Hospitality and Tourism Management Essay Example for Free

Hospitality and Tourism Management Essay The K-12 program covers kindergarten and 12 years of basic education ( six years of primary education , four years of junior high school to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education , middle-level skills development, employment ,and entrepreneurship. the enhanced basic education act of 2013 , or republic act no. 105333, was signed on may 15, 2013. K-12 is a helpful tool that can strengthen early childhood education, make the curriculum relevant to learners , ensuring integrated and seamless learning ,building proficiency through language , gearing up for future and most of all nurturing the holistically develop Filipino. Every graduate will be equipped with information, media and technology skills, learning and innovation skills, effective communication skills and life career skills. Program implementation in public schools is being done in phases starting SY 2012-2013. Grade 1 entrants in SY2012-2013 are first batch to fully undergo the program, and current 1st year Junior High School Students (or Grade 7) are the first to undergo the enhanced secondary education program. To facilitate the transition from the existing 10-year basic education to 12 years, DepEd is also implementing the SHS AND SHS modeling. .Each student in Senior High School can choose among three tracks: Academic; Technical-Vocational-Livelihood; and Sports and Arts. The Academic track includes three strands: Business, Accountancy, Management (BAM); Humanities, Education, Social Sciences (HESS); and Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM). Students undergo immersion, which may include earn-while-you-learn opportunities, to provide them relevant exposure and actual experience in their chosen track. The enhanced curriculum for grade 1 and grade 7 ( 1st Year Junior High School ) was rolled out SY 2012-2013 , and will be progressively introduced in other grade levels in succeeding school years. Grade 11 will be introduced in SY 2016-2017 AND GRADE 12 IN SY 2017-2018. The first batch of high school students to go through K to 12 will graduate in march 2018. DepEd has entered into an agreement with business organizations, local and foreign chambers of commerce, and industries to ensure that graduates of K to 12 will be considered for employment. There will be a matching of competency requirements and standards so that 12-year basic education graduates will have the necessary skills needed to join the workforce and to match the College Readiness Standards for further education and future employment. Entrepreneurship will also be fostered in the enhanced curriculum; ensuring graduates can venture into other opportunities beyond employment. After finishing Grade 10, a student can obtain Certificates of Competency (COC) or a National Certificate Level I (NC I). After finishing a Technical-Vocational-Livelihood track in Grade 12, a student may obtain a National Certificate Level II (NC II), provided he/she passes the competency-based assessment of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). NC I and NC II improves employability of graduates in fields like Agriculture, Electronics, and Trade. Target Market 12-13 years old who supposed to graduate grade 6 this year but will be introduced to k-12 program. Grade 5 and 6 students Youth that belongs in the poor families with potential to be out of the school youth after their high school years. Schools Professors – lecturer SY 2011-12 SY 2012-13 SY 2013-14 SY 2014-15 SY 2015-16 SY 2016-17 SY 2017-18 GR 12 2 YEARS SENIOR GR 11 HIGH SCHOOL HS IV (15 yo) GR 10 4 YEARS JUNIOR HS IV (14 yo) GR 9 HIGH SCHOOL HS IV (13 yo) OLD CURRICULUM GR 8 HS IV (12 yo) NEW CURRICULUM GR 7 GR 6 (11 yo) GR 6 6 YEARS GR 5 (10 yo) GR 5 ELEMENTARY GR 4 (9 yo) GR 4 GR 3 (8 yo) GR 3 GR 2 (7 yo) OLD CURRICULUM GR 2 GR 1 (6 yo) NEW CURICULUM GR 1 KINDER (5 yo) KINDER Analysis of Case During the period of governance of Spain and the United States, education in the Philippines changed radically, mostly modeled on the system of education in the United States of the time. After gaining independence in 1946, the systems were no longer automatically applied in the Philippines, which have since moved in various directions of its own. Filipino children may enter preschool at the ages of three to four, starting from nursery, and kindergarten. At the ages of six to seven, children enter elementary school for six or seven (on selected schools) years. This is followed by the high school, for four years. Students may then sit for the College Entrance Examinations (CEE), after which they may enter tertiary schools for two to five years. The Philippine educational system pursues the achievement of excellent undergraduates in the elementary and secondary level. Implementation of UbD is one of the proposals that undertook in the country recently. At present, the Department of Education pronounces the addition of two more years in the basic education of students, which according to them will benefit not only the Filipino youth but all the Filipinos in the Philippines. This proposal is part of P-noys Educational Reform Program. The administration asserts that with the implementation of such program, the problem of unemployment in the country will be resolved. In as much as employment in the Philippines is concerned, the K12 education also responds to the fact that most countries in the world already have the same plan in their educational institutions. With this, the standards of these countries go a notch higher than what the country has, thus, creating an expansion in the global competency. What can be really said about this plan. The K-12 Basic Education Program aims to provide every Filipino child with the education s/he needs to compete in a global context. In May, President Benigno Aquino of the Philippines signed into law a basic education curriculum that will see a mandatory kindergarten year and two additional senior high school years added to what was a 10-year education curriculum to make basic education 12 years. The programmed has been adopted not only in schools in the Philippines, but also in Filipino schools abroad that follow the department’s curriculum. Gulf news reports: The goal of the new curriculum is to give Filipino students enough time to master skills and concepts so that they are ready for tertiary education when the time comes. Kindergarten was previously optional, and advocates of the K-12 programme argue that students who went to kindergarten are better prepared for primary education than those who did not. In addition, the K-12 programmed â€Å"provides for the use of the ‘mother tongue‘ language as the medium of instruction for students in the basic and lower years to facilitate and expedite learning. † This fabulous interactive map of all public schools in the country could be a useful tool in planning a recruitment strategy. It contains data on the school’s budget, enrolment statistics, education indicators, number of teaching personnel, furniture, textbooks, classrooms, plus the water and power supply of some 45,000 schools nationwide. 10 Point Education Agenda The move to the K-12 policy comes as part of the 10 Point Education Agenda which was set out by the current government administration. The K-12 Basic Education Program, universal kindergarten and instruction in mother-tongue languages are but three of the ten points Aquino’s administration want to implement in order to improve the overall quality of education in Filipino schools. The other seven points include: Establish the Madaris Education as a sub-system in the current education system; Make every child a reader by Grade 1; Improve science and mathematics; Expand government assistance to private education; Better textbooks; Build more schools in cooperation with local government units (LGUs); Re-introduce technical and vocational education in public high schools. Australia extends a helping hand Australia has long been a friend to the Philippines – donating time, funding and other resources, as well as working with the nation to develop and ensure quality. Last month, the country grantedPHP 8. 4 billion (nearly US $193 million) â€Å"to address basic education issues and support the implementation of the K-12 programme. † They have also funded a project to â€Å"enhance the skills of school officials in managing school processes and turn schools into learner-centred institutions that continually improve and build on its best practices. † In return, Australia is surely hoping Filipino schools and students will select Oz as their destination of choice for partnerships and study. As ICEF Monitor reported in February, the Philippines is one of the top ten student markets for Australian schools, colleges and universities. Building classrooms and adding teachers As mentioned, one of the ten points on the Education Agenda aims to address severe overcrowding in Philippine schools and the shortage of classrooms. In October of last year, the Department of Education signed an agreement â€Å"with two winning consortia which will undertake the construction of close to 10,000 classrooms. † The department’s Public Private Partnership for School Infrastructure Project (PSIP) will give schools the physical space they need and â€Å"provides the private sector the business opportunity to invest in the design, construction and maintenance of classrooms. † Philippine Education Secretary Armin A. Luistro has said he hopes that by doing so, the classrooms would stand as a testament to Filipino capability and efficiency. Progress is well underway; construction of more than 9,000 classrooms began in March of this year. An increase in student enrolment which caused the shortage of teachers was due to an increase in kindergarten students – a result of the new K-12 curriculum, as well as students who were formerly enrolled in private school transferring to public school because of tuition fee hikes. Student enrolment in 2012/3 stood at 20. 67 million: 1. 77 million kindergarten students, 13. 26 million elementary students, and 5. 64 million high school students. Increased focus on vocational education A final point on the 10 Point Education Agenda calls for a re-introduction of vocational and technical education in high schools, which has been designed to give Filipino students practical skills to gain employment after graduation – a key component in tackling the high youth unemployment rate in the Philippines. Some advocates are calling for the adoption of the German model of apprenticeship. The Manilla Bulletin reported: It is hoped that adopting the German model would help address the skills mismatch between Filipino graduates and the jobs available. Ramon del Rosario, chairman of the PBEd, has said now is the time to implement the apprenticeship system, because of the start of the K-12 curriculum: â€Å"It is a good time because of the development of the senior high school curriculum and that will have a track towards technical vocational education. † In May, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) announced it had completed the K-12 technical vocational curriculum, and everything was in place for the start of the new school year. TESDA Secretary Joel Villanueva said, â€Å"Technical vocational education and training (TVET) will play a central role in the new education model that prepares students for tertiary education, middle-skills development, employment and entrepreneurship. † Courses include automotive servicing, horticulture, welding, consumer electronics, dressmaking/tailoring, carpentry, food processing and beauty care. The Philippines as a study destination Like many of its neighboring countries, the Philippines has its eye on becoming a study destination of choice for students from the Asia-Pacific region. In January of this year, the Philippine Bureau of Immigration reported that of the 203,753 foreigners in the country, 47,478 are studying in schools and universities across the country (which is 14% higher than the 41,443 foreigners who applied in 2011). The bulk of those (31,000) are under the age of 18 and studying at an elementary or high school or on a short-term (less than 1 year) course. The Bureau’s Commissioner Ricardo David Jr said: â€Å"Our country is fast emerging as a new educational hub in the Asia-Pacific region. More and more foreigners are coming here to study and it demonstrates recognition of the improved quality of our educational system. † He attributed the influx of foreign students to the quality of teaching and the use of English as the medium of instruction. Some of those students chose the Philippines to study English, and the government is hoping to boost ESL student numbers by making it easier for them to stay and learn. Last year, ICEF Monitor reported that for international students studying English in Australia, the Philippines had entered the competition as a destination option for the first time in 2011. Backing that up, an article in The PIE News quotes Ruth Tizon, Programmed Director of the Philippines ESL Tour Program, as saying, One thing is clear: the Philippines is looking ahead. With a growing population and a budding economy, demand for quality education is high. Many Filipino parents welcome the basic education reforms and are looking forward to more opportunities for their children in vocational and higher education. KEY ISSUE / GOALS The fact that the Philippines is the last country in the region to adopt a K-12basic educations system because it is not all about the trending basis but checking in accordance to the â€Å"reality†. During the assessment done by the prestigious organization Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), they conclude that the problem about the present curriculum in squeezing 12 years of basic education into just 10 is that students are overloaded with subjects which resulted to poor quality of basic education as reflected in the low achievement scores of Filipino students. International tests results like 2003 TIMSS rank the Philippines 34th out of 38 countries in HS II Math and 43rd out of 46countries in HS II Science; for grade 4, the Philippines ranked 23rd out of 25 participating countries in both Math and Science. In 2008, even with only the science high schools participating in the Advanced Mathematics category, the Philippines were ranked lowest. This quality of education is reflected in the inadequate preparation of high school graduates for the world of work or entrepreneurship or higher education . It is not the question of teaching force because internationally we can say that the country is equipped of well trained educators capable enough for the learning needed by the students in our country. In fact, teachers in our country are highly demanded and most preferred to be hired and work in other country. But it is the matter of the educational system that we have which is designed to teach a 12-year curriculum, yet it is delivered in just 10 years. Though some criticizing it as a way only to realigned as to what is the trending educational system to must have, then why not follow it if it will sustain the development of the educational system of our country and there is nothing wrong with it. As to the question of the consequences that will be brought by the policy, surely there will be many of those and it’s a part of the changes. Better because the government exists to uplift the standard of education in the country and not just sitting down to their respective offices and waiting what will happen to the future of the students experiencing the current system. The policy exist with provisions of program to be administered forthe sustainability of it, thus to relate it with economic hindrances it should be another story that is worth to be reflected and should not serve as a hindrance for the development of one system in our country (education). To reach the development wherein the citizens are wanting, admitting the fact that it couldn’t be happening simultaneously is the first step. Goals of k-12 Individualized learning customized to each child’s needs. Award winning curriculum that engages young mind from k to 12 with a rich combination of online interactive and offline hands-on learning High school full-and-part time options to help students find their own path A new kind of powerful, personalized connection with teacher Preferred alternative with rationale in this study I find out that k to 12 will have a big effect in our country and even in our industry. It is a good program that can provide many outcomes and may help our country men to arise. But I also notice that some of whom I asked if k to 12 will be the answer for the people to be more comprehensive and productive in man powering many had answer maybe and no . then I got this thought that It can help but people in our country don’t want to open their minds in this changes. People in our country nowadays is always looking forward to fast solutions and money at this state it is because of the arising poverty and the low demand for man power and they are afraid that if they will not chase the time there will be no jobs available for them. They are afraid that k to 12 will affect every industry in hiring people so as our industry because if we can see jobs in the hospitality industry is widely offered than that of the other careers . so I came up with the rationale that we are good enough in the old curriculum. Why did I say this but I did not yet see the effect of it in the students it is because we are also pushing students to work early , why we will do that if we really want to push them to work early is to decreased the level of education just like the old one. Many parent will be sacrificing much about it, I guess the answer of today’s crisis is to help those student to bring their selves up in the maximum time possible. So that they can be as professionals in their early age . There is an urgent need to enhance the quality of basic education in our country as seen in the education outcomes of Filipino students and the comparative disadvantage of the Philippines with regard to other countries. The following data would support this explanation: At present, the Philippines is the only country in Asia and among the three remaining countries in the world that uses a 10-year basic education cycle. According to a presentation made by the South East Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO-INNOTECH) on Additional Years in Philippine Basic Education (2010), the comparative data on duration of Basic and Pre-University Education in Asia shows that the Philippines allots 10 years not just for the basic education cycle but also for the pre-university education while all the other countries have either 11 or 12 years in their basic education cycle. Achievement scores highlight our students’ poor performance in national examinations. The National Achievement Test (NAT) results for grade 6 in SY 2009-2010 showed only a 69. 21% passing rate while the NAT results for high school is at a low 46. 38%. Moreover, international tests results in 2003 Trends in International Mathematics and Science study (TIMSS) show that the Philippines ranked 34th out of 38 countries in HS Math and 43rd out of 46 countries in HS II Science. Moreover, the Philippines ranked the lowest in 2008 even with only the science high schools joining the Advanced Mathematics category. Assumptions The K to 12 Program covers Kindergarten and 12 years of basic education (six years of primary education, four years of Junior High School, and two years of Senior High School [SHS]) to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship. -DEPED K 12 can contribute to: Strengthening early childhood education Making curriculum relevant to learners Ensuring integrated and seamless learning Building proficiency through language Nurturing the holistically Filipino Kindergarten and 12 years of basic education is offered for free in public schools. There are additional indirect costs, but government agencies are collaborating to provide programs that will enable everyone access to quality education, especially to those with lesser means. Proposals such as the expansion of the Education Service Contracting (ESC) scheme under the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) and other cost-sharing arrangements are being developed by DepEd. K to 12 graduates should have higher earning potential as they will be more competent and skilled. As a result of the K to 12 Program, particularly the more specialized education in Senior High School, CHED is exploring the possibility of decreasing the number of years of which will enable them to have more employment opportunities. Certain degree programs in college. K to 12 graduates can obtain national certification from TESDA, After finishing Grade 10, a student can obtain Certificates of Competency (COC) or a National Certificate Level I (NC I). After finishing a Technical-Vocational-Livelihood track in Grade 12, a student may obtain a National Certificate Level II (NC II), provided he/she passes the competency-based assessment of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). NC I and NC II improves employability of graduates in fields like Agriculture, Electronics, and Trade. After going through Kindergarten, the enhanced Elementary and Junior High curriculum, and a specialized Senior High program, every K to 12 graduates will be ready to go into different paths – may it be further education, employment, or entrepreneurship. Every graduate will be equipped with: Information, media and technology skills, Learning and innovation skills, Effective communication skills, and Life and career skills. MANILA, Philippines – Last May 15, President Benigno Aquino III signed the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 into law. Philippines is the last country in Asia to approved k 12. The implementation of the Universal Kindergarten began in SY 2011–2012. The enhanced curriculum for Grade 1 and Grade 7 (1st Year Junior High School) was rolled out in SY 2012–2013, and will be progressively introduced in the other grade levels in succeeding school years. Grade 11 will be introduced in SY 2016–2017 and Grade 12 in SY 2017–2018. The ? rst batch of high school students to go through K to 12 will graduate in March 2018. K to 12 graduates will be ready to be employed in various industries. Education Secretary Armin Luistro earlier said that the K to 12 program would like to ensure that even if they dont choose to go to college, they finish studying what is basic. As per Republic Act no. 10157 or the Kindergarten Education Act, Kindergarten has become part of the education system and a pre-requisite for admission to Grade 1. Public schools will continue to admit children who have not taken Kindergarten into Grade 1 until SY 2013-2014. Senior high school students can choose from 3 tracks: Academic, Sports and Arts, and Technical-Vocational-Livelihood. After Grade 10, a student can obtain Certi? cates of Competency (COC) or a National Certi? cate Level I (NC I). After finishing a Technical Vocational-Livelihood in Grade 12, a student may obtain a National Certi? cate Level II (NC II), provided he/she passes the competency-based assessment of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). NC I and NC II improves employability of graduates in ? elds like Agriculture, Electronics, and Trade. In Kinder, mother tongue, shall be used as the medium of instruction. In Grades 1-3, the mother tongue will be used in teaching all subjects, except in teaching Filipino and English subjects. Starting Grade 4, Filipino and English will become the languages for instruction. Starting SY 2016-2017, DepEd shall engage in partnerships with colleges, universities, and Technical-Vocational Institutions (TVI) to use their existing facilities and teaching staff to ensure that reduction in enrollment in these colleges and universities will be offset during the transition period. Private schools are to adhere to the minimum standards of the K to 12 curriculum. They should also follow the K to 12 progression, even if they choose not to offer grades 11-12 (e. g. private junior high schools can remain as such but their students will have to transfer for senior high school). Recommendations In the light findings of the study and the conclusion drawn, the following recommendations are given: K to 12 will be more embraced by the parents of the students if the government will make new ways of helping the parents of the student to make their children’s finish the k to 12 program Most of the student who will undergo k-12 program belongs to a family that has a minimum wage income. And majority of the respondents are 11-12 years old. Based on my study , we can say that k to 12 program will affect the student learning’s and will add training for them to used if they will wanted to work as early in their age. It can be said for the findings that k to 12 will help the youth to be young professionals in the hospitality industry were in job opportunities are more open to them because of the training that they will take in this program. On the findings there for include that the k to 12 has many effects on the students that will undergo the program and they will have capabilities of having work in the hospitality industry but in the study it shows that it also decreased their parents capabilities to support their studies. Decision criteria Future education status Family salary income how do you asses k to 12 program as a student to take the k to 12 program: Quality of the education Effects on the student learning Its effect on the parents capabilities on supporting their Childs education How will it affect the numbers of the students who will continue their studies to attain their degree in college? What is the perception of the students regards to: the k to 12 program the new ways of learning readiness for them to work in a establishment If the TESDA training accreditation will make them more professionals especially on the hospitality industry. Subject – this research concerns with the analysis of the case of k to 12 program in the Philippines that had been implied last 2012 and if can create new hospitality professionals. Respondents – the respondents of the study are the students of San Antonio National high school that has already taking the new curriculum k to 12. Instrumentation – the author used the following instrument to gather important data . Questionnaires are carefully prepared to answer the specific problems of the study. Observation – as means of gathering information for the research may define as perceiving data through the senses. Observation is most widely used in studying behavior. This will be used to determine the actual reaction of the students while the Questionnaire given to them. Setting – the author will focus their studies on the point of view of students in San Antonio national high school in san Antonio village Makati city. Justification Student that will take k to 12 program can acquired the following: †¢ Acquire mastery of basic competencies. †¢ Be more emotionally mature. †¢ Be socially aware , pro-active, involve in public and civic affairs. †¢ Be adequately prepared for the word of work or Entrepreneurship or higher education. †¢ Be legally employable with potential for better earnings. †¢ Be globally competitive. †¢ Every graduate of the Enhanced K to 12 Basic Education program is an empowered individual who has learned, through a program that is rooted on sound educational principles and geared towards excellence, the foundations for learning throughout life, the competence to engage in work and be productive, the ability to coexist in fruitful harmony with local and global communities, the capability to engage in autonomous critical thinking, and the capacity to transform others and oneself. Agriculture and Fisheries, Sports, Business and Entrepreneurship Why add two more years? Decongest and enhance the basic education curriculum. Better quality education for all. Philippines is the only remaining country in Asia with a 10-year basic education program. K to12 is not new. The proposal to expand the basic education dates back to 1925. Studies in the Philippines have shown that an additional year of schooling increases earnings by 7. 5%.. Studies validate that improvements in the quality of education will increase GDP growth by 2% to 2. 2% Minus 2 instead of plus 2 for those families who cannot afford a college education but still wish to have their children find a good paying job. Right now, parents spend for at least 4 years of college to have unemployable child. In our model, parents will not pay for 2 years of basic Education that will give them an employable child. In effect, we are saving parents 2 years of expenses. The plan is not â€Å"Plus 2 years before graduation† but â€Å"Minus 2 years before work Inspire a shift in attitude that completion of high school education is more than just preparation for college but can be sufficient for a gainful employment or career. What will the society gain from K to 12? K to 12 will facilitate an accelerated economic growth. K to 12 will facilitate mutual recognition of Filipino graduates and professionals in other countries. A better educated society provides a sound foundation for long-term socio-economic development. Several studies have shown that the improvements in the quality of education will increase GDP growth by as much as 2%. Studies in the UK, India and US show that additional years of schooling also have positive overall impact on society. What Benefits will Individuals and Families get? An enhanced curriculum will decongest academic workload. Graduates will possess competencies and skills relevant to the job market. Graduates will be prepared for higher education. Graduates will be able to earn higher wages and/or better prepared to start their own business. Graduates could now be recognized abroad. MANILA, Philippines—Adding two years to the present 10-year basic education cycle is â€Å"an absolutely essential reform† to put the country’s public education system at par with the rest of the world, an international education expert said on Wednesday. Sheldon Shaeffer, director at the Bureau of Education of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) Asia Pacific, said the K+12 program (Kindergarten plus 12 years) was a necessary reform â€Å"to make the system comparable to and competitive with other countries. † Speaking at a lecture on school leadership at the Department of Education (DepEd), Shaeffer said a 12-year education cycle would be â€Å"more useful to the personal needs and employment opportunities† of its graduates. â€Å"I actually don’t see how people can disagree with it,† said Shaeffer before an audience of top Philippine education officials and representatives from various schools. The flagship education program of the Aquino administration, the K+12 basic education reform plan aims to improve the quality of Filipino high school graduates by adding two years of senior high school to the current 10-year education curriculum. The two additional years in senior high school are envisioned to serve as a specialization period for high school students, whether in vocational skills, music, the arts or sports. This would give high school graduates the option to pursue jobs with a basic education diploma or proceed to college. The program aims to make Philippine education at par with the rest of the world, with 12 years of basic schooling already a global standard. According to the DepEd, only the Philippines, Angola and Djibouti have a 10-year basis schooling cycle. Officials said the two-year shortcoming had proven problematic in the accreditation of Philippine graduates when applying for postgraduate courses and employment overseas. Recently, Laos added a year to its 11-year-program, Shaeffer noted. Education Secretary Armin Luistro acknowledged that the transition to a 12-year system would be difficult but noted that the Philippines was â€Å"already delayed† in coming up to the global standard. â€Å"What we’re looking at now is how to implement it. In [implementing] any change, there will be difficulty and this is what we really have to work on toge

Summary and Analysis of The Squires Tale :: Canterbury Tales The Squires Tale Essays

Summary and Analysis of The Squire's Tale (The Canterbury Tales) Epilogue to the Merchant's Tale and Prologue to the Squire's Tale: The Host laments the Merchant's tale, praying that he would never find such a terrible wife. The Host admits that he also has a wife that he laments marrying. He advises the Squire to tell a tale next. The Squire's Tale is not complete, ending after only six hundred lines. The Squire's Tale: The Squire tells the tale of Cambyuskan, the king of Sarai in Tartary. With his wife Elpheta he had two sons, Algarsyf and Cambalo, and a daughter Canacee. In the twentieth year of his reign on the Ides of March his subjects celebrated his nativity. During a great feast with the king and his knights, a knight with a gold ring and a sword entered the hall. He was sent from the king of Arabia and India, and offers him a steed of brass that can, within twenty-four hours, transport a person safely anywhere on the globe. He also presence to Canacee a mirror that foresees impending mischance and can determine the character of friends and foes, a ring that enables the wearer to understand the language of any bird, and the healing properties of all herbs. He also offers a sword whose edge will bite through any armor but whose flat will cure the wounds inflicted by the edge. The knight was led to a chamber and the ring given to Canacee, but the brass steed would not move until the knight taug ht people how to move it. The horse was a source of wonder for the people, compared alternately to the Pegasus and the Trojan horse. All one needed to do to move the brass horse was to twirl a peg in its ear, according to the knight. After the revelry of the night before, the next morning everybody but Canacee remained asleep until late. She had dreamed of the mirror and the ring and thus had her first satisfying rest in a very long time. As she went out walking that morning with her maids, she came across bleeding peregrine falcon that cried in anguish. It had maimed itself. Canacee picked up the falcon and spoke to it, a power she had gained from the ring the knight had given her. The falcon told her a tale of a handsome tercelet as treasonous and false as he was beautiful.

Ikea Paper

IKEA Business Analysis Industrial Organization – Essay I March 17, 2013 Word count: 3397 Introduction IKEA is a privately held, Swedish multinational company that is one of the world’s largest furnishings retailers. This international home products company designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds, chairs, and desks, appliances, and home accessories. The company is the world’s largest furniture retailer. IKEA was founded in 1943 in the South of Sweden, and its name is an acronym of the initials of the founder’s name, Ingvar Kamprad and of Elmtaryd and Agunnaryd, the farm and village where Kamprad grew up.The company is known for its modern architectural designs on various types of appliances and furniture, often associated with a simplified eco-friendly interior design. In addition, the firm is known for the attention it gives to cost control, operational details and continuous product development, allowing it to lower its prices by an ave rage of two to three percent over the decade to 2010, while continuing its global expansion. As of October 2011, IKEA has 332 stores in 38 countries. Most of these stores are directly owned but some are managed under franchise by owners outside the company.By doing this, IKEA faces a higher chance of success than in a sole proprietorship. In fiscal year 2010, it sold $23. 1 billion worth of goods, a 7. 7 percent increase over 2009. In recent years, IKEA purchases from developing countries have grown from 32% in 1998 to 48% in 2003; 29% of its output comes from Asia, 67% from Europe and 4% from the USA (Arrigo, 2005). For a long time, Poland was the second supplier of raw materials after Sweden, but there was recently a giddy increase in China which, in 2004, accounted for 14% of total output, followed by Poland with 12%, Sweden with 8%, Italy with 7%, and Germany with 6% (IKEA. com).To achieve its goal of boosting efficiency while cutting costs and prices to the end consumer, IKEA i s constantly looking for convenient new locations. This paper will focus on strategic investments decisions with regard to innovation and advertising and strategic product feature decisions. IKEA & Supply IKEA's vision is â€Å"To create a better everyday life for the many people. † To meet its vision IKEA provides many well-designed, functional products for the home. It prices its products low so that as many people as possible can afford to buy them. However, in creating low prices IKEA is not willing to sacrifice its principles. Low price but not at any price† is what IKEA says. This means it wants its business to be sustainable. IKEA supplies goods and services to individuals in a way that has an overall beneficial effect on people and the environment. Customers all over the world have responded positively to IKEA's approach. This is evident in its increasing sales. Supply chain IKEA has an extremely efficient supply chain and its management was the key source in IK EA in cost management which gave it a cutting edge among its competitors as it products where charged 30% lower than the cost of its rivals.With regard to the supply chain, the flow of production and processes go through three industrial sectors before the end product reaches the customer. Firstly, it starts with the primary sector concerning raw materials. Natural resources such as timber are extracted and developed. IKEA buys products from more than 1,300 suppliers in 50 countries (The Times 100). It uses a number of trading service offices across the world. They negotiate prices with suppliers, check the quality of materials and analyze the environmental impacts that occur through the supply chain.IKEA aims that all the products and materials it takes from the primary sector do not harm the environment. They also keep an eye on social and working conditions at suppliers. The second step is manufacturing where primary materials are used to build, manufactured and developed to fini shed goods. A key part of IKEA's success is due to its communications with materials' suppliers and manufacturers. During manufacturing IKEA specifies to its producers that waste should be avoided. Where waste does occur the firm encourages suppliers to try to use it in the manufacture of other products.IKEA has a code of conduct called the IKEA Way of Purchasing Home Furnishing Products, the IWAY (The Times 100). This contains minimum rules and guidelines that help manufacturers to reduce the impact of their activities on the environment. IKEA aims that all there products are manufactured in a responsible way. The tertiary sector provides services needed to meet the needs of the end users such as retailing, distribution, insurance, and customer services. IKEA's retail stores add value to manufactured goods by providing a form of shopping different to the usual high-street experience.They meet the needs of the consumers in a number of different ways. Each IKEA store is large and hol ds more than 9,500 products giving lots of choice. Within each store, there are a number of realistic room settings that enable customers to see what the products would look like in their own homes. In addition, the IKEA store is built on a concept of â€Å"you do half, we do half; together we save money†. This refers to, for example, the customer assembling furniture at home. Customers handpick products themselves using trolleys. Also, IKEA provides catalogues and home delivery to save customers’ time.IKEA stores also have restaurants that provide Swedish dishes alongside local food choices. IKEA & Competition To define the relevant market, IKEA operates in a perfectly competitive market. IKEA is a furniture store and there are many other furniture stores owned by various different entities (so there are many suppliers in this market). Normally the firms in a perfectly competitive market would be price takers. However, IKEA has a lot of market power as it is able to r aise its prices above the perfectly competitive level without losing many consumers. Therefore it can be stated that IKEA is a price setter.There are off course competitors, however it seems that IKEA does not really take competitor’s decisions into account as they are not really relevant to their own decisions. IKEA sets its prices very low because they face low production costs as a result of strong relationships with its suppliers. Competitors are predictable but even if they were unpredictable, IKEA would not be affected by their decisions as the firm is already at the bottom end of the market. IKEA makes use of their concept in a global strategy that designed furniture for a lower price than other competitors offer that can be sold everywhere for the targeted market segment.Sometimes regional differences appear that arise form national habits, lifestyles and culture. What gives IKEA a huge advantage in selling its products at a lower price springs from their â€Å"young † concept is that the customers have to bring home the products and assemble it themselves. No other firm manufactures as much furniture as IKEA. The firm can and will eliminate any local competition by using their global position. It is a fact that they have no competitors on the global market. IKEA’s success was recognized to its vast experience in the furniture retail market, its product differentiation and cost leadership.Across markets where it presently has a presence, products are sold at prices that are 30 to 50 percent lower than competing products. This penetration pricing enables IKEA to gain significant market share. Low prices are a result of large-quantity purchasing, low-cost logistics, and store location in housing areas. In addition, IKEA also benefits from economies of scale and healthy supplier-firm relationships. IKEA enters into long-term contracts, provides leased equipment and technical support in exchange for exclusive, low-cost manufacturing fro m suppliers.For new markets, IKEA should retain its price-image to maintain the brand’s positioning. IKEA strives for cost leadership, and for this reason it negotiates the most cheap conditions with a very large number of suppliers, a large part of whom live in eastern Europe and Asia, where the cost of raw materials, manpower and warehouse rentals is lower than elsewhere. IKEA always tries to acquire raw materials at the best price, choosing the suppliers with the cheapest price but it is equally focused on maintaining good relationships with them to avoid late deliveries or poor workmanship.IKEA’s low cost policy is based on several factors. Firstly, and previously already mentioned, it is based on economies of scale where large volumes reduce the unit cost of production. Secondly, the low cost policy is based on economies of transport where large orders of products permit to IKEA to transfer transport costs to suppliers. Low running costs inside the stores is also a factor. For example, the group uses buildings that are easy to build and inexpensive to manage, and it also has a ‘dressdown policy’, with all employees wearing the same uniforms, which are very simple and ractical. A last factor with regard to low cost policy is the purchases of unassembled products from suppliers with a consequent reduction of costs (taxes are lower for components than for finished products). IKEA & Demand With regard to the number of buyers, this market faces a great number of buyers as IKEA wishes to reach everyone who needs a new piece of furniture or accessory. IKEA provides its products to end consumers as it only supplies their final products. These consumers can be households, other companies, or governments for example.On the demand side, the active participation of its customers, who are seen as genuine partners, is a source of economic saving for IKEA. Most of its products are packed in flat packs and the customer has to take them home and assemble them, paying the cost of transport and assembly, and thus reducing storage costs for IKEA. Wherever consumers go to IKEA stores, products are always the same. Consumers therefore know what they can expect and for what price. This is a very strong characteristic of IKEA because familiarity with a brand makes consumers come back.The 9,500 products that IKEA supplies is available in all IKEA stores and customers can order much of the range online through IKEA’s website. By doing this, IKEA makes products easier accessible, reducing the distance a consumers has to travel when choosing to purchase IKEA products, and bundles its good together with home deliveries of the orders. An IKEA market strategy in terms of service providence to their customers is always a unique one. The stores and services of IKEA are very much different from the other furniture vendors. The stores are very much spacious and divided into cheerful model rooms.This provides wide range of services to its customers to choose the furniture according to the measurements of their house along with the prices and variety of designs that are showed in kiosks. In addition, IKEA also provides childcare centers and include restaurants and cafes serving typical Swedish food. They also have small food shops selling Swedish groceries, everything from the famous meatballs to jam. Stores are located worldwide. It welcomed a total of 565 million visitors to the stores during the year 2008 and a further 450 million visits were made to the IKEA website.Low prices are one of the cornerstones of the IKEA concept and help to make customers want to buy from IKEA. IKEA's products cater for every lifestyle and life stage of its customers, who come from all age groups and types of households. This is vital in times when the retail sector is depressed, as it increases IKEA's potential market. The wide range of products that IKEA offers are of most value for consumers. Consumers prefer to have a lot of c hoice for good quality and low prices. IKEA’s product based market strategy drew many customers to their store and kept it the top position in the global market of the furniture companies.As previously mentioned, IKEA issued variant catalogs of their products in different native languages so as to reach all sections of their customers. IKEA also adopted some of the experimental marketing strategies for the publicity of their products. In earlier years it has taken decision to decorate a chain hotel with their furniture that has become a beneficial market strategy for both the parties. Its main aim is to target the customers of that hotel and market their products. Even the chain hotel gets benefit to decorate their hotels with lavishing furniture at low cost.Furthermore, the most important strategy of IKEA is not providing the exit for the customers who had entered in to their stores without having seen all the furniture in store. In this phenomenon there is scope that the cu stomers may go for the more furniture that is not actually needed (Kotelnikov, 2005). Since it was founded IKEA has always had concern for people and the environment. The IKEA vision â€Å"to create a better everyday life for the many people† puts this concern at the heart of the business. IKEA has responded to the public's rising concern for sustainability in its choice of product range, suppliers, stores and communication.It has also spotted business potential in providing sustainable solutions. IKEA's concern for people and the environment encourages it to make better use of both raw materials and energy. This keeps costs down and helps the company to reach its green targets and have an overall positive impact on the environment. IKEA aims to be a responsible organization and believes that a strong environmental stance is good business practice, as it also has shown as the current trend of more â€Å"green† and environmental friendly preferences of consumers when ch oosing their products.Demand & Supply Function Demand Function There are a couple of variables that are relevant to the quantity (Qd) of IKEA goods and services that consumers are willing and able to purchase, in other words demand. First of all the price of the goods (P) IKEA sets affects the demand. Next to P, prices of related goods and services (PR) are also important as those are goods from which inputs are derived to be used in the production of the primary good. The prices of related goods and services are therefore taken into account when IKEA sets its price (P).The expected future price of products (Pe) might also influence demand because if a consumer believes that the price of the good will be higher in the future, he or she is more likely to purchase the good now. In addition, prices of all other companies’ products (P1†¦Pn-1) have an influence on the demand function of IKEA. If their prices are much lower than IKEA prices, consumers will buy from other firms . However, as already mentioned, this is not the case for IKEA as they offer products for low prices. Also, if the consumer expects that his income will be higher in the future, the consumer may buy the good now.Therefore, expected future income (Ye) also affects demand. Thirdly, the incomes of consumers (Y) are also relevant to demand because this influences the ability to purchase the IKEA goods. Demand is also affected by the number of consumers in the market (N), the more consumers in the market, the higher the demand for the IKEA products. Moreover, advertising expenditure (A) affects demand as well. The more advertising, the more consumers are informed or persuaded to come and buy at IKEA. IKEA shows to be very efficient at this with providing their catalogs.Lastly, consumer tastes and preferences (T) also affect demand. It seems that consumers prefer IKEA products over other products because of its low prices and quality of the products. However, consumers incur transportatio n costs (t) that have an effect on preferring to buy from IKEA (which is often located just outside the city center) or to buy from a shop closer to their homes. Consumers know that IKEA provides very high quality products no matter in which shop they will buy the products and consumers could therefore prefer IKEA products over other. The general demand function for IKEA would therefore be:Qd = f (P, PR, Pe, Y, Ye, N, A, T(t)) or, Qd = a + bP + cPR + dPe + e(P1†¦Pn-1) + fM + gYe + hN + iA + jT(t) Where b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, and j are slope parameters that measure the effect on Qd of changing one of the variables while holding the others constant. We assume that, all in the short run, there is no change in taste and preference, that the income of the consumer is constant, that there is no change in customs, habit and quality of goods, no change in substitute products, related products and the price of the product, and finally, that there are no complementary goods.Supply Funct ion There are a couple of factors that affect supply, the amount of products IKEA is willing and able to sell at a given price all other factors being held constant. Firstly, the price of IKEA’s products (P) influences the supply function. Ikea can be seen as a leader in this market and therefore it might be the case that the firm cuts its price, possibly as an attempt to keep the number of entrants low. Secondly, the price of related goods (PR) influences the supply function.If the PR increases, the cost of production will increase and therefore supply would decrease. Thirdly, technology (T) with regard to production affects supply in a way that whenever there is a technological advancement or technology used making production very efficient, the supply increases as production costs decrease. In addition, the price of inputs (PI) such as labor, energy, raw materials, influence supply. When PI increases, sellers are likely to raise P for each unit of output.For IKEA it is kno wn that they have access to relatively cheap raw materials and an increase in PI would not quickly lead to an increase in P because IKEA aims to keep its prices low. Moreover, the number of suppliers (N) in this market might have a small effect on the supply function of IKEA. There are already many suppliers in this market and an increase in N would not lead to a significant decrease in P of IKEA. As stated previously, in creating low prices IKEA is not willing to sacrifice its principles (â€Å"low price but not at any price†).Expectations (Em) concerning the future market condition can directly affect IKEA’s supply in that whenever IKEA believes that the demand for its product will increase in the foreseeable future, IKEA will immediately increase production in anticipation of this increasing demand and therefore future price increases. Lastly, government policies (G) and regulations can have a significant effect on IKEA’s supply. For example environmental reg ulations could influence decisions IKEA has to take in consideration when switching to a new supplier of raw materials. The general supply function for IKEA would therefore be:Qs = f (P, PR, T, PI, N, Em, G) Assuming that all consumers know all things, about all products, at all times (including knowing the probabilistic outcome of all future events), and therefore always make the best decision regarding purchase. In addition, assuming that Ikea is the leader in a market with a large and endogenous number of firms. Decisions As IKEA is already at the bottom end of the market and operating very efficiently and profitably, the only decisions that they will face would be concerning future investments, advertising, and product features. One of the things that IKEA is now able to do is expanding more to new markets.So far, IKEA has limited its store locations to some of the most heavily populated markets in the countries in which it competes. To continue its growth trends, IKEA may have to begin investigating other (smaller) communities. IKEA has to consider how it will respond if and when a lower priced competitor enters its market. Also, IKEA may want to consider that its product assortment and promotions may not appeal to all cultures. However, for new markets, IKEA should retain its price-image to maintain the brand’s positioning. New cultures mean also that branding has to adapt to popularity in those particular new countries.For IKEA, despite the history of success the company has enjoyed thus far, there are no guarantees for the future. If IKEA does not keep on innovating and making the right expansion decisions, the company will become increasingly vulnerable to new competitors. Word count: 3397 References Arrigo, E. (2005). Corporate Responsibility and Hypercompetition. The IKEA Case. Symphonya, 2, pp. 37-57 Facts and figures, www. IKEA. com. Kotelnikov, V. (2005) Experimental Marketing. Retrieved from: http://www. 1000ventures. com/business_guide/m arketing_experiential. html Building a sustainable supply chain: An IKEA case study. The Times 100.

The Rise Of The Arab Spring - 1555 Words

With the spread of the Arab Spring, the revolutionary wave of demonstrations, riots, and civil wars in the Middle East that began on 18 December 2010, pro-democracy Syrians rose in rebellion to the existing regime of Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s president. Assad’s regime brutally fought back and with the escalation in violence, Syria descended into a civil war, with each side scrambling for control over towns and cities (Rodgers). The Syrian government has committed several war crimes such as torture, rape, murder and the use of chemical weapons, which led to the death of thousands, in an attempt to crush the opposition movement and regain control over Syria. Additionally, the civil war, has aided the rise of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and†¦show more content†¦Despite the fact that direct intervention in Syria could put USA’s relationships with Russia and Iran on the line, inaction would lead to a Syrian genocide and increasing war complexities. Any US mili tary intervention would have to take into account the impact it could have on the actions and desires of myriad other actors: jihadist fighters, Islamist political players such as the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, and most prominently Assad’s allies in Iran and Russia. (Lowy Institute). These two nations have been very important players in the Syrian civil war as the Syrian government’s war arsenal is backed up with checks from these two countries. Assad’s government has spent these checks on arms and chemical weapons. The chemical weapons, however more prominent, have been used against the rebels, killing thousands of people in addition to those killed by torture and systematic murder (Pearlman). Assad has been claiming that the main reason he has started this full-fledged war is to suppress ISIS, which blossomed with the increasing complexity of the civil war. However, multitudes of innocents have been killed on the sidelines, and Iran and Russia have been import ant benefactors of this movement. U.S. intervention for humanitarian reasons could indeed possibly provoke stronger involvement by Russia and Iran. However, the direct involvement of these two countries in Syria