Ethics In Group Counseling Essay Example for Free

Ethics In Group Counseling Essay Abstract This essay provides information about ethics, as defined and regulated in the practice of counseling or therapy sessions. Furthermore, this essay looks closely at the intricacies of ethical issues in counseling and group therapies and how these compare to the ethical issues in individual therapies. It also touches on the importance of co-leadership in group therapies and the dynamics of the relationship between the leader and the co-leader. This essay also covers in great detail, the reasons why therapists prefer to conduct group therapies over individual therapies and vice versa. Ethics in Group Counseling Ethics – Defined Ethics has various meanings. Many counselors see ethics as a code of conduct or a set of moral values. Some counselors emphasize the legal principles and ramifications of certain behavior during counseling sessions, while others put a high priority on the cultural norms or societal standards brought forth within the counseling practice (Hill, 2004).Code of conduct and set of moral values go hand in hand (Hill, 2004). These are guidelines of the â€Å"do’s and don’ts† in counseling. Just as God has given us guidelines for effective and joyful leading through the ten commandments Exodus 20:1-20 (New International Version) and the examples of Christ in the New Testament, along with the epistles and letters of apostles and disciples like Paul, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, so should the majority of the professional groups or sub-groups such as the counseling industry also have moral codes of conducts, procedures and laws. These behavioral conduct principles are geare d towards counselors for high efficiency and success rates in therapy sessions (Hill, 2004). They help maintain the integrity of the counselor which helps maintain the trust between the therapist and the patient. There are inconsistencies and discrepancies with these moral values or code of conducts (Jennings et al., 2005).Many professionals put precedence over  rules and regulations, just as many Christians can be overly zealous with God’s commands that they miss out in creating and maintaining meaningful relationships. Many counselors can also miss out on the strengths of relationships as they focus on just the foundational moral values they bring into their professions (Jennings et al., 2005) In other words, it is not merely enough to go by the â€Å"codes† in one’s profession. These codes can be too broad. One’s beliefs, interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, justice and sound mind should also be a direct and large part in the ethical behavior of a counselor. Each profession, including the counseling profession must create a balance or equi librium for such rules. Legal principles, on the other hand, are governing standards that are defined to create safety nets around the counselor and around the client. Legal principles not only define the boundaries between the client and the counselor, they also define the legal consequences if such boundaries are neglected or abused (Hill, 2004). Legal principles for psychological counseling include the stringent process of handling complaints from clients. As in any law-governing body or group, complaints must be handled efficiently and efficiencies depend on the protocols and guidelines constituted by specific bodies such as the American Psychological Association or the APA. Legal principles also include the issuance and the renewal of counseling or social work licenses. Each state has a governing body that overlooks the issuance and the renewals of licenses, as well as the insurance procedures including liability claims for counseling professionals Cultural norms or societal standards are highly regulated principles set forth by a certain group within a profession. For instance, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs regulate the principles and procedures within the counseling profession. The principles set forth are guidance procedures that keep the professionals professional, and the clients protected. Such accrediting bodies or regulatory agencies also set forth educational and professional backgrounds for counselors to adhere to or live by. In other words, counseling groups require their professionals to attain certain amount of education, training and experience to ensure that their professionals are skilled and prepared to counsel clients from various diversities and cultural and emotional backgrounds (Hill, 2004). The counselor’s competence is a priority. The main  issue, when it comes to competence, is the fact that the counselor has built ample set of skills, through education and experience, in order to effectively, successfully and ethically counsel others relationally (Jennings et al., 2005) After all, psychologists are professionals who use most of their time observing human behavior and experiences and interpreting these into progressive theorie s that can benefit others mentally and emotionally in their physical, social and environmental relationships. The professional must know how to deal with people and this includes listening, suggesting, advising and creating plans for individuals. These plans can highly affect the individuals’ self-esteem and progress. Ethical issues in social work group settings are challenging (Gumpert Black, 2006). It’s far more complex than what the general public knows about. One of the ethical standards is that the group leader must have ample amount of experience in different types of group settings; must have a very extensive perspective; and must be equipped to face the obstacles and complexities that rise more commonly in group settings (Gumpert Black, 2006). Therapists must be able to overcome conflicts and tackle crises (Amato, Blase, Paley, 2000). Therefore, the therapist must be skilled in screening potential group members (Amato et al., 2000, p. 12) Conflicts are inevitable in any group setting because individuals are made up of different personalities, educational and socio-economic backgrounds and mental, physical and emotional capabilities. Ethical issues are important because they help the therapists understand their clients and embrace the diversity at hand. Spiritual background should also be considered because ethical issues also take into consideration the spiritual backgrounds, values and beliefs of the individuals. Ethical Issues Unique to Group Settings Some of the ethical issues in professional group counseling include the highly confidential nature of group sessions and the challenges counselors have in refraining members from communicating with each other outside the group settings. As simple as these guidelines sound, it is difficult for the counselor to ensure these principles. After all human beings are relational beings. (Gumpert Black, 2006). We are all inclined to create relationships as we understand ourselves and each other. These relationships have defined boundaries. In group counseling, one of the most important boundaries to  remember is to refrain from sharing private or confidential information gathered in the group outside the group. Additionally, the demand for confidentiality in the counseling profession is one that can be neglected and can inevitably cause detrimental effects not just for the group but for individual as well (Gumpert Black, 2006). With this confidentiality at hand, the trust issues are at stake and one that should be monitored closely and on a regular basis. The consequences of violating the confidentiality clause in any group therapy must be introduced and must constantly be re-visited on a regular basis. It is that important. Communication with other members of the group also propels another problem in ethics amongst counseling professionals. It creates a breach of contract among the group members (Gumpert Black, 2006). Once this breach of contract is violated, the professionalism and the integrity of the counseling group is in a dangerous and delicate stage and one that can keep the group from progressing and the individual members from succeeding in their therapy goals. One of the ethical issues in group counseling is of control, or the lack thereof. According to Haeseler, group therapists have lesser amount of control over what happens in group counseling sessions compared to individual therapy sessions (Amato, Blase, Paley, 2000). Haesler has conducted both group and individual art therapies. She concluded that although group sessions can encourage member interactions, certain members can affect other members in a negative way (Amato et al., 2000). Not only are human beings relational beings, we are also influential beings. We strive to persuade others as much as we strive to encourage one another. In group therapies, this need to influence others can be too strong that it creates a sense of peer pressure. (Amato et al., 2000) Although not all peer pressures are bad (because we can pressure others into doing what is morally correct) it is one that should be highly monitored in the groups. Every member of the group should be comfortable to freely state their feelings, thoughts and ideas and not be pressured or be influenced by other members to do or say what doesn’t come sincerely from our hearts. (Amato et al., 2000) Choosing Group Therapy over Individual Therapy Group therapies are as important as individual therapies. Many therapists  choose to conduct group therapies because in groups, members tend to feel a sense of equality (Banks, 2005) with other members, as opposed to having one authority (the counselor) and one individual (client or subject). Additionally, some people actually thrive better in groups because they like to share with others and may not feel very comfortable with having to talk to just one person. Group therapies can be the better therapy for people who dislike being by themselves. Group therapies also encourage respect for others (Banks, 2005). Since members are required to actively participate in the group, they are also required to respect other members with their opinions; multi-cultural diversities and various personalities. They are required to allow others to share their experiences with the other members. Members who have learned to adapt to listening to others and learning from them can get better results in their emotional and social levels. Group therapies are also preferred by leaders because of the exhilarating aspect of being more vigilant with members (Banks, 2005) when it comes to conflicts or negative outlooks of certain members. Therefore, group leaders have a stronger sense of keeping things more imaginative and livelier. There is nothing complacent and dull with a group because there are always different dynamics that the leader can face from one moment to the next. Group therapies can keep counselors on their toes, watching out for that dominant talker, or the negative influence in the group. They also try to find more ways for the groups to be more exciting and challenging through different exercises. Interpersonal learning also has a natural way of allowing members to reflect on a topic of issue, based on experiences of other members. Reflections can create thought-provoking questions that invite members to work even harder in probing how they feel or how they see things from another member’s background and experience. Group therapies can create the perfect environment for observation on how we can each impact the lives of others. The members of the group can witness right away the effects of good communication and right attitudes and perceptions in real time within real relationships (Vandenberghe, 2009). There are no hypothetical discussions in group therapies. There are always experiential discussions and narratives in groups. This dynamic is ideal for learning by observation. The more opportunities are given to members for observation and feedback; for sharing and relating, the more progress the group can have as a whole. As the group  progresses as a whole, each individual member can also progress in his or her own level and within his or her own sets of goals. Choosing Individual Therapy Over Group Therapy It is important to look at both sides of therapy. Many therapists prefer group therapies over individual therapies, and vice versa. Therapists who embrace individual therapies believe that group therapies reduce the sense of individualism for the patients (Piper, 2007). In other words, the patient is more likely to be influenced by other members of the group, regarding feedback and participation, rather than be encouraged to be themselves. Sharing is an essential part of therapy and some members are just not adapted to sharing how they feel with others. Therefore, the trust level also diminishes. With one on one therapy, the trust level can be gained in each session, and sometimes almost instantaneously. Many therapists also claim that group therapies are more likely to expose the therapists to personal attacks or criticisms (Piper, 2007). In other words, the observations of other members on how the therapist reacts to another member can create different perceptions of favoritism, in clusion or lack thereof, and can lead other members compelled to attack or even rebuke the therapist. This of course, can take the group therapy to another level which can keep other members from progressing. For many therapists, group therapies are more difficult to plan for or to organize (Piper, 2007). There are more challenges to face. These include the logistics of the group sessions: assembling members as well as generating referrals to keep up or maintain the groups (Piper, 2007). The therapist must be diligent in screening his or potential group members; must take into consideration the different personalities of the members and must highly prioritize the goals set forth in each session. These goals must be aligned to the goals that the members have in joining a group. A mismatch in the goals can create a disaster for all members involved, not to mention misunderstandings and conflicts. Conducting group therapies also requires more training and experience that only a few therapists are equipped with. The therapist must possess leadership and group communications skills and ex perience. Supplemental skills of forming, maintaining and ending a group must also be present, as well as working stage skills such as keeping the focus, creating dyads, and  handling negative members should also be taken into consideration (Jacobs, Masson, Harvill, 2009). This is where co-leadership can come into play. Before conducting groups, counselors must be experienced in co-leadership. The experience can give them better ways of handling conflicts and prepare them in communicating with the members as a whole. Finally, it is always difficult to avoid the subject of â€Å"budget† even in counseling therapies. Many therapists prefer individual therapies because group therapies are still not considered as a common treatment (Piper, 2007) and therefore, many healthcare management systems do not consider them as an essential in the overall well-being of the patient. With the reduction of health care benefits by the health care management companies, the acceptance of group therapy as part of a rigorous treatment plan is still in its minimal level and many group therapy claims are continuously being denied (Piper, 2007). Conclusion Being able to counsel others as a group is a rewarding and fulfilling experience. A good group counselor must be experienced in both group and individual counseling therapies, and must know his or her strengths as well as his or her weaknesses. Most importantly, a good group therapy leader must be well-informed about the ethical practices, issues and limitations of his or her profession. Having an extensive education, well-balanced experience and background, self-awareness and broad knowledge of the ethical issues of group counseling, along with passion to make a difference and good and sound wisdom can help a group therapist succeed and therefore make a tremendous difference in people’s lives. References Amato, L., Blase, C., Paley, S. (2000). Ethics. American Journal of Art Therapy, 39, 12. Banks, R. (2005). Solution-Focused Group Therapy. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 16, 17-21. Freeman, S. J., Engels, D. W., Altekruse, M. (2004). Foundations for Ethical Standards and Codes: The Role of Moral Philosophy and Theory in Ethics. Counseling Values, 48, 163-173. Gumpert, J., Black, P. N. (2006). Ethical Issues in Group Work: What are They? How Are They Managed?. Social Work with Groups, 29, 61-74. Hill, A. L. (2004). Ethical Analysis in Counseling: A Case for Narrative Ethics, Moral Visions and Virtue Ethics. Counseling Values, 48, 131-148. Jacobs, E. E., Masson, R. L., Harvill, R. L. (2009). Group Counseling Strategies and Skills (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. Jennings, L., Sovereign, A., Bottorff, N., Mussell, N., Pederson, M., Vye, C. (2005). Nine Ethical Values of Master Therapists. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 27, 32-47. Luke, M., Hackney, H. (2007). Group Coleadership: A Critical Review. Counselor Education Supervision, 46, 280-293. Piper, W. E. (2007). Underutilization of Short-term Group Therapy: Enigmatic or Understandable?. Psychotherapy Research, 18, 127-138. Urofsky, R. I., Engels, D. W. (2003). Philosophy, Moral Philosophy, and Counseling Ethics: Not an Abstraction. Counseling Values, 47, 118. Vandenberghe, L. (2009). A Functional Analytic approach to Group Psychotherapy. Behavioral Analyst Today, 10, 71-82.

Management Skills in Security

Management Skills in Security Security Management Introduction Although historically security has experienced a relatively low priority in the corporation’s management structure, post the incidents of 9/11 in the US and 7/7 in the UK this situation has changed dramatically. Therefore, the position and skills of security managers is being looked at in a new light. Within this study, the intention is to address the question of whether managerial skills are of more importance than specialist knowledge for security managers. It is the author’s opinion that the likely conclusion of the research undertaken is that, although managerial skills are of paramount importance to a security manager, because of the delicacy of their position a high level of specialist skills are also essential. Security issues Essentially, security is deemed as being a â€Å"protector of resources† (van der Bijl 2005, p.75). As such, its task is to defend a business against loss, theft and damage. This task includes all areas of the operation, including systems, equipment, property, employees and customers. In the commercial sense, this protection level also extends to the future profitability of sensitive data controlled by the business. The security threat to any organisation manifests itself in a number of ways. In the physical sense burglary, criminal damage and attacks against the employee or customer can be a major problem, particular with an organisation such as the NHS (van der Bijl 2005, p.75), where of necessity there is a high degree of open access. In the non-physical sense there is the potential, particularly with the growth of information technology, for a growth in thefts of personal records, business data, damage, and disruption to internal systems. Incidents in any of these areas will have a significant impact upon the organisation in terms of trust, confidence and cost. Addressing these issues, particularly in larger organisations, requires the business to design and implement a security strategy that is efficient and achieves the desired goals. For this strategy to be effective there is a need for a managerial structure that is able to discern the resources required, including personnel, their tasks, operational procedures and deployment. Managerial duties In general terms, the role of a manager is to ensure the achievement of the objectives that have been set, either by directive from higher management or those outlined within his or her job description. This will include strategic planning, organising and coordinating the tasks, then monitoring and controlling the outcome. Therefore, it is important that the manager possesses the relevant personal and knowledge abilities to complete these tasks (Cowling and Mailer 2004, p.50). Although in many ways the duties of a security manager is similar to that of any other managerial position within the business, their role is defined by the specific sector and culture they are working in (Easterby-Smith and Lyle 2003, p.235). Because of the uniqueness of their position, a security manager’s initial task will be concentrated upon assessing the risk. Before a strategy can be developed, he or she will need to ascertain the nature, location and degree of any potential breaches of security. For example, if it is a physical danger they will need to know where the likelihood of this occurring is; what preventative measures, such as CCTV are in place, and how effective they are. Similarly, in areas such as information technology, the manager will need to assess whether existing protective IT measures are sufficient or in need of improvement. Risk assessment in security requires a high level of expertise and, although this can be undertaken by the use of outside consu ltants, it is equally important that the security manager has a reasonable level of relevant skills, as without these there is an increased potential for strategy failure (can der Bijl 2005, p.77). Only if the manager has some understanding of the risk assessment can he or she ensure the implementation of an effective protection strategy. Having established a strategy, the security manager will need to ensure that he or she has sufficient resources to match and fulfil the objectives of that strategy. In a commercial organisation, as Yu-lee (2002) shows, this is not always a straightforward task as there will usually be a requirement to match the cost of additional resources against the benefits they produce. For example, if deploying security lights it must be proven that they will reduce the incidence of crime and therefore benefit the business in ways such as reducing insurance premiums and raising consumer confidence, thus leading to potential increased profitability. The coordination of tasks, namely ensuring that the information and resources is delivered to the right place at the right time (Mullins 2004, p.421), is an area that also requires an element of skill and knowledge particular within the security industry. If the manager does not have an understanding of the purpose of the task, it is likely that this will lead to errors resulting from incorrect deployment of information or resources. Managing human resources One resource that is crucial to operational security is the personnel. Successful management of human resources is therefore a key skill requirement for the security manager. The success of any business strategy is directly related to the people that operate it, and security is no exception. Managers need to ensure that they get the best out of their employees in terms of their understanding, ability and dedication to the job they are employed to do, and much of this will depend upon the relationship that is developed. In this respect, a successful manager will adopt a leadership role that is a combination of the various leadership models, such as some of those described in the works of Laurie Mullins (2004, p.312). Understanding the needs of the workforce, and creating a harmonious working environment where all employees are motivated to work towards a common goal is the art of good leadership and management. This is especially the case in the modern environment where there is more employee choice (Mullins 2004, p.282). It is equally important for the workforce to feel that they have an involvement and future with the business. The manager can achieve this in two ways. The security manager can improve employee involvement within the organisation by delegation of tasks and encouraging their contribution, by way of ideas and suggestions, to the strategy formation itself. Not only does this empower the employee, it also leads to an expansion of potential solutions available to the security manager, therefore providing an increase in the number of solutions available from which to successfully address potential security issues that arise. Employee development is an equally important area of management duties. Employees will only be competent at their work if their knowledge and training matches the needs of the task that are set for them. Part of the manager’s role is to encourage the development of these skills. An effective manager will be aware of the value of this process, both for the future of the organisation and the employee, and therefore introduce an employee learning and development process as part of their operational strategy. This usually involves the introduction of structured training programmes catering for individual and group employee needs. In most industries, these training programmes will be organised using a combination of internal training, which will include familiarising the employee with the organisation’s policy and specific needs, and external training to ensure they remain updated on industry developments, including the use of modern technology. In the case of certain indivi duals, the training may also include succession targeted learning, where such individuals are considered able to be promoted in the future to management or leadership roles. The level of interrelationship between manager and employee can define good leadership, which in the author’s opinion is an essential element of a manager’s tasks. It is increasingly becoming the consensus of opinion that the quality of leadership is a necessary skill requirement for managers (Mullins 2004, p.284). The employment of the leadership skills described previously demonstrates the manager’s commitment to their employees and, in the majority of cases will produce a favourable result (Mullins 2004 p.316 and 422). In addition, it improves staff retention levels and provides for a level of strategy continuity that is essential in areas such as security. As with other management duties it is apparent that, in the case of managing human resources, there is a need for the manager to have specialist security knowledge. The evaluation of employee creativity and its benefits to the organisation is made more difficult if the manager does not have an understanding of the business special skills. A similarly difficulty would be experienced in the formation and conducting of internal training programmes. Without such knowledge, it is likely that the effectiveness and value of such training programmes will be reduced. Management and knowledge Knowledge, learning, and its management, is important in business. The better understanding brought about by knowledge will lead to a higher level of competency of managers as well as their employees and improve the performance of the business (Mullins 2004, p.393). Staff will react positively to a more competent and experienced manager than they will one who is lacking in the skills associated with their role. The other aspect of knowledge at management level is their increased ability to be able to monitor the strategy that they have implemented and evaluate the performance of their employees. A classic example of the disastrous effects that results from a lack of managerial knowledge can be found in the collapse of Barings bank in the early 2000’s. As Howard Davies explained at the time, this occurred because the bank’s management decided to diversify into an area of the business where they had little or no experience. This and the inability of their financial systems to deal with the new business left them in a position where they were unable to monitor the situation and staff activities until it was too late. In effect, the cause of this collapse could also be attributed to a breakdown in the operation of the internal security systems that these types of financial organisations normally operate. Just as important, as this case proves, is the need for continued learning. H ad the Barings management undergone a process of learning to achieve a competence in the new business skills, the opportunity for security breaches and danger of failure would have been identified earlier and significantly reduced. Conclusion From the research carried out for this study, it is the author’s conclusion that whilst it is essential for security managers to have management skills, their specialist skills are equally important in order for them to be able to effectively and safely manage their areas of responsibility. As van der Bijl (2005, p.77) observed in his paper on security in the NHS, a security manager without the requisite knowledge and skill is â€Å"as daft as employing a financial director without accounting skills.† Skill deficit in such an important aspect of any business, in my opinion would reduce the level and effectiveness of the security manager as much as the lack of management skills. References Bartol, Kathryn M., and Martin, David C (1998). Management. McGraw Hill College. UK. Bohlander, G. W., Snell, S. A., Sherman, A. (2004). Managing human resources (13th ed.). Florence, KY: Thomson Learning Higher Education. Cowling, A.G and Mailer, C.B (2004). Managing Human Resources. 3rd Rev. Ed. Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd. London, UK. Davies, Howard. (2001). Management skills and competencies in a rapidly changing financial environment. Egon Zehnder International Insurance Symposium. Munich, Germany. Retrieved 3 February 2007 from http://www.fsa.gov.uk/Pages/Library/Communication/Speeches/2001/sp78.shtml Easterby-Smith, Prof. Mark and Lyles, Marjorie (2003). The Blackwell Handbook of Organization Learning and Knowledge Management. Blackwell Publishers. US. Mullins, Laurie J (2004). Management and Organisational Behaviour. 7th Rev. ed. FT Prentice Hall. UK. Muncaster, Phil (2006). Challenges ahead for security managers. IT Week. London, UK Van der Bijl, Nick (2005). Security in modern healthcare. Hospital Engineering and Facilities Management, Issue 2. Yu-Lee, R.G. (2002) Essentials of Capacity Management. John Wiley Sons Inc. p. 150-153

The Tourism Principles And Practices Tourism Essay

The Tourism Principles And Practices Tourism Essay Tourism is becoming the worlds largest industry and it is being recognized that tourism must preserve and protect the environment and natural attractions so that people will continue to travel, and must set use limits so that sites will be truly sustainable  [1]  . However tourism, as well as bringing improvements in areas such as the economy, also has the power to destroy the environment. Impressive examples of this are hotels and other accommodation establishments, which contribute to almost a quarter of tourism emissions in general (21%)  [2]  . Recently, tourists have started to become more interested in the environmental impacts of their travels, and thus the tourism and hotel industry has started to pay more attention to the protection of the environment. 2. LITERATURE REVIEWS Considering the complexity and wideness of the topic, in order to implement a plan to save costs and reduce consumption a good research and documentation about the subject is required. This issue has become an actual problem which is being discussed in many journal and magazine articles. Firstly, it is necessary to find adequate information to quantify in statistics and explain in detail the history of this issue and describe it. For this section 2 university texts were used: Goeldner, C. R. Ritchie, J. R. B. (2009). Tourism Principles, Practices, Philosophies (11th Ed.) New York: Wiley and Sons., Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in the Tourism Sector Frameworks, tools and practices. An International Seminar focusing on Developing Countries and Small Island States. (April 2008) Oxford, United Kingdom. Moreover, a small research was carried out on the internet using some websites which talk about tips and suggestions adopted in this sector. 3. ECO-FRIENDLY MEASURES A strategic planning and implementation of policies, that pay attention to the costs, bring benefits not only the environment but also to the hotel itself. By observing methods and techniques of sustainability, immediate economic objectives can be achieved, but the most important thing is that the measures implemented are for the long-term. Consequently, every manager should be familiar of what are the environmental and energy aspects of its business/organization in order to improve upon them and reduce waste and costs. To achieve this goal, a seaside superior hotel needs to change its habits and introduce innovations that use natural resources or transform their systems in low-power systems as seen in some example reported below. 3.1 Natural resources The use of natural resources is the cheapest measure. Correspondingly, there are a number of systems to minimize emissions which use simple methods that simultaneously may also reduce costs. Firstly, an accommodation should install large sun-facing windows or skylights on facades and celling. In this way, during the day, electricity consumption is minimized because the natural daylight filters throughout the windows, thus reducing the need for artificial lights. Conversely, it is important that this type of glass maintains a cool temperature inside because this could be a problem during the summer period. Secondly, solar panels can be installed to harness solar energy. Indeed they use the suns energy and transform it into useful energy and heat for human activities. Considering that we need to analyze a hotel on the seaside, the accommodation could also benefit from exploiting the sea with simple structures that support the main goal of becoming an eco-friendly hotel. Some example of how this is possible can be taken from the Hilton hotel in Malta; the only eco-friendly hotel that achieved the European eco-label certification. In the same way a hotel on the seaside could take advantage of this and with a process of desalination in an osmosis system, this type of water can be used as drinking water. In addition, sea water desalinated can be used for cooling (in summer) or heating (in winter) for the hotel. Thus it decreases the need of fossil fuels. Furthermore, this used water could be cleaned in a biological purification plant and together with harvested rainwater be used for toilet flushing and irrigation of the gardens. Although initially these systems can have high costs, in the future they will significantly reduce consumptions and costs of the accommodation. 3.2 Waste disposal Another fundamental measure in an eco-hotel is waste management and recycling. This is a strategy that reuses waste instead of disposes of it. Recycling avoids the waste of potentially useful materials, reduces the consumption of raw materials, and reduces the use of energy, and therefore the emission of greenhouse gases. This method is very simple to implement. It is important that in each and every place of the hotel (kitchen, restaurants, rooms, offices, public areas etc) recycling bins are provided. In the office, they can minimize the paper size and replace the normal print ink with soy-based ink which pollutes less. Also plastic laundry bags can be replaced with cloth bags. After this step managers must familiarize staff and guests with this measure by offering products that contain recycled material such as newspaper, magazine and organic bags. 3.4 Maintenance As stated in the introduction, all this behaviors and systems must be long-lasting and the only way to achieve this objective is maintenance. First of all, all the guestsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ rooms must be controlled for infiltration of hot and cold air throughout windows and doors. Then air conditioners and heaters need an annual maintenance which checks if there are problems and if the room temperature is acceptable for each season. All the bulbs need to be replaced with energy saving light bulbs that further reduce costs. Subsequently, also office and restaurants must be regularly monitored with zero-cost measures. Some examples could be allowing hot food to cool before storing in refrigerators and freezers, not overloading refrigerators, regularly clean fans, verify if doors fit and close correctly and defrosting freezers frequently since frost build ups reduce efficiency. Those are all zero-cost actions that should reduce environmental problems, costs and consumptio ns. 3.3 Staff and guest education At the end, the staff and guests should be educated about these eco-friendly measures. With simple gestures, tourists can limit energy consumption and be more aware of protecting the environment and reducing pollution. For example, tourists can pay attention to reduce the use of water when it is not necessary, can use and heating and A.C. with consideration, pay attention to the waste disposal and always remember to turn off the lights. The last action mentioned can also be supported with sensors, installed by the hotel, that automatically turn off lights and air conditioning once the guest has left his room. On the other hand staff can collaborate for other type of eco-friendly measures. For instance, in restaurants, waitress can reduce emissions levels promoting national wine and food (e.g. seafood) because usually international food is imported by air. In addition , members of the hotel can distribute brochures and allow fieldtrip visits to their back of house to promote this syst em not only to customers but expand it to all those who are interested in protecting the environment. 4. REASONS If we examine the causes of the growing interest in eco-tourism, there is a wide range of possible answers. The main reasons are the protection of the environment and saving more money from the hotels. In addition, those who use these systems and achieve these goals are rewarded with international and European certifications such as Ecolabel certification. It is granted only to hotels with systems of environmental excellence that respect ecological and performance criteria established. These criteria are then reviewed and where necessary, improved by providing better environmental quality of services. Moreover, tourists are starting to worry about the consequences that their journey can bring to the environment and in this way as Thomas Tanzilli, director of Federalberghi Rome said Besides the environmental issue, it has also become a commercial problem. After that tourists are interesting in this type of tourism for a big numbers of reasons such as: The presence of local biological food with 0 kilometers People are tired of conventional tourism and they want to seek new challenges. international aid and incentives arise to support tourism projects for the purpose of environmental protection eco-tourism accommodations became more affordable and accessible There is an increase in travel for educational purposes. Finally, in thinking people is maturing an increasing awareness that environmental conservation is not the only reason, but it can also bring economic benefits. 5. CONCLUSION In recent years this great way to reduce environmental pollution through hotels has been promoted in many ways from important tourism organizations such as The World Tourism Organization (WTO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). In addition, the habits of tourists who stay in hotels are changing. In fact, with Advertising put à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¹specially in the rooms of the hotel, the guest feels responsible towards helping the environment and working with the whole staff. To conclude, eco-tourism is not simply constructed by systems and environmental measures implemented by the hotel, but it is a set of attitudes that all components of that particular hotel should assume both inside and outside the building.

Strategic Planning Paper -- essays research papers

The history of strategic planning begins in the military. According to Webster's New World Dictionary, strategy is "the science of planning and directing large-scale military operations, of maneuvering forces into the most advantageous position prior to actual engagement with the enemy" (Guralnic, 1986). Although our understanding of strategy and applying strategic planning in management has been transformed from a point of military maneuvering to one that aim’s to achieve and gives a structured framework to reach a competitive advantage. Taking its name and roots from the military model, early models of formal strategic planning "reflected the hierarchical values and linear systems of traditional organizations. Undertaken by planning functions at the top of the organization, its structure was highly vertical and time-bound. A certain period would be set aside to analyze the situation and decide on a course of action. This would result in a formal document. Once this was done, the actual work of implementation, which was considered a separate, discrete process - could begin" (Wall & Wall, 1995). Although individual definitions of strategy vary between each author, traditionally, theorists have considered planning an essential part of organizational strategy. â€Å"Strategic planning in organizations originated in the 1950s and was very popular and widespread between mid-1960s to mid-1970s, when people believed it was the answer for all problems, and corporate America was obsessed with strategic planning. Following that boom strategic planning had fallen off and was cast aside for over a decade. The 1990s brought the revival of strategic planning as a process with particular benefits in particular contexts† (Mintzberg, 1994). In Here is a brief account of several generations of strategic planning. â€Å" Analysis model dominated strategic planning of the 1950s. The 1960s brought qualitative and quantitative models of strategy. During the early 1980s, the shareholder value model and the Porter model became the standard. The rest of the 1980s was dictated by strategic intent and core competencies, and market-focused organizations. Finally, business transformation became a requirement in the 1990s† (Gouillart, 1995). Newer models of strategic planning were f... ...s, and action steps to address identified issues. However, having noted some of the benefits that strategic planning can produce, it is important to note that it is not a cure-all. Strategic planning is a time-consuming, labor-intensive process that is not for every organization. It is simply a tool that can be used to help a committed entity work toward becoming more effective. Strategic planning should never be considered an end in itself or a one-time deal. It is not simply a written document that details the activities and results of the planning process. It is also more than the process of analyzing, strategizing, implementing, and benchmarking. No planning process, strategic or otherwise, can succeed without the commitment of key stakeholders and organizational leaders. Strategic planning, to be truly effective, means organizational staff or community residents must think and act strategically each day. Through such daily strategic thinking and acting, "planning" and "process" can be transformed into indivi dual and collective strategic actions that enhance organizational value and effectiveness. This is what makes the strategic planning process valuable.

The Use of Computers on Car Crash-Analysis Programs :: Technology Computers Essays

The Use of Computers on Car Crash-Analysis Programs In the world today, computers are used in every field. Be it a major space exploration or a small chore like cleaning our room. The use of computers has made our lives easier but at the same time a computer failure can make our lives miserable too. We trust computers more than we trust anything else these days. We use computers to communicate, share personal information, buy goods online, etc. We also trust computers with our safety. Starting from house alarm systems and other safety devices we have now moved on to using computers to Test Car Crashes. Car crash analysis programs gained wide usage by the late 1980s but ARA (Applied Research Associates) Personnel in the Silicon Valley Office have been engaged in studying the crash response of vehicles, occupant safety, and right-of-way structures since 1971( ARA Website, 25h May). One of the major programs used for this testing is the DYNA3D which was developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (A Gift of Fire, Baase). DYNA3D is a computer simulation program that models the interactions of physical objects on impact such as vehicle impacts involving roadside structures such as signs, supports, guardrails and crash cushions. DYNA3D, suitable for solving problems involving rapid change, has had many applications in safety analysis. Laboratory analysts have used DYNA3D to study crashworthiness in a number of vehicle safety studies, where models of complex vehicles impact roadside safety structures and other vehicles, deforming under the impact. The DYNA3D progra m uses a technique called the finite-element method where a grid is superimposed on the frame of a car dividing the car into a finite number of small pieces or elements. The grid is then entered into the program along with data describing the specifications of the materials making up each element such as density, elasticity, etc. While reading the effect of a head-on collision on the structure of the car, the data can be initialized to represent a crash into a wall at a specified speed. The program in return helps compute the force, acceleration, and displacement at each grid point and the stress and strain within each element. Using graphics programs, the simulation produces a picture of the car at intervals after impact.

Analysis of the Structure of a Newspaper Article Essay

The structure of a newspaper article is very important. A well-structured article should be helpful for the reader to follow and understand the story, and most importantly, it should engage the reader, encouraging them to read on. The following articles, ‘Germany grieves for a hero who dared not admit struggle with mental illness. ’ from the newspaper, The Times, and ‘â€Å"It was a real thrill†, says tourist nearly eaten by 18ft great white shark. Taken from The Guardian, will be compared to each other and analysed. The headlines of both articles are similar in the way that they both use dramatic, eye-catching words to grab the attention of the reader. The headline of the Germany article uses the words ‘hero’ and ‘mental illness’ which would make the reader question how they could be linked and persuade them to read on. In the shark article, the sentence ‘18ft great white shark’ and quote, â€Å"it was a real thrill† are included. This is interesting for the reader, and would make them want to find out more about their experience. The opening paragraph of an article should briefly include who was involved, what happened, why it happened and where and when it happened. The Germany article includes all five of these points, whereas the shark article only includes who what and where. However, by not including all the information, the reader is more likely to read on to find more about the story as the detail becomes more developed in the following paragraphs. The closing paragraphs of the articles are similar in the way that the less important and less necessary information is added towards the end. They have both been written using the inverted pyramid structure, meaning the information is arranged in descending order of importance. The most important material is placed at the beginning of the story and the less important information follows. It is effective because it tells the reader quickly what they want to know, but can make the ending boring, with no suspense. Although, in the shark article, a quote has been included in the closing paragraph and was said by the man who experienced the shark attack, which is interesting and engaging. The same quote is also included in the headline, which links the whole article together. Whereas in the Germany article, the quote added in the last paragraph has been said by a columnist, which can be uninteresting and even unnecessary, which is a good example of the inverted pyramid structure. Quotes have been used throughout the text of both articles, but mainly after the first few paragraphs, after the vital information. Quotes are effective in a news story because it is a way to hold the reader’s interest and advance the story. In the shark article, the quote â€Å"I was only in the cage a couple of minutes and this huge shark circled the boat a couple of times, then it started attacking the side of the cage,† This is effective because it builds tension, and doesn’t tell the mans whole experience, so the reader is likely to read on to find out what happens next. This technique is also used again in the quote, â€Å"The captain was hitting the shark on the head with an iron pole but this just made things worse,† However, the Germany article is an informative story, telling people about the death of a German goalkeeper, so the quotes that are included come from sources such as friends and family, for example the quote said by his father, â€Å"In really critical phases, Robert became petrified that a ball, any ball, would be shot at his goal. This is effective because the reader would be intrigued to know peoples views on the situation, and could compare them with their own. In conclusion, I think that both texts are structured effectively as they have been written well to help the reader follow and understand the story, although I prefer the shark attack article, as it is more thrilling, engaging and I found myself wanting to know more.

Global Warming and Geomorphology Essay

In his article â€Å"Global Warming and Geomorphology†, David K. C. Jones attempts to distinguish between the doom and gloom predictions surrounding and offer a more realistic approach to the effects that climate change will have on the geological and biosphere aspects of the planet and specifically on the British Isles. Climate fluctuation based on the presence of so-called greenhouse gases has been occurring for most of the last geological period. At issue, however, are several factors that have not been considered in previous periods of rapid climate change including the impact of humanity on greenhouse gases and humanity’s knowledge of its impact (Jones, 124). This knowledge of humanity’s impact on geomorphology can be used for either gain in the coming global change or can be used to incite doomsday predictions. Jones theorizes that geomorphologic change may have happened this rapidly in the British Isles at the end of the last ice age, but that since humanity was not aware of it or could simply respond to the changes as they happened, modern man may have an advantage to protect his environment. The problem with the knowledge that humanity has affected global climate change is that it also points out how much we do not know. The author discusses this in terms of regionalization, the idea that some global effects of climate change will only affect certain regions. The effects he identified as potentials were: (i) The likelihood of catastrophic outcomes; (ii) The potential distribution of ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ within an economy, both over space and through time; (iii) Whether winners and losers can be reliably identified through improved modeling in sufficient time to allow effective policy formulation; (iv) Evaluation of the costs and benefits of climatic change prevention compared with those generated by responding to changed climate through adjustment; and (v) Evaluation of the costs of attempting to maintain the status quo compared with managed adaptation to changing environmental conditions. † (Jones, 126) In essence, Jones begin his argument by saying that it is the socio-economic factors of global warming which might be more devastating to humanity than the actual physical changes on the planet. Much ado, he says, has been made about the effect the rising of the mean sea level on the planet could have in areas such as Bangladesh, where 9 percent of the population would be affected by a rising sea level, creating millions of climate refugees or in Egypt, where the nation could lose as much as 15 percent of its farmland to rising water (Jones, 127). None of these factors threatens the existence of humanity, but they do threaten life as we know it. Changes in weather patterns, top soil erosion and rainfall could have enormous effects on agricultural production, for instance, which may have a major effect on the world’s economy, but it is unlikely to have such a far-reaching effect as to produce global food shortages. Jones does not completely negate the idea that humanity could face dire consequences associated with global climate change, but he does argue that they are more likely to be economic than physical. (127). However, Jones also argues that the ability to predict the impact of global warming on geomorphology and the biosphere is somewhat limited. Specifically, he claims that: â€Å"Predicting changes in the atmospheric composition of greenhouse gases remains problematic because of uncertainty as to existing sources, pathways, fluxes and stores of the various gases involved, combined with difficulties of estimating future patterns of human inputs (Houghton et al. , 1990, 1992; DOE, 1991; Wigley and Raper, 1992) ; 2 Climate is the great integrator and, therefore, reflects a huge range of influences, both global and extra-terrestrial, some natural others human-induced, working at varying temporal and spatial scales. Both identifying and predicting the influences of greenhouse gases are, therefore, extremely difficult; 3 The relationship between greenhouse gases and climatic parameters is not simple because of both positive and negative feedback mechanisms, step-wise changes resulting from the existence of threshold conditions, synergies, and the complex influence of the oceans and their circulation patterns ; 4 Predicting change remains hampered by lack of knowledge regarding system parameters (e. g. ocean-atmosphere coupling) and the awesome magnitude of the computing task required by the most sophisticated models. † (Jones, 126-127) Perhaps the most important part of the thesis that Jones is trying to make is that once we have accepted that global warming is affected by human action, we must therefore accept that we can affect how significant that climate change will be. Specifically, Jones talks about the potential impact of actions taken to mitigate global warming including attempts to reduce the production of greenhouse gases and actions taken with regard to soil shift which is likely to occur rapidly during the temperature increase. Efforts to discuss beach erosion, cliff erosion and affects on deltas and coral islands should emphasize what actions can be taken to lessen the effect of rising ocean levels. Any action then taken to attempt to control these forces of natures will have a substantial effect on the outcome related to those climate changes. The first thing I noticed about this article is that it was published nearly 15 years ago, making some of its basic assumptions rather obsolete. For example, Jones discusses the massive computer power needed to perform the complex projections related to weather patterns and global warming. While it is possible that this limitation was considered a severe one in 1993, the rapid expansion of computer processing power means that more recent looks at global warming can attempt to analyze weather-related data and infer probability based on those history patterns. Furthermore, the computer models can be very detailed and discuss specific projected ocean levels in individual cities or nations and over a specific time frame. No longer is it just a cataclysmic claim that the sea levels will rise, but it is a specific claim regarding how much water will be where. The second thing I noticed about this article was that it was published in the midst of some of the worst flooding in modern United States history, the great flood of 1993 on the Mississippi River. Flood levels that year reached beyond the 100-year-floodplain and ignited questions about the effects of changing weather patterns on agriculture and population centers in the central United States. Since then, we have seen major flooding along several major rivers in the United States including the Rio Grande, the Missouri River and the Ohio River, while at the same time seeing the Colorado River suffer from enormous drought conditions, creating a lack of potable water for major western American cities. On the British Isles, we recently observed massive flooding along the Thames River and associated death and destruction. Already, just 15 years after Jones’ article, we are seeing the effects of global warming as weather patterns shift causing record heat waves in Europe, killing hundreds, and shifts in the American food producing states where rain seems to come at inappropriate times or inappropriate amounts. Next, I began to consider Jones’ theory that massive global climate change is primarily concerning most people because of the economic shifts it will likely cause. If several countries see their major crops begin to die out because of a climate shift, will we see the food production belts shift further northward and further southward from the equator? And, what effect will this have on the habitable portions of the world? As additional areas of the world become classified as tropical and subtropical, what will be the effect on population patterns? Will regions now largely devoted to population centers need to give the land back to agrarian tasks? Already we are seeing the effects of the global climate shift in India and Pakistan. India with about 1 billion people does not have the ecological resources to support its population, including, but not limited to, clean water. This contributes to the political instability of the region as Pakistan and other Indian neighbors face regular mass immigration from India. These massive population shifts are causing or contributing to political strife worldwide. Likewise, as food production suffers because populations are no longer nomadic and able to follow the seasons to appropriate growing conditions, it seems likely that increased international strife will develop over the supply of natural resources ranging from deciduous trees to natural grains. Further impacting this is a move to biofuels as an attempt to curb the production of greenhouse gases. So far, we have been able to observe that the high demand for grains and sugar cane to be converted in to ethanol and other biofuels has begun to drive up the cost of food stuffs on an international basis. As some point, the system will break and people will demand that they be able to afford to eat. Perhaps the most interesting portion of Jones’ article is his claim that the doomsday predictions are overblown and that climate change is not necessarily a cataclysmic event. Though it is unlikely that human-induced climate change will be the cause of an extinction event, it appears more likely that the economic and political strife caused by the climate change may cause severe population reducing events including limited warfare or extinction events such as a nuclear confrontation. Given the recent receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize to American Albert Gore Jr. for his work on informing the public about global warming, the lessons of Jones’ article are particularly timely. His advice that a plan for mitigating the effects of global warming needs to be developed and implemented beginning in the 1990s and extending to 2050 is very well received. The only tragedy is that this advice was soundly ignored for the first decade after he gave it and real attention to global warming has only come in recent years as a result of the Kyoto Treaty and efforts like those of Gore. It seems unthinkable that the debate over the validity of the science of global warming still exists when there is evidence of its existence and of humanity’s effect on it. I feared at first when reading Jones’ introduction that he was going to be one of the people who claim that the climate shift is part of a semi-predictable pattern of geological history as so many naysayers are wont to do. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that his analysis acknowledges that it is happening at an accelerated rate because of the impact of humanity and his statements in support of the idea that humanity can thus also mitigate its impact on the globe and on the species. More importantly perhaps is that some of Jones’ suggestions can be applied to mitigating the effects of global climate even if the climate change is a completely natural cycle unaffected by the pollutants added to the atmosphere by humanity. Efforts to prevent soil erosion and to minimize building in floodplains make simple sense. Anyone who simply accepts the fact of changing weather patterns can easily see the logic in these efforts regardless of whether they have any desire to reduce their carbon footprint. Using technological advances to help prevent soil loss during flood events and to insist that populations take climate change into consideration are of value regardless of the causes of global warming. Furthermore, Jones’ explanation regarding the geological history of interglacial periods can be viewed as reassuring to even those who are convinced of the human factor in global warming. At some times, the earth has undergone rapid ecological change in the past and the biosphere has not been destroyed. Therefore, his conclusions that global warming is neither something to be ignored nor the world ending event that it has been portrayed as is a very lucid approach. Too many zealots follow the anti-global warming crusades with a fervor that is as unhealthy as ignoring the issue could be. Simple changes in everyone can help prevent the need to massively adjust our lifestyles by mid-century. Efforts must be made to preserve the coastlines as much as possible and to prevent soil erosion when flooding occurs. Simple efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions should be attempted as well and people should adjust to the ideas of different crop patterns and therefore a different distribution of food resources. We should also prepare for an influx of immigrants from nations where receding coasts will leave populations with no place to live and we should take international action to address issues like the sub-Saharan drought in Africa, encouraging the sharing of natural resources like water among neighbor states. With these efforts now and an eye toward the issues that global warming will create in the relatively near future, we can prevent climate change from becoming an extinction event. If we ignore it, the strife brought on by it will likely be the end of humanity. Works Cited Jones, David K. C. â€Å"Global Warming and Geomorphology†, The Geographical Journal, Vol. 159, No. 2, July 1993, pp. 124-130.