...„RECESSION HAS AFFECTED TOURISM INDUSTRY GLOBALLY. WHAT MEASURES CAN BE TAKEN BY UK HOTELS?‟ “CASE STUDY: MARRIOTT GROUP OF HOTEL‟S EFFORT TO ATTRACT MEDICAL TOURISTS” RAMAMOORTHY PANDIAN STUDENT ID: 09004669 DISSERTATION SUPERVISOR THOMAS REEVES SUBMITTED IN PART FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION UNIVERSITY OF WALES INSTITUTE, CARDIFF FEB 2010 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First and foremost, I would like to thank my supervisor Thomas Reeves for his valuable professional advice and guidance as well as for rendering his kindness, endless patience and continuous encouragement towards my dissertation. I would like to thank interviewees in the Marriott Group of hotels and its branches, without which this study could not have been reached its conclusion. A handful of thanks to all the lecturers of my concern for their teaching, without them, I can‟t learn so much knowledge. This dissertation could not have been completed without continuous support, encouragement, and caring of all my friends and my family members. I would wish them many a thanks too. Finally, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to those who provided me with great support and encouragement during my studies in UK. Thanks again to all of them. 2 ABSTRACT The aim is to find out the most possible means that recession would affect the tourism industry globally and also to pay attention towards the various measures taken over...
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...Master of Business Administration Sustainability & Innovation International Timeshare Industry SUSTAINABILITY & INNOVATION: INTERNATIONAL TIMESHARE INDUSTRY March 3, 2015 Faculty of Hospitality & Tourism Management Master of Business Administration Table of Contents Abstract 1 CHAPTER 1 – Research Study 2 1.1 Introduction 2 1.2 Research Problem 3 1.3 Research Objective 3 1.4 Research Question 3 CHAPTER 2 – Description of Changing Landscape & Challenging Market Space 3 2.1 Changing Landscape & Challenging Market Space 3 2.1.1 Economic and Industry Analysis 5 2.1.2 Challenges & Strategic Trends 8 2.2 Description and Analysis of Four Key Businesses 9 2.2.1 Marriott’s Aruba Ocean Club 9 2.2.2 La Cabana Beach Resort & Casino 9 2.2.3 Tropicana Aruba Resort & Casino 10 CHAPTER 3 – Research Design and Methodology 10 3.1 Research Design – Data Collection 10 3.2 Methodology – Data Analysis 11 3.3 Quality of the study 11 CHAPTER 4 – Results and Findings 11 4.1 Descriptive Analysis 11 CHAPTER 5 – Conclusion and Recommendations 22 References 24 APPENDIX A – Interviews 25 Abstract The timeshare industry whether large or small are competing on a variety of areas such as luxury, flexibility and service. It is also the least researched segments of the accommodation of tourists. This paper provides a analysis of the current situation of the timeshare industry focusing on innovation...
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...www.ccsenet.org/jms Journal of Management and Sustainability Vol. 1, No. 1; September 2011 Use of Professional Accountants’ Advisory Services and its Impact on SME Performance in an Emerging Economy: A Resource-based View Yahya Kamyabi (Corresponding author) Faculty of Business & Accountancy, University of Malaya Lembah Pantai 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel: 60-17-282-1350 E-mail: ykamyabi344s@yahoo.com Susela Devi Faculty of Business & Accountancy, University of Malaya Lembah Pantai 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Received: March 16, 2011 Accepted: May 4, 2011 doi:10.5539/jms.v1n1p43 Abstract This paper aims to identify the factors that affect the decisions of managers of manufacturing sector SMEs in Iran to utilise external accountants’ advisory services and to examine the effect of these advisory services on SME performance using the Resource-Based View (RBV) of the firm as the theoretical lens in the Iranian SME manufacturing sector. A questionnaire survey of 658 Iranian manufacturing SMEs is used. The results of linear regression analysis suggest that the use of external accountants′ advisory services is positively associated with the knowledge of owner/manager, technical competence, competitive intensity and complexity of market decisions. In addition, the study evidences that the use of advisory services has a positive effect on SME performance. Furthermore, after controlling for age and size of the firm, the relationships between...
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...Introduction This report focuses on Malaysia. Some of the key issues that I would like to highlight in this forum are: the influence of globalization on International Business Trade for Malaysia, the roles of ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA) policies for ASEAN trade collaboration and competition, the macro environmental factors that international business should focus upon before launching market expansion, the roles of government in supporting international trade such as Foreign Direct Investment, how government should assist their businesses in competing in global arena either by protectionism or subsidizing, why has International Franchising strategy has work and what are the industries that have utilized this strategy for expansion successfully and why international business executive should pay attention to cultural influence in business negotiation process particularly Malaysia. Influence of globalization Globalization is taking significant role in many nations around the world. All products and services are strongly linked to each other. For example, different parts of computer can be manufacture in different location and assemble in China to save cost. Both developed and developing countries such as Malaysia are cautious of its benefits not only socioeconomically but also geopolitically. Realizing this, Malaysia has started to take initiative in globalization approach in the 21st century. For example, the export of Thai rice and sugar to Malaysia, telecommunication...
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...Banking and Financial Systems SOUTH AFRICA [pic] | | Summary Introduction page 3 I) Executive Summary. page 4 II) The Financial System: page 4 A) The Banking System page 5 B) The Financial Market page 7 III) The Legal Side: page 7 A) Legal Framework page 7 B) Regulatory Oversight page 8 IV) Depository-Taking Institutions. page 9 V) Banking Issues and Challenges Prospect. page 10 Conclusion page 12 Sources page 12 Annexes page 13 Introduction For years ago, South Africa has been facing a lot of racial, political and demographic problems. On the first hand, this country must face these elements and on the other hand it must still working to become a powerful economic country in the world. With this report we are going to develop the Financial System of South Africa which is a key sector in the country. The South Africa Gross Domestic Product is worth 277 billion dollars or 0.45% of the world economy, according to the World Bank. While it contracted 2.80% over the last 4 quarters, the economy was expected to move back into growth in the last quarter of the year and GDP growth of 1.5% is forecast for 2010, rising to 3.2% by 2012. South Africa has a two-tiered economy; one rivaling other developed countries and the other one with only the most basic infrastructure...
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...What is International Business? International business consists of transactions that are devised and carried out across national borders to satisfy the objectives of individuals, companies, and organizations. Learning Objectives To understand the history and impact of international business. To learn the definition of international business. To recognize the growth of global linkages today. To understand the U.S. position in world trade and the impact international business has on the United States. To appreciate the opportunities and challenges offered by international business. Introduction: International business is a term used to collectively describe all commercial transactions (private and governmental, sales, investments, logistics,and transportation) that take place between two or more nations. Usually, private companies undertake such transactions for profit; governments undertake them for profit and for political reasons. It refers to all those business activities which involves cross border transactions of goods, services, resources between two or more nations. Transaction of economic resources include capital, skills, people etc. for international production of physical goods and services such as finance, banking, insurance, construction etc. A multinational enterprise (MNE) is a company that has a worldwide approach to markets and production or one with operations in more than a country. An MNE is often called...
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...Social responsibility and managerial ethics You may be wondering, “Why should I care about corporate social responsibility or managerial ethics or whether or not my employees have health care benefits? Aren’t these the types of issues philosophers worry about?” To answer this question, you only need to pick up a recent newspaper or business magazine. Everything from Wall Street trading scandals to accounting frauds at AIG, Lehman Brothers, Enron, Parmalat, Satyam, WorldCom, Tyco, and Global Crossing to corporate cover-ups and massive oil spills from British Petroleum’s offshore drilling rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico seem to be in the press daily. For example, Citicorp lost billions in market value when it was revealed that a group of traders in the firm’s London office had manipulated the bond market: A small set of traders disrupted the European bond market by placing 188 sell orders simultaneously (approximately $20 billion worth of bonds) on August 2, 2004 in about 18 seconds. This drove the price of bonds, in general, down dramatically. The prices continued to drop even after the Citibank traders stopped selling. Just a few minutes later, the same traders then bought the bonds back at much cheaper prices than they had been sold. This new buying triggered buying by other traders, and prices rose. In the process, Citibank traders made about $20 million in profits in under five minutes. Although the employees did not do anything illegal, their behavior...
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...new president of World Bank. 7 6. The Criticism about the management of the World Bank 7 7. The restoration of Thi Nghe and Nhieu Loc canals 7 III. Bank for International Settlement (BIS) 8 1. Back ground information & Power 8 a. The background information 8 b. The BIS’s Authority 8 2. Objectives 8 3. Funding Source 9 a. Informal way of funding 9 b. The Formal ways of funding 9 4. Ownership & Structure 9 a. The Ownership 9 b. The Structure of BIS 10 5. BIS is immunity to the global regulation 10 6. Experience in Vietnam 10 IV. Asia Development Bank (ADB) 11 1. Back ground information & Power 11 a. The background information 11 b. Asia Development Bank’ power 11 2. Objective &Aims 12 3. Funding Sources 12 4. Ownership & ADB’s structure. 13 5. Recent Activities of ADB on November, 2012 and its criticism 13 6. The support of reform the state own enterprises in Vietnam 13 V. International Monetary Fund (IMF) 14 1. Back ground information & Power 14 a. IMF authorities 14 b. Background information 14 2. Objective & Aims 15 3. Funding Source 15 a. Interest charges 15 b. Gold reserve 15 c. Funding is requested from shareholders 15 4. Ownership & Structure 16 a. Structure of International Monetary Funds 16 b. Ownership 16 5. Recent Activities of issuing the Special Drawing...
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...September 18, 2012 Mr. Patrick Heck Deputy Chief Financial Officer Denver International Airport 201 West Colfax Avenue Denver, Colorado 80202 Re: The Westin Denver International Airport – Denver, Colorado Dear Mr. Heck: Pursuant to your request, we have conducted a study of the potential market demand and developed a statement of the estimated annual operating results for a proposed 519-room Westin hotel (the “Subject”) to be located at the south terminal of the Denver International Airport (“DIA”) in Denver, Colorado. Throughout this analysis, we formally refer to the Subject as The Westin Denver International Airport. The development of the Subject hotel is expected to be financed through the issuance of tax-exempt bonds coupled with some form of public subsidies/guarantees/loans. This report has been prepared for use by the Denver International Airport and its financial advisors in determining the estimated annual operating results of the proposed Subject. The conclusions set forth in this report are based on an analysis for supply and demand for the transient lodging market in the Denver-Aurora market area as of August 8, 2012, the completion date of our fieldwork and primary market research. As in all studies of this type, the estimated results assume competent and efficient marketing and operational management, and presume no significant change in the status of the competitive lodging industry from that as set forth in this report. The terms of this engagement are...
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...Jemaah Islamiya (JI) For decades, the Indonesia-based Jemaah Islamiyah has expounded its idea of amalgamating Indonesia, Malaysia and the southern Philippines into a regional Islamic state. Kumpulan Mujahideen Malaysia also has the same ambition. In October 2002, the United States Government designated the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) a Foreign Terrorist Organization. JI is an extremist group linked to al-Qaida and other regional terrorist groups and has cells operating throughout Southeast Asia. Extremist groups in the region have demonstrated their capability to carry out transnational attacks in locations where Westerners congregate. Terrorist groups do not distinguish between official and civilian targets. Jemaah Islamiya is a Southeast Asian terrorist network with links to al-Qaida. The network plotted in secrecy through the late 1990s, following the stated goal of creating an idealized Islamic state comprising Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the southern Philippines, and southern Thailand. The name Jemaah Islamiyah dates to the late 1970s, but experts aren’t certain if the name referred to a formal organization or an informal gathering of like-minded Muslim radicals—or a government label for Islamist malcontents. The group has its roots in Darul Islam, a violent radical movement that advocated the establishment of Islamic law in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country and also home to Christians, Hindus, and adherents of other faiths. Darul Islam sprang up as...
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...solid food earlier than six months despite being aware of the recommendations. Delivering key messages about weaning has always been a part of the health visitors role. However, no formal, evidence based weaning intervention is currently being promoted to health visitors and advice continues to be communicated at the discretion of individual practitioners. Very little research exists on this topic, much emphasis has been placed on encouraging breast feeding as the main focus infant nutrition literature. Yet childhood obesity is on the rise and establishing healthy eating habits as a baby could pave the way for healthy eating habits later in life. This paper looks at the ways professionals communicate general messages about weaning and attempts to provide some clarity and guidance for health visitors about a humanistic intervention to educate parents about the benefits of waiting till six months, rather than using ‘scare tactics’ as to what could happen if they wean earlier. It is hoped that not only will this paper provide guidance about best practice, it will also highlight the importance of the subject and the pressing need for urgent research on the specific topic of delivering weaning advice. Table of Contents Page Abstract 1 Table of Contents 2 Section 1 : Introduction Aim 3 Objectives 3 Background 4 Section 2 : Literature Review Parameters for literature...
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...Human Resource Practices In Hotel Industry Visit hrmba.blogspot.com allmbastuff.blogspot.com for more project reports, notes, presentations etc. INTRODUCTION TO HOTEL INDUSTRY One of the fastest growing sectors of the economy of our time is the hotel industry. The hotel industry alone is a multi-billion dollar and growing enterprise. It is exciting, never boring and offer unlimited opportunities. The hotel industry is diverse enough for people to work in different areas of interest and still be employed within the hotel industry. This trend is not just in India, but also globally. Modern hotels provide refined services to their guests. The customers or guests are always right. This principle necessitated application of management principles in the hotel industry and the hotel professionals realized the instrumentality of marketing principles in managing the hotel industry. The concept of total quality management is found getting an important place in the marketing management of hotels. The emerging positive trend in the tourism industry indicates that hotel industry is like a reservoir from where the foreign exchange flows. This naturally draws our attention on HOTEL MANAGEMENT. Like other industries, the hotel industry also needs to explore avenues for innovation, so that a fair blending of core and peripheral services is 1 Human Resource Practices In Hotel Industry made possible. It is not to be forgotten that the leading hotel companies of the ...
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...The media’s watching Vault! Here’s a sampling of our coverage. “For those hoping to climb the ladder of success, [Vault's] insights are priceless.” – Money magazine “The best place on the web to prepare for a job search.” – Fortune “[Vault guides] make for excellent starting points for job hunters and should be purchased by academic libraries for their career sections [and] university career centers.” – Library Journal “The granddaddy of worker sites.” – US News and World Report “A killer app.” – New York Times One of Forbes' 33 “Favorite Sites” – Forbes “To get the unvarnished scoop, check out Vault.” – Smart Money Magazine “Vault has a wealth of information about major employers and jobsearching strategies as well as comments from workers about their experiences at specific companies.” – The Washington Post “A key reference for those who want to know what it takes to get hired by a law firm and what to expect once they get there.” – New York Law Journal “Vault [provides] the skinny on working conditions at all kinds of companies from current and former employees.” – USA Today VAULT GUIDE TO RESUMES, COVER LETTERS & INTERVIEWS © 2003 Vault Inc. VAULT GUIDE TO RESUMES, COVER LETTERS & INTERVIEWS HOWARD LEIFMAN, PhD, MARCY LERNER AND THE STAFF OF VAULT © 2003 Vault Inc. Copyright © 2003 by Vault Inc. All rights reserved. All information in this book is subject to change without notice. Vault makes no claims as to the accuracy and reliability...
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...HBR Spotlight Making a Real Difference by Michael E. Porter and Mark R. Kramer Strategy G & Society The Link Between Competitive Advantage and Corporate Social Responsibility overnments, activists, and the media have become adept at holding companies to account for the social consequences of their activities. Myriad organizations rank companies on the performance of their corporate social responsibility (CSR), and, despite sometimes questionable methodologies, these rankings attract considerable publicity. As a result, CSR has emerged as an inescapable priority for business leaders in every country. Many companies have already done much to improve the social and environmental consequences of their activities, yet these efforts have not been nearly as productive as they could be – for two reasons. First, they pit business against society, when clearly the two are interdependent. Second, they pressure companies to think of corporate social responsibility in generic ways instead of in the way most appropriate to each firm’s strategy. harvard business review | hbr.org DOUG FRASER 78 HBR Spotlight Making a Real Difference The fact is, the prevailing approaches to CSR are so fragmented and so disconnected from business and strategy as to obscure many of the greatest opportunities for companies to benefit society. If, instead, corporations were to analyze their prospects for social responsibility using the same frameworks that guide their core business...
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...www.hbr.org HBR SPOTLIGHT Strategy and Society The Link Between Competitive Advantage and Corporate Social Responsibility by Michael E. Porter and Mark R. Kramer • Reprint R0612D HBR SPOTLIGHT Strategy and Society The Link Between Competitive Advantage and Corporate Social Responsibility by Michael E. Porter and Mark R. Kramer COPYRIGHT © 2006 HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL PUBLISHING CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Governments, activists, and the media have become adept at holding companies to account for the social consequences of their activities. Myriad organizations rank companies on the performance of their corporate social responsibility (CSR), and, despite sometimes questionable methodologies, these rankings attract considerable publicity. As a result, CSR has emerged as an inescapable priority for business leaders in every country. Many companies have already done much to improve the social and environmental consequences of their activities, yet these efforts have not been nearly as productive as they could be—for two reasons. First, they pit business against society, when clearly the two are interdependent. Second, they pressure companies to think of corporate social responsibility in generic ways instead of in the way most appropriate to each firm’s strategy. The fact is, the prevailing approaches to CSR are so fragmented and so disconnected from business and strategy as to obscure many of the greatest opportunities for companies to benefit society...
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