Aboriginal Cooking Methods Essay

The traditional ways to cook for aboriginals used to involve roasting their food on hot coals, baking in the ashes & steaming in ground ovens. But today theses things have changed & the aboriginals have easier ways to cook using ‘technology’ from today. They have adapted to make the process easier by boiling & barbequing. Roasting; When cooking meat, this was the basic technique, which was almost always used. They cooked most meat, fish & small turtles. To make sure the meat was cooked through, it was also covered by ashes & coals, which also made tough meat softer. The meat would be eaten quickly after roasting. Shellfish were also cooked on the coals on the outside of the fire, this way when they started to froth, they could be removed quickly. Baking Bread & damper was cooked in the ashes. When aboriginals made fires, they made sure they used the right kind of firewood, so that after the fire was out, the ashes could be used for cooking their bread. They were very careful as to which wood they used because some woods made to bread taste bad & some caused irritation & discomfort. Over time, it was the wattle seed that was found to be the most successful for cooking. It gave no bad taste, gave no one irritations & produced a fine ash. Witchetty grubs only needed to be quickly rolled over the ashes to be cooked. Then damper was put beneath the ashes & then covered. To cook yam, or vegetables, they would dig a small hole, place the vegetable in it, and then cover it with ash. Steaming; In the Wiradjuri areas, steam ovens still exist. The ovens were made by digging a hole in the ground, they were about 90cm long, & 60cm deep. The clay left over from digging was then made into smooth lumps & then would be placed on top, once the hole was filled with selected firewood. While the wood burned, the clay became hot. The clay would then be removed with tongs. The pit would be swept out & then lined with still green leaves & grass. Then meat such as possums (because they were small enough) would be lain inside, covered with more leaves & then the clay would be placed on top. To stop the steam escaping, the ground that was originally taken out when the hole was dug covers the clay. Wrapping; Wrapping is still used in places like Arnhem Land. Vegetables are wrapped in the moist paper bark from Melaleuca trees & then placed in ground ovens. Today Aboriginals use more advanced methods of cooking. They have adapted their old ways to make them easier. Boiling; Aboriginals have now learned to boil foods in galvanized cans, tins, steel drums or whatever items are available. Because of this, ground ovens are being used less & less. Barbequing; Although the Aboriginals don’t have top of the range barbeques, they have got their own version. It is simply a piece of wire to hole pieces of meat or dough over red coals. Aboriginal Dreaming Although the Dreamtime was in the past, it is the Aborigines religion & culture that rules them today. The saying, ‘As it was done in the Dreamtime, so it must be done today,’ dominates all aspects of the Aboriginals lifestyle & actions. According to some Aboriginals, the Rainbow Serpent made the world. It is their belief that that is true. Religion is some peoples’ way, spiritualism is theirs. The Rainbow Serpent came from the Northern Territory while Australia was still in its dreaming stage. It traveled over the country, creating the mountainous locations by pushing the land into many ranges & isolated areas. The Great Dividing Range is a creation of the rainbow serpents movements. Throughout its journey over & under the land, it created rivers, valleys, & lakes. It was also careful to leave many areas flat. Once it was satisfied with its creation of Australia, spirit people came from inside it & moved all over the country to form many different lifestyles, languages & different stories. When the land was finally finished, it was ready for people, but there were none .Walya-Nam-Adiki was the woman who walked out of the sea & met up with a tribal man. Seen as there were no people, they talked about the problem with having such a wonderful land, but no people to live there. To fix this problem, they had many spirit children together. Walya-Nam-Adiki told all her children to go to all different places across the country & to speak new languages, make & keep land & water management. They were to stay in their chosen areas, & to make social & kinship systems which would make sure that there would always be people within their tribal boundaries. Other Aboriginals believe that when the world first existed, that giant semi-mortal beings that resembled plants & animals rose up from the flat land where they had been sleeping for countless ages. These beings wandered the land aimlessly. As they roamed around, they  performed the tasks that Aboriginals do today. These included camping, making fires, digging for water, fighting each other & performing ceremonies. When they became tired of carrying out these rituals, the dreamtime ended. Wherever the creators had been, a natural landform now marks the place. The creators made everything which Aboriginals are in contact with everyday & from which they gain their living. Apart from forming the land, they also created the laws that govern the aspects of everyday life, which some Aborigines still live by. Aboriginals in Jail & Custody The idea of over-representation of Aboriginal adults in prison is set down early for the younger generation to understand. In Juvenile Detention centers, aboriginals aged 10-17 were 24.2* times more likely to be in custody than non-aboriginal children. For aboriginals aged 18-21 the over-representation rate was 9.6* Indigenous rates of imprisonment in adult prisons varied between about 4* times the non-indigenous rate in Tasmania & up to over 20* times in Western & South Australia. At almost any time, up to 80% of inmates in Northern Territory ‘Correctional Facilities’ are of aboriginal descent. Whatever the intent, mandatory sentencing has more effect on aboriginals than any other ethnic group in the NT. Also Police custody rates for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders was 26.2* times more likely than people of other races. Aboriginals are 25% of people that are arrested & 15% of people who are in jails are also Aboriginal. From data collected, aboriginals are over-represented in offences involving violence, breaking & entering, breaches of justice procedures & driving offences. Aboriginal people are 12 times more likely than others to be in prison for  homicide and 16 times for breaking and entering. One principle factor is that of the low status of the indigenous side of Australia in socio-economy & culture. In 1988, Commissioner Muirhead stated that â€Å"humanity and our country’s reputation demand a vigorous approach and new initiatives†. Years later, Aboriginals still continue to die in police cells & prisons. On 10th February, 2000 a 15 yr old boy committed suicide in the Don Dale Correctional Facility in Darwin. He had a mandatory 28jail sentence for petty theft of pens, pencils & paint. He was due for his release 4 days after his death. The Northern Territory Chief Minister simply swept aside the death & gave a statement â€Å"There will always be deaths in custody.† The death of the boy & the Country Liberal Party refused to even consider the re-appeal of the mandatory sentencing laws sent a break of outrage through many leading Australian, International & Aboriginal groups. Two weeks previous to the death, a Federal Senate traveled to Darwin, to make a report on the laws. None of the Country Liberal Party’s officials was prepared to give evidence at the hearing. The United Nations blasted Australia over these laws, & the treatment of the indigenous people to this land. Also saying that Canberra could be in breach of the UN Convention to Eliminate Racial Discrimination. *Based on records in 1998

Helping Children with Manners

Manners are constantly changing from one century or one generation to the next. For example, a handshake originally was meant to show that men were not carrying a sword or dagger in their hands. Men still tip their hats because once knights in armor lifted the visors of their helmets to show their faces. And it wasn't too many years ago that a man almost always got up in a crowded bus and gave his seat to a woman. Nevertheless, certain manners do survive from one decade to the next, and this is because manners make life easier for everybody. There are three important ideas behind the good manners we use today: custom, consideration, and common sense. Custom is the habit of doing certain things like shaking hands and tipping hats mentioned above. Consideration is the most important idea behind all good manners. Almost always, being considerate is being well-mannered. Consideration is simply thinking about the way the other person feels. Being rude to someone are bad manners, not because a book says so, but because it causes hurt feelings. Nearly all good manners have in element of common sense. If you are standing in the rear of a crowded elevator, it's neither reasonable-nor good manners-to try pushing your way to the front so you can get out first. These are the basic ideas we want to teach our children when we are trying to instill good manners-simple kindness, consideration, and common sense.   The following suggestions written for and directed to children may give some added authority in the matter of what is common courtesy and what is not. Manners at Home Home is where you learn to get along with people. ‘Me closer you live with other people, the more important good manners are. Everybody in a household should respect the rights and feelings of everybody else. Try to listen when others in the family have something to say. Even a little brother or sister who can't yet read or a grandmother who seems quite old has a right to an opinion. It is important for members of a family to consider each other's privacy. No matter how crowded a home is, everyone in it has a right to some place that is his own. Here are some privacy don'ts: Don't open a closed door until you have knocked and waited for permission to enter. Don't go into anyone else's bureau, desk, box, or papers at home or anywhere else without his permission. Don't read anyone's mail or anything he has written (for example, a diary) unless he asks you to. Don't discuss the private affairs of your family with outsiders or tell about a family problem. Another important part of family good manners is sharing. You share the TV set and the telephone and the bathroom and maybe a bedroom or a closet or a desk. You share the work. This means cleaning up after you and sharing the responsibility for the safety of everyone in the house. Telephone Manners Always give the person you are calling plenty of time to get to the phone before you hang up. If the person who answers is not the one you want, give your name and ask if you may speak to the person you've called. Ask, â€Å"May I speak to Tommy?† not â€Å"Is Tommy home!† If he isn't in, you may leave a message. If someone dials your number accidentally, accept his apology. Everyone sometimes dials a wrong number. No one intends to. If you accidentally dial a wrong number, excuse yourself. It is considerate to make phone calls at a time when they will not disturb people. Try not to call too early in the morning (before about 9:00) or too late at night (after about 9:30). Try not to call at mealtime. It's handy to keep a pencil and paper near the phone. If someone calls a member of the family who is not at home, ask the caller if he would Ilk to leave a message. If he does, be sure to get his name and number. 7 if you take a message are sure to remember to deliver it! Table Manners Most families have established their own table manners that are important to them. Here are a few that should be remembered when you are at home and when you are a guest Never reach for any food that is not right in front of you. Ask someone to pass it. And if you are passing something, don't help yourself along the way. If your food is too hot, wait for it to cool. Don't blow on it. If you put something in your mouth that's too hot, don't spit it out. Reach for your water and take a quick swallow. Don't talk with your mouth full. Bring your food up to your mouth rather than bending over to reach it. There are a few additional rules for eating in a restaurant: Don't be upset if you spill something. It happens all the time. The waiter will clean it up. Don't pick up your silverware if you drop it on the floor. Ask the waiter to replace it for you. Don't put packages or handbags on the table. Don't comb your hair at the table. Don't use a toothpick in public. Being a Guest We all know that we have certain responsibilities when we are the host or hostess. But there are responsibilities when one is guests that are equally important. Here are a few of them: Don't go visiting unless you're expected. Don't overstay your invitation. Don't expect to be waited on. Offer to help. Don't plan to stay overnight without consulting the hostess and your parents. Don't upset the family's routine. Try to fit in and (your part. Don't make extra work. Make your bed, straighten up after yourself. Be sure to say thank you for a meal or an overnight visit at a friend's house. Manners on the Street Unless you are at home or at a friend's house, you are on public property. Bemuse this property is used by many people, it is especially important that everyone use common sense and good manners. Here are some street don'ts: Don't walk in bunches so that you block others. Don't stop to chat in the middle of the sidewalk. Step to the side so that people won't have to move around you. Don't stare at or make fun of anyone, no matter how strange he may look. Don't be a litterbug. Don't mark on buildings or other public property. If you bump into someone or step on his toe, say you're sorry. A Final Note to Parents You have most likely already dealt with most of the above suggestions with your child. However, when it comes to manners, children need frequent reminders. One of the best ways to teach manners is to role-play; the parent takes the role of host or hostess, guest, salesperson, someone at the other end of the telephone, etc. This reduces the child's conception that the parent is nagging, and it is a technique that works. Website: www.childdevelopmentinfo.com

Sustainable Tourism Development

This article was downloaded by: [113. 210. 1. 106] On: 22 March 2013, At: 07:28 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Journal of Sustainable Tourism Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www. tandfonline. com/loi/rsus20 A Framework of Approaches to Sustainable Tourism Jackie Clarke Version of record first published: 29 Mar 2010.To cite this article: Jackie Clarke (1997): A Framework of Approaches to Sustainable Tourism, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 5:3, 224-233 To link to this article: http://dx. doi. org/10. 1080/09669589708667287 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Full terms and conditions of use: http://www. tandfonline. com/page/ terms-and-conditions This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, lo an, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden.The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae, and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. Downloaded by [113. 210. 1. 106] at 07:28 22 March 2013 A Framework of Approaches to Sustainable Tourism Jackie ClarkeSchool of Business, Oxford Brooks University, Wheatley Campus, Wheatley, Oxford OX33 1HX Based on an extensive literature review, this paper proposes a framework of approaches to sustainable tourism. The framework is composed of four positions, chronologically sequenced according to th e dominant understanding of sustainable tourism as a possession or goal. The positions are those of polar opposites, continuum, movement and convergence. The framework offers insights into the development of the sustainable tourism concept and enables identification of an author’s approach to the concept. Downloaded by [113. 210. 1. 106] at 07:28 22 March 2013Introduction The understanding of sustainable tourism has developed from the early ‘is it or isn’t it sustainable tourism’ debate, to the acceptance that research energy should be channelled into practical ways of assisting all forms of tourism to move towards sustainability. The fundamental difference is the assumption of the former, that sustainable tourism is, in some manner, already a possession of certain types of tourism or situation, against the acknowledgement of the latter, that sustainable tourism is not an inherent characteristic of any existing form or situation, but a goal that all touris m must strive to achieve.The tremendous volume of output on the subject over the last decade (Brown, 1991) has contributed to the recognised ambiguity in terminology (Beioley, 1995; De Kadt, 1990; Lanfant & Graburn, 1992; Murphy, 1994; Pearce, 1992, etc. ) and the surfeit of labels. For example, ecotourism has no unequivocal usage. It has been expressed as a symbiotic relationship between tourism and nature conservation (Farrell & Runyan, 1991; Valentine, 1993), been equated with nature tourism (Boo, 1990), and constructed as a Venn diagram (Buckley, 1993; Wight, 1995). Occasionally, labels are combined to produce hybrids (see, for example, Dernoi, 1988; Wight,l995).As a concept, sustainable tourism is still evolving. A Framework of Approaches to Sustainable Tourism Based on a critical literature review of both academic and industry contributions, the proposed framework comprises four positions of understanding of sustainable tourism. These four positions:  · are broadly chronolog ical, reflecting the dominant approach to sustainable tourism and offering insights into the concept’s development;  · provide a structure within which an author’s approach to the concept may be identified, affording insights for literature reviews.The framework is envisaged as complementary to other work (see, for example, Cazes, 1989; Pearce, 1992). As early literature commonly fixed on scale as the distinguishing feature, this is the unifying theme for the framework. As a 0966-9582/97/03 0224-10 $10. 00/0 JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM  ©1997 J. Clarke Vol. 5, No. 3, 1997 224 A Framework of Approaches to Sustainable Tourism 225 criterion, scale has shifted from an emotive or even antagonistic role to neutral ground. An overview of the framework shows the positions forming two pairs.The first pair regard sustainable tourism as a current possession of a particular scale of tourism, whilst the second pair treat the phenomenon as a goal to be striven for. Downloaded by [113. 210. 1. 106] at 07:28 22 March 2013 The first position of polar opposites A term adapted from Pearce (1992), the first, and probably the earliest of the four positions, was that of mass tourism and sustainable tourism conceived as polar opposites (see Figure 1). Alternative tourism was the popular label for sustainable tourism, mutual exclusion being implicit in the term.As a force, sustainable tourism was understood to be pulling away from mass tourism, which served as a point of repulsion (for commentary, see Butler, 1991; Cazes, 1989; Krippendorf, 1987; Nash, 1992; Richter, 1987; Travis, 1988; Valentine, 1993). Thus, sustainable tourism and mass tourism were stereotyped as the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’. The negative social and environmental impacts experienced at destinations were attributed solely to mass tourism, which was couched in emotive terms such s ‘hard’, ‘ghetto’, or ‘destructive’ tourism. Of course, mass tourism also related to scale, and the scale of the tourism involved was the principal defining characteristic for the polar opposite approach. Wheeller (199la) summarised scale as the focal point: the traveller is preferred to the tourist, the individual to the group, specialist operators rather than the large firms, indigenous accommodation to multi-national hotel chains, small not large — essentially good versus bad. Wheeller, l991a, author’s emphasis) Representing mass tourism, a Director of the Thomson Travel Group lampooned the approach by recounting his situation as an ecotourism speaker at a Royal Geographical Society gathering as being: rather like a cattle baron addressing a congress of vegetarians. (Brackenbury, 1992: l0) At its most extreme, advocates of alternative tourism pressed for a total replacement of mass tourism (cited in De Kadt, l990, 1992; Lanfant & Graburn, 1992) and of Cohen’s (1972) institutionalised tourist.Arguably, the position of polar opposites was strengthened by the presentation of mass versus sustainable characteristics in diametrically opposed tables (see, for example, Krippendorf, 1982; WTO, 1989). Such tables were developed into concrete notions of ‘bad’ versus ‘good’ (see Lane, 1989, 1990). ‘Mass tourism’ Conceptual barrier ‘Sustainable tourism’ Figure 1 Position 1: polar opposites 226 Journal of Sustainable Tourism Thus the earliest understanding of sustainable tourism was one of a dichotomised position.Believers in the polar opposite approach clearly regarded sustainable tourism as a possession of an existing type of tourism based on small scale characteristics. Ownership was claimed by tourism forms opposed to mass tourism. In short, small was synonymous with sustainable. Downloaded by [113. 210. 1. 106] at 07:28 22 March 2013 The second position of a continuum By the 1990s, the original position of polar opposites was generally rejected as u nproductive, but the notion of a continuum between sustainable tourism and mass tourism presented a flexible adaptation of the earlier ideas (see Figure 2).In recognition that sustainable tourism utilised the infrastructure, transport and reservation systems of mass tourism (see De Kadt, 1990, 1992; Krippendorf, 1987; Wheeller, l991a), spawned an accompanying tourism industry structure (see Cohen, 1987, 1989; Krippendorf, 1987), and had the potential to develop into mass tourism if not properly managed (Butler, 1990, 1992; Tourism Concern, 1992), the simplicity of polar opposites was adjusted to a continuum between the two extremes. Variations were appropriately placed along the spectrum (see, for example, Davidson, 1992).Although allowing some measure of degree, the continuum understanding of sustainable tourism still regarded the phenomenon as a possession and used scale as the defining criterion. Polar opposites and continuum therefore formed a natural pair. However, the continuu m approach to sustainable tourism was only ever loosely established; understanding was moving in a new direction. ‘Mass tourism’ ‘Sustainable tourism’ Figure 2 Position 2: continuum Criticisms: too simple, too impractical Criticisms and queries have been voiced over these early approaches to sustainable tourism.The idea of polar opposites representing ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ was denounced as ‘grossly misleading’ (Butler, 1990). Most criticisms related to one or both of the following:  · Too simple: the inadequate appreciation of tourism as a dynamic and complex phenomenon resulting in the inherent flaws in this understanding of sustainable tourism.  · Too impractical: the question of scale and the inability of this narrow view of sustainable tourism to offer practical solutions to the global problem of the burgeoning volume of tourist arrivals.Tourism is a complex and dynamic phenomenon (Heath & Wall, 1992; Przeclawski , 1993), yet sustainable tourism from the polar opposite and continuum positions assumed a homogeneity and simplicity in conflict with reality (Cooper et al. , 1993). Faced with the dramatic growth in international tourism from the 25 million trips of 1950 (WTO, 1993) to the 531 million of 1994 (WTO, 1995a) and its continued predicted growth (WTO, l995b), the replacement of mass tourism with the sustainable tourism promoted by the two positions was illogical. Being small scale, sustainable tourism lacked the capability (Butler,A Framework of Approaches to Sustainable Tourism 227 Downloaded by [113. 210. 1. 106] at 07:28 22 March 2013 1990; Cohen, 1987; Cooper et al. , 1993; Fennell & Smale, 1992; Pearce, 1992). Sustainable tourism could neither manage the number of arrivals nor replace the economic benefits accrued (Butler, 1992; Cohen, 1987). For Wheeller (1990, l991a, l991b), the idea was a ‘micro solution’ struggling with a ‘macro problem’. Furthermore, this understanding was inward-looking, failing to recognise the importance of other industry sectors and the wider perspective of sustainable development (Hunter, 1995).Indeed, the second pair of positions better demonstrate the influence of the sustainable development landmarks that shaped the concept (for example, IUCN, 1980, 1991; The World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987; the GLOBE ’90 and ’92 conferences; The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development with Agenda 21). Other criticisms concerned issues such as elitism (Cazes, 1989; Richter, 1987), the problems of ensuring local ownership and control (Cater, 1992), and inbalances in power (Wheeller, 1990, l991a, l991b).Butler (1990) argued that the approach to sustainable tourism portrayed a static picture of impacts. The revision of features related to time and process produced a less flattering scenario (Butler, 1990). For example, the more intense contact between host and guest over a longer duration resulted in greater damage to the fragile host culture than was readily apparent in the ‘good’ versus ‘bad’ tables. The emergence of these tables was partly a response to an over-simplistic interpretation of Krippendorf’s work (1982, 1987). Krippendorf (1987) was not opposed to mass tourism as long as it progressed towards ‘harmonious’ tourism.In fact, he urged that: only if we succeed in living with tourism as a mass phenomenon, ? , can we claim to have made a decisive step forward, (Krippendorf, 1982: 111, author’s emphasis) an assertion often overlooked by proponents of a polar opposite or continuum approach. The third position of movement Criticisms of the earlier understandings of sustainable tourism, coupled with a closer alignment to sustainable development, resulted in the demand to change mass tourism to more sustainable forms (see, for example, Bramwell, 1991; Butler, 1990, 1991; Cohen, 1987; De Kadt, 1 990; GLOBE, 1990; EIU, 1992).If the main problem of modern tourism is that of its huge number, (Krippendorf, 1987: 42, author’s emphasis) then mass tourism was the most visible and sensible candidate for initial reform. The sustainable tourism as understood under movement differed from the earlier definitions of sustainable tourism on three key dimensions:  · The issue of scale became more objective and less emotive. Mass tourism became the subject for improvement, rather than the derided villain.  · Sustainable tourism became the goal for attainment, rather than the possession of an existing scale of tourism. Operationalising current knowledge to move towards the goal became the 228 Journal of Sustainable Tourism (’mass tourism’) Large scale tourism Sustainable Tourism Goal Downloaded by [113. 210. 1. 106] at 07:28 22 March 2013 Figure 3 Position 3: movement practical focus of effort, rather than the ‘is it or isn’t it sustainable tourismâ€⠄¢ debate of previous years. Figure 3 illustrates the understanding of sustainable tourism by movement advocates. As a label, large scale tourism is preferred to mass tourism, for it sheds the negative connotations.Viewed objectively, large scale tourism possesses strengths which could be used to advantage:  · The environment is attacked by other industries, such as mining and manufacturing (EIU, 1992; McKercher, 1993), and tourism is dependent on environmental quality. The tourism industry must protect its assets; size is important, as large players exert pressure through lobbying power.  · Large scale operators have the marketing and communication skills, plus contact opportunities in bulk, to actively foster interest in sustainable tourism amongst the millions of consumers who purchase their products. Large size confers influence over suppliers and distributors, which could be used as a persuasive force for the introduction of sustainable policies along the supply chain. Of c ourse, there are less altruistic reasons for large scale tourism to instigate movement towards the sustainable tourism goal. The imposition of environmental regulatory control by governments grappling with world problems of acid rain, ozone layer depletion and global warming require a minimum response of compliance.From the demand side, the rise of consumer interest in green issues (see ETB, 1992a, 1992b; Green, 1990) provides the classic incentive of consumer needs. The interest expressed by consumers through financial institutions in environmental practices is a further motive. There are over thirty an ag em en im ts pa ct ys -e as nv ses tem iro nm s s – re ent men use t al Guid , re au eline cyc di s for le, red t susta uce inab le to urism Equity Company/organisation focus ta lm s pac im cts al pa lob G im al sic y ph al/ gic olo Ec (’sustainable tourism’) Small scale tourism iro nm en En v -e nv iro nm e nt al A Framework of Approaches to Sustainable Touri sm 229 Downloaded by [113. 210. 1. 106] at 07:28 22 March 2013 environmental or ethical funds in the United Kingdom, representing approximately ? 750 million of investment; according to independent financial advisors Holden Meehan (1994), the idea of ‘profit with principle’ has moved from the fringe to the mainstream.Investors are stakeholders requiring satisfaction. There are many examples of large scale tourism proactively moving towards the goal of sustainable tourism (see Middleton & Hawkins, 1993, 1994; WTTERC, 1991–1994). British Airways was one of the first tourism companies to publish an environmental report (British Airways, 1991), the International Hotels Environment Initiative was a sector-specific project (Van Praag, 1992), whilst the ‘Green Globe’ programme was targeted across the tourism sectors (WTTERC, 1994).The World Travel & Tourism Council, a coalition of Chief Executive Officers from international tourism companies, established th e World Travel & Tourism Environment Research Centre (WTTERC) to monitor, assess and communicate objectives, strategies and action programmes in respect of environmental management (WTTERC, 1992). Over one hundred guidelines and codes of practice relating to tourism were identified (WTTERC, 1993); the environmental guidelines of the WTTERC itself provide a useful synopsis of the large scale understanding of sustainable tourism (WTTERC, 1992).As Figure 3 demonstrates, the focus of this approach is on the physical/ecological environment, with an emphasis on environmental management systems, incorporating techniques such as environmental audits of products, processes and issues, and environmental impact assessments. The fourth position of convergence The framework culminates in a position of convergence (see Figure 4). This position represents the latest understanding of sustainable tourism as a goal that all tourism, regardless of scale, must strive to achieve (see, for example, Inske ep, 1991).Accepting that the concept of sustainable tourism is still evolving, the absence of a precise goal definition is less important than general movement in the correct direction. Appreciating the wider role of sustainable development, this final position recognises two interpretations of sustainable tourism. The large scale interpretation of sustainable tourism (as portrayed in position three) has a dominantly physical/ecological perspective expressed as a business orientation. The small scale interpretation of sustainable tourism offers a social slant from a local or destination platform.It is akin to the understanding of sustainable tourism as alternative tourism under position one, except for the crucial recognition of the concept as a goal rather than a possession. Both interpretations:  · focus on the implementation of their current knowledge of sustainable tourism to move towards the ultimate goal of sustainability;  · seek future progress towards the desired goal t hrough the twin processes of further development of ideas inherent in their own interpretation and by adaptation of ideas found in the other.Together, this results in convergence towards the goal of sustainable tourism. For example, in this quest, large scale tourism is experimenting with techniques for inducing shifts in tourist behaviour compatible with environmentallyfriendly travel, an educational component instigated by the small scale enterprises. Thomsons now provide environmental guidelines for guests; TUI 230 Journal of Sustainable Tourism Downloaded by [113. 210. 1. 106] at 07:28 22 March 2013 Large scale tourism al nm vi ro En Figure 4 Position 4: convergence ave produced an environment ranking for products featured in all their mainstream Euro-brochures. In turn, small scale enterprises are learning about the development of effective environmental management systems, originally the territory of large scale organisations. In the UK, the environmental audit was promoted fo r small scale concerns by the West Country Tourist Board’s (1993) ‘Green Audit Kit’; the project was then taken nationwide. In addition, by embracing sustainable development, both interpretations are receptive to further ideas generated from outside the tourism sector.Like large scale tourism (see position three), the small scale interpretation of sustainable tourism has produced guidelines and codes of good practice (see, for example, ETB, 1991; Countryside Commission, 1991; Green, 1990), established destination-based projects (for example, the Devon-based Tarka Project) and offered and disseminated advice to interested parties (ETB, 1992a, 1992b, 1993). -e nv iro nm en ta l en t im g olo Ec m an ag em y ph al/ ic al sic en ts pa ct ys -e as nv s e s te m ir o nm sm s – re en use tal ent Guid , re au eline cyc s for le, r dit sust edu aina ce ble t ouri sm Equity Company/organisation focus ba Gl p l im s act p im Sustainable Tourism Goal ts ac Local area identity focus Equity Guid e Loc lines for al c sust ont aina Ed rol ble t uc ouri ati To sm on u of Au ris hos tc th t/to e n ha r uri tic act st ity eri s ti cs s act ts mp pac y al i rit ultur l im a c teg loc In o cial/ tion/ a S stin De Small scale tourism A Framework of Approaches to Sustainable Tourism 231 The completed framework Taken as a whole, the framework both structures and partially explains some of the conflicts and debates that have occurred in sustainable tourism.Although due regard should be given to the limitations of a framework based purely on a literature review and purporting to be complementary in nature rather than encompassing, it does present insights to past development whilst taking a view as to the direction of future advances. References Beioley, S. (1995) Green tourism: Soft or sustainable? English Tourist Board Insights, B75–B89. Boo, E. (1990) Ecotourism: The Potentials and Pitfalls. Washington, DC: World Wide Fund for Nature. Brackenbury, M . (1992) Ecotourism: Introduction to ecotourism — A sustainable option? The Bulletin of the Tourism Society 76, 10–12. Bramwell, B. 1991) Tourism environments and management. Tourism Management 12 (4), 363–4. British Airways (1991) British Airways Environmental Review: Heathrow and Worldwide Flying Operations. London: British Airways and Tecnica. Brown, F. (1991) Alternative tourism. English Tourist Board Insights, D27–D29. Buckley, R. (1993) International Centre for Ecotourism Research. Research Report 1993. Australia: Griffith University. Butler, R. W. (1990) Alternative tourism: Pious hope or Trojan Horse? Journal of Travel Research (3), 40–5. Butler, R. W. (1991) Tourism, environment, and sustainable development. Environmental Conservation 18 (3), 201–9.Butler, R. W. (1992) Alternative tourism: The thin edge of the wedge. In V. L. Smith, and W. R. Eadington (eds) Tourism Alternatives: Potentials and Pitfalls in the Development of Tourism . Philadephia: University of Pennsylvania Press and the International Academy for the Study of Tourism. Cater, E. (1992) Profits from paradise. Geographical 64 (3), 16–21. Cazes, G. H. (1989) Alternative tourism: Reflections on an ambiguous concept. In T. V. Singh et al. (eds) Towards Appropriate Tourism: The Case of Developing Countries. Frankfurt: Peter Lang. Cohen, E. (1972) Toward a sociology of international tourism.Social Research 39 (1), 164–82. Cohen, E. (1987) Alternative tourism: A critique. Tourism Recreation Research 12 (2), 13–18. Cohen, E. (1989) Primitive and remote: Hill tribe trekking in Thailand. Annals of Tourism Research 16 (1), 30–61. Cooper, C. et al. (1993) Tourism: Principles and Practice. London: Pitman Publishing. Countryside Commission (1991) Visitors to the Countryside: A Consultation Paper. Cheltenham: Countryside Commission. Davidson, R. (1992) Tourism in Europe. London: Pitman Publishing. De Kadt, E. (1990) Making the Altern ative Sustainable: Lessons from Development for Tourism.Sussex: Institute of Development Studies (DP 272). De Kadt, E. (1992) Making the alternative sustainable: Lessons from the development of tourism. In V. L. Smith and W. R. Eadington (eds) Tourism Alternatives: Potentials and Pitfalls in the Development of Tourism. Philadephia: University of Pennsylvania Press and the International Academy for the Study of Tourism. Dernoi, L. A. (1988) Alternative or community-based tourism. In L. J. D’Amore and J. Jafari (eds) Tourism, a Vital Force for Peace. Vancouver, Canada: Color Art Inc. Economic Intelligence Unit (1992) The Tourism Industry and the Environment (special report no. 2453).London: EIU. English Tourist Board (1991) Tourism and the Environment: Maintaining the Balance. Report by the government task force. London: ETB and Employment Department Group. Downloaded by [113. 210. 1. 106] at 07:28 22 March 2013 232 Journal of Sustainable Tourism English Tourist Board (1992a) T he Green Light: A Guide to Sustainable Tourism. London: ETB et al. English Tourist Board (1992b) Tourism in National Parks: A Guide to Good Practice. London: ETB et al. English Tourist Board (1993) Local Tourism Heritage Trust Guidelines. A Guide for Businesses and Associations Interested in Raising Money to Conserve the Environment.London: ETB et al. Farrell, B. H. and Runyan, D. (1991) Ecology and tourism. Annals of Tourism Research 18, 26–40. Fennell, D. A. and Smale, B. J. A. (1992) Ecotourism and natural resource protection: Implications of an alternative form of tourism for host nations. Tourism Recreation Research 17 (1), 21–32. Global Opportunities for Business and the Environment (1990) An Action Strategy for Sustainable Tourism Development. Vancouver: GLOBE. Green, S. (1990) The future for green tourism. English Tourist Board Insights, D5–D8. Heath, E. and Wall, G. (1992) Marketing Tourism Destinations: A Strategic Planning Approach.Chichester: John Wi ley and Sons. Holden Meehan (1994) An Independent Guide to Ethical and Green Investment Funds (5th edn). London: Holden Meehan. Hunter, C. (1995) On the need to reconceptualise sustainable tourism development. Journal of Sustainable Tourism 3 (3), 155–65. Inskeep, E. (1991) Tourism Planning. An Integrated and Sustainable Development Approach. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. International Union for the Conservation of Nature (1980) World Conservation Strategy. Geneva: IUCN. International Union for the Conservation of Nature (1991) Caring for the Earth: A Strategy for Sustainable Living.Geneva: IUCN. Krippendorf, J. (1982) Towards new tourism policies: The importance of environmental and sociocultural factors. Tourism Management 3, 135–48. Krippendorf, J. (1987) The Holiday Makers: Understanding the Impact of Leisure and Travel. London: Heinemann. Lane, B. (1989) Will rural tourism succeed? In S. Hardy, T. Hart and T. Shaw (eds) The Role of Tourism in the Urban and Regi onal Economy (pp. 34–9). London: Regional Studies Association. Lane, B. (1990) Sustaining host areas, holiday makers and operators alike. In F. Howie (ed. ) The Proceedings of the Sustainable Tourism Development Conference.Queen Margaret College, Edinburgh. Lanfant, M. and Graburn, N. H. H. (1992) International tourism reconsidered: The principle of the alternative. In V. L. Smith and W. R. Eadington (eds) Tourism Alternatives: Potentials and Problems in the Development of Tourism. Philadelphia: University of Pennslyvania Press and the International Academy for the Study of Tourism. McKercher, B. 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Smith and W. R. Eadington (eds) Tourism Alternatives: Potentials and Problems in the Downloaded by [113. 210. 1. 106] at 07:28 22 March 2013 A Framework of Approaches to Sustainable Tourism 233 Development of Tourism. Philadelphia: University of Pennslyvania Press and the International Academy for the Study of Tourism. Przeclawski, K. (1993) Tourism as the subj ect of interdisciplinary research. In D.G. Pearce and R. W. Butler (eds) Tourism research: Critiques and Challenges. London: Routledge and the International Academy for the Study of Tourism. Richter, L. K. (1987) The search for appropriate tourism. Tourism Recreation Research 12 (2), 5–7. Tourism Concern (1992) Beyond the Green Horizon. London: Tourism Concern and World Wide Fund for Nature. Travis, A. S. (1988) Alternative tourism. Naturopa 59, 25–7. Valentine, P. S. (1993) Ecotourism and nature conservation. Tourism Management 14 (2), 107–15. Van Praag, H. J. (1992) Industrial leadership: A practical example in the hotel industry.Tourism and the Environment: Challenges and Choices for the 90s, November, 62–66. West Country Tourist Board (1993) Green Audit Kit. Exeter: WCTB. Wheeller, B. (1990) Is sustainable tourism appropriate? In F. Howie (ed. ) The Proceedings of the Sustainable Tourism Development Conference. Edinburgh, Queen Margaret College, Novem ber. Wheeller, B. (199la) Is progressive tourism appropriate? Tourism and Hospitality Management: Established Disciplines or Ten Year Wonders? Guildford: University of Surrey. Wheeller, B. (199lb) Tourism’s troubled times: Responsible tourism is not the answer.Tourism Management 12 (2), 91–6. Wight, P. (1995) Sustainable ecotourism: Balancing economic, environmental and social goals within an ethical framework. Tourism Recreation Research 20 (1), 5–13. World Commission on Environment and Development (1987) Our Common Future. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 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Media Diary Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Media Diary Analysis - Essay Example s, I also visit the i-tunes website/application where I listen to music as I dress and do a couple of my morning chores, which psyches me up for the good day ahead. During the day, I only get chances to blog or chat in between classes, during breaks and after the classes in the evening. However, this is not usually a fixed schedule as sometimes the classes might not take long, during breaks I’m sometimes caught up with other activities like finishing assignments (that’s when I get to do the research part) or discussing trending issues in the fashion and celebrity world. When am in school, I am mostly engaged in the media sections that I can access through my mobile phone hence programs and movies are sometimes rare for me to watch or even download; however, for music I listen to and download frequently. In the evenings, I get to watch and follow the popular programs and shows courtesy of the cable network; additionally, it’s the only time that most of my friends are free in between the week so am always active in almost all the social websites through the facilitation of the multiple applications. After all the shows that I follow are done sometimes I get to watch movies either online through Netflix or some that I may have bought; furthermore, at times I treat myself to some shopping online. During the weekend, most of my time is spent on the media since I do not get to go to school and most of my friends and relatives are also free or less busy; either from work or school also. The numbers of hours I spend on the media during the weekend are almost double those of the weekdays; my personal chores are the only things I partake in that do not involve the media. It is during this time that I get to catch up on the latest news that I missed during the week and engage in trends on the social sites, send pictures to family and friends, and do a little bit of shopping as I watch more programs and movies. In this situation they are a few comparisons in the way

Group project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Group project - Essay Example ication of the value that an organization’s product or service has to offer, social media is one tool that is being used by organizations throughout the world to communicate their product’s value. The use of social media in order to enlighten internal as well as external customers regarding the value of a product as well as a service is regarded as social media marketing. Social media marketing has existed for several years since the internet became accessible by the common population. Organizations started to realize its great importance and impact when websites were introduced. The term social media marketing used in present day is mostly used to refer to the marketing activities that are conducted by marketers with the use of several social networking outlets. These outlets have completely redefined the practice of marketing and are no longer limited to the way marketing was performed with the use of internet websites. Several social media outlets have been created to further assist marketers in attracting new as well as retaining old customers. Some of the most famous social media marketing outlets that are explored by marketers throughout the world on daily basis includes the Facebook, Twitter, mobile phones, Google+ and various others. The introduction of these social media outlets has resulted in helping the marketers to perform their marketin g activities in a much effective and efficient manner. These media outlets help marketers in performing various roles that they were performing without these innovations but in a much comprehensive manner as compared to before the existence of social media. There are various organizations that have successfully implemented the use of social media in their businesses and have benefited a great deal. One such company is the Domino’s Pizza which is very successful running pizza chain. The organization published a video on the social media of YouTube and the video was focused on a prank. The video became highly

Management of Human Resources Class Discussion wk3 Assignment

Management of Human Resources Class Discussion wk3 - Assignment Example rsity, it is important to have a diversity training where the management and employees can know how to treat people of diversity and encourage it as well within the organization. Inclusivity can be cultivated through allowing the employees into the decision making process within the organization at whatever level is convenient (Jackson, Shuler & Werner, 2012). This will be a sign of respect of their opinion and will boost their productivity as well as reduce or eliminate cases of workplace unfair treatment towards the company. In a small company, harassment is easy to prevent through clearly stating the rules of the company once an employee is hired. These rules without many employees to monitor will be easily implemented and followed up upon. The other way is to provide a system of instilling discipline as well as punishing employees that is fair. This can be done through having steps to follow such as warning letters before suspension is enacted if the behavior is recurrent (Jackson, Shuler & Werner, 2012). These are bound to keep employees in check over the harassment

Court Justices Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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Fortune 500 Company Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fortune 500 Company Analysis - Essay Example Fortune 500 Company Analysis Wal-Mart Corporation is the biggest global retailer and by the end of January 2010, the company had amassed more than $400 billion in revenues, $24 billion in operating income, and operate 8,500 stores with approximately 1 billion square feet of space (Datamonitor: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. 2010). Through low prices and development, Wal-Mart grew from their Arkansas roots to a global market leader. Wal-Mart is the largest firm in the global general merchandise stores sector, creating a 31.5% share of the sector's worth. Despite considerable opposition in the retail setting, Wal-Mart became a global leader by providing discounted price products to their customers. Wal-Mart manages three business divisions in the general merchandise industry: Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, and the international segment. Internet revenues are also an essential input to Wal-Mart’s achievement and the company’s Internet activities will continue to be a part of the future syne rgies of their business plan. Wal-Mart’s huge merchandise offerings and the wide blend of goods make it possible to differentiate them from the competition. Wal-Mart supplies branded and private label merchandise in several categories including groceries, recreation, electronics, apparel, wellbeing, interior design, and monetary services.

Critical Analysis of the problems facing manners Europe Coursework

Critical Analysis of the problems facing manners Europe - Coursework Example The challenges are often worsened even more with lack of knowledge about such differences or sensitivity to such differences, which may impact interactions and the manner in which business is done. Sometimes even those who do understand the significance of the national differences, often mistakenly their way of doing things is the best and most successful. Every country at least has some differences in the way business is done, human resource is planned, people are motivated, and even labour laws practised (Plessis, 2010:180; Mead, 2009). The varying values, behaviours, and beliefs that people hold are critical to the success of human resource management of an international business. This paper analyses the various human resource challenges and problems that Manners Europe faces in its Netherlands office. It will do so using various a numbers of theoretical frameworks such as Hall’s High Low context theory and Hofstede’s five dimensions theory to critically understand t hese problems. Case analysis Problems facing Manners Europe Based on the case experience of Manners Europe, it can be noted that the company division is faced with operational and people management problems. This can be attributed to the different ways that the Dutch carry about their business operations and the export of the parent company’s United States management style in the Netherlands business operations management. The key problems noted from Manners Europe situation include: Problems in motivational tactics used Problems in reward management Communication problems Problems in effective recruiting and retention of employees Problem with management style Problem as to whether a European or American as Tom Steiger’s successor These problems are as analysed below: Problems in motivational tactics used Different people value different things and it is these things valued that often impact the kind of motivation strategies. This implies that motivation is highly imp acted by culture as it is culture that impacts the values that people hold. It is imperative that what employee value and what motivates be clearly understood so that effective working motivation strategies can be employed (Hofstede, 2011). This denotes that in order to understand the problems as to why the pay for performance motivation tactics currently used in Manners Europe are not working it is imperative to understand what the Dutch value and what motivates them based on their cultures. Analysing case based on the Dutch culture using Gert Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions (Mead, 2009; Brewster, Sparrow, and Vernon, 2011), it can be noted that the Dutch are more individualistic persons who places prefer a loosely knit social network and place high value in taking care of their own needs and those of their immediate families only rather than groups. This is clearly noted in the employees’ emphasis on meeting their social needs and the needs of their families rath er than feeling obliged to meet the needs of the organisation (Verburg et al, 1999:397; Hofstede, 2011). The Dutch are less aggressive and competitive but rather place great emphasis on the quality of life and a good work life balance, and also place a high value on codes of beliefs (Tod, 2004:28; Hofstede, 2011). The business ethics between the Dutch and Americans are different. While

Influencs of Western Culture on Indian Youth Essay Example for Free

Influencs of Western Culture on Indian Youth Essay Western culture is neither homogeneous nor unchanging. As with all other cultures it has evolved and gradually changed over time. All generalities about it have their exceptions at some time and place. Globalism has spread western ideas so widely that almost all modern countries or cultures are to some extent influenced by aspects of western culture which they have absorbed. In the later 20th to early 21st century, with the advent of increasing globalism, it has become more difficult to determine which individuals fit into which category. How there is head and tail for a coin, there is both positive and negative impact of western culture on the world and especially on todays young generation , On one side we enjoy our so-called rich culture and really admire it. The ways of living has been greatly enhanced by the western culture which is good for success and growth of a country and helpful for it in heading towards super success. But on the other side; this culture mainly adopted by us has given rise to Individualization. Individualization has broken up many cultural systems, paving way for the youth to fall prey to drug addictionand many other ill practices. This stage is the most vulnerable period of life where the youth need guidance, counseling, education and care by parents. Culture† and â€Å"Tradition† are more significant in a country like India which has always been cherishing its rich culture and heritage and it’s quite well known for it worldwide. But these things are now just on paper and are slowly losing their sheen. Why? The younger generation are the representatives of India in a true sense of the word. We are the sole cherishers of India’s pride and its heritage which actually lies in its culture, its diversity, its uniqueness. In such a scenario, where the point of a rich cultured country like India is facing the problem of losing its culture, are we, the youth; the Indian youth not Actually Responsible For This? Are we not putting our own self image, our self respect, our mother India’s pride at stake by doing so? Just think about it my dear friends. I would suggest, There is no problem as such when we follow the western culture to some extent. The problem is we are forgetting our culture to a greater extent. Why should we do so? as 21st century youth doesn’t mean forgetting the motherland and following or in short adopting western lifestyle in totality. Every culture has its own pros and cons. We individuals should be strong enough to take the good and throw off the bad. We are easily influenced by western culture. Right from our clothing, till the music, the films, our attitude, our lifestyle, in short every aspect of our life has totally changed. I just want to say that â€Å"Change doesn’t happen on its own; it’s we who bring about the change. But by this change, our mother India has lost its sheen and beauty; its place; its uniqueness in the world. The things mentioned above does not only imply to India. There are many countries in the world where todays youths have adopted westernization. For eg in many countries like Japan , Bangladesh , etc are greatly prone to westernization. At the end I would just like to convey a message that- Almost all the countries in the world have become independent and we the younger generation are the representatives of the future . o we must realize that true beauty of a country lies in its culture, its heritage and every country has its uniquiness. So we must understand thae our country must be our own. And as for india many great western people like Mark Twain  have said- India is the cradle of human race, the birth place of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and greatgrandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and instructive materials in the history of man are treasure up in India only.

Improving Personal Efficiency At Work And In Life Commerce Essay

Improving Personal Efficiency At Work And In Life Commerce Essay The author of this paper is an engineering professional, who applies science (in the engineering inquiring system) to the real world during his work (Van Gigch, 2006). Organizations are continuously exploring methods to eliminate waste to lower the production cost and increase efficiency. This concept has evolved from a Two Bin System to a kanban System and most recently to a Toyota Production System (Hill, 2005). The author is intrigued by this organizational idea of reducing waste and increasing efficiency. He would like to apply the similar concept to increase personal productivity and efficiency at work and in his personal life. The proposed action plan intends to improve personal efficiency of the author at work and in life. The author deals with a variety of activities and tasks in his personal and work life during the day. These activities and tasks can vary from a simplest activity, such as starting a car ten minutes before departing for work, to solving a complex at work such as why a fastener broke during the assembly, and to writing a research paper for school. The phenomenon of friction is well known in a manufacturing industry. The usual engineering definition of friction is the resistance to relative motion of contacting bodies (Booser, 1983, p. 31). Magnitude of friction is usually expressed as a coefficient of friction ( µ), which is the ratio of the force F required to initiate or sustain relative tangential motion to the normal N which presses the two surfaces together. Thus  µ = F/N (Booser, 1983 p. 31). The right amount of friction is needed for two components to work efficiently and minimize wear. The same concept can be applied in work and life to improve personal efficiency. This action plan will develop a strategy to lower (balance) the friction in order to improve personal efficiency. Progress is becoming skilled consists largely in eliminating the useless (Laird, 1952, p.32). Productivity conceptually has two dimensions: efficiency and effectiveness. Efficiency is the level and quality of obtained from the amount of resources available (Smith, 1995). Competent performance defines efficiency doing something and doing something right (Smith, 1995. p. 7). The author will be exploring methods to produce a greater quantity with higher quality with the same amount of resources to improve his efficiency. The way in which the provider meets needs and demands of objectives defines effectiveness. A productivity plan is an action plan designed to achieve the twin goals of efficiency and effectiveness (Smith, 1995). Effectiveness relates to the extent to which the provider meets the needs and demands of the objectives. Improving productivity is a multi-faceted concept, which is linked with the achieving the goals efficiently and effectively. A productivity initiative is more than the statement of a set of goals; it is a plan to foster the achievement of those goals. It is an action plan designed to allow the system to get from here to there. (xxxx, xxxx) Productivity = f (efficiency, effectiveness) (Smith, 1995) The author has analyzed through the journaling activities during the course of Strategic Management of Human Resources that Personal Efficiency (PE) is affected by several factors. These factors are goal setting, communication style, negotiation and collaboration skills, art of persuasion, procrastination, locus of control, motivation, behavior and attitude, stress and burnout, influence, power authority, personal temperament, and networking. (Nelson, 2006) Assessment The author has gone through several self assessment exercises to identify his weaknesses and strengths. The author leads a busy personal and work life, thus it is important for the author to be efficient. The author will look at several factors to improve upon his Personal Efficiency within this action plan. The author agrees with Edmund and Morris (2000) that having too much information which uses up too much of their time, causes to feel stressed which, in turn, affects our decision making (Karlsson, 2006, page number) further, The extreme development of natural material resources and their conservation in paralleled by a pitiable neglect of human mental resources (Laird, 1952, p. 1). The development in information technology has provided the author with various planning tools such as a personal computer, blackberry, palm organizer, and Microsoft outlook express, but not necessarily all of these additional aids have improved his efficiency. Within this action plan, the author will develop a plan to understand the utility level of available aids. Action Plan The author used a competency card tally sheet to analyze and assess his competencies. Timely Decision Making, Organizing and Priority Setting are the three competencies on which the author will focus. The author will use goal setting techniques and decision making models to improve upon stated timely decision making, organizing, and priority setting competencies. The author will use performance measurement system (PMS) to evaluate performance of accomplishment. The action plan will use a sequential process. First, data will be collected, second the data will be organized, and third an action plan will be formed, fourth the action plan will be executed. Finally, the process will be reviewed and reanalyzed periodically. Goal Setting A goal is a measurable accomplishment to be achieved within a specified time and under specific time constraints (Rouillard, 2002 p.4). The goal setting offers motivation and a tool for performance measurement (Griffen et al, 2009). The author will use SMART approach for goal setting. The author understands that the goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, and realistic and that they should be subject to deadlines. The author will set challenging goals which require effort, yet still be attainable (Griffen et al, 2009). The author will use a sequential process to set goals. First, he will brainstorm all the goals by writing them down on a notebook, those he would like to attain in his life. Second, he will categorize these goals by the time limit he would like to them achieved. The goals will be categorized by month, six months, one year, two years, five years, and ten years. After analysis author may find that some of the initial goals are thoughts and need not be classifie d as goals. The goals will be further analyze for acceptance of author. Next, the plan for accomplishment of all the goals will be set. The progress of each goal will be reviewed periodically. Daily goals will be reviewed daily, monthly goals will be reviewed weekly, semi-annual goals will be reviewed monthly, annual goals will be reviewed quarterly and bi-annual goals, five years. During the review, if it is found that a goal was not achieved within the time allocated than it will be analyzed for the reasons. The analysis will help the author to understand the reasons for failure to make necessary improvements. The analysis will provide information whether the author lacked the resources to accomplish the goal(s), or whether there was an uncertain event that occurred during the period. If analysis presented that the author lacked the resources than reevaluation of the resources will be done. If analysis presented that there was an uncertain event occurrence during the period than t he author will reevaluate the deadline for the goal(s). (Griffen et al, 2009). Procrastination has always been a factor for the poor performance for the author. There are times when decisions are made very rapidly and at other times they take much longer. Procrastination increases stress and uncertainty (Griffen et al, 2009).The purpose of developing timely decision making skills is to be able to make the best possible decision with the information available (Gowin, 1917). Decision Making Model Temperament analysis from the book identified the author as an ESTJ personality type, where E stands for extrovert, S for sensing, T for thinking and J for judging. The T, or Thinking personality most often makes decisions based on logic and optimization. This style of decision making fits with rational model of decision making. There are constraints in relation to available time and information which prohibit practicing a rational decision making model. (Griffen et al, 2009)The author will use a decision support system to understand how to use an alternative decision making model. Herbert Simon suggested that there are limits to how rational a decision maker can actually be. (Nelson et al, 2006, p. 319). The objective is to find acceptability and effectiveness in the results. This decision orders classification forms the basis for the decision alignment framework(Scherpereel, 2005 PAGE NUMBER). Bounded rationality model can be an alternative choice for the author to develop a heuristics approach for decision making. The author will list and evaluate alternatives to select a good enough alternative to make the decision timely.(xxxx). To understand the likely consequences of decisions, the author will analyze the importance of individual factors and choose the best course of action. It is the alignment of decision problem characterization (or primal elements) with available approaches (or dual elements) that determine the adequacy and efficacy of a decision (Scherpereel, 2005 Page Number). The following steps will be used to develop timely decision making competency. The author will define the goal and assign a deadline to achieve the goals. He will record the activities in a log book to track the time spend on each activity. The log book will also be used to create matrix to design the decision support system. The author will practice the timely decision making with smaller tasks to create a habit of making decisions on time. Motor habits, or habits of doing, are all that many people include as habits in their thinking (Leird, 1952, p.44). Form the habit of sticking to a job until it is done (Leird, 1952, p.177). An example of this task would be starting the car in the morning ten minutes before heading to work in winter. The author will monitor this activity through the log book until this activity becomes a programmed decision making. He will develop an evaluation system to understand pro and cons of decisions. After identifying the pro and cons of the making the decisions, he will apply the strategy to make the decisions. If you really want to increase your mental efficiency do these things, do not just read them (Leird, 1952, p.35). The author will continuously read scholarly material and consult with an expert on his decision making competency. Decision Support System The author will develop a decision support system (DSS) to improve upon timely decision making competency. G. Mallach (1994) stated that The Decision Support System (DSS) is a system whose purpose is to provide knowledge with information on which to base informed decisions (Chong, 2001. p. 1). Decision Support System generates information used to support a decision (Chong, 2001. p. 1). Next, the author will use cognitive maps (CM) as a tool to develop the decision support system. In a Cognitive Map, concepts are connected with lines, arrows, and blocks. The information in blocks represents concepts (cn) in the problem domain and the line will represent the causal relationships within the concepts. The causal relationship can be positive or negative. In the case of a positive relationship, an increase or decrease in the cause variable shows the effect variable moving in the same direction. In a negative relationship, the cause concept causes the effect concept to move in the opposite direction (Chong, 2001). Need groceries T1 Total time available on weekend T5 Car needs oil change T2 Finish SMHR action plan T3 Meeting friends in evening T4 + 1.50 hr + .50 hr + 15.00 hr + 2.0 hr Figure 1.1: Cognitive map showing activities on the weekend (Chong, 2001) Figure 1.1 shows a cognitive map to illustrate tasks those need to be completed and leisure time planned for the weekend. Figure 1.1 also shows an incident which was not the part of planning. This cognitive map (CM) is drawn to identify the utilization on available time on the weekend efficiently and effectively. Each activity has given identification e.g. need groceries is identified as T1(Chong, 2001). After the CM is created, it is transformed from a diagram to a matrix. Fist, the diagram is translated to an N x N matrix (where N is the number of activities used in the map). Then, the rows and columns in the matrix are labeled with domain concepts (Chong, 2001). After drawing the CM, the map undergoes a diagram-to-matrix transformation. The process begins with the creation of an N x N matrix where N is the number of activities used in the map. The rows and columns in the matrix are labeled with domain concepts. (xxxx, Page Number) T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.50 T2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 .50 T3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 15.00 T4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.00 T5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Fig 1.2: Matrix for the Cognitive Map on Fig 1.1 The fig. 1.2 shows a matrix of the information transferred from the cognitive map shown in fig. 1.1. The matrix shows the entry at row i, column j is the signed degree to which the activity (the source concept) influences (Chong, 2001, p. 3). When there is not relationship with an activity (Ti) to another activity (Tj) the value zero is inserted for the relationship. E.g. the activity T1 has no relationship with T2 on the cognitive map thus matrix has a zero entry for that relationship whereas activity T1 to T5 has a relationship that it will take 1.5 hour from the weekend thus it is given a 1.5 entry. The same concept (c) will be used throughout for information transformation from cognitive map to matrix. The author will be able adapt to this model after few practices (Chong, 2001). The summation of the activities will tell the author whether he was able to utilize the available time for the weekend effectively. For example, the sum of the matrix in the example shown on fig 1.2 is 19.0. The author had 2.0 hours allocated for leisure time from the total 19.0 hours available for the weekend. The summation calculation from the matrix shows that the author used 19.0 hours to accomplish all the activities. Thus he was able utilize the available time over the weekend effectively. The author will use the similar method for more complex problems (Lettieri et al, 2008). The author will make cognitive maps for one concept every week. This information will be made into a matrix as illustrated above. The information will be compiled into another matrix once the concept (tasks within the concept) is completed. The simple calculation for summation will be used to identify the efficiency of the proposed matrix to the actual matrix. Figure 1.2 shows the relationship between two matrixes before and after the completion of concept (Chong, 2001). T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.50 T2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 .50 T3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 15.00 T4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.00 T5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.00 T2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 .50 T3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 14.50 T4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.00 T5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Before After Fig 1.3: Matrix for before and after completion of the concept The summation calculation for the proposed matrix before the concept is completed is 19.00 hours whereas 18.00 hours for the matrix after concept is completed (Corral, 2008). This calculation provides the author with information for making future decisions as related to the activities defined with the illustrated concept (c1). The concept (c1) illustrates a very simple activity such as buying groceries as well as the complex activity of writing an action plan for the study course. The decisions the author faces can range from simple, with established programmed rule to complex decisions which require creative solutions (Chong, 2001). Most important is to identify the measures of efficiency and effectiveness based on the stated goals and objectives (Locke et al, 1981). The author assumes that in some cases it may be necessary to begin with new data collection for the appropriate measures. Finally, the productivity improvement process calls for new strategies to be developed for improving and monitoring productivity. Such strategies should be based on the goals and objectives first extrapolated (Griffen et al, 2009). Work and life balance Dr. Adam Butler, a psychology professor, suggested in his research that individuals should avoid preoccupation with work while at home (2010). The author will practice Dr. Butlers suggestion including finding challenges and learning opportunities outside of work and relaxation to enjoy leisure time. The author will also execute a plan to exercise regularly. These activities will help the author to balance life and work to become more efficient. Summary Productivity is the function of efficiency and effectiveness. The author has developed this action plan to improve his personal efficiency by using various decision making models, goal setting and motivation techniques. He will also use decision support systems, cognitive maps, and a strategy for work and life balance to improve his personal efficiency. The author has analyzed his competencies by using competency card tally sheet and other several self assessment tools taught during the course of Strategic Management of Human Resources. The sequential process action plan will be reviewed and reanalyzed periodically.