Saturday, November 30, 2019

Marriott Contemporary Trends and Competitors

Background JW Marriott hotels is owned by Marriot international. Marriot international is a Washington DC based company. In 1927, Willard Marriott started the hotel chainAdvertising We will write a custom report sample on Marriott: Contemporary Trends and Competitors specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More (Marriott 6). Key Bridge Marriott is the company’s longest running hotel and it opened its doors in 1959. From there on, it ignited an international growth to include 3,150 properties. In 1992, Marriott cooperation was split into two. The split formed two companies; Host Marriot corp. and Marriot international (Marriott 8). In 1995, Marriott acquired a 49 % controlling stake in Ritz Carlot Hotel (Marriott 13). In 2005, all the rooms in the hotel were given an overhaul. In the same year, the hotel chain marked a milestone as the only hotel that did not offer trans fat foods (Marriott 15). Business performance Marriot hotels and r esorts have continued to perform exemplarily. This is as far as sales and financial performance are concerned. As much as it has a global presence in different markets, it has enhanced its sales activities to reach as many customers as possible. These can be demonstrated from many sales centers it has in different markets (Marriott 23). From its third quarter results as at October 2010, the company posted good financial returns. For instance, total sales revenues increased by 9% to $253 million. Its worldwide system and growth improved considerably by 8.2% (Marriott 7).in addition, the chain of hotels also realized a net income of $ 83 million.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This net income represented a 56 % rise in income in comparison with the results of the previous year. In addition, the company has a wide array of hotels under construction. The company’s stron g cash flow has enabled it to reduce its debts ahead of schedule. Its total revenues were $2.6 billion (Marriott 21). Strategy In order to remain competitive in the market, the chain of hotels has sought to integrate an inimitable brand strategy. On the other hand, it should be known that the hotel business was not a glimmer in the eyes of the company owner. Marriot believes that its job is to make sure that customers have the best possible experience. By doing this, the company knows very well that its customers come from different backgrounds, culture, religion and tradition (Marriott 19). The execution of the brand strategy begins with one branch of the hotel and then later on, it is replicated to the others. This is because customer satisfaction relates in one way or the other with overall business performance (Marriott 7). The company employs global diversity and inclusion as a way of thriving in the market place. This is done by laying more emphasis on customers, suppliers, ow ners, workforce and recognition. Its current business strategy is also built on strategic alliances with other like minded business partners. This strategy has encompassed various cultural competencies to build upon its success. In addition, the company believes in working with locally owned businesses. This is more so in relation to different communities. By doing this, the company believes that it will be a win for the business and the community (Okumas12). Competitor analysis Porter 5 forces Marriot Hotel has been a good shaper of the market because it has focused on operational and tactical execution. Industry mapping is a powerful tool that can help give a good strategic view of the competitive terrain (Harris 8). This is in relation to porters’ five forces as a framework that helps in business strategy development and industry analysis. Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Marriott: Contemporary Trends and Competitors specifically for you f or only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Source: Porter 2008 The hospitality industry has continued to attract a lot of new entrants’ because of its growth potential and high returns (Hassanien et al 13). Although this are expected in a normal business environment, the company has focused on continually renewing its business for success. On the other hand, there is a more intensified bargaining power from customers. This is because they are more enlightened about products and this has been enhanced by availability of information (Hax and Majluf 8). The company has survived this by enhancing brand recognition and customer satisfaction. Because of diversity and competition, there is a lot of competitive rivalry within the hospitality industry (Hubbard et al 11). This can be explained from the urge to expand and attract more customers. Marriot hotels has employed franchising as a way of reaching new markets instead of investing in real estate which is very costly. Compe titive rivalry has also forced it to enhance brand recognition and customers experience as a way of retaining customers. Bargaining power of suppliers is another force that businesses in the hospitality industry have to cope up with. Because of its global presence, the company has operations in different markets. As a matter of fact, it works with locally owned businesses and suppliers by making them part of the group. This is where they are given preference to contracts in areas the company has operations (Marriott 27). Because of intensified competition in the market, there is also a high threat of substitute products (Hubbard et al 2008, p. 24). Marriot hotels has employed innovative brand strategies as a way of ensuring that its products are not made irrelevant in the market by substitute products.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The company encourages multiplication of talents as a way that it can use to build its products and brands and in the process ensure that its products are not threatened by substitute products (Marriott 29). Key success factors The company has transformed the hotel business in a number of ways. This has been done by delivering quality service to customers and guaranteeing high returns for shareholders. It has demonstrated a high ability to combine creativity and discipline. This seems to be the hallmark of any high performing company or business in the hospitality industry (Spears 4). In other words, it can be said that the company has shaped the market well to advance its operations. Just to show how successful the company is, its share price has been stable in recent years. This can be explained form the graph below. Industry lifecycle The hospitality industry has a very unique lifecycle. Products and services move through various stages. These include creation, growth, maturity and decline. Creation is where products are introduced in the market to be judged by customers. Marriott hotels has been coming up with innovative products to serve the market well. Growth on the other hand is marked by an increase in sales of the new product that the company has introduced. This can be an increase in hotel bookings or growth of restaurants in terms of customers served. Maturity is characterized by the stabilization of the hotels size and products. This can be in terms of employees or on the other hand stabilized sales. During this stage, companies are able to create a cash cow and in the process stabilize their operations. Decline will later be seen when the organization starts to shrink in size. In this stage, efforts to rejuvenate the company and enhance its operations may fail. As a matter of fact, companies in the hospitality industry need to be creative and come up with new products after doing extensive market research. Competitor Mapping Competitor analysis in the hospitality industry is more concerned with an assessment of weaknesses and strengths of potential and current competitors in the market and industry (Porter 17). In this way, through a strategic defensive and offensive approach, it should be able to come up with threats and opportunities (Lewis 13). The company has continued to thrive because of good strategic decisions and moves. All along, the company has combined a unique brand strategy as its success factor. On they other hand, it has focused on employee training and retention. By focusing on other elements of performance anatomy, the company has created a good cooperate culture to enhance a winning mindset (Carpenter and Sanders 19). This has in the long run pervaded the organizational framework and helped Marriot achieve a spectacular performance. In addition, it has also built a large portfolio of brands that have ended up providing a variety of lodging and hotel options to diverse and distinct customers. Its existing service oriented cooperate culture can also be said to be behind the company’s success. On the other hand, the company has put in place a good brand management initiative (Hunger 21). High performance businesses in the hospitality industry manage talent well and ensure that hiring is for the fit rather than skills (Hubbard et al 24). By giving the whole process of franchising and management of hotels, this has enabled the company to remain competitive in the market and thereby enhance its sustainability. As much as hotel management and franchising have been well done, the company has forgotten to offer increasingly deep discounts to attract a large number of customers. Because the market is getting saturated, the company has forgotten to build new full service hotels. Position-evaluate The company is currently franchising 50 to 60% of its hotel properties (Marriott 32). There is an improvement in the hospitality industry business climate. On the other hand, pricing has posit ively improved and this means that the company will continue getting good revenues (Lewis 16). It is also evident that the company has continually out performed its competitors in the hospitality industry. This is in relation to key benchmarks like total returns to shareholders. Source: Marriott 2010 It therefore implies that the company has a great outlook and performance. This can be explained from the profits that it has continued to return as years go by. For instance, in the third quarter results of 2010, the company recorded increased earnings before taxes and expenses of $220 million (Marriott 45). Although other competitors in the market are also performing well, the company seems to be ahead in terms of the general long term performance which is good in any industry and more so the hospitality industry. On the other hand, the company is engaged in a massive expansion plan that seeks to increase its chains and market presence. Most of its hotels that are expected to open ar e either under construction or are undergoing massive rebranding to increase its foothold in the market. Currently, it is estimated that the company has close to 3,500 properties in 70 countries which explains its dominance as a hospitality firm (Marriott 53). To ensure that it returns to the society well, the company has a good cooperate social responsibility program (Lewia 21). This can also be explained from the environmental award it received after being ranked position 42 as one of the greenest companies on the planet (Marriott 32). The company is currently a market leader in lodging development and operational excellence. In 2008, the company was one of the top hospitality firms in travels and leisure according to the Ceres Investor coalition awards (Marriott 39). The company can also pride itself as one of the companies with a high customer loyalty because of the returns it recorded even during the global financial crisis that greatly affected the hospitality industry (Spears 13). Generally, the company is in a great position to expand its business and grow further based on good strategies it has continued to employ for sustainability. Trends There is a big tension between expanding market boundaries and this will force the company to manage such through innovative brand strategies (Johnson and. Scholes 21). This will also force them to focus on operational and tactical execution to continue shaping the hospitality industry. Market trends are always changing and demanding that companies become more innovative and attentive to continue being competitive (Hassanien et al 27). This will therefore force the company to improve the quality and speed of decision making. On the other hand, they are supposed to master the speed of change and innovation as it deserves special attention by all players in the hospitality industry for efficiency (Hunger 25). The macro and task environments are moving towards an era where companies need to view information technology as an asset (Okumas 29). This will force the company to view information technology as part of its business strategy (Spears19). Global marketing trends are changing as people and companies use information technology to advance their interests. This means that the company will be forced to invest in information technology. Consumers are more enlightened and knowledgeable about products that the market offers (Hubbard et al 32). This is because there is a lot of information about companies and their products. To be on the safe side, the company needs to invest in research and development to know what customers will demand at a given time and devise the best method to serve them. Conclusion Marriott has continued to be successful because it uses a selective scorecard. The company has continually used data to support decision making and also on the other hand measure success (Marriott 42). For instance, the company has always stood out in terms of employee engagement, brand recognitio n and customer satisfaction. The company has also embraced IT to enhance innovation. This can be explained from the fact that it was one of the first companies to develop an inventory management system (Marriott 53). In addition, the chain of hotels is not afraid to embrace change in its operations in a bid to enhance its competitive edge in the market. Works Cited Carpenter, Andrew and Sanders, Gerald. Strategic Management: A Dynamic  Perspective, Concepts and Cases. Australia: Pearson, 2010. Print. Harris, Peter. Accounting and Finance for the International Hospitality Industry.  Oxford; Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1995. Print. Hassanien, Ahmed, Dale Crispin and Clarke, Allan. Hospitality Business Development.  Oxford: Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2010. Print. Hax, Arnoldo and Majluf, Nicolas. The Strategy Concept and Process: a pragmatic  approach. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall, 1996. Print. Hubbard, Graham, Rice, John and Beamish, Paul. Strategic Management Thinking,  Analysis, Action. Sydney: Pearson, 2008. Print. Hunger, David. 2005. Strategic Management: Concepts. Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice Hall, 2005. Print. Johnson, Gerry, Scholes, Kevan and Whittington, Richard. Exploring Corporate  Strategy. Harlow: Prentice Hall, 2005. Print. Lewis, Robert.1998. Cases in Hospitality Strategy and Policy. New York: John Wiley Sons, 1998. Print. Marriott., 2010. Marriott International Reports Third Quarter 2010 Results. Web. Okumas, Fevzi, Altinay, Levent and Chathoth, Prakash. Strategic Management for  Hospitality and Tourism. Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2010. Print. Porter, Michael. The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy. USA: Harvard, 2008. Print. Spears, Marian. Foodservice Organizations: A Managerial and System Approach. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2003. Print. This report on Marriott: Contemporary Trends and Competitors was written and submitted by user Celia Simmons to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Stellers Sea Cow - Facts and Figures

Stellers Sea Cow - Facts and Figures Name: Stellers Sea Cow; also known as Hydrodamalis Habitat: Shores of the northern Pacific Historical Epoch: Pleistocene-Modern (2 million-200 years ago) Size and Weight: About 25-30 feet long and 8-10 tons Diet: Seaweed Distinguishing Characteristics: Enormous size; small, flexible head About Stellers Sea Cow Although its much less well known than the Dodo Bird or the Giant Moa, Stellers Sea Cow (genus name Hydrodamalis) shared the unfortunate fate of these famous birds. Widespread across the northern Pacific Ocean for hundreds of thousands of years, by the mid-18th century this giant, 10-ton ancestor of modern dugongs and manatees was restricted to the obscure Commander Islands. There, in 1741, a population of a thousand or so survivors was studied by the early naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller, who remarked on this megafauna mammals tame disposition, undersized head perched on an oversized body, and exclusive diet of kelp (a type of seaweed). You can probably guess what happened next. As soon as word of Stellers Sea Cow got out, various sailors, hunters and traders made it a point to stop over at the Commander Islands and bag themselves a few of these gentle beasts, which were valued for their fur, their meat, and most of all their whale-like oil, which could be used to fuel lamps. Within three decades, Stellers Sea Cow had breathed its last; fortunately, though, Steller himself bequeathed his studies of live specimens on future generations of paleontologists. (Its important to realize that Stellers Sea Cow had been on the decline for tens of thousands of years before Europeans arrived on the scene; according to one theory, early human settlers of the Pacific Basin overhunted sea otters, thus allowing the unchecked proliferation of sea urchins, which feasted on the same kelp as Hydrodamalis!) By the way, it may yet be possible for scientists to resurrect Stellers Sea Cow by harvesting scraps of its fossil DNA, under a controversial research program known as de-extinction.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Costs and Benefits of US Government Regulations

Costs and Benefits of US Government Regulations Do federal regulations – the often controversial rules enacted by federal agencies to implement and enforce the laws passed by Congress cost taxpayers more than they are worth? Answers to that question can be found in a first-ever draft report on the costs and benefits of federal regulations released in 2004 by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Indeed, federal regulations often have more impact on the lives of Americans than the laws passed by Congress. Federal regulations far outnumber laws passed by Congress. For example, Congress passed 65 significant bills laws in 2013. By comparison, the federal regulatory agencies typically enact more than 3,500 regulations every year or about nine per day. The Costs of Federal Regulations The added expenses of complying with federal regulations born by business and industries have a significant impact on the U.S. economy. According to the U.S. Chambers of Commerce, complying with federal regulations costs U.S. businesses over $46 billion a year. Of course, businesses pass their costs of complying with federal regulations on to consumers. In 2012, the Chambers of Commerce estimated that the total cost for Americans to comply with federal regulations reached $1.806 trillion, or more than the gross domestic products of Canada or Mexico. At the same time, however, federal regulations have quantifiable benefits to the American people. That’s where the OMB’s analysis comes in. More detailed information helps consumers make intelligent choices on the products they purchase. By that same token, knowing more about the benefits and costs of federal regulations helps policymakers promote smarter regulations, said Dr. John D. Graham, director of the OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Benefits Far Exceed Costs, Says OMB The OMB’s draft report estimated that major federal regulations provide benefits of from $135 billion to $218 billion annually while costing taxpayers between $38 billion and $44 billion. Federal regulations enforcing the EPAs clean air and water laws accounted for the majority of the regulatory benefits to the public estimated over the last decade. Clean water regulations accounted for benefits of up to $8 billion at a cost of $2.4 to $2.9 billion. Clean air regulations provided up to $163 billion in benefits  while costing taxpayers only about $21 billion. Costs and benefits of some other major federal regulatory programs included: Energy: Energy Efficiency and Renewable EnergyBenefits: $4.7 billionCosts: $2.4 billion Health Human Services: Food and Drug AdministrationBenefits: $2 to $4.5 billionCosts: $482 to $651 million Labor: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)Benefits: $1.8 to $4.2 billionCosts: $1 billion National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTSHA)Benefits: $4.3 to $7.6 billionCosts: $2.7 to $5.2 billion EPA: Clean Air RegulationsBenefits: $106 to $163 billionCosts: $18.3 to $20.9 billion EPA Clean Water RegulationsBenefits: $891 million to $8.1 billionCosts: $2.4 to $2.9 billion The draft report contains detailed cost and benefit figures on dozens of major federal regulatory programs, as well as the criteria used in making the estimates. OMB Recommends Agencies Consider Costs of Regulations Also in the report, OMB encouraged all federal regulatory agencies to improve their cost-benefit estimation techniques and to carefully consider costs and benefits to taxpayers when creating new rules and regulations. Specifically, OMB called on regulatory agencies to expand use of cost-effectiveness methods as well as benefit-cost methods in regulatory analysis; to report estimates using several discount rates in regulatory analysis; and to employ formal probability analysis of benefits and costs for rules based on uncertain science that will have more than a $1 billion-dollar impact on the economy. Agencies Must Prove Need for New Regulations The report also reminded regulatory agencies they must prove that a need exists for the regulations they create. When creating a new regulation, OMB advised, Each agency shall identify the problem that it intends to address (including, where applicable, the failures of private markets or public institutions that warrant new agency action) as well as assess the significance of that problem. Trump Trims Federal Regulations Since taking office in January 2017, President Donald Trump has carried through on his campaign promise to cut the number of federal regulations. On January 30, 2017, he issued an executive order entitled â€Å"Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs† directing the federal agencies to repeal two existing regulations for every new regulation and to do so in such a way that the total cost of regulations does not increase. According to an update status report on Trump’s order from the OMB, the agencies are far exceeding the two-for-one and regulatory cap requirements, having achieved a 22-1 ratio during the first eight months of FY 2017. Overall, notes the OMB, the agencies had cut 67 regulations while adding only 3 â€Å"significant† ones. By August 2017, Congress had exercised the Congressional Review Act to eliminate 47 regulations issued by President Barack Obama. In addition, the agencies had voluntarily withdrawn over 1,500 of Obama’s regulations that were under consideration but not yet finalized. Under Trump, the agencies have generally been more reluctant to propose new regulations. Finally, to help business and industry deal with existing regulations, Trump issued the Streamlining Permitting and Reducing Regulatory Burdens for Domestic Manufacturing on January 24, 2017. This order directs the agencies to expedite federal environmental review approval of bridge, pipeline, transportation, telecommunications and other infrastructure improvement projects.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Customer Relationship Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Customer Relationship Management - Essay Example According to the research findings over the years many things have changed and now a great deal of emphasis is laid on the importance of customers to a company. Marketing tactics have evolved from mass marketing and advertising to target or niche marketing where preferences of each customer are given equal importance. In all this, customers have benefitted tremendously, now special attention is being given to their needs and according to that business strategies are designed. The customer making a purchase has two options, either he can make a direct purchase from the manufacturer itself – use one channel, or opt for multiple channels where he can buy the same product but here this product would have passed through several channels before reaching the intended customer. It has been observed that customers choosing multiple channels are more valuable to a company as compared to those opting for a single channel. This is because shopping is made a very convenient experience for them; they can buy products online from the web or even book their orders on the phone instead of making the trip to the store. In addition, in case they want to track the delivery of their products, this can be done easily either on phone or online by using the tracking code usually provided by the couriers. They are given many payment methods to choose from depending on whichever is the most feasible for them. They can make payment with cash on delivery, issue a cheque or even use their credit card. Hence, at each stage they are being facilitated and so the customer would remember the ease with which they shopped and would return repeatedly for the same service. Customers overall prefer systems which make processes simple, fast and reliable for them and multiple channels guarantee all of that with their expeditious service. Nordstrom is a famous US retailer with 225 stores located nationwide. Being in the business for more than a century, Nordstrom realizes the importance of its c ustomers and knows how vital it is to provide customers with complete ease and best deals, hence, offering customers a comfortable buying experience with the use of its multiple channels network. In order to measure the effectiveness of customer relationship

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The Sorrow and the Pity film by Marcel Ophuls Movie Review

The Sorrow and the Pity film by Marcel Ophuls - Movie Review Example The Sorrow and the pity documentary is based on view that during the World War II, France was the only state which collaborated and de Gaulle's Free French in UK were in the awkward situation as government of France was not in a state of exile. The strongest point of the movie is that it shows reality and the idea was completely innovative to show the interviews of the people who actually were present at the time of such a chaos and destruction. The real stories are described in the film. The Sorrow and the Pity movie include the interviews of the French and German who played a major or minor part in the war. The idea behind the movie was to bring in front the truth about the collaboration of France with Nazis. The documentary, which is more than four hours long was shot in Clermont Ferrand, a town in France. Marcel Ophulus view about the movie is that those who have not undergone the pain, damage and grief of occupying power can never know how it feels so they have no right to judge a nation that endured the horrors and terror of the war. The fundamental point of the movie is the forbearance and complacent of the people under the control of another power in their state. The Sorrow and the Pity is one of the greatest documentary ever made. The film is based on the World War II, the destructions caused by the war and the people affected by the war. The movie was about the physical and social division of France. The Germans with their war weapons and machined easily conquered the France and it was not shown that it's any of a big deal for the Nazi Germans to have a control over France. As shown in the movie the basic concern of the people under the war was to have food for them to eat. The movie has two parts. First part is about the conquest and collaboration of France and is called "The Collapse". This part consists of the attack of Nazi Germans and the quick surrender of the French, whereas the second part is known as "The Choice" which inquires about the practical dilemma of power of resisting. This part was actually to reveal the truth about the resistance or cooperation of French with Nazi Germans. It also reveals the consequences of the Collaboration. The movie first stirred great controversy when it was released . The people of France were reluctant to admit that France was one of the many states who could actually collaborate with the victorious country, Germany. The French television was not willing to broadcast it and it stirred a huge controversy. So the movie was shown at the cinema where it emerged as a great success, (Holm, D. K 2005). The Sorrow and the pity movie is all about the life in France during the period of the World War II and the Nazi Occupation. It includes the interviews of the people who were involved directly or indirectly in this play. It is a daring step taken by the director to make an objective evaluation of the perplexing situation in the history of France. The documentary is close to reality which reflects the real life situation about what actually happened to the people who lived during the war and what difficulties they faced. The interviews were conducted from the Government officials, politicians, artists, farmers, veterans, forces and common people who could speak about the war

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Racism & Ethnic Identity Essay Example for Free

Racism Ethnic Identity Essay Race is evidently an important aspect in our Australian society today. It is personified in the biological makeup of an individual. Individuals of different racial background differ in physical appearance such as skin color, and facial features making DNA and genes the only cause behind these dissimilarities. Many races have been introduced into this nation since decades and slowly have been recognized such as the Caucasian race and the Asian race. Ethnicity while slightly related to race is based upon a persons cultural and social expression within an ethnic group; this entails for instance that although one may be of a Caucasian descent born and raised in Australia they also may acquire an ethnic background from Greece and follow the Greek traditions and customs thus making them of Australian-Greek nationality. This paper will recount the different races which exist in Australia as well as some popular ethnic backgrounds which this country has become familiar with whilst narrating and analyzing a number of issues facing ethnicity and race in our society today. The first issue facing ethnicity is the fact which promptly makes individuals assume that other persons of an ethnic descent are liable for criminal omissions. It is often simple for people to identify ethnic members when a crime is involved as it is much easier to classify these individuals due to their distinct physical appearance. Conflict is a natural phase during times of change, however the next issue points out that it can become violent when that particular change is not managed properly and in a just way; such as inequality of the distribution of power which could lead different sections of society against each other and form their own ethnic groups to compete for power in retaliation. Therefore conflict is likely to occur when communication between ethnic, religious or cultural groups deteriorates or breaks down resulting in more conflict and problematic situations. The third issue causing a stir in todays society is racism or racial discrimination. It is evident that immigrants have been disadvantaged in the work force as well as social welfare simply because of their racial background; the law has developed remarkably over time to protect individuals against racism of any kind. This report will set the main argument of why this has become an integral part for our society with respect to social analysis.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Love in Molières play, Tartuffe, John Donne’s Canonization, and Crashaws On the Wounds of Our Cru :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Love in Molià ¨re's play, Tartuffe, John Donne’s Canonization, and Crashaw's On the Wounds of Our Crucified Lord Other than being examples of some of the best literature of the seventeenth century, the three works listed in the title of this essay don't seem to fit very well together. Or do they maybe after all. Creativity consists of connecting things that don't always seem to be related. All three of these works of literature deal with the various aspects of love--both human and divine. Earlier this semester I read about the Italian poet, Petrarch, whose sonnets followed certain romantic conventions as he recounted his unrequited love for Laura. In his poem, "Canonization," John Donne seems, at first glance, to be making fun of himself according to the conventions of courtly love. The poet is upset with an imaginary opponent. In the first stanza he tells him, "For God's sake, let me love in peace! Go about your own business." Then in the second stanza he admits that his love can't compare with the love of a poet whose tears are sufficient to sink a ship, whose heated passion brings a fever as fatal as the black death. So the tone appears to be wry amusement, self mockery. Thus we are surprised when the poem takes a more serious turn. This light-hearted tone tricks us as readers; we seem to be identified with Donne's imaginary foe--we who go about the business of life concerned with such mundane matters as crop failures, plagues, wars and lawsuits, work study, pizza parties, Reason and Romanticism tests. The poet challenges us: "Go ahead! Call us flies" if that's what you think we are. The fly during the Renaissance symbolized shortness of life, human mortality, or lust itself--uncontrolled sexuality. Taper is another word for candle; a candle also reminds us of the brevity of life--of lust like fire that represents sexual desire and destruction. Finally, the word "die" had sexual overtones in the Renaissance; it was used to refer to orgasm sometimes called the "little death." People thought that sexual activity drained away one's vital forces, shortened one's life. The eagle and the dove image provide a natural transition to the phoenix, that mythical bird that is reborn from ashes. They also represent traditional symbols of masculine strength and activity and of feminine sweetness and passivity. We see how opposites are brought together in love. While the fly and the candle suggest physical love the reference to the three birds brings together opposites into a complimentary whole--"we find in us" two very different kinds of birds and the Phoenix of us one: "by us, we two being one, are it.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Evaluation of Gender Inequality Essay

Charlotte Brontà « wrote in Jane Eyre, â€Å"I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.† No visible net ensnares womankind. However, long have women been viewed and treated as unequal to their male counterparts. This inequality is alive everywhere. As displayed in Of Mice and Men, gender inequality is alive even in fiction. Gender equality has been an ongoing struggle in fiction and reality, our country and foreign countries, and in the past and the present. Gender inequality effects the people of the entire world. For example, there are major issues involving gender in Egypt. In Egypt, there are the sparks of movements trying to introduce women into government without challenging the reigning Brotherhood. Another place that struggles with gender inequality is the U.S. where women representation in government is very low. Only 17 out of 100 senate seats are held by women. Even in the U.S., one of the most highly regarded nations in the world, women are not entirely equal. Gender inequality has effected people all through time. In example, it wasn’t until the 1920’s that women could vote in the U.S. Women have long been considered less than their male counterparts. Only recently have women put a dent in the extreme patriarchy that has existed all through history. Today, women still are of unequal representation, pay, and rights across the globe. For example, in the U.S. today, there is an average pay gap of 77% (as of 2009). This means women earn 77 cents to a man’s dollar as pay for the same positions. This is one example of how inequality lingers in modern day first world countries. Gender inequality is also existent in both reality and fiction. We have already given many examples of real cases and statistics including representation and wage gaps. However, there is also gender inequality in the fictional world. For example, in Of Mice and Men, Curly’s wife is a prime example of gender struggles. She is constantly being marginalized. Sheis viewed as a thing that would get Lennie in trouble instead of an actual person. Even her name is never spoken. She is referred to as â€Å"Curly’s wife† which reaffirms Curly’s ownership over her and her status as a possession or an object instead of a human being. When her dead body is found, the first and only comment made of her death was along the lines of, â€Å"Poor boy.† Curly’s wife’s death was seen as nothing but something unfortunate for Lennie. This contributes to the pile of evidence that can conclude that Curly’s wife was considered a mere object. Through time, in foreign countries, and even in between pages, gender inequality has been a constant struggle. Charlotte Bronte wrote that she, a woman, is no bird. A woman, after having a net thrown on her and her fellows time and time again, must decide to declare that they are not a bird, but a human being. Human beings aren’t to be ensnared. It is said that the first step of fixing a problem is the recognition that it exists. So, women must understand that the net encompassing them is not a blanket, but a prison. Together, womankind must stand and declare, â€Å"We are not birds.† Hopefully, these examples of gender inequality is bringing more attention to the â€Å"net.† Hopefully, the realization will dawn that gender inequality is thriving among us and will not die out on its own. It has existed everywhere, always. A mighty effort is to be made to begin the reversal of this inequality and injustice.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Is friar Lawrence to blame Essay

Friar Lawrence is the local Roman Catholic priest who is also an apothecary. He is the confident of both Romeo and Juliet and plays an important role in the fate of both. He is more than aware of the family’s feuding and seems to be well thought of by everybody. Romeo respects Friar Lawrence very much and sees him as a father figure. When Romeo feels suicidal when he has just been banished from Verona, the Friar tells him to straighten up. `This is dear mercy, and thou seest it not. ` When Romeo confesses that he wants to marry Juliet, Friar Lawrence teases Romeo about how fickle in love he is. `Is Rosaline, that thou didst love so dear, So soon forsaken? ` But in spite of this he still agrees to marry the young couple as he hopes it will end the family’s feuding. `For this alliance may so happy prove, To turn your households’ rancour to pure love. ` He only agreed to it because he had their best interests at heart. I don’t think he is to blame for marrying them as he did what he thought was right. And even if Friar Lawrence hadn’t married them, who’s to say that another Friar wouldn’t have married them? Romeo and Juliet both feel as if they can turn to him when they are in trouble. We see this when Romeo has been banished, because he stabbed Tybalt and Juliet has been told that she must marry Paris. Romeo doesn’t seem as if he is very close to either of his parents but Juliet usually has her nurse to turn to, but even the nurse, in the end the nurse rejects her too. `I think it best u married with the county. ` So in desperation each one goes to Friar Lawrence for help. Romeo is helped by being giving him a hide out in Mantua until Juliet can meet him. Juliet, being ordered to marry Paris, has gone to Friar Lawrence in desperation and has asked for help. First of all the Friar has to help Romeo escape. He allows Romeo to spend one night with Juliet, but before dawn he must leave. It is at this time that Juliet has been told to marry Paris. So she goes to the Friar. Friar Lawrence then devises a plan that will ensure Juliet and Romeo’s happiness. In some ways this shows us the Friars cunning, we are also shown that he is quite a smart man. We know that the friar is also an apothecary, so he gives Juliet a potion, which will make Juliet look as if she is dead. When she is taken to the family tomb, the friar will wait until she awakens, and by which time Romeo will hopefully already be there and take Juliet away. While devising this plan he still has the families’ interests at heart. He is only doing this in the hope that the two families, Montague and Capulet will reconcile. Although it could be argued, that he only helped them because he wanted to save himself. I personally don’t think so. I think he would have known that he would have had to `cover his tracks` before he married the couple. He seems like a prudent man, one that will think things through; he would never have married them and helped them elope for selfish reasons. But the Friar did deceive both the Capulet and Montague parents. And although this was wrong, it was also, in my opinion justified. I think this because he didn’t really have much choice. If he had wanted to succeed with his plan then they would have had to be kept in the dark, there was no other way round it. If they had been told, neither parent would have agreed to let their child associate with the child of the enemy. Priests do have the best interests of their parishes at heart and they do not lie and deceive people needlessly, but I think in this case it was allowed. Even though everything didn’t turn out the way it should have, it achieved the one thing the Friar wanted: peace between the families. And although the price paid was very high, almost too high, the motivation was honourable he genuinely didn’t act selfishly. I think everyone, in the play recognised this including the prince. `We still have known thee for a holy man. ` Friar Lawrence really was a decent man, even if his plans did go slightly wrong.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Solicitar estatus de refugiado para Estados Unidos

Solicitar estatus de refugiado para Estados Unidos Las personas perseguidas o que teman sufrir represalias pueden solicitar asilo en Estados Unidos o que se les otorgue el estatus de refugiado. La gran diferencia es que el asilo se pide estando ya fà ­sicamente en EEUU o en un puerto de entrada y la condicià ³n de refugiado se solicita en el extranjero. Condiciones para que la condicià ³n de refugiado sea reconocida por Estados Unidos Deben cumplirse las siguientes premisas: 1. Vivir en un paà ­s distinto del propio o al de residencia habitual. Hay excepciones previstas legalmente, como el caso de los cubanos. 2. La persona que solicita que se le conceda el estatus de refugiado no puede tener và ­nculos fuertes en el paà ­s en el que se encuentra actualmente. Por ejemplo, si su cà ³nyuge es de ese paà ­s o tiene un trabajo estable se considera que tiene lazos fuertes. 3. No puede regresar a su paà ­s porque tiene un miedo fundado de que si lo hace sufrir represalias o ser perseguido por razà ³n de su raza, religià ³n, pertenencia a un determinado grupo social o à ©tnico o por su opinià ³n polà ­tica. 4. Y, finalmente, que conceder la condicià ³n de refugiado a una persona en particular se encuentre dentro de las prioridades del gobierno de los Estados Unidos de Amà ©rica, que es el à ºnico con potestad para decidir quà © es prioridad para el paà ­s. Procedimiento para solicitar el estatus de refugiado Dependiendo del caso, se contacta con una oficina consular o, en la mayorà ­a de los casos, se viene referido por una organizacià ³n, como por ejemplo, el Alto Comisionado de Naciones Unidas para los Refugiados (UNHCR, por sus siglas en inglà ©s). Hay que tener en cuenta que en la inmensa mayorà ­a de las oficinas consulares de Estados Unidos no se tramitan las peticiones de refugiados. Sà ³lo en un nà ºmero reducido de las mismas.   Ser precisamente ante un oficial de Inmigracià ³n del USCIS asignado a una oficina consular ante el que hay que probar que se tiene un caso para ser considerado refugiado. Adems, hay que contar con la promesa de un patrocinador en los Estados Unidos que, en el caso de que sea concedida la peticià ³n de refugiado, sirva de apoyo para su recolocacià ³n en Estados Unidos. Si finalmente el USCIS otorga el estatus de refugiado, la persona recibir una visa para entrar y vivir en EEUU. A tener en cuenta En el proceso para conseguir el estatus de refugiado es necesario entrevistarse en persona con el oficial del USCIS a cargo del caso. Si la persona que alega ser refugiado se encuentra en otro paà ­s, el gobierno de Estados Unidos no corre con los gastos de su desplazamiento hasta el paà ­s donde se encuentra la oficina consular que debe tramitar el caso. Tampoco puede ayudar a conseguir visados para llegar a ese paà ­s, si fuesen necesarios. Tips Casa caso es un mundo. Por lo que es muy arriesgado juzgar si una persona puede ganar o no el estatus de refugiado. En todo caso es fundamental tener de verdad miedo de ser perseguido o sufrir represalias. Asimismo, se tiene que tener la capacidad de probar y explicar adecuadamente las razones de ese miedo. Y, finalmente, no hay que olvidar que Estados Unidos tiene sus propias prioridades. No todas las peticiones son iguales y es materialmente imposible conceder el estatus de refugiado a todas las personas que lo solicitan. En todo   caso, la solicitud de condicià ³n de refugiado para los nacionales de 7 paà ­ses de mayorà ­a musulmana se ha visto muy alterada por la  presidencia de Donald Trump, si bien las cortes se han pronunciado en contra de la prohibicià ³n que se impuso por orden ejecutiva a los refugiados de dichos paà ­ses.. Diferencia entre el asilo y el estatus de refugiado Segà ºn la ley americana, el asilo sà ³lo se puede solicitar cuando las  personas se encuentran ya fà ­sicamente en Estados Unidos o que lo solicitan en un aeropuerto o puerto de entrada a Estados Unidos y demuestran miedo creà ­ble. En cada uno de estos casos el procedimiento es distinto y no aplican las mismas reglas a las personas que ya se encuentran dentro del paà ­s y a las que solicitan el asilo nada ms llegar a la frontera. Adems, hay que recordar que se ha puesto fin  a la polà ­tica de de pies secos, pies mojados  para cubanos y tambià ©n las  visas CMPP  para personal sanitario de la misma nacionalidad en misiones en el exterior. Los cubanos pueden seguir el mismo procedimiento de peticià ³n de asilo que el resto de las nacionalidades. Si bien sigue en vigor la Ley de Ajuste Cubano. Segà ºn esa norma, los cubanos podrn solicitar la tarjeta de residencia al pasar 1 aà ±o y 1 dà ­a de presencia fà ­sica en Estados Unidos, pero la condicià ³n es que el ingreso haya sido legal. Finalmente, para entender el asilo y la condicià ³n de refugiado resulta conveniente tomar este test de respuestas mà ºltiples. Contiene las respuestas correctas y brindan ayuda para aclarar dudas e inquietudes. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Business plan, Market, Analysis, Construction

The business is a family owned company. As a Managing consultant, I have been employed to assess the viabilities of these two proposals and to produce a business plan that could be presented at the bank to gain financial backing for the expansion. I was able to make an ASSESSMENT CRITERIA, which were listed below: †¢ Understanding and application of theories †¢ Correct use of terminology, techniques, etc. †¢ Relevance of examples and scenarios †¢ Quality of referencing and sourcing of material (evidence) †¢ Quality of presentation †¢ Correct structuring of the report Business Plan: Constructed â€Å"mega-projects† are readily recognizable for their form and function, and in many cases, are awe-inspiring.   Major buildings and bridges give identities to cities and nations and evoke a sense of pride in the people. â€Å"The construction industry is a vast system of engineers, architects, laborers, craftsmen, material, equipment and tool suppliers, and project owners responsible for building these structures (http://bcc.ecnext.com/)†.   The scope of the industry is all encompassing, including every type of facility imaginable.   Roads, bridges, mass transit, airports, schools, retail and commercial buildings, industrial and manufacturing facilities, drinking water systems, wastewater treatment facilities, dams and power generation, solid waste facilities, and hazardous waste treatment and disposal projects all benefit society and bolster our national security.   The construction industry seminar focused on projects and issues that have a pote ntial mobilization involvement. Executive Summary stated that, a home office in Yellowknife, NT will be established the first year of operations to reduce start up costs. The founder of the firm is a professional engineer with eighteen years of progressive and responsible experience. After the operation has started it was found out that the first year operation increased till up to 3rd year operation as well. Notice the sales amount in dollars increases as well as dollar profits together with the percent sales/profit. The firm will specialize in providing three dimensional modeling and visualization to our clients. State-of-the-art analysis and design tools will be an integral part of the business plan. Implementation of a quality control and assurance program will provide a focus for production work. The highlights of the executive summary shown in a bar graph presentation as analyzed in this manner, red bar represents which is increasing dollars from year 2000 to the year 2002. Also apple green color represents gross margin, which is also increasing order and while net profit increased in increasing order as well. Objectives were seen to have the following: Achieve 20% of market value at the end of the third year of operation. Increase gross margin to 80% by the third year of operations. Company has mission, as stated here: Our mission is to provide clients across Canada’s North with structural engineering services for all types of buildings, from concept planning through to completion, with a highly skilled professional team working together, using common sense and practical.   Key to success has developed experience as stated. Provide professional quality services on time and on budget. Develop a follow-up strategy to gauge performance with all clients. Implement and maintain a quality control and assurance policy. Company Summary: Structure All Ltd. is a new company, which provides professional engineering design services for clients that manage, maintain, and plan for residential, commercial, and industrial type buildings. Our focus will be the public sector market in remote communities across Canada’s North. Company Ownership will be, Structure All Ltd. will be created as a limited liability company. Philip D. Nolan will privately own the company. Leslie C. Goit will also be listed as a Director. Start up summary: Our start-up expenses amount to $13,000, which allows for initial legal expenses, licenses, permits, stationary, specialty software, office equipment, and furniture. In addition to these start-up costs, an initial balance of $7,000 will be placed in the company accounts. The software purchases include an allowance of $5,000 for AutoCAD ® 2000, $1,800 for National Master Specifications, and $200 for QuickBooks ® (accounting package). Total start-up expenses amounted to $13,000, which has the big values, compared to other expenses. Office equipment, other expenses and permits holder and legal service also has same amount, which is the least expenses incurred. For a company start-up summary goes this way, investments leads small amount while profit is big and the sales amount becomes big. Start-up expenses have the following: Professional Liability Insurance is $1,200, Professional Liability Insurance is $1,200, web site development is $600 and lastly business licenses are $500.So overall total an expense coincides with the total assets. Market Analysis Company Locations and Facilities We will establish a home office in Yellowknife, NT in order to reduce start-up costs. The office space is estimated to be 150 square feet. We will be installing a dedicated fax line as well as a high-speed Internet connection. An interactive website will also be developed which will serve as a marketing tool. Services Structure All Ltd. offers complete structural engineering services. We will focus on buildings with the following Use and Occupancies, like the company is project oriented where each project involves. It also offers Project Consulting, Forensic Investigations, Project Management, and Dispute Resolution. Further more it also caters Restoration Engineering, and Inspections. Describing offers services was noted to be Competitive in the sense that offers their clients superior service, implement a quality assurance and control program for all projects undertaken, systematic manner of sorting and retrieving a library of structural elements and assemblies will be implemented. The sales literature was describe to be a brochure system. Brochure inserts will be maintained as individual sheets to facilitate their assembly in any custom situation. Greatly market analysis will be describe as Structure All Ltd. will focus on traditional Architect/Engineering (A/E) contracts. The owner will usually contract the A/E to perform planning and design services. These design services include preparation of plans, specifications, and estimates. Types of project distributions were having guidelines to follow as *Architecture Design (65%). *Structural Design (10%). *Mechanical Design (15%). *Electrical design (10%) Knowing the Market Segmentation will describe as a manner the market for engineering services that is, established Architectural and Engineering firms, territorial and Federal Governmental Departments. Market analysis Pie can summarize accordingly; Service Business Analysis, Business Participants, which were describe in as much as the manner showed. The major clients within the Territorial Governments include: Department of Education, Department of Transportation, and Department of Education, Department of Transportation, Department of Municipal and Community Affairs and Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Competition and Buying Patterns at which, pricing of projects and billing rates are surprisingly variable. In consulting at this level, it is easier to be priced too low than too high. Clients and potential clients expect to pay substantial fees for the best quality professional advice. The nature of the billing, however, is sensitive. Clients are much more likely to be offended when a job starts at $20K and ends up at $30K because of overruns, than if the same job started at $30K or even $35K. Main Competitors are Ferguson Simek Clark (FSC Group), A.D. Williams Engineering Ltd. (ADWEL), and Girvan and Associates. Conclusion: The company done a very good performance as the company executive summary showed a very remarkable achievement in the analysis. Business plan, Market, Analysis, Construction The business is a family owned company. As a Managing consultant, I have been employed to assess the viabilities of these two proposals and to produce a business plan that could be presented at the bank to gain financial backing for the expansion. I was able to make an ASSESSMENT CRITERIA, which were listed below: †¢ Understanding and application of theories †¢ Correct use of terminology, techniques, etc. †¢ Relevance of examples and scenarios †¢ Quality of referencing and sourcing of material (evidence) †¢ Quality of presentation †¢ Correct structuring of the report Business Plan: Constructed â€Å"mega-projects† are readily recognizable for their form and function, and in many cases, are awe-inspiring.   Major buildings and bridges give identities to cities and nations and evoke a sense of pride in the people. â€Å"The construction industry is a vast system of engineers, architects, laborers, craftsmen, material, equipment and tool suppliers, and project owners responsible for building these structures (http://bcc.ecnext.com/)†.   The scope of the industry is all encompassing, including every type of facility imaginable.   Roads, bridges, mass transit, airports, schools, retail and commercial buildings, industrial and manufacturing facilities, drinking water systems, wastewater treatment facilities, dams and power generation, solid waste facilities, and hazardous waste treatment and disposal projects all benefit society and bolster our national security.   The construction industry seminar focused on projects and issues that have a pote ntial mobilization involvement. Executive Summary stated that, a home office in Yellowknife, NT will be established the first year of operations to reduce start up costs. The founder of the firm is a professional engineer with eighteen years of progressive and responsible experience. After the operation has started it was found out that the first year operation increased till up to 3rd year operation as well. Notice the sales amount in dollars increases as well as dollar profits together with the percent sales/profit. The firm will specialize in providing three dimensional modeling and visualization to our clients. State-of-the-art analysis and design tools will be an integral part of the business plan. Implementation of a quality control and assurance program will provide a focus for production work. The highlights of the executive summary shown in a bar graph presentation as analyzed in this manner, red bar represents which is increasing dollars from year 2000 to the year 2002. Also apple green color represents gross margin, which is also increasing order and while net profit increased in increasing order as well. Objectives were seen to have the following: Achieve 20% of market value at the end of the third year of operation. Increase gross margin to 80% by the third year of operations. Company has mission, as stated here: Our mission is to provide clients across Canada’s North with structural engineering services for all types of buildings, from concept planning through to completion, with a highly skilled professional team working together, using common sense and practical.   Key to success has developed experience as stated. Provide professional quality services on time and on budget. Develop a follow-up strategy to gauge performance with all clients. Implement and maintain a quality control and assurance policy. Company Summary: Structure All Ltd. is a new company, which provides professional engineering design services for clients that manage, maintain, and plan for residential, commercial, and industrial type buildings. Our focus will be the public sector market in remote communities across Canada’s North. Company Ownership will be, Structure All Ltd. will be created as a limited liability company. Philip D. Nolan will privately own the company. Leslie C. Goit will also be listed as a Director. Start up summary: Our start-up expenses amount to $13,000, which allows for initial legal expenses, licenses, permits, stationary, specialty software, office equipment, and furniture. In addition to these start-up costs, an initial balance of $7,000 will be placed in the company accounts. The software purchases include an allowance of $5,000 for AutoCAD ® 2000, $1,800 for National Master Specifications, and $200 for QuickBooks ® (accounting package). Total start-up expenses amounted to $13,000, which has the big values, compared to other expenses. Office equipment, other expenses and permits holder and legal service also has same amount, which is the least expenses incurred. For a company start-up summary goes this way, investments leads small amount while profit is big and the sales amount becomes big. Start-up expenses have the following: Professional Liability Insurance is $1,200, Professional Liability Insurance is $1,200, web site development is $600 and lastly business licenses are $500.So overall total an expense coincides with the total assets. Market Analysis Company Locations and Facilities We will establish a home office in Yellowknife, NT in order to reduce start-up costs. The office space is estimated to be 150 square feet. We will be installing a dedicated fax line as well as a high-speed Internet connection. An interactive website will also be developed which will serve as a marketing tool. Services Structure All Ltd. offers complete structural engineering services. We will focus on buildings with the following Use and Occupancies, like the company is project oriented where each project involves. It also offers Project Consulting, Forensic Investigations, Project Management, and Dispute Resolution. Further more it also caters Restoration Engineering, and Inspections. Describing offers services was noted to be Competitive in the sense that offers their clients superior service, implement a quality assurance and control program for all projects undertaken, systematic manner of sorting and retrieving a library of structural elements and assemblies will be implemented. The sales literature was describe to be a brochure system. Brochure inserts will be maintained as individual sheets to facilitate their assembly in any custom situation. Greatly market analysis will be describe as Structure All Ltd. will focus on traditional Architect/Engineering (A/E) contracts. The owner will usually contract the A/E to perform planning and design services. These design services include preparation of plans, specifications, and estimates. Types of project distributions were having guidelines to follow as *Architecture Design (65%). *Structural Design (10%). *Mechanical Design (15%). *Electrical design (10%) Knowing the Market Segmentation will describe as a manner the market for engineering services that is, established Architectural and Engineering firms, territorial and Federal Governmental Departments. Market analysis Pie can summarize accordingly; Service Business Analysis, Business Participants, which were describe in as much as the manner showed. The major clients within the Territorial Governments include: Department of Education, Department of Transportation, and Department of Education, Department of Transportation, Department of Municipal and Community Affairs and Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Competition and Buying Patterns at which, pricing of projects and billing rates are surprisingly variable. In consulting at this level, it is easier to be priced too low than too high. Clients and potential clients expect to pay substantial fees for the best quality professional advice. The nature of the billing, however, is sensitive. Clients are much more likely to be offended when a job starts at $20K and ends up at $30K because of overruns, than if the same job started at $30K or even $35K. Main Competitors are Ferguson Simek Clark (FSC Group), A.D. Williams Engineering Ltd. (ADWEL), and Girvan and Associates. Conclusion: The company done a very good performance as the company executive summary showed a very remarkable achievement in the analysis.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

THE COUNTRY OF GREECE Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

THE COUNTRY OF GREECE - Research Paper Example The Greeks were filled with the passion to fight for freedom. They spent 9 years fighting for their independence from 1821 to 1829. Their struggles ended up with the liberation of Greece when it was officially declared as an independent nation. The small part of Greece which was liberated then became the home for Greek patriots who gained the rule of lonian islands in 1864 (Gardiner et al 1985, p 382). Later on Epirus, Thessaly, Crete, Macedona, Western Thrace and Dodecanese islands were added to make this small nation one of the prominent states of the world. Greece is one of the members of European Union since 1981. It is a developed country and also a major part of other independent bodies working for the welfare of the member countries. Shipping and tourism are considered as the most profitable industries of Greece. Greek merchant ship fleet is also a reason of fame for this country. Greece follows the parliamentary democracy as its political system of Greece. This political system is defined in the constitution of Greece. The recent amendments in the constitution of Greece were found in May 2008. The powers lie with the Prime Minister and the cabinet and the government accepts the majority call in taking parliamentary decisions. The governmental system of Greece is divided into 3 branches. The executives include the president and the prime Minister who are designated as the head of the state and the head of the government respectively. The Legislative branch consists of a 300 seat unicameral â€Å"vouli† and the judicial branch comprises the Supreme Court (Clogg, 1987 pp 223-230). The Greek constitution distributes the political powers in 5 major components. These include the power held by the President of Greece, the legislative power, the power held by executives, the judiciary power and the power allocated to the local government of Greece. The electoral system adopted by Greece calls for more