Reflect on your reading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reflect on your reading - Essay Example Redding 1). Wilson knew that the Drugs were not harmful as initially thought and should have suspended the search and looked for other prudent ways of asking the girl why she carried the prescriptions to school. I agree with the judges finding that there was no need to be suspicious of Savanas acts based on the drug issues. However, I agree that carrying out a search was essential only to the extent to which evidence could be derived. The suspicion was necessary because it could have been possible that Savana carried other hard drugs to school and using the prescriptions only as collateral. The fourth amendments findings on the search issues were correctly observed (Safford Unified School District v. Redding 4). Case in point is that a search requires a higher threshold and reasonable causes. In order to conduct a search, there has to be reasonable facts leading to a particular action. I agree with the findings that Savanas rights based on the fourth amendment were grossly violated even though the school officials did not live within the confines of the amendment at the time of their

Effects Of Offshore drilling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Effects Of Offshore drilling - Essay Example Oil wells are regularly high rise size articles many feet beneath the surface. They are greatly mind boggling structures and the scarcest misstep might be annihilating to natures turf. When boring can start, exploratory wells are situated up to discover the accurate oil gushers. When a spot is found with a sufficient measure of oil, a subsea boring format is placed set up to guide out where the parts of the well ought to be spotted. In the following step, a drill string, which join from the beginning the stage, is utilized to make gaps in the sea depths. At the point when the opening is profound enough, metal channel packaging is situated up around the dividers of the gap to stabilize it. Finally, a conductor funnel is placed set up to keep spillage from the openings. When petroleum is hit, preparation packaging is established to permit the oil to be pumped to the surface. (George et al. 13-23) More down home oil penetrating will have no impact on the current spike in gas costs. U.S. oil creation is presently at a ten-year high, while gas costs keep on skyrocketing. A year ago alone, oil processing expanded more in U.S than in any viable nation on the planet. Creation in the Outer Continental Shelf developed by more than a third in the previous two years, and preparation in the Gulf of Mexico got 1.6 million barrels of oil for every day a year ago - a record-breaking record. Energy Information Administration projections show that an extension of seaward penetrating wouldnt lower gas costs until 2030, and afterward by just a couple of pennies for every gallon. With just two percent of the worlds saves, the U.S. commitment to the worldwide business sector could never be sufficiently high to essentially adjust world oil costs. Regardless, the House is voting to build seaward oil boring and to debilitate oversight of penetrating operations, utilizing higher gas costs as the affection. These votes

The Business Management Of Skylark Hotel Tourism Essay

The Business Management Of Skylark Hotel Tourism Essay The brainstorming process took about a week. After careful thought and consideration, we decided to venture into the hotel business. There are many reasons for this. Firstly, we felt that the demand for hotels in Singapore will be very high as Singapore is a booming tourism industry. Furthermore, many events in Singapore such as the Formula 1 Grand Prix and the upcoming Youth Olympic Games ensure that there will be countless tourists flocking to the little red dot. Also, we noticed that not many people venture into the hotel business despite its high demand. Thus we decided on using the hotel as our main business. We have also created a website, Facebook and Twitter accounts to further enhance our business. This serves as a platform for our customers to know more about our business and also serves as a communication platform between our business and valued customers. By doing this, we can receive feedback from our valued customers and establish a positive relationship with them. Our Profile Business Name: Skylark hotel Business Location: Stadium Boulevard, 52 Stadium Road (397724) hotel location macro.PNG Business Objectives: Skylarks objective is to treat all guests as prestigious members of the hotel, by employing dedicated staff to cater to the guests needs and wants during their stay. The safety and satisfaction of our guests is our primary responsibility. Mission Statement: To provide authentic hospitality by offering exclusive service and facilities for your comfort. Vision Statement: To provide great experiences to each valued guest that walks through Skylarks doors by building a trustworthy and long lasting relationship with our prestigious guests through a process of continuous improvement in our service. Values: SincerityÆ’Â  Ã‚  To establish and maintain a level of trust with our guests. KeennessÆ’Â   To show a willingness to learn from our mistakes and reflect upon the guests feedback. YouthfulÆ’Â  Ã‚  To allow the employees to bring their enthusiasm to work and have fun. LoyaltyÆ’Â  Dedication and full commitment in serving our valued guests AccountabilityÆ’Â  To take ownership and responsibility in all the tasks that are being allocated RespectÆ’Â  To have a basic courtesy level between colleague, subordinate and top ranking managers.   KindÆ’Â  To be polite and courteous to every single guest that walks through the Skylarks doors. Smart Goals We are aiming to welcome at least 1000 guests within the first 6 months of our official opening, thus making expected hotel revenue of $500,000. To achieve full occupancy during the Holiday periods. To be known as an eco friendly hotel by the end of our 1st year operation To be featured in the hotel business magazine by the 2nd year of our operation To be awarded the Excellent Service Award by the 3rd year of our operation Policies All hotel room rates are subject to change without notice. Payment may be made by cash or credit cards such as MasterCard, Visa or American express card. We are committed to minimising the impact of our operations on the environment. We are willing to comply with most of the laws and regulations with regards to saving the environment. We will prompt our guests and employees to participate or lead in the protection of our environment. We will ensure that the products supplied by our suppliers is environmentally-friendly. Monitoring the performance of hotel and employees will take place every 6 months so that we can review what we have achieved or failed and improve on it accordingly. We will not be held liable for any loss or damage to any valuables.   We will not be held responsible for any accidents or injuries to our guests during their stay in our hotel Procedures If the reservation made by a potential guest has been confirmed by the hotel, the guest is guaranteed a hotel room. Though we cannot give a guarantee to satisfy our guests request, we will try our best to satisfy any requests made relating to room number or location. All reservations must be made at least 3 days prior to your arrival date.   All reservations will require an advanced deposit equalling the cost of staying in the requested room for a day. All cancellations of reservations have to be made the day following the reservation. If it is cancellation is made any later, deposits by the guests will be forfeited. Our check-in time is anytime after 12 noon. Our checkout time is 12 noon. A late checkout charge of $150 will be charged to rooms that check out after 12 noon. Hotel guests will be responsible for any damages found in their room once they check out. Rules and Regulation The hotel is authorized to only accommodate properly registered guests. Guests are to present their valid ID card or passport for confirmation. Smoking is prohibited in the hotel rooms. Be advised to keep your valuables in your room safe which is located in your cabinet. On the basis of a confirmed booking the hotel is to reserve the room for the guest up to 6:00 PM only, unless the booking stipulates otherwise. Guests should not move furniture, or interfere with the electrical network or any other installations in the hotel rooms or on the premises of the hotel without the consent of the hotel management. No gambling of any kind or unlawful behavior is permitted in the hotel. Employees are to wear their uniform smartly in the hotel premises at all time. Planning Decision making model Ratings from 1 to 5 shows which business fits the criteria the best. Business venture Type of business Knowledge of the field Practicality to be applied in Singapore Maintenance Expense Uniqueness Total Retail shop 2 3 3 3 13 Restaurant 3 5 4 2 14 Hotel management 5 4 2 4 15 Investment centre 4 2 5 1 12 Sports complex 1 1 1 5 8 Definition of criteria: Knowledge of the fieldÆ’Â   How familiar we are with the different types of businesses. Practicality to be applied in SingaporeÆ’Â   How effective is it to set up such a business in Singapore. Maintenance ExpenseÆ’Â   The expenses that will be incurred in future in order to keep the facilities and area of the business under appropriate and acceptable conditions. Uniqueness Æ’Â  The type of business we choose must be few in quantity in Singapore Thus, we have chosen to venture into hotel management as most of us have an extensive knowledge about the field and furthermore, it is can be applied in the Singapore context. Additionally, it is also fairly unique as not many people venture into this type of business. Location of business Location Accessibility Competitiveness Amount of Space Landmarks available in the location Rental Total Marina Bay 4 1 3 4 2 14 Harbour Front 2 4 4 3 5 18 Orchard 5 2 1 5 1 14 Holland Road 1 3 2 1 3 10 Stadium Boulevard 3 5 5 2 4 19 Definition of criteria: CompetitivenessÆ’Â  the presence of competitors who are in similar businesses may affect our profits Landmarks available in the locationÆ’Â   the presence of well-known places of interest located near the hotel. Amount of space Æ’Â   how large is the space in the particular area. Accessibility Æ’Â  how convenient the location of our hotel is. This means that it has to be near an MRT station and bus-stop. Also, it has to be easily accessible by cars RentalÆ’Â  the cost of using the piece of land Thus, Stadium Boulevard has been chosen as the location accessible as there is an availability of bus and MRT nearby. There are also very few hotels in that area and the amount of space to build our hotel is substantially large. Furthermore, the rental fee is relatively cheaper as compared to the rest of the locations. Name of Hotel Name Uniqueness Meaningful Number of votes Total Olympian 2 6 1 9 Sphere 3 2 0 5 Skylark 5 5 2 12 iHotel 1 1 0 2 Metamorphosis 6 4 0 10 Synergy 4 3 2 9 Definition of criteria: Uniqueness Æ’Â  how different our hotel name is as compared to other names. This means that the name chosen have to be distinctive and is not a duplicate of other businesses. Meaningful Æ’Â  choosing a name which has a special meaning tagged along with it and is able to represent the vision and mission of our hotel. Number of votes Æ’Â  how many of our group members favoured the name of the hotel We have chosen Skylark as the hotel name because it is considered to be unique. Furthermore, it is considered as meaningful as the work sky represents the location of the business which is surrounded by nature. Also, it has won one of the highest numbers of votes by our group members. Fundamentals of planning Strategic planning Strategic planning is done by top management where long-term goals are established and available resources are identified. The owner, general manager, assistant general manager and resident manager will meet up monthly to review the hotels progress and check if the long-term goals are achievable. They will also be responsible for the changing or maintaining the overall direction of the hotel and they will look into ways to cope with the highly competitive hotel industry. Tactical planning Tactical planning will be done by the managers under the control of the top management. They will be responsible for implementing the policies made by the top managers. They are also responsible for the managers under their power. Also, in Skylark hotel, these managers will act as middlemen between first-line management and the top management. This means that these managers have to convey the problems the first-line managers face to the top management if they cannot solve it.   Operational planning The managers in this section are known as first-line managers. They are responsible for carrying out daily tasks and motivating employees. They are also responsible to solve problems with regard to the employees. Organisational Environment Internal Stakeholders The internal stakeholders of our company include 150 employees from a diversity of races and age and genders, an owner, and also a board of directors. External Stakeholders The external stakeholders of the hotel comprises of the task and general environment. Task Environment Customers The most important of all is our prestigious customers, both local and foreigners which will help boost our business as they are the main sources of our income. Without the presence of the customers, it will then be impossible for us to make any profits. Our targeted demographic are families. Thus, this explains why we many facilities which permit them to bond together as a family. Quality of Services Location Good Food (Buffet) Attractive Rates Discount and offer Environment Quiet and welcoming colour tones, furniture and employees Suppliers As for food and beverages, our main supplier is Pines Catering. External suppliers are also required to provide raw materials for our construction and furnishings. For construction, our supplier is Pluspoint Premier Global while for furnishings; our supplier is Aceman Renovation and Trading. Competitor As for our main competitors, they are the nearby hotels which are Resort World Sentosa, Marina Bay Sands and Fragrance Hotel Admiral which may negatively affect our profits. Our main rival is Resort World Sentosa. Besides providing accommodation, they provide numerous holiday packages for the guests. An illustration is the 3D2N Ultimate Fun Package where they get passes to Universal Studios Singapore and as well as complimentary drinks when they first arrived at the hotel. Marina Bay Sands is also another opponent of our hotel. Besides the usual amenities for the guests, Marina Bay Sands also provide golf course for their customers. Thus, the packages that our rivals promote aggressively will indirectly affect us as this will reduce the number of guests in our hotel. Our hotel may resort to coming out with similar or even better packages to draw more customers. Media By having a close relationship with the media, our hotel will be able to secure recognition faster. Joining forces together with travel agencies, our business will prosper as it helps our hotel to gain reputation. Other stakeholders included the interest groups, the government, lenders and unions. General Environment The general environment comprises many external forces which are mostly beyond the control of our hotel. Economic forces General economic trends happening world-wide can affect our hotels earnings due to a stronger or weaker dollar value. Thus, we need to ensure that our hotel should charge reasonable rates to customers so as to maintain our competitiveness even during a recession. This will allow us to attract more customers. Socio cultural forces As Singapore is a multicultural country, our hotel would need to respect and be mindful of the various practices and deep-seated beliefs of the different races and religions. Technological forces Our hotel has pertained technology by adapting to the advancements of technology by having our very own website, Facebook page and Twitter account. The website enables our customers to book hotel rooms online, view special offers available and browse the amenities provided at the comfort of their home. In addition, they are able to provide us with feedback on the website and our hotel can improve on our weaknesses and progress. International forces As the world has just suffered from an economy crisis, this will cause a decline in the numbers of guests in the hotel. However, Singapore has political stability, which means that there will be no riots or protests to deter the tourists from coming into Singapore. Political-legal forces As the law holds up certain rules and laws to prevent inappropriate acts in hotel such as prostitution and gambling. In addition, the law assists our hotel to uphold order to ensure an enjoyable stay for the guests. Organisation Structure Task and roles General Manager The duties of a general manager include managing other managers and the hotel staff, budgeting cost and cross-referring to actual budget, managing hotel projects, managing hotel emergencies and public relations with the media. This means that a general manager usually oversees most or all of the firms  marketing  and  sales  functions and the day-to-day  operations  of the business. The general manager is also responsible for leading the  strategic planning  functions of the hotel. Assistant General Manager An assistant general manager aids the general manager in his decisions such as business agendas. He also assists the general manager in completing the paperwork which is not very important and he is tasked with reporting all problems in the hotel to the general manager. However, he can solve these problems if he is able to and thereby, allowing the hotel to run smoothly. Resident manager The main job of the resident manager is to respond to any problems or emergencies in the hotel while overlooking the day-to-day operations of the hotel. They stay in the hotel and are on call 24 hours a day. However, they only work for a certain period of time per day although they are on call throughout the day. House-keeping manager Basically, the house-keeping manager supervises work activities of cleaning personnel to ensure clean and attractive rooms in the hotel. The house-keeping manager also assigns duties, inspect work, and investigate complaints regarding housekeeping and takes corrective action as required. He is also required to purchase housekeeping supplies and equipment, train new employees, and recommend dismissals. Front Office Manager Front office managers are responsible making the guests stay at the hotel as pleasant as possible. This means to ensure that the guests are treated courteously and make sure all the complaints and problems of the guests are resolved as fast as possible. They are also handed the responsibility of reservations, tracking the status of the rooms and ensure that guests special request are carried out. They also have the authority to adjust the charges posted on the customers bill. Telecom operator Hotel telecom operators are required to transfer foreign or outside calls to the appropriate guest room. He also has to answer or transfer all incoming calls. He is responsible for informing the guests about the latest information on guest services and also processes and executes the wake-up calls to the guests. He also helps to inform the guests about the latest events and happenings at the hotel. Chief engineer The chief engineer is responsible for maintaining the performance of the maintenance or engineering department in the hotel. He also has to ensure that the hotel is in working order and fix any problems related to the structure of the hotel. He or she has to maintain the exterior of the building, the car park and check the furniture in the guest rooms and take corrective measures if anything is wrong with the furniture. He must be able to respond to emergencies, even after working hours. Most importantly, he must have the troubleshooting ability to be able to solve any problem in the hotel on the spot. Chief of security Chief of security is responsible for overseeing the safety of the hotel throughout the day, especially in the evening. He may also have other responsibilities such as walking around the hotel property to ensure that everyone is safe. He is also tasked with responding to guest. The chief of security must be able to solve problems quickly and respond to emergency situations effectively. Human resources manager The human resource manager is responsible for the administrative function of the hotel. This means to recruit, interview or hire new employees into the organisation in accordance to the strategic plan made by top executives. They are also responsible for all areas related to employees such as providing them uniforms and giving them employee benefits. Human resources managers are tasked with providing training for the new employees to improve the employee skills and to increase customer satisfaction. In todays society, human resources managers lead the hotel by suggesting and changing policies after consultation with top executives. Food and beverage manager The food and beverage manager is responsible for overseeing, with the chef, the purchasing of all the ingredients necessary to complement the items on the menu. It may require training new employees and monitoring the staff in the dining room to see if they are following the hotel style of service. Sometimes, the food and beverage manager may also be called up to resolve matters with the guests unhappy with the food. It is also very important to keep the morale in the food and beverage section. Sales director The sales director is responsible for maximising the occupancy of the hotel. He also works with the general manager with regards to operational issues. The sales director must have excellent communication skills as he is responsible for negotiating with suppliers to provide the goods the hotel needs at a low price and he needs it to establish rapport with clients or suppliers. Controller The hotel controllers job is to report financial information timely and accurately. He is also responsible for financial forecasting, both short-term and long-term. He manages the accounting and financial staff and he may be required to train new employees. This organisational chart is done in accordance to functional departmentalisation. This organisation adopts a wide span of control. It is because the Resident Manager alone is in-charge of three departments. In these departments, the top supervisors or managers will have another range of subordinates. The organisation has a decentralisation of authority. In each sector of the company, they have their own managers that are accountable for them. The employees do not have to get approval from the General Manager or anyone from around that status. Instead the employees just have to get approval from their immediate manager or supervisor. Organisation Culture Hotel Services: As the top notch hotel, as part of the culture, we aim to serve with a smile. The employees of the hotel should go the extra mile for the customers to make sure they are feeling euphoric. If we are able to provide smiles and go the extra mile, the customers will feel the warmth of the hotel and the chances of them coming back would increase. Integrity Our employees must have integrity so that we are able to establish trust with our guests. Hotel Maintenance: The customers needs and wants are to be satisfied. The maintenance service provider is to be on standby twenty four hours, ready to aid the customers if they request for it. This is to make sure that our customers do not have to wait a long period of time or wait till the next day till the maintenance service provider is available. By doing this, they provide maintenance all day. Hotel facilities: The hotel will also look into finding restaurants which are highly recommended by the foreigners to open a branch in the hotel. The hotel will also provide international food just in case some of the foreigners who are not used to the food in Singapore, they can always come back to the hotels restaurant to eat the food old in their country. Hotel Venue Security The security guards are also to be on patrol twenty four hours around the hotel and at the lobby. This is to prevent anyone from stirring trouble around the hotel or in the hotel. By having such arrangements, our hotel will become a popular choice to the foreigners for our top notch security. Employee Feedback There will be a meeting held every six months to help improve the quality of the hotel as well as employees benefits. During this meeting, employees are invited and allowed to voice out their feedbacks about their superiors and the benefits they want to improvement on. As for the employees benefit, all employees are given a twenty percent discount off the total bill when they dine in the hotel. The meals of the employees are also provided. Breakfast and lunch will be provided for those on morning shift, lunch and dinner will be provided for those on afternoon shift. The employees who work over-time will receive one and a half times the basic pay. Employee Procedure: All employees are to report to their immediate supervisors or managers for report updates and decision making. However, for key decisions which may affect the company greatly, the Chief Executive Officer will make the final decision. The Chief Executive Officer also has the right to change any decisions made by any supervisor and manager. For documents which need to be signed or approved, it will require at least two managers signature and stamp depending on the situation. This is to prevent any misleading by one manager or supervisor causing the company to make a wrong decision. At least with two signatures, two managers would have gone through the document and discussed to make sure there is no fault or attempt of fraud in it. Leadership In our company, each and every one of our employee is look upon as a leader. Leadership style: We would want to have leaders with the following characteristics Approachable Each employee is to be able to be approached easily and is able to lend a helping hand when others are in need. Hierarchy is not our main priority in our company. However, basic respect still has to be shown. We would like to ensure a friendly and conducive working environment for everyone. Influential Each manager should inspire their fellow colleague, subordinate and employees to do their best in everything that they do. We encourage motivation to spread around the working environment. Little deeds should be praised and recognised. This will contribute to a positive working experience for everyone. Forward-Looking Each employee should learn to be forward looking as this will eventually benefit the business in many ways. This does not only imply to the top managers but also all employees. Since we have a relatively flat hierarchy, this helps us to be able to obtain contribution from everyone. By being forward looking, we will be able to seize each and every opportunity that come and also, avoid any circumstances that could affect the profitability of our business. In addition, by being forward looking, we will also be able to stay ahead of our competitors such as Marina Bay Sands. Reward Power Our business is using the monetary incentives to manage our employees. This means that employees are given certain incentives for going beyond the call of duty. The best employee of each department each month will be rewarded with a free hotel stay of 3 days 2 nights. This also serves as a motivation for the employees to strive for their best while doing their work. Hersey and Blanchards Situational Leadership We would also like to adopt the Hersey and Blanchards Situational Leadership where the leadership style depends on the employees readiness. The leadership styles include telling, selling, participating and delegating. However, we are eventually aiming to use the leadership style of delegating where our employees are able and willing to do their job. This style involves a low task behavior and a low relationship behavior. However, to achieve this, we would use more of selling which involves both high task behavior and a high relationship behavior. This means that the employees are unable but willing or confident. We would then guide them to ensure they eventually will be able to do their job well. Controlling Our hotel would like to control the quality of service offered to the guests. We should provide our prestigious customers with the top-rated of service so that they will patronize our hotel again. In order to be top-rated, our hotel has scheduled the work time of the employees in such a way that there will be at least someone available to attend to the needs of the guests. Feedforward control Firstly, our hotel will provide our employees with training such as customer service course. This is to ensure that our employees are equipped with the necessary skills needed. Thus, our hotel is able to provide our guests with top-rated service for them to enjoy their stay in our hotel. In this case, we are applying Feedforward control. Concurrent control Our hotel can relate Concurrent control, by asking our guests for their valuable feedback during their stay. When our staffs get the chance to meet the guests, we could get their advices and improve from there by incorporating their advices. Feedback control Lastly, Feedback control is also useful to bring our hotel to a greater height. Before the guests leave our hotel, we can provide them with a feedback form and request them to rate our service. In addition, they may do this on our hotels website if they do not have the time to complete the feedback form. By getting their advices, we could then work on our weaknesses and progress from there. Our hotel also likes to control the facilities available in our company. We need to make sure that all of our facilities are in tip-top condition for our guests to use. According to Feed forward control, our hotel will conduct checks on the facilities every month to ensure that every equipment is in working order. Should we receive any complaints regarding the facilities by the guests, our hotel will send an engineer down to solve the problem immediately. If we are unable to do so immediately, we aim to complete the repairs by three days so that our guests are entitled to use the amenities. First-line managers can apply operational control by having debrief with their subordinates just before they end their work on a daily basis. They can also mention about the feedbacks and suggestions offered by the guests. Tactical control can be included by having meetings fortnightly. The meeting compromises of the middle managers and the first-line managers. During the meetings, they can come up with ways to promote our hotel or even adding in facilities to allow our hotel to soar. Lastly, strategic control is the most essential as it is a meeting where top; middle and first-line managers meet together. The middle and first-line managers can present their suggestions to the top managers. The top managers will then decide whether to implement their suggestions. In addition, they will review the number of customers patronizing our hotel and the revenue of our business. Also, the controlling process is constructive to assist our hotels success.  Firstly, we establish our standards by ensuring every employee undergoes customer service training. Our hotel aims to attain a goal of $500000 revenue in the first six months of our operation. We can measure our performance by taking into consideration the number of guests staying in our hotel and revenue we earned in the first six months. Comparing our goals with our actual revenue, if we achieved our goal, we will continue with our training and execute other courses that are beneficial for our employees. On the other hand, if we did not attain our goal, we may resort at our publicity and upgrade in our services.

The Invisible Poor :: essays research papers

I believe that the wealthy Americans have moved farther away from the poor then in past generations. James Fallows in †The Invisible Poor† clearly shows how the new technology millionaires awareness of the poor has diminished greatly. I believe that this is due to several reasons the most important being the young age in which wealth and success are reached. The technology millionaires are much younger then previous generations of millionaires and thus are removed much earlier one. They find success very easy and can not see why others can’t obtain the same wealth as they have. They also limit their circle of friends to those with similar interests or backgrounds. They have limited time and only spend what free time they have (beyond family and work obligations) with those who they are comfortable with. This comfort is generated by their common threads such as education, similar employment or social activities. When the rich stay within this circle they no longer are exposed to the poor and thus they forget that they exist. When they are exposed to the poorer people it makes them uncomfortable (like when the cleaning lady was around) instead of dealing with it or helping they choose to avoid the situation. Figuring if you avoid it then you’re not admitting that it exists, thus not having to deal with them. I believe that since the article was written times have changed somewhat with the collapse of the stock market in a sense. Many people losing their jobs in the high tech world may bring some of them back to reality and acknowledge those less fortunate. They are now looking for jobs and finding that their skills were limited to the high tech industry. Many are now taking lower paying jobs to get by. They have discovered that the wealth of stock options are now worth allot less. Making many of them near poverty themselves.

Environmental Psychology Essay

Environmental psychology is the study of transactions between individuals and their physical settings (Gifford, 2007a). In these transactions, individuals change their environments, and their behavior and experiences are changed by their environments. It includes theory, research, and practice aimed at making the built environment more humane and improving human relations with the natural environment. Considering the enormous investment society makes in the physical environment (including buildings, parks, streets, the atmosphere, and water) and the huge cost of misusing nature and natural resources, environmental psychology is a key component of both human and environmental welfare. Environmental psychologists work at three levels of analysis: (a) fundamental psychological processes like perception of the environment, spatial cognition, and personality as they filter and structure human experience and behavior, (b) the management of social space: personal space, territoriality, crowding, and privacy, and the physical setting aspects of complex everyday behaviors, such as working, learning, living in a residence and community, and (c) human interactions with nature and the role of psychology in climate change (e.g., Gifford, 2008a). The history of environmental psychology has been reviewed elsewhere (see Bechtel & Churchman, 2002, Bell, Greene, Fisher, & Baum, 2001, and Gifford, 2007a). But, for perspective, we note that early 20th century psychologists studied the effect of noise (United States) and heat (England) on work performance, while scholars in Germany and Japan explored concepts and moral philosophy related to environmental psychology. By mid-century, environmental psychology was a clearly established discipline with work on topics such as sensory isolation, personal space, and building design. Journals devoted to the field were established; the most prominent of these are the Journal of Environmental Psychology and Environment and Behavior. The IAAP Handbook of Applied Psychology, First Edition. Edited by Paul R. Martin, Fanny M. Cheung, Michael C. Knowles, Michael Kyrios, Lyn Littlefield, J. Bruce Overmier, and Josà © M. Prieto.  © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Published 2011 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. c18.indd 440 11/25/2010 8:54:04 PMMartin—IAAP Handbook of Applied Psychology Se Environmental Psychology 441 While recognizing the value of theory and research, many environmental psychologists nevertheless prefer to apply knowledge. Instead of working in an research setting, many enter into consultancy or public service to make good use of research findings for developing policy or solving local problems. Some are geared to improving the built environment (e.g., Preiser, Vischer, & White, 1991), while others are dedicated to overcoming sustainability problems in the natural and global ecosystems (e.g., Gifford, 2007b; Nickerson, 2003). The Distinctiveness of Environmental Psychology Most psychologists examine the relations between environmental stimuli and human responses in one way or another. However, what sets environmental psychology apart is its commitment to research and practice that subscribe to these goals and principles: (a) Improve the built environment and stewardship of natural resources, (b) Study everyday settings (or close simulations of them), (c) Consider person and setting as a holistic entity, (d) Recognize that individuals actively cope with and shape environments; they do not passively respond to environmental forces, (e) Work in conjunction with other disciplines. Figure 18.1 broadly depicts the scope of environmental psychology.

Is ObamaCare Bad for Business? Essay

On March 23rd, 2010, President Barack Obama signed into legislation the â€Å"Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.† Since then, the new bill, nicknamed â€Å"ObamaCare,† has sparked heated controversy all across the country between Democrats and Republicans, each side fiercely tearing at each other with facts and statistics. I was curious as to what all the hoopla was about, so I decided to look into ObamaCare, and find out what I could about the 2,000-page mandate. I decided to discuss ObamaCare with my step mom, who owns a health clinic in Oregon. Getting a small business owner’s point of view on ObamaCare seemed a smart way to get a more objective understanding of how the public was reacting, aside from any political squabble that tends to drown out the issue at hand. While talking with her, she explained how she was forced to shut down her clinic because of ObamaCare. That moment narrowed the focus of my research into one crucial question: Is ObamaCare good or bad for small businesses in America? This is a question that is very complex, as the answer can be a yes, no, or in-between. Democrats support the mandate, while Republicans reject it. Hence the controversy surrounding the bill. To further my understanding, I went online and tried filtering through the immense plethora of information on ObamaCare. My next step would be to get a general understanding of what the bill is, and how it works. From what I could gather, ObamaCare is basically a mandate that requires all Americans to have health insurance by 2015, or else suffer a hefty penalty that will increase with each year. The main focus of the mandate is towards individuals and small businesses whom cannot afford health insurance. According to Karen Pollitz at abcnews.com, ObamaCare is â€Å"a law enacted to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable health insurance. It does this by offering consumers discounts (known as tax credits) on government-sponsored health insurance plans, and by expanding the Medicaid assistance program to include more people who don’t have it in their budgets to pay for health care.† To get back to the question at hand, is ObamaCare good for small businesses? Democrats really seem to believe so. As was said before, Democrats support the mandate, and claim that ObamaCare has helped improve the economy since the law was signed. Not only that, but the mandate has cut healthcare costs. According to obamacarefacts.com, when asked about ObamaCare hurting small businesses, the response was addressed as â€Å"The unbiased truth on ObamaCare and Small Business.† The response stated that ObamaCare helps most small businesses, not hurts them. The response goes on to address how small business owners have had a harder time providing insurance to their employees through history as a result of rising insurance costs. All the while larger businesses remain largely unaffected. The website also states that â€Å"today, almost half of America’s uninsured are small business owners, employees, or their dependents.† Small businesses can also apply for a tax credit to help with insurance costs by using ObamaCare, for up to 35% of costs for 2 years, depending on the circumstances. To restate what was said earlier about what ObamaCare basically is, the mandate includes a certain clause that says that businesses that refuse to offer insurance coverage to employees and individuals who do not have insurance by the end of 2014 will be forced to pay a heavy penalty, about $2-3,000 per uninsured employee. The rates increase each year as well, which should deter large businesses from dropping employees or cutting back everyone’s hours to part-time, to make sure employees get the benefits they deserve. Here comes the messy part: the political backlash of Republicans refuting the so-called â€Å"facts.† Republicans are dead set on their opinion that ObamaCare is bad for small businesses, not good. To begin refuting the Democrats’ claims, the tax credit that small businesses can apply for is not as sweet as the candy looks. Yes, you can apply for the tax credit, but what the Democrats failed to mention is that you have to go through four complicated tests to even qualify. Less than a fourth of small businesses make it past the first three tests trying to get the tax credit. Not to mention that the credit only lasts two years at the most, not very long at  all. This makes the credit practically useless, as it is not even assured you will get the full 35%, but rather you can receive up to 35% of the credit, depending on your circumstances. President Obama had a famous quote from when he was first advertising ObamaCare: â€Å"If you like your current health plan you can keep it. We don’t want you to have to change.† This quote haunts the President amidst reports that 3.5 million Americans who purchase health care plans on their own have now lost their coverage because of ObamaCare. Scott Gottlieb writes, â€Å"Very soon, small businesses will share a similar fate.† They will also see their health plans canceled as a result of ObamaCare. These small businesses will be faced with a bleak choice: find another, more costly policy that’s compliant with ObamaCare, or put their employees in the ObamaCare exchange. While a smaller percentage of business plans may get canceled (relative to the fraction of individual market plans that are now being terminated) the small group market is nonetheless much bigger than the individual market. Even if ObamaCare materially affects a smaller slice of the business plans, it will still encumber far more people than the 3.5 million individuals now losing coverage. Some small businesses used a loophole last year in 2013 so that they could delay the mandate requirements until January 1st, 2015. That means they should be getting their cancellation notices in the mail around November of 2014. News of these cancellations will go directly to the employees, much like the cancellations being sent out now. After researching diligently on ObamaCare, the question I started off with in the beginning is ready to be answered.Yes, there are many bad things about the mandate that affect businesses, such as loss of coverage to employees, penalties that cost businesses their revenue, and people losing their coverage entirely. There are also some good things about the mandate too, like some small businesses will be able to cover their employees with healthcare for the first time. Small businesses can also receeive tax credits and tax breaks to help them survive our economic hardships. But the debate goes on, and every person has their own opinions and bias on the issue, which in turn answers the question for them. For me, I do not like  ObamaCare one bit, as it implies that the needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many in terms of healthcare. But that is a question of personal ethics, not the effects of ObamaCare. Works Cited Gottlieb, Scott. â€Å"Thousands Of Small Businesses Will Also Start Losing Their Current Health Policies Under Obamacare. Here’s Why.† Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 6 Nov. 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottgottlieb/2013/11/06/thousands-of-small-businesses-will-also-start-losing-their-current-health-policies-under-obamacare-heres-why/ â€Å"What Is Obamacare?.† About.com US Economy. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. http://useconomy.about.com/od/healthcarereform/f/What-Is-Obama-Care.htm â€Å"ObamaCare: 2.5 million more jobs lost, another trillion in deficit spending.† Human Events. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. http://www.humanevents.com/2014/02/04/obamacare-2-5-million-more-jobs-lost-another-trillion-in-deficit-spending/ â€Å"ObamaCare Small Business Facts.† ObamaCare Small Business Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-smallbusiness.php Neporent, Liz. â€Å"Obamacare Explained (Like You’r e An Idiot).† ABC News. ABC News Network, 23 Dec. 2013. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/obamacare-explained-idiot/story?id=21292932 â€Å"Is Obamacare Financially Burdensome for Businesses? – DEBATED.† Obamacare/ Health Care Laws. N.p., 11 Oct. 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. http://healthcarereform.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=001840