Corporate Goverance Concept Worksheet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Corporate Goverance Concept Worksheet - Essay fashion modelThe companies have different expectation that can lead to conflicts because of their interests and dispatchs (Minnow & Monk, 2002).The equity issue involves division of bon tons ownership. This helps in the companies gain from the increase in profits and wide market. This means that both companies will gain from the investment (Minnow & Monk, 2002).McBride finance services company has an intention to remain in control of the company unconstipated after selling majority shares to Beltway investment company. A clear illustration of this is that the chief executive has make in the selection of the board of directors. As Beltway gives the company freedom to select the directors, Mc Bride ensures that it influences the selection. The board comprises of the lot it can influence to make decisions favoring McBride company. The scenario give rises conflict of interest, which was non brought out during negotiations.The conflict of interest will create a hostile working relationship between the two companies. The reason behind this is the win-lose situation created by the company. Beltway wants a fair selection of the board (Tricker, 2009).Control involves trail of the company activities and who is in charge. The control of the company should be in the best way possible. The selection of the board should be on merit not on other hidden agendas. Fair selection and freedom to managers will help in running the company affairs to achieving its objectives and goals to the maximum (Tricker, 2009).Beltway company did not identify Mc Brides intention in its issue. Mc Bride company does not intend to let Beltway know the real, financial position. The company does this through tampering with financial documents. The company also does not comply with Sarbanes-Oxley act of corporate responsibility of financial reportage (Greene, Silverman & Becker, 2003). The company aims at using internal controls to hide

Reverse White Flight Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Reverse White Flight - Research Paper ExampleHowever, an interrogation into the changing demographics proved essential in establishing the real statistics. Methodology In order to identify germane(predicate) data for the research on the reversing demographics, indulgence in the review of several firsthand sources concerning the topic was essential. The primary sources included data from the statistics bureau, scholarly articles and journals that investigate the causes of increasing numbers of minority groups in the suburbs. Interpretation and equivalence of such information provides reliable information concerning the changing demographics. Literature Review A close synopsis of the statistics from the census bureau produces intriguing implications on the changing ratios of different cities and suburbs. In the past, whites occupied the suburbs while the minority groups lived n the cities. In addition, different authors have tried to explain the causes of the white flight from so me neighborhoods to others. However, the overrule flight of whites back to the cities and that of minorities to the suburbs has received little attention. Changes in Neighborhood According to Hyra (2008), the invasion-succession theory described antecedently by Park and Burgess applies to changes in neighborhoods. An existing population in a location tends to cater when there is a great influx of an incoming population. The theory is in use in large valid explanations to the changing racial populations. Other studies have tried to identify the point at which the convert begins. In the United States, researchers have established that the tipping point comes when the different races cannot coexis

Computer engineer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

reckoner send - Research Paper ExampleBachelors dots in bundle engineering or calculating machine attainment are a common place to start. Coursework to prepare the student data processor Engineer will entangle such(prenominal) topics as database design, systems analysis, critical thinking and technical writing. Because ready reckoner technology is a field that is forever changing, continued education is vital to a successful career in Computer Engineering. High trail students interested in pursuing this type of work should study mathematics, computer science, and physics. They should also take computer- schedule courses in school or learn computer languages in their spare time. When in college, students should try to increase experience by getting an internship with parcel engineers. Most employers require that computer software engineers have a college education in computer science or software engineering. For more demanding jobs, a graduate degree is preferred. Knowle dge of the major computer languages is a must. National certification courses are offered for most major computer languages, including C++, Java, and XML. ... ties and Responsibilities of a Computer Engineer Computer software engineers develop and maintain computer software programs, which are lawd instructions that tell the computer what to do in logical steps. Software engineers work on a wide range of projects. They work in manufacturing, industry, engineering, government offices, and educational institutions. Sometimes they work on improving computer systems already in use. When asked to develop a program, a software engineer would depression analyze the task and apply techniques of computer science, engineering, and mathematical analysis to come up with the best solution. The software engineer would then prepare systems flow charts that show diagrammatically how information would flow through the computer and its peripheral equipment to get the job done. Finally, they would c reate an outline of the actual program. In a large organization, such as a computer software company, computer engineers would instruct computer programmers to write the actual code that makes up the program and intercede only when the programmers have a problem. Once the program has been developed, the software engineer may test it for problems and examine it for errors in logic or data. Some programs require days to write, slice others may require a year or so. (Cited from Barbara Bellesi Computer Engineer-Duties and Salaries) Industry Growth and Wages Computer engineers will be in hot demand as computer networks grow in brilliance for companies both large and small. As a computer engineer, you can find employment in a variety of industries in both the public and private sectors, such as business, telecommunications, government, and health care. Computer engineers specializing in the Internet will be successful in finding employment for businesses

Come up with one Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Come up with atomic number 53 - Essay ExampleThe initially presented the basic principles of ethical decision making focusing on autonomy, beneficence, legal expert and nonmaleficence. Other mini-case scenarios were presented together with an identification of significant points concerning the concept of advance directives. Then, ethics at end of sprightliness situations, particularly, euthanasia were expounded, detailing the three interventions active, passive and assisted. Other ethical issues that were discussed were research ethics and health sustentation rationing. The information presented from this discourse in beneficial in the current research through the credibility present by the author as an associate professor of the John Hopkins University and thereby has been exposed and directly affect in addressing ethical issues faced by older patients at the end of life stage.The discourse presented fit arguments detailing the legality of the issues considering this as an opti on for patients in pain and other reasons for promoting and using euthanasia. The article as well as identified the groups opposing the legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide as coming from both health check and disability rights groups. The contents of the article are thereby useful for the current research in hurt of providing a balanced discourse and presenting updated statistics given the current status of its publication (2011). Other valid and lordly sites were likewise provided for more information on the subject, as deemed

Statement of Alberto Giacometti Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Statement of Alberto Giacometti - Essay ExampleAlberto preferred the life of the cat everywhere the painting of the lordly Dutch painter of the seventeenth century, Rembrandt, who was an artist of intensely poetic thoughts, without a doubt with an unambiguous perceptiveness towards the implausible, and enthusiastically involved in tribulations of design. Opting to save a cat over Rembrandt painting is not a simple decision as when art lovers imagine masterpiece painting, it is Rembrandt who first appears in mind. And the obsession they value most is how Rembrandt depicted people, and himself in all those self-portraits, with such impending, compassion, and understanding.Giacometti was right in saving the cat over the Rembrandt paintings as he was a main actor in the Existentialist faction, but his work opposes elementary classification. Several explain it as Formalist, others disagree that it is Expressionist. Still after his excommunication from the Surrealist group, while the intent of his sculpting was often simulation, the end products were an expression of his emotional reaction to the subject. He endeavored to produce renditions of his sculpts the approach he saw them, and the mode he contemplates they should be seen.Giacometti stands in distressed necessitate of a moral ideal for the dealing of reenforcement beings and nonliving beings in society.

Human Resources Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 1

Human Resources Management - Essay display caseTwo other key characteristics of HRM, compared to PM, is that the former is proactive, referring to the long term require and conditions of the organisation, and it is based on the influence that employee performance is related to employee satisfaction (Pravin 2010, p.12). In opposition, PM addresses only current organisational needs, being reactive in nature (Pravin 2010, p.12). Also, PM is employee-centered focusing on existing employee hands (Pravin 2010, p.12). The development of the workforce, in terms of hiring of raw(a) employees but besides in terms of training of existing employees, is not among the priorities of PM. In Marks and Spencer violence is given not only on existing workforce but, mostly, on the continuous development of workforce so that organisational needs, which tend to change continuously, to be addressed (Marks and Spencer 2012). From this point of view, it could be noted that Marks and Spencer is a proact ive organisation, promoting employee strategies that invention to respond not only to current but also to future organisational needs (Marks and Spencer 2012). ... is given on contracts of employment where in HRM effort is made so that the confabulation between the HRM and the employee to be developed out of contracts, b) from the same point of view, in PM following strictly the rules is critical, while no such trend appears in the HRM, while emphasis is given rather on keeping communication and collaboration in the ecesis at high levels, c) moreover, PM practices are strictly aligned with the organizational practices while for HRM it is more important to follow the organizations values, which are often ignored in practice, d) in PM the close monitoring of employees performance is quite important while in HRM a trend of nurturing employees seems to be promoted this trend means that employees are offered the chance to review their thoughts and behaviour within the organization so that they are able to respond more effectively to the demands of the tasks assigned to them. P2. Usually, the activities incorporated in HRM aim to support different needs of both the organisation and the employees. For example, reference can be made to the hiring offshoot. This process needs to be carefully designed so that it is effective, leading to the selection of employees that can respond to special(a) demands of the organisation. The selection process can help an organisation to achieve its goals in the following way by choosing appropriate staff, managers can secure the successful completion of organisational tasks (DeCenzo and Robbins 2007) in this way, the achievement of organisational goals can be guaranteed. Moreover, paysheet, which is also a HRM activity, needs to be fair, so that conflicts within the organisation are avoided. At the same time, payroll needs to be based on the organisations performance and future prospects,

Comparing the CO2 in the school carpark and the field during the day Lab Report

analyse the railroad carbon dioxide in the school car greenness and the field during the day and after school day - Lab hatch ExampleThe results were obtained from an accurate and tested carbon dioxide meter.With an increase in the number of cars at the car park picking up students after school, there is an increase in CO2 emission to the environment as compared to times when there are no cars on the compound. Burning fossil fuel is the main origin of energy to power the vehicles and that means with more vehicles nigh the compound burning fuel for energy, more CO2 gets released to the environment. Fossil fuels contain elements like carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen among others. They release carbon monoxide when burning which mixes with oxygen in the atmosphere to form carbon dioxide. The smoke released from the exhaust pipes of vehicles are essentially carbon dioxide and since they are non trapped in any way, they get released directly to the environment. As many cars par k or discover around the carpark, the amount of CO2 released directly to the surrounding environment increases. Also, even when the vehicles are not in motion, the engine is still hot and the fuels continue to evaporate and release CO2.Controlled variables The carbon dioxide meter. The meter had to be check out to ensure that the initial measure was standard. To ensure no errors were present, different devices were used and the results compared in order to keep an eye on any variances which would indicate an error.The CO2 sensor mounted on the stand is placed outside around the carpark and the field area with free air circulation. The sensor was fastened on the clamp stand with the tenacious tape. The digital surveillance cameras were set at strategic locations to ensure that every car driving to the car park was noted and measurement recorded after every thirty minutes timed by the stopwatch.The recordings should be done between 10 a.m-12 p.m. and 3 p.m-5p.m after school. That means that recordings will be taken 4 times during the

Case study of a company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Case employment of a company - audition ExampleThe aim of this project is to examine Nikes denounceing outline in order to identify the structure, challenges and recommendations for potentiality improvement. In order to attain this end, the following objectives will be explored 1. A critical analysis of the strategy for success employ by Nike over the past two decades. 2. An examination of the current challenges of the company. 3. Recommendations for the improvement of Nikes real branding strategy 4. An identification of the branding model used by Nike which can be applicable to some some other companies. The report will involve a critique of the branding systems and strategies that Nike has used to attain results in its operations. It will analyse the dominant patterns and trends that be used by the company and the main approach which has resulted in the successes of Nike as a major global sports brand. The report will entail a followup of the methods and approaches used by the company. The fundamental approach will be through a review of relevant literature. The review will cover the various internal dealings of the Nike and how it has paid off in the area of branding. 2.0 books Review This section will examine the important elements and components of the interrogation and study. The section will critically measure out different groundbreaking definitions and sentiments that form the basic framework of the study. They will serve to define the core aspects and of the study and go out an understanding that will create the foundation for the fieldwork and actual research that will be conducted in this study. 2.1 Brand The question of what a brand is plays a significant role in this whole study. This is because the research provides a discussion brand-related matters in Nike, hence it is important to understand the concept of brand and its role in organisations operations and activities. Kotler defines a brand as a name, term, sign, symbol or desi gn or a combination of this intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors (Knoweles et al, 2010, p91). This implies that a brand is a unique identity or a unique representation that defines a effrontery companys product or offer. This makes the companys offering different from what other companies in the industry are presenting to companies in the industry. To this end, Nikes offering is the popular symbol which makes it different from other competitors like Adidas and Puma who have very different symbols. The idea is to get a unique representation that is protected by law which sets each of the sports manufacturers apart from the other manufacturers. A brand creates and identification for the products in a given entity and builds an emotional connection that acts as radical on which communication with consumers can proceed (Schultz, 2009). This implies that the brand creates a basic and simple re presentation that other consumers can easily build some kind of connection to. The fundamental position of branding is to provide a means through which easy communication can be conducted. In other words, a brand creates an all-encompassing image which the consumers can identify with through minimal efforts. Once a brand is created, various concepts and ideas of the product offerings are woven into the brand and advertising and other marketing communication ventures are

Change Readiness, Resistance, and Success Term Paper

Change Readiness, Resistance, and Success - Term Paper guinea pigSome organizations implement the theory of community of practice to drive all the employees towards a common organizational goal, where each individual acts as vital equipment in the organizational machinery (Bach and Kessler, 2012). The creation of a community allows the bon ton to develop a team or group with a common interest that change states in favor of the organizational goals (Price, 2011). This paper is focused on the use of community of practice in the quatern frame model.The community of practice is a group of people who are engaged in the by-line of a common goal or objective. This group of people usually grants a common let out or concern and they work together to meet both the individual and groups objectives. Creating a community of practice helps a firm to develop wise knowledge base and generate new ideas. The key feature of the community of practice is the high level of communication among the members. The constant interaction allows them to share individual knowledge and narrow down on a particular set of activities that needs to be performed in order to meet the desired goals (Wenger, McDermott and Snyder, 2002).Community of practice helps the firm to strengthen its human alternative base by improving their overall efficiency level. This is achieved by connecting the people together, thereby facilitating a seamless communication within the group and overly with the higher management. The vertical communication enables the employees to receive proper counsel and direction from the managers, whereas the horizontal communication helps them to learn about each others strength and weakness. Depending on this, the manager can make proper allocation of different roles and responsibilities (Delanty, 2003).The formation of community also helps the employees to work as a team where all the individuals are doing their part to achieve the desired organizational goals. It also provides a shared context of organizational knowledge and information, as the

Reducing Energy Consumption in Residence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reducing Energy Consumption in residence - Essay ExampleHowever, thither is evidence (Herring, H., Roy, R., 2002) to show that using heftiness (and in particular electricity) more(prenominal) efficiently does not necessarily lead to a reduction in energy use. Indeed there is evidence that using energy more effectively actually tends to increase its use - given the fortune people prefer to be warmer, rather than to reduce the cost of heating for example. (This, and other examples of the Rebound tack are discussed in a wide range of studies, some of which are listed below) Given this, it would seem that modify students to use energy more effectively and economically may serve not to decrease its consumption, save rather to increase it.There is a growing trend now towards a principal of the defiler pays (OConner, M.,1997, chap.1) by which is meant that there is a fiscal cost of pollution (including greenhouse gasses) and that those responsible for its creation should be required to bear its economic cost. There is also a tendency for suppliers of services (particularly in the energy market) to unbundle their services, allowing consumers to see clearly what they are buying and at what cost. It would be possible for the University to combine these two trends, and to each charge students for their energy use, instead of as at present including this in their overall accommodation charges. In doing so students would then become aware of exactly how much they are paying for energy, and be incentivised to sleep together their consumption.

Strategic Position of McDonalds in the Fast Food Industry Essay

Strategic Position of McDonalds in the Fast Food Industry - Essay compositors caseAccording to Derdak and Pederson, McDonalds Corporation is the leading hamburger fast-food restaurant chain in the world. Maurice McDonald and Richard McDonald ab initio started the corporation in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant but Ray Kroc later brought it in 1995 Kroc was initially a franchise agent of the restaurant and he is the one who initiated the global expansion of the restaurant chain.According to Derdak and Pederson, McDonalds Corporation is the leading hamburger fast food restaurant chain in the world. Maurice McDonald and Richard McDonald initially started the bon ton in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant but Ray Kroc later brought it in 1995 Kroc was initially a franchise agent of the restaurant and he is the one who initiated the global expansion of the restaurant chain. right away the McDonalds Corporations has its own restaurants that it manages and there are licensed franchisees and aff iliates that operate under the corporations portfolio. Therefore, the unclutter income of the company is attributed to sales from its own restaurants, licensing fees from franchisees, and royalties. The present headquarters of the corporation are in Oak Brook, Illinois in the United States, and it has presence in over thirty four thousand locations across the world. Among the popular dishes served at the McDonalds restaurants include French fries, hamburger, Chicken, coffee, milk shakes, soft drinks, salads and desserts.

Military Personnal Experience Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Military Personnal Experience Paper - Essay illustrationHumanitarian Efforts in leghorn 2007 Mission Development At the request of the Panamanian judicature finished the U.S. Embassy in Panama, the 961st Engineering Battalion was deployed to the country as the part of the forces with the intention of helping the Panamanian residents whose schools, churches, hospitals and separate vital installations needed repair and maintenance work. Upon receiving this request, our team immediately set out to make recommendations for the commander in charge of the bearing in reference to how the 961st could help make a difference during this mission. Our recommendations resulted in the following proof of concept missions The mission is to happen in 3 phases. The first phase is the proviso stage which was to be completed at least 8 months before deployment and will supplicate the operations engineers to refresh the work areas and the equipment that shall be needed in order to complete the work. The second phase of the mission is the deployment itself wherein the 961st would help coordinate all the units, missions, and security for soldiers assigned to this mission. The final phase of the mission will require the same battalion to return to Panama one year later in order to survey the work done in the previous year and do any repairs required to maintain the wholeness of the work provided. Mission Implementation Once the mission development and analysis was finalized and approved by the domineering officer, I was chosen to hand pick my team amongst the Army Reservists listed in the reserve program because of my leaders abilities and skills pertinent to program policy and operations, plans and reserve component integration. I was directed to immediately plan the lurch of these officers from their home bases to our newly established company for the humanitarian mission. I accomplished this chore by providing the force out section with the mission requirements and transfer justification documents which resulted in the mobilization station in Fort Lee, Virginia, allowing these reservists to take on a temporary wobble of station order assigned to them. Upon their arrival at the 961st home base, those with the relevant engineering backgrounds were immediately deployed to Panama for the completion of phase one. Phase I Damage and Repair discernment Phase I was one of the engineers on the advanced party team that went to Panama. While there, I collaborated with different team members regarding the painstaking plans for repair of the damaged schools, churches and hospitals. We came to realize that this was not going to be an easy task to accomplish but with a proper team work and cooperation from our immediate officers we could make a change in these peoples lives that they would never forget. Phase II Mission Deployment By providing the Panamanian government with the necessary plans and concerns for the development and repair of their various infrastructures they were able to make proper representations with the U.S. Government through the U.S. Embassy in reference to the necessary materials and budgets in order to make the humanitarian effort a reality. The engineers of the 961st were immediately deployed to Panama the minute the mission deployment papers were finally

Marketing segmentation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Marketing segmentation - Assignment faceifferent segments of a businesss target market volition need different products, and this means that the focal point should ensure that there atomic number 18 strategies in place to see that need s of all consumers are met. Consumers bequeath also be willing to pay different prices for products, and this means that segmentation will avail in determining the right price for the right target group. Consumers can also be reached through and through different medium in different places and segmentation will help in deciding the outlets that surmount suits the different customers. Lastly, consumers will react differently to promotion and the management should know the right promotion strategies to becharm specific target groups.Segmenting characteristics are important as they will help the business in designed how to segment their target market. Behavioral segmentation alters an organization to determine the benefits consumers want from th e product and how they use the product. demographic segmentation will help an organization is determining the how factors such as age, ethnicity, gender and other demographic features affect consumer choices (McDonald & Dunbar, 2004). Geographic segmentation will help in determining where consumers are located, how to reach them and what products they will need based on their location. Psychographic segmentation will enable an organization to know what consumers think, what they value, and how they live their lives, and this will help in determining the right product.Market segmentation is crucial as it will enable organizations to focus their products on a group that is predicted to bring maximum profitability. Target segmentation will enable a business to distinguish itself from competitors by attending to a group that other competitors have not yet established. This in turn translates to increased revenues because resources are not wasted on unproductive

My Own Behaviour in a Team Setting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

My Own Behaviour in a Team Setting - Assignment physical exerciseI to a fault learned that I possess a number of transfer commensurate dexteritys such as the ability to put my personal feelings aside whenever there was conflict in the team. In these circumstances, I was able to brush my personal feelings aside and to focus on the assigned task. I also demonstrated self-discipline in that I was able to manage my time and resources in a productive and effective manner.I also discovered that I had other transferable skills such as effective communication skills. I found that I was always able to listen to others and to respond in ways that were relevant and commanded the aid of other members of the team. I also found that I had another very important transferable skill and that was the power of persuasion. I found that with commitment and effort I was able to persuade other members of the conference to take a position that was akin to my own. This particular skill will be important to my chosen career when I am advising and helping those who rely on my advice and skills. As I learned from my t demiseer networking exercises, I am sure that these skills are the kinds of soft skills that employers will be looking for.I also learned that I can be a bit over anxious and too bore to achieve my end goals. In this regard, the team setting taught me that every task has a purpose and connects to the end goal. Only after several locomote are taken can we finally see the results? In this regard, I have to learn to be more patient and pace my time, always aware that I cannot get to the end without starting from the beginning. I will practice this by fetching on a number of projects such as reading a book and doing jigsaw puzzles.When I began the course I did so with an open mind, merely hoping that I would come out more prepared to take steps toward my career goal and expecting to at least be in a better position for taking those steps that I was before taking the co urse.

Opinion on Philosophical Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Opinion on Philosophical Theories - Essay ExampleAs the discussion stresses large-minded will helps people to achieve desires by controlling their target environment at any given time. The people must be aware of the realties that exist in that environment in order for them to exercise free will and control. The responsibility that comes after exercise free will is utilise to measure the amount of control that has been achieved. It dictates the extent a person has exercised control. Responsibility and control define free will and determinism, exclusively they are done with consciousness featured in existentialism as proposed by Jean Paul Sartre.From the study it is clear thatmajority of people in the society do not interfere with secret actions of certain people because of their positions in the government in fear confrontation by the rule of the law. The will of an individual should not be ignored in favor of general will, but it should not be a determinant factor for implementi ng particular actions. The will of a person to limit his or her private affairs from the public domain does not subdue them to any rule of the law. Liberalism is meant to cling to any person from tyrannical requirement based on provisions of the constitution as great as the affairs do not interfere with the interests of the public. A person is free to pursue their private affairs according to Classical Laissez Faire and limit the government or the power of the majority from any laboured imposition.

Sociological Contexts Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sociological Contexts - Coursework ExampleMajor corporations such as Revere copper and brass, Conmed, hand Bank, Utica National Insurance Group, Special Metals, Part Technology, etc. are the key elements to provide economic diversity in Oneida County. Before 1962, the board of supervisors used to govern the Oneida County. After 1962, Oneida County is governed by 29-seat county legislature and county executive.Industry is the all important(p) part of every developing country to meet the growing needs and widen the development base. It is regarded as an indispensable motor of growth and the economies of modern society. Several domestic and multinational organizationshave been founded in the span of 5-10 years. Tumblr is a social networking website and micro-blogging platform launched to provide blogging platform for local of Ney York State and Oneida County. This platform helps users to post contents and separate forms of multimedia files to a short-from blog. After two weeks, the service gained its popularity around the globe.Electric car industry gained its popularity in the early 20th century. It is an automobile which contains electric motors and susceptibility storage battery to create smooth and good acceleration. Since 2008, the advancement in power management technologies leads to the renaissance of electric vehicle. The charging station is created in Oneida County to charge energy storage device of electric car.Lot18 is one of the successful e-commerce organizations launched in October 2010. The website began with a similar business forge to Gilt Groupe. The initial focus of the company was to provide access to less-known wine manufacturers. Eventually, it expanded its business by offering customer-produced wines and well-known brands. This new e-commerce industry has raised more than $30 million. People can put in products via online from Oneida County and different parts of New York State. Lot18 has successfully implemented cost leadership stra tegy

Nazi and Vatican Relations during WWII Essay Example for Free

Nazi and Vatican Relations during WWII EssayHow was Vaticans relationship with the Nazi Germany during the warfare? The seat of the Roman Catholicism pillows in the Vatican City- state with the pope as the head of state and compulsory Pontiff of the Catholic Church. As a religious institution the Vatican has internationally been recognized as a powerful and independent diplomatic service capable of forging agreements for peace in behalf of the entire Catholic congregation. In the last twenty years during the reign of Pope John Paul II, the Vatican had aggressively been diligent in an international promotion of peace thereby denouncing war and hostilities. Its involvement in international politics had been questioned as the historical sins of the Roman Catholic Church in the past centuries were brought to light. Presently, the Vatican is also heaped with level for allowing WWII atrocities to befall on the Jewish community during the Holocaust. As the leader is the Catholic Church, the Vatican is supposedly a booster station of humanitarian service. Yet it has received much criticism that leads us to question the Vaticans relationship with Nazi Germany during WWII by a genuine look into the positions taken and deeds committed by the Vatican and its officials.In 1933, the Vatican big an alliance with Nazi Germany through a Concordat signed and administered by Nazi Vice prime minister von Papen and Vaticans Cardinal Pacelli who later became Pope Pius twelve according to Conway (200117). This treaty authorized the papacy to chaffer refreshed church law on German Catholics at the same time granting generous privileges to Catholic schools and the clergy Langmuir (19989). According to Hen, the church sees this as an effort to curb the expansion of Protestantism in Germany and to secure civil guarantees for the Catholic institutions and their activities (2000 139).Cardinal Pacelli had already arranged compact cars with other individual German states an d negotiating a covenant with the Reichs new government could aid the Catholic Churchs effort to prevent the spread of communism utilize Nazi as its bulwark in Alvarez and Graham (199713). Hen also added that the appeasement treaty asseverate to give financial support to the churchs schools and make Catholic religious education procurable in the public schools by instructors approved by the bishops, was the Churchs reason for a concordat (2001 41).Catholic priests and leaders who were once vocal in denouncing the Nazi movement took the signing of the treaty as an indication that the Roman Catholic Church had softened their opposition to socialism age some semipolitical commentators, journalists and historians believed that this event was a manifestation of Pope Pius XIs and Cardinal Pacellis under(a)lying motives in Langmuir(19989).Hitler and the Nazi Party interpreted the concordats ratification to mean that they had won the churchs approval thereby allowing them the needed recognition in international politics and showing the world that the German Chancellor was politically reliable and trustworthy in Kick (20027). Likewise the Nazi Party relied on the Concordat policy to rise unopposed by the most powerful religious community in the world (Alvarez, 1997 49). Hitlers power over churches advanced as he placed the church under administrative control while obligating German bishops to the Nazi state by endorsing Nazism as a positive Christianity in Hen (2002 165).With the Catholic Churchs withdrawal from social and political action, the concordat policy allowed the most disturbing extermination of the Jews carried out by the Nazi party in europium in predominantly Catholic region according to Phayer (2000xiii). The Nazi anti-Semitic values were then strike out throughout Europe as the German Catholic Church movement was subdued by the appeasement terms in the Concordat that Hitler do not wish to honor according to Conway (200168).Pius XI underestimated Hitlers influence with the belief that Germany would honor the appeasement treaties cited in the concordat and started objurgate Nazism. Pope Pius XI died in 1939, just a few hours before he could deliver a blunt message condemning Nazism amidst rumors of murder according to Murphy and Arlington (1983195). Cardinal Pacelli assumed as Pope Pius XII and withdraw Pius XIs prior ban on Action Francaise which was an anti-Semitic organization according to Friedlander (1996223).Pius XII failed to condemn the wave of atrocities committed by the Nazi against the Jews marked the extermination of European Jews after existence hunted like animals, robbed of their possessions, homes and loved ones, subjected to physical and mental torture, summarily executed and killed according to Langmuir (19988). In 1941, Pope Pius XII reiterated his stand of remaining neutral when consistently asked by US delegates according to Friedlander (1997 226). Vatican could never acquire ignorance on the massacr e of the Jews as it had it own diplomatic corps and representatives in many European countries through a papal nunciate (Hen, 2002165).It was only in late 1942 when Pius XII spoke out against the Nazi while refusing to publicly denounce violence against the Jews. His repose without emitting a condemnation against Hitlers military aggression is a source of dispute which the church cannot claim ignorance to justify their silence. Conclusion It should be remembered that the Vaticans interest which lie foremost in the foreign policy of the concordat in 1933 to protect its properties and interests in Germany. Pius XII as Vaticans Secretary of State harbored fears of loosing the same privileges during the war which served as the background for non-intervention in Nazi affairs.Piuss self-serving perspective goes beyond moral ascendancy that lies against the teachings of the church as it maintained a modicum of silence while Jews were exterminated en masse. Any condemnation against the atr ocities would have carried great weight and would serve as a catalyst for the international committee to act for humanitarian reasons.Works CitedAlvarez,David and Graham, Robert. Nothing Sacred Nazi Espionage against the Vatican, 1939-1945. Routledge,1997. Conway, J. S. The Nazi Persecution of the Churches, 1933-1945. Regent College,2001. Hen, Chiang. Two Thousand Years with the Word.Institute for Christianity, 2000. Langmuir, Gavin L. Frankel, Jonathan. The Fate of the European Jews, 1939-1945 Continuity or hazard? (ed. ) Oxford University Press, 1998. Kick, Russell. Everything you know is wrong The Disinformation Guide to secrets and lies. The Disinformation Company, 2002. Murphy, Paul and Arlington,Rene. La Popessa. New York Warner Books Inc, 1983. Friedlander, Saul. Nazi Germany and the Jews The Years of Persecution. New York HarperCollins, 1997. Phayer, Michael. The Catholic Church and the Holocaust, 1930-1965. Bloomington Indiana University, 2000.

Status of Women Empowerment in India Essay Example for Free

Status of Women Empowerment in India EssayPresented By Ankur Sharma Faculty appoint of Rural Management, Jodhpur Meaning of Empowerment On an individual level we see empowerment as building confidence, insight and understanding, and developing personal skills, for recitation, world able to analyze situations and communicate more efficaciously with others. Meaning of Women EmpowermentWomen Empowerment means to inspire women with the courage to break free from the durance of restrict beliefs, patterns and societal or religious conditions that drive tradition all toldy kept women suppressed and unable to earn their aline beauty and power. Women Empowerment In IndiaHowever indian economy is progressing in basis of GDP Per Capita Income more all over still women empowerment is a big concern for our country.Still conditions of womens argon pathetic in our countries.There atomic number 18 more beas where we carry to figure ab egress seriously should be taken positive steps to eridicate much(prenominal) kind of sociel evils from our society.As macrocosm an part of society,its our duty that we should in like manner contribute to the society try to bring knowingness among people.we should not underestimate womens just not only the basis of Physical strenth.Rather they are equally fit to us even in terms of their intellectual power or in terms of in that respect emotional intellegence.Here we are discussing some major areas that requires a big concern Domestic Violance Domestic military unit in India is endemic and widespread predominantly against women. Around 70% of women in India are victims to domestic craze according to Renuka Chowdhury junior minister for women and child training.National Crime Records Bureau go against that a wickedness against a women is committed e truly three minutes, a women is raped every 29 minutes, a fate death occurs every 77 minutes and one case of cruelty committed by every the husband or relative of the victim. Domestic violence in India often happens as a declaration of dowry demands.According to Unicefs Global Report Card on Adolescents 2012, 57% boys in India think a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife while around 53% girlfriends think that a husband is justified in beating his wife.Domestic violence is kn proclaim to happen in hurrying Class families as salutary as NRI families.Gender Discrimnation Infancy to childhoodThe cultural construct of Indian society which reinforces gender bias against women, has led to the continuation of Indias strong preference for male children. distaff infanticide, a depend upon-selective abortion, is adopted and strongly reflects the low stead of Indian women. Census 2011 suggests a decline of girl population under the age of seven, with bearivists estimating that eight million young-bearing(prenominal) fetuses may have been aborted in the ult decade.The 2005 census shows infant mortality figures for feminines an d males are 61 and 56, respectively, out of 1000 bide put ups, with feminines more promising to be aborted than males due to biased attitudes.A decline in the wind up ratio was observed with Indias 2011 census reporting that it stands at 914 females against 1,000 males, a drop from 927 in 2001 the lowest since Indias independence. The demand for sons among fuddled parents is being satisfied by the medical community through the provision of ilsound services of foetal sex-determination and sex-selective abortion. The financial incentive for physicians to undertake this illegal occupation seems to be removed greater than the penalties associated with breaking the law. childhood to adulthood (education) culture is not widely attained by the Indian women. Although literacy rates are increasing, female literacy rates lags behind the male literacy rate. Literacy Rate Census of India 2001 and 2011 ComparisonLiteracy for females stands at 65.46%, compared to 82.14% for males.An un derlying factor for such(prenominal)(prenominal) low literacy rates are parents perceptions that education for girls are a waste of resources as their daughters would eventually live with their husbands families and they pass on not benefit directly from the education investment.Adulthood and onwards contrariety against women has contributed to gender take differentials, with Indian women on average earning 64% of what their male counterparts earn for the same occupation and level of qualification. Discrimination against women has led to their lack of autonomy and authority. Although equal rights are given to women, it may not be well recognized. In use, terra firma and property rights are weakly enforced, with customary laws widely practiced in sylvan areas. Women do not own property under their own namesand usually do not have any inheritance rights to obtain a share of parental property.Education and sparing developmentAccording to 1992-93 figures, only 9.2% of the househo lds in India were female-headed. However, tryly 35% of the households below the poverty line were found to be female-headed.EducationThough it is gradually rising, the female literacy rate in India is lower than the male literacy rate.Compared to boys, far fewer girls are enrolled in the schools, and many of them drop out.According to the National Sample Survey Data of 1997, only the states of Kerala and Mizoram have approached universal female literacy rates. According to majority of the scholars, the major factor behind the improved social and economic status of women in Kerala is literacy. Under Non-Formal Education programme (NFE), about 40% of the centres in states and 10% of the centres in UTs are exclusively reserved for females.As of 2000, about 0.3 million NFE centres were catering to about 7.42 million children, out of which about 0.12 million were exclusively for girls. urban India, girls are nearly at par with the boys in terms of education. However, in rural India girl s continue to be less educated than the boys. According to a 1998 report by U.S. Department of Commerce, the chief barrier to female education in India are inadequate school facilities (such as sanitary facilities), shortage of female teachers and gender bias in curriculum (majority of the female characters being picture as weak and helpless).Workforce participationContrary to the common perception, a large percent of women in India work. The National data collection agencies accept the fact that thither is a serious under-estimation of womens contribution as workers. However, on that point are far fewer women in the paid workforce than there are men. In urban India Women have impressive number in the workforce. As an example at software industry 30% of the workforce is female.They are at par with their male counterparts in terms of wages, position at the work place. In rural India, agriculture and allied industrial sectors employ as much as 89.5% of the total female labour. In o verall farm production, womens average contribution is estimated at 55% to 66% of the total labour. According to a1991 World Bank report, women accounted for 94% of total employment in dairy farm production in India.Women constitute 51% of the total employed in forest-based small-scale enterprises. One of the some famous female business success stories is the Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad. In 2006, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw,who started Biocon one of Indias first biotech companies, was rated Indias richest woman. Lalita D. Gupte and Kalpana Morparia were the only businesswomen in India who do the list of the Forbes Worlds Most Powerful Women in 2006. Chanda Kochher Indias second-largest bank, ICICI Bank, and Morparia is the CEO of JPMorgan India.Land and property rightsIn most Indian families, women do not own any property in their own names, and do not ready a share of parental property.Due to weak enforcement of laws protecting them, women continue to have little access to la nd and property.In fact, some of the laws discriminate against women, when it comes to land and property rights. The Hindu personal laws of mid-1956s (applied to Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains) gave women rights to inheritance. However, the sons had an independent share in the contagious property, while the daughters shares were based on the share received by their father. Hence, a father could effectively disown a daughter by renouncing his share of the ancestral property, but the son will continue to have a share in his own right. Additionally, married daughters, even those facing marital badgering, had no residential rights in the ancestral home. After amendment of Hindu laws in 2005, now women in have been provided the same status as that of men.Crimes against womenPolice records show high incidence of crimes against women in India. The National Crime Records Bureau describe in 1998 that the growth rate of crimes against women would be higher than the population growth ra te by 2010.Earlier, many cases were not registered with the police due to the social stigma attached to rape and molestation cases. Official statistics show that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of reported crimes against women.Acid ThrowingThe Thomas Reuters initiation deal says that India is the fourth mostdangerous place in the world for women to live in as women belonging to any class, caste or creed and religion can be victims of this cruel manikin of violence and disfigurement, a premeditated crime intended to kill or maim her permanently and act as a lesson to put her in her place. In India, acid attacks on women who dared to refuse a mans scheme of marriage or asked for a divorce are a form of revenge. Acid is cheap and intimately available and is the quickest way to destroy a womans life. The number of acid attacks have been rising.Sexual harassmentHalf of the total number of crimes against women reported in 1990 related to molestation and harassment at the workplace. evening teasing is a euphemism used for informal harassment or molestation of women by men. Many activists accuse the rising incidents of sexual harassment against women on the influence of Western culture. In 1987, The Indecent Representation of Women ( bar) locomote was passed to prohibit indecent representation of women through advertisements or in humanityations, writings, paintings, figures or in any other manner. In 1997, in a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court of India took a strong stand against sexual harassment of women in the workplace. The Court also laid down detailed guidelines for prevention and redressal of grievances. The National mission for Women subsequently elaborated these guidelines into a Code of Conduct for employers. shareIn 1961, the Government of India passed the Dowry Prohibition Act, making the dowry demands in wedding arrangements illegal. However, many cases of dowry-related domestic violence, suicides and murders have been re ported. In the 1980s, numerous such cases were reported. In 1985, the Dowry Prohibition (maintenance of lists of presents to the bride and bridegroom) rules were framed. According to these rules, a signed list of presents given at the term of the marriage to the bride and the bridegroom should be maintained.The list should contain a brief description of each present, its approximate value, the name of whoever has given the present and his/her relationship to the person. However, such rules are hardly enforced. A 1997 report claimed that at least 5,000 women disclose each year because of dowry deaths, and at least a dozen die each day in kitchen fires thought to be intentional. The term for this is bride burning and is criticized within India itself.Amongst the urban educated, such dowry abuse has reduced considerably.Child marriageChild marriage has been traditionally prevalent in India and continues to this day. Historically, young girls would live with their parents until they r eached puberty. In the past, the child widows were condemned to a life of great agony, shaving heads, living in isolation, and shunned by the society.Although child marriage was outlawed in 1860, it is still a common practice. According to UNICEFs State of the Worlds Children-2009 report, 47% of Indias women aged 2024 were married before the legal age of 18, with 56% in rural areas.The report also showed that 40% of the worlds child marriages occur in India.Female infanticides and sex selective abortionsIndia has a highly masculine sex ratio, the chief reason being that many women die before reaching adulthood.Tribal societies in India have a less masculine sex ratio than all other caste groups. This, in spite of the fact that tribal communities have far lower levels of income, literacy and health facilities.It is therefore suggested by many experts, that the highly masculine sex ratio in India can be attributed to female infanticides and sex-selective abortions. Ultrasound scans ha ve been a major leap forward in the care of mother and baby, and with them becoming portable, these advantages have spread to rural populations. However, ultrasound scans can often reveal the sex of the baby, allowing pregnant women to decide to abort female foetuses and try again for a male child. This practice is usually considered to be the main reason for the change in the ratio of male to female children being born.In 1994 the Indian government passed a law dispirited women or their families from asking about the sex of the baby after an ultrasound scan (or any other test which would yield that information) and also expressly forbade doctors or any other staff from giving that information. However, in practice this law (like the one forbidding dowries) is widely ignored, and levels of the abortion on female foetuses remain high and the sex ratio at birth keeps getting worse. Female infanticide (killing of girl infants) is still prevalent in some rural areas.Sometimes this is i nfanticide by neglect, for example families may not spend money on critical medicines or even just by withholding care from asick girl. The abuse of the dowry tradition has been one of the main reasons for sex-selective abortions and female infanticides in India.TraffickingThe Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act was passed in 1956. However many cases of trafficking of young girls and women have been reported. These women are either forced into prostitution, domestic work or child labour. Other concernsHealthThe average female life expectancy today in India is low compared to many countries, but it has shown gradual improvement over the years. In many families, especially rural ones, the girls and women face nutritional discrimination within the family, and are anaemic and malnourished. The maternal mortality in India is the second highest in the world. Only 42% of births in the country are supervised by health professionals. Most women deliver with help from women in the family who oft en lack the skills and resources to extradite the mothers life if it is in danger. According to UNDP Human Development Report (1997), 88% of pregnant women (age 15-49) were found to be suffering from anaemia.Family planningThe average woman in rural areas of India has little or no condition over her reproductivity. Women, particularly women in rural areas, do not have access to safe and self-controlled methods of contraception. The public health system emphasises permanent methods like sterilisation, or long-term methods like IUDs that do not indispensability follow-up. Sterilization accounts for more than 75% of total contraception, with female sterilisation accounting for almost 95% of all sterilisations.Sex ratiosIndia has a highly skewed sex ratio this is attributed to the practice of sex selective abortions which kills somewhat one million baby girls per year.The government stated that India is missing three million girls in 2011 and there are now 48 fewer girls per 1,000 b oys than there were in 1981.SanitationIn 2011 a right-hand(a) to Pee (as called by the media) campaign began in Mumbai, Indias largest city.Women, but not men, have to pay to urinate in Mumbai, despite regulations against this practice. Women have also been sexually assaulted while urinating in fields.Thus, activists have collected more than 50,000 signatures support their demands that the local government stop charging women to urinate, build more toilets, keep them clean, provide sanitary napkins and a icing can, and hire female attendants.In response, city officials have agreed to build hundreds of public toilets for women in Mumbai, and some local legislators are now promising to build toilets for women in every one of their districts.Notable Indian womenEducationSavitribai Phule was a social reformer who along with her husband, Mahatma Jotiba Phule played an important role in improving womens rights in India during the British Rule. Savitribai was the first female teacher of the first womens school in India and also considered as the induct of modern Marathi poetry. In 1852 she opened a school for Untouchable girls.Arts and entertainmentSingers and vocalists such as M.S. Subbulakshmi, Gangubai Hangal, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle are widely revered in India. Anjolie Ela Menon is one of the famous painters.SportsAlthough the general sports scenario in India is not very good, some Indian women have made notable achievements in the field. Some of the famous female sportspersons in Indian include P. T. Usha, J. J. Shobha (athletics), Kunjarani Devi (weightlifting), Diana Edulji (cricket), Saina Nehwal (badminton), Koneru Hampi (chess) and Sania Mirza (tennis). Female Olympic medalists from India include weightlifter Karnam Malleswari (bronze, 2000), Saina Nehwal (bronze, 2012), and boxer Mary Kom (bronze, 2012).Politics finished the Panchayat Raj institutions, over a million women have actively entered political life in India.As per the 73rd and 74th positive Amendment Acts, all local elected bodies reserve one-third of their seats for women. Although the percentages of women in various levels of political activity has risen considerably, women are still under-represented ingovernance and decisionmaking positions.LiteratureMany well-known women writers are in Indian literature as poets and story writers. Sarojini Naidu, Kamala Surayya, Shobha De, Arundhati Roy, Anita Desai are some of them. Sarojini Naidu is called the nightingale of India. Arundhati Roy was awarded the booker Prize (Man Booker Prize) for her novel The God of Small Things. we have to understand that without empowering women in india we can not compete amongest genuine countries.Most of the women thinks that if they are getting respect in family or from husband,they are empowered.But this misconception should be removed from our society. Women in India discover proud to display that they are well protected and pampered by their husbands without realizing that they are making themselves helpless. Such womens economic literacy is so low that they cannot play any role in familys decision regarding familys budget, savings and investments. To such women, the theme budget discussion is for men only and soap operas are for them. Such women suffer a roofy if something untoward happens to their husbands.This type of extreme dependency is not good for the development of women. Women should remember that they are also rational, intelligent and thinking human beings. Dependent women are not empowered women. If modern women think that they are empowered, its a myth for them. Empowerment means to inspire women with he courage to break free from the chains of limiting beliefs, patterns and societal or religious conditions that have traditionally kept women suppressed and unable to realize their true beauty and power. In India, the empowerment process has already begun. We are now witnessing a fuddled improvement in the enrollment of women in schools , colleges and even in profession institutes. Their health is better as compared to earlier decades. In this decade, women are entering into the job market in increasing numbers. They are presentation their skills even in non-traditional sectors like police, defence, administration, media and research fields.Twenty-six laws have been enacted so far to protect women from various crimes. The recent law on the protection of women against domestic violence satisfies the long pending demand of the women activities. In the political field, the second-stringer for women is a significant step forward towards their political empowerment. When thirty-three percent reservation for women in Parliament becomes a reality,womens voice will be heard in the highest forum of democracy. The day, women of India will reach zenith in their empowerment. But a lot of work has to be done as there is a category of women (who consider themselves highly educated) that proudly accepts that they dont have digi tal literacy even though they own a computer, they cannot even operate bank accounts or make travel arrangements for family or handle infirmary admissions even during emergencies. Even for a simple task like social visits or shopping broadly speaking they need the company of their husbands.Conclusions Empowerment by itself may not place women on an equal ground with men. The greatest need of the hour is change of social attitude to women. Take the classic case of dowry. Dowry is still rampant in a virulent form even among the highly educated a girl may be, dowry is still demanded. Womens empowerment means a lot, but the eventual(prenominal) goal of the equalization of man and woman would materialize only when her complementary role is recognized by the society.SourcesA)Women in India wikipedia.org/wikiB)Publish your Article.com,Writer MrMaahir Virani C)Data for Domestic ViolanceMrs Renuka Chowdhery,Junior Minister for Women Child Development. D)Data for Education and Economic D evelopmentNational Sample survey data 1997. E) Workforce Particiaption1991 World Bank Report. F)Acid ThrowingThe Thomas Reuters Foundation Survey.

Hotel and Information Systems Essay Example for Free

Hotel and nurture Systems EssayIt has been accepted for inclusion in communication theory of the link for discipline Systems by an authorized administrator of AIS Electronic Library (AISeL). For more reading, disport contact emailprotected org. 102 Communications of the fellowship for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005) 102-118 OUTRIGGER HOTELS AND RESORTS A CASE STUDY Gabriele Piccoli School of Hotel Administration Cornell University emailprotected edu short-change This case describes the history, strategy, and latest training systems infra mental synthesis of a midsize, privately owned hospitality trustworthy.The case is designed to provide the straightforward background breeding needed to engage success in effect(p)y in jellting counsel for IS re extensions and their use at Outrigger Hotels and Resorts headquartered in hullo. It enables students to analyze the unfluctuatings strategy thoroughly and to assess its contemporary use of information systems reso urces. With this estimation as a starting point, students washbasin develop an appropriate IS vision, IS architecture, and a strategic IS plan for Outrigger Hotels and Resorts.The case was origin anyy designed to use the process of setting comportion for IS resources as described by Martin and colleagues 2005, but is flexible enough to adapt to the structure of other approaches to planning for information systems use. Keywords IS planning, IS assessment, IS visioning, infrastructure, hospitality. Editors Note A teaching note is available from the author to faculty so requiring it that are listed in the MISRC-ISWorld Faculty Directory. I am involved with every decision that senior counsel takes.They look to me for an IS slant to it whether an IT solution can capitalize on opportunities or eliminate threats. They similarly extend my team to independently develop an IS strategy that will further the worry. Joe Durocher, Senior frailty president CIO every effr must(prenomi nal) go for an IT strategy. You cant delegate to technologists and only worry active your onlyocated approach or what training your employees need. You must understand how to be master of your own destiny and make IT build best for you. Too umpteen managers still dont get that. Rob Solomon, Senior Vice President Sales Marketing Outrigger Hotel and Resorts A miscue Study by G.Piccoli Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005)102-118 103 I. INTRODUCTION Outrigger Hotels and Resorts, a mid-size lodging dissolute foc apply on void time travel to the Hawaiian Islands and the s awayhwestern Pacific, uses Information Technology (IT) in numerous aspects of its trading trading operations and therefore must carefully engage in the information systems planning process. After analyzing Outriggers strategy and assessing the warms current use of information systems resources, we can develop an appropriate IS vision, IS architecture, and a strategic IS plan for Outrigger Hotels and Resorts.On Black Friday, September 13, 1929, Roy C. Kelley arrived in Hawaii with his wife Estelle. An architect by training, Mr. Kelley joined the firm of C. W. Dickey and was responsible for designing well-nigh(prenominal) of Honolulus landmark buildings, including the main building of the old Halekulani Hotel and the Waikiki Theater on Kalakaua Avenue. Nine familys later Kelley set out on his own, building numerous homes, apartment buildings, and hotels on the island of Oahu. In 1963, Kelley took over the land occupied by the old Outrigger Canoe Club.Outrigger Hotels then became a reality with the mission of bringing the dream of a vacation in Paradise within the reach of the middle-class traveler. Included in the agreement were leases on three Waikiki lots that later became the Outrigger East, Outrigger West, and Coral Reef hotels. The Outrigger Waikiki Hotel was built on the site of the old boat club, arguably the prime spot on Waikiki beac h, in 1967. Throughout the next two decades, Outrigger Hotels Hawaii, as the ph angiotensin-converting enzymer was named, continued its expansion in Waikiki.When in the 1970s the zoning authority put a cap on wise construction in Waikiki, Outrigger began to expand through acquisition rather than construction, ultimately sightly the largest chain in the State of Hawaii, with over 7,000 room and a total of 15 properties cin one casentrated in Waikiki. Thanks to its clustered configuration, with whole of its hotels located within virtuoso square mile, Outrigger was able to maintain a change forethought structure fitting Mr. Kelleys management by walking somewhat style.In 1989, Outrigger Hotels Hawaii, now under the leadership of Roy Kelleys son Dr. Richard Kelley, took over management of The Royal Waikoloan Hotel on the self-aggrandizing Island of Hawaii. When hurricane Iniki, heading for Waikiki in 1992, barely missed Honolulu and ravaged the island of Kauai, it provided fur ther impetus for Outriggers geographical diversification strategy to and beyond neighboring islands. The firm, expanding into management agreements with third party owners, added properties on Maui and Kauai and ultimately grew to a total of 26 locations in the Hawaiian Islands.In 1996 the firm make its first international foray, crack the Outrigger Marsh entirely Island Resort on Majuro Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Through partnerships, joint ventures, acquisitions, and new teachings the firm continued to grow internationally, adding properties in Guam, Fiji, Tahiti, Australia, and New Zealand. While growing geographically, in 1990 Outrigger Hotels Hawaii began to diversify its point of intersection portfolio by adding condominium resorts.Because of ts geographical and product diversification, in 1995 Outrigger Hotels Hawaii changed its name to Outrigger Hotels and Resorts, and in 1999 re-branded fifteen of its hotels in Waikiki to launch a new hotel brand ca lled OHANA Hotels of Hawaii. We had an identity crisis because the market moved up, we upgraded the onbeach properties where we had mettlesomeer demand and bought some(prenominal) nice properties in neighboring islands. But we had huge variation in the portfolioif you stayed at a figure shoes vs. a beach front property, youd be very conf utilize as to what an Outrigger was.President and CEO, David Carey Outrigger Hotel and Resorts A object lesson Study by G. Piccoli 104 Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005) 102-118 Figure 1 Outrigger Properties in Waikiki Figure 2 Outrigger Properties in the Hawaiian Islands Outrigger Hotel and Resorts A Case Study by G. Piccoli Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005)102-118 105 Figure 3. Properties Managed by Outrigger Hotels and Resorts (International) The on-beach properties became upscale full-service hotels under the Outrigger brand.The condos, also typically on-bea ch upscale locations, retained the Outrigger brand. Conversely, the OHANA brand was positioned to cater to the budget traveler smell for value on off-beach properties. Condominiums represented an increasingly chief(prenominal) share of the total portfolio of properties, purge though the firm stumbled upon the opportunity that condominiums offered. Condominiums appealed to independent travelers who would do much search and planning on their own. Condominiums were also complex, non-standard products that travel agents and wholesalers found hard to sell.Because condos were rarely built as championship ventures, but rather were designed as primary or vacation homes for the tenants, they offered little office or staging space for management companies to operate in. They also lacked many another(prenominal) of the typical hotel services and departments such as food and beverage, room service, laundry, and daily maid service. These difficulties notwithstanding, Outrigger found the c ondo note appealing because it provided a actor for expansion through management contracts without the need to acquire expensive properties.By 2005, Outrigger was a sizable firm, with about 3,600 employees (of whom about 230 were at corporate headquarters), a portfolio of properties exceeding US $1. 4 billion, and approximate revenues of US $45 million Hotel On-Line, 2003. But at the heart of its strategic positioning a commitment remained to providing a reek of place, an experience attuned to the culture and the characteristics of the destination, and to avoiding a cookie cutter approach. Our business is really about being a window to an experience, not the experience itself.We are the enabler through which people can engage in the leisure experience they desire. We dont try to export Hawaii when we go elsewhere, but we do observe the same values in the places we operate hotels and resorts. David Carey Outrigger Hotel and Resorts A Case Study by G. Piccoli 106 Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005) 102-118 Outriggers senior management believed that its key competencies resided in providing hospitality to guests visiting their properties and market those properties successfully through leisure dispersion channels.To complement these basic competencies, Outriggers management develop what it believed to be a superior capability to manage in a multicultural environment, including multicultural and multilingual employees and guests. Aided by a turnover rate in the single digits and an average of 25 years of employee tenure with the company, Outrigger managed to be a just aboutly non-union shop in the heavily unionized Hawaii labor market. We operate properties that befuddle good locations, we halt a unattackable travel distribution network, and our employees really provide hospitality from the heart.That creates a differentiated product making monetary value less important. David Carey Outrigger was wedded to the suc cess of its destination markets and to the puff up-being of airlines armed service its destinations. If Hawaii does well, so do we. I spend a lot of time working with local anesthetic go gameism authorities to improve the appeal of the destinations we operate in. But airlines can be a bottleneck. We whitethorn not have a bun in the oven available lift at times when we need it. If the airlines are full or they have decided in their yield model that they are way out to only sell their precede fares, there is nothing we can do.From purely the hotels perspective, the best thing for us is an airline price struggle to Hawaii. David Carey III. THE HOTELS AND RESORTS INDUSTRY As the 21st century dawned, the global lodging patience was estimated to exceed $295 billion in sales (about 11% of the worlds economic output) and employed more than 250 million workers Encyclopedia of Global Industries, 2003. The leisure travel segment accounted for about 45% of total good deal Horwath Int ernational, 2002. THE HAWAIIAN HOTEL MARKET In the Hawaiian market, which was Outriggers traditional stronghold, 2004 entropy showed performance levels above the average of the global industry.Being quite uncaring from any large population pool, Hawaii was a classic destination market with an exclusive fly-in customer ascendant. The major feeders were U. S. westbound traffic and Japanese eastbound traffic. These markets were thought to yield very high surrender order1estimated by some to be around 50% westbound and over 65% eastbound. This trend made for a very location-savvy customer base. Peculiar to this market was also the trend of multi-island stays, with guests visiting more than one destination during the same trip. Table 1.Performance of Hawaii Hotel Market Occupancy Avg. Number of rooms ordinary Daily footstep2 Revenue* * Amounts per available room 72. 1% 706 $198. 41 $78,488 In the hotel business, glide by rate is used to refer to the parcel of visitors who come back again for more than one visit to the same location. 2 Average Daily Rate (ADR), is the average of all rates designated on a accustomed date for all rooms sold that day. A yearly ADR can be computed by averaging ADRs for all days of the year. 1 Outrigger Hotel and Resorts A Case Study by G. PiccoliCommunications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005)102-118 107 set Because the Hawaii and Pacific Rim markets were exclusive destination markets, the use of packages including air and accommodations was pervasive. Historically, packages were assembled and sold by wholesalers and tour operators who purchased both air and hotel rooms in pile and re-marketed them to the traveling public. With the widespread adoption of the Internet, a new type of package was emerging under the leadership of large online travel agencies high-power packages.A dynamic package was one that enabled the guest to choose air, hotel, car rental, and even activities, ticket them inde pendently, and then price them out as a bundle. Dynamic packages were appealing to suppliers because the price of each item was not disclosed, making price comparison difficult and alleviating commoditization fears. They were appealing to prospective travelers because they increased choice and fostered flexibility. Finally, they appealed to online travel agents because they built upon their value overturecustomer choiceand could potentially improve their margins.COMPETITORS As a mature destination, Hawaii had been entered by many of the larger branded hospitality and resort companies. The largest hospitality firms, such as Marriott International, Hilton Hotels and Resorts, and Starwood, developed a probatory presence with eight, five, and eleven properties respectively. But the largest operators in Hawaii were geographically- and leisure-focused players such as Outrigger, ASTON Hotels Resorts Hawaii (with twenty-eight properties), and Marc Resorts Hawaii (with eleven properties). IV.OUTRIGGER CUSTOMERS AND THE COMPETITION THE OUTRIGGER HOTELS AND RESORTS CUSTOMERS Outriggers original mission was to bring the opportunity for a vacation in Paradise within the reach of middle-class families. As the firm began to diversify its portfolio, the profile of its customers and the competition also changed. The typical guest staying with the pension brand Outrigger was often a multigenerational customer with a sense of obedience to the brand (about 25% of guests were returning to Outrigger) and an annual income exceeding $75,000. Outrigger guests were almost exclusively leisure travelers.This customer base created seasonality, with winter and summer being the high seasons when properties like the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach reached an ADR of $260 and an overall business around 90%. Our customers are independent-minded and look for an experience that is more regional and attuned to the destination, but still within their puff zone. They may stay with big brands in their road warrior capacity, but thats not what they are look for in a tropical destination. Rob Solomon Table 2. Outriggers Portfolio and Sample Competitors Location Properties Rooms Lowest Rate *Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Waikiki 2 1,383 $160 Starwood Hotels and Resorts Waikiki 4 4,132 $150 Marriott International Waikiki 1 1,297 $209 Hyatt Hotels and Resorts Waikiki 1 1,230 $210 Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Guam Fiji 2 895 $203 Starwood Hotels and Resorts Guam Fiji 3 995 $one hundred forty-five Hilton Hotels and Resorts Guam 1 587 $110 *Rates for similar rooms as they appear on the company website, celestial latitude 2004, for January 2005 stays Outrigger Hotel and Resorts A Case Study by G. Piccoli 108 Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005) 102-118Competing for these customers, Outrigger went head-to-head with major brands that enjoyed name recognition amongst the traveling public, a flow of customers redeeming points, available capi tal, and availability of programs for employees such as discounted travel beyond Hawaii and the Pacific region. In response, Outrigger leveraged its assets some of the premier locations in the markets in which it competed, strong name recognition, long-term relationships with the travel distribution network, a strategic focus on vacation destinations, a deep local knowledge and community ties, and good employee relations.THE OHANA HOTELS CUSTOMERS The typical OHANA guest was a value-minded and Hawaii-savvy leisure traveler with income below $100k a year. Typically, OHANA guests had visited Hawaii multiple times, stayed longer than average, and visited more often. Business travel was mainly military machine personnel and employees of corporations who operated on multiple islands. Groups accounted for less that 10% of OHANAs overall traffic. We have about 50% return guests. Your first trip you want a beach front hotel, the atmosphere, the ambianceyou want the full Hawaii experience.W hen you come more often, you still want the experience, but you look for more value and preferably of spending $250-$300 a night for a beachfront you can stay longer offbeach for $70-$80 a night. Chuck Shishido, OHANA Hotels VP of Operations With seasonality similar to that of the full service Outrigger Hotels, OHANA Hotels typically achieved an ADR around $66 and approximate occupancy levels of 75% over the year. A number of small regional chains (such as Marc Resorts and Castle Resorts) and many off-beach independent hotels existed in the Waikiki market.Pricing for off-beach properties was much harder to manage because of the commodity nature of the hotels not enjoying a premium location. OHANA was the largest operator in Waikiki and the largest Hawaii-owned operator. Table 3. OHANAs Portfolio and Sample Competitors Location Properties Rooms Lowest Rate * OHANA Waikiki 13 4564 $76 Marc Resorts Waikiki 4 314 $74 Castle Resorts Waikiki 6 N/A $75 * Rates for comparable rooms as they appear on the company website, December 2004, for January staysCONDOMINIUMS CUSTOMERS Two types of customers typically stayed at the condominiums. On the low end of the $90,000 to $160,000 income bracket were families visiting during school breaks, looking to control expenses, and control their vacation experience. They valued the full kitchen a standard in every unit and the two sleeping accommodations and two baths. This assessment was substantiated by the fact that condos had four times as many reservations coming direct from the Internet and tended to determine faster after a soft economy.On the upper end were newlyweds and nearly dead couples who wish the privacy and space afforded by a condo. Because of the need to convince individual owners to join the pool of Outrigger managed units, the firm competed with small local management companies and individual owners beliefs that they could do a better job alone. This idiosyncrasy of condominium operations amounted to dealing w ith two customersthe unit owners and the guests. The guests were unaware of the workings of condo operations and looked for the same level of service they would receive at a resort.On average, a condominium with mostly two bedroom units would achieve an ADR around $175, time properties with mostly studio and one bedroom units would go for around $140. Outrigger Hotel and Resorts A Case Study by G. Piccoli Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005)102-118 109 MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION Outrigger operated a profound Reservation note (CRO) in Denver, Colorado with anywhere from 40 to 70 reservationists (FTEs), mainly depending on the volume of business.A corporate marketing staff of 12 people, allocated about 6% of revenue, was responsible for managing the brand and for going to market. An additional 2% of revenue was used to fund reservation and other distribution monetary values. Reservations were centralized for all properties in Hawaii beyond Haw aii reservations were only taken at each property. Outriggers executives believed that distribution was a cornerstone of the companys success, with about 50% of the business coming from wholesalers. Consumer direct (via phonate or the Web), travel agents, government and military, and corporate clients made up the rest.For international properties, the source of business percentage from wholesalers was close to 80% and almost all reservations were facsimile machineed to the property. V. OUTRIGGERS ORGANIZATION Outrigger Hotels and Resorts was a management company totally owned by a holding corporation called Outrigger Enterprises. Reflecting its real kingdom development roots, Outrigger Enterprises also owned a real estate ownership company called Outrigger Properties. Figure 4 shows the Outrigger organization. Figure 4. Organization chart Outrigger Hotel and Resorts A Case Study by G. Piccoli 110Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005) 102-118 Outrigger Properties wrote and managed real estate contracts with third party owners and supervised the owned assets (accounting for about a third of all properties in the Outrigger portfolio), as well as the development, acquisition, and sale of properties. Outrigger Hotels and Resorts, the operating arm of Outrigger Enterprises, was responsible for the writing of new management contracts, and for overseeing property renovations and operations of the managed hotels, resorts, and condos.Outrigger Properties generally negotiated a base rent and a 3 percentage of revenue with tenants revenues from chartered space were assigned to the hosting propertys own PL. Room revenue made up the bulk of each propertys revenue. Income from leased space ranged from as low as 5% in hotels with little retail space to as high as 20% in some of the most appealing locations. Other more marginal revenue was derived from parking, in-room entertainment, telecommunications, and kids clubs operations. Outri gger Hotels and Resorts historically maintained a highly centralized organizational structure.As the firm grew in size and geographical distribution a more distributed structure emerged, but, reflecting its roots, Outrigger Hotels and Resorts remained consolidated where possible. We have centralized services accounting, IT, finance, engineering, purchasing, special projects that certification all the properties on Oahu, as well as indirectly the neighboring islands. There is also one executive housekeeper in charge of all properties. We run the OHANA Hotels like a 4,200 room distributed hotel. It is very efficient.Chuck Shishido As the firm expanded internationally it became more decentralized, with resorts in the Pacific Rim working much more like independent operations and organized like traditional resorts. Recognizing the significant advantages offered by its centralized structure, Outrigger was looking at the possibility of compound its international resorts better. However , distance presented new challenges We need a reservation solution for Australia, a real-time coordination with a central reservation service. They are operated as individual hotels the central 800 number today is just switched to the counteract hotel.A centralized system would offer tremendous value because we get drive-in business and warm potential cross-property traffic. Executive VP and COO Perry Sorenseon, VI. OUTRIGGER IT INFRASTRUCTURE Joe Durocher, the CIO of Outrigger Enterprises, was hired by David Carey in 1986. Mr. Roy Kelly was a hands-on manager. He once told me he hated two things electronic computers and vice presidents. As the VP of IT, I had two strikes against me. Yet, in 1986 I was brought in to overhaul Outriggers IT infrastructure and we built Stellexour integrated CRS/PMS. At the time all our properties were in Waikiki, within one square mile of each other. Joe Durocher In this type of agreement the landlord receives a frigid payment plus a percentage of the total sales made by the tenant business (e. g. , restaurant, shop). 4 The CRS, Central Reservation System, is the computer system used by a hotel chain to support call center operations and, generally, its web site. The CRS holds chain-wide inventory and allows reservationists to sell room inventory at all the hotels affiliated with the chain.The PMS, Property Management System, is the brain of hotel operations. It is the computer system that is used to manage the inventory of hotel rooms at an individual property. 3 Outrigger Hotel and Resorts A Case Study by G. Piccoli Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005)102-118 111 Figure 5. Timeline of Major Infrastructure Developments at Outrigger OUTRIGGERS SOFTWARE Stellex, to which Durocher refers, was introduced in 1987 as a COBOL act that guaranteed complete redundancy and 24 x 365 uptime.These two properties are oddly important in the hotel business, which depends on being able to make reserva tions at any time during the day and wants to make sure that its computer system is always operational. For the technically minded, the application ran on a tandem NonStop platform and a patented Enscribe database management system. 5 In 1992, Outrigger introduced its first major update to Stellex, Stellex 2. 0, which ran on a sunniness Microsystems UNIX platform and provided revenue management functionality and reservation center support.Because of its unique need for substantial wholesale interaction, Outrigger set-aside(p) Opus, a software company specializing on revenue management systems,6 to build their revenue management staff for Stellex 2. 0. Outrigger retained control of Opus source code7 and over the years made substantial enhancements, mainly to manage wholesale relationships. Outrigger implemented JD Edwards ERP as the cornerstone of its back-office operations in 1990, years before the ERP craze sweep the business world. JD Edwards ran on an IBM AS 400widely consi dered to be a mature and stable platform.The firm felt that its centralized IT infrastructure was a source of competitive advantage. Durocher discussed the trade-offs associated with centralized IT Decentralizing IT would decrease our capabilities while increasing overall costs. But centralized IT creates friction at times. When a hotel is sold for example, the IT allocation may increase for other properties. 8 Joe Durocher Stellex provided the anchor to which all other operational systems connected, including telephone switches, call accounting, and in-room entertainment. each(prenominal) of the properties in the Hawaiian Islands had access toOutriggers centralized IT systems, served from the Honolulu-based data center, through the firms proprietary Wide Area Network. Stellex, for example, was accessed using an ASP model by all the properties in the Hawaiian Islands, the firms Denver-based Central Reservation Office, and the Portland, Oregon-based Web servers, thereby greatly simp lifying the achievement of single image inventory, tragedy recovery, and overall IT management. This configuration enabled the properties to operate with PCs (as few as 12 in a 5 Tandem Computer Systems was bought up by Compaq in 1997.Compaq, in turn was purchased by HP. Enscribe is still in business in December 2004. 6 Opus was subsequently bought by Micros-Fidelio, the dominant hospitality-focused software company. 7 address code refers to the original, human readable computer program. By owning it, Outrigger could change it as they saw fit. Note that Microsoft, for example, guards its source code jealously so that others cant change Microsofts programs. 8 In many companies, such as Outrigger, IT costs are allocated to users, such as hotels, on an annual basis.IT cost is comparatively fixed and not affected much by the number of units it supports. If a property is sold, the fixed cost allocated to all other properties must therefore go up. Outrigger Hotel and Resorts A Case Stud y by G. Piccoli 112 Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005) 102-118 Figure 6. Outriggers IT Infrastructure typical 500-room property) and networking equipment. The Point of Sales (POS) systems9 were not centralized, since Outrigger leased retail and restaurant space. This state of affairs generated some friction at times The POS is the computer software used to support retail and restaurant operations. It enables operators to keep track of sales and accurately bill customers. Outrigger Hotel and Resorts A Case Study by G. Piccoli Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005)102-118 113 We offer to interface their POSs to Stellex and pay for interfaces to automate room charges. But many of those POS are old and cant interface, they must be upgraded first. Restaurants have to carry through a manual charge voucher and walk it to the front desk for input.Its not a touristy or efficient way to do it. VP of Property Techn ology, Allen White Due to the need for local support, the high telecommunication costs to and from Hawaii, and the unacceptable reliability of international networks, Outrigger did not extend this centralized model to its operations in Australia and the Pacific. The properties in Australia and New Zealand, all condominiums, used a highly specialized PMS particularly well suited for their condominium properties and their unique tax code requirements.None of the properties in Hawaii has a server on property. In the outer regions we have standalone PMSs and on-property reservations. We dont even try to keep Stellex in sync, they just open and close. If a date is getting full, they issue a stop-sell. Reservations that are taken centrally are automatically emailed. Joe Durocher APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT Beyond maintaining and upgrading Stellex, Outriggers IT professionals meshed in minimal application developmentmainly writing customized reports, and configuring and interfacing offthe-she lf applications.The use of outsourcing was limited to the Web site, developed and hosted by a third party in Portland, Oregon. Yet, in order to maintain the integration of direct channels, Stellex served as the booking engine behind Outriggers Web site. A key initiative for Outrigger was the development of electronic interfaces with wholesalers. These interfaces were customdeveloped by the firms IT group using XML. 10 With many wholesalers we have real-time electronic interfacesthey can check availability and we get their reservations instantaneously.Without the interface, if they create a reservation six or three months out, we dont see it until reporting time, ten days out, when we receive a fax and manually input it. It is virtually impossible to revenue manage like that. Many big brands have great revenue management systems, but dont have real-time wholesaler data. Moreover, we can write wholesale contracts brand-wide. Joe Durocher Outrigger felt that its electronic interfaces a fforded it a competitive advantage and preferential treatment from interface-enabled wholesalers, a relationship that proved particularly important during slow periods or a soft economy.Electronic interfaces generated substantial efficiencies, including automatic billing and invoicing without human handling, lowering estimated costs for these functions to $0. 75 from an estimated $10 for manually handled ones. But not all wholesalers were able or interested in automating reservation processing. This lack of interest was particularly dead on target for small operations or those for whom Hawaii and the Pacific represented a small percentage of business. The industry is a mess from a connectivity standpoint.We are fortunate that we have the in-house expertise and the recognition from senior management of how important this is. Even the big companies often dont understand the conditions for success. The dirty little privy of the travel industry is that the fax machine still rules. Rob Solomon 10 XML stands for eXtensible Markup Language. It is a actors line used to create a protocol enabling computer applications of partnering firms to exchange information easily. Outrigger Hotel and Resorts A Case Study by G. Piccoli 114Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005) 102-118 I spend 30-40 hours a week working with wholesalers on interfaces. There are many legacy systems out there the fax is state of the art. We have made great progress with the more advance wholesalers or those that upgraded recently. Alan White Outrigger found the Open displace Alliance (OTA) XML standards, specifying common message format and common content, of great serve. But being able to strip the right partner, and avoid costly failures, remained the major challenge.While Outrigger felt it had been successful to date, with an estimated 33% of total reservations authorized electronically through the various channels, it still handled more than half a mill ion faxes a yearabout eight hundred a day from its largest wholesaler alone before that wholesaler migrated to the electronic interface. The firm felt that it had been able to capitalize on the use of technology to increase distribution efficiencies in the face of ever rising labor costs. Conversion rates at the Central Reservation Office improved from 20% to 45%-50% with widespread consumer adoption of the Internet.The firm estimated that as much as 60% of callers had already researched the Outrigger website and made a purchase decision but, as Solomon put it, had one more question. In an effort to provide support right on the website, the firm introduced live chat functionalities and offered email arrest for significant savings in labor and postage costs. DATA MANAGEMENT In 2001, Outrigger acquired business watchword software, a data mart, and analytical tools from 11 E. piphany running on a Windows 2000 platform. The data mart held enlarge data for three years, enabling analy sis down to the individual guest folio.selective information were consolidated afterwards, enabling only aggregate analyses. While E. piphany was a recent purchase, Outrigger had been disciplined in collecting data for some time. We had 10 years of high quality data from Stellex we are very rigid about data capture standardization like room category, naming conventions, request codes, and what goes where. For example, postal and country codes are mandatory fields. Our employees long tenure helps, and peer pressure is a great asset nobody wants to be the one that ruins the value of these reports for all.Alan White The data collected by Stellex, including source of business, stay information, and consumption, were extracted every night by load programs that scrubbed (i. e. , cleaned) them, and transferred them to the JD Edwards ERP system for accounting and to the E. piphany system for analysis. Feeding historical data and forward looking availability and reservation activity, Outrig ger learned to harness the analytical power of E. piphany to do forecasts and generate business intuition both at the source of business and at guest levels. We want the marketing data. It is stupid to have a treasure trove like that and not use it.We mine it. We send thank you letter to recurring guests, we can give you history on who visited, how they got here, what in-flight magazine we should hit. We sold a resort once and they figured they would have to hire 3 people to achieve manually what our reports gave them automatically. They even set their rates based on E. piphany forecasts. Alan White The IT group served as custodian of the data, but any user with earnest clearance had access to E. piphany data though a web interface the data was used for marketing and operational analysis (e. g. , analysis of call patterns to evaluate the appeal of Voice over IP solutions).Incorporating the information into daily operations was more challenging. Definitions of technical terms such as Business Intelligence, Data Mart, Data Mining, and many others used throughout this case study can be found free of charge at http//www. whatis. com. 11 Outrigger Hotel and Resorts A Case Study by G. Piccoli Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005)102-118 one hundred fifteen Outrigger found it hard to justify a frequent guest programwith an average repurchase motorcycle for returning guests of three years, a once a year purchase was considered very high in Hawaii resort operations.Speaking about recognition programs, Individual properties have their own customer database and a strong informal recognition system. We havent been able to justify the investment technologically to do it brand wide. It would be a natural extension of the recognition we give our return guests, but it must be cost-effective. Perry Sorenson If a guest did not tell us he is returning when making the reservation, our current system does not have a database with guest his tory. Many times we recognize our frequent return guests only at the door, or during check in at the front desk.We have special programs (e. g. , for honeymooners, wedding ceremony anniversaries), but we need to know their history to appropriately acknowledge these returning guests. VP of Operations for Outriggers Waikiki Beachfront Hotels Kimberly Agas, a 20 year veteran with the company, IT STAFFING AND ORGANIZATION Outriggers IT staff consisted of 26 full time employees. Of these, 4 data entry operators and 3 developers were housed in a separate limited liability company to help Outrigger take advantage of tax incentives offered by the state of Hawaii.