My Ideal Business Essay

In order to open a business there are many details that need to be determined to protect the owner before opening. The parts of the business that need to be determined are: the legal form of entity, control of the business, taxation, and financing. The business I want to open is a full service Italian restaurant. The name of the restaurant will be Tony’s Italian Restaurant. In this paper I will explain the details of my business and discuss the Construction Scenario. Tony’s Italian Restaurant My brother and I have always dreamed of owning a restaurant. Throughout the years I have thought about this business and am excited to open this restaurant soon. The business will be two restaurants in one building. On one side there is a full service restaurant with a bar and on the opposite side there will be a pizzeria. The pizzeria will be a delivery and pick-up service only. Legal Entity Tony’s Italian Restaurant will be a Limited Liability Company (LLC). Forming our restaurant as an LLC will enable both my brother and I to operate, manage, and control the business. This way we can each manage different aspects of the company. We will also be able to have an equal share of the business. Financing of the business will be owner invested and different small business loans available through the government and small business association of our town. The owners of the restaurant will each invest equal amounts of capital into the company in order to keep everything uniform. For tax purposes, an LLC works out the best for my brother and I. We will be able to file taxes as a partnership and meaning the income or losses from the company will be split between us and filed on our personal taxes. This ensures us that we are not taxed twice. The most important advantage to forming an LLC is the liability issue. With the business as an LLC, we are not personally liable for any debts, obligations, or torts that come from the business. In order to register our business in the state, we must submit an article of organization to the secretary of the state of Virginia. Laws and Regulations The business being a restaurant will have to follow many different laws and regulations. Regulations concerning the serving of alcohol, serving food, labor laws, paying taxes are all included in this business. The regulations regarding the serving of alcohol include: obtaining the proper license, the proper identification procedures of customers, serving hours, and ages of servers. Of course in a restaurant you have many laws and regulations concerning food preparation and serving. The local health department will make frequent visits to make sure the restaurant is up to par regarding the food. The business will need many employees to make the restaurant successful. The labor laws are very important to follow. From pay rates to overtime, as well as laws for minors and proper identification for hiring, the laws are necessary to follow. There are also state and local taxes that need to be paid on a regular basis. Any violations of these laws and regulations could cause the business to be shut down. Risks of Operating a Restaurant As with any business, there are many risks when operating a restaurant. The biggest risk is food poisoning. Being experienced in food service, I will be able to put safeguards in place to eliminate the risk of food poisoning. Other risks include injuries to customers, unhappy customers, and lack of business. I believe that most of the risks involved in operating a restaurant are controllable. There will much attention to detail when it comes to this topic. Conclusion With the information I learned from the Business Law class, I believe I am one step closer to fulfilling my dream and opening my own restaurant. Choosing the proper entity, abiding by the laws and regulations, and eliminating the risks are great steps to opening a business. Construction Scenario In the construction scenario, the most important aspect is to adhere to the job requirements. The posted requirements are having jackhammer experience and a high school diploma. Michelle has jackhammer operator experience and a high school diploma. She is a perfect candidate for the job. The fact that she is pregnant should have no affect on the hiring decision unless the use of the jackhammer will have a negative effect on the pregnancy. Eric has jackhammer experience but no high school diploma. Since the requirements list a high school diploma, he is eliminated from the position. Felipe also has no high school diploma but has jackhammer experience. His is eliminated because of the lack of the high school diploma. Nick is a college graduate but no jackhammer experience. Without jackhammer experience he is also eliminated from the position. The best person for the job is Michelle. If there are no medical risks involved with a pregnant person operating a jackhammer, Title VII protects pregnant people from being discriminated.

Children of Divorce

Statistics show that each year, over 1 million American children suffer the decision made by their parents to end their relationship (Amato, 2001). Divorce may be a solution to a discordant marriage, however, for many children and their parents, tensions continue and the entire divorce process is a long, searing experience (Amato, 2001). Divorce ends the established order of family, friends, finances, work and in some cases health and well being (Amato, 2001). Divorce is the termination of the family unit, and thus, it is often characterized by painful losses. Psychologists rate divorce as one of the most stressful events in life, just below the death of a spouse (Pedro-Carroll & Cowen, 1985). Divorce has been compared to getting in a life boat. The lifeboat may be the chance to escape from the terrible situation, but abandoning the ship holds little appeal because of the enormous uncertainties (Pedro-Carroll & Cowen, 1985). To a child who is unable to envision possible good outcomes this can be very overwhelming. Decisions to end a relationship can be traumatic, chaotic, and filled with contradictory emotions (Amato, 2001). Research shows that children from divorce families are on â€Å"average† somewhat worse off than children who have lived in intact families (Amato, 2001). Children in divorce homes may have more difficulty in school, more behavior problems, more negative self-concepts, more problems with peers and more trouble getting along with their parents (Amato, 2001). With this research there needs to be an examination of what factors in divorcing families contribute to the children having difficulties and what the factors are that contribute to children’s adaptation. Children’s reactions to the decision of their parents dissolution of marriage depends on three factors (Sarrazin & Cyr, 2007). These factors consist of the quality of their relationship with each of their parents before the separation, the intensity and duration of the parental conflict, and the parents’ ability to focus on the needs of the children (Sarrazin & Cyr, 2007). Divorce itself is usually not the first major change in the affected child’s life. Parental conflict before the separation often leads to internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, even in preschoolers (Sarrazin & Cyr, 2007). Children may â€Å"blame themselves for the deterioration in their parent’s relationship† (Downs, Moore, & McFadden, 2009). After the divorce children may feel that their parents have less time for them (Downs, Moore, & McFadden, 2009). Other contributing factors include increased stress, economic loss, and loss of former supports and resources (Downs, et al. , 2009). When risks are reduced or overcome children will fare better. It is important for parents to be able to support their children through divorce. Sanders and Wolchik (2011) have identified the following actions parents can do to enhance a child’s adjustment to divorce: * Prior to the separation, it may be helpful for both parents to discuss the impending divorce at a level appropriate for the child * Be available to answer questions; Read age appropriate books on divorce with your child * Reassure the child divorce is not his or her fault and let the child know that you will both continue to love him. Put child's needs first * Do not argue with other parent in front of child. * Do not expect your child to meet your emotional needs * Be consistent in your parenting; Make visitations regular and predictable Parents who are struggling themselves through the divorce may fail to be aware of these enhancements. The Wisconsin court system, when filing for divorce requires parents to attend a co-parenting class. Wisconsin has seen success in utilizing this requirement for divorcing parents with children, it often assists in the mediation process and serves as a wake-up call to parents who are not fully aware of the effects that divorce has on their children. These co-parenting classes are ways in which parents can develop effect ways to assist their children from having adverse affects from the divorce proceeds and receive supportive information of where they can receive additional help. Parents who lack the ability to support their children through this difficult situation because of their lack of parental competence or poor adjustment to the situation may have to depend on outside interventions for assisting in this process. Given that divorce has negative effects for children, the utilization of effective prevention programs has great significance in changing the outcomes of these children (Sander & Wolchik, 2011). Children of Divorce Intervention Program (CODIP) is an award winning curriculum that has helped thousands of children in the US. Since 1982 CODIP has helped children understand and accept their feelings and perceptions regarding their parents’ separation (Pedro-Carroll & Cowen, 1985). The goals of the program is to minimize the emotional and behavioral problems that divorce children face, increase children’s ability to identify and express their feelings, reduce children’s anxiety, and build confidence (Pedro-Carroll, & Cowen, 1985). Individuals involved in this program have positive, supportive group environments with peers in school settings, a reduced desire to blame themselves, increase their coping skills and ability to solve problems, and have enhanced positive perceptions of themselves (Lowenstein, 2006). School personnel, community members, or parents can refer children to the program. Group leaders trained in this method will conduct group sessions that target different age ranges giving the correct information and skill-building activities (Lowenstein, 2006). Children may also be referred to therapy to help them adjust to divorce. Activities that are creative and play-based can engage children and help them safely express their thoughts and feelings. Therapy can take on the form of child-focused, residential parent-focused, nonresidential parent-focused and combined residential parent and child-focused therapy (Sanders & Wolchik, 2011). Child-focused programs target skills to cope with stressful divorce-related events, emotional expression skills, and interpersonal resources (e. g. parent-child relationship quality) (Sanders & Wolchik, 2011). Parent-focused programs target factors like parent-child relationship quality, discipline, anger management, and the quality and quantity of contact with nonresidential parents (Sanders & Wolchik, 2011). There is no evidence that doing a combination of child-focused programs and parent-focused programs leads to more success than doing one (Sanders & Wolchik, 2011). In order for therapy services to ef fectively treat children of divorce, a number of key issues need to be addressed. Therapy needs to address developing effective coping skills, facilitating the appropriate expression of feelings, clarifying divorce-related misconceptions, expressing anger through appropriate outlets, disengaging from parental conflict, eliminating self blame, and enhancing positive perceptions of self (Lowenstein, 2006). Studies indicate that active coping that includes problem solving and positive thinking enhances resilience among children (Lowenstein, 2006). Interventions that help children identify their unique strengths further acilitate children’s healthy adjustment (Lowenstein, 2006). Helping children express feelings of anger about the divorce through appropriate outlets is another important treatment goal. When parental conflict has been high prior to divorce and continues after divorce an effective intervention needs to involve an integrated family therapy approach (Amato, 2001). This therapy approach will assist children from disengaging from parental conflict. M any therapeutic agencies in Milwaukee are embracing therapy that is more engaging, innovative, and immersed in play to assist children of divorce. The decision to divorce is a decision being made for the children, they have no voice. Parents make the decision and children react. The court system has taken a step in the right direction by requiring parents to take a co-parenting class. Parents struggling through their own issues and fear with this change in their life often times are incapable of supporting their children the way they need. It is important that through the pain or anger parents have over their marriage ending that they see things through their child’s eyes.References Amato, P. (2001) Children of divorce in the 1990s:An update of the Amato and Keith (1991) meta analysis. Journal of Family Psychology, 15, 355-70. Downs, S., Moore, E., & McFadden, E. (2009). Child Welfare and Family Services; Policies and Practice, 8th edition. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Lebow, J. & Rekart, K. (2006) Integrated family therapy for high-conflict divorce with disputes over child custody and visitation. Family Process, 46, 79- 91 Lowenstein, L. (2006). Creative Interventions for Children of Divorce. Toronto: Champion Press. Pedro-Carroll, J.L. & Cowen, E.L. (1985). The Children of Divorce Intervention Program: An investigation of the efficacy of a school-based prevention program. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 53(5), 603-611. Sander, I. & Wolchik, S. (2011) Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development. Sarrazin, J. & Cyr, F. (2007) Parental conflicts and their damaging effects on children. Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, 47, 77-93.

Memorials

The Supreme Court may, in its discretion, grant special leave to appeal from any Judgment, decree, determination, sentence, or order in any cause or matter passed or made by any court or tribunal . Art 136 confers a discretionary power on the Supreme Court to interfere in suitable ceases, such as, a breach of natural Justice by the order appealed against or in exceptional ceases. The Supreme Court will intervene in if there has been a resultant failure of Justices or violation of principles of natural Justices or without a proper appreciation of material on record or the submissions made, interference under Art. 6 is warranted. The Supreme Court grant leave to appeal in criminal matters when exceptional and special circumstances exist, substantial and grave injustice has been done, and the case in question presents features of sufficient gravity to warrant a review of the decision appealed against or there has been a departure from legal procedure such as vitiates the whole trial, or if the findings of fact were such as were shocking to the judicial conscience of the Court.It would interfere where High Court's order results in gross miscarriage of Justice's. That special leave petition against interim order maintainable. The Supreme Court exercise its Jurisdiction under Art. 136 of the Constitution in respect of an interlocutory/interim order in especial circumstances to prevent manifest injustice or abuse of process of the Court 1 or where it is unsustainable on the face of it or where the interim order passed by the Division Bench of the High Court, on facts, is perverse in nature's or unreasonable.Where the interim order was not made in equity, interference by the Supreme Court was called forl.That the reasons for the decision must be given. A decision affecting the right of people without assigning any reason cannot be accepted as a procedure which is fair, Just and reasonable and hence violated of ‘reasons' may also be implied in the principles of â €˜natural Justice'17. Absence of reasoning is impermissible in Judicial pronouncement's.It is the reasoning alone, that can enable a higher or an appellate court to appreciate the controversy in issue in its correct perspective and to hold whether the reasoning recorded by the Court whose order is impugned, is sustainable in law and whether it has adopted the correct legal approach. To sub-serve the purpose of Justice delivery system, therefore, it is essential that the Courts should record reasons for its conclusions, whether disposing of the case at admission stage or after regular hearing proper reasoning is the foundation of a Just and fair decision.Failure to give reasons amounts to denial of Justice's. When the reason of a law once ceases, the law itself generally ceases. That order passed in violation of natural Justice is void. The breaches of rules of natural Justice must have the effect of producing void decisions. Any action in violation of principles of natural Justic e is a nullity and is altar-fires and hence suffers from Jurisdictional error. Thus, an order which infringes an fundamental freedom passed in violation of audit alters parted is a nullity.That decision of sub-ordinate court is in violation of Doctrine of Proportionality. The punishment imposed has to be reasonable because of the constraints of Art. 14. This means that if the punishment imposed is unreasonable, Art. 14 is infringed. The court can thus decide upon the proportionality of the punishment when it is strikingly disproportionate. The penalty imposed must be commensurate with the gravity of he misconduct, and that any penalty disproportionate to the gravity of the misconduct would be violated of Art. 14 of the Constitution.The freedom of speech is regarded as â€Å"a species of which freedom of expression is a genus†29 That a company can challenge the violation of its Fundamental Rights under Article 19 of the Constitution of India. The Supreme Court has stated that the law with regard to a company challenging the violation of its Fundamental Rights under Article 19 is in a â€Å"nebulous state†. The Court has gone on to say: â€Å"Thus apart from the law fundamental freedoms guaranteed by Art. 9, the rights of a shareholder and the company which the shareholders have formed are rather co-extensive and the denial to one of the fundamental freedom would be denial to the other.That intention is necessary for the offence of defamation under Section 499 of Indian Penal Code. In order to attract the offence of defamation under Section 499 of I. P. C. Mess area is required I. E. The publication must be made with intention to harm the reputation of a person against whom it was directed. The accused must have made the imputation with the intention of harming or with the knowledge that it will harm the reputation of the person defamed. Therefore, the intention to cause harm is the most essential â€Å"sine qua non† of an offence under Sec tion 49934.That a company cannot be held criminally liable for the offence of defamation. In view of Section 3(42), General Clauses Act, 1897 a company or association or body of individuals answers the definition of person. So, prima facie a company may be prosecuted for demotion. But, to invoke Section 499, the defamatory publication must be associated by delinquent's intention to cause harm. But company cannot be said to have the Mess area of forming an intention to cause harm because a company, a rustic entity cannot have any mind.If there is anything in the definition or context of a particular section in the statute which will prevent the application of the section to a limited company, certainly a limited company cannot be proceeded against. Then again a limited company cannot generally be tried when Mess area is essentially. The company is a legal entity which can be prosecuted if it is guilty of acts which make it punishable under the particular Criminal Statuette. So a comp any cannot be held to have committed an offence under Section 500, l. P. CO.That decision must be given after viewing publication as a whole. Publication must be Judged as a whole. The impact and effect of the imputations, if any, had to be considered in the background of the entire facts and circumstances stated therein. The bane and the antidote ought to have been considered together. If in one part of the publication there is something disreputable but it is removed by the other parts and the conclusions, then the disreputable part alone cannot be taken out in the process of picking and choosing in order to venture a prosecution for defamation.

Leading Global Workforce Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Leading Global Workforce - Case Study Example Currently Sarah and Josh are working on the promotions and branding of the next Fire Force Five film but their ideas and strategies regarding the work are extremely contrasting. When Sarah relies on traditional promotional strategies like TV ads and print campaign, Josh wants Sarah to adopt non-conventional approaches such as online promotion. For this, Josh approaches the company CEO directly without the consent of his departmental head Sarah and gets the permission to present his ideas in the next management meeting. Now Sarah is furious at the conduct of her young marketing colleague as she could not accept his disobedient behavior. While analyzing the case scenario, it seems that a combination of different factors has contributed to an unhealthy worksite relationship between Sarah and Josh. Mainly, the age difference between them and the different contexts in which they started their career have influenced their ideas and worksite behavior. To illustrate, Josh is a 23-year-old marketing associate who was graduated recently from the University of Southern California. Josh’s vision is to make films that communicate strong social messages –like Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth or Morgan Spurlock’s Super Size Me (Erickson, 2009, p.1). He also aims to distribute those films on open platforms so that he can convey his social messages to the greatest number of people. Josh believes that employing unconventional distribution and promotion channels is a potential strategy to implement the current project more effectively. Sarah, the 37-year-old marketing chief joined Rising Entertainment 10 y ears ago and she grew her career in the company from an entry-level copywriter, to marketing associate, to head of the 22-person film marketing unit (Erickson, p.3). Sarah had worked with all the three Triple-F movies that were released and generated more than $2.4 billion in box-office over the

SLP 3 OBT -Groups and Teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SLP 3 OBT -Groups and Teams - Essay Example This usually motivates employees as their ideas are integrated or form a basis of operation in an organization. Allowing employees to make or contribute key decisions is another motivating factor. By making decisions employees feel appreciated and valued (Frey 12). Some leaders usually bear the burden of making key decisions alone. They forget that teamwork is key in any successful management. Some leaders cite that it is hard to make a team work together, and that inclusive decision making takes a lot of time. This is a fluke excuse. Teamwork brings to the table diverse ideas that can be integrated and used to further development strategies. Teams possess innate creativity that should be leveraged. Making employees work as a team brings out creative solutions to cumbersome problems. When employees work together, they learn new art and skills from each other. This brings out the best from individuals making them a better team. By working together and exchanging ideas, employees get motivated by learning diverse ideas that make them become better individuals at work (Frey 15-17). The employer should clearly define the vision and mission of the organization to the employees. Once the objectives get set, it becomes easy for employees to keep focus in achieving the set goals. Having a focus drives creativity and acts as a motivation to the employee because the employees work towards known target. Expectations and aims of the organization should be realistic and not far-fetched. The management or leaders should set standards and achievable expectations to the employees. Displaying trust and belief in the employees plays an important role in motivating them. After setting out clear objectives and goals, it is necessary to make the employees know that their capabilities get recognized. The recognition and belief of the employees capabilities gives them morale and inspiration to perform best. Leaders in an organization should encourage new

Were the Nazis modern Would you consider them modernist or modernizers Essay

Were the Nazis modern Would you consider them modernist or modernizers You could argue that they were one of these, both, or neither - Essay Example In the era of high modernist, as from about 1910 to 1930, the main figures of modernist works aided fundamentally to redefine what poetry and narrative might be and do. Figures like Rilke, Woolf, Stevens, Joyce, Pound, Eliot, Mallarme, and Proust are deliberated the initiators of twentieth-century modernist (Inglehart, 1997). On the hand, modernizer or modernization is the change from agrarian, rural, traditional society to an industrial, secular, urban society. Modern society is industrial society. For one to modernize a society, it first starts with industrialize it. Traditionally, the growth of modern society has been intimately linked to the occurrence of industrial society. All such features that are related with modernity can be revealed to be connected to the set of variations that, no more than two centuries ago, brought into existence the industrial form of society. This proposes that the terms industrialism and industrial culture suggest far more than the monetary and technological mechanisms that build up their fundamental. Industrialism is a way of life that incorporates profound monetary, cultural changes, social, and political. It is by experiencing the ample change of industrialization that societies become modern (Armstrong, 2005) Modernization is an uninterrupted and open-ended course. Traditionally, the span of time over which it has happened must be measured in centuries, even if there are instances of enhanced modernization. In such a case, modernization is not a once-and-for-all-time success. There seems to be a vibrant principle built into the very fabric of contemporary societies that does not permit them to settle, or to attain. It is a modernist piece this is because it talks of the artifacts that would be collected not to divulge the twentieth centurys progressive progress, but to trace and exaggerates its curious partnerships, the conspiracies that made the century successful; the diverse histories that it drew upon, the

Zoo Activity at The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens Essay

Zoo Activity at The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens - Essay Example 1. Gorilla - Gorilla gorilla They are regarded as the largest of all living primates. They have been found to confine largely to the forested regions of central Africa. Two varieties: highland and lowland. They show marked SEXUAL DIMORPHISM. Males weigh up to 400 pounds and females at 200 pounds. Weight makes them semi-QUADRUPEDAL knuckle walkers and majorly terrestrial. Family groups comprise of one or more large silverback males, a few females and sub-adult offspring. They are gentle and shy vegetarians. However, when provoked males will attack to defend their group (Groves, Wilson, and Reeder, 123-129). The majority of gorillas in zoos are western gorilla Gorilla gorilla. The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens had a gorilla with brownish-gray pelage color with reddish highlights. The male weighed around 140 kilograms while the female weighed around 75 kilograms. Its locomotion was quadrupedally, with a special kind of quadrupedal gait called knuckle-walking (Fleagle, 148). The gorilla has a polygynous mating system and unimale social system. Both the female and male gorillas emigrated from the NATAL GROUPS (Larsen 124). Immature gorillas spent much of their time playing, resting and GROOMING each other showing true ALTRUISM for about 20 minutes, although they tended to groom direct siblings. The silver-back male made roars to show stress or threat making the group to hide.

Solve for the value of pi Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Solve for the value of pi - Research Paper Example However, it can be agreed that pi is based on the circle, which has many interesting properties (Gap-System). The circle, regardless of the size, always has the same perfect properties; therefore, the value of pi is constant. The history of pi can not be conclusively decided, since it is untraceable where the circle was decided as the basis. However, biblical references to pi and the discovery of a variation of the constant in ancient texts seem to indicate that the number is old. The vale of pi has been around for a long time; the bible contains two references to pi, though the values given are incorrect, ancient Egyptians and Babylonians had a value for the value of pi, and old-time mathematicians proved the existence of pi. The value of pi is a fixed value, and is determined to be infinite. The determination of the formula, which gives pi, is important in determining the origin of the value, therefore, this paper will seek to determine the formulas for the determination of pi, fro m Archimedes to Machin. The first mathematical and theoretical proof of pi was given by Archimedes, a brilliant mathematician in old times. Archimedes showed that pi is a value between two numbers; 223/71 and 22/7. This can be mathematically denoted as: This derivation used by Archimedes is based on the equation of the area of a circle,, which he derived by using a simple system of equations. In the derivation of pi, Archimedes used a system where regular polygons were inscribed and circumscribed on a circle, from which the diameter and circumference of the circle can be determined by determining the properties of the polygons. The diagram that was used by Archimedes is: 1 In this calculation, consider a circle with a radius OA of 1 unit, over which is circumscribed a regular hexagon (or any regular polygon of 3*2n-1 sides), and in which is inscribed another regular hexagon (or any regular polygon of 3*2n-1 sides). In this case, we assume that the semi perimeter for the inscribed polygon is bn, and that the semi perimeter for the super scribed polygon is an. The diagram given implies that the semi perimeter for the bigger polygon is ever decreasing, while the sequence for the smaller polygon is increasing, such that they converge at a value pi. Using trigonometric notation, it can be inferred that the semi perimeters of the polygons are given by the formula, , and, where K is the number of sides of the polygon. It also follows that; , and . Archimedes then used the same trigonometric principles to show that: , and. From these formulas, Archimedes could calculate the values of a and b from n=1, 2†¦ 6. After this calculation, Archimedes concluded that as the semi perimeters of the two polygons changed, the convergence was towards the limit pi, where. The deduction by Archimedes follows a simple principle of trigonometry and mathematical application, where it is known that the inner sides of the hexagon used in the calculation are all equal t o the radius of the circle, which means that the perimeter of the hexagon is 6 times the radius of the circle. Another complicated calculation used by Archimedes is that a line drawn from the middle of a side of the outer polygon is

A self assessment on intercultural negotiating skills Essay

A self assessment on intercultural negotiating skills - Essay Example There are different communication styles that can be used and these will be outlined in the paper. Characteristics of a good intercultural negotiator Cross culture communication and negotiation mainly involve people from different cultural backgrounds and this has a bearing on the way they communicate. The culture of different people shape the way people communicate and exchange ideas (Fujio, 2004). According to Armstrong (1994), culture in the organization refers to shared beliefs, values, attitudes as well as assumptions which shape their behaviour as well as the way they view different things around them. All the people in the organization have shared beliefs as well as values. Dbhaibo & Harb (2010) suggest that the way people communicate and behave is shaped by their cultural values. Hofstede’s framework of cultural diversity mainly influences different types of studies that are related to cross cultural communication and management which include the following four dimensi ons of national culture: â€Å"individualism versus collectivism, power distance which is concerned with how power is distributed, uncertainty avoidance which talks about how uncertainty is found to be uncomfortable, quality versus quantity of life† (Robbins, 1993, p. 75). In order for a person to be a good intercultural negotiator, there are many issues that should be considered by the people involved. In case of a distributive type of negotiation, a good intercultural negotiator attempts to discover the other person’s BATNA. The person who suggests a strong offer is likely to achieve positive results as a result of the fact that the other person is likely to concede certain instances (Thompson 2005). The use of statements or questions is also very important since it helps to establish the quality of the relationship that may exist between the two negotiators involved. Thus, a good intercultural negotiator should establish how the other person communicates as well as to try to establish the relationship that exists between parties involved. The other important factor that should be taken into account about what makes a good intercultural negotiator is to try to differentiate between Utilitarian Discourse System (UDS) which is about the message itself and the Confucian Discourse System (CDS) which is concerned about the quality of relationship that exist between the two people communicating with each other. For instance, the Americans prefer the UDS system when negotiating while the Japanese or Chinese prefer CDS. According to a study conducted by Misa Fujio (2004) entitled â€Å"Silence during intercultural communication: a case study,† it can be noted that styles of communication between the people involved in the communication process differ as a result of the fact that they have different cultures. Silence is used as a way of communication by the Japanese this is a different case with the Americans who do not use silence as part of the ir communication process. In order to avoid unnecessary frustration, a good intercultural negotiator must establish the way another person communicates so as to be able to exchange meaningful ideas. Lin & Miller (2003) suggest that negotiation approach is influenced by factors which include national culture, commitment as well as the quality of relationship that exist between the two. For example, the â€Å"Chinese emphasise on collectivism while the Americans focus on individualism (Hsu, 1985 as cited in Lin and Miller, 2003). A good

The impact of culture differences on advertising Essay

The impact of culture differences on advertising - Essay Example Different cultures have different requirements, which are catered to by the advertisers at the time of creating marketing strategies. This study also analyses how religion and celebrity endorsements influence advertising. With the examination of cases involving Coca Cola, McDonald’s, and cosmetic brands, some strategic tools will be suggested that may be helpful for creating effective advertising strategies and which could allow culture to have a positive impact on advertising. The conclusion will include the limitations of this study and suggestions for future research. With globalisation, societies across the world are experiencing increasing cultural diversity. Undoubtedly, globalisation has affected every aspect of human life – cultural, social, or corporate. However, while this has brought about the generalisation of the customs and values of a global society, it has also opened the doors for great concerns. The field of advertising is one such example that has been influenced both positively and negatively. International marketers and advertisers have to carefully target their strategies towards certain ethnic communities, which can involve deep emotions and controversies at times. According to Hofstede (2010), â€Å"Culture is defined as the collective mental programming of the human mind which distinguishes one group of people from another.† Hofstede further stated that cultural differences between nations are observed at the deepest level, i.e. the level of values. Advertisers, as organisations, are classified at the level of their practices; these practices, according to Hofstede (ibid), are more tangible than values. The Cultural Dimension Theory by Hofstede is basically an outline for cross-cultural communication. It effectively shows the relationship of the culture of a particular community / society to its members (Hofstede, 1980). The behaviour of the members of a society are directly associated with

Reflective Report include 2 tasks Q Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Reflective Report include 2 tasks Q - Essay Example Schools, colleges as well as universities are required to prove that their courses meet strict standards on a continuous basis and thus, UK’s education system is respected and recognized globally. I therefore expect that the qualification I obtain from Greenwich University will provide a solid foundation for building my future and promoting my career ambitions. I expect to develop my potential given that the university offers a challenging, creative and vibrant environment for this. I have acquired the necessary skills for me to survive in this increasingly globalized economy of the world. From the knowledge I have acquired so far, I am now capable of thinking independently, creatively and effectively. The assessment and teaching criterion used at Greenwich encourages independence and mastery of the subject in question. Given that the UK is a cosmopolitan place to reside in, having hundreds of cultures from all over the world has taught me how to get along and associate with d ifferent types of people. This has made me an open minded individual as I have learnt to deal with people from various cultural, political and religious backgrounds. This has in turn added to my experience and influenced my view of the global economy. The English language will play a vital role for my career. There is no place better than the UK - the origin of English - where I can learn this popular international language used widely in global business. Studying English in the UK has made me perfect in how well I can communicate both orally and in written form. Some of the steps I took to improve my knowledge in the language by reading books and interacting with my fellow students in discussions and clubs. I also learnt English by using the phonemic script which made it easier to understand words. By learning the phonemic script, I was able to improve my pronunciation and hence improved my communication. I have managed to improve my reading skills in a number of ways. Compared to when I was in my home country, I can now study more effectively by use of study skills taught at the university. I can now synthesis what I am studying better than I used to. I have discovered that I learn best as I write. This helps me memorize what I am studying. This discovery has had a positive effect on my grades. In order to adapt to studying at the UK, I had to improve my communication skills. I also had to better my understanding of English. I did this by frequently practicing how to talk in English in order to improve my eloquence. I also tried to expose myself to listening English speakers so that I could improve comprehension of lectures. I therefore watched lots of TV and attended theatres to watch plays done in English. These practices were very successful in helping me adapt to studying in the UK. I am confident that my learning experience here will be very useful in my career at home. Given that English is a global language and I have acquired quite a lot of skills on it, I will be able to communicate well in my professional capacity back at home. Since qualifications offered by UK institutions are recognized internationally due to their exceptional quality, I believe my knowledge will be valued back in my home country. It will also be easy for me to work in a multicultural environment since I have experience of living and studying at UK. Studying at Greenwich University has been a quite pleasure. I believe that the knowledge

Corrective measures for today and the future Essay Example for Free

Corrective measures for today and the future Essay There are many ways to stop war drivers and hackers and these methods may be as simple or complex depending upon the nature of the network. First, one should understand that war drivers and hackers can easily tap into a network because of the plug-and play nature of modern devices. Also some advanced security systems such as the Wired Equivalency Privacy (WEP) system used by 802. 11b wireless networks is plagued by some common errors in the system, including failure to engage it entirely by itself or engage WEP encryption key set at default. Thus, method such as WEP, IPSEC, and Wi-fi protected Access, DMZs, Firewalls and Virtual Private Networks can be established to deter war drivers and hackers (â€Å"War Driving†, 2004). WEP Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is basically a security protocol, specified in the IEEE Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) standard (which is 802. 11b) designed to provide the WLAN a security level that matches a wired network. Security for a WLAN can be tricky, as access to a WLAN is not hindered by most physical barriers. WEP works by encrypting data before transmitting it to the wireless network. This encryption can be done in conjunction with other protection methods such as password protection, end-to-end encryption and virtual private networks (VPNs) (â€Å"Wired Equivalent Privacy†, 2006). But WEP is not without it flaws, as proven by a research group from the University of California at Berkeley. The group was able to intercept and change data transmissions and gone as far as gaining access to restricted networks and data. On the other and, WECA (Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance) claims that WEP is not the only security system method available for WLAN. WEP is popular because most consumers have put up much of their trust in WEP that other methods (â€Å"Wired Equivalent Privacy†, 2006). IPsec IPsec (Internet Protocol Security) is defined as the backbone for a set of security protocols for network communications. IPsec claims to be effective in establishing virtual private networks and remote user access in dial-up accounts and private networks. One obvious advantage of IPsec is that security arrangements can be taken cared of without changing computers or users. CISCO (a major promoter of IPSEC) provides support for IPSEC on their network routers (â€Å"IPsec†, 2005). IPsec has two options for security service. First is the Authentication Header (AH), which basically authenticates the identity of the data sender and the other one is Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP) which handles both sender authentication and data encryption. Both services packages specific information into packets in a header that follows the IP packet header. Separate key protocols can be selected for this such as the ISAKMP or Oakley protocol (â€Å"IPsec†, 2005). ISAKMP (Internet Security Association and Key Management Protocol) is a coded protocol based on the IKE key exchange protocol (ISAKMP, 2006). On the other hand, the Oakley protocol is a security system in which two authorized parties can exchange confidential material through the Internet (Oakley Protocol, 2006). Both protocols can be used on a secured connection and is defined by RFC (Request for Comments) 2408 and 2412 respectively. Wi-Fi Protected Access Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) is a new security protocol that was designed to replace WEP. It is technically an improved version of WEP. Though WPA has improved data protection features, WEP is still considered to be best for home use. However, WEP is not recommended for corporate use because it is prone to eavesdropping and hacking, because it is not able to handle the bulk of data that WPA is capable of handling. WPA uses Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) which uses pre-packet mixing function, extended initialization vector, and a re-keying mechanism. WPA is also said to have stronger user identification because it is based on 802. 1 xs and has an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP). Also WPA relies on RADIUS (a central authentication server) to identify each user â€Å"Wi-Fi Protected Access†, 2005). WPA is actually under IEEE 802. 11i, and there are rumors that a second version called WPA2 is on the works. It is also predicted that by 2003, there will be software updates that will allow both the client and server to establish WPA in their system. â€Å"Hotspots† can then operate within a mix of WEP and WPA modes to support both home and corporate clients. In case of a home client, the identification system would be simpler than the one that will be issued for corporations (â€Å"Wi-Fi Protected Access†, 2005).

Components Of A Computer System

Components Of A Computer System Computer is an electronic machine that can store, organize and search information, do calculation and control other machines. Computer has hardware and also software. Computer hardware means the physical component of a computer system, which has different functions to complete different tasks. Hardware is something we can touch. This hardware includes input devices, output devices, a system unit, storage devices, and communications devices. This could be a monitor, memory chip, hard drive, or CPU. Computer software is the collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions telling a computer what to do and how to do it. Software refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of the computer for some purposes. Program software performs the function of the program it implements, either by directly providing instructions to the computer hardware or by serving as input to another piece of software. Software is intangible. Examples of software are application software and system software. Without software, hardware is useless.hero_06_software.jpg Computer Specification Each computer has own computer specification. The computer that Im going to discuss about its specification is HP ProBook 4420s. HP-ProBook-4420s-Notebook-PC_400x400.jpg Processor Intel Core i3-370M Processor (2.4 GHz, 3 MB L3 cache) Memory 2 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM Chipset Mobile Intel ® HM57 Express Operating System Windows 7 Ultimate Graphic card ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 with 512 MB dedicated video memory Internal drive 320 GB 7200 rpm SATA II Optical disk drive DVD+/-RW SuperMulti DL LightScribe Display 14.0 diagonal LED-backlit HD anti-glare (1366 x 768) Integrated camera 2.0 MP webcam Weight and dimension- 2.27 kg, 33.60 x 23.24 x 2.70 cm Battery type and life 6-cell (47 WHr) Li-Ion, up to 4 hours and 30 minutes Processor: The processor of this laptop is Intel Core i3-370M. Processor is also called the central processing unit (CPU). It is the electronic component that interprets and carries out the basic instructions that operate a computer. Furthermore, it is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, and is the primary element carrying out the computers functions. The central processing unit carries out each instruction of the program in sequence, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. System clock: The processor relies on a small quartz crystal circuit called the system clock to control the timing of all computer operations. The pace of the system clock, called the clock speed, is measured by number of ticks per second. The clock speed for this processor of this laptop is 2.40GHz (Giga Hertz). The clock rate is the speed at which a microprocessor executes instructions. Every computer contains an internal clock that regulates the rate at which instructions are executed and synchronizes all the various computer components. The CPU requires a fixed number of clock ticks (or clock cycles) to execute each instruction. The faster the clock, the more instructions the CPU can execute per second. Cache: Most of todays computers improve their processing times with cache. Memory cache helps speed the processes of the computer because it stores frequently used instructions and data. This laptop is having L3 cache on the motherboard which is separate from the processor chip. Memory: Memory is the primary storage. It consists of electronic components that store instructions waiting to be executed by the processor, data needed by those instructions, and the results of processing the data which is information. Most Random access memory (RAM) is volatile, which means it loses its contents when the power is removed from the computer. The RAM of this laptop is 2 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM. SDRAM refers to Synchronous DRAM, which can synchronized to the system clock and it is much faster than DRAM. Chipset: Chipset of this laptop is Mobile Intel ® HM57 Express. A chipset refers to a group of integrated circuits, or chips, that are designed to work together. They are usually marketed as a single product. It is usually designed to work with a specific family of microprocessors. Because it controls communications between the processor and external devices, the chipset is used to determine the system performance. The mobile Intel ® HM57 Express Chipset is part of the mobile Intel ® 5 Series Chipsets, providing single chip architecture and delivering: Intel ® Anti-Theft Technology for PC protection that can disable a lost or stolen PC and reactivate it without compromise to the system or data Blue-ray* logo capable HD video playback, with native support for Blue-ray drives Intel ® Rapid Storage Technology for enhanced performance, power management, and data protection for the storage subsystem Operating System: An operating system (OS) is software, consisting of programs and data, that runs on computers and manages computer hardware resources and provides common services for efficient execution of various application software. Examples of popular modern operating systems for personal computers are Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and GNU/Linux. The operating system that installed in this laptop is Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit. Graphic Card: The graphic card included in this laptop is ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 with 512 MB dedicated video memory. This graphic card has 512MB of dedicated DDR3 VRAM (Video RAM), which means it has 512MB for storing data (not combining with computer RAM). The higher the memory of VRAM, the better the graphical item (such as picture, video, and game loading) can be presented and better loading time. Internal drive: The hard disk included in this laptop is 320 GB 7200 rpm SATA II. A hard disk drive (HDD) is a non-volatile, random access device for digital data. It features rotating rigid platters on a motor-driven spindle within a protective enclosure. Data is magnetically read and written on the platter by read/write heads that float on a film of air above the platters. SATA II is the second generation SATA interfaces running at 3.0 Gbit/s are shipping in high volume as of 2010[update], and prevalent in all SATA disk drives and the majority of PC and server chipsets. With a native transfer rate of 3.0 Gbit/s, and taking 8b/10b encoding into account, the maximum uncoded transfer rate is 2.4 Gbit/s (300 MB/s). Optical disc drive: The optical disc drive in this laptop is DVD+/-RW SuperMulti DL LightScribe . It is support for the Blu-ray DVD drive on configurations with integrated graphics requires Windows7 or Windows Vista. Optical disc drives are an integral part of stand-alone consumer appliances such as CD players, DVD players and DVD recorders. They are also very commonly used in computers to read software and consumer media distributed in disc form, and to record discs for archival and data exchange. Others: The display of this laptop is 14.0 diagonal LED-backlit HD anti-glare (1366 x 768). Furthermore, this laptop is only weighed 2.27 kg and has a dimension of 33.60 x 23.24 x 2.70 cm. This laptop of has a webcam which is 2.0MP. Meanwhile, this laptop use the battery of 6-cell (47 WHr) Li-Ion and it can last up to 4 hours and 30 minutes. Analysis of Overall Performance This laptop is using a processor of Intel Core i3-370M Processor.

Analysis of Holiday Tour Operators

Analysis of Holiday Tour Operators Chapter 1: Introduction Outline This research focuses on three UK holiday companies Kuoni, Thomas Cook and STA Travel and their marketing strategies. This research is comprised of following chapters: Rationale This study highlights many issues related to marketing of tourism companies; more specifically it will be looking at the three companies mentioned above and will be giving a broad analysis to marketing strategy as a marketing tool. The purpose of this dissertation is to conduct a detailed analysis on three different UK holiday companies which are Kuoni, Thomas Cook and STA Travel, who target different segments of the market. I believe that this investigation will broaden my understanding of the tourism marketing as well as the techniques and strategies that they use as a key factor to their success. (Morgan, 2001)Overall I believe that it is an interesting area to study because I can use and demonstrate while conducting this investigation the skills and knowledge that I had obtained while studying my degree. In addition, I have chosen to carry out my dissertation on the following three companies, because I believe that they differ in their market segmentation, however they have a common goal and they are competitors. I would like to introduce the companies that I will be focusing on and provide some brief introduction for each of them. But first of all let us talk about the role of tour operators. (Wang, 2002) Tour operators today play a very important role in creating the images of destinations. In this global capacity, they can significantly influence international tourism flows towards a country hit by safety and security risks. Even decisions of individual tourists on where to spend a holiday very often depend on the attitude and practice of tour operators towards a particular destination. But people have their own choices and preferences. In this paper we are going to analyse Kuoni, Thomas Cook and STA Travel tourism and travelling services as this is one of the best tour operator agencies world wide and the first choice of tourists. (Buhalis, 2001) From 1950 to 1998 the number of international tourist arrivals in the world increased from 25 million to 635 million (WTO 1999b), with an average annual increase of 6.97%. Over the past 15 years, international tourism receipts have grown 1.5 times faster than world GDP, with no signs of slowing down. In 1998 international tourism accounted for an estimated 8% of the worlds total earnings and 37% of exports in the service sector (WTO 1999a). According to data from the International Monetary Fund, in 1998 international tourism receipts and passenger transport amounted to more than $504 billion, putting it ahead of all other categories of international trade (automotive products, chemicals, food, petroleum and other fuels, computer and office equipment, textiles and clothing, mining products, etc.). (Driver, 1999) This rapid development of international tourism can partly be explained by the xxpackage holidays promoted nationally and internationally. Indeed, tour operators represent one of the most powerful and most influential entities in the tourism industry. They have a strong influence on international flows from main generating markets to various destinations. According to World Tourism Organization estimates, tour operators nowadays have a share of about 25% in the total international tourism market. This means that in 2000 tour operators organized at least 175 million international tourism trips. Therefore, the success of many destinations depends on whether foreign tour operators include them in their programs. (Buhalis, 1998) Travel Industry As the travel industry consists of numerous sectors and divisions, companies within the industry vary greatly in their activities and the segments of the market they are involved in. Three of them Kuoni, Thomas Cook and STA Travel leaders in their respective field and I would like to commence with Kuoni in the following segment. (Riege, 2000) Introduction to Kuoni, Thomas Cook and STA Travel Companies Kuoni Travel Holding Ltd. oversees one of Europes top five travel and tour groups. Based in Zurich, Switzerland, the company is particularly strong in both its domestic and U.K. markets, but is also present throughout Europe, especially in Scandinavia, with a rising presence in the United States and Asian markets. Kuoni Travel operates in three primary areas of business: Leisure Travel, which accounts for more than 85 percent of the companys sales; Business Travel, through its BTI unit, which handles travel coordination activities for the small and mid-sized and large-scale corporation markets; and Incoming Services, which provides travel destination services, such as touring and sightseeing packages. (Morrison, 1994)The company markets it high-end tours and travel packages under the Kuoni name. Discount travel packages are offered under the Helvetica brand name. Switzerland remains the companys single largest market, representing slightly less than one-third of its total sales. The U.K. and North American markets together provide less than one-third of sales. The European continent, including Scandinavia, added another roughly 30 percent to Kuonis total sales, which topped SFr 4 billion in 1996. (Schonland and Williams, 1996) Kuoni has been stepping up the pace of its acquisitions at the turn of the century. After being disapponited in its attempt to merge with the United Kingdoms First Choice Holidays Plc, which would have helped the company create a counterweight to Europes market-leading Preussag-Thomson alliance announced in early 1999, Kuoni has changed direction, targeting the Scandinavian, Indian, and North American markets for its future growth. (Weber and Roehl, 1999)Listed on the Swiss stock exchange, Kuoni is led by Chairman Daniel Affolter and President and CEO Hans Lerch. (Bonn and Furr, 1999) A native of Chur, Switzerland, Alfred Kuoni moved to Zurich to open a travel agency in 1906. If the companys nameTravel Bureauwas not all that original, Kuoni quickly established itself as a pioneer in exotic travel destinations. One of the companys first organized tour packages took Swiss citizens on a guided tour to far-off Egypt. (Hu, 1996) In 1925, Kuoni reincorporated as a joint-stock company, with shares remaining within the Kuoni family. Through the years leading up to World War II, Kuoni expanded from its original location to include a number of sales offices throughout Switzerland. Despite its success in its home market, the company recognized early on that Switzerland was too small for its growing ambitions. The company also opened its first international office, in Nice, in the south of France. Further international moves were not realised due to the buildup to and outbreak of World War II. (Baker and Hozier, 1994) Kuonis international expansion began almost immediately after the end of the war. In 1948, the company opened its first international subsidiaries, in Italy and France. Kuoni also continued to venture to new and exotic travel destinations, such as the organization of the first charter flights to Africa. (Pizam and Mansfeld, 1999)In 1957, the Kuoni family established the Kuoni and Hugentobler Foundation under which to group their holding; much later, with Kuonis public listing, the foundation would became the companys primary shareholder. (Dev and Olsen, 2000) Thomas Cook AG is an international leisure group, created in 2000 by CN Touristics purchase of Britains Thomas Cook Holdings Ltd., with roots tracing back to 1841. (Bitner and Booms, 1982 )The company is represented in the sales markets of Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Egypt, India and Canada, providing products and services in most market segments, including airlines, hotels, tour operators, travel and incoming agencies. Thomas Cook AG is the third largest integrated tourism group in the world, serving some 14 million customers. Thomas Cook AG, encompasses 32 tour operators and around 3,600 travel agencies, selling the groups products worldwide, as well as a portfolio of 76,000 controlled hotel beds, a fleet of 87 aircraft and a workforce numbering some 28,000. Its services also include travel shops and charter airlines. (Koh, 1995) Evidently, the scale of operations of Thomas Cook AG in his respective market, has allowed him to realize economy of scale, affording a strong advantage over competition and in turn benefiting his clients. Because of the large volume of business provided to many resorts by Cook, he currently have excellent buying power, enabling him to negotiate the best possible airfare, hotel rates and transfer rates, which are translated into attractive selling prices, better rooms and overall greater value for his clients. Numerically, Cook has realized triumphs and broken records in his area. In 1993, Thomas Cook AG excels, as it achieved sales of some eight billion Euros and served more that 13 million customers in the 2001-2002 financial year alone. (Ioannides and Debbage, 1997)In appreciation of his expertise and as an acknowledgement of his proficiency in his operations, Thomas Cook AG has both received numerous awards and tributes over the years for a variety of enterprises. For example, th e Mexican government awarded the Best Tour Operator Worldwide Award in 1998. Thomas Cook AG is nominated every year in several categories in the World Travel Awards, as well as having its various subsidiaries and companies receive numerous awards worldwide. (Riege and Perry, 2000) STA Travel, a subsidiary of privately held Diethelm Keller Holding Ltd., markets itself as â€Å"the world’s largest student travel organization helping students travel in over 90 countries.† STA Travel specializes in student travel, a market niche accounting for approximately 20% of all travel bookings. In 2005 STA Travel reported revenues of 215 Million CHF (Swiss Francs) on total transactions of 1,542 CHF, down from 241 on 1539 the previous year. That same year, the firms 2,358 employees working from 375 travel agency offices in 17 countries and through franchises in 83 others, provided travel advice and booking services to approximately 6 million travelers. (Fick and Ritchie, 1991) Founded in 1979, STA Travel had grown and expanded its global reach through a series of mergers and acquisitions. While the brand well known in parts of Europe and Australia, where it had operated for many years, STA Travel’s US brand, born with the acquisition in 2003 of Council Travel, was still less well known. Historically, STA Travel reached its customers through retail travel agencies, many located near or on college campuses. Beginning in the 1990’s, however, the internet brought new online competitors. Among these were Student Universe and Student City as well as less focused on line providers of travel services including Travelocity and Expedia. By 2007 the internet was predicted to account for more bookings than offline alternatives. Aims and Objectives Following are the aims and objectives of this study: Introduction to Kuoni Holiday Company Introduction to Thomas Cook Holiday Company Introduction to STA Travel Holiday Company Marketing strategy of these companies Research Questions The study seeks to answer the following questions: â€Å"An investigation into the marketing strategy of three UK holiday companies who target the different sections of society with reference to their marketing strategy.† (Kuoni, Thomas Cook and STA Travel) Chapter 2: Literature Review Role of Tour Operators The role of tour operators unlike the travel agencies who sell holiday and a range of other travel products tour operators actually assemble the component parts of a holiday, package holidays i.e. the means of travel, accommodation, facilities, transfers, excursion and other services. The famous name which comes into my minds is Thomas Cook for their packages and services. (Field, 1999) If we consider that the travel agents are the retailer arm of the travel business, then the tour operators can be linked to wholesalers, since they buy in bulk from the providers of travel services, such as the hoteliers and airlines, break the bulk into manageable packages and offer the finished product the inclusive tour for sale to the travel agencies or direct to the consumer. (Kaynama and Black, 2000) Peace, safety, and security are the primary conditions for the normal tourism development of a destination, region, or country and thus are the basic determinants of its growth. Without them, destinations cannot successfully compete on the generating markets, even if they present in their marketing campaigns the most attractive and best quality natural and built attractions. Tourism contributes to peace as much as it benefits from it (Savignac 1994). According to Pizam (1999), every minute of every day a crime or a violent act occurs at a destination somewhere in the world. At the same time, it would be difficult to deny that many types of safety risks co-exist in everyones daily lives, and within tourism as well. However, an important difference exists: People are rarely in a position to change their place of living, but nothing can force them to spend a holiday in a place that they perceive as insecure. (Kaynama and Black, 2000)The basic requirement of contemporary demand is higher quality supply and services, and that quality has become the most important factor in the existing climate and development of that demand. But usually do not mention factors which are the condition sine qua non—peace, safety, and security, now generally taken for granted. Any threats to the safety of tourists causes a decrease or total absence of activity, not only in a particular destination, but also very often in neighbouring regions or countries as well. Consequently, since tourism is an important contributor to national economies, host countries will find it necessary to take substantial measures to bring the country hit by crisis back onto the market as quickly as possible. Taking the example of three companies discussed below we further try to explore their role and business strategy. (Medlik and Wang, 2002) Kuoni, Holiday Company Kuoni began looking farther afield in the 1960s. In 1963, the company made its first entry into the Asian markets with the opening of a branch office in Japan. (Medlik and Wang, 2002 )Two years later, Kuoni entered what was later to become one of its most important single markets when it acquired the United Kingdoms Challis Benson Ltd. The importance of the U.K. market to Kuoni was seen at the beginning of the 1970s when the company changed its nameand its U.K. operations nameto Kuoni Travel Ltd. (Buhalis, 1998) The companys listing on the Swiss stock exchange provided fuel for new growth, while opening up the companys shares to new partners, including SwissAir, which built up a 30 percent share in Kuoni. The public listing enabled the company to step up its international growth. After opening a subsidiary in Austria at the beginning of the decade, Kuoni now launched subsidiaries in Germany and Spain, both in 1973, and a subsidiary in Greece the following year. The year 1974 also saw Kuoni step up its position in the U.K. market, when it acquired Houlders World Holidays, based in England. (Buhalis, 1998) While building up its international network, Kuoni also was launching new products. In 1977, the company began marketing its first around-the-world tour. In the 1980s, Kuoni began to acquire properties in many of its most popular destinations, adding a number of hotels, including the Hawksbill Beach Hotel in Antigua in 1981 and the Discovery Bay Beach Hotel in Barbados, bought in 1984. In 1986, Kuoni became the first tour operator to offer around-the-world charter flights on the Concorde supersonic jet. (Morrison, 1996)Although this latter product catered to the companys strong high-end and high-margin clientele, Kuoni also launched a new brand name, Helvetica, to encompass its discount tour and travel operations. The worldwide travel industry remained highly fragmented in the 1990s, with numerous small-scale operators competing against a smaller number of quickly growing industry heavyweights. Kuoni, which had already captured the lead in the Swiss market, was determined to maintain a leadership position as the travel industry headed into a drawn-out consolidation drive leading up to the turn of the century. The company acquired Reiseburo NUR Neckermann in 1987, boosting its position in the Austrian market. Three years later, the company regrouped its Austrian activities, launching the NUR Neckermann Reisen AG joint venture with Germanys Neckermann Touristic. Kuonis part of the joint venture remained at 49 percent. (Morrison, 1996) Back home, the company continued to consolidate its dominance of the Swiss market, acquiring Privat Safaris, the countrys leading operator of tours to eastern Africa, and Reiseburo Popularis, which combined retail offices with direct sales operations marketing discount tour and travel packages. Yet Kuonis strong position in the Swiss market and its growing share internationally soon led it to become the target of a takeover attempt. The sale of SwissAirs 30 percent holding created the opening for Germanys Krauthof AG department store group to acquire a 50.1 percent majority of Kuoni in 1992. (Middleton, Clarke, 2001) Kuoni, through the Kuoni and Hugentobler Foundation, nonetheless retained majority control of the companys voting rightswhich provided the leverage to the resolution of the takeover attempt. In 1995, the Kuoni and Hugentobler Foundation bought out Krauthofs stake in the company. The company then changed its name to Kuoni Travel Holding, a move that also reflected a new diversification drive: in 1995 the company acquired Danzas Reisen AG, a Switzerland-based specialist in business travel services. The Danzas acquisition led Kuoni to create a dedicated business travel unit. The company also acquired retailer Kewi Reisen, while integrating its majority share of Railtour Suiss SA, acquired the year before. With its independence assured, Kuoni launched its own acquisition drive in the late 1990s. In 1996, Kuoni added Frances Voice SA, and Scanditours, focused on the Nordic region. (Middleton, Clarke, 2001)The company moved into The Netherlands with the acquisition of Special Traffic that same year. Kuoni also looked to the potentially huge market of India for the first time, acquiring SOTC Holiday Tours, which provided the basis for its Kuoni India Ltd. subsidiary. Two other acquisitions completed the companys busy years, those of Rotunda Tours, expanding Kuoni into South Africa, and CIS Intersport, a Swiss company catering to the growing demand for sports-oriented holiday packages. In 1996, also, the companys Edelweiss Air launched its charter flight operations. (Walle, 1996) Kuonis expansion campaign continued strongly through the end of the century, including the launch of the P O Travel Ltd. joint venture with Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, based in Hong Kong, with offices in Bangkok and Singapore. The 1997 joint venture strengthened Kuonis position in the Asian market, which, despite the austere economic climate in the region at the end of the decade, promised to become one of the worlds stronger holiday markets. Closer to home, Kuoni continued lining up acquisitions, especially Voyages Jules Verne, a U.K. upscale tour operator, and Switzerlands Manta Reisen, which specialized in scuba and other deep-sea holidays. The company also acquired German business travel specialist Euro Lloyd Reisenburo, which it combined with its other German operations into the new subsidiary BTI Euro Lloyd, one of that markets top five business travel companies. Also in 1998, Kuoni launched a joint venture with Italys Gastaldi Tours. The next year Kuoni face a major setback. At the beginning of 1999, the company announced its agreement to merge with the United Kingdoms number three travel operator, First Choice Holidays. The merger, agreed to by both sides, was thwarted by a surprise takeover attempt from rival U.K. operator Airtours Plc, which offered a higher per-share price. When the majority of First Choices shareholders chose to back the Airtours offerwhich itself was blocked by the European monopolies commissionKuoni pulled out of the merger talks. The First Choice merger might have allowed Kuoni to become not only a major player in the U.K. travel market but to boost its position to the top ranks in all of Europe. After the collapse of the merger, however, Kuoni redirected its strategy to other markets. Three markets in particular were to receive its attention: the United States, Scandinavia, and India. In 1999, Kuoni acquired upscale travel company Intrav, based in St. Louis, Missouri; the Intrav acquisition, which cost Kuoni $115 million, gave it a strong opening into the booming U.S. market for luxury vacations. The following year, the company acquired T Pro, an incoming services specialist based in New York and the number three incoming services provider to the U.S. market. The year 2000 saw Kuoni not only strengthen its hold on the Swiss travel markettaking a 49 percent share in ITV, Switzerlands third largest tour group and subsidiary of Germanys Preussagbut also expand its presence in its new target markets of Scandinavia and India. The first was served by the acquisition of 49 percent of Apollo Resor, based in Stockholm, Sweden, and then boosted by the acquisition of Denmarks Dane Tours. In March 2001, the company announced its decision to restructure most of its Scandinavian holdings into a single subsidiary. Thomas Cook Holiday Company Thomascook.com has pledged to bring in a quarter of sales through its website in 2006 and appointed a new digital agency to plan and buy all online media.The move will include an increase in online advertising spend of around 50% and will see an integration between traditional campaigns in print and outdoor with online marketing. Harvest Digital will take on all online media planning and buying through existing travel portals, plus drive a new strategy with the likes of Metro.co.uk, GM.TV and the Lonely Planet websites.Head of online marketing at Thomas Cook, Manuel Mascarenhas, said: â€Å"We selected Harvest Digital because they have delivered on an imaginative plan, using competitions, contextual advertising and sponsorships against tight CPA targets. They have a core audience of repeat bookers and want to ensure we continue to acquire new customers online. The new marketing strategy will target what has been labelled the lucrative and web-savvy audience of 35 to 45 year olds that several holidays a year, including packages, flights, ski holidays and cruises. Harvest Digital partner Emma Wilson added that Thomas Cook is the oldest name in travel but has a very contemporary approach within its sales channels. Also Thomas Cook Signature has won the award for Best Long Haul Operator at last years British Travel Awards, receiving 31% of the vote, while in 2002 Thomas Cook India Ltd has been awarded the Institute of Directors prestigious Golden Peacock National Award for excellence in corporate governance, awarded for transparency, excellence in conducting business at various levels of management, social and environmental responsibility, ethical business practice and consistent creation of value for all the stake holders. Thomas Cook Group has acquired Elegant Resorts, the Chester-based luxury travel firm with 160 staff and gross assets of  £22m. Thomas Cook acquired Hotels4U.com from Centurion Holiday Group for an initial  £22m. This company closed 150 travel shops and six offices throughout the country with the loss of up to 2,800 jobs, affecting sites in Rochdale, Manchester, Rawtenstall and Denton; not only this but Thomas Cook based 40 head office jobs in London following its merger with Mytravel, but this is not expected to affect the jobs at its existing headquarters in Peterborough. Apart from this, Thomas Cook of Peterborough merged with MyTravel of Rochdale to form a combined holidays business with more than 32,000 staff, Thomas Cook is to conduct a strategic review of its UK tour operating business, prompting speculation that it will seek buyers for Club 18-30, Style villa holidays, Neilson skiing and Sun World. Accenture has won a  £110m 10-year contract from Thomas Cook to set up an IT and finance service centre, which will involve the transfer of about 400 Thomas Cook staff. Thomas Cook has launched a branded digital TV channel, which features its full range of holidays and other travel products; also reduced costs in its European travel business by shedding 2,600 jobs, closing 100 shops and grounding four aircraft. Today, Thomas Cook is a leading travel company and one of the most widely recognised and respected brands in the world. Employing over 11,000 staff, Thomas Cook operates throughout a network of 616 locations in the UK and overseas. The company is wholly owned by Thomas Cook AG (formerly CN Touristic AG), which announced its acquisition of Thomas Cook in December 2004 and was granted EC approval in March 2005. (Marvell, 2005) Thomas Cook AG is now the second largest travel group in Europe and the third largest in the world. One reason for the companys longevity and continued success is its commitment to providing exceptional service. Thomas Cook once described himself as the willing and devoted servant of the travelling public. Today, 160 years after his pioneering excursion, these words remain a fitting epithet to the company he founded. (Bloch and Segev, 1997) Thomas Cook, a major UK Tour Operator, has signed an agreement to pilot AXS-Ones new AXSPoint(R) electronic invoice delivery service to travel agents. The new AXSPoint service, which has been approved by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), a UK regulatory body for use by tour operators holding an Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL), will eliminate the need for tour operators to issue hard copy invoices to travel agents, thereby providing tour operators such as Thomas Cook Holidays with potential savings of up to 80 percent on their annual invoice distribution costs. For travel agents involved in the Pilot program, invoices will now arrive electronically on the same day as dispatch. The AXSPoint service will offer travel agents the ability to automatically match and reconcile invoices to bookings, thereby reducing administration costs and allowing quicker turn-around of invoices to the agents customer. (Richer and James, 1998) The AXSPoint service will significantly enhance the service we provide to our travel agent customers and the service they provide their customers in turn, commented Manny Fontenla Novoa, Chief Executive Officer, Thomas Cook (UK). The speed and efficiency of electronic distribution will reduce our costs considerably while benefiting agents and customers alike. Commenting on the development, Mark Donkersley, Managing Director, AXS-One UK, said: While Thomas Cook is the first tour operator to pilot this system, we are receiving strong interest from other tour operators and travel agents. The issuing of paper invoices has been expensive to tour operators and agents alike in terms of money, time and customer service. Today, this activity costs the regulated tour industry over $25 million per year and we are currently working with the leaders of this sector to bring them on board our system. By providing these services electronically, and securely, we save them a considerable amount of money, while at the same time adding value to each part of the distribution chain and generating recurring revenue streams for AXS-One. (Richer and James, 1998) Superficially, the differences between Thomas Cook AG and other agencies are evident, as one is a national tour operator, while the others are global travel conglomerates. Nevertheless, if we examine deeper below the surface and truly analyze other companies, we can appreciate the great difference between Cook and others’ services. All the agencies have become trusted and highly respected in their markets, as well as being among the best-known names in them, but Cook’s services is most appreciated by his customers. This is the reasons his company is the most preferred one. Thus, we can infer that Cook has the same presence and effect in his comparative market, it being tour operation in the U.S. for other companies and the world for Thomas Cook AG. (Trochim, 2001) STA Travel Company To be responsive to their globally dispersed and culturally diverse customer base STA Travel sought to â€Å"delegate as much autonomy, responsibility and authority as close to the action as possible,† while using a single integrated information system â€Å"to provide global support and solutions when that can improve their experience.† They described this philosophy, ‘as local as possible, as global as necessary’. An evolving business strategy called One Company sought to â€Å"align business operations with customer needs across the world†. Global teams were charged with developing and delivering â€Å"a single supplier strategy, one service standard, one set of operating standards and guidelines for management of our corporate identity†. To support that model the company was providing BLUEe, â€Å"a single sales and booking system to every STA Travel point of purchase backed by a single network, infrastructure, finance, and reporting syst em.† (Trochim, 2001) To ensure they remained â€Å"as local as possible,† each major country maintained its own sales and marketing arms. While most country’s home web page was consistent in look and feel, country marketers were each free to design their marketing campaigns including methods to harness the internet. The US office, for instance had run a successful viral marketing campaign called â€Å"body shots,† intended to promote spring break in the U.S. They had also initiated advertising on Facebook and Myspace, two sites popular with the demographics desirable by the firm. The STA Travel U.S. website, itself was a popular destination, registering some 600,000 unique visitors each month. Over 400,000 customers and prospective customers also contact the U.S. Division each month by email. The STA Travel’s North American division’s had initiated development of STATRAVEL193.COM, a highly interactive web site featuring video reports from STA customers about travel destinations. (Gall Borg, 2003)They had also been the first division to explore the possibilities of Second Life as a marketing tool. The idea had received a welcome endorsement, and a matching investment, from STA Travels headquarters in the U.K. Craig Hepburn, STA Travels Global Webmaster, was responsible for the content management system that fed the various country websites and that was being rolled out throughout the world. His team had also supported development of personalized travel blogs, that allowed STA Travel customers to document their travel. Hepburn was enthusiastic about SL as a marketing channel, but knew it would be met with resistance by the marketing departments in other countries. The initial strategy STA Travel had conceived for their web presence had two prongs. The first element was to create several destination islands to attract prospective travelers. For instance, one idea was to create an island featuring the great wall of China. The second element of the plan was to hold a machinima competition among current Second Life residents. Machinima, a style of movie making, uses avatars as members of the cast; the movie is then filmed in the context of a virtual wor Analysis of Holiday Tour Operators Analysis of Holiday Tour Operators Chapter 1: Introduction Outline This research focuses on three UK holiday companies Kuoni, Thomas Cook and STA Travel and their marketing strategies. This research is comprised of following chapters: Rationale This study highlights many issues related to marketing of tourism companies; more specifically it will be looking at the three companies mentioned above and will be giving a broad analysis to marketing strategy as a marketing tool. The purpose of this dissertation is to conduct a detailed analysis on three different UK holiday companies which are Kuoni, Thomas Cook and STA Travel, who target different segments of the market. I believe that this investigation will broaden my understanding of the tourism marketing as well as the techniques and strategies that they use as a key factor to their success. (Morgan, 2001)Overall I believe that it is an interesting area to study because I can use and demonstrate while conducting this investigation the skills and knowledge that I had obtained while studying my degree. In addition, I have chosen to carry out my dissertation on the following three companies, because I believe that they differ in their market segmentation, however they have a common goal and they are competitors. I would like to introduce the companies that I will be focusing on and provide some brief introduction for each of them. But first of all let us talk about the role of tour operators. (Wang, 2002) Tour operators today play a very important role in creating the images of destinations. In this global capacity, they can significantly influence international tourism flows towards a country hit by safety and security risks. Even decisions of individual tourists on where to spend a holiday very often depend on the attitude and practice of tour operators towards a particular destination. But people have their own choices and preferences. In this paper we are going to analyse Kuoni, Thomas Cook and STA Travel tourism and travelling services as this is one of the best tour operator agencies world wide and the first choice of tourists. (Buhalis, 2001) From 1950 to 1998 the number of international tourist arrivals in the world increased from 25 million to 635 million (WTO 1999b), with an average annual increase of 6.97%. Over the past 15 years, international tourism receipts have grown 1.5 times faster than world GDP, with no signs of slowing down. In 1998 international tourism accounted for an estimated 8% of the worlds total earnings and 37% of exports in the service sector (WTO 1999a). According to data from the International Monetary Fund, in 1998 international tourism receipts and passenger transport amounted to more than $504 billion, putting it ahead of all other categories of international trade (automotive products, chemicals, food, petroleum and other fuels, computer and office equipment, textiles and clothing, mining products, etc.). (Driver, 1999) This rapid development of international tourism can partly be explained by the xxpackage holidays promoted nationally and internationally. Indeed, tour operators represent one of the most powerful and most influential entities in the tourism industry. They have a strong influence on international flows from main generating markets to various destinations. According to World Tourism Organization estimates, tour operators nowadays have a share of about 25% in the total international tourism market. This means that in 2000 tour operators organized at least 175 million international tourism trips. Therefore, the success of many destinations depends on whether foreign tour operators include them in their programs. (Buhalis, 1998) Travel Industry As the travel industry consists of numerous sectors and divisions, companies within the industry vary greatly in their activities and the segments of the market they are involved in. Three of them Kuoni, Thomas Cook and STA Travel leaders in their respective field and I would like to commence with Kuoni in the following segment. (Riege, 2000) Introduction to Kuoni, Thomas Cook and STA Travel Companies Kuoni Travel Holding Ltd. oversees one of Europes top five travel and tour groups. Based in Zurich, Switzerland, the company is particularly strong in both its domestic and U.K. markets, but is also present throughout Europe, especially in Scandinavia, with a rising presence in the United States and Asian markets. Kuoni Travel operates in three primary areas of business: Leisure Travel, which accounts for more than 85 percent of the companys sales; Business Travel, through its BTI unit, which handles travel coordination activities for the small and mid-sized and large-scale corporation markets; and Incoming Services, which provides travel destination services, such as touring and sightseeing packages. (Morrison, 1994)The company markets it high-end tours and travel packages under the Kuoni name. Discount travel packages are offered under the Helvetica brand name. Switzerland remains the companys single largest market, representing slightly less than one-third of its total sales. The U.K. and North American markets together provide less than one-third of sales. The European continent, including Scandinavia, added another roughly 30 percent to Kuonis total sales, which topped SFr 4 billion in 1996. (Schonland and Williams, 1996) Kuoni has been stepping up the pace of its acquisitions at the turn of the century. After being disapponited in its attempt to merge with the United Kingdoms First Choice Holidays Plc, which would have helped the company create a counterweight to Europes market-leading Preussag-Thomson alliance announced in early 1999, Kuoni has changed direction, targeting the Scandinavian, Indian, and North American markets for its future growth. (Weber and Roehl, 1999)Listed on the Swiss stock exchange, Kuoni is led by Chairman Daniel Affolter and President and CEO Hans Lerch. (Bonn and Furr, 1999) A native of Chur, Switzerland, Alfred Kuoni moved to Zurich to open a travel agency in 1906. If the companys nameTravel Bureauwas not all that original, Kuoni quickly established itself as a pioneer in exotic travel destinations. One of the companys first organized tour packages took Swiss citizens on a guided tour to far-off Egypt. (Hu, 1996) In 1925, Kuoni reincorporated as a joint-stock company, with shares remaining within the Kuoni family. Through the years leading up to World War II, Kuoni expanded from its original location to include a number of sales offices throughout Switzerland. Despite its success in its home market, the company recognized early on that Switzerland was too small for its growing ambitions. The company also opened its first international office, in Nice, in the south of France. Further international moves were not realised due to the buildup to and outbreak of World War II. (Baker and Hozier, 1994) Kuonis international expansion began almost immediately after the end of the war. In 1948, the company opened its first international subsidiaries, in Italy and France. Kuoni also continued to venture to new and exotic travel destinations, such as the organization of the first charter flights to Africa. (Pizam and Mansfeld, 1999)In 1957, the Kuoni family established the Kuoni and Hugentobler Foundation under which to group their holding; much later, with Kuonis public listing, the foundation would became the companys primary shareholder. (Dev and Olsen, 2000) Thomas Cook AG is an international leisure group, created in 2000 by CN Touristics purchase of Britains Thomas Cook Holdings Ltd., with roots tracing back to 1841. (Bitner and Booms, 1982 )The company is represented in the sales markets of Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Egypt, India and Canada, providing products and services in most market segments, including airlines, hotels, tour operators, travel and incoming agencies. Thomas Cook AG is the third largest integrated tourism group in the world, serving some 14 million customers. Thomas Cook AG, encompasses 32 tour operators and around 3,600 travel agencies, selling the groups products worldwide, as well as a portfolio of 76,000 controlled hotel beds, a fleet of 87 aircraft and a workforce numbering some 28,000. Its services also include travel shops and charter airlines. (Koh, 1995) Evidently, the scale of operations of Thomas Cook AG in his respective market, has allowed him to realize economy of scale, affording a strong advantage over competition and in turn benefiting his clients. Because of the large volume of business provided to many resorts by Cook, he currently have excellent buying power, enabling him to negotiate the best possible airfare, hotel rates and transfer rates, which are translated into attractive selling prices, better rooms and overall greater value for his clients. Numerically, Cook has realized triumphs and broken records in his area. In 1993, Thomas Cook AG excels, as it achieved sales of some eight billion Euros and served more that 13 million customers in the 2001-2002 financial year alone. (Ioannides and Debbage, 1997)In appreciation of his expertise and as an acknowledgement of his proficiency in his operations, Thomas Cook AG has both received numerous awards and tributes over the years for a variety of enterprises. For example, th e Mexican government awarded the Best Tour Operator Worldwide Award in 1998. Thomas Cook AG is nominated every year in several categories in the World Travel Awards, as well as having its various subsidiaries and companies receive numerous awards worldwide. (Riege and Perry, 2000) STA Travel, a subsidiary of privately held Diethelm Keller Holding Ltd., markets itself as â€Å"the world’s largest student travel organization helping students travel in over 90 countries.† STA Travel specializes in student travel, a market niche accounting for approximately 20% of all travel bookings. In 2005 STA Travel reported revenues of 215 Million CHF (Swiss Francs) on total transactions of 1,542 CHF, down from 241 on 1539 the previous year. That same year, the firms 2,358 employees working from 375 travel agency offices in 17 countries and through franchises in 83 others, provided travel advice and booking services to approximately 6 million travelers. (Fick and Ritchie, 1991) Founded in 1979, STA Travel had grown and expanded its global reach through a series of mergers and acquisitions. While the brand well known in parts of Europe and Australia, where it had operated for many years, STA Travel’s US brand, born with the acquisition in 2003 of Council Travel, was still less well known. Historically, STA Travel reached its customers through retail travel agencies, many located near or on college campuses. Beginning in the 1990’s, however, the internet brought new online competitors. Among these were Student Universe and Student City as well as less focused on line providers of travel services including Travelocity and Expedia. By 2007 the internet was predicted to account for more bookings than offline alternatives. Aims and Objectives Following are the aims and objectives of this study: Introduction to Kuoni Holiday Company Introduction to Thomas Cook Holiday Company Introduction to STA Travel Holiday Company Marketing strategy of these companies Research Questions The study seeks to answer the following questions: â€Å"An investigation into the marketing strategy of three UK holiday companies who target the different sections of society with reference to their marketing strategy.† (Kuoni, Thomas Cook and STA Travel) Chapter 2: Literature Review Role of Tour Operators The role of tour operators unlike the travel agencies who sell holiday and a range of other travel products tour operators actually assemble the component parts of a holiday, package holidays i.e. the means of travel, accommodation, facilities, transfers, excursion and other services. The famous name which comes into my minds is Thomas Cook for their packages and services. (Field, 1999) If we consider that the travel agents are the retailer arm of the travel business, then the tour operators can be linked to wholesalers, since they buy in bulk from the providers of travel services, such as the hoteliers and airlines, break the bulk into manageable packages and offer the finished product the inclusive tour for sale to the travel agencies or direct to the consumer. (Kaynama and Black, 2000) Peace, safety, and security are the primary conditions for the normal tourism development of a destination, region, or country and thus are the basic determinants of its growth. Without them, destinations cannot successfully compete on the generating markets, even if they present in their marketing campaigns the most attractive and best quality natural and built attractions. Tourism contributes to peace as much as it benefits from it (Savignac 1994). According to Pizam (1999), every minute of every day a crime or a violent act occurs at a destination somewhere in the world. At the same time, it would be difficult to deny that many types of safety risks co-exist in everyones daily lives, and within tourism as well. However, an important difference exists: People are rarely in a position to change their place of living, but nothing can force them to spend a holiday in a place that they perceive as insecure. (Kaynama and Black, 2000)The basic requirement of contemporary demand is higher quality supply and services, and that quality has become the most important factor in the existing climate and development of that demand. But usually do not mention factors which are the condition sine qua non—peace, safety, and security, now generally taken for granted. Any threats to the safety of tourists causes a decrease or total absence of activity, not only in a particular destination, but also very often in neighbouring regions or countries as well. Consequently, since tourism is an important contributor to national economies, host countries will find it necessary to take substantial measures to bring the country hit by crisis back onto the market as quickly as possible. Taking the example of three companies discussed below we further try to explore their role and business strategy. (Medlik and Wang, 2002) Kuoni, Holiday Company Kuoni began looking farther afield in the 1960s. In 1963, the company made its first entry into the Asian markets with the opening of a branch office in Japan. (Medlik and Wang, 2002 )Two years later, Kuoni entered what was later to become one of its most important single markets when it acquired the United Kingdoms Challis Benson Ltd. The importance of the U.K. market to Kuoni was seen at the beginning of the 1970s when the company changed its nameand its U.K. operations nameto Kuoni Travel Ltd. (Buhalis, 1998) The companys listing on the Swiss stock exchange provided fuel for new growth, while opening up the companys shares to new partners, including SwissAir, which built up a 30 percent share in Kuoni. The public listing enabled the company to step up its international growth. After opening a subsidiary in Austria at the beginning of the decade, Kuoni now launched subsidiaries in Germany and Spain, both in 1973, and a subsidiary in Greece the following year. The year 1974 also saw Kuoni step up its position in the U.K. market, when it acquired Houlders World Holidays, based in England. (Buhalis, 1998) While building up its international network, Kuoni also was launching new products. In 1977, the company began marketing its first around-the-world tour. In the 1980s, Kuoni began to acquire properties in many of its most popular destinations, adding a number of hotels, including the Hawksbill Beach Hotel in Antigua in 1981 and the Discovery Bay Beach Hotel in Barbados, bought in 1984. In 1986, Kuoni became the first tour operator to offer around-the-world charter flights on the Concorde supersonic jet. (Morrison, 1996)Although this latter product catered to the companys strong high-end and high-margin clientele, Kuoni also launched a new brand name, Helvetica, to encompass its discount tour and travel operations. The worldwide travel industry remained highly fragmented in the 1990s, with numerous small-scale operators competing against a smaller number of quickly growing industry heavyweights. Kuoni, which had already captured the lead in the Swiss market, was determined to maintain a leadership position as the travel industry headed into a drawn-out consolidation drive leading up to the turn of the century. The company acquired Reiseburo NUR Neckermann in 1987, boosting its position in the Austrian market. Three years later, the company regrouped its Austrian activities, launching the NUR Neckermann Reisen AG joint venture with Germanys Neckermann Touristic. Kuonis part of the joint venture remained at 49 percent. (Morrison, 1996) Back home, the company continued to consolidate its dominance of the Swiss market, acquiring Privat Safaris, the countrys leading operator of tours to eastern Africa, and Reiseburo Popularis, which combined retail offices with direct sales operations marketing discount tour and travel packages. Yet Kuonis strong position in the Swiss market and its growing share internationally soon led it to become the target of a takeover attempt. The sale of SwissAirs 30 percent holding created the opening for Germanys Krauthof AG department store group to acquire a 50.1 percent majority of Kuoni in 1992. (Middleton, Clarke, 2001) Kuoni, through the Kuoni and Hugentobler Foundation, nonetheless retained majority control of the companys voting rightswhich provided the leverage to the resolution of the takeover attempt. In 1995, the Kuoni and Hugentobler Foundation bought out Krauthofs stake in the company. The company then changed its name to Kuoni Travel Holding, a move that also reflected a new diversification drive: in 1995 the company acquired Danzas Reisen AG, a Switzerland-based specialist in business travel services. The Danzas acquisition led Kuoni to create a dedicated business travel unit. The company also acquired retailer Kewi Reisen, while integrating its majority share of Railtour Suiss SA, acquired the year before. With its independence assured, Kuoni launched its own acquisition drive in the late 1990s. In 1996, Kuoni added Frances Voice SA, and Scanditours, focused on the Nordic region. (Middleton, Clarke, 2001)The company moved into The Netherlands with the acquisition of Special Traffic that same year. Kuoni also looked to the potentially huge market of India for the first time, acquiring SOTC Holiday Tours, which provided the basis for its Kuoni India Ltd. subsidiary. Two other acquisitions completed the companys busy years, those of Rotunda Tours, expanding Kuoni into South Africa, and CIS Intersport, a Swiss company catering to the growing demand for sports-oriented holiday packages. In 1996, also, the companys Edelweiss Air launched its charter flight operations. (Walle, 1996) Kuonis expansion campaign continued strongly through the end of the century, including the launch of the P O Travel Ltd. joint venture with Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, based in Hong Kong, with offices in Bangkok and Singapore. The 1997 joint venture strengthened Kuonis position in the Asian market, which, despite the austere economic climate in the region at the end of the decade, promised to become one of the worlds stronger holiday markets. Closer to home, Kuoni continued lining up acquisitions, especially Voyages Jules Verne, a U.K. upscale tour operator, and Switzerlands Manta Reisen, which specialized in scuba and other deep-sea holidays. The company also acquired German business travel specialist Euro Lloyd Reisenburo, which it combined with its other German operations into the new subsidiary BTI Euro Lloyd, one of that markets top five business travel companies. Also in 1998, Kuoni launched a joint venture with Italys Gastaldi Tours. The next year Kuoni face a major setback. At the beginning of 1999, the company announced its agreement to merge with the United Kingdoms number three travel operator, First Choice Holidays. The merger, agreed to by both sides, was thwarted by a surprise takeover attempt from rival U.K. operator Airtours Plc, which offered a higher per-share price. When the majority of First Choices shareholders chose to back the Airtours offerwhich itself was blocked by the European monopolies commissionKuoni pulled out of the merger talks. The First Choice merger might have allowed Kuoni to become not only a major player in the U.K. travel market but to boost its position to the top ranks in all of Europe. After the collapse of the merger, however, Kuoni redirected its strategy to other markets. Three markets in particular were to receive its attention: the United States, Scandinavia, and India. In 1999, Kuoni acquired upscale travel company Intrav, based in St. Louis, Missouri; the Intrav acquisition, which cost Kuoni $115 million, gave it a strong opening into the booming U.S. market for luxury vacations. The following year, the company acquired T Pro, an incoming services specialist based in New York and the number three incoming services provider to the U.S. market. The year 2000 saw Kuoni not only strengthen its hold on the Swiss travel markettaking a 49 percent share in ITV, Switzerlands third largest tour group and subsidiary of Germanys Preussagbut also expand its presence in its new target markets of Scandinavia and India. The first was served by the acquisition of 49 percent of Apollo Resor, based in Stockholm, Sweden, and then boosted by the acquisition of Denmarks Dane Tours. In March 2001, the company announced its decision to restructure most of its Scandinavian holdings into a single subsidiary. Thomas Cook Holiday Company Thomascook.com has pledged to bring in a quarter of sales through its website in 2006 and appointed a new digital agency to plan and buy all online media.The move will include an increase in online advertising spend of around 50% and will see an integration between traditional campaigns in print and outdoor with online marketing. Harvest Digital will take on all online media planning and buying through existing travel portals, plus drive a new strategy with the likes of Metro.co.uk, GM.TV and the Lonely Planet websites.Head of online marketing at Thomas Cook, Manuel Mascarenhas, said: â€Å"We selected Harvest Digital because they have delivered on an imaginative plan, using competitions, contextual advertising and sponsorships against tight CPA targets. They have a core audience of repeat bookers and want to ensure we continue to acquire new customers online. The new marketing strategy will target what has been labelled the lucrative and web-savvy audience of 35 to 45 year olds that several holidays a year, including packages, flights, ski holidays and cruises. Harvest Digital partner Emma Wilson added that Thomas Cook is the oldest name in travel but has a very contemporary approach within its sales channels. Also Thomas Cook Signature has won the award for Best Long Haul Operator at last years British Travel Awards, receiving 31% of the vote, while in 2002 Thomas Cook India Ltd has been awarded the Institute of Directors prestigious Golden Peacock National Award for excellence in corporate governance, awarded for transparency, excellence in conducting business at various levels of management, social and environmental responsibility, ethical business practice and consistent creation of value for all the stake holders. Thomas Cook Group has acquired Elegant Resorts, the Chester-based luxury travel firm with 160 staff and gross assets of  £22m. Thomas Cook acquired Hotels4U.com from Centurion Holiday Group for an initial  £22m. This company closed 150 travel shops and six offices throughout the country with the loss of up to 2,800 jobs, affecting sites in Rochdale, Manchester, Rawtenstall and Denton; not only this but Thomas Cook based 40 head office jobs in London following its merger with Mytravel, but this is not expected to affect the jobs at its existing headquarters in Peterborough. Apart from this, Thomas Cook of Peterborough merged with MyTravel of Rochdale to form a combined holidays business with more than 32,000 staff, Thomas Cook is to conduct a strategic review of its UK tour operating business, prompting speculation that it will seek buyers for Club 18-30, Style villa holidays, Neilson skiing and Sun World. Accenture has won a  £110m 10-year contract from Thomas Cook to set up an IT and finance service centre, which will involve the transfer of about 400 Thomas Cook staff. Thomas Cook has launched a branded digital TV channel, which features its full range of holidays and other travel products; also reduced costs in its European travel business by shedding 2,600 jobs, closing 100 shops and grounding four aircraft. Today, Thomas Cook is a leading travel company and one of the most widely recognised and respected brands in the world. Employing over 11,000 staff, Thomas Cook operates throughout a network of 616 locations in the UK and overseas. The company is wholly owned by Thomas Cook AG (formerly CN Touristic AG), which announced its acquisition of Thomas Cook in December 2004 and was granted EC approval in March 2005. (Marvell, 2005) Thomas Cook AG is now the second largest travel group in Europe and the third largest in the world. One reason for the companys longevity and continued success is its commitment to providing exceptional service. Thomas Cook once described himself as the willing and devoted servant of the travelling public. Today, 160 years after his pioneering excursion, these words remain a fitting epithet to the company he founded. (Bloch and Segev, 1997) Thomas Cook, a major UK Tour Operator, has signed an agreement to pilot AXS-Ones new AXSPoint(R) electronic invoice delivery service to travel agents. The new AXSPoint service, which has been approved by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), a UK regulatory body for use by tour operators holding an Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL), will eliminate the need for tour operators to issue hard copy invoices to travel agents, thereby providing tour operators such as Thomas Cook Holidays with potential savings of up to 80 percent on their annual invoice distribution costs. For travel agents involved in the Pilot program, invoices will now arrive electronically on the same day as dispatch. The AXSPoint service will offer travel agents the ability to automatically match and reconcile invoices to bookings, thereby reducing administration costs and allowing quicker turn-around of invoices to the agents customer. (Richer and James, 1998) The AXSPoint service will significantly enhance the service we provide to our travel agent customers and the service they provide their customers in turn, commented Manny Fontenla Novoa, Chief Executive Officer, Thomas Cook (UK). The speed and efficiency of electronic distribution will reduce our costs considerably while benefiting agents and customers alike. Commenting on the development, Mark Donkersley, Managing Director, AXS-One UK, said: While Thomas Cook is the first tour operator to pilot this system, we are receiving strong interest from other tour operators and travel agents. The issuing of paper invoices has been expensive to tour operators and agents alike in terms of money, time and customer service. Today, this activity costs the regulated tour industry over $25 million per year and we are currently working with the leaders of this sector to bring them on board our system. By providing these services electronically, and securely, we save them a considerable amount of money, while at the same time adding value to each part of the distribution chain and generating recurring revenue streams for AXS-One. (Richer and James, 1998) Superficially, the differences between Thomas Cook AG and other agencies are evident, as one is a national tour operator, while the others are global travel conglomerates. Nevertheless, if we examine deeper below the surface and truly analyze other companies, we can appreciate the great difference between Cook and others’ services. All the agencies have become trusted and highly respected in their markets, as well as being among the best-known names in them, but Cook’s services is most appreciated by his customers. This is the reasons his company is the most preferred one. Thus, we can infer that Cook has the same presence and effect in his comparative market, it being tour operation in the U.S. for other companies and the world for Thomas Cook AG. (Trochim, 2001) STA Travel Company To be responsive to their globally dispersed and culturally diverse customer base STA Travel sought to â€Å"delegate as much autonomy, responsibility and authority as close to the action as possible,† while using a single integrated information system â€Å"to provide global support and solutions when that can improve their experience.† They described this philosophy, ‘as local as possible, as global as necessary’. An evolving business strategy called One Company sought to â€Å"align business operations with customer needs across the world†. Global teams were charged with developing and delivering â€Å"a single supplier strategy, one service standard, one set of operating standards and guidelines for management of our corporate identity†. To support that model the company was providing BLUEe, â€Å"a single sales and booking system to every STA Travel point of purchase backed by a single network, infrastructure, finance, and reporting syst em.† (Trochim, 2001) To ensure they remained â€Å"as local as possible,† each major country maintained its own sales and marketing arms. While most country’s home web page was consistent in look and feel, country marketers were each free to design their marketing campaigns including methods to harness the internet. The US office, for instance had run a successful viral marketing campaign called â€Å"body shots,† intended to promote spring break in the U.S. They had also initiated advertising on Facebook and Myspace, two sites popular with the demographics desirable by the firm. The STA Travel U.S. website, itself was a popular destination, registering some 600,000 unique visitors each month. Over 400,000 customers and prospective customers also contact the U.S. Division each month by email. The STA Travel’s North American division’s had initiated development of STATRAVEL193.COM, a highly interactive web site featuring video reports from STA customers about travel destinations. (Gall Borg, 2003)They had also been the first division to explore the possibilities of Second Life as a marketing tool. The idea had received a welcome endorsement, and a matching investment, from STA Travels headquarters in the U.K. Craig Hepburn, STA Travels Global Webmaster, was responsible for the content management system that fed the various country websites and that was being rolled out throughout the world. His team had also supported development of personalized travel blogs, that allowed STA Travel customers to document their travel. Hepburn was enthusiastic about SL as a marketing channel, but knew it would be met with resistance by the marketing departments in other countries. The initial strategy STA Travel had conceived for their web presence had two prongs. The first element was to create several destination islands to attract prospective travelers. For instance, one idea was to create an island featuring the great wall of China. The second element of the plan was to hold a machinima competition among current Second Life residents. Machinima, a style of movie making, uses avatars as members of the cast; the movie is then filmed in the context of a virtual wor