Role of Technology in Travel Management

Role of Technology in Travel Management TRAVEL INDUSTRY CURRENT PRACTICES INTRODUCTION In this chapter I will take an overview of the travel industry in order to better understand the context about which I am writing. Consideration of the value of the business travel spend, the role of Travel Management Companies and the role of technology in its operation and future vision, are the relevant issues in this regard. An outline of the various managerial approaches used by private industry will help inform my analysis of travel management in the public sector and what lessons can be learnt. VALUE OF BUSINESS TRAVEL In 2013 Hermes Consultancy Management produced a white paper on ‘Corporate Travel Management in Western Europe: Opportunities and Challenges’. The research was commissioned by Amadeus (a Global Distribution Service provider) in order to better understand how organisations manage their travel activities and to identify saving opportunities for travel managers. The white paper calculated that in 2011, business travel in Western Europe amounted to almost â‚ ¬ 200 billion, concentrated in five countries: Germany, UK, France, Italy and Spain. Hermes (2013). Eleven corporations in the UK, France, Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands took part in the research study and numerous travel mangers, executives and travellers from these companies were interviewed. The Central Statistics Office tells us that in 2011, the Irish business travel spend was â‚ ¬548 million on 698,000 business trips (CSO 2013) of that public sector travel under the Government air travel contract was : â‚ ¬5.9 million for 18,358 trips and in 2013 it increased to â‚ ¬6,972, 477 for 25,902 trips. The increase in volume can be attributed to Ireland Presidency of EU during 2013. Business travel is a substantial and growing sector with a significant travel spend. As globalisation continues apace, companies and governments will reach out to newer markets for their goods and services, at the same time as continuing to consolidate traditional markets in a challenging economic climate. Figures from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) indicate that spending on business travel within the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain is forecasted to climb by 6% next year, an increase which may be set to come about as a result of improvements to the global economy. Government travel is predicted to increase by 4.9% according to GBTA, who believe that the slightly lower percentage for government travel might be because governments have already successfully cut travel spend, while corporate business is enjoying an uptick as it starts and continues to hire new employees who travel. Government business in Europe accounts for 4.7% (â‚ ¬940 mil) of all business travel demand compared with 5% globally. The Director of Operations with GBTA McGavock believes that, that share is expected to increase for at least the short term. â€Å"While 2012 was a difficult year, by the end of 2013 we predict an upturn, and in 2014 we believe we will see extensive growth. The next five years should see a bounce back in business travel among all of Western Europe’s major markets.† The European Commission predicts that the 27 countries it represents will emerge from recession in the fourth quarter of 2013, with its overall economy growing by 1.4% in 2014, Eurostat (2012). Accompanying this growth will be an increasing requirement for corporate travel and this expansion will require robust and innovative management in order to control costs and spend. TRAVEL MANAGEMENT COMPANIES Travel Management Companies are the medium through which organisations use to implement and manage their business travel requirements. They should not be confused with the work of a traditional Travel Agency which provides travel to the leisure traveller on behalf of suppliers, airline, hotel, car hire companies. Most travel agencies have a separate department that deals with business travel, and some travel agencies specialise in commercial and business travel only. This department would trade as a travel management company and implement the organisations travel policy. They procure travel on behalf of the organisation according to its policy on the class of travel permitted to fly, negotiate corporate fares/rates with airlines and hotels as well allowing the organisation use its corporate credit card to procure flights online via their online booking tool. According to the Buying Business Travel magazine (2013) the top five (5) TMC’s operating in Europe based on their European spend are: CarlsonWagonlit Travel (CWT), ( £1,157m) HRG Travel, ( £1,000m) American Express, ( £958.1m) Capital Travel and Events ( £525m) BCD, ( £480m) FCM Travel Solutions ( £428) All of the above have a presence in Ireland through either partner agreements or wholly owned. The current provider for the Irish Government travel contract is CarlsonWagonlit Travel. The previous government providers were; HRG (Club Travel) and FCM Solutions. Due to the size of the Government spend approximately â‚ ¬6 to â‚ ¬9 mil annually it is not surprising that the top TMC’s have continually competed for the business. In addition as it is a centralised contract, a large sized company would be required to deal with the volume of transactions generated by Irish Government travel. Each of these companies use a global distribution system (GDS) which provides a network whereby TMC’s can access fares from the various airline reservations systems and facilitates online transactions. This in turn provides a portal for clients of TMC’s to procure their air travel through the use of online booking tools OBT). The most popular GDS providers are, Travelport, Galil eo, Sabre and Amadeus, public sector has had access to Travelport through KDS OBT licensed by CWT and Galileo OBT licensed by HRG. ECONOMIC CLIMATE The impact of the global economic downturn has resulted in an increased emphasis on generating savings, as companies strive to operate within an ever decreasing resource envelope. This is relevant to all organisations and Travel Management Companies in particular. Economic stringency has allowed travel managers to take a more prominent role within their companies, and has made travel management, as a profession, an important element of a company’s strategic planning. According to the Global Business Travel Association (2014), travel managers have been asked to lead company-wide efforts to reduce travel costs, track relevant savings, and report them back to senior management. The knock-on effect of this to TMC’s is increased competitiveness within the travel management sector. The natural ambition of business organisations is specifically the transformation of inputs (resources) into outputs (goods or services) (Worthington Britton, 2006: 4). In the context of a TMC, th e company employs the relevant staff to carry out specialised travel advisory duties, and provides the necessary booking systems to their staff in order to maximise their input to output ratio; in the current economic climate this is becoming more and more challenging. So the drive is on in every sector to achieve greater value for money. TECHNOLOGY In Chapter 2, I looked at technology in relation to the procurement of travel; here I will examine it as it impacts on the business environment, in which TMC’s operate. In terms of external environmental factors, Thomas Davenport (2013) indicated that technological change is one of the main issues currently impacting TMC’s, with the potential of completely transforming the way in which the companies operate. Davenport ( 2013) and a number of other authors including Fred Gebhard (2013), highlighted that the travel industry is at a ‘Big Data’ crossroads, and that complex, large volume and unstructured datasets are beginning to reshape and transform the industry. Additionally, Davenport suggested that big data will require the industry to address a number of challenges, in order to unlock its potential: technological complexity; data accuracy and rights of use; business and technological alignment. At the corporate buyer level gaining access to accurate travel reporting data is a major factor in the effective management of air travel and presents opportunity to identify where savings can be achieved. This is very important for both the buyer and supplier of air travel. It is interesting to note that technological developments pose both an opportunity; and a threat to TMC’s. The opportunities for the companies may involve ensuring the company is up to date with technological advancements within the industry in order to remain competitive. Conversely, if TMC’s are slow on the uptake of embracing and implementing new technology in their organisation, they may be at a disadvantage within the business travel market. Overall, the rapid advancements in technology alone present a significant challenge to the travel industry, specifically to TMC’s. Voice BASED AND MOBILE TECHNOLOGY A key writer on the travel industry, Scott Gillespie (2012) identified various technological changes which he emphasised are a ‘tipping point’ for the corporate travel industry. Some of those changes mentioned include the technological advancements of voice-based user interfaces from Apple, Google. Gillespie asserted that these new interfaces may be a threat to company policy compliance, due to the convenience of using such interfaces for travellers; which may in turn cause them to purchase travel outside of company policy direction. If the traveller does not book through the proper channels directed within company policy, there is no way for the TMC or corporation to track the traveller’s whereabouts or provide them with services in an emergency (West, 2013) In Chapter 2 we looked at ‘M’ technology and the growth of that market and its increasing importance in the procurement of air travel. CarlsonWagonlit Travel has invested in this area in its rece nt acquisition of Worldmate a leading mobile technology company. This will bear fruit in CWT’s mobile app ‘CWT TO GO’. Airlines are slowly moving towards mobile phone app technology which will replaces the requirement for printing of electronic tickets and boarding passes by using mobile phone QR code (barcode) technology to check in for flights. The ongoing evolution of technology emphasises the importance for TMC’s to keep up to date with it in the provision of procurement systems for clients which are not only economical, efficient and effective but contemporary and convenient to use. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) The concept that organisations should be held accountable for the effects of their actions on people, their communities and the environment is known as CSR. There are many aspects of CSR which impact on the travel industry and consequently their end users. There are increasing concerns for rising carbon emissions; this coupled with rising costs naturally leads organisations to seek alternatives to air travel. These alternatives include video conferencing and webinars, however, it has been emphasised that face-to-face meetings still remain an important aspect of business negotiations (Forbes, 2009). This affects the competitive environment of TMC’s, since a threat of a substitute method to conduct meetings is available. Travel Management companies need to maintain their relevance in a rapidly changing business environment. And Government travel needs to be particularly vigilant as penalties are imposed on increasing carbon emissions under the Kyoto Protocol. MODELS OF TRAVEL MANAGEMENT It is not feasible to produce a definitive list of air travel procurement models, but in general they fall under the following categories; INHOUSE CENTRALISED MODEL TMC; This model is one where all travel is procured from a centralised office within the company in association with a TMC, who provides online and offline bookings. This model allows greater control over travel policy and spends and is used by both private and public sector. Business travelers would feel this model is too restrictive and doesn’t allow flexibility but that is mute point when it comes to controlling spend. INHOUSE DECENTRALISED MODEL TMC This model is one where travel can be procured by the individual employee either directly with the TMC for offline booking or online through the corporate booking tool. This model allows greater control to the individual and is favored by high-tech or internet based companies, E.G. EBay, Google, independence over their booking. This model tends to be accompanied by an incentive programme, whereby travelers can gain perks by purchasing travel within company policy and in this way costs can be controlled. INHOUSE CENTRALISED AND DECENTRALISED TMC This model is a mixture of the two above and is a very inefficient model of travel procurement as it is very difficult to control travel expenditure and policy compliance. It is generally adopted by organisations where there is little senior management buy in to control the travel spend. INHOUSE TMC IMPLANT. This model allows a staff member of the TMC to reside within the organisation to procure all of the travel requirements of the organisation. This can be an expensive option unless travel policy is strictly enforced. INHOUSE GDS IMPLANT( verify with Volker in Amadeus/ Microsoft ) This model allows for the provision of a staff member of the GDS provider to be embedded within the organisation to assist the procurement of all travel requirements of the organisation. This can be a very efficient option as it eliminates the ‘middle man’ charges of the TMC in the procurement of air travel as it procures direct with the GDS provider. Some organisations who favour this method also have a TMC contract for the provision of VIP or specialised travel only. In the public sector in Ireland government travel is purchased through a centralised contract but managed and procured in many different ways by each of the Government Departments, bodies and agencies with varying usage of online and offline methods. Some use the contract to procure only air travel, others use it for air and hotel (Brussels hotels only as per the contract) and car hire. More and more private companies are using a travel expense management system (OBT) where all expenses related to travel; air, hotel, car, and subsistence/entertainment are captured on the same system, in this way making it more transparent and easier to control and analyse travel expenditure. SUMMARY The world of business travel is a valuable, innovative and technologically evolving industry. The opening up of new markets and the drive to expand business into new frontiers is a reality. Coupled with this is the requirement to develop new business relationships which must be nurtured though face to face meetings thus giving continued impetus to this sector. We have reviewed the role and function of TMC’s and technology in the travel industry and the future challenges they face. The various models of travel management gives us an insight into how the travel industry operates and provides a framework that can be compared against the research findings when examined in more detail and assist in establishing what can we learnt by both the private and public sector in the management of air travel

The Abominable Pig by Marvin Harris Essay -- Abominable Pig Marvin Har

The Abominable Pig by Marvin Harris Is it possible that the almighty God is wrong? The bible explicitly states, in no questionable terms that whatever is of the hoof and is cloven footed and chews the cud among animals, you may eat. Obviously, the pig has fallen short of the statement’s requirements, hence the reason why, Marvin Harris author of the article â€Å"The Abominable Pig,† has opted to explore the reasons why this is the case as his central argument. Harris does not seek to completely refute this theory; in fact, even though he pinpoints certain flaws in the biblical proclamation, he scrutinizes the reasons why God has chosen to isolate this particular animal, for it is no more a carrier of disease than any other. Harris contends that if the statement is reworded to state, â€Å"Flesh of swine thou shalt not eat until the pink has been cooked from,† and then that would have sufficed as opposed to eradicating its use completely. Firstly, Harris looks at the Old Testament’s characterization of the pig and then compares it to a trichinosis perspective (which is a di...

Old Masters and New Cinema: Korean Film in Transition :: Free Essays Online

Old Masters and New Cinema: Korean Film in Transition Since the late 1980s Korean cinema has undergone salient changes in its industrial structure, modes of practice, and aesthetic orientation. Its remarkable transformation into a powerful cultural force in Asia has elicited considerable attention from both the commercial and critical sectors of the international film circuit. Recent discussions of Korean cinema have largely been centered on its market expansion and generic diversification over the past two decades. Accordingly, a strong spotlight has been cast on groundbreaking newcomers in the industry as catalysts for its rapid growth. The nationwide Shiri (Shiri, 1999) syndrome brought about by Kang Chegyu and similar phenomena triggered by Pak Ch’anuk’s Joint Security Area (Kongdong kyà ´ngbi kuyà ´k, 2000), Kwak Kyà ´ngt’aek’s Friends (Ch’ingu, 2001), and Yi Chà ´nghyang’s The Way Home (Chibà »ro, 2002) well illustrate this tendency.1 Amidst the unprecedented success of the new generation of Korean filmmakers in both local and global arenas, one question remains to be investigated: how do old masters of Korean cinema define their art in this period of dynamic transition? My article addresses this vital and yet somewhat neglected issue by examining thematic and stylistic changes in recent films by Pak Ch’à ´lsu (Park Chulsoo) and Im Kwà ´nt’aek (Im Kwon-Taek), two prominent figures who began their directorial careers in earlier decades but have continued their search for their own film language to the present day. Pak’s Farewell My Darling (Haksaengbugunsinwi, 1996) and Kazoku Cinema (Kajok sinema, 1998) and Im’s Chunhyang (Ch’unhyangdyà ´n, 2001), while employing the conventional mode of storytelling as a structural scaffold, often break down the wall between diegesis and nondiegesis. They thereby undermine cinematic illusionism, which has long dominated Korean fil m. Pak continues his formal experiment in his latest work Pongja (Pongja, 2000) in which he blends social and virtual realities by means of a digital camera. In a similar spirit of border-crossing and hybridization, Im incorporates traditional Korean painting into the visual language of Painted Fire (Ch’wihwasà ´n, 2002). These veteran filmmakers’ playful attitudes toward the possibilities of the cinematic medium and especially their common concern with reflexivity and intertextuality reveal their changing views on life, art, and society. In light of their long contributions to the plot-driven mimetic tradition of mainstream cinema, Pak’s and Im’s innovative styles can be seen as ironic yet earnest responses to the shifting cultural milieu of today’s Korean film.

Evaluation of Police Officer Candidates Essay -- Selection of Law Enf

Workforce selection practices have become more prominent over the years, particularly with law enforcement recruitments. This enhanced use of process selection allows for more advanced methods of assessing police officers. One reason for this extreme emphasis on selection systems is the elimination of unqualified police recruit applicants, thus ensuring that monetary resources are not wasted on the ill-equipped (Cochrane., Tett., & Vandecreek, 2003). Several factors impact the potential success or failure of police recruits, including tertiary studies; efficient communication skills; previous moral and ethical behaviour and psychological adequacy of recruits. However, just two of the four selection criteria including tertiary studies, and personality suitability will be analysed and evaluated in this literary review. Higher educated police officers are better equipped to serve in today’s complex and challenging environment through greater awareness of social and cultural / ethnic community issues; promoting a more professional image of law enforcement, as well as exemplifying themselves as ‘problem solvers’ rather than ‘reactive agents’(Trfymowych, 2007, pg. 419). Likewise, psychological and personality suitability of employees allows for police officers to screen out psychopathology as well as Identify individuals who match some ‘ideal’ profile of high performing police. Therefore, this review aims to determine whether or not the selected criteria reviewed are valid for use in a police recruit selection process through a detailed evaluation of each criteria. As the role of a police officer is becoming more complex in the 21st century with the advances in social and technological developments, the need for tertiary studi... ...). Psychological testing and the selection of police officers. Criminal Justice and Behaviour, 30 (5), 511-537. Dempsey, J., & Forst, L. (2009). An Introduction to Policing. Cengage Learning, Canada. Metchik,E. (1999). Police Quarterly. An analysis of the â€Å"Screening Out â€Å" Model of Police Officer Selection, 2 (1), 79-95. Smith, M., & Segal, J. (2008). Healing Emotional and Psychological Trauma. In HelpGuide. Web 23 Apr. 2015. http://www.helpguide.org/mental/emotional_psychological_trauma.htm Trofymowych, D. (2007). Police Education Past and Present: Perceptions of Australian Police Managers and Academics. Flinders Journal of Law Reform, 8 (10), 419-433. Vrana, S., & Lauterbach, L. (1994). Prevalence of Traumatic Events and Post-Traumtic Psychological Symptoms in a Nonclinical Sample of College Students. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 7 (2), 289-302.

Is childhood getting better or worse? Essay

The position of children in society has improved ‘Childhood’ is a social construct. This means that it is different depending on the period of history that you look at or the place. Sociologists argue whether ‘childhood’ has improved or has got worse and use theories and evidence to prove this .There are to two sides to the argument and phrases used by sociologists to describe that either childhood has improved ‘The march of progress ‘ , or been made worse ‘ Conflict view’. ‘March of progress ‘argues that childhood has become better over time. One sociologist who agrees there has been a march of progress is Aries. Aries used painting s of past eras to compare childhood then, to current childhood. He found that children were dressed as many adults, doing adult jobs, playing with adult toys. This for Aries was evidence that childhood has progressed as these days there is a clear distinction between adults and children and the treatment and expectations of young people is very different to adults , society is much more child centred now. Another sociologist who backed up the march of progress idea was shorter. Shorter based his conclusion on infant mortality rates (IMR). He said that as the years have gone on fewer children have been dying, this is due to advances in health care, diet etc. and this has caused parent to be more loving and caring to towards their children. This therefore shows that there has been significant progress in regards to ‘childhood’. However some may argue that childhood is worse now that it has ever been. This view is given the name ‘conflict view’, this says that the march of progress is a idealistic view of childhood and ignores basic inequalities in everyday society for children .There are different groups of people that support this view .One of the groups of people is feminists. One argument a feminist might agree with is the research of Hillman .Hillman researched into gender inequalities in childhood and found out that in present day boys are more likely to be allowed certain freedoms. This shows a massive inequality for children and therefore childhood has not progressed but instead has worsened. Another sociologists work that a feminist might use to back up their argument is Bonke.Bonke said that women are far more likely to be given domestic chores to do, in this sense they would argue chi ldhood is patriarchal and therefore has not progressed .Another sociologist many feminists use to support the conflict view is Broman .In his research he found out that Asian parents are  much more hard on daughters than they are their sons. This shows the pressures and inequalities within gender in some cultures which are over looked by the ‘march of progress’ argument. Another group of people that would argue that there are still inequalities that are overlooked by March of progress sociologists are Marxists. Marxists believe that the ruling classes oppress the working class people. When talking about childhood Marxists argue that working class families are at a disadvantage and have much worse and then upper class families. One sociologist Marxists would use to support this argument is Woodruffs idea that working class children are more likely to be hyperactive or naughty, this would support the idea that inequalities remain within classes and therefore as the gap between wealth has grown children from lower class families have been disadvantages. Another sociologist they could use to support their view is Howard. His argument is that IMR amongst the working class families is higher than that of middle or upper class familys.This shows that again because of the difference in class, working class families are not being able to provide the same standard of childhood as the wealthier classes. Therefore Marxists would agree that there are clear differences in childhoods for different classes, this is over looked by the march of progress view. On balance the evidenc e seems to support the conflict view in that there are many inequalities that the march of progress argument over looks and consequently in practice the march of progress argument simply don’t seem to take society as a whole into account.

Is Rationalisation a Desirable Strategy?

Foundations of Managing and Organising – Essay 1 Is rationalisation a desirable strategy for managing and organising Junction Hotel in the current economic climate? Junction Hotel is an ‘upmarket, city centre hotel with proud tradition of strong customer service with a traditional approach’. (2012, pp. 2-3) FoM Seminar workbook 1 – 2012-13). Simon Chance is the newly appointed C. E. O of the hotel in hope to restore the glorious hotel there once was. Simon Chance is a venture capitalist and president of Second-Chance consortium and is willing to step up to the challenge of updating the hotel through the way it operates, looks and how its run.Problems with the hotel range from poor management and organisation to dated equipment and deteriorating interior. This does not impress the high-class clientele the Hotel claims to cater for. The poor condition of the hotel matched with the very expensive room charges is not something customers will oblige to pay for e specially in the current economy where people’s expenses are rising alongside taxation and a poor economic climate leaving people with less disposable income.Furthermore, with the worldwide hotel sector looking as if it will be much more profitable there will be increased competition for Junction Hotel and a wider choice of hotels for customers to choose from. (MarketingCharts Staff, February 21, 2012. Hotel Industry Poised for 2012. http://www. marketingcharts. com/direct/hotel-industry-poised-for-2012-growth-21201/). Chance has decided a new business strategy is what Junction Hotel needs in order to regain the success it once had and looks at rationalisation as a potential strategy.Rationalisation is organising a business through principles of management in order to gain efficiency often accomplished through downsizing e. g. reducing workforce or selling/closing plants. By increasing efficiency it can cut hotel running costs of which the money can be spent on renovating the run down hotel. A problem with the current state of Junction Hotel is the lack of clear roles and job titles, which can be seen as almost essential today for all businesses.A more bureaucratic approach would be a great way to overcome this. This would include a clear hierarchy of authority usually presented in an organisational chart appointing each staff member their place in the organisation and who they answer to i. e. who their supervisor/s are. At the moment there is confusion with a number of staff as to what their roles are such as Linda Wilkinson whose responsibility is continually growing ranging from cleaning staff to reception staff to maintenance etc.This poses a problem as there is no division of labour which instantly reduces efficiency in the organisation as employees may not be clear on what to do and therefore there may be more people than necessary doing a specific job or important tasks left altogether. Furthermore, there is confusion over the roles in the restau rant with the Head Chef and Wilkinson both wanting control over the waiting staff. A well thought out organisation chart will indicate the position of each employee very clearly and means everyone should be able to cope with the workload thus minimising mistakes.It may be that Chance needs to hire more supervisors as Wilkinson seems to be accountable for many of the staff – a much higher ratio than what would be ideal. Morgan, G, (2006) â€Å"Mechanization Takes Command: Organizations as Machines† from Morgan, G, Images of Organization p 19 states that there should be Unity of Command meaning an employee should receive orders from only one supervisor as well as a low Span of Control meaning the number of employees reporting to one supervisor should not be so large that it creates communication problems.It is evident that this is not the case in Junction Hotel and the problems of this are beginning to show. (REFERENCE ABOUT SPECIALISATION e. g. relating to mcdonalds/tra velodge). Taking this more bureaucratic approach will enable Chance to make the workforce more rational and organised allowing efficiency of work to increase. Chance may decide the workers are unmotivated if rationalisation is put into action. By allocating specific jobs especially monotonous labour that is carried out day in day out workers may feel dehumanised and can get easily bored.This is a downside of the strategy Chance wishes to use however, there have been studies such as the Hawthorne studies which suggest it is possible to overcome these problems. Furthermore, on the plus side work at Junction Hotel is not as repetitive and dehumanising as factory workers who worked for Taylor or Ford and is even better than much of today’s work which has been a victim of ‘McDonaldization’. Ritzer, G. (2008) The Mcdonaldization of society p. 7 claims due to efficiency ‘Managers†¦ gain because more work gets done, more customers are served and more profits a re earned’ and therefore aim to achieve greatest efficiency which is defined as ‘choosing the optimum means to a given end’. This type of rational organisation is very mechanical, employees work solely for monetary rewards and work is very individual. This type of working environment would not suit Junction Hotel as a hotel is a very social place where workers need to communicate with each other and customers.This type of work environment in modern society would be found in a fast food restaurant such as McDonalds – here monotonous tasks are continuously carried out by the workers and even what they say is scripted. This would not work well in the Junction Hotel setting as each customer in the hotel will have different queries besides â€Å"would you want the receptionist to have the same conversation with you as somebody serving you in McDonalds? † (FoM Seminar (2012) Nottingham Trent University). Furthermore, the Hawthorne Studies found that there are many factors that changed the output workers produced.I feel these are not entirely relevant to the workers at Junction Hotel because a lot of the jobs to do at Junction Hotel are more concerned with the quality than the quantity. For example there are only 100 rooms to clean though these should although be done quickly there should be certainty that each room is spotless to maintain this luxurious hotel image. Changes in the light level won’t have much impact on the rate of work in the Hotel or have much impact on customers as they are not really buying products. Such changes may be necessary in the restaurant as here it is important for food to be made and served quickly.Overall, I think rationalisation is a much needed strategy but not in the way it is made clear to us in the modern day e. g. by dehumanising workers and giving them simple, boring tasks to do. It is important for Junction Hotel to gain a structure/hierarchy as well as division of labour to occur though there is a risk of workers being stripped of their individuality and therefore a line must be drawn at how bureaucratic the organisation should become as it must remain a high class venue and not equivalent to a Travelodge where there are hundreds of venues which look and operate the same and include no perks for the customer.REFEERNCE LIST: Anon. (2012, pp. 2-3) FoM Seminar workbook 1 – 2012-13 MarketingCharts Staff, February 21, 2012. Hotel Industry Poised for 2012. http://www. marketingcharts. com/direct/hotel-industry-poised-for-2012-growth-21201/ Morgan, G, (2006, p 19) â€Å"Mechanization Takes Command: Organizations as Machines† from Morgan, G, Images of Organization Ritzer, G. (2008, p. 57) The Mcdonaldization of society Anon. (2012) FoM Seminar Nottingham Trent University

Documentary Film Analysis Worksheet Essay

Instructions: You will find the list of films you can choose from in the Assignment tab. Go to the list and pick your film. You must view the entire film. If you can’t access films because of deployment, geographic location, or other reasons, please let your instructor know so they can give you an alternate assignment. Please type you answers into this sheet. You must submit the worksheet by uploading the worksheet as a Word document You must answer in complete sentences, using a short answer/paragraph format. Please do not answer in one or two sentences be specific. 2 paragraph minimum (except for #1) 1. What is the title of the film you picked? I chose the film, â€Å"Slavery and the Making of America.† 2. Why did you pick this film over the others offered? I chose this film documentary over the others because I have always wanted to learn more about slavery and how it shaped and effected America. Often we are just told what we read in books or stories that have been passed down about what really went on in this country. Slavery is a big subject and one of if not the biggest tragedies in the history of this country. I wanted to watch this documentary to uncover more truth and facts about the shape of this country during that time. I also liked the descriptions that are specified about the video and what it talks about and will cover. It states that the four part documentary will cover the beginning of slavery from the British colonies which then migrates down south to the north and how it ends. I have always been intrigued by the history of slavery and how it came about and how it was for Africans and African Americans during that time. 3. What is/are the central message(s) of this documentary/fictional film? Be specific. Use examples from the film to support your choice. There are many central messages regarding this documentary. The main messages conveyed in this documentary were resistance amongst the slaves, struggle to maintain dignity, their life styles and culture, their status as workers, knowing their value as a slave, the change of racism, slaves were underestimated about their knowledge and understanding, family was essential and helped them survive and powerful political figures along with American beliefs were major hypocrites. In 1624 the first eleven Africans known as the Atlantic Creole’s were brought via ships by the Dutch West India Company to New Amsterdam (New York today), at this time there were two kinds of workers; slaves and indentured workers(white and black laborers who served for a servant amount of years to get money and become free). Their statuses were confusing and complex however, they were both treated equal and would often retreat to taverns to bond and talk about their masters. The Atlantic Creole’s made the system work for them. They knew how to bargain with their masters to get what they needed and still maintain a fair working lifestyle. The turn of fair treatment towards both races changed in 1640 when three men (two white and one black) decided to flee from their master. They were caught two days later. In court the two whites were to serve a few more years as indentured workers while the black man was sentenced to life as an indentured worker. Slaves maintained their dignity by using the bible, their culture as Africans and family value to get them through. When times got hard they prayed and came together as a community. The treatment of slaves was inhumane, they were beaten, and tortured (branded, men castrated, ears cut off or severed, women raped and exploited) if they were misbehaving. Eventually slaves were beginning to be resistant. They would harm cattle, run away, commit suicide and sometimes revolt towards their masters to receive better treatment. President Thomas Jefferson was considered to be a huge hypocrite along with political powers in America. They wrote documents and petitions stating that all men were created equal. Jefferson claimed he was not big about slavery yet, he owned over 250 slaves and did not free a single one even as President. Slaves were treated like animals and property rather than human beings (3/5th constitution stated that slaves were only 3/5th human and therefore were to be treated as such.) 4. Consider the effectiveness of the film for this history class. What are its strengths and weaknesses of this film in documenting history? This film is strong and very effective with many strengths. It gives a detailed account of slavery and the lives of significant people who helped to abolish slavery. It talks about David Walker and his appeal and what the Appeal did for all blacks and whites fighting for the cause. Later it talks about Maria Stewart (Walker’s prodigy) and how she was the first black women to speak to a mixed audience those of men and women and how the lawsuit she won later would bring about the Emancipation. Other significant role players were Harriet Jacobs who was the first women to write a slave narrative. Her life consisted in the attempts to be free of her master who wanted her for sexual purposes. She fell in love with another white man and produced two children for him. In order for her children to be free she fled to her grandmother’s home who was free and she lived in an enclosed space for the next seven years. Although, her children were free it would be a few more years before she would ever see them again. The only weakness to this documentary I found was that it skipped times periods and went back and forth. It said very little about the Declaration of Independence and what it meant to African Americans. During this time it also does not mention the impact that the Quakers had on blacks. It just mentions that they were there and what they fought for.2 5. How do you think the filmmakers want the audience to respond? Is there a social justice message? If so, what is it? I would say filmmakers would want the audience to have a better appreciation for blacks and what they went through and those that helped fight for racism and anti-slavery movements. I think initially anyone who watches this film would first be ashamed to call the U.S their country but, then after a while realizing that was the country’s way of living and way of life at the time. To think that people were treated like animals and had no rights is an injustice and definitely a contradiction to the American beliefs. The audience may want to re-read the Declaration of Independence and see if its principals are practiced to this day. There is definitely a social justice  message. In the documentary it talks about the first eleven slaves from Africa known as the Atlantic Creole. As time passes they negotiate with their masters to get land, get paid for their labor and even have their children become free after a certain amount of time. The slaves knew their worth and at the time they were able to negotiate because there were no harsh laws at this time. A couple of the men even sued their masters and won for loss of wages. Other examples include resistance and revolts. A big indicator was the Walker Appeal. In the Appeal Walker motivates black slaves to stand up for themselves and roles out argument over the history of slavery. He criticizes Thomas Jefferson and America’s political party for being a contradiction stating they want all men to be treated equally and free except many of them stilled owned slaves and were not freeing them. 6. Did the documentary leave you with any unanswered questions? If so, what were they? The documentary was very informative and very detailed oriented. I would have like to know more about Thomas Jefferson and President Washington. The documentary does not cover President Washington’s role in slavery or how he felt about it and what actions he took. Of course he owned slaves but, did he feel the same as Jefferson? What was he doing at this time for the country in regards to slavery? I also wanted to know what Thomas Jefferson’s role was after the Declaration of Independence took effect. He owned over 250 slaves. I wonder what he was like toward his slaves and how he treated them. If he was against slavery then why did he not free his slaves or why did he wait so long? Why did he not play a bigger role in helping the slaves? 7. How did this film change any misconceptions or stereotypes you had about the subject matter? If so, what were they? Since, I already knew basic facts about slavery I did not have any stereotypes. I will say that I had lack of knowledge with the real life situations that many individuals experienced. For example, the film states the punishments for any slave that runs away. The first punishment they were  whipped. The second punishment they were branded with an R on their right cheek. The third punishment their ear was severed and another R on the left cheek for runaway, and the fourth punishment males were castrated. I had misconceptions about the Presidents. I used to respect the Presidents Jefferson and Lincoln. History says they are some of our founding fathers. To me they were prejudice cowards who had no intention of freeing slaves although, they say they did not believe in slavery. America builds these prominent figures up as if they are heroes. Sure, they developed great causes and did great things (Jefferson with the Declaration of Independence, and Lincoln with the Emancipation Proclama tion) but again this did nothing for slaves. 8. What did you enjoy most about the film? Dislike the most? Be specific. I like that the film was very detailed in the lives of those people who made a difference. The film also stresses how important slavery was and how blacks were portrayed and treated. I was constantly being fed about facts that I definitely did not learn in school history books. Significant unknown people such as a slave called Titus who was very skilled and a smart slave and owned by a short tempered Quaker who would not release him although, a lot of Quakers were freeing their slaves. Titus eventually runs away and comes back years later as a sophisticated colonel of a small army of whites and blacks to fight in various wars and help free his people. Another unknown significant slave was Emanuel Dregas. He was owned by Captain Pot and later Pot owned his family. Once Pot became stricken by poverty he sold Dregas’ family. After Captain Pot died, Dregas later became free but, his family remained enslaved and for the rest of his life he fought to get them freedom. I can honestly there was nothing that I did not like about the film. 9. What is the most important thing you learned from watching the film? The most important thing I learned about this film was the value of African Americans verses slavery and how the first Africans were able to be more free with their decisions and able to negotiate their wages. Again the first  eleven Africans known as the Atlantic Creole in 1624 came by way of ship purchased by the Dutch West Indian Company. As they built the Dutch Colony in New Amsterdam (New York today) there were no laws about slavery and they had no structure. They were just required to work hard for their masters. These slaves began to recognize their worth and realized they were not being paid their value. A few of them sued their slave owners for higher wages. They also began to negotiate with their masters. They made the system work for them. The masters wanted to appease them so that they would continue to work. In turn masters gave their slaves half freedom. This meant men who married could live with their wives on the free Negro land. They could grow their own crops, cattle and they could farm there. Slaves were very valuable. The more slaves that were owned the more land the slave owner received. For example, one slave equaled five acres of land. Cotton was the biggest product since tobacco and was in high demand throughout the world specifically Europe. Thousands of slaves were requested and then shipped from West Africa to complete these slave picking tasks. It was a nonstop twenty-four seven job. Slaves worked from sunrise till sundown. If it was a full moon they worked through the night as well. 10. Why is this film important to understanding contemporary African American History? This film is important to understanding contemporary African American History, because of the details it covers of slavery, the people and a nation it effected and how these people survived such a harsh, cruel and demanding life style. Africans and African Americans struggled yet their religious beliefs, love for family and will to live and eventually fighting back got them through. This is seen in the attempted Nat Turner revolt, Walker Appeal pamphlet, the slave narrative by Harriet Jacobs and Maria Stewart. Each of these individuals fought for a cause that they did not see or experience in their lifetime but, knew that it would come in the following generations. These individuals had guts and wanted to tell the truth. David Walker exploits American beliefs in his Appeal when he talks President Thomas Jefferson being a hypocrite and how he wants all men to be created equally yet he owns slaves and would not free them. America was turned upside down due to the attitude of slavery. The nation was becoming a separate society. It was the North and West vs the South. While the North and West had abolished slavery the South was nowhere near that or wanted anything to do with it. Economic power became political power. Those that had prospered or came from money were running for the senate, government and even for presidency. Based upon this alone Africans, African Americans and various indentured workers built this country and assisted the country in making it an economic powerhouse.