Do we have a fair taxation system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Do we have a fair taxation system - Essay Example Nevertheless, the main system used in most nations is the progressive tax which emphasizes on paying as one earns (Christia, 2006). Each system of taxation is fair and unfair in its own way. Progressive, regressive, and lump-sum taxation systems are unfair while proportional taxation system is very fair when applied in obtaining revenue. Progressive tax system is where the effective tax rate increases as the amount affected by the rate increases. In most cases progressive tax system is known as the PAYE (Pay as you earn). This means that the more a person earns the more tax he or she pays (Hatzipanayotou, 2004). With progressive tax system those who work hard to earn more are likely to be charged more in terms of tax and this is unfair. Progressive tax rate encourages laziness and discourages hard work. On a different perspective regressive tax system is the opposite of progressive. In this regards with decreases effective rate the amount affected increases on the other hand (Christia, 2006). This is also an unfair system of taxation as those who have will pay less as compared to the poor. In addition, this means that the more a person earns the less he or she pays in form of tax and the less a person earns the more he or she pays in form of tax (Freedman & Chamberlain, 2007). Lump-sum tax system on the other hand d oes not give priority on the efforts placed by individuals in developing their nations. Therefore, these three systems of taxation are unfair. Proportional taxation system emphasizes on the effort placed by individual citizens in trying to build their countries. In this taxation system, the effective tax rate is fixed irrespective of the amount being taxed (Slemrod, 2000). Therefore, the more a person earns the more he or she takes home with the tax rate being the same. Schmidt (2000) points out that when one is lazy hence

MBTI personal reflection paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MBTI personal reflection paper - Assignment Example It enables an individual evaluate the effects of personality on leadership styles within the organization. From the results obtained from the MBTI, I learned that self- assessment can foster a person to identify his leadership behavior. The ESTJs has strengths and weaknesses, which are commonly important to concentrate on before taking any position. From the assignment results, ESTJs have strengths that include honest, loyal, friendly, and direct. Individuals with ESTJ personality traits are conservatively based on their perceptions, and they are contented with expressing their views. Besides, individuals with such traits are also direct in the fact that they like concentrating on real things and providing immediate solutions to the problems. They are commonly dedicated to their work, and they ensure that any tasks are not abandoned and are completed as they remain the right thing to perform. They are strong-willed in the fact that they stick to their own beliefs and defend their ideas relentlessly, and their principles are proven clearly. To justify the strengths of ESTJs, I can use my personal experience. I realized that I am hard working, direct and honest, a project organizer, make tough decisions and presentin g constructive criticism, and meet deadlines and goals. In relation to my hard working personality trait, I ensure that I bring all people together in the community especially during the celebration of cherished local events and in defense of traditional values that can hold families and communities together. During my high school education, I also liked being direct and honest while talking with friends and other people. Even though people with ESTJ personality type are comfortable with the organization structure, they also try to inflict changes that might affect the firm. They also impose tough opinions and ideas to other people working within the

Pay for Performance Best Practices Essay Example for Free

Pay for Performance Best Practices Essay Best practice can be defined as an idea that suggests that there is some sort of technique, method, process, incentive or reward which is considered to be more useful at producing the desired outcome or result for the company than any other technique, method or a reward etc. The performance best practice is mostly done through checklists or rating scales etc. so that the desired outcome can be achieved with fewer problems and complications. (Tech Target, 2008) Compensation When talking about compensation best practice what comes to mind is incentives and gain sharing of the employees. Compensation can be defined as what the employees of the company receive in exchange for their contribution to the company. When they are managed correctly, it helps the company to achieve its targeted goals and objectives and the company is able to obtain, maintain and retain a productive workforce. Without the right kind of compensation, the current employees of the company are very likely to leave and the company will have a difficult time in replacing and the training the employees for that job. The outcomes due to pay dissatisfaction can be very harmful to productivity and can disrupt the quality of work life. If worse comes to worst, pay dissatisfaction can reduce the performance of the employees, which in return may lead to strikes which will cause grievances and that will lead to physical or psychological withdrawal ranging from absenteeism and turnover and it would also increase poor mental health of the employees. (DRMR, n. d) But it must be remembered that overpayment can also cause harm to a company and its employees. The affects of overpayment will decrease the company’s competitiveness and it will lead to anxiety, guilt and discomfort among many employees. The human resource department can contribute to the organization’s strategic objectives through the company’s compensation program. When it us seen that wages and salaries are linked with ‘pay for knowledge’ and ‘pay for skill’ the employees will have an incentive to pursue vocational training. Vocational training can be defined as training for a specific part of a work activity. For example, Dunkin’ Donuts mostly benefits from having better trained workers, who are more productive. The result of linking compensation to continuous learning is a perpetual learning machine that furthers an organization’s strategy. Compensation is not only a way to align performance with strategy. Human resource planning, recruiting, selecting, placement, development, performance appraisals and career planning are also considered in individual efforts and company strategy. But unlike the recruiting and developing activities, compensation programs can be quickly modified and linked with new strategies of the company. (Werther Davis, 1996) Strategic Objectives Strategy can be defined as a set of decisions and actions that are used to formulate and implement strategies that will provide a competitively superior fit between the organization and its environment so as to achieve the stated goals and objectives of the company. Strategy basically shows that where is the organization standing in the market? Or where does the organization wants to be in the next 5 years? It is with the help of strategy that the executives of the company define an overall direction for the company. The strategy if the company is based on growth, entrenchment and stability. The strategic analysis begins when the executives of the company evaluate the current position of the company with respect to the mission, goals and strategies. The executives scan the company’s internal and external environment and identify the strategic factors that require change. The internal and the external environment may show a need to redefine the mission or goals or to formulate a new strategy for the company at either corporate, business or functional level of the organization. (Fullmer, 1983) Dunkin’ Donuts specializes in the provision of doughnuts and beverages. Dunkin’ Donuts client and customers are mostly based of average income households. The company has established itself as one of the most formidable forces in the restaurant business. However, this does not undermine the fact that the company still has a lot to learn from other competitors in the industry. Job Analysis and Evaluation It is a known fact that job analysis collects information about jobs through surveys, observations and discussions among the workers and supervisors, to produce job and positions descriptions. With job analysis information as a part of the department’s HR information system, compensation analysts have the minimum information needed to evaluate the work activities of their employees. Job evaluations are steps and procedures that help to identify the relative worth of jobs or work activities. There are different kinds of approaches to the evaluation of a job; these approaches consider the responsibility of the employee, skills that are needed for the job, efforts done by the employee and the working conditions related to the job. Without job evaluation the HR department would not be able to create a rational approach to pay. The most common methods for job evaluation that helps with a compensation plan are job ranking, job grading system, factor compensation and the point system. The Point System The methods that I would be suggesting for Dunkin’ Donuts would be the point system. Why? Because this system evaluates the compensation factors for each job instead of using wages as the factor comparison does, this method uses points and it is more easy to use and it’s not filled with complication plus this method is most commonly used by most companies when they are evaluating their employees. This method is slightly hard to create in the initial stage, but it is more precise than any other method because it is able to handle critical, compensable factors in more detail. This system is based on six steps and theses steps are usually implemented by a job evaluation committee or by an individual HR analyst. The steps are as follows:- Step 1 is the, determine critical factor stage. The point system uses the factors which are mostly used in the factor comparison method but it mostly adds more detail by breaking down the factors into sub factors for example, responsibility can be broken down into safety for others, equipment and materials, assisting trainees and product or service quality. Step 2 is the, determine the levels of factors stage. In this stage the amount of responsibility or any other factor like skill may vary from job to job. The point system actually creates different kinds of levels which are associated with each other. This level actually helps the HR analyst to reward different degrees of responsibility, skills and other critical factors. Step 3 is the, allocate points to the sub factor stage where the factors list down to one side. And the levels are placed across the top of the evaluation sheet; the result is a point system matrix. Starting with a level IV, the job evaluation committee subjectively assigns the maximum possible points to each sub factor. For example, if safety (75) is twice as important as assisting trainees (37), it gets twice as many points.

Introduction And History Of Virgin Holidays Tourism Essay

Introduction And History Of Virgin Holidays Tourism Essay Virgin holidays began its operations in the year 1970 not offering holiday packages but instead it used to offer order records services and was also a school magazine for students (Kegan 2010, par 3). Since the year 1970 virgin has grown rapidly due to its new and viable business ideas that have seen it sore into great heights, the great performance of virgin can be attributed to good management decisions made by the persons responsible for making such decisions (Kegan 2010, par 3). Through all this time, the holiday company has been discovering and exploiting new market opportunities, they have always brought up new and fresh ideas that are new in the face of holiday touring. The company ensures its success by offering high quality products and services and also establishes a market which the consumer utility has not been maximized and goes in to fill the gap (Kegan 2010, par 3). Virgin currently deals with transport matters with regard to planes, cars and trains; the brand also off ers services with regard to holidays, wines and mobile phones. The greatest development of the virgin group is the virgin tour this comprises of the travelling sector and accommodation (Kegan 2010, par 3). With the development of technology and information, virgin is now offering services through the new technology, old products and services have been modified also to fit the current state of the art technology (Kegan 2010, par 4). Virgin brands have always kept the big market players at their toes. Virgin is known to be the third most known brand in the British world. However, virgin has recently increased its operations to the global level hence serving a bigger market. At this moment virgin has more than 300 companies worldwide and more than 20000 employees enjoying worldwide annual revenue of more than five billion United States dollars (Centre of Asia Pacific Aviation 2010, pp 2). The companies build up by virgin are autonomous. This means that the virgin holiday sector is independent from the virgin drinks sector (Centre of Asia Pacific Aviation 2010). With regard to holiday and transport, Virgin group has the airline Virgin Atlantic which was founded in the year 1984, the airlin e offers flights to over thirty worldwide destinations and has over 9000 employees, the airline can also be compared to the standards of the whole group since it is a major market player which has also invented and brought new products in the market. The airline has also been given credits for its exemplary services to consumers by winning top awards in the field of commerce. The travel industry The industry in which the virgin holiday is operating on can be split into two; the industry is affected in two way traffic (Kegan 2010, par 4). The company offers travelling services and also accommodation services, therefore the forces of demand and supply which prevail in the two sectors at a given moment can be said to be different. However, the difference is small and is brought about by those people who normally fly for commercial purpose and those people who prefer other brands compare to virgin holidays with regard to transport or accommodation (Kegan 2010, par 4). The travel industry can be splinted into three i.e. the planes sector, motor vehicles (taxi cabs) and train. The above three are affected by changes in the business environment that surround them, such environment is comprised of competitors, changes in economic trends, and changes in the market with regard to demand and supply. In Britain Virgin Atlantic airline is rated as the third best brand, though it has rece ntly globalised its services and offers transport services to over thirty destinations worldwide (Kegan 2010, par 4). Airline sector With regard to the airline sector virgin Atlantic is faced with the very challenges which are being encountered in the airline industry (Centre of Asia Pacific Aviation 2010). This mainly includes competition from other market players, the economic recession and inflation (Centre of Asia Pacific Aviation 2010). Competition has not been easy with regard to the airline industry, the emergence of new airlines that offer high quality services and have great marketing strategies tend to outdo the current market players,. Competition in the airline industry also comes from already established airlines which control a huge market share which makes it hard to penetrate such markets. The completion is also witnessed with regard to the quality of the services offered by the airline (Centre of Asia Pacific Aviation 2010). The airline industry has been faced with economic challenges which have greatly reduced the number of its operations hence impacting on its revenue (Kegan 2010, par 5). The most traumatic event that struck the airline industry is the recent global economic recession which reduced the number of persons travelling by air, the economic recession did not only reduce the number of passengers travelling by air but also saw to it that airlines scale down their operations hence reducing the number of flights taking place globally (Centre of Asia Pacific Aviation 2010). The move to reduce the number flights and other operations was a very economic viable option since the cost of conducting such operations was outweighing the benefits considering the demand level in the market (Centre of Asia Pacific Aviation 2010, pp 31). This means that the demand was too low hence impacting on the level of supplies i.e. the supply was too high compared to the demand, therefore in order to maintain the equilibrium level of the demand and supply chain the airlines had to cut down their operations level. The economic recession also made fuel prices to rise hence increasing the amount of funds used in operations (Stevenson 2010, pp 4). The airline industry also faced another main setback; the events of September 1999 really affected the income received from the airline industry (Stevenson 2010, pp 4, pp 4). The terrorist attack on the passenger plane made individuals worry about their safety while using the air as a means of transport (Stevenson 2010, pp, 4). Before this event the government intervention in the airline industry was very minimal but after this event, the governments started setting policies to regulate operations in the airline industry e.g. a third party insurance cover that will see to it that those affected n terrorist attacks and other accidents involving passenger planes are compensated accordingly (Stevenson 2010, pp. 5). The recently ended global economic recession saw to it that the price of crude oil increase hence forcing the airlines to increase the travel fare in order to cover for the huge costs incurred in operations costs such s the fuel costs. This also reduced the number of passenge rs travelling by air. This greatly impacted on the demand of services from the airline industry. The demand went down since the price increase in travel prices made customers to shy off and use alternative means of travel such as rail. This greatly reduced the revenue received by the airline industry (Stevenson 2010, pp 10). The changes in the economic status of persons around the globe resulted to a cost push inflation which saw operation costs in the airline industry go up due to increase in fuel prices and other thins such as plane maintenance and salaries to employees. Land transport services Apart from offering travel service by air means, virgin holiday offers inland travelling services by the use of trains and taxi cabs. However, the use of trains is not fully established in all the destinations that virgin holidays operate (Kegan 2010, par 5). The competition in this sector is very stiff, this is mainly because of the number of tour companies that offer services locally at a low price, and this greatly reduces the number of passengers who choose to travel by the use of virgin cabs and trains (Kegan 2010, par 5). This sector was also greatly challenged by the global economic recession; this is because of the high operation costs and low revenue generated. The increase in costs is mainly attributed to the rise in the fuel prices and energy prices and since these forms of transport depend on fuel and electricity it was hard to operate without the two (Kegan 2010, par 6). The main purpose for this part is to transport people from airports to accommodation facilities. Howe ver, in some countries it is used as a normal form of cab transport (Kegan 2010, par 6). Accommodation It is important to ensure that we analyze the accommodation part of the virgin holiday package. However, the two complement each other this is because the number of people accessing the accommodation services is directly proportional to the number of people using the transport services. The difference between the two is that they are affected by different business environments with regard to competition and the forces of demand and supply prevailing in the market (Kegan 2010, par 6). The accommodation sector of virgin holiday faces competition from well established hotels especially five star hotels and hotels offering conference services (Kegan 2010, par 6). The accommodation offered by virgin tour is limited to given extent, i.e. the accommodation offered is only to the extent of a place to stay and meals whereas there are other facilities offering additional services such as conference services. Even though the accommodation sector is autonomous from the travel sector, it greatly depends on the travel sector with regard to the number of passenger turnout and the class of passengers received by the airline (Kegan 2010, par 7). The global economic recession greatly affected the accommodation industry in an indirect manner and directly as well, this is mainly because the recession led to the decrease of the number of people travelling for holiday purposes but to a certain extent the number of people who are travelling for the sake of doing business (Kegan 2010, par 7). Since the two sectors are complementary, the decrease in the number of persons using the air as a means of transport greatly reduced the number of people who are accessing the accommodation services offered by the airline, this is majorly because the people who use the accommodation facilities offered by the airline are the passengers (Kegan 2010, par 7). There is also a decrease as a result of the global economic recession which was brought about by limited funds (Kegan 2010, par 9). During the recession, many people had to cut down on costs due to the low income but high prices of products and services, therefore many people had to reduce th e rate at which they access luxurious services and goods (Kegan 2010, par 9). The accommodation sector was also affected in terms of operation costs incurred, this is because of increased costs of products such as fuel and other effects needed to keep the accommodation facilities up to standards (Kegan 2010, par 8). Virgin holidays SWOT analysis Strengths The company has a very strong brand image that has enable it navigate through completion and establish itself in the global market. The fact that the virgin holiday is part of the large virgin group that is recognized to be a well managed company with dedicated managers who not only serve the market with new brands but also high quality brands. The company is also enjoying a high number of people using the virgin Atlantic as a means of air transport for cargo and passengers. The increase in the number of passengers in the travel sector has a positive effect to the number of people using the accommodation facilities hence increasing the revenue. Apart from a strong brand image and increase in the number of passengers, the company has a good strong asset and capital base. The company also keeps on enjoying high revenues throughout its financial periods Weaknesses Despite the fact that the company has been enjoying a good financial position and a strong brand image, it has been experiencing a decrease in its market share in the United States, Jamaica, India and china. This is mainly because due to increased competition from upcoming firs and already existing firms. The company is also not in better position to control the market since it has majored only in thirty locations whereas other competitors have as much 150 destinations worldwide e.g. The British airways and Thai airways Opportunities There has been an increase in the number of people travelling by air especially in the continent of Asia. There has been an increase in the number of passengers travelling by air in Asia due to increased economic activities in countries such as china and India. Virgin Atlantic as the main carrier for the virgin group has an established market in this area and hence stands a chance to increase the number of passengers using the airline and the accommodation services offered. Another great opportunity witnessed by virgin Atlantic is their partnership with All Nippon Airlines which has given virgin Atlantic the chance to carry passengers to Japan, this new initiative will enable virgin holidays to expand its services to this new location both travel and accommodation. Threats Virgin Atlantic is facing a scandal which could affect the position of virgin holidays in terms of consumer confidence and cash flow from the company (Kegan 2010, par 9). This is because the company is facing an allegation if proved to be true it may have adverse effects to the airline and the virgin group at large (Stevenson 2010, pp 11). This is after an investigation on price fixing was begun by the European Union and the United States department of justice to see whether the allegations that virgin Atlantic was involved are true (Stevenson 2010, pp 11). If the allegations are proved to be true, then they will be forced to pay a fine (Stevenson 2010). This will not only impact on the financial position of the company but also consumer confidence will be affected negatively (Stevenson 2010, pp 13). Another threat being experienced by the virgin holidays is the increase in the cost of fuel which affects the operation costs of the travelling department (Stevenson 2010, pp 17). This f orces the airline to increase the fare for travelling to different destinations hence decreasing the number of people using the travel services due to lack of sufficient funds or the thought that they are being exploited (Stevenson 2010, pp 17). In the world there have been terrorist attacks on airplanes for example the events of September 30th 1999 which saw planes get bombed by unknown terrorist, this inculcated fear into the hearts of people who use airplanes as a mode of transport hence reducing the number of consumers (Stevenson 2010, pp 17). Virgin Holidays PEST analysis A quick look at the political, social, economic, and technological environment surrounding the company shows nothing other than a series of changes that have affected the company with regard to the four aspects of life. Political Just like other institutions, virgin holidays operate in an environment with political changes and rules. The airline industry has experienced currently too much political interference and virgin is no exception (Butler 1998, par. 15). The event of September 30th 1999 saw the interference of the status of the airline industry by the governments so as to curb terrorism with regard to passenger planes (Butler 1998, par. 15). For example, the United States government issued a directive that forced all passenger and cargo planes to have a third party insurance cover which will enable the persons injured or dead in a plane due to the negligence of the owners to seek complete compensation (Butler 1998, par. 15). The virgin holidays has also witnessed political events in relation to the deregulation of the airline industry so as to let the fare prices be determined by forces of demand and supply instead of prices being fixed by the government (Butler 1998, par. 15). At the moment virgin hol idays is facing a great problem because of the laws enforced by political institution, the United States Department of Justice and the European Union are trying to look into an issue which virgin Atlantic is involved with regard to fixing of cargo transit prices (Butler 1998, par. 15). Economic The company has been affected by many changes in the economic aspect of life, for example the recently ended global economic recession which left the airline industry at a very bad position financially, the global economic recession lead to the decrease of the number of people using the air as a travelling mode since they had to look for cheaper means so as to fit to their current economic status (Camilla 2006, pp. 23). The economic recession also affected the accommodation sector since many people were trying as much as possible t access goods and services that will be costly to which is not favorable with the low income being received during the recession (Camilla 2006, pp. 23). The firm is also surrounded by many economic opportunities such as the funds to enable it expand its operations further just like other global airlines, this will to a great extent increase its revenue. The company is experiencing different economic situations with regard to geographical locations, for exam ple the demand for airline and travel services in Asia has greatly increased due to the increase in the amount of economic activities taking place in the continent compared to other continents (Camilla 2006, pp. 23). Social The social aspect of life is majorly concerned with the cultural beliefs of a given group of persons, since the company operates worldwide it should be able to operate in ach are in a way that syncs with the cultural beliefs of the people living in particular area (Paul 2000, pp 64). It is important for the company to maintain cultural practices of the society since it has a very positive impact, not only to the company but to the society at large, preservation of cultural practices can also be seen as a form of cooperate social responsibility (Paul 2000, 64). Technology The airline industries have utilized the availability of the internet as an investment ground. This is greatly characterized by the many advertisements and other information placed on the internet concerning the respective airlines. Airlines have resolved to market themselves through online websites that are believed to be commonly visited by their target markets. The airlines also develop their own websites which give information about the services that they offer and other activities conducted by the airlines. The airline industry also utilizes the current technology by making placements in movies and using celebrities to market their products and services. The availability of the internet as a major technology tool has also seen the introduction of online booking services. These services enable the consumers to book for a flight from anywhere in the world without having to physically visit the airlines offices to acquire the tickets. The use of the internet to advertise products a nd to offer booking services is a very brilliant since most people this days access the internet, this greatly creates consumer awareness of the products being offered by the airline (The Economist 2010, par 3). The using of online booking services attracts many consumers hence increasing the demand for air travel services; this is because it helps the customers to cut down on the costs they incur when it comes to booking expenses (The Economist 2010, par 3). Appendix SWOT analysis diagram SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses -Strong brand image -Increased passenger and cargo traffic -Strong financial position -Declining market share in key markets -Lack of scale Opportunities Threats -Expanding passenger traffic in Asia -Increase in trans-pacific cargo -Partnership with ANA -Cargo price-fixing investigation -Rising aviation fuel prices -Terrorist attacks and scares deter passengers from flying Virgin Holidays Economy Demand and supply Economic recession Technology Online Booking Travel agencies Social Corporate responsibility Cultural practices Political Deregulation Policies Source: Centre of Asia Pacific Aviation PEST analysis diagram TABLE 1: Top 25 Global Airlines Revenue 2006 Airline Lists 2006 Revenues (Million US) % Air France KLM 28,945.00 10.28 Lufthansa 24,903.70 8.85 AMR Corporation 22,563.00 8.02 Japan Airlines System Corporation 18,905.40 6.72 UAL Corporation 17,882.00 6.35 Delta Air Lines, Inc. 17,171.00 6.10 Continental AG 13,128.00 4.66 Northwest Airlines Corporation 12,568.00 4.47 All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. 11,765.80 4.18 US Airways Group, Inc. 11,557.00 4.11 British Airways Plc 10,654.60 3.79 Qantas Airways 10,272.20 3.65 Singapore Airlines Limited 9,119.30 3.24 Southwest Airlines Co. 9,086.00 3.23 Air Canada Inc 8,934.40 3.17 Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd. 8,328.60 2.96 SAS Group 8,236.90 2.93 Cathay Pacific Airways Limited 7,823.80 2.78 Emirates Group 7,423.20 2.64 Iberia 6,473.80 2.30 Alitalia-Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. 5,927.50 2.11 Virgin Group 3,518.10 1.25 TAM S.A. 2,515.50 0.89 Air India 2,060.80 0.73 ExpressJet Holdings, Inc. 1,679.60 0.60 Total 281,443.20 100.00 Source: Centre of Asia Pacific Aviation Virgin Atlantics Airways British Airways British Midland Airways Continental Airlines American Airlines Delta Air Lines Founded 1984 1924 1949 1934 1930 1928 Parent Company Virgin Group British Airways plc BMI Continental AG AMR Corporation Delta Air Lines, Inc. Owner Virgin Group 51%, Singapore Airlines 49% n/a Sir Michael Bishop 50% , Lufthansa 30% ,SAS 20% n/a n/a n/a Head Office Crawley, England, United Kingdom London, United Kingdom Castle Donington, England, United Kingdom Houston, Texas Fort Worth, Texas Atlanta, Georgia Hubs London Heathrow Airport London Gatwick Airport London Heathrow Airport London Gatwick Airport London Heathrow Airport Manchester Airport George Bush Intercontinental Airport (Houston) Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Miami International Airport Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Alliance ANA Oneworld Star Alliance SkyTeam Oneworld SkyTeam Number of Aircrafts As of Aug 2007 / 38 As of Sep 2007 / 235 As of Nov 2007 / 50 367 As of Aug 2007 / 653 As of Feb 2007 / 443 Destinations 30 222 51 292 158 332 Target Market Upper class and economy class n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Management Richard Branson (President) Stephen Murphy (Chairman) Steve Ridgway (CEO) Willie Walsh (CEO) Nigel Turner (CEO), Sir Michael Bishop (Chairman) Larry Kellner (CEO) Gerard Arpey (CEO) Richard Anderson (CEO) Edward Bastian (President) Employment Over 9000 42,755 4312 43,770 86,000 51,300 Fiscal Year End April March December December December December Number of Incidents and Accidents 3 7 2 19 29 13 Scheduled passenger services Offer Offer Offer Offer Offer Offer Cargo handling Offer Offer Offer Offer Offer Offer Aircraft maintenance Offer Offer None n/a n/a Offer Leisure travel services Offer Offer None Offer Offer Offer Source: Centre of Asia Pacific Aviation

Cultural Identity and the Language of Food Essay example -- Cultural Id

Cultural Identity and the Language of Food Food is integral to cultural identity and is as much a part of culture as religion and language. Indeed, some cultures elevate food to a level nearing, if not exceeding, the status of their religion. Because I love to cook, to combine flavors in a way that results in something unexpected and wonderful, this paper will discuss various words related to food. Not actual food words, but words surrounding food. Interesting words like â€Å"gastronomy† and â€Å"feast.† Often there is much symbolism related to these words; from the fundamental idea that to eat is to live to the possibility that there are religious connotations to the etymology of some of these words. Given their reputation for affairs of the heart, as well as being the purveyors of cuisine, it is not surprising that many of our food words come from the French -- such as gastronomy, saute, banquet and garnish. â€Å"Gastronomy,† refers to the art or science of good eating. It comes from Greek French gastronomie, from Greek gastronomi, gastro-, + -nomi, -nomy. Its Indo-European root word, gras, (Shipley, 133) simply means to devour. According to the American Heritage Dictionary (AHD), the word banquet has been fluctuating for a long time. The Old French word banquet, the likely source of our word, is derived from Old French banc, â€Å"bench,† ultimately of Germanic origin and originally from the Indo-European *bheg (Shipley, 31). The sense development in Old French goes from â€Å"little bench† to â€Å"meal taken on the family workbench† to â€Å"feast.† The AHD cites the English word banquet as first recorded in a work possibly composed before 1475 with reference to a feast held by the god Apollo, and it appears to have been used from the 15th to ... ...w York, NY. 1983. Davidson, Alan. Oxford Companion to Food. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 1999. Elkort, Martin. The Secret Life of Food: A Feast of Food and Drink History, Folklore, and Fact. Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc. 1991. Foley, Tricia and Catherine Calvert. Having Tea. New York: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., 1987 Jaspers, Karl. The Great Philosophers. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1993. Kiple, Kenneth F., and Kriemhild Conee Ornelas, eds. The Cambridge World History of Food. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Oates, Whitney Jennings. The Stoic and Epicurean Philosophers. New York: Random House, 1940. Shipley, Joseph T. The Origins of English Words: A Discursive Dictionary of Indo-European Roots. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1984. Tannahill, Reay. Food in History. New York: Random House, 1988.

How The Movie A Few Good Men And The Play Antigone Found Honor In What

It is not uncommon for the Civil Law to conflict with Honor. This means that the laws of people, jobs, countries, and duties usually establish a problem with the glory, or respect of people and their self-will, because there are different views of something on each side. This statement is true because many aspects of life involve standing up for what you believe in, while going against the laws of what you have to follow, even though the civil people don’t have any patience for any excuses. In the play Antigone by Sophicles, and the movie A Few Good Men, by Aaron Sorkin, Antigone, Dawson and Downy stand up for what they think is right at that moment, and go against the laws they were to follow. The Greek Tragic Hero Antigone is characterized as a person with great honor and has a conflict with going against the civil law under Creon, and not burying Polynices. Polynices was a traitor to Thebes and was killed in war against his brother Eteocles. Antigone, Eteocles’s and Polynices’s sister wanted to give Polynices a proper burial. Antigone buried Polynices twice and was caught the second time due to her screaming and crying. â€Å"There is no shame in honoring my brother (Antigone line 430),† it is true that Antigone stood up for what she believed in, even though there were consequences of dying. Perhaps the honor that you have inside of you is more important than the laws that are created for you. Creon, the King of Thebes did not like the fact that Antigone, Creon’s own niece, w...

Nursing concepts: competence, compassion, professionalism, Essay

Abstract There are different views on the concepts of nursing. Nurses can have the same views on nursing concepts as patients do with only slight difference. But overall the concepts of competence, professionalism, and compassion are viewed very similarly between the nurse and patient interviewed for this paper. Competence plays a key role in the quality of patient care. Compassion is a basis of nursing that expresses empathy towards patients, and professionalism can sometimes be based on behavior or values. Both nurse and the patient recognizes the need for these three concepts in the nursing field to better provide a better health care environment for both individuals. Introduction Nursing has four main concepts upon which it’s based open; client, health, environment, and nursing. Within these four basic concepts are a variety of nursing concepts ranging from ethics, religion, nurse’s role and many others. Though there is a long ongoing list, many of the concepts are viewed differently or similarly among nurses and patients. Upon reviewing the experience of a patient and a nurse, I have found both individuals had the common concepts of competence, professionalism, and compassion. The patient expresses the need for the nurse to be competent, professional, and compassionate. However the nurse’s experience demonstrates her compassionate attitude, professionalism and competency. Altogether both individuals recognize the importance of the three components in nursing care, as will be discussed further in the paper. Brief Analysis of Interviews E. J is currently an ER Nurse Educator who values being a competent nurse. Her typical work schedule involves making sure everyone in the ER is functioning at high competence levels. Competence in the viewpoint of E.J is having continuous knowledge, and an education to be an effective nurse. Patient J.A also views competence as an important aspect of nursing. She felt competency is apparent in the interaction between the patient and nurse and creates a lack of confidence and discomfort. However, for the patient being competent not only constitutes medical knowledge but also having experience both as a nurse and a patient as well. A competent nurse effectively creates a comfortable environment for the patient while caring for them physically is the approach taken by J.A. Moreover being culturally competent was also an important component from J.A’s substantial point of view. While being competent is important, both the nurse and patient responses revealed professionalism as another important concept in nursing. However the nurse appeared to have more concerns about a nurse’s professionalism than the patient. Maintaining practice expertise for the nurse also coincides with professionalism is one aspect perceived by E.J. J.A identifies being friendly, appropri ately addressing patients’ needs, and correctly performing tasks as characteristics of a professional. Both individuals recognized the need for professionalisms at the basic level but the nurse view point takes in consideration of ethical principles and required standards that nurses should have. Nurse Relation As both individuals describe what was rewarding or memorable about their experiences, a common concept noted was compassion. E.J exhibited compassion while J.A received compassion during her care. Through her responses, E.J views compassion as a willingness to go the extra-mile to help others and always have a willingness to help even when out of context. Similarly, J.A characterizes compassion as having empathy and truly caring about her well-being and outcome. It involves the nurse doing everything within her power to help the patient without being judgmental. For J.A, compassion is treating the patient in the same manner as the nurse would treat herself or her loved ones, if in the same situation. Overall, being competent, professional, and compassionate can have similar meanings to the nurse and the patient, with slight differences. As mentioned above, R.N. E.J.’s competency is primarily the education and knowledge obtained to successfully carry out nursing tasks. However in J.A’s point of view, competence is simply more than just academic education. The nurse is aware of the professional boundaries that the patient themselves may not be fully aware  of. For example the patient may perceive the friendliness as part of being a professional, while it might not full in line with the professional ethics of nursing. The importance of competence for the nurse is revealed when describing her daily tasks and role as a nurse educator. E.J states that daily tasks during his shift involves creating educational media, and assuring the staff in the ER department remains up to date on the many competencies required of the nurses such as consciousness sedation. He ensures the staff has the certifications necessary for the department. Making sure the nurse is knowledgeable and provides appropriate care for each patient is a key component. When describing the effects of being a nurse on her professional life, E.J recalls experiencing the death of a patient d uring her time as a pediatric nurse. E.J was caring for an infant 2 months old with a heart defect from birth, which whom was scheduled for surgery. However, on her next shift the once laughing baby became lifeless as the parents held the baby in their arms. Despite resuscitation efforts, the baby did not survive. E.J (Personal Communication, November 4, 2012) notes that often, â€Å"maintaining a level of professionalism is associated with not showing emotion around patients†, but in this scenario tears flowed down her cheeks and shared in the parents’ sorrow. For E.J (Personal Communication, November 4, 2012) â€Å"expressing that bit of emotion was a way of providing emotional support, and care which are components of professional nursing. E.J served in the military as a nurse and being able to travel coincides with compassion and use of her professionalism. On her account, the proudest she’s ever been about being a nurse was the ability to work with the humanity combat ER trauma unit. She traveled to Haiti with a reserve unit to treat and advise the citizens residing in the country’s capital Port- au-Prince. Despite knowing she would have to sleep in tents surrounded by poverty and leave her paying job, she was willing to step out of her comfort zone, and â€Å"lend a helping hand† to others in need. She states â€Å"every opportunity or chance she gets to take care of someone is a proud moment in her nursing career. E.J’s response demonstrates how the concept of compassion can and should in most cases be the driving force behind nursing care. Patient’s Relation Similar to the Nurse, the patient’s experience with the concepts were mostly  positive. After being involved in an auto mobile accident, J.A (Personal Communication, November 4, 2012) was admitted to the hospital and doctors â€Å"discovered I had a mitral-stenosis valve† and needed a valve replacement. Therefore she had to be admitted for open heart surgery. During her stay at the hospital, which lasted almost two weeks, J.A recalls the surgeon going over the procedures with her carefully. The surgeon and nurses made sure she was aware of her options, and knew what to expect with each course of action she decides to take. Patient’s description and passionate voice as she talks denotes that she trusted the nursing staff and surgeon’s judgment and had confident in them, for they displayed a good level of competency. Furthermore J.A shares how every morning the surgeon would come to her room to share news on her progress. Professionalism is being emphasize d as the patient recalls that the nurses really took priority in making sure she knew and understood what was going to take place. The health care team properly instilled veracity as part of what it means to be a professional nurse. Moreover, the nursing team was very friendly and valued her beliefs, as J.A is SDA (Seventh-Day Adventist) .She does not eat pork and one of the replacement valves offered was made with pig fat. The nurses that not withhold that information to her, but was made aware of it, so she was given the option to choose another valve made out of plastic. Also the nurses â€Å"were more than willing† to pray with her and cater to her spiritual needs even though they themselves may not have been spiritual. â€Å"Their openness to participate in my belief in God is one aspect that helped with my full recovery†, states J.A(Personal Communication, November 4, 2012). Lastly, J. A recounts a stressful situation in which she encountered while being under the care of nurses. Each night during her hospital stay the nurses would randomly awaken her to check her blood pressure. Also she noted that on one occasion the nurse was unable to locate her veins while trying to draw blood. The nurse continuously tapped her arm and stated, â€Å"You have very tiny veins†. This response shows the patient view of the nurses’ lack of professionalism and competency. Ending the interview, J.A describes what she believes characterize a good nurse. According to her, a good nurse listens to your ailments, and pays attention to what the patient says. When the nurse listens to the patient, it is important since it allows the patient to feel they are a factor in their recovery and feel more comfortable being in  the hospital environment. The nurse being able to accommodate the patient base on what they need physically, emotionally and spiritually, overall supports the idea of a nurse’s professionalism, competency and compassion from J.A’s view point. Competence Nursing Article The nursing article by Brazil K. et al focuses on the concept of competence used in care provided in long-term care homes for the elderly. It is a study to test knowledge and perceived competency among the RNs and a few LPNs as well. Lack of competence in skills such as pain management, advance care planning, care and adequate care has increased the death rate among older adults in the LTC homes (Brazil et al 2012, 77). Often this lack in competency is due to education in training of staff, and â€Å"absent communication problems among healthcare providers and family members†. The latter has resulted in bad â€Å"quality end-life care† (Brazil et al 2012, 77). The nurses were competent with coping skills of â€Å"dealing with death and dying but lack formal training in palliative care† (Brazil et al 2012, 77). This coincides with the same ideas present through the nurse educator E.J and patient J.A idea of competence. As here there is a need for continuous update of education to make sure that the nurses have current knowledge. Moreover the idea of needing cultural competence identified in the patient’s point of view is essential as well, for the nurses were not communicating successful with the relatives of the patient or the other healthcare providers. Being competent in communication skills is as import as competence in clinical skills. Though other factors acknowledged in the study, prove to contribute to difficulties in providing the necessary care, â€Å"staff competence in that field served as the major determinant in assuring quality care† (Brazil, Brink, Kaasalainen, Kelly, & McAiney, 2012, p. 79). Factors that affect or may influence â€Å"effectiveness of continuing education† to increase competency can also be important as discussed in the article (Brazil et al 2012, 79). Overall competency involves more than just one skill, and is often a major concept needed in all nurse weather Pediatric, emergency room, or home health care. However one must not overlook the fact that competency develops over time as more experience is gained. Competency also implies or portrays the importance of the concept of evidence-based nursing research, so that we can enhance the competency of  nurses with new and better applications. Demonstrating competency or excellence is also a function of professionalism. Professionalism Nursing Article According to this article there are two aspects of professionalism in, â€Å"value-based’ and â€Å"behavioral-based†, needed to â€Å"support values and ideals† (Castell 2008, p.13). Professionalism in Nursing Practice by Francesca Costell (2008) compares and contrast the different views based on the aforementioned aspects. The value basis is principles that underlie what it means to be nurses while the behavioral basis are the behaviors â€Å"one must exhibit to act professionally† (Castell 2008, p.17). She further divides value based into the categories of clinical competency (excellence), humanism, and altruism. Behavior-based was also divided into Service and ethical conduct. From behavioral stand point, castell believes that humanism is a component of professionalism because the â€Å"interaction is vital for guiding the medical profession† (2008, p.13). As E.J mentioned above, showing your human side shoes respect for the patient and â€Å" signals the worth of the individual human being and his or her belief and value system† (2008, p.13). Castell view on professionalism coincides with E. J point of view as both acknowledge the need to sometime show emotion to connect with patients. Castell’s incorporates a key aspect of professionalism, ethical conduct. An unethical clinical example mentioned is of a student nurses preparing to care for an elderly patient and the experienced nurses’ warned of his obnoxious behavior and rudeness. This was an unprofessional as Castell believes â€Å"this could have compromised the care the students gave†, as it â€Å"form pre-conceived ideas† into their minds and would now care for him based on those ideals (Castell 2008, p.15). J.A as well identified this key ethical component of professionalism for she believed the nurse should carry out the appropriate care that is mandated of her. In general the core idea of being professional is acting â€Å"with out being prejudice† and carrying out your duties as a nurse which can sometimes include displaying the humanistic side to provide efficient care. Compassion Nursing Article Exploring Compassion accredits Christianity with incorporating compassion into nursing care. Compassion in early nursing was from a Christian point of  view and then became part of contemporary nursing. According to Straughair (2012), A nurse’s strive to alleviate the suffering of the sick is through the use of compassion (161). Failing to provide compassionate nursing care is failing to meet the required professional standards. Evidence shows that lack of compassion results in poor quality care on the part of the patient, and indicates a â€Å"disregard for their dignity† (Straughair, 2012 p.162). A lack of compassion affects the quality of healthcare as a whole whether the nurse is clinically competent. Conclusion Though all three concepts are interdependent of each other they function together as a whole along with many other concepts make nursing or nurses a success. Being competence itself consists of many sub categories as it is important to be competent in many skills or aspects as a nurse and not simply one. Competency as discussed in the paper is more than knowledge or cognitive skills and encompasses culture, communication, and many others of the like. Likewise professionalism has two facades as it can be mediated by values or behavior in the nursing feel. Even though the nurse and patient may have had slightly different views for each concept, it all came together to form a basis idea. Furthermore being compassion is the basic framework of nursing as it is having the genuine care for someone and showing patients empathy. It is treating others as you would treat yourself. Caring for patients with compassion can have a lasting impact on patients in help in a speedy recovery. Implication It is important for me as I progress through my nursing practice to remember that my competency level has to reach beyond simply checking off assessment on a checklist, or a test. As I will come across patients or situations of different nature, culture and need to be able to use skills that will cater to the specific situation or need at any given time. Competency in one area neglects to fulfill the needs of the patient overall and decreases quality of care. The same principle can be applied to professionalism, as I have to know what action is appropriate for nursing professional at any given time. But also judge whether my professionalism should be based on value or behavioral. This choice will be made base on what’s best for the patient, me, as well as others involves safety and well-being at the time. References Brazil, K., Brink, P., Kaasalainen, S., Kelly, M., & McAiney, C. (2012). Knowledge and perceived competence among nurses caring for the dying in long-term care homes. International Journal Of Palliative Nursing, 18(2), 77-83. Castell, F. (2008). Professionalism in nursing practice. Nursing Journal, 1213-17. Catalano, J. T. (2012). Nursing now: today’s issues, tomorrow’s trends (6th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Co. Straughair, C. (2012). Exploring compassion: implications for contemporary nursing. Part 1. British Journal Of Nursing, 21(3), 160-164.