Characteristics Of The Hospitality Industry

Characteristics Of The Hospitality Industry Explain the unique characteristics that separate service businesses from other business the deal with tangible product. Discuss what should a person prepares if he/she wants to become an hotelier. Question 1 The hotel industry is also known as the service sector. The reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers with liberality and good will. Hospitality industry is a board of category about the service industry also including event planning, theme park, restaurant, lodging and also tourism industry. A hospitality unit such as a restaurant, hotel, or even an amusement park consists of many groups such as facility maintenance, direct operations management, marketing, and human resources. Therefore, hospitality industry also includes accounting, tradesman ship, computer services, restaurants, and tourism.To be a successful manager in the hospitality industry, you must exhibit many skills and command much specialized knowledge all directed toward achieving the managerial objectives such as make the guest feel welcomed, make sureproductsor serviceswork for the guest and make sure the operation continues to provide service and make a profit. Besides that, the hotel industry is a multibillion-dollar industry, mainly depends on the availability of leisure time and disposal income. Therefore, that hospitality industry also include service sector. Answer Hospitality industry has many characteristics such as intangible, perishable, inseparable, simultaneous, variable, shift work, graveyard shift and guest satisfaction. Intangible servicecharacteristic in hospitality industry mean cannot see and touched but can felt. In addition, sales or service owned by the person, but it cannot be opened, from the service providers to service consumer. Example, a service only can be sold and owned by the person, but it cannot be opened, from the service providers service consumers. Sole proprietorship, provide services, can be entrusted to the service provider, you must generate and provide services in the different requirements of the authorized service consumers. Perishable service characteristic in hospitality industry mean wont last long and wont experience the same experience. When this service has been fully rendered to the requesting service consumer irreversibly disappear, because it has been consumed by service consumers. For example, service resource allocation processes and systems to provide services within a certain period. When the service has really given to users of the service request, this particular service irreversibly vanishes as it was used by the service users. Inseparable service means production, and from the customers experience. The indivisibility requirements, consumer service is to interact with its manufacturer to accept its benefits. Because someone must timely produce and the services provided by service providers is essential to provide services require service consumers. Performed automatically in many cases, but the service provider to provide the service must be prepared to allocate resources and systems, and active conditions and the ability to maintain appropriate services. Example, the service consumer must be sitting in the shops and hair stylist chair, or aircraft and seating, to the hairdresser or the pilot must in the same store or aircraft, respectively, to provide services. Simultaneous service means the service is some kind of horse, and at the same time consumption. As long as the service requirements of service consumers, especially the service must start from scratch generated without any delay and friction and services, consumers instant consumption rendered interests, for the implementation of his upcoming events or tasks.Example, waiter in the restaurant, or the cashier at the bank, is an integral part of the services provided. The client also participates in a certain degree of service, and the service may affect the results. People can be part of the service itself; this could be a service marketing advantage. Variable service is a service which means disposable generating, rendering, and consumption can never be accurately repeated time points, locations, and the case, under the conditions of the current configuration information and alocation of resources is different from the coming up delivery, even is the same kind of service to the same service consumers request. Example, Taxi service from his home to the opera, the consumers of transport services is different taxi service, transportation service consumers from opera to his home another point in time, the other direction, might be another route, may be another taxi drivers cab. Shift work in hospitality industry means an employment practice, use of, or the provision of services across, all 24 hours of the clock each day of the week. Shift work is the way hours of work are organized for an organization to operate outside regular hours. Different types of shifts includeshifts that rotate or change, shifts that are split apart by several hours, permanent shifts (day or night) and also changing shift lengths (8, 10 or 12 hours). There is few effect of shift work, for example, shift work can course such as digestive problems, including ulcers, stomach and intestinal problems reduce appetite, diabetes, epilepsy, asthma and depression. People need to sleep. Shift work can affect how much sleep and sleep, the kind you get. Sleep during the day and sleep at night is not deep or refresh. Shift workers time to sleep when the bodys natural activities gear. When you do not sleep, you might always feel tired. Especially the night shift, night shift or third shift (3 shifts) means to change their work throughout the early morning, morning, and transfer to midnight to 08:00 or 23:00 to 07:00. Example, employee will make day shift and night shift in hotel when the time is alternative. Guest satisfaction in hospitality industry means that the guest was satisfy with the service of the employee. Guest satisfaction depends on hotel service because guests have rising expectation for hotel, but their overall satisfaction with service. Guest can be satisfied hotel rates hotel service.Example, guest feel satisfy with the service and what they expect to hotel. Conclusion At the end, as an employee must have a good service to any customer. Guests satisfywith the service and will be happy with the good service.The hotel industry will contributes employment and economic growth of the country. The government is very lenient regulatory and licensing of hotel, because the increase in the average daily rate of foreign tourists. Question 2 The hoteliers mean a people who supervise or manage the hotel. He or she may be established owner, operating a hotel, the Chief Executive of the hotels location, or chain, or in the hotels general manager, the Chairman of the Board. Hoteliers responsibility will vary according to how the word is applied. Who owns a hotel will be responsible for the care of all matters of common ownership of real estate, as well as the implementation of the ultimate liability for any and all taxes and appropriate compliance-run hotel building codes and local laws. The title hotelier Chief Executive will supervise the publicity and general business operations, and facilities responsible for the profitability of the owners or owners. Hotelier who is the Chairman of the Board will provide the current status of the communication line, investors and the owners of the hotel, and the hotel manager will provide oversight of a variety of functions, affect the day-to-day operation of the hotel.As a hotelier has responsible to handle each problems such as public relations, guest service, maintenance of facilities, reservation procedures, build relationship with customer and marketing. No matter what department you work in the hotel we also call hotelier. Depending on how the term is applied, the responsibilities of a hotelier of department is difference. A success hotelier must have good relationship with guest especially regular customer. Answer To be a successful hotelier in the hospitality industry you should be discipline, manners, good services, more experience, responsible and so on. As a hotelier has responsible to handle problems such as public relations, guest service, maintenance of facilities, reservation procedures, build relationship with customer and marketing. Hotel operators managing the property and, in some cases, they can also be the owner of the hotel. Hotel managers supervise other hotel, and they work long hours during peak travel and when events are scheduled at the hotel. They are often called upon to handle emergency situations and disputes. For good performance, hoteliers should have the skills required for the position.Therefore, as a good hotelier must be very discipline during working time. Besides that, to be a good hotelier also need to be responsible. It will show that you are good employee and good staff. First of all you must make the guests feel welcome and also be friendly because it is manner. You must be discipline and good service in front of the guests. To be a good hotelier you should know what their guests want and are willing to go that extra mile to put them at ease. Secondly, to be a good hotelier you should be hard working. Willing to work hard is always a plus point for a people who want to be successful hotel management line.Therefore, it is the opportunity to build a good relationship with the guest and enhance the reputation of hotel. HOW TO BECOME A GOOD HOTELIER The hotelier is a good diplomat, patience, tolerance, generosity and good intentions. A good hotel operator must have self-discipline staff, quick workers, and quick thinkers and always to help client and manager at all times. Diplomat Diplomat mean is a person who appointed by the national diplomacy with other countries or international organizations. Representation and protection of the people are the main functions of diplomats around the state and sent, as well as the promotion of information and friendly relations.As a diplomat can easily build an own relationship with the customer and day by day they will become a general customer of hotel. Patience Patience in hospitality industry means whatever the guest scold you, you cannot scold them back.Resistance state in difficult circumstances, this may mean that persist in the face of delay or provocation, no worries, anger, a negative exhibit patience when under pressure, particularly when faced with a long-term problem. Tolerance Toleration in hospitality industry means a person who tolerates something or somebody unpleasant. Toleration is meaning the practice deliberately allowing or permitting the things one does not agree. Many people are sometimes dont know how to behave themselves and also dont know show some respect to other people; so thats why we have to be tolerate and patience. To be a hotelier everyday will face difference temper of guests, so as a hotelier should be tolerate and not to argue with them. Also, as a hotelier should give what they need to make them feel satisfy. Guests always are the right whatever happens so as a hotelier should be toleration and also patience. Liberality When employee facing any high demand guests, we should need to be liberality and keep smile to serve our customer until they satisfy with the service. Any guest that is high demand, we shouldnt complain it because it will affect the whole hotel and will give a bad image and impression to the hotel. As a good hotelier must be professional during working time. Good Will Good will means willing to help each other when facing problem. Good will is one of the important things to any hotelier because it always reminds us to be helpful to our guests and also help them to solve problem. Front office staff is the first employee to serve the customer. So that why good will is very important to any front office staff. Conclusion It is not easy to become a hotelier, but it is not so difficult. It depends on how to treat customers, if you use your heart to your guests, they will feel. Most of the students have chosen the hotel management, because working in the service sector is very interesting and funny. Enterprise management is very useful for our future operations, but it is very boring, which is why I chose the hotel management. Another reason to select the hotel management, we can see so many different customers and increase our knowledge. When you have experience in the service industry, and then set the target a certain extent, the growing knowledge does not always stay in the same place, become one industry professionals. Peter Drucker pointed out that, today, the centre of our social productive forces, knowledge workers. In other words, knowledge is the key to success, do not know is equal. Unfortunately, remain forever in the failure. Thus, learning as an important part of our comprehensive preparat ory work supervisor or manager career.

Herman Melvilles Billy Budd - The Tragedy of Billy Budd :: Herman Melville Billy Budd Essays

The Tragedy of Justice in Billy Budd Charles Reich's assessment of the conflict in Billy Budd focuses on the distinction between the laws of society and the laws of nature. Human law says that men are "the sum total of their actions, and no more." Reich uses this as a basis for his assertion that Billy is innocent in what he is, not what he does. The point of the novel is therefore not to analyze the good and evil in Billy or Claggart, but to put the reader in the position of Captain Vere, who must interpret the laws of both man and nature. Reich supports Vere's decision to hang Billy. In defense of this he alludes to a famous English court case, in which three men were accused of murder. However, the circumstances which led them to murder were beyond their control; they had been stranded at sea and forced to kill and eat their fourth companion, who had fallen ill and was about to die anyway. The Judge, Lord Coleridge, found them guilty because "law cannot follow nature's principle of self-preservation." In other words, necessity is not a justification for killing, even when this necessity is beyond human control. Since Billy is unable to defend himself verbally, he "responds to pure nature, and the dictates of necessity" by lashing out at Claggart. I agree with Reich's notion that Vere was correct in hanging Billy, and that it is society, not Vere, who should be criticized for this judgement; for Vere is forced to reject the urgings of his own heart and his values to comply with the binding laws of man. First, the moral issue aside, Captain Vere had no choice but to convict Billy. As captain of a ship under pressure of war and the constant threat of mutiny, Vere had to act swiftly. Also, as captain, Vere had the responsibility of making sure the laws were strictly enforced, including the Mutiny Act. Although Vere knew in his heart Billy was innocent, Billy's actions had to be punished. For Vere to have acquitted Billy would mean that he had placed the divine law of nature above the laws he was bound to enforce as captain of a

the hell of 1984 :: essays research papers

The Hell of Nineteen Eighty-Four. ). Did Orwell realise quite what he had done in Nineteen Eighty-Four? His post-publication glosses on its meaning reveal either blankness or bad faith even about its contemporary political implications. He insisted, for example, that his 'recent novel [was] NOT intended as an attack on Socialism or on the British Labour Party (of which I am a supporter)'.(1) He may well not have intended it but that is what it can reasonably be taken to be. Warburg saw this immediately he had read the manuscript, and predicted that Nineteen Eighty-Four '[was] worth a cool million votes to the Conservative Party';(2) the literary editor of the Evening Standard 'sarcastically prescribed it as "required reading" for Labour Party M.P.s',(3) and, in the US, the Washington branch of the John Birch Society 'adopted "1984" as the last four digits of its telephone number'.(4) Moreover, Churchill had made the 'inseparably interwoven' relation between socialism and totalitarianism a plank in his 1945 election campaign(5) (and was not the protagonist of Nineteen Eighty-Four called Winston?). If, ten years earlier, an Orwell had written a futuristic fantasy in which Big Brother had had Hitler's features rather than Stalin's, would not the Left, whatever the writer's proclaimed political sympathies, have welcomed it as showing how capitalism, by its very nature, led to totalitarian fascism? With Nineteen Eighty-Four, it is particularly necessary to trust the tale and not the teller, but even this has its pitfalls. Interpretations of the novel already exist which blatantly ignore the intentions of the author by reinterpreting its manifest content without any obvious justification. But all existing interpretations of Nineteen Eighty-Four are unsatisfactory in one regard or another. For many years Nineteen Eighty-Four 'served as a sort of an ideological super-weapon in the Cold War',(6) was used along with Animal Farm as propaganda in the Western occupied zones of Germany, which it was 'feared ... might be invaded by Soviet troops',(7) and was later also made use of by West Germany as 'warning . . . about what a future under Stalin might be like'.(8) There is much in the novel, of course, which allowed it to be interpreted as an attack on Soviet Communism and its allegedly aggressive intentions. Nonetheless, such an interpretation does not quite fit: Ingsoc has been establ ished in Oceania by internal revolution and not by military invasion or external pressure. The model is Trotsky rather than Stalin.

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Com Essay -- essays research papers

In Kenneth Branaghs film Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the director, Kenneth Branagh sticks to the major themes of the original book with minute changes. There are many similarities and differences between the book and Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of the book. I believe Mary Shelley wanted readers to catch the themes of child abandonment, presented in Victor abandoning his creature. She also wanted readers to have compassion and sympathy for the abandoned creature that Victor created out of dead body parts. Shelley wanted the creature to be similar to Victor in many ways. Shelley wanted to show the relation between life and death, and the unbreakable laws of nature. Shelley wanted readers to realize that we need to accept life and death, and not try to control it because life is the “Act of God'; and we cannot change that. She was implying that there are consequences for fooling with these laws of life and death. Even if you can create life out of dead body parts, ju st doing that, may ruin your whole perspective of the world, and throw anyone into a state of depression. This movie “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein'; by Kenneth Branagh is a good representation of the original book overall, except for a few changes in plot, setting, characters,, and the relationships between them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many similarities and differences in the plot between the book and the latest Frankenstein film. Kenneth Branagh w...

A Dirty Job Chapter 11

11 THE GIRLS CAN GET A LITTLE DARK AT TIMES The Great Big Book of Death, as it turned out, wasn't that big, and certainly wasn't that comprehensive. Charlie read through it a dozen times, took notes, made copies, ran searches trying to find some reference to any of the stuff covered, but all of the material in the twenty-eight lavishly illustrated pages boiled down to this: 1. Congratulations, you have been chosen to act as Death. It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it. It is your duty to retrieve soul vessels from the dead and dying and see them on to their next body. If you fail, Darkness will cover the world and Chaos will reign. 2. Some time ago, the Luminatus, or the Great Death, who kept balance between light and darkness, ceased to be. Since then, Forces of Darkness have been trying to rise from below. You are all that stands between them and destruction of the collective soul of humanity. 3. In order to hold off the Forces of Darkness, you will need a number two pencil and a calendar, preferably one without pictures of kitties on it. 4. Names and numbers will come to you. The number is how many days you have to retrieve the soul vessel. You will know the vessels by their crimson glow. 5. Don't tell anyone what you do, or dark forces, etc. etc. etc. 6. People may not see you when you are performing your Death duties, so be careful crossing the street. You are not immortal. 7. Do not seek others. Do not waver in your duties or the Forces of Darkness will destroy all that you care about. 8. You do not cause death, you do not prevent death, you are a servant of Destiny, not its agent. Get over yourself. 9. Do not, under any circumstances, let a soul vessel fall into the hands of those from below – because that would be bad. A few months passed before Charlie worked the shop again alone with Lily. She asked him, â€Å"Well, did you get a number two pencil?† â€Å"No, I got a number one pencil.† â€Å"You rogue! Asher, hello, Forces of Darkness – â€Å" â€Å"If the world without this Luminatus is so precariously balanced that my buying a pencil with one-grade-harder lead is going to cast us all into the abyss, then maybe it's time.† â€Å"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,† Lily chanted like she was trying to bring a spooked horse under control. â€Å"It's one thing for me to be all nihilistic and stuff, for me it's a fashion statement, I have the outfits for it. You can't be all horny for the grave wearing your stupid Savile Row suits.† Charlie was proud of her for recognizing that he was wearing one of his expensive secondhand Savile Rows. She was learning the trade in spite of herself. â€Å"I'm tired of being afraid,† he said. â€Å"I've dealt with the Forces of Darkness or whatever, Lily, and you know what, we're one and one.† â€Å"Should you be telling me this? I mean, the book said – â€Å" â€Å"I think I'm different than what the book says, Lily. The book says that I don't cause death, but there have been two now that have died more or less because of my actions.† â€Å"And I repeat, should you be telling me this? As you have pointed out many times, I am a kid, and wildly irresponsible. It's wildly irresponsible, right? I'm never listening that closely.† â€Å"You're the only one who knows,† Charlie said. â€Å"And you're seventeen now, not a kid, you're a young woman now.† â€Å"Don't fuck with me, Asher. If you keep talking like that I'll get another piercing, take X until I'm dehydrated like a mummy, talk on my cell phone until the battery is dead, then find some skinny, pale guy and suck him until he cries.† â€Å"So, it will be like a Friday?† Charlie said. â€Å"What I do with my weekends is my own business.† â€Å"I know!† â€Å"Well, then shut up!† â€Å"I'm tired of being afraid, Lily!† â€Å"Well, then stop being afraid, Charlie!† They both looked away, embarrassed. Lily pretended to shuffle through the day's receipts while Charlie pretended to be looking for something in what he called his walking satchel and Jane called his man purse. â€Å"Sorry,† Lily said, without looking up from the receipts. â€Å"S'okay,† Charlie said. â€Å"Me, too.† Still not looking up, Lily said, â€Å"But really, should you be telling me any of this?† â€Å"Probably not,† Charlie said. â€Å"It's sort of a big burden to carry. Sort of – â€Å" â€Å"A dirty job?† Lily looked up now and grinned. â€Å"Yeah,† Charlie smiled, relieved. â€Å"I won't bring it up again.† â€Å"That's okay. It's kind of cool.† â€Å"Really?† Charlie couldn't remember anyone ever referring to him as cool. He was touched. â€Å"Not you. The whole Death thing.† â€Å"Yeah, right,† Charlie said. Yes! Still batting a thousand on the zero-cool quotient. â€Å"But you're right, it's not safe. No more talk about my, uh, avocation.† â€Å"And I'll never call you Charlie again,† Lily said. â€Å"Ever.† â€Å"That would be fine,† Charlie said. â€Å"We'll act like this never happened. Excellent. Good talk. Resume your thinly veiled contempt.† â€Å"Fuck off, Asher.† â€Å"Atta girl.† They were waiting for him the next morning when he took his walk. He expected it, and he wasn't disappointed. He'd stopped in the shop to pick up an Italian suit he'd just taken in, as well as a cigar lighter that had languished in a curio case in the back for two years, which he stuffed in his satchel with the glowing porcelain bear that was the soul vessel of someone who had passed long ago. Then he stepped outside and stood just above the opening of the storm drain – waved at the tourists on the cable car as it clanked by. â€Å"Good morning,† he said cheerily. Anyone watching him might have thought he was greeting the day, since there was no one around. â€Å"We'll peck out her eyes like ripe plums,† hissed a female voice out of the drain. â€Å"Bring us up, Meat. Bring us up so we can lap your blood from the gaping wound we tear in your chest.† â€Å"And crunch your bones in our jaws like candy,† added a different voice, also female. â€Å"Yeah,† agreed the first voice, â€Å"like candy.† â€Å"Yeah,† said a third. Charlie felt his entire body go to gooseflesh, but he shook it off and tried to keep his voice steady. â€Å"Well, today would be a good day for it,† Charlie said. â€Å"I'm well rested from sleeping in my comfy bed with the down comforter. Not like I spent the night in a sewer or anything.† â€Å"Bastard!† A hissing female chorus. â€Å"Well, talk to you on the next block.† Strolled up the block into Chinatown, pacing out the sidewalk jauntily with his sword-cane, the suit inside a light garment bag thrown over his shoulder. He tried whistling, but thought that might be a little too clich. They were already under the next corner when he got there. â€Å"I'm going to suck the baby's soul out through her soft spot while you watch, Meat.† â€Å"Oh, nice!† Charlie said, gritting his teeth and trying not to sound as horrified as he was. â€Å"She's starting to crawl around pretty well now, so don't miss breakfast that day, because if she has her little rubber spoon, she'll probably kick your ass.† There was a screech of anger from the sewers and a harsh, hissing chatter. â€Å"He can't say that? Can he say that? Does he know who we are?† â€Å"Taking a left at the next block. See you there.† There was a young Chinese man dressed in hip-hop wear who looked at Charlie and took a quick step to the side so as not to catch whatever kind of crazy this well-dressed Lo pak[1] was carrying. Charlie tapped his ear and said, â€Å"Sorry, wireless headset.† The hip-hop guy nodded curtly, like he knew that, and despite appearances to the contrary, he had not been trippin', but had, in fact, been chillin' like a mo-fuckin' villain, so step the fuck off, wigga. He crossed against the light, limping slightly under the weight of the subtext. Charlie entered Golden Dragon Cleaners and the man at the counter, Mr. Hu, whom Charlie had known since he was eight, greeted him with an expansive and warm twitch of the left eyebrow, which was his usual greeting, and a good indicator to Charlie that the old man was still alive. A cigarette streamed at the end of a long black holder clinched in Hu's dentures. â€Å"Good morning, Mr. Hu,† Charlie said. â€Å"Beautiful day, isn't it?† â€Å"Suit?† said Mr. Hu, looking at the suit Charlie had slung over his shoulder. â€Å"Yes, just the one today,† Charlie said. Charlie brought all of his finer merchandise to Golden Dragon to be cleaned, and he'd been giving them a lot of business the last few months, with all the estate clothes he'd been taking in. He also had them do his alterations, and Mr. Hu was considered to be the best three-fingered tailor on the West Coast, and perhaps, the world. Three Fingered Hu, he was known as in Chinatown, although to be fair, he was actually possessed of eight fingers, and was only missing the two smaller fingers from his right hand. â€Å"Tailor?† Hu asked. â€Å"No, thank you,† Charlie said. â€Å"This one's for resale, not for me.† Hu snatched the suit out of Charlie's hand, tagged it, then called, â€Å"One suit for the White Devil!† in Mandarin, and one of his granddaughters came speeding out of the back, grabbed the suit, and was gone through the curtain before Charlie could see her face. â€Å"One suit for the White Devil,† she repeated for someone in the back. â€Å"Wednesday,† said Three Fingered Hu. He handed Charlie the ticket. â€Å"There's something else,† Charlie said. â€Å"Okay, Tuesday,† said Hu, â€Å"but no discount.† â€Å"No, Mr. Hu, I know it's been a long time since I needed it, but I wonder if you still have your other business?† Mr. Hu closed one eye and looked at Charlie for a full minute before he replied. When he did, he said, â€Å"Come,† then disappeared behind the curtain leaving a cloud of cigarette smoke. Charlie followed him into the back, through a noisy, steaming hell of cleaning fluids, mangle irons, and a dozen scurrying employees to a tiny plywood-walled office in the back, where Hu closed the door and locked them in as they did their business, something they'd first done over twenty years ago. The first time Three Fingered Hu had led Charlie Asher through the stygian back room of Golden Dragon Cleaners, the ten-year-old Beta Male was sure that he was going to be kidnapped and sold into dry-cleaning slavery, butchered and turned into dim sum, or forced to smoke opium and fight fifty kung fu fighters at once while still in his pj's (Charlie had a very tenuous grasp of his neighbors' culture at age ten), but despite his fear, he was driven by a passion that had been embedded in his very genes millions of years ago: a quest for fire. Yes, it was a crafty Beta Male who first discovered fire, and true, it was almost immediately taken away from him by an Alpha Male. (Alphas missed out on the discovery of fire, but because they did not understand about grabbing the hot, orangey end of the stick, they are credited with inventing the third-degree burn.) Still, the original spark burns bright in every Beta's veins. When Alpha boys have long since moved on to girls and sports, Betas w ill still be pursuing pyrotechnics well into adolescence and sometimes beyond. Alpha Males may lead the armies of the world, but it's the Betas who actually get the shit blowed up. And what better testimonial for a purveyor of fireworks than to be missing critical digits? Three Fingered Hu. When Hu opened his thick, trifold case across the desk, revealing his wares, young Charlie felt he had passed through the fires of hell to arrive, at last, in paradise, and he gladly handed over his wad of crumpled, sweaty dollar bills. And even as long silver ashes from Hu's cigarette fell over the fuses like deadly snow, Charlie picked his pleasure. He was so excited he nearly peed himself. The death-dealing Charlie who walked out of Golden Dragon Cleaners that morning with a compact paper parcel tucked under his arm felt a similar excitement, for as much as it was against his nature, he was rushing, once again, into the breech. He headed to the storm sewer grate and, waving the glowing porcelain bear from his satchel at the street, shouted, â€Å"I'm going over one block and up four, bitches. Join me?† â€Å"The White Devil has finally gone around the bend,† said Three Fingered Hu's eleventh grandchild, Cindy Lou Hu, who stood at the counter next to her venerated and digitally challenged ancestor. â€Å"His money not crazy,† said Three. Charlie had noticed the alley on one of his walks to the financial district. It lay between Montgomery and Kearney Streets and had all the things a good alley should have: fire escapes, Dumpsters, various steel doors tagged with graffiti, a rat, two seagulls, assorted filth, a guy passed out under some cardboard, and a half-dozen â€Å"No Parking† signs, three with bullet holes. It was the Platonic ideal of an alley, but what distinguished it from other alleys in the area was that it had two openings into the storm-drain system, spaced not fifty yards apart, one on the street end and one in the middle, concealed between two Dumpsters. Having recently developed an eye for storm drains, Charlie couldn't help but notice. He chose the drain that was hidden from the street, crouched down about four feet away, and opened the parcel from Three Fingered Hu. He removed eight M-80s and trimmed the two-inch-long waterproof fuses to about a half inch with a pair of nail clippers he kept on his key chain. (An M-80 is a very large firecracker, purported to have the explosive power of a quarter of a stick of dynamite. Rural children use them to blow up mailboxes or school plumbing, but in the city they have largely been replaced by the 9 mm Glock pistol as the preferred instrument of mischievous fun.) â€Å"Kids!† Charlie called into the drain. â€Å"You with me? Sorry I didn't get your names.† He drew the sword from his cane, set it by his knee, then dug the porcelain bear out of his satchel and sat it by his other knee. â€Å"There you go,† he called. There was a vicious hiss from the drain, and even as he thought it was completely dark, it got even darker. He could see silver disk shapes moving in the blackness, like coins tumbling through a dark ocean, but these were paired up – eyes. â€Å"Give it, Meat. Give it,† whispered a female voice. â€Å"Come and get it,† Charlie said, trying to fight down the greatest case of the willies he'd ever felt. It was like dry ice was being applied to his spine and it was all he could do not to shiver. The shadow in the drain started to leak out across the pavement, just an inch or so, but he could see it, like the light had changed. But it hadn't. The shadow took the shape of a female hand and moved another six inches toward the glowing bear. That's when Charlie grabbed the sword and snapped it down on the shadow. It didn't hit pavement, but connected with something softer, and there was a deafening screech. â€Å"You piece of shit!† screamed the voice – now in anger, not pain. â€Å"You worthless little – you – â€Å" â€Å"Quick and the dead, ladies,† Charlie said. â€Å"Quick and the dead. C'mon, give it another shot.† A second hand-shaped shadow snaked out of the drain on the left, then another on the right. Charlie pushed the bear away from the drain as he pulled the cigar lighter from his pocket. He lit the short fuses of four of the M-80s and tossed them into the drain, even as the shadows were reaching out. â€Å"What was that?† â€Å"What did he throw?† â€Å"Move, I can't – â€Å" Charlie put his fingers in his ears. The M-80s exploded and Charlie grinned. He sheathed the sword in the cane, gathered up his stuff, and sprinted for the other drain. Inside an enclosed space the noise would be punishing, brutal even. He kept grinning. He could hear a chorus of screaming and cursing, in half a dozen dead languages, some of them running over others, like someone was spinning the dial on a shortwave radio that spanned both time and space. He dropped to his knees and listened at the drain, careful to stay an arm's length away. He could hear them coming, tracking him under the street. He hoped he was right that they couldn't come out, but even if they did, he had the sword, and the sunlight was his turf. He lit four more M-80s, these with longer fuses, and tossed them one by one into the drain. â€Å"Who's New Meat now?† he said. â€Å"What? What did he say?† said a sewer voice. â€Å"I can't hear shit.† Charlie waved the porcelain bear in front of the drain. â€Å"You want this?† He tossed in another M-80. â€Å"You like that, do you?† Charlie shouted, throwing in the third firecracker. â€Å"That'll teach you to use your beak on my arm, you fucking harpies!† â€Å"Mr. Asher,† came a voice from behind him. Charlie looked around to see Alphonse Rivera, the police inspector, standing over him. â€Å"Oh, hi,† Charlie said, then realizing that he was holding a lit M-80, he said, â€Å"Excuse me a second.† He tossed the firecracker in the drain. At that moment they all started going off. Rivera had retreated a few steps and had his hand in his jacket, presumably on his gun. Charlie put the porcelain bear in his satchel and climbed to his feet. He could hear the voices shrieking at him, cursing. â€Å"You fucking loser,† screeched one of the dark ones. â€Å"I'll weave a basket of your guts and carry your severed head in it.† â€Å"Yeah,† said another voice. â€Å"A basket.† â€Å"I think you threatened that already,† said a third. â€Å"I did not,† said the first. â€Å"Shut the fuck up!† Charlie yelled at the drain, then he looked at Rivera, who had drawn his weapon and was holding it at his side. â€Å"So,† Rivera said, â€Å"problems with, uh, someone in the drain?† Charlie grinned. â€Å"You can't hear that, can you?† The cursing was ongoing, but now in some language that sounded as if it required a lot of mucus to speak properly, Gaelic or German or something. â€Å"I can hear a distinct ringing in my ears, Mr. Asher, from the report of your distinctly illegal fireworks, but beyond that, nothing, no.† â€Å"Rats,† Charlie said, unconsciously raising an eyebrow in a so are you gonna buy that load of horseshit? way. â€Å"Hate the rats.† â€Å"Uh-huh,† Rivera said flatly. â€Å"The rats, they used their beak on your arm and evidently you feel that they have a secret desire for cheap animal curios?† â€Å"So that you heard?† Charlie asked. â€Å"Yep.† â€Å"That's gotta make you wonder, then, huh?† â€Å"Yep,† said the cop. â€Å"Nice suit, though. Armani?† â€Å"Canali, actually,† Charlie said. â€Å"But thanks.† â€Å"Not what I'd pick for bombing storm drains, but to each his own.† Rivera hadn't moved. He was standing just off the curb, about ten feet away from Charlie, his weapon still at his side. A jogger ran by them and used the opportunity to quicken his pace. Charlie and Rivera both nodded politely as he passed. â€Å"So,† Charlie said, â€Å"you're a professional, where would you go with this?† Rivera shrugged. â€Å"Not on any prescriptions you might have taken too many of, are you?† â€Å"I wish,† Charlie said. â€Å"Up all night drinking, thrown out by the wife, out of your mind with remorse?† â€Å"My wife passed away.† â€Å"I'm sorry. How long?† â€Å"Going on a year now.† â€Å"Well, that's not going to work,† said Rivera. â€Å"Do you have any history of mental illness?† â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"Well, you do now. Congratulations, Mr. Asher. You can use that next time.† â€Å"Do I have to do the perp walk?† Charlie asked, thinking about how he'd explain this to child services. Poor Sophie, her dad an ex con and Death, school was going to be tough. â€Å"This jacket is tailored, I don't think I can get it over my head for the perp walk. Am I going to jail?† â€Å"Not with me, you're not. You think this would be any easier for me to explain? I'm an inspector, I don't arrest guys for throwing firecrackers and yelling into storm drains.† â€Å"Then why do you have your weapon drawn?† â€Å"Makes me feel more secure.† â€Å"I can see that,† Charlie said. â€Å"I probably appeared a little unstable.† â€Å"Ya think?† â€Å"So where's that leave us?† â€Å"That the rest of your stash?† Rivera nodded toward the paper bag of firecrackers under Charlie's arm. Charlie nodded. â€Å"How about you toss that down the storm drain and we'll call it a day.† â€Å"No way. I have no idea what they'll do if they get their hands on fireworks.† Now it was Rivera's turn to raise an eyebrow. â€Å"The rats?† Charlie threw the bag in the storm sewer. He could hear whispering from below, but tried not to show Rivera that he was listening. Rivera holstered his weapon and shot his lapels. â€Å"So, do you take suits like that into your shop very often?† he asked. â€Å"More now than I used to. I've been doing a lot of estate work,† Charlie said. â€Å"You still have my card, give me a call if you get a forty long, anything Italian, medium-to lightweight wool, oh, or raw silk, too.† â€Å"Yeah, silk's perfect for our weather. Sure, I'll be happy to save you something. By the way, Inspector, how did you happen to be in a back alley, off a side street, in the middle of a Tuesday morning?† â€Å"I don't have to tell you that,† said Rivera with a smile. â€Å"You don't?† â€Å"No. You have a nice day, Mr. Asher.† â€Å"You, too,† said Charlie. So now he was being followed both above and below the street? Why else would a homicide detective be here? Neither the Great Big Book nor Minty Fresh had said a word about the cops. How were you supposed to keep this whole death-dealing thing a secret when a cop was watching you? His elation at having taken the battle to the enemy, something that was deeply against his nature, evaporated. He wasn't sure why, but something was telling him that he had just fucked up. Below the street the Morrigan looked at one another in amazement. â€Å"He doesn't know,† said Macha, examining her claws, which shone like brushed stainless steel in the dim light coming from above. Her body was beginning to show the gunmetal-blue relief of feathers, and her eyes were no longer just silver disks, but now had the full awareness of a predatory bird's. She had once flown over the battlefields of the North, landing on those soldiers who were dying of their wounds, pecking out their souls in her bird form of a hooded crow. The Celts had called the severed heads of their enemies Macha's Acorn Crop, but they had no idea that she cared nothing for their tributes or their tribes, only for their blood and their souls. It had been a thousand years since she had seen her woman claws like this. â€Å"I still can't hear,† said her sister Nemain, who groomed the blue-black feather shapes on her own body, hissing with the pleasure as she ran the dagger points over her breasts. She was showing fangs as well, which dented her delicate jet lips. It had been her lot to drip venom on those she would mark for death. There was no fiercer warrior than one who had been touched by the venom of Nemain, for with nothing to lose, he took the field without fear, in a frenzy that gave him the strength of ten, and dragged others to their doom with him. Babd raked her rediscovered claws across the side of the culvert, cutting deep gouges into the concrete. â€Å"I love these. I forgot I even had these. I'll bet we can go Above. Want to go Above? I feel like I could go Above. Tonight we can go Above. We could tear his legs off and watch him drag himself around in his own blood, that would be fun.† Babd was the screamer – her shriek on the battlefield said to send armies into retreat – ranks of soldiers a hundred deep would die of fright. She was all that was fierce, furious, and not particularly bright. â€Å"The Meat doesn't know,† repeated Macha. â€Å"Why would we give away our advantage in an early attack.† â€Å"Because it would be fun,† said Babd. â€Å"Above? Fun? I know, instead of a basket, you can weave a hat from his entrails.† Nemain slung some venom off her claws and it hissed in a steaming line across the concrete. â€Å"We should tell Orcus. He'll have a plan.† â€Å"About the hat?† asked Babd. â€Å"You have to tell him it was my idea. He loves hats.† â€Å"We have to tell him that New Meat doesn't know.† The three moved like smoke down the pipes toward the great ship, to share the news that their newest enemy, among other things, did not know what he was, or what he had wrought on the world.

Buff Spalding †Manager’s Workshop Essay

Part I: Decision History – Buff Spalding Situation: Buff Spalding seems to have all the personal skills necessary to be successful but is not. Everyone appears to like Buff, and he is quite helpful to his coworkers, but it is not clear how Buff maintains his life style given his low earnings. How would you begin your conversation with Buff? You decided to: Ask to accompany Buff on several sales calls. Results: You accompanied Buff on several sales calls. You find Buff has very good sales skills but is violating company policy by selling real estate to his clients. What would you do next? You decided to: Ask around the company discreetly to find out more about Buff’s reputation as a salesman and how he is able to maintain his lifestyle when his earnings are so low. Results: You tried to find out more about how Buff is able to maintain his lifestyle despite his low earnings. You receive proof that Buff is violating company policy by selling real estate to his Omega clients. What would you do next? You decided to: Consult with your superior about how to handle the situation. Results: You consulted your boss about how to deal with Buff’s low performance and violation of company policy. She informs you that you must correct this situation but without creating more difficulties for the company than necessary. What would you do next? You decided to: Call Buff in and ask him if the rumors you have heard are true. Results: You asked Buff if the rumors about his outside deals are true. Because you have clear evidence, he cannot deny your charge. You also learn that he does not highly value the income his Omega job provides. How would you deal with the violation of policy? You decided to: Tell Buff that he has a choice. He can either resign or end his real estate dealings. If he doesn’t resign, you expect him to deliver a plan within 48 hours for ending his real estate involvements. Results: You told Buff that he either needs to resign or give you a plan for ending his real estate dealings. Buff gives you a plan that requires six months to execute and offers to resign if the plan does not work. How would you respond? You decided to: Call Buff and attempt to find out why he wants six months to make his plans about resigning. Results: You explored why Buff wants to stay on the job for six months. He says he may want to sell real estate full time, but he really likes the people at Omega. According to Buff, it will take him six months to execute his plan. What would you do next? You decided to: Try to negotiate a deal with Buff in which you would keep him on in a limited capacity. Results: Because Buff was being rewarded for not performing his job effectively, it appeared there was little you could do to motivate him to increase his performance. Your decision to negotiate a deal with Buff to reduce the negative impact on the company was successful. Part II: Decision Analysis and Application Buff Spalding is a Sales Representative for Omega and has been employed with the organization for eight years. The key responsibility of Sales Representatives is to make business calls to physicians and pharmaceutical wholesalers in an effort to sell Omega’s products. Buff possesses a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing which fits very well with the job that he holds. Buff’s employment background prior to Omega includes sales roles within the automobile, clothing and real estate industries. He is a professional golfer as well. Buff works on a team of twelve Sales Representatives. His job performance with the company has been solid until the last two years. Job Performance Performance at Omega is measured in several ways including sales volume, percent of physicians contacted, and days of wholesale supply. In terms of sales volume, in the last two years Buff has been ranked last or second to last when compared to the other Sales Representatives on his team. While the standard percentage of physicians contacted is ninety percent, Buff has only contacted seventy percent. Lastly, days of wholesale supply is also measured. If wholesale inventory drops below fifty days within a sales territory, retailer stockouts occur. Whenever a stockout occurs, retailers substitute Omega’s product with another manufacturer’s product, therefore causing Omega to lose business. Buff’s days of wholesale supply is forty two days, causing Omega to lose business due to stockouts occurring. Buff’s manager has held two discussions with him in the past regarding his performance. The Interview Due to Buff’s performance issues, an interview was conducted in an effort to identify why Buff’s performance was substandard. Through the interview process, it was determined that Buff was utilizing his professional relationships with Omega customers, physicians and pharmaceutical wholesalers, in order to sell real estate deals. This action is not only unethical; however, it is also a violation of company policy. Theory Application Even though Buff was a natural fit for a sales role, had a great personality, connected very well with his team, and was motivated to succeed; his motivation was not directed correctly. According to Dunham, direction and intensity are key components of the theory of motivation (2004). In order for an employee to be successful, it is important for employers to find ways to influence an employee’s direction and the amount of intensity to utilize (Dunham, 2004). Dunham cites that even though an individual starts off in the correct direction with the correct amount of intensity, at times, they locate another target that is more attractive, thus pulling them away from the original direction they were intended to follow (Dunham, 2004). This theory is applicable in Buff’s situation. During the first six years of Buff’s employment at Omega, his performance was strong and he was effectively doing his job. Within the last two years of employment; however, the real estate business became more enticing to him thus pulling him away from his original role. Aldefer’s ERG Theory in regards to needs applies in Buff’s situation as well. According to Dunham, every individual has a very complex set of needs that should be met in order for them to be satisfied with their job roles and continue to be engaged at work (2004). In Buff’s situation, initially he was very satisfied with his role as Sales Representative for Omega; however, after six years his needs changed. This change may have occurred due to number of things including his need to be challenged, recognized, be creative, take risks, have a manager who provided quality supervision, and feel accomplished. In Buff’s situation, while he enjoyed the sense of security that Omega provided, he was more appealed by the risk and financial rewards that the real estate industry offered. Lastly, the concept of performance management applies in the case of Buff Spalding. Buff’s performance issues existed for a period of two years prior to them being addressed by his manager. In order for employees to remain engaged in their work, it is imperative that measureable goals are set and employees are held accountable for meeting the goals. It is also important to reward employees for their successes and achievements. Due to Buff’s needs not being met, his lack of motivation to conduct his job role, and the lack of accountability that his manager provided; he was enticed to take a risk that violated company policy; therefore leading to the termination of his career at Omega. Interview Results  Buff violated a company policy whenever he made the decision to sell real estate to Omega customers. Due to this action, it was decided that Buff had to either resign his role at Omega or cease his real estate side business. When faced with the decision, Buff decided to resign his role at Omega. In order to ensure that customer relationships were minimally impacted, a decision was made to allow Buff to train his replacement and contact his current Omega customers to advise them of his decision to leave the organization. While this solution could be viewed as one that was very lenient in nature, it minimized the impact on the customers; therefore, making it the right thing to do. In the end, allowing Buff to personally tell his customers about his decision to leave the company and providing him with the opportunity to train his replacement allowed for a smoother transition for the customers, therefore saving their business relationships. In conclusion, all employees are motivated in one way or another. It is important for managers to closely manage their team in order to ensure that performance issues are addressed promptly and to provide direction to employees regarding the direction and level of intensity within their careers. Additionally, managers should set performance goals for their employees and continually track them to ensure that they are being held accountable for meeting the goals. Even though Buff was very motivated, unfortunately, his motivation was not to serve Omega customers in the way that he should have, thus causing Omega to experience a decreased sales volume and lose business. In order to prevent this in the future, the Regional Sales Manager should be proactive in holding performance discussions with the Sales Representatives, set measurable goals for them to work towards achieving, ensure that they remain on target to meet their goals and are held accountable if not, and recognize the Sales Representatives for their accomplishments along the way.

Divergent Suggested Essays Essay

Suggested Essay Questions 1.In what ways does Tris’s identity develop over the course of the novel? Tris began the novel timid and unsure of herself and her desires, which was characteristic of her Abnegation upbringing: she was never allowed to focus on herself, so she never knew exactly what she wanted. Upon choosing Dauntless her bravery obviously begins to blossom, but she experiences some other changes as well. She forges friendships and relationships central to her identity, with people who bring out the best in her. And she learns that though she has chosen another faction, she can still be selfless; and indeed she is, time and time again. By the end of the novel, she is fully aware of herself as Divergent – someone who does not fit in, but who cannot be controlled. The events of the end of the novel reinforce who she has been – selfless – and who she wants to become – brave. There are many significant experiences to discuss, both good and bad, that shaped Tris as a person throughout her time in Dauntless. 2.Compare and contrast this rigidly structured society with our own. What are the pros and cons of each? Does one provide a more effective lifestyle than the other? The distinctions between Tris’s society and our own are very apparent; their idea of becoming a good person involves selecting one virtue to cultivate their entire lives, while for us, being good and morally sound involves a mixture of all of their faction virtues and more. Socially, we have much more freedom of choice, but is that freedom always a good thing? Studying any of the five virtues of Tris’s world can indeed have positive effects on one’s life. It all depends on perspective; either could be seen as the more effective lifestyle, depending on how you look at it, but the faction system certainly makes some significant missteps in trying to control and direct a person’s identity and humanity. 3.Discuss the soundness of a government run only by a single faction. Is Jeanine Matthews truly wrong for calling for greater representation, or is it better to keep administration in the hands of the selfless? This is certainly a far cry from our system of democracy. While having the innately selfless run the government seems like a respectable idea in theory, in practice it may fall short. Abnegation do not have the same goals in life as Erudite, Candor, Amity, or Dauntless, so therefore it is natural that their administration is called into question. Perhaps a system with equal representation from every faction would be a better strategy; though policy would not consist of extremely selfless acts, sometimes representatives do have to be selfish advocates for their people. And with everyone having a say, there would be much less chance of a rebellion the size of Erudite’s. Jeanine wasn’t entirely wrong in what she preached, but she certainly went about it the wrong way, and Abnegation wasn’t to blame for a system that had been flawed from the start. 4.What are the benefits of sorting people into social groups the way the factions are sorted? What are the drawbacks? We tend to subconsciously sort ourselves into groups regardless; we gravitate towards people with similar interests as us, people with similar backgrounds, people who look like us. With a society organized into groups, citizens are always surrounded by like-minded people, and there is a much greater chance of getting along with those who think like you. On the other hand, though, that separation can promote intolerance and prejudice, which is obviously apparent in the novel; all the factions shunned the values of their competitors, promoting a far too separated way of life. 5.There are only five factions; are there any other human virtues missing from the list? Why would these be necessary in well-rounded citizens? Valuing only honesty, selflessness, peacefulness, bravery, and intelligence seems like a very small slice of the vast majority of honorable human virtues. Another faction could exist based on loyalty; many of the problems  in Tris’s world (and our own) are caused by betrayal and distrust. A faction based on diligence could ensure that all its citizens are hardworking and productive. And there could also be a faction based on creativity, which shapes the mind in many ways the other factions do not. 6.Discuss Tris Prior as our protagonist. Is she a reliable narrator? Does she always tell the truth? Are we constrained by her point of view? Tris is typically a very straightforward narrator, though perhaps her point of view is often clouded by her own personal prejudices. We do not get a good sense of Peter’s character, for instance, because she is always so determined to hate him; perhaps there is more to him than meets the eye. We’re certainly constrained by her perspective, only knowing what she knows at any given time. We solve the mysteries of Four, her mother, and the Erudite-Abnegation feud only as soon as she does, because the story is told only from her first person perspective. The limits of this perspective does allow for some mystery and tension, though, as well as the strong impression of Tris as a hero. 7.What significance do Tris’s relationships have in her life? Various relationships begin to blossom for Tris only after she’s left Abnegation. Her family is broken apart, but at a distance she seems to get even closer to her mother, learning more about her past than she ever knew before. In Abnegation, Tris never had true friendships, but in Dauntless she becomes close to Will, Christina, Al, Uriah, and some of the other initiates. Without them, she wouldn’t have had the support she needed to get through initiation. And finally, her relationship with Four has changed her in many ways; she’s been given someone to open up to, who in turn opens up to her, and for a person with as much to deal with as Tris, this is absolutely essential. 8.Compare and contrast Peter and Jeanine Matthews as antagonists. Who would be considered the central antagonist? Both Peter and Jeanine serve as Tris’s enemies, but in very different ways. Peter is more present throughout the novel, causing trouble for Tris during initiation, her most immediate concern. But Jeanine is an antagonist on a larger scale; though she doesn’t make an actual appearance until late in the novel, we know she’s been behind the growing rebellion of the Erudite and the hunt for Divergent. Jeanine’s aims and the reach of her grasp lead to something much, much larger than a struggle for ranking during initiation. For this reason, only Jeanine can be considered the central antagonist. 9.In what ways is the brewing war between Abnegation and Erudite reminiscent of our societal power struggles? Though the battle at the culmination of the novel is fought with high-tech innovations like simulations, the circumstances that caused it can be easily compared to the power struggles in our own society. It starts with a group of people believing they’ve been treated unjustly, with an unfairly small amount of say in government, and ends with a bloody battle to determine who stays and who goes. Revolutions and major modern-day wars begin in much the same way. Jeanine Matthews is representative of the persuasive, charismatic, and intelligent leader who is able to convince her people to rally against another group; in this case, Abnegation. Jeanine’s method of manipulation through propaganda (false claims about Abnegation) and disrespect for others based on a perceived difference or lack mirrors fascist leaders from history. 10.Which theme in the novel would you consider the most significant, and why? Though many major themes in Divergent are prevalent, the one that constantly comes into play is the theme of identity and how one’s choices determine self. Tris is constantly making choices that define who she is, starting with the major one on Choosing Day and continuing throughout initiation, ending with her decision not to shoot Tobias in the control room in order to stop the simulation. Her identity develops further with every decision, and eventually she learns that she can truly be brave and selfless at the same time. This theme applies to other characters as well; Caleb, for instance, chose to switch to Erudite in order to stay true to his own identity, but  eventually returns to Abnegation because he decides that Erudite’s plans were wrong, and he could not be a part of it. Each and every character in the novel makes at least one choice that aids in determining their identity; therefore, this theme is extremely significant.