The Evolutional View of the Types of Identity Thefts Research Paper

The Evolutional View of the Types of Identity Thefts - Research Paper Example The study concluded with brief statements on the implications of the correlations between identity theft and the fast-growing Internet. Suggestions were given to improve the means of protection from online fraud and identity theft. Operational Definitions In general, Wang and Huang (2011) stated that fraud refers to the act of taking advantage of others, largely motivated by economic reasons, via varied deceptive means. Intuitively, online fraud is said to refer to those conducted and/or facilitated using the Internet. Although identity theft is the inception of many fraudulent and criminal activities, it does not necessarily mean that it is the start of all online frauds. Online fraudulent acts committed by methods of stolen identification, phishing, advanced-fee schemes, or other electronic transactions fall largely within the arena of computer-assisted crimes (McQuade (2006) and Wall (2007), as cited by Wang and Huang, 2011). Wang and Huang (2011) wrote that the term identity refe rs to the unique and stable characteristics associated with an individual, and the aspect of self is based upon the interior state of awareness. However, it is argued that the culture shaped by the modern information media alleviates the term from consciousness and associates with the body (Poster (2006) as cited by Wang and Huang, 2011). furthermore, it has been assumed that a shift in the perspective of identifying individuals may discard the psychological portion of identity, thereby reflecting an emerging culture in the digital era. There are three general principles of identity verification to protect users‘ access to their personal belongings in the virtual space (Crume (2000) and Foster (2005), as cited by Wang and Huang, 2011). The first principle requires that a specific user knows some information to access the system. A pair of username and password is the most visible example of such information. The second principle of identity verification is to have something in physical form. These objects may include such material things as a key, a document, or a smart card. The third principle depends on what users must be biologically. Biological characteristics, such as the individual's fingerprints, voiceprint, iris, odor, and hand geometry may be used to verify one's identity. Identity theft is said to occur when an individual obtains a piece of personal identifying information which belongs to another individual, and uses that information without the owner‘s knowledge or approval; "Identity fraud" occurs when that stolen information is used to benefit the thief in some way (Wang and Huang, 2011; Identity Hawk, 2012). The legal definitions of identity theft are usually more precise, but this varies from state to state. A well-recognized legal definition is the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act (TADA) of October 30, 1998, making identity theft a federal crime. Under TADA, anyone who knowingly transfers or uses, without lawful author ity, a means of identification of another person with the intent to commit, or to aid or abet, any unlawful activity that constitutes a violation of federal law, or that constitutes a felony under any applicable state or local law commits a federal offense.  

Understanding Your Strengths And Weaknesses Essay Example for Free

Understanding Your Strengths And Weaknesses Essay In a study released, 87% of workers worldwide are emotionally disconnected from their workplaces and are less likely to be productive; making work a source of frustration rather than one of fulfillment. (Gallup, 1993) The statistics illustrate a lack of commitment to learning and understanding of one’s own strengths and weaknesses, amongst the population. People need to think about the person they are and where their strengths and weaknesses lie because if they don’t stop to consider what they’re good at and what they need to improve, they will find themselves in the 87% of the population who don’t enjoy what they do. Following this discovery, I completed a personality test on 16Personalities.com that stated my strengths and weaknesses following answering a series of questions, in hopes to have a better understanding to how my strengths and weaknesses play into the role as a paramedic. The personality test revealed that I am altruistic, a good team player, possess good communications, but also am too selfless and sensitive; these results will give me a better comprehension as to how and why a career as a paramedic is the right fit for me. My strengths of being able to work well in a team setting, having good communication skills and being altruistic will help me as a paramedic, while these are essential characteristics to becoming a great paramedic. The test revealed that I am tolerant and reliable, where it explains I excel in team environments where I am able to listen to others, even when their opinions contradict mines; and I am irritated by the idea of letting people down, so I can be counted on to see any task through. It is important for paramedics to be good team players and be trustworthy because paramedics are often placed situations where they have to work with other people (like the police and firefighters) where we have to trust each other and work well together in a situation whereby we are forced to rely to a great extent possibly for our own well-being, and everyone else on scene. The test also showed that I â€Å"instinctively know how to capture an audience, and pick up on mood and motivation in ways that allow them to communicate with reason, emotion, passion, restraint whatever the situation calls for†, further elaborating saying that I can shift my tone and manner to reflect the needs of the audience, while still maintaining my own voice. These great communication skills are a crucial part to the career as it will allow a more accurate  assessment of the situation through uncovering what happened, how many people were involved or whether there is any remaining danger. Being able to talk to people and keep both patients and family or others on the scene calm can make the situation easier to control, and maintaining conversation with a patient can help to retrieve important information that may be needed for their treatment. It was uncovered that I have an unyielding desire to do good for others and for my community, and that I genuinely believe that if I can just bring people together, I can do a world of good. Because of the nature of the career, where paramedics are responding to people who need help, it is essential individuals pursuing a career as paramedic have that natural desire to make a difference in the lives of others and in their community. The personality test revealed that I am too selfless and sensitive, explaining that I will bury myself in my hopeful promises and feeling others’ problems as my own. If I’m not careful, I could spread myself too thin, and be left unable to help anyone. Because of my sensitivity to others it means that sometimes I feel problems that aren’t my own and try to fix things I can’t fix and spending too much time worrying about whether if I am doing enough. My weaknesses might make things difficult as a paramedic because the reality of it is I will only be with the patient until they are in the hospital. It is not possible to be able to solve every problem, and if I carry that burden on my shoulders on the job, it will be very difficult for me to have good mental stability making me more susceptible to PTSD. One way I can improve my weakness is talk about my feelings as I am feeling with coworkers or the therapist. If I am diligent about keeping a realistic perception of the situation I am in, and understand there is so much one person can do, I am confident I can maneuver through each call with more ease. In conclusion, it is evident that my strengths as a natural team player, great communicator, and altruistic by nature would help make me a great paramedic. Paramedics work in stressful and pressured work environments, where lives are affected by the outcome of their actions. This can be made even more difficult by the long working hours. The role has a large amount  of responsibility, and these are important qualities for those who wish to do well in emergency care. A great paramedic would not be able to perform difficult and distressing work to the capacity that they need to without being able to work well with others on scene, be able to probe and extract information strategically, and have the natural desire to be there to make a difference in a time of crisis.

U.S Is On Its Way :: essays research papers

The Asian financial crisis serves as a timely reminder of a fact too often overlooked: Merchant banking is the leading edge of shareholder activism. Indeed, one of the chief traits shared by hard-hit Pacific Rim economies is a decided lack of such activism. As a result, their companies are less prepared than they might be for global competition. To one degree or another, much the same holds true in other markets abroad. U.S. companies, in contrast, have seen their competitive ability markedly strengthened by shareholder activism. And much credit goes to merchant banking--that is, private investors managing their own capital. True investor activism as practiced by such financial buyers has created a new model for American enterprise. That model is based on highly leveraged capital structures, on compensation and equity ownership that align the interests of managers with owners, and on effective corporate governance mechanisms to monitor and control the use of free cash flow. All have the objective of maximizing value. Contrary to popular perception, the strategies of merchant banks involve not just financial engineering, but also growth, which would not be achievable without risk capital. In the buyout world, we have seen a fundamental shift from the 1980s mantra of "unlocking value"--capitalizing on arbitrage opportunities and market inefficiencies. Today, the emphasis is on creating value by molding strategic direction, giving incentives to and empowering managers, and rationalizing operations. Increasingly, merchant banks are the key agents of change. In the 1980s, parts of the manufacturing and retailing sectors were entirely reconfigured by leveraged-buyout activity. In the 1990s, financial buyers have changed the landscape of such industries as media, broadcasting, business services, printing and publishing, and food and health services. America's technological reemergence, captured in part by the Silicon Valley phenomenon, has been fueled by venture capital. And for more mature industries, LBOs have triggered corporate renewal. Countless academic studies and real-world examples have highlighted the perils of the corporate governance status quo sans LBO: the central conflict between owners and managers over the control and use of corporate resources, the unenlightened use of free cash flow, and the scrutiny of and pressure on quarter-to-quarter earnings growth versus long-term growth and value creation. By severely constraining and imposing restrictions on the use of free cash flow, LBOs force only positive net present value capital decisions. Studies have shown that operating cash flow increased on average by about 40 percent in a one-to-four-year time frame following the transaction.

8 Common Types of Computer Viruses Essay

Dictionary.com defines a computer virus as â€Å"a segment of self-replicating code planted illegally in a computer program, often to damage or shut down a system or network (â€Å"Virus,† 2012).† The term virus has become more generic over the years and has come to represent any type of malware, or malicious software. There are many types of malware that can be classified as viruses but it is the intention of this paper to examine 8 of the most common types. These types are virus, worms, trojans, adware/pop-up ads, spyware, keyloggers, rootkits, and scareware. * Virus- as defined above, a virus is self-replicating code planted in a computer program. This malware’s sole purpose is to destroy or shut down systems and networks. (â€Å"Virus,† 2012). * Worms- These are standalone programs whose sole purpose is to replicate and spread themselves to other computers. Their main use is to search for and delete certain files from computers. * Trojans- This malware is designed to look like a useful program while giving control of the computer to another computer. It can be used for several malicious things: * As part of a botnet to use automated spamming or distribute denial-of-service attacks. * Electronic money theft * Data theft * Downloading or uploading of files to the computer * Deletion or modification of files * Crashing the computer * Watching the viewer’s screen * Anonymous internet viewing * Adware/pop-up ads- â€Å"The definition of adware is a software package which displays or downloads advertisements to a computer. These ads are usually in the form of pop-ups, and the goal of adware is to generate revenue for its author. In itself, adware is harmless, however, some of it may come integrated with spyware (What is the definition of adware? 2012).† * Spyware- Malware used to collect information about a user’s browsing habits  or to intercept personal data. (â€Å"Spyware†, 2012). * Keylogger- Using dedicated software or implanted hardware, this malware covertly monitors and records every keystroke made on a remote computer. (â€Å"Keylogger†, 2012). * Rootkits- â€Å"A rootkit is a collection of tools (programs) that enable administrator-level access to a computer or computer network.† â€Å"A rootkit may consist of spyware and other programs that: monitor traffic and keystrokes; create a â€Å"backdoor† into the system for the hacker’s use; alter log files; attack other machines on the network; and alter existing system tools to escape detection. (â€Å"Rootkit†, 2012) * Scareware- This is a class of malware that represents itself as antivirus software even though it is fake. It is used primarily to scam people into purchasing it but in most cases it does not actually do anything. Sometimes it will contain another piece of malware that it injects into the computer system. References Virus. (2012). Virus. Dictionary.com Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com /browse/virus. Spyware. (2012). Spyware. Dictionary.com Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com /browse/spyware. Keylogger. (2012). Keylogger. Dictionary.com Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com /browse/keylogger. Rubenking, Neil J. (2010) â€Å"Antivirus, and much more: when most people talk about antivirus software, they’re really talking about an app that blocks spyware, rootkits, keyloggers, scareware, Trojans, and more–not just viruses. We review 13 antivirus apps that do just that.† PC Magazine : 72+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.proxy.itt-tech.edu/ps /i.do?id=GALE%7CA226958047&v=2.1&u=itted&it=r&p=CDB&sw=w. What is. (2012). What is the definition of adware? DirectHit.com. Retrieved from http://www.directhit.com/shopping-answers/what_is_the_definition_of_adware?oo=0 Different Types. (2012). Different types of computer viruses. Buzzle.com. Retrieved from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/different-types-of-computer-viruses.html Rootkit. (2012). Rootkit. SearchMidmarketSecurity. Retrieved from http://searchmidmarketsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/rootkit Scareware. (2012). Scareware. Ask.com. Retrieved from http://www.ask.com/wiki/Scareware

The Effects of Animal Cruelty and Abandonment

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, also known as the ASPIC, is another organization that serves to decrease animal abuse and enforce arrest towards careless pet owners. Among these organizations, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, PETA Is responsible for creating awareness and putting an end to animal cruelty. There are other ways an animal can be a victim of animal cruelty, without actually being harmed. Animal Hoarding, a practice of animal lovers, is ironically another related topic of animal cruelty.In some views, this is an attempt o save the animal, but many other views differ, saying this solution will only cause problems. Even though there are lots of organizations that help prevent animal cruelty and abandonment, there is still more that can be done.Animals should be loved and cherish, Instead of Ignored and neglected, How can this world wide crawls be solved? When animals are abandoned, they naturally begin to reproduce thousands of off spring, and because of this, baby animals roam and start to reproduce at an alarming rate. It has been estimated that more than 50 million cats and dogs live in happy homes in the US.On the contrary, over 50 million cats and dogs have been reported as neglected and abused. People are no longer willing to adopt animals. The population of animals and decreasing interest of owning pets has led to a huge number of animal overpopulation each year. Animal World Network explains that â€Å"For every human born, 7 puppies and kittens are born†¦ One female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 cats in 7 years†¦ One female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies in 6 years. † One half of abandoned animals are taken into shelters and the other half are in the streets.About 61% of dogs and 75% f cats are bought to shelters and are killed because people do not adopt these animals In time. Due to the lack of education, shelter, financial and other resources, cats and dogs are first on the list to be housed In a shelter of the shortest amount of time and first on the list of animals to kill. The Humane Society is a worldwide organization supported by 11 million Americans which was founded in 1954. It is one of the best protection agencies for animals all over the world, raising over a million of dollars in order to create awareness to citizens.The mission of the Humane Society of he United States, HUGS Is to celebrate all breeds of animals and also to confront cruel TTY. HUGS states Tanat teen are â€Å"America's mainstream Torte gallant cruelty exploitation and neglect†. They confront these issues and provide animals with rescue facilities and clinics for them to get washed, fed and neutered. They are involved in and responsible for organizing meetings, marches, and forums in order to educate society about animal rescue and animal investigations.HUGS holds advertising campaigns to promote adoption for animals so that the nation knows wha t's going on and how they can help. HUGS partner with other associations to trench the message of their organization and create stronger ties with organization with similar missions. One program known as, â€Å"Humane Wildlife Services†, in the D. C metro area help homeowners and businesses with stopping violence towards animals. The Humane Wildlife Services help maintain valid solutions for problems concerning violent neighbors.HUGS strives to stop cruelty targeting â€Å"practices of dog fighting and cook fighting; abusive puppy mills†¦ Farming in†¦ Confinements of animal in crates and cages†¦ † HUGS does its best to protect all animals and they will continue this mission in confronting animal cruelty on a whole. Another organization that also helps stop animal cruelty is The American Society for the prevention of cruelty to animals known worldwide as the ASPIC. The ASPIC was established in North America in 1866 and still today they are here doing the best that they can offer.The This organization believes that animals should be treated fairly and has healthy environments. The ASPIC are the pioneers of all animal humane organizations, they continue to maintain legal authority to take charge in investigations and arrest criminals that treat animals poorly. The ASPIC claims that it is their mission to â€Å"provide local and national leadership†¦ Raring for pet parents and pets, providing positive outcomes for at – risk animals and serving victims of animal cruelty'.In other words, â€Å"animal cruelty is†¦ A serious issue†¦ N law enforcement and mental†. It is very important that people become involved and work to supply quick responses to these acts of criminal behavior. There is an organization like the Humane Society and ASPIC – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, (PETA) is also involved in solving issues on animal cruelty. There was a lady named, â€Å"Ingrain E. Newsier, an autho r and co-founder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, who put together essays y people who took the initiative and helped create change. She started PETA in 1980 in her Washington, D. C. Basement to offer people simple vegetarian options and alternatives to products from companies that used animals in research.The nonprofit has grown to 2. 5 million supporters -? the largest animal-rights organization in the world -? and has created a global shift in awareness about the plight of animals†. Petal's focus is primarily on animals suffering on farms, clothing trade areas, laboratories, and in industries around the world. To create aware of their cause, PETA works through education. Meetings are held around the world to raise awareness to many people.They visit schools to educate children and adults about their organization. They also work with â€Å"cruelty investigations, research, animal rescue, legislation, special events, and celebrity involvement, and protest camp aigns†. PETA exclaims that animals have a Voice' too and all they want is some love to be given towards them. PETA strives to encourage people to take action because it is up to us to make a change. A dichotomous act animal lovers experience is that of animal hoarding. How can animals be negatively affected by people that love to be care for needy animals?I Nils Issue NAS Eden Known to affect as many as u. Animal annually. An extreme case reported there over 800 pets living in one home. When there is see an elderly woman lady, for example, living with 15-20 pets, a problem arises because it is harmful toward those animals, being bunched up together. The are many reasons why animal hoarding is practiced by many people. One of the reasons is that a person experienced a traumatic situation, which induced stress, b living conditions, and tough health problems. A person is then in denial of their owe problems and they in turn look to have large amount of animals to conceal their ow e rife in their lives.Many animals are affected; not Just cats or dogs. Animals such a chickens, snakes, ferrets, birds, goats, rabbits, lizards and many more are affected b animal hoarding. Animal Legal Fund, an organization fighting to protect the lives of animals says that, â€Å"In terms of the number of animals affected and the degree and duration of their suffering, hoarding is the number one animal cruelty crisis facing companion animals in communities throughout the country. † These animals are living bunched up together with no proper equipment to sustain a healthy environment, the start to suffer from unsanitary conditions.In effect, these animals â€Å"are sick, dying and poorly socialized†. LADY listed ways to decrease the amount of animal hoarding in the world. The first strategy is the use of civil action in stopping animal hoarders and documents these cases as acts of cruelty towards animals. The second strategy is to stop animal hoarding by taxing the h oarder that is doing the crimes, instead of the local taxpayer. When animals are rescued from homes, bundles of them are confiscated and this makes it hard for local agencies and organizations to feed and comfort these animals, because there is not enough none.A majority of the time, money is taxed to the average working person when they had nothing to do with it. LADY suggested that the money should come from the hoarders instead of hard working citizens.. The final strategy, which falls in line wit the first strategy, would be that laws are applied very seriously to situations like HTH There will be sentencing given towards animal hoarders that try to repeat criminal acts. LADY is working hard to stop animal cruelty in society. First time offenders of animal hoarding will be prosecuted according to LADY First Strike and You're Out La.In this essay, many sources were stated to inform readers about animal abandonment and cruelty. Many organizations and facilities are doing everythin g possible to decrease violence towards animals around the world. Has the world ma an improvement? Can society clap for them because of a Job â€Å"well done† ? NO! I choose this topic because this is a worldwide issue and it should be discussed moor to make change in the future. Animals throughout the world will continue to experience these situations for a long time, but it is so much that people can do. Animals will still be neglected, mistreated and devalued as living, breathing ratters.This worldwide issue needs to stop and it is up to the people to take a stand. Communities have to be willing to give animals Voices' and help them survive We may have thousands of organizations around the world trying very hard to stop animal cruelty but people need to take initiative in their surroundings; people must realize the criminal act and severity of animal abandonment and its reproductions. Slowly many organizations along with individual communities are creating awareness around animal cruelty, however, somewhere in each community there is a lonely animal roaming ten streets omen snouts report tans to Nell ten Animal.

Dictionary of Old and Obsolete Occupations - S

Dictionary of Old and Obsolete Occupations - S The occupations found recorded in documents from prior centuries often appear unusual or foreign when compared to the occupations of today. The following occupations beginning with S are generally now considered old or obsolete. Saddler  - maker and repairer of saddles and bridles Saddle Tree Maker - one who creates  the wooden frame for a horse saddle Salter  - one who makes or deals in salt Sandler - sandle maker Savant  - servant Sawbones  - physician Sawyer  - sawer of wood; carpenter Scabbler  - person who uses a scabbler (pick) to trim the sides of a tunnel Scappler - responsible for rough-shaping stone before final dressing by a stonemason   Schumacker  - shoemaker or cobbler Scribler / Scribbler  - minor or worthless author Scrivener  - scribe or clerk; professional or public copyist or writer; notary public Scrutiner  - election judge Scutcher / Skutcher - one who beat flax to extract linen fibers from flax stems Seinter  - girdle maker Servitor - a clerk or secretary Sewer rat  - a bricklayer who specialized in making and repairing sewers and tunnels Sexton - a church caretaker, sometimes responsible for digging graves Sharecropper -  a tenant farmer who is allowed to farm (and sometimes live on) anothers land in return for a percentage share of the crops produced on their portion of land Shearer - sheared wool from sheep Shearman  - one who raised the surface of woolen cloth and then sheared it to a smooth  surface; cutter of woolen cloth; sometimes a cutter of metal Shepster - dressmaker or sheep shearer Ship chandler -  a dealer in supplies and equipment for ships and boats, known as ship stores Shrieve / Shriever  - sheriff Shunter - railway worker responsible for coupling train cars and carriages; also known as a switcher Sickleman  - a reaper Silk drawer -  one who drew silk from silk waste for spinning Skepper / Skelper - beehive maker or seller   Skinner - a flayer of animal hides for leather Slagger - a worker in a steel mill responsible for removing slag from a furnace during the smelting process. Slater / Slatter  - roofer; tiler Slopseller  - seller of ready-made clothes in a slop shop Slubber - a worker in a cotton or textile mill, responsible for  removing the slubs or imperfections in the yarn prior to weaving Sluicer - one who tended the sluice in a mine (often a gold or silver mine) Smith - a metal worker, usually a blacksmith. See also the surname SMITH. Snobscat / Snob  - shoe repairer; cobbler Sojourner - a traveler or traveling merchant; sometimes used to refer to a temporary (non-permanent) resident of a parish Soper  - soapmaker Sorter  - tailor Sperviter - a keeper of sparrow hawks Spicer  - a grocer or dealer in spices Spinster  - unmarried woman; spinner (female) Spit boy -  Ã‚  a kitchen worker responsible for turning spits in the fireplace so food would cook evenly Spittleman  - hospital attendant Spurrer / Spurrier  - maker of spurs Squire  - country gentleman; farm owner; justice of peace Staymaker - a maker of bone stays for corsets Stevedore  - a dock worker or laborer who loads and unloads ships cargos. Stoddard - a breeder or keeper of horses Stone cutter - possibly a stone mason, but often a carver of tombstones Stoner - mason Stuff Gown  / Stuff Gownsman  - junior barrister Surveyor - one who estimates or measures areas of land Switcher  - railway worker responsible for coupling train cars and carriages; also known as a shunter Explore more old and obsolete occupations and trades in our free Dictionary of Old Occupations and Trades!

Ancestry of Oprah Winfrey

Ancestry of Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey was born in 1954 in rural Mississippi, the child of a love affair between Vernon Winfrey and Vernita Lee. Her parents never married, and Oprah spent much of her youth being shuttled between various relatives. From her troubled childhood, Oprah Winfrey has grown into a household name, achieving success as a talk show host, actress, producer, publisher, and activist. Tips for Reading This Family Tree First Generation: 1. Oprah Gail WINFREY was born on 29 Jan 1954 on in the small town of Kosciusko, Attala County, Mississippi to Vernon WINFREY and Vernita LEE. Shortly after her birth, her mother Vernita moved north to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and young Oprah was left in the care of her maternal grandmother, Hattie Mae Lee. At age six, Oprah left Mississippi to join her mother in Milwaukee. After several troubling, neglected years with her mother and half-siblings, Oprah moved again at the age of 14 to join her father in Nashville, Tennessee. Second Generation (Parents): 2. Vernon WINFREY was born in 1933 in Mississippi. 3. Vernita LEE was born in 1935 in Mississippi. Vernon WINFREY and Vernita LEE were never married and their only child was Oprah Winfrey: 1 i. Oprah Gail WINFREY Third Generation (Grandparents): 4. Elmore E. WINFREY was born 12 March 1901 in Poplar Creek, Montgomery County, Michigan and died on 15 October 1988 in Kosciusko, Attala County, Mississippi 5. Beatrice WOODS was born on 18 February 1902 in Kosciusko, Attala County, Mississippi and died on 1 December 1999 in Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi. Elmore WINFREY and Beatrice WOODS married on 10 June 1925 in Carroll County, Mississippi, and they had the following children: i. Lee W. WINFREYii. Brister WINFREYiii. Marie WINFREY2. iv. Vernon WINFREY 6. Earlist LEE was born about June 1892 in Mississippi and died in 1959 in Kosciusko, Attala County, Mississippi. 7. Hattie Mae PRESLEY was born about April 1900 in Kosciusko, Attala County, Mississippi and died on 27 Feb 1963 in Kosciusko, Attala County, Mississippi. Earlist LEE and Hattie Mae PRESLEY were married about 1918 and had the following children: i. Susie LEE was born about 1920.ii. Hal LEE was born about 1922.iii. Willis S. LEE was born about 1925.iv. Hubert LEE was born about 1928.3. v. Vernita LEE

GRE General Quantitative Reasoning Scores

GRE General Quantitative Reasoning Scores   A Concordance Table Between the GRE General and the Prior GRE Scores Many graduate schools out there accept old GRE scores in the 200 - 800 scale as well as the current GRE General scores,  and they use the following concordance table to compare GRE Quantitative scores to get an accurate picture of applicants. If you have received your GRE General Quantitative Reasoning score and want to know how it would compare to the prior GRE Quantitative Reasoning score or work in a graduate program and want to compare students scores from the prior version of the exam, then check out this concordance table below. How Long Are GRE Scores Valid? The GRE policy has changed a little bit since July 2016. For GRE tests taken on or after July 1, 2016, scores are considered part of test-takers reportable history for five years after the test date.  For GRE scores taken before July 1, 2016  the scores are  part of test-takers reportable history for five years after the testing year in which they tested (July 1 - June 30). The GRE enacted the five-year policy to ensure that scores remained valid as older scores may not reflect an applicants  current  quantitative, verbal and analytical ability. Think, for example, how much different you might test if you were in the middle of an advanced math class five years ago when you took the GRE, but havent taken or practiced any advanced math skills since the class ended. Your mathematics and computation knowledge and ability can change quite a bit in a five year span. Or, perhaps, five years ago, you hadnt done too much Verbal reasoning prep, but now you work in an environment that requires you to use reading comprehension skills all day long. Your ability may have shot up over the last five years. ETS wants to ensure that college admissions officers have the best information about testers so they can make the best admissions decisions possible.   GRE Scores and Admissions For those of you using this information for admissions decisions, ETS would like to remind you to keep this in mind: although the current scores allow for greater differentiation between higher ability test takers, if a student received an 800 on the prior GRE, then he or she received the highest possible score available at the time. This must be taken into consideration for all admissions decisions! More GRE Score Information Whats a good GRE General score?GRE General Scores vs. Prior GRE ScoresGRE General Scores for the Top Schools in the CountrySee the Verbal Reasoning Concordance Table The percentile rank listed below is based on students who tested between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2015, according to ETS. GRE General Quantitative Reasoning Concordance Table Prior GRE Score GRE General Score Percentile Rank 800 166 91 790 164 87 780 163 85 770 161 79 760 160 76 750 159 73 740 158 70 730 157 67 720 156 63 710 155 59 700 155 59 690 154 55 680 153 51 670 152 47 660 152 47 650 151 43 640 151 43 630 150 39 620 149 35 610 149 35 600 148 31 590 148 31 580 147 27 570 147 27 560 146 24 550 146 24 540 145 20 530 145 20 520 144 17 510 144 17 500 144 17 490 143 14 480 143 14 470 142 12 460 142 12 450 141 10 440 141 10 430 141 10 420 140 8 410 140 8 400 140 8 390 139 6 380 139 6 370 138 4 360 138 4 350 138 4 340 137 3 330 137 3 320 136 2 310 136 2 300 136 2 290 135 1 280 135 1 270 134 1 260 134 1 250 133 1 240 133 1 230 132 1 220 132 1 210 131 1 200 131 1

Congruence model assignment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Congruence model assignment - Coursework Example For instance, he ineffectively proposed and oversaw the integration between the different categories of the subsidiaries. Dissatisfaction in the tasks has led to people leaving the company at an alarming rate. For instance, Saunders contents that he is staring at three resignations from his top sales people because of dissatisfaction. The sensitive point is the relationship between the subsidiaries and the way they are respectively managed. The structure is not compact and flexible enough to realize a need for change amid growing levels of dissatisfaction and employees. The structure does not seem to give rise to sufficient manpower to manage the available work processes. Decision making processes are not fruitful in the long run. Saunders seems to blame Jim for proposing the merging of the subsidiaries. This is a structural decision that left the sales people asking to resign. The structure (attached in the appendix) is not as compact as expected. For example, the president seems to be in charge of all operations while the second-in-command groups have little to do with the decisions of the company apart from financial. That is why the unity of all the subsidiary teams is not close and

Unit 7 Case Manegment Seminar Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit 7 Case Manegment Seminar - Research Paper Example However not all people accept change as some become very resistant. Recovery in this context refers to a process of change that an individual goes through in order to improve their health and wellness and try to reach their full potential. It can’t be confined only to people suffering from addictions only; it applies to all other people who are receiving human services. For example a person with a mental health issue and a disabled person will undergo recovery. So for a human service worker, recovery would be viewed as way of gradual change that helps clients to accept their situation and move on whereas for the client, it is the only and most important hope they can have once they get themselves in those situations. As a human service professional, when a client gets discouraged, I will ensure they learn to accept the situation and encourage them that they are not the only ones in that state. I will try and make them understand the purpose of life and ensure that I am in close contact with them so that they don’t feel neglected. I will also encourage and help them speak with others who have same experiences but have managed to overcome. When on a working service for a client, not one worker can be able to do all the activities. Different skills will be required at same time which on worker can’t deliver. For example, there could be people with different problems ranging from drug addict, mental illness, disabled etc. All these people would require different kinds of guidance and counseling which can’t be provided by one social worker hence need for many professional in that particular

Response Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Response - Assignment Example I have always had a desire to be a director someday and I intend to work towards that goal. The airline industry is a great industry to enter as an employee due to the expected expansion of air travel in the next of couple of decades. The airline industry is forecasted to grow at a rate of 3.6% annually until 2030 (Faa). If your aspirations are to become an administrator of a major airline you must keep an open mind to working at an international location. Hopefully from five years from now I will be working at a well known accounting firm if not earlier. Later I will like to go for my master degree because that what most careers are looking for. If I cant find a good job with my degree in New York, then I will move somewhere else as possible. The place Im doing my intern will place me in a good position for helping them out or Im wondering being at Macys for six years with my bachelors degree I hope they put me in corporate in Ohio. Accounting is a great career choice. When you open any newspaper and read the classified ads you will always find work in accounting. If you want to reach the upper managerial accounting positions a master’s degree will help you a lot towards that goal. I also recommend that you pursue a professional certification in accounting such as a CPA or CMA. This course has really helped me out a lot and I really enjoyed reading other classmates thoughts about the topics. In 5 years from now I hope to have landed a job that I have been looking for and been preparing for, and in ten years from now, hopefully have moved up in that company. I don’t plan on returning for grad school with all of this knowledge I have obtained, I hope that if I do decide to change career paths, I am prepared for the worst and best. I don’t really want to change my career path, because I have always had a passion for fashion and I plan to succeed in the fashion

Marketing report with customer experience Essay

Marketing report with customer experience - Essay Example It is without exaggerations that I like the services of this bank and I am willing, at no cost, to advise anyone who needs banking services to use the bank of America, since other than your money is being safeguarded, the customer services are suburb. Moreover, it is true by their clarity statement that they are committed to providing information needed by the customer to help them managing their accounts. Notably, this bank is perfecting in building trust and loyalty to its customer; nonetheless, such friendly services are often expected from the banking institutions. My Experience with Hospitality Institution: Hilton Adventure is sometimes good for having a varied knowledge about the world around an individual. There are different types of hotels in the United States, those that are considered cheap and those that are known or regarded to be classy. Hilton offers national and international hotel services; thus, it is expected to be classy and vibrant in service delivery. Without in quiring about it, there is a day I decided to visit the Hilton hotel in Illinois. It is true that, that hostel is classy, but it should be noted that it is hotel for those who know how its services are being offered. Otherwise, any new explorer to that hotel will only feel comfortable if he or she is a dignitary. While I was in the hotel, it looked as if each man for himself and God for us all. Not even one waiter or waitress directed me where to go or inquired what I intended from there. I felt fully out of place and the best thing for that time was to redirect myself outside that premise. It was an experience, not good for a public place. I did not expect such treatment from a hotel with such an immense national and international reputation. Personal services: Serenity Day Spa Many people have written attractive reviews about the Serenity Day Spa as being one of the â€Å"you can afford not to go† massage place in New Jersey. Therefore, some weeks ago, I did set to that pla ce with some of my friends. I opted for the place since a family friend had given me some voucher for the same place. The place became worth visiting right from the entrance and the final word is that I had a marvelous experience. At the reception, we were greeted with a warm smiling and accommodating face that ushered us into the waiting room that was complete with snacks as well as a faux fireplace. After about five minutes, each of us was taken to the treatment or massage rooms that were nicely decorated with dim lights, gentle music, and heated beds. The lady who provided to massage me was well trained since I personally felt that she did her work perfectly. Just like my experience, my colleagues also appreciated the massage they were offered in their respective rooms; thus, it is worth concluding that the Serenity Day Spa is a place for real massage. Application of Customer Relationship Management Strategy in the above Scenarios Customer relationship management (CRM) is practic es that traditionally involve sales activities, customer care, marketing, and technical support. Some organizations especially that deal with different aspects of business often incorporate all the Customer relationship management (CRM) strategies in handling their customers in that they separate customers from the accounts receivable functions (Bligh and Turk, 2004). Additionally, the current approach of Customer relation

HU300 unit 6 DB topic 1 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HU300 unit 6 DB topic 1 - Research Paper Example The idea of this poem is to tell the students that a poem should not merely be read on its face value but they should try to see and feel the character and spirit of the poem. Since the poem is supposed to be an ‘introduction’ it is written in very simple words and hence very easily understandable. The teacher wants the students to appreciate the poem and asks them to approach it in a nonacademic way in which the mere purpose of reading is not just cramming. In the later stanzas, the poet says that his attempt to induce appreciation for the art does not succeed and the students continue to pursue poetry in the same old manner. The poet goes as far as to say that the students merely want some precise message out of it and that they think that there could only be one explanation of the poem whereas poetry is an art form which is enhanced by the interpretation of the reader. The second poem is the ‘Public Transportation’ by Elaine Sexton. The author is an emerging poet who has written a number of poems that have been very well received by the general audience and the critics alike. She conducts poetry workshops and has a passion for inculcating appreciation for this form of literature. Sexton believes that any form of poetry has an inner and a deeper message then what can be gleaned off from the meanings of the words. Her belief is truly represented in this poem where each person has his own background and things are different from what they appear to be. The poem is written out as a story and incorporates very simple vocabulary in its stanzas making it very easy to understand. Even though the title suggests that the poem is about ‘public transportation’, it has a very deep message that everything is not as it looks. The poem itself is an account of the protagonist as she travels in the bus and describes different aspects of it including the surroundings, the different passengers that board the bus

Those Winter Sundays, by Robert Hayden Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Those Winter Sundays, by Robert Hayden - Essay Example The poem can be interpreted in many ways. As an example, it could be interpreted as a son who dislikes his father. It could also be seen as a boy who was longing for the love of his father. However it is interpreted, the fact remains that it is a poem about the coldness that lurks between this boy and his father. Hayden uses metaphors in the poem that match the winter cold. The metaphors are implied more than they are spoken. As an example, the father in the poem â€Å"got up early and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold† (3). The poem then states about the boy, â€Å"I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking† (6). When these two sentences are analyzed together, the â€Å"blueblack cold† (3) of winter is a possible metaphor for an abusive relationship between father and son. The words â€Å"blue black† are often associated with â€Å"black and blue† in terms of a bruise or an injury. The â€Å"cold splintering, breaking† (6 ) could be a metaphor that is not only about the weather, but the implication that the relationship between the father and his son is also cold, splintering and breaking. Because the boy states that when he wakes up in the morning, he is â€Å"fearing the chronic angers of that house† (9), the reader can assume that the boy is abused in some way. There may not be physical abuse at this time because the father’s hands are â€Å"cracked† (3) â€Å"from labor in the weekday whether† (4) and it would not be comfortable for him to physically hurt his son but the emotional abuse may have been a part of their everyday life. It appears that there is no mother in this family and the reason that the boy and his father are reacting to each other as they are could have something to do with the mother’s absence. The coldness that they share could be their response to grieving at the loss of the mother. This poem could also be one of the poet’s members. A ccording to C. Ekrem Teymur, Robert Hayden grew up in a Detroit ghetto and he spent is time with his parents, but also with a foster family that lived next door to his family (par. 1). This could have been a reflection of what happened to him in his past. The title of the poem suggests that â€Å"those† were the days that he is remembering, and that in the winter time, this was what happened every winter. The entire poem gives the read a sense of coldness. The winter is very cold with the â€Å"blueblack cold† â€Å"(2), â€Å"cold splintering† (6), and â€Å"driven out the cold† (11) without replacing it with warmth. There are only two lines that mention some type of warmth: â€Å"when the rooms were warm† (7) his father would call him. This was interesting because warmth would seem cozy and not something that would happen in this house. When his father called him out of the warmth the boy was, â€Å"fearing the chronic angers† (9) possibl y, because the cold was what he was used to both in temperature and inside the house with the unspoken cold. One line of the poem is very difficult to understand. â€Å"What did I know of love’s austere and lonely offices?† (14). I did not understand this last line and it seems to have nothing to do with the rest of the information. How does this fit into the rest of the poem? According to Peter E. Murphy, the word â€Å"office† has to be put into a context of doing service to others. Murphy explains that in Catholicism, â€Å"office† means the â€Å"daily obligatory prayers† (16) and therefore the passage could mean that love is lonely in this particular space and it is something that must be done, but does not appear here. I am still not sure of what this means. In

HU300 unit 6 DB topic 1 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HU300 unit 6 DB topic 1 - Research Paper Example The idea of this poem is to tell the students that a poem should not merely be read on its face value but they should try to see and feel the character and spirit of the poem. Since the poem is supposed to be an ‘introduction’ it is written in very simple words and hence very easily understandable. The teacher wants the students to appreciate the poem and asks them to approach it in a nonacademic way in which the mere purpose of reading is not just cramming. In the later stanzas, the poet says that his attempt to induce appreciation for the art does not succeed and the students continue to pursue poetry in the same old manner. The poet goes as far as to say that the students merely want some precise message out of it and that they think that there could only be one explanation of the poem whereas poetry is an art form which is enhanced by the interpretation of the reader. The second poem is the ‘Public Transportation’ by Elaine Sexton. The author is an emerging poet who has written a number of poems that have been very well received by the general audience and the critics alike. She conducts poetry workshops and has a passion for inculcating appreciation for this form of literature. Sexton believes that any form of poetry has an inner and a deeper message then what can be gleaned off from the meanings of the words. Her belief is truly represented in this poem where each person has his own background and things are different from what they appear to be. The poem is written out as a story and incorporates very simple vocabulary in its stanzas making it very easy to understand. Even though the title suggests that the poem is about ‘public transportation’, it has a very deep message that everything is not as it looks. The poem itself is an account of the protagonist as she travels in the bus and describes different aspects of it including the surroundings, the different passengers that board the bus

The Impact of the Repeal of Dont Ask Dont Tell Policies Research Paper

The Impact of the Repeal of Dont Ask Dont Tell Policies - Research Paper Example Through aggressively taking down the level of sexual harassment and eliminating sexual displays of dominance, the military can become a more solid and unified organization in which men and women are safe and honorably treated with respect. The following study through secondary research will examine the nature of the ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ policy and the ways in which the repeal is a necessary measure. Through understanding the ways in which the sociological nature of the military will undergo changes, this will be related to the ways in which the repeal of the law will impact military families. The sociology of integrating homosexuality into society will be examined, and then assessed in consideration of the unique environment of the culture of the military. With respect to family culture, the nature of the changes will look at any impact that might occur. The following research paper will discuss the nature of the ‘don’t ask don’t tell policy, creating a background for the controversy and then relating the information to the effect that the repeal of this policy will have on military families. As the issue is intertwined with those who support political factions that support the ‘family values’ platform, the new policies and philosophies that will be included in the sociology of military life will have some form of impact on families within the military. The paper will be structured with a history of the military philosophies on homosexuality and the consequences of those philosophies.

Fixing the debt crisis in Greece Essay Example for Free

Fixing the debt crisis in Greece Essay Introduction: Central Idea: American officials exhorted their European counterparts to use Europe’s own resources to try to solve the crisis. Preview: Echoing past statements, Sarkozy and Merkel said banks should first raise money from the private sector before seeking state aid or money from the EU bailout fund. These issues must all be resolved, Merkel said. Its a painful process. Sarkozy stressed that the leaders are fully aware of their responsibilities, saying they have a moral, political and economical obligation to act decisively. The leaders are also working on how best to leverage the European Financial Stability Facility. The â‚ ¬440 billion fund, which was recently granted the power to intervene in sovereign debt markets and provide loans for governments that need to recapitalize banks, is widely seen as needing additional firepower. Its important to boost the emergency fund to protect the euro, said Merkel. But many EU governments have ruled out backing the fund up with additional loan guarantees. CANNES, France — President Obama plunged Thursday into the fast-moving European debt crisis, arriving here to exhort European leaders to get their financial house in order. But while the president hustled from meeting to meeting with world leaders, he was in many ways thrust into the rare position of bystander, as the unfolding drama over whether the Greek government would fall (it did not) and whether Greece would back the comprehensive accord to protect the euro reached last week (it will, at least for now) dominated conversations in the hallways and conference rooms here in this iconic seaside town. The grand Espace Riviera is more accustomed to red-carpet arrivals by movie stars and hangers-on for the Cannes Film Festival; on Thursday it was transformed instead into ground zero for blue-suited bureaucrats grappling with a financial crisis and the global contagion that it threatened. Instead of Angelina Jolie posing before the paparazzi, it was Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany holding a frozen smile as she greeted Mr. Obama in front of the cameras. There was little preening before the hundreds of reporters gathered from all over the world; President Nicolas Sarkozy of France quickly swept Mr. Obama into a meeting to discuss how to try to stop the unfolding Greek drama from turning into a tragedy, for global markets at least. Mr. Obama arrived early Thursday morning and, during an initial meeting with Mr. Sarkozy, he called the European financial crisis the most important task for world leaders gathered at the Group of 20 economic summit meeting. For Mr. Obama, the stakes are high. He has called the European financial crisis the largest headwind facing the American economic recovery, and he knows that his own re-election prospects are tied to how well the American economy does. But at the same time, his leverage is limited. In public, Mr. Obama largely stuck to his administration’s official message that Europe’s leaders must â€Å"flesh out details† about the plan they agreed to last week in Brussels to deal with the debt crisis in the 17 European Union countries that use the euro. But American officials, including Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, were huddled in private with their European counterparts trying to hash out an agreement that, at the very least, would stop the disintegration under way in Greece from spreading toItaly and Spain, a contagion that could further stymie America’s own anemic economic recovery. American officials exhorted their European counterparts to use Europe’s own resources to try to solve the crisis, instead of seeking bailout help from China. Obama administration officials point to the steps that the United States took to try to address its own financial crisis over the past three years. â€Å"Look, we went through this ourselves,† an Obama administration official said on Thursday, speaking on grounds of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. â€Å"They have the capacity to handle this within Europe.† Jay Carney, the White House press secretary, said that the 2008 Wall Street crisis could provide insight on steps Europe should take. He maintained that the United States remains influential in advising its allies on how to deal with the problem, even if the United States is in no position to provide financial support. â€Å"The United States, obviously, has a great deal of influence, because of who we are and the role we play i n the global economy, and globally in general,† Mr. Carney said in a news briefing on Wednesday. â€Å"I would not discount the significance of the experience that we have in terms of its usefulness to the Europeans.† The Obama administration is not eager to see an increase in the resources sent by the International Monetary Fund to Europe; that might further mute American influence as the additional resources would most likely not come from the United States, but rather from Asia — and most likely China. â€Å"The I.M.F. has a substantial amount of resources to deal with a range of challenges in Europe and around the world,† said Benjamin Rhodes, the deputy national security adviser for strategic communications. Michael Froman, the deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs, said the turmoil in Greece and uncertainty over how exactly Europe plans to carry out its accord to cut Greece’s debt and shore up its finances â€Å"underscores the need to move rapidly toward the full elaboration and implementation of the plan.† Specifically, Mr. Froman said that the United States wants to make sure that Europe has â€Å"a firewall that is sufficiently r obust and effective ensuring the crisis does not spread from one country to another.† Mr. Froman said the United States was also trying to make sure that attention was also paid to stimulating economic growth, both in Greece and throughout the euro zone. Part of the anger among Greek citizens has stemmed from a belief that the euro agreement focuses more on Greek austerity and repaying the banks than on growth, a balance that many people fear could lead to higher unemployment rates as the Greek government cuts public sector jobs to pay its creditors and stabilize its finances. â€Å"I think right now the highest priority in Greece is stabilizing the situation,† Mr. Froman said. â€Å"But the program that Greece has is also about reforming its system and engaging in structural reforms, so that it could become more competitive and therefore grow as part of the euro area.† NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Europes top leaders said Sunday that they were getting closer to finalizing a plan to solve Europes debt crisis. But with a final agreement not expected before Wednesday, the actual details remained under wraps. The technical complexities are significant, said French President Nicolas Sarkozy, adding that there are large amounts of money involved. The European Council, comprising government heads from all 27 members of the European Union, met Sunday in Brussels to hammer out a plan to boost capital levels for banks, enhance a government-backed rescue fund and provide debt relief for Greece. Speaking alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Sarkozy said in a midday press conference that the leaders had made progress on the ambitious and durable response to the long-running crisis. We would not be meeting on Wednesday if we were not really trying this time, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt told CNN. Meanwhile, Merkel noted that EU finance ministers had made progress over the weekend on a solution for capital-starved banks. In principle, the finance ministers have agreed to funnel about â‚ ¬100 billion into banks to boost capital levels. But Merkel added that strengthening banks without resolving the debt crisis in Greece and supporting other nations with unsustainable debts will not work. Europes debt crisis: full coverageEchoing past statements, Sarkozy and Merkel said banks should first raise money from the private sector before seeking state aid or money from the EU bailout fund. These issues must all be resolved, Merkel said. Its a painful process. Sarkozy stressed that the leaders are fully aware of their responsibilities, saying they have a moral, political and economical obligation to act decisively. The leaders are also working on how best to leverage the European Financial Stability Facility. The â‚ ¬440 billion fund, which was recently granted the power to intervene in sovereign debt markets and provide loans for governments that need to recapitalize banks, is widely seen as needing additional firepower. Its important to boost the emergency fund to protect the euro, said Merkel. But many EU governments have ruled out backing the fund up with additional loan guarantees.

Division of labor in a Household Essay -- essays research papers

Division of labor in a Household   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The division of labor in the household hold depends on the environment. Society creates gender ideology that affects the roles women and men take on in the household. In The Second Shift by Arlie Russell, she states three different ideologies of gender. There is the traditional, transitional and egalitarian ideology that determines what sphere men and women want to identify with, home sphere or work sphere. However, it depends what kind on the time period and society you live in that determines the â€Å"norm† gender ideology, which affects the division of labor in a household. The society, which affected the Mendoza and Ortega family that I have observed and interviewed, constructs views of the appropriate roles for men and women in the family devotion schema. Historical   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An important period of United States history that affected the division of household labor was during the earlier industrial revolution. Before the industrial revolution in America, men and women work in the farm; it was a private family farm that both men and women worked. So around the 1830’s these farms were taking over by corporation, and during this time there was a growth of factories, trades and business in the new cities of America, which attracted men and women away from the farm life. However, there was a transition in economy of America, which affected men and women, but it affected them differently. The jobs that men were receiving were different from what women were getting. â€Å"In 1860, most industrial workers were men.† While, men where working in factories women where working in more domestic jobs, but only 15% of women were working for paid. Hence, most women stayed at home to take care of the second shift, housework. When men star ted working in factories and women working in domestic jobs, this change the way people lived, especially family life. Now men are leaving their homes, where they use to work as farmers, to city to work, while women primary stay at home to work. During this time period, the lives of men where changing more drastically, but women identity was still identifying with the home, while men were identifying with his paid work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nowadays, women’s lives have changed significantly due to the expansion of jobs that have gave women more opportu... ...n working, still the women were the one who did most of the housework. The placement of living also had an affect on their lives as well. As a native New York, the part of queens the Ortega family lives, would be consider as â€Å"suburbs† and the part of Brooklyn, the Mendoza family live in would be considered as the urban. Their surroundings affected their affirmation of their choice of gender ideology. In Queens, most women were stay-at-home mothers and expected the man to provides the finical needs. Sherry affirmed her notion of traditional mothers by giving examples of her neighbors to state that it’s the â€Å"norm† to take at home and take care of your children. On the other hand, Gen lived in an area where most of the mothers worked outside the homes. She stated that today, â€Å"women should not identify herself with only the home, but with the labor force as well.† Both families’ neighbor encouraged them to believe in their gender ideologies, which had some contradiction between what a person said they believed, their gender ideologies and what they actual did in the second shift. The Mendoza and Ortega family had one person, the wife/mother, doing more of the second shift, housework.

The Godfather :: Film Review,Coppola, The Gangsters

Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather (1972) is among the best films ever produced. Consistently ranked as one of the top three films by the American Film institute, this gangster film sits among the likes of Citizen Kane (1941), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), and the more recent Schindler’s List (1993) (American). When it was released, The Godfather was nominated for ten Academy Awards, and won three: Best Picture, Best Actor (Marlon Brando), and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film was adapted from the best-selling novel, with the same name, by Mario Puzo (Mast & Kawin, 332). The film takes place in a ten-year span between 1945 and 1955. It follows the Sicilian family headed by Vito Corleone who is played by Marlon Brando; Corleone is also the godfather or head of the Corleone Crime Family. Coppola’s film is not the first big screen version of a gangster film: Scarface (1933), The Public Enemy (1931), and Little Caesar (1931) are all pre-production code gangster films, but American Movie Classics’ Tim Dirks believes The Godfather â€Å"reinvented the gangster genre† (Dirks). Still, The Godfather’s has many similarities to pre-production code gangster films especially with its use of violence, and its portrayal of corruption of both the gangsters and the ‘good guys.’ The gangster films of the 30s and 40s had all but disappeared until The Godfather revived the genre. These films were not new to Hollywood: The Public Enemy (1931), Little Caesar (1930), and Scarface (1932), but the production code put an end to the style of the early gangster classics. Two production code principles for films made during its time, 1934-1967, were that â€Å"No picture should lower the moral standards of those who see it†¦the audience should never be thrown to the side of crime, wrongdoing, evil or sin† and â€Å"[l]aw [†¦] must not be belittled, ridiculed, nor must a sentiment be created against it† (The Production code). These principles along with the film noir era essentially ended the way gangster films were made. Following the enforcement of the code, the focus shifted from the gangsters to the ‘good guys’ (Dirks). David Stirritt, film critic for the Christian Science Monitor, says Coppola’s film â€Å"revived the ga ngster genre† (Dirks). This revival helped other gangster films to make it to the big screen: Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas (1991) and Casino (1995), and Mike Newell’s Donnie Brasco (1997). The similarities between The Godfather and early gangster films are evident when they are compared.

Effect of Culture in International Business

Culture is an important part of International Business. Culture is defining the collection of values, beliefs, behaviours, customs and attitudes of the member in the society. Culture is the behaviour that people act in the community. The characteristic of culture is also reflects learned behaviour that is transmitted from one member to another in society. There are also basic elements cultures such as social structure, language and religious. So the foreigner who wants to operate the business at the overseas market have to understand the culture at the local market to become successful. In this report also compare between the similarities of culture between two countries such as Thailand-Malaysia and different in culture between China and United States. The term ‘Culture’ can be can be defined in more than 160 ways. According to (Terpstra and David 1985) they proposed the meaning of culture in international Management context based on Hostede’s definition is refers to the group of people in the society of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and material objects. Culture is symbolic communication. Some of its symbols include a group's skills, knowledge, attitudes, values, and motives. The meanings of the symbols are learned and deliberately from the generation to generation. Culture is also the collective programming of communication for people in the community to understand such as language and behaviour and also to make the connection by communication with other community. Culture is one of the important parts of International business undertaking Importing and Exporting in foreign markets. So the organisation that operating international have to understand the differences in values and ethical behaviour for the organisation to work efficient in the international markets. Many organisations lost the opportunities due to the lack of understanding of international markets. Characteristics of Culture Culture is the set of values, attitudes, beliefs, behaviour. The society culture are describes the behaviour and rules which determine the way of how the organisation operate in the community. Culture is also reflects learned behaviour that is transmitted from one member to another in society. Culture is also the adaptive because the effect from the external environment such as multinational international business, technology and tourism. Also the improvement of communication such as mobile phone and internet with the low cost which allow people and organisations developed greater cross cultural exchange between the organisations. The basic elements of Culture in international business are: †¢ Social Structure †¢ Language †¢ Religion The Social structure is the culture’s beliefs about the role in community. The organisation’s predominately how to work with each other in the organisation. Social attitude is reflected in the importance of how to work together in the organisations. Language Language is a primary cultural in the society because it is very important for society’s members to communicate between members. There are over 3,000 languages and as many as 10,000 in worldwide. Religion is also the important part of society. Religion influences the attitudes members in the community towards work, investment, consumption and responsibility. For example: Thailand Languages in Thailand The Thai language is the main language in Thailand also there is several regional languages spoke as well. Other languages spoken in Thailand are Chinese, Lao, Malay and Mon-Khmer, while English is later becoming more predominate in commerce of international. I Thailand, English is also now becoming the second language in secondary school and universities. Thai Society & Culture Hierarchical Society . Thailand organisation is respect hierarchical relationships. . Social relationships are defined as person is the leader being superior and make the decision for the other members in the organisation. . Management teams are superior to employees, alder employees to the younger employees, and bosses to their subordinates. . When Thai organisation meeting the outsider, they will immediately try to place outsider within a hierarchy so they know how the outsider should be treated. . This is often done by asking what might be seen as very personal questions in other cultures. . Status can be determined by clothing and general appearance, age, job, education, family name, and social connections. Etiquette & Customs in Thailand Meeting In business . The ‘wai’ is the traditional form of greeting, given by the person of lower status to the person of higher status. So in the business is normally visitor will be greeding before the host. . Thais generally use first rather than surnames, with the honorific title Khun before the name. This is the very appropriate polite way and very good start to do the business. Relationships & Communication †¢ Thai people prefer to do the business with the people whom they respect. †¢ The Thai people also very concern about trust. So it’ll require the foreigner who wants to do the business in Thailand have to follow the way of Thai culture and do not rushing to do the business. †¢ Always be respectful to each other when dealing the business with the others as it can leads to smoothly relationship in doing the business. . Thai communication is formal and non-verbal communication is often more important than verbal communication. . Rank is always been respectful. The eldest person in the organisation will be the most respectful from the other members in the organisation. . It is difficult for most Thais to say no, so you must be cognizant of their non- verbal communication. . Also body language is also important to do the business in Thailand. Because body language can telling about how professional the outsider are. Face The concept of saving face is important in Thai society. So to do business in Thailand, Thai people will do anything to prevent loss of face. For example, normally to avoiding confrontation and rather choosing to tell others what they want to hear rather than dealing immediately. So to Criticising someone in public and breaking the promises are various ways that unpermitted in Thailand. Thailand is a fascinating and very complex country, because Thailand has history of religious for century’s philosophy, immigrant know-how and wisdom coming from foreign trade and commerce. Due to the culture complexity, which make it very hard to understand from the foreigner to doing business in Thailand. The international business might loss their opportunities to operate the manufacture in Thailand because lack of knowledge about local culture. The answer to the question whether cultural similarities would lead to greater trade among countries is both yes and no. Logically, cultural similarities will make trade easier for each other because of the mutual understanding between both countries. But that’s not often case for all countries. Similarities in culture sometimes would lead to copyright and property claims. This is why there are two answers for the question. Examples will be given to support each answer respectively. Malaysia and Indonesia is example of countries that share an identical culture amongst each other. Both countries are located geographically in the South East Asia region. Both of these countries are often called siblings due to its size. The Malay language is an Austronesian language spoken not only by Malaysians but all Malay people who reside in the Malay Peninsula, southern Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore. It is also very similar to Indonesian, known locally as Bahasa Indonesia. Other than having an almost identical language, there are other cultures such as uniforms and traditional music instrument that are also similar. Sharing almost identical and similar cultures don’t usually work well for both of this country. In recent years, disputes and misunderstanding occur on problems such as claims of traditional copyright and territory claim has marked a black patch on the relationship of both countries. According to (Schonhardt, 2009) Similarities in culture, language and religious customs should make Indonesia and Malaysia good neighbors. But long-running spats over everything from territorial boundaries to cultural ownership of culinary dishes, dances, instruments and even Malaysia's national anthem have over the years hampered ties. This directly effects not only trades between the two countries but also gives a pessimistic view for foreign investors who are planning to invest heavily in both countries. Things aren’t always sour for both of the countries. Having a similar culture also helped both of the country in trading and making business with each other much more easier. For example, the number of imported maids from Indonesia to Malaysia is increasing by day. Indonesian maids find it easier to adapt to Malaysian culture, as it is not much of a difference with the culture back at home. Culture in this sense includes language, food and environment. It is reported that in the year 2007, two leaders of both countries has signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a joint trade and investment committee to address issues and recommend measures to enhance bilateral trade and investment. www.indlawnews.com, 25 January 2008 This in particular shows how countries with similar culture can work together.

Moral, Social and Political Philosophy Essay

Moral, social and political philosophies are fields that share similarities with one another. The most basic and common characteristic found in all three fields is the role and significance of these fields in the manner by which human beings conduct intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships, with one’s self, with one another and with the community. Social, moral and political philosophies all act as important bedrocks or foundations of ideas humans use to guide their actions. Another similarity or common ground between these three fields is the presence of the examination of the human feelings as well as rational ideas necessary in the development of specific philosophies inside these three fields, even though in some aspects other factors are absent. For example, Immanuel Kant believes that moral philosophy should be without the consideration on human emotions (Gadamer, Weinsheimer, Marshall, 2004, p. 29). Without great thinkers who examined, assessed and concretized ideas based from human experiences, ideas and feelings, moral, social and political philosophies would not have existed in the first place. There are many other different similarities. Examples are how all three influence practice, tradition, norm, culture and values, how they all impact human life and later, history, and how all three fields evolve and change over time depending on perspectives introduced by new individuals, new thinking, new ideas and new perspectives. As for differences, one of the main differences when all three are compared is the specific focus inside which each philosophy works, is applied to, and allows the influence of. The use of moral philosophy – believed to be as one of the two oldest forms of philosophy (Fitzpatrick, 2008, p. 4) – in aspects dealing with moral issues hardly can make any considerations for the use of or relevance of either social or political philosophies. These are not the best and most suitable perspective to use. Ideas are also different. For example, what can be acceptable to political philosophy can be unacceptable to moral philosophy and vice versa. The focus of the two has the tendency to move towards different, if not altogether contrasting, paths. Justifications for beliefs and the use of sets of philosophical ideas and content can vary depending on what is being argued or debated upon and how these ideas are being used. Social, moral and political philosophies allow the individual to examine, look closely, investigate, assess and explain life. This is accomplished by these fields via the questions that they offer to the people to answer and explore the answers for themselves through the use of, or guidance, of these different fields of philosophy. The questions these fields of philosophy pose figure into a consideration of modern human life simply because these fields of philosophy exist to tackle, explain and to provide reasons for modern life. What these fields of philosophy creates as questions for humans to answer all point to man’s ability to examine human life, the modern life, consistently. For example, questions posed by moral philosophy figure into a consideration of modern life. Moral philosophy asks the human being how and why he or she is behaving as he or she does, giving them the trigger for self investigation. This can I justify how I act and why I act with regards to existing moral philosophy, or have I really deviated from it and is thus considered as bad? The questions they pose figure into a consideration of modern life simply because these fields of philosophy is all about life, life experiences and the resulting ideas from these life experiences in the first place. In the discussion of Smith and Haakonssen (2002) on moral philosophy, it explained that human beings may have the tendency to be confused especially in consideration with the different ideas past and present inside moral philosophy that can counter one another (Smith and Haakonssen, 2002, p. vii). This instance illustrates the idea that these fields of philosophy bring forward questions that allows people to examine life, including modern life, making these fields of philosophy and the questions they pose something that eventually figures into the consideration of the modern life. Scheppele (1988) noted that people asks for directions, not just literally but also for direction in life and for direction in their ideas and beliefs (Scheppele, 1988, p. 143). Since philosophies are not cast in stone, at times they provide answers in as much as they provide questions, at the same time, allow the individual to make a serious consideration of the present modern life, like how there are questions arising from how law and the social and moral philosophies. For example, getting in the way of one another during particular instances and how the individual can get away from or wriggle from it with sufficient sense of justification for such action. In the end, the effort at comparing and contrasting social, moral and political philosophy begs the answer to this question – is any one area more important than another? This is a tricky question. Even though the answer is most probably either yes or no, there are complex considerations why it is difficult to arrive at any one of the offered monosyllabic answers. To say that one is actually more important than the other is to say that the philosophical ideas of the superior one can supplant or totally override the ideas of the other, which cannot be consistently true. Philosophical arguments and the use of philosophy is always a case per case basis with focus on considerations as well as the aspect and context inside which the argument is found. For example, moral philosophy may be important than political or social philosophy. Moral philosophy governs the basic actions of man. However, if the base of argument leans more towards political considerations and with consideration to accepted political practices that may go against moral ideals, then moral philosophy cannot simply be considered as more important to political or social philosophy. The best possible answer is that all of these are equally important. Its importance should not be gauged and measured and compared with one another. How it is applied to life is a complex process that is hardly possible to quantify or measure to ascertain any indication of measurable importance that can be compared with one another. All of these are important because they help govern, and even make organized human life that is becoming more and more complex and complicated. References Fitzpatrick, T. (2008). Applied Ethics and social problems: moral questions of birth, society and death. Bristol: The Policy Press. Gadamer, H. G. , Weinsheimer, J. and Marshall, D. G. (2004). Truth and method. London: Continuum International Publishing Group. Schappele, K. L. (1988). Legal secrets: equality and efficiency in the common law. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Smith, A. and Haakonssen, K. (2002). The theory of moral sentiments. London: Cambridge University Press.

Tqm in Starwood

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide In partial fulfilment Of the requirements in Total Quality Management 12 October, 2010 I. INTRODUCTION Being one of the of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. already has nearly 1000 properties in some 100 countries and approximately 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels and Resorts is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts with different internationally renowned brands of St.Regis, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton, W, Le Meridien, Aloft and Element. It also owns one of the premier developers and operators of high-quality vacation interval ownership resorts, Starwood Vacation Ownership Resorts, Inc. The company began as a small investment firm and then became a real estate investment trust (REIT). In 1998, Starwood acquired ITT Corporation, a company seven times its size, in which during tha t time, the world's largest lodging and gaming company.Founded by Barry Sternlicht, Starwood Hotels and Resorts has been acquiring many other hotels and companies, at the same time, unloading some of its own properties to make room and money for new ones. Starwood Hotels and Resorts still face challenges in their worldwide operations. This led to a decision of adapting Six Sigma in the year 2000. The roll out of Six Sigma in the company started in the first quarter of 2001and was targeted to end in the year 2002 – also the time they say they will reap the fruits of their efforts. According to the founder, and previous chairman and chief executive officer of Starwood, Barry Sternlicht he launch of Six Sigma is one of the most important strategic initiatives since the formation of the company. It will be a multiyear effort encompassing thousands of associates. It will also sustain and build new momentum, strengthen their global brands, enhance their ability to share best practi ces globally, speed the adoption of new technologies, prepare them for the challenges of constant change, provide critical focus on the customer and overtime help them derive a dramatic improvement in the bottom line. All these will happen only with the successful implementation of the strategy.Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worlwide, Inc. was the first hospitality chain to adapt Six Sigma in its global operations. The company continuously improves with the Mission: â€Å"To our shareholders, our goal is to grow EBITDA at least 8-10% per year and EPS at least 15% per year. To our customers, we want Starwood to be the easiest company with which to do business. And to our employees, our commitment is to make Starwood a great place to work. † â€Å"At Starwood, we don’t just ‘do’ Six Sigma, we ‘use’ Six Sigma,† wrote one Starwood employee in iSixSigma’s Best Places survey. That means that we use it every day in our daily work to solve problems, regardless of their size. We follow the DMAIC and Lean Six Sigma principles and use tools daily (VOC translation tables, Pugh matrices, SIPOC†¦DOE, etc. ), but don’t necessarily have to make every problem into a project. We just get it done here. † This made Starwood the top best place to work in according to isixsigma. com’s Top 10 companies Best Places to Work list. To sum it up, Starwood Hotels and Resorts was able to pull off great opportunities of development and growth in the company through Six Sigma.II. COMPANY PROFILE A. Brief Description about the company: As a top company in the Hotels, Casinos, Resorts industry, Starwood Hotels ; Resorts specialize in the operation and management of hotels, resorts, casinos and spas. Starwood is now one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 925 properties in more than 95 countries. Starwood Hotels ; Resorts Worldwide, Inc. , incorporated in 1980, is a hotel and leisu re company. The Company conducts its hotel and leisure business both directly and through its subsidiaries. Its brand names include St.Regis (luxury full-service hotels, resorts and residences), The Luxury Collection (luxury full-service hotels and resorts), W (luxury and upscale full service hotels, retreats and residences), Westin (luxury and upscale full-service hotels, resorts and residences), Le Meridien (luxury and upscale full-service hotels, resorts and residences), Sheraton (luxury and upscale full-service hotels, resorts and residences), Four Points (select-service hotels), Aloft (select-service hotels), and Element (extended stay hotels). The Company is organized into two business segments: hotels and vacation ownership and residential.In January 2010, the Company announced that it has completed the disposal of Bliss World Holdings, Inc. to Steiner Leisure Limited. History of the company: Starwood Hotels ; Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the top hotel companies in the w orld. The company owns and operates hotels under leading brands such as Sheraton, Westin, St. Regis, Four Points, and its recently developed W brand. The majority of Starwood's hotels are owned by franchisees, and the company directly owns or leases about 170 of its approximately 750 hotels worldwide.Close to 500 of the company's hotels are in North America. Starwood also runs hotels in some 80 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America, including a chain of prestigious European palaces called the Ciga Group. The company began as a small investment firm and then became a real estate investment trust (REIT). In 1998 Starwood purchased ITT Corporation, a company seven times its size and at the time the world's largest lodging and gaming company. Starwood beat out the Hilton Hotels Corporation to get ITT, in what was one of the most dramatic takeover battles of the 1990s.Starwood is run by Barry Sternlicht, whose consummate dealsmanship parlayed the small trust into a global lodging company. B. Different Scope of the Company: a. Starwood’s Managed Hotels The Company manages hotels worldwide, usually under a long-term agreement with the hotel owner (including entities in which it has a minority equity interest). Its responsibilities under hotel management contracts typically include hiring, training and supervising the managers and employees that operate these facilities.For additional fees, it provides centralized reservation services and coordinates national advertising and certain marketing and promotional services. It prepares and implements annual budgets for the hotels it manages and is responsible for allocating property-owner funds for periodic maintenance and repair of buildings and furnishings. In addition to its owned and leased hotels, at December 31, 2009, it managed 440 hotels with approximately 153,800 rooms worldwide. b. The Brand Franchising and LicensingThe Company franchises its Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton, Luxury Collection, Le Meridien, Aloft and Element brand names and generally derive licensing and other fees from franchisees based on a fixed percentage of the franchised hotel’s room revenue, as well as fees for other services, including centralized reservations, sales and marketing, public relations and national and international media advertising. In addition, a franchisee may also purchase hotel supplies, including brand-specific products, from certain Starwood-approved vendors.It approves certain plans for, and the location of, franchised hotels and reviews their design. At December 31, 2009, there were 476 franchised properties with approximately 116,300 rooms. c. Vacation Ownership and Residential Business The Company develops, owns and operates vacation ownership resorts, market and sell the vacation ownership interests (VOIs) in the resorts and, in many cases, provide financing to customers who purchase such ownership interests.Owners of VOIs can trade their interval for in tervals at other Starwood vacation ownership resorts, for intervals at certain vacation ownership resorts not otherwise sponsored by Starwood through an exchange company, or for hotel stays at Starwood properties. From time to time, it securitizes or sells the receivables generated from its sale of VOIs. At December 31, 2009, it had 22 residential and vacation ownership resorts and sites in its portfolio with 16 actively selling VOIs and residences, and two that have sold all existing inventory. C. Business Industry:The general business activity and principal products or commercial enterprise of Starwood Hotels & Resorts are categorized as being part of the Hotels, Casinos, Resorts Industry. D. The Company Values: â€Å"Go the Extra Step by taking actions that build lasting connections and loyalty ; Play as a Team by working globally and across all teams in the company; Do the Right Thing by using good judgment, respecting our communities, associates, owners, partners and the envir onment† E. Principal Subsidiaries: Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc. F. Principal Competitors: Marriott International, Inc. Hilton Hotels Corporation; Four Seasons Hotels Inc. G. Key Dates of the company’s operations a. 1991: Starwood Capital Group is founded. b. 1993: Starwood begins buying hotels. c. 1994: Starwood buys Hotel Investors Trust; gains special REIT status. d. 1998: Starwood acquires ITT Corporation. e. 2001: Implementation of Six Sigma Strategy for the company’s overall operations III. BEFORE HAVING SIX-SIGMA IN THE COMPANY Starwood Hotels and Resorts did not follow a particular Total Quality Management program. Although they do have goals, such as: Starwood is entering a new stage in its development,† said Barry Sternlicht, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. â€Å"The world is changing rapidly. While we own superb physical assets around the world, it is our 30 million customers who represent the critical and unrecognized asset of our com pany in this internet age. We are determined to build a customer-centric organization, a company that will take advantage of unprecedented advances in technology to improve nearly every facet of its core operations while increasing brand loyalty in an effort to create significant long-term shareholder value,† Mr.Sternlicht said. Starwood, though were very successful before their implementation of the Six Sigma also encounter several problems. One of which was when the Congress acted to change the law governing Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). This made Starwood lose its tax advantage thus converting itself to the traditional corporate structure. The change made accounting difficult, particularly in comparing financial results from before and after the restructuring. In addition, there seemed to be trouble in the top echelons of management.Starwood's stock price fell, and in December 1998 the company announced that fourth quarter earnings would be less than estimated. Oth er lodging stocks did badly as well, but Starwood was clearly struggling to integrate its vast new holdings. IV. THE COMPANY’S ADAPTATION †¢ The slowing economy hurt Starwood and other hotel companies in 2001. The September 11 terrorist attacks were a huge blow to the industry. Starwood's North American business fell drastically immediately after the attacks, and two weeks later the company announced that it would lay off 23 percent of its North American workforce.Revenue fell in 2001 and 2002 as the global economy remained weak and business travel was less than robust. The company's European operations did better than its North American business, and Asia became the company's next frontier. Less than 10 percent of Starwood's operating profit came from its Asian operations in 2002, but the company aimed to increase that to 25 percent by 2007. †¢ â€Å"We have spent $1 billion in our ongoing effort to bring consistency to our branded hotels around the world,† says Bob Cotter, chief operating officer, Starwood Hotels ; Resorts. It is time and we are ready to complement this effort with a global focus on the delivery of consistent and exemplary service to our guests. From the reservation and check-in process, to room standards and cleanliness, it is our goal for every Westin, Sheraton, W, Four Points by Sheraton, Starwood Vacation Ownership and St. Regis/Luxury Collection guest to have a flawless experience during each and every visit. Six Sigma will help us reach that goal. † V. THE SIX SIGMA IMPLEMENTATION AT STARWOOD In 2001 Starwood Hotels & Resorts became the first hospitality company in the world to embrace Six Sigma, an internationally recognized approach that enables Starwood associates to develop innovative customer focused solutions and to transfer these solutions across the global organization. Six Sigma is a customer-focused, fact-based, analytical system (approach and tools) for improving processes so that customers are more satisfied and Associates’ time is spent more on value-added activities, leading to increased profitably.The Six Sigma tools enable Starwood hotels to transfer solutions and innovations across their properties and offices globally. This gives the company a competitive advantage on speed to market in implementing Best Practices and Brand Standards. †¢ By launching Six Sigma, Starwood made a long-term commitment to radically improving the way it does business. For Starwood Six Sigma is a powerful business system that focuses on consistently delivering superior value to existing and potential customers. Six Sigma will roll out across Starwood Hotels & Resorts starting in the first quarter of 2001, completing implementation through the entire company by the end of 2002. While the company has budgeted a net cost for the program in 2001, as training and process reengineering begins, the company expects the program to begin delivering benefits in 2002 and beyond. Pioneered by Motorola and made famous by GE, Six Sigma has helped some of the world’s leading companies greatly improve customer service and increase financial returns.Starwood expects to save millions of dollars through improved efficiencies and maximized targeting of employed capital. Further, Starwood expects to generate significant incremental revenue and profit due to enhanced  loyalty and additional products and services. Former GE executive James Hyman has been named executive vice president, Six Sigma, for Starwood and will have global responsibility for executing the strategy, designing the tools and overseeing the implementation of Starwood’s Six Sigma initiative. Before joining Starwood, Hyman served as President of Europe for GE Capital Modular Space.Hyman will report directly to Bob Cotter. Starwood has also enlisted the expertise of renowned Six Sigma specialists Peter S. Pande, co-author of â€Å"The Six Sigma Way† and president of Pivotal Consulting, and the George Group to assist with the launch. During the first five quarters of implementation, Starwood will primarily redeploy current Starwood associates to fill approximately 450 Six Sigma specialist roles. Starwood will fill these roles with many of the company’s highest performing associates, in addition to some external candidates from all fields.These Six Sigma specialists will have strong analytical and organizational skills, and most will hold the title of â€Å"black belt† or â€Å"master black belt. †Ã‚   Each â€Å"black belt† is expected to drive EBITDA gains of $200,000 or more per year. †¢ Instead of hiring the usual ethnographers or consultants, Westin owner Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. turned to Six Sigma, a management process known for reducing defects and increasing efficiency. It was a surprising move given Six Sigma's rap as a creativity killer. But under Geoffrey A.Ballotti, president of Starwood's North America Div. , the company is using Six Sigma's strengths to promote innovation–and generate tens of millions in new revenue. Combining creativity and efficiency is a delicate managerial manoeuvre that few service companies can pull off. Starwood succeeded, in large part, because it began with a culture of creativity before introducing the management tool. Design has long played a major role in the company, with noted architect David Rockwell designing its hip W Hotels brand back in the '90s.Starwood gets a boost out of Six Sigma by using its techniques to dream up projects across the company. Massage is just one of hundreds of ventures done this way. This year's food and beverage engineering program, which rejiggers the choices on room-service and catering menus based on their popularity, has generated $20 million in extra revenue. In 2006, programs developed under Six Sigma delivered more than $100 million in profit to its bottom line. As a result, the White Plains (N. Y. company is on e of the world's most profitable hotel operators: Its net margin is nearly 15%, higher than those of rivals Hilton Hotels Corp. (HLT ) and Marriott International Inc. (MAR ) â€Å"We have been driving our margin growth faster than our competitors,† says Ballotti. â€Å"When people ask why, I point to Six Sigma. † The group that runs the effort is headed by Brian Mayer, who claims the quirky title of vice-president for Six Sigma, operation innovation, and room support. â€Å"I grew up in the hospitality industry,† says Mayer, whose grandfather and father ran catering businesses. The joke is that I was born in a chafing dish. † Since the program launched in 2001, Mayer's crew has trained 150 employees as â€Å"black belts† and more than 2,700 as â€Å"green belts† in the arts of Six Sigma. Based mostly at the hotels, black belts oversee the projects while green belts hammer out the details. The key to their success, says Mayer, is that instead of acting like â€Å"suits† imposing their will from â€Å"corporate,† the Six Sigma specialists operate more like partners who help local hotels meet their own objectives. Indeed, almost 100% of the creative concepts come from in-house staff.And every project must be overseen by a hotel employee. â€Å"By focusing on their goals and budgets it enables us to become a partner in the operation,† says Mayer. †¢ The SWAT Team: The innovation process begins when hotel teams pitch Mayer's group on a new idea. â€Å"They fight for our resources,† says Mayer. A Six Sigma Council composed of Ballotti and his 13 direct reports, including his senior vice-president for sales and marketing, then evaluates an idea's merit based on the division's priorities and the project's expected payoff.If the council approves a project, black belts and green belts are deployed like SWAT teams to the hotels to carry it out. †¢ London, 14 July 2004: A sign of the growing im portance of SIX SIGMA at Starwood Hotels & Resorts is that by 1 August this year, the hotel company, with over 740 properties globally, will have trained over 1000 associates from all over the world to become SIX SIGMA Green Belts the first training stage in the SIX SIGMA development program.The latest group of 12 associates from the Europe, Middle East and Africa region are heading to Warsaw on 19 July for a week of intensive Six Sigma tuition. This innovative project has re-designed all the individual reservation channels for hotel, golf, spa, transport, restaurant and outdoor activities into one single point of contact – a multi-purpose, multi skilled Resort Sales team that immediately can confirm and cross sell any request received by the hotel. The benefits for this project to Turnberry were immediate. To date there has been an 11. 5% increase in incremental spend by customers and  increase in rooms revenue of more than 19%. In addition, The Spa revenues have increased from GBP 91 per booking to GBP 141 per booking as a result of the newly centralized  reservation  group, which enables the maximum utilization of treatment rooms and therapists. †¢ Energy Summit for Starwood Hotels and Resorts: Starwood Hotels & Resorts has taken a leaf out of the recent G8 Summit by implementing an awareness program which focuses on Climate Change and Carbon Management across its 400 hotels in Europe, Middle East & Africa.The hotel group, whose brands include Sheraton, Westin, St Regis and Luxury Collection, has over the past few years been committed to becoming a ‘green’ operator at all levels. In the UK Starwood is part of the Hospitality Energy Consortium (HEC)*, a group of hotel companies who partner together in the procurement of energy. Lead by Chairperson, Angela Tomlinson, Director of Purchasing UK and Ireland, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, the Consortium has partnered with the Carbon Trust, an independent company set up by Government to help the UK meet its climate change obligations.In partnership with the Carbon Trust, Starwood has recently taken part in a scoping study by Enviros, environmental consultants. The initial results, which will be available in August 2005, will enable Starwood and the other consortium members to review their energy consumption/carbon footprint, and provide better ways of working to achieve reductions in volumes used.In addition to this, as a huge element of energy management is dependent on buy-in from the associates in the hotels, a comprehensive energy toolkit and training program has been distributed to every Head of Department in every Starwood hotel in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. This is part of a wider awareness program with a focus on protecting the environment. As well as associate and corporate activity, Starwood has been active with guest energy conservation initiatives for a number of years already.In 1999 the company was the first in the hotel industry to introduc e a Green Room Program, to reduce water and electricity use for laundering guest towels and linen. Guests place a card on their bed each day if they wish to have their bed linen and towels changed. If guests do not put this card on their bed, their bed will be made without changing the linens and their towels will be hung up but not changed. A green card would be left for the guest as a thank-you for ‘going green'.Since then the Green Room Program has been fully incorporated into the ABCs of House-keeping in the Sheraton, Westin and Four Points by Sheraton EAME Brand Standards. As a result of this ongoing focus on Energy, Starwood has also created a North West Europe Energy Champions team, a group of associates who are responsible for driving support for this project. Starwood’s change management process, Six Sigma, is being used to drive this commitment and the implementation of the Energy Conservation Toolkit is now a required best practice at all hotels owned and man aged throughout EAME.This project is the result of Six Sigma Methodology delivering tools that will in turn deliver energy and carbon reduction, to the benefit of future generations but also the associates and hotel guests of today. †¢ Six Sigma at Starwood has helped improve the financial performance of the group by ushering in the quality and consistency of the customers' experiences. Six Sigma has also provided the guidelines and tools to create a consistently superior guest experience at all properties, and simultaneously improve the bottom line.The Six Sigma organization in the group reports to divisional leadership and is aligned with the division’s goals and priorities. VI. AFTER SIX-SIGMA IMPLEMENTATION A. COMPANY IMPROVEMENTS: o While Starwood incurred $17 million in training costs to launch Six Sigma in 2001, the company reaped tangible EBITDA increases of more than $17 million. Training costs will be significantly reduced in 2002 and Starwood expects a substan tial increase (perhaps double) in the EBIDTA improvement achieved by Six Sigma-related programs. † o Six Sigma at Starwood has helped improve the financial performance of he group by ushering in the quality and consistency of the customers' experiences. Six Sigma has also provided the guidelines and tools to create a consistently superior guest experience at all properties, and simultaneously improve the bottom line. The Six Sigma organization in the group reports to divisional leadership and is aligned with the division’s goals and priorities. o Higher net margin than its key competitors – but also with helping spark and act on innovative ideas. The impact is based on global culture: most ideas and solutions come from hotel staff throughout the world. Last year, according to Starwood management, programs developed under the famed management technique delivered more than $100 million in profit to its bottom line. As a result, the White Plains (N. Y. ) company is one of the world's most profitable hotel operators: Its net margin is nearly 15%, higher than those of rivals Hilton Hotels (HLT) and Marriott International (MAR), as well as the industry average of 9%. â€Å"We have been driving our margin growth faster than our competitors,† says Ballotti. â€Å"When people ask why, I point to Six Sigma. o Growth of their hotels (See Appendix 1) Starwood Hotel and Resorts Ranks Number 1on iSixSigma’s Best Places to Work list. (See Appendix 2) o Starwood Hotels and Resorts top ranked â€Å"The Top Best Places to Work List† because of adopting 6 Sigma in their operations. They use 6 Sigma every day in their daily work to solve problems, regardless of their size. They follow the DMAIC and Lean Six Sigma principles and use tools daily. Starwood requires that its full-time Six Sigma practitioners learn firsthand about the inner workings of all the various departments (housekeeping, food and beverage, sales and marketing, etc. in o rder to develop large-scale initiatives. At the same time, the Belts are also expected to lead process improvement projects at the individual hotel level. o The company measures quality with a three-pronged approach: improving the Guest Satisfaction Index (an independently determined numerical value based on guest surveys), increasing revenue and controlling costs. The last one – cost reduction – is where they had the most success so far, given the economy. They continue to go after revenue, but they try to take a balanced approach.If they’re too heavy on the cost side, they get some snap-back in other areas like customer satisfaction. They can’t take their eyes off the ball in any area. They are committed to all three prongs. One example of this three-pronged approach is â€Å"Make a Green Choice,† which was launched at Starwood’s Sheraton and Westin brands in September 2009. To help save on water, chemicals and detergents, the hotel gives guests the option of not having linens changed or the room cleaned altogether for up to three days. Those who participate can receive gift cards or points to be redeemed for food service. Starwood’s commitment to providing challenging cross-departmental opportunities for continuous improvement personnel, along with its policy of promoting Black Belts from within, truly makes it one of the premier companies for Six Sigma practitioners. Companies on the Top 10 list, announced in December 2009, had to meet the highest standards for providing an outstanding Six Sigma program, culture, training, compensation, and recognition and job satisfaction for employees. B. ACHIEVEMENTS FROM THE IMPLEMENTATION: From Indonesia to Malta, Six Sigma is a welcome guest at Starwood hotels. Launched early in 2001, Six Sigma is entering its sixth year at the hotel, which still holds the acclaim of being the only hotel with a corporate-wide Six Sigma initiative. o Starwood properties each have a Six Sigma Council that organize and prioritize projects. Successful projects are then leveraged across additional properties. Six Sigma is emphasized in Career Paths at Starwood as reporting to divisional leadership and aligned with that division’s goals and priorities. A Starwood Six Sigma team received recognition at the IQPC 2004 European Six Sigma Excellence Awards with the Best DFSS Project. o Six Sigma at Starwood has helped increase our financial performance by improving the quality and consistency of our guests’ experiences as well as those of our internal customers. It provides the framework and tools we need to create a consistently superior guest experience at all properties while dramatically improving the bottom line.The Six Sigma organization reports to divisional leadership and is aligned with the division’s goals and priorities. o Six Sigma professionals make decisions based on data, not emotions, share responsibility and know how to generate results . They are enthusiastic and passionate about what they do. These are the skills and qualities that make Six Sigma professionals most successful and that Six Sigma helps build in future leaders. o Starwood’s has been resourcing the firm with workers who are mainly divided into three work categories: Green Belts (GBs) have full-time positions with a portion of their time dedicated to being the Six Sigma point person and transfer project champion and manager. o Black Belts (BBs) are full-time resources who typically work on new projects. They are a resource to GBs in their property or area. They are a member of the property’s Executive Committee. o Master Black Belts are a full-time resource dedicated to overseeing/creating a portfolio of Six Sigma projects in a given division, area or region. They are a resource to BBs, GBs and Six Sigma Council members in their area. Starwood hotels and resorts worldwide Inc is the first hospitality company in the world to embrace Six S igma since 2001 and extends this best practice to all properties worldwide, including the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Tower. o Barry S. Sternlicht, chairman and CEO, Starwood Hotels and Resorts had stated, â€Å"The launch of Six Sigma is one of the most important strategic initiatives since the formation of our company,† he continued. â€Å"It is our goal for every Westin, Sheraton, W, Four Points by Sheraton, Starwood Vacation Ownership and St. Regis /Luxury Collection guests to have a flawless experience during each and every visit.Six Sigma will help us reach that goal. † o Starwood Hotels & Resorts is a leader in the Hospitality industry in technology innovation. Smart Rooms, Wireless Internet Access, Self Check-in Kiosk, and state-of-the-art ERP systems are only a few technologies in place to improve our guest and associate experience. C. SERVICE-BASED ACHIEVEMENTS: †¢ For several years now Starwood has had an edge on its competitors because of its strong bra nd awareness amongst its target markets and the way in which it has developed a range of differentiated experiences. The company’s key asset is the associated diversification of the variety of brands, and the different market segments they serve, provide a broad base from which to enhance revenue. It aggressively attracts and cultivates new customers and maintains loyalty among the world’s most active travellers: As one example, Starwood Preferred Guest, its award-winning frequent guest program, first made headlines when it launched with a breakthrough policy of no blackout dates and no capacity controls, allowing members to redeem free nights anytime, anywhere.Since then, it has grown to include more than 33m members and is cited for its hassle-free award redemption, outstanding customer service, dedicated member website and innovative promotions and benefits for elite members. †¢ Although smaller than some of its peers, Starwood uses its scale to support its cor e marketing and reservation functions across its brands and reduce costs in areas such as insurance, energy, telecommunications, food and beverage, furniture, fixtures and operating supplies. Its size also limits exposure to any particular type of lodging, brand or geographic region. Strategically Starwood has also moved away from investment in owned real estate and increased its focus on its management and franchise business. In furtherance of this strategy, it has been selling some of the older hotels in its portfolio to, in turn, release capital to fund its ambitious international and branded growth plans. Simultaneously the company has retained one of the world’s most profitable hotel net margins of around 15%, higher than many larger rivals. †¢ Starwood has made a great success of its growing product innovation prowess.Having identified the bed as the key area for innovation opportunity in its mid-range Westin brand, Starwood designed the ‘Heavenly Bed’ providing the best night’s sleep by far of any comparable brand. Not only did this well-targeted development improve the all important occupancy rates in Westin properties, it also created a new business line as customers started to buy the Heavenly Bed for their homes. This has now been extended into the W chain where whotelsthestore. com now enables anyone to buy the key ingredients of the unique W experience.From the W bed, pillows and towels to books and an increasing range of male and female apparel, this is the latest incarnation of high-impact product innovation from this service sector pioneer. D. COMPANY ACTIVITIES DONE: o In January, 2006, the Westin Chicago River North hotel was picked to pilot a project, dubbed Unwind, for the upscale hotel chain. The purpose: to think up a set of nightly activities that would draw guests out of their rooms and into the lobby where they could mingle, develop a greater loyalty to the hotel group, and maybe spend a little more mone y.Westin spied an opportunity after a study found that 34% of frequent travellers feel lonely away from home. The Unwind project led the Westin to develop dozens of activities, including massages, at the Chicago hotel. o Starwood Preferred Guest: it is Starwood’s award-winning frequent guest program which first made headlines when it launched with a breakthrough policy of no blackout dates and no capacity controls, allowing members to redeem free nights anytime, anywhere. VII. SOLUTIONS/RECOMMENDATIONSUpon seeing all of their achievements, Starwood Hotels and Resorts should definitely continue using the Six Sigma method in order to maintain meeting their company goals and also to retain all of their company’s success. Aside from increasing profit, using the Six Sigma method really helped Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide improve the service that they are giving to both their customers and their employees. They should conduct more training regarding it so that their employees would know how the Six Sigma method works and not only the top management. Such employees of the companies consist of the Black Belts and the Green belts.The Black Belts should have trainings that will hone their knowledge about different creative ways on how to do a strategy for the whole company which will serve the changing needs and preferences of the company’s target market. Moreover, the green belts must have trainings in which they will be more knowledgeable about Six Sigma approach to different strategies that will be deployed by the company, these people are mainly responsible in delving into the little and detailed concepts of each strategy done by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide. These greenbelts should also be trained to know and put into their heart the DMAIC Methodology.This DMAIC Methodology will help the Greenbelts solve a certain problem of the company, reducing the defects done by the company and improving, leveraging the customer’s e xperience to a higher value. The DMAIC Methodology should train the Greenbelts in defining the problem or what is specifically called the Project Scoping, Measure the relationships between the occurring problem and symptoms, analyze the nature of the problem, improving the operations by resolving the problem and control, which is mainly focused on maintaining the improvements through the use of different tools and instruments.As Starwood Company have different branches scattered all over the world, there must be one Six-Sigma team for each branch wherein they will be mainly responsible for their assigned branch so as to increase effectivity of the business operations and to better serve the target markets in those hotel and resorts location.The Six Sigma teams will be doing information-gathering processes wherein they will ask for comments and feedbacks from the existing customers and those who are the potential ones. Doing such, Starwood can think of strategies and tactics that sho uld be done to capture the potential market and by making things more attractive to the existing customers and make them more loyal to avail the services offered by the company.In times when the company faces visible losses from declining service consumption from the market, Starwood Company must achieve solutions through the use of the Six Sigma Problem Solving wherein it involves redefining and analyzing the problem, generating ideas from the team and the management, evaluating each idea and selecting the most appropriate one and implementing the chosen idea. Through the Six Sigma Problem Solving, the company will have a more systematic way of thinking solutions for a certain problem by delving first into the details, symptoms and underlying assumptions of such matter.Using such method, the employees who are in the Six Sigma team will be trained and honed to be more effective in decision-making and examining all the things that causes the problem to exist. Furthermore, through the problem solving method, the company will be more united as each one of them will have a voice in the company’s operations and they are also responsible for the strategy implementation as all of them make the final decision of how to address the certain problem.By having such cooperation and teamwork within the workers in the company, there will be higher satisfaction for the employees which will in turn affect the quality service experience of the customers when they avail the offered service of Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Moreover, to improve the service of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, the teams of the company must focus on examining and sustaining four key measures of organization performance which includes Accuracy, Cycle time, Cost and Customer satisfaction.In Accuracy, the team should measure if the company is giving correct financial figures, completeness of information, or freedom from data errors; applying the accuracy concept to Starwood Hotels and Resort s, the company must make sure that each branch located at different locations should be visible and transparent in terms of their prices for each distinct service, and also information about the whole service experience, like the service transactions and process that the customers must go through should be made known to them to give them ease in availing the service of the Hotels and Resorts.Next is Cycle time which is a measure of how long it takes to do something; with such thing, Starwood company working in the hotel industries must maximize well their service time so as to not waste the limited resources of their customers, it can be further applied to the company’s operations in terms of efficient availment of the different services through optimal number of employees assigned to different work divisions that will make the customers not wait for their turn for such service consumption.Thirdly, Cost should be measured in terms of the internal cost of the company’s process activities; to have lower costs, Starwood Hotels must have effective workers who are focused and motivated to work and communicate well to the customers so as to decrease the time needed for the service process that should be done by each one of them. As the employees of each hotel and resort become more productive with their assigned work, the cost of the company in sustaining each service process will decrease and will definitely have a greater impact on the company’s profitability.Lastly, the team must measure the Customer Satisfaction, which is typically the measure of the company’s success and will give a view of how the company will be in the near future years of business operations in the industry. The Customer Satisfaction can be measured by getting the direct feedback from the customers after they experience the service form Starwood Hotels and Resorts.Also, the company can do personalization and customization wherein the existing customers will alread y have their service ready after they booked a reservation, making all the things like foods, drinks, kind of bed sheets, store maintenance customized to their needs which in turn make them more satisfied to the service that will make them also more loyal to the company. Furthermore, as the world goes by, the market have acquired higher buying power and have ore sophisticated and changing needs as before; the company can focus on improving its service adapting form the customers’ needs and preferences so as to give higher value proposition to them in relation to the direct competitors of Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Appendix 1: Different Branches of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide [pic] North America United States Arizona Phoenix The Westin Phoenix Downtown  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  March 10, 2011 Tucson Four Points by Sheraton Tucson Airport  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 14, 2010 [pic] California Modesto Four Points by Sheraton Modesto – Opening October 30, 2010 F loridaBal Harbour The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 01, 2012 Jacksonville Aloft Jacksonville Tapestry Park  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 13, 2011 Jacksonville Beach Four Points by Sheraton Jacksonville Beach  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  Nov. 30, 2011 Miami Element Miami International Airport – Opening May 5, 2011 Georgia Atlanta Aloft Atlanta Buckhead  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  September 01, 2012 Element Atlanta Buckhead  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  September 01, 2012 Kennesaw Four Points by Sheraton Atlanta Kennesaw – Opening June 30, 2011 Illinois Chicago Aloft Chicago City Center  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 01, 2012 Kentucky Louisville Michigan KalamazooFour Points by Sheraton Kalamazoo – Opening September 2, 2011 Mississippi Biloxi Four Points by Sheraton Biloxi Beach Boulevard  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  Jul 01, 2010 Nebraska Omaha Element Omaha Midtown Crossing  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 11, 2010 New Jersey Fort Lee Sheraton Fort Lee Hotel †“ Opened September 1, 2010 New Mexico Albuquerque Sheraton Albuquerque Airport Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 11, 2010 New York Aloft Harlem  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 21, 2010 Element New York Times Square West  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 09, 2010 Sheraton Tribeca New York Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 14, 2010 W New York – Downtown  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  August 09, 2010Brooklyn Aloft New York Brooklyn  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 21, 2010 Long Island City Four Points by Sheraton Long Island City/Queensboro Bridge – Opening January 13, 2011 Niagara Falls Four Points by Sheraton Niagara Falls  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  April 07, 2011 North Carolina Asheville Aloft Asheville Downtown  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  March 01, 2012 Chapel Hill Aloft Chapel Hill  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  April 29, 2010 Oklahoma Oklahoma City Four Points by Sheraton Oklahoma City Quail Springs  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  April 22, 2010 Tulsa Aloft Tulsa  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  A ugust 19, 2010 Pennsylvania Philadelphia Le Meridien Philadelphia  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  May 06, 2010 Puerto RicoRio Grande The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 04, 2010 Tennessee Memphis Four Points by Sheraton Memphis East – Opening December 9, 2010 Texas Austin W Austin  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 09, 2010 Galveston Four Points by Sheraton Galveston  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  September 24, 2010 Houston Four Points by Sheraton Houston Hobby Airport  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 01, 2010 Houston The Westin Houston, Memorial City  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  March 03, 2011 Virginia Winchester Aloft Winchester  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  June 04, 2010 Canada Alberta Calgary Four Points by Sheraton Calgary Airport  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  May 06, 2010 EdmontonFour Points by Sheraton Edmonton West – Opening December 1, 2011 Red Deer Sheraton Red Deer Hotel – Opening January 27, 2011 Ontario Niagara Falls Four Points by Sheraton Niagara Fal ls Fallsview  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  April 22, 2010 Saskatchewan Saskatoon Four Points by Sheraton Saskatoon  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  July 22, 2010 Mexico Campeche Campeche The Westin Campeche Resort & Spa, Campeche – Opening June 1, 2011 Chihuahua Chihuahua Aloft Chihuahua – Opening January 1, 2011 Federal District Mexico City The Westin Santa Fe, Mexico City  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  August 05, 2010 Santa Fe W Santa Fe, Mexico – Opening March 31, 2013 Jalisco GuadalajaraThe Westin Hotel Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico – Opening June 1, 2011 Quintana Roo Puerto Juarez The St. Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya – Opening March 31, 2014 Riviera Maya W Kanai Retreat, Riviera Maya, Mexico – Opening March 31, 2014 Africa Algeria Oran Le Meridien Oran Hotel & Convention Centre  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  April 01, 2011 Egypt Cairo Le Meridien Cairo Airport  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  March 31, 2012 St. Regis Hotel Cairo  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  September 01, 2014 W Ca iro – Opening January 1, 2016 Libya Tripoli Four Points by Sheraton Tripoli  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 15, 2010 Sheraton Tripoli Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  September 01, 2012 Mauritius Le MorneThe St. Regis Mauritius Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 01, 2011 Morocco Marrakech W Marrakech Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 01, 2011 Nigeria Lagos Lagos Four Points by Sheraton Lagos  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  September 15, 2010 Le Meridien Ikoyi Towers – Opening January 1, 2013 [pic] Asia Pacific China Anhui Hefei Four Points by Sheraton Hefei, Shushan – Opening January 1, 2014 The Westin Hefei Baohe  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 23, 2010 Beijing Beijing Sheraton Beijing Dongcheng Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  May 01, 2011 W Beijing – Chang'an – Opening January 1, 2014 Chongqing Chongqing The Westin Chongqing Liberation Square  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 01, 2011 FujianFuzhou The Westin Fuzhou Minjiang  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 22, 20 10 Xiamen The Westin Xiamen  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  September 30, 2011 Guangdong Foshan Aloft Nanhai-Foshan  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2011 Guangzhou Sheraton Guangzhou Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2011 Sheraton Huadu Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  April 01, 2011 The Westin Pazhou  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  February 28, 2011 W Guangzhou  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 01, 2011 Aloft Guangzhou University Park  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  May 01, 2012 Heshan Four Points by Sheraton Guangdong, Heshan  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 01, 2012 Huizhou Sheraton Bailuhu Resort, Huizhou  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2012 QingyuanSheraton Qingyuan Lion Lake Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 01, 2012 Zhanjiang Sheraton Zhanjiang Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 01, 2011 Zhongshan Sheraton Zhongshan Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  August 10, 2010 Zhuhai Sheraton Zhuhai Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2015 Zhuhai The St. Regis Zhuhai – Opening June 30, 2015 Hainan Haikou Th e Westin Haikou  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 01, 2012 Sanya Sheraton Sanya Haitang Bay Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  September 30, 2012 Sheraton Sanya Tufu Bay Resort  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 01, 2013 The Malus Resort, Sanya  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  September 30, 2012 The St. Regis Sanya Yalong Bay Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 01, 2011 Wanning CityFour Points by Sheraton Shenzhou Peninsula  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 31, 2010 Sheraton Shenzhou Peninsula Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 31, 2010 Heilongjiang Daqing Sheraton Daqing Hotel  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 01, 2013 Henan Kaifeng Four Points by Sheraton Kaifeng  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2013 Luohe Four Points by Sheraton Luohe  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  May 01, 2012 Zhengzhou Aloft Zhengzhou Shangjie  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2012 Aloft Zhengzhou Zhengdong New District – Opening January 1, 2014 Le Meridien Zhengzhou  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2012 Sheraton Zhengzhou H otel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2013 HubeiWuhan The Westin Wuhan Wuchang  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 01, 2013 Jiangsu Changzhou Sheraton Changzhou Wujin Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 01, 2012 Jiangyin Sheraton Jiangyin Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 01, 2010 Lianyungang Four Points by Sheraton Lianyungang  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  April 28, 2010 Nanjing The Westin Nanjing  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 28, 2011 Suzhou Four Points by Sheraton Taicang  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  June 30, 2010 Wuxi Sheraton Wuxi Binhu Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  August 27, 2010 Yancheng Aloft Yancheng  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2013 Yangzhou Four Points by Sheraton Yangzhou Hanjiang – Opening July 1, 2013 ZhenjiangSheraton Zhenjiang Hotel  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 01, 2013 Jiangxi Nanchang Sheraton Nanchang Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2012 Liaoning Dalian Aloft Dalian  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 01, 2013 Sheraton Dalian Xinghai Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 31, 2011 The Chengbao Hotel, Dalian  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2014 Macau Cotai Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Strip  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 01, 2011 Shaanxi Xian Sheraton Xian Da Ming Gong Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 31, 2011 The Westin Xian  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 01, 2011 Shandong Qingdao Four Points by Sheraton Qingdao, Chengyang  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2012Four Points by Sheraton Qingdao, Jiaonan  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2012 Sheraton Qingdao Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 01, 2012 Tai'an Four Points by Sheraton Tai’an  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 10, 2010 Weifang Four Points by Sheraton Weifang  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 30, 2013 Yantai Aloft Haiyang  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2013 Sheraton Yantai Golden Beach Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  March 01, 2011 Shanghai Shanghai Sheraton Shanghai Hongkou Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 01, 2010 Twelve at Hengshan  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  February 0 1, 2012 W Shanghai – The Bund  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2014 Shanxi Taiyuan The Westin Taiyuan  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 01, 2012Sichuan Chengdu The St. Regis Chengdu  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2014 Tianjin Tianjin Sheraton Tianjin Binhai Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 15, 2010 The Astor Hotel, Tianjin  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  August 28, 2010 The St. Regis Tianjin  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 01, 2011 Tibet (Xizang) Lhasa The St. Regis Lhasa Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 15, 2010 Yunnan Jinghong Sheraton Xishuangbanna Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2013 Zhejiang Hangzhou Sheraton Hangzhou Wetland Park Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  May 31, 2011 Huzhou Sheraton Huzhou South Tai Lake Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2012 Ningbo The Westin Ningbo  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 01, 2011Pinghu The Westin Nine Dragon Hill Resort, Zhejiang  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  March 31, 2012 Taizhou Four Points by Sheraton Yuhuan  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Openingà ‚  July 01, 2012 Wenzhou Sheraton Wenzhou Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 18, 2010 Wenzhou The Westin Wenzhou  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2012 India Andhra Pradesh Visakhapatnam Four Points by Sheraton Visakhapatnam  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  March 01, 2011 Sheraton Visakhapatnam Seaview Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 01, 2011 Gujarat Ahmedabad Aloft Ahmedabad, SG Road  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2011 Haryana Gurgaon The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  October 01, 2010 Karnataka BangaloreSheraton Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  March 01, 2011 Bengaluru Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 01, 2013 Aloft Bengaluru Whitefield  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  August 15, 2010 Mysore Sheraton Mysore Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 01, 2012 Maharashtra Lonavala Le Meridien Lonavala Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 01, 2013 Mahabaleshwar Le Meridien Mahabaleshwar Resort & Spa  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  Januar y 01, 2013 Pune Four Points by Sheraton Pune, Nagar Road  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 01, 2010 Punjab Amritsar Sheraton Amritsar Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 01, 2013 Chandigarh Aloft Chandigarh Zirakpur  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 01, 2011Sheraton Chandigarh Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  September 01, 2012 Rajasthan Jaipur The Westin Jaipur Infotech City  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 01, 2012 Udaipur Sheraton Udaipur Palace Resort & Spa  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  August 01, 2010 Tamil Nadu Chennai Aloft Chennai, OMR – IT Expressway  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  July 01, 2010 Coimbatore Aloft Coimbatore Singanallur  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  March 01, 2011 West Bengal Kolkata The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 01, 2012 Indonesia Bali Bali Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2013 Seminyak W Retreat & Spa Bali – Seminyak  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 15, 2010 Japan Miyagi SendaiThe Westin Sendai  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  Au gust 01, 2010 Osaka Osaka The St. Regis Osaka  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  October 01, 2010 Malaysia Kuala Lumpur The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 01, 2014 Sandakan Four Points by Sheraton Sandakan  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 15, 2011 New Caledonia Bourail Sheraton New Caledonia Bourail Resort & Spa  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 13, 2013 Singapore Singapore W Singapore – Sentosa Cove  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  April 30, 2012 South Korea Seoul Sheraton Seoul D-Cube City Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  September 01, 2011 Taiwan Taipei Le Meridien Taipei  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 01, 2010 W Taipei  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  February 14, 2011 ThailandAmphur Koh Samui Bangkok Aloft Bangkok – Sukhumvit 11  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  April 01, 2011 Bangkok Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok, Sathorn  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 01, 2011 Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok, Sukhumvit 15  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 15, 2010 Le Meridien Suvarnabhumi Golf Resort & Sp a  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 01, 2011 The St. Regis Bangkok  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 15, 2011 W Bangkok  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  May 01, 2012 Koh Samui W Retreat Koh Samui  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 01, 2010 Phuket Four Points by Sheraton Phuket, Panwa  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  March 01, 2011 The Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa, Phuket  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  August 01, 2010 VietnamCam Ranh Bay The Westin Cam Ranh Resort & Spa  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 01, 2012 Ho Chi Minh City Le Meridien Saigon  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 01, 2012 [pic] Central & South America Argentina Buenos Aires Buenos Aires The St. Regis Buenos Aires – Opening June 30, 2014 Chile Villarrica Villarrica Park Lake Hotel & Spa, Villarrica – Opening December 1, 2010 Colombia Bogota Aloft Bogota Airport – Opening January 1, 2012 Cartagena Sheraton Cartagena – Opening March 31, 2012 Panama, Republic of Panama City The Westin Panama – Opening September 1, 2012 The Westin Pl aya Bonita, Panama  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 01, 2011 Peru CuscoPalacio del Inka  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 01, 2011 Lima The Westin Libertador Lima  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  May 01, 2011 Urubamba Tambo del Inka Resort & Spa, Valle Sagrado  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  May 04, 2010 [pic] Europe Zaporozhye Four Points by Sheraton Zaporozhye – Opening June 1, 2011 Austria Hof bei Salzburg Schloss Fuschl Resort & Spa, Fuschlsee-Salzburg  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  May 05, 2010 Belgium Brussels Aloft Brussels Schuman  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  September 01, 2010 France Paris W Paris – Opera  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 01, 2011 Germany Hamburg The Westin Hamburg  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 01, 2012 Greece Athens W Athens Astir Palace Beach  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  April 01, 2012 Costa NavarinoThe Romanos, Costa Navarino  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  May 20, 2010 The Westin Resort, Costa Navarino  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  July 01, 2010 Italy Malpensa Sheraton Milan Malpensa Airport Hotel & Conference Cen tre  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  October 01, 2010 Milan W Milan  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  May 01, 2012 Latvia Riga Sheraton Riga Hotel – Opening December 1, 2013 Poland Mikolajki Sheraton Mazury Lakes Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 01, 2013 Portugal Algarve The Westin Verdelago Beach, Spa & Golf Resort, Algarve – Opening January 1, 2013 Russia Rostov-on-Don Sheraton Rostov-On-Don Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 01, 2012 SochiSheraton Sochi Hotel – Opening June 1, 2013 St. Petersburg W St. Petersburg  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  March 01, 2011 Switzerland Verbier W Verbier Retreat – Opening January 1, 2013 Turkey Ankara The Luxury Collection Hotel, Ankara – Opening January 1, 2011 United Kingdom England London Aloft London ExCeL – Opening January 1, 2012 W London – Leicester Square  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  February 14, 2011 Middle East Jordan Amman W Amman Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 01, 2013 Aqaba Al Manara, Aqaba  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 01, 2012 The Westin Saraya Aqaba  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 01, 2012 Pakistan Islamabad Sheraton Islamabad – Opening January 1, 2012Sheraton Islamabad Golf City Resort – Opening January 1, 2012 [pic] Qatar Doha Le Meridien Doha – Opening January 1, 2012 The St. Regis Doha  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  May 01, 2011 [pic] United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi The St. Regis Abu Dhabi – Opening January 1, 2013 The St. Regis Saadiyat Island – Opening October 1, 2011 The Westin Hotel & Spa, Abu Dhabi – Opening October 1, 2011 W Abu Dhabi – Opening January 1, 2012 Ajman The Ajman Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel – Opening October 1, 2012 Appendix 2: Article Starwood Hotels and Resorts Ranks No. 1 on iSixSigma's Best Places to Work ListStarwood Hotels and Resorts Ranks No. 1 on iSixSigma's Best Places to Work List FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information, contact: |  Jessica Harper, Editor in Chief | |  206-774-3685 | |  editor ial. com (at) isixsigma. com | Miami, Florida (February 3, 2010) –  Starwood Hotels and Resorts, a global hospitality company with nearly 1,000 upscale properties worldwide, earned the No. 1 spot on the list of iSixSigma's Top 10 Best Places to Work for Six Sigma professionals at the iSixSigma Live!Summit today in Miami. â€Å"Starwood’s commitment to providing challenging cross-departmental opportunities for continuous improvement personnel, along with its policy of promoting Black Belts from within, truly makes it one of the premier companies for Six Sigma practitioners,† said Jessica Harper, editor of iSixSigma. Katie Barry, associate publisher of iSixSigma, presented the award to Brian McGuire, senior director of Hotel Operations and Six Sigma for Starwood’s North America Division. Starwood – which owns some of the most recognizable hotel brands in the world, including Sheraton, Westin, W, St.Regis, The Luxury Collection and Le Meridien †“ was the first hospitality chain to launch a formal Six Sigma program, back in 2001. Today, Starwood is in the process of rolling out a Lean Six Sigma program to all of its properties worldwide. Companies on the Top 10 list, announced in December 2009, had to meet the highest standards for providing an outstanding Six Sigma program, culture, training, compensation, recognition and job satisfaction for employees. Making a repeat showing on iSixSigma’s second-annual Top 10 list was 2008’s overall winner McKesson Corp. , which earned the No. 2 spot for 2009.Other returning companies included Xerox Corp. (No. 3) and Vought Aircraft Industries (No. 5). Reflecting the growth of Six Sigma in healthcare systems, half of the companies on the list are involved in the pharmaceutical or healthcare provider industries (McKesson, Pfizer, Merck, Piramal Healthcare and Cardinal Health). Highlights of Starwood's top-rated Six Sigma program, as well as short profiles of the other nin e finalists, will be published in the March/April 2010 issue of iSixSigma Magazine. Here are the rankings of the Top 10 list of iSixSigma's 2009 Best Places to Work: 1. Starwood Hotels and Resorts (North America Division) . McKesson Corp. 3. Xerox Corp. 4. Ecolab Inc. 5. Vought Aircraft Industries Inc. 6. Pfizer Inc. 7. Merck & Co. Inc. 8. Piramal Healthcare Ltd. 9. Cardinal Health Inc. 10. Computacenter AG & Co. oHG iSixSigma will be accepting nominations later this year for the 2010 Best Places to Work list. Last modified on Sunday, 28 February 2010 04:49 REFERENCES: o http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/history2/82/Starwood-Hotels-Resorts-Worldwide-Inc. html o http://www. isixsigma. com/index. php? option=com_k2&view=item&id=802:starwood-hotels-and-resorts-ranks-no-1-on-isixsigmas-best-places-to-work-list&Itemid=157 o http://www. ospitalitynet. org/news/4007061. html o http://www. corporate-ir. net/ireye/ir_site. zhtml? ticker=hot&script=410&layout=6&item_id=149848 o http://www . starwoodhotels. com/corporate/directory/new-hotels/all/map. html? sortType=region o http://www. businessweek. com/innovate/content/aug2007/id20070830_103596. htm o http://www. businessweek. com/magazine/content/07_41/b4053096. htm o http://www. sixsigmacompanies. com/archive/six_sigma_at_starwood_hotels_amp_resorts. html o http://www. starwoodhotels. com/sheraton/careers/paths/description. html? category=200000304