Genting Group PEST Analysis

Genting Group PEST Analysis Genting Group is a subsidiary and affiliates operating under the Genting name and is recognize as one of the Asias leading and best manage multinationals company. There are currently 5 public companies and 3 jurisdictions in the group which is also operate under the name of Genting with a combined market capitalization of over RM131 Billion (US$41 billion) as at 30 November 2010 (Genting Group, 2010). The 5 public companies in the Genting Group which is including Genting Berhad, Genting Malaysia Berhad, Genting Plantations Berhad, Genting Singapore PLC, which is also the subsidiary company and Genting Hong Kong Limited is an affiliates company (Genting Group, 2010). These public companies and their subsidiaries and affiliates are involved in different businesses, including leisure hospitality, power generation, oil palm plantation, property development, biotechnology and oil gas. In this group, they have over 58,000 employees, 4,500 hectares of prime resort land and about 133,000 hectares of plantation land. Gentings well-known consumer brands in the leisure hospitality sector such as Resorts World, Maxims, Crockfords, Awana, Star Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line (Genting Group, 2010). Genting Berhad is an investment holding and management company of Genting Group. The founder of the Genting Group Tan Sri (Dr.) Lim Goh Tong by the late in 1965, when he start the opening development works of constructing a 20 kilometre private access road, across rough mountainous terrains from the foothills to the top of Mount Ulu Kali which is located at 2,000 metres above sea level (Genting Group, 2010). On 30 July 1968 the company was set under the Companies Act 1965 in Malaysia under the original name of Genting Highlands Hotel Sdn Bhd to operate a hotel and casino, and to develop an integrated tourist complex in Genting Highlands. Gentings company registration number is 7916-A and the company changed its name to Genting Highlands Hotel Berhad and its switch into a public company on 24 July 1970. It believed its current name of Genting Berhad on 9 June 1978 (Genting Group, 2010). Genting Berhad 39.5% is owned by Kien Huat Realty Sdn Bhd, a private company controlled by the late Tan Sri (Dr.) Lim Goh Tongs family. Genting Malaysia Berhad also known as Genting Malaysia which is a private limited company on 7 May 1980 in Malaysia by shares under the name of Resorts World Sdn. Bhd. and the company was under the Companies Act of 1965 in Malaysia. The registration of the company is 58019-U and on 14 July 1989 the company changed its name to Resorts World Bhd and also change into a public company (Genting Berhad, 2010). On 30 August 1989, Genting Berhad and Genting Malaysia start a restructuring work, which resulted in Genting Malaysias control from Genting Berhad its whole gaming, hotel and resort operations including of goodwill and other related assets. Since 22 December 1989 Genting Malaysias shares have been listed on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia (Genting Berhad, 2010). Genting Malaysia is mostly running in the hospitality and leisure business and the activities include theme parks, gaming, hotels, seaside resorts and entertainment. The most important place is Resorts World Genting which is included family leisure and entertainment resort at the peak of Genting Highlands successfully attracted 19.5 million visitors in 2009 (Genting Berhad, 2010). Known as Resorts World Genting, the resort include six hotels with 10 thousand rooms, over sixty fun rides, hundred seventy restaurant dining and some shopping outlets. Besides that there is also mega shows theatre, business convention facilities and endless entertainment in the resort (Genting Berhad, 2010). The six hotels at Resorts World Genting are Maxims Genting, Highlands Hotel, Theme Park Hotel, Resort Hotel, Awana Genting Highlands, Golf Country Resort and First World Hotel which is the worlds largest hotel with 6,118 rooms as acknowledged by the Guinness World Records and Ripleys Believe It or Not. Resorts World Genting was voted the Worlds Leading Casino Resort in the year of 2005, and 2007 to   2009 and Asias Leading Casino Resort from 2005 to 2009 by World Travel Awards (Genting Berhad, 2010). Apart from the Genting highland resort, Genting Malaysia also owns and operates two beautiful seaside properties name Awana Kijal Golf, Beach Spa Resort in Terengganu and Awana Porto Malai in Langkawi (Genting Berhad, 2010). The macro environment analysis of the company What is the PEST about? It is very important that an organization considers its environment before beginning the marketing process. In fact, environmental analysis should be continuous and feed all aspects of planning. In the macro environment PEST is mean that the P stand for Political factors, E stand for Economic factors, S stand for sociocultural factors, and T stand for technological factors (MarketingTeacher, 2010). The political arena has a huge influence upon the regulation of businesses, and the spending power of consumers and other businesses. Economic factors which are the marketers need to consider the state of a trading economy in the short and long-terms. This is especially true when planning for international marketing. Sociocultural factors are mean that the social and cultural influences on business vary from country to country. It is very important that such factors are considered. A technological factor is vital for competitive advantage, and is a major driver of g lobalization (MarketingTeacher, 2010). PEST analysis of Genting Malaysia. (P)olitical: In Malaysia, gambling legalization still faces cultural, religious and political opposition. However, politicians as policy-makers obviously support the conduct of Casino de Genting. On the other hand, other political issues that may be ignored that the casino is owned and operated by a powerful and influential group with high political connections. The money generated in such casino could be used in accessing political parties and contributing to campaign efforts or other political-related activities  (ThinkingMadeEasy, 2010). Because the Malaysian government experienced difficulties in stamping out horse-race betting as well as numbers games after independence was attained in 1957, the government officials set regulate gaming and privatising state-run lotteries and also taxing the trade. However, ethnic Malays are barred by law from casinos lone casino, the Casino de Genting which located 35 miles outside of Kuala Lumpur. Their ethnic Chinese countrymen, nevertheless, are free to mingle with the foreigners at the tables and slot machines. An idea to tap foreigners for gambling revenues, Malaysia becomes a home base for companies that operate only in other countries aside from the domestically operated Casino de Genting (Genting Group, 2010). (E)conomic: In spite of prohibiting Muslims and local citizens from playing, Casino de Genting is prosperous, and is expected to continue to do so. The casino has provided a major number of jobs as well as revenue for the government. The economic power of the country lies in the fact that Casino de Genting is a part of an important tourist destination. Casino de Genting is under the service industry which also provides profitability to other industries and sectors in Malaysia such as hospitality, transportation, retail and food and beverage. Casinos are also important venue where the interplay of goods and services takes place as well as the transfer of ownership, making it a productive sector (ThinkingMadeEasy, 2010). The continued support of the government to promote tourism in Malaysia proved to be significant in the success of Casino de Genting. The Visit Malaysia 2007 tourism programme was deemed successful, not to mention the lower currency rate in the country. Malaysian tourism strategy could highlight the superb gambling experience Casino de Genting could offer in their future tourism programmes. Major Asian cities with wealthier populations and foreign nationals access would be also an opportunity for Casino de Genting to exploit. As the only way forward, the growing consumer demand and market outlooks are forecasted to continually grow in scale and scope (ThinkingMadeEasy, 2010). (S)ocial: Social problems associated with casinos make governments hesitant in pushing gambling efforts. Even so, there are governments which chose to lessen the negative social impact by means of restricting the access of some or all locals or by building casinos in remote areas. The social problems that casinos cultivate include surging of mafia gangs, money-laundering, prostitution and other drug-related crime, and these social dilemmas are regarded to produce high social costs. Casino de Genting is not an exemption, like any other casinos in Asia and all over the world, casinos are perceived to be breeding grounds of high profile crimes and organised crimes (ThinkingMadeEasy, 2010). Besides that, there is a various training and conferences and team-building events were held in 2009, including GENMs 21st Senior Managers Conference at Sentosa Resort Spa in Singapore with the theme Branding and Leadership in a New Competitive Environment and GENMs 16th Human Resources Conference 2009 themed Championing HR Fundamentals held at Awana Genting Highlands. Team building workshops, annual family day events, Employees Appreciation Night and Genting Employees Carnival were also held by the business divisions of the Group to foster team spirit amongst executives and staff (Genting Group, 2010). (T)echnological: Casino de Genting combines the appeal of fast paced technology and the cyberworld. This slot machine haven is equipped with a wide selection of state-of-the-art electronic table games and cashless gaming systems for its machines, with neo-coloured lights and rich graphics, which aims at providing the customers with the ultimate gaming experience. Casino de Genting also makes use of eSourcing through Group Centralised Procurement (GCP). As such, requests for quotations/ proposal/ information will be conducted online and only online registered suppliers will be invited to undergo the selection process. Further, the casino also invests in SAS software to better understand the customers and extract from the informations gathered the most suitable strategies in dealing with them (Resorts World, 2010).   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   2: The international consideration In the year of 1993, Genting expanded its leisure and hospitality businesses into cruise line operations by establishing Star Cruises Limited. Star Cruises was listed in the Singapore Stock Exchange in April 1998 and in the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong in November 2000. In 1998, Genting Malaysia undertook an equity investment in Genting Hong Kong Ltd (formerly known as Star Cruises Limited), the leading cruise operator in the Asia Pacific. Genting Malaysia currently owns about 18.4% of Genting Hong Kong Ltd (ICMR, 2004). After all a while, Genting Singapore PLC (Genting Singapore) is a leading integrated resorts development specialist with over 20 years of international gaming expertise and global experience in developing, operating and marketing internationally acclaimed casinos and integrated resorts in different parts of the world, including Australia, the Americas, Malaysia, the Philippines and the United Kingdom (Genting Singapore PLC, 2010). It is a subsidiary of Genting Berhad and was incorporated in 1984 to invest in leisure and gaming-related businesses outside Malaysia. Genting Group is a collective name for Genting Berhad and its subsidiaries and associates. Genting Group is one of Asias leading and best managed multinationals. The Group is renowned for its strong management leadership, financial prudence and sound investment discipline (Genting Singapore PLC, 2010). Genting Singapore is listed on the Main Board of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (Singapore Exchange). Genting Singapore has an experienced management team that is focused on and committed to growing its business globally. The Group is the largest casino operator in the UK and is developing a world-class integrated family resort in Singapore. Genting Singapore is continuously reviewing new opportunities in the gaming, leisure and hospitality businesses (Genting Singapore PLC, 2010). On 15 October 2010, Genting Malaysia completed its proposed achievement of casino businesses in the United Kingdom, Genting UK from Genting Singapore PLC. Genting UK is the largest casino operator in the UK and a leading innovator in the provision of high quality, customer focused gaming. Genting UK operates 5 casinos in London under renown brands including Crockfords, Maxims Casino Club, The Colony Club, The Palm Beach and London Mint; and a further 41 casinos located within the UK provinces under 3 key brands, namely Circus, Maxims and Mint. These casinos offer visitors a memorable experience with its various slots and table games in addition to restaurants, bars and other entertainments (Genting UK, 2010). On 13 September 2010, Genting New York LLC an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Genting Malaysia was selected as the developer and operator of a video lottery facility at the Aqueduct Racetrack in the City of New York, United States of America. The facility, set upon an area of 413,000 square feet will be known as Resorts World New York. Features of the facility includes approximately 4,500 video lottery terminals, 7,000 car parking lots, a 450-seat 2-storey fast food promenade, 2 high-end restaurants with 200-person capacity, a sports bar restaurant and lounge. Phase 1 is expected to contain approximately 1,600 VLTs to be completed by late spring 2011 and be fully operational by the end of 2011 (Lovett, 2010). 3: The growth of business Ansoffs product market matrix is a well known marketing tool was first published in the Harvard business review 1957 in an article called strategies for diversification. It is used by marketers who have objectives for growth. Ansoffs matrix offers strategic choice to achieve the objectives. There are four categories for selection which is Market Penetration, Market Development, Product Development and Diversification (MarketingTeacher, 2010). In the Genting Berhad, the corporation is targeting the new market in New York City, United States. So the company is using the market development section because Genting Berhad is selling the Casino and Hotel Product, so with the existing product range in the new market. This means that the product remains the same but it is marketed to the new audience (MarketingTeacher, 2010). Organization introduces their new products to the new market such as new countries in order to gain more customers and profit (ThinkingMadeEasy, 2009). In this New York gambling project, Genting Berhad spends $1.3 Billion according to its proposal submitted to state authorities. Genting New York will pay a licensing fee of $380 million, above the minimum $300 million required by the state. Genting New York intends to spend up to another $350 million to develop the facility, which upon full completion will span 413,000 square feet and contain more than 4,500 video lottery terminals, or electronic slot machines (Low, 2010). Dubbed Resorts World New York, the proposed three-storey facility will also contain several restaurants, water features, an outdoor terrace connected to the Aqueduct racetrack which will be able to accommodate up to 10,000 people and a 2,200-bay car park. Genting New York said it aims to complete the entire development of Resorts World New York within 12 months from the date it obtains formal approval from the state to proceed. As part of a wider development plan, Genting New York is also proposing to build three hotels of differing standards, shopping, recreation, spa and other resort facilities at a total cost of $650 million, and the whole project would take 1.3 Billion (Low, 2010). 4: New venture The Porters 5 Forces tool is a simple but powerful tool for understanding where power lies in a business situation. This is useful, because it helps corporation understand both the strength of the current competitive position, and the strength of a position corporation considering moving into. With a clear understanding of where power lies, corporation can take fair advantage of a situation of strength, improve a situation of weakness, and avoid taking wrong steps. This makes it an important part of corporation planning toolkit. Conventionally, the tool is used to identify whether new products, services or businesses have the potential to be profitable. However it can be very illuminating when used to understand the balance of power in other situations too (MindTool, 2010). The Five Forces Analysis assumes that there are five important forces that determine competitive power in a business situation. These are Supplier Power, Buyer Power, Competitive Rivalry, Threat of Substitution, and Threat of New Entry (MindTool, 2010). Threats of New Entrants Apart from the existing regional competitors, there are no major domestic competitors for Casino de Genting. There are rumours of potential new entrant of Genting Berhad will go into Macau (Ang, 2009). Malaysian analysts had said that the investments could pave the way for Genting to acquire a stake in MGM or to take over the US casino operators investment in MGM Grand Macau (Reuters, 2009). Substitute Products Domestically, there are no substitute products and services being offered by Casino de Genting. However, if we are going to look at the regional schema, China would be the greatest rival. There are at least four major gaming establishments in China as spread in Beijing, Hong Kong and notably, Macau (ThinkingMadeEasy, 2010) In terms of differentiation, Casino de Genting is strategically located complementary to other tourist destinations such as resort and hotels and theme park. Casino de Genting has a distinctive competency of the mixture of Monte Carlo and Las Vegas gaming environment and experience (ThinkingMadeEasy, 2010)    Bargaining Powers of Supplier Casino de Genting has a more advantageous position that its supplier. This is because the Genting Group has the sole autonomy on the gaming products and services, and that suppliers could be easily changes once the group becomes unsatisfied of a certain product or service. Gaming products and services that Casino de Genting considers are audio or visual, electrical and signage, chips and cards and game equipments as well as gaming development, cash handling and facility design and construction (ThinkingMadeEasy, 2010).    Bargaining Power of Buyers Based on the responses, the bargaining power of buyer is definitely weak due to the monopoly in Genting Highlands Resort. As a world-class gaming entertainment area, Casino de Genting has standards suitable for international clientele. If the group desires to monopolised the prices of the products and services, it will have the freedom to do so, which leave the buyers at a disadvantaged position (ThinkingMadeEasy, 2010).    Competitive Rivalry As already mentioned, Casino de Genting has no domestic rival to date, only regional rivals. The strong leadership position of Casino de Genting, however, would not be easy to defeat (ThinkingMadeEasy, 2010). Conclusion The overall appeal and demand of the gaming hospitality experience depends not on a single element. However, the casino brand design must put at the core a distinct defining factor for example the customers, it is also not enough that a casino collates extreme responses because strategic business decisions would not be met if feedbacks are either too good or too bad. Important to have for every casino is an ongoing talk to real casino customers in order to put real meaning to the figures in reports. The best customers also are perceived to be the most honest customers in the pool. They will say what they want, what they need and what is lacking about the brand and how it could be improved (ThinkingMadeEasy, 2010). Genting Group and the Casino de Genting must always bear in mind that customer is now a priority. All the decisions, whether top down or bottom line, shall put the interests of the customers. Several casino properties until now operate in line with the built it and they will come concept. But such stance is now an old mindset. What came to be as important as the corporate image or brand is the maximisation of the role of the customers in optimising the casino operation and the gambling industry as a whole. Competitive advantage is not enough but Casino de Genting must always strive for sustainable competitive advantage. It is recommended that Casino de Genting shall invest more on customer research and in those managers who will advocate customer knowledge management. Nevertheless, Casino de Genting must consider separately internal and external customers. There must be a 360-degree view of the customer by which the modern service standards must be based (ThinkingMadeEasy, 2010).

Effective Use of Pathos :: Writers Writing Composition Essays

Effective Use of Pathos Ellen Goodman and Carol Tavris share styles in writing, audiences, and rhetorical appeals. Both authors write informally and direct their message towards listeners between the age of 30-45 years of age. Goodman and Tavris also use pathos to back up their essays. In Countering the Culture of Sex, Goodman addresses teenage sex and the media. Sex is sold throughout the United States by the television and music. Goodman thinks is the media is going to continue to propagate this material to the youth of the nation, then there needs to be a complete view of sex and the consequences. The images teenagers see today are only positive images of sex. They do not put the bad facts: sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS, and pregnancy, with all the good advertising sex has developed in their minds. Goodman stands for a movement towards correct portrayal of sex in the media. In Groups We Shrink From Loner’s Heroics, Tavris describes the phenomenon of social loafing. Through two incidences, Tavris depicts a society where people in groups allow a murder or beating to take place without intervention. This lack of responsibility stems from the group individual’s belief that someone else is already taking care of the situation. Tavris feels strongly that people who merely stand and watch should also be considered in the wrong. She wants the public to unite and look out for each other’s best interests, to not fall into a diffusion of responsibility. The writing styles in both essays are similar; they are informal. Tavris notes, â€Å"They behave badly because they aren’t paying attention, or they leave it to Harry, or they don’t want to rock the boat†¦Ã¢â‚¬  These modern day phrases make it easier for the reader to understand. These words take Tavris from the status of a Ph. D. in Sociological Psychology to an everyday person trying to make everyone understand her point. Goodman’s informal approach, â€Å"These messages that kids actually listen to ought to be piped into the hearing rooms where Congress is busy concocting a new welfare policy,† make it easier for her to connect with her audience. Welfare is an issue and an area of concern for many adults. The sarcastic, informal tone in Goodman’s words reflects the strength in her own belief and the belief she possess in the everyday citizen.

A Doll’s House - Nora Essay example -- English Literature

Nora is the central character in the book A Doll’s House and it is through her that Ibsen develops many of his themes To what extent is loyalty shown by the lead female characters characters? What are the consequences of this? Within these two books loyalty is a minor theme and one that is easily missed, indeed it is narrow. However, it is still one which weaves a thread through both of the books encompassing major and minor characters, the material and the abstract. In commencing this discussion one must first refer to the definition of the word â€Å"loyalty†; the quality of being loyal. As defined in the Cambridge dictionary, loyal: firm and not changing in your friendship with or support for a person or an organization, or in your belief in your principles. And in the Collins dictionary, loyalty: faithful; a feeling of friendship or duty towards someone or something. Nora is the central character in the book â€Å"A Doll’s House† and it is through her that Ibsen develops many of his themes, one of these being the difficulty of maintaining an individual personality within the confines of a social role/stereotype. Initially Nora seems devoted to her marriage and her husband, â€Å"I would never dream of doing anything you didn’t want me to†. We see the sacrifices she’s made to keep what she has intact and her beloved alive. To all intents and purposes she is the model of loyalty. She appears to be utterly in love with Torvald, she â€Å"looks incredulously† at Mrs.Linde, â€Å"But, Kristine, is that possible?†, when faced with the prospect that someone could be or ever have been in a loveless marriage. She’s proud of her husband, â€Å"My husband has just been made Bank Manager!†, and queen to please him, â€Å"Oh, thank you, than... ...for some miracle. In this she loses her greatest financial asset and her home. These two characters both show signs of strong loyalty but both in different ways and to different things. Subsequently, the consequences for both are extremely different. Nora, in â€Å"A Doll’s House†, through her questioning of her marital relationship and the resulting recognition of false values, manages to achieve the prospect of self awareness and development; this is a direct consequence of her eventual loyalty to herself. Ranyevskaya’s loyalties, on the other hand, lead to her downfall. The combination of her personal loyalties, her enslavement to emotions of which extravagance is the consequence, and her loyalty to the past which results in the denial of the present, can be seen as the two greatest personal factors that are responsible for her loss of the Cherry Orchard.

Automatic Speech Recognition Systems

In addition, the author will evaluate his level of inform in speaking the contents of term paper as opposed to typing one. And lastly, the level of organization required to use speech recognition as opposed to typing. The first automated speech recognition system the author will analyze is produced by a company called Application Technology, or Pupate. Pupate is located in McLean, Virginia, and has been in the Human Language Technology field for over 20 years. Appetites CARS product is called Plainspoken, and is used for speech dictation, broadcast and telephony.This program can do anything from a simple chain of numbers to vocabularies of up to 100,000 words. Plainspoken recognizes continuous speech, offers gender-independent speech recognition, as well as speaker dependent and speaker Independent modes. Opalescence also offers a scalable vocabulary as well as a scalable number of recognized languages. At this time however, the author of this paper was unable to locate a price for t his product on the manufacturers also known as Dragon Naturally Speaking.Nuance offers several different versions from the basic to a more advanced version for legal professionals. Nuance offers several different accent features from Spanish to Southern as well as several vocabulary options. Nuance allows for custom creation of text-to-graphics commands. This software works with PC's as well as multiple types of mobile devices, and is compatible with a multitude of applications. The price range of this product varies from $99 to $1199. (nuance. Com, 2009) The final company and product the author will review is Namespace.Namespace was established in 1996, when Andrew Taylor realized that the Macintosh platform was losing ground in the speech recognition software arena. Like the product from Nuance, Namespace offers several different versions. Their versions vary from a standard dictation version up to a legal reflections version. What is unique about Namespace is that it offers an In ternational version, which supports English, French, German and Italian. The price range is from $195 to $595 for the Namespace program.The drawback here is that this program is primarily written for the Mac computer. (namespace. Com, 2009) Unfortunately, the author was unable to find as much information as he would have liked about the companies and products. If the author had to use this type of product to produce a term paper, I would feel very uncomfortable. I feel I would have lost some aspect of control if I were to use an CARS to produce a term paper. In addition, it would be difficult to Judge the effectiveness and accuracy of an CARS.

Research Project Climate Change Essay

INTRODUCTION Climate change is the variation of the weather in global scale which include changes in temperature, precipitation, nebulosity and other phenomena. These variations last for an extended period of time (decades to millions of years) and they can be caused by external forces (variations on the solar activity, orbital variations, impact of meteorites), internal forces (volcanic eruptions, plate tectonics, El Nino), or by results of the human activity (global warming). Global Warming There are many questions about global warming, from its causes to its effects, and many people even question whether or not it even exists. Global warming is described as the increase of the average temperature of the Earth caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human activities, such as deforestation, use of fertilizers, fossil fuel combustion and cement production. According to the global warming theory, the intensification of industrial activities during the twentieth century (based on the fossil fuel combustion such as petrol and coal) increased the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere. The increase of the global temperature and the new composition of the atmosphere lead to several alterations which affect the elevation of the sea level, heat waves, droughts and heavy rainfall, ocean acidification and species extinctions, to name a few. Greenhouse effect and the emission of CO2 Greenhouse gases keep the Earth warm through a process called the greenhouse effect. If it were not for the greenhouse gases trapping heat in the atmosphere, the Earth would be a very cold place. Greenhouse gases are any of the atmospheric gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation produced by solar warming. They include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and water vapor. Greenhouse gases occur naturally in the atmosphere, but the elevated levels are directly blamed to human activities, specially the production in excess of carbon dioxide when any material containing carbon is burned, such as oil, coal, natural gas, or wood. However it is controversial whether the human activities are to blame for the global warming due to the emission of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide represents a very small percentage of the gases in the atmosphere (only 0.032%) and it is immediately absorbed by the vegetation, in all kind of environments, without any possibility of accumulation anywhere. The population that consumes CO2 (plants) is much bigger than the population that is emitting this gas (men and machines). Besides, the energy used in the process of removing CO2 from the atmosphere is endless: the solar energy. Mainly, the determining factors of the climate change are basically the energy of the sun or insulation and the speed of the rotation and translation of the Earth. Is Global Warming Real? Although the whole world is aware of the global warming issue and is afraid of what its impacts could do in the coming future, there are those who still believe global warming is a fiction and does not exist. The global warming debate in many parts of the earth is ranging more than before. One of the world’s best known climate change sceptic John Coleman, who co-founded the Weather Channel, has claimed that the theory of man-made climate change is no longer scientifically credible and rising global temperatures points to a natural phenomenon within a developing eco-system. According to Coleman, global warming has become a political and environment agenda item, but the science is not valid, and efforts to prove the theory that carbon dioxide is a significant greenhouse gas and pollutant causing significant warming or weather effects have failed. â€Å"The impact of humans on climate is not  catastrophic†, he says, â€Å"our planet is not in peril. It is all a scam, the result of bad science.† (John Coleman, 2014) On the other hand, former Vice President Al Gore, who had an award-winning documentary film in 2006 called An Inconvenient Truth which discusses the present and future effects of global warming, continues his fight against global warming and says that â€Å"we simply cannot continue to use the atmosphere as an open sewer for dirty and dangerous global warming pollution that endangers our health and makes storms, floods, mudslides and droughts much more dangerous and threatening.† (Al Gore, 2014). He supports the adoption of renewable energy such as solar and wind power and enforces bold new standards for fuel economy. CONCLUSION Whether global warming is a consequence of human activities or other phenomena (or both), it is real and climate change is happening. We should all do our part to help alter the future path of human-induced warming by adopting a more responsible lifestyle to reduce the amount of CO2 emission by reducing waste, recycling, switching to green power (wind and solar), planting trees, carpooling and so on. Also, less energy use means less dependence on the fossil fuels that create greenhouse gases and contribute to global warming. REFERENCES Climate Change. – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change (Online; accessed 14-November-2014). Global Warming. – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming (Online; accessed 14-November-2014). Global Warming. – NOAA National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved from http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/monitoring-references/faq/global-warming.php (Online; accessed 14-November-2014). Coleman, J. (2014) Global Warming Greatest Scam in History! – Global Warming And The Climate. Retrieved from http://www.global-warming-and-the-climate.com/ arguments-against-global-warming.htm Gore, A. (June 18, 2014) The Turning Point: New Hope for the Climate. – Rolling Stone. Retrieved from http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/ the-turning-point-new-hope-for-the- climate-20140618 Statement by Former Vice President Gore on Australia’s climate policy. July 17, 2014. Retrieved from blog.algore.com (Online; accessed 19-November-2014).

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens Essay

Oliver Twist is a novel written by Charles Dickens. The novel follows an orphan boy named Oliver through many trials and tribulations he must endure. Through this he does have a few kind, compassionate, and stable people to rely on. Two of the most important were Nancy and Rose Maylie. Within this essay I will give a detailed description of both Rose and Nancy and also compare and contrast the two. First I would like to introduce you to Nancy. Nancy is the only female character of Fagin’s group. Being a part of this group Nancy must steal from the rich in order to make money for basic necessities and keep her relationships with the crew. This lifestyle puts he in the criminal social class or otherwise know as the lowest of the low social class. Nancy, much like Oliver, was also an orphan growing up. She acquires no formal education; therefore she can neither read nor write. Even though Nancy was not blessed with the luxury of the basic upbringing, she maintains very impressive street smarts. She displays this when bringing stolen goods to Fagin that are bundled like a baby so it is not witnessed as suspicious. Nancy may have been a criminal but she had a great heart. She had a great relationship with all of Fagin’s boys and cared for all of them. She also cared greatly for her boyfriend Bill Sikes who, in my opinion, did not return this love. Bill was very abusive towards Nancy and seemed to threaten her on a regular basis. When confronted with the question, â€Å"Do you love me Bill?† by Nancy, he did not directly answer and proceeded to ignore the question. In the end it was also Bill who ended up murdering Nancy. Apparently, Bill Sikes thought Nancy telling Mr. Brownlow and Rose where to find Oliver was punishable by death. By following through with the action of â€Å"peaching†, Nancy shows how much she truly cares about Oliver. Another major character in Oliver’s life was Rose Maylie. Rose Maylie was a ward of Mr. Brownlow, therefore also making her an orphan. Mr. Brownlow was an Upper Middle Class man, which made Rose and Upper Middle Class â€Å"Victorian woman.† She, like many others from her social class, was well educated. She even was very talented at playing the piano. Mr. Brownlow’s grandson, Edward, wanted to marry Rose. Rose, seeing that Edward’s thinking was wrong, expressed to him how against the idea she was; something very uncommon for that day in age. Oliver was brought into the home by Mr. Brownlow after Oliver was wrongfully accused of pick pocketing him. While Oliver is changing into clean, more appropriate clothing, Rose notices scars on Oliver’s back due to beatings. From then on Rose feel obligated to protect poor Oliver. She becomes somewhat of a sister figure to him. Throughout the novel Rose protects and defends Oliver. As you can see Nancy and Rose are different in many ways. However, both women do have a few things in common. Rose and Nancy both had very different social classes.

Comparative Academic Review

Introduction The aspects of psychiatric treatment of patients have been widely discussed in the academic literature on the subject in the last several decades. In two separate studies, Christina Katsakou et el. (2010) and Jelena Jankovic et. al (2011) trace the practical implications of treatment satisfaction and caregivers’ experiences respectively. Both studies cover specific aspects of psychiatric treatment in the UK. The first study focuses on the coercion and treatment satisfaction among patients, who have been admitted for psychiatric treatment involuntarily. The research, conducted in 2010, reveals the impact of coercion on the satisfaction of treatment among patients, as well as the psychological aspects of coercion. The study has been conducted as an observation in 22 hospitals in England, where a total of 778 patients were recruited (Katsakou et. al, 2010). Their satisfaction with the treatment they received has been measured at different stages: one week, one month, three months and one year after the admission. In order to measure the levels of satisfaction, the authors have used factors such as clinical improvement and clinical characteristics. The results from this study were obtained using standard statistical analysis, and indicated an increase in the satisfaction among involuntarily admitted patients between their first admission and the different follow ups. The second study, conduc ted in 2011, focuses on the experiences of family caregivers during involuntary hospital admissions of their relatives. It is a qualitative study, which used as a research method semi-structured interviews, conducted with 29 caregivers whose relatives have been admitted involuntary in 12 hospitals across England (Jankovic et.al., 2011). Throughout the study, major themes have been identified, such as relief and conflicting emotions, frustration with the delay of getting help, etc. The results of the second survey have concluded that the role of the family caregivers can be enhanced if their duties are valued enough, without turning into a burden. The purpose of this brief academic review is to critically compare both studies, highlighting their strengths, weaknesses and possible contributions to the literature on the subject. Both studies provide valuable insight on the subject of treatment of patients with mental illnesses, and reveal the interactive nature of the clinical process as a dynamic interaction between different elements – institutions, caregivers, and patients. Both studies manage to reveal the intricacy of the connection, which exists between coercion and satisfaction in the first case, and family caregivers as active elements in the process of involuntary admission in the second case. The first study uses a quantitative research method and statistical analysis, based on an observational study. The study has been conducted in 22 hospitals in England. The advantage of the choice of this method for the purposes of study is its accuracy and straightforwardness. Results obtained through observation are easier to analyse, and presented in a comprehensible and consistent manner. In terms of the design of the research, the use of timeline base is a feasible option, which meets the research aims of the study and unfolds different aspects of satisfaction among patients. The fact that the patients have been examined at three different periods following their first admission provides the researchers with the possibility to explore how satisfaction (or dissatisfaction) develops gradually. This is an important feature of the research design deployed, because here satisfaction is discussed in relation to memory and emotions, which change over time. This changeability has been ca ptured with the choice of the design. Also, it is a good way to operationalize and thus measure the main variable – patients’ satisfaction. Despite the fact that the operationalization of satisfaction was enhanced through the use of specific research design, the study could have also benefited from a bigger emphasis on open interviews, conducted with a certain (perhaps smaller) portion of the patients. This is because interviews allow for more abstract and personal issues to be uncovered in the research and these are issues which are usually unquantifiable and difficult to detect in observational studies and semi-structured interviews. As far as data collection is concerned, the authors of the first study have used two different models, designed to measure satisfaction – one concentrating on potential base lines predictions combining satisfaction scores from all time points (baselines, one month and three months) and another one concentrating on the results from the follow ups only. The data was analysed using a three step model, and applying standard linear statistical analysis (Katskakou et.al, 2010:287-288). This comprehensive choice of methods and models for data collection has enhanced linear results, which allow readers to obtain an extensive view of satisfaction not only as an isolated variable, but also as a process, which is happening over time. However, one of the weaknesses of this study in the methodological part is the sampling. The researchers have attempted to obtain a representative sample, covering hospitals from different geographic areas and patients of different ethnic and social backgro unds. Little, if anything is mentioned however on how the eligibility of the patients has been identified (eligibility criteria). Another weakness in the methodology part is related to the decreasing number of patients interviewed at the baseline, the first month and the third month and one year. For the baseline, the patients are 778, and for the one year follow up their number has decreased almost in double – 396 (Katskakou et.al., 2010: 289). This might pose some problems related with the generalizability of the results obtained and the consistency of observations. Although it would be a formidable task to keep the number of patients at each point exactly the same, at least proximity in the numbers of interviewees could have been targeted. Another possible weakness of the study is related with the lack of causality between coercion and satisfaction. In other words, the study does not necessarily reveal a cause-effect relationship between the two, because coercion in this observation has been explored as an individual projection. However, this can also be looked at as an advantage, because a cause-effect relationship between two abstract concepts can oversimplify their existence in a particular setting. To compare, the second study uses a very different methodology. It is a qualitative study, and the variables measured here are even more abstract compared to the first study. The psychological aspects of personal experiences relating to care are difficult to capture and quantify, and this is important to mention in the methodological review of the second study. In terms of choice of methods, the authors have used semi-structured interviews, conducted among family caregivers of 29 patients admitted involuntary against 12 hospitals in England (Jankovic et.al., 2011: 1). Compared to the first study, here the sample is much smaller. It is arguable whether such a small sample can provide results, which are generalizable. Perhaps the authors have decided to choose smaller number of participants in order to observe the matter more closely. Here it is important to note that the issue of carers’ experiences is sensitive and often a stressful one. Therefore a smaller sample would give t he chance to conduct more detailed interviews, and thus capturing nuances of the matter, which remain unexamined in studies involving larger samples, due to time constraints. Another problem with the sample, just like in the first study, is its ability to represent the population. A closer look at the participant’s characteristics in the second study reveals that in more than 50 percent of the cases, the relationship of the carer to the patient is â€Å"parent† (Jankovic et.al., 2011: 3). This fact could have influenced the results, since parents tend to be much more concerned for their children. They are concerned first as patients, and then as carers – therefore a more representative selection of the carers could have taken place (for example equal number of carers who are patients, partners, siblings or children). Yet, the study manages to make good use of thematic analysis, clustering answers of the patients and identifying four important themes – rel ief and conflicting emotions in response to the admission, frustration with the delay in getting help, being given the burden of care by services and difficulties with confidentiality (Jankovic et.al, 2011:3-4). Just like the first study, the methodology is well-implemented in terms of coding. In the second study, two independent researchers have been selected to code the interviews, and the results have been finalized through a joint discussion (Jankovic et.al, 2011:3). In both studies, the methods chosen have met the research criteria, and have been meticulously implemented to produce comprehensive and well-themed results. Also, the proposed hypotheses have been well tested. Here it is important to note that both studies tackle issues, which are not easily quantifiable or measurable. The first study concentrates on satisfaction among patients which have been involuntary admitted for treatment, while the other one focuses on an even more sensitive and abstract issue, related with personal experiences among family caregivers in the cases when patients have been admitted for treatment. Therefore the authors of both studies have made significant effort in the planning of the research, its design and implementation in order to make the themes of their research measurable. As a result both studies have managed to create consistent results. The first makes coercion and satisfaction measurable, with the implementation of a 0 to 5 scale of coercion and inco rporating the results in a separate model. Critics would suggest that the method implemented in the first study is too rigid for the investigation of issues, which are deeply psychological and reflect the personal perceptions of patients on the way they have been treated. Although the study could have benefited from a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, its reliance on quantitative techniques only does not affect the overall validity of the results. Perhaps one of the biggest strengths of this study is that through the interpretation of the results, the authors manage to reveal the connection between patients’ satisfaction and coercion as an individual perception. As already mentioned, the second study relies solely on a qualitative technique. They authors capture the nuances in the experiences of the caregivers, and interpret the results closely adhering to the themes, identified by them during the data analysis stage. Both studies deal with aspects of psychiatric treatment, which are challenging due to their specificity. Therefore they both make significant contribution to the literature and theory on the subject. The first study sheds light upon the complexity of coercion as an individual perception, and its results resonate with those obtained in earlier studies (Lidz et.al, 1998; Sorgard, 2004). Observing coercion as an individual perception, projected by patients as a result of hospital surroundings and treatment, shows a major transition in clinical psychology, and a shift towards a more constructive approach for understanding patients’ reactions. In this sense, this study can be classified as a constructivist study, because it measures how perceptions are formed and exemplified by particular patients in particular environments. It deviates from earlier studies on the subject, like the ones conducted by Svensson et al. (1994) and Spenseley (1980), which observe patients’ satisfa ction with treatment in their entirely empirical dimensions, ignoring individual projections. Similarly, the findings and conclusions from the second study (Jankovic et.al, 2011) resonate with conclusions from previous research on the subject (Simson et. al, 2002; Jones et.al, 2009). Therefore this study belongs to a particular body of literature in clinical psychology, which explores the psychological and social impact on families of care for people with mental disorders. Both studies contribute to their relative subjects, and might have important implications in terms of policy reform in health care services for people with mental illnesses in the UK. Recommendations for policy-makers in this sector, stemming from Jankovic’s study include an improved service, which would ensure that carers obtain proper assistance and cooperation from hospitals prior to the admission of mentally unwell relatives. This would have positive implications to the quality of treatment of mentally unwell patients, by enhancing cooperation between carers and institutions, which would inevitably lead to a better distribution of responsibilities. Katsakou’s study might have policy implications as well, because it reveals the necessity for interventions, which would reduce patients’ perceived coercion. In conclusion, both studies discussed in this review present specific aspects of treatment of mentally unwell patients. Despite some weaknesses in sampling, and some minor limitations, both studies make significant contributions in their relative fields, and offer new, and well-supported angles of interpretation on the themes they cover. Both studies make good use of research methods, despite the differences in the number of participants for the first and the second study. Some issues related to generalizability of the results have arisen, such as the decreasing number of observed patients in the first study and the small sample in the second study. Still, the data analysis and the interpretation of the results obtained have been meticulously carried out and well situated in the context of existing literature. In addition, both studies might serve as a basis for policy-reform in the UK healthcare system, ultimately leading to improvement of the latter. In sum, the studies present coh esive and well-researched conclusions and can be a useful reading for students and professionals, occupied in the field of Clinical Psychiatry, Health Services and Public Policy. Reference list: Jankovic J, Yeeles K, Katsakou C, Amos T, Morriss R, Rose D, Nichol P, McCabe R, Priebe S (2011) ‘Family caregivers’ experiences of involuntary psychiatric hospital admissions of their relatives – a qualitative study’, PLoS ONE 6(10): e25425. 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