Nuevo Hotel Budgeting Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nuevo Hotel Budgeting Control - Essay Example For its management Nuevo adopted the normal Comodo team-structure, consisting of the General Manager with a five-member advisory 'Board of Directors' and ten independent business unit (IBU) managers. This organisational arrangement was "intended to generate a flexible and entrepreneurial spirit, so promoting creativity and risk taking while still ensuring sound responsibility and accountability". It was also intended to emphasise "empowerment, teamwork and knowledge-sharing - enabling all management and staff to use their initiatives and 'do what they have been trained to do' in order to provide an outstanding standard of service". Nancy Foster, an experienced and highly respected GM in the Comodo group was appointed as GM of Nuevo, to be assisted by a management team, some of whose members had been experienced in and imbued with the 'management culture' of Comodo, while the others, experienced in hospitality business shared Comodo's mission of making it "the best business and leisur e hotel company in the world", through their energetic, committed and responsible work., 'which always exceeded their guests' expectations'. Nancy was very experienced as a GM, but this was her first experience of 'opening' a new property. She thought it obligatory for her to make Nuevo the 'standard-bearer' for Comodo Group's "UK and European operations in the rapidly evolving 'information/virtual' age". To achieve this she thought it wise and prudent to involve the entire management team in developing key control systems for the hotel. She was well aware, of course, that management control system was a 'two-edged sword' in that while it could influence employee behaviour to achieve the company's goals, it could also "lead to large losses and possibly even to organisational failure". The team had already completed the management system in almost all areas of hotel management except in the important area of 'management accounting controls, including establishing the hotel's first budget'. In the management team meeting held to chalk out this problem, what emerged was the implications of the benefits and drawbacks of the ' traditional' budgeting procedures for designing an effective budget control system for Nuevo. Traditional Budget Control System Traditionally 'management teams of Comodo hotels usually based their first few annual income budgets on the feasibility study projections carried out to 'inform' the decision to invest in the project'. This helps the Home Office to get an early view of how the hotel is doing compared with the project appraisal. But then, these would be outdated in that they were drawn up years ago, and in the case of Nuevo, three years ago. Nancy wanted the first year budget proposal handed down to them by the Home Office to be revised because since the time of the project report two other hotels had come up in Manchester and competition had become 'hot'. However, Nuevo's Finance director advised Nancy to go long with the Home Office because everyone would be busy in

Drug offenders sdmitted to prison Essay Example for Free

Drug offenders sdmitted to prison Essay The single greatest force behind the growth of the U. S. prison system since the mid-1980s has been the national war on drugs. 45 Spearheaded by major federal drug policy initiatives that significantly increased penalties for drug offenses and markedly increased federal funds for state anti-drug efforts, federal and state measures to combat drugs have concentrated on criminal law enforcement rather than prevention and treatment. 46 An estimated 400,000 people almost one-quarter of the total incarcerated population in the U. S. are confined in local jails and state and federal prisons on drug charges. 47 Citing the extraordinary number of drug offenders in U. S. prisons, General Barry McCaffrey, has decried the creation of what he termed a drug gulag. 48 Policies adopted to battle the use and sale of drugs have led to marked increases in arrest rates, in the likelihood of going to prison, and in the length of sentences for drug offenders. Between 1980 and 1997, the number of annual drug arrests tripled to a high of 1,584,000. 49 The rate of drug arrests per 100,000 residents rose from 288 to 661. 50 The rate of commitment to state prison per drug arrest quintupled between 1980 and 1990, rising from 19 prison commitments per 1,000 arrests to 103 per 1,000. 51 The estimated time served by drug offenders in state prisons increased a full year between 1987 and 1996; federal drug sentences doubled. 52 As of 1997, there were an estimated 285,009 men and women in state and federal prisons on drug charges, a twelvefold increase since 1980. 53 Relative to the adult population, the rate of incarceration of drug offenders hasincreased almost tenfold, rising from less than 15 inmates per 100,000 adults to 148 per 100,000. 54 In 1980, drug offenders comprised only six percent of state prison populations. By 1998, they constituted 21 percent. In federal prisons, drug offenders now comprise 59 percent of all inmates, whereas they represented only a quarter of federal inmates in 1980. 55 Drug Offenders Admitted to Prison Between 1980 and 1998, the number of new admissions of drug offenders to state and federal prison soared, exceeding 1. 5 million in total (Figure 5). In recent years, about one hundred thousand drug offenders have been admitted to prison annually. Nationwide, 31 percent of all admissions to state prison in 1996 were drug offenders. Among the states, the proportion of drug offenders varied between a low of 10 percent in Maine to a high of 46. 6 percent in New Jersey and 44. 7 percent in New York (Figure 6). In three quarters of the states, more than one in five persons sent to prison was convicted of a drug offense. In contrast, violent offenders accounted nationwide for only 26. 8 percent of new state prison admissions. Rate of Admission of Drug Offenders There is a remarkable range in the extent to which states subject their populations to incarceration on drug charges (Table 8). The rates of admission of drug offenders to prison per 100,000 adult residents vary from a low of 6 per 100,000 in Maine to a high of 91 in California. The ten states that have the highest rates of drug offender admissions relative to population are: California, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington. Nationwide, drug offenders are sent to prison at a rate, relative to population, that is 13 percent higher than the rate for violent offenders (Table 9). In one half of the states reporting to NCRP, the admission rates for drug offenders exceed those for persons convicted of violent crimes. Six states Arkansas, California, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia send drug offenders to prison at rates that range from 50 to 100 percent higher than the rates for violent offenders. Drug Offending and Prison Admissions The broad range in admission rates for drug offenders across the country cannot be ascribed simply to variations in drug use and sales in different states. Table 10, covering twenty six states, presents federal estimates of the percentage of the population over 12 in those states who were current illicit drug users in 1991-1993. 56 Although some drug users may cross state lines to purchase drugs, we assume that relative rates of drug use in each state also roughly reflect relative amounts of drug sale activity. Comparing drug use rates with calculations of the rate relative to population at which drug offenders in those states were sent to prison reveals the lack of a consistent correlation between drug offending and the imprisonment of drug offenders. First, the percentage of the population that used drugs varied among states from 4. 1 to 8. 2 percent, compared to a range in drug offender admission rates that extended from 8 to 91. Second, the states with higher rates of drug use were not necessarily the states with higher drug offender admission rates. Oregon, for example, had the third highest percentage of drug use, yet it had one of the lowest rates of drug admissions. In contrast, California had both the highest rate of drug use and the highest rate of drug offender admissions. Third, lower drug use did not necessarily correlate with low drug offender admissions rates. The percentage of Illinois population that used drugs was quite low, yet the statehad the second highest rate of drug offender admissions. Similarly, Louisiana had a relatively low rate of drug use yet it had one of the highest rates of drug admissions. Obviously, no definitive conclusions can be drawn from a comparison of these two rather crude sets of figures. Nevertheless, the data suggest the explanation for the different rates at which people are sent to prison for drug offenses must lie in different penal policies and priorities among the states, including different law enforcement resources and strategies, prosecutorial charging preferences, and sentencing laws, as well as structural and demographic factors, e. g. , degrees of urbanization, rather than rates of drug offending. Drugs Involved In Offense The NCRP data does not permit reliable calculations about the extent to which different hard drugs (e. g. , cocaine, amphetamines, heroin) were involved in drug offenses. The data is somewhat better with regard to the identification of marijuana offenses, which were identified as the drug involved in 4. 3 percent of all drug admissions. 57 In nine states marijuana offenses accounted for more than ten percent of drug admissions: Alabama (16. 09), Iowa (17. 22), Kentucky (12. 4), Mississippi (14. 50), New Hampshire (28. 83), North Dakota (43. 02), South Carolina (11. 25), South Dakota (18. 3), and West Virginia (20. 63) (Table 11). Type of Drug Conduct People are sent to prison for both drug possession and sales-related conduct. In 1996, the simple possession of drugs (excluding possession with intent to sell) was the most serious conviction offense for 28 percent of all drug offenders admitted to state prison (Table 12). Fifty-six percent of drug offender admissions were for drug sales, and the rest for other drug-related offenses (e. g. , fraudulent prescriptions and unlawful possession of syringes). In nine states (Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Minnesota, Mississippi, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Virginia) more than 50 percent of drug offenders sent to prison were convicted of simple possession.

Discuss the reasons for the growth and decline Essay -- essays researc

Up until World War II, Imperialism had been a major part of civilization throughout the world. The conquering and occupying of other lands had been prominent in all of the major world empires. The Romans, Ottaman Turks, Egyptians, Mongols, Syrians, Greecians, Babylonians, Muslims, Persians, and others had all thrived on the occupation of other territories. However, as the advancement of military warfare and techonolgy increased, the stakes increased, the wars longer, the casualities higher, and the controlling of vast amounts of land became harder as people sought ethnic diversity and clung to their heritage harder. The last of these great imperialistic empires stands with Great Britian and France. Other european powers in the 1800's also had their hand in the cookie jar of imperialism, including belgium, italy, and Germany, but the powerhouses existed with Great Britian and France. Up until a little after World War II, in the 1950's and 60's, did imperialism last. The questions asked now is how did European powers manuever their way into the lives of other ethninticies, and why didn't it last?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Around 1870, imperialism in Africa escualted, with her coast line quickly being snatched by Great Britian, France, the Dutch, Germany, and the Italians, and then they started working their way inward. The Industrial Revolution caused new wealth to emerge, and this new wealth was invested in occupying new territories, for either a sign of prestige or dominance, probably both to an extent. Techonology is growing, and communications is increasing, thus making it easier to occupy new lands and peoples. Medical techonolgy is increasing, and the ability to combat new diseases helps the imperialistic powers overcome the new pestilences that they encounter. The increasing growth of the R.R made it easier to transport goods and materials needed to occupy territory. The population in Europe is growing, and these new lands are possible place to settle as well. But why did countries like Great Britian seek to expend enouormous amounts of money on provinces without much coming back to them?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One theory is the Accident theory that says their was no real intent in the colonization that took place. The theory says that once one land was taken, the surrounding land would... ...by the British by combining three tribal groups together. One the British left, much blood was shed over what a nigerian was or was not. There was no coherant agreement on what these new people stood for.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Goals for the future are almost dependant on the new countries ability to industrialize and keep up with the Western powers. Establishing a stable government is one step toward political and economic growth and stablity. Agreeing on what a country is about, and how they are to support themselves are vital. Holding fast to an identity, as Americans, Frenchmen, and the British do, only aids in the development of old things, and the creation of new techonology. However, as afore mentioned, because of their being no distribution of weatlth in the world, and within the new countries, the new money is only spread out over the growing population providing no real enhanced standard of living for anyone, the gap will become wider and wider economically between the more developed countries and the third world. Economic developement is the key to success, and without that, these once colonized countries will only continue to struggle.

Papa John’s International, Inc. Essays -- Strategic Case Analysis

Introduction Papa John’s International, Inc., is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky it is the world’s largest pizza chain and considered paramount in the pizza industry. Papa John’s domestic pizzas are made exclusively from a proprietary blend of wheat flour, cheese made from 100% real mozzarella, fresh-packed pizza sauce made from vine-ripened tomatoes (not from concentrate) and a proprietary mix of savory spices, and a choice of high-quality meat (100% beef, pork and chicken with no fillers) and vegetable toppings. However, international ingredients vary to meet customs and tastes. (http://ir.papajohns.com/) The company operates approximately 3,400 domestic and international pizza restaurants. They have five segments of their business: domestic restaurants, domestic commissaries, domestic franchises, international operations, and variable interest entities. (Barney & Hesterly, 2010) They have company-owned restaurants in mature and developed markets, but have recently experienced a measurable decrease in their domestic franchising sales because these franchisees are not strategically located in the more heavily concentrated markets like their company owned restaurants. To further develop the Papa John franchisees, they are working on various economic systems to provide royalty and local marketing relief for struggling franchisees, by providing financing to assist existing and/or new businesses, and educating lenders and banking institutions on the Papa John’s business models and goals. Papa John’s has currently started repurchasing about 1 million shares of its common stock at an average price of $22.52 per share, the company’s board of directors recently extended a repurchase plan through the end of 2010. Papa John’s... ... end-user customers, so as to capture additional market presence. Dominos has recently changed their pizza ingredient and their pricing structure they could become a major threat to Papa John’s customer base because they have always prided themselves on using high-quality ingredients. Dominos is now making attempting to grab up some Papa John’s domestic market share. Works Cited Form 10-K Annual Report Filed Feb 24, 2009, http://ir.papajohns.com/secfiling.cfm?filingID=1104659-09-11825 (Retrieved 2/11/10) Thursday, February 11, 2010, 2:43pm EST | Modified: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 3:04pm, Papa John’s cooks up heart-shaped pizza promo http://louisville.bizjournals.com/louisville/stories/2010/02/08/daily41.html?ana=yfcpc (Retrieved 2/11/10) http://money.cnn.com/2009/09/22/news/companies/papa_johns_pizza_schnatter.fortune/index.htm (retrieved 2/12/10)

Not Waving but Drowning Poetry Analysis

Steve Smith is a particularly somber poem. The poem is about emptiness and shows what people will do to try to get attention. This poem is a metaphor comparing how the emptiness of our lives consuming us is like drowning. This poem is portrayed through the eyes off man who Just died. In the poem the man died by drowning, supposedly because he caught hypothermia but as he suggested he died because he was too far out in the water. What this translates to in real life is that this man was empty inside.In a vain attempt to try to fill this void, he â€Å"swam† further out only to become increasingly more and more empty. In the end the emptiness surrounded him and was â€Å"drowned in it. â€Å"Not waving but drowning† suggests that people saw him doing these thing yet took no notice of it because they thought it was him acting out: â€Å"he always loved larking,† but in reality they didn't see the signs that he was consumed. † It must have been too cold for hi m†¦ † Suggest that they believed he died because it was too risky for him but he refutes that saying, â€Å"it as too cold always,† as in it was always risky.He gives the alternate reason, â€Å"l was much to far out all my life and not waving but drowning. † This suggests he knew what he was doing yet he did it anyways trying to get attention yet everyone misinterpreted. I believe anyone can relate to this poem because it strikes an old chord in the human heart. Everyone is empty inside, and everyone has always tried going on a little â€Å"soul hunt† trying to find someone to truly notice them. But many have failed and end up â€Å"drowning† In their own emptiness and misery. Not Waving but Drowning Poetry Analysis Steve Smith is a particularly somber poem. The poem is about emptiness and shows what people will do to try to get attention. This poem is a metaphor comparing how the emptiness of our lives consuming us is like drowning. This poem is portrayed through the eyes off man who Just died. In the poem the man died by drowning, supposedly because he caught hypothermia but as he suggested he died because he was too far out in the water. What this translates to in real life is that this man was empty inside.In a vain attempt to try to fill this void, he â€Å"swam† further out only to become increasingly more and more empty. In the end the emptiness surrounded him and was â€Å"drowned in it. â€Å"Not waving but drowning† suggests that people saw him doing these thing yet took no notice of it because they thought it was him acting out: â€Å"he always loved larking,† but in reality they didn't see the signs that he was consumed. † It must have been too cold for hi m†¦ † Suggest that they believed he died because it was too risky for him but he refutes that saying, â€Å"it as too cold always,† as in it was always risky.He gives the alternate reason, â€Å"l was much to far out all my life and not waving but drowning. † This suggests he knew what he was doing yet he did it anyways trying to get attention yet everyone misinterpreted. I believe anyone can relate to this poem because it strikes an old chord in the human heart. Everyone is empty inside, and everyone has always tried going on a little â€Å"soul hunt† trying to find someone to truly notice them. But many have failed and end up â€Å"drowning† In their own emptiness and misery.

Mergers and acquisition

Mergers and acquisition Outline the economic arguments for and against British Home Stores (BHS) taking over Arcadia?British Home Stores has grown from a single store in South London to a multinational retail company with a major presence both in the UK and later on in overseas clothing markets. In 1986 they merged with Habitat/Mothercare to form Storehouse plc. Then in May 2000, Philip Green bought Bhs from the Storehouse Group. Green has been successful so far and has managed to turn the business around and increased the value of the business from 0m to an estimated 0m and raise operating profits by 257 percent. After a failed attempt to takeover Marks Spencer earlier this year Green continued his ambition to expand his empire by moving in to takeover the Arcadia group which has a large portfolio of brands including Topman/Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Evans. The deal would complete a horizontal takeover and, through external growth, create the biggest fashion retail group in the U.K.English: Marks and Spencer store, Birmingham High ...A combination of Bhs and the Arcadia, the UK's second largest retailer after Marks Spencer, would catapult Green's retail empire into pole position in the womenswear market, taking its share to 12.9%, ahead of Marks Spencer's 12.1%. This would in turn increase the buying power of the company and leave Green in a position to take control of the fashion market sector. With these points in mind there are both economic arguments for and against the takeover that I will evaluate and explain. Firstly it can be argued that the takeover will bring a number of benefits to the economy in both the short and long run however there are sometimes trade offs which, will lead to an economic argument against the takeover.Mr Green and Bhs will argue that the...

The Effect of the Setting On t essays

The Effect of the Setting On t essays The Effect of the Setting On the Characters A bright and sunny day or a dark, cold cave; the setting of a story gives the reader an idea of where the story takes place, but it also shows the affects it has on the characters. Ethan Frome, a novel by Edith Wharton, is a prime example in the usage of setting to affect the characters. The setting for Ethan Frome symbolizes the emotional and the physical isolation, cold, and death that surround Ethan. The cold, harshness of his surroundings affects Ethan in several ways. One of his surroundings is a winter wasteland. He associates winter with many of the woes that are in his life now. For example in the novel it says that with each passing winter Ethan became more elderly looking. The oppressiveness of winter takes its toll on Ethan. The winter is also used to describe those that he feels a hatred for, that being Zeena, who is bitter, ugly and sickly cold just like the winter. He says that if it had been spring and not winter he would never had married Zeena. Mattie is the complete opposite of Zeena, she is associated with spring and summer and a new life. Ethan seeks the warmth of the summer (Mattie) and to leave his winter (Zeena) behind. Seemingly he is unable to do this, just as he is unable to escape winter. Another example of cold is the house. It is in a constant state of chill. Especially when Zeena was about. The coolness of the house was a constant reminder to Etha n of the elements that lurked just outside his door. The town that the Fromes live by is small and isolated and his worn down and shabby house affect Ethan as well. The town of Starkfield is just that- barren, harsh, grim, severe, and hard. It is a miracle that anyone survives such a brutal environment. The ground is not productive, the buildings are falling down, there is barely enough timber to build with let alone be used a ...