Assignment on Food & Beverage Operations Essay

Introduction As this is one of the most important sources to earn revenue so food and beverage operations have got great significance in hotel management and operations. Organisations in hospitality industry like hotel and resorts are paying maximum attention on food and beverage production and operations. Through this assignment several aspects associated with food and beverage department would be discussed from the view point of a food and beverage manager of a five star hotel in Manchester. After renovation food and beverage manager has been asked to review food and beverage functions of this department and along with this process food and beverage production and service system would be analysed. Proper budget and implementation of that budget would a huge challenge for the food and beverage manager of this hotel and costing and pricing would also be a challenging job after renovation. Purchasing decision would be discussed through this assignment and how those decisions could be taken for betterment of this hotel so that it can run with profitability. For this five star hotel food and beverage manager will have to manage banqueting functions and suitable menu would be essential how this menu could more effective and attractive would also be discussed through this assignment. Later on this report several issues associated with hospitality industry would be discussed such as security, health and safety and product quality and service standard. Task 1: Food and Beverage production and service systems In contemporary hospitality management there are several aspects are associated with food production and food and beverage service system. Now in this section these aspects are being discussed in follows: 1.1 Characteristics of food production and Food & Beverage service system: Demand for Food: Demand of food is not same all over the world there is seasonality of food demand. Customers might not like to eat same food again and again. Peak times of demand of food occur during breakfast, lunch and dinner time. Between these demand times there are valleys or slow times. Competitive events could also be an influential for demand of food and based on demand food production could be modified accordingly (Defranco et al 2007). Labour intensiveness of food production and service It is difficult to get service oriented hospitality people and this is the  reason why this industry is labour intensive. Employees need training and skills for both food preparation and service. Health and safety and food and hygiene certificate must be essential for the employees of this industry. Though employees need to have proper skills but in many occasions this industry needs unskilled employees and gradually they will be skilled. Perish ability of food Simultaneous production and consumption is one of the most important characteristics of food service and produced food must be kept within certain temperature. To protect food from bacteria food must be kept either below 5 degree Celsius or more than 65 degree temperature. Food must be handled properly before, during and after preparation. Changes of Menus Customers might not like same menu every time and menu should be changed on daily basis and production changes accordingly. In this context variation must be bought in food service and preparation then business would be more profitable. Figure: Food Preparation and service process (Miller, 2009) 1.2 Food and beverage service system Modern food and beverage service system could be categorised into several methods and both customers and service people are involved in the food and beverage system. Now in this section food and beverage service systems are being discussed from the view point of Dittmer, Paul R., and Gerald G. Griffin (2009): Table Service: This service includes plate service or silver service and customers are served at a laid table. Self service: Customers will be required to help themselves from a buffet or counter. Assisted service: According to this system customers are served part of the meal at a table and part is self service. Single point service: In this system customers order, pay receive food and beverage from the same point Specialised service: Through this system customers are served from the point where they are, this is also called tray service or room service or even room delivery. 1.3 Factors affecting recipes and Menu It has been discussed above that there are several food and beverage service systems and to serve customers according to these system this five star hotel must prepare menu and there are some factors must be considered while preparing menu and recipes. Now in this section these are being discussed in follows: Financial resources available: Financial condition of this hotel must be considered in this context and based on resources available menu should be prepared. Types of restaurant: This hotel has got four restaurants and according to the nature of the restaurant menus could be prepared. Guest spending power: Spending power of customers is one of the most influential factors to set menu and recipes. Food production cost: If production cost is high then profit then it would be useless to produce that food. Competitive environment: It must be given preferences to what competitors are doing and this hotel must keep competitors in account to prepare menu. Location of the restaurant: Location of the restaurant is another important aspect to prepare menu. Chefs’ skills: It must be given preference whether chefs are skilled to prepare specific menu and in this context skilled chefs should be recruited. Guest diet requirements: Some guest might ask for Halal or gluten free or dairy free meal and in this context customers’ diet requirement must be considered. 1.4 Compare the cost and staffing implication in Food and Beverage department Cost minimisation and employing right number of workforce are the crucial decision of food and beverage department for this hotel. Several types of cost are associated with food and beverage department, now in this section these aspects are being discussed according to the principles of Coltman et al (2000): Actual Cost: The actual cost is what a cost or expenses actually was, for instance the payroll records and check made out to employees will indicate the actual labour cost for payroll period. Budgeted Cost: When a cost is expected to be for a certain period of time is called budgeted cost. Controllable Cost: A cost which could be changed in the short period of time is called controllable cost. Non controllable Cost: Which cost cannot be changed in short period of time is called non controllable cost. Fixed Cost: Fixed cost is not changed according to product unit and these costs remain unchanged. Variable Cost: Variable cost could be changed according to the production unit and it increase if production is increased. Food and beverage department is sometimes depends on seasonality so staffing should  be strategic. To ensure proper operations this hotel should recruit full time, part time and casual employees. Right employees should be placed in right position. 1.5 Suitability of Systems of different food outlets There are four different food outlets are available in this hotel, what systems could be applied with each outlet being demonstrated in follows: Main Restaurant: Buffet service could be the best option to serve food from this restaurant as there would be more customers to eat food from this restaurant. Coffee Shop: Single point service would be used to serve food from this shop as there will be less staffs will be working to serve customers. Chinese Restaurant: There would be plenty alternatives for customers so again buffet service would be good for the customers as serf service would be helpful to reduce cost for this hotel. Fine Dining Restaurant: Tray service would be essential for this restaurant as customer will be given personal service. Task 2: Financial Control in Food and Beverage Operation Financial control and management would be very important aspect for this hotel as cost minimization would be given preference. Now in this section several aspects associated with financial control would be discussed: 2.1 Uses of financial statements in food and beverage department: Financial statements for this hotel could be used to understand key facts about the performance and disposition of this hotel and several decisions could be influenced by financial statements. This hotel just finished its renovation and long term decisions should be taken to improve profitability of this hotel. Now in this section needs and uses of financial statements are being discussed in follows: Financial statements could be very useful as a precise measurement of operation profit, hotel profitability and financial position could be revealed through the financial statement. After renovation how long will be taken to bring this hotel to profitability could be understood from financial statement. Current events of the hotel and production process could be monitored through the financial statement. Financial statements could also be helpful to take better decisions for the future. In decision making process financial statements could be very effective as decisions would be taken based on the financial position of the  Hotel. 2.2 Cost and Pricing process of the hotel Cost is defined as the expense to a hotel or restaurant for goods or services when the goods are consumed or the services are rendered. Food and beverage for this hotel are considered consumed then they have been used and costing would be very important to ensure profitability and hotel must ensure cost effectiveness while making decisions for the hotel especially for the food and beverage department. In costing process this formula could be used: Opening Inventory Value + Cost of Purchases – Closing Inventory Value = Usage Amount Usage Amount / Sales Revenue = Cost of Goods Sold (%)  Pricing decisions: based on situations different pricing decisions could be sued to ensure customer attraction and profitability for this hotel. There are some strategies are being discussed those could be used for this hotel: Cost Based Pricing: This method of pricing is often referred to as â€Å"’cost-plus† pricing. In its simplest form, cost-plus pricing involves hotel calculating average cost per unit and then allocating a specified mark-up, which may be related to rate of profit required by the company, to arrive at the selling price. Value Based Pricing: How much customers are willing to pay for the food this hotel is the main theme of this value based pricing. According to this strategy hotel cannot impose any price rather they can assess customers perception about the food standard and quality of this hotel. Customers feedback could be important in this aspect to set price. Competition based pricing: Competitors pricing strategy would be considered to set price according to this strategy. Service standard and product quality could also be considered in this aspect. 2.3 Steps of Purchasing Process: There are several steps are involved with purchasing process for this hotel, now in this section these steps are being discussed in follows: Figure: Purchasing Process (Chabon, 2007) Need recognition: This process begins with recognizing the need for specific product for this hotel. A problem or need can be solved by acquiring a specific product. General need description: This is description of the  general characteristics and quantity of the needed item. Emphasis here is on reliability, durability, price and other attributes desired in the item. Product specification: The item’s product specifications are analyzed and the purchasing team decides on the best product characteristics and specify them accordingly for the hotel. Supplier search: Who could be the best supplier for the food and beverage products this is carried out to find the best suppliers? Some suppliers may not be considered because they are not large enough to supply the needed quantity or because they have poor reputation. Proposal solicitation: This hotel will invite qualified suppliers to submit proposals. When the item is complex or expensive, the buyer will need detailed written proposals from each potential supplier. Supplier selection: Food and beverage department will review the proposals and select a supplier. They will consider competence of various suppliers, their ability to deliver the item on time and also deliver the necessary services. The following attributes have a strong influence on the relationship between the supplier and customer. Order routine specification: This involves preparing the final order with the chosen supplier, listing the technical specifications, quantity needed, expected time of delivery, e.t.c. Performance review: Here the hotel will review the performance of the supplier. The hotel may retain, modify, or drop the supplier in future hence the supplier should ensure that he is giving the expected satisfaction. Task 3: Menu for Hospitality Events In hospitality industry for a caterer compiling a menu is one of the most important jobs and several factors must be considered before any menu is prepared. In menu preparation what customers want should be given preference not what the caterer has got to serve. This is the situation where for a wedding reception a menu should be prepared and justification of choosing that menu. Assume this is the Pakistani wedding and guest would be Asian community. Menu must be prepared according to the choice of this community. Let’s look at the Menu first: Starters: Sheesh Kabab Chicken Roast Vegetable Samosa Main Dish Chicken Palok Beef Bhuna Nan/ Roti Brown Rice with meat Desert Gajrela Golap Jam with Ice cream Tea/ Coffee Aspects of Preparing this Menu Wedding Date: 15 September, 2014 Type of Customer: Pakistani, Indian and Asian Budget:  £13.95 Per person Diet Requirement: Halal Justification of Selection and Suitability of recipes for menu: There are several aspects are creating impact of choosing this menu, now in this section justification of using that menu is being discussed with suitability of recipes for menu: Customers Profile: Majority of the customers are Pakistani origin and while preparing menu Pakistani cuisine has been chosen. This menu has been widely preferred by Pakistani community. Customers Preference: While choosing this menu discussion with wedding reception has been conducted and according to their choice menu has been selected. Menu Choice: In this menu there would be three starters, two main dishes with rice and nun or roty and two dessert. With starter guests will get complimentary Salad and Chutney. Selection of menu with event schedule: Customers will be served during lunch time and before serving meal there would be an drinks reception and in total customers will be at the venue for 2 hours. Anticipate special needs: Customers has been asked whether there would be any special requirements such as food allergies, religious requirement and diet requirement. All meats will be halal according to the choice of customers. Comfortable room setup: Choose the appropriate room layout that supports event objectives. If as serving a meal, the tables will be filled with used dishes and glassware, in addition to binders, notepads and pens. That’s why it’s important to choose the best room setup, and allow space for people to move. Task 4: Provide Food and Beverage services for  hospitality events: Several aspects are associated with hospitality events now in this part of this report those aspects are being discussed in follows: 4.1 Food and Beverage service plan for a wedding reception: Number of Guest: 350 Budget:  £5000.00 This wedding reception for this number of people within this budget could be implemented through the following procedure: Service Name Estimated cost Remarks Cutlery & Crockery  £1.50*350 =  £525 According to Brand Standard Table Linen  £4.00*35 = 140 According to Brand Standard Chair Cover  £1.50*350 =  £525 According to Brand Standard Cloth Napkins  £175 According to Brand Standard Stage Decoration  £450 According to Brand Standard Red carpet Walkway  £270 According to Brand Standard Table Display  £210 According to Brand Standard Waiter/ Waitress  £580 According to Brand Standard Washing area  £135 According to Brand Standard Food Cost  £1500 According to Brand Standard Food Preparation Cost  £300 According to Brand Standard Total  £4810 According to Brand Standard 4.2 Steps involved with service Plan: There are several steps are associated with recommended service plan, now in this section these plans are being discussed in follows: Step 1: Book appointing of the customer Step 2: Book the Event and take deposit Step 3: Finalise stage, walkway and decoration Step 3: Ensure service people, security and entertainment Step 4: Serve People according to the Function sheet ensure quality, health and safety and security of the customers. Step 5: Get feedback from the customers. 4.3 Evaluate service and Recommendations: Communication with customers would be essential to provide excellent service and inter and intra departmental communication would be very essential in this context. Customers’ feedback would be helpful to improve service standard and quality. Cost minimisation would be essential to maximise profit margin and in this context this food and beverage department would be involve to improve service standard. To arrange such kind of events what competitors are doing and how they are service would be very essential to improve service standard. Innovative ideas should be implemented in this context. Specific demand of customers would be essential. Conclusion In food and beverage operations two things must be coherent one is food and another one is service, these two things are inextricably interrelated.  During serving food quality and quantity must be ensured. Food production and preparation must be ensured with standard. Health and safety must be ensured according to HACCAP principles. During menu preparation customers choices must be given preference. Several aspects have been discussed through this report and proper standard must be ensured throughout the process. To increase profitability of the hotel service people should give emphasize on up selling and customers attraction and satisfaction. There should not be any gap between customers’ expectations and delivered service and food. References Defranco, Agnes L., and Pender B. M. Noriega (2007) â€Å"Cost control in hospitality industry† McGraw Hill: Mason Miller, Jack E., and David V. Pavesic (2007). Menu Pricing & Strategy. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Dittmer, Paul R., and Gerald G. Griffin (2009). Principles of Food, Beverage, and LaborCost Controls for Hotels and Restaurants. 6th ed. New York: John Wiley &Sons, Coltman, Michael M., and Martin G. Jagels. (2000) Hospitality Management Accounting. 7th ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Chaban, Joel. (2007) Practical Foodservice Spreadsheets With Lotus 1-2-3. New York: John Wiley & Sons,

Hot and Cold Holding Essay

All potentially hazardous foods, except those prepared for immediate consumption by a patron, must be maintained in a manner that prevents the growth or development of bacteria. When holding foods for service, such as on a buffet line, keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Hot-holding equipment must be able to keep foods at 135Â °F or higher. Cold-holding equipment must be able to keep foods at 41Â °F or colder. Hot-Holding Guidelines When holding foods for service, observe the following: Stir the food at regular intervals to distribute heat evenly throughout the food. Keep food covered to retain heat and keep potential contaminants from falling into the food. Use a food thermometer to measure the food’s internal temperature every 2 hours. Discard any hot food after 4 hours if it has not been maintained at 135Â °F or higher. Never use hot-holding equipment to reheat foods. Foods must be heated to an internal temperature of 165Â °F and then transferred to the hot-holding equipment. Never mix freshly prepared food with foods being held for service as this could contaminate foods. Cold-Holding Guidelines When holding cold foods for service, observe the following: Protect all foods from possible contamination by covering them or using food shields. Use a food thermometer to measure the food’s internal temperature every 2 hours. Take corrective action whenever the temperature of a cold food item goes above 41Â °F. Never store food items directly on ice. All food items, with certain exceptions, should be placed in pans or on plates when displayed. Ice used for a display should be self-draining, and all pans and plates should be sanitized after each use. Whenever dealing with questionable hot-holding and cold-holding practices, always resolve the issue in favor of food safety. It is better to discard potentially hazardous foods than risk your customers’ health and safety. One way to avoid discarding too much food is to prepare and cook only as much as you will use in a short time.

Bad Teachers Essay

There are many types of teachers that each student encounters in their high school careers. Four different types include: the â€Å"blow-off† teacher, the hard teacher, the funny teacher and the best friend teacher. These diverse â€Å"species† of teachers make high school interesting, demanding and enjoyable. Each type provides you with a different aspect of what the true high school experience should feel like. The â€Å"blow-off† teacher is the teacher that everyone wants. He or she is usually classified as the one that does not assign difficult assignments or challenging tests. These teachers usually hate being at school just as much as the students do. Instead of cramming in a quick lesson on half-days or shortened days, they would rather give a study hall or nap break. These teachers are usually favorites but also do not prepare you for your next educational step unlike the harder teachers would. The hard teacher is the teacher that everyone does not want. The moment when the student sees his or her new schedule and sees their name, they automatically know that it is going to be a miserable year unless they can switch out. Then, they exhaust their efforts only to find that everyone else switched out before them and he or she is stuck in that class. During the year, they are despondent, up to your eyeballs in papers and projects. But, at the end of the year, they are very thankful that the difficult and demanding teacher prepared you correctly for the new challenge that the next  academic year may bring. The funny teacher is also one that everyone wants. His or her humor makes the class, even if it is hard, enjoyable. The student often looks forward to their class and is in a much better mood than for other classes. The teacher can retain the students’ attention through comedy and wit and the point of the lesson is regularly understood better. The teacher is usually a favorite and even though the material that needs to be learned is difficult, students love going to that class and listening to the teacher’s jokes. The best friend teacher is the teacher that is the most relatable. He or she is usually very young and often takes about inappropriate things with his or her students. Students feel as if the teacher is a peer and not an elder. This results in favoring certain students that the teacher has a special relationship with. This also results in students wanting the specific teacher because of that reason, not because of the desire to learn and expand their knowledge. The pushover teacher is also a student favorite. These teachers usually let their classes rule over them and push them over. Items that are affected by the student’s decisions can range from due dates to tests and assignments. These teachers are usually too afraid to stand up to their students and therefore give in to begging from the students to change due dates and tests. The good teacher is the one that you love for actually teaching you. He or she is an excellent teacher that assigns fair assignments and tests. They  are very helpful in ways of explaining situations or different ways of solving a problem. The students love to attend his or her class because they know that they will learn something that is beneficial to their education. These teachers are usually loved and respected by students because of their excellent way of teaching. In conclusion, during any student’s high school career, they will most likely experience any one of the main â€Å"species† of teachers: the â€Å"blow-off† teacher, the hard teacher, the funny teacher, the best friend teacher, the pushover teacher and the good teacher. Each teacher assists the student in completing high school and making the difficult transition into the busy and complex life of college.

Determining Copyright Infringement Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Determining Copyright Infringement - Case Study Example A general trend that emerges is that even in instances where copying of original works have been found, a remedy will lie only when infringement is substantial and this has been conditional on the criterion of quality rather than quantity in determining the value of material so infringed. However, legal boundaries have been more clearly established in other countries such as the United States, while in the UK, judgments appear to be on an ad hoc basis providing no legal certainty or consistency, hence the level and delineation of copyright appears indeterminate. Moreover, another aspect that arises in this context is whether such protection as afforded under the Act is adequate in a digital environment where copying is facilitated since the online environment is so structured that a page can be copied without leaving a trace and footprints of the pirate are difficult to track. Although criticisms have been leveled against the recommendations offered by Gowers after an IP review to restrict extensions of copyright on sound recordings, nevertheless this review has highlighted the need for greater flexibility and balance in the IP system, thereby underlining the fact that the current laws may not offer adequate scope to precisely define limits determining infringement. It may be noted that no precise formula can be pinpointed in the Courts’ decisions on what constitutes infringement. Petersen J set out a rough test for a remedy to be provided for infringement of copyright as follows: â€Å"What is worth copying is prima facie worth protecting.†Ã‚  In order to determine whether or not an infringement of copyright in a work has actually taken place, courts first of all try to define copying by determining whether the alleged items or incidents infringed are ideas or expressions. Copyright protection does not extend to mere ideas on which there ca n be no copyright, but to â€Å"sufficient substance of literary protection.†

Receivables Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Receivables - Coursework Example This is because the accountants after assessing his books of accounts are at a position to make a decision based on the profits or losses made in the year and the amounts of the accounts receivables due for the year. Blair’s recommendation could be biased and uninformed based on the bonuses of the medium sized companies as all managers’ aims are to maximize on profits. Internal controls are logical measure adopted by an organization used in ensuring that their business runs effectively to protect the organization from collapsing, such measures includes reviews and procedures. Detective internal controls which are measures taken after an irregularity has occurred, in this case the managers recommendation for accounting are useful for the future decision making. Some of the useful detective controls include the performance and quality assurance of the company reviews, reconciliations of the books of accounts to aid the manager in making sound decisions, conducting audits on the company’s’ books from different years and comparing inventory records with those of the different years. This way the manager is more knowledgeable and not just profit

Corporate Social Responsibility Plan Research Paper

Corporate Social Responsibility Plan - Research Paper Example to the need to incorporate these plans directly into corporate social responsibility and so the plans are implemented isolated differently from corporate social responsibility plans. Until such a time that the corporate strategic plans of the company are integrated into the corporate social responsibility plans, the full potential of the company in terms of organizational growth cannot be attained. Nationwide Insurance is certainly in the financial industry, where it is expected to be a major stakeholder in the determination of the investment of people through insurance. Closely related to the background of the role of the company in offering secure investment policies for its clients are the vision and value statements of the company structured. The vision statement of the company is therefore given a â€Å"to become a competitive leader in the provision of risk-free insurance that meets customers at the points of their need†. The vision statement indicates clearly that the major focus of the company is the customer and that the company wants to put the customer first in all its business dealings. Much of the company’s ways of going about its business is directed at achieving the vision of the company. This is however done in a well laid out format that is backed by the use of empirical themes. For example, there is the use of three spheres and the environment, which together makes economic, political, civil society and the environment. In all of these thematic areas, the company tries to give to the customer value oriented service and business product that satisfies the demanding conditions of the company. On a scale of ten therefore, the success rate of programs that are currently in use in line with the four themes could be said to 8 out 10 successful. It was recently discovered that one of the best ways to achieve a holistic goal for all four themes is to make use of corporate social responsibilities (Urwick, 2003). This led to the designing of a series

Career Assessment for Life Achievement Assignment

Career Assessment for Life Achievement - Assignment Example The most helpful one was the skills profiler. Its results are based on the inputs given by the respondents on the different categories of skills needed in the workplace. It specifically lists the occupation best suited to your personality and interests. Personally, the least helpful assessment was the interest inventory. The test requires you to choose between two occupations without considering one’s capacity to do it – merely based on whether or not the person wants to do the job or not. I assume there are several people who judge their career path based only on their interests but not on skills. They need to consider that many occasions arise in the workplace when skills play the more vital role than interests. A worker may be asked to do a job outside his specified interests but he needs to do it anyway because it’s part of his job. Significant or not, these tools give us quite accurate assessments regarding our personality, interests, skills, and values. The reports are based on our responses, so we can consider these as a hypothesis, not merely guesses. For instance, in my case, the composite score lists cost estimator and credit analyst as one of my top careers. These are interesting jobs for me because I have never tried them yet. Probably, if given the chance, I might also excel in these fields. Other websites allow us to learn more about how these personalities can aid in choosing the right career. By being an introvert, I understand that my stimulation comes from within myself, not from external sources (â€Å"Information about Personality Types†, personalitypage.com).

Business Policy and Strategic Management Research Paper - 3

Business Policy and Strategic Management - Research Paper Example The very reason as to why Starbucks has been able to generate the kind of competitive advantage within its industry is based upon the fact that its differentiation strategy has provided it an edge over others. A closer analysis of the history of the firm would suggest that the Starbucks started with selling of the coffee manufacturing equipments which were considered as finest in the industry. Its use of the Arabica beans- highest quality coffee beans in the world provides its coffee a unique taste and quality lacking in other products offered by the competitors. (Anders). It is also important to note that Starbucks marketing strategy has also duly supported the firm’s traditional superiority in offering high quality coffee over different destinations in the world through its strategic business partners. It is also important to note that the kind of growth achieved by Starbucks over the period of time is also based upon its overall organizational model and how it is integrated with its overall strategy.

Contemporary Scenario of Service Industry Essay

Contemporary Scenario of Service Industry - Essay Example In this paper, the researcher has discussed on various strategies and models adopted by service industries to attain competitive advantage and identifying the key success factors of the behind accomplishing their corporate image. The service sector is the portion of the economy that generally produces intangible goods. Throughout the world, service sector faces a high level of competition as there are many buyers and seller in the market. Producing service trend generally requires less natural capital and more human capital. One of the major benefits of growing service sector is less pressure on the local and global environment (Reed and DeFillippi, 1990). Presently developing countries give more emphasis on service sector in comparison to the other sectors. In the modern world, the growth of service sector is particularly important as it allows employing educated labor force and thus, reducing unemployment and economic crisis. In the service sector, service quality is one of the basic tools to gain competitive advantage. As defined by West and DeCastro (2001), there is no proper definition of the service quality due to the existence of discrepancies among the people. Measuring service quality is the most recurrent topic in management literature. However, (Youndt et al. 1996) described that perceived service quality by the people is the best way to measure attributes of the service over which the company has control. Youndt et al. (1996) developed a conceptual framework of service quality where they identified five major gaps that could impact customer’s evaluation of service qualities in various industries in service sectors, for instance, banking, tourists, event,  and hospitality. These gaps were: Service firms may not always understand what service or features they must have in their product to meet needs of the customers, or what level of features needed to be added in order to deliver high-quality service. This gap arises when firms positively identify wants of the customers, but the means to deliver service according to their expectation does not exist (Godard, 2001).

Why Study Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Why Study Philosophy Essay The ancient Greek philosopher, Socrates, once said that â€Å"the unexamined life is not worth living. † Philosophy provides students with the tools they need to critically examine their own lives as well as the world in which they live. Philosophers are, by definition, â€Å"lovers of wisdom† (from the Greek â€Å"philo† = love and â€Å"sophia† = wisdom). Have you ever wondered why many of your professors have a Ph. D. or â€Å"doctor of philosophy† even if they do not teach philosophy? Philosophy is the oldest academic discipline and as such has no natural boundaries. Philosophers strive to uncover wisdom in every dimension of human existence. The tools one acquires through a philosophical education can be applied to any discipline and will help you to see connections between those disciplines. Consequently, philosophy is of use to students contemplating majors in any field. The philosophy courses at IUS seek to involve students in clear, reflective thought on philosophical issues of major importance and to introduce them to the ideas of several great philosophers. In the first section of this document, you will find information on the general benefits of studying philosophy. Sections two through four, discuss the advantages philosophy majors have over other majors pursuing a graduate education. Section five contains some links to other perspective on the value of a philosophical education. Section One: General Benefits of a Philosophical Education Section Two: Philosophy Prepares Students for Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) Section Three: Philosophy Prepares Students for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Section Four: Philosophy Prepares Students for the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) Section Five: Other Perspectives on the Value of a Philosophical Education. Section One: General Benefits of a Philosophical Education The curriculum at IUS includes interesting courses in general philosophy, ethics and logic; additional courses in the history of philosophy, and upper level courses in such areas as symbolic logic, philosophy of science, philosophy of religion, theories of knowledge, and bioethics are also offered. Readings center on writings by the great philosophers. The goals of our program are as follows: 1. Comprehension and Interpretation Through the study of philosophy at IUS, students should increase their abilities to understand and to restate accurately in different words positions or arguments with which they initially disagree or which are entirely new to them. Students should also develop the skill of temporary detachment or neutrality so that they are better able to discern the strengths and weaknesses in such positions. 2 2. Analytical Reasoning Students should be able to make distinctions which are helpful for understanding and evaluating complex positions, arguments, or issues. 3. Synthetical Reasoning Students should improve their awareness of the importance of holding coherent and integrated views. They should develop skills in organizing and integrating their ideas in a systematic way. 4. Critical Thinking Students should develop an independence of thought through which they take responsibility for understanding and evaluating ideas in careful, responsible ways. 5. Skills in Evaluation Students should improve their ability to make reasoned judgments on such matters as moral and aesthetic preferences and to present cogent arguments to support their positions. Students should also improve their awareness of the factors that are involved in making sound evaluations. 6. Ethical Reasoning Students should improve their skills in making responsible, rational judgments on issues of moral rightness and wrongness as well as on matters of moral character. Students should be able to make use of classical ethical theories in formulating these judgments. 7. Openness to New Ideas Students should increase their ability to reflect upon their own views and consider whether other positions are stronger. They should be able to make modifications when their own careful thinking indicates that this is appropriate. 8. Improving Skills in Extended Written and Spoken Presentation Students should develop the ability to present comprehensive interpretations and arguments clearly, accurately, and without prejudice in both written and oral forms. 3 9. Understanding Philosophical Reflections on Other Disciplines Students should increase their understanding of basic philosophical issues and theories associated with areas such as social and political theory, science, and religion. 10. Appreciation of the Diversity of Intellectual History Students should gain an increased appreciation of the variety of philosophical reflections, arguments, and positions that have been developed in different ages and contexts. 11. Gaining Knowledge of the Philosophical Tradition The students should have an awareness and understanding of issues and positions that have been prominent in the philosophical tradition. Section Two: Philosophy prepares students for the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) According to data collected by Law School Admissions Council, philosophy majors do better than any other major on the LSAT with the exception of physics/mathematics majors. Whereas philosophy majors have a mean score of 157. 4 on the LSAT, physics/mathematics majors attain a slightly higher mean of 158. 9. Even so, philosophy majors score much higher than business majors (mean: 149. 6) or education majors (mean: 148. 9). 1 The following statements provided by the American Bar Association discuss the specific advantages that philosophy affords students pursuing a career in a law-related profession. †In assessing a prospective law student’s educational qualifications, admissions committees generally consider the chosen curriculum, the grades earned, and the reputation of the colleges attended. They also view favorably scholastic honors, awards, and special recognition. Solid grades in courses such as logic, philosophy, and abstract mathematics are generally considered a plus. [†¦] [L]aw schools will respect your pursuit of subjects you find challenging. This is especially true if the courses you take are known to be more difficult, such as philosophy, engineering, and science. Also, look for courses that will strengthen the skills you need in law school. Classes that stress research and writing are excellent preparation for law school, as are courses that teach reasoning and analytical skills. † – from â€Å"Education,† from The Council on Legal Education and 1 Official Guide to ABA-approved Law Schools 2003-2004, published by the Law school Admissions Council (LSAC). 4 Opportunity, American Bar Association. (whole article available at: http://www. abanet. org/cleo/edu. html) †Preparation for legal education should include substantial experience at close reading and critical analysis of complex textural material, for much of what law students and attorneys do involves careful reading and sophisticated comprehension of judicial opinions, statutes, documents, and other written materials. As with the other skills discussed in this Statement, the requisite critical reading abilities may be acquired in a wide range of experiences, including the close reading of complex material in literature, political or economic theory, philosophy or history. The particular nature of the materials examined is not crucial; what is important is that law school not be the first time that a student has been rigorously engaged in the enterprise of carefully reading and understanding, and critically analyzing, complex written material of substantial length. Potential law students should also be aware that the study and practice of law require the ability to read and assimilate large amounts of material, often in a short period of time. † – from â€Å"Preparation for Legal Education† Prepared by The Pre-Law Committee of The ABA Section of Legal Education and Admission to the Bar, June 1996 (whole article available at: http://www. abanet. org/cleo/edu. html). Section Three: Philosophy prepares students for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) The GRE is required by most graduate programs in arts, education, engineering, humanities, life science, physical science, and social science. Success on the GRE is an important part of a successful graduate school application. The exam is broken into three main sections: Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical Writing. As the below statistics make clear, philosophers do extremely well on the GRE. Students declaring an intention to go to graduate school in philosophy have the highest mean scores on the Verbal section of the GRE (mean: 589) of any major. The best score outside of the humanities and arts in this category is physics, with a Verbal mean of 534. Education majors have a mean score of 450, while business majors come in even lower at 446. The story is much the same for the Analytical Writing section of the GRE. Students declaring an intention to go to graduate school in philosophy get the highest mean scores of any major on this section of the GRE (mean: 5. 1). The best score outside of the humanities in this category was political science, with an Analytical Writing mean of 4. 9. Life and physical sciences majors performed more poorly, however, with the highest mean score again going to physics majors (mean: 4.5). Education majors have a mean score of 4. 3, while business majors again come in slightly lower with a mean score of 4. 2. 5 Students declaring an intention to go to graduate school in philosophy score higher on the Quantitative section of the GRE than any of the other humanities. Compare the scores of philosophy students in Quantitative (mean: 636) with religion majors (mean: 583) or foreign language majors (mean: 573), for examples, who are the next best two in the humanities. Not surprisingly, majors in the physical sciences and engineering do better in this area than philosophy students do. But philosophy students do better here than every major in the life sciences and all but one of the majors in social science (economics students do well here, with mean scores of 706 in this area). Philosophy majors do better than all but the banking and finance students in the business area (whose majors get a mean score of 709 in Quantitative). Education majors fare worse than business majors in this area with a mean score of 534. Compare philosophy students’ mean score in Quantitative of 636, however, with accounting majors, who get a mean of 595 in this area. Aren’t they supposed to know math? 2 Section Four: Philosophy Prepares Students for the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) The GMAT is required for students applying to Masters of Business Administration (MBA) programs. Much as with the GRE for other graduate programs, success on the GMAT is an important part of a successful MBA application. Although it may come as some surprise, philosophy prepares students for the GMAT better then a degree in business. Philosophy majors have a mean score of 574 which is higher than any other humanities major and also higher than any business major. Operational management/production majors scored the highest of any business major with a mean of 547. 8. Only physical science and engineering majors scored better than philosophy majors on the GMAT with Physics topping the list with a mean score of 611. So much for thinking that a business major is the best preparation for the GMAT! 3Ã'Ž Section Five: Other Perspectives on the Value of a Philosophical Education The American Philosophical Association (APA) is the main professional organization for philosophers in the United States. They have published an essay by philosopher Robert Audi that provides a brief guide to the discipline. It is aimed at undergraduates and is a must read for any student thinking about majoring in philosophy. 2 Guide to the Graduate Record Examination Program 2005-2006, published by the Education Testing Service. This section updates statistics from the article ‘Philosophy Rocks the Graduate Record Exam,’ (http://www.lclark. edu/~phil/gre. html). 3 Profile of Graduate Admissions Test Candidates (2000-2005), published by the Graduate Management Admissions Council. 6 For a perspective outside of philosophy, see this New York Times article by Carol Cropper on the pay-off of a philosophical education. Likewise, this Times of London article discusses how philosophy is the quintessential modern discipline and the ultimate transferable work skill. Want know what kinds of careers await philosophy majors? See this list of famous philosophy majors. Some of the names might surprise you!

Definition And The Pros And Cons Of Globalization Management Essay

Definition And The Pros And Cons Of Globalization Management Essay Globalisation describes the process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures have become integrated through a global network of political ideas through communication, transportation, trade and the rapid increase in the share of economic activity taking place across national boundaries. The term is most closely associated with the term economic globalization: the integration of national economies into the international economy through trade, foreign direct investment, capital flows, migration, the spread of technology, and military presence. The term can also refer to the transnational circulation of ideas, languages, or popular culture through acculturation- cultural exchange. Singapore has evolved today as one of the flourishing nations of the world and it is regarded to be a global business nation as it is the home to about 7,000 multi- national companies. Singapores strategic location in South East Asia and infrastructure arrested the attention and encouraged many industrial companies and foreign investors to set-up businesses in Singapore, which started Singapores journey of globalisation. Singapore is a corruption free nation with high international standard machinery, well trained workers, a good world culture and an environment aptly suited for trading or business purpose. Singapore, despite once being an island country, has managed to progress rapidly. In the last ten years of the twentieth-century, Singapore has transformed into a recognisable global city through the process of nation-state building. This led to an increase in the migration of people at all levels of the economy which enabled Singapore to sustain a competitive economy. Although Singapores economy managed to prosper, its people were weighed down with numerous issues like structural unemployment and the increasing income inequality. Hence, the Singapore government came up with ways of maintaining and managing a sustainable economic growth in response to the issues. Social Effects of Globalisation in Singapore The phenomenon of Globalization is comparable to a double-edged sword. In society, globalization has the power to aggravate or alleviate existing social issues. Globalisation in Singapore has caused a lot of social problems. There is an increase in gamblers and the setting up of the two casinos in the past year has caused an increase in the number of problem gamblers. There is also an increase lost of national identity in youths as they are introduced to the outside world and start to move out of the country. It has also affected Singapores culture as foreigners bring in different cultures and people in Singapore, especially the youth have become more inclined towards the Western culture and may not appreciate the Asian culture as much anymore. As more people immigrate to other countries, there will be fewer Singaporeans to defend the country. When more foreigners immigrate to Singapore, it will further worsen the problem of ageing population in Singapore as well. Globalisation has also caused an increased gap in the income of the well off and not so well off people. However, globalisation has also helped Singapore in many other different ways. Globalisation encourages Singaporeans to increase their knowledge and upgrade their skills to keep up with the ever changing world and the advancements of technology. The casinos have also improved Singapores economy as it attracts a lot of tourists. Foreigners bring in talents that can also improve the standard of the workforce in Singapore. Therefore, globalisation can bring both positive and negative effects to the society in Singapore. Foreign Workforce in Singapore Foreign workforce in Singapore refers to the non-cititzen workforce in Singapore. As Singapore globalizes, more and more foreigners are coming into Singapore as there is a need for foreign workforce in Singapore so as to sustain the economy of Singapore and also for the benefits of improving our workforce as Singapore globalizes and becomes a global trading hub, there is a need to improve and sustain our workforce by having a foreign workforce. Foreign workforce in Singapore is divided into two parts: the skilled workforce and the unskilled labour. Unskilled labour refers to unskilled workers who mainly work in the manufacturing, construction, and domestic services sectors. The majority of them come from countries such as India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Thailand, as part of bilateral agreements between Singapore and these countries. Skilled workforce refers to foreigners with professional qualifications or acceptable degrees working at the higher end of Singapores economy (Yeoh, 2007). According to statistics from the Financial Times in 2010, it states that the foreign workforce make up about 34% of Singapores population, thus, proving that Singapore has a big foreign workforce. Skilled workers and professionals accounted for 13.4% of Singapores total foreign workforce, while unskilled labourers accounted for 86.6% of Singapores total foreign workforce. Research Methodology We did our research using the internet, newspapers and several books that were found in the reference section of the National Library. We did our research and found information from online journal articles and forums through the web. We also found information from other sources like magazine reports as well. Analysis of Research Skilled Foreign Talent Workforce Foreign talents in Singapore come to Singapore with their knowledge from their country and take up jobs that require special training for its satisfactory performance.   They usually have high qualifications and expertise in their job field. Their monthly income has already a minimum threshold of S$2500. Engineers, accountants, scientists and people from the research and development fields are examples of the skilled workforce foreign talents make up in Singapore. They mainly come from more developed countries like China, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea and Taiwan. Specialized occupations that include neurosurgeons and doctors make up for the job expertise Singaporeans lack. Unskilled Labour Workforce Immigrants from countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Philippines and Pakistan come to Singapore and fill up lowly skilled jobs that require practically no training or experience for its adequate performance. Singaporeans are unwilling to take up these lowly skilled jobs as they do not sound attractive, have low wages, long working hours and require large amounts of manual work. Such jobs include manufacturing, shipyard and shipbuilding, construction and services, as well as in private households as live in domestic workers. Foreigners constitute 45% of the manufacturing workforce, and 61% of the construction workforce. Unskilled labourers with recognized skills and qualifications earned about S$1800 monthly. Unskilled workers make up the majority of Singapores foreign workforce. Comparison between Skilled and Unskilled Workforce 1. Safety Skilled Skilled immigrants are highly valued as they are important for the countrys growth. They are treated with great respect and are taken care of when they come to Singapore. However, be it skilled or unskilled labor in Singapore, everyone is taken care of properly and the government keeps the place as safe as possible, keeping the crime rate as low as possible. The government maintains a stable and peaceful society and cares for the peoples safety, be it locals, skilled or unskilled immigrants. Unskilled Majority of the unskilled workforce in Singapore is not invited by the Singaporean government to work in Singapore. Rather, they come to Singapore on their own in search of jobs to support their families back in their homelands. Upon arriving in Singapore, they usually acquire jobs that do not require much skills or knowledge. Since these foreign workers do not specialize in any key areas, they hold less importance to Singapores economic growth, hence they are not as protected by the government as compared to the skilled workforce in Singapore. The population of unskilled workforce in Singapore, though, still lead generally safe lives in Singapore as a whole. Although there are still various risks involved in the type of work that these unskilled foreign workers do like construction works. Therefore, they are not as protected by the Singaporean government as the skilled foreign talents are. 2. Housing Skilled Skilled immigrants are given privileges unskilled immigrants do not have. Skilled immigrants with university degrees, professional enough to hold high ranks in the company, high qualifications, are able to bring in their family into the country as long as their family members are eligible for a dependant pass and they do not have to pay levies (Yeoh, 2007). The government also has policies for such foreigners to gain citizenship more easily as well. Unskilled In terms of housing, the unskilled workforce in Singapore do not get to live in comfortable houses, as do the skilled workforce in Singapore. In most cases, these unskilled foreign workers live in simple rooms, with not much in them. There is no need for luxurious accommodations, as most of them only stay for a short period of time to work in Singapore, and do not stay in Singapore permanently. However, in some extreme cases, a number of these unskilled foreign workers are crammed into a small apartment with poor living conditions. These workers have much to put up with in terms of their living conditions; hence not all of these workers get to live comfortably. Therefore, as compared to the population of skilled foreign workforce in Singapore, the population of unskilled foreign workforce does not live as comfortably, instead, they are subjected to worse living conditions. 3. Types of Jobs Skilled Foreign talents in Singapore possess professional skills in their respective fields. Due to Singapores limited resources and low birth rates, there is a need for foreign talents to help the country keep up with the economy growth and its hopes for reaching out to the global economy. They fill up jobs that require skills which locals lack. With the lack of skills, Singapore will not be able develop and improve, which explains the need for foreign talent in Singapores society. In 2006, close to 13.4% of foreign workers are skilled. They take up high ranking jobs in marine industries, research and development, manufacturing and many more which require specific skills or knowledge. Unskilled The unskilled or semi-skilled foreign workforce in Singapore usually takes up jobs such as construction workers, maids, garbage men. This is because these jobs do not require prior or extra knowledge to complete, and these workers can be easily taught to do these jobs. 4. Healthcare Skilled Healthcare in Singapore is generally well taken care of, be it for the skilled or unskilled workforce. Germs are able to spread and it would not be pleasant when diseases are spread around the country. Healthcare services are easily available in Singapore. However, there are no healthcare subsidies for foreign immigrants. This is due to the fact that the government wants to influence the locals to support and encourage the immigration policy. Unskilled In general, foreign workers that fall under the category of being unskilled or semi-skilled have health checks conducted by the Singaporean government every now and then, to ensure that these workers are not carrying any dangerous diseases that could potentially spread to other Singaporeans and cause a pandemic (Yeoh, 2007). By ensuring that these foreign workers are relatively healthy, the Singaporean government is also keeping Singaporeans safe, hence the state of health of the unskilled or semi-skilled workforce in Singapore is important to the government. 5. Country of Origin Skilled Foreign talents in Singapore come from countries like United States of America, Britain, France, Japan, South Korea and Australia (Yeoh, 2007). Skilled foreigners can come to Singapore for various reasons. They come to Singapore and treat her as a stepping stone to advance towards better developing and more successful companies in other countries like the United States of America. However, there are also some skilled immigrants who come to Singapore because of the better living conditions. They are able to bring their family members to Singapore, where there is good education and healthcare. They are not as valued in their country as compared to in Singapore due to the fact that there are people who are better than them, so they come to Singapore to advance, where they will be valued greatly for their knowledge and skills. Unskilled Unskilled or semi-skilled foreign workers in Singapore usually come from countries such as China, Bangladesh, India, Philippines, and Indonesia. This is because the cost of labour from these countries is cheap, as compared to the cost of hiring skilled foreign talent. These workers are willing to work irregular hours under tough conditions to provide for their families back in their homelands. Workers that come from Bangladesh and India work as construction workers most of the time, and workers that come from Philippines and Indonesia work as maids most of the time. 6. Salaries Skilled Skilled immigrants in Singapore monthly salary starts from about $2500 and can be more than $7000 (Yeoh, 2007). This is because they have valuable skills that are able to help companies in gaining profits. They have professional skills locals do not have and hence, they are able to be successful when they come to Singapore. Unskilled In comparison with the population of skilled foreign workforce in Singapore, the population of unskilled foreign workforce in Singapore has generally lower salaries, usually below $2500 (Yeoh, 2007). This is because these foreign workers do not bring to Singapore new skills or new knowledge that can help Singapore to grow economically, hence their labour is not as valuable as the skills and knowledge that foreign talents bring to Singapore. Also, these workers receive low pay because they are willing to accept these low pays, hence their pays often do not increase. Therefore, unskilled foreign workers have lower salaries than skilled foreign talents. Advantages and Disadvantages of Foreign Workforce in Singapore: Advantages of the Foreign Workforce in Singapore: The foreign workforce is vital for Singapores economic growth and development. The foreign workforce in Singapore is divided into two segments, foreign talent and foreign workers. The Singaporean government has always stressed the importance of immigrant workers to Singapores economy and development. With the presence of the foreign workforce in Singapore, there is exposure to external influences like cultural exchange. It is a unique feature of Singapore, and allows local Singaporeans to interact with the foreigners that come into Singapore from different parts of the world, with different backgrounds and cultures. This hence allows local Singaporeans to understand these foreigners more, which leads to an understanding of different cultures and backgrounds. With better relations between both sides, this will lead to more opportunities for business deals between foreigners and Singaporeans, as there will be respect of each sides cultures and differences, hence leading to Singapores economic growth and development. The interaction between the locals and foreigners also helps increase the awareness of locals of the different cultures. This allows the locals to practice racial tolerance in their daily lives which promotes racial harmony is Singapores multi-racial society. Singapore aims to be a vibrant multi-cultural global trading hub working with people from a diversity of cultures and backgrounds. This factor will attract more foreigners to set up companies and businesses and invest in Singapore, which will provide more job opportunities for local Singaporeans. Singapores main resource has always been its people. However, as Singapore has a low birth rate and Singapores main resource of people has been depleting in the recent years, there is a need for more highly-skilled foreign workers to fill up the highly-skilled jobs. This will also help develop Singapore into the talent capital of the global economy. Advantages of the Skilled Workforce in Singapore The skilled workforce in Singapore, also known as foreign talents, refers to highly-skilled foreigners with professional qualifications or acceptable degrees working at the higher end of Singapores economy. With so many foreign talents coming in to take up highly-skilled jobs with high wages, this is a source of competition for locals. Many locals feel that these foreign talents, who are more successful in their jobs, are snatching their jobs and source of income from them. With the highly-skilled foreign talents, there will hence be less job opportunities for local Singaporeans. Based on research conducted by the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), three out of four jobs in the past five years went to foreigners. This will motivate local Singaporeans to perform better in their jobs, and pushes them to seek self-improvement, to match up to the standards of the highly-skilled foreign talents. This is caused by the sense of competition for jobs between them and the foreign talents, making them want to put in more hard work, so that their jobs will be secured. Local Singaporeans feel challenged by these highly-skilled workers, and this will lead to improvement and higher efficiency of jobs as they will strive harder to do better than the foreigners, thus leading to an improvement in Singapores economic growth and development too. With Singapores economy prospering and growing, this will in turn attract more foreign branches and companies to invest in Singapore, as Singapore has a growing position as a regional and local global trading hub. Therefore, foreign talents, also known as the highly skilled workers, will lead to Singapores economic growth and development, as it actually pushes local Singaporeans to seek self-improvement. With more of these foreign talents coming to Singapore and taking up highly-skilled jobs, it helps in Singapores economic growth and development. Given Singapores aspirations to become a major player in a globalized world, Singapores main economic strategy is based on being home to a highly-skilled workforce, which will be consisted of the highly-educated local Singaporeans, together with the foreign talents in Singapore. Therefore, the highly-skilled foreign workforce is vital to Singapore for economic growth and development. The presence of foreign talents will lead to Singapores economic growth and development, as they bring new expertise and knowledge to Singapore, and help increase the productivity and efficiency of local Singaporeans by providing such new knowledge. This leads to Singaporeans learning and developing new skills, so that Singapore can improve and become more competitive in the global market, hence resulting in Singapores economic growth and development. Advantages of the Unskilled Workforce in Singapore The unskilled workforce in Singapore, also known as foreign workers, refer to semi-skilled or unskilled workers who mainly work in the manufacturing, construction, and domestic services sectors. In Singapore, foreign workers are needed to take up jobs that local Singaporeans refuse to take up, due to the fact that these jobs are low-skilled jobs with low wages and irregular working hours, for example, construction workers, toilet cleaners and road sweepers. However, these jobs are required to maintain Singapore in its clean and orderly state, and to ensure that Singapore will continue to prosper, grow and develop. Therefore, it is important that there are people to fill up such job positions. As locals refuse to take up these jobs, foreign workers are needed to take them up. Only if Singapore is in its clean and orderly state, and has new buildings and developments, with a strong workforce, it can be seen as a potential market to invest in, and attract foreign companies to set up businesses in Singapore. Furthermore, if foreign workers are available in handful here, more companies will be inclined to set up their factory bases in Singapore, as they can hire these foreign workers to work for them, with lower wages and longer working hours. This hence leads to Singapores economic growth. Therefore, the foreign workforce is vital for Singapores economic growth and development. Disadvantages of the Foreign Workforce in Singapore A large majority of Singaporeans feel that foreigners are putting up stiff competition for jobs in Singapore, hence threatening the livelihoods of Singaporeans. Local Singaporeans feel that the foreign workforce in Singapore is snatching away jobs and their source of income from them. Based on research conducted by the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), three out of four jobs in the past five years were taken up by the foreign workforce. With an increasing number of jobs being taken up by the foreign workforce in Singapore, the unemployed, especially sole breadwinners, will be unable to support their families, leading to more families being in a state of poverty without jobs. This leads to Singaporeans becoming increasingly worried and concerned over the issue of the foreign workforce taking over the available high-skilled jobs in Singapore, leaving them with only low-skilled jobs. Additionally, due to a lack of social integration between local Singaporeans and foreigners, this will lead to discrimination of the foreign workforce by locals, with increasing dislikes between the two parties. Many Singaporeans already have preconceptions of foreign workers, as they do not have enough interaction and understanding of the foreign workers in Singapore, which stems from a lack of social integration, which might lead to future conflict. A lack of social integration leads to negative generalisations made towards foreign workers, without a clear understanding of them. Such negative generalisations will lead to the debate between Singaporeans over the issue of the need of foreign workers in Singapore, as they bring in both advantages and disadvantages to Singapore, and such debates will make foreign workers unhappy too. It might cause tension between parties if such negative generalisations are continuously believed in, and this might lead to future conflicts as well. Disadvantages of the Skilled Workforce in Singapore With the skilled workforce, also known as foreign talents, in Singapore, local Singaporeans feel threatened that their source of livelihood is being taken away by people who are not even Singaporeans. This causes Singaporeans to have less jobs to choose from, leading to Singaporeans discontent towards the foreign highly skilled workers. This in turn causes a lack of social integration between the foreigners and local Singaporeans, and they will not be able to bond together as one Singapore. Hence, both parties will be unhappy with each other and the foreigners will not be able to integrate into Singapores society despite working in Singapore for many years. This might lead to future conflict and disagreement with Singaporeans about the influx of the foreign workforce in Singapore. Therefore, foreign workforce will lead to disadvantages in Singapore too. Locals views towards foreign workforce Now, in Singapore, 34% of Singapores 4 million strong population are actually foreigners. Despite having been around in Singapore for decades, working hard to earn a living for their families back home, some locals are uncomfortable with them, some are prejudiced against them, while some have nothing against them. However, despite some local Singaporeans not approving of having foreign workforce in Singapore, and being prejudiced against the foreign workforce in Singapore, and not treating foreign workforce as equals, there are still people who approve of it and think that the foreign workforce is essential and vital to Singapore as be it skilled or unskilled, they contribute to Singapore economically and socially. Singaporeans are aware of the increase of foreign workforce in Singapore. There are both positive and negative views of these foreigners. Singaporeans are aware that they are able to learn a lot of news things culturally as they communicate with these foreigners. This enables them to learn things they otherwise would not have learnt and lets them learn new things while working which will promote racial harmony in Singapore as the people become more culturally sensitive towards one another. Singaporeans are also aware that foreign workers help create jobs for them as they come to Singapore with international companies which will be able to create more job opportunities for locals. Foreign workers also come up with more effective methods of working so productivity can be increased. This will help Singapore to not only advance, but also to advance even faster and keep up with the rest of this ever changing world. This enables the Singapore companies to learn from them and get valuable information from their expertise, thus being able to help Singapore to press forward and change when there is a need to. In some cases, having a skilled workforce also helps the locals to work better. This is because everyone has a natural tendency to want to do better than others, therefore, the presence of foreigners will spur the Singaporeans to want to work better than their foreign counterparts and so improving the productivity of that company and Singapore as a whole. Singaporeans are also glad that there are unskilled foreign workers to help to fill up jobs which are avoided by many Singaporeans, especially the youths, as they are picky about jobs and if the job does not provide an income they perceive as acceptable, then they will not take up the job. These jobs mostly do not require any prior training, and as such, have low salaries and odd working hours, resulting in these jobs being shunned by those finding a job and in the end, these jobs are left to the unskilled foreign workers to take up. However, there is still disapproval of having foreigners in Singapore. Some Singaporeans are also unhappy about foreign workforce in Singapore as they see them as competition for jobs. They lose their jobs when they are not competent enough and when the company values foreign talent. When a certain industry consists of mostly foreign workers, locals also feel discouraged from taking up jobs in the sector as they are afraid of being the minority. They also start to think that foreign talents are full of themselves. However, even then, lowly-educated locals are unhappy as foreigners also take away their jobs and more uneducated locals become unemployed. Locals also start to worry that they soon have to also compete with the foreigners for jobs, housing, medical care and other needs. They see the increase in foreign immigrants and the reason for increasing property prices. To make things worse, foreigners are getting similar benefits as locals as well. Having unskilled foreign workers commonly in a certain neighborhood may also cause people who stay in that area to feel uncomfortable and insecure as there is the common perception that these foreign workers may be a criminal or may turn into one. This has caused many Singaporeans to feel unhappy when there is a dormitory for foreign workers set up in their area as they find them a nuisance as they hang around the residential areas. Gradually, it has caused some people being prejudiced and discriminating against the foreign workforce in Singapore. Foreign workforces views on locals Foreign immigrants come to Singapore in search for better jobs and living conditions. However, some are welcomed while some are not treated well. Singaporeans have stereotypes for foreigners and they are prejudices against foreigners as most locals see them as bringing more problems into Singapore. As a result, social integration of these foreigners into Singapore has not been very good and the foreign workforce here in Singapore do not have the chance to integrate into Singapores society and mix around due to these views that Singaporeans have of them. They have difficulty integrating into the society due to the language barrier, the difference in culture and lifestyles. Despite their efforts to integrate, they face cold and unfair treatment by Singaporeans. Despite all of this, they have to cope with surviving in a new foreign place and their work. However, despite all of that, there are still people in Singapore who approve and think that the influx of foreign workforce into Singapore is essential and important for Singapores survival and economic growth if Singapore wants to become a regional and global trading hub. The unskilled labour will also take up the jobs that Singaporeans dont want but are vital to keep Singapore in its clean and orderly state. Only with these jobs done will Singapore be progressing and maintaining its orderly state and this will all contribute to Singapores economic growth.   Thus, some Singaporeans welcome foreigners and treat them nicely. Therefore, there are mixed views towards the foreign workforce in Singapore. Conclusion The many opportunities and resources being easily available has always been a strong advantage of globalization. However, the rapid speed at which globalization is occurring and its unintended consequences have proven to be detrimental to society to a certain extent and caused problems which requires government intervention to be resolved. In Singapore, Globalisation has resulted in issues like the significant influx of a huge number of foreign workforces in Singapore, which has both advantages and disadvantages towards Singapore. It is also evident that Singaporeans have discerning views towards this issue. Some feel they aid our economy nut others think they introduce competition and cause social problems. Globalisation aids in building up a competitive and knowledgeable population. However, its dire consequences bring about a host of problems which, if spirals out of control, can outweigh this. The pressure is hence on the Singaporean government to strike a fine balance between achieving the full advantages of globalization and countering the unavoidable side-effects. Limitations of Research Not all sources are reliable and accurate and while we were doing our research, there were many biased reports found on the foreign

A Conservative Argument against Stem Cell Research Essay -- Stem Cell

A Conservative Argument against Stem Cell Research For the past few years stem cell research has been a widely debated topic; however, former President Clinton?s stance?allowing federal money to be spent on tightly controlled stem cell research?lead to intense debates over federal funding for stem cell research. There are four ways of obtaining stem cells, which are taken from embryos that are approximately one week old. They are using unwanted embryos from fertility clinics, embryos from aborted fetuses, cloned embryos, and embryos created for research purposes. Stem cells can also be taken out of adult bone marrow, but scientists do not think that adult stem cells hold as much medical potential. Conservatives are against federal funding for stem cell research because they feel that by doing such the government would be contributing to ?murder.? This idea is rooted in the religious beliefs, which include the belief that life begins at conception, held by conservatives. However, liberals support federal funding for the resear ch of embryos because they question whether embryos are full human beings and believe the research could expedite potential medical breakthroughs. The editorial, ?Stem Cells and the Logic of the Nazis,? appeared in the September 3, 2000 issue of the Los Angeles Times. Even though the Los Angeles Times, a widely distributed newspaper, has a slightly liberal slant, this editorial displays a strongly conservative view on stem cell research. Thus, the author of the editorial has to be very cautious in the tone that he uses in order not to offend liberal readers. George Weigel, the author of this editorial, picks apart what he sees as the fallacious argument of Michael Kinsley, a well-known libe... ...vative which is supported by the fact that Weigel is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Since, he is writing to an audience with a vast range of political viewpoints and he must be very careful not to be too aggressive in the tone he uses. Weigel begins this article with very basic logic and then progresses to logic by analogy with incorporated pathos. This is a very effective method for him with conservative readers because he is successfully able to transfer emotions about other subjects into emotions about stem cell research. He also uses logic by cause and effect, which in this case is designed to create fear in the reader: fear that history will repeat itself. Source Cited Weigel, George. ?Stem Cells and the Logic of the Nazis.? Editorial. Los Angeles Times. (September 3, 2000): 5. Online. Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe. A Conservative Argument against Stem Cell Research Essay -- Stem Cell A Conservative Argument against Stem Cell Research For the past few years stem cell research has been a widely debated topic; however, former President Clinton?s stance?allowing federal money to be spent on tightly controlled stem cell research?lead to intense debates over federal funding for stem cell research. There are four ways of obtaining stem cells, which are taken from embryos that are approximately one week old. They are using unwanted embryos from fertility clinics, embryos from aborted fetuses, cloned embryos, and embryos created for research purposes. Stem cells can also be taken out of adult bone marrow, but scientists do not think that adult stem cells hold as much medical potential. Conservatives are against federal funding for stem cell research because they feel that by doing such the government would be contributing to ?murder.? This idea is rooted in the religious beliefs, which include the belief that life begins at conception, held by conservatives. However, liberals support federal funding for the resear ch of embryos because they question whether embryos are full human beings and believe the research could expedite potential medical breakthroughs. The editorial, ?Stem Cells and the Logic of the Nazis,? appeared in the September 3, 2000 issue of the Los Angeles Times. Even though the Los Angeles Times, a widely distributed newspaper, has a slightly liberal slant, this editorial displays a strongly conservative view on stem cell research. Thus, the author of the editorial has to be very cautious in the tone that he uses in order not to offend liberal readers. George Weigel, the author of this editorial, picks apart what he sees as the fallacious argument of Michael Kinsley, a well-known libe... ...vative which is supported by the fact that Weigel is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Since, he is writing to an audience with a vast range of political viewpoints and he must be very careful not to be too aggressive in the tone he uses. Weigel begins this article with very basic logic and then progresses to logic by analogy with incorporated pathos. This is a very effective method for him with conservative readers because he is successfully able to transfer emotions about other subjects into emotions about stem cell research. He also uses logic by cause and effect, which in this case is designed to create fear in the reader: fear that history will repeat itself. Source Cited Weigel, George. ?Stem Cells and the Logic of the Nazis.? Editorial. Los Angeles Times. (September 3, 2000): 5. Online. Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe.

The Governments and States of Locke, Aquinas, and St. Augustine Essay e

In John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government, he identifies a government that is of the peoples consent with his essential raison d΄Ãƒ ªtre being the preservation and protection of personal property. This type of government is extremely comparable with the type of government that St. Augustine describes in his work City of God, while at the same time contrasts the views of Aquinas in the ways a state should operate. The end goal of how each of these philosophers’ states purposes presents the greatest split between each of their philosophies. To understand how each of these philosophers’ states are similar and different from each other, a deeper analysis is necessary. The first and possibly most striking similarity between the states that both Locke and St. Augustine propose lies in the fact that both see the state as a necessary evil. Locke describes the perfect life as one in the â€Å"state of nature†, where there are limitless boundaries to freedom. Within these limitless boundaries to do whatever you want lays the ability for others to do harm to you and your property, because they have complete freedom as well. In order to overcome this lack of security, Locke describes the state as a necessary evil which one must give up certain freedoms in order to be protected under the rule of law. This is similar to St. Augustine in the respect that within the world there are evil men who will do harm to others. Augustine argues that laws are necessary to make sure that people can live with the peace of mind that they are protected from the sins of others. One of the contrasting points the states of Aquinas and Locke possess is rooted in how each state should set up and decide their laws. Aquinas argues that we should set up our laws based on high morals, which all men could agree on, and on the high ideals of natural law. Locke disagrees with this in the respect that all men are Tabula Rasa, which begin life as blank slates and develop their views and ideas based on the experiences they are exposed to. According to Locke the men in the state of Aquinas would all have different experiences and place importance on different morals and ideals. Therefore, Locke argues that in order to have a legitimate set of laws, they must be based on very solid foundations which cannot be subject to argument. Such foundations would be the protection of property, as well as the ... ...ant to be told that there is only one version of right and wrong, which is exactly what the opposing state proposes. Examples of the type of state that Aquinas and St. Augustine present can be seen in some of the failed regimes of the past century. Prime examples of states that attempted to strive for the better good of its people, and failed, can be seen in both Nazi Germany and communist Russia. These states attempted to take each individual and force them into an ideal â€Å"mold† of what they wanted their citizens to become. Even though these societies succeeded for some amount of time, both have since collapsed and states in the Lockean from have arose out of their ashes. As aforementioned, both of the types of states presented have strong and weak points to ponder on. Both have rose to power at one point in time or another, although the Lockean state has remained where others have fallen. Overall, an argument can be made that in our modern world with globalization and a never ending mixing of cultures; the only way for a state to succeed is to put ideological ideals behind and look to protect the greater good by looking out for the â€Å"peace, safety, and public good of its people.†

Coaxial Cable :: Networks Telecommunications

Introduction Coaxial cable: is an electrical cable consisting of a round conducting wire, surrounded by an insulating spacer, surrounded by a cylindrical conducting sheath, usually surrounded by a final insulating layer. It is used as a high-frequency transmission line to carry a high-frequency or broadband signal. Sometimes DC power (called bias) is added to the signal to supply the equipment at the other end, as in direct broadcast satellite receivers. Because the electromagnetic field carrying the signal exists (ideally) only in the space between the inner and outer conductors, it cannot interfere with or suffer interference from external electromagnetic fields. Coaxial cables may be rigid or flexible. Rigid types have a solid sheath, while flexible types have a braided sheath, both usually of thin copper wire. The inner insulator, also called the dielectric, has a significant effect on the cable's properties, such as its characteristic impedance and its attenuation. The dielectric may be solid or perforated with air spaces. Connections to the ends of coaxial cables are usually made with RF connectors. Radio-grade flexible coaxial cable. A: outer plastic sheath B: copper screen C: inner dielectric insulator D: copper core There are two types of coaxial cables: 1. Thinnet 2. Thicknet Thinnet Also known as "Thin Ethernet" or Thinnet, 10BASE-2 is an IEEE standard for baseband Ethernet at 10MBps over thick coaxial cable. 10Base2 has a maximum distance of 185 meters. Thin Ethernet is five millimeters in diameter and used to connect machines up to 1,000 feet apart. Thinnet (thin Ethernet) is an incarnation of the Ethernet standard in which coaxial cables are used in a LAN (local-area network) configuration to connect computers together. A Thinnet setup is capable of transmitting data at a rate of 10Mbps (megabits per second). It is also cheaper and easier to install than Thicknet. The first variation on the original variety of Ethernet was simply to use a thinner coaxial cable and relax the constraints on how and where transceivers can connect. 10BASE-2 does this with coaxial cable that looks just like the cable used for receiving cable television or hooking up a television set to an antenna. The only difference in the cable itself is the impedance rating. A television cable is rated at 75 ohms and a 10BASE-2 cable is rated at 50 ohms. In a pinch, a small length of one can be substituted for the other. The connectors used in 10BASE-2 are called BNC connectors for Berkeley Nucleonics Co.: they were originally used in nuclear physics.

Dkny Media Studies, Advertisement

DKNY Assignment Donna Karan: At sixty four, Donna Karan is still one of the most influential fashion designers in the world of classic and comfortable clothing; Donna Karan International (DKI) defines the metropolitan flair that bridges the difference between stylishly casual and conventional wear. The company designs and sells men’s and women's clothing, including suits, sportswear, accessories, and shoes, under the Donna Karan New York, DKNY, DKNY Jeans, and DKNY Active labels amongst several others. DKI sells to upscale department and speciality stores as well as its own its own establishments.It also licenses third parties to run most of its international stores. Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy holds a majority stake in Donna Karan, although designer Karan still remains in creative control of its fashion lines and helps maintain her namesake brand. The main themes in both the print and TV adverts present DKNY as a perfume and a brand as both seductive and desirable, yet accept ed as professional for successful businesswomen globally. Focussing on the print advert, the representation of the brand through the model fits with the male gaze ideology, applying to this advert even though the product is targeted at women.Many fashion photographers and directors are male, this specific shot taken by Mikael Jansson, therefore sell the product through the male eyes, and now women will automatically view it through those eyes too, after it having being used in the media world for years. DKNY strikes the balance between passion and nature, reflecting our needs for belonging and relationship, a modern take on the story of Adam and Eve which is suggested by the apple as a focus point in the ads and finished product.This is shown by the lighting and focus in the print and an extreme close up in the TV advert. The apple represents the forbidden fruit in the bible story of Genesis (meaning Lara Stone would be seen as playing the character of Eve) which connotes irresistib ility and temptation. Furthermore, the apple is already bitten in the print advert, suggesting that the fragrance holds the secret to the woman’s allure. In the TV commercial it is made clear that Lara Stone becomes more attractive to the man after she thanks him for his help with a seductive bite.The connotation of an apple is fresh and invigorating, which adds a certain flare to the simple romance narrative of the ad and suggests the scent may do the same to the buyer’s love lives. Lara Stone somewhat follows the guidelines for the ‘stereotypical blonde’, reinforcing the ‘ bimbo’ expectations of society. Almost floating around her flawless natural face is her golden hair, perceived to be so perfect and innocent it is almost heavenly; this connotes an angelic side to the otherwise sensual advert.Adding to the seductive themes of the advert is the innocent yet knowing stare of Lara Stone into the camera lens, embracing her inner ‘sirenâ €™ and her slightly parted anticipating dewy lips, as if expecting a kiss rather than having taken a bite of an apple. She instantly becomes somebody the target audience would aspire to either be or look like, suggesting how the fragrance may impact the audiences self-esteem making them wish to wear it, self-esteem hitting Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.The product itself, which is designed to look like an apple has a reflection of New York on it, this represents ‘The Big Apple’ the audience will be able to make the connection. New York is seen as the epicentre of modern world, the desirable life, a ‘city that never sleeps’ a reflection of both success and fashion simultaneously, DKNY’s brand reflection also. The imagery of New York in relation to the brand name also fits. Titling the printed advert below the model are burnished gold letters spelling ‘delicious’, a statement, ‘golden’ tilting slightly over the top le ft corner of the text in a cursive type face.This links to the falling apples in the TV ad, the falling of the word. Aside of this, the rest of the ad’s copy is simple, white and straight to the point. The main themes of the print advert are carried through to the broadcast version of the ‘Delicious’ campaign, conveying the same ideologies and messages to the audience. However I personally think it adds another dimension both to the model/actress and the product itself, seeming more developed and relaxed, not as intense as the staring portrait of Lara Stone in the print advertisement.It narrates the model on a morning walk to work, or so the audience can assume, showing the successful life she leads holding down a job in the ‘Big Apple’ whilst being so relaxed and naturally perfect. This breaks the stereotype earlier mentioned, though is soon subverted when she plays out the character of the classic ‘damsel in distress’ as her clumsiness is made evident at an apple stall, soon rescued by a typical dark haired handsome ‘hero’ figure.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Sixty-nine

Tyrion They have my son,† Tywin Lannister said. â€Å"They do, my lord.† The messenger's voice was dulled by exhaustion. On the breast of his torn surcoat, the brindled boar of Crakehall was half-obscured by dried blood. One of your sons, Tyrion thought. He took a sip of wine and said not a word, thinking of Jaime. When he lifted his arm, pain shot through his elbow, reminding him of his own brief taste of battle. He loved his brother, but he would not have wanted to be with him in the Whispering Wood for all the gold in Casterly Rock. His lord father's assembled captains and bannermen had fallen very quiet as the courier told his tale. The only sound was the crackle and hiss of the log burning in the hearth at the end of the long, drafty common room. After the hardships of the long relentless drive south, the prospect of even a single night in an inn had cheered Tyrion mightily . . . though he rather wished it had not been this inn again, with all its memories. His father had set a grueling pace, and it had taken its toll. Men wounded in the battle kept up as best they could or were abandoned to fend for themselves. Every morning they left a few more by the roadside, men who went to sleep never to wake. Every afternoon a few more collapsed along the way. And every evening a few more deserted, stealing off into the dusk. Tyrion had been half-tempted to go with them. He had been upstairs, enjoying the comfort of a featherbed and the warmth of Shae's body beside him, when his squire had woken him to say that a rider had arrived with dire news of Riverrun. So it had all been for nothing. The rush south, the endless forced marches, the bodies left beside the road . . . all for naught. Robb Stark had reached Riverrun days and days ago. â€Å"How could this happen?† Ser Harys Swyft moaned. â€Å"How? Even after the Whispering Wood, you had Riverrun ringed in iron, surrounded by a great host . . . what madness made Ser Jaime decide to split his men into three separate camps? Surely he knew how vulnerable that would leave them?† Better than you, you chinless craven, Tyrion thought. Jaime might have lost Riverrun, but it angered him to hear his brother slandered by the likes of Swyft, a shameless lickspittle whose greatest accomplishment was marrying his equally chinless daughter to Ser Kevan, and thereby attaching himself to the Lannisters. â€Å"I would have done the same,† his uncle responded, a good deal more calmly than Tyrion might have. â€Å"You have never seen Riverrun, Ser Harys, or you would know that Jaime had little choice in the matter. The castle is situated at the end of the point of land where the Tumblestone flows into the Red Fork of the Trident. The rivers form two sides of a triangle, and when danger threatens, the Tullys open their sluice gates upstream to create a wide moat on the third side, turning Riverrun into an island. The walls rise sheer from the water, and from their towers the defenders have a commanding view of the opposite shores for many leagues around. To cut off all the approaches, a besieger must needs place one camp north of the Tumblestone, one south of the Red Fork, and a third between the rivers, west of the moat. There is no other way, none.† â€Å"Ser Kevan speaks truly, my lords,† the courier said. â€Å"We'd built palisades of sharpened stakes around the camps, yet it was not enough, not with no warning and the rivers cutting us off from each other. They came down on the north camp first. No one was expecting an attack. Marq Piper had been raiding our supply trains, but he had no more than fifty men. Ser Jaime had gone out to deal with them the night before . . . well, with what we thought was them. We were told the Stark host was east of the Green Fork, marching south . . . â€Å" â€Å"And your outriders?† Ser Gregor Clegane's face might have been hewn from rock. The fire in the hearth gave a somber orange cast to his skin and put deep shadows in the hollows of his eyes. â€Å"They saw nothing? They gave you no warning?† The bloodstained messenger shook his head. â€Å"Our outriders had been vanishing. Marq Piper's work, we thought. The ones who did come back had seen nothing.† â€Å"A man who sees nothing has no use for his eyes,† the Mountain declared. â€Å"Cut them out and give them to your next outrider. Tell him you hope that four eyes might see better than two . . . and if not, the man after him will have six.† Lord Tywin Lannister turned his face to study Ser Gregor. Tyrion saw a glimmer of gold as the light shone off his father's pupils, but he could not have said whether the look was one of approval or disgust. Lord Tywin was oft quiet in council, preferring to listen before he spoke, a habit Tyrion himself tried to emulate. Yet this silence was uncharacteristic even for him, and his wine was untouched. â€Å"You said they came at night,† Ser Kevan prompted. The man gave a weary nod. â€Å"The Blackfish led the van, cutting down our sentries and clearing away the palisades for the main assault. By the time our men knew what was happening, riders were pouring over the ditch banks and galloping through the camp with swords and torches in hand. I was sleeping in the west camp, between the rivers. When we heard the fighting and saw the tents being fired, Lord Brax led us to the rafts and we tried to pole across, but the current pushed us downstream and the Tullys started flinging rocks at us with the catapults on their walls. I saw one raft smashed to kindling and three others overturned, men swept into the river and drowned . . . and those who did make it across found the Starks waiting for them on the riverbanks.† Ser Flement Brax wore a silver-and-purple tabard and the look of a man who cannot comprehend what he has just heard. â€Å"My lord father—† â€Å"Sorry, my lord,† the messenger said. â€Å"Lord Brax was clad in plate-and-mail when his raft overturned. He was very gallant.† He was a fool, Tyrion thought, swirling his cup and staring down into the winy depths. Crossing a river at night on a crude raft, wearing armor, with an enemy waiting on the other side—if that was gallantry, he would take cowardice every time. He wondered if Lord Brax had felt especially gallant as the weight of his steel pulled him under the black water. â€Å"The camp between the rivers was overrun as well,† the messenger was saying. â€Å"While we were trying to cross, more Starks swept in from the west, two columns of armored horse. I saw Lord Umber's giant-in-chains and the Mallister eagle, but it was the boy who led them, with a monstrous wolf running at his side. I wasn't there to see, but it's said the beast killed four men and ripped apart a dozen horses. Our spearmen formed up a shieldwall and held against their first charge, but when the Tullys saw them engaged, they opened the gates of Riverrun and Tytos Blackwood led a sortie across the drawbridge and took them in the rear.† â€Å"Gods save us,† Lord Lefford swore. â€Å"Greatjon Umber fired the siege towers we were building, and Lord Blackwood found Ser Edmure Tully in chains among the other captives, and made off with them all. Our south camp was under the command of Ser Forley Prester. He retreated in good order when he saw that the other camps were lost, with two thousand spears and as many bowmen, but the Tyroshi sellsword who led his freeriders struck his banners and went over to the foe.† â€Å"Curse the man.† His uncle Kevan sounded more angry than surprised. â€Å"I warned Jaime not to trust that one. A man who fights for coin is loyal only to his purse.† Lord Tywin wove his fingers together under his chin. Only his eyes moved as he listened. His bristling golden side-whiskers framed a face so still it might have been a mask, but Tyrion could see tiny beads of sweat dappling his father's shaven head. â€Å"How could it happen?† Ser Harys Swyft wailed again. â€Å"Ser Jaime taken, the siege broken . . . this is a catastrophe!† Ser Addam Marbrand said, â€Å"I am sure we are all grateful to you for pointing out the obvious, Ser Harys. The question is, what shall we do about it?† â€Å"What can we do? Jaime's host is all slaughtered or taken or put to flight, and the Starks and the Tullys sit squarely across our line of supply. We are cut off from the west! They can march on Casterly Rock if they so choose, and what's to stop them? My lords, we are beaten. We must sue for peace.† â€Å"Peace?† Tyrion swirled his wine thoughtfully, took a deep draft, and hurled his empty cup to the floor, where it shattered into a thousand pieces. â€Å"There's your peace, Ser Harys. My sweet nephew broke it for good and all when he decided to ornament the Red Keep with Lord Eddard's head. You'll have an easier time drinking wine from that cup than you will convincing Robb Stark to make peace now. He's winning . . . or hadn't you noticed?† â€Å"Two battles do not make a war,† Ser Addam insisted. â€Å"We are far from lost. I should welcome the chance to try my own steel against this Stark boy.† â€Å"Perhaps they would consent to a truce, and allow us to trade our prisoners for theirs,† offered Lord Lefford. â€Å"Unless they trade three-for-one, we still come out light on those scales,† Tyrion said acidly. â€Å"And what are we to offer for my brother? Lord Eddard's rotting head?† â€Å"I had heard that Queen Cersei has the Hand's daughters,† Lefford said hopefully. â€Å"If we give the lad his sisters back . . . â€Å" Ser Addam snorted disdainfully. â€Å"He would have to be an utter ass to trade Jaime Lannister's life for two girls.† â€Å"Then we must ransom Ser Jaime, whatever it costs,† Lord Lefford said. Tyrion rolled his eyes. â€Å"If the Starks feel the need for gold, they can melt down Jaime's armor.† â€Å"if we ask for a truce, they will think us weak,† Ser Addarn argued. â€Å"We should march on them at once.† â€Å"Surely our friends at court could be prevailed upon to join us with fresh troops,† said Ser Harys. â€Å"And someone might return to Casterly Rock to raise a new host.† Lord Tywin Lannister rose to his feet. â€Å"They have my son,† he said once more, in a voice that cut through the babble like a sword through suet. â€Å"Leave me. All of you.† Ever the soul of obedience, Tyrion rose to depart with the rest, but his father gave him a look. â€Å"Not you, Tyrion. Remain. And you as well, Kevan. The rest of you, out.† Tyrion eased himself back onto the bench, startled into speechlessness. Ser Kevan crossed the room to the wine casks. â€Å"Uncle,† Tyrion called, â€Å"if you would be so kind—† â€Å"Here.† His father offered him his cup, the wine untouched. Now Tyrion truly was nonplussed. He drank. Lord Tywin seated himself. â€Å"You have the right of it about Stark. Alive, we might have used Lord Eddard to forge a peace with Winterfell and Riverrun, a peace that would have given us the time we need to deal with Robert's brothers. Dead . . . † His hand curled into a fist. â€Å"Madness. Rank madness.† â€Å"Joff's only a boy,† Tyrion pointed out. â€Å"At his age, I committed a few follies of my own.† His father gave him a sharp look. â€Å"I suppose we ought to be grateful that he has not yet married a whore.† Tyrion sipped at his wine, wondering how Lord Tywin would look if he flung the cup in his face. â€Å"Our position is worse than you know,† his father went on. â€Å"It would seem we have a new king.† Ser Kevan looked poleaxed. â€Å"A new—who? What have they done to Joffrey?† The faintest flicker of distaste played across Lord Tywin's thin lips. â€Å"Nothing . . . yet. My grandson still sits the Iron Throne, but the eunuch has heard whispers from the south. Renly Baratheon wed Margaery Tyrell at Highgarden this fortnight past, and now he has claimed the crown. The bride's father and brothers have bent the knee and sworn him their swords.† â€Å"Those are grave tidings.† When Ser Kevan frowned, the furrows in his brow grew deep as canyons. â€Å"My daughter commands us to ride for King's Landing at once, to defend the Red Keep against King Renly and the Knight of Flowers.† His mouth tightened. â€Å"Commands us, mind you. In the name of the king and council.† â€Å"How is King Joffrey taking the news?† Tyrion asked with a certain black amusement. â€Å"Cersei has not seen fit to tell him yet,† Lord Tywin said. â€Å"She fears he might insist on marching against Renly himself.† â€Å"With what army?† Tyrion asked. â€Å"You don't plan to give him this one, I hope?† â€Å"He talks of leading the City Watch,† Lord Tywin said. â€Å"If he takes the Watch, he'll leave the city undefended,† Ser Kevan said. â€Å"And with Lord Stannis on Dragonstone . . . â€Å" â€Å"Yes.† Lord Tywin looked down at his son. â€Å"I had thought you were the one made for motley, Tyrion, but it would appear that I was wrong.† â€Å"Why, Father,† said Tyrion, â€Å"that almost sounds like praise.† He leaned forward intently. â€Å"What of Stannis? He's the elder, not Renly. How does he feel about his brother's claim?† His father frowned. â€Å"I have felt from the beginning that Stannis was a greater danger than all the others combined. Yet he does nothing. Oh, Varys hears his whispers. Stannis is building ships, Stannis is hiring sellswords, Stannis is bringing a shadowbinder from Asshai. What does it mean? Is any of it true?† He gave an irritated shrug. â€Å"Kevan, bring us the map.† Ser Kevan did as he was bid. Lord Tywin unrolled the leather, smoothing it flat. â€Å"Jaime has left us in a bad way. Roose Bolton and the remnants of his host are north of us. Our enemies hold the Twins and Moat Cailin. Robb Stark sits to the west, so we cannot retreat to Lannisport and the Rock unless we choose to give battle. Jaime is taken, and his army for all purposes has ceased to exist. Thoros of Myr and Beric Dondarrion continue to plague our foraging parties. To our east we have the Arryns, Stannis Baratheon sits on Dragonstone, and in the south Highgarden and Storm's End are calling their banners.† Tyrion smiled crookedly. â€Å"Take heart, Father. At least Rhaegar Targaryen is still dead.† â€Å"I had hoped you might have more to offer us than japes, Tyrion,† Lord Tywin Lannister said. Ser Kevan frowned over the map, forehead creasing. â€Å"Robb Stark will have Edmure Tully and the lords of the Trident with him now. Their combined power may exceed our own. And with Roose Bolton behind us . . . Tywin, if we remain here, I fear we might be caught between three armies.† â€Å"I have no intention of remaining here. We must finish our business with young Lord Stark before Renly Baratheon can march from Highgarden. Bolton does not concern me. He is a wary man, and we made him warier on the Green Fork. He will be slow to give pursuit. So . . . on the morrow, we make for Harrenhal. Kevan, I want Ser Addam's outriders to screen our movements. Give him as many men as he requires, and send them out in groups of four. I will have no vanishings.† â€Å"As you say, my lord, but . . . why Harrenhal? That is a grim, unlucky place. Some call it cursed.† â€Å"Let them,† Lord Tywin said. â€Å"Unleash Ser Gregor and send him before us with his reavers. Send forth Vargo Hoat and his freeriders as well, and Ser Amory Lorch. Each is to have three hundred horse. Tell them I want to see the riverlands afire from the Gods Eye to the Red Fork.† â€Å"They will burn, my lord,† Ser Kevan said, rising. â€Å"I shall give the commands.† He bowed and made for the door. When they were alone, Lord Tywin glanced at Tyrion. â€Å"Your savages might relish a bit of rapine. Tell them they may ride with Vargo Hoat and plunder as they like—goods, stock, women, they may take what they want and burn the rest.† â€Å"Telling Shagga and Timett how to pillage is like telling a rooster how to crow,† Tyrion commented, â€Å"but I should prefer to keep them with me.† Uncouth and unruly they might be, yet the wildlings were his, and he trusted them more than any of his father's men. He was not about to hand them over. â€Å"Then you had best learn to control them. I will not have the city plundered.† â€Å"The city?† Tyrion was lost. â€Å"What city would that be?† â€Å"King's Landing. I am sending you to court.† It was the last thing Tyrion Lannister would ever have anticipated. He reached for his wine, and considered for a moment as he sipped. â€Å"And what am I to do there?† â€Å"Rule,† his father said curtly Tyrion hooted with laughter. â€Å"My sweet sister might have a word or two to say about that!† â€Å"Let her say what she likes. Her son needs to be taken in hand before he ruins us all. I blame those jackanapes on the council—our friend Petyr, the venerable Grand Maester, and that cockless wonder Lord Varys. What sort of counsel are they giving Joffrey when he lurches from one folly to the next? Whose notion was it to make this Janos Slynt a lord? The man's father was a butcher, and they grant him Harrenhal. Harrenhal, that was the seat of kings! Not that he will ever set foot inside it, if I have a say. I am told he took a bloody spear for his sigil. A bloody cleaver would have been my choice.† His father had not raised his voice, yet Tyrion could see the anger in the gold of his eyes. â€Å"And dismissing Selmy, where was the sense in that? Yes, the man was old, but the name of Barristan the Bold still has meaning in the realm. He lent honor to any man he served. Can anyone say the same of the Hound? You feed your dog bones under the table, you do not seat hi m beside you on the high bench.† He pointed a finger at Tyrion's face. â€Å"If Cersei cannot curb the boy, you must. And if these councillors are playing us false . . . â€Å" Tyrion knew. â€Å"Spikes,† he sighed. â€Å"Heads. Walls.† â€Å"I see you have taken a few lessons from me.† â€Å"More than you know, Father,† Tyrion answered quietly. He finished his wine and set the cup aside, thoughtful. A part of him was more pleased than he cared to admit. Another part was remembering the battle upriver, and wondering if he was being sent to hold the left again. â€Å"Why me?† he asked, cocking his head to one side. â€Å"Why not my uncle? Why not Ser Addam or Ser Flement or Lord Serrett? Why not a . . . bigger man?† Lord Tywin rose abruptly. â€Å"You are my son.† That was when he knew. You have given him up for lost, he thought. You bloody bastard, you think Jaime's good as dead, so I'm all you have left. Tyrion wanted to slap him, to spit in his face, to draw his dagger and cut the heart out of him and see if it was made of old hard gold, the way the smallfolks said. Yet he sat there, silent and still. The shards of the broken cup crunched beneath his father's heels as Lord Tywin crossed the room. â€Å"One last thing,† he said at the door. â€Å"You will not take the whore to court.† Tyrion sat alone in the common room for a long while after his father was gone. Finally he climbed the steps to his cozy garret beneath the bell tower. The ceiling was low, but that was scarcely a drawback for a dwarf. From the window, he could see the gibbet his father had erected in the yard. The innkeep's body turned slowly on its rope whenever the night wind gusted. Her flesh had grown as thin and ragged as Lannister hopes. Shae murmured sleepily and rolled toward him when he sat on the edge of the featherbed. He slid his hand under the blanket and cupped a soft breast, and her eyes opened. â€Å"M'lord,† she said with a drowsy smile. When he felt her nipple stiffen, Tyrion kissed her. â€Å"I have a mind to take you to King's Landing, sweetling,† he whispered.