigour and address; mental qualities contain ability to understand and learn, judgement, mental vigour and capability; moral qualities contain energy, firmness, initiative, loyalty, tact and dignity; general education means that having basic common sense; special knowledge means that peculiar to the function being performed; work experience mean that arising practice from the work. The possession of these qualities differs in degree between a manager and another. The implication is that a manager may be more suited to a post which emphasizes the need for one or other of the six functions. Fayol listed the need for management training and then identified 14 principles of management to serve as guidelines to help management resolve work problems and manage their affairs more effectively. The 14 principles of management are clearly shown in the following figure 4. Figure 4: 14 Principles of Management Division of work is the first principle. Fayol believed that if a person specializes, that person will concentrate in the same matters and acquire a special ability and accuracy that will increase the effectiveness and consequently the productivity. The right or power to give orders to subordinates is authority. Fayol remarked that authority comes with responsibility and vice versa. A manager should not be given authority without responsibility and should never be given responsibility without the associated authority to get the things done. Discipline is certainly essential for the smooth running of business. Employees must obey the organizational rules. Good discipline must result from an agreement between firm and employees with fairness and clear understanding of both sides. Fayol realized that different orders from different bosses may bring the problems and proposed the unity of command which means that an employee should receive instructions from one superior only in order to avoid conflict and confusion. Fayol explained that unity of direction is organizational activities with the same objective should be guided by one manager, using one plan. It is essential to focus the effort in the same direction and ensure action is properly coordinated. About subordination of individual interest to general interest, the interests of one employee should not be allowed to become more important than the group. It is important to separate personal and business affairs. While an employee is working, his mind and thoughts should be about the job and business goals. Every employee is worthy of his salary and it must be totally fair. In the best case, it would satisfy the firm and the employee. Also, rewards should be used as a tool of encouragement. This principle is analyzed by Fayol as the remuneration. Centralization is about proportion and individual cases. Fayol remarked that the degree of centralization varies according to different cases. This principle refers to how close employees are to the decision-making process. It is important to aim for an appropriate balance. The line of authority from top to the lowest ranks of management is scalar chain and it is related with the centralization. Fayol pointed out that some procedures need speedy actions and for this reason it is just needed the approval of the immediate superior. Employees should be aware of where they stand in the organization’s hierarchy or chain of command. Order refers to everything should have its place. Materials and people should be in right place at right time in the workplace. The workplace facilities must be clean, tidy and safe for employees. Fayol regarded equity as a sense of justice and fairness should pervade in an organization. Managers should be kind and fair to their subordinates at all times, both maintaining discipline as necessary and acting with kindness where appropriate. Fayol analyzed the stability of tenure of personnel is a reflection of a good running of the business, an employee takes time to adapt to a position and a turnover is not efficient. So, personnel planning should be a priority. Managers should strive to minimize employee turnover and ensure replacements at hand when vacancies arise. Initiative is commonly known as thinking out a plan and doing what it takes to make it happen. Fayol said that the initiative of all represents a great resource of strength for businesses and a manager should grant satisfaction to subordinates. Management should encourage employees to originate and carry out plans, this will increase their confidence and so they might feel more valuable for the company. This urging tends to boost levels of effort. Esprit de corps is the last principle. It emphasizes organizations should strive to foster team spirit is the way to construct harmony and unity among employees. Fayol desired the efficient team work by using extensive face-to-face verbal communication in order to accomplish this objective. It is important to stress that the 14 principles are not rigid and the principles enunciated are not aimed at being exhaustive. Fayol emphasized the universality of such principles and their applications are not only to business but also for the success of all associations. As Fayol mentioned in his book: â€Å"Seldom do we have to apply the same principle twice in identical conditions; allowance must be made for different changing circumstances†¦ Therefore principles[must be] flexible and capable of adaptation to every need; it is a matter of knowing how to make use of them which is a difficult art requiring intelligence, experience, decision, and proportion.† excerpt from General and Industrial Management. From these principles, Fayol concluded that management should interact with personnel in five basic ways in order to plan and control production. According to him, â€Å"To manage is to forecast and to plan, to organise, to command, to coordinate and to control†. He stated that management should be viewed as a process consisting of 5 elements which go hand in hand with the principles. Therefore, the management process was represented by these 5 elements are shown in figure 5. Figure 5: 5 Elements of Management Process Planning is one of the most important elements in ensuring business success as it predicts future events that determine the next move of the organization. Planning is related to forecast that examine how the future would be like; foresight, prevent and design actions in advance. It is necessary to identify what are the goals and how to accomplish them through a strategy, considering the realistic capabilities and resources to determine appropriate organizational goals. According to Fayol, â€Å"The best of plans cannot anticipate all unexpected occurrences which may arise, but it does include a place for these events and prepare the weapons which may be needed at the moment of being surprised†. Organizing involves ways which organizational structure is developed as well as the flow of communication and authority. Fayol argued that once a plan of action is designed, management need to put the plan into practice and organize the practicality of achieving those plans. Management also need to provide everything necessary to carry it out; including raw materials, tools, capital and human resources. This can be from recruiting the right staff, to organizing the restructuring of the structure of the company so it operates in an efficient manner. Commanding is how management direct staffs through effective communication and the use of discipline and remuneration. Management need to implement the plan and have an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of their personnel. Fayol stated that management must encourage and direct personnel activity. Management must motivate their staff whilst at the same time meet the goals and target that have been set. Coordinating means that management must work to harmonize all the activities to facilitate organizational success. Communication is the prime coordinating mechanism. Fayol stated that management must make certain that personnel work together in a cooperative fashion. Put simply, things should work together effectively and efficiently. So when planning the structure of the organization, management need to make sure that different sections work and support each other in helping the organization do well. Controlling is the final element of management process involves the comparison of the activities of the personnel to the plan of action and it is the evaluation component of management. Fayol stated that management should monitor everything occurs in conformity with policy and ensure personnel follow their commands. Management have to make sure that any problems sufficient actions plans are put in place to rectify the problem. At the end of the day, it is management’s responsibility that the organization has done well. As Fayol mentioned in his book: â€Å"The responsibility of general management is to conduct the enterprise toward its objective by making optimum use of available resources. It is the executive authority, it draws up the plan of action, selects personnel, determines performance, ensures and controls the execution of all activities† excerpted from General and Industrial Management. Simple term, planning is the most important managerial function. Organizing and commanding function is necessary to execute plans. Coordinating is necessary to make sure that everyone is working together and controlling looks whether everything is proceeding according to the plan. Fayol believed that management ideas should be taught, managerial ability was required for businesses to succeed and management was a separate activity that applicable to all types of undertakings. He also believed that managerial practices were the key to predictability and efficiency in organizations. It is important to understand that it really needs intuition to propose such significant ideas in the environment where there are no clear boundaries of worker and management responsibilities, no clear indicate the effective work standards and no clear concepts about how organizations work and how they should be structured or managed. In this case, Henry Fayol offered universal managerial prescriptions for all organizations to solve the problems. Therefore, Fayol’s main contribution is in the point that he was the first management theorist who devised a complete set of general administrative management theory by suggesting what managers should do and how organizations constitute good management practices. He emphasized on the functionality and organizational structure, dividing the work in functional areas and implementing the general principles of any organization. Fayol’s theory views management as a profession that can be trained, developed and emphasized the broad policy aspects of top-level management. It underlined all elements necessary to organize and manage organization as a whole. And also, his practical list of principles helps managers learn how to organize and interact with their subordinates in an effective way. At the present, most of managers are using his theory as a guidelines that how they deal with the everyday problems of managing the entire organizations. This explains accurately that his theory is a great contribution to management and business studies. More than nine decades have passed since Fayol’s theory was proposed. As we are moving into the age of rapid industrial and technological development, we might think the elements and principles of management in his theory are only common sense at present. And even later, some scholars had adopted his theory as the basis and developed new modern management theories. Undoubtedly, Henry Fayol is rightly seen as a key influential contributor to administrative management of thought. It is essential to remark the achievement of Henry Fayol who through a laudable efforts, developed his labour career in a company in the area of the mining industry in his country, where he entered as engineer by profession at young age after being promoted to mines manager and retired as a managing director. He knew how to reorganize and manage the company, expand its business and at certain point he is credited with turning the company around from a threatened bankruptcy into a strong financial position by the time of his retirement at age 77. During Fayol’s last few years, he wrote down the classic book, ‘Administration Industrielle et Generale’ based on his personal experiences in his managerial lifetime. His work was a product of more than 50 years of practice and study of management. He dedicated all his efforts to promote the administrative management theory as a fundamental tool for the good performance of all kinds of organizations. He established the nowadays important 14 principles and necessary 5 elements that are management needed. Fayol’s achievement is as a result of his in depth studies and analysis of the reality of management; studying, analyzing and preparing his conclusions and his work in a personal and independent way. Once again, just as in the case of his excellent and classic works about the problems of the mines, the brilliant managing director and successful managing methods, would take his time to create a new classic success to form a new doctrine: ‘The General Management’. Hence, it has to be restated that his theory has a significant influence on modern management and lay down the foundation with a simple way of how management interacts with personnel. Nowadays, all organizations consider his theory as a relevant guide to productively managing staffs, in order to manage the organizations more successful. As we know, management is the process of getting people that work towards to accomplish desired goals and objectives together; its main purpose is to help activities can be completed more efficiently and effectively. In this project, we found that Henry Fayol concentrated on top-level management and viewed management processes from the top down. His administrative management theory gives us comprehensive statements of general management and provides us valuable insights into managing effective and efficient organizations. It is clear that his theory is important and useful knowledge for all students who study about management issues. We students should learn his theory seriously in order to meet practical needs and apply it in our future career life.

Cultural Tourism Development Essay Example for Free

Cultural Tourism Development Essay With its modern sky line and quality infrastructure, it is difficult to believe that Dubai in the United Arab Emirates was once a small town of Bedouin traders. Exotic animals used to inhabit the grounds occupied by the present-day Nad al Sheba racetrack Contemporary Dubai has been built beyond reasonable expectations, more so from the stigma which befell a post-Gulf War Arabia. High-technology and high-fashion shops are now as commonplace as the gold souks. Modern Dubai is an eclectic mix of old and new, ancient and modern. Tourism, cultural tourism particularly, is considered one of the fastest-growing industries globally; with fierce competition being its natural corollary. Dubai is viewed as one of the prime tourist destinations, giving the country a distinct vantage in the arena. Dubai’s relative advantages pertinent to tourism are manifold. First, tourism is a rapidly-growing, huge industry; it is, therefore, a crucial sector that Dubai can take advantage of. Dubai is aptly capable in meeting global standards, being in itself, a set of visions. Dubai’s global position, as predicted, will be that of an â€Å"internationally-recognized hub and destination of choice for cultural tourism†. Dubai’s 2010 vision reiterates this notion, stating a threefold agenda for its long-term goal of becoming an international tourist hub: (1) creating a quality environment conducive to immigration and investment inflows, necessary for enticing a technologically-knowledgeable/skilled human capital base, (2) launching a policy of arts and culture developments, with the creation of an arts center in Dubai, (3) initiating an annual program of cultural activities (e. g. expositions, concerts, visiting artist performances) to mark its reputation as a modern society. Second, tourism is a highly-unpredictable industry, with trends and factors influential of tourist influx. Factors that positively affect tourism are disposable income increase, transportation cost decrease, tourism package cost decrease, and political stability presence. Travel distance has become an irrelevant tourism factor. Third, competition has spurred creative marketing strategies on the part of tourism providers. They have started providing leisure and business packages in greater variety, higher quality, and more competitive pricing scheme- thereby boosting the market demand for tourism. With the current trends in tourism at work, the demand being on the favorable side, it is projected that the $ 3. 3 trillion global tourism industry will grow at a 6. 8 % annual rate for the next 10 years. Fourth, the tourism industry is challenged by a body of better-informed and discriminating clientele. Tourism providers, therefore, need to package destinations in a detail-specific and compelling manner, categorized on the basis of market segmentation, in order to lure prospective tourists. The package destinations can also aim at a wider range of tourists for particular destinations in order to satisfy the market demand. In view of these trends, Dubai must adhere to the aforementioned steps to be able to take advantage of the tourism sector to its fullest. Dubai must maintain research-based equilibrium values per tourist segment, from where tourism providers can base tourist package offers from. The move is expected to optimize Dubai’s gain from possible tourism-generated revenues. It must also continue upgrading its support services in order to be able to service the increasing flock of tourists, broaden the basis of their motivation for tourism, and eventually, draw more tourists into visiting. A study of tourism’s framework is a requisite for understanding it. According to the Singaporean Board of Tourism website, the tourism landscape is composed of two sections: motivating attraction and supporting services. Motivating attractions include business tourism, cruise events, honeymoons, and especially, cultural tourism. Supporting services, however, include IT Communication systems, travel agencies, hotels, entertainment management companies, and computer reservation systems. Cultural activities, in addition, are part of a broader tourism framework; by building on both Motivating Attractions and Supporting Services, Dubai will be able to attract tourists and encourage repeat visits. Cultural Tourism Cultural tourism is the type of tourism intent on an exploration of and education on the culture of a particular state. The motivating attraction components of cultural tourism are cultural/historical heritage, performing arts (theatre), visual arts and music. The CulturalHistorical Heritage component includes parks sightseeing, tours, cultural events, festivals and fairs. Performing Arts (Theatre) includes musicals, operas, ballet and dance exhibitions, and dramatic and classical performances. The Visual Arts component includes museums, painting galleries, craft exhibits, and film and photography showcases. Music, however, includes symphonies, orchestras and concerts. Supporting Services for cultural tourism comprise of marketing organizations to promote the Arts and Dubai’s position as a ‘center for the arts’ in the region, operational organizations to collaborate with performing arts talents and IT specialists for marketing, state-of-the-art venues like auditoriums, screening rooms, seminar rooms and staging arenas, and the technology that allows for world-class performances and shows. This US-based data on cultural tourism illustrates some key characteristics of the tourism demography (regular/cultural tourists), with important implications on the possible benefits from cultural tourism. Research suggests that promoting cultural tourism in Dubai will attract an extremely valuable clientele that will be willing to spend more ($ 174 average difference) and lengthen the duration of their visit (4% difference). Cultural tourism promotion, research also suggests, increases the likelihood of drawing clients with more advanced ages (48 vs. 46 average, 3% difference in retired tourists demography) and educational backgrounds (3% difference in graduate degree-holding status). Hosting such a demography is a boost for promoting Dubai as the ‘image leader’ in the region, an immense contribution to the knowledge economy. The National Assembly of State Arts agencies website asserts that some economic and cultural trends has had a huge impact on cultural tourism statistics. First, there has been a general rise in affluence and education level trends. Second, the United Arab Emirates has bore witness to cultural diversity; with expatriates now accounting for more than 75% of the UAE population. Third, an increase in the economic role and education of women had women typically setting up vacation plans. Fourth, a lesser time for leisure which is a mark of modern society increased the demand for and placed emphasis on shorter and value-added trips. Lastly, there has been an intensified influence of technology in every domain; an increased awareness of cultural issues therefore effected in tourists demanding a greater variety of cultural activities. These trends imply favorable growth prospects for cultural tourism in Dubai. Analyzing Dubai’s situation, it is evident that the current cultural tourism landscape is insufficient. Cultural Tourism Activities in Dubai are on a small-scale, fragmented, and uncoordinated way, and bereft of independent quality check and strategic guidance. The Dubai Explorer 2002 has it that the only activities/establishments which garnered a medium rating on the concentration graph were Dubais six (6) parks (Creekside Park, Mushrif Park, Rashidiya Park, Safa Park, Al Mamzar Beach and Jumeira Beach Park). The Performing Arts Division (comprising of nine (9) groups and clubs), the Visual Arts Sector (composed of four (4) galleries) and Falconry Division’s three (3) centers were noted as having the lowest concentrations. Dubai, however, is not deficient in Venues for Musical and Theatrical Performances which include: seven (7) venues for Classical Concerts (e. g. Crowne Plaza Hotel), six (6) venues for Theatrical Performances (e. g. a 500-seat Community Theater built in 2002 near Nad Al Sheba) and fifteen (15) venues for Dance/Pop Concert Events. These numbers are suggestive of the budding need for appropriate staging facilities and equipment; the demand for performance venues having been predicted. Comparing the aforementioned figures to a cultural tourism-investing country’s infrastructure statistics will reveal some startling differences. The data has it that Dubai has 80% the GDP/capita of Hong Kong but pales in comparison with regard to cultural infrastructure- with only 15% the number of museums and 0% the number of theaters and arenas. Based on these ratios, Dubai should have at least 10 museums and 5 theaters in order to parallel Hongkong’s status as a tourism spot. The Cultural Tourism Industry Group and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies websites specify the apparent quality and tourism potential of museums, art galleries, concert halls, historic sites, and national and state parks as main considerations influencing cultural tourists. The organization of cultural events, festivals and fairs is a consideration too. With an understandably hectic itinerary, the logistics scheme and accompanying amenities also count. Some of these features have already been instituted/organized in Dubai such as national and state parks, cultural events, festivals and fairs. These institutions/affairs are considered highly-competitive and very manageable. On the other hand, theaters, concert halls and archeological sites are basically non-existent. The construction of theaters and concert halls are reasonable, achievable objectives as exemplified by the construction of a 500-seat Community Theater (built in 2002 near Nad Al Sheba). The contrary holds for establishing archeological sites, a challenging feat. The creation of and investment in organizational networks in Dubai that promote cultural activities will beget ample dedication which will enable cultural organizations to fund, foster and implement innovative ideas crucial to the development of cultural activities. In addition, the implementation of high-impact activities will command the highest visibility and draw a significant number of tourists. Those projects are intent on Cultural Tourism which is currently unavailable in Dubai. Cultural Tourism necessitates the creation of a dedicated oversight committee within the DTCM structure to: (1) coordinate with the private sector regarding the development of projects, (2) fund and foster the development of different project concepts, and (3) assist in projects implementation to foster the development of cultural activities. Possible High-Impact Projects Cultural Tourism necessitates an identification of viable high-impact activities for implementation. Possible projects include: (1) the construction of a culture complex (Barbican or Lincoln Center model-based), (2) the construction of an opera house (London’s Royal Albert Hall-modeled), (3) erection of a major performing arts venue (in joint effort with the private sector’s Community Theater project currently underway), (4) the erection of a concert hall (in partnership with Moscow for purposes of production and guidance), (5) the initiation of a desert arena, (6) hosting cultural events and activities, and (7) erection of art cinema houses for Indie Films (NYC’s Angelica Theater-based). Moreover, there is an apparent need for an amendment in Dubai’s existing laws on private ownership to further the development of cultural tourism in this region. In a 1999 DTCM survey, as posted in the HK Leisure and Cultural Services Department website, a majority of the respondents specified the scarcity of peculiar activities and sightings in Dubai. The respondents criticized the offered cultural activities as being small-scale, fragmented and uncoordinated. These survey results support the need for improvements in cultural tourism infrastructure, developments in ongoing cultural activities, and initiation of high-impact projects. The DTCM, with its current organizational setup, is ill-equipped for a full development of cultural services. A labor force comparison between the DTCM and the HK LC Services Department yielded startling results; the HK LC Services Department has 26 times more employees. There is an immense need to foster a dedicated organization, in charge of coordinating the development of cultural activities in the region. The organizational setup will be based on the Hong Kong model where its primary role would be to act as the central node of cultural activities in the region. Other organizational responsibilities include: (1) promotion of cultural performances, (2) provision of support to festival organizers and private companies, and (3) offer of audience-aimed educational programs, and (4) overall logistical operations (e. g. venues and ticketing). Conclusion It is evident that the dearth of cultural facilities and cultural activities has brought Dubai to a tourism disadvantage. Cultural facilities/activities have been described, aptly or otherwise, as being small-scale, quality control-bereft, and seemingly uncoordinated with other cultural tourism authorities. Established institutions, however, such as the Dubai Museum, Sheikh Mohammed Center for Cultural Understanding, and the Dubai Natural History Group have potentially important roles in boosting Dubai’s cultural tourism prospects. Currently, there is an insufficient government emphasis in Cultural Tourism, although an AED 10M Dubai Community Theatre project which is currently underway is definitely a step in the right direction. An expedient cultural tourism infrastructure will facilitate Dubai’s agenda of drawing a desirable demographic, generating ample revenues from increased expenses and lengthened travel duration on tourists’ part, and according Dubai the status of an ‘image leader’ in the world. Furthermore, it is expected to heighten students’ thespic awareness and enthusiasm, sufficient encouragements for the scholarly and professional pursuit of the Arts. An overall improvement in the quality of life is expected with the creation of an inculturated tourism experience; creative arts specialists and cultural promotion companies will then be drawn to Dubai. Implications The magnitude of Dubai’s long-term agenda has various implications for the government and support systems, and marketing and production logistics. For one, a high degree of government support is entailed, more so that the need to institute a governmental agency for cultural promotion purposes presents itself. Secondly, creating partnerships with relevant local and overseas organizations is required for the promotion and improvement of Dubai’s Art and Culture. Third, the creation of specialized umbrella organizations, like a National Heritage Board or an Arts Council, is a significant assistance to the government for a more focused management. Fourth, the government has to support, subsidize and grant incentives to private sector initiatives in support of Dubai’s cultural tourism agenda (e. g. museum foundation, arts organizations). Lastly, there is a need for the government to set guidelines and policies directed on an effective management of cultural facilities, heritage conservation and tourist education. Support services have their own share of responsibilities. First, the management of major facilities, such as stadiums and performance venues, will ensure organizers a constant facility access and facility maintenance. Second, there is a need for the implementation of an accessible and automated ticketing system, possibly with the use of the Internet, to ensure a widespread distribution and expediency. Third, the endowment of financial support to festivals, events organizers, museums’ administration and arts organizations can be a tourism marketing tool. Lastly, the Internet is an effective marketing instrument with a global domain; therefore, creating websites and publishing electronic newsletters on cultural tourism is an information dissemination option. Dubai’s cultural tourism agenda has peculiar implications for marketing and production logistics. First, ticket pricing has to be reasonable and demand-based; with discount offerings for senior citizens, students and children, and price markdowns on special occasions and for promotional means. Second, an effective marketing strategy is key to succeeding in this arena; to participate and organize sales missions, trade and tourism fairs, consumer fairs and other promotional events is therefore necessary. Third, cultural organizers have to be responsible for audience-briefing on cultural themes in order to help the audience appreciate different cultural performances. Lastly, an educated domain is a boost to cultural tourism; therefore, the provision of educational programs addressed to students (lectures, workshops, seminars and symposia) and the encouragement of learning institutions to participate in cultural activities will significantly bolster Dubai’s tourism agenda. Dubai’s vision has crucial implications for production logistics too. First, affairs organizers have a wide array of production options ranging from traditional repertoires to avant-garde creative performances. Organizers have a corollary responsibility of heeding consumer demand and garnering independent ideas; providing a means for the submission of independent project proposals is therefore requisite. Second, it is the organizers’ privilege and responsibility to provide performance opportunities to both established and upcoming local artists and groups. Third, there is an organizer responsibility for a performance venue planning and management, with a corollary need for the constant enhancement and upgrading of performance facilities. Lastly, production organizers have to establish and be of support to local professional artists groups like philharmonic societies, dance companies and orchestras. With a competent strategy and ample guidance, Dubai’s 2010 Vision of Cultural Tourism need not be an impossibility!

Fatigue Cracking of Pavement

Fatigue Cracking of Pavement Introduction to fatigue cracking of pavement Fatigue or alligator cracking is the most common type of pavement distress, it is infact the major one. This is the type of distress in which series of interconnected cracks appears due to the fatigue failure of the HMA surface when the pavement experience repeated traffic loading. These type of cracks later allow moisture infiltration into the pavement, the road surface gradually gets more rough, the infiltrated moisture then again accelerate the existing cracking which in worst case may end up being a small to large sized pothole. In other words, as the traffic loads get repeated on the pavement, fatigue cracking starts to initiate at the bottom of the flexible layer, which accounts for the tensile strains at the bottom of the HMA layer (Huang 1993).   Researchers suggested that, for the M-E structural design process of pavement, this tensile strength must be kept in limit in order to check against fatigue cracking (Shook,1982). Figure 1: Schematic diagram of Fatigue Craking Mechanism in Pavement Cross Section (Priest et al., 2006) Apart from the repeated stresses incurred upon the pavement surface, fatigue cracking may take place due to aging, temperature changes or inadequate drainage. The effects of these factors are really complicated which my lead to undesirable changes to asphalt, associated with the poor durability properties of the HMA layer. (Finn 1967). Though due to previous research, it was believed that, most of the cracks initiates at the bottom and then make its way to the top of the asphalt layer, which is also termed as bottom up fatigue cracking, recent studies shows that, in most cases, cracks initiates at the pavement surface on the wheel path and then make its way down to the bottom (Myers and Roque, 2001). Federal Highway Administrations Distress Identification Manual for the Long-Term Pavement Performance Program mentioned about three levels of severity for fatigue cracking, which are high severity fatigue cracking, moderate severity fatigue cracking and low severity fatigue cracking. High severity fatigue cracking is the ultimate stage of fatigue cracking. When the pavement has been stressed to the limit of its fatigue life, it is no longer attractive and is barely functional. This stage is called high severity of fatigue cracking. In this case, the cracks are formed in large areas and there are several pieces of loose surface asphalt. Pavement in this condition needs repair immediately. Moderate severity fatigue cracking is the stage when distinguished the arrival of connecting cracks are well recognized. The cracks tends to increase gradually and lower layers of road materials become evident. Heavy traffic load usually break the surface asphalt layer in pieces. Low severity fatigue cracking usually indicates an area of asphalt having only small cracks with very few or none of them connecting to display the zig zag alligator type shape. Also the cracks are not evidently removing lower layers of the road materials. (Miller, 2003) Figure 2: Fatigue Cracking in Pavement (Priest et al., 2006) Over the years, the researchers are trying to come up with a simple and standard fatigue testing procedure as till this date, there is no such standard test for fatigue cracking, as different states are evaluating performance against fatigue cracking differently. Tangella et el (1990), came up with an equation to measure the fatigue life, which also accounts for the varying temperature and loading frequency. Nf= k1 (1/ÃŽÂ µt)^k2 (1/E)k3 Where, Nf= Number of load cycles until fatigue failure ÃŽÂ µt= Applied horizontal tensile strain E= HMA mixture stiffness K1,k2,k3= Regression constant In their study, they emphasized on the flexural fatigue test, diametral fatigue, and tests employing fracture mechanics principals, as the most promising test procedures to characterize fatigue cracking. Later till this period, there are different test procedures such as, Overlay (OL) test, Indirect Tension (IDT) test, Direct Tension (DT) test, Semicircular Bending (SCB) test, are most commonly used to categorize fatigue cracking in the lab. In addition, comparison with the observed result with the field cores is also important. Hajj et al. (2005) emphasized on the mechanistic analysis to understand the interaction between structure, stiffness, and laboratory testing so that a balance can be made for the given field and traffic conditions on a per-project basis. They concluded that, as the field pavement has stiffer structure which will generate lower strains under traffic therefore a longer fatigue life will be observed in the field. Therefore, an overall study is required to charac terize fatigue cracking of the pavement. References: Huang, Yang H. Pavement Analysis and Design New Jersey: Prentice Hall,1993 Shook, J.F., F.N. Finn, M.W. Witczak, and C.L. Monismith. Thickness Design of  Asphalt Pavements The Asphalt Institute Method, Proceedings, 5th International  Conference on the Structural Design of Asphalt Pavements, Vol.1, The Netherlands,  1982, pp. 17-44. Miller J.S., Bellinger W.Y. Distress Identification Manual for the Long-Term Pavement Performance Program (Fourth Revised Edition), Technical Research Report FHWA-RD-03-031. Federal Highway Administration 6300 Georgetown Pike McLean, VA 22101-2296, 2003. Priest A.L. Timm D.H. Methodology And Calibration Of Fatigue Transfer Functions For Mechanistic-Empirical Flexible Pavement Design, NCAT Report 06-03. National Center for Asphalt Technology, Auburn University, Alabama, 2006. Tangella, R., J. Craus, J. A. Deacon, and C. L. Monismith. Summary Report on Fatigue Response of Asphalt Mixtures. TM-UCB-A-003A-89-3, SHRP Project A-003-A. University of California, Berkeley: Institute of Transportation Studies, 1990 Hajj, E. Y., P. E. Sebaalay, and D. Weitzel. Fatigue Characteristics of Superpave and  Hveem Mixtures. Journal of Transportation Engineering, ASCE , 2005, pp. 302-10.

Social Foundations of Public Issues Essay -- Government Capital Punish

Social Foundations of Public Issues Capital punishment is a hot issue. On a popular news magazine television show documenting the count down to an inmate’s execution or pardon, it is life or death. In the latest Oscar nominated film about a framed man taking his few last breaths on death row while the audience and one faithful lawyer pull for his release, it is emotional magic. Written in the latest literature you were handed on the street advocating the exoneration of some freethinker the government wanted silent, it is American freedom. Capital punishment is a big issue because it is in every home in America and it is discussed in every political agenda. The sides have been drawn for decades, and every opinion and position will be praised as much as it will be despised. Because capital punishment is such a debated issue in the United States, an American politician must take a very logical position towards the subject while keeping very much in touch with the moral arguments involved. The position must con tain an easily followed argument that will not betray the former advocates of its decisions and sway any individual remotely near the fence. The most general key issue involved with capital punishment is whether or not it should be an option in the American judicial system. The array of key issues that lie under this range from states rights to moral law, with thousands of citizens piecing together their separate positions somewhere in between. The position most prosperous for a political candidate is one that rips away all previous conceptions and begins anew at answering this question: is capital punishment beneficial to the public of America? Then as this argument is formed it must address every preconceived m... ...pers.nber.org/papers/W5119> Paternoster, Raymond. â€Å"Myths and Misconceptions about the Death Penalty†. Sociology. 1999 Ross, Michael B. â€Å"The Execution of Innocence.† Peace Review Sep 1998: Vol. 10, Iss. 3. ProQuest. NYU, New York, NY. 22 Feb. 2004 Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics. 2002. 14 Feb 2004. Subcommittee on Federal Death Penalty Cases, Committee on Defender Cases, and Judicial Conference of the United States. â€Å"Federal Death Penalty Cases: Recommendations Concerning the Cost and Quality of Defense Representation†. May 1998. 14 Feb 2004. University of Alaska Anchorage Justice Center. â€Å"The Death Penalty in the United States of America: Cruel, Unfair, Arbitrary, and Racially Biased?†. 1998-2000.

The Changing Image of Women Position in Chinese Film Since 1950s Essay

The Changing Image of Women Position in Chinese Film Since 1950s Since 1950s, after the Chairman Mao Zedong’s Yanà ¡n conference, art and literature had strictly become tools of promoting the ideology of Communist Party, that is, the product of art and literature in China can be classified as highly popanganda. Chairman Mao Zedong and his Communist Party strongly suggested the equality of both genders - male and female. To promote Mao’s theory, certain kind of strong female character's image had been created in films since 1950s, and furthermore, the images of these female characters were changing during the time period. The common features of the female characters in Chinese film are usually being victimize, they always suffered under certain convention feudal rules, the effect of capitalism, the landlord, or fall victim to certain politics. And the films always targeted on how these female characters fight against those reasons of suffering, and creating tensions to the narrative because these confrontations. During the Cultural Revolution, a very popular female image had created, it is the White Hair Girl (Baimao Nà ¼) (1972) This female character image is a tough, strong and full of hatred to the feudal landlord who insulted her and her family. Her desire is very obvious -- to revenge. And finally, she ended up with a heroic image in the film with the help from Chairman Mao Zedong and his Communist Party. However, this film rarely announced the realistic of a female character, that is, despite the obsession hatred of White Hair Girl toward the landlord, and the joy of starting a new life with the Communist Party, audience can rarely feel the other kind of emotion from this female character, for example, the desire of to be loved, is absent in this film. Therefore, in the other hand, another question had been raisen: Do the White Hair Girl necessary to be a female character when she hasn’t shown any of the desire of female? In this film, White Hair Girl is not necessary to be a female, only the reason for it is , a victimized female is more easy to grip audience’s sympathy. And this also suggested the position of women as women itself is not important during that period. But obviously, this film is just purely a popanganda from the Communist Party during the Cultural Revolution - a model performance (geming yangbanxi) ... ...story. The conflict of old convention and the suffered women are only just part of the problems in China. However, from the popularity of The Yellow Earth and The Red Sorghum in China, we can knew that the problems that similar to the films are still existed quite often in the recent China. This suggested that although the position of women image in the recent film had being risen, but still there are many women and social problem remains in China today. Bibliography: McDougall, Bonnie S., The Yellow Earth, The Chinese Univrsity Press, Hong Kong, 1991 Ng, Yvonne, Imagery and Sound in Red Sorghum, 1996 Filmography Cheung, Yimou, Red Sorghum, (1987) Chen, Kaige, The Yellow Earth, (1984) The White Hair Girl (Baimao Nà ¼) (1972) Bibliography: McDougall, Bonnie S., The Yellow Earth, The Chinese Univrsity Press, Hong Kong, 1991 Ng, Yvonne, Imagery and Sound in Red Sorghum, http://www.arts.uwaterloo.ca/FINE/juhde/yvo951.htm, 1996 Filmography Cheung, Yimou, Red Sorghum, (1987) Chen, Kaige, The Yellow Earth, (1984) The White Hair Girl (Baimao Nà ¼) (1972)

This essay will consider four of this type of story, by short story

This essay will consider four of this type of story, by short story writers of the period; Dickens’ The Signal Man, The Monkeys Paw’ by W W Jacobs, H G Wells The Red Room and The Dream Woman by Wilkie Collins. LOOKING AT THE ATTUTUDES OF THE PERIOD, EXAMINE HOW A RANGE OF 19TH CENTURY WRITERS CREATE MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE IN THEIR SHORT SHORIES The rise in popularity of magazines in Victorian times and the era’s fascination in the unknown and supernatural led to immense interest in the short story genre. The key to the success of short stories is holding the reader’s attention by the use of interesting and meaningful subject matter, by using a condensed style of writing in order to maintain suspense and intrigue. The Victorian era saw great development in science which led to conflicts in belief between faith and science, and rationalism and the supernatural. Many of the 19th century short stories concerned the supernatural. This essay will consider four of this type of story, by short story writers of the period; Dickens’ ‘The Signal Man’, ‘The Monkey’s Paw’ by W W Jacobs, H G Wells’ ‘The Red Room’ and ‘The Dream Woman’ by Wilkie Collins. These authors create mystery and suspense in a variety of ways; in the location of the story, the technique of narrative blurring where the readers’ imagination is allowed to conjure up its worst fears, inconclusive endings leaving some vital questions unanswered, unseen terror, mysterious characters and the type of language used. I will explore all of these aspects of their writing. The location of all these short stories plays a very important role in setting the scene. They were written at the beginning of the Romantic Period which gave rise to a taste for... ...ecame very popular as they came around at a time of change, and looked at the possibilities of the supernatural which were unheard of before this time. There are many methods of creating mystery and suspense; the effective use of language and writing styles to create characters of intrigue and mystery. Using locations to create a feeling of loneliness, isolation and despair add to the suspense of a short story. Additionally, short stories often include characters of mystery that the reader never has the opportunity to learn more about, thus maintaining the feeling of suspense. In my opinion one of the most effective ways 19th century writers created mystery and suspense in their short story writing was by quickening the pace and rhythm of the text by using short, snappy sentences and chapters which cannot help to engage the reader and quicken their pulse.