Are You Polarizing

Are You Polarizing This is one of my most important messages.   One of the many reasons I left my day job was stress. Many of you have done the same or are in the process of finding ways to leave the lifestyle that makes your world less palatable. I worked for the federal government, and my job entailed balancing the wishes of my politician boss, the needs of the public, and the competition of my peers. Add family to the mix, and it made for some sleepless nights and tight-chested days. I left that life to write, and it was one of the best decisions of my existence. Then I read an article in the latest Psychology Today (love that magazine) about how polarization saddens us and, if we do not control it, can make our lives toxic. But humans like to congregate. They evolved from packs. And we interact accordingly. So when the world looks safe, mammals happily fan out to find resources to meet their needs. When threats are perceived, mammals retreat to the safety of social alliances.   The problem these days is that we belong to multiple groups. We are writers. Thats one group. Many of us relate to one political party or the other. We often claim a religion or relate to our gender or sexual orientation. We are foodies, animal rights advocates, and home-schooling parents. All of us belong to several groups, but not all groups believe in each other a hundred percent. We have allies and contrarians even within the groups we align with. When my life gets too hectic, I feel it in my chest. I toss and turn and have nightmares, some nights am grateful for three hours of rest. I try to avoid items and people that cause me stress. Its not a weakness. I deem it a strength to be in control of my life. I fight for that  lifestyle, and anyone who has visited me can feel it in all Ive created. But there are some who choose to be more aggressive in one or two aspects of their lives. That does not mean they are right or wrongor that you are right or wrongor that I am all right or wrong. Choosing to be aggressive not to be confused with passionate about an issue or group, and infusing it into your writing world, will cause others to choose sides . . . and possibly avoid you. They retreat into the group they feel most comfortable with. As an author, you choose whether you want your lifes choices to walk alongside your writing, because to do so is choosing to alienate groups (or packs) of readers who feel differently. And not everyone is going to agree with the non-writer side of you. Sure, its noble to have causes. Others, however, may feel just as noble in their causes. Why do you have to clash if your unity is, say, mystery fiction? Why do we only have to relate to those who match us group for group? Ive supported one particular author for several years. Love her writing style. Back during the election, I got bombarded Months later, she won an award for her novel. She messaged me, and I rejoiced with her! Wonderful, I said. You deserve it. But why did you unfriend me on Facebook? And we held a very civil discourse about politics. I rather enjoyed it. We were on opposite ends of the spectrum, but nobody got angry. We agreed that we would not be Facebook friends because shes chosen these days to lead with politics over her writing, and I didnt want it spilling into my world. We agreed to disagree. Quite amicably. And we still support each others books. Not everyone will agree with you. And please, do not demand people agree with you. Let life run through you, not stop at your outstretched, palm up hand. You dont have to agree. You might better understand

How to transform your teams communication skills

How to transform your teams communication skills A catalogue for transforming communication skills Writing is one of those work activities that we just assume we can do. So much so that its not even something we tend to give much thought to. Yet in the last decade or two, its silently taken over our working lives. Email alone accounts for a staggering four hours of an average workers day, according to a recent survey by Adobe of more than 4,000 workers across Europe and the US. And thats before theyve even begun to include bids, slide decks, reports, letters, procedures or policies. But how many of those communications engage their audience and get results? And how many damage relationships that then take months to repair (if they ever are)? It only takes a moments thought to realise that few skills are more important today than the ability to communicate well. We’re here to help You may know us from our regular business-writing tips and blog posts. You might have already been on an Emphasis business-writing course, either as an individual or with your company. Or maybe you’ve downloaded a copy of The Write Stuff: our free, comprehensive guide to business writing. However, you might not be aware of the full range of training services we offer that can bridge this critical skill gap. This includes our unique, pre-course writing analysis, which shines a spotlight on the documents you or your team produce, and reveals which areas are the priorities to improve. We have just the course for you To help you, we’ve created an interactive PDF guide to our services, which includes not just business writing but also communication skills courses. For example, we have created a new and innovative presentation skills course, The reluctant presenter. Its aimed at people who have a deep fear of presenting, and is delivered by trainers who have overcome their own fears and can share their secrets. We’ve also developed the worlds most comprehensive online business-writing course, called Emphasis 360. To learn more about any of our programmes, and how they can help transform your teams (or your own) communication skills, download a copy of our course catalogue now. You can also call us on +44 (0)1273 732 888 for a chat with one of our friendly team. Image credit: Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock

Economics of Organisations TAKE HOME EXAM (For Second Writer) Essay

Economics of Organisations TAKE HOME EXAM (For Second Writer) - Essay Example When there is a team effort like this, you have information problems: it is hard to tell who is shirking. "The essence of the classical firm is identified here as a contractual structure with: 1) joint input production [team efforts]; 2) several input owners [e.g. each laborer owns himself]; 3) one party who is common to all the contracts of the joint inputs [the employer/owner]; 4) who has rights to renegotiate any input's contract independently of contracts with other input owners [e.g. can hire, fire, etc. to reward inputs that contribute more]; 5) who holds the residual claim [i.e. gets the "residual" income; see below]; and 6) who has the right to sell his central contractual residual status [i.e. can sell the company]." In earlier literature regarding the theory of the firm, many argued with Alchian and Demsetz. According to Organizations and Markets.com (2009 p. 1), "The striking insight of Alchian and Dernsetz (1972) and Jensen and Meckling (1976) is in viewing the firm as a set of contracts among factors of production. In effect, the firm is viewed as a team whose members act from self-interest but realize that their destinies depend to some extent on the survival of the team in its competition with other teams." Fama criticizes Alchian and Demsetz, however, for failing to eliminate the entrepreneur from the picture; their theory still includes an employer who, like an entrepreneur, polices shirking because he collects the benefits of doing so." Alchian and Demsetz had their own unique view of the firm. It is presented in the following diagram: Figure 2: Organizational Chart Source: Emerald Insight (2009 p. 1) Their arguments have their good points and their bad points. I do believe authority plays a large role in the success of organization and that too much authority and/or too little authority can certainly bring a firm down, but I also believe that information is way more than valuable to the rise of a firm, and therefore the cost of it is duly justified. I am just not sure at this point which is more important. Perhaps they are of equal importance. One could argue that every little function within an organization could make or break that organization. These are just two points of view that we are presented with. Perhaps a broader spectrum of ideas would help to justify one side or the other of the argument. The ideas would come from multiple departments within the organization instead of a few elite professionals. The broader the spectrum is from which to choose, the better conclusion one can make. References Alchian, AA. Principles of Professional Advancement 1996. Economic Inquiry, Vol. 34. Alchian, AA, JM Buchanan; H Demsetz, A Leijonhufyud, et.al. 1996. Economic Inquiry. Vol. 34. Alchian and Demsetz: Production, Information Costs, and Economic Organization 2009. Wikisum. Available at

Internet business and e commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Internet business and e commerce - Essay Example Some sites appeared to be stark and uninviting while others were warm and welcoming. The online selling world really represents a radical departure from traditional selling methods and although a relatively new selling model for most businesses, it appears as though the online store is the way of the future (Pellet 1996). Companies wishing to harness the power of the internet must be able to target their audience effectively while presenting an attractive, accessible and simple to use online â€Å"storefront† through which products can be market, advertised and sold. Sites which used a variety of color are naturally the ones that people are most drawn to. Some sites appear uninviting and therefore unappealing and the image one presents on a homepage plays an important role in attracting customers. While determining customer preferences may be difficult to gage, some website features are sure to attract customers more so than others. Pop-ups, running advertisements and other distracting features will probably do more to dissuade as opposed to reassure a customer interested in making an online purchase. From a personal perspective, I was drawn to sites in which photos of smiling people present; this made me instantly more comfortable and ready to shop! Sites that appeared to be user friendly and easy to navigate (with readily available hyperlinks to move from one section of the site to another) rated highly on my list and sites that used proper English as well as catchy phrases to attract my attention where also positively received. Sites which I had an immediate aversion to where sites in which the photos appeared to be distorted, they were too â€Å"busy† or if pop-ups immediately distracted my vision. Pop-ups, distracting advertisements, poorly positioned and distorted photographs, as well as unenticing language rank highly as the most distracting aspects

U.S. Employment Regulations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

U.S. Employment Regulations - Essay Example The primary goal of the company is to comply with existing American laws regarding employment, as well as to deter and to respond to all kinds of harassment in the workplace. The white paper explains related U.S. employment regulations and discusses implications for the company’s global workplace. Employment Laws This section discusses all critical employment laws. Most of them are obtained from the Employment Law Guide: Laws, Regulations, and Technical Assistance Services of the DOL. Wages and Hours Worked: Minimum Wage and Overtime Pay The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) implements the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The Act provides policies for minimum wages, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor. It gives exemptions for minimum wage and overtime pay (See Appendix A). The Act obliges employers of covered employees to pay them a minimum wage of not less than $7.25 per hour (DOL, 2004). Youth employees, who are below 20 years of age, may receive a minimum wage of not lo wer than $4.25 an hour, during the first 90 successive calendar days of employment (DOL, 2004). Employers are not allowed to terminate existing employees to hire youth or people whom they can pay the youth minimum wage (DOL, 2004). Furthermore, employers can adopt a piece-rate basis in paying employees, as long as the latter get at least the required minimum hourly wage rate and overtime for hours worked that are more than 40 hours in a workweek (DOL, 2004). In addition, the Act allows the employment of particular individuals at wage rates below the statutory minimum wage, as long as they get certificates from the Department of Labor.

Strategies To Sell Seoul As A Leisure Destination Tourism Essay

Strategies To Sell Seoul As A Leisure Destination Tourism Essay This diploma paper introduces Seoul, the growing market as a leisure destination. The purpose of this paper is to find and suggest ways for Seoul to become a popular leisure destination for Europeans. The paper starts with introduction to Seoul, analysis of tourists who visit Seoul. Furthermore, this paper provides three ways for Seoul to become a popular leisure destination for Europeans by clear three steps including increasing awareness, marketing which gives Europeans motivation and information, and an improvement on Seoul as a tourist city. Chapter one is an introduction to this paper, which gives a general thought about Seoul as a leisure destination. In chapter two, there will be a closer look at Seoul. Starting from general introduction to South Korea, this chapter shows tourism industry in South Korea and a few attractions in Seoul which are divided into both traditional and modern points. Chapter three deals specifically with statistics related to visitors of South Korea, concentrating on difference between Asian and European visitors. Then, it leads to stepping stone of ways for Seoul to become popular among European leisure-oriented travelers. Chapter four shows the importance of international events in terms of national image and tourism. To build awareness and images of South Korea is linked for Europeans to be motivated to think about visiting South Korea. This chapter will explain this and gives a case. In chapter five, Hong Kong which is the one of the most popular destination in Asia is analyzed to be compared to Seoul. By understanding and learning from the metropolis, Hong Kong, the milestone of next two chapters about marketing strategies and development of Seoul will be set up. Chapter six suggests marketing strategies to sell Seoul as a leisure destination for Europeans. As marketing strategies, the roles of government and media will be shown. Chapter seven is about how to improve Seoul as a leisure destination. Through SWOT analysis, a few points will be suggested to develop Seoul to attract Europeans. In chapter eight, the last chapter, there is a conclusion based on all the chapters of why this research is important and published. Introduction This diploma paper was created to find and suggest ways for Seoul to become a popular leisure destination for Europeans. The capital city of South Korea, Seoul, has many both traditional and modern attractions and great potentials to attract Europeans as a city tourism destination. However, it is not as much well-known as the fascinating cities in Asia such as Tokyo, Hong Kong, or Shanghai. For Europeans, Asia would seem to be somewhere new and adventurous. Since they do not know and are curious about the continent, their expectations of what they want to experience are somewhat oriental. However, some major cities like Tokyo are very westernized, modern but yet have their own uniqueness based on traditions and culture. Moreover, they would like to go to those places and see the real lives of the country. This is called City Tourism, which means that the city itself has lots of tourist attractions of accommodation, transportation, amusement facilities, culture, and food to make people from outside to be motivated to visit. Those both sides of attracts encourage Europeans to see oriental, traditional Asian parts and experience the real life of metropolis in Asia. In that respect, Seoul has true colors of South Koreas culture and tradition behind and yet as a metropolis of more than 10 millions of residents, tourists would be able to see and experience how Korean live. In other words, Seoul has the real charms of pull Europeans. Then, why Seoul is not yet the popular and concerned destination for Europeans to travel? This paper demonstrates the reasons and answers for the question. First reason is that South Korea is still not well-known, especially for European tourists, which leads to the fact that it is crucial to increase Europeans awareness of national images so that they would know and be motivated to visit South Korea. Also, there is lack of marketing strategies for Europeans to be encouraged to travel Seoul. Finally, Seoul should be improved more in terms of tourism industry, including cultural tourism, various activities and events for tourists, the needs of overcome language barriers, and so on. South Korea was not the destination for leisure purposes until late of 1980s. After holding successful Olympics in Seoul, the world had started looking at the country differently, while images of South Korea would have been poor and developing country after the Korea War. Furthermore, 2002 World Cup Korea Japan has definitely helped Korea to become a tourist destination that people talk about. Importance of international events, which will be acquainted later in chapter 5, is one of the major factors for a country to be well-known and improve tourism industry. 2. Seoul as a tourist destination Introduction to South Korea Geographically South Korea is located in East Asia, between China and Japan. The Korean peninsula is roughly 1,030 km long and 175 km wide at its narrowest point. The land area is 99,200 sq km, and it has a population of 48.6 million people. From Gojoseon which was the first form of country to after Japanese occupation, Korean War and division, Korea has more than 5,000 years of history. After Korean War and division from North Korea, the Republic of Korea had developed economy remarkably from 1960 to 1980s, which is called Miracle on the Han River. South Korea is a member of the OECD, and is classified as a high-income economy by the World Bank and an advanced economy by the IMF and CIA. South Korea is now a member of G-20 and will hold the annual G-20 meeting in 2010. History of tourism industry in South Korea Along the development of economy, tourism industry also has been growing. This figure shows that the number of people visiting Korea from other countries rise remarkably from 11,109 in the year of 1961 to 6,155,047 in 2006. Especially, between 1980 and 1992, Asia-Pacific region moved from being a minor player in the international tourism scene to becoming the fastest-growing and most talked about region of the world. And one of the fastest-growing markets was South Korea according to WTO (World Tourism Organization). Figure 1. Visitor Arrivals in South Korea from 1961-2006 Introduction to Seoul Seoul is the capital city of South Korea. With a population of over 10 million, it is one of the worlds largest cities. It is also the second largest metropolitan area. Seoul is located on the Han River in the center of the Korean Peninsula. Even though it may not be the center of South Korea geographically, Seoul is definitely the center of economy, politics, culture, and transport. Also, it is known as the hub of East Asia. Not surprisingly, this figure shows that among foreign visitors to South Korea, more than 70 percent of them visit Seoul. Year 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Visitors (%) 85.0 80.9 78.1 76.8 73.4 Figure 2. Percentage of foreign visitors to Seoul taken from total population of foreign visitors to Korea Seoul is a very attractive city which has both oriental and modern characteristics. Traditional places such as palaces, temples, and traditional house villages attract people from the West as oriental attractions which are unfamiliar and interesting. Also, Seoul as a modern metropolitan city which shows how westernized Seoul is. Seoul as an oriental destination in Asia Gyeongbokgung (Gyeongbok Palace) (Seoul has been a capital city for approximately 600 years. Therefore, there are a lot of palaces, especially the ancient royal palaces of the Joseon Dynasty: Gyeongbokgung, Deoksugung, Changdeokgung, and Changgyeonggung.) Gyeongbokgung is the first palace of the Joseon Dynasty which was built in 1395 and remained the core nucleus of autocratic rule through much of Joseon period. It was the palace where the head of state conducted important matters, received foreign envoys, and assembled his court in royal rituals. Enthronements also took place here. (It is 340,000 m2 (square meter).) Remarkably, the most representative edifices of the Joseon Dynasty, Gyeonghoe-ru Pavilion and Hyangwonjeong Pond are still relatively in tact. Woldae and the sculptures of Geunjeongjeon (The Royal Audience Chamber) represent the past sculpture art which was the trend back then. The National Palace Museum of Korea is located south of Heungnyemun Gate, and the National Folk Museum is located east within Hyangwonjeong. Bongeunsa (Bongeun Temple) One of the unique facts which attract people from Western countries is Korean Buddhism. Bongeunsa is one of only a few traditional Buddhist temples found in the city. Surprisingly, it is located in the busy, fast-paced part of the World Trade Center area. It is a pleasant place not only for Korean to visit but also for travelers to get to know Korean Buddhism culture. Temple Stay is what people can experience daily lives in a temple and learn Buddhism culture and spirits. In fact, lots of visitors stay there from few hours to 2 days to get to know Korean Buddhism, exotic culture. Bukchon Hanok Village There are traditional Korean houses remained in Bukhon Hanok Village. Most of houses are residences, but there are galleries, traditional workshops which sell fine jewelries, Korean restaurants, and minbak (Korean traditional Bed Breakfast). Insa-dong (Insa District) Insa-dong, located in the middle of the city, is an important place where old but precious and traditional goods are on display. Galleries, traditional restaurants, traditional teahouses, and cafes take place the whole area. The shops in Insa-dong are very popular among all age groups, because each one is unique. For young people especially, cheap but yet traditional and fine goods are sold in carts on the street. There are about 100 galleries in the area which travelers can see every example of traditional Korean fine art from paintings to sculptures. Seoul as a modern city N Seoul Tower N Seoul Tower is the landmark of Seoul. It is located on top of Namsan Mountain and is a place where you can get fine views of Seoul. Built in 1969, it was a satellite tower but opened to the public in 1980. Besides fine views, the tower has restaurants, cafes, and shops. Lighting show which takes place every night is also attractive for visitors. Myeong-dong (Myeong District) Myeong-dong is a massive shopping district where has all kinds of brand name shops and department stores are clustered along the streets and alleyways. Myeong-dong also has family restaurants, fast food, and Korean, Western and Japanese food. Hangang (Han River) and Cheonggyecheon (Cheonggye Stream) A place of relaxation and convenient waterway transportation, the Hangang River is the center of Seouls urban renewal. Visitors come to the banks of the Hangang for leisure and recreation, an urban respite from the hectic pace of everyday life. Cheonggye Stream had been the biggest wholesale market in Seoul for more than 40 years after the Korean War. However, after renovation construction in 2003, it is now a beautiful tourist attraction and a leisure place for Koreans. Beautiful 22 bridges are decorated with 9,000 lights and 1,500,000 plants. Its length is 5.84 kilometer and 12.04 kilometer of walking paths are available. Especially, during December, the light show installed in the Cheonggye square which is the end of the stream is stunning. COEX The COEX (Convention and Exhibition) building serves as the World Trade Center Seoul that includes a convention center, exhibition hall, and mall. It is a place for international conferences and cultural and arts events. It has successfully held the 3rd ASEM, the Noble Peace Prize, OECD international workshop, and many other international conferences. It has more than 200 exhibitions and over 2,000 international conferences and events annually. The COEX mall which is an underground shopping mall is the largest shopping center in Seoul. Also, it constitutes many other leisure places such as Aquarium, Megabox Movie Theater, Kimchi field museum, event court, and food court. Especially, Aquarium has more than 40,000 fish of 600 species and dozens of large sharks. Moreover, two chain hotels are connected to the place. Hongdae area Hongdae stands for Hongik University but also around the university, the area is for nightlife, various activities, and art performance. A lot of youngsters in Seoul spend their free time clubbing, shopping and enjoying gigs in this area. Especially, the last Friday of each month in Hongdae is Club Day, a wristband-powered event which allows entry to more than a dozen major clubs for the price of one. Itaewon Itaewon district is a place where various foreign cultures gather. Located between the southern slopes of Mountain Namsan and the Han River It started in the early 20th century, when it was a residential district for Japanese colonialists. Foreign communities form in the place, therefore many restaurants serving international dishes are found in this area including cuisine from India, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, Thailand, and Mexico, foods that are not widely available in Korea. 3. Analysis of tourists visiting Seoul This chapter acquaints with analysis of tourists visiting Seoul, South Korea. Based on the International Visitor Survey 2008 which was published by KTO (Korea Tourism Organization), this chapter will determine characteristics of visitors to South Korea, reasons why Asians travel South Korea more than Europeans do, which leads to differences between Eastern and Western tourists to South Korea. Also, this chapter includes key points which lead to answer the question; how Seoul can attract Europeans. It is important to mention that most of statistics and surveys used in this chapter are based on South Korea, not Seoul. However, since more than 70 percent of visitors to South Korea travel Seoul, those figures are clearly explained to figure out about Seoul. 3.1. Statistics of visitors to South Korea First of all, the figure is provided to show you percentage of visitors to South Korea in 2008. In 2008, the total number of visitors to South Korea was 6,890,841. 72.7 percent of visitors which means that 5,018,219Â  were from Asian countries such as Japan, China, Taiwan, and Thailand. The second largest proportion of the pie was people from Americas. The number of Europeans who visited South Korea in 2008 is 592,303, which is 8.6 percent. 1.9 percent of visitors were from Oceania and 1.1 percent of visitors to South Korea were from Middle East such as Turkey. The smallest percentage, 0.4 percent of visitors was Africans in 2008. Figure 3. Percentage of visitors to South Korea The pie shows that visitors are mainly from Asia. To indicate this fact more obviously, the chart below is provided to see from which countries are the most visitors to South Korea. Clearly, the massive numbers of visitors are from near countries to South Korea such as Japan and China while only Russia is included this chart. Top 10 countries travelling South Korea (2008) Rank Country 1 Japan 2 China 3 United States 4 Taiwan 5 Philippines 6 Thailand 7 Hong Kong 8 Russia (Federation) 9 Canada 10 Australia Figure 4. Top 10 countries travelling South Korea (2008) 3.2. Reasons why Asian travel South Korea more than Europeans Since more than 70 percent of travelers to South Korea are Asians, it is critical to find ways to attract Europeans by comparing with Asians, especially Japanese and Chinese who visit South Korea the most. Therefore, this sup-chapter will demonstrate reasons why Asian travel South Korea. There are several reasons why Asians travel South Korea more than Europeans such as geographical locations, more accessibility, Asians knowing South Korea and its culture well, and the Korean Wave. 3.2.1. Geographical reasons First of all, Asian countries especially Japan and China are nearer to South Korea than other countries so that it is easier and cheaper for people from those countries to visit South Korea. It takes an hour to visit Seoul from Tokyo, Shanghai, and Beijing by airplanes. For them, it might be even nearer to travel Seoul rather than other cities in their own countries and it is still other country which motivates them to travel for leisure purpose. Because of geographical factor, there is more accessibility for Japanese and Chinese to visit Seoul. While almost people from other countries visit South Korea by airplanes, some of Japanese and Chinese travel South Korea by ships. As an example of comparison, there are approximately 30 flights in one day from Seoul to Tokyo, 26 flights from Seoul to Beijing, while only 5 flights in one day from Seoul to Paris. 3.2.2. Cultural reasons Since China, Japan, and Korea are located all in Northeast Asia, they have some common and similar cultures behind them even though they all are individually unique. Therefore, tourists from China and Japan to South Korea feel more comfortable about travelling South Korea because they know the country. Moreover, they have more knowledge and experience about South Korea from education, media, and so on. 3.2.3. The Korean wave The Korean wave refers to the significantly increased popularity of South Korean culture around the world since the 21st century. The term was coined in China in mid-1999 by Beijing journalists surprised by the fast growing popularity of South Koreans and South Korean goods in China. Globalization has had an impact on pop culture to be opened to foreign countries for last decade. Especially, Korean TV dramas are really popular among Asian countries through the whole generations. As an example, Japan is the one of the countries influenced by Korean pop culture popularities, which leads to increase of Japanese travelers to South Korea. NHK, Japans public broadcaster introduced Winter Sonata as the first South Korean TV drama shown on its satellite channel in 2003. The TV drama created many syndromes about itself and because of its explosive popularity, Winter Sonata was aired twice in the same year and NHK published novels based on the screenplay and program guidebooks, as well as to produce DVDs, CDs and videos for both entertainment and for learning Korean. Meanwhile, travel agencies offer tour packages that highlight shooting locations of Winter Sonata and rare moments to meet the stars. The economic effects of Winter Sonata in South Korea have enormously benefited not only the entertainment but tourism industries, as well. As a result from Korean Wave, Japanese visitors accounted for 41.6% of 1.99 million visitors to South Korea in 2004. 3.3. Differences between Asian and European visitors There are mainly two obvious differences between Asian and European travelers; purposes of their visits and places that they visited. This subchapter will indicate the basis to determine ways to bring more Europeans to visit Seoul. 3.3.1. Purpose of visit Generally speaking, the percentages of business-oriented visitors and leisure-oriented travelers to South Korea are similar in 2008 according to the pie given below. Those two constitute more than 80 percent. However, people who visited for business/professional activities are slightly more than people who came to South Korea for leisure/entertainment/vacation reasons. Figure 5. Purpose of visit (2008) According to the chart below which shows the nationality and purpose of visit, there is a significant difference between Asian and European travelers. Asians, especially Japan and Taiwan, tend to visit South Korea with leisure purpose, while there are more Europeans who came for business or professional activities than those who came for leisure purpose. The difference between business and leisure purposes is more than six times among Europeans. The Number of Case Business/Professional activities (%) Leisure/Entertainment/Vacation (%) Friends/Family visit (%) Total 11,978 42.0 40.4 11.5 Japan 4,318 25.6 63.2 8.9 China 2,128 39.2 37.1 13.1 United States 1,108 57.3 12.2 23.9 Taiwan 587 29.3 62.9 4.5 Russia (Fed.) 249 68.5 10.6 10.8 Canada 190 50.8 15.8 28.5 Australia 175 50.6 25.0 11.9 Germany 165 76.9 8.7 9.8 England 159 76.0 8.3 10.9 Figure 6. Comparison of purpose of visit (2008) 3.3.2. Attractions in Seoul There are two statistics about popular attractions in Seoul given. According to the first chart, the most visited place with 52.8 percent is Myeong-dong where has various shopping places and restaurants. The second and third most visited attractions are both market but yet have different characteristics. Dongdaemun market is also famous place for shopping different items, mostly clothing. Travelers who visit Namdaemun market discover this place very interesting. Because everything from cheap electronic products to vegetables, live fishes supposed to be cut and sold right away shows the real looks of Koreans. Also, they could find some traditional goods in cheap prices. 43.7 percent of answers to the survey dedicates to ancient palaces. Other places from Insa-dong where keeps traditional looks on the whole district to N Seoul Tower, the landmark of Seoul and Lotte World, the largest amusement park are visited by international visitors. Figure 7. Places Visited in Seoul However, a clear difference of the most visited place between Asians and Europeans is determined. For Asians, the most visited places are Myeong-dong and Dongdaemun market, which shows that they liked to go shopping in Seoul. Meanwhile, ancient palaces attract Europeans including English, Germen, French, and Russians according to the survey. Country Japan China Taiwan England Germany France Russia The most visited place Myeong-dong Dongdaemun market Dongdaemun market Ancient palaces Ancient palaces Ancient palaces Ancient palaces Percent 74.9 % 63.9 % 82.5 % 49.2 % 56.8 % 63.6 % 52.9 % Figure 8. The most visited place 3.4. Conclusion Based on figures analyzed in this chapter, three main conclusions are determined in order to sell Seoul as a famous and popular destination for Europeans. First of all, Europeans awareness of Korea should be increased so that they are motivated to travel. Secondly, not only to increase Europeans awareness but also to promote tourism industry, the government should do more marketing and advertising through various and effective ways. At last but not least, Seoul itself should become a more attractive and comfortable tourist destination. And that needs several factors like preserving traditional attractions, solving language barriers. From next chapter, this paper will fully concentrate on those three points. 4. International events for national image and tourism This chapter focuses on national images and their impacts on tourism as the first step to bring more Europeans into visiting Seoul. The reason why this chapter is the first means is that raising their awareness is created by raising well-known, attractive and positive national images. At first, definition and importance of national images will be introduced, and then this chapter will deal with international events, which help effectively a venue to be known. To hold international events such as Olympic Games, Football World Cup, and exhibitions are crucial for a city or country to raise its images, which eventually make tourists motivated and attracted to visit before, during, and after the event. At the end of this chapter, there will be a case study about 2002 World Cup Korea Japan to demonstrate it. 4.1. National images Since the advance of globalisation, national image and reputation have become more critical assets in the modern world. In order to build national images, governments try to develop those under the name of national branding as a marketing technique. The reputations of countries are similar to the brand images of companies and products. The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers. The brand resides within the hearts and minds of customers, clients, and prospects. It is the sum total of their experiences and perceptions, some of which you can influence, and some that you cannot. To succeed in branding you must understand the needs and wants of your customers and prospects. Likewise, a country needs to build its own images in order to understand and attract target audiences including foreign tourists. Every country has its own characteristics, also referred as brand images. As mentioned above, some national images built in target audiences cannot be influenced by the governments efforts. Because those images are formed by personal experience, the media, and so on. However, the government could improve and create positive and attractive national images to make potential tourists consider visiting the city or country by national branding. Images about tourism tend to last until the reality. Charming images promote collecting information and activity to try to visit the destination. Formed images become expectations about the destination. Expectations have impacts on evaluations. Influence on images depends on the degree of knowledge and experience of the destination. Figure 9. Seoho Uhm 1998, The study about measuring destination images The study of tourism The figure above was published by a Korean expert from the institute of tourism in University of Kyonggi. It shows that images of destination are built not only by actual attributes of the destination but by potential tourists and their desires of travel activities. 4.2. Impact of international events on tourism

An Evolutionary Ethical Theory of Social Risks and Opportunities Essay

An Evolutionary Ethical Theory of Social Risks and Opportunities ABSTRACT: Social standards guide us in what to do and what to refrain from doing. But can social — moral or legal — standards be trusted? This paper presents an evolutionary ethical theory that generates trustworthy ethical norms. Each norm is assigned a demonstrable risk, called an ethical risk, that depends on both human behavior and danger to the survival of society. The assigned risk is minimal if and only if everybody obeys the norm. The higher the risk assigned to a norm, the higher the norm’s rank (an empirical quantity depending on the evolutionary status of society). An ordered finite set of ethical risks and ethical norms allows the settlement of ethical problems arising in society. Subsets of existing moral and legal standards all over the world are compatible with norms being elements of these ordered finite sets of ethical norms. Like all standards, ethical norms are often violated. A single violated norm suffices to activate correlations between ris ks, resulting in an ethical conflict. The more often a high-ranking norm is violated, the poorer the society in question. Ethical conflicts can be resolved by responsible persons or groups advancing higher-ranking norms involved in optimization at the expense of lower-ranking norms. Examples are given to support the theory. "Moral predigen ist leicht, Moral begrà ¼nden schwer" (Arthur Schopenhauer) I. The Primacy of an Empirical Ethic of Risks In the West, ever fewer people respect moral standards because the influence of religion is decreasing rapidly. In addition philosophical ethics, "inventing right and wrong" [Mackie], is unable to contribute essentially to the trustability of moral norms,... ...men, Saetze; Stuttgart 1980 Patzig, G.: Ethik ohne Metaphysik; Goettingen 1983 Platon: Saemtliche Werke, Band I; Heidelberg 1982 Popper, K.: Die offene Gesellschaft und ihre Feinde; Tuebingen 1992 Rawls, J.: Eine Theorie der Gerechtigkeit; Frankfurt 1979 Rawls, J.: Die Idee des politischen Liberalismus, Frankfurt 1992 Schmidt, H.: Zeit von den Pflichten zu sprechen, S. 17, Die Zeit Nr. 41, 1997 Schrader, W.H.: Norm II, Ethik; J. Ritter, K. Gruender (Hg.): Historisches Woerterbuch der Philosophie, Band 6, S. 910; Basel 1984 Sueddeutsche Zeitung Nr. 43 vom 22. Februar 1994 Vorlaender, K.: Immanuel Kant—Der Mann und das Werk; S. 170; Hamburg 1992 Weber, M.: Politik als Beruf; M. Weber, Gesammelte Politische Schriften, J. Winkelmann (Hg.); Tuebingen 1971 Wickert, U.: Der Ehrliche ist der Dumme—ÃÅ"ber den Verlust der Werte; Muenchen 1996

Loneliness: An Interpretation

The poem, â€Å"Loneliness† by Laura Cortes talks about the universal experience of loneliness. The poem narrates the experience of a man who lives in the highlands and whose business is growing apples. The first stanza provides the background of the man and the setting. In the poem, the man lives in a stone house in the mountains. Literally, this means that the man has built his house in the highlands or in a farm where he grows apples. The house is said to be surrounded by memories and ghosts, making it an old house.This denotes that some people used to live in the house, and once shared memories but now they have either left (serve as â€Å"memories†) or passed away (â€Å"ghosts†). The second stanza expresses the man’s situation. He is alone and has no one to talk to. In his lonely times he talks to the trees. The line, â€Å"but he would never leave them alone† (8) means that although the apples cannot reply, the man never leaves them and keeps on speaking to them. It also states how long the apples have lived. Since the apples have been around for forty years, the man is probably in his 60s or 70s.The third stanza depicts the life of the man. During his youth he had forty hands or twenty men helping him. During that time he had wonderful harvests that made him wealthy. This could likewise be the peak of his career as a businessman, and the happiest time of his family life. The last line that says, â€Å"with the young and united family smiling† denotes the time when his children were young and the family was complete. The last stanza talks about what happens to the man after forty years. This time, both he and the apple trees are tired and old. The man is tired from life while the trees are tired from bearing fruits.Both of them are thus tired from the harvests they made but they still look forward to another harvest, another season that will soon come. Figuratively, the central idea of the poem is expressed throu gh a metaphor. The man in the poem is indirectly compared to his apple trees. Symbolically, the apples, with their fresh scent, represent the man’s youth and life. Like the apple trees that have their peak harvest, the man also experiences the peak of his life, but just like the apples that grow old and wither with time, the man reaches old age and becomes solitary.As stated in the first stanza, he lives in a house of stone amid the mountains. The stone house reflects his wealth and stature, while the mountains could represent the solitude and loneliness he suffers from. There is semblance between him and the apple trees. Like the apple trees which are once bountiful in harvest, the man in his youth used to have everything, a nice house, a happy and united family, a stable business as represented by the forty hands that help him. However, as expressed in the second stanza, he is alone now, and has no one to talk to but his trees.In the third stanza, the man’s family is described as a â€Å"united family† during his youth, which suggests that now his loved ones are gone, they have either left him and moved to another place, or have passed away. This mainly causes the man to feel lonely. The last stanza expresses the tiredness and oldness of both the man and the apples. Again, the comparison is expressed between their present condition and their waiting for the next harvest. The â€Å"harvest† in the last line could mean not only the harvesting of apples but the coming of a new season, a new life which is beyond the life he has lived on earth.

Rice Production Essays

Rice Production Essays Rice Production Essay Rice Production Essay I. Introduction The most important food crop in the Philippines is rice, a staple food in most of the country. It is produced all throughout Luzon, the Western Visayas, Southern Mindanao, and Central Mindanao. 9. 5 billion tons of palay were produced in 1989 almost. In 1990 palay, which caused a 27 percent value added in agriculture and 3. 5 percent of GNP. Per hectare yields have generally been low in comparison with other Asian countries. Since the mid-1960s, however, yields have increased substantially as a result of the cultivation of high-yielding varieties developed in the mid-1960s at the International Rice Research Institute located in the Philippines. The proportion of miracle rice in total output rose from zero in 1965-66 to 81 percent in 1981-82. Average productivity increased to 2. 3 tons per hectare (2. 8 tons on irrigated farms) by 1983. By the late 1970s, the country had changed from a net importer to a net exporter of rice, albeit on a small scale. In the 1980s, however, rice production encountered problems. Average annual growth for 1980-85 declined to a mere 0. 9 percent, as contrasted with 4. 6 percent for the preceding fifteen years. Growth of value added in the rice industry also fell in the 1980s. Tropical storms and droughts, the general economic downturn of the 1980s, and the 1983-85 economic crisis all contributed to this decline. Crop loans dried up, prices of agricultural inputs increased, and palay prices declined. Fertilizer and plant nutrient consumption dropped 15 percent. Farmers were squeezed by rising debts and declining income. Hectarage devoted to rice production, level during the latter half of the 1970s, fell an average of 2. 4 percent per annum during the first half of the 1980s, with the decline primarily in marginal, nonirrigated farms. As a result, in 1985, the last full year of the Marcos regime, the country imported 538,000 tons of rice. The situation improved somewhat in the late 1980s, and smaller amounts of rice were imported. However, in 1990 the country experienced a severe drought. Output fell by 1. 5 percent, forcing the importation of an estimated 400,000 tons of rice. In few years, we may have to squeeze out whatever is left of the country’s rice stock. This paper aims to find out what factors affect the production of rice in the Philippines to be able to formulate policies which may give the Filipinos more than enough hope and promise to help Filipinos on the way not only to rice sustainability, but also to national food security. II. Statement of the problem and object of the analysis General: This paper attempts to analyze Palay Production in the Philippines from the first semester of 1991 to the second semester of 2002 as affected by the size of land used for planting palay, amount of rain, and advancement of technology. Specific: More specification, this paper answers the following questions: 1. Does each of the following variables has significant effect on Palay Production. a. Area of land allotted for planting palay. b. Amount of rainfall. c. Advancement of technology. 2. Is there a significant effect on rice production given that the area of land allotted for planting palay, amount of rainfall, and advancement of technology are combined. III. Specification of the model This paper utilized a multiple linear regression model which can be described as follows: PROD = b0 + b1AREA + b2RAIN + b3TECH Where: b = parameters estimates PROD = volume of rice produced AREA = area of land allotted for planting palay RAIN = amount of rainfall in the areas TECH = advancement of technology in the agricultural sector Furthermore, to determine the individual level of significance of every ndependent variable, the t-statistic will be used. In order to estimate the values of coefficient, the Least Square Method was used, with a confidence level of 95 percent, while to probe into to over-all significance to these variables to the dependent one, the f-statistic was used. Finally, the results are to be validated through the usage of R2 which determines the degree of influen ce of all variables to the dependent component. The level of significance used in this study is 5 percent, while the degrees of freedom is 21, derived by deducting the number of observations (24) by the number of independent variables in consideration (3). IV. Hypothesis To Be Tested That the variables such as area allotted for planting palay, amount of rainfall, advancement of technology in the agricultural sector have no significant effect on rice production in the Philippines. V. Presentation of Data The Table below shows the data from the first semester of 1991 to the second semester of 2002, showing figures about palay production, area harvested, amount of rainfall and the advancement of technology. Palay ProductionArea HarvestedRainfallTechnology (All Ecosystem, In Metric Tons)(All Ecosystem, In Hectares)(in millimeters)Trend variable PRODAREARAINTECH 1991. 1 4,047,513 1,418,640 6,674. 0 1 1991. 2 5,625,749 2,006,320 13,124. 0 2 1992. 1 3,505,984 1,282,330 6,623. 7 3 1992. 2 5,622,956 1,915,740 16,278. 0 4 1993. 1 3,890,149 1,320,700 6,319. 8 5 1993. 2 5,544,059 1,961,650 18,756. 5 6 1994. 1 4,378,533 1,483,330 10,362. 5 7 1994. 2 6,159,521 2,168,200 13,995. 8 1995. 1 4,317,331 1,501,408 7,510. 3 9 1995. 2 6,223,318 2,257,283 21,217. 0 10 1996. 1 4,950,910 1,666,483 10,704. 3 11 1996. 2 6,332,658 2,284,653 16,258. 0 12 1997. 1 4,846,461 1,624,241 7,303. 0 13 1997. 2 6,422,502 2,218,029 11,052. 9 14 1998. 1 3,558,976 1,283,197 4,974. 4 15 1998. 2 4,995,848 1,886,845 24,330. 5 16 1999. 5,272,053 1,743,026 19,011. 6 17 1999. 2 6,514,572 2,256,813 26,291. 3 18 2000. 1 5,442,496 1,737,623 17,458. 1 19 2000. 2 6,946,916 2,300,462 27,202. 0 20 2001. 1 5,567,831 1,729,096 13,767. 5 21 2001. 2 7,387,039 2,336,345 23,721. 0 22 2002. 1 5,672,369 1,753,200 10,637. 3 23 2002. 2 7,598,284 2,293,118 20,401. 0 24 Prod = f(area, r ain, tech) VI. Summary of Findings After processing the gathered data into information, through the regression analysis, AREA, RAIN, TECH, and PROD, gave off the following estimated regression equation and other regression results: PROD = -282911 + 2. 959577AREA – 14. 77746RAIN + 37848. 18TECH The equation states that at every 1hectar increase in Area, there would be a 2. 959577 metric ton increase in rice production. Ceteris paribus. It also shows a negative relation between rainfall and rice production, were an increase of 1mm. Of rain fall would cause a decrease of 14. 7746hectars of rice, ceteris paribus. Finally, the equation also indicates a positive relation between technological advancements to rice production. As technology has a 1 unit increase, rice production would increase by 37848. 18. Dependent Variable: PROD Method: Least Squares Date: 07/12/04 Time: 23:04 Sample: 1991:1 2002:2 Included observations: 24 VariableCoefficientStd. Errort-StatisticProb. C-282911. 0334520. 1-0. 845 7220. 4077 AREA2. 9595770. 24752211. 956820. 0000 RAIN-14. 7774613. 73005-1. 0762860. 2946 TECH37848. 188842. 3054. 2803520. 0004 R-squared0. 954369 Mean dependent var5451001. Adjusted R-squared0. 947524 S. D. dependent var1137085. S. E. of regression260478. 8 Akaike info criterion27. 92944 Sum squared resid1. 36E+12 Schwarz criterion28. 12578 Log likelihood-331. 1533 F-statistic139. 4325 Durbin-Watson stat1. 048045 Prob(F-statistic)0. 000000 The regressed data show that only the amount of rainfall has no significant effect on the dependent variable, as shown by the variables’ t-statistic. It did not meet the critical value of 2. 080 with a t-statistic of 1. 76286. All in all, the whole estimated equation is highly significant as shown by the f-statistic of 0. 0000. There is a 0. 954369 R-squared data, which shows that there is a 95. 44% influence of independent variables to the dependent variable. This graph shows the trend of Rice Production in the Philippines and amount of Rainfall during 1991 to 2002. As one can observe, rice production and rainfall are almost going at the same trend, but when there was a massive amount of rainfall during 1998, rice production slowed it’s ascend to it’s peak. This graph shows the trend of rice production and area for planting palay from the first semester of 1991 to the second semester of 2002. as we can observe, the graphs are almost overlapping each other, except during 1998, where rice production slowed during the beginning of the second semester. VII. Conclusion With the country’s fast increase in population and the slow pace of our technology and limited land area, the rice our farmers are producing are not sufficient to feed all of our â€Å"kababayans† and have more to sell throughout the world. Policy makers should try to formulate policies that would help increase rice production. The input requirements of the new technologies were skewed, in the direction of capital inputs, mainly irrigated land, fertilizers and other forms of capital. By definition, capital is scarce, and therefore the implementation of the new technologies stretched over a long period of time. This is on the supply side, whereas on the demand side, the countries have to expand their export in order to supplement the growing domestic demand in absorbing the growing supply. The message for the future is clear, for the growth to continue, the available technologies must continue to grow. Without such growth, the impact of input growth will eventually decline; we see some evidence to this effect already in the estimated regression equation. But this is not the only determinant of future growth. In order to take a full advantage of new techniques, there must be a smooth flow of the required resources into agriculture. VIII. Bibliography Economic Development 8th edition, by Michael s. Todaro and Stephen C. Smith, page 418-454 Agricultural Statistics c/o San Beda College Prof. Harold Glenn Valera

Religion in Clays Quilt essays

Religion in Clays Quilt essays Clay Sizemore is an endearing character whose life shows how important the Pentecostal religion is to so many people of the Appalachians. Early in the book, the author calls those who don't attend church on Saturday night "sinners" (House 17), and this lays the groundwork for the rest of the book. It shows how important religion is to the people, and how they use religion as a basis for everything they do in their lives. While the Church plays an important part in everyone's life, it does not dominate their lives. They gamble, smoke, drink, and even carouse a bit, because they know they will be forgiven. House writes, "Gabe loved to drink, and he loved to have a big crowd around all the time" (House 25). The Church is a sanctuary for the people of Fire Creek, and it plays an important part in their lives - but it does not dominate everything they do. Unfortunately, it also makes them entirely too wary of strangers who do not believe what they believe, as Easter's reaction to newcomer Marguerite shows "She vowed never to talk to Marguerite again" (House 69). Marguerite is a Catholic who does not go to church, so she does not fit in the community, and the women will not accept her. This shows how narrow-minded they are, and how their religion sometimes gets in the way of their The Pentecostal religion began in Appalachia, and it is a stern and serious religion that people hold on to because it makes them feel better about themselves and the "sins" they may have. Many of the most severe Pentecostals will not drink, smoke, or listen to music other than church music, but the religion has relaxed a little all the time. However, Clay knows he cannot have it both ways, and he cannot continue to go to church when the ways of the church are so strict. He tells Easter "'I can't make myself believe the way you do. And I won't be no hypocrite'" (House 116). ...

Heroines and Heroes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Heroines and Heroes - Essay Example In addition, they are also perceived as exotic, erotic and dangerous to males. It raised problems within the issues of globalization because it creates a bias against certain women and thus denies them the chance to be on an equal footing (Jiwani 186). The full text offers little indication that a hero can be globalized. Due to the stereotypes against minorities, there is always going to be a gap. This underrepresentation is mainly created by the media and its portrayal of the minorities. It is impossible for the hero to be disconnected from a particular culture. For example, in the example of the role of Tia Carrere, there is the discontinuity between her Asian roots and her western roots. Her education, connection to her farther and line of work endear her to the western culture and thus create a bias (Jiwani 187). There is a general portrayal of Asians, whether female or male, as scheming and untrustworthy or victims, but never neutral (Jiwani 188). The success of Eurasian heroes is problematic, because of their genealogy. They are descended from Caucasian males who have conquered the exotic Asian woman (Jiwani 187). In addition, the comparisons to the other members fuel the stereotypes against the Eurasian women. This is a problem because instead of illuminating the Eurasian woman in a positive light, the success creates more visibility for the stereotypes (Jiwani

Amsterdam tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Amsterdam tourism - Essay Example tions, tourists are people that travel to and stay in different places that are not their usual environment for a period that exceeds one year for reasons of business, leisure and other reasons altogether (Sharpley 2006, 16). Currently, tourism has become an important and famous global activity undertaken by people during their leisure. In fact, tourism has become one of the leading sources of income in many countries that have created sustainable systems and structures to attract people to view and experience the tourism potential of their countries. During the economic recession in the late 2000s, tourism is one of those industries that were adversely affected, this was during the better part of 2008 until the better part of 2009. Additionally, the outbreak of some of the deadliest diseases affects the tourism industry as people reduce their travelling for leisure or business purposes. Other activities like terrorism also play an important part in influencing people’s travel patterns and behavior across the world (Thompson & Travlou 2007, 48). countries that have enough and varied sceneries stand a better chance to attract people from different parts of the world. This paper examines the tourism potential of Amsterdam City in the Netherlands. It focuses on the internal and external factors influencing the city’s tourism potential. Amsterdam is one of the most populous, as well as the capital of Netherlands. The status of Amsterdam as the capital of Dutch has been provided for in the Netherland’s constitution (Catling 2006, 18). Amsterdam, as the capital of Dutch has a population of approximately 813,562 people in the city-proper. The city’s urban region has about 1, 112, 165 people, while the larger metropolitan area comprises of 1, 575, 263. Amsterdam city is strategically located in the heart of Europe, making it one of the most important tourism in Europe. In fact, the city has often been described as alpha city of the world according to the