Thursday, November 28, 2019

Married life Essay Example

Married life Essay Marriage is the third main ideal to be presented in Act 1 of the play. Whilst it is not strictly an ideal in itself, the manner in which it is presented leaves a sense of mocked ceremony. The female leads treat marriage with a deadly seriousness in all respects, with Lady Bracknell saying: an engagement should come on a young girl as a surpriseIt is hardly a matter that she could be allowed to arrange herself this seeming dedication to the meticulous arrangement of a marriage in order to achieve the best results ironically destroys any romantic element, and in that aspect chances of true love. The male attitude to marriage is quite different. When talking with Jack in private, Algernon takes a rather dismissive stance on marriage: A man who marries without knowing Bunbury has a very tedious time of it, this negative view is also shown in In married life three is company and two is none. This is again representative of a characters embodiment of an ideal, or the anathema to one in this case. The attitude of the men changes when in the company of the women, in order to appear courteous and honourable, as the woman superficially believe they are. This pretence of behaviour is something of a microcosm for the ideal of marriage itself. We will write a custom essay sample on Married life specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Married life specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Married life specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The explicit female view of marriage is dismantled with various epigrams, for instance Lady Bracknell saying that after her husbands death, Lady Harbury looks quite twenty years younger. Again Gwendolens statement that her ideal has always been to love some one of the name of Ernest, is obviously facetious, and through that it is clear that the women have an equally sceptical view of marriage as the men. Yet they are inexorably drawn towards it because of the perceived duty to live up to the romantic ideal of marriage. Wildes satire of this situation again helps to dismiss the validity of the ideal presented. Marriage is probably the most complex of all the ideals presented in Act One of the play, in that the view presented very much depends on the interaction of the two sexes, which in itself is a questionable motif, consequently a definite opinion can not be drawn from it. Ultimately, the presentation and satire of the age of ideals is light hearted and insincere, however there are several poignant facets of this dissection of society that are worthy of note. The duality of human nature, whilst being an over-used speculation is particularly applicable in the play, as it is the habit of the characters to have sincere feelings and yet be incapable of showing them at all. The motiveless and consequently worthless existence of the upper classes is starkly compared to the diligence of a few hard working men of the lower echelons measures up unfavourably. Whereas the objectification of women is quite clearly the biggest irony in the play; as is quite clear from the actions of Gwendolen and Lady Bracknell, they are in fact the ones in charge.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

How To Conjugate and Use the Spanish Verb Ir

How To Conjugate and Use the Spanish Verb Ir You might not expect  fue and vaya to be conjugations of the same verb, but that is what happens with ir.  As would be expected for a verb that uniquely has an ending only with  no stem, ir,  is highly irregular. Most unusually, it shares its preterite and imperfect subjunctive forms with ser. The context typically will indicate which verb is being conjugated. Ir  it typically translated as to go. It also is frequently used to form the periphrastic future. Irregular forms are shown below in boldface. Translations are given as a guide and in real life may vary with context. Infinitive of Ir ir (to go) Gerund of Ir yendo (going) Participle of Ir ido (gone) Present Indicative of Ir yo voy, tà º vas, usted/à ©l/ella va, nosotros/as vamos, vosotros/as vais, ustedes/ellos/ellas van (I go, you yendo, he yendo, etc.) Preterite of Ir yo fui, tà ºÃ‚  fuiste, usted/à ©l/ella fue, nosotros/as fuimos, vosotros/as fuisteis, ustedes/ellos/ellas fueron (I went, you went, she went, etc.) Imperfect Indicative of Ir yo iba, tà º ibas, usted/à ©l/ella iba, nosotros/as à ­bamos, vosotros/as ibais, ustedes/ellos/ellas iban (I used to go, you used to go, he used to go, etc.) Future Indicative of Ir yo irà ©, tà º irs, usted/à ©l/ella ir, nosotros/as iremos, vosotros/as irà ©is, ustedes/ellos/ellas irn (I will go, you will go, he will go, etc.) Conditional of Ir yo irà ­a, tà º irà ­as, usted/à ©l/ella irà ­a, nosotros/as irà ­amos, vosotros/as irà ­ais, ustedes/ellos/ellas irà ­an (I would go, you would go, she would go, etc.) Present Subjunctive of Ir que yo vaya, que tà º vayas, que usted/à ©l/ella vaya, que nosotros/as vayamos, que vosotros/as vayis, que ustedes/ellos/ellas vayan (that I go, that you go, that she go, etc.) Imperfect Subjunctive of Ir que yo fuera (fuese), que tà º fueras (fueses), que usted/à ©l/ella fuera (fuese), que nosotros/as fuà ©ramos (fuà ©semos), que vosotros/as fuerais (fueseis), que ustedes/ellos/ellas fueran (fuesen) (that I went, that you went, that he went, etc.) Imperative of Ir ve (tà º), no vayas (tà º), vaya (usted), vamos or vayamos (nosotros/as), id (vosotros/as), no vayis (vosotros/as), vayan (ustedes) (go, dont go, go, lets go, etc.) Compound Tenses of Ir The perfect tenses are made by using the appropriate form of haber and the past participle, ido. The progressive tenses use estar with the gerund, yendo. Sample Sentences Showing Conjugation of Ir Nunca he viajado a Chile, pero espero ir allà ­. (I have never traveled to Chile, but I hope to go there. Infinitive.)He ido muchas veces al restaurante y siempre me ha gustado. (I have often gone to the restaurant and I have always liked it. Present perfect.)Esta semana vamos a estudiar la situacià ³n en Alemania. (This week we are going to study the situation in Germany. Present indicative showing how the periphrastic future is formed.)Los hombres se fueron a la cocina a preparar unos tragos. (The men went away to the kitchen to prepare some drinks. Preterite.)Dejà ³ su vehà ­culo en una gasolinera y se fue a pie al banco. (She left her vehicle at a gas station and went by foot to the bank. Preterite.)Ella y yo à ­bamos una vez al mes a un cafà © del centro y hablbamos de todo. (She and I would go monthly to a downtown cafà © and talk about everything. Imperfect.)No sà © si irà © a la playa, porque me es difà ­cil divertirme sin dinero. (I dont know if Ill go to the beac h, because it is difficult for me to enjoy myself without money. Future.) Si yo tuviera que decidir, irà ­a a Isla Mujeres. (If I had to decide, I would go to Isla Mujeres. Conditional.)Espero que vayan con la disposicià ³n de escuchar. (I hope they go prepared to pay attention. Present subjunctive.)Insistà ­ una y otra vez en que fuera conmigo. (I insisted again and again that she go with me. Imperfect subjunctive.) ¡Vete de allà ­! (Get out of here! Imperative.)Vamos al lago para pescar. (Lets go to the lake to fish. Imperative.)

Thursday, November 21, 2019

British American Tobacco Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

British American Tobacco - Coursework Example A negative externality is generated by an action when it imposes a cost on someone else who had no control over the action. Types of externalities. The common externality attributed to cigarette smoking is the economic cost of health care to non-smokers as well as to smokers themselves. Another externality is the health effects of environmental smoke to non smokers and to their families. Report of CDC (2010) said that premature deaths and smoke related diseases in nonsmokers were caused by second hand smoke. Smoking also pollutes the air environment, the lands, and water. Air is polluted by chemicals in the cigarette which is breathed out, cigarette butts end in the grounds and inevitably flushed in the water. The costs related to health maintenance and cleaning of the environment are negative externalities attributed to cigarette and tobacco. 2. Production process and what type of externalities are produced in each process Tobacco production starts with purchase of about 400,000 ton s of tobacco leaf yearly from farmers coming from the emerging economies. Negative externalities in tobacco production are: ground water pollution from fertilizer use, deforestation, food contamination and farm worker exposure to toxic chemicals from pesticide use, water and energy use, and fires caused by cigarette smoking. A positive externality is also produced such as social cost that includes income benefits to agriculture, farmers and families and competitive advantage of production of emerging countries. The second process in cigarette and tobacco production is the manufacturing process done through 50 factories in 41 countries. Once the processed leaf arrives at the factory, it is checked for quality and blending, and the rest of the activity are fully automated and no longer done by hand. Quality control is top priority and tracking of production is done by computers (BAT). As new technology is introduced in the manufacturing process, reduction of employment is necessary an d some machines are rendered obsolete. Negative externality produced in the manufacturing is the loss of income due to cost reduction of the company and the cost of machines that have to be destroyed. Policy of BAT is to destroy old machines to prohibit counterfeit of cigarettes. 3. How does government try to control externalities? Government tries to control externalities of tobacco and cigarette consumption thru policies and regulations. Government uses production taxes, consumption taxes, restriction, quota and subsidies to agricultural products. The government is often called upon to intervene in the market to resolve externality problems. Government agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency are established to set and enforce air quality standards, and taxes are imposed to obtain fund to pay for external costs or subsidize external benefits. The United States has imposed an increase of excise tax that took effect July, 2010, with some states charging low, and others t oo high (NCSL, 2010). 4. Are the externalities controlled effectively? Are there other ways other externality could be? controlled. Under an unregulated market where there is no control, firms maximize their profits, but subsequent problems arise due to externalities. Under this condition, government intervention is needed to bring back

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

10 short answer question Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

10 short answer question - Assignment Example It is normally measured through human Development Index, Index of economic well being (IEWB) etc. The economic growth and economic development of Newfoundland is recorded to be almost 3% per year which is the highest during 1981 and 2010, whereas British Columbia had the lowest with 0.5 % per year during the same period. the five major resources of energy available currently in industrialized countries are Coal, natural gas, oil, gathering under fossil fuels which are non-renewable ,Nuclear and hydroelectric which are renewable and other renewable sources like solar, wind, geo-thermal, tidal and waves energy. Safe and sustainable energy is crucial for the sustainability of world economy. Today, an average person in an industrial market economy consumes approximately 80 times more than as much energy as someone in sub-Saharan Africa and about quarter of a world consumes three quarters of primary global energy which has led to uneven distribution of energy consumption. Low energy path is the best way towards a sustainable future. As per the current development rate the countries with in next 50 years could produce same levels of energy services with as little as half the primary supply currently consumed. However, this would require crucial decision making in socio-economic structure and institutional arrangements. 3. Describe the issue(s) associated with the salmon fishery (renewable resource) on the west coast of British Columbia. Describe the mitigation/management actions that are being applied currently? Have the mitigation management changes been successful? Issues associated with salmon fishery include potential ecological interactions as well as disease concerns owing to climate change. Local over fishing along with climate change and fresh water habitat loss has severely hampered the marine fish species including

Monday, November 18, 2019

Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 18

Entrepreneurship - Essay Example Choremonsters is striving to eliminate the tension experienced by parents when it comes to coordination of household chores. The innovation helps parents to communicate with the children and direct them on various chores. Children have an application that is linked to the child’s application thus improving coordination or cooperation between the parent and the child. This ostensibly makes it easy for the parent to be acquainted with their children’s performance on various chores when away from home. Moreover, Choremonsters is overcoming the ineffectiveness of chore charts. The application teaches the children how to do various tasks at an increased efficiency as compared to the traditional chore charts which children find hard to understand. Choremonsters also solves the problem of having to put excessive efforts to have the children perform chores. This niche has been in existence as there has been no application that has successful been able to digitally connect the child in such a way that enables the child to easily retrieve programmed

Friday, November 15, 2019

Franchising In Hospitality Industry Commerce Essay

Franchising In Hospitality Industry Commerce Essay The following paper deals with a recent type of management entitled franchising. In the hospitality industry and currently within Accor, the franchise has become a real stake and strategy to continue to perform. Accor Hospitality is an international player which has decided to turn its strategy into a franchise system that combines company owned hotels and franchisees. Nevertheless, such a network has to be livened up and controlled in order to perpetuate the reputation and then the business. Therefore the case study sustained by qualitative research aims at suggests recommendation to the company, but key issues need to be viewed and overcome first. Foreword This report is to summarize the experience of a six-month internship within the Business Intelligence department of Accor Hospitalitys headquarter, as well as to demonstrate my personal understanding of the changing of strategy, by confronting and comparing theory with practice, identifying its pros cons as well as its key factors of success in the hospitality industry. For my third and final year of business studies at INSEEC, I chose to major in International Business Strategy. This is a Master of Business qualification run in partnership with the SRH Hochschule in Berlin. The two main reasons for this choice were due to my strong interest in discovering many cultures and ways of conducting business and strategies. On the one hand, my strong interest in acquiring skills in business analysis in the hospitality industry, combined with the importance of the hospitality industry worldwide, oriented my applications to Business Analysis positions within this sector. On the other hand, my personal motivation for discovering new cultures, coupled with my academic qualifications and my language skills also encouraged me to apply in International companies where I could speak as much English as possible. As a French student extremely interested in working in a multicultural environment, the ACCOR group seemed to be a fantastic opportunity. As a Business Analyst I was part of the Business Intelligence team and reported directly to the Director of Strategy and Business Performance. I had to have full experience of distribution, and work on the different aspects of analyzing the business that such a position commands. My personal mission within the team has been to provide support to the two Business Analysts, and help them make reports related to the Distribution strategies. As a team, we were accountable to understand the needs of the various brands and teams, then to create tools to provide accurate information (project managers) and finally to analyze the data (business analysts). Therefore, in my position, I was in charge of carrying out three main functions: Updating the Distribution Monthly Report for the Top Management for both Direct and Indirect Sales Analyzing the hotels performance worlwide Answering to Adhoc demands in order to measure the impact of promotional offers. This report, however, has its limits. A valid quantitative study for example, would have allowed me to support and corroborate my findings with the franchisees satisfaction and suggestions regarding their links with the franchisor. As well, it would be promising to investigate some topics as for example the behavioural customer evolution regarding the hospitality industry or develop further some of the challenges the hospitality industry is facing applying Dynamic Pricing, as they could easily be the subjects of a study on their own. Finally, both on a personal and professional level, my experience within Accor Hospitality headquarter in Evry has been a real success. All I can believe for the future is to have a chance to further develop my analysis skills in similar conditions: team spirit, communication and trust. Acknowledgements Firstly, I am extremely grateful to Pierrick Le Masne for giving me the chance of being parts of the Strategy and Business performance department within the ACCORs headquarter in Paris. I would like to express many thanks to Alison Broussy for welcoming me in her Business Intelligence team and sharing her expertise, training and giving me the opportunity to further develop my business analysis skills over the last six months. I would like to add special thanks to Nicolas Leseurre, Fara Rabesoa, for sharing their experience and knowledge with me. I am also thankful to Isabelle Duflot and Olivier Poujol for sharing their thoughts and opinions regarding Project Management. Finally, I would like to thank the overall team for the warm welcome and team spirit I have received since being part of this company these past few months. Table of Content Introduction 1 Tapez le titre du chapitre (niveau  2) 2 Tapez le titre du chapitre (niveau  3) 3 Tapez le titre du chapitre (niveau  1) 4 Tapez le titre du chapitre (niveau  2) 5 Tapez le titre du chapitre (niveau  3) 6 Introduction Franchising is an ancient type of network that is simple, formalized in its organization and in its functioning (Anderson and Coughlan, 2002; Blair and Lafontaine 2005). However, literature on the control of the franchising network are seldom particularly in France, whereas it is a rich and interesting lead of research (Elango and Fried, 1997). Franchising is a way of doing business that has grown fast, and more particularly in Europe. The reason can be found in the will for the franchisor to develop its network quickly and for the franchisee to benefit from an expertise in a specific field. France is the European leader and has seen its franchising network doubled within the last ten years and acknowledges a constant growth between 8% and 11% for 5 years. Even in a crisis period, franchising has continued to grow thanks to the support and training provided by the franchisor. All sectors taken together, France owns 1,234 networks  [2]  of franchisor and 49,094 franchisee, and realizes a turnover of about 47.7 billion Euros in 2008. Franchising has been defined as a system of marketing goods and/or services and/or technology, which is based upon a close and ongoing collaboration between legally and financially separate and independent undertakings, the Franchisor and its individual Franchisees, whereby the Franchisor grants its individual Franchisee the right, and imposes the obligation, to conduct a business in accordance with the Franchisors concept.  [3]   In other word, the definition underlines that a franchising network is a complex organization where the relationship and trust between the franchisor and franchisees are essential. When a company decides to develop its know-how into franchising it is because the company has gained a certain maturity and expertise in its activity and then will be able to convey the operational management to its franchisees. Within the Hospitality Industry, it exists different ways of managing a hotel. Indeed, a hotel can be a subsidiary as an entire part of the corporate company, a managed hotel or a franchisee. ACCOR is a company that has been created in 1967 with the first opening of a Novotel. Then, step by step the company has opened several hotels in France and in Europe and further worldwide. Owning many hotels the company has known how to become a leader in that field. Today, leader in France and in Europe, the company wants to become more present worldwide and has recently decided to change its business model. This changing of strategy called asset right is a real stake because it is going to disrupt an organization which relies on a family mind, history and way of running the business. As a part of the Accor team, this research would like to expose the changing of the Accor strategy from an hotels owner to a franchisor. The case study would outlines how the company can optimize the relationship between itself and its franchisees within a mixed network. Chapter One: Theory on franchising The first part deals with the analysis of the franchising system in its complex form. The key concepts to understand the overall functioning of the franchise are developed. 1.1 History of franchising The franchise business model was born in the United States of America, especially encouraged by the antitrust laws. This solution can be explained by the size and the importance of the American market that forced the societies to turn into a system enabling the increase of the market shares without huge investments. Nowadays, the number of franchisees reaches 760,000 in the United States spread out 1500 networks that represent a turnover of more than 1500 billion dollars and employs 9.7 million people in 2004.  [4]   In France, the first franchised network appeared around 1930 a little time after the creation of the wool producer in Roubaix. The phenomenon of franchise has been developed further, at the beginning of the seventies, in order to modernize the convenience trade and create a real competition to the Big boxes. Today France is the leader of franchising in Europe and concerns various types of activity such as fast food industry, bakers, apparel and hospitality industry. 1.2 Concepts and definition In a franchising system, the franchisor grants its knowhow and its trademark to franchisees, which are independent and have the contractual obligation to exercise the activity described into the respect of rules and procedures defined by the franchisor. The latter must follow the concepts exploitation and provide support to its franchisees. The franchisor is paid by an entrance fee at the signature of the contract and also by regular royalties based on the franchisees turnover. The contract of franchise has a variable length often comprised between five and ten years. Thus, the franchise includes a key firm, the franchisor, and multiple satellites firms, legally and financially independent called the franchisees. Usually, the franchisor brings intangible assets (products, services to develop, know how or trademark), whereas the franchisee provides financial and human assets. The purpose of the agreement is the exploitation of the concept developed by the franchisor. The franchise seems to be a special type of network where there is an inter-organizational division of the work. The franchisor is in charge of the strategic activity whereas franchisees work more on operational activities (Frà ©ry, 1996). Skills and resources mobilization within a franchising system are more carried out in logic of exploitation rather than propriety (Frà ©ry, 1995) because associates are independent. Therefore there is coexistence of economic dependence and legal independence between partners of the franchise. Sometimes the franchise network is described as unstable because the key firm could try to own the most performing units.  [5]   Many franchising network are mixed because they combine company owned units and independent franchisees. This is the case for instance in Hospitality industry. This specific kind of network enables to mix the experience effect from company owned units with the human and financial power of the franchisees. Indeed, information available from company owned units are used to negotiate and attract new franchisees. The franchising network enables a mutual process of learning that can lead to trust relationship between the franchisor and franchisees. To sum up, a franchise system is composed of: A purpose: repetition of a commercial success Supplementary resources from both sides Favourable institutional framework Interactive relationship between players. A purpose  due to a commercial success Franchising system Supplementary recources Interactive relationship between players A favourable institutional framework Figure 1 The franchising system 1.3 Purpose of the franchise system Each side of the franchise system finds an advantage of coming into this specific type of network. The franchisor hopes to develop its network as quick as possible in a part to compete with others chains and then to obtain geographically the best places. Entrance fees and royalties ensure a permanent payment. However the franchisor must control the concepts development and has to be sure that the offer is as consistent and homogeneous as possible. Regarding the franchisee, he develops the commercial offers in being supported by the franchisor in terms of training, advisory, innovation. The franchising system enables to get an access to information from people who are in direct relation with the client and particularly in a mixed network (Perdreau, Le Nadant and Cliquet, 2007). Because of the information sharing, new franchisees know a failure rate under the average failure rate of any new created enterprise.  [6]   1.4 The legal framework of a franchise system The basis of the franchise can be found in the legal contract and the code of practice that both parties have to sign in order to create right and duties to respect. The franchise contract, one of the foundations of the franchise system is a contract in which the owner of a distinctive sign, generally registers the brand name (the franchisor) and grant it to an independent storekeeper (the franchisee). The owner holds an advisory and commercial assistance role whereas the franchisee has to pay to enter into the franchise and a fee based on the turnover of the shop. Sometimes the contract can also commit the franchisee to buy equipements and furnitures to the franchisor and to respect standards and certifications in the management of the units.  [7]   The franchise contract must be in compliance with the national law, European law and the code of practices. It describes the interests of members of the franchise network in protecting the franchisors patent rights and in maintaining the common identity of the franchise system. The key points of the contract are the following: The franchisor and franchisees rights and duties Goods or services provided to franchisees The length of the contract The payment terms for the franchisee Renewal terms Termination contract clause, clause of non competition Franchisors duties Franchisees duties Definition of the concept/ innovation regarding the concept to stay competitive/ Ensure a stability in the network Financial duties: entrance fee/ marketing and advertising fees/ Royalties Development of the brands/ of the trade name Respect of the global concept, respect of the trade name, respect of the clauses of the contract, return of all documents and tools at the end of the contract, Convey a knowhow, tools, support Sometimes, exclusivity of supply Table 1 Focus on the basic duties for both parties in the franchise contract Nevertheless, the partners motivations are quite different and can lead to an opportunistic behavior from both parties. Conflict of interests can appear when there is an alignment of interests and behaviors of the franchisor and franchisees (Dant and Nasr, 1998). Indeed, the franchisor is concerned by the profitability of the network and the strengthening of the reputation of the brand (long and middle term objectives) while franchisees seeking short term profitability sometimes in not taking care of the brand image. In the theory of contracts and franchise network (Penard et al., 2004), it has been pointed out that the franchisor can miss to its duties of support, but he can also prevent the franchisee to manage freely its unit or impose a price of sale. The franchisor should have in that field a role of adviser because according to the European law  [8]  , he cannot take an active part in the management of the franchisees unit. In a franchising system, even if it is against the law, the franchisor could give more importance to its company owned units instead of being neutral. However the franchisees can sometimes fail in its duties as well when he does not respect its commitment regarding the commercial standards of the franchisor, some delays in the payment of fees or a lack of cooperation in the data transfer when the franchisor is auditing the unit. 1.5 The relationship between the franchisor and the franchisees The franchise system does not include only two players (the franchisor and the franchisees) but four players according to the French Franchise Federation (2004): The franchisor, an independent contractor that can be a corporate body or a natural person. The franchisee, an independent contractor, corporate body or natural person that has been selected by the franchisor. The network, made up of the franchisor and franchisees. They all work under the same trade name which is a symbol of identity and makes the reputation of the network. The customer who buys for himself products or services and who does not want to know if behind there is a franchisee or a company owned unit. He only seeks a certain quality that makes the brand that known. Figure 2 The conceptual Framework Will to start a business Business ownership Business site Knowledge of the local market Access to the customer Surety of satisfaction/loyalty Know-how Marketing success Distinctive concept Strong brand Surety of turnover Surety of efficiency Franchisors resources Franchisees resources In order to make the franchising concept works efficiently, both side have to work together. To help and protect them, it exists a legislation framework. The contract has to be balanced in order to satisfy both parties. The turnover has to be shared according to the agreement the parties agreed upon. Three decisive factors make a franchising system (Jauffrit and Sie, 2010) efficient. First of all, the quality of the business model and the conditions to test it at the beginning of its creation are essential. The strength of the resources available is also important: financial, technical and above all the human resources from both sides and the quality of the cooperation. Moreover the network should be developed as quickly as possible in order to reach the critical size and make economies of scales. The latter enables to develop the brand, to stretch over the territory, to pay the common equipment, and benefit from purchasing cots more interesting. All these factors permit the access of a well ranked position and gain a competitive advantage.  [9]   1.6 Different ways of controlling in a franchise system In the hospitality industry it exists four categories to control a network (Baglin and Malleret, 1995). The legal control is essential in a integrated network where it exists a capital-intensive link between the company and its manager, but has a less importance in a franchise system. The control on the product or service enables to keep a certain level of standardization defined in the contract and can be completed by the visit of mysterious client or a network coordinator. The respect of the norms is essential in an international network where the brand offers a standardized product or services. It enables to keep a certain consistence in a brand within peoples mind. The control of the financial management, based on the reporting and budget, are partially practiced in a franchise network. The key performance indicators are centralized within a detailed reporting as the fees and royalties are usually calculated on. Regarding the specific performance of a franchisee, the methods are generally advised and supervised but seldom imposed because the law restricts the franchisor to manage and handle the franchisees business. The franchisor has a role of advisor and assistance. Finally the control of human is applied during the recruitment, training and payment. The payment of the franchisee depends on the profit of its business after having paid the franchisor royalties and fees. The franchisor uses its control only when he recruits a new franchisee and when he liven the network up. Controls in a franchise system seem to be rather technical because the franchisor has to be sure that the franchisee respects the offer and the level of standards. 1.7 Focus on the technical control One of the most important difficulties in a franchise system concerns the asymmetry in the information exchange. The franchisor can visit the franchisee, can employ a mysterious visitor to control and can measure the retro claims regarding a specific franchisee. Nevertheless, the dissatisfaction of customers is measured in a satisfaction survey conducted when the malfunctioning has already been realized. However the franchisor can today use new information system tools. He can follow in real time the activity of a franchisee, for instance through an Enterprise Running Planner, and ensure a good visibility. The gathering of data and information can thus be done without supplementary costs and at anytime (Boulay and Kalika, 2007). In addition to the real advantage of such tools, it has an effect on the franchisees behavior and enables to exercise a constant control in the network operations. Chapter Two: Theory on franchising Le desinvestissement par la franchise

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Seduction of Power in Macbeth Essay -- Shakespeare, Tragedy of Mac

The â€Å"seduction† of power can change an individual drastically. An individual in a position of power often believes that they are better than the others around them. The entitlement an individual feels after obtaining power can be costly. William Shakespeare portrays the â€Å"seduction† of power in Macbeth, through Macbeth’s ambition to attain more power. Macbeth acts as his own adversary shown through his paranoia and insecurity that ultimately, led him to be a corrupted individual because of his greediness to obtain more power. Macbeth’s source of insecurity was from his wife Lady Macbeth doubting his manhood. As shown when she used her seducing ways to get Macbeth to kill Duncan, â€Å"When you durst do it, then you were a man; / And be so much more than the man† (1.7.56-58). Macbeth became his own adversary when he tried to prove he was a â€Å"man† to his wife and killed Duncan. As a result of his insecurity of his lack of manliness, Macbeth’s soul couldn’t be cleansed again. Macbeth proved to his wife that he was a â€Å"man† but the consequence of murdering the king was the beginning of the corruption of Macbeth’s soul because of the sense of power he had. Macbeth saw his actions as justifiable because he was motivated by his self-interest. Although Lady Macbeth pushed Macbeth to abuse his powers, it was ultimately his own doing because he had a choice to go or not go along with it. Macbeth decided to go through with his plan to kill Duncan, â€Å"I am settled, and bend up/Each corporal agent to this terrible feat/Away, and mock the time with fairest show/False face must hide what the false heart doth know† (1.7.92-96). Macbeth knew that it wasn’t right to kill his king; however, Macbeth’s ambition takes over the conscience in his mind. Macbe... ...re power. Macbeth’s fall was his own fault because his lust for more power wasn’t going to stop and he was willing to kill anyone blocking or threatening his path. A position of power causes an individual to feel a sense of invisibility therefore; they think that they are above everyone else. A feeling of supremacy can act as a trigger that causes an individual to be corrupt and cause them to do things that go against their morals. Works Cited Asp, Carolyn. "`Be Bloody, bold and resolute': Tragic Action and Sexual Stereotyping in Macbeth." EXPLORING Shakespeare. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. Knight, L.C. William Shakespeare. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1985. Print. Shakespeare, William, Barbara A. Mowat, and Paul Werstine. The Tragedy of Macbeth. New York: Washington Square, 1992. Print.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

360-Degree Performance Reviews Provide Greater Feedback in Healthcare

Abstract Healthcare organizations have a unique set of challenges, particularly when it comes to measuring performance and understanding development needs. Some are strong at measuring clinical or functional skills. Yet few are equally adept at assessing the non-clinical skills that are so important to overall success in a healthcare organization. 360-degree feedback can play a significant role in understanding the other side of performance, those skills that are not directly tied to day-to-day, job specific ability. Rather than relying on the perceptions of one individual, 360-degree feedback takes into account multiple perspectives. This is especially important when one person (i. e. , the employee’s manager) does not have the opportunity to observe all areas of the employee’s performance. Those working alongside the employee, along with the supervisor, are generally able to provide a more comprehensive look at the employee’s behavior and/or performance. 360-Degree Performance Reviews Provide Greater Feedback in Healthcare I. Introduction Performance of individual employees is central to the long-term success of an organization. Healthcare organizations have a unique set of challenges, particularly when it comes to measuring performance and understanding development needs. Some are strong at measuring clinical or functional skills. Yet few are equally adept at assessing the non-clinical skills that are so important to overall success in a healthcare organization. Clinical, or functional, ability is at the base of healthcare performance. However, possessing these skills does not always ensure success. Unfortunately, many organizations ignore â€Å"soft side† skills like communication and relationship management, viewing these interpersonal and behavioral skills as â€Å"nice to have† qualities. Yet lack of interpersonal performance is something that generally cannot be compensated for by even the strongest of clinical skills (Maylett, 2009). II. Expectations of the Consumer Issues of performance and productivity are continuously being scrutinized by the leaders of healthcare organizations. Although cost is urrently the driving force for health care system reform, there is still great concern for the quality of the health care provided. Consumers of healthcare services are now asking â€Å"How can I get the best care for the least amount of money? † This means that for an organization to gain competitive advantage, they must make sure that not only is the quality of care high, but the cost must al so be reasonable when compared to other providers of similar services. Equally important for the healthcare organization to recognize is that the definition of quality performance is not â€Å"value-neutral†. Standards are continuously evolving to reflect changes in values, new scientific findings, new technology, changes in regulatory requirements and laws and changes in the healthcare market place. The changes in these standards reflect the differences between the purchaser and the patient. The healthcare purchaser is concerned how effectively their dollars are spent and getting the most care for their money, while the patient expects the healthcare provider to be responsive to their individual needs (Popovich, 1998). Currently, the Joint Commission requires accredited healthcare organizations to assess, track and improve the competence of all employees (Fried & Fottler, 2008). In addition, the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Awards best business practices includes a model that is being increasingly followed by the healthcare industry that addresses key human resource practices directed toward creating a high performance workplace and toward developing staff by performance management systems (Kuzmits, Adams, Sussman & Rabo, 2004). As cost stabilizes and becomes more aligned across providers, quality will become more important in deciding which organization or provider to use. According to the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, â€Å"accurate, complete and relevant performance data can provide users of organizational services with objective evidence on which quality judgments can be based. † Patients and consumers now consistently assess the performance history of healthcare providers, organizations and systems. Therefore, those providers should be assessing their performance to help identify opportunities for improvement (Popovich). III. Performance Assessment and Management Having a well-functioning performance management system can help the organization determine several things, including the effectiveness of their selection process, the effectiveness of their training mechanisms and whether the organization’s compensation program is effective at driving employees to perform at a higher level. Performance management refers to a set of tools and practices that consists of setting goals with employees, designing strategies to make and sustain improvement, monitoring progress toward achieving goals, ongoing feedback and coaching by supervisors and peers, and measuring individual performance. Supervisors and employees tend to be uneasy about performance management and reviews, considering the process uncomfortable, highly unproductive and sometimes even unnecessary. Managers are often uncomfortable with sitting down to discuss concerns about performance with employees and employees often feel as though their managers are being critical and condescending during the process. Complicating matters is that performance appraisals and reviews can be extremely emotional, especially when directly tied to an employee’s potential compensation. Traditional performance appraisals have involved the employee’s manager collecting information about the employee, observing their performance and then sharing that information back with the employee. The review may include discussions about promotion, change in compensation, disciplinary action, transfer or recommendations for training. One concern with these types of assessments is that they are often subject to the biases and subjectivity of a single individual. Given the complexity of most healthcare jobs, it is often unrealistic for one individual to accurately describe the employee’s performance. In addition, traditional performance appraisal done purely for administrative reasons may be less than adequate for encouraging development, career planning or performance improvement (Jackson & Greller, 1998). Another concern with the traditional single source performance appraisal is that supervisors only view performance from one perspective and often cannot directly observe employee performance. Furthermore, supervisor-based appraisal systems do not easily capture many important employee contributions, such as helping and training coworkers and being good team players (Fedor, Bettenhausen & Davis, 1999). IV. Multi-source, or 360-degree, Performance Reviews Assessing performance in today’s complex health care environment resents a challenge to the healthcare profession. In order to effectively evaluate performance within this complex and evolving environment, evaluation from multiple sources is required. Among the most useful ways to collect job performance information is to use multiple sources, or 360-degree feedback. This method recognizes that for most positions, relying on one source of information about an employee’s performance leads to incomplete and often inaccurat e information. This is especially important when one person (i. e. the employee’s supervisor) does not have the opportunity to observe all areas of the employee’s performance. Those working alongside the employee, along with the supervisor, are generally able to provide a more comprehensive look at the employee’s behavior and/or performance. Feedback is a vital part of performance, growth and development. Understanding ourselves and how we interact with others helps us to understand what impact we have on those around us. A 360-degree assessment provides a comprehensive summary of an employee’s skills, abilities, styles and job-related competencies. The logic underlying 360-degree feedback is that there are many sources of information in organizations, and much of that information is available both to the manager and to the employee. Co-workers, customers, other managers and even the employee themselves can be sources of feedback (Jackson & Greller). Simply put, 360-degree feedback is a method for evaluating an employee’s performance based upon feedback from everyone with whom the individual comes in contact – supervisors, coworkers, partners, subordinates, even the general public. This type of feedback helps employees see themselves as others see them and allows them to seriously examine their behavior. It allows them to understand how others view their effectiveness and become more cognizant of how their effectiveness as an individual, co-worker or employee is perceived by others. It can reveal areas in which employees are performing particularly well and those areas in which there is room for improvement. 360-degree feedback provides the employee and the organization with a wealth of information including the following: †¢ an increase in self-knowledge for the employee encourages continuous learning †¢ stimulates the employee to enhance their strengths †¢ identifies areas that need development or improvement †¢ provides guidance for positive change †¢ supports coaching and mentoring initiatives This information helps to build a partnership between the individual and the organization to maintain the process of continuous growth (Bentl ey, n. d. ). This review process is also helpful for the supervisor – it can provide a more accurate assessment of an employee’s performance and help eliminate accusations of favoritism. The process provides greater objectivity and because it is submitted anonymously, it provides a supervisor with the most unbiased and accurate information from which to draw performance conclusions. This new level of understanding is invaluable as employees develop professionally. Recent studies suggest that a large percentage of workers who have participated in 360-degree reviews feel that the feedback was more accurate and more reflective of their performance than feedback from just one supervisor (Gallagher, 2008). Additionally, this information provides great benefits to the healthcare organization as well: †¢ it enhances employee morale †¢ aids in assigning work †¢ stimulates employees to improve their work †¢ provides a basis for employment termination for sub-standard performers †¢ assists in determining who should be promoted, transferred or given additional compensation †¢ reveals exceptional employee talents and skills †¢ uncovers weaknesses in the training program †¢ promotes confidence in employer’s fairness †¢ helps resolve disputes in arbitration cases †¢ offers a basis for employee guidance and counseling (Harrison, 1978). In healthcare organizations, multisource appraisal, or 360-degree feedback, can play a significant role in understanding the other side of performance, those skills that are not directly tied to day-to-day, job-specific ability. These include such things as how well the individual collaborates with other health professionals to achieve desired outcomes, how well they improve their knowledge and understanding of their own performance, how they keep up to date with new developments and the degree to which they are aware of their own strengths and weaknesses (Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario, 2009). Partly in response to concerns about performance and patient safety, and partly in response to demands for accountability to patients and funding agencies, the assessment of healthcare employee competence has received much attention. These concerns have shifted the concept of competence from a narrow definition of â€Å"clinical competence† or the ability to perform technical medical acts to â€Å"behavioral competence† which includes interpersonal and communication skills, judgment, relationship management and professionalism (Lockyer, 2003). Healthcare worker performance is recognized as being complex, multi-factorial and non-linear in nature. It is clearly influenced by the fact that healthcare workers perform within teams and systems and that their performance oftentimes is a reflection of the performance of the broader environment in which they work (Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario). While there is wide acknowledgement that faulty systems and processes within the delivery of health care may adversely affect patient safety, individual failures can also contribute to patient injuries and complications. At a minimum, healthcare worker competency must be assured to maximize patient safety, as well as to ensure that the highest quality of patient care is provided. In addition, providing feedback that helps coworkers develop their interpersonal and task-related skills can improve work unit performance and, possibly, make one’s job easier and their environment more pleasant (Fedor, Bettenhausen & Davis). As a result of individual performance assessments, 360-degree performance feedback in healthcare has the added advantage of identifying organizational improvement opportunities. Individual performance problems may identify larger systems or team challenges within a department or organization. The identification of these issues may be useful in guiding quality improvement initiatives that can be undertaken by the healthcare organization (Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario). Multisource feedback is seen as potentially more useful than supervisor-only evaluations, especially in environments like healthcare organizations where the organizational structure is more flat and team-based (Rynes, Gerhart & Parks, 2005). Most 360-degree feedback programs are strategic initiatives resulting in a tested method of improving productivity and job satisfaction. They are designed to support increased competitive advantage, development of leaders, increases in productivity, improved morale and job satisfaction and retention of high-performing employees (Bentley). Using 360-degree performance review models provides for ongoing measurement of healthcare delivery performance and subsequent assessment of the quality of that care. In addition, the models can be revised as needed to reflect the changes in the healthcare system and in the perspectives of the different sources that determine the standards that must be met and the resulting performance assessment. The 360-degree evaluation will help employees identify their strengths so they can build on them at the same time it addresses their skill gaps. It is a process that leads to continuous learning, team building, growing self-confidence and improved productivity. V. Conclusion A changing healthcare environment has resulted in an increased focus on performance, both at the organizational and individual levels. Healthcare managers and leaders face an increased need to focus on both operational, or clinical, performance as well as non-clinical performance such as communication, leadership and interpersonal skills. Performance measured solely from a clinical skills perspective misses a critical factor – behavior skills, or the â€Å"soft-side† of performance (Maylett & Riboldi, 2008). Managers lacking in the non-clinical/non-functional side of leadership typically experience significant issues that eventually lead to decreased overall performance. On an organizational level, this could potentially result in high turnover, disengaged employees and lack of teamwork which will eventually impact patient care. Healthcare leaders are under increased pressure to raise the performance bar. Consumers and patients are demanding healthcare organizations deliver superior customer service and patient care in an often difficult environment. It is vital that healthcare leaders look at both elements of performance – the clinical AND the interpersonal. Each element plays a critical role in the overall effectiveness of the employee, manager and the organization and ultimately in the organization’s competitive advantage. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bentley, T. (n. d. ). Cumulative 360 Data Guides Strategic Planning. Panoramic Feedback. Retrieved from http://www. panoramicfeedback. com/shared/articles/hrdotorg. html. Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario. (2009). 360-Degree Physician Performance Review Toolkit. Ontario, Canada. Fedor, D. ,  Bettenhausen, K. ,  &  Davis, W. (1999). Peer reviews: Employees' dual roles as raters and recipients. Group & Organization Management,  24(1),  92-120. Retrieved January 25, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:  39161423). Fried, B & Fottler, M. (2008). Human Resources in Healthcare: Managing for Success. (3rd ed. ) Chicago, IL. Health Administration Press. Gallagher, T. (2008). 360-Degree Performance Reviews Offer Valuable Perspectives. Financial Executive, 24(10), 61. Retrieved from Business Source Premier database. Harrison, R (1978). Performance Evaluation in a Medical Environment. Medical Group Management, Sept. /Oct. 1978, 22-23. Retrieved from Business Source Premier database. Jackson, J. , & Greller, M. (1998). Decision Elements for Using 360 ° Feedback. Human Resource Planning, 21(4), 18-28. Retrieved from Business Source Premier database. Kuzmits, F. , Adams, A. , Sussman, L. , & Raho, L. (2004). 360-feedback in health care management: a field study. Health Care Manager, 23(4), 321-328. Retrieved from CINAHL with Full Text database. Lockyer, J. (2003). Multisource feedback in the assessment of physician competencies. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 23(1), 4-12. Retrieved from CINAHL with Full Text database. Maylett, T. 2009). Healthcare Leadership Looking Beyond the Clinical Side of Performance. DecisionWise Leadership Intelligence. Retrieved from http://www. decwise. com. Maylett, T. & Riboldi, J. (2008). Guide to Using 360 Degree Feedback for Performance Reviews. Retrieved January 18, 2010 from http://www. decwise. com/pdf/DecisionWise-Whitepaper-Guide-to-Using-360s-for-Performance-Reviews. pdf Popovich, J (1998. ) Multidi mensional Performance Measurement. Journal of Nursing Care Quality. 12(4):14-21[Article: PDF Only]Retrieved from CINAHL with full text database. Rynes, S. , Gerhart, B. ,

Friday, November 8, 2019

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving IN WHAT WAY IS THANKSGIVING A CEREMONY? REPETITION "‚“ Thanksgiving Day REPETITION "‚“ at Rebecca's HouseWeston, West Virginia (about 2 ÂÆ'‚‚Â ½ hours North) Lewis County REPETITION "‚“ November 22, 2001 WHO "‚“ My friend, Rebecca Pickens Family. This includes Rebecca, her mother, Opal, her father, Donald, her sister and her husband and their two kids: Sherri, Skip, Taylor and Corey Mitchell. I was there also. Her sister and her family showed up around 10:00 a.m. and I showed up around 11:00 a.m.SPECIALIZED ROLES/SET ORDERING OF EVENTS "‚“ Opal and I began making dinner on Monday (November 19, 2001). We went to the Kroger and bought a turkey and other cooking aids. I am unsure of exactly what was bought, however, I do know that Cream of Tarter, bread crumbs, and, vanilla pudding was bought when I was there. The night before Thanksgiving (November 21, 2001), we began to actually make the dinner at about 9:00 p.m.REBECCA MARINOWe began by making dessert, which included Pumpkin, Graham Cracker, and Apple Pies. Rebecca made a dessert called Tiramisu; making a pudding and covering coffee flavored ladyfingers soaked with Kahlua make it. Opal and I then began to make the devilled eggs and made cranberry salad. We stuffed the turkey and sat it back into the refrigerator. After I left, at 2:00 a.m. I went home. Opal woke up at 5:30 a.m. and put the bird in the oven. I woke up at 9:00 a.m. and turned on the Golden Girls on the Lifetime Network. It was a marathon. I went in the shower at 10:00 a.m. and was ready by 11:00 a.m. I left my house then. I am not sure of who did what, but when I arrived at Rebecca's; around 12:00 p.m. the dinner was ready.For dinner,

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

99 Red Balloons Essays

99 Red Balloons Essays 99 Red Balloons Essay 99 Red Balloons Essay 99 Red Balloons AnalysisThis was one of the songs in the 80s to make a point about the brinkmanship and paranoia/hysteria surrounding the issue of war. The song talks about Nena and the listener buying 99 Balloons in a shop and letting them go, for fun. These balloons show up on the radar as unidentified objects and both sides scramble planes and go to full alert to counteract a perceived nuclear attack, when in fact it is the most childlike of things, a bunch of balloons.This song was recorded in 1982, released in Germany in 1983 and in the United Kingdom in 1984. It appeared first as a single titled 99 Luftballons. The lyrics for the song were written by Nenas guitarist Carlo Karges and the music was composed by Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen , Nenas keyboardist. The song made it to the top spot in the UK charts and the second spot in the US.The idea for the song came to Karges while Nena was playing at a Rolling Stones concert in Berlin. During the show Karges noticed that a number of ba lloons were being released. As he watched them fly away he noticed that they looked more like a space craft than a bunch of balloons. He then began to wonder what would happen if the clump of balloons drifted into communist east Germany.The song was written during a period of escalating rhetoric and tension between the US and the Soviet Union. During this period the policy of detente, which had progressed under the Nixon and Carter administrations, was undermined by the stern anti-communist stance of Ronald Regan, who famously described the Soviet Union as an evil empire. This was a drastic move away from the policy of cooperation that had resulted in the SALT I, SALT II, and Non-nuclear proliferation treaties. It is possible that part of the appeal of 99 Red Balloons was the way in which it captured the growing sense of danger in this period. In particular the deployment by the US of Pershing II missiles in west Germany led to a storm of protest in Europe during

Monday, November 4, 2019

English Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

English Study - Essay Example I want to let you know that l have met with Dr. XXX and we have discussed my courses for next spring. Also, we have talked about my plan for the dissertation, but our conversation did not end with a particular topic. I do not have a clue yet about the topic I want to research on. Do Arabic learners need to learn the syllable patterns of Arabic and English? Will they be able to pronounce English sound or word appropriately, or intelligibility? Why does Arabic speaker sound like a foreigner? If the Arabic speaker masters English prosody, do they have a native accent of English? Does mimic or video help Arabic learner of English to be as native as different between Arabic and English prosody?Training Arabic learners to place more emphasis on the pattern of the English syllable helps to eliminate the chances of predicted errors. This can be achieved by introducing short syllable patterns and then long syllable patterns in English. In order to achieve this, it is crucial to focus on answe ring questions like: How can we make Arabic learners of English as sound native-like or sound good? How to improve their accent? Does learning prosody make them sound as native-like?Why do Arab learners often make this mistake in this particular sound of English? Is there a solution, tools or technique to help them reduce the error? Is shadowing a good learning technique for fluency and developing native-like prosody?Video and mimic can be good to master prosody. As you can see, I have random ideas and thoughts but all of them are under phonological aspects.

Friday, November 1, 2019

NYPD CIA Anti-Terror Operations Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

NYPD CIA Anti-Terror Operations - Assignment Example For example, were an inmate to be pardoned from his jail sentence—but was not, in turn, released as stated within the executive order—this would be one possible example of a violation of the executive order. If the directive in the executive order is not carried out—whether by omission or commission—that is also punitively considered as a direct violation of the executive order. In all seriousness, why this is important to grasp is because many individuals’ futures lie in the hands of the President, because signing executive orders is an at-will type of activity for the President; the President need not sign them, but the President does so out of volition to support a cause, help an individual, or protect various types of liberties which might be otherwise infringed upon unless signed. III. Why NYPD CIA Anti-Terror Operations Didn’t Constitute a Violation of the Executive Order #12333 The New York Police Department did not violate Executive O rder #12333 by conducting anti-terror operations. Of course, since the September 11th, 2011 attacks on the World Trade Center in NYC, of course the city became much more serious about ensuring that due diligence was given to being more security-conscious not very long afterwards. In part one of Executive Order #12333, the goal of the executive order states that â€Å"[t]he United States intelligence effort shall provide†¦necessary information on which to base decisions concerning the conduct and development of foreign, defense and economic policy, and the protection of United States national interests from foreign security threats. All departments and agencies shall cooperate fully to fulfill this goal.†2 Since the NYPD and the CIA are both organizations that cooperate with the government, it’s quite reasonable to presume that both are types of intelligence agencies—the NYPD, in its own right—responsible for guarding the United States against any typ e of terrorism threats of any kind. Also, information is free to be shared between and amongst any departments or organizations that would further the knowledge base about any impending or potential threats. Executive Order #12333 states that â€Å"†¦all agencies and departments should seek to ensure full and free exchange of information in order to derive maximum benefit from the United States intelligence effort.†3 This means that oversight should be clear, without any secrets kept unless they are of importance to national security. This is why the NYPD working with the CIA in anti-terror efforts are completely valid methods of having ensured the nation’s security. IV. Future Recommendations to Avoid Violating Executive Orders The HuffPost New York—a division of The Huffington Post Internet news blog—stated that people from certain ethnic neighborhoods were followed on purpose in order to see if their activities were legitimate. Pakistani cab drive rs were pulled over for the slightest infractions, such as red lights, and various mosques and other organizations were infiltrated as well. Some