Saturday, May 23, 2020

Social Work and Adult Health Care Essay - 1823 Words

Introduction Social work is a service that provides universalist services outside the market on the principle of need (Titmuss, 1974, p.146). It maintains welfare of the public, and its basic role in adult social care is to focus on individuals, families and communities, and to ensure their well-being. By doing so, social workers improve quality of life, and serve for betterment of the whole community, thus enabling a social change. Today, much of these social work services is guaranteed by social policies and laws, which ensure delivery of social care to different individuals. However, there are significant drawbacks in social work practice, and issues that need to be addressed by the public and by social workers themselves. This essay†¦show more content†¦It also operates on a larger scale by educating, engaging in social and political action to impact social policy (The International Federation of Social Workers, 2014, p.n.g.), and by involving the right people and organisations. A l egal framework for these services is based on the Health and Community Care Act 1990 and the Health and Social Care Act 2012. These acts define rights and responsibilities for social workers in adult social care and associated services. They state that local authorities are in charge of social care provisions, having relevant services at hand, and supplying adequate support (Department of Health, 2010). Section 47(1) of the Health and Community Care Act 1990 requires councils to provide assessment for potential social care and support, and to provide a suitable service to eligible individuals, according to section 4 of the Disabled Persons Act 1986. This shift in power from central to local authorities creates a market, where NHS trusts and other organisations provide services, and the local authorities choose and market these from their budgets. The councils are set free to run innovative local schemes and build local networks of support (Department of Health, 2010, p.4).Thus, thi s legislative emphasises community and home care, where carers and patients can work together. In other words, the government encourages councils and their social work departments to be independent of any state bureaucracy, and to explore theirShow MoreRelatedThe Role Of An Adult Nurse On The Health Care Profession1237 Words   |  5 Pages Being new to Psychology, I am excited to share my understanding on the role of an Adult Nurse in the Health Care Profession. Health care in our Society today has improved vastly, compared to the War times. Care standards, equipment, methods of caring has been improved upon with the creation of more specialized units and qualified Professionals. Making a decision, regarding the particular field in the Health Care sector to specialize in can be difficult, because there are many factors to be consideredRead MoreINDIVIDUAL RIGHTS TO SERVICE USERS Essay971 Words   |  4 Pagesbrief – BTEC (NQF) Assignment title Individual Rights in Health and Social Care Assessor Tracey Simpson Date issued 16/09/14 Hand in deadline Duration (approx) 6 hours Qualification covered BTEC First Diploma in Health and Social Care Units covered Unit 8: Individual Rights in Health and Social Care Learning aims covered Learning Aim A: Investigate the rights of individuals using health and social care services Learning Aim B: Examine the responsibilities of employersRead More11 – Safeguarding Adults Promoting Independence990 Words   |  4 Pages|Course Title | Health Social Care | |Unit Title |11 – Safeguarding Adults Promoting Independence | |Level |3 | |Part Unit Read MoreReflection, Challenges, And Ideas1287 Words   |  6 Pagescareer goals, just like many other young adults. Unfortunately, he is up against many barriers such as poverty, homelessness, mental illness and lack of social support, and our system has fallen short in addressing those barriers and in making higher education easily accessible to him. Young adults go through many life transitions and experiencing a FEP add greatly to the complexity of this phase of life. The lack of support for education for young adults experiencing a FEP is astonishing. DuringRead MoreThe Role Of An Adult Nurse1616 Words   |  7 PagesThe Role of an Adult Nurse. In this Task, I will be analysing, explaining and describing the role of an Adult Nurse. Focusing on the responsibilities, qualities, code of Practice, their Differences between other non – professionals and their negative/positive approach to team work and supervision. 1.1 Analysis of an adult nurse. According to Oxford dictionaries.com, a nurse is ‘a person trained to care for the sick or infirm, especially in a hospital.’ (Oxford dictionaries.com accessed on 28.1.2015)Read MoreUnit 11 p4 p51740 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Unit 11- Safeguarding Adults and promoting independence P4- Outline key legislations and regulations which govern safeguarding adults work P5- Outline working strategies and procedures used in health and social care to reduce the risk of abuse Legislations and regulations are essential to have and follow in the working environment, it ensures safe practice for the workers and safety, protection and stability to people that are in their care. Legislations The Safeguarding Vulnerable GroupsRead MoreLater Adulthood Development Report1234 Words   |  5 Pagespersonality and social development in later adulthood to the potential client’s family. Some issues that will be addressed are the changes in role and social position during this stage. One will also compare living accommodation such as accessibility and the need for health care. Also one will illustrate the adjustment and transition from work to retirement. What changes occur in marriage, family, and peer relationships? Lastly one will identify social policies that affect the older adult. The olderRead MoreThe Importance Of Being A Mental Health Care Manager Essay1437 Words   |  6 Pagesaspects of being a mental health care manager. The homecare side brings up problems specifically with providers. Getting providers to communicate with each other is especially draining. There will be a personal care physician prescribing one medicine and a specialist prescribing another medication that may have side effects when combined with the first medication. Since these providers don’t communicate with each other, the patient is now suffering. One of the duties of a social worker includes gettingRead MoreHealth And Person Centred Care996 Words   |  4 Pagesessay will discuss Health and Person Centred-Care, what it is, and how in adult nursing field it is relevant and promoted and put in action. Through the factors such as lay health belief, health, health promotion person centred care. These influence of lay health belief of people’s attitudes and values that will be encounter in the field of practise. An aspect of care is the lay believes of people. Naidoo. J, Wills. J. (2009) Lay concept of heath is the obvious views of health which are passed fromRead MoreAssess The Organization s Programs And Services Essay1706 Words   |  7 PagesAssess the Organization’s Programs and Services The Area Agency on Aging Region One Incorporated is a private 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that connects seniors, adults with HIV/AIDS, adults with disabilities and long-term care needs, and family caregivers of older adults in Arizona with resources, programs, and services. The Agency plans, coordinates, develops, administers, and delivers programs and services that reach 93,000 Maricopa County residents annually and is a part of a nationwide

Monday, May 18, 2020

Greenhouse Gases How They Work and What They Are

Greenhouse gases absorb reflected solar energy, making the Earths atmosphere warmer.  A lot of the sun’s energy reaches the ground directly, and a portion is reflected by the ground back into space. Some gases, when present in the atmosphere, absorb that reflected energy and redirect it back to Earth as heat. The gases responsible for this are called greenhouse gases, as they play a similar role as the clear plastic or glass covering a greenhouse. Recent Increases Tied to Human Activities Some greenhouse gases are emitted naturally through wildfires, volcanic activity, and biological activity. However, since the industrial revolution at the turn of the 19th century, humans have been releasing increasing amounts of greenhouse gases. This increase accelerated with the development of the petro-chemical industry after World War II. The Greenhouse Effect The heat reflected back by greenhouse gases produces a measurable warming of the Earth’s surface and oceans. This global climate change has wide-ranging effects on the Earth’s ice, oceans, ecosystems, and biodiversity.    Carbon Dioxide Carbon dioxide is the most important greenhouse gas. It is produced from the use of fossil fuels to generate electricity (for example, coal-fired power plants) and to power vehicles. The cement manufacturing process produces a lot of carbon dioxide. Clearing land from vegetation, usually in order to farm it, triggers the release of large amounts of carbon dioxide normally stored in the soil. Methane Methane is a very effective greenhouse gas, but with a shorter lifespan in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. It comes from a variety of sources. Some sources are natural: methane escapes wetlands and oceans at a significant rate. Other sources are anthropogenic, which means man-made. The extraction, processing, and distribution of oil and natural gas all release methane. Raising livestock and rice farming are  major sources of methane. The organic matter in landfills and waste-water treatment plants releases methane. Nitrous Oxide Nitrous oxide  (N2O)  occurs naturally in the atmosphere as one of the many forms nitrogen can take. However, large amounts of released nitrous oxide contribute significantly to global warming. The main source is the use of synthetic fertilizer in agricultural activities. Nitrous oxide is also released from during the manufacturing of synthetic fertilizers. Motor vehicles release nitrous oxide when operating with fossil fuels like gasoline or diesel. Halocarbons Halocarbons are a family of molecules with a variety of uses, and with greenhouse gas properties when released into the atmosphere. Halocarbons include CFCs, which were once widely used as refrigerants in air conditioners and refrigerators. Their manufacture is banned in most countries, but they continue to be present in the atmosphere and damage the ozone layer (see below). Replacement molecules include HCFCs, which act as greenhouse gases. These are being phased out as well. HFCs are replacing the more harmful, earlier halocarbons, and they contribute much less to global climate change. Ozone Ozone is a naturally occurring gas located in the upper reaches of the atmosphere, protecting us from much of the damaging sun rays. The well-publicized issue of refrigerant and other chemicals creating a hole in the ozone layer is quite separate from the issue of global warming. In the lower parts of the atmosphere, ozone is produced as other chemicals break down (for example, nitrogen oxides). This ozone is considered a greenhouse gas, but it is short-lived and although it can contribute significantly to warming, its effects are usually local rather than global. Water, a Greenhouse Gas? How about water vapor? Water vapor plays an important role in regulating climate through processes operating at lower levels of the atmosphere. In the upper parts of the atmosphere, the amount of water vapor appears to vary a lot, with no significant trend over time. There are things you can do to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. Source Observations: Atmosphere and Surface. IPCC, Fifth Assessment Report. 2013.

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Lies and Deceit in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1142 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/05/18 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Huckleberry Finn Essay Mark Twain Essay Did you like this example? There are many themes throughout Mark Twains novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, that makes this book appealing. However, the most important theme revolves around the lies and deceit that occurs from many characters. It is these lies and deceit that Huck and Jim use for their own protection and also each others, which ultimately lead to a real, sacred friendship that forms between the two. Huck often lies throughout; however, they are all for a good purpose and for a specific reason. This leads to the analysis that Huck actually has different types of lies for different situations. For example, in chapter seven, Pap catches him with the gun and asks: What you doin with this gun? (Twain 124). In this situation, simply for Hucks own protection, he had to lie because if Pap knew what him and Jim was doing with the gun, he would get beaten as his punishment. This brings Huck to say, Somebody tried to get in, so I was laying for him. (Twain 124). Huck seems to gain confidence in telling lies as the story develops but he has a tough time trying to deceive Pap. This is shown when Huck states I haint got no money [ ] I haint got no money, I tell you. (Twain 118). Even though Pap knew it was a lie, we can see Huck trying to protect himself from his uncivilised father abusing him again. It is more of these protection lies that we see as the story continues and this is important as we start to see the growth of Huck and what he is willing to do to save Jim causing this sacred friendship. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Lies and Deceit in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" essay for you Create order Not only does Huck lie for physical protection, but also to evade detection which ultimately keeps himself safe. In chapter seventeen when Huck gets spotted after faking his own death, he smartly thinks on his feet and lies, Its me. [ ] George Jackson, sir. Im only a boy (Twain 163). Since Huck got found he had no choice but to lie and make up his name after he faked his death which keeps him under the radar and allows him to carry on with his adventure. Not knowing what would happen from there on, Huck finds Jim once again. From the lie that Huck told, it has resulted in the reunion of the two, showing how the lie that was told, has ended up as Hucks and Jims gain. Huck uses detection further when he dresses up as a girl, called Sarah Mary Williams, after the second attempt. Even though this turns out to be Hucks most unsuccessful lie, the woman never finds out who he really is and so the lie still serves its purpose. These two lies of detection are important as it allows Huck and J im to continue their journey and not get recognised which could have led to disastrous consequences, therefore protecting themselves. While Huck shows his desire to remain on his path with Jim, he does not always make the right decisions on when to tell a lie. This is shown in chapter fifteen when Huck tries to make Jim believe that the fog was a dream: I haint seen no fog, nor no islands, nor no troubles, nor nothing. (Twain 156). This proves to be a mistake by Huck as when Jim finds out the truth, the African American is angry at the boy. This particular lie shows us that even though he has gained independence throughout, he is still a thirteen-year-old boy with an attitude that discriminates towards black people. This suggests Huck does not think of Jim as highly on the moral scale when compared to white men, since Huck may still believe that the right and civilised thing to do, is to turn Jim, an escaped slave, in. On the contrary, it is arguable that Huck protects Jim throughout the whole novel since he does not turn Jim in as soon as they meet. Furthermore, Jim being with Huck and them sticking together can be seen as protection for each other. If Huck was not to go on the Island, Jim may have been found by other people resulting in him being brought back to be a slave and to be abused. Also, at the same time, Jim protects Huck by not allowing him to the see the dead body, (Pap), as he would not know how it would affect Huck. Overall, the fact they are both there for each other shows a lot about how this true sacred friendship has formed, and how it slowly gains in strength over time. Jim protected Huck from a potentially devastating moment, and Huck so called repays the favour when Huck is advanced by two men wanting to search his boat for escaped slaves. Huck lies to the men and convinces them that he has smallpox and that they should back away. Furthermore, when asked about Hucks partner, Huck protects Jim in a way no one ever thought could during this era: Hes white. (Twain 159). The fact that Huck is willing to lie about Jims skin colour just to keep him from being taken shows the moral scale by which he once went by, has gone, and now Huck sees Jim as another human rather than just a slave. Finally, the final lie that Huck tells is to himself, which results in protection for Jim and the final true, sacred relationship to form between him and Jim. This is in chapter thirty-one where Huck writes a letter to Miss Watson originally betraying Jim. Ultimately this is the lie he is telling himself as after everything that has happened with them together, and Huck a ccepting Jim for who he is and not his skin colour, he has lied to himself by attempting to deceive his partner. However, Huck deep down knows his feelings for Jim and the immediate ripping of the letter proves this as he also comments, All right, then, Ill go to hell (Twain 234). The sacrifice Huck is willing to make to Jim by going to hell to keep Jim safe, finally makes Huck realise the relationship he has with Jim. It is this that forms the true, sacred friendship that we see at the end of the novel. In conclusion, the theme of lies and deception in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is one of the most influential and important themes that the story has within it. The going against what is said to be right (lying), in order to save someone who not so long ago they met on an Island, shows how Huck, who started off nave to the adult world and only knew two types of civilisation, (civilised embodied by the widow and uncivilised embodied by Pap); both of which include racism, now has gained that independence to believe he should do what is right, and not conform to everyone else.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Challenges for Urban Local Governments in India - 46115 Words

Asia Research Centre Working Paper 19 Challenges for Urban Local Governments in India Written by Rumi Aijaz Rumi Aijaz was Visiting Research Fellow at Asia Research Centre in 2006. E-mail: rumi_pvg@rediffmail.com A section of this working paper has been accepted for publication in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Asian and African Studies, by Sage Publications Ltd. Copyright  © Rumi Aijaz, 2007 All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of research or private study, or criticism or review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission in writing of the publisher nor be issued to the public†¦show more content†¦  ! I E ! 8 7  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¤  £  %   )  £  ¤  ¥ ( %  £   §  £   £ )    ¤    £    ¦  £ $  #   ¥  §    ¥ !  ¦    ¤  §    ¤   ¦  £   §  ¥  ¦  ¥  ¨ (    ¥ B @ 0 9  %   £ 3 3 8 D 7  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡  ¡ %Show MoreRelatedMetro Cash Carry1021 Words   |  5 Pagesmarkets, to quickly set up in a new country and to adapt to local market demand, which was facilitated by having many local relationships. When entering into a new market, the company firstly screened the possible countries perfectly, tailored strategies to each market and tried to expand very quickly after entering. It ´s so called city-by-city investment plan was either carried out through a cluster approach, building business units in major urban centers, or by using a spiral approach, which means toRead MoreMetro Cash Carry1008 Words   |  5 Pagesmarkets, to quickly set up in a new country and to adapt to local market demand, which was facilitated by having many local relationships. When entering into a new market, the company firstly screened the possible countries perfectly, tailored strategies to each market and tried to expand very quickly after entering. It ´s so called city-by-city investment plan was either carried out through a cluster approach, building business units in major urban centers, or by using a spiral approach, which means toRead MoreIndia s Indian Rural Market1437 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction There is growing realization among marketers about the enormous untapped potential of India’s rural markets. The Indian rural market with its vast size and demand base offers great opportunities to companies. In India, there are 6,42000 villages . While agriculture used to be the major source of income in rural areas, over the past 10-12 years, the dominance of agriculture has been rapidly declining. The contribution of agriculture to India’s GDP was less than 20% in 2008-09. ThereRead MoreDifferent Solutions to Poverty in Urban Areas1357 Words   |  6 PagesDifferent solutions to poverty in urban areas 1. Introduction: Poverty can be defined in two ways, which are absolute poverty and relative poverty. In terms of absolute poverty, Murray (2004:2) suggests that the lack of an adequate income and cannot gain access to basic necessities to provide for basic human needs-food, clothing, warmth and shelter- are a clear indication of poverty. In a relative way, there was an assumption that a certain standard of living was normal, and that those living belowRead MoreIndia s Indian Rural Market Essay1599 Words   |  7 PagesThere is growing realization among marketers about the enormous untapped potential of India’s rural markets. The Indian rural market with its vast size and demand base offers great opportunities to companies. In India, there are 6,42000 villages . While agriculture used to be the major source of income in rural areas, over the past 10-12 years, the dominance of agriculture has been rapidly declining. The contribution of agriculture to India’s GDP was less than 20% in 20 08-09. There is a sizeableRead MoreSolar Energy Industry Indi Problems And Prospects1092 Words   |  5 PagesAbstract To meet demand-supply gap in the energy sector of India has led Government to tap solar energy that is sufficient to meet the annual demand of residential, agriculture and residential purposes. Solar energy sector is driven by demand and supply side factors, and it has the excellent chance to be World leader in this area if it tackles its challenges efficiently. Government can focus on establishing mini-grids to cater the needs of remote regions, implementation of renewable energy certificatesRead MoreClean India For A Green India1573 Words   |  7 PagesCLEAN-India, for a Green India ‘When the last tree is cut and the last fish killed, the last river poisoned, then you will see that you can’t eat money.’ -John May The CLEAN-India Programme India has a population of over one billion, of which almost 300 million live in around 600 towns and cities. Unfortunately, as a result of stressed environmental conditions, most of these towns and cities are unable to cope with the rapid pace of urbanisation. Water pollution, unavailability of drinking waterRead MoreMarketing Strategy for Bottom of Pyramid Customers: A Case Study of Nokia1278 Words   |  6 PagesMarketing challenges for BOP markets: BOP or Bottom of pyramid is a socio economic term given for the strata of low income people in the income pyramid (used to approximate the distribution of a country’s income). Thus obviously Bottom of Pyramid constitutes the market made of country’s poorest people. In India approximately 6 Lacs villages and 72% of country’s population constitutes BOP. The great majority of men and women of this BOP cluster work in agriculture, animal husbandry, factories orRead MoreEssay On Rural India818 Words   |  4 Pagesonly in cities. Urban India is way ahead with 61.9 internet subscriptions per 100 people while rural India is struggling with 13.7 subscriptions per 100 people. Digital disparity is so high that Delhi alone has 2.2 core internet connections while the entire North-East lags behind with just 4.3 lakh connection. Half of the 3 core connections in Maharashtra are concentrated in Mumbai. It is to be noted that urban population constitute only 32.7 per cent of the total population of India. A cashless societyRead MoreCase Study : Market Screening Process857 Words   |  4 Pagesfound opportunities and challenges that may occur in the IKEA expansion to enter Indian market, some implications and recommendations are proposed. Implications of Political Factors The political and economic systems of India raise important ethical issues that have implication for IKEA’s business expansion in India. For instance: related to mandate from government to meet 30% of total products have to come from local small enterprises, IKEA needs to build relationships with local suppliers and support

You Suck A Love Story Chapter 19~20 Free Essays

Chapter Nineteen Our Dead Homeys The vampires sat side by side on the bare futon frame, watching as a five-legged bug limped up the big front window of the loft. Tommy thought that the rhythm of the bug’s steps made a for a danceable backbeat – thought he might be able to set music to it, if he knew how to write music. Suite for Angst and Limping Bug, he’d call it. We will write a custom essay sample on You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 19~20 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Nice bug,† Tommy said. â€Å"Yeah,† Jody said. We should save it for Abby, Jody thought. She was feeling guilty about having bitten the girl – not so much because of the violation, because obviously the kid had been willing, but because she felt as if she really didn’t have any choice. She had been injured and her predator nature told her to survive, whatever the cost, which is what bothered her. Was her humanity drifting away? â€Å"The Animals are going to come for us now,† Tommy said. He was feeling angry, betrayed by his old crew, but most of all he felt separate from them now. He felt separate from everyone. Tomorrow was Christmas and he didn’t even want to call his parents because they were a different species now. What do you buy for an inferior species? â€Å"It’s just the Animals,† Jody said. â€Å"We’ll be safe.† â€Å"I’ll bet that’s what Elijah thought, too, and they got him.† â€Å"We should go get him,† Jody said. She imagined Elijah Ben Sapir, standing in the full sun by the Ferry Building, tourists passing him, wondering why someone would put a statue there. Would the brass protect him? Tommy checked his watch. â€Å"We’d never get there and back in time. I tried that yesterday.† â€Å"How could you do that to him, Tommy? He was one of us.† â€Å"One of us? He was going to kill us, if you remember. He kind of did kill us. I resent that. Besides, if you’re covered in bronze, what does it matter if you’re underwater? I was just trying to get him out of sight so we could think about our future without him being part of it.† â€Å"Right. Okay,† Jody said. â€Å"Sorry.† Future? She’d lived with a half-dozen guys, none had ever willingly talked about the future before. And she and Tommy had a supersized buttload of future ahead of them as long as someone didn’t catch them sleeping. â€Å"Maybe we really should leave the City,† she said. â€Å"No one would know about us in a new city.† â€Å"I was thinking we should get a Christmas tree,† Tommy said. Jody looked away from the bug. â€Å"That’s a thought, or we could put some mistletoe up, put on Christmas carols, and stand outside waiting for Santa until the sun comes up and incinerates us. How’s that sound?† â€Å"Nobody appreciates your sarcasm, missy. I’m just trying to get a handle on normal. Three months ago I was stocking groceries in Indiana, looking at community college, driving around in my crappy car, wishing I had a girlfriend, and wishing that there was some potential for something to happen beyond getting a job with benefits and living the same life as my dad. Now I have a girlfriend, and superpowers, and a bunch of people want to kill me, and I don’t know how to act. I don’t know what to do next. And it’s going to be that way forever. Forever! I’m going to be scared out of my mind forever! I can’t deal with forever.† He’d been barking at her, but she resisted the urge to snap back. He was nineteen, not a hundred and fifty – he didn’t even have the tools for being an adult, let alone being immortal. â€Å"I know,† she said. â€Å"Tomorrow night, first thing, we’ll hire a car, go get Elijah, and pick up a Christmas tree on the way back. How’s that sound?† â€Å"Hiring a car? That sounds exotic.† â€Å"It’ll be like prom.† Was she being too patronizing? â€Å"You don’t have to do that,† he said. â€Å"I’m sorry I’m acting like a weenie.† â€Å"But you’re my weenie,† Jody said. â€Å"Take me to bed.† Still holding her hand, he stood, then pulled her up into his arms. â€Å"We’ll be okay, right?† She nodded and kissed him, feeling for just a second like a girl in love instead of a predator. She immediately felt a resurgence of shame over feeding on Abby. The doorbell rang. â€Å"Did you know we had a doorbell?† â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"You can’t beat a dead whore in the morning,† said Nick Cavuto cheerfully, because apparently, everyone loves a dead hooker, despite what certain writer types might think. They were standing in the alley off Mission Street. Dorothy Chin – short, pretty, and whip-smart – snorted a laugh and checked the thermometer probe she’d stuck in the deceased’s liver like a meat thermometer into a roast. â€Å"She hasn’t been dead four hours, guys.† Rivera rubbed his temples and felt his bookstore slipping away, along with his marriage. He’d known the marriage had been going for a while, but he was feeling a little brokenhearted about the bookstore. He figured he knew, but he asked anyway. â€Å"Cause of death?† â€Å"Toothy blow job,† Cavuto said. â€Å"Yes, Alphonse,† said Dorothy with a tad too much sincerity, â€Å"I’d have to concur with Detective Cavuto, she died of a toothy blow job.† â€Å"It just pisses some guys off,† Cavuto added, â€Å"a professional without skills.† â€Å"Guy just snapped her neck and took his money back,† said Dorothy with a big grin. â€Å"So a broken neck?† said Rivera, mentally waving goodbye to a whole set of first-edition Raymond Chandlers, ten-to-six workdays, golfing on Mondays. Cavuto snorted this time. â€Å"Her head’s turned around the wrong way, Rivera. What did you think it was?† â€Å"Seriously,† Dorothy Chin said, â€Å"I have to do the autopsy to be sure, but offhand that’s the obvious cause. I’d also say she’s probably lucky to go that way. She’s HIV positive and it looks like the disease had developed into full-blown AIDS.† â€Å"How do you know that?† â€Å"See these sarcomas on her feet.† Chin had removed one of the hooker’s shoes – she pointed to open sores on the corpse’s foot and ankle. Rivera sighed. He didn’t want to ask, but he asked anyway, â€Å"What about blood loss?† Dorothy Chin had done the autopsies on two of the previous victims and cringed a little. It was a pattern. They’d all been terminally ill, they’d all died of a broken neck, and they’d all shown evidence of extreme blood loss, but no external wounds – not even a needle mark. â€Å"Can’t tell out here.† Cavuto had lost his cheery manner now. â€Å"So we spend Christmas day canvassing dirtbags to see if anyone saw anything?† At the end of the alley, uniforms were still talking to the grimy homeless man who had called in the murder. He was trying to get them to spring for a bottle of whiskey – because it was Christmas. Rivera didn’t want to go home, but he didn’t want to spend a day trying to find out what he already knew. He checked his watch. â€Å"What time was sunrise this morning?† he asked. â€Å"Oh, wait,† Cavuto said, patting down his pockets, â€Å"I’ll check my almanac.† Dorothy Chin snorted again, then started giggling. â€Å"Dr. Chin,† Rivera said, tightening down now, â€Å"could you be more precise about the time of death?† Chin picked up on Rivera’s tone and went full professional. â€Å"Sure. There’s an algorithm for the cooling time of a body. Get me the weather from last night, let me get her back to the morgue and weigh her, and I’ll get you a time within ten minutes.† â€Å"What?† Cavuto said to Chin. â€Å"What?† This time to Rivera. â€Å"Winter solstice, Nick,† Rivera said. â€Å"Christmas was originally set at the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. It’s eleven-thirty now. I’m betting that four hours ago the sun was just coming up.† â€Å"Uh-huh,† Cavuto said. â€Å"Prostitutes have shitty hours – is that what you’re saying?† Rivera raised an eyebrow. â€Å"Our guy didn’t travel far after sunrise, is what I’m saying. He’s going to be around here.† â€Å"I was afraid that’s what you were saying,† Cavuto said. â€Å"We’re never going to get the bookstore open, are we?† â€Å"Tell the uniforms to look anywhere it’s dark: under Dumpsters, in crawl spaces, attics – anywhere.† â€Å"Getting warrants on Christmas day might be a problem.† â€Å"You won’t need warrants if you get permission from the owners – we’re not looking to bust anyone living here, we’re looking for a murder suspect.† Cavuto pointed to the eight-story brick building that composed one wall of the alley. â€Å"This building has something like eight hundred ministorage units in it.† â€Å"Then you guys had better get started.† â€Å"Where’re you going?† â€Å"There was a missing person report on an old guy in North Beach a couple of days ago. I’m going to check it out.† â€Å"Because you don’t want to go Dumpster diving for v – â€Å" â€Å"Because,† Rivera cut him off before he could say the V-word, â€Å"he had terminal cancer. His wife assumed he just wandered off and got lost. Now I’m not so sure. Call me if you find anything.† â€Å"Uh-huh.† Cavuto turned to the three uniforms who were interviewing the bum. â€Å"Hey, guys, have I got a merry Christmas detail for you.† The Animals decided to hold a small memorial service for Blue in Chinatown. Troy Lee was already there, as was Lash, who wouldn’t go home to his apartment until Blue’s body was removed, and Barry, who was Jewish, would be coming there for dinner with his family, as was the tradition in his faith. Plus, the liquor stores in Chinatown were open on Christmas, and if you slipped some money under the counter, you could get firecrackers. The Animals were fairly sure that Blue would have wanted firecrackers at her funeral. The Animals stood in a semicircle, beers in hand, on a playground off Grant Street. The deceased was being honored in absentia – in her place was a half-eaten pair of edible panties. From a distance, they looked like a bunch of wastrels mourning a Fruit Roll-Up. â€Å"I’d like to start, if I may,† said Drew. He wore a long overcoat and his hair was tied back with a black ribbon, revealing the target-shaped bruise on his forehead where Jody had hit him with the wine bottle. Out of his coat he pulled a bong the size of a tenor sax, and using a long lighter designed for lighting fireplaces, he sparked that magnificent mama-jama up and bubbled away like a scuba diver having an asthma attack. When he could hold no more, he raised the bong, poured some water on the ground, and croaked, â€Å"To Blue,† which came out in a perfect smoke ring, the sight of which brought tears to everyone’s eyes. â€Å"To Blue,† everyone repeated as they placed one hand on the bong and tipped a bit out of their beers. â€Å"To Broo, my nigga,† said Troy Lee’s grandma, who had insisted upon joining the ceremony once she realized there would be firecrackers. â€Å"She will be avenged,† said Lash. â€Å"And we’ll get our fucking money back,† said Jeff, the big jock. â€Å"Amen,† the Animals said. They had decided on a nondenominational ceremony, as Barry was a Jew, Troy Lee was a Buddhist, Clint was an Evangelical, Drew was a Rastafarian, Gustavo was a Catholic, and Lash and Jeff were heathen stoners. Gustavo had been called in to work that day because someone had to be in the store as long as the front was only boarded up with plywood, so in deference to his beliefs, they had bought some incense and holders and placed a picket fence of smoldering joss sticks around the edible panty. The incense also worked within Troy and Grandma’s Buddhist tradition, and Lash pointed out during the ceremony that although they have their differences otherwise, all gods like a good-smellin’ ho. â€Å"Amen!† said the Animals again. â€Å"And they’re handy for lightin’ firecrackers off of,† added Jeff as he bent over an incense stick and set a string cracking. â€Å"Hallelujah!† said the Animals. Each offered to share some kind of memory of Blue, but all of their stories quickly degenerated to orifices and squishiness, and no one wanted to go there in front of Troy’s grandma, so instead they threw firecrackers at Clint while he read from the Twenty-third Psalm. Before they cracked the second case of beer, it was decided that after dark, three of them – Lash, Troy Lee, and Barry – would take Blue from Lash’s apartment, load her into the back of Barry’s station wagon, and take her out in the middle of the Bay in Barry’s Zodiac. (Barry was the diver of the bunch, and had all the cool aquatic stuff. They’d used his spearguns to help take down the old vampire.) Lash braced himself as he opened the apartment door, but to his surprise, there was no smell. He led Barry and Troy into the bedroom, and together they wrestled the rolled-up rug out of the closet. â€Å"It’s not heavy enough,† Barry said. â€Å"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit,† Troy said, trying furiously to unroll the rug. Finally Lash reached down, grabbed the edge of the rug, and whipped it up over his head. There was a thudding sound against the far wall, followed by the jingle of metal, like coins settling. The three Animals stood and stared. â€Å"What are those?† Asked Barry. â€Å"Earrings,† answered Troy. Indeed, there were seven earrings settling on the hardwood floor. â€Å"Not those. Those!† Barry nodded toward two clear, cantaloupe-sized, gelatinous lozenges that quivered on the floor like stranded jellyfish. Lash shivered. â€Å"I’ve seen them before. My brother used to work in a plant in Santa Barbara that made them.† â€Å"What the fuck are they?† Said Troy, squinting through a drunken haze. â€Å"Those are breast implants,† Lash said. â€Å"What are those wormy things?† asked Barry. There were two translucent sluglike blobs of something stuck to the rug near the edge. â€Å"Looks like window caulk,† said Lash. He noticed that there was a fine blue powder near the edge of the rug. He ran his hand over it, pinched some on his fingers, and sniffed it. Nothing. â€Å"Where’d she go?† asked Barry. â€Å"No idea,† said Lash. Chapter Twenty It’s a Wonderful Life Gustavo Chavez had been born the seventh child of a brick maker in a small village in the state of Michoacan, Mexico. At eighteen he married a local girl, the daughter of a farmer, herself a seventh child, and at twenty, with his second child on the way, he crossed the border into the United States, where he lived with a cousin in Oakland, along with a score of other relatives, and worked grueling, twelve-hour days as a laborer, making enough to feed himself and send more money home to his family than he could possibly have made in his father’s brickyard. He did this because it was the responsible and right thing to do, and because he had been raised a good Catholic man who, like his father, would provide for his family and no more than two or three mistresses. Each year, about a month before Christmas, he would sneak back across the border to celebrate Christmas with his family, meet any new children that might been born, and make love with his wife, Maria, until they were bo th so sore it hurt to walk. In fact, the vision of Maria’s inviting thighs would often begin haunting him around Halloween and the hapless night porter would find himself in a state of semiarousal as he swung his soapy mop, to and fro, across fifteen thousand square feet of linoleum every night. Tonight he was in the store alone, and he was feeling far from aroused, for it was Christmas night, and he could not go to mass or take Communion until he confessed. He was feeling deeply ashamed. Christmas night and he hadn’t even called Maria – hadn’t spoken to her for weeks, because like the rest of the Animals, he had gone to Las Vegas, and had given all his money to the blue whore. He had called, of course, after they’d first taken the vampire’s art and sold it for so much money, but since then, his life had been a fog of tequila and marijuana and the evil attentions of the blue one. He, a good man, who cared for his family, had never hit his wife, had only cheated with a second cousin and never with a white woman, had been undone by the curse of the blue devil’s pussy. La maldicin de la cocha del diablo azul. This is the saddest, loneliest Christmas ever, thought Gustavo as he dragged his mop past the canvas doors leading into the produce-department cooler. I am like the poor cabrn in that book The Pearl, where by simply trying to take advantage of some good fortune, I have lost all that I care about. Okay, I did get drunk for a week and my pearl was a blue whore who fucked the chimichangas out of me, but still, pretty sad. He thought these things in Spanish, so they sounded infinitely more tragic and romantic. Then there came a noise from the cooler, and he was startled for a second. He wrung out his mop, so as to be ready for anything. He didn’t like being in the store by himself, but with the front windows broken out, someone had to be here, and because he was far from home, had nowhere else to go, and the union would see that he was paid double time, Gustavo had volunteered. Perhaps if he sent home a little extra, Maria might forget the hundred thousand dollars he’d promised. There, something was moving behind the plastic doors of the cooler, which were waving slightly. The stout Mexican crossed himself and backed out of the produce department, swinging his mop now in quick swaths, leaving barely a hint of dampness on the linoleum. He was by the dairy case now, and a stack of yogurts fell over inside the glass doors, as if someone had shoved them out of the way to look through. Gustavo dropped the mop and ran to the back of the store, saying a Hail Mary peppered with swearwords as he went, wondering if those were footsteps he heard behind him, or the echoes of his own footfalls resounding through the deserted store. Out the front door and away, he chanted in his head. Out the front door and away. He nearly fell rounding the turn at the meat case, his shoes still wet from the mop water. He caught himself on one hand and came up like a sprinter, while reaching back on his belt for his keys as he went. There were footfalls behind him – light, slapping – bare feet on linoleum, but fast, and close. He couldn’t stop to unlock the door when he got there, he couldn’t look back, he couldn’t turn to look – a second of hesitation and he would be lost. He exhaled a long wail and ran right through a rack of candy and gum by the registers. He tumbled over the first register in an avalanche of candy bars and magazines, many of which displayed headlines like I MARRIED BIGFOOT, or SPACE ALIEN CULT TAKES OVER HOLLYWOOD, or vampires hunt our streets, and other such nonsense. Gustavo scrambled out of the pile and was crawling on his belly like a desert lizard scrambling to get across hot sand, when a heavy weight came down on his back, knocking the air out of him. He gasped, trying to get his breath, but something grabbed him by the hair and yanked his head backwards. He heard crackling noises in his ear, smelled something like rotten meat, and gagged. He saw the fluorescent lights, some canned hams, and a very happy cardboard elf making cookies as he was dragged down the aisle and through the doors into the dark back room of the deli like so much lunch meat. Feliz navidad. â€Å"Our first Christmas together,† Jody said, kissing him on the cheek – giving his butt a little squeeze through his pj bottoms. â€Å"Did you get me something cute?† â€Å"Hi, Mom,† Tommy said into the phone. â€Å"It’s Tommy.† â€Å"Tommy. Sweetheart. We’ve been calling all day. It just rang and rang. I thought you were going to come home for Christmas.† â€Å"Well, you know, Mom, I’m in management at the store now. Responsibilities.† â€Å"Are you working hard enough?† â€Å"Oh yeah, Mom. I’m working ten – sixteen hours a day sometimes. Exhausted.† â€Å"Well good. And you have insurance?† â€Å"The best, Mom. The best. I’m nearly bulletproof.† â€Å"Well, I suppose that’s good. You’re not still working that horrible night shift, are you?† â€Å"Well, sort of. In the grocery business, that’s where the money is.† â€Å"You need to get on the day shift. You’re never going to meet a nice girl working those hours, son.† It was at this point, having heard Mother Flood’s admonition, that Jody lifted her shirt and rubbed her bare breasts against him while batting her eyelashes coquettishly. â€Å"But I have met a nice girl, Mom. Her name is Jody. She’s studying to be a nun – er, teacher. She helps the poor.† It was then that Jody pantsed him, then ran into the bedroom giggling. He caught himself on the counter to keep from tumbling over. â€Å"Whoa.† â€Å"What, son? What’s the matter?† â€Å"Nothing, nothing, Mom. I just had a little eggnog with the guys and started to feel it.† â€Å"You’re not on the drugs, are you, honey?† â€Å"No, no, no, nothing like that.† â€Å"Because your father has rehab benefits on you until you’re twenty-one. We can have one of those interventions if you can find a cheap flight home. I know that Aunt Esther would love to see you, even if you are strung out on the crack.† â€Å"And I her, and I her, Mom. Look, I just called to say Merry Christmas, I’ll let you – â€Å" â€Å"Wait, honey, your father wants to say hi.† † – go.† â€Å"Hey, Skeeter. Frisco turned you into an ass bandit yet?† â€Å"Hi, Dad. Merry Christmas.† â€Å"Glad you finally called. Your mother was worried sick about you.† â€Å"Well, you know, the grocery business.† â€Å"You working hard enough?† â€Å"Trying. They’re cutting back on our OT – union will only let us work sixty hours a week.† â€Å"Well, as long as you’re trying. How’s that old Volvo running?† â€Å"Great. Like a top.† The Volvo had burned to the wheels his first day in the City. â€Å"Swiss sure can build some cars, can’t they? Can’t say much for those little red pocketknives they make, but sonsabitches can build a car.† â€Å"Swedes.† â€Å"Yeah, well, I love the little meatballs too. Look, kid, your mother’s got me deep-frying a turkey out in the driveway. It’s starting to smoke a little. I probably oughta should go check on it. Took an hour to get the oil up to speed – it’s only about ten degrees here today.† â€Å"Yeah, it’s a little chilly here, too.† â€Å"Looks like it’s starting to catch the carport on fire a little. Better go.† â€Å"Okay. Love you, Dad.† â€Å"Call your mother more often, she worries. Holy cats, there goes the Oldsmobile. Bye, son.† A half hour later they were sipping coffee laced with William’s blood when the doorbell rang again. â€Å"This is getting irritating,† Jody said. â€Å"Call your mom,† Tommy said. â€Å"I’ll get it.† â€Å"We should get some sleeping pills – knock him out so he doesn’t have to drink all that booze before we bleed him.† The doorbell rang again. â€Å"We just need to get him a key.† Tommy went to the console by the door and pushed the button. There was a buzz and the click of the lock at street level. The door opened – William coming in to settle on the stairs for the night. â€Å"I don’t know how he sleeps on those steps.† â€Å"He doesn’t sleep. He passes out,† said the undead redhead. â€Å"Do you think if we gave him peppermint schnapps the coffee would have a minty holiday flavor?† Tommy shrugged. He went to the door, threw it open, and called down. â€Å"William, you like peppermint schnapps?† William raised a grimy eyebrow, looking suspicious. â€Å"You got something against scotch?† â€Å"No, no, I don’t want to mess up your discipline. I was just thinking of a more balanced diet. Food groups, you know.† â€Å"I had some soup and some beer today,† William said. â€Å"Okay then.† â€Å"Schnapps gives me mint farts. They scare the hell out of Chet.† Tommy turned to Jody and shook his head. â€Å"Sorry, no way, minty farts.† Then to William again: â€Å"Okay then, William. I gotta get back to the little woman. You need anything? Food, blanket, toothbrush, a damp towelette to freshen up?† â€Å"Nah, I’m good,† William said. He held up a fifth of Johnny Walker Black. â€Å"How’s Chet doing?† â€Å"Stressed. We just found out our friend Sammy got murdered in the hotel on Eleventh.† Chet looked up the stairwell with sad kitty eyes, which he sort of always seemed to have since he’d been shaved. â€Å"Sorry to hear that,† Tommy said. â€Å"Yeah, on Christmas, too,† William said. â€Å"Hooker got killed across the street last night, same way. Neck was snapped. Sammy has been sick for a while, so he splurged on a room for the holiday. Fuckers killed him right there in bed. Just goes to show you.† Tommy had no idea what it went to show you. â€Å"Sad,† Tommy said. â€Å"So how come Chet’s stressed but you’re not?† â€Å"Chet doesn’t drink.† â€Å"Of course. Well then, Merry Christmas to you guys.† â€Å"You, too,† said William, toasting with his bottle. â€Å"Any chance of a Christmas bonus, now that I’m a full-time employee?† â€Å"What’d you have in mind?† â€Å"I’d sure like a gander at Red’s bare knockers.† Tommy turned to Jody, who was shaking her head, looking pretty determined. â€Å"Sorry,† Tommy said. â€Å"How about a new sweater for Chet?† William scowled. â€Å"You just can’t bargain with The Man.† He took a drink from his bottle and turned away from Tommy as if he had something important to discuss with his huge shaved cat and couldn’t be bothered with management. â€Å"Okay then,† Tommy said. He closed the door and returned to the counter. â€Å"I’m The Man,† he said with a big grin. â€Å"Your mom would be so proud,† Jody said. â€Å"We need to go see about Elijah.† â€Å"Not until you call your mom. Besides, he’s waited this long, it’s not like he’s going anywhere.† Jody got up and came around the breakfast bar and took Tommy’s hand. â€Å"Sweetie, I need you to play what William just said back in your mind, really slowly.† â€Å"I know, I’m The Man!† â€Å"No, the part about his friend being killed by a broken neck, and how he has been sick, and how someone else was killed the night before, also by broken neck. I’ll bet she was sick, too. Sound like a pattern you’ve heard before?† â€Å"Oh my God,† Tommy said. â€Å"Uh-huh,† Jody said. She held his hand to her lips and kissed his knuckles. â€Å"I’ll get my jacket while you fluff up your little brain for traveling, ‘kay?† â€Å"Oh my God, you’ll do anything to get out of calling your mom.† How to cite You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 19~20, Essay examples

Services Marketing for Pike Place Market - MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theServices Marketing for Pike Place Market. Answer: Introduction Starbucks was established in 1971 in Seattle in a place called Pike Place Market. it had around 140 stores and was expanding at a great pace before being publicly listed in the year 1992. It was estimated that the growth of the company was around 60 percent. It was seen that the company was opening a store per day and at least seven stores on a worldwide basis. Currently, it has more than 15,000 stores in over 44 countries and accounts for around 39 percent of the total sale of coffee on a global scale (Chua Banerjee, 2013). Background of the Business The business flourished because it revolutionized the idea of drinking coffee. Taking cue from the European nations, the company started to make lattes, frappuccinos and many other different varieties that was previously unknown to the customers in the United States. The company made the customers go through an entire experience while selling their coffee products. This helped the company in gaining a customer base and expanded at a faster rate. The company made it a point to make business with the people by serving coffee. This helped the company to greet the customers by making eye contact with them before serving them their products. The company created a space between home and work amongst the people as they spent a certain amount of time within the company (Lang, 2015). The company was expanding at a fast pace and had around 44 markets overseas excluding Paris, which was the birthplace of coffee for the European consumers. The company wanted to open stores in Asia, which included places like China, Thailand and Japan. The company opened its first outlet in Tokyo in the year 1996 as it wanted to capture the Asian market. It made changes in its product such as the introduction of green tea as the Asian consumers loved it. This helped the company to gain an insight in to the local tastes of the market, which helped the company to expand its business (Ling, 2014). The scenario in Australia was very different with the coffee industry. The country already developed a taste of coffee after the Greek and Italians migrated to the land post World War II. The people of that country has experienced better and sophisticated coffee over a period of years. The people in Australia were already familiar with the coffee as they used to consume it daily. The coffee culture in Australia was superior and sophisticated in nature when Starbucks entered the market for the first time in 2000. The consumers in Australia had developed a sophisticated palate for coffee, which was simple and stronger without the need of any flavors unlike the Americans or the Asians. The coffee market in Australia was estimated to be around $3 billion and around $2 billion in the retailing industry for coffee. The country was one of the highest consumers of coffee globally as there were almost 14000 cafes that served different types of coffee to the consumers (Brien Adams, 2012). Marketing Conditions The conditions in Australia is favorable for a good coffee market due to the ideal weather conditions, which helps the consumers to enjoy good coffee. After entering the market, Starbucks wanted to simply rely on its name to sell coffee in the country. This did not however work out because the company failed to define what they wanted to sell to the customers. The market already had an existing caf culture for the educated class in the society who after work enjoyed a good time with their coffee from the demographic point of view. The company did not make any changes in the product that would be in accordance with the coffee culture in the country, which made their product fail in the market because the country already had a rich heritage with its coffee experience (Nair Weber, 2015). The company did not take note of the already existing cafes in the country that could be competitors to the firm. Companies such as Gloria Jean dominated the market with respect to high-end consumers whereas McCafe dominated the market with respect to the low-end consumers. The other competitors were Coffee Club, Wild Bean Caf and Hudsons Coffee that offered strong resistance to Starbucks. Post 2007, these companies and McCafe in particular adopted the strategies of Starbucks and offered the consumers the same experience but at a lower price. These threats were not taken in to account by the company when they decided to enter the market. The competitors were serving coffee according to the tastes and preferences of the Australian consumers for many years and they knew that they had a strong base of customers (Lovelock Patterson, 2015). The political factors that affected the company came from the various international trade regulations and the tariffs associated with it. These factors blocked the trading opportunities for the company and since the company is big, its operations were majorly affected by it. There was an imposition of high taxes for the importing of the coffee beans from the best areas of the world. These factors helped the competition in the market to grow, which directly affect ted the sales of the company. From the economic point of view, the dollar rates were unstable because of the monetary policy that was weak in Australia. This factor affected the imports of the goods for the company. The major supplies of milk, sugar and the coffee beans that were imported from different countries had to be done by incurring huge costs. These factors made the company to push the costs to the end consumers in the markets, which made their coffee costlier that the other companies that served the consumers with the coffee that was available locally (Honack et al., 2017). Market Positioning Positioning helps a business to understand the kinds of products or the services that it wants to serve to the customers in a particular market. It helps in the creation of a brand image through its products to the target customers. It is done by using promotional activities in the particular place, which will help the brand of the company to be more effective in the market (Reinhard, 2015). The company did not use any promotional strategies to advertise its brand in the Australian market as it relied on its brand image and the way in which it served the different customers on a global scale. This made the company fail as the consumers were not aware of the type of coffee that the company wanted to serve to them. Pricing was considered to be a huge factor as the company charged more than the other existing companies in the market. the quality of coffee that was served was according to the Australian consumers very highly priced (Perrone Wodonga, 2015). The positioning strategy of the company was one of the attributes that led to the failure of the global chain in the market. Due to the lack in the promotional activities and relying on the word-of-mouth policy the company thought of surviving in the market. This policy did not work as the customers themselves were not well aware of the products that they wanted to serve in the market (Zhang, 2012). The locations of the store were in poor places and the poor quality with overpricing served as a major factor in the failure of the coffee chain. The other companies that were present in the market was successful because they knew the market better than Starbucks and the type of coffee that was liked by the consumers. The company could have opened a store and analyzed the taste and preferences of the consumers rather than opening multiple chains at the same time. this made the company incur huge expenditure without getting a proper knowledge of the marketing conditions in Australia (Adams , 2012). Another major disadvantage of the firm was the wrongful use of human resources. The company did not hire local personnel that would have provided valuable insights about the market to the top management of the company, instead they bought along their own people who could not rise up to the challenges of dealing with the local Aussie culture. These factors all attributed to the failure of the company (Morris, 2013). Target Market Target market helps the company in identifying the potential customers that are present for its products and services in a particular market. this identification is done through proper research methods and hiring the local people who have a better knowledge of the markets. They provide valuable knowledge to the company based on which the company decides to innovate its product for the particular market (Perera et al., 2012). The company targeted the wrong section of consumers in the market. They targeted the niche drinkers of coffee who were willing to pay the premium price for their products. These coffee drinkers did not get impressed with the products that the company was serving them. They found that it was useless to pay premium price for the coffee that was being served by the other companies at a less price (Sharp, 2013). The company in order to survive in the market, should have targeted the average coffee drinkers with a price that was competitive enough in the market. earlier, the company had ventured in new place where the culture of drinking coffee was relatively new due to the expansion of the brand, for example China. The Chinese consumers were willing to pay premium price for the coffee as they were basically tea drinking nations. But the scenario in Australia was different, the consumers in the market already had a developed taste for coffee due to the already existing caf culture. On tar geting the average drinkers and placing the products at a competitive price, the company would have survived in the market and ensured that they were being able to earn profits (Shin, Kashima Laham, 2014). The company underestimated the competition and overrated their own brand in the market. the company relied on the word-of-mouth policy, which did not turn out to be successful for the company. Opening a number of stores and targeting the high-end customers amongst the coffee drinkers made the company go in to huge debts from where it was hard to recover. The company tries to dictate these customers through their brand name and not through the products that were being served them. These differences took a huge toll on the company whereas the rival companies thrived successfully in the market (Taylor Richardson, 2014). Recommendations The failure of the company in the Australian market served as a moral lesson for many businesses around the globe. The company wanted to dominate the market without proper knowledge of the marketing strategies that were required to survive in those conditions. The target market was duly setup by the company so that they could sell their products to the consumers. This made the consumers shift their focus to the other companies for quenching their thirst for coffee, which had an affordable range of prices. For the company to succeed in the Australian market, they have to make huge changes in its approach to target the proper customers. This can be done by extensive research of the market and understanding the local needs of the customers. The company needs to divert their attention from brand image and shift their focus on quality products that will help them in gaining a competitive advantage over the rival firms. Improvement in their customer care and after sales services has to be done by thinking on a global basis but acting on a local basis. Conclusion Thus, it can be concluded that the company failed from all aspects of marketing strategy in Australia. They should have hired local people in their stores who had better knowledge of the products and the tastes of the customers, which could have helped the company in maximizing its profits. The overpricing of the products was another factor that led to the failure in the market as the customers felt that the quality of the product did not match up to the prices that they were paying for the product. The competitive factor in the market needed to be analyzed by the company rather than depending on the brand image to pull the customers towards their products. The use of extensive promotional activities had to be done so that the customers could have been more aware of the products and the services that the company was trying to sell to the customers. Reference List Adams, J. (2012). Australia's American coffee culture. Australasian Journal of Popular Culture, 23-36. Brien, D. L., Adams, J. (2012). Coffee: a cultural and media focussed approach. M/C Journal, 3-5. Chua, A. Y., Banerjee, S. (2013). Customer knowledge management via social media: the case of Starbucks.Journal of Knowledge Management,17(2), 237-249. Honack, R., Honack, R., Waikar, S., Waikar, S. (2017). Growing Big While Staying Small: Starbucks Harvests International Growth.Kellogg School of Management Cases, 1-22. Lang, J. T. (2015). Music and Consumer Experience.The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Consumption and Consumer Studies. Ling, L. W. (2014). A Study on the Successful Strategies (Strategic Management and Marketing Strategies) of Starbucks Hong Kong: A Case Study. Lovelock, C., Patterson, P. (2015).Services marketing. Pearson Australia. Morris, J. (2013). Why espresso? Explaining changes in European coffee preferences from a production of culture perspective. European Review of History: Revue euro peenge d Histoire, 881-901. Nair, A., Weber, T. (2015). borjo coffeehouse: Franchise, Independence, and Starbucks.Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. Perera, L. C., Lenk, H. U., de Souza Corra, M., Yoshikawa, A. N. (2012). EFFECTS OF THE 2007 FINANCIAL CRISIS ON STARBUCKS. Journal of International Business Strategy, 1-3. Perrone, A., Wodonga, T. A. F. E. (2015). Centralian College: Creating a strategic marketing plan for long-term growth.Marketing, 85. Reinhard, K. (2015). Differentiation as the key to success. A marketing plan for Starbucks. Sharp, B. (2013). Marketing: Theory, evidence, practice. New York: Oxford University Press. Shin, S. H., Kashima, Y., Laham, S. M. (2014). The temporal dimension of national identification: An empirical investigation in South Korea and Australia. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 25-35. Taylor, G., Richardson, G. (2014). Incentives for Corporate tax planning and reporting: Empirical evidence from Australia. Journal of Contemporary Accounting Economics, 1-14. Zhang, Z. (2012). Study on Competitive Advantages of Starbucks Surfers Paradise Coffee Shop. Management Science and Engineering, 16-21.

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Accommodation Management of Hilton Hotels& Resorts †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Accommodation Management of Hilton Hotels. Answer: Background of the selected hotel the department- Hilton Hotels Resorts is one of the most popular names in the global hotel industry. The chain is popular for many things that also include the sustainability approach, which is rare in existence. However, outsourcing is now much in practice that carries both advantages disadvantages with it (Plugge, Bouwman and Molina-Castillo 2013). This particular study is aimed at analyzing the viability of outsourcing of the selected department to get the expected benefits. The selected department to proceed with is the Kitchen Cleaning. Kitchen needs to be kept clean to prevent hygiene related damages done to the foods and the cooking utensils (Ariffin and Maghzi 2012). This is indeed a very vital department from the perspective of serving the customers needs. Notably, Customer service is a key to the success of the hospitality industry. Hotel sectors probably need to put much emphasis on customer service. The much needed customer service in the hotel sector is achieved with the help of numerous factors such as the efficiency of the accommodation manager to take appropriate decisions suitably. Their orders are delivered in this department. Keeping this clean and free from Rodents Pests are the two challenges that puts pressure on the respective hotel. Hotels are needed to back up the food preparation and keeping the premise clean tidy with capable strategies and sufficient number of workforce. Additionally, they are also required to keep the expenditures low. This is necessary to widen the gap between the expenditures and the Return on Investments (ROI). Such identified requirements can be attained by resourcing the cleaning works of the department (Darko, Mills-Robertson and Wireko-Manu 2015). This may serve a dual purpose, which is to enhance the customer service standard and increasing the profitability margin. Keeping the premise free from Pests is necessary to avoid food contamination that may result in food poisoning. Henceforth, this is threatening for the hotels reputation. Cleanliness and sanitation are the key aspects of hotels kitchen. Outsourcing the function alities will reduce the pressure from the existing workforce (Upadhyay, Vadam and Mohan 2015). Identifying the selected department in terms of roles, tasks functions- Roles Hotels kitchen plays an important role in producing, retaining and raising the reputation of the company. It does so through offering quality and hygienic foods to customers or the visistors. The two identified variations depend much on the safety measures in the kitchen and the quality workforce. An efficient safety measure ensures the avoidance of food contamination, which is quite possible if effective pest control is not in action. Quality workforce ensures a quality production of food (Upadhyay, Vadam and Mohan 2015). Tasks The kitchen department in hotels has the task to deliver the order on time with quality and hygienic food. The purpose can be served with the help of some factors such as using a capable pests control measures, recruiting the efficient professionals and implementing the latest technologies. The use of effective preventive measures will prevent the food from food contamination, which is necessary to raise the customer service standard. Efficient professionals will help in preparing quality food and will keep the premise clean. The use of technology will ensure a quick preparation of food, which is necessary to reduce the delivery time (Mirela and Borza 2014). Functions The functionality of the kitchen is to deliver the innumerous kinds of orders within the hotels scope. Functions also include keeping the raw materials free from Rodents and Pests. Keeping the premise clean are the other functionalities. Monitoring the entire functionalities of the kitchen is also one of the essential functions (Penner, Adams and Rutes 2013). Role of customer customers needs from the department- Role of customer and their needs do have a very high influence on the kitchen department. This actually encourages them to take numerous strategies and invest a huge sum on the entire process. Customers are the one who drive the business for the hotels. Their demands can be different in nature; however, food preparation is their essential task. This is a very vital sector where different brands are tested on terms of food quality and the delivery time. Such restaurants are most preferred by the customers that specialize in quick delivery of quality food. Such demands can be served if the respective hotel has adequate staffs to support the entire process. Additionally, the use of latest technologies to manage the stock and to prevent the foods from pests do also support in enhancing the customer service standard (Lu et al. 2015). Customers responses can also hamper the reputation of the respective hotel. There can be ample number of factors, which could make the customers feel unsatisfied. Such factors are low quality food, unclean ambience, customer service and the price range. Low quality food in particular can be affected from a less cleaned kitchen and also from unprotected raw materials the cooking utensils. Such failures can be prevented if the entire functionalities are operated in a systematically designed premise. Such purpose can be served through recruiting the local professionals. However, outsourcing the few of the functionalities may effectively reduce the average expenditures (Lamminmaki 2012). Role of accommodation manager in serving the customers needs- Role of accommodation manager is of high importance as it handles the few of the core functionalities of a hotel. Such functionalities include the maintenance of human resources, inventory and budget. It is the responsibility of the accommodation manager to ensure that skills professionals are hired. Additionally, this will also ensure that quality training has been imparted to the professionals. It is also within his or her scope to ensure whether the raw materials are up to the quality standard of health safety and hygiene. Infrastructure maintenance is also their responsibilities. They are also responsible to have positive attitudes and interpersonal skills as this will improve their communication with the employees and the customers.Effective management strategies can help to attract customers for multiple times. Customer satisfaction is an intangible factor for the businesss growth (Chan 2013). Evaluating the viability of outsourcing- Outsourcing the Kitchen Cleaning business to expert resources may produce ample of benefits and the drawbacks as well. Benefits Outsourcing will provide full time employed professionals who will be available to take care of the cleaning works. This will also help in reducing the expenditures, which are normally required to keep the kitchen premise clean. Outsourced employees are available at comparatively low wages. This will significantly reduce the expenditures on employees and hence, this will produce a reduction in the gross expenditures. Such things are necessary to enhance the profitability margin. Outsourcing will also provide additional services such as security features. Respective personnel will not be required to head for a different agency for different task. With the outsourced agencies, cleaning works will be ensured. This is indeed very difficult with the local staffs. They are expected to deliver the cleaning jobs on time as they are professionally trained cleaners. Moreover, outsourcing owners will be responsible for any shortfalls in the service level (Chang and Gurbaxani 2012). Drawbacks There are few drawbacks as well. Companies do not have their direct control over the selected outsourced agency. This may cause the communication to hamper. Such communication gap might hamper the quality of work as well as any complaint will take time to get resolved. Additionally, switching over to another outsource company will not be a fairer idea either. In addition to the identified issue, staffs of outsourced agencies might escape away for a better option. This will hamper the workforce and will also hamper the daily tasks. Filling the gaps by recruiting the fresh staffs will not be a productive idea either (Tayauova 2012). Conclusion Hilton Sydney Hotel should go for the modernistic approach, which is to hire an outsourcing agency to get some tasks done from them. This move will help the company to reduce its expenditures on the cleaning works in the kitchen department. Moreover, the cleaning work will now be made possible at a comparatively low expenditure. This will consequently help to enhance the profitability margin. Staffs will be available to take care of the cleaning works, which means the premises will be kept cleaned for a longer period of time. Outsourcing the kitchen cleaning task will bring other benefits as well such as additional services. Some outsourcing agencies provide multi-tasking benefits. Despite the entire benefits, outsourcing does also carry many much drawbacks with it. One of such drawbacks is the attrition, which can be a common issue with the outsourced staffs. They are irregular hunt for a better option. Such attrition can hamper the daily tasks in the Hilton Hotel. There exist a com munication gap in between the outsourced agencies and the parent company. Such communication gap can affect the proficiency level required to attain the set objectives. Training is required on the work module. Moreover, this is possible that effective modules have not been delivered to the external staffs. Recommendations It is unpractical to avoid the expected attrition. However, accommodation manager can play a very vital role here. The manager will be required to impose some strict work policies on the outsourcing agencies. The manger should ask for a quick repairing of any attrition if at all it happens. The agencies should be given strict guidance to provide an immediate repairing of the attrition. Moreover, there should be a good relationship in between the outsourcing agencys owner and the accommodationmanagement of the hotel. Staffs are also needed to be aware of the cultural values of the hotel. This will help them integrate with the organizational values. Communication gap is another challenge, which could hamper the performance. This can be improved by putting the employees on continuous training processes. Training will help the employees understand their work and most importantly, the cultural demands of the hotel for which they work. Moreover, the accommodation manager of the Hilton Hotel needs to visit the selected outsourcing agency on a regular basis. A continuous communication is also required to be established through professional means like e-mails. This will help to circulate the important instructions to the outsourced branch. References Ariffin, A.A.M. and Maghzi, A., 2012. A preliminary study on customer expectations of hotel hospitality: Influences of personal and hotel factors.International Journal ofHospitality Management,31(1), pp.191-198. Chan, E.S., 2013. Managing green marketing: Hong Kong hotel managers perspective.International Journal of Hospitality Management,34, pp.442-461. Chang, Y.B. and Gurbaxani, V., 2012. Information technology outsourcing, knowledge transfer, and firm productivity: An empirical analysis.MIS quarterly,36(4). Darko, S., Mills-Robertson, F.C. and Wireko-Manu, F.D., 2015. Evaluation of some hotel kitchen staff on their knowledge on food safety and kitchen hygiene in the Kumasi Metropolis.International Food Research Journal,22(6). Lamminmaki, D., 2012. A management accounting perspective on hotel outsourcing.Accounting and Financial Management, p.341. Lu, C., Berchoux, C., Marek, M.W. and Chen, B., 2015. Service quality and customer satisfaction: qualitative research implications for luxury hotels.International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research,9(2), pp.168-182. Mirela, S. and Borza, M., 2014. Measures Concerning Sustainable Consumption in Hotels.Acta Universitatis Danubius. conomica,10(3). Penner, R.H., Adams, L. and Rutes, W., 2013.Hotel design, planning and development. Routledge. Plugge, A., Bouwman, H. and Molina-Castillo, F.J., 2013. Outsourcing capabilities, organizational structure and performance quality monitoring: Toward a fit model.Information Management,50(6), pp.275-284. Tayauova, G., 2012. Advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing: analysis of outsourcing practices of Kazakhstan banks.Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences,41, pp.188-195. Upadhyay, A., Vadam, C. and Mohan, S., 2015. Sustainable Operations in Hotel Industry. In26th Production and Operations Management Society (POMS) Annual Conference.