Global Setting Essay Example for Free

Global Setting Essay With the rapid expansion of globalization coupled with an amazing digital revolution, the civilization has taken a quantum leap to land in an era where the world seems to be a global village. Consequently, this new era demands a matching code of conduct from humans, of which the format would be new but the content would be based on ancient values. This is because, the modern lifestyle is full of all kind of communications 24/7, ranging from home, office, family, business associate, society, etc. Human activities have risen to a great height these days, thanks to the state-of-the art communication systems, which expanded and fastened the entire communication process, all the while wiping away physical boundaries of regions and creating a cross-cultural platform for the civilization. All of the above clearly show how much important it is to be culturally competent in the modern world to make the most of the advancement of science and technology. However, at the core of cultural competency remains the ancient set of values, which acts like the steering wheel of human mind and thus the set of values commands primary attention, which contains the elements like personal values, organizational values, cultural values and ethics. This essay explores the nuances of the above elements before analyzing how an individual can reconcile them in a global setting. Background Even as the personal, organizational and cultural values and ethics sound somewhat similar, each of them is unique in its own way. For example, Ethics is the study of the choices people make regarding right and wrong (Paul Elder, 2003, p. 11). Accordingly, it is open to individual interpretation, since determination of right and wrong or good and bad is subjective. This is where the humans need some set principles that would guide them especially in the modern global setting, where people from various cultures work together. It is here the organizational values and ethics differ from the personal ethics – which adopts its own set of values and ethics that would suit their multicultural workplace environment. Accordingly the researchers opine, Organizations are often considered monoliths that have their own persona, values and ethics†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Kruckeberg, 1998, p. 47). However, the universally accepted premise of ethics like doing maximum good for maximum people maintains its place – though again there may be different interpretation of that concept due to different cultural connotations – for example if a vegetarian considers eating non-vegetarian food as unethical, then that would be personal interpretation or choice of the person, besides being a subject of private practice. Now the global setting might bring in the said person with said set of values in such a workplace where most people like non-vegetarian dishes, thereby presenting another interpretation of personal value. However in both the cases the central idea would remain common – that food is our source of sustenance. It is because of such situations amid global setting, the researchers stress on maintaining ethical guidelines in the workplace or in a multicultural society. Accordingly the companies adopt ethical models to establish their ethical culture that would dictate its ethical norms and the employee behavior (Trevino, 1986; Hunt and Vitell, 1986). According to Paul Elder (2002, p. 13), this helps individuals to lessen their attention to the importance of individual judgment in ethical decision-making and instead, concentrate on the organizational ethics. Another important aspect of such models is that they help the members of the organizations to avoid the role-conflict arising out of the differences between organizational ethical culture and personal ethical philosophies. Personal Ethical Perspective Personal ethical perspective depends on the degree of ethical awareness in a person, where s/he might base it either on what it is good to be or what it is good to do, towards attaining moral excellence. However, there are more dimensions to it, since there are various theories that explain the issue in their own way. For example, utilitarian concept can influence a person to see ethics from any of the four angles like Pleasure concept of Jeremy Benthan, Happiness concept of John Stuart Mill, Ideals concept of G. E. Moore, or Preference concept of Kenneth Arrow (Utilitarianism, 2008). However, all of the above dimensions carry the basic insight of utilitarianism, which suggests that the purpose of morality is to make the world a better place and therefore, humans should work towards that direction (Ethics, 2006). Organizational Code of Ethics Organizational code of ethics is a set of standards, rules, guidelines, and values that govern and guide ethical business behavior in a company, profession, or organization of its employees, interactions among the employees, and interactions between the employees and the general public (12MANAGE, 2009). Thus it is distinctly different from the personal code of ethics in the sense that it evolves from the organizational culture – as Trevino would put it, ethical culture is a subset of organizational culture, representing a multidimensional interplay among various formal and informal systems of behavior control that are capable of promoting ethical or unethical behavior (Trevino et al. , 1995, p. 12). Thus here the values are imposed and the employees have the responsibility to align them with their own set of values. However, it is always expected that the code of ethics maintained in a company would never miss the central theme of ethics, i. e. , maximum good for maximum number of people. Mechanism of Personal Ethical Philosophies An understanding on the mechanism of individual difference in personal ethical philosophies is very important towards reconciling the values. The above can be framed by two factors like idealism and relativism, says Forsyth (1980), where he underpins idealism as the indicator of the magnitude of an individuals concern regarding an action, and how the consequence of that action affects the welfare of others. For example, a low idealistic individual might endorse harmful action with the belief that such action would bring greater good, while a high idealistic individual would always believe the opposite and pass on only those actions that would lead to positive consequences. (Forsyth, 1980; Forsyth, 1992). Forsyth (1980) takes relativism as the indicator of the magnitude of an individuals concern regarding accepting or rejecting the universal moral principles. For example, high relativistic individuals would be open to admit that there are more than one ways to perceive the concept of ethics and moral actions, since ethics are dependent on the nature of the situation. On the other hand, low relativistic people would believe in moral absolutes, and would base their ethical decision making process on fixed principles (Forsyth, 1992). The above understanding generates the idea that towards reconciling all values, the individuals need to accommodate the facts like there are many ways to perceive ethics as different situations influence human perception. However, here comes the issue of role conflict, or the fear of losing ones own personal set of values and ethics, since the theories on ethics suggest that organizational code of conduct or norms of ethics affect the personal ethical philosophies of its members, and eventually re-shape their ethical judgment and behavior (Hunt and Vitell, 1986; Baucus and Near 1991). While role conflict emerges when humans find themselves incompatible to the requests, policies and expectations of others (Rizzo et al. , 1970), it is here Forsyths (1980) concept comes in handy, as one can exploit it to find what type of people would go for what – for example, a high-relativistic individual may excuse an unethical decision if that serves their self-interest – since they are the ones who accommodate multiple concept of ethics and believe that ethical actions depend on the specific situations (Barnett et al. , 1996). This shows that high-relativists are less likely to suffer from role conflict due to their adaptive attitude regarding ethics. On the other hand, high-idealists, who prefer to operate on fixed principles of ethics, stand to suffer from role conflict, since the values that their organizations prescribe to maintain may go beyond their fixed set of values (Schermerhorn et al. , 2002, p. 63). Cultural Values Cultural values may influence the making of an idealist or relativist of different magnitudes, yet it has its limitation, since it is mostly confined by geographical boundaries. Therefore, multiculturalism can always extend ones perception of values much in the mold of Chinese delicacies that have become a common feature across the globe. There is another reason – no one is actually forced to remain within the boundaries of ones own culture and thus, the positive sides of other cultures have enough potential to convert even the high-idealists to high-relativists! The above state of affairs clearly shows that reconciliation of personal, organizational, and cultural values and ethics depends on several factors like below: 1. Ones own personal state of belief; 2. Ones own understanding of the concept of ethics; 3. The intensity of it in the persons decision-making process; 4. The nature of the value-set prescribed by the organization; 5. Proximity and involvement to the primary culture; 6. Appropriate training of cultural comepetency. Conclusion While managing cultural values does not seem to be a daunting task (one can easily maintain a good chunk of them in private), the issue of managing personal and organizational values amid global setting may be difficult if people dont prepare them accordingly. And, going by the theorists, this journey seems to start from high-idealist point to high-relativists, and thus, it can also be assumed that there is always the possibility to misjudge the situation or to be driven by the philosophy of convenience. Therefore, the individuals themselves should set their line of control on the scale of high-idealist to high-relativist. A balance in them is always desirable to get the maximum out of the current global setting. For that matter, members of organizations need to learn and practice decision-making in real-life situations. There are several cultural competency training modules available, like Kwongs Model (Kwong, 2008) or Griggs Model (2005) that work towards developing the cultural sensitivity and awareness among the subjects. Apart from that, good knowledge on applicable ethics theories, such as Dialogic Theory (Buber, 1955) can come in handy, because it helps to underpin the state of communication and to act accordingly. Therefore, in todays multicultural global setting, humans require to trade cautiously on the multidimensional sphere of ethics to achieve happiness, peace and prosperity. References 12MANAGE. (2009). Web document. Retrieved June 21, 2009, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.12manage.com/description_code_of_ethics.html Barnett, T., Bass, K., Brown, G.. (1996). Religiosity, personal moral philosophy, and intentions to report a peers wrong doing. Journal of Business Ethics, 15, 1161-  Ã‚   1174. Baucus, M. S., Near, LP. (1991). Can illegal corporate behavior be predicated? An   Ã‚  Ã‚   event history analysis. Academy of Management Journal, 34 (1): 9-36. Buber, M. (1955). Dialogue. In Between Man and Man. Boston, MA: Beacon Press. Ethics Matters. (2006). Web archive. Retrieved June 21, 2009, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://ethics.sandiego.edu/theories/Utilitarianism/

The Trend Of The Wellness Industry

The Trend Of The Wellness Industry Introduction There has been a considerable rise in the trend of the Wellness Industry mainly in Asia-Pacific. As Destination Spas are developing in the industry, it seems it is still rather vague as to what the future holds for this particular sector. The rising awareness of people towards personal health and growth is creating a demand for a service role that is currently evolving to cater to the demands of this progressing market trend. This study will investigate possible outcomes for destinations spas, Mandala Spa, in the designated geographical area. Background The globalization of wellness products such as Spas are increasing and evolving, whereas the philosophies and traditions of the eastern culture are penetrating the western context and vise versa. These spas are growing by incorporating physical, emotional and spiritual activities coupled with the pop psychology that mixes more esoteric practices to raise the level of mental wellness. (Smith and Puczko, 2008) Wellness is defined as The multidimensional state of being well, where inner and outer worlds are in harmony: a heightened state of consciousness enabling you to be fully present in the moment and respond authentically to any situation from the deep inner well of your being. Wellness is an ever-evolving journey to a heightened awakening of the consciousness and working towards a fitter state in regards to the physical, mental and emotional sense of wellbeing, thus helping an individual to further experience life to its fullest with the greatest longevity. (Bodecker and Cohen, 2008) Figure 1: The Expanded Wellness Model Source: Mueller and Kaufmann 2001 p.6 Overview of the Wellness Industry A considerable amount of visitors going to modern day health and wellness centers are mostly not aware of the historical and cultural backgrounds of the treatments they experience. It would be not so far fetched to say that these visitors have not realized that the Ayurvedic practices from India date back as far as 5000 BC, or that the current make-up brands that women are using these days hold similar cosmetic traits to those used my the Egyptian women in 3000 BC. The earliest recorded documentation of Chinese medicinal methods date back to 1000 BC, however in Western societies Chinese medical methods are regarded as exotic and somewhat new in their perception. According to a study made by the Spa Research Fellowship, the earliest reference to so called magical healing waters is 1700 BC and as the classic physician and philosopher of the Hellenistic age, Hippocrates, once said that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦water is still, after all, the best. (Health Wellness Tourism) There is an increasing awareness of the healing properties of water, whether it be thermal, sea or mineral water. Civilizations such as the Greeks and Romans understood the various health related aspects of water treatments and thus were quite focused on fitness and cleanliness through such practices. On the other hand, other ancient civilizations from The Middle East and Asia and other indigenous people around the world were already aware of the health benefits of other practices like herbal medicines, yoga, massage, meditation and other related spiritual practices, for centuries before the cultivation of health related practices in Europe. Although by Western standards, the quality of life in many parts of the world are seemingly low or of poor quality in comparison to Western societies, India and Africa can be cited as two better examples. These people living in such poor standards have developed their own ways of maintaining their wellbeing, although such conditions of deprivatio n favor the triumph of illness over wellness. These practices of preserving health and wellbeing are continuing to become more and more popular among day spa operators and subsequently the visitors of these days spas are growing interests keen enough to want them to visit the origins or homes of these practices such as Yoga and Thai massage. (Health Wellness Tourism) The term Spa, is an adapted acronym for Solus Per Aqua, it can be translated as health through water. (Leavy and Bergel, 2002) According to Associate Professor Rujirutana Madhachitara, PhD of Penn State University in her paper, Opening Up a Services Market The Thai Spa Industry, From what we learn in the classroom and witness in real business life, market usually do not grow as explosively as health spas have done in Thailand. Hotels and resorts along with entrepreneurs have recognized the potential of spa development in Asia, it is even arguable to an extent that recent trend of spas has impacted the face of the Hospitality in the region. Intelligent Spas came up with the Spa Benchmark program across the major Asia Pacific markets and summarized the findings in the table below (Garrow, 2007) Table 1: Asia Pacific Spa Industry overview Malaysia Since the year 2002, Malaysias spa growth has increased by 200% and continues to foretell increased growth. Indonesia Is home to the larger spas in regards to indoor space and more than half of them are destination spas, within the region it is also second most affordable next to the Philippines. Philippines Is the smallest in terms of market size but regardless it also possesses on average, the most numerous amount of treatment rooms, studies show that there is also strong potential for growth in this sector over the coming years. Singapore relatively, the country has a mature market but is still predicted to grow at 11% annually over the upcoming years. There is a considerable amount of day spas of which half are said to be salon type oriented spas. Taiwan Over 81% of Taiwans 300 spa facilities were day spas, a large group of their spas use group brand names, whilst spa franchises are very common. Growth rate is said to be slow in the coming years. Table 2: Asia-Pacific Global Spa study The Asia-Pacific spa industry is the quickest growing region on a global basis, however it is yet relatively young. A larger proportion of spas are preset in emerging markets while resort/hotels spas are currently leading development. Typically, destinations spas are regarded as spa resorts. Growing but yet underdeveloped health resorts in a sense. In comparison to Europe, spa revenues in the Asia-Pacific are 35% lower and 19% lower on a global average, however hotel spas are only 3.75% to 5.8% lower respectively. Whilst in terms of staffing, hotel spas are at an average of 27 employees per establishment and 17 per spa. Intelligent Spas Global Benchmark Report, May 2009, states that the treatment room occupancy in the Asia-Pacific is 37% higher in comparison to other regions, 45% of total revenue accounts for payroll, and with an average treatment rate of US$77 it is the lowest economically among all regions. (Samantha Foster) The term Destination Spa holds a particular standard of luxury for spa-goers, as they were places where the rich and famous would go to slim down. These days destination spas offer more than just a luxurious way to get slim fast, they offer a variety of products that cater to the overall wellness of their customers. Such services offered are healthier diet alternatives, lifestyle lectures, yoga seminars and more traditional methods of energy attunement to find your own sense of inner and outer balance. (Leavy and Bergel 2002) Mandala Spa brands itself as a destination spa incorporating all the fore mentioned services and more, in 2005 they won the prestigious Asia Spa Award for best destination spa of the year and spa treatment of the year. Since then they have continued to win awards in 2006, 2007, and 2009. Since its inauguration in 2001, Mandala Spa has touched the lives of many people and has grown from a four-villa Day Spa to a full fledged Wellness Resort and Destination Spa. ( http://www.mandalaspa.com) Aims The author will conduct an in-depth research on what the future holds for Destination Spas in Asia Pacific, focusing on a developing boutique Destination Spa brand, Mandala Spa as a prime reference. Objectives To review literature about the Wellness Industry with emphasis on Destination Spas. To investigate the trends and variables influencing the development of the Wellness Industry with focus on the Destination Spa sector. To understand the strategies that Mandala Spa is using for its success and how they will use these for future development or expansion; and To recommend any findings to Mandala Spa and the Asia Pacific Spa and Wellness Coalition for the overall benefit of the industry and for future research; CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW The Concept of Wellness Tourism According to (Verschuren, 2004) Wellness tourism is very different from health tourism as wellness tourism is considered a unique product within the health tourism segment thus it is not a category in itself but a sub category of health tourism. Figure 1 According to (Kaspar 1996), health tourism is the sum of all the relationships and phenomena resulting from a change of location and residence by people in order to promote, stabilize and, as appropriate, restore physical, mental and social well-being while using health services and for whom the place where they are staying is neither their principle nor permanent place of residence or work. By definition of (Mueller and Kaufmann 2000), following (Kaspar1996), wellness tourism can be the sum of all the relationships and the phenomena resulting from a change of location and residence by people whose main motive is to preserve or promote their health. They stay in hotels that are specialized in providing the individual care with the appropriate personal know-how. To further the statement these guests require and expect certain service packages that are comprehensive in nature, such packages may include physical fitness, meditations, dietary advise, beauty care and education. According to The International Spa Association (ISPA) spas are defined as entities devoted to enhancing overall well-being through a variety of professional services that encourage the renewal of mind, body and spirit (ISPA, 2006) A comprehensive categorization of spas has been produced by the International Spa Association is listed below: Club Spa Day Spa Spa Hotel Holistic Spa Medical Spa Bath Resort Spa Sport Spa Structured Spa Definition of a Destination Spa There is no universally accepted definition of destination spas, rather the following academics present these definitions: Destination spas predecessors were referred to as fat farms due to their somewhat rigorous detoxification and weight loss programmes. These fat farms were perceived as the to-be places for communities high societies, yet most of these establishments were not deemed a pleasant holiday experience as most of them were ran similar to boot camps in a sense, where their guests would undertake restricted diets or fasting seminars where the promised results of weight loss would be achieved, however in no manner pleasant. Few of these fat farms would feature beauty treatments, relaxation or meditation programmes and even less provided in education in terms of how to maintain their lost weight, thus guests would eventually gain the weight back. The destination spa of today offer more than just weight loss programmes but are now geared towards more meaningful exercise programmes, education on lifestyle, wellness seminars, consultancy on diet and cleansing, and some offer medical tests or evalua tions. (The Spa Encyclopedia) Destination spas are built with the primary purpose of providing spa/wellness activities for guests as compared to resort/hotel spas whos primary purpose is to sell their rooms while the spa is an augmenting facility, the purpose of destination spas are the exact opposite of this. (Gibson 2008) Destination Spas are a place where visitors go for short retreats/wellness programmes that are somewhat life changing or produce a high impact on the guests lifestyle. (Spa bodywork: a guide for massage therapists) Asia Pacific Wellness Traditions The wellness traditions of Asia follow a more holistic approach to health and wellbeing, treating the mind, body and spirit as one. Their way of healing is by finding the essence of the problem and supporting the body in healing itself therefore boosting the bodys natural immunity against illness and disease. Therefore the approach through natural healing, in Asia, is rooted in spirituality and tradition rather than on a basis of natural assets. In Japan the traditional bathing establishments of onsens, which are Japanese hot springs, are commonly visited by locals in seek of meditation or relaxation and has grown in popularity among the tourists. Reiki and Shiatsu are two of the most prevalent wellness therapies from the Japanese culture and are currently very common treatments provided by western spas. The legacy of Indias historic culture has existed before that of Ancient Egypt as even scholars regard Ayurveda (the science of life) as one of the oldest healing systems in the world. It is still commonly the first form of traditional healing in Nepal, India and Sri Lanka. The traditional forms of Chinese medicine were focused on an individuals overall state through a variety of therapies, such as Chi (the overall flow of life force or energy of a person), Shen (the persons mind that is responsible for their mental abilities and consciousness), and Jing (The governing essence of a persons vitality). Traditional Chinese medicine, similar to Indian Ayurveda, leans towards the aspects of preventive and holistic approaches towards health in regards to physical movement, spirituality, diet and emotional wellbeing. A myriad of therapies are offered, some of the most popular to mention are Tai Chi, Qi Gong, herbal medicines, and acupuncture which focus on the flow of energy throughout the body. Thailand is currently said to be the leading country in spa development within Asia, featuring a wide array of services, products, aesthetics and centres. The basic principles of Wat Pho traditional Thai massage and the Lana traditions of Northern Thailand are what constitute the concepts of Thai spas. The Temple of the Reclining Buddha, Wat Pho, located in the capital city of Bangkok by the Grand Palace, is where traditional Thai massage was born. During the era before the temple was built, the area was a site for the practice of traditional Thai medicine that has its relational origins from Ayurveda. Malaysia has a set of unique spa programmes and ambiences through the incorporation of village or kampung traditions along with the wellness traditions practiced in the royal courts. Pressure point and long stroke massage techniques which are the basis of Urut, the traditional Malay massage, which is the main feature of the services offered along with traditional post-natal care in womens health programmes. The foundation of these therapies are based on causative theory building on the organizing principles of cold and hot, damp and dry and of the natural elements air, fire, water and earth, derived from links to Ayurveda. Indonesias mainstay of promoting wellness and beauty comes from Jamu herbalism, traditionally it lies in the center of managing the populations healthcare. The spiritual approaches to wellness, along with traditional massage techniques and fresh herbal ingredients, are highly incorporated in Balinese and Indonesian spas. Vietnam, regarded now as the new Thailand amongst south east Asian investment circles due to its promising economy and influx of new beach, golf and health resort developments. The main medicinal tradition of the country is referred to as Thuoc Nam of which is based more on traditional folk knowledge. A Buddhist monk and scholar, Tue Tinh, developed Thuoc Nam into a national system. He consolidated all the local medicinal knowledge from Vietnam and established clinics within monasteries along with herbal gardens coupled with educating the public on the herbal home medicine. (Dung and Bodeker 2001) The Philippines, being an archipelago, has its traditional medicinal techniques deeply rooted in the multitude of ethnics groups found on its thousand of islands. Its traditional massage practice is known as Hilot and is just as diverse in techniques, practices and tradition as it varies from region to region within the country. It is however being standardized, and thus growing ever more popular among the spa programmes in the Philippines. (Marana and Tan 2006) Key Theories on Spas Compare and contrast an approximate of 3 key theories here, identify who your subject matter experts are through seeing who are the names who are always cited in the various journals and books you have on Spa. Support with some models, I think you have one model in your Chapter II already! Figure 1. Maslows Hierarchy of Needs and Schà ¼tte and Ciarlantes Asian Equivalent Model. Adapted from (Athena H. N. Mak, Kevin K. F. Wong and Richard C. Y. Chang) Maslows hierarchy of needs and the Asian equivalent model Tourist motivation embraces psychological as well as physiological facets because travel is expected to satisfy different levels of needs such as psychological (e.g. intrinsic, personal and interpersonal rewards) and physiological needs (e.g. food, shelter, safety, health and fitness) (Witt and Wright, 1992). Maslows (1970) hierarchy of needs is one of the most popular theories of motivation used by researchers to study tourist motivation (Iso- Ahola, 1980). Maslow proposes that human needs as motivators form a five-level hierarchy comprising of physiological, safety, love/ belonging, esteem and self-actualisation needs. He further states that the lower-level needs should be satisfied first before an individual could move up to higher-level ones in the hierarchy. Mill and Morrison (1985) cite that motivation is a phenomenon that takes place when an individual seeks to satisfy a need, and suggest a correlation between Maslows hierarchy of needs and tourist motivation. Maslows model is based on Western culture, so Schà ¼tte and Ciarlante (1998) have questioned whether self-actualisation (a personally directed need) is existent among Asian consumers. They contend that Asian countries predominately have a collectivist culture (Hofstede, 1980), so the idea that a personally directed need is at the highest level of needs would neither be readily accepted nor regarded positively in the Asian culture. Instead, socially directed needs seem to be more apposite in such cultural context. Schà ¼tte and Ciarlante thus put forth an Asian equivalent model, one that eliminates the personally directed self- actualisation need and emphasizes the intricacies and importance of socially directed needs, namely, affiliation, admiration and status. Based on the research conducted by (Athena H. N. Mak, Kevin K. F. Wong and Richard C. Y. Chang) Their study identified the motivating factors for Hong Kong spa-goers seeking spa experience when they travel. Their perceptions of spa, as well as their socio-demographic characteristics, were analysed. In addition, an instrument to measure motivation in the spa tourism domain was developed. Factor analysis results show that relaxation and relief, escape, self-reward and indulgence, and health and beauty are important underlying motivating factors for spa-goers, as shown in the study. The result contrasts interestingly with general European spa-goers perception that spa experience is largely for curative or therapeutic purposes (Miller, 1996; Douglas, 2001), and American spa-goers perception that spa experience is a means of self-reward (Kaspar, 1990; ISPA, 2006). For the Hong Kong context, it is actually an integration of self-reward and health, together with relaxation and escape motiva tions. This distinctive combination of motivating factors reflects the unique underlying needs of Hong Kong spa-goers. The demand for spa is anticipated to grow continuously (ISPA, 2006), and the opportunities associated with spa are many and varied. However, despite the bright outlook for the Asian spa market, it is imperative for the spa industry to maximise the potential for this niche market segment outlook for the Asian spa market, it is imperative for the spa industry to maximise the potential for this niche market segment. Current Situation of Mandala Spa Here you do a write up discussing the current situation of Mandala Spa as a destination spa in the Asia Pacific region. What is the key to Mandalas Success? You have to understand, that when you analyze wellnessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and a commitment to wellness and the wellbeing of other people, you realize very quickly that taking care of other people or being a good care taker for people, a very essential Christian quality, this is not something you do as a job like flipping hamburgersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ it is something that has to be developed inside of a person as part of their personality, inside of their heart, so Karen Reina and I realized very quickly that if you want to be sincere in the wellness industry by taking care of other people one way or the other. It could be in the spa industry, the hotel industry or that might simply be in the nursing or physical therapy industry, the most important quality is the love and compassion and ability to have positive relationships with the guests. We decided that this is one of the most essential qualities a place can have, this is what we have to focus our service on, the rest is really technical training, skill training, attitude refinement, the way your presenting yourself with etiquette training, but what makes us very different from all other aspects of the hospitality industry is that when your working really close with people, when your touching them literary with your hands and fingers, when your all over their skinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ YOU CANT FAKE IT! If your not real, people will realize it the latest at that point, when somebodys hands are all over them, thats when they realize if that service is real or fake, they are just pretending to give me a loving and caring service and just see it as a job. This is what really is the very essence of mandala spa, and this is what makes us different from many other places to start out withà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ our outlook was not based on a well organized spread sheet full of figures, our first challenge was and still is always, how can you install a culture and a commitment to the essence of hospitality in our staff, a corporate cultu re as it is calledà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ this is the same challenge others in the same field are experiencing now in hospitality, where they say that cutting edge is where the guest is loved or feels loved, what better hospitality can you give other than true love and true care? No matter on which level, and this is what our people and guests come back for. So when people ask what was their best holiday experience, it is often the very small relationships they had with their host, it is all about love, care and respect, the rest is really just dressing up. You very quickly realize that when you think that way, well its different that hamburger flipping in a way that you have to teach that way of thinking, you have to communicate that, you have to install that as a part of corporate culture.. that we want to do things with care, that we want to do things to maintain or better the environment, that we are caring for our employees as people and not just by looking at the annual growth rate of the company, caring by making an effort to communicate with them, by trying to provide personal growth opportunities for them, no matter if its through Yoga or personal talks or through participation in our social responsibility programs like planting trees, improving the environment, and they are proud of that, they should feel proud of being gentle, of being caring, of being compassionate. These are al the values we are trying to install within our corporate culture, not just the training to start out with and technical perfection, quality of touch, I am doing that myself. But what really brings everything through and what brings everything together is really when your heart is open and your heart is in it, and this is a big part of Mandalas secret, were trying really to maintain that corporate culture that is true to itself, that walks the talk. Wellness and wellbeing is not a five to nine job for Mandala Spa, it is a way of lie for Mandala Spa. Conclusively, a lot of people wor king with us or working with me are not there just for the job or the rewards or the growth opportunities on a proffesional career level, they are simply there because they love the way of life that they can live during eight hours of their prime time. CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY Research Paradigm and Design The Research Paradigm used in this dissertation is that of intepretivism in which is a comprehension of the differences between humans as social actors. The social actors in this case refer to interview respondents. Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2007) presented an argument that the business world is too intricate to be at the disposition of theories and definite `laws` in which rich insights may be lost in the process. In line with this paradigm, the author maintains an empathetic stance and attempting to understand the social world from the point of view from the research subjects. As each situation is unique and stands alone, all these are a function of a specified set of individuals and circumstances brought together at a particular time. The epistemology of this paradigm is on subjective meanings and social phenomena with a focus into an in depth study on the details of destination spas in the Asia Pacific, the background reality and motivating actions. It will have a subjective axiology due to the research being value bound and the author being inseparable from the research. An inductive approach is used here in which the author theorizes that the wellness industry is a sub category of the health industry health tourism and from recent trends it is predicted that the health industry is beginning to adapt aspects of the wellness industry as a more informed clientele demand for an integration of wellness and nutrition into healthcare. This proposed theory is to be backed up with collected interview data for testing of validity. Qualitative Study Data Collection Development Open ended questions are structured or at least semi structured. It is important that the author guides the interview and steer it back on topic should digression occur. Nonetheless, for the purpose of the B.A (Hons) dissertation, structured interviews should be used. If you use interviews but did not manage to meet the person face to face, attach a copy of email correspondence in appendix. Or save MSN conversations into rich text format. Sampling Data Collection Data Analysis Ethics CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS AND RESULTS Introduction Profile of Participants How many of them Number of contacts (overall sampling frame) How many returns? (% of responses) DO NOTE THAT FOR ONLINE SURVEYS, THE ACTUAL QUANTITY IS NOT EASILY DERIVED AND IS MAINLY AN ESTIMATE. Give evidence of screening (How many were null? Even if person answers all strongly agree, it is null!) Proper steps supersede absolute numbers. Report the final, n = 19 (%) Who are the participants? (Use your background questions to assist you.) For qualitative interviews, youve been in contact with the person. Describe their qualification to prove that they are the appropriate person to individual on the subject. Background of Participants Analysis of qualitative data Reiterate that an inductive approach was used and that it is an exploratory paper You have a choice here of analyzing your data using a condensation, grouping or ordering process.

Solvent Extraction of Eu(III) from Nitrate Media

Solvent Extraction of Eu(III) from Nitrate Media Non fluorinated ionic liquid was used as a solvent of by bis (2-ethylhexyl)diglycolamic acid (DEHDGA) to investigate the extraction of Europium (III) various parameters: extractant concentration, pH, concentration of the salting-out agent and concentration of the europium(III) ion in the aqueous feed. The efficiency of extraction was enhanced by increasing the pH of the feed solution (aqueous) upto its maxium range pH 5, that subsequently decrease at high pH values [1]. Room temperature ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C4mim+][PF6−]) was applied for the extraction of Eu3+ Th4+ from nitrate medium using tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) as an extractant the results were compared with extraction method of dichloro methane. Both methods involved solavation mechanism by forming [Eu(TOPO)33+](NO3−)3species. Another outcome was elucidated that the method also involve cation exchange mechanism by formation of [Th(TOPO)34+](NO3−)4 in dichloro methane, while Th4+ and Eu3+ not effected by presence of TOPO in ionic liquid method. So it can be concluded that formation of [Th(TOPO)4+](NO3−)(PF6−)3 invloves that mixed ion exchange –solvation mechanism for the extraction of Th4+ ion [2]. various substituted diglycol amide (DGA) solvent extractants: N,N,N†²N†²-tetra(2-ethylhexyl) diglycolamide (T2EHDGA); N,N,N†²N†²-tetra-n-octyl diglycolamide (TODGA); N,N,N†²N†²-tetra-n-hexyl diglycolamide (THDGA); N,N,N†²N†²-tetra-n-decyl diglycolamide (TDDGA) and N,N,N†²N†²-tetra-n-pentyl diglycolamide (TPDGA) for the investigation Eu3+ ion transport property in nitric acid solvent extraction and supported liquid membrance (SLM) methodology. Slope analysis method was utilized to determind the nature of extracted species. By using DGAs various parameters like effect of phase modifier assay on extraction of Eu 3+ ion and effect of feed acidity were investigated [3]. Alok Rout et al prepared the ionic liquids, tri-n-octylmethylammonium bis(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate ([A336]+[DEHP]−) and tri-n-octylmethylammonium bis(2-ethylhexyl)diglycolamate ([A336]+[DGA]−) and characterized by IR and NMR spectroscopy. The extraction behavior of europium (III) in the solution of these ionic liquids present in different molecular diluents was investigated using in variation of different parameters like pH, nature of diluent, concentration of ionic liquid. The data obtained were compared with those obtained in a solution composed of the precursors of ionic liquid. The extraction of europium (III) in [A336]+[DEHP]−and [A336]+[DGA]−ionic liquids showed a strong dependence on the nature of molecular diluent used. The distribution ratio of Eu(III) increased with increase of pH; at pH>2, the distribution ratios obtained in ionic liquids were much higher than their precursors. The effect of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) on the extraction of Am(III) and Eu(III) at a fixed pH was studied to separate europium (III) from americium (III). Superior extraction of the target metals and excellent separation factors achieved with the use of these ionic liquids in conventional diluents indicates the feasibility of separating lanthanides from actinides [4]. W. Wang et al. was studied the extraction of europium by using an anionic surfactant. The influence of concentration of anionic surfactant, extraction temperature, pH, concentration of co-surfactant, salting out agent and aqueous- microemulsion ratio on extraction yield were studied by using sodium oleate (NaOL)/pentanol/heptanes/NaCl system. The extraction yield (E%) was found above 99%, when the R=8, Probably Europium was extracted in form of Eu(OL)2Cl into the microemulsion phase. The back-extraction was performed by using hydrochloric acid (0.8mol/L), back extraction resulted the yields 95.15% [5]. Extraction equilibrium constants were investigated by using nonlinear least squares method and a chemically based model was also developed. In the suggested model the salvation extraction and cation exchange reaction occurs in high and low acidity regions respectively. The non-ideality of aqueous phase and (HR)2 were adjusted and corrected by complexation of metal with chloride ion and (HR)2 replacing by using efficient concentration. The model verified by finding the close results of calculated metal distribution ratios and experimental results. E. Makrlà ­k et al has been investigated the micro-quantity of europium and americium by using nitrobenzene solution of hydrogen dicarbollylcobaltate (H+B) in presence of 1,2-(diphenylphosphino)ethylene dioxide (DPPEDO, L). The values of stability constant of both complexes are comparable in water saturated nitrobenzene. Stability of the complexes HL+org and HL+2;org in nitrobenzene saturated with water increases in the series of DBDECMP DPPEDO DPBCMPO‘‘classical’’ CMPO, whereas the stability of the EuL3+n;org and AmL3+n;org (n = 2, 3, 4) complexes in the mentioned medium increases in the DBDECMPDPPEDODPBCMPO‘‘classical’’ CMPO order [7]. The extraction of Eu(III) was investigated by Awwadet al, from nitrate medium by CYANEX921 (C921). It was found that the chemical formula of the main extracted species in the organic phase is Eu(NO3)(3).3[C921] for extraction by C921. It was found that the Eu(III) percent extracted from toluene, n-hexane, cyclohexane and kerosene was nearly similar but with faster phase separation in favor of toluene. The relation between the shaking time and the percent of extracted C921 (%E) was studied at different pH. It was found that the best shaking time is 20 min at pH between 0.5-1.0, whereas at pH 2.0 the best shaking time is 15 min. The maximum extraction of Eu(III) was found to be after 5 min at pH 3.0. The extraction of Eu(III) increase with increasing of pH, however, the extraction precent increase from 28.5% at pH 0.5 to 98% at pH 3.0 The calculated average for the extraction constant is 6.58 at pH 3.0 under various C921 concentrations. From the data obtained, it was found that arsenaz oIII (AIII) is a good stripper for Eu from organic phase which reach to 65% at pH 2. The stripping of Eu decreased from 57% to 2% when rising the pH in range of 0.5 to 11 (10). Ohashi et al investigated the extraction of lanthanoids(III) (Ln(III) =, Eu(III) , La(III) and Lu(III) by using techniques cloud point extraction in presence and absence of di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid with triton X-100 and suggested that the extraction of Ln(III) into the surfactant-rich phase in absence of chelating agent was occurred due impurities existence in Triton X-100. The extraction yield was obtained more than 91% for all Ln(III) metals by using 3.0 x 10(-5) mol dm(-3) HDEHP and 2.0% (v/v) Triton X-100 (11). Solvent extraction of Eu(III) from nitrate media with 4-acyl-isoxazol-5-ones and 2-acyl-5-diluents has been studied by Jaoval Arichi. Due to competitive complication of Eu3+ by NO3 in the aqueous phase, the extraction from nitrate medium is less effective than from per chlorate medium [12] Synergic extraction of Eu (III), Tb (III), with 2-thenoyltrifluoroactone and tribenzyl amine as neutral donor from chloroform from per chlorate media at lower pH was reportedly M. M. Saeed et al. The effect of temperature on extraction has also been studied [13] F.A. Shehata investigated the synergic extraction of trivalent Eu, Gd and Am from aqueous per chlorate medium using mixtures of thenoyl trifluoroacetone (HTTA) and 15-Crown-5 or 18-Crown-6 in chloroform at (25  ± I) (slope analysis of the M (TTA)3. (CE)2 for extracted species. The stability order took the sequence Eu(TTA)3. (CE)2>GA(TTA)3. (CE)2 with 18C6 [14]. A. Ali suggested the synergic extraction of, Eu (III), Ce (III) and Tm (III) w ith a mixture of tributyl phosphine oxide Picrolonic acid in chloroform. Picrolonic acid acted as a chelating agent and tributyl phosphine as a metal legend in chloroform. Among the anions fluoride, oxalate citrate and cyanide ions masked the extraction, whereas Fe (II), Cu (II) and No(II) reduce the extraction [15]. Extraction of Eu (III) and Tm (III) with picrolonic acid in MIBK was investigated by A. Ali. The buffer solution of pH was used. The composition of organic addict responsible for extraction of these material ions have been calculated by slope analysis method. Among the anions, citrate, fluoride, oxalate and cyanide ions masked the extraction, when the, Cu(II), Ni(II), Fe(III) and Co(II) minimized the extraction. D.F. Peppard compared the liquid liquid extraction behaviour of Eu(II) and Eu(III) [16].

The Contributions of the P-51 Mustang to the Victory of the Allies :: World War Two American History Essays

The Contributions of the P-51 Mustang to the Victory of the Allies This paper deals with the contributions of the P-51 Mustang to the eventual victory of the Allies in Europe during World War II. It describes the war scene in Europe before the P-51 was introduced, traces the development of the fighter, its advantages, and the abilities it was able to contribute to the Allies' arsenal. It concludes with the effect that the P-51 had on German air superiority, and how it led the destruction of the Luftwaffe. The thesis is that: it was not until the advent of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter, and all of the improvements, benefits, and side effects that it brought with it, that the Allies were able to achieve air superiority over the Germans. This paper was inspired largely by my grandfather, who flew the P-51 out of Leiston, England, during WW II and contributed to the eventual Allied success that is traced in this paper. He flew over seventy missions between February and August 1944, and scored three kills against German fighters. Table of Contents Introduction Reasons for the Pre-P-51 Air Situation The Pre-P-51 Situation The Allied Purpose in the Air War The Battle at Schweinfurt The Development of the P-51 The Installation of the Merlin Engines Features, Advantages, and Benefits of the P-51 The P-51's Battle Performance The Change in Policy on Escort Fighter Function P-51's Disrupt Luftwaffe Fighter Tactics P-51's Give Bombers Better Support Conclusion Works Cited Introduction On September 1, 1939, the German military forces invaded Poland to begin World War II. This invasion was very successful because of its use of a new military strategic theory -- blitzkrieg. Blitzkrieg, literally "lightning war," involved the fast and deadly coordination of two distinct forces, the Wermacht and the Luftwaffe. The Wermacht advanced on the ground, while the Luftwaffe destroyed the enemy air force, attacked enemy ground forces, and disrupted enemy communication and transportation systems. This setup was responsible for the successful invasions of Poland, Norway, Western Europe, the Balkans and the initial success of the Russian invasion. For many years after the first of September, the air war in Europe was dominated by the Luftwaffe. No other nation involved in the war had the experience, technology, or numbers to challenge the Luftwaffe's superiority. It was not until the United States joined the war effort that any great harm was done to Germany and even then, German air superiority remained unscathed. It was not until the advent of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter, and all of the improvements, benefits, and side effects that it brought with it, that the Allies were able to achieve air superiority over the Germans. Reasons for the Pre-P-51 Air Situation The continued domination of the European skies by the Luftwaffe was caused by two factors, the first of which was the difference in military theory

Violence against Women :: Sociology Essays Research Papers

Violence against Women Gender-based violence has been recognized as a large public health problem as well as a violation of human rights worldwide. One out of three women has been beaten, coerced into sex, or abused in another way at least once in her life (www.infoforhealth.org). The abuser is usually a member of the family, introducing the difficult problem in that the abuse usually happens behind closed doors, and is often viewed by cultural norms and legal systems as a family matter rather than a crime. The statistics available on violence against women are startling. Domestic violence is the major cause of death and disability for European women ages 16 to 44 and accounts for more deaths and injuries than automobile accidents and cancer. The Russian government estimates that over 14,000 women were killed by family members in 1999, but there is still no legislation that specifically addresses domestic violence. In South Africa, more women are shot in the home by relatives than are shot on the streets or by intruders (web.amnesty.org). Two of the most common forms of abuse in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood are intimate partner abuse and coerced sex. Intimate partner abuse is almost always accompanied by serious psychological abuse and in one quarter to one half of cases is also accompanied by forced sex. Most women that are abused numerous times often become terrified of their partners. Many are scared to speak to someone about the abuse due to the fear that the abuse will get worse if reported (www.infoforhealth.org). In some countries, women are discriminated against by laws that do not protect from violence in the home. Police and persecutors sometimes refuse to help women abused in the home because of the false assumption that these women bring on the abuse themselves. Women that attempt to testify against their husbands may lose custody of their children. For women of these nations, there is no way out and nobody to listen (web.amnesty.org). The effects of abuse may be detrimental to a woman’s reproductive health, as well as to other aspects of her physical health and psychological state. Along with increasing injury, physical abuse can cause an array of other problems such as increased risk of unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, adverse pregnancy complications, chronic pain, physical disability, depression, and drug and alcohol use. Health care providers often miss opportunities to detect if a woman has been abused by either being unaware, indifferent, or judgmental.

Leadership and Entrepreneur Essay

Leadership and entrepreneurship have become more popular recently so that many researchers have been studied about these subjects and tried to find out their definitions and nature (Northouse, 2007; Kuratko and Hodgetts, 2007 and Deakins and Freel, 2009). It cannot be denied that there are a huge amount of people having leadership and entrepreneurship characteristic. In order to have a look closer about the leadership and entrepreneurship, the author will take the case of Conrad Hilton as an example to evaluate. However, before doing that, some significant leadership and entrepreneurship theories such as definitions and characteristics of different approaches will be reviewed critically. This essay will be divided into three parts. It will commence with theories of leadership and then focus on entrepreneurship and the last part will combine the theories with term of actual life by judging the characteristics of Conrad Hilton about his leadership and entrepreneurship characteristics. The first part aims to review leadership theories critically. It includes definitions, distinctive approaches and variety of factors that impact on leadership. There are a number of different definitions about leadership have been published (Stogdill, 1974). According to Northouse (2007), they are divided into six types such as focus of group process, personality perspective, act or behavior, power relationship, transformational process and skills perspective. However, Northouse (2007) states that there are four components such as: leadership is a process; leadership involves influence; leadership occurs in a group context and leadership involves goal attainment play a role as foundation for all of types. Based on this foundation, the widely accepted definition about leadership can be defined as follow: â€Å"a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal† (Northouse, 2007, p. 3) and this is also the suitable one related to discussion in this essay. From this definition, it can be seen that leadership is an interaction behavior between leaders and followers as well as this the definition also indicates the important of the factor â€Å"influence†. It is clear that without this factor, leadership will not exist. However, this factor does not only stand for the power of leader with followers but also followers with leader because this is two-way relationship. In addition, the second factor should be considered is â€Å"group†. Whatever the size and type of group such as a community, an organization or a small group, leadership can only occur in context of group. Although each person in each group can have different individual purpose, they still have the same goal and they influence each other to achieve that common goal. Obviously, common goal is one part of leadership. Last but not least, this definition of leadership considered attendance of goals. This means leadership has to guide the group achieve the goals. As can be seen from this definition, leadership can be any member in the group, it is not a particular person. This means in the process going to achieve common goals of the group, anyone can be a leader and has influence on others. According to Northouse (2007) the leader of a group has five key traits such as sociability, intelligence, self- confident, determination and integrity. Those five key traits have been utilized in order to adjudge employees’ leadership skills. The following issue of leadership theory is leadership’s nature. As the same situation with leadership definition, its nature also has a several opinions. Authors such as Jago (1982), Bass (1990), Burns (1978), Heller and Van Til (1983), Hollander (1992) considered leadership as a process, while author such as Bryman (1992) defined it as traits. Among those authors, some of them approached leadership as a prominent situation whereas others viewed it as an assigned one. As a viewpoint of Bryman (1992) seeing leadership as traits, considered leadership as one’s property and different people will have different level of leadership (Northouse, 2007). As the result, following this view, leader can be seen as born-talented and it seems could not be learnt. This view will make people unconfident and do not have motivation to develop their leadership skills. The second concern about the nature of leadership is the distinction between the view of assigned and the view of emergent in leadership. With the view assigned, leadership is understood as the one in a position of a formal organization. For instance, course leader or dean of a department. However, it can be seen that in some cases, assigned leadership is not the real leader of the group. In contrary view, leader can be anyone who can influence people in a group whenever he has an occupying position or not. It is emergent leadership and there are two points of view about the emergent leadership. On the one hand, some authors state that personal traits will make the point. That means the person who has brilliant brain, confident and dominant performance will become a emergent leader (Smith and Foti, 1998). On the other hand, other researchers point out that the emergent leader is the person who is sociable and always seeking others’ opinion (Fisher,1974) Finally, thinking about two concepts of leadership and management, comparing some aspects of two of them, people will confuse whether it is different or not because they have many common things. For example, human and their relationship will be the center of both concepts. In addition, achieving one or more common goals is the purpose of the two concepts. Moreover, two concepts involve process. In brief, many functions of management are also mentioned when envisaged about leadership. However, the nature of the two concepts can prove that they are two different concepts. Kotter (1990) cited in Northouse (2007,) shows that the order and consistency of organizations is the primary function that provide by management while change and movement of organizations is the primary function of leadership. This means management seems to be more ordered and stable, whereas leadership is about looking for adaptive and constructive change. The second part is about entrepreneurship. The same situation with leadership, entrepreneurship also has a huge amount of definitions and descriptions that over the decades, authors such as Bowen and Hisrich, 1996; Morrison, 2000; Deakins and Freel, 2006 try to clarify (Kuratko and hodgetts, 2007). For instance, Schumpeter (1951) indicates that entrepreneurship is one of aspects of leadership in the wide context. Meanwhile Shapero (1975) states that entrepreneurship is a type of behavior such as risk taker, innovator and visionary. However, the most used definition by many authors when talking about entrepreneurship is â€Å"the process of creating something new with value by devoting the necessary time and effort; assuming the accompanying financial, psychic, and social risk and uncertainties, and receiving the resulting rewards of monetary and personal satisfaction†. This definition was written in the text book of Baron and Shane (2008), Hisrich et al. (2010) and Kuratko and Hodgetts (2007) Seeing inside entrepreneurship, it is easily to discover that there are some different theories written about its nature over decades (Kuratko and Hodgetts, 2007). In order to evaluate, the two approaches will be used are â€Å"School of thought† approach and process approach. On the one hand, the first approach called â€Å"school of thought† divided entrepreneurship into six different activities such as environment, financial, traits, venture opportunity, strategic formulation. This essay will look into each activity in order to have a clear concept about its nature. First of all, Van de Ven (1993) state that environment â€Å"school of thought† viewpoint is external elements could affect entrepreneur. For example, the social group or socio-political that the entrepreneurs join in can influence them not only in positive way but also in negative way. Secondly, when raise the idea about financial school of thought, Brophu and Shulman (2002) indicated that entrepreneurship present based on capital-seeking process. This can be understand because â€Å"This school of thought views the entire entrepreneurial venture from a financial management standpoint† (Brophy and Shulman, 2002 cited in Kuratko and Hodgetts, 2007, p. 38). This view expresses that financial essential for a development of entrepreneur. Thirdly, traits in entrepreneur are the school of thought that has been researched the most (Shaver and Scott, 2004). This view considered that the success of entrepreneurs come from the characteristic such as achievement, creativity, determination and technical knowledge (Shaver and Scott, 2004). In this school of thought, it can be found the two opposite point. Aronsson (2004) believes in the element of entrepreneurship such as creative and challenging. In this view, he seems to be except education factor in entrepreneur development. Contrasting this point, Katz (2004) states that entrepreneur can be made by education. The positive of this point is that it will motivate people in learning to become entrepreneur based on the education and training program. This is very important to enhance entrepreneurship (Katz, 2004 cited in Kuratko and Hodgetts, 2007). Venture opportunity is another school of thought and it concentrates on the opportunity aspect of venture development. It means if someone want to be a successful entrepreneur, he/she must has the awareness of market and be creativity (Kuratko and Hodgetts, 2007). Last but not least, some researchers have been focused on strategic formulation (Steiner, 1979; Lyles, 2001; Hitt et al. , 2001). In this school of thought, the successful development of entrepreneur cannot be absent of the planning process and this must be uniqueness (Kuratko and Hodgetts, 2007). On the other hand, Morris et al. (1994) indicate that process approach also has some point of view such as integrative, assessment and multidimensional. While there are different approaches and it looking in to different aspect of ntrepreneurship, Kuratko and Hodgetts (2007) wrote that the common aim of those approach is â€Å"to describe the entrepreneurial process as a consolidation of diverse factors† (p43) In order to have a comprehensive context about entrepreneurship to adjudge the selected person, some other theories will be added besides the two approaches ways discussed above. For instance, entrepreneur is defined as whom alert to profitable opportunities for exchange (Kirzn er cited in Deakins and Freel, 2009) whereas Schumpeter (2009) viewed it as an innovator. The view of Kirzner make everybody can be an entrepreneur while Schumpeter think that only person who has special ability can be entrepreneur (Deakins and Freel, 2009). Looking into two viewpoint above, it is easily see that Kirzner’s view is better because people can have motivation to become entrepreneur. There are also having a lot of conceptualized of entrepreneur of other authors such as Stokes and Wilson, Drucker. However, the most common entrepreneur approach is the trait approach. The trait approach indicate that there are five popular personality of entrepreneur: need for achievement, need for autonomy, self-belief, risk-taking and locus of control (McClelland 1961; Getz, Morrison & Carlsen 2004; Wu 1989; Stokes and Wilson 2006; Drucker 1995; Brockhaus & Horwitz 1986 ). Based on those theories, the author will apply on Conrad Hilton. The essay’s author notices that although Conrad Hilton has both skills and traits in terms of leadership and entrepreneurship, it is easily seeing that his entrepreneurship skills seem to outweigh his leadership ones (Baird, 2004). In fact, no one can deny Hilton’s entrepreneurship abilities because of clearly evidences. This is illustrated in Baird’s research that he tends to do his business in different ways with very good vision and high level of self-believe. Baird (2004) indicates that in 1950s when a platoon of hotels in Washington, New York and Chicago could not get the profit and led to loss, Hilton bought them then operated and got the profit from them. In addition, a â€Å"magic formula† of financial management standards was guided to set in all hotel departments by Hilton in order to reducing costs as well as increasing profits when guest services are remained and enhanced. Moreover, after the World War I, Conrad Hilton was always seeking new opportunities for his business. In 1919, when visiting the Texas town of Cisco, he quickly realized the oil fields and railroad travelers were the new potential business. Thinking about the experience of operated family’s hotels in New Mexico, he can make Mobley Hotel operation better so that he bought it instead of a local Cisco bank. His business seems very profitable when his hotel averaged 300% occupancy and its profit can make him have enough money to buy the second hotels in Fort Worth despite of the 1920 depression (the Melba, in October 1919). After that, he continued bought two others small Texas hotels. By the end of 1923, the hotels room operation in Texas was 530. During the stock market crash in 1929, as many other American’s hotel, Hilton hotels performed poorly and was going to bankruptcy, however, instead of declaring bankruptcy, he challenged his business again by making a financial agreement with the National Hotels Corporation. Once again, his business was imaging successful and money earned from that business allowed him to pay off all his loans before. Strand (1951) supposes that the efficient Hilton â€Å"magic formula† management system has kept the hotels profitable even with low occupancy. All of those evidences present Conrad Hilton entrepreneurship skills including doing things in different way, need for achievement, need for autonomy, self-belief, risk-taking and locus of control as mentioned in the theories review part above. Moreover, the most clear and convince evidence is that Comfort (1964) has considered Hilton as an international entrepreneur (Baird, 2004). By contrast, although it is though that he is also a leader, there are very limited references mentioned this aspect of him. From the resources have been found by the essay’ author, only Baird (2004) states that Hilton played â€Å"a leadership role in support of an economic mean sand a philosophical approach to achieving world peace†(Baird 2004, p. 3). As a result, â€Å"he became not only a business leader but also a statesman with access to world leaders† (Baird 2004, p. ). According to theories above, it can be said that he belongs to assigned leader because he is not only a chairman in his hotel organization but also a statesman in American political system. However, combining with the process of getting successful in his life in which many his special traits have been presented, it could be said that he also has potential to become an emergent leader without any formal position. To be brief, it is clear that the controversy about leadership and entrepreneurship will never last among writers over years. Although those theories above are a small part of the giant knowledge about leadership and entrepreneurship and they are not really holistic, they still can be seen as the best core knowledge of these fields. Therefore, the evaluation of skills and ability about leadership and entrepreneurship of Conrad Hilton in hospitality and tourism industry based on these theories is acceptable. In the discussion above, it can be stated that Conrad Hilton is not only an entrepreneur but also a leader specially assigned leader. However, his entrepreneurship is out weight of leadership.

Formal and Informal Communication: an Organizational Approach

Formal and Informal Communication: An Organizational Approach By: Masayu Shahnaz Winarko Student Number: 43005860 Faculty of Economics, Business and Law University of Queensland Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 2012 Abstract This paper concentrates on the discussion of formal and informal communication and its usage in organizational approach. Although both formal and informal communication support the well-Â ­being of organizations, studies suggest that informal communication has taken a big part in determining the productivity in organizations and it has derived many benefits and many challenges. Managers should know how to deal ith such thing and optimize the advantages that will create value added for the company and overcome the obstacles it might create. Many researches have studied and given results on this matter and its application in businesses worldwide. 1. Introduction Communication occurs in every single section in life, from personal to professional issues. It is inevit able that it supports the flow of social life and company’s workflow. It has been taking an important role in organizations; therefore, many studies concentrate in the discussion of organizational communication. It is believed that both formal and informal communication affect rganization’s productivity (Litterst & Eyo). However, unlike formal communication, informal communication is less controllable and unstructured. Informal communication plays a strong role in determining the result of scientific field by generating new ideas or improving the existed idea (Hagstrom). FORMAL AND INFORMAL COMMUNICATION: AN ORGANIZATIONAL 1 APPROACH Since informal communication has a strong impact on organizational performance, managers should be able to manage the flow of not only formal, but also informal communication. As business grows and the requirements needed in surviving within the competition keep adding on, xecutives should make the most effective use of every resource avai lable and by improving the flow of communication is one of the ways. This study will provide an analysis in dealing with managerial challenges regarding controlling the flow of informal communication and what managers should do to make the best of it. 2. Literature Review 2. 1 Communication Communication is the activity to convey messages through different channels, such as words, symbols and signs. Based on Duncan and Moriarty (1998), communication is a human activity that links people together and creates relationship. In order to create a successful communication, t requires three elements; they are the sender, the message and the receiver. Both the sender and the receiver have to share the same understanding so that the message can be fully transmitted. The success of communication is determined by how the message is understood by the receiver. As defined by Gamble and Gamble (2002), communication is the transfer of meaning and there are seven essentials of communication, which are people, message, channels, noise, context, feedback and effect. Although there are 126 different definitions on communication (Ruben & Stewart, 2006), but many scholars defined it as an exchange of information.Ruben & Stewart (2006) also stated that success in one’s career may well depend on communication. Not only in the individual performance, communication also determines organization’s performance. This present study will point out the importance of formal and informal communication and its applications within an organization. 2. 2 Formal Communication Formal communication is an organized and structured communication within an organization. The communication occurs in many flows. Upwards 2 FORMAL AND INFORMAL COMMUNICATION: AN ORGANIZATIONAL APPROACH communication indicates the communication from employees to executives. Downward ommunication represents the flow of communication from executives to lower level employees. Horizontal communication shows the flow o f communication within the same level of company, for example the communication flow of brand manager and finance manager. The last one is diagonal communication, which represents the communication of the upper level of a particular division with the lower level employees in another division. The types of formal communication within an organization that are commonly used are meetings, conference, phone calls, company bulletin and interview. 2. 3 Informal Communication Informal communication is nevitable in every organizational entity. By communicating with other people, employees can find similarity in hobbies, opinions and experiences, which result in being friends. Informal communication is based on social relationship among people (Litterst & Eyo, 1982). Informal communication is relaxed, casual and spread through word-Â ­? of-Â ­? mouth. Informal networks are communication links between individuals and sections that bypass the formal structures in an organization (Smith, 2011) . There are four flows in communication networks; the first one is single strand in which one person tells another person, the second one is gossip hain in which one person tells the others, the third one is probability chain in which one person tells another person who pass the news to someone else and the fourth one is the cluster chain in which one person tells other two or three people who spread the news to other two or three people as well. There is another important term in informal communication, which is grapevine. Grapevine is best described as the way gossip travels through organizations. Robbins and colleagues (2008) indicate the characteristics of grapevine: it is not controlled by management, it is more believable and reliable for the employees and it serves he self-Â ­? interests of those in the group. 2. 4 Differences between Formal and Informal Communication FORMAL AND INFORMAL COMMUNICATION: AN ORGANIZATIONAL 3 APPROACH No. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Elements Definition Fl exibility Degree of control Evidence Discipline Formal Communication Informal Communication Takes place through Passing formal channels Flexible by Cannot be controlled No documentary proof is not followed formal channels Not flexible Controlled management Has documentary proof Official discipline are highly maintained is Discipline Flow of information Flows upwards, Flows freely to all downwards, horizontal directions and iagonal 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 2. 5 Differentiation and Complimentary Studies have attempted to determine which one between formal and informal communication has the most impact in organizations. Research suggest that formal communication takes role in the authority in organizational hierarchy (Dow, 1988; Jablin, 1987), differentiation of labor and specialized tasks (Dow, 1988; Jablin, 1987) and mechanism for coordination of work (Dow, 1988). Meanwhile, business communicators strongly believe that informal 4 FORMAL AND INFORMAL COMMUNICATION: AN ORGANIZATION AL APPROACH Speed Secrecy Rumor Distortion Time MisunderstandingCost Mistakes Slow Can be maintained occur Not distorted Requires much time misunderstanding Expensive Very low Very fast Difficult to maintain Small chance of rumor to Rumor can occur Can be distorted Less time occur Less expensive Very high Not much chance of Misunderstanding may communication plays an important role in increasing innovations within organizations (Johnson, 1990). Johnson, Donohue, Atkin and Johnson (1994) conducted a study on the means of formal and informal communication within an organization through three main perspectives: salience, channel factors and channel usage. The research suggested that the employees erceive informal communication as more effective and better used in achieving company’s mission. However, in terms of cultural means, formal communication is perceived as a more appropriate way to communicate. 3. Case Study First and Tomic (2011) conducted a research regarding the role of informal communication in creating company brand image and preferences. In this research, the object was an international turnkey contractor specializing in oil and gas industry. This company employed more than 38,000 employees all over the world at the time this research was conducted. This company operates in business market, so not many eople acknowledge this company’s existence. However, this company concerns about its brand image. They use formal approach in spreading its existence to college graduates by coming to the university and do presentations on its company profile. Nevertheless, formal communication only does so much. They also rely heavily on informal communication role to spread the word-Â ­? of-Â ­? mouth on the culture of the company. For example, people know from their acquaintances that this company gives high salary to their employees and this news draws them to working for this company. The second example of case study comes from the research ofAndr ea, Arnaldo and Romano (2011). The case was about Italian leading mineral water and soft drink company. In 2008, the company held 16% of the segment mineral water in Italy, 12% in soft drink and 19% in tea-Â ­? based drink. Its ROE was 18. 1% while its competitor was only 13. 8%. Its inventory turnover was 12. 6 compared to its major competitor whose inventory turnover was only 6. 15. The study focuses on determining the role of formal and informal communication in making this FORMAL AND INFORMAL COMMUNICATION: AN ORGANIZATIONAL 5 APPROACH company a leader in its filed. The study was conducted in three steps. The first one is dentifying the units that engage in the process of purchasing, manufacturing and logistics. The second step is tracing the flow of formal and informal communication during those activities. The final step is to identify how both formal and informal communication improved over time that results in a synchronized workflow of the company. The study suggested that formal communication was highly important in achieving internal integration (Andrea, Arnaldo & Romano, 2011), while informal communication is important in problem solving because it occurs in real time (Pagell). 4. Conclusion Based on the present and former studies conducted y many scholars on various objects (focuses on organizations in this matter), it can be concluded that both formal and informal communication are important in the productivity of the company and its performance as a whole. Managers should identify in which field the communication should be optimized and which way to use. There are several differentiations in the work progress on which it is better to use either formal or informal communication and managers should be well aware of it so they would not imply the wrong method of communication. As in optimizing the informal communication, managers should use personal approach as it ravels fast and is more favorable by the employees. Moreover, informal communication can be used in building company brand and image, so managers should be really careful that only the good values of the company is transmitted through informal communication. 6 FORMAL AND INFORMAL COMMUNICATION: AN ORGANIZATIONAL APPROACH References Andrea, F, Arnaldo, C & Romando, P 2011, ‘Case study: understanding how formal and informal communication affect purchasing, manufacturing and logistics integration’, Advances In Management, vol. 4, no. 7, pp. 22-Â ­? 32. First, I, Tomic, M 2011, ‘Formal and informal communication channels in creating Formal and Informal Communication: an Organizational Approach Formal and Informal Communication: An Organizational Approach By: Masayu Shahnaz Winarko Student Number: 43005860 Faculty of Economics, Business and Law University of Queensland Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 2012 Abstract This paper concentrates on the discussion of formal and informal communication and its usage in organizational approach. Although both formal and informal communication support the well-Â ­being of organizations, studies suggest that informal communication has taken a big part in determining the productivity in organizations and it has derived many benefits and many challenges. Managers should know how to deal ith such thing and optimize the advantages that will create value added for the company and overcome the obstacles it might create. Many researches have studied and given results on this matter and its application in businesses worldwide. 1. Introduction Communication occurs in every single section in life, from personal to professional issues. It is inevit able that it supports the flow of social life and company’s workflow. It has been taking an important role in organizations; therefore, many studies concentrate in the discussion of organizational communication. It is believed that both formal and informal communication affect rganization’s productivity (Litterst & Eyo). However, unlike formal communication, informal communication is less controllable and unstructured. Informal communication plays a strong role in determining the result of scientific field by generating new ideas or improving the existed idea (Hagstrom). FORMAL AND INFORMAL COMMUNICATION: AN ORGANIZATIONAL 1 APPROACH Since informal communication has a strong impact on organizational performance, managers should be able to manage the flow of not only formal, but also informal communication. As business grows and the requirements needed in surviving within the competition keep adding on, xecutives should make the most effective use of every resource avai lable and by improving the flow of communication is one of the ways. This study will provide an analysis in dealing with managerial challenges regarding controlling the flow of informal communication and what managers should do to make the best of it. 2. Literature Review 2. 1 Communication Communication is the activity to convey messages through different channels, such as words, symbols and signs. Based on Duncan and Moriarty (1998), communication is a human activity that links people together and creates relationship. In order to create a successful communication, t requires three elements; they are the sender, the message and the receiver. Both the sender and the receiver have to share the same understanding so that the message can be fully transmitted. The success of communication is determined by how the message is understood by the receiver. As defined by Gamble and Gamble (2002), communication is the transfer of meaning and there are seven essentials of communication, which are people, message, channels, noise, context, feedback and effect. Although there are 126 different definitions on communication (Ruben & Stewart, 2006), but many scholars defined it as an exchange of information.Ruben & Stewart (2006) also stated that success in one’s career may well depend on communication. Not only in the individual performance, communication also determines organization’s performance. This present study will point out the importance of formal and informal communication and its applications within an organization. 2. 2 Formal Communication Formal communication is an organized and structured communication within an organization. The communication occurs in many flows. Upwards 2 FORMAL AND INFORMAL COMMUNICATION: AN ORGANIZATIONAL APPROACH communication indicates the communication from employees to executives. Downward ommunication represents the flow of communication from executives to lower level employees. Horizontal communication shows the flow o f communication within the same level of company, for example the communication flow of brand manager and finance manager. The last one is diagonal communication, which represents the communication of the upper level of a particular division with the lower level employees in another division. The types of formal communication within an organization that are commonly used are meetings, conference, phone calls, company bulletin and interview. 2. 3 Informal Communication Informal communication is nevitable in every organizational entity. By communicating with other people, employees can find similarity in hobbies, opinions and experiences, which result in being friends. Informal communication is based on social relationship among people (Litterst & Eyo, 1982). Informal communication is relaxed, casual and spread through word-Â ­? of-Â ­? mouth. Informal networks are communication links between individuals and sections that bypass the formal structures in an organization (Smith, 2011) . There are four flows in communication networks; the first one is single strand in which one person tells another person, the second one is gossip hain in which one person tells the others, the third one is probability chain in which one person tells another person who pass the news to someone else and the fourth one is the cluster chain in which one person tells other two or three people who spread the news to other two or three people as well. There is another important term in informal communication, which is grapevine. Grapevine is best described as the way gossip travels through organizations. Robbins and colleagues (2008) indicate the characteristics of grapevine: it is not controlled by management, it is more believable and reliable for the employees and it serves he self-Â ­? interests of those in the group. 2. 4 Differences between Formal and Informal Communication FORMAL AND INFORMAL COMMUNICATION: AN ORGANIZATIONAL 3 APPROACH No. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Elements Definition Fl exibility Degree of control Evidence Discipline Formal Communication Informal Communication Takes place through Passing formal channels Flexible by Cannot be controlled No documentary proof is not followed formal channels Not flexible Controlled management Has documentary proof Official discipline are highly maintained is Discipline Flow of information Flows upwards, Flows freely to all downwards, horizontal directions and iagonal 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 2. 5 Differentiation and Complimentary Studies have attempted to determine which one between formal and informal communication has the most impact in organizations. Research suggest that formal communication takes role in the authority in organizational hierarchy (Dow, 1988; Jablin, 1987), differentiation of labor and specialized tasks (Dow, 1988; Jablin, 1987) and mechanism for coordination of work (Dow, 1988). Meanwhile, business communicators strongly believe that informal 4 FORMAL AND INFORMAL COMMUNICATION: AN ORGANIZATION AL APPROACH Speed Secrecy Rumor Distortion Time MisunderstandingCost Mistakes Slow Can be maintained occur Not distorted Requires much time misunderstanding Expensive Very low Very fast Difficult to maintain Small chance of rumor to Rumor can occur Can be distorted Less time occur Less expensive Very high Not much chance of Misunderstanding may communication plays an important role in increasing innovations within organizations (Johnson, 1990). Johnson, Donohue, Atkin and Johnson (1994) conducted a study on the means of formal and informal communication within an organization through three main perspectives: salience, channel factors and channel usage. The research suggested that the employees erceive informal communication as more effective and better used in achieving company’s mission. However, in terms of cultural means, formal communication is perceived as a more appropriate way to communicate. 3. Case Study First and Tomic (2011) conducted a research regarding the role of informal communication in creating company brand image and preferences. In this research, the object was an international turnkey contractor specializing in oil and gas industry. This company employed more than 38,000 employees all over the world at the time this research was conducted. This company operates in business market, so not many eople acknowledge this company’s existence. However, this company concerns about its brand image. They use formal approach in spreading its existence to college graduates by coming to the university and do presentations on its company profile. Nevertheless, formal communication only does so much. They also rely heavily on informal communication role to spread the word-Â ­? of-Â ­? mouth on the culture of the company. For example, people know from their acquaintances that this company gives high salary to their employees and this news draws them to working for this company. The second example of case study comes from the research ofAndr ea, Arnaldo and Romano (2011). The case was about Italian leading mineral water and soft drink company. In 2008, the company held 16% of the segment mineral water in Italy, 12% in soft drink and 19% in tea-Â ­? based drink. Its ROE was 18. 1% while its competitor was only 13. 8%. Its inventory turnover was 12. 6 compared to its major competitor whose inventory turnover was only 6. 15. The study focuses on determining the role of formal and informal communication in making this FORMAL AND INFORMAL COMMUNICATION: AN ORGANIZATIONAL 5 APPROACH company a leader in its filed. The study was conducted in three steps. The first one is dentifying the units that engage in the process of purchasing, manufacturing and logistics. The second step is tracing the flow of formal and informal communication during those activities. The final step is to identify how both formal and informal communication improved over time that results in a synchronized workflow of the company. The study suggested that formal communication was highly important in achieving internal integration (Andrea, Arnaldo & Romano, 2011), while informal communication is important in problem solving because it occurs in real time (Pagell). 4. Conclusion Based on the present and former studies conducted y many scholars on various objects (focuses on organizations in this matter), it can be concluded that both formal and informal communication are important in the productivity of the company and its performance as a whole. Managers should identify in which field the communication should be optimized and which way to use. There are several differentiations in the work progress on which it is better to use either formal or informal communication and managers should be well aware of it so they would not imply the wrong method of communication. As in optimizing the informal communication, managers should use personal approach as it ravels fast and is more favorable by the employees. Moreover, informal communication can be used in building company brand and image, so managers should be really careful that only the good values of the company is transmitted through informal communication. 6 FORMAL AND INFORMAL COMMUNICATION: AN ORGANIZATIONAL APPROACH References Andrea, F, Arnaldo, C & Romando, P 2011, ‘Case study: understanding how formal and informal communication affect purchasing, manufacturing and logistics integration’, Advances In Management, vol. 4, no. 7, pp. 22-Â ­? 32. First, I, Tomic, M 2011, ‘Formal and informal communication channels in creating