Evaluation Of Effectiveness Of Combating Music Piracy Thesis

Evaluation Of Effectiveness Of Combating Music Piracy - Thesis Example Reduced music sales impact not just the industry but the country economy as well. It has also resulted in lower wages and job losses while impacting each of the numerous stakeholders in the industry. Several institutions and organizations have been formed and policies devised to combat music piracy. Many studies have been conducted to evaluate consumer behavior which promotes online piracy. However, no study has exclusively been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the strategies adopted to combat music piracy. Combating piracy has become critical to the survival of the industry and hence this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the strategies. With this aim, three objectives were stated in the first chapter. After extensive literature review the research strategy was explained. All three objectives have been achieved. The study finds that consumers find the prices of legal CDs and downloads high. If the music products are reasonably priced it could enable the common c onsumer to pay for it because high prices encourage them to engage in piracy. Legalizing file-sharing, educating the consumers, and collaborating with ISPs are strategies that have been found to be effective to some extent in combating music piracy. ... of the study 3 1.6 Limitations to the study 4 Chapter II Literature Review 2.1 Introduction 5 2.2 Piracy 5 2.3 Effectiveness 6 2.4 Piracy in music industry 6 2.5 Consumer behavior and piracy 9 Chapter III Methodology 3.1 Research Philosophy 12 3.2 Purpose of the research and phenomenon 12 3.3 Epistemology 12 3.4 Research strategy 13 3.5 Data collection 13 3.6 Justification for secondary data 13 3.7 Data analysis 14 Chapter IV Findings & Discussions 4.1 Findings 16 4.2 Piracy and music piracy 16 4.3 Consumer behavior 16 4.3 Effectiveness of policies and strategies 17 4.4 Recommendations for the industry 23 Chapter V Conclusion and Recommendations 5.1 Conclusion 26 5.2 Recommendations 28 References 29 Charts Chart 2.1 Staggered sales 9 Chart 4.1 Legalization has an impact 20 Chapter I Introduction 1.1 Background The digital age has many advantages but brings with it some disadvantages too. While digital music has become popular it is has also encouraged music piracy. Music is an art an d has been a part of human life from before the time of Jesus Christ (Bonner & Higgins, 2010). Music is basically a collection of sounds that generate rhythm. Over time the method has evolved and it is now possible to create music electronically. Music is creatively assembled by individuals or a group of individuals for the sole purpose of invoking rhythm. However, the music industry has changed drastically with the proliferation of the Internet. In fact the internet has destroyed the standard business model that has been in practice for decades. While earlier people used to purchase music from their local or favored store now it is possible to download music at the click of a button. Illegal downloading of music has become a business issue for management of music companies. Advanced

Leadership Philosophy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leadership Philosophy - Research Paper Example The importance that has been given to this area of research is the importance of leadership on employees, performance and overall success of the organizations. There have been a lot of facts and myths associated with the concept of leadership. In the past, leadership was linked by people with the superhuman characteristics bestowed by God to various leaders. This idea was further developed by Weber and named as Charisma by him. The leadership charisma involved the qualities and special characteristics that leaders posses. The leaders having leadership charisma are Charismatics. The concept of Charisma actually directs towards the special power and influence of Charismatics over the followers (Rickards & Clark, p79). In addition to the concept of charisma in leadership, it has been a point of debate if leadership skills are inborn or they can be taught. Researchers have been struggling to find an appropriate answer to this. However, it is not unjust to say that the answer to this ques tion contains an equal portion of both statements. The answer to this question has been given attention for the reason that it may help organizations have effective leaders. Brainpower is the only thing that requires being in a person naturally. Knowledge can be gained, skills can be learnt but intelligence cannot be generated. A person needs to be intelligent and sharp in order to gain knowledge and utilize it. Leadership requires certain traits in a person. These traits include strength of mind, interest to resolve issues, ready to face challenges, power to proceed with plans, will to succeed, determination and passion (Levicki, 2008). Personal Values of my Leadership Leadership qualities, theories and concepts are valuable and useful when it comes to practical life. The leadership skills are not limited to benefit in businesses but are useful in leading all teams including the political, social, cultural and virtual ones. The leadership techniques, qualities and skills are of par amount importance in successfully handling the followers. Religious and political leaders may be taken as a helpful example of how influential leaders are. My personal experiences helped a lot in learning the concept of leadership in a better way. The theory and practice of leadership differ in some ways. However, the theory and literature on leadership helps in understanding and building a better and more influential personality to handle and motivate the followers. To make my opinion more clear and effective I would describe Managerial work and leadership. Since my personal life involves being a financial manager who directly reports to the president of the company I know quite about the concepts of leadership. The step by step development of my career and promotions helped me in understanding which traits are valued and which ones are not. Managerial work is closely linked to leadership. A leader is a person who carry out plans and knows what to do, whereas, a manager is a person who knows how to do things and how would they actually complete a particular task. For instance, a student who is making a plan to carry out a stage performance on some occasion and take the responsibility to select

Workplace Motivation Essay Example for Free

Workplace Motivation Essay In this paper, I will examine many motivational strategies that affect productivity in a workplace. Another will include an explanation of organizational efforts to improve performance, employees’ resistance to increasing productivity and satisfaction, and management’s philosophy of motivation and its practices in the workplace. Motivation is one of the single driving factors in one’s work performance. Organizations take this very seriously and to waste time, and energy and the expense into training someone who is not motivated. Needs Theories, Goal-Setting Theory, Equity Theory and Expectancy Theory are the four specific theories that are used in motivational practice. In addition, I will identify and analyze the implications of applying any two motivational theories not currently used in my selected workplace and how they will influence both management and employees. Organizations are always looking for ways to increase productivity, especially in the growing competitive environment. It is a known fact that when employees are unsatisfied with their current job, productivity decreases, tension builds up in the work environment, and morale is low. Most organizations have motivational programs that provide useful tools to increase motivation, and reduce employee turnover. There are many strategies that are used to influence employee loyalty and these are intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is one’s personal development, self-control over their work without reward. Whereas, extrinsic motivation is having external incentives, pay bonuses, time off, these are some common strategies used to motivate and individual to complete or do a task. I work for a organization mostly based on customer service and to provide nursing care for long-term residents and rehabilitation following a hospital stay; and assisted living communities. As an employee, I am a member of the nursing staff department. Some of the motivational strategies used at Trisun are competitive salaries, health benefits, sign on bonuses, and employee perks. Recently, their census has been very low, so now employees have to take longer lunches or downsized. Thus, they want employees to work shorthanded but at the same time still have the same responsibilities. This tactic only makes employees frustrated and unmotivated to be productive. Only when you reward employees, they become happier, stay longer, and become more productive at the workplace. Many organizations fail to recognize that money is not the biggest factor in motivating employees. An engaged employee comes in early, reaches out to other employees, smiles, and has great customer service. On the other had you have an disengaged employee and they come in late or absent, and doesn’t want to be bothered with and most always leaves right at five. Successful business should have only one kind of employee, engaged. The process is to reward, recognize, and keep those behaviors among employees. If you don’t recognize those behaviors, you won’t get them back. People think that more money is better than a closer parking space. That is not always true. Depending on what you do, even the smallest perk can be bigger than a bonus and would be more valued. There are whole ranges of factors that motivate people. Many organizations have surveys to find out what really motivates employees and learning their values. Are they motivated in intrinsic or extrinsic theories, do they like more money, status, rewards, or do they value what people think of their work instead. Management can sometimes be pulled in different directions, so it is good that other employees see you working hard and are recognized by your supervisors. The two motivational theories that are not used in practice in this workplace were the Goal-setting Theory and the Cognitive Evaluation Theory. Cognitive evaluation theory is the event in which affects individuals’ feelings and self-determination will affect their intrinsic motivation. By using this theory, it will help employees feel self-determined, competent, and intrinsically motivated. Secondly, Goal-setting Theory was not used in the workplace. This theory explains that individuals are able to reach a defined objective. Sometimes this is a reward in itself and primarily a goal’s ffectiveness is implemented by three factors; specificity, proximity, and difficulty. Another theory self-efficacy will enhance an individual’s to achieve the goal. By using the self-efficacy, it will give positive feedback and have impact on applying the goal-setting theory in management and increase productivity. The most noted theory would be Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The Needs model is where each need is set on a basis of the strength of need. The human needs are physiological, Safety, Social, Esteem, and Actualization. Physiological need is the highest strength and is essential for survival. These form every human motivation and fulfilled more than any other human need. Motivation Strategies The highest levels of motivation for employees are individuals who empower workers, have an effective rewards system, redesign jobs, and create a more flexible work environment. Empowerment is to design the worker to become more responsible and encourage accomplishing a given task. Providing an effective rewards system is to reinforce employee behavior and the reward is when outcome is positive for the individual. There are two ways to receive rewards: Extrinsic rewards are common in the workplace, which are pay bonuses, promotions, time off, and verbal praises. Intrinsic rewards gives people a â€Å"natural high† when completing a job. It gives them a certain personal development and self-control over their work. Managers need to realize that all people are different; managers must provide a range of rewards, time off, recognition, and promotion. Redesigning jobs is a concept that will help employees not get bored with their everyday routine. One attempt would be job enlargement, which increases the job tasks decreases boredom. Job rotation is a practice which people can do different tasks and at the same time be exposed to new interest in the workplace. Job enrichment also includes tasks with more responsibility and authority. In today’s busy world employees value their personal time. Therefore, having a flexible schedule always helps employee’s needs. A full-time job is 40-hour workweek, so most employees get three days off which benefits the individuals lifestyle and give more leisure time and lowers commuting cost. Lastly, job sharing and twinning is when one full-time job is split between two or more people. Job sharing involves working only half a day, thus organizations benefit by employing people who wouldn’t otherwise be a unable to work full-time. In this paper, I explained different motivational strategies that affect productivity in the workplace, and analyzed two theories that are not in affect at my job. I explained organizational efforts to improve performance. By applying these theories and strategies will influence both management and employees to be motivated and be more productive at the workplace.

Natural And Eco Tourism In Dubai Tourism Essay

Natural And Eco Tourism In Dubai Tourism Essay Tourism is a fast-growing industry, but with the credit crunch in 2008, figures have dropped as people have less money to spend as a tourist all over the world. Many countries rely on tourism sector greatly as the income generated by this sector is easily planned to be invested in other sectors of the country like education, sports, defence and health. Economic recession has led to increase in oil prices. These fluctuating oil prices result in the airline industry imposing further fuel surcharges to cover higher costs, which have to be met by the consumer through increased air ticket prices. This has put the consumer off travelling during the expensive periods. Unfortunately, the tourism sector these days is experiencing not only economical disasters but other emerging issues as well. In order to look at the whole scenario of travel and tourism industry in terms of latest alarming situations (decreased access to natural resources for the local communities and environmental degradation) lets take Dubai as a destination. In this context, we will particularly look at the destination not economically but ecologically and naturally specifically.http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ5CEJ5GGFrNM6u6mXLPX17O856OyMIPO_xUPmcR5o89jjkxOXh Infrastructure of Dubai The Dubai government Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) is the main organisation for the promotion and development of tourism in the emirate. The department has taken over the licensing of hotels, hotel apartments, tour operators, tourist transport companies and travel agents. It has a supervisory role covering all tourists, archaeological and heritage sites, tourism conferences and exhibitions, the operation of tourism information services and the licensing and organisation of tour guides. The government provides on-going development to the infrastructure, and the recent opening of the port Rashid cruise line terminal is just one of a series of innovation aimed at widening the total tourism product base within Dubai. It is hoped that this terminal will do for cruising what the opening of Dubai Duty Free did for air traffic arrivals. The government has a direct stake in the tourism sector through the development and ownership of a number of the major hotels as well a s spectacular theme parks such as Wild Wadi. This investment is not just a matter of expenditure: it is clearly demonstrating that quality must be paramount. http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQQeds-zs-P2La2ChQp9qvZfpxcvmC8cse3NVJcGeUGbl_Vhtsb The DTCM had set an aggressive target of attracting 15 million tourists by the year 2010, which they have achieved. Projections for the immediate future are summarised in the following figure. Targets for Dubais tourism future Year Dubai hotel guests (Millions) Dubai hotel beds (Thousands) 2003 5.24 39.8 2004 6.08 48.2 2005 7.06 55.9 2006 8.19 64.8 2007 9.49 75.2 2008 11.01 87.2 2009 12.78 101.2 2010 15.00 117.3 2011 18.24 122.7 Such targets are not over-ambitious for DTCM. Expatriates and foreign visitors can enjoy a relaxed and pleasant life style in Dubai. There is virtually no crime, apartments and villas are modern and spacious, and the climate greatly appeals to those who enjoy warm weather. There are many clubs and societies in Dubai. Freedom of worship is allowed for all religions. Foreign newspapers, magazines, films and videos are all available. Alcohol may be consumed in hotels and in licensed club premises. Women can drive and move about unaccompanied. In 2002, free hold ownership for UAE nationals as well as expatriates in certain select property developments was introduced in Dubai and 25 years mortgage loans become available. Initially focus was centred on the Palm, Dubai Marina, and other developments of Emmar properties but after the completion of these projects new man made wonders are forthcoming. The potential for visiting friends and relatives will thus be substantially increased. The Palm had already been described as the 8th wonder of the world and was the sort of project that some say could only have taken place in Dubai. It consists of two massive, artificial islands: the Palm Jumeirah and the Palm Jebal Ali. Each island is being built in the shape of a palm tree consisting of a crown of 17 fronds, a trunk and a surrounding crescent island, the back of which forms a protective break water. Each island is approximately six kilometres long and 5.5 kilometres. Together they will add nearly 120 kilometres of much sought-after coast line to Dubai. Approximately 3000 homes and at least 40 luxury hotels have been built on each island, capable of birthing a total of 400 yachts. The Palm is just one of several Nakheel residential projects: others include the World, Jumeirah Islands, Jumeirah Lake Towers and the Gardens. Dubai will continue to improve the destinations infrastructure, and the following are just some of the developments that are either already planned or completed or in actual construction or development to support visitor growth targets: Hydro polis- the worlds first under water hotel Dubai airport expansion to handle 70 million passengers by 2016 Dubai Festival City-4 kilometre site along the Creek Dubai land the regions biggest tourism project aiming for 200,000 visitors a day- to include five themed leisure areas and the Mall of Arabia, the Worlds biggest mall Extending Dubai Railway project Burj Dubai the worlds tallest tower The emirate contained a mix of natural and cultural attractions that formed the basis of a very marketable leisure tourism product. The existing natural attractions included: Miles of clean un-crowded beaches along the shores of Arabian Gulf http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ00bEjqDhgeTP_RaZMGxiHhDFPdfphroNR6kutwq75Ed-yFtcFFA A subtropical climate with average temperatures of 18 C in January 33 C in July and annual precipitation of less than 150mm,contributing to a yearlong tourist season The availability of water sports of all year around in the gulf Desert dunes for a variety of outdoor activities and leisure pursuits The Hatta Mountains for Wadi-bashing and other adventurous pursuits The Al Maha environmental conservation reserve, the base for the re-introduction of the Arabian Oryx. Dubai is a migratory crossroads in both spring and autumn for many bird species. The Khor Dubai Wildlife sanctuary is home to one thousand Greater Flamingos. Dubai also had a strong cultural heritage to exploit for tourism purposes. Important elements of this cultural attractiveness to western visitors include: The exotic middle eastern atmosphere associated with the hustle and bustle of the Souks and dhow Wharves along Dubai Creeks The distinctly Middle Eastern architecture of the wind towers , Mosques and palaces The traditional welcoming and hospitable culture of the Arab world Mass and sustainable tourism Mass tourism is the result of advancing in the means of technology especially air, rail and road. The comfortable aircrafts with essential in flight services and many more to offer the passengers have made travelling fun and simple. Since having the foreigners in a country for pleasure or holidays in great numbers have left many negative impacts in the past therefore the need of the sustainability was felt. In past, mass tourism has threatened the destinations with cultural, environmental, social, religious and economical impacts therefore; the urge to develop the tourism sector became necessary for tourist boards and governing bodies. This led to sustainable tourism. http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQvy1JvgM6QidDTw6dR41a7XNKXd04pE2Z2VQ3VAkZ8_sfiHRJB Sustainable tourist activity, on the contrary, encompasses being sensitive to the cultural, religious and environmental and social aspects of a particular destination, aiding the environment and fostering the local economic growth through travel and tourism activities. Sustainable tourism surrounds the ideals of protecting and not disturbing the natural resources and maintaining the good relationship with the host population. Going back to the example of Dubai as a destination, in past due to the weather, gold, tax free country, and Dubai airport facilities and duty free, safaris, luxurious accommodation etc., the destination has confronted with the mass tourism. Traffic, noise pollution, litter pollution, fights with the local community and crimes made the authorities alert and minimize the negative effects of the tourism despite of its economical advantages. DTCM the tourist board of strategic planning in the country thus, implemented the plan to restrict the infinite number of tourists. The figure above states that clearly which can only be undergone by a destination that follows sustainable tourism policy. Looking at the marvellous, unique projects of Burj ul Arab, Safari, water sports, Dubai Mall etc. the evidences that a destination may have to support Sustainable tourism. It is obvious that Dubais main industry is not Oil but tourism. Even many forthcoming events and projects will keep attracting the tourists from all around the world. Sustainable tourism means to meet the present demands of the tourists without risking the future of the destination which is very apparent in DTCMs planning. All the resources of the country are well planned and utilized to serve the tourism sector. Eco, Natural, Cultural tourism are the elements that unveils the well management and strategic scenario of the destination. Acceptance of a Cosmo-Politian lifestyle Although these natural and cultural assets have clearly contributed to Dubai s success as a destination, it is very important to emphasise that they have been greatly enhanced by ambitious investments in the tourism infrastructure on the part of both public and private sectors. http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTFfNT_QL9Deu-0yevTkJPQfRCJn0NWYDPdwesha_pGXYawgJOc Destination Dubai United Arab Emirate (UAE) comprises seven members: Abu Dhabi, the capital city, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaima and Fujairah. Dubai, with an area of 3885 square kilometres, is a second largest emirate. It is situated on the banks of the Dubai creek, a natural inlet from the Arabian Gulf, which divides the city into Deira District to its north and Bur Dubai to its South, the city ranks as the UAEs most important port and commercial centre. Along the Arabian Gulf coast there are off shore islands, coral reefs and Sabkha (salt marshes). Stretches of gravel plane and sandy dessert characterise the inland region. To the east, a range of mountains lie close to the Gulf of Oman and forms a back bone through the Mussandam peninsula. The western interior of the country, most of it in Abu Dhabi, consists mainly of desert interspersed with oases.http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSjkF0Jjz6PAvFd4pMa2m1dYkScE5EREigE2N3ZhEvVd4lKQ87t The emirate embraces a wide variety of scenery in a small area. In a single day, the tourists can experience everything from rugged mountains and owe inspiring sand dunes to sandy beaches and lush green parks from dusty village to luxurious residential districts and from ancient houses with wind towers to ultra modern shopping malls. Tourism in Dubai The impressive development, climate, hospitality and world class airport has attracted many tourists around the world to the detention of Dubai. In 1985, the introduction of award winning air line Emirates was established to smooth the transaction of tourists in and out. In 1989, Dubai recorded only 630 thousand visitor arrivals, but number increased drastically to over 8 millions, in 2003, with at least 458 thousand coming from the UK. Dubai has managed to increase its number of visitors by over 1200% in little more than a decade and tourism is now, at 12% of the gross domestic product (GDP), one of the emirates more important and fastest growing sectors of the economy. Dubai significance as a global destination stems from the fact that it can be viewed from two main perspectives. It is not just a simple holiday destination; it is an important commercial, trading and business centre as well. Therefore visitors to Dubai provide examples of the three categories into which tourists are usually divided. They are identified as:http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTRbbNqdZ3UbOTAo7IJsw-_Yo4gEPDaxDyBae93cGYOWL2Iu_Pd Leisure visitors 44% Business visitors 45% Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) 8% Not classified 3% Previously viewed in tourism terms as little more than a duty free stop over, Dubai today has become a highly acclaimed destination offering an outstanding range of facilities and services for both leisure and business travellers. Its geographical location is 55 degree East, 25 degree North on the Southern shore of Arabian Gulf. It is strategically located at the cross roads of three continents Europe, Asia, Africa- a natural meeting place. Dubai is now a major aviation hub for the Emirates airline and so attracts visitors wanting a stopover. Natural and eco tourism Emirates airlineWelcome from our Chairman Emirates airline chairman promoting greenery The first Eco flight (see appendix 1) from Dubai to San Francisco known as green flight took off on 18th Jan 2009 indicates the vigilance of the government in terms of its environment. Such an initiative was worked out between EK airline and Airbus Company to promote safe and pure environment. This indicates that the award winning airline is environmental conscious and promotes it product (flying with the carriage) but not on the risk of spreading pollution. It is the best example of eco and natural tourism as EK airline does not want to take any step which can damage the surroundings of the people or harmful natural life animals and plants survive in. Al Maha desert resort It is generally accepted amongst most nations that approximately 8 to 10% of their land area should be put aside for the conservation of their indigenous habitats, the function of such a policy is to insure that the nations historic environment is permanently retained as part of its heritage that the diversity of fauna and flora within the nation is kept intact as a representative sample of the original habitat. It is intended that such conserved areas can function without disturbance or undue intervention from human elements.http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQcuBM8v_futKEADdvnA8aCImMtCHCk1C6To_1EjsGC71Pii7wBhg Al Maha is the first eco tourism resort in UAE. Dubai has several environments worthy of conservation within such a frame work. Apart from the dune environment there is also the mountain habitat around Hatta and coasts intertidal strip. Each of these represents a separate, distinct and unique habitat type within Dubai. Each has its own fauna and flora, its own appeal to the visitor and its distinct historic, geological and archaeological merits. Al Maha has been developed with key eco tourism principles under pinning its commercial success. http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQjmQD_KzmpEHJbxRIxlembZmQGjNJ5QKOT5jAs5s4HCy6D4aZkRg The environment is supposed to be free of intrusive disturbances with surroundings; this includes the restriction of all artificial noise from the operation and ambient noise from the resorts surroundings. The restriction of any human structures which impinge on the natural land space confines the development of the resorts own infrastructure to a minimum land area. The land making up the resort must provide a natural, original and unique environment for the guests, where they feel a part of the conservation process; this allows the guests to feel that their support is directly contributing to the conservation of the area they are experiencing. One of the major contributors to the success of eco tourism resorts worldwide is the fact that the guest enjoys exclusivity. The rate charge is function of the exclusivity enjoyed and paid for by the guest. The undisturbed settings, the personal attention and service standards not achievable in the large public facilities are the basis of high yield eco tourism products. The guest must be assured of privacy, discretion and an unobtrusive environment. The experience must also be meaningful to the visitor, providing aspects which are educational, comfortable and divergent from normal life style-thus assuring the guest the time spent in the resort is an enchantment to his or her quality of life. The resort must meet the perceptions and expectations of the guests with regard to: Accommodation Facilities Architecture and design Surroundings To meet these criteria, Al Maha has adopted traditional historic aspects, with operational requirements, to meet the guest perception and expectation of the desert and Arabian heritage. A portion of land surrounding the core area of the resort has been demarcated for protection, and all activities capable of devaluing the environment are restricted. Isolation has been reinforced by means of the introduction of animals proof fencing, which will allow the establishment of indigenous species in viable breeding numbers within free roaming settings. The program has been very successful and guests are now issued with their own fauna and flora checklist guide to record the various species that they have seen. The variety of elements used provides a suitable illustration of how far the desert resort has now developed in terms of conservation: Grass (Herb, Dune, Basket and Cats Tail) Shrub ( Broom Bush, Dye Plant and Milkwort) Herb ( Callous, Palm Lettuce and Arabian Cotton) Plant (Crimson Wort, Spiny Disk and Dwarf Pea Plant) Tree (Salam, Ghaf and Sidr) Mammal (Sand Gazelle, Arabian Hare and Gird) Reptile (Monitor Lizard, Sand Skink and Sand Snake) Birds (Common and may be resident or migrant-300 species recorded) Impacts of natural and eco tourism in Dubai Unprotected environment of any country in any regard can disturb the economy drastically. The disastrous situation where the government invests most of its resources in tourism sector rather than sports, education, health and other sectors, can lead the destination sudden collapse that causes destruction to the economy as a whole. Ignoring the eco and natural issues in destination planning and promotion will cause the following pitfalls: http://static.amefiles.com/images/news/large/5/77505-Al_Maha_Desert_Resort_Spa.jpg All the tourists will misuse the resources of the destination and there will be nothing left to offer for next group of tourists next season. For example, beaches of Dubai or safari. It is important that the authorities are well managing such sites so that they are presentable to be offered to other tourists for amusements and relaxations. The entire infrastructure used to access natural sites like deserts, wild wadi, zoo, Al Maha Desert need to be watched by authorities all times. The expensive bridges, motor ways, services need a lot of investment to be built so their utility should be long lived and must be equally used by locals and tourists safely. Natural life of Dubai is consisting of desert and likely animals. Their protection is momentous so that they are not endangered or extinct. Hunting such species should not be appreciated at all and in fact some fine must be imposed upon to undergo this pleasure. Tourists might need this notification. The increasing demand and forecast of tourism is a major threat for the land and other resources (like in Egypt the residents were asked to move their ancestors house because the government wants to build a five star hotel to accommodate Tourists in Luxor) in the country. It is due to the planning in future which may lead to lay more buildings to accommodate the tourists by making hotels, services, park or other type of attractions. The demolishing 0f the deserts will affect the habitat of many species and their existence will be affected. http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTxax9lvclTZKx5F0YuGvdM-iVZVqT9I94uDlkUKcpL5Jziqhwl-A Pollution no matter air, dust, litter or noise by tourists will also demonstrate the inability of DTCM (local tourism board) to prevent the destination from negative effects of touristic activities. Especially beaches and deserts if polluted by the tourists will result in developing hatred in host population and conflicts will take place. Welcoming host population is the biggest element to like a destination. Any naturally or ecologically disruption in the surroundings of the local community will force the government to put a stop to the transition of tourists. This can be done very easily but the damages that have been made to the destination can never be repaired so quickly. The greater developments in Dubai to promote Tourism is of course utilising the natural resources like mountainous area, land, desert, beaches etc. This never stop development might not leave enough attractions for coming generation to be proud of. The natural treasure of wild life or other animals will become the history. Establishing tourism sector on the risk of losing the real identity of the country should not be the approach of the strategic planners. Sustainability tourism is the answer of all such issues. Ecotourism became popular in the 1980s as a form of tourism that focused exclusively on wildlife, nature or exotic cultures. Some research indicates that such tourism may not in fact benefit these communitiesas it might lead to them becoming dependent on the tourist economy, without developing skills that would allow them flexibility in the economy and be more of a long term guarantee./ Recommendation Tourism sector of Dubai has a lot to offer. Millions of tourists have visited the destination and many more are planning to visit this luxurious, advance, modern destination to enjoy the safari, Wild Wadi and marine life etc. http://www.mydigitallife.info/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/dynamic-architecture-dubai.jpg Due to the Political turmoil in certain parts of the Middle East, is likely to benefit Dubais tourism industry and economy. To the extent that Dubai is viewed as an alternative destination to countries such as Lebanon, Tunisia and Egypt, it is likely to benefit as some visitors change their travel plans in favor of the emirate. The collapse of the Hariri government in Lebanon has plunged the country into what is likely to be a prolonged period of political uncertainty in which the threat of violence is ever-present. Events in Tunisia and Egypt have generated a great deal of negative publicity for the tourism sectors in those countries, and will likely impact bookings and arrivals this year. Regardless of whether these concerns are justified, the likelihood is that some of the most important tourism destinations in the Middle East are likely to see a fall in visitors in 2011. Conclusion From the outgoing account I want to sum up that that Tourism is now the fastest growing sector of Dubais economy, contributing about 19% to the Dubais GPD in 2005, and 20% as of late 2007. This is made possible by ever increasing numbers of tourists. About 3.6 million tourists visited Dubai in 2001 and more than six million came in 2005. As of 2007, Dubais hotels received about 6.5 million visitors that contributed us$3.5 billion to the local economy. Dubai is one of the few international destinations to see an increase in visitors over the last year, successfully retaining its position as a world-class tourism and trade hub as Despite the economic climate, visitors to Dubai reached an all-time high of 11,996,449 in 2010 and even though the pace of growth has slowed.   Having developed a highly desirable and increasingly diversified premium tourism product, Dubai continues to meet the needs of an ever-expanding audience. With so much to offer both leisure, eco, sustainable, natural, and cultural and business visitors, from groundbreaking attractions to world-class hospitality, it is little wonder that Dubai is experiencing such significant growth. Dubai attracts more visitors each year than any Arab country outside of Egypt and hosts a major shopping festival in the first quarter that traditionally attracts hordes of regional retail visitors.http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSv4NvD-_IwJuoy-AWEL8N5MtjqSOVS1uxzttsqWaNuKEskRWTYZA In this regard, the dense growth of this sector has never let the strategic planners ignore the environment, local populations right, natural sightseeing, cultural values and belief etc. The fast emergence of Dubai on the world tourism map and its spectacular performance is undoubtedly the result of aggressive global marketing and promotional agenda being pursued by the  Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing  (DTCM). The department, in co-operation and co-ordination with public and private sector organizations, has been successfully developing the appeal of the destination that offers tourists the opportunity to explore traditional Arabian hospitality along with a contemporary lifestyle. All the attractions are well planned and maintain the ecology and natural resources of Dubai for future tourism and its host population. Continuing its aggressive marketing and promotional drive in 2010,  DTCM  has high lighted the strengths and attractions of the emirates vibrant tourism industry in 36 overseas travel exhibitions and hosting exclusive road shows and workshops in 10 countries. Dubais tourism product offering has considerably expanded last year and more changes are expected this year. Last year, the global tourism industry too underwent rapid changes due to the global economic downturn, requiring fast-rising destinations like Dubai to adopt strategies to remain at the cutting-edge of the highly-competitive business. In short, Dubais position as the leading tourism destination and commercial hub in the world is very prominent and DTCMs mission is to strengthen the Dubai economy through the development of sustainable tourism. Appendix 1 Emirates operates worlds longest eco-flight Sunday 18 January 2009 8:38 AM The  Dubai-based airline Emirates has claimed that the first service to operate on its new route from Dubai to San Francisco was the first ever cross-polar green flight and the worlds longest eco-friendly journey. On December 15th, the airline began operations on the 16-hour, non-stop service that uses a Boeing 777-200 long-range aircraft in what the company has called the Em-vironment flight. To plot the most efficient course for the flight, Emirates has worked with government agencies in Dubai, Russia, the US and Canada. Other measures that the airline will also employ to maximize the eco-friendly potential of the new route include the use of electrical power while the aircraft is on the ground in Dubai, the minimal use of thrust when landing, and single-engine taxiing to its destination gate at San Francisco airport. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Emirates chairman and chief executive, said:  After months of planning, Emirates Em-vironment flight is a best-practice trial of how airlines, governments, manufacturers, technology providers and airports can work together to be as eco-efficient as possible. The San Francisco inaugural flight will be a dual milestone of commencing services between two great cities and also demonstrating the best our industry can offer in environmental efficiency. Emirates claims that, with some 58 Airbus A380s, A350-XWB and Boeing 777 planes on order (more than any other airline), it will have the worlds greenest fleet of wide-bodied aircraft Appendix 2 http://www.africa-ata.org/images/aba/uar_spdj-1222.jpg Appendix 3 The Emirates Groups vision is to be an environmental leader in the aviation and travel industries.   Our goal is to make sustainability and eco-efficiency the cornerstones of all group operations, in the air and on the ground. Aviation is one of the worlds most important contributors to economic and social development particularly in the developing world. The aviation industry employs over 32 million people worldwide and represents 35% of world trade by value it contributes US$1.1 trillion per annum to world GDP. The aviation industry recognises that, although it is only responsible for less than 2%, of global greenhouse gas emissions from human activity, it must be committed to growing sustainably and reducing growth of its emissions.   To put this in perspective, shipping accounts for some 4% of human emissions, while ground transport accounts for almost 14% (IPCC, 2004).   At current growth rates, aviation is expected to account for only 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.   Read more about this at  www.flyingmatters.org. Emirates is committed to a global solution for managing the growth in international aviation emissions, through ICAO the International Civil Aviation Organisation as mandated by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.   Our customers, staff and regulators are increasingly conscious about the environment and greenhouse gas emissions.   Emirates has committed to environmentally-responsible operations through the Groups Corporate Environmental Policy (click here to view).   This policy is implemented internally through the Emvironment programme which is communicated internally and externally to staff, customers and all stakeholders. Our focus is becoming an ecologically-efficient organisation growing our business to be economically sustainable, while using fewer resources and creating less waste and pollution.   If we achieve these aims, it benefits our customers, the environment and our business the triple bottom line. The Emirates Groups commitment to eco-efficiency means multi-billion dollar investments in the most modern, eco-efficient technology available- in aircraft, engines and ground equipment we strive to be leaders in eco-efficiency in our industry and in our region. We are committed to operating our assets in the most environmentally responsible manner, and in compliance with all applicable environmental regulations and standards. Emirates firmly support our industrys four-pillar strategy to reduce emissions, as developed by our industry body the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Read more about this strategy at  www.enviro.aero. Implementation of this strategy includes the use of new technology throughout our Group; making significant investments in the most modern, low-noise, low emissions aircraft available; encouraging governments to make air navigation more fuel and emission friendly; and reducing the environmental impact of our ground operations. We are committed to further reductions in fuel consumption and emissions per passenger our fuel efficiency rates are already 30% lower than the global fleet average. Other goals include staff education, waste reduction and recycling, lower energy use and greater communication internally and externally. Our Emvironment Champions

Essay on Voltaire’s Candide: A Typical Enlightenment Work

Candide as a Typical Enlightenment Work      Ã‚  Ã‚   Candide on the surface is a witty story. However when inspected deeper it is a philippic writing against people of an uneducated status. Candide is an archetype of these idiocracies, for he lacks reason and has optimism that is truly irking, believing that this is the best of all possible worlds. Thus Voltaire uses a witty, bantering tale on the surface, but in depth a cruel bombast against the ignoramuses of his times.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Candide has reason only in the form of a companion upon which he relies for advice. His companion is Dr. Pangloss. He consistently dribbles to Dr. Pangloss about what should be done. Eventually Pangloss is killed by being hanged. But this means that Candide's reason is also dead! Candide goes and finds a new companion, "Lacking him [Pangloss], let's consult the old woman" (37). He soon loses her, gains another, looses him, and then gains another. Thus we see that Candide can only think if he has a companion. Voltaire is thus saying that all the nobles are really idiots and says they are only sma...

Computers Cause Laziness :: Technology

Looking around at daily life, I noticed a pattern of computer oriented devices that make life easier. While I do agree with faster production and less work, I can not allow this degenerative spiral of laziness to continue, it is out of control. These devices are in most daily activities ranging from waking up to an alarm clock to watching the news before going to bed. All of these computerized facets of our society help to increase our daily productivity and help us do whatever it is we need to accomplish in the day in the easiest way possible. The computer age is upon us and it will continue to grow in influence until society revolves around it daily, without any need for improvement. . In personal computers, the industry has been creating faster machines that can store more information than before. For example, speed, the microprocessor has been tweaked to perform high rates of data transactions. What this means for the average person is that we can be much more productive in a day than the average person 50 years ago. to allow faster hook-up to the Internet, fiber optic lines have been added, to transfer data about 35,714,285 times faster than conventional phone lines (about 28,000 bits per second has been pushed to about 1,000,000,000,000 bits per second). This may seem ridiculous to you but if you stop and think how many lazy people get on-line every day to order movies, pizza, and do there E-bay all from the comfort of home you will see that this is not only ridiculous but scandalous and down right insane. As speed enhances, memory and storage space is needed to hold excess information. â€Å"Double data rate three, synchronous dynamic random access memory† or DDR3 SDRAM is a new, faster memory module that helps transfer RAM data about 80 times faster than normal RAM. For long term storage of large amounts of data, hard drives have been under a constant upgrade of performance, and it is not uncommon to find hard drives about 300 gigabytes to 1 terabyte on the market. One terabyte may not sound like a lot of space to you so to give you an example it’s like having the ability of storing 13 million movies on your computer or 26.7 million songs and its all to keep you fat lazy and dumb. Along with technology, an ease of use factor has been instilled in the modern day PC's so it’s easier for the elderly and the toddlers to use.

Safety from the Inside Out: Rethinking Traditional Approaches

â€Å"Safety from the Inside Out: Rethinking Traditional Approaches† by Alfie Kohn aims to educate the public regarding the real threat of violence to children. While school shootings and other violent crimes that happen on school grounds gain a lot of media attention, it is far more likely for a child to become the victim of violence off school grounds (Kohn, 2004, 33). Further, children are more likely to suffer from violence at the hands of an adult rather than at the hands of their peers (Kohn, 2004, 33). However, the issue of school violence is analyzed along with the mistaken assumptions of how to respond to school violence. The problem the article tries to address is how to create policy that will be both effective as well as reduce violent acts committed against children while on school grounds. There are several terms that must be defined in order to present a clear picture of the issue. The first is violence which by definition means attempting to or engaging in actions with the goal of inflicting bodily harm or death. This definition is important when discussing violence both in schools and off school grounds. Technical fixes is another definition that directly relates to this article. Technical fixes are technologically advanced pieces of equipment designed to reduce violence and include such things as metal detectors and video cameras. The final term to be defined is zero tolerance. Zero tolerance is the idea that any type of violence or intent to become violent be dealt with swiftly according to a designated set of strict consequences. In response to these definitions, the author of the article assumes that the vast majority of Americans equate violence against students as being violence that happens at school. The author also assumes that Americans believe that technical fixes and zero tolerance policies will solve the problem of violence against students (Kohl, 2004, 34). The orientation of the article strives to make sense of the misguided assumptions that Americans have with regards towards violence against students (Kohn, 2004, 34). It builds upon existing research that proves that teaching anti violence skills to students isn’t enough. The author proposes that students must also be taught how to apply these skills if violence prevention is going to be effective (Kohn, 2004, 35). Further, the author discusses behaviorism and the tendency for humans to preoccupy themselves with behavior rather than looking deeper at the values, reasons and motives behind certain behaviors (Kohn, 2004, 35). Finally, the author argues that when skill based prevention does not work then technical fixes are the answer to the problem (Kohn, 2004, 36). The research the author completed for this article disproves many of these assumptions. Using research as his method, Kohn discovered several discrepancies between what Americans believe and what students actually report about violence. For example, Kohn’s research shows that zero tolerance policies have the opposite of their intended effect. Instead of making students feel safer, zero tolerance policies actually make them feel less safe (Kohn, 2004, 36). Additionally, zero tolerance policies don’t make schools any safer than they were before (Kohn, 2004, 36). As part of his research, Kohn suggests that the threats of zero tolerance policies can be replaced with safe school environment where students are taught to trust and protect one another (Kohn, 2004, 36). Kohn also discovered that teaching students anti violence skills is not as effective as creating schools that are committed to the value of peace so that the physical safety of students is protected (Kohn, 2004, 36). The solution to the article seems to be getting rid of zero tolerance policies that turn children into criminals and replacing them with policies that promote peace and trust among students (Kohn, 2004, 36). According to the author, the consequence of not doing so will ensure that school violence remains a problem. Personally speaking, I think Alfie Kohn has noble goals and ideas to keep children safe at school. However, creating peaceable schools is very difficult because it seems impossible to instill peace values into every single student. The reality is that there will always be a few students who do not care about peace and would rather cause trouble through violence. At the same time, Kohn raises some important questions that I think should be addressed and considered as schools continue to search for a solution to the problem of school violence.