Can Professional Code of Ethics Be the Backbone of Management and Research Paper

Can Professional Code of Ethics Be the Backbone of Management and Leadership's Decision Making in Business - Research Paper Example h one side of ethicists arguing that the right thing to do is always determined by the verdict of moral principles, while the opposite side remains adamant on their stance that an ethical decision is subject to the intricacy of the situation, and therefore is dependant upon the individual’s subjective opinion rather than s certain set of principles. Philosophers refer to ethics as being the ‘science of conduct’, and that ethics comprise of all those basic foundational values and ground rules according to which we live our lives. This paper will open with a general discussion of ethics in the business world and move on to explain how this management discipline came into existence. Furthermore, the expedient tool of ‘professional codes of ethics’ is analyzed with regards to the decision making process, and finally the paper culminates with an in-depth analysis of the pros and cons of the codes of ethics in the decision making process (Ferrel et al., 200 9, 4). Different people can relate to the concept in different ways, and therefore it has come down to having various different subjective meanings, but generally it is referred to as the knowledge of what is right or wrong in the workplace environment and then doing what is right. Wallace and Pekel claim that it critical to pay considerate attention to business ethics at times occurrence of fundamental changes- times which are faced by most of the businesses today, whether profit or non-profit. In these certain precarious situations, the values in a business which were taken for granted previously are questioned, leading to the dismissal of many of the values, and therefore there remains no clear or definite set of values which would act as a compass in guiding the leaders to steer the business according to what is right or wrong. Thus attention to the concept of ethics in the workplace sensitizes the leaders as well as the workers to how they are expected to cope up with moments change. Most importantly,

Types of research strategies

Types of research strategies The research strategy for this dissertation was established by adopting a way which the research objectives can be answered. There are two main types of research strategies: quantitative and qualitative. When deciding upon which research strategy to adopt one would have to identify the purpose of the study and the type and availability of the information that is required (Naoum, 1998). Both research methods are interconnected and have been considered by scholars to complement each other. Quantitative research is generally objective in nature although some may argue that it can be subjective as well. Creswell, (1994) defines quantitative research as an enquiry into social or human problem based on testing a hypothesis or a theory composed of variables, measured with numbers, and analysed with statistical procedures in order to determine whether the hypothesis or the theory holds true. Quantitative data therefore involves measurements of tangible, countable, sensate features of the world. (Bouman Atkinson, 1995). A limitation of this research approach is that it depends on available or readily statistical data that can be analysed; therefore it is not suitable for testing new subjects/concepts with limited available data. Qualitative research on the other hand is subjective in nature and mainly concentrates on opinions and perceptions rather than hard measurable data. Types of qualitative research methods include, but are not limited to, literature review, questionnaires etc. This dissertation was mainly researched using this type of research strategy because of its flexibility in acquiring data for subjects with limited publications. It has been noted to be divisible into two types; Exploratory research which is used where the researcher does not have extensive or has limited knowledge of the research area. The interview technique is often used as the primary method of data collection under this strategy. Attitudinal research is a subjective method that evaluates people` s opinions or views about a subject. Specific questions are formulated along with a set range of answers of varying degrees from which the respondent chooses a response. From a review of both quantitative and qualitative research approaches, it was determined that the quantitative research strategy would be used in conjunction with qualitative research, but not to a larger extent than at first envisaged because of limited access to numerical and statistical data from industrial property agents as they deemed the information confidential. Attitudinal Research: Interviews were utilised to gather data which can be used to determine the attitude of professionals within the industrial property market. From the information gathered within the interviews the results can be analysed to establish how industrial speculative developments play a role in the property market during periods of economic instability. It was decided that the interview questions would be sent to surveyors and industrial property agents and specialists based in areas where warehousing / distribution centres are predominant, particularly the East and West Midlands. Time was the limiting factor which could not allow for face to face interviews. The interview questions were directed to the individual responsible for answering the questions. In addition to emails sent to industrial property agents, telephone interviews were conducted. Admittedly, there is no way of knowing whether the individual or other senior member of staff actually completed the questions. The targeted interviewees were: Industrial property agents and surveyors around Nottingham and Birmingham. Industrial agents and developers ProLogis, who specialise in large industrial portfolios, including the case study for this research, The Golden Triangle. The questions that formed the basis of the interviews can be found in Appendix 1. The answers and comments acquired from the interviews have undoubtedly led to additional questions and a greater level of understanding. Case Study: A case study has been used with a view of providing an in-depth account of events, relationships, experiences or processes occurring in that particular instance (Denscombe, 1998). A case study of The Golden Triangle was carried out with a view that it would provide an in-depth analysis on how speculative developments in the industrial property market impact on the economy of the local area and how subsequently speculative developments impact on the economy in general. When deciding upon the case study which would prove suitable for the purpose of the research, three types of case study designs were considered; Descriptive case study considered to be similar to concept of the descriptive survey (i.e. counting). Analytical case study similar to the concept of the analytical survey (i.e. counting, association and relationship) except its applied on detailed cases). Explanatory case study theoretical approach to the problem. Source: Naoum, 1998. The theoretical way of selection (explanatory) was chosen for this research as it presented three ways of approaching the study: A typical case the findings can be generalised. An extreme case a contrast with the normal situation and least likely case. A particular case as test carried out for theory purposes to ascertain relevance of the case for previous theory. Limitations of Research: nterviews: The population used for the interviews was small and therefore there is a likelihood that the information provided by the respondents is limited to the experiences of the respondents which may not accurately depict the state of the subject matter. Due to time constraints, the assessment focused only on the surveyor and developers side. It would have been ideal to interview industrialists/occupiers as well so as to uncover any issues that are particular to them and may have been missed by the surveyors and developers. Interviews were carried out as they enable face to face interactions which enabled further questions to be raised during the interview session but as already mentioned; interviews were conducted via email except for a few face to face sessions. Telephone interviews were also carried out but it was viewed that this has the potential to lead to some bias developing that may mislead respondents. However, this approach was the most appropriate/practical given the time constraints of the respondent concerned.

Biographical Portrayals in Strachey’s Eminent Victorians and Keynes’s B

Biographical Portrayals in Strachey’s Eminent Victorians and Keynes’s Biography of Isaac Newton The Bloomsbury notion of biography moved against what was the predominant norms of biography at the time. Iconoclastic in all their efforts, the Bloomsbury writers did an interesting thing regarding biography. In both Lytton Strachey’s portrayal of Florence Nightingale from Eminent Victorians and Maynard Keynes’s brief portrait of Isaac Newton, they strive to reinsert the iconoclastic into figures that have become so mainstream as to be banal in their eyes. There is an ironic derision of the stereotypes both figures have become alongside an enormous amount of respect for the non-stereotypical aspects of their character that made these figures as great as they were. Strachey’s Eminent Victorians could be summarized as an attempt to demonstrate the ways in which the key figures of the Victorian era were not as Victorian as one might assume. Florence Nightingale, in particular, could not be seen, through Strachey’s eyes at least, as simply the â€Å"Lady with the Lamp† seeking ...

Maze Learning

MAZE LEARNING 1 MAZE LEARNING Ana Iqbal Mirajkar Bahria University BS-04 MAZE LEARNING 2 Abstract This experiment was conducted to uncover the underlying principles of transfer of training in maze learning. The aim was to see if transfer of training facilitated maze learning. It was assumed that practice of one maze would assist the chances of transfer in another and that participants who had prior knowledge of mazes would perform better. A sample of 56 students was chosen conveniently from Bahria University.All participants performed the same experiment on maze A and B, which is they traced a maze twice with the experimenter’s help, had a break of ten seconds and then had five minutes to find the goal. The results were analyzed using percentages. The findings of the results indicated that practice of one maze assists transfer of training on the other and that participants with prior knowledge had more successful trials than the ones who did not. Thus, both hypotheses were pro ved. Key words: maze, learning, memory, cognitive mapping MAZE LEARNING Learning is a relatively permanent change in behavior brought about by experience (Feldman, 2009).Peter Gray, a psychologist, defines learning as any process through which experience at 3 one time can alter an individual's behavior at a future time. Hence learning can be anything that brings about a change in one’s behaviour, or another definition common to all theories of psychology would describe simply a stimulus that generates a response(S-? R) (Herbert Terrace). Learning has been an important area of research in psychology; psychologists have done extensive research on how human beings acquire learning and what factors facilitate learning.One such experiment is done by Ivan Pavlov where he introduced the concept of classical conditioning and concluded that learning occurs gradually through pairing and association (Pavlov). Whereas a gestalt psychologist by the name of Wolfgang Kohler concluded that n ew behaviour is learned due to insight. According to Frederic Vestor there are four types of learning. The first being auditive learning which is learning by using the auditory channels that is using the ear to listen and mouth to speak. Second is visual learning that is learning using the eyes.Haptic learning is the third type of learning which occurs by touching and feeling and the fourth type is learning through the intellect. Training is the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. Areas that use training extensively are job training such as worker endowment and physical training for sports. Transfer of training was originally defined as the extent to which learning of a response in one task or situation influences the response in another task or situation (Adams, 1987).While Thorndike and Woodworth (1901) predicted that transfer would occur as long as the aims, method, and approaches used for the learning task were similar to the transfer task. They found support for the generalization of responses when there was similarity in the stimuli and responses in the learning and transfer environment. Types of transfer of training are positive which means previous training facilitates new training such as learning to add numbers in math courses helps when one learns multiplication.Negative transfer occurs when previous training hinders new training, whereas zero transfer is when previous trainings have no effect on new ones. Wolfgang Kohler would say that learning occurs through sudden insight while Thorndike would contradict by saying that it happens gradually over a long period of time. Generally it is noted that learning is both intentional and unintentional and has no specific time requirements. That is MAZE LEARNING one can learn in a day or can take months. Whereas training is usually intentional and there are certain time bound aries for training.Furthermore, learning focuses on achieving permanent 4 changes in behaviour while training focuses on the acquisition of new skills and knowledge with training interventions being event driven. Memory refers to the processes that are used to acquire, store, retain and later retrieve information (Kendra Cherry). The process of forming a memory is composed of three components encoding, storage and retrieval. In order for pieces of information to make sense the brain encodes all the information to form memories and stores it.A memory, when brought into consciousness is known as retrieved memory. Memories can be of three types; sensory memory that is collected from the first hand experiences and is very brief. Short term memory is what is in the conscious awareness, whereas long term memory is what is not in the conscious awareness and might have to be retrieved, according to Freud short term memory would be the conscious and long term memory the unconscious. Ebbingha us, who was a pioneer of the experimental study of memory, did extensive research on memory, memory formation and memory decay.Through his experiments he devised the forgetting curve of memory which revealed a relationship between forgetting and time. He suggested that information, initially, is often lost very quickly after it is learned but after a certain point the amount of forgetting levels off. This indicates that information stored in long-term memory is surprisingly stable. (Hermann Ebbinghaus) Labyrinth is a term in Greek Mythology, which basically denotes a maze in which the Minotaur was confined (The Free Dictionary).The most ancient of labyrinths are Cretan labyrinths that are surrounded by an aura of mysticism and skepticism, this was the elaborate structure designed to hold Minotaur. Next are the Egyptian Labyrinth and the Leminian Labyrinth which are more densely routed and complex than the Cretan Labyrinth. Although the true origins of the mazes and labyrinths probab ly go back to Neolithic times, the earliest mazes were actually parts of architectural monuments built in Egypt and on Crete about 4000 years ago (Christopher Berg).Edward Chase Tolman, a pioneer in the areas of learning and motivation, claimed that everything important in psychology can be investigated in essence through the continued experimental and theoretical analysis of the determinants of rat behavior at a choice-point in a maze. A maze is defined by Webster as a confusing, intricate network of MAZE LEARNING 5 winding pathways; specifically with one or more blind alleys. Furthermore, one could perceive a maze as a complex structure with a series of interconnecting pathways that eventually has to be solved by pursuing a goal.The term is also used to refer to a graphical puzzle that replicates the maze on a two dimensional medium (S. E. Smith). Mazes, in psychology, have contributed greatly to understanding complex human behavior. Moreover, maze studies have helped uncover asto unding principles about learning that can be applied to many species, including humans. The fact that researchers have even used mazes to figure out if men and women are different in the way they perceive suggests the important role mazes have played throughout. In this context a study was carried out by B.Jones that looked at trial and error learning in humans using a virtual maze and at looked at the gender differences where the participants were tested using the Online Psychology Laboratory Maze. Another study which attempted to uncover if multiple trials allow a researcher to determine how ability can develop and change over trials and that the importance of task components fluctuates during the stages of learning (O'Neill, 1978). The findings gave the impression that repeated trail can help the participant develop the knowledge of the maze and make fewer errors.Yet one more research finding on mazes indicated that no matter how well the maze is learned, the subject will never a ble to dispense with sensory guidance and that there is throughout this type of functioning a close cooperation between sensory and motor adjustments (Ailene Morris). There are two main categories of mazes which are then further subdivided into various types. A Unicursal maze is without branches, it has no dead ends and there is one path that leads to the end whereas, a multicursal maze is one with branches and dead ends. Among the various types of mazes are Blind Alleys are mazes that have a branch that is a dead end.Simply-connected mazes have pathways that never re-connect with one another, so every path leads to additional paths, a fork, or to a dead end and there is only one solution to a simply-connected maze. A multiplyconnected maze contains one or more passages that loop back into other passages, rather than leading to dead ends. A more complex form of the multiply-connected maze is the braid maze. A weave maze has pathways that go under and over each other and can be in mu ltiple dimensions, while a logic maze must be navigated by adhering to logical rules in addition to following its passages such as symbols or following colour schemes.A Plainair maze, however, is a maze on something other than a flat surface. For example, a maze painted on the outside of a cube or sphere. MAZE LEARNING A principle that is derived from the extensive study of mazes is known as cognitive mapping; 6 making a mental picture of one's physical or spatial environment (APA). A cognitive map allows one to construct and accumulate spatially defined images whose function is to enhance recall and learning of information. This type of spatial thinking can also be used in non-spatial tasks. Chaining is a behaviour technique that involves breaking a task down into smaller components.The simplest or first task in the process is taught first, and then after this has been learned, the next task can be taught. This continues until the entire sequence is successfully chained together (K endra Cherry). Maze learning is an example of a successive chaining, when animal runs down a maze it chains the route through the subsequent goals and dead ends all in all the entire stimuli present in the environment gives the animal clues and make his cognitive map (Terrace). The aim of this study is to see if transfer of training facilitates performance.It is assumed that the practice of one maze will facilitate the chances of transfer of training on the second maze and that participants having knowledge of practical will have more successful trials than participants who do not have any prior knowledge. Method Participants: There were two groups of participants that participated in the study. Group 1 composed of 28 people who had no prior knowledge of maze leaning. While Group 2 composed of 29 participants who had prior knowledge of maze learning. The total sample was that of 56 students who were chosen conveniently from Bahria University.The design of the experiment was independ ent measures design. Materials: Match box, scissor, glue, mazes A, stop watch and a blindfold. Two mazes were extracted from the internet and the participants of group 2 constructed the entire maze using match sticks to cover all the branches and boundaries of the maze. It was later discovered that both mazes were multicursal and simply connected. Procedure: The experiment was conducted in the experimental lab, with controlled conditions. In the first phase of the experiment participants from group 1, who had no prior knowledge of maze learning, were tested.The experimenter blindfolded the participant and traced their finger, twice, along maze A (in some cases a thin object such as a pen or pencil was used). During the whole procedure it was tediously made sure that the participant did not see the mazes. Following MAZE LEARNING 7 this the participant was given a ten second break and then told to complete the maze again with no help from the experimenter this time. After given five m inutes to complete this maze, the participant was told to stop and the blindfold was undone for two minutes.The same procedure was then followed for maze B that is tracing twice with the experimenter’s help, a break and then five minutes for the trial for maze B. Throughout the experimenter observed the errors made and the progress of the participant. In the second phase of the experiment the participants from group 2, who had prior knowledge of maze learning, were tested following the exact same procedure that is tracing twice maze A and then later maze B with an experimenter’s help, a break of ten seconds, then five minutes for the trial for maze A and later maze B.Results Table I Showing results of Maze A of Group 1 Participants 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Successive Trials 1 3 3 2 4 0 1 1 4 2 5 0 1 4 Errors 0 4 7 3 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 5 14 0 MAZE LEARNING 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 1 4 5 2 1 1 0 0 2 0 1 0 4 0 3 10 4 2 4 0 3 10 8 20 20 7 10 8 8 Total 5 2 146 Table II Showing results of Maze B of Group 1 Participants 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Successful Traits 5 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 3 Errors 10 0 4 4 0 3 5 2 0 MAZE LEARNING 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 2 5 0 8 4 3 2 2 5 2 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 3 2 1 4 13 0 15 0 9 0 20 0 11 3 2 2 25 1 3 2 9 Total 58 148 Table III Showing results of Maze A of Group 2 Participants 1 2 3 4 Successful Trials 5 0 3 3 Errors 1 2 3 3 MAZE LEARNING 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 2 3 1 1 7 7 3 4 3 5 4 3 4 3 1 1 4 1 2 2 2 3 2 0 0 8 4 2 3 1 12 4 1 0 2 2 7 4 5 4 1 1 14 0 1 1 5 0 10 Total 79 91 MAZE LEARNING Table IV Showing results of Maze B of Group 2 Participants 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Successful Traits 5 0 0 6 4 8 10 1 10 11 7 5 3 7 7 2 8 5 1 4 4 2 1 3 2 4 Errors 0 4 0 4 0 0 0 3 0 1 5 7 0 3 0 0 3 3 0 2 0 2 1 0 5 0 1 MAZE LEARNING 27 28 0 5 3 0 12 Total 125 46 Calculations:- = 41. 7% = 58. 2% = 35. 03% = 64. 96% MAZE LEARNI NG Graph I Showing results of comparison between Maze A and Maze B 13 Comparison between both the mazes 42% Maze A Maze B 58% Graph II Showing results of comparison between Group 1 and Group 2 (c and d) Comparison between both the groups 35% Group 1 65% Group 2 MAZE LEARNING Discussion It was proved that practice of one maze facilitates the transfer of training on the second maze 14 hich meant that most of the participants performed well on maze B as compared to maze A. An interesting research by Edward Tolman on rats and mazes showed that once the rats knew where there goal in the maze was, they could find their way through the maze. Thus, Tolman’s and this research show that people form a cognitive map of the spatial layout of the situation rather than just leaning to make a series of responses. However, one single most undermining factor that could cause this is the carry over effects the participants might have carried over from maze A.Furthermore, there might been quite a many extraneous variables present in the environment that the experimenter failed to control; hence, they became confounding variables. These include noise distractions, the close seating arrangement of the participants and experimenter bias. It was further noted that even though both mazes were multicursal participants found maze B relatively easier and more straight forward than maze A, pointing more towards the fact that practicing on one maze improved their performance.Likewise, the participants who had prior knowledge of mazes performed better than the participants who did not. This meant that hypothesis 2 was also proved. David Ausubel a pioneer in educational psychology who emphasized on prior learning said â€Å"If I had to reduce all of educational psychology to just one principle, I would say this: The most important single factor influencing learning is what the learner already knows. Ascertain this and teach him accordingly. The results of this research highlight the importance of prior learning. Nevertheless, the participants of group 2 were also the ones who constructed the maze, which meant that they possibly brought forward transfer effects. Moreover, the participants in group two were in a more comfortable setting than the participants in group one who were not in their comfort zone. Besides, there were four students who were not from the psychology department and might have been anxious because of the new and unfamiliar place and setting.In addition to this some participants used a pencil, pen or a sharp object to complete the maze instead of their fingers, which meant less tactile experience and learning and might be a contributing factor as to why group 1 performed poorly. MAZE LEARNING References: American Psychological Association. (2013). Dictionary. com Unabridged. Retrieved from http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/cognitive map Ausubel, D. (1968). Educational implications of concept mapping. Joseph D. Novak & D. Bob Gowin (2002 ). Learning how to learn (pp. 40). UK, Cambridge University Press. Berg, C. 2011). The History of Mazes and Labyrinths. Amazing Art. N/A. Retrieved from http://amazeingart. com/maze-faqs/ancient-mazes. html Cherry, K. (N/A). An Overview of Memory. Memory. N/A. Retrieved from http://psychology. about. com/od/cognitivepsychology/a/memory. htm Ebbinghaus, H. (1885). Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology. Classics in the History of Psychology. N/A. Retrieved from http://psy. ed. asu. edu/~classics/Ebbinghaus/index. htm 15 Eddie, W. L. & Danny, C. K. (2001). A review of transfer of training studies in the past decade. Personnel Review, Vol. 0 No. 1, 102-118. Retrieved from http://www. owlnet. rice. edu/~ajv2/courses/12a_psyc630001/Cheng%20&%20Ho%20(2001)%20 PR. pdf Feldman, R. S. (2009). Psychological Approaches to Learning, 177. Retrieved from http://www. studymode. com/essays/Psychological-Approaches-To-Learning-730466. html Jones, B. (2011). Gender Difference-Mazes, 09. Re trieved from http://www. studymode. com/essays/Gender-Difference-Mazes-774551. html Morris, A. (1994). A Descriptive Study of Maze Learning, 67-69. Retrieved from http://digital. library. okstate. edu/oas/oas_pdf/v25/p67_69. df Terrace, H. (2010). The Comparative Psychology of Serially Organized Behavior. Comparitive Cognition and Behaviour Reviews, Vol. 5, 23-58. Retrieved from http://psyc. queensu. ca/ccbr/Vol5/Terrace. pdf MAZE LEARNING Tolman, E. C. (1953). Edward Tolman and cognitive maps. Douglas Mook (2004), Classic experiments in psychology (pp. 139-142). Westport, Greenwood Press. Vestor, F. (1998). Die Deutsche Schule, 93(2), 186-198. Retrieved from http://www. oecd. org/edu/ceri/34926352. pdf 16 MAZE LEARNING 17 Appendix A: Maze A & B MAZE LEARNING Appendix A 18 MAZE LEARNING 19

Social Media Marketing

Evaluate the Effectiveness of Social Media Marketing on Hotels Jennie Russell 1. Abstract Purpose; The internet has forced companies to transform themselves to be more interactive, innovative and efficient as the online consumer is more active, demanding and in control; if unhappy about a service the hotel’s reputation c an be damaged as negative information posted online is instant and public; sharing their opinion with hundreds of thousands of potential customers. However, savvy marketers are increasingly using social media to let guests sell their hotels, which is authentic marketing at its best.Marketers need to implement dedication, time and resources in social media marketing to be successful and stay ahead of their competitors; most hotels lack the resources required to effectively implement social marketing strategies. Methodology; This paper integrates triangulation to ensure all views of social media marketing are portrayed; three hotel marketing managers were questi oned, consumers on PollDaddy answered polls and the role of the practitioner research was undertaken to analyse Cedar Court’s Facebook campaign.Secondary research was used to develop recommendations for the effective use of social media marketing. Findings; This paper presents the results of an exploratory study on the different perspectives of social media marketing. It was found that some hotels have more developed social media marketing strategies than others but all are willing to learn and develop. Consumers had mixed opinions on social media marketing which lead to calls for recommendations to be derived from secondary research for the effective use of social media marketing.Research Limitations; More time was needed to research and analyse the Facebook campaign and a payable account was needed on PollDaddy to increase the exposure of the polls. Value; Social media marketing is a fairly new trend; it will be a key factor in the future of marketing; Large hotels like Hil ton and Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts have fully integrated social media into their marketing strategy, but for most hotels the difficulty is not only where to begin, but who to use and what to do; this paper will significantly impact how hotels market on social media sites.Keywords; Social Media, Marketing, Hotels, Effective, Participation, Interaction 1|Page 2. Context & Objectives Long before the Internet, people shared their opinions of products with friends and family through word of mouth; ‘a happy guest tells five others; an unhappy guest tells 9-10 others. ’ (Kennedy, 2009) Nowadays, consumers are spending more and more time on social network sites where they can broadcast their experiences directly online via social media sharing their opinion with hundreds of thousands of potential customers; hotel marketers need to reach these communities and interact with them to stay competitive.TIG Global (2009) describes how the internet has changed marketing; ‘what was once an efficient one way communication tool has evolved into an interactive two way communication device. ’ The internet is forcing companies to transform themselves to be more interactive, innovative and efficient. Kozinets (1999, p254) discussed that ‘online consumers are not merely passive recipients of consumption information but active creators’; consumers are now in control. The information the consumers post is instant and public; giving them the opportunity to be heard in large numbers.Marketers need to form alliances with these online consumer communities as it is the dawn of customer engagement; ‘Engaged customers spend more money and come back more often. ’ (Mclean, 2008) Social media marketing requires participation, interaction and dedication (Raza, 2006); time, commitment and resources are essential for the efficient use of social media marketing; however most hotels lack the resources required to effectively implement social mark eting strategies.Most hotels either don't do social media marketing or they don't do it efficiently; W eber (2009) understands that marketers have to be aggregators not broadcasters; they have to be part of the consumer’s conversation, not bombarding them with constant sales pitches. (Evans, 2009) Marketers have to ensure their content is beneficial to the hotel and their consumers; they should not perceive the hotels presence to be a nuisance.Large hotels like Hilton, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts and MGM Grand have fully integrated social media into their marketing strategy, but for most hotels the difficulty is not only where to begin, but who to use and what to do. Is it detrimental for a hotel not to use social media sites? Can it be detrimental if social media sites are used but not appropriately? The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of social media in hotel marketing. The objectives of this study are to; ? Evaluate how the internet has changed hotel marketing. |Page ? ? ? Assess the key activities involved in social media marketing. Evaluate the role of social media marketing within hotel marketing strategies. Develop recommendations for the effective use of social media marketing in hotels. 3. Literature Review Marketing Raza (2005, p 2) defines marketing as an ‘ongoing process comprising various co-ordinated activities a company must perform to develop and/or wanted product, bring it to the market, maintain it there and maximize the customers benefit. The customer is an integral part of the marketing process; marketers need to focus on their customer’s needs, wants and expectations which will reflect in their services and result in a successful hotel. ‘For many years hospitality firms have believed that the goal of marketing is to create as many new customers as possible. ’ (Shoemaker & Lewis, 1999, p345) They believed it was important to satisf y the guests while they were on the property, but the real goal w as to continue to find new customers; their interest in getting new customers dominated the task of keeping customers.Nowadays, companies have realized that both aspects are vital; finding n ew customers and keeping current customers; Chen et al (2009) suggest that companies exploit the internet to become more innovative and effective at this task. Marketing using traditional methods used interruption techniques which consumers accepted as they classed them as necessary ‘happenings’; the marketers were in control. But the internet forced marketers to transform themselves; Chen et al (2009) discovered that marketers were no longer in control; the balance of power had shifted to the consumer.The existence of united groups of online consumers interacting shifts knowledge and power from marketers to consumers; Kozinets (1999, p258) supports this; ‘The more online consumption members communicate with one another through the internet, the more bold they feel about chall enging marketers and marketing claims. ’ Scott (2009) & Tuten (2008) realized that the ‘old rules’ of marketing were ineffective in a web 2. 0 world; (consumer generated content) marketers have to work harder as consumers control their media content.Saugestad (2009) reinforces this; ‘research shows that there is a growing proclivity among web users to tune out ‘corporate speak’. ’ Miguens, Baggio & Costa (2008) clarify that the internet is no longer just a static page, but a dynamic platform which allows consumers to independently generate their own content; sharing with other users and passing on their own experience. Marketers need to realize that online consumers are much more ‘active, participative, resistant, activist, loquacious, social and communitarian. ’ (Kozinets, 1999, p261) Social Medias 3|PageIt is important to ensure social media is explained to avoid confusion; ‘Social media is about sharing information and experiences with acquaintances in your networks. ’ (TIG Global, 2009) Weber (2009) noted that social networks are places where people with a common interest or concern, meet and express themselves, their opinions and ‘vent’. There are different social media channels depending on the desired goals; Table 1; Authors Analysis of Social Media Sites Type of Description Statistics Social Media Facebook Facebook is a social networking website that Facebook reports was originally designed for students, but is n average of now open to anyone 13 years of age or older. 250,000 new Facebook users can create and customize registrations per their own profiles with photos, videos, and day since January information about themselves. Friends can 2007. (Scott, 2009, browse the profiles of other friends and write p229) messages on their profiles. Twitter Twitter is an online service that allows you to There are a share updates with other users by answering reported 3 million on e simple question: â€Å"What are you doing? † tweets posted per Twitter is a free social networking and micro- day. (Social Media blogging service that enables its users toStatistics, 2008) send and read other users' updates known as tweets. TripAdvisor TripAdvisor is a free travel guide and 90% of online research website that hosts reviews from consumers trust users and other information designed to help recommendations plan a vacation. from reviews (Mclean, 2008) YouTube YouTube is a video sharing service that ‘Videos posted on allows users to watch videos posted by other You tube attract users and upload videos of their own. The more than 40 slogan of the YouTube website is â€Å"Broadcast million visitors Yourself. † This implies the YouTube service monthly. ’ (Weber, s designed primarily for ordinary people who 2009 p4) want to publish videos they have created. ‘Social networking continues to grow and shape the way people communicate. ’ (Hotelworld, 2010) There are hundreds of active social networking websites, but the social media sites listed in table 1 are relevant to this project as hotels are currently using them to market themselves. The internet is becoming one big social networking site; ‘Over 44% of all internet users are active in social media’ (TIG Global, 2009) Saugestad (2009) & Miguens, Baggio & Costa (2008) argue that social media sites are the most 4|Page opular sites on the internet due to the fact it is available 24/7, giving potential online customers the opportunity to access information at their own convenience. Starkov & Mechoso (2010) acknowledges that internet users spend 17% of their surfing time on social network and blogging sites, nearly triple the percentage of time spent on sites than a year ago which is beneficial to marketers if they use social media effectively, as they are reaching a growing audience. Using Social Media Effectively Many authors agree that social media marketing needs to be fully integrated in the hotel’s marketing process.Marketer’s need a solid internet strategy; merging social media marketing into their marketing plan and the hotels brand; integrating videos, images and blogs to increase exposure and improve online positioning. (Davis, 2009, Raza, 2005, Tikkanen et al, 2009) Social media gives marketers an incredibly inexpensive way to build brand awareness, while doing it in a way that makes the hotel seem simultaneously hip, down to earth and fun. Hotels (2009) explain how savvy marketers are increasingly using social media to let guests sell their hotels, which is authentic marketing at its best.Kennedy (2009) found that guests who have had extremely positive experiences do often feel motivated to post their positive feedback on the internet. Successful word of mouth marketing isn’t about what the hotel thinks it represents; it’s what the consumers choose to talk about; ‘Word of mouth hinges on real consumers spreading the word for you. ’ (Mclean, 2008) It’s the best marketing tool; with high credibility as it comes from previous customers and there is no cost to the hotel.However, if consumers have a bad experience it can be unfavourable for the hotels reputation; ‘a single negative online guest review can cause significant damage by scaring off future potential guests. ’ (Kennedy, 2009) The scope of internet marketing is huge; numbers could be in the realms of tens of thousands of potential guests scared off from one bad review on the internet. Hotels reputations are at stake; consumers are going to be talking about how they were treated for better or for worse.Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts has set the bar for social media customers service care; a guest went on twitter whilst staying at the Biltmore Four Seasons Resort to make a criticism about the hotels music, to her surprise she received a bottle of wine and a note from the general mana ger apologizing. Another situation at Four Seasons Bangkok, where a guest complained on twitter about the lack of appealing movies on TV that night; management were notified and the guest was informed about the hotels in-house DVD library. Kirby, 2009) These situations show the effective engagement and participation required with social media marketing that results in high customer satisfaction. Interaction, Participation and Authenticity Social media is all about forming relationships, trust and building an online reputation. The main focus in social media marketing is to keep consumers informed and not to fool them. TIG Global (2009) explain that social media users 5|Page will likely be appreciative of hotel marketers updates and more inclined to pass them along to their networks of friends and family, if they feel the updates are authentic and useful.The main purpose of social media is social interaction and networking with other users; hotel marketers need to enhance their socia l interactions to be successful; ‘the speed of the response is a significant factor in interactivity. ’ (Tikkanen et al, 2009, p1371) The stronger a hotel’s genuine interactivity on social media sites, the stronger their social media brand will be. Starkov & Mechoso (2010) reveal that if a hotel enhances its social media presence on Facebook and Twitter, it can create a buzz around the property and contribute to increased awareness and booking considerations.Engaging and dynamic content can enhance a hotels presence and generate continuous interest; ‘the online social media process is all about the ‘word of mouse’. ’ (Parsippany, 2009) Social media sites are all about customer engagement; companies who focus on engagement rather than selling will see success. (Mclean, 2007, Tikkanen et al, 2009) By incorporating value, interactivity and engagement; hotel marketers could thrive with social media marketing. Valuable Content Evans (2009) ad vises marketers to ensure they have significant cont ent on their social media sites otherwise they will lose consumers and search engine rankings.Consumers aren’t afraid to tell hotel marketers if their content is rubbish but at least social media offers the ability to make instant adjustments in case they need to change detrimental content. ‘Marketers have to provide customers with value to have a better chance of engaging their customers in their marketing activities. ’ (Parsons et al, 1998 cited from Tikkanen et al, 2009, p1369) Value is one of the most important things to keep in mind when creating great social media content that will persuade consumers to interact and engage with marketers.Armstrong (2001) understands that marketers are sceptical about social media marketing but tries to convince them to use the internet as a sales and marketing tool; he summarizes that the issue is not only how to engage the consumer, but also how first to attract the cons umer to the website and then to retain them; however this book is dated with basic knowledge of the internet and limited reference to social media marketing. Saugestad (2009) argued that successful social media marketing requires meaningful participation, authenticity and real engagement.Social media is a continual process of evolving and updating to ensure exciting and lively content; ‘Involvement in (and success with) social media takes time and commitment. ’ (TIG Global, 2009) Future of Marketing Hotels (2009) predicts social media will become firmly entrenched as a marketing channel in 2010. Savvy marketers will continue to shift marketing funds to online channels at the expense of traditional marketing methods which Starkov & Mechoso (2010) reinforce ‘social media and mobile marketing are quickly becoming the mainstream in the hospitality industry. Accelerating technological 6|Page developments are evolving as a new generation of opportunity and challenge for the marketer. The issue with social media marketing isn’t whether to use it or not but to ensure the time, commitment and resources are spent developing it effectively. There is a lot of literature around social media marketing but no distinct recommendations for effective usage. 4. Method of InvestigationAn exploratory research approach will be used to gather information; a mixture of deductive and inductive; deductive as I want to find if hotel marketing managers find social media marketing useful, also want to find if the level of communication on social networking can gain loyalty from consumers or discover if social me dia marketing is beneficial to a hotel or detrimental to their image. Inductive secondary research will develop recommendations for the use of social media marketing. Triangulation refers to the use of different data collection techniques in ne study in order to ensure the data is correct and precise. (Saunders, Lewis, Thornhill, 2005) Triangulation will be used in this project as it will provide better opportunities to gather all perspectives on social media marketing and will allow effective evaluation of the findings. A mixed method research approach will be undertaken and data will be analyzed throughout the process; Tashakkori & Teddie (2003) quoted in Saunders, Lewis, Thornhill, (2005, p 146) argue that ‘multiple methods are useful if they provide better opportunities for you to answer your research question. The role of practitioner researcher will be undertaken as I designed a Facebook page for Cedar Court Hotel Wakefield when I worked for them on my placement which I now manage. I plan to add 1 event and 3-4 status updates per week as well as requesting at least 40 friends. I understand it will be time consuming; I’m a full time student so all my time is spent on university work which does not allow me to be fully immersed in the daily events at Cedar Court.Therefore familiarity may affect the research as I don ’t have any up to date information to enable me to frequently update the status with current issues; I have overcome this problem by asking the sales manager to keep me informed. I will analyse the campaign for 3 months to observe the impact and responses from the hotel’s social media activities. Structured questionnaires will be conducted using purposive sampling (typical case) with three hotel marketing managers that are currently using Facebook to market their hotel in order to explore their opinions of social media marketing.The questionnaires will be conducted through email so the managers can complete the questionnaire at a time and place convenient to them. The delphi technique will be used to ensure the key issues are addressed; when all the data is collected I will distribute it to the marketing managers to see if they agree with 7|Page the findings and to ensure all the important issues have been illustrated. All three managers will answer the same set of que stions to ensure reliable data. From these questionnaires I will develop polls to ask the general ublic their opinions on social media marketing using PollDaddy as the sampling frame ‘The larger your sample size the lower the likely error in generalising to the population. ’ (Saunders, Lewis, Thornhill, 2005, pg. 210) Poll Daddy has 500,000 users around the world (PollDaddy, 2009) which should generate a good response rate; I am aiming for at least 100 answers to each question to generate findings that are representative of people who are interested in social networking. There is no limit to the amount of questions I can post as PollDaddy provides interactive polling, which I thought was relevant to this project.I will post the questions in November and 3 months later I will gather the quantitative data which allows easy comparison. As well as primary data, documentary secondary data will be gathered from literature on the internet; journals and articles from websites s uch as e. hotelier. com/caterersearch. com will be used to develop recommendations for a hotel marketer to efficiently use social media marketing. Secondary data is unobtrusive; it will aid the project’s objectives and will enable triangulation.An external ethics committee is not required for this research; none of the participants will be vulnerable and social media marketing is a neutral subject. Participant error, bias or observer error shouldn’t occur as triangulation should yield consistent, reliable findings. For this project written consent will be implemented, if participants do not want to participate then they simply do not have to answer the questions. Participants will be volunteers and will be adequately informed of the research; they will be free to withdraw at any time and if necessary the findings can be anonymous.I will monitor Facebook and PollDaddy 4 times a week to ensure the activity is sincere and will re evaluate the validity if I feel it’ s being compromised. 8|Page 4. 1 Research Agenda From the literature review the key issues were highlighted and incorporated into the table below; these issues will form the basis of the questionnaires and polls. Table 2; Table of Issues Issues Reference The more online consumption members communicate with one another through the internet, the bolder they feel about challenging marketers and marketing claims. KOZINETS, Robert, V. (1999) E-Tribalized Marketing? The strategic Implications Of Virtual Communities of Consumption. European Management Journal. 17 (3) 252–264. Online social networking sites are the most popular sites on the internet. MIGUENS, J. , BAGGIO, R. , COSTA, C. (2008) Social Media and Tourism Destinations; TripAdvisor Case Study. Advances in Tourism Research 2008. Aveiro. Portugal RAZA, Ivo. (2005) Heads In Beds; Hospitality & Tourism Marketing. 1st Edition. United States of America. Pearson Prentice Hall. DAVIS, John. (2009) Social Media; Marketing Magic or Madness. [online] 16 July. Article from Hotel Online; News for The HospitalityExecutive. Last accessed on 19 October 2009 at: www. hotel- It is virtually impossible to compete in today’s marketplace without a solid internet strategy. Hotels need to merge social media marketing into the brand and the marketing plan; integrating videos, images and blogs to increase exposure and improve online Question derived from issue Do you find that online consumers are much more active, participative, resistant and more demanding? What types of social media marketing do you use and how do you use it? Do you have an internet marketing strategy? How important is social media marketing in your arketing plan? Is it fully integrated? 9|Page positioning. online. com/News/PR2009_3 rd/Jul09_SocialMediaMagic. html Engaging and dynamic PARSIPPANY, NJ. (2009) content can generate Introducing: CoMMingle continuous interest; ‘the Social Media Marketing online social media Agency for Hospitality. process is all about the [online] 21 September. ‘word of mouse’. ’ Article from Hotel Online; News for the Hospitality Executive. Last accessed on 19 October at: http://www. hotelonline. com/News/PR2009_3 rd/Sep09_CoMMingle. html Successful social media SAUGESTAD, Stephen. marketing requires 2009) Social Media and the meaningful participation, Hospitality Industry. [online] authenticity and real 23 September. Article from engagement. ehotelier. com; the one stop website for hoteliers. Last accessed on 19 October 2009 at: http://ehotelier. com/hospitali tynews/item. php? id=P17166_ 0_11_0_C Four Seasons Hotels & KIRBY, Adam. (2010) MGM Resorts has set the bar Grand Billboard Takes for social media Twitter to Masses. [online] 4 customers service care; January. Article from Hotels; a guest went on twitter The Magazine of the whilst staying at the Worldwide Hotel Industry.Biltmore Four Seasons Last accessed on 6 January Resort to make a 2010 at: criticism about the http://www. hotelsmag. com/b hotels music, to her log/Musings_Miscellany/296 surprise she received a 91bottle of wine and a note MGM_Grand_Billboard_Tak from the general es_Twitter_To_Masses. php manager apologizing. 1. Does your social media site incorporate engaging and dynamic content for your consumer? 2. How often do you update your content on your social media sites? 1. Successful social media marketing requires meaningful participation, value and real engagement do you feel you give this and how? 2.How often do you check/interact on your social media sites? 1. If you find a negative comment online what do you do? 2. Can you give me 3 examples of how social media marketing has worked well for you and what was the impact? 10 | P a g e 5. Findings & Analysis 5. 1 Facebook Research The impact and responses from Cedar Court’s social media activities on Facebook were recorded. Every week Cedar Court’s status was updated 3 times, a new event was added and an average of 40 friends were requested; the campaign was analysed for 3 months to investigate positive and negative reactions of the consumers.It can be immediately seen from column 2 that Cedar Court’s friends have consistently increased, doubling the amount of friends it started off with from 323 on 24. 11. 09 to 692 on 19. 02. 10. The number of people adding Cedar Court to be their friend (column 5) also consistently increased, in the first month Cedar Court had 0-1 people requesting to be their friend but towards the end of the campaign an average of 6 people were requesting to be their friend with a maximum of 8 people on 19. 02. 10.The popularity of Cedar Court definitely increased; at the start only 1 person ‘liked’ the status, then only 1 person commented on the second status, gradually throughout the weeks more people started to ‘like’ and comment on the statuses. Towards the end of the campaign an average of 30 people were ‘liking’ the sta tus and an average of 3 people were commenting; the Valentine’s Day status (15. 02. 10) had 70 friends ‘like’ it and 3 comments which is significant. Generally, the popularity of Cedar Court’s profile did increase however there was a decrease of 7 friends on 24. 2. 09 which could be due to the fact 4 events were sent out the previous time or it could have been due to festive pessimism, after this incident I ensured I would only send 1 event out each week to ensure I didn’t annoy any more of Cedar Court’s friends. The number of people accepting Cedar Court to be their friend and adding Cedar Court to be their friend consistently increased, which could be due to the fact that more consumers are accepting companies presence on social media sites owever consumers tended to ‘like’ and comment on the personal status update; not the sales pitch status es, which goes against companies objectives to use social media as a marketing tool. A ll the comments were positive which is encouraging; this shows a positive impact as consumers enjoy participating in the personal statuses; they take pleasure in the engagement and interactment with the hotel’s day to day activities; birthday’s, promotions, new employees etc. 11 | P a g e 5. 2 Questionnaires with Marketing Managers Questionnaires were emailed to the marketing managers of Hilton, Marriott and Malmaison.They were given 1 month to reply; giving as much detail as possible. To analyse these questionnaires, themes have been derived to allow ease of comparison between the hotels. Marketing the Hotels At the moment all three hotels use a variety of sources to market their hotels; social media, emails, newspapers, tradeshows, search engines, word of mouth and leaflet dropping. All three also have an internet marketing strategy; Hilton explained their marketing team works together with their PR and promotions to shape this strategy.Social media is important in t he hotels marketing plans; Marriott have only been using social media for around 6 months and hopes to be fully integrated by the end of the year. Hilton acknowledges social media is a ‘new space’ and have integrated it through PR and partnerships/promotions. All three hotel’s use Facebook, plus another social media form, however they all use them in slightly different ways. Malmaison started using social media marketing after attending a ‘future of hospitality’ course and uses Twitter and Facebook to update promotions and news etc.Hilton recognised that conversation about their brand were taking place on Facebook and Twitter whether they were participating or not; they use the same sites as Malmaison as ‘additional channels’ for brand news and giveaways. Marriott started in response to their sister hotel having used it for several months and uses Facebook and LinkedIn. Opinions on Social Media Marketing Malmaison’s opinions are m ixed; they believe it is the way forward because it has many benefits but understand there are negatives and that hotels should be careful.However Marriott is not in favour of it; ‘using sites that are not necessarily business focused as a marketing tool can cheapen your product and portray the wrong image. ’ Hilton understands the need for a sound strategy, time and commitment before adopting it; ‘social media marketing should never be used in place of traditional marketing tactics. ’ 12 | P a g e All three hotels agree that social media marketing is useful; Malmaison finds it easy to a point, ‘its quick, reaches a mass audience, builds relationships and is relatively cost effective. ’ Marriott thinks it is cost effective and likes the ‘speed to market. Hilton states that it is ‘extremely helpful in building buzz for our brand , sharing news quickly. ’ Occurrence of Content Updates and Interactions All three hotels interact on their social media sites however there are different levels; Hilton is the highest and checks theirs frequently throughout each day whereas Marriott only check theirs once a week; hotels on social media sites should be giving instant information; a week is far too long. Malmaison checks theirs as ‘often as they can’; but this is a loose term and could range from Hiltons highest level to Marriott’s lowest level of interaction.Again, with content update the rankings were the same; Hilton was the leader as they ‘post multiple messages to Twitter each day and add content to Facebook regularly’, Marriott only update their content on average once a month which is insufficient and Malmaison were vague with ‘as often as we can. ’ Participation, Engagement and Valuable Content Malmaison follows up on complaints and says thank you for good comments, they offer incentives and promotions their customers would appreciate.Hilton talks with their â €˜fans’ rather than ‘at’ them, they try to provide content that has real value, rather than simply ‘pushing marketing messages. ’ Whereas Marriott acknowledges that they are not giving the ‘appropriate level of participation’ however this year they do hope to overcome this and build their online profi le. Malmaison believes that their site incorporates engaging and dynamic content for their consumers; Hilton always ‘tries to provide information that is valuable to our audience. ’ Marriott is drawing up plans to address their ‘limited’ content.Champions and Time Spent with Social Media Marketing All three hotels understand the importance of assigning a dedicated social media marketer; Hilton has ‘an agency team and three internal team members’; Malmaison has 1 person from each hotel responsible and Marriott has nominated six people for their social media activities. Marriott only spends a couple o f hours per week on social media marketing whilst Malmaison spends ‘as much time as we can’ which is again vague but sounds keen! Hilton understands that ‘time investment is considerable and necessary. Attracting the Active and Demanding Online Consumer Malmaison attracts online consumers to their social media sites through exclusive offers and competitions; Hilton has integrated their Facebook and Twitter with their official brand site and other microsites; they also rely heavily on 13 | P a g e word of mouth from their current ‘fans’ and use giveaways. In the near future Marriott will be adding their social media addresses to their traditional ‘collateral’ that they hand to clients. Malmaison agrees with the statement that ‘online consumers are more active, participative, resistant and demanding. Hilton thinks it varies; ‘most followers are honest and enjoy travel so their posts and comments are positive’ but Hiltons social media channels are ‘not intended to be a guest assistance centre. ’ Which I disagree with; guests should be able to have their p roblems resolved through social media, I do understand that it’s an international company but strategies should be in place for these encounters. Marriott said ‘we will only really begin to see this in the coming months as our exposure grows. ’ Analysis of Social Media MarketingMalmaison analyses their social media marketing at the end of every week using tools such as ‘trendistic, tweetbeep, twittercounter, twitpwr. ’ Hilton receives weekly reports from an agency that ‘tracks major topics. ’ However Marriot t’s focus is ‘bringing our profile to a level where it actually merits tracking. ’ TripAdvisor Reviews Malmaison and Marriott both stated that they use TripAdvisor reviews but didn’t say how they used them. Hilton encourages its hotels to monitor consumer revie ws as ‘they are a great way to understand what is and is not working for a particular property. ’ Negative CommentsIf Malmaison finds a negative comment then they ‘address and investigate the situation, if a contact number/email address is left then the matter will be dealt with in private. ’ Hilton does their best to resolve the issue; ‘just as we do at our hotels when a guest complains. ’ Until this year Marriott only acted on feedback without replying to the customer; but now they use the ‘Manageme nt Response’ function to post replies to both negative and positive comments. Hilton doesn’t believe social media can necessarily go wrong, but negative posts about customer’s experiences at their hotels is ‘disheartening. Malmaison stated that they seem to be doing ok and Marriott said ‘this remains to be seen. ’ Social Media Working W ell All three hotels have had positive experiences with social med ia; Malmaison has had positive feedback from its ‘fans’, the events they advertised have had favourable responses and offers have been well received. Hilton asked ‘Tweeters’ to cheer for the film premier ‘Up in the Air’ for a chance to win various prizes; this was mutually beneficial and increased the hotel’s profile; reporters often post stories from Hiltons Twitter or Facebook.Marriott use Facebook to advertise charity events and to drive exposure of their Christmas party packages. 14 | P a g e Recommendations Malmaison and Marriott are welcoming of recommendations ‘that are tailored for our product and the market we are in. ’ Hilton are ‘always looking for suggestions that we can use at the brand level and share with our hotels. ’ Social media is a continual process of evolving and updating that takes time and commitment, even though Hilton are the most advanced in social media, the willingness for suggestion s shows true commitment and is an important attribute.Hilton are the most savvy in social media marketing; Marriott is fairly new in this concept and need more time to extend their strategies. Malmaison is well developed but not up to Hiltons standards however Hilton is a multi-national company which is hard to compete with. Unfortunately some managers did not answer in as much depth as I would have liked; none would disclose any financial information which is understandable but disappointing as it would have been interesting to compare the financial implications and set a guideline amount in the recommendations.One manager took 3 months to fill out the questionnaire and only replied when I used Facebook to prompt them to fill it in. 5. 3 PollDaddy Results Polls were developed on PollDaddy to ask the general public their opinions on social media marketing. Originally I had problems with the response rate as I only had a free account, if I had a paid account I would have received mor e responses and more exposure, but I overcame this by using Facebook to link my questions from PollDaddy and the responses increased rapidly; reinforcing the argument that social media is effective.Table 3; Key Points from PollDaddy 1. 87% think that social media marketing isn’t just a trend. 2. 50% think that marketers abuse social media marketing. 3. 48% think there should be rules for the appropriate usage of social media marketing. 31% think marketing on social media is innovative. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 60% find it easier to challenge marketer’s claims through social media marketing. 30% use Facebook and 27% use Twitter as their main social media forms. 36% think companies on social media are demonstrating meaningful participation, authenticity and real engagement. 2% engage in social media if they see it as beneficial. 15 | P a g e 9. 57% think social media marketing is a convenient and efficient way of finding information and interacting with an organisation Source; Aut hor’s Analysis of Poll Daddy Results 1. This is a significant percentage of people who think social media marketing isn’t just a trend; they believe it will be around permanently so hotels should take up this information and use this to their advantage through marketing. 2.Half who answered thought that marketers ‘just don’t get’ social media marketing; people felt that marketers could make more of the opportunities they have; the ‘recommendations’ may help marketers use social media marketing more effectively. 3. This point reinforces the need for marketers to effectively use social media marketing; it is a fairly new concept and marketers need to develop their strategies if they want to succeed. 4. 31% think marketing on social media is innovative which is encouraging for marketers; 32% of people don’t mind social media marketing as long as it isn’t excessive. 5.Online consumer aren’t afraid to challenge marketers claims; they are more assertive which strengthens Chen et al (2009) and Kozinets (1999) argument that the balance of power has shifted away from the marketer to the online consumer. 6. Most people who answered used some form of social media marketing, from Facebook to LinkedIn; companies should begin marketing on Facebook and then develop their strategies from there. 7. 36% thought that social media marketing shows companies commitment to engagement and interaction; however the polls were very close with some people being suspicious of social media marketing and the marketing ploys. . Social media sites are all about customer engagement with beneficial content this point reinforces Mclean (2007) and Tikkanen et al (2009); companies who focus on engagement rather than selling will see success. 9. This supports TIG Global’s (2009) point that social media users will likely be appreciative of hotel marketers updates and more inclined to pass them along to their networks of frien ds and family, if they feel the updates are authentic and useful.All questions answered had different response rates ranging from 97 to 497. Even though some of the percentages are fairly inconclusive, social media 16 | P a g e marketing is a growing trend and it would be interesting to see the results in a year’s time. 5. 4 Recommendations The dynamic growth and popularity of social media sites has created new opportunities for hotels; I have created recommendations to ensure proper usage of social media marketing and eliminate the risks involved for hotels. 6. ConclusionThe purpose of this project was to evaluate social media in hotel marketing; this project aims to help hotel marketers assess the key activities involved in social media marketing and evaluate the impact on a hotels marketing strategies and their image. Literature Review The internet has forced companies to transform themselves to be more interactive, innovative and efficient as the online consumer is more a ctive, demanding and in control; if unhappy about a service the hotel’s reputation can be damaged as negative online information posted is instant and public; sharing their opinion with hundreds of thousands of potential customers.The more online consumers communicate with one another, the bolder they feel about challenging marketers and marketing claims. Social media marketing requires participation, interaction and dedication; time, commitment and resources are essential for the efficient use of social media marketing; it is a highly engaging and innovative marketing method. Engaging and dynamic content can enhance a hotels presence and generate continuous interest; it needs to be focused on the consumer, it’s not what the hotel wants to talk about it’s about what the consumers want to talk about.If a hotel enhances its social media presence, it can create a buzz around the property and contribute to increased awareness and booking considerations. Savvy market ers are increasingly using social media to let guests sell their hotels, which is authentic marketing at its best. Findings By analysing the impact of social media marketing through different mediums the research was able to demonstrate the impact of social media marketing. More time was needed to analyse the Facebook campaign and a payable account was needed on PollDaddy to increase the exposure of the polls.Despite the limitations there are a number of important points that came from the research; more consumers are accepting companies presence on social media sites like Facebook however consumers prefer personal status updates; not 17 | P a g e sales pitch statuses. The company profile needs a personality in order for engagement to be fulfilled. Social media is a continual process of evolving, updating and developing; hotels should be consistent in regularly usage on social media sites; instant information is needed to be given; a week is far too long to interact and deliver thei r message effectively.Hotels should implement weekly analysis of their social media marketing strategies to ensure effective usage. All three marketing managers have positive experiences with social media marketing with Hilton stating ‘social media marketing can’t necessarily go wrong. ’ PollDaddy consumers don’t mind social media marketing as long as it isn’t excessive; it shows companies commitment to engagement and interaction; however the polls found some people being suspicious of social media marketing and the marketing ploys.Consumers thought that marketers ‘just don’t get’ social media marketing; they felt that marketers could make more of the opportunities they have; the ‘recommendations’ may help marketers use social media marketing more effectively. Recommendations have been derived through secondary research for the effective use of social media marketing. A dedicated and committed employee needs designat ing to monitor and interact on the social media sites.Marketers should establish themselves as credible members of the community and legitimate experts in their field by sharing knowledge and useful links. To Conclude Social media marketing is a fairly new trend; marketers should intensify their efforts to develop and expand their social media marketing strate gies to improve their online positioning. There are positives and negatives to any new venture but overall if social media is effectively used the positives out weight the negatives.It is virtually impossible to compete in today’s marketplace without a solid internet strategy and hotels need to merge social media marketing into their brand and their marketing plan. Social media will soon be the norm in marketing and marketers need to implement dedication, time and resources to be successful and stay ahead of their competitors; most hotels lack the resources required to effectively implement social marketing strategies s o this paper should significantly impact how hotels market on social media sites.Social media marketing is a free marketing tool and if used effectively can be beneficial to the hotel with high returns, however if hotels use social media but not effectively then this can be detrimental to their image; online consumers will perceive them as a nuisance and their online reputation will be ruined. Referring back to the questions asked at the start of this paper; ‘is it detrimental for a hotel not to use social media sites? ’ and ‘can it be detrimental if social media sites are used but not appropriately? I think it can be both detrimental to a hotel to not use social media, as they are missing out on a mass online market, who will be 18 | P a g e discussing their brand whether they are participating or not, however it can also be detrimental if social media is used but not appropriately. By incorporating value, interactivity and engagement; hotel marketers could thriv e with social media marketing. Future research from this paper should look into the long term benefits of social media marketing.Some of the percentages were inconclusive from PolDaddy, it would be interesting to see the results in a year’s time to discover how opinions had changed. 8. Bibliography ARMSTRONG, Steven. (2001) Advertising On The Internet; How to Get Your Message Across On The World Wide Web. 2nd Edition. Wales. Kogan Page. CHEN, Wei, et al (2009) Strategic Management: Undergraduate Programme in Service Sector Management. Essex. Pearson Education. DAVIS, John. (2009) Social Media; Marketing Magic or Madness. [online] 16 July.Article from Hotel Online; News for The Hospitality Executive. Last accessed on 19 October 2009 at: www. hotelonline. com/News/PR2009_3rd/Jul09_SocialMediaMagic. html DELUZAIN BARRY, Susan. (2009) Ten Reasons to Use Social Media for Launching a Hotel. [online] June 2009. Article from Hotel Online; News for the Hospitality Executive. Last acce ssed on 19 October at: http://www. hotelonline. com/News/PR2009_2nd/Jun09_TenReasons. html EVANS, Liana. (2009) Your Social Media Content Must Be Valuable. [online. ] 9 November. Article from search engine watch. com.Last accessed on 10 November 2009 at: http://searchenginewatch. com/3635597 HOTELS. (2009) ‘Twend’: Social Media Evolving Into Social Marketing. [online] 30 November. Article from Hotels; The Magazine of the Worldwide Hotel Industry. Last accessed on 5 December 2009 at: http://www. hotelsmag. com/article/409358_Twend_Social_Media_Evolving_Into_Social_Marketing. php? q=twend%3B+soci al+media+evolving+into+social+marketing HOTELWORLD (2010) Fairmont Launches Social Networking Website for Guests. [online] Last accessed on 20 February 2010 at: http://www. hotelworldnetwork. om/social-networking/fairmont-launches-socialnetworking-website-guests-7305 19 | P a g e IBM (2009) IBM Social Computing Guidelines. [online] Last accessed on 8 January 2010 at: http://www. ibm. com/blogs/zz/en/guidelines. html KENNEDY, Doug. (2009) Hotel Hospitality Training Tips For The Era Of Social Networking. [online] Hotel Online; News for the Hospitality Executive. 16 October. Last accessed 19 October 2009 at: http://www. hotelonline. com/News/PR2009_4th/Oct09_SocialTips. html KIRBY, Adam. (2009) The Greatest Twitter Hotel Service Story Yet. [online] 17 December.Article from Hotels; The Magazine of the Worldwide Hotel Industry. Last accessed on 20 December 2009 at: http://www. hotelsmag. com/blog/Musings_Miscellany/29418The_Greatest_Twitter_Hotel_Service_Story_Yet. php KIRBY, Adam. (2010) MGM Grand Billboard Takes Twitter to Masses. [online] 4 January. Article from Hotels; The Magazine of the Worldwide Hotel Industry. Last accessed on 6 January 2010 at: http://www. hotelsmag. com/blog/Musings_Miscellany/29691MGM_Grand_Billboard_Takes_Twitter_To_Masses. php KOTLER, Philip, et al (2005) Principles of Marketing. th European Edition. Spain. Pearson Education. KOZINE TS, Robert, V. (1999) E-Tribalized Marketing? ; The Strategic Implications Of Virtual Communities of Consumption. European Management Journal. 17 (3) 252–264. MCLEAN, VA (2007) Report Predicts Dramatic Changes in Hotel Marketing Discipline as Result of Consumers Use of Social Media; The Cost to Use these Tools is Low and the Impact is High. [online] 4 September. Hotel Online; News for the Hospitality Executive. Last accessed on 19 October 2009 at: www. hotelonline. com/News/PR2007_3rd/Sept07_SocialMedia. tml MCLEAN, VA (2008) Changes in Communication, the Social Media Revolution, and Evolving Search Engine Optimization Forcing Marketers to Rethink How They Market Destinations and Hotels; Recap HSMAI-CHA Conference. [online] In Caribbean Sales & Marketing Strategy Conference, San Juan. 13-14 December. Hotel Online; News for the Hospitality Executive. Last accessed on 19 October 2009 at: www. hotelonline. com/News/PR2008_1st/Jan08_RecapCHA. html MIGUENS, J. , BAGGIO, R. , COSTA , C. (2008) Social Media and Tourism Destinations; TripAdvisor Case Study. Advances in Tourism Research 2008. Aveiro.Portugal 20 | P a g e PARSIPPANY, NJ. (2009) Introducing: CoMMingle Social Media Marketing Agency for Hospitality. [online] 21 September. Article from Hotel Online; News for the Hospitality Executive. Last accessed on 19 October at: http://www. hotelonline. com/News/PR2009_3rd/Sep09_CoMMingle. html POLLDADDY. (2009) The PollDaddy Platform. [online] Last accessed on 15th January at: http://polldaddy. com/about/ RAZA, Ivo. (2005) Heads In Beds; Hospitality & Tourism Marketing. 1st Edition. United States of America. Pearson Prentice Hall. SALERNO, Neil. (2009) What is Your Hotel’s Online Market Share? online] October 2009. Article from Hotel Online; News for the Hospitality Executive. Last accessed on 19 October 2009 at: http://www. hotelonline. com/News/PR2009_4th/Oct09_MarketShareOnline. html SAUGESTAD, Stephen. (2009) Social Media and the Hospitality Industry. [online] 23 September. Article from ehotelier. com; the one stop website for hoteliers. Last accessed on 19 October 2009 at: http://ehotelier. com/hospitalitynews/item. php? id=P17166_0_11_0_C SAUNDERS, Mark, LEWIS, Philip, THORNHILL, Adrian. (2007) Research Methods for Business Students. 4th Edition. Spain.Pearson Education. 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The Tokai Earthquake of the Future

The Tokai Earthquake of the Future The great Tokai Earthquake of the 21st century has not happened yet, but Japan has been getting ready for it for over 30 years. All of Japan is earthquake country, but its most dangerous part is on the Pacific coast of the main island Honshu, just southwest of Tokyo. Here the Philippine Sea plate is moving under the Eurasia plate in an extensive subduction zone. From studying centuries of earthquake records, Japanese geologists have mapped out segments of the subduction zone that seem to rupture regularly and repeatedly. The part southwest of Tokyo, underlying the coast around Suruga Bay, is called the Tokai segment. Tokai Earthquake History The Tokai segment last ruptured in 1854, and before that in 1707. Both events were great earthquakes of magnitude 8.4. The segment ruptured in comparable events in 1605 and in 1498. The pattern is pretty stark: a Tokai earthquake has happened about every 110 years, plus or minus 33 years. As of 2012, it has been 158 years and counting. These facts were put together in the 1970s by Katsuhiko Ishibashi. In 1978, the legislature adopted the Large-Scale Earthquake Countermeasures Act. In 1979, the Tokai segment was declared an area under intensified measures against earthquake disaster. Research began into the historic earthquakes and tectonic structure of the Tokai area. Widespread, persistent public education raised awareness about the expected effects of the Tokai Earthquake. Looking back and visualizing forward, we are not trying to predict the Tokai Earthquake at a specific date  but to clearly foresee it before it happens. Worse than Kobe, Worse than Kanto Professor Ishibashi is now at the University of Kobe, and perhaps that name rings a bell: Kobe was the site of a devastating quake in 1995 that the Japanese know as the Hanshin-Awaji earthquake. In Kobe alone, 4571 persons died and more than 200,000 were housed in shelters; in total, 6430 people were killed. More than 100,000 houses collapsed. Millions of homes lost water, power, or both. Some $150 billion in damage was recorded. The other benchmark Japanese quake was the Kanto earthquake of 1923. That event killed more than 120,000 people. The Hanshin-Awaji earthquake was magnitude 7.3. Kanto was 7.9. But at 8.4, the Tokai Earthquake will be substantially larger. Tracking The Tokai Segment With Science The seismic community in Japan is monitoring the Tokai segment at depth as well as watching the level of the land above it. Below, researchers map a large patch of the subduction zone where the two sides are locked; this is what will let loose to cause the quake. Above, careful measurements show that the land surface is being dragged down as the lower plate puts strain energy into the upper plate. Historical studies have capitalized on records of the tsunamis caused by past Tokai earthquakes. New methods allow us to partially reconstruct the causative event from the wave records. Preparation for the Next Tokai Earthquake The Tokai Earthquake is visualized in scenarios used by emergency planners. They need to create plans for an event that will likely cause about 5800 deaths, 19,000 serious injuries, and nearly 1 million damaged buildings in Shizuoka Prefecture alone. Large areas will be shaken at intensity 7, the highest level in the Japanese intensity scale. The Japanese Coast Guard recently produced unsettling tsunami animations for the major harbors in the epicentral region. The Hamaoka nuclear power plant sits where the hardest shaking is foreseen. The operators have begun further strengthening of the structure; based on the same information, popular opposition to the plant has increased. In the aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, the plants very future existence is clouded. Weaknesses of the Tokai Earthquake Warning System Most of this activity does good, but some aspects can be criticized. First is its reliance on the simple recurrence model of earthquakes, which is based on studies of the historical record. More desirable would be a physical recurrence model based on understanding the physics of the earthquake cycle, and where the region sits in that cycle, but that is still not well known. Also, the law set up an alert system that is less robust than it seems. A panel of six senior seismologists is supposed to assess the evidence and tell the authorities to make a public warning announcement when the Tokai Earthquake is imminent within hours or days. All the drills and practices that follow (for instance, freeway traffic is supposed to slow to 20 kph) assume that this process is scientifically sound, but in fact, theres no consensus on what evidence actually foreshadows earthquakes. In fact, a previous chairman of this Earthquake Assessment Committee, Kiroo Mogi, resigned his position in 1996 over this and other flaws in the system. He reported its grave issues in a 2004 paper in Earth Planets Space. Maybe a better process will be enacted someday- hopefully, ​long before the next Tokai Earthquake.

The main causes of war essays

The main causes of war essays Wars are constantly being fought in the world. Bloodshed had taken place as top leaders ponder their every move in their game of victories and conquests. Behind each and every war that has taken place, there will always be a reason for it. The most predominant causes are greed and rising ambitions. Greed is inborn and present in the character of every human being. Hence we can see unscrupulous leaders, at the expense of the people, go to wars as a result of their quest for power and territorial gains. One example will be the recent internal strife in Angola, Africa. Foday Sankoh exploited the country's natural resources-diamonds for his personal wealth, which resulted in the deaths of many innocent parties. World War II was also started by Hitler's rising demands for territorial gains, conquering states after states. Hence wars that were fought for personal gains are the most common. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) can step in here. In face of such unscrupulous leaders, the countries in the organisation can stop trading with them and place an international boycott on such countries. For example, Iraq was slapped with an international boycott whereby countries such as Britian, France and America refused to buy oil ffom them during the invasion of Kuwait in the nineties. Next the fight for basic human rights is also one of the main reasons as to why wars were fought. In some countries, citizens do not enjoy equal rights. Widespread discrimination of minority can easily spark wars. People may be denied of basic rights such as housing, education and opportunities of employment. Hence uprisings may occur. One example will be the conflict in Sri Lanka. The Tamil Tigers fight for the rights of the people and aim for a country whereby each and every citizen is given equal human rights. Peace talks could be held to settle the differences. The government can also step in and give equal treatment to the citizens within th...

Pirates, Privateers, Buccaneers, and Corsairs

Pirates, Privateers, Buccaneers, and Corsairs Pirate, privateer, corsair, buccaneer: All of these words can refer to a person who engages in high-seas thievery, but whats the difference? Heres a handy reference guide to clear things up. Pirates Pirates are men and women who attack ships or coastal towns in an attempt to rob them or capture prisoners for ransom. Essentially, they are thieves with a boat. Pirates do not discriminate when it comes to their victims. Any nationality is fair game. They do not have the (overt) support of any legitimate nation and generally are outlaws wherever they go. Because of the nature of their trade, pirates tend to use violence and intimidation more than regular thieves. Forget about the romantic pirates of the movies: pirates were (and are) ruthless men and women driven to piracy by need. Famous historical pirates include Blackbeard, Black Bart Roberts, Anne Bonny, and Mary Read. Privateers Privateers were men and ships in the semi-employ of a nation which was at war. Privateers were private ships encouraged to attack enemy ships, ports and interests. They had the official sanction and protection of the sponsoring nation and had to share a portion of the plunder. One of the most famous privateers was Captain Henry Morgan, who fought for England against Spain in the 1660s and 1670s. With a privateering commission, Morgan sacked several Spanish towns, including Portobello and Panama City. He shared his plunder with England and lived out his days in honor in Port Royal. A privateer like Morgan would never have attacked ships or ports belonging to another nation besides the one on his commission and would never have attacked any English interests under any circumstances. This is primarily what differentiates privateers from pirates. Buccaneers The Buccaneers were a specific group of privateers and pirates who were active in the late 1600s. The word comes from the French boucan, which was smoked meat made by hunters on Hispaniola out of the wild pigs and cattle there. These men set up a business of selling their smoked meat to passing ships  but soon realized that there was more money to be made in piracy. They were rugged, tough men who could survive hard conditions and shoot well with their rifles, and they soon became adept at waylaying passing ships. They became greatly in demand for French and English privateer ships, then fighting the Spanish. Buccaneers generally attacked towns from the sea and rarely engaged in open-water piracy. Many of the men who fought alongside Captain Henry Morgan were buccaneers. By 1700 or so their way of life was dying out and before long they were gone as a socio-ethnic group. Corsairs Corsair is a word in English applied to foreign privateers, generally either Muslim or French. The Barbary pirates, Muslims who terrorized the Mediterranean from the 14th until the 19th centuries, were often referred to as corsairs because they did not attack Muslim ships and often sold prisoners into slavery. During the Golden Age of Piracy, French privateers were referred to as corsairs. It was a very negative term in English at the time. In 1668, Henry Morgan was deeply offended when a Spanish official called him a corsair (of course, he had just sacked the city of Portobello and was demanding a ransom for not burning it to the ground, so maybe the Spanish were offended, too). Sources: Cawthorne, Nigel. A History of Pirates: Blood and Thunder on the High Seas. Edison: Chartwell Books, 2005.Cordingly, David. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 1996Defoe, Daniel. (Captain Charles Johnson) A General History of the Pyrates. Edited by Manuel Schonhorn. Mineola: Dover Publications, 1972/1999.Earle, Peter. New York: St. Martins Press, 1981.Konstam, Angus. The World Atlas of Pirates. Guilford: the Lyons Press, 2009

Inside job movie by charles ferguson Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Inside job by charles ferguson - Movie Review Example The first part (How We Got There) talks about the high deregulation of Iceland in 2000 and how it its banks became privatized. The world and Iceland thus plunged into a global recession following the collapse of the AIG and the bankruptcy of the Lehman Brothers. The first part shows how deregulation created corruption where several home owners, for instance, were granted loans they could never settle. The second part (The Bubble) is the period from 2001 to 2007 which saw a housing boom like none other where speculators would purchase credit default swaps and bet against collateralized debt obligations they did not own. As the AAA rated investments sky rocketed, the third part (The Crisis) highlights how the CDO markets collapsed with investment banks left with huge loans and real estates and CDOs they were unable to unload. The recession then ensued in November 2007 with Bear Streans going bankrupt in March 2008. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae (both on the brink of collapse) were seized by the federal government as others such as AIG, Lehman Brothers, Chrysler and GM collapsed or became bankrupt. Foreclosures hence soared in the United States with the world’s financial system creeping to the depths of its grave. In part IV (Accountability) the government continues bail outs, banks start to gain power again as top executives walk away from their insolvent organizations. In the fifth part (Where We Are Now) many employees in factories have since been retrenched amid weak financial reforms from the administration of President

Electronic medical record implementation in correctional facilities Assignment - 1

Electronic medical record implementation in correctional facilities - Assignment Example Despite the employees’ resistance to change, the significance of assessable and consistent medical records continues to be the main goal of most health care and correctional facilities. Therefore, with respect to this organization, employees should appreciate the necessity for implementation of the electronic medical records. Key strategies to successfully plan and implement electronic medical records In order to avoid major transitional challenges associated with the electronic medical system in correctional facilities, System innovators are expected to adopt creativity and consistent trials until they successfully overcome the challenges. A number of key strategies to be laid forward include; Selling the opportunity to the correctional facility leaders as a way of influencing them to adapt system change, physicians and other departmental heads should be approached with a considerate attempt and subdue them about the importance of the electronic change. This is considered eas ier to drive as compared to lower ranking practitioners who may not foresee significant concern on the electronic per-se. Adequate information should be provided to the leaders with proficient illustrations that the implementation of the new system will not in any way disrupt their current records (Perkins and Kelly 122). Staff involvement Involvement the staff members in the implementation plan is quite vital, and this is considered as one of the important factors in the implementation of the electronic medical system or any other system to be put in place. Clinical staff should be at the fore front to drive the process especially in areas where administrative and billing activity takes place. Whether it is a purchased or commercial system, customization has to be done within the correction center. Therefore, besides the implementation personnel, organization staff must be involved to help tailor the system to suite the required environment. Such kind of involvement would be deemed to have considered employees opinion in the system development and to avoid claims of organization imposing undesired system on them (Schultz, Ginsberg and Lucas 8). Staff involvement in the system plan can be used to champion other fellow physicians about the benefits of electronic medical records in their workday. A lot of emphasis is that, systems do not increase burden but instead reduces time spent in making phone call, locating test results and other information pertaining to patients’ safety at the corrective centers. Besides recruiting system technocrats, skeptics must be involved to work hand in hand with the designers until then electronic medical system meet the needs and the skeptical physicians get convinced and to enable them convert as stronger champions. Develop an in training For the success of an electronic medical system and thought all its’ implementation stages, a precise training should be executed to assists both training staff and physicians in stretching the knowledge dimensions (Rodin, Jennifer and Sharon 8). This consideration is based on the fact that quality training always provides adequate knowledge, enrich and engage all stakeholders leading to trainee bliss. Other than the training based on the supportive staff, additional training should b

Individual Transition Plan for MIchael (student with learning Assignment

Individual Transition Plan for MIchael (student with learning disability) - Assignment Example Jefferson School of Arts will evaluate the drawing and assess Michael’s chances of becoming a professional artist (McDonnell, Hardman, and McDonnell 75). Michael will remain in Jefferson Middle School until September 2001 to improve on his literacy, numeracy, communication, and general life skills. In January 2002, Michael will join Jefferson School of Arts to pursue a professional career in drawing The teacher will tutor the student throughout the academic year until September 2001. The teacher will continuously evaluate Michael’s progress though observation, homework, class work, quizzes, and tests. In September 2001, the teacher will assess if the targets spelt out in the IEP have been achieved. By the end of his training in professional drawing in December 2003, Michael should be able to draw good images, market his drawing, and be qualified for employment in a drawing studio or any other organization that may require his services. After graduating from Jefferson School of Arts, Michael will return to Fine Arts Studio on voluntary basis. This will enable Michael develop his drawing skills in a business environment. Michael will also acquire practical experience that will enable him adopt properly and excel in formal employment or be able to run his own business. During his time as a volunteer at Fine Arts Studio, Michael will get 30% of the proceeds made from his drawings. When fully competent with his work, he will apply for a competitive employment position in Fine Arts Studio or any other organization that may require his services (Thoma 6). He will be placed in the production department for the first 3 months where he will work under the supervisor a professional drawing artist. He will be evaluated at the end of the first 3 months to establish if he is fit for permanent employment. Michael will continue living with his family after graduating from Jefferson School of Arts. The family will explore the long-term possibilities of independent