Beowulf The Selfless Hero Essay examples - 722 Words

Beowulf: The Selfless Hero Beowulf is an epic poem that describes the heroics of a man with superhuman strength and bravery to go with it. The poem starts with a journey across the sea to defeat an enemy that has plagued the land of Herot for twelve years. The poem ends with Beowulf’s final deed of defeating a dragon that was plaguing his own land, but with the defeat of the dragon also comes the death of Beowulf. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a poem of bravery by one of King Arthur’s knights. Sir Gawain takes up the deed of playing a Christmas game with the challenging Green Knight. The Green Knight takes a blow from an ax at the hand of Sir Gawain, and in one year and one day, the Green Knight is to reciprocate the action to Sir†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"If this combat kills me, take care /of my young company, my comrades in arms. /And be sure also, my beloved Hrothgar, /to send Hygelac the treasures I have received.† (lns. 1480-1483) This quote shows that Beowulf thinks first of his people, then of his possessions. The quote starts with Beowulf facing the fact that he may not come back from this fight alive, revealing that although he has superhuman strength, he is still human and can die. The very next thing Beowulf says of Hrothgar is a request to keep the young men that came to fight with him safe should he not survive. This shows Beowulf’s compassion towards his fellow warriors and that they are his main concern. Lastly he makes sure that Hrothgar knows what to do with Beowulf’s earthly possessions. By requesting that his possessions be given to his king Beowulf shows his selflessness and loyalty to his people. Beowulf was a hero not only because of his physical strength, but also for his concern for other people. â€Å"The hero must move beyond human limits in order to have the capacity to combat the monstrous forces that threaten the social order;† (Sharma 264) Beowulf has been deemed by most to have superhuman strength, but his superhuman strength alone does not make Beowulf any more a hero than Grendel’s strength makes him a hero. Beowulf rises above the limits of a regular human beingShow MoreRelatedIs Beowulf A Hero, Brave, Or Selfless?721 Words   |  3 Pagesthat you are the hero of a village. You are the person that everyone looks up to- you have all the fame and fortune you could possibly want. But, this doesn’t just come to you on a silver platter. There are risks to take, challenges to overcome, and lives to be put at stake. You must defeat creatures of all sizes and strengths to gain this honorary title. This is Beowulf’s reality as he must conquer unbelievable tasks that nobody else would dare to face. Because of this, Beowulf is recognized asRead MoreThe Similarities Of An Epic Hero In Beowulf And Iron Man1183 Words   |  5 PagesPeople believe being a hero means saving the world, but that is not always true. In Beowulf and Iron Man, the use of theme and qualities of an epic hero are used to portray that they are similar and different. Three qualities that an epic hero must have are to be courageous, to have superhuman strength, and to be selfless. The theme in Beowulf and Iron Man is triumph because they both overcome challenging obstacles. The theme helps the reader in real life because that person will have to overcomeRead MoreDefinition Of A Modern Hero In Beowulf744 Words   |  3 Pagestheir definition of a hero the same as our own? A good example of an Anglo-Saxon hero is Beowulf, he travelled to Denmark with a group of warriors to fight a monster named Grendel that was terrorizing a city, he also killed Grendelâ €™s mother and a dragon to save the people in the city. He may seem like a modern hero, he’s saving the people in danger, he shows leadership, and has the bravery to do so, but there are distinct differences between the Anglo-Saxon hero and a modern hero and those differencesRead More Heroism in Beowulf Essay531 Words   |  3 PagesHeroism in Beowulf A hero is one who is not only strong, but one who uses his strength to uphold others. A hero is humble, philanthropic, magnanimous and selfless, a humanitarian at best. In the unprecedented epic Beowulf, the tale’s namesake exemplifies every characteristic befitting an Anglo-Saxon hero. He is honest, loyal, and courageous. He portrays these characteristics in the battle against Grendel, the affray with Grendel’s mother, and the fight against the dragon that inevitably endedRead MoreBeowulf : The Battles Of Beowulf1216 Words   |  5 PagesThe Battles of Beowulf The story of Beowulf is one of a great hero. Beowulf is a very generous person who is always willing to help out when people are in need. Over the course of the story, Beowulf ends up in three major battles: the battle with Grendel, with Grendel’s mother, and with the dragon. All of these battles were different in their style and the way Beowulf approached them was different. Beowulf also had different reasons to participate in each of the battles. The first major battleRead MoreCompare And Contrast Beowulf And King Arthur901 Words   |  4 Pagespossess influence their own lives and those of the people around them, specifically like the heroes in the epic â€Å"Beowulf† and the novel The Once and Future King. Each trait that Arthur and Beowulf possessed impacted major events in their lives, such as defeating Grendel in â€Å"Beowulf† or removing Excalibur from the stone in The Once and Future King. In both literary pieces, Arthur and Beowulf embark on quests in order to save their people. For both heroes, the effects of their actions differed, as wellRead MoreThe True Hero : Exploring Heroic Code1308 Words   |  6 PagesThe True Hero: Exploring Heroic Code in Germanic Society In the great epic Beowulf, the reader is able to delve into the Anglo-Saxon world and grow familiar with the heroic code. As a story passed from mouth to mouth as generations came and went, Beowulf still stands as one of the greatest heroic epics. The story teaches the reader a great deal about the time when it was written. In a world so heavily influenced by the perfect hero, the Anglo-Saxon people were able to look onto Beowulf as a sourceRead MoreModern Definition Of Hero In Beowulf714 Words   |  3 PagesDictionary, the modern definition of â€Å"hero† is â€Å"a person admired for achievements and noble qualities† or â€Å"one who shows great courage.† Over centuries peoples views of what they consider a hero has transformed. Alfred de Vigny’s claim that â€Å"there are no heroes and no monsters in this world† makes it clear that he defines â€Å"hero† in a different way. Despite de Vigny’s claim that there are no heroes or mons ters today, I believe there are, due to the selfless acts made by various people everyday andRead MoreCompare And Contrast Sir Gawain And Beowulf930 Words   |  4 Pagessuch as brave, noble, or selfless in the eyes of the people that are around them. All heroes have done something that has helped out for the good of another person, even if they are doing it for their own personal benefit. Heroes are those who have the strength and courage to solve a problem when it could or was not done by anyone else. Sir Gawain and Beowulf are heroes in literature who have done something important and have come to the rescue of others. Sir Gawain and Beowulf from these differentRead MoreLiterary Works Based On War And Heroism1003 Words   |  5 PagesInstructor Lovoy English 271 June 22, 2015 In reading The Iliad and Beowulf, one can conclude they are both literary works based on war and heroism. The hero in the Iliad is Achilles, who is from Greece and is the Archaen army’s greatest warrior in the battle of the Trojan war. Beowulf, a Geatish warrior has come to help the Danes in their long fight against Grendel, showing his heroism. Both characters Achilles and Beowulf share some similar traits such as their thirst for glory, their abnormal

Interview Analysis Today I Interview - 881 Words

Today I interview Josiah. Josiah is an 8 year old African American boy in the third grade at King Elementary School. Josiah who also goes by the nickname Jojo is tall for his age; he stands about 4ft 5in and weighs close to 70 pounds. Josiah is a very happy young man throughout our interview he smiles and laughs frequently. His energy level is also very high during our interview I had to redirect his attention and allow him to take breaks to stretch. Josiah was very outgoing and open to talk with me. I felt a little hesitation at first but once his teacher gave him the ok. He relaxed and let his natural self-shine through. Josiah and I talked in the back of a third grade class room during the classroom assigned free time. The teacher is one of my good friends and allowed me to speak with Josiah after obtaining permission from his parents. Josiah is that concrete operation stage in his development. He has already experienced Sensorimotor as an infant where he observed the environment around him. Josiah has experienced the preoperational stage where he developed his language, imagination, and memory. Now he as the stage where he is learning logic and reasoning. Josiah is a very bright young man with a bold vocabulary. He used words like responsibility, intelligent, fantastic, relationship, and a few others that were good descriptive and informative words. He is still developing there are some signs of preoperational thinking. I am not surprised by that becauseShow MoreRelatedSample Resume : Cricket Wireless Essay993 Words   |  4 Pages Project – Conducting an Interview Ahmed Salman Argosy University An Interview with Mr. Isaacs – A Cricket Wireless Employee Personally, I work at Cricket Wireless, a mobile service provision firm, which has currently adopted organizational learning as a way of ensuring success in the dynamic market of mobile service provision. Cricket Wireless requires all its employees to learn new skill and information continually. Remarkably, many organizations hold that a learning programRead MoreThe Position Of Accountant Recent Graduate Program1498 Words   |  6 Pages It seems that I failed to identify that the position of Accountant Recent graduate program is a the level of GS-07. I have a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) with concentrations in Finance, Public Policy, and Supply Chain Management, from Rutgers Business School. I also have an Accounting degree, and a Military Sciences degree, and several years of experience. I would be honor to work for the Direct Investment Division (DID), and In fact I am actively looking for positions that match myRead MoreWhat Type Of Leadership Identity Connects Developmental Influences, Developing Self Influenced And Students Changing Points Of View998 Words   |  4 Pagesand students changing points of view. The purpose statement does have an educational study. As educators we have been a part of our students’ development of growth. As an advisory teacher, I have seen how freshmen’s from the same class develop and change their identity to becoming the now seniors of today. The evidence presented in the research problem demonstrated an important issue in our society. Evaluation of the Literature Review The literature reviewed in the qualitative study revealedRead MoreDomestic Abuse And Its Effects On Individual And Family Lives905 Words   |  4 Pagesfemale and male survivors so as to compare the differences and similarities between their experiences. I choose this subject as an area of exploration, as a few of my close family members have been victims of domestic abuse in the past, by the person they thought loved them. I have seen what domestic abuse can do to both female and male survivors. While focusing on the experiences of survivors, I am also aware of the fact that not all victims of domestic violence survive. Some victims have to continueRead MoreBp Oil Spill On The Gulf Of Mexico1249 Words   |  5 Pageseast of analyzation, I chose to conduct an electronic survey. I posted the survey (publically) on Facebook. This allowed people from all over the country, from almost all sections of social-economic class, of a variety of ages and education experiences to take the survey privately without my influence pushing them into certain answers by accident, and (hopefully) eliminated their desire to please me. I offered no reward for this survey, and I ended up with six participants. I then had the computerRead MoreThe Impact of Declining Nokia Market1034 Words   |  5 PagesOF DECLINING NOKIA MARKET † CONTENTS 1. Introduction 1.1 Literature Review 1.2 Objective Of The Study 2. Research Methodology 2.1 The Study 2.2 Sample 2.3 Tools For Data Collection 2.4 Tools For Data Analysis 2. References 3. Questionnaire Introduction Nokia has come a long way to evolve from a paper mill founded in 1865 to a world renowned mobile phone manufacturer and one of the most powerful brands in the world. In 1992 NokiaRead MoreThe Organization Recruitment And Selection Process1397 Words   |  6 Pagesselection process. what is the risk of using the only interview while recruitment process and how to approach this risk, we will also see some theories to indicate our views? The theory we are departing to look forward are Asche Conformity, Heider Attribution Theory, and Herzberg two factor theory? 2. Part 1 – What are the risks of only using an interview? a) What is Interview Why it is playing a vital role in Recruitment process? Interview playing a vital role in organisation Why do we meetRead MoreClient System : Sue J., African American Female 17 Years Of Age Essay914 Words   |  4 Pagesmother and they are having problems in the home. PURPOSE OF CONTACT: Follow-up interview with Intern Roberts, concerning family dispute with mother and daughter. Also, Case Manager concern about Sue thoughts of taking pills. PREPARATION FOR CONTACT: Field Supervisor discuss case brief before the interview at Lee County High School with Intern. VERBATIM RECORD OF INTERVIEW Social Work Skills Used Self-Reflection Analysis Social Work Values Social Work Knowledge Plan Field Instructor’s Comments Read MoreEvaluation Of The Interview Protocol Consisted Of Closed And Open Ended Questions1738 Words   |  7 Pageswithin the study: semi-structured interviews consisting of closed and open-ended questions and NVivo. NVivo is a software program that provides rigorous analysis of qualitative data, thus allowing the researcher to obtain in-depth knowledge pertaining to the responses of each participant. The interview protocol consisted of face-to-face interviews within an Applewood elementary school office and during a predetermined time provided by the participant. The interviews were private, as a one-on-one settingRead MoreHow Technology Affects How People Learn And Manage Illnesses Essay786 Words   |  4 Pages, Osborn, D. (2016, July 11)). For this study, the conductors set up semi-structured   and audio-recorded i nterviews with twenty-two people aged 18-65 with psychosis in London, England. In these interviews, some topics discussed are: interviewees’ past and present use of online mental health technology and information. The main form of analysis used for this experiment is thematic analysis. After examining the results, the conductors of this study found out that the use of Internet for mental health

Cross cultural differentiation on hospitality and tourism management Free Essays

Introduction: In a rapidly changing environment and continuing insights into organizational effectiveness, tourism industry, as most other organizations thought about that what they do and how they can create and accomplish their goals and objectives. Once goals are defined is culture that is necessary to advance these goals and objectives and ensure the successful implementation of the necessary changes. In addition, the organizational effectiveness literature has been increasingly emphasizing the importance of culture in motivating and maximizing the value of its intellectual assets, particularly its human capital. We will write a custom essay sample on Cross cultural differentiation on hospitality and tourism management or any similar topic only for you Order Now And it can be say that- (1) Culture is essential for both successful organizational change and maximizing the value of human capital (2) Culture management should become a critical management competency, and (3) While the right culture may be a necessary condition for organizational success, It is by no means a sufficient condition. An important challenge for managers is to determine what the most effective culture is for their organization and, when necessary, how to change the organizational culture effectively. The Beach House Maldives has joined Waldorf Astoria Hotels Resorts. The resort was renamed by the name of ‘The Beach House Maldives. The Beach House is located on the pristine, lagoon-ringed Haa Alifu Atoll which is fringed by powder-white beaches and has un spoilt leafy jungle at its centre, the 35-acre resort comprises 83 Maldivian-style villas, three restaurants, four bars and a luxurious spa. Each villa comes complete with a private pool and butler. In 2007, this independent branded hotel has built a solid reputation for world-class luxury and quality that epitomizes the Waldorf Astoria name. The Maldives remains one of the most sought-after luxury leisure destinations in the world and it has delighted to be able to offer its guests the unique experience of Waldorf Astoria Hotels Resorts on the beautifully private and breathtaking island of Manafaru. Since 2009,1st July Hilton Worldwide management team has been in situ at the resort which has overseen a number of key developments as part of the US$58 million renovation project and now the restaurant are becoming the first Waldorf Astoria property in Asia Pacific. Their restaurants and three bars have been redesigned to incorporate local heritage and ingredients with global influences. Including over-water fine-dining restaurant Saffron, a Tapas and Sangria bar with a Maldivian edge at the Mediterranean-themed Salt Water and martinis and cocktails inspired by Waldorf Astoria properties around the world that are experience offers a local twist. Source: www. maldives beachhouse.com. They also introduced a new art gallery with a cafe serving traditional Maldivian High Tea and also offers 30 degrees private dining in a glass floored over water pavilion. The new spa programmers, upgraded villa and restaurant interiors from UK which are based on Aromatherapy Associates, Ayurvedic philosophies are also join in this place with developments to the Kids club, and new designer boutiques. The opportunity of this hotel has always tried to introduce their tradition and their history. That’s why; thehistory of the Maldives will be on offer with excursions to the nearby island of Utheem which is famous for home to a Sultan’s Palace. The resort has also been improved with a direct 75minute seaplane transfer that they offered as an alternative to a domestic flight and boat transfer. The first ever property of the Waldorf Astoria in the Asia Pacific could be found nowhere but in the Maldives. In March, 2010, The Beach House Maldives was renamed The Beach House Maldives the collection of The Waldorf Astoria. The Beach House Maldives has affiliated with legendary Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts and in celebration to the newly upgraded resort‘s debut, guests from different parts of the world were invited to join its inauguration ceremony and became part in a chapter of the resort‘s exclusive history. Marketing strategy of Beach House Maldives: There is a marketing principle that states that a company cannot survive in the market without its clients. Therefore, the company always destined their significant resource to the design of innovative promotion strategies aimed at attracting new clients. The development of communication systems, especially the internet, has made it possible for products from millions of companies to reach all kinds of audiences in almost every corner of the world. Increasingly innovative and attractive web pages advertising countless products and services appear every day. A Hotel is a company and their guests are its main clients. High occupancy rates must be achieved to ensure success. Many hotels have developed unique products whose high quality standards have contributed to increasing retention and loyalty rates. Customized services offer the possibility of achieving high quality standards, generating positive overall satisfaction levels by turning the stay into a fulfilling experience in itself . All of us have been tourists in one way or another. After a pleasant experience, we have felt the need to share our trip with our family and friends. This is where one of the most important ways of promotion starts: word of mouth. Word of mouth continues to be, according to experts, the most decisive factor when it comes to choosing the destination and the place of stay. One of the main advantages of this kind of promotion lies in its low cost, as it is the guest who bears most of it: the time consumed and the interest in communicating his/her experience to a group of people who might be in turn motivated to go through it themselves. Another advantage is its high impact, as the level of credibility that a member of the family or friend has cannot be matched by any other promotion strategy, thus turning it into a powerful tool. The expectations of the new guest who chose the hotel on the basis of this kind of promotion shall be determined by the level of satisfaction experienced by the person who recommended the hotel the expectations of the new guest (real or imaginary) regarding the experience promoted. If, before the arrival of the new guest, the identity of the person who recommended the hotel is known, it is possible to determine, through the analysis of the guest’s profile, his/her level of experience and, particularly, the means by which it was attained, so that it can be reproduced or adapted to the new guest, thus ensuring the same level of service or even a better one. Therefore, the expectations of the new guest can be satisfied, turning him/her into another guest who will in turn attract more guests. There are several means by which hotel employees may obtain the identity of the guest who recommended the hotel by word of mouth: from direct questions on the on- line reservation form, polls-questionnaires or through the hotel butler while assisting the guests. This information is valuable for the hotel, as it primarily allows creating custom er valuation policies aimed at stimulating the guests’ need to share their experiences after the trip. If a guest checks out from a Hotel feeling that all his/her expectations have been met and even exceeded, he/she will become one of the company’s best allies, as his/her positive comments will attract new guests who are willing to go through the same experience themselves. Tactics and strategy which should have to be practice for managerial success in hospitality and hotel management across in a cross cultural diversify environment: Management style: In international business, culture is a critical factor in a global economy. In that case manager should need to engage in learning processes to develop international cultural competence. That’s why today’s manager has use behavioral approach. From the way managers design motivating job to work with employee teams to way they use open communication. In addition, the system approach on decision and actions taken in organizations and managers coordinate the work activities of the various part of the organization are working together so that the organization’s goal are achieved. Reputation Management: Online reputation plays a huge role in the level of success achieve the majority of travelers. Today use the internet to make travel plans, and say the reviews they read from other guests influence their buying decision Reputation management begins by listening to what people are saying about online.. Use tools like Google Alerts, Technocratic, and Radian 6 to track praise and criticism Monitor all important terms for examplehotel name, any old hotel names, restaurants, the names of manager and concierge. Review sites such as Trip Advisor, Yelp, and Qype allow management responses, and this is a good chance to participate in the conversation. A recent survey by Trip Advisor/Market Matrix found that 85% of hotels have no guidelines on how to handle negative guest reviews published online. Developingresponse policy ahead of time, and make an effort to follow up with all feedback Complaints can be an excellent opportunity to improve hotel service. If you get legitimate negative feed back,thank the reviewer for pointing it out†¦ and explain the stepstaking to ensure it never happens again Trip Advisor: The most important thing a hotel can do to improve rankings is provide a great experience for their guests. Effective online reputation management is more than just playing defense – it’s all about proactively building a positive buzz. Social media is a great way to begin doing this.(ISSUE HOSPITALITY MALDIVES 022 ISSUE 26). Email: Email may have taken a backseat role to social media hype, but it’s still a very powerful tool when used correctly. It is the cornerstone of permission-based relationship marketing. Email usually has higher psychological value than other types of online communication. Email is an effective branding tool for creating top-of-mind awareness Email drives action and profits Messages don’t always have to be sent to guests and customers. Build systems to nurture partner relationships. Fairmont Hotels sends nearly half of their newsletters for other business partners. You must create your lists organically with the explicit permission of your prospects. Always provide a strong benefit for the person signing up for your list. Receiving updates (marketing messages) alone isn’t usually a very strong offer. Exclusive discounts also preferred for attract the customer. Customs and cultural difference: Maldives is a place of very hospitable for visit. Here people are always take care to avoid religious offence. They are always concern about religion and culture, they learn about local rules and values even they also keep knowledge about some of language. In a word they are so much sensitive to cultural difference. Their patience, friendliness, and courtesy have won the respect and confidence to the customer. In this hotel, people come from different countries and they discover the beauty and harmony of the country because their staff and manager are always most welcoming. Entertainment: The Beach house of Maldives has its own restaurant, bar, water sport facilities, health club, and spa. The hotel also organizes the Maldives traditional folk music and dance. Environmental Responsibility: Global warming and increase the sea level pose are great threats for this island people. This hotel management always concern about this issue and that does why they play a role in National Environmental action plan for protect the nation’s coral reefs, marine life, and its land surface. Government policy: The Maldivian government has strict anti drugs policy. Alcohol is only permitted only one the resorts island and not in the other inhabited island. Food and Drink: Maldives beach house is offer spicy blend of Arabic, Indian, Sri Lanka, and oriental flavors with fish, mainly tuna a favorite dish. This resorts usually have international cuisine and their local dishes as a part of their buffets. Language and Religion: The Republic Maldives is a Islamic state and their language is Dhivehi. But English is also widely by the Maldivians to make easy for communicate with visitor. In this beach house staff speaks several other languages including French, German, Italian and Japanese. Research OBJECTIVES: I propose to reviewhow managing diversity can create a competitive advantage, with a focus on human resources, marketing success, creativity and innovation, problem-solving quality and organizational flexibility. These six dimensions of business performance are directly impacted by management of cultural diversity. In this review the following goals and objectives are achieved- Critically evaluate theories of leadership and motivation. Critically evaluate theories relating to managing cultural diversity, how these theories apply to the chosen organisation and what can be import end/changed in the light of the theories. Cultural Diversity: Definition of culture and organization culture: There are verities of definitions of culture. According to Sathe(1984;68)†culture is asset of a important understandings that members of a community share in common.† Organizational culture refers to a pattern of beliefs, values, and learns with experience the course of a organization’s history and in behavior of its members. National culture and Subculture: National culture defines by that people from different countries may be influenced by cultural difference in their work environment. It is important to understand people’s different cultural backgrounds. Subculture can be identified as understandings, behaviors and culture forms that characterize as distinctive group within an organizations (Trice,1993;85). In tourism sector, the company motivates each subculture to develop its own cultural life to understanding other cultural grouping so that the subcultures are developed. Theories of cultural issues: Culture presents the biggest challenge to businesses working internationally shared by beliefs, norms and values. Culture influences management also including negotiation tactics, decision making, and rewards and recognition programs. According to Geert Hofstede, culture is more often a source of conflict than sof synergy. Cultural differences are nuisance at best and often a disaster. In that case, such dimensions do explain the behavior with respect to how cultural differtiation interact with this tourism business. Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions (source: Greet Hofstede cultural dimension website, http://www.greet-hofstede.com) Culture dimension Value Definition Power distanceIndividualism Uncertainty avoidance Masculinity/FemininityThe degree of equality, or inequality, between people in the country’s society.Degree to which a society reinforces individual or collective achievement and interpersonal relationship. The extent to which people feel threatened by ambiguous situations and have created institutions and beliefs for minimizing or avoiding those uncertainties. The degree to which â€Å"masculine† values like performance, success, and material things and â€Å"feminine† values like quality of life, caring, service, personal relationship. Maldives work values: The Individualism is low and collectivism is high in Maldives culture. Hofsted indicates that a positive relation between individualism and per capita GNP( Gross Nation Product). Individualism may be increase in Maldives. Uncertainty Avoidance, this dimension define when the workers are respective to different ideas and opinions or feel threats. This dimension is too clear in Maldives because they are traditionally been ruled by men rather than the rules. In Maldives the uncertainty Avoidance with strong desire to maintain social order. Masculinity/Feminists, this dimension describes how assertive and acquisitive worker were in a materialistic sense In Maldives. Hofsted studies had medium score for this dimension. For example, Maldives managers score high in masculinity. With high power distance countries like Maldives, managers should make autocratic decisions and they have business structures that are typified by close control of operations and fairly weak work ethic. However, the biggest problem of this organization is cultural awareness which may cause of problem. If service managers are unaware of core cultural expectations of customers it will result in a gap in performance of service. Role of Manager in Beach House of Maldives: Managers are expected to provide instruction, guidance, advice and encouragement to help taem members to improve their performance. The managers in this beach house are always be alert about their duty and they know that their job is specially to guide the employees in order to fulfill their responsibilities and to adjust to the new cultural and physical environment. Managers are concern and respond that handling the uncertainties. They have also ability to checking quality of the product and transferring technical knowledge about product. Cross cultural management employee performance and benefits: Beach house Maldives usually involves service and dealings with consumers from different cultures. The organization has tended to keep a culture alive and measure the cultural fit between the organization and its employees. The human resource practices such as section, performance, training, and career development reinforce the organization’s culture. Beach House of Maldives beliefs also tend to influence the work norms, and communication practices. This research indicates that cross culturally aware management provide their culturally diverse service. They are able to provide their serving styles to meet the needs of their foreign customers. To provide best service for customer they associated the following steps- Free training programmes for members Marketing and promotion and implementation of quality. Management should effort much on different cultural staff and train the staff to hospitalized the guest. Problem Analysis: What’s the suit ion being create if the tourism and hospitality related Hotel Company not familiar with a foreign culture? We know about that how American mega-investor Kirk Kerkorian sued DaimlerChrysler for after their German chairman, Jurgen Schrempf had bragged in a Financial Times interview that the merger between the two companies are officially promoted as a ‘merger of equals’ was really no more than a takeover. The case is still in court but a similar class-action suit by other investors has already been settled by the company for $300 million. Technically, the issue was a legal one but however, what got DaimlerChrysler into trouble was that Schrempf lacked the cultural sensitivity and experience to realize that in the US, they won’t get away with that of their two faced-behaviors. The same act would expectably have much less dramatic consequences in his home country. Microsoft reported losing several millions of dollars in India, the Arab world, and in South America because of cultural mistakes in some versions of their Windows program. Incorrect maps, poor translations t hat introduced offensive language, and other inappropriate material offended locals and in some cases led to government action. The company had to recall the affected versions, replacing huge quantities of its software packages. A spokesman admitted that â€Å"some of our employees, however bright they may be, have only a hazy idea about the rest of the world†. As a consequence, Microsoft now sends their staff to dedicated training classes. A large high-tech corporation lost more than $10 million in development costs and missed market opportunities when they set up two of their international teams, one in Israel and one in Japan, to directly compete with each other in the same project, developing an important new product. What the division’s manager was not aware of was that in many cultures, such an approach sends a message to the team that it is incompetent and cannot be trusted. Rather than serving as a motivator as it might have in the U.S., the decision led to low morale, increased turnover, and poor results in both countries. The project had to be stopped and re-initiated. Fortunately, most cross-cultural blunders are less severe, or at least less costly, then in these examples. Nevertheless, the list still goes on and on about how businesses waste money and miss opportunities because of a lack of international experience or preparation. What Goes Wrong There are three fundamental ways in which hospitality and tourism hotel business interactions and engagements fail or become more costly these are following in below- Failure to cross the culture gap: The interaction falls because the parties involved are unable to make a relation the culture gap between them. Many negotiations end at this stage. They asked always too much and expect to optimum service or keep a statement that never trusts others because they lived up their promises. These statements might be provides the end of such failed attempts. Most of the time, these negotiations may be fall in the trace back to poor mutual understanding and faulty initial assumptions rather than bad intentions on either side. â€Å"Competition†: The cross-cultural interaction limps along, but the parties involved fail to communicate effectively and to build sufficient trust between them. As a result, the competitive element outweighs the cooperative one, introducing issues over contracts terms, intellectual property, budgets and payments, and so on. This case is both more common and more devastating than the previous one. Rather than adding value to a company’s global business strategy, such an engagement can become a major distraction from its key objectives and cause a lot of damage. Limited collaboration: The parties have to involve with each other the ways of communicate and interact. However, they never fully trust each other. In many foreign cultures, people will not make any major business commitments unless a strong business relationship has been established and they feel that the partner can be fully trusted. In this beach house hotel may be more at ease here because its culture encourages a competitiveness that maintains an element of rivalry business partners are used to. Dealing with foreign partners thus represents a bigger challenge if the goal is to achieve extensive collaboration. Recommendation or suggestion: Common Causes Six elements can be identified that make or break the success of a global business in tourism and hospitality sector. All of them are ultimately linked back to people’s to understand the issue of cross culture. 1. Strategic Objectives Objective is the main power point for any company. However, many international business interactions suffer from poorly defined objectives. Strategy, goals and approach all need to be set with the target in mind about culture. Culture’s values, strengths, and preferences can be a long term strategic objectives and tactics if it being realized that they are well aligned with others culture. 2.Approach Like any other running business, the properly planning approach has gain a success in cross-cultural interactions. Strategic objectives need to be translated into a plan of action that defines steps, timing, roles, and responsibilities. That plan must also take into account the specific preferences and sensitivities of the targeted culture. Ad-hoc approaches in foreign countries have a very limited chance of success. 3.Negotiation Negotiating in a different cultural context is one of the most difficult and toughest challenges in international business. What is really effective and what is the most considered inappropriate varies greatly between countries. At the time, the stakes are usually high and make any mistakes which approach costly. Finding someone best and most skilled negotiators won’t help much unless they are well-prepared. If they lack a thorough understanding of the other culture, the company may be in for a business disaster. 4. Leadership Once a cross-cultural engagement the leadership are more focused because behind this visionary leadership becomes pivotal. Leaders will need to consistently demonstrate that they are serious about the situation and willing to work through the cultural differences. They have to take a strong commitment as well as they have to need the accurate skills to identify the sensitive areas and have to act appropriately to build and maintain trust. Executives or middle managers who maintain an â€Å"us-versus-them† attitude can cause huge damage. Extensive communication both within the own camp and with the foreign side is also essential and requires constant leadership attention. 5. Facilitation The importance of relationship and trust building triggers a need for proper facilitation throughout the engagement. While early in the interactions senior leaders often drive the progress, they may have to become less involved once the engagement is under way. At that point, it becomes essential that a facilitator be assigned who continues to build the relationship. Sending an expatriate who lives in the foreign country can be very effective, but only if he or she is sensitive and well familiar with the specific culture. Companies not paying attention to this aspect frequently find their employees inadvertently triggering confrontations that hurt the business relationship. 6. Team Preparation Well-defined strategy and good leadership are not enough to make global business interactions successful. It also essential to get support and help from all team member because they are involved in business and they have taken a important part in hotel business sector. Without proper preparation for the engagement, cooperation will likely be poor and concerns may prevail. The objective has to be to get both sides into the right mindset, opening up to the engagement as an opportunity rather than viewing it a threat. Again, it will be very important to understand and address any cultural differences. Aspects such as how to motivate a team can differ significantly and may dictate a new approach in a foreign culture. Organizational culture must now take into account:  ¦ The organization must be proactive, not just reactive.  ¦ The organization must influence and manage the environment, not just adapt.  ¦ The organization must be pragmatic, not idealistic.  ¦ The organization must be future-oriented, not predominantly present/past oriented.  ¦ The organization must embrace diversity, not uniformity.  ¦ The organization must be relationship-oriented, not just task-oriented.  ¦ The organization must embrace external connectivity, as well as promote internal integration. These fundamental assumptions are key to eliminating obstacles that will inhibit the kinds of internal and external organizational adaptations necessary for future success. They are not, however, sufficient. They must be reinforced by values, behavioral norms and patterns, artifacts and symbols, as well as accompanied by a particular mission, set of goals, and strategies. Conclusion: As Globalization accelerates business around the world, companies are realizing that proper preparation for international business is a mandatory step that has a strong positive impact on the bottom line. Effective communication and trust building are the primary factors in making a foreign engagement successful. They are influenced by several elements that take careful planning and orchestration. While this requires significant efforts, it is critical to the business success, and the tradeoff between costs and benefits is clearly favorable. Hospitality and Tourism industry grows globally, as the managers are exposed to more and more cross cultural dealings, as the workforce become more and more diverse, then the cultural values increase, as the customer become more knowledgeable about the environment around them, it all generates challenges for the managers. So managers should recognized and acted upon for the success of business. Reference: Alan M. Rugman and Richard M. Hodgetts,(2003). International Business.3rd ed. Pearson education ltd. Calori, R Sarnin, P.(1991). Corporate Culture and Economic performance: A French study, Oganization Studies,12(1);49-74. Chatman, J. A. Jehn, K. A.(1994). Assessing the Relationship between Industry Characteristics and Organizational Culture: How Different Can You BeThe Journal of Management,37:522-553. Deal, T.E Kennedy, A.A.(1982). Corporate Cultures. Menlo Park: Addition Wesley publishing Co. Geof Lancaster and Lan Waddelow,(1998). Strategic Marketing Planning. Journal of Marketing management.14.853-878 Hamel, G and C.K Prahalad,(1994). C ompeting for Future Boston: Harvard business school press. Schien, E. H.(1992). Organaizational Culture and Leadership, 2nd Edition. San Francisco; Jossey-Bass. Stephen P. Robbins/ Mary Coulter.(2004-2005). Management.8th edition. Pearson Education LTD. WWW. Maldives beach house.com. [/level-freee-rstricted] How to cite Cross cultural differentiation on hospitality and tourism management, Essay examples

Personality correlates of music Essay Example For Students

Personality correlates of music Essay Contemporaries, an increasing body of research has indicated Music-listening as a behavior having significant corresponding psychological aspects, linking it to implicit and explicit Personality traits (Chattel Anderson, 1953; Little Ackerman, 1986), Social Behavior (Harvested North, 1997, 1999), as well as Social Identity (North, Harvested ONeill, 2000). More gently, research in I-J on Uses of Music has established certain Music Preferences to be an indicator of higher cognitive ability (Camphor-Prejudice Burnham, 2007). Personality and Music Preferences First to theorize on this was Raymond Chattel, stating that preferences for certain types of music reveal key information about unconscious aspects of personality overlooked by personality inventories (Chattel Anderson, 1953; Chattel Saunders, 1954; Reenters Gosling, 2003). Many have now deemed music preferences as an expression of more explicit personality traits. Camphor-Prejudice and Burnham (2007) established that Personality and Intelligence factors provide central cues as to why and how people choose the music they listen to. Most concepts in this regard are rooted in different ways individuals use their music. The Uses and Gratification 2007) has ascribed music choices to the personality needs that this communication media alternative satisfies. Music preferences have also been attributed to individuals tendency to seek levels of optimal arousal (Yorkers Dodson, 1908; Camphor-Prejudice Burnham, 2007). Another use of music made by persons that can be explained by theories of Personality is Emotional regulation/ coping (Camphor-Prejudice Burnham, 2007). The preliminary extensive research on the psychology behind music preferences was accomplished by Reenters Gosling (2003) on a large sample of undergraduate college students in the United States. They determined the four chief dimensions of music preferences employing Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis, beginning by condensing music preferences to the level of genres as that is how individuals tend to state and discuss music. This resulted in a list of 14 (later revised to 23) genres and 66 sub-genres. SFA on this list led to the emergence of four larger music categories- Reflective Complex, Intense Rebellious, Upbeat Conventional and Energetic Rhythmic. Subsequently, correlation between these and the Big Five Personality traits was examined. Aims of this Study The above-mentioned study was executed on an all-American sample. Its unclear how far the structure of correlations between personality and music preferences generalizes to other cultures or countries, especially an Eastern country like India. The present study aimed at addressing these empirical gaps. Another objective was to find out if the stereotypes prevalent about certain music preferences hold true. Method Sample The incident sample used here consisted of 175 individuals, male and female dwelling in urban settings in the cities of Punk, Changing and Durance. Age ranged from 18 to 28 years (mean age = 20. 95 yr). The variables controlled were Age (from 18-28 yr), Life setting (urban life setting), and educational qualification (minimum undergraduate academic qualification). Table 1 depicts sample striation in terms of age and sex.

Mythological critiscism Essays - Culture, Monsters,

Mythological critiscism Mythological critiscism is almost any mythical (fictional) novel; this could also include: mythical creatures (dragons, goblins, Roman gods, etcetra...) and/or actions (magic, people with super powers and so on). Mythical novels are usually written based up on anthropology, psychology, history and religion. History and religion impact mythical writing almost the same way. Because they are both about ancient stories and cultures; both are impacting the writer's thinking process the same way (based on cutlure). Psychologically: this would be the writing effected by the writer's thinking process which is combined between culture and how they were treated in life, past experiances and childhood memories. If we have a look on different mythical books, such as: Harry potter, Ergaon, A dance with the dragons, or The lightining thief, we'll see how much they vary. The huge diffrences are unbelievable.These have almost no simliarities, unlike any other genre, that have very similar plots and concepts. I personally really like these kinds of books. They let you see how the author thinks. They open a door of imagination, where there are no limits what so ever. They show you a whole new world, a world where anything and anyone could be anything or anyone. "A monster calls" analysis It's a story about a little kid who has a lot going on in his life. His mother is sick and his father lives miles away. While he also faces a lot of troubles from his bullies in school and is pressured by his grandmother who he lives with. No one seems to make things any better, and nothing seems to be improving in general. Until one day a tree monster appears by his window. He guides him through that stage of his life, and helps him get through it by wisdom. The story obviously has a mythical creature out of imagination which is the tree monster. We can see how much anger the protagainst has towards the world; which might be a refliction of how the author himself is. It might also be due to childhood memories. The tree monster is big and scary, yet he's wise and kind, he helps people. The author might have wanted to send a message that consists of that not everything that's ugly has to be bad, breaking the usual stereotype. The protagainst is ayoung kid, yet he wasn't scared of the monster, which shows how much pain changes people and encourges them.

Bipolar disorder (manic depression) lithium Essays

Bipolar disorder (manic depression) lithium Essays Bipolar disorder (manic depression) lithium Paper Bipolar disorder (manic depression) lithium Paper Bipolar disorder is a condition characterized by experiences episodes of alternating of mood swings, and rapid changes in the energy levels and the ability to perform activities. The individual develops period of mania (excitability) coupled with depression. This results in the individual behaving in an irrational manner. The other symptoms of bipolar disorder include anxiety, loss of temper, aggressiveness, loss of self-control, sleeplessness, sexual urges, substance abuse, abuse of others rights, etc. The symptoms (3 or more) are present at least for a week (NIMH, 2007 Merck, 2005). The precise etiology of bipolar disorder is not known, but seemingly develops in close relatives. However, external and internal factors are responsible for the development of the condition. The condition more frequently occurs in identical twins. A single gene is usually responsible for the development of the condition. Bipolar disorder usually occurs in individuals who have experienced traumatic experiences in their lives. The neurotransmitters present in the brain function abnormally. The symptoms of bipolar disorder can also occur in other disorders such as AIDS, neurosyphilis, encephalitis, head injuries, epilepsy, etc. Certain medications such as antidepressants or corticosteroid may also be responsible (Ballas, 2006, NIMH, 2007 Merck, 2005). The acute symptoms of bipolar disorder do seem to be brought under control. However, relapses of the symptoms are common. If the individual is not given an treatment, the symptoms become more intense and severe. To some extent treatment can improve the quality of life and the ability to function normally (NIMH, 2005 Merck, 2005). One of the most frequently used and effective drugs for bipolar disorder is lithium (mood stabilizing agent). It helps to lower the symptoms of mania and depression, prevent the need for hospitalization, improves the quality of life, and improves the ability to function normally. It is effective in about 66 % of the patients suffering from bipolar disorders. Some of the side effects of lithium use include thyroid problems, weight gain, kidney problems, nausea, vomiting, fetal damage (in pregnant women), etc. Nowadays, newer drugs are come out which are more effective and have lesser number of side effects. Several newer drug such s Lamotrigine and gabapentin (newer anti-epileptic agents), atypical anti-psychotic agents (such as clozapine, olanzapine, etc), and benzodiazepines are found to be more effective and causing lesser number of side effects (Lloyd, 1996, pp. 986, NIMH, 2007 Merck, 2005). A study was conducted to determine the effect of lithium prophylaxis on bipolar disorder. About 200 patients were given lithium for about 2 years. These patients were stable after 2 years of lithium prophylaxis. The drug was stopped in a quarter of the patients and continued in the remaining three-fourths. However, the chances of the symptoms recurring were found to be high in those in whom the drug was stopped. If lithium is to be discontinued, the physicians should make a decision based on the dose of the drug required to maintain clinical stability (Biel et al, 2007). References: Ballas, P. (2006). Bipolar disorder. Retrieved March 11, 2007, from Medline Plus web site: nlm. nih. gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000926. htm Biel, M. G. , Peselow, E. , Mulcare, L. et al (2007), â€Å"Continuation versus discontinuation of lithium in recurrent bipolar illness: a naturalistic study. † Bipolar Disorder, 9(5), 435-442. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/sites/entrez? Db=pubmedCmd=ShowDetailViewTermToSearch=17680913ordinalpos=5itool=EntrezSystem2. PEntrez. Pubmed. Pubmed_ResultsPanel. Pubmed_RVDocSum Culver, J. L. , Arnow, B. A. , Ketter, T. A. (2007). â€Å"Bipolar disorder: improving diagnosis and optimizing integrated care. † J Clin Psychol, 63(1), 73-92. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/entrez/query. fcgi? db=pubmedcmd=Retrievedopt=AbstractPluslist_uids=17115430query_hl=10itool=pubmed_DocSum Lloyd, G. G. (1996). Psychiatry, In. Edwards, C. R. A. , Bouchier, I. A. D. , Haslett, C. (Ed), Davidson’s Principles and Practice of Medicine, (17th Ed), Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. National Institute of Mental Health (2007). Bipolar Disorders. Retrieved March 11, 2007, from NIMH web site: nimh. nih. gov/publicat/bipolar. cfm The Merck Manual (2005). Bipolar Disorder. Retrieved March 11, 2007, from Medline Plus web site: merck. com/mmpe/sec15/ch200/ch200c. html

Storytelling can help making the brand means much to the audience Essay

Storytelling can help making the brand means much to the audience because the stories just like a bridge which create a real connection between the work and the audience - Essay Example Storytelling presupposes that a consumption story protagonist tells a personal story in which he consciously or unconsciously intertwines a brand. Most often the existence of the brand influences and changes protagonist`s life for better (Woodside et al., 99). Storytelling in business is exceptionally important because it creates credibility of the brand making the product more real. Good myth can deliver the main message less persistently and more naturally. It is impossible to create something that will not breed similar concurrent products; however, it is possible to make the of the product unique. Myths shape information about the product in an effective way- not with facts but with coherent experiences of people. We all are prone to believe more to what we read or what feel and experience, and storytelling and myths in marketing is the most reliable way of facts presentation. It is also important to mind that stories are usually shared, not facts, and the probability of the advertisement with a good story to go viral is much higher (Thomas 1). Whole Foods, one of the biggest health food companies in the United States is good example of effective storytelling. Their myth is about healthy benefits of their products that change life of consumers. They claim that natural food is much better for the body and you as you will feel more energetic and healthier eating it. Those who consume this food care about themselves while those who prefer other products do not (Mathews & Wacker, 13) Nike is another example of an effective storytelling in marketing. The company is selling the myth about personal perseverance and resistance to the world and the following success. Nike has created a philosophy based on sportsmen who dedicate their lives to fighting with ordeals, rivals, and themselves finally and achieving success in this fight. In the story the product itself is placed on the

Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marketing - Assignment Example This would be followed by a few recommendations for the company, which would mark the end of the discussion Industry Environment Porter Five Forces Model presents a good framework to explore the environmental and industry forces, which are affecting the marketing of the company. First, the rivalry against the existing competitors within the industry is high (Armstrong, Harker, Kotler & Brennan, pp. 19-22, 2009). Despite the fact that more than 500 independent bookshops have closed as of 2009 due to their inability to compete with the big bookstores, the barriers of borders are coming down and thus exposing companies like Waterstones, with the help of internet and others, to competition on an international level. Furthermore, currently, there are three big players in the market namely Waterstone’s, Amazon, and WH Smith; however, the problem here is that none of them has a considerable lead and in the absence of huge differences in size, these competitors would fuel the rivalry to greatest limits. Rivalry decreases when competitors are aiming for different market segments or different niches in the industry; however, it appears that all of the major competitors are trying to appeal to all of digital and traditional segments of the market, thus, intensifying the rivalry (Armstrong, Harker, Kotler & Brennan, pp. 19-22, 2009). ... tailers here is that they cannot achieve a high degree of differentiation for the books they sell since the product remains the same (Kotler & Armstrong, pp. 41-48, 2008). Due to low degree of differentiation, the competition rests on the price alone thus forcing the customer to look for better bargains. As mentioned in the case that UK booksellers are having the lowest profit margins because of excessive discounting to appeal to the customer as compared to the book retailers in Ireland, USA, Finland, Holland, and Ireland. The supplier power in the industry remains moderate. Four major companies namely Hachette Livre, Bertelsmann, Pearson, and HarperCollins hold more than 50 percent of the market share in the publishing industry. Many authors cannot get their books published, sold, or promoted if they do not have any association with big publishers. Furthermore, they also pose a strong threat for forward integration in the market. However, there power is moderate because they depend highly on these high street retailers for promotions and shelf space for both new and old authors and books. Furthermore, with well-established players in the industry, they have lesser options to get good bargains (Peter & Donnelly, pp. 122-123, 2010). The threat of substitutes is high due to the illegal and pirated books that are easily accessible on the internet through various websites. Furthermore, these substitutes cost way less than the original books; in many cases, these are free, thus increasing their attractiveness to great limits. Lastly, the threat of new entrants also remains moderately high. This is true because not only setting up a bookshop is relatively easy but also because lately many supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury and others have jumped into the industry with

Assessing HRD Need is Important in Developing Strategic HRD Essay

Assessing HRD Need is Important in Developing Strategic HRD - Essay Example Current paper focuses on the examination of a particular aspect of HRD: the development of strategic HRD process. Reference is made specifically to the relationship between this process and the assessment of HRD need. The examination of the literature published in the particular field has revealed that indeed the accurate and appropriate assessment of HRD need can increase the chances for the successful development of strategic HRD process; however, the terms under which the interaction between the above two activities/ processes can be developed are not always clear. It seems that the conditions in the internal and the external organizational environment can affect the level at which the assessment of HR need affects the development of strategic HRD process. All the potential aspects of the above relationship are examined and critically analyzed in this paper using examples – as possible – from relevant organizational practices.   This paper stresses that  the establishment of HRD policies in the workplace has been proved to be a challenging task; despite their value, these policies have also important requirements, which have to be appropriately addressed so that the targets set by the planners of these policies to be achieved. The challenges that HRD policies have to face in the modern market can be understood by referring to their characteristics and common forms.  In this way also, the requirements of these policies will be clearer understood and justified.  

Strategic Analysis Of Carnival Corporation And Plc Tourism Essay

Strategic Analysis Of Carnival Corporation And Plc Tourism Essay Humans have since time immemorial been fascinated with ships, seas and oceans. Whilst ships have in the past been used mainly for transportation of goods and people and of course for war, seafaring has always been associated with travel to new and strange destinations, excitement and romance. With the contemporary day and age being firmly focused on new alternatives for leisure, excitement and life experiences, the western tourism industry has astutely used this human fascination with the seas to develop an extremely desirable tourism option; namely sea and ocean cruises. Such cruises offer exciting and pleasurable vacation options for people. They are offered by specialised cruise liners and provide customers the experience of travelling on the high seas in large, well appointed and luxurious ocean going vessels. Cruise holidays provide customers with luxury experiences and opportunities to engage in numerous leisure activities like (a) sun bathing on expansive ocean liner decks, (b) use of large swimming pools, (c) a range of body comfort activities through the use of spas, gyms and Jacuzzis, (d) various types of eating and dining options, and (e) a range of on ship holiday activities like games, contests, singing and dancing. The modern day cruise industry emerged in the 1970s in North America (Dowling, 2006). Whilst cruises originally aimed to provide customers with luxurious trans-ocean transportation options, the industry has since then transformed into a vacation alternative for people to travel to land based destinations or to sightseeing locations in the oceans (Dowling, 2006). A cruise now stands for a complete start-to-finish experience in luxury, comfort and the good life, rather than an option for travelling from point A to point B (Dowling, 2006). Whilst cruise vacationers still form a very small segment (just about 2%) of the global tourism industry, their volumes grew from 500,000 passengers in 1970 to 6.6 million passengers in 2000 (Gisnas et al, 2008). Such volumes have continued to grow during the last decade and are estimated to be 17 million annual passengers today (Gisnas et al, 2008). The industry experienced significant growth in the 1970s, when it first emerged, and has been growing at between 8 and 9% since then (Gisnas et al, 2008). Sectoral growth in the cruise sector has also not been cyclical like other shipping segments (Gisnas et al, 2008). Carnival Corporation and plc (Carnival Corporation) is the worlds largest operator of cruise ships. With 11 individual brands and a total fleet of 96 vessels, the organisation operates cruises in North America, Europe and Australia (Carnival, 2010). Whilst the global recession affected the travel and tourism industry significantly and also affected the revenues of the company to some extent, Carnival Corporation expects to grow significantly in the coming years, as recessionary forces weaken and individual and business spending starts moving upwards once again (Carnival, 2010). This specific analysis attempts to (a) examine the operations and mechanisms of the cruise industry, (b) analyse the strategies and operations of Carnival Corporation, and (c) recommend suitable future growth strategies for the company. 2. Overview of Cruise Industry 2.1. Brief history of Cruise Industry The first cruise route, historical records reveal, was established by British PO in 1882 with the introduction of S/Y Ceylon for pleasure cruising (Cartwright Baird, 1999). The ship operated on the western coast of Norway and was well known to wealthy UK citizens (Cartwright Baird, 1999). The most famous example of a cruise liner of those days is that of the Titanic, which sank on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, in April 1912, after a collision with an iceberg (Cartwright Baird, 1999). Whilst trans-ocean services between North America and Europe expanded greatly between the two great wars, the emergence of commercial aircraft after the closure of the Second World War led to the elimination of human transportation through ships (Cartwright Baird, 1999). The years that followed the closure of human transportation through ships however saw the emergence and the steady growth of pleasure and tourism oriented cruises (Cartwright Baird, 1999). The cruise market is currently dominated by three important organisations namely, Carnival Corporation (the subject of this study), Royal Caribbean International and Star Cruises. Whilst the industry was home to a number of players in the 1970s and 1980s, progressive mergers and alliances have led to the formation of oligopolistic market situation that is dominated by three strong entities (Gisnas et al, 2008). Carnival Corporation leads the business with a 45% market share, followed by Royal Caribbean (21%) and Star Cruises (10%) (Gisnas et al, 2008). Appendix 1 provides details of the capacities of the major cruise liners. The cruise market is divided into two main geographic segments, (a) the US market and (b) the European market. The US market, which includes North America and the Caribbean, forms 62% of the total market, whereas Europe accounts for 24% of cruise users (Kamery, 2004). The European market, whilst smaller than the US market, is growing swiftly and is expected to increase by more than 9% per annum in the coming years (Kamery, 2004). The UK market has until now been the dominant European market, even as the German, Scandinavian, Benelux, Austrian and Swiss markets are showing strong growth (Kamery, 2004). Cruises can be segmented into five main categories, namely contemporary cruises, budget cruises, premium cruises, luxury cruises and special cruises. Appendix 2 provides details of the different types of cruises. The industry can otherwise be segmented by languages, which surprisingly is an important point of differentiation (Gisnas et al, 2008). Individuals prefer to go on cruises with people who speak the same language (Gisnas et al, 2008). Important market segments are (a) American families, (b) senior citizens from the EU, (c) conferences and incentives, (d) themes and (e) adventure (Gisnas et al, 2008). In North America the target population for cruises companies comprises of adults, who are more than 25 years in age and earn more than 40,000 USD per annum (Gisnas et al, 2008). The target market includes (a) people who have cruised before, (b) vacationers who have not previously engaged in cruises and (c) non vacationers as well (Gisnas et al, 2008). The segment makes up practically 44% of the US population (Gisnas et al, 2008). Whilst the average age of passengers has come down to just below 45 in the US, The average age of passengers in the UK is also coming down significantly (Gisnas et al, 2008). The potential of the market is high because the existing penetration rate at 3% for North America, 1% for Europe and 2% for UK is very low. The main markets continue to be North America and Europe. The Asian market is however growing very slowly. Appendix 3 Provides details of passengers both by nationality and by origin. 3. Analysis of Carnival Corporation 3.1. Company Overview Carnival Corporation plc is the market leader of the cruise industry. Carnival Corporation was founded in 1972 by Ted Arison (Carnival, 2010). Both Carnival Corporation and Carnival plc have grown organically, as well as through mergers that have led to significant increases in organisational operations (Carnival, 2010). The present organisation came about from a merger between Carnival Corporation and PO Princess Cruises plc, wherein it was agreed that PO would be listed on the London Stock Exchange (Carnival, 2010). The organisation is thus dually listed on the London and New York Stock Exchanges and has head offices at Miami, USA, and at Southampton, UK (Carnival, 2010). The company has 11 cruise line brands, each of which controls a geographical location. To elaborate, AIDA cruises controls the German business, Carnival Cruise lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, and the Seaborne Cruise Line operate in the United States, Cunard Line, Ocean Village, and PO Cruises service the UK market, Costa Cruises controls the Italian business, Iberio Cruises controls the Spanish business, and PO Cruises Australia controls the Australian business (Carnival, 2010). The organisation earned revenues of 13.1 billion USD in 2009 compared to 14.65 billion USD in 2008. It owns 93 ships, has a passenger capacity of 180,746, and employs 85,000 people. Carnival Corporation carried 8500 passengers in 2009 (Carnival, 2010). 3.2. Operational Performance The operations and financial performance of the company suffered significantly in 2009 compared to 2008. The sales and net income figures for these two years are provided below. Year 2009 2008 Sales Million USD 5912 6550 Percentage Movement (10%) Net Profits Million USD 885 1090 (19%) Net Profit Ratio 0.15 0.16 Whilst the company management states that they have been able to cushion the impact of the recession effectively, the financial analysis of key performance indicators reveals a different picture. Both sales and profits have come down sharply (Carnival, 2010). It also needs to be noticed that the sales of the organisation have come down by 10 %, even as the cruise industry overall contracted only by 3 % in 2009 (Carnival, 2010). Other operational and profitability ratios like ROI and have also come down in the wake of reduction in sales and profitability. 3.3. PESTEL Analysis The PESTEL frame works helps analysts to examine environmental factors in a methodical manner (Porter, 1980). The specific examination of political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal factors assist in understanding key change drivers and external influences on the working of organisations (Porter, 1980). A PESTEL analysis helps organisational managements in aligning organisational strategies with environmental realities and work towards ensuring that organisations do not purposely follow strategic rules that are at variance or in opposition to environmental forces (Porter, 1980). With cruise lines essentially being international in the nature of their operations, their working can be significantly affected by terrorism related conditions (Porter, 1980). Increase in terrorism activities invariably leads to stricter immigration laws and to reduction in tourism enthusiasm (Porter, 1980). Apart from terrorism, cruise activity can also be affected by political instability in geographical locations that are part of the cruise network, as well as by tourism related taxation policies in different countries (Porter, 1980). Tourism, being an essentially discretionary activity is strongly influenced by changes in global economic conditions (Porter, 1980). The last two years have seen reduction in tourism business and cruise activity. Apart from the economic environment, the movement of exchange rates can also affect tourism and consequently cruise activity. Whilst tourism is currently going through a difficult phase, (having reduced by 4% in 2008 and 2009, and expected to grow by 0.3% in 2010) a post recession boom is likely considering that tourism contributes approximately 10.6% of global GBP. Social and cultural features play important roles in the cruise industry (Porter, 1980). The majority of cruise customers come from affluent and western social segments and place great stress on lifestyle quality (Porter, 1980). The market for cruises has until now been dominated by customers from the advanced western nations. Cruise liners are constantly investing in technology to make their ships more customers friendly as well as easier to operate. Internet sales enable customers to reduce costs through elimination of intermediaries (Porter, 1980). The tourism industry, because of the associated travel costs, is strongly associated with emission of green house gases. Any sort of rationing of petroleum products can as such lead to significantly adverse effects upon the tourism and cruise sector. The cruise business can also be influenced to some extent by trade laws and customs procedures and regulation. The existing global visa regime is tremendously skewed in favour of the inhabitants of rich countries and this can affect the growth of cruise customers from the emerging nations. 3.4. Critical Success Factors Analysis of available information leads to the conclusion that success in the shipping industry will depend essentially upon economies of scale and degree of differentiation (Gisnas et al, 2008). Extending this concept to the cruise industry, the critical success factors in the industry can be narrowed down to the four following factors (Gisnas et al, 2008). Exploitation of scale economies: Economies of scale can be achieved in different operational areas like vessel size, maintenance programmes, and economies of hotel operations Product Differentiation: This can be achieved through the conceptualisation and implementation of different types of cruises. Generation of Customer Loyalty: This will enable companies to obtain higher shares of repeat customer business Management of Strategic Investments: This will enable an organisation to get infrastructural advantage through optimisation of investments, both in terms of money and costs. 4. Strategic Recommendation Carnival Corporation is currently experiencing difficult environmental conditions because of the global recession that was triggered off by the housing collapse and the subprime crises in the USA (Porter, 1980). With the economies of affluent North American and European countries, wherein the brunt of the crises, global tourism was significantly affected during the past two years (Porter, 1980). The bulk of the cruise industry services the citizens of the United States, the UK and other affluent European nations and a sharp economic downturn in these nations will expectedly have significantly adverse on the sales and operational performance of the members of this sector (Porter, 1980). The strategic growth plans for carnival Corporation must accordingly incorporate the impact of the extra ordinarily difficult current environment (Porter, 1980). Whilst the current economic environment is challenging the companys operational and financial capabilities, it is also providing significant opportunities to strong existing players (Porter, 1980). The growth recommendations for Carnival Corporation have been based upon the information obtained from the PESTEL analysis, the utilisation of strategic theories like Porters generic growth strategy and Ansoffs growth matrix, the critical success factors for members of the industry and the opportunities and threats that exists in the current environment (Porter, 1980). Michael Porter, in his seminal contribution towards corporate strategy forwarded the theory that companies can achieve competitive advantage only through the adoption of specific strategies, namely cost leadership, differentiation, or niche occupation (Porter, 1980). Porter went on to state that whilst many organisations feel the need to adopt more than one of such strategies, such an attitude was essentially faulty, and the desire by company managements to adopt essentially distinct operational strategies could lead to loss of focus, confusion in growth objectives and engagement in contradictory and self destructive actions (Porter, 1980). Carnival Corporation has constantly followed a strategy of differentiating of products from that of its competitors. Whilst the organisations growth is also due to its origin and operations in the extremely strong US and British markets, the company has constantly differentiated its offerings through innovation in the types and lengths of cruises to its customers. The company is otherwise strongly focused on sustainability and is taking action to reduce its carbon footprint through the lowering of energy use on its ships, preserving clean air, and reducing operational waste. The PESTEL analysis reveals that whilst the industry is vulnerable to global terrorism actions and the political instability of countries that form part of the operational area of the industry (Porter, 1980). Apart from such political factors, the industry is vulnerable to economic downturns. It is however becoming obvious that the downturn has possibly bottomed out and that western economies are moving towards recovery (Porter, 1980). Whilst recent economic developments in Greece and Spain are disquieting, broad economic indicators show the possibility of some economic improvement in 2010 and firm upward economic movement in 2011. This situation provides abundant opportunities to the companys growth plans. Whilst 2009 has seen a dip in the companys sales and profitability, financial reports reveal that the company has a very strong cash position and comfortable leverage ratios. With its considerable financial ability and its experience in growth through buyouts and acquisitions, the current economic circumstances should provide significant opportunities for the company to acquire smaller and financially weaker organisations, who would be finding it difficult to survive in the present circumstances. Igor Ansoffs model of growth stipulates that companies move in their growth curve from selling currently available services in existing markets through various phases to selling new products in new markets (Tutor2u.net, 2009). Ansoffs growth model is provided in appendix 4. Carnival Corporation should clearly follow a carefully formulated strategy of external and internal growth. External growth should be targeted through the search and acquisition of attractive cruiser lines whose operations and viability has suffered because of the crises. The corporate management should aggressively scout for acquisition and use its strong financial resources to good effect. Such a strategy will also lead to better scale economies and will of course need efficient management of strategic investments (Tutor2u.net, 2009). The company, in accordance with Ansoffs model should steadily pursue strategies for differentiating their services through the conceptualisation and implementation of different cruise themes. It is also opportune for the company to seriously look at the emerging Asian tourism sector, preferably through the acquisition of a local cruise operator. The Asian economy is fairing much better than the European economy and significant accretion is occurring in the upper middle class segments of China and India. Such population segments are totally unexposed to cruise vacations and provide fertile ground for Carnival Corporation to thrust their Asian operations. Carefully conceived strategic plan of organic and acquisitive growth will enable the company to consolidate its leadership position and exploit current environmental opportunities (Tutor2u.net, 2009). 5. Conclusions

A Comparison of the Main Approaches to Personality Psychology Essay

A Comparison of the Main Approaches to Personality Psychology Psychology of personality is a difficult concept to define and quantify, therefore most personality theories, however different they may be in other respects, share the basic assumption, that personality is a particular pattern of behaviour and thinking, that prevails across time and situations and differentiates one person from another. Most theories attempting to explain personality represent part of the classic psychological Nature verse Nurture debate. In other words, is personality â€Å"inherited†, or developed through our interactions with the environment. In addition, we shall compare and contrast two of the main approaches to personality psychology by concentrating on Psychoanalytical Theory (Freud) and Social Learning Theory (Bandura). By looking at the Psychodynamic approach, developed by Freud, we can argue that it emphasizes the interplay of unconscious psychological processes in determining human thought, feelings, and behaviours. The basis of this approach is that psychological factors play a major role in determining behaviour and shaping personality. Freud argued that personality is composed of three major systems the id, the ego, and the superego. The id (biological part of personality) is present at birth and consists of inherited instincts and all psychological energies. The id operates according to the pleasure principle, seeking to reduce tension, avoid pain and obtain pleasure. The ego (executive part of personality) is conscious part of the mind, the â€Å"real† us. The function of the ego is to express and satisfy the desires of the id in accordance wit... ...ogist, 33, 344-358t Bandura, A. (1982). Self- efficacy mechanism in human agency. American Psychologist, 33, 334-358 Mischel, W. (1984). Convergence and challenges in the search for consistency. American Psychologist, 39, 351-364 Rotter, J. B. (1966) Social learning and Clinical Psychology. Englewood Cliffs, NJ; Practice Hall Rotter, J.B. (1966) Generalized expectancies for internal verse external control of reinforcement. Psychological Monographs, 80 (1, Whole No. 609) Alfred, A. (1927) The practice and theory of individual Psychology. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Carlson, R. Neil and Martin, Neil, and Buskit, W. (2004) Psychology (2nd European edition). Essex: Pearson Education Limited Gross, R (1996).Psychology, The Science of mind and behaviour (3rd Ed). London: Hodder & Stoughton

Facebook Case Analysis

Case Study: Facebook| Introduction Recently, the social networking sites are getting much more popular on the internet. They are playing a vital role in the way that individuals can easily create their own online profiles, construct their identities and help communicate with each other. Literally, there are many social networking sites worldwide; however, Facebook is the most well-known one since the number of its visitors is significantly increasing.Historically, Facebook was founded almost nine years ago by three undergraduate students of Harvard, Mark Zuckerberg and his two colleges, where it was firstly used by the members who have only ‘. edu’ email addresses. A month later since Facebook had been launched; it was spread very fast where it was used by the majority of Harvard students, then the number of Facebook users increased rapidly after Zuckerberg had left Harvard and move to California in order to make the site expanded more and more (Valenzuela, Park, Kee, 20 08). The majority of the individuals who are surfing the internet, spend lots of time on Facebook.They are able to visit their own profiles as well as they can even browse profiles of other people and share interests like photos, games and information (Mikolaj et al. , 2011), (Boyd & Ellison, 2007). In this paper, there are a number of questions concerning the Facebook and will be answered. Question 1: Why do people use Facebook, and what do they do when they are on the site? What are the implications of this behaviour for individuals, organizations and for Facebook? Facebook is one of the social networking sites, which has become the most popular site globally (Lipsman, 2011).The number of individuals who registered in Facebook site reached a billion about four months ago (Mikolaj et al. , 2011). Generally, individuals are doing a variety of activities using Facebook platform on the internet. People have a great opportunity to create their own public profiles, in which their old an d recent information can be browsed, where Facebook users are able to write their personal information on their own profiles like names, living places, interests, study programs, contact details, photos and pictures as well as the other favoured sites (Hargittai, 2010). In addition, Facebook nables the individuals to communicate and connect with distant friends, colleagues and strangers, showing and sharing their lists of connections as well as extend and strengthen their relationships and friendships, meet each other and sharing their interests, and they can even share the media content (Griffiths & Kuss, 2011). People can also shop online using Facebook browsing shopping pages, seeking for groups or members, and browse people’s walls (Mikolaj et al. , 2011). Moreover, Facebook users are able to play free social games such as Zynga, which in turn would help them connect with the other communities.According to Piskoriski (2011), there was a survey done by Information Solution Group demonstrated that more than 30 percept of Zynga game players pointed out that the games enabled them to connect with family and present friends whereas another third admitted that playing games on Facebook made them connect with old friends and one third used them in order to make new friends. Additionally, concerning the effect of Facebook on organisations, organisations are using Facebook platform to make their names much more well-known which in turn leads to increase their sales and profits (Mikolaj et al. 2011). Actually, there are two main factors that have made Facebook the most popular social site internationally: Firstly, the need to belong, secondly, the need to view limitation. All those factors could be influenced by several variables such as demographic and personal attributes, and social and cultural background (Ashwini & Stefan, 2012). In contrast, using Facebook could be leading to the negative consequences. In other words, the increasing hours people spend on line, may be indicative of potential addiction particularly for students (Griffiths & Kuss, 2011).Grabmeier (2010) claimed that there is a strong link between using Facebook and low grades achievement at universities. This is correlates with the recent study showed that â€Å"Facebook users had lower grade academic performance and spent less time studying than students who did not use this social networking sites† (Griffiths & Kuss 2011, 10). Furthermore, Griffiths and Kuss (2011) claimed that Anecdotal case study evidence reported that some Facebook addicts are more likely to have potential mental health problems.Moreover Accessibility of the others’ privacies using Facebook could also be considered as one of the negative impacts of using Facebook. Question 2: How can organizations leverage Facebook for commercial purposes? How effective are company pages on Facebook? Facebook platform is playing a crucial role in commercial purposes, particularly for companies. They are able to create free profile page in order to post information about their products and receive comments about them, as a result, Facebook might invest more in order to enhance advertising products (Mikolaj et al. , 2011).Additionally, further investment in this social site assist the firms improve their own applications, letting the Facebook users engaged in some social events that they might be interested in and consequently the relationship between the firms and their fans would be strengthened (Mikolaj et al. , 2011), (Piskoriski, 2011). Facebook also made new business pages which permitted businesses, brands, products, artists, and public figures to build free custom Facebook pages and attract Facebook users to like them so that users would then see status updates, pictures and videos which posted by the organisation on their page (Mikolaj et al. 2011). This can create an effective negotiation between the firms and their fans. Companies can also advertise their pages on Face book to be liked by users. New advertising products were improved using Facebook which in turn leveraged its users in terms of social relationships (Mikolaj et al. , 2011), (Piskoriski, 2011). To illustrate, friends of a certain company would see ads about that company regularly (Mikolaj et al. , 2011). As a result, Facebook has achieved massive financial benefits from those developers and applications.Question 3: Regarding the Facebook platform, what role does it play for both individuals and organizations? Facebook has some approaches that make it different from other social sites. For example, Facebook users are able to browse each other’s profiles as long as the profiles’ owners allowed that (Boyd & Ellison, 2007). Moreover, Facebook permitted users to add applications in order to enhance their profile and they were set up by Facebook developers (Mikolaj et al. , 2011).One of these applications is games, where more than 40 % of Facebook users had been attracted to play games by 2011. A year after Facebook extended its API to comprise other actions, such as listening to music or reading an article and might be also shared with other users (Mikolaj et al. , 2011). Facebook platform also play a significant role in increasing the profitability of the firms. The immense increase in the number of the Facebook users has made it much more attractive to the traditional companies (Piskoriski, 2011).Firms started to create application platforms and look for new customers and engaging the existing ones on Facebook site by advertising and offering new special prices and posted them on their own profile page (Piskoriski, 2011). As a result, the number of visitors to that profile page of that firms would be increasing which led to a substantial increase in the number of users who are interested in the their applications and brands. Individuals can also see other brands using advertisements for those brands on Facebook. Then the firms’ incomes would b e increasing dramatically. Question 4:Finally, review the final paragraph on page 14. How would you respond to these questions? What should Facebook concentrate on? Recently, there has been a huge collaboration between firms and Facebook platform in terms of commercial aspects. In fact, offering free profile pages on Facebook has made it much more attractive and valuable to many companies. Firms have been able to utilize this feature by doing businesses with Facebook through which they capable to advertise their brands and products on Facebook users’ profiles so that companies can increase their revenues (Mikolaj et al. , 2011).In addition, Facebook application developers have great opportunities to create additional applications, and update and enhance the old ones based on users’ interests due the massive increasing in the number of Facebook visitors who have different desires and needs (Egele et al. , 2012). Therefore, Facebook plays an essential role in products di spersal and increasing sales and then profits of the firms as a result of advertising and applications. Facebook should be focusing on deploying much more effort in order to support its businesses with organisations based on the interests of the users.Development its tools is another factor that can increase its attraction to the investors and then increase profits. There is also an important issue that Facebook should concern about which is privacy in terms of data hankering. Facebook should be aware of keeping its users privacies secure. Otherwise, it will lose its admiration in terms of limiting the objectives for both individuals and companies (Fowler & Geoffre, 2010). Conclusion There is no social networking site as popular as Facebook. It can be used either for communication between individuals worldwide or for commercial aspects.Facebook has several advantages in terms of strengthening the social relationships as well as providing new marketing strategies which in turn leads to the increasing the growth of economy. Nevertheless, Facebook has some negative impacts such as students’ achievement and browsing the others’ privacies. In general, Facebook is experiencing massive challenges to keep and advance its reputation. References Ashwini, Nadkarni, and Hofmann, Stefan G. â€Å"Why do People use Facebook? † Personality and Individual Differences, vol. 52, issue 3 (2012): 243-249.Egele, M. , Moser, A. , Kruegel, C. and Kirda, E. â€Å"PoX: Protecting Users from Malicious Facebook Applications. † Computer Communications 35, no. 12 (2012): 1507-1515. www. scopus. com. Fowler, Geoffrey A. â€Å"Corporate News: Facebook Fights Privacy Concerns. † Wall Street Journal, Aug 21, 2010. http://search. proquest. com/docview/746178017? accountid=10382 Grabmeier, J. â€Å"Study Finds Link Between Facebook Use, Lower Grades In College. † Research News (2010). http://researchnews. osu. edu/archive/facebookusers. htm Hargittai, E. , and Hsieh, Y.P. (2010). â€Å"Predictors and Consequences of Social Network Site Usage. † Information, Communication and Society, 13, 515–536. Lipsman, A. â€Å"The Network Effect: Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and Tumblr Reach New Heights in May. † (2011, June 15). http://blog. comscore. com/2011/06/facebook_linkedin_twitter_tumblr. html Mikolaj J. , Thomas R. , David C. and Brian F. † Facebook†. Harvard Business School Publishing. (2011). Patrick Van Eecke and Maarten Truyens, â€Å"Privacy and Social Networks. † Computer Law & amp; Security Review, vol. 6, issue 5, 535-546. http://www. sciencedirect. com/science/article/pii/S0267364910001093) Valenzuela, Park, & Kee, F. K. (2008). â€Å"Lessons from Facebook: The Effects of Social Network Sites on College Students’ Social Capital. † http://online. journalism. utexas. edu/2008/papers/Valenzuela. pdf * Boyd, D. M. , & Ellison, N. B. (2007). Social network sites: Definition, his tory and scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13, 210–230. * Online Social Networking and Addiction—A Review of the Psychological Literature

Cant and Chant

Cant and Chant Cant and Chant Cant and Chant By Mark Nichol Cant is jargon or trite commentary, or singsong speech. A chant is a type of song. Is there a connection between the words? Yes, and many other words are more or less obviously related. They are both derived from the Latin verb canare, which means â€Å"sing.† Cant originally referred to the repetitive, practiced patter of beggars seeking attention (and alms) and, by extension, came to pertain to the jargon of the underworld and then to terminology promulgated by anyone one opposes or holds in contempt. Cant is also an unrelated term from Latin (possibly by way of an earlier Celtic word) meaning â€Å"angle† or â€Å"slope†; this is the source of canton (meaning â€Å"corner† and used in reference to regions, as in the divisions of Switzerland) and possibly cantilever, which refers to a projecting structural element anchored only at one end. Chant is a noun referring to a simple, repetitive form of singing and, by extension, rhythmic repetitive speaking, often spoken loudly and in groups, as in a protest or at an athletic competition; it is also a verb describing such performances. A chanter is one who chants; the feminine French form, chanteuse, was adopted into English to refer to a female singer, especially a nightclub entertainer. The variant cantor, from the Latin word referring to a vocal performer, is now used primarily to an official singer and prayer leader in a Jewish religious ceremony or service; precentor (â€Å"singer before†) is an equivalent term for a choirmaster in some other religious traditions. Other related terms include canto, an Italian word for song that now usually pertains to a section of a long poem; â€Å"bel canto† (in Italian, literally â€Å"beautiful singing†), a form of opera; cantata, which refers to a song, often religious in character, with voice and instruments and sung in several parts; canticle, meaning â€Å"little song† (with the same diminutive ending element as, for example, article and particle) and referring to a hymn; and canzone (Italian for â€Å"singing† or â€Å"song†), a word for a medieval sung poem. Descant, with a prefix that means â€Å"apart,† refers to a high melody sung distinct from the main melody of a song. Additional words include chanson, which is from an Old French word for â€Å"song† and refers to a cabaret-style song; chantey (with the variations chanty and shanty)- likely from chantez, the imperative form of chanter, a French word that means â€Å"song†- which refers to a sailor’s work song; and chanticleer, which derives from the character of a rooster in medieval verse narratives. Also descended from canere, we have recant, which means â€Å"renounce an opinion† and stems from requiring heretics to disavow their beliefs by chanting the renunciation. An incantation, meanwhile, is a chanted spell or other vocalization as part of a ritual, and enchantment, which originally pertained to being subject to a magic spell, by extension came to mean â€Å"charmed by beauty or another quality†; an enchantress is a woman who has this effect on others. (Charm itself, which pertains to the action of charming or to the quality of charm or to a magic amulet, is indirectly related as well.) More obscure relatives include accent, which refers to a particular pronunciation or emphasis, and incentive, which originally applied to that which stirs one’s mind or soul but in the mid-twentieth century acquired the mundane sense of â€Å"something that motivates.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Math or Maths?Between vs. In BetweenHow Verbs Become Adjectives