Light in the Cave Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

Light in the Cave - Essay Example The view from halfway up the hill was spectacular. The impenetrable darkness of the cave had vanished as it looked illuminated. I wondered why. I slurped down hot coffee from my flask. It was soothing and I felt at peace, but my friends appeared restless. Suddenly I could see the green all around me and the glimmering hollows in trees. Sun’s rays were filtering through the trees that towered high. The view of the river flowing down the gorge on a clear day was terrific. The waters glistened in the sun. I had been oblivious to the natural world around me. Cold breeze from the riverside was comforting. The sound of soft rustling of the leaves and birds singing from a distance made the day more pleasant. My friends became animated instantly when I became ready to continue the climb. The climb was difficult but thrilling. I hopped over logs and readily crawled under bushes but never did I feel sick or tired. But my friends wanted to keep me behind them. We soon spotted the path th at wound up in the cave. The opening was too narrow to let any light in. I was curious to explore but my friends took me aside for a picture of a cliff nearby. It was still midday but cold near the limestone cave. The outer walls of the cave were smooth in some places but rough in other places. As I was standing with my back to the cave looking down the ravine, I felt a touch on my back. What a surprise it was! They were my two other friends. They had lit up the cave with firewood and candles. They gave me the best surprise on my birthday.

Commercial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Commercial Management - Essay Example Peace Gardens were the first to open in 1998. The Millennium Galleries showcases cultural themes involving visual arts, craft and design. The Peace gardens and illuminated fountains put on a spectacular show during the night. Unique architecture in the form of stylish arches, winding pathways, glasshouses and tropical plants blend in to produce a spectacular sight. The Peace Gardens, Millennium Square and Winter Gardens are part of the Gold Network of attractive public spaces. They form a powerful hub and are the point at which the major route to the city centre from the station and the pedestrian link between the two universities intersect. The grant awarded to this project amounted to ?22,700,279 and the total cost incurred in this project has been ?45,221,155. Aims and Objectives: The primary objective of the project was to help the city of Sheffield regain its status as one of the top localities in Europe by making it more attractive to residents, outside investors and visitors. The aim was to do this by creating a lively, high quality, safe and sustainable city centre lively city centre for living, leisure, learning and retail. This was a key site which had been under-utilized in terms of commercial and public usage. The project was also aimed at expanding the Economy of the City in order to create new jobs and allow growth. High quality offices were to be designed in the city centre from where high profile functions of companies could be performed. A bustling hub of financial and professional services would also promote an investor-friendly image necessary to boost the local economy. Eventually all the economic growth would have allowed employment opportunities for the local community. In order to support the projected commercial and tourist activity, infrastructure was required. Projects like ‘Station Gateway’ and ‘New Retail Quarter’ were designed to improve accessibility, movement and linkages in the city. How successful has t he project been? One of the questions the OGC 5 Gateway asks is whether the project is a success or not. Apart from a few shortfalls the project has largely been a success. The futuristic design of the City Centre has largely been successful in attracting local and foreign businesses. Tourists and students have also been drawn to the city giving a boost to the local economy. The Gateway is also interested in knowing in weather the business case in which investment is made is even valid. The business case for this venture still holds great value as it a profitable venture. City buildings and infrastructure were old and an improvement was required. A significant amount of the revenue was generated from this part of the city so it was necessary to develop this prime location. After the opening of the Millennium Galleries, ninety percent of Sheffield Museums and Galleries Trust income was generated by it alone, prior to the re-opening of the Weston Park Museum. Two-thirds of apartments were already sold even though a brick had not been laid, though 40% have passed to institutional investors. Economic activity has increased and more commercial outlets have set up their offices at St. Paul’

Introduction Of Ghana Culture And Social Situation Politics Essay

Introduction Of Ghana Culture And Social Situation Politics Essay This section wills analysis the changes of culture and social aspects in Ghana under globalization process. First of all, as mentioned above, introduce the background of Ghana in both sides. And then focus on the cultural globalization. After introduce the definition, the importance and the relationship between culture and cultural globalization, begin discuss a crucial question Is Ghana has more to gain than to fear from cultural globalization. In social area, it will make a concrete analysis of each specific question, using employment situation, education and mortality rate as examples. General discussion about culture and cultural globalization Globalization offers an opportunity to the spread of language and culture from foreign country. The Cola-Cola, McDonalds and Subway can be founded in majority cities throughout the world. It is essential to discuss the definition of culture in order to understanding the cultural globalization. According to a Ghanaian, their cultural policy documents already offer a unambiguous response to any doubts about the definition: culture is a invisible thing which distinguish Ghanaian from other people (Audrey Gadzekpo 2005) Beside this, as German nonpositivist sociologist Georg Simmel ()points out the culture referred to the cultivation of individuals through the agency of external forms which have been objectified in the course of history. In addition, culture is an essential part of a nation, no matter it rich or poor. For the Ajay Bhatt, there are three points to support his views (Bhatt 2010). (1) The group solidarity depends on the foundation of culture, it remain the integrity of socia l relationship; (2) Culture has offer the new ideas to the people especially the younger generation; (3) Culture produces new ideas. By summarizing above, the significance of culture could hardly be overlooked, it is crucial to the whole country. Along with the world culture development fusion, a new phenomenon appeared-cultural globalization. It usually defined as the rapid movement of ideas, attitudes, and values across national borders (Sofree 2003-2012). Cultural globalization has the same characteristics with culture and can easily be found anywhere in the daily life. Introduction of Ghana culture and social situation Ghana was the first African country on the continent to achieve independence from the British colonial rule .And it used to be called Gold Coast until 1957. It is an ethnically diverse country that is deeply influenced by ancient Kingdoms of the Akan. The Ghanaian culture is a mixture of six ethnic groups. Among these groups, the Akan occupies the leading position (Miss West Africa Ghana). However, there have been many changes in social and culture aspects in Ghana in the preceding decades. For instance, the building of European architectural styles can be found everywhere in the country. In social area, the media of Ghana is one of the most free in Africa and has been described as one of the most unfettered ¼Ã‹â€ BBC News 2012 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °. The large numbers of films and music from western society flow into Ghana could benefit from this. The background culture situation in Ghana A case study is Ghana, for instance, one of the most popular movie in Ghana is called American Boy, this film directed by Ghanaians (Nairaland Forum 2012). Even more remarkably, the latest film in the blockbuster movie series Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows remained the No.1 movie and rakes in over $50.3 million over Thanksgiving weekend in 2010, according to Ghana Business News (2010). Beside this, the famous singer Lady Gaga always generated a lively discussion in every major forum and portal in Ghana, such as Omgghana and Hitbanger. Interestingly, other aspects expect for entertainment area in Ghana have the same condition. According to the Africa guide, Ghanaians composed of six ethnic groups, including the Akan (Ashanti and Fanti), the Gurma , the Ga-Adangbe, the Guan ,the Mole-Dagbani ,and the Ewe. In the past year of Ghana, a stranger always identified by his ethic origin or home town, for example that Ashanti man or the Ewe carpentry-master (Foster 1965). However, as the International Organization for Migration points out Ghana already become the principal destination to the refugee population in the West Africa sub-region. And in the context of globalization, Ghanaian migration has becoming increasing popular. It means people from various countries are pouring into Ghana and ethnic lines are no longer distinct. The globalization changes peoples way of thinking. In fact, compared to other black African nations, Ghana was more promising and prosperous and it more suitable for globalization (Manuh,T 2005). Is Ghana has more to gain than to fear from cultural globalization? Through the introduction of background in Ghana, the changes really exist in cultural aspects. However, increasing scholarly attention is now devoted to a question: Is Ghana has more to gain than to fear from cultural globalization? In fact, some scholars like David Rothkopf, the managing director of Kissinger Associates and an adjunct professor of international affairs at Columbia University, concerned about the question for a long time (The Statesman 2007). As Rothkopf argues, the America is trying to control the world with language, the common telecommunication and the food safety standards. The developed countries will use their own ideas, products and brands to replace the traditional way in poorer countries. Others like S.K. Boafo, suggested that the external culture such as films, music and language from America may have a significant threat to the traditional culture in Ghana (The Statesman 2007). As the minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, he point out that there are some negative impacts of foreign influences on Ghanaian culture in the last fifty years. For example, people in Ghana especially the younger generation more easily accept the western pop than the traditional folk song. Indeed the UNESCO als o supports their views, a meeting called protection and promotion hold by UNESCO in October 2005 (The Statesman 2007). The meeting was concern the cultural diversity and drafter worried the gap between developing and developed countries. Another supporter is Audrey Gadzekpo, she argues the culture as a useful linkages between the past and present, but under the globalization background, this type of link become more and more tenuous for the past five decades. The media violence in Ghana is a specific example. The researchers draw conclusions from more than 1000 studies that there is a positive association between violence entertainment and aggressive behavior. In other worlds, the violence and pornographic in the media contributes to the development of instability of the society and affects children and young people in Ghana. In fact, the media violence is a reality for the whole world However, it is the truth of the cultural globalization in Ghana? As we all know, the cultural invasion is very common in modern time. But as Kwame Anthony Appiah says the so-called cultural invasion can sometimes lead to innovation, various cultures and new ideas. Cultural Globalization focuses on the influence and infiltration between different regions, countries and nations, which reflects the generality of the development. A powerful example of this point is Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Ghana. Kwame Anthony Appiah always realized it, he says what can you tell about peoples souls from the fact that they drink Coca-Cola? (Divestiture Implementation Committee 2004) Indeed, these companies like Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Ghana (TCCBCG) contribute a lot of culture changes. TCCBCG has donated much money to built hospital, it not only offers more job opportunities to poor people but also promote the development of medical health. In Ghana as the Cultural Minister suggests people must correctly deal with cultural globalization and the most effective way to Western culture is keep the good thing in it. To sum up, as he says But as aspects of our old cultures change, adapt, maybe disappear, we have the opportunity to create something new drawing on the heterogeneous, cosmopolitan nature of modern Ghana and the modern world to create something that is a unique mixture of both (The Statesman 2007). To conclude, the answer about the question mentioned above is depending on Ghana as a active recipient or only a passive recipient. General discussion about Social globalization We cannot ignore the fact that world is so deeply interconnected and influence each other. For Akhila Kolisetty, majority of people have not realized what the social change is and how it affects both individuals and whole country. As a current student of London School of Economics, she suggested the first thing is defined the social globalization. Globalization can be classified according to the different functions into three categories: economic, political, social and culture.(Ali Datko).All of them are interdependent, but always influence each other. As Datko define the social globalization, it talk about the human interaction within cultural communities, and consist of topics like family, religion, work and education. But besides that, there is another definition about social and cultural globalization A process in which the constrains of geography on social and cultural arrangements recede and in which people become increasingly aware that they are receding(Robertson, 1992:7). In Ghana, the effect of globalization is all-pervasive. For instance, Ghana has experienced a continuous growth at their high-technology sector including the telecommunication and information technology at the early of 21st century (Edward Opoku-Dapaah, 2002). However, Opoku-Dapaah was pessimistic about social globalization. According to him, these advanced technology which comes from western countries maintain and extended the gap between rich and poor. To the contrary, other member such as international community and Ghanaian elite were optimistic about it. As Opoku-Dapaah points out, the key word is weather they mastered the technology. The labor market The globalization can offer a number of benefits for social situation in Ghana. The strongest evidence is labor market. As we all know, the situation of employment is urgent nowadays not only for graduates but also for normal people. Employment becomes one of the major social issues in every country. More and more people pay great attention to it. However, in this situation, Ghana experienced a dramatically decrease in their unemployment rate (Graph 1 from: indexmundi ).The graph gives information about historical data for Ghana unemployment rate from 1997 to 2000. It is clearly see that the percentage dropped from approximately 20% in 1997 to about 11% in 2000.Though it only for a portion of time, but it still very representative of the total situation. In 2005 the unemployment rate in Ghana is 12.9%. Additionally, the percentage averaged 12.05% from 2001 to 2005, then reaches the peak at 12.90% in December of 2005 and touches the bottom at 11.20% in December of 2001. In addition, the changes like this can have a positive impact not only to individuals but also to society. Like Joblistghana, one of the website which is using for job-hunting, they provide beyond 500 job opportunities to candidates. For example, if a father find a place to do the work, he can offer the better learning environment to children and development the familys living standard. In addition, the structure of labor market has been changed in a globalised world. Industry in Ghana occupies approximately 25.3% of total GDP. Without doubt, it offers more job opportunities to Ghanaians. The last point about labor market change is the spirit of innovation, as we all know the creative ability is the soul of an enterprise. Education The adult literacy rate in Ghana was 75% in 2007, with males at 87.2% and females at 67.1% (Education: about Ghana). However, during the colonial rule the figure was only 11%. Emefa Amoako explores the relevance with education in developing countries such as Ghana. As a result, he found the globalization have significant influence to the national education policy processes. In fact, the globalization not only a unique challenges but also an opportunity to the whole society. The fast development of globalization means some professionals who engage in education area flow into Ghana, and they always have professionally trained (Richard Joseph 2005).For the large number of outflow from other countries in Africa, it easier to find a satisfying job if they pass local certification examination such as university educators and doctors. All of them make significant contribution to the development of Ghanas education undertaking. It is one of the reason why adult literacy rate in Ghana growing and changing so quickly. Medical and Mortality rate As mentioned above, the social globalization means doctors, nurses and other health care professionals flow into Ghana. Like all the other nations in Africa, Child-mortality is a very serious social problem during these years. At the same time, it is the most comprehensive and complex indicators of social development. The definition of child mortality is the probability of dying between the exact ages of one and five. As the graph below shows the mortality rate deceases from 79.40% in 1988 to 28% in 2008, and the same situation occur in male child. As the research from Bloom Projects International, there are no evidences to show the relationship between infant mortality rate decrease and country size, economic growth and location except medical conditions (Bloom Projects International From 2012). In fact, better treatments in Ghana rely on the high-technology and medical expert to a great degree. At this point, Ghana as a beneficiary rather than a victim in social globalization proce sses. Graph 1 Unemployment rate in Ghana(%) (http://www.indexmundi.com/g/g.aspx?c=ghv=74) Graph2 Ghana mortality rate(per 1,000 female children age one) (http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/ghana/mortality-rate)

hera and Zeus :: essays research papers

Throughout the Greek mythology, Zeus has been involved with many women and has faced many resistances from them. Zeus has faced many hurdles not only on his way to become the "king of olympians" but also after that with his relationships with women. Hera, Zeus's last wife , has been directly or indirectly involved in placing most of these hurdles. Of Zeus's seven wives, Hera, also known as Judo, has been the most quarrelsome and mistrustful of her hurband. She was frequently angry and jealous of Zeus's other relationships. In many instances , she has been the source of hurdles in Zeus's relationships with other women.Although described as a sacred marriage, one which was intended to symbolize and promote fertility of crops on earth, since the sky, represented as male, must fertilize the earth through rain in order for life to begin there, thier marriage has never been a smooth one and they have had some bitter fights. In one instance, Zeus hung her out of Olympus with two great weights attached to her feet,and her arms bound by golden chains,as punishment for her having plotted against Hercules.Homer, the author has potrayed the relationship of Zeus and Hera very much like that between a man and a woman. Homer shows how like men and women, even God's lie and decieve and are gullable. In one instance, he shows how , in order to borrow sexual allure from Aphrodite, Hera lies to Aphrodite about going to visit Oceanus and mother Tethys, not telling her original plan of seducing Zeus and making him fall asleep during the war. Then Hera goes to Sleep and asks her for his help and in return of her daughter Pasithea. Since Sleep has always been in love with Pesithea, the greed makes him give in to Hera's request. In this episode, Homer has shown that like humans, greed makes the immortals do things they would not have otherwise done. When Hera finally reaches Olympos, she lies to Zeus too and Zeus gets duped and falls into the trap of her seduction, this epi sode shows how the king of olympians gets decieved and is not able to foresee Hera's plan. In one potrait which shows Zeus's paranoia towards Hera, Zeus is worried about the quarrel with his wife Hera and tries to resist Thetis's plea to help son Archillis and aid Trojans in the war against the greeks.

Horticultural Machineries Essay

Horticultural machinery are the various tractors, rotary cultivators, drills, sprayers, root vegetable harvesters and other equipment of interest to horticulturist POWER UNITS USED FOR HORTICULTURAL PURPOSES The need for special types of power unit and or cultivation implements arises when it is necessary to work between fruits trees or halyard, where the planting distance has already been decided and the equipment has to conform to it. narrow rows of fruits and haps sometimes necessitate the use of extremely narrow tractors, with overall widths of about 4 ft (1. m) such tractors require specially adapted mounted equipment and use among other implements, types of plough which are designed for plugging up or away from both sides of rows of haps or fruits some of special cultivation implements used include. 1. SMALL ROTARY CULTIVATORS A rotary cultivator is a tool that is used to loosen, aerate and prepare soil for new planting or to enhance the condition of soil for existing plantings . A rotary cultivator often known as rotatiller or roto cultivator consists of sharp rotating tins or blades that are typically made of steel or aluminum. The rotating tins dig into the soil, loosening and aerating the soil in a process known as cultivation. Cultivating soil is important because over a period of time soil tends to compact and harden. This can make it more difficult for plant to receive the proper level of water and nutrients. Breaking up and loosening compacted soil makes it easier for water and nutrients to flow through the soil and into plantings. A small rotary cultivator is hand held cultivator either self propelled or powered. It looks much like a lawn mower. A self propelled rotary cultivator has tins (blades) attached to a pole that is similar to a long stick and the user simply pushes it to cultivate a lawn or garden. Many self propelled cultivators have aluminum tines which some users have found to be too light weight for anything more than light grader use. There are therefore self-propelled cultivators that utilize a heavier weight metal for the rotating tines, which many find to be more effective. However, the heavier weight of these tools may make it more difficult to use for an extended period of time. A motorized cultivator is powered by a small gasoline or electric motor; it is often used on large gardens. The tines of a rotary cultivator rotate in the opposite direction of the wheel and till to a depth of 8 to 10 inches normal width of the small rotary cultivator range from 4 – 8 ft (2 – 2. 4m) with power rating ranging from 1 hp to 8 hp (0. 75kw) 2. WALKING TRACTOR The walking tractor or two-wheel tractor is a tractor with one axle self powered and self-propelled which can pull and power various farm implements such as a tractor, cultivator, or harrow, a plough or various seeders and harvesters. The operator usually walks behind it or sides the implement being towed like a four-wheel tractor, the walking tractor is designed to run many attachments with a single power source and gives thousands of hours of services. These tractors are fitted with engines of up to 3hp (2. 2 kw). Some walking tractors now constructed have a power rating of up to 12 hp. 3. NARROW TRACT TRACTOR Narrow track tractors are of interest to horticulturalist who frequently need to pull a heavy spraying machine as well as to carry out plugging and other tillage operations. Such tractors with engines of 25 – 45 hp (19 – 33 kw) may have overall dimensions as small as about 1m wide as 1. 3m high. They are fitted with 4 tyres and articulated frame steering of a type that can provide a very small turning circle, they have low weight to permit work beneath trees. Hydrostatic transmission assists in achieving a sound method of delivering power to the drive wheels. 4. COMPACT L-WHEEL TRACTOR A compact utility tractor (CUT) is a smaller version of an agricultural tractor designed primarily for landscaping and use in field with narrow spaced tracks. Typical CUTs range from 20 – 50hp (15 -37 kw) with available PTO horse power ranging from 15 – 45 (11 -34 kw) CUTs are often equipped with both a mid-mounted and standard rear PTO, especially those below 40 hp (30 kw). modern CUTs use hydrostatic transmissions but many variants of gear-drive transmissions are also offered from low priced, simple gear-transmission to advance glide-shift transmissions. CUTs require special smaller implements than full sized agricultural tractors. Very common implements include, the box blade the grader blade, the landscape rake, the post hole digger, the rotary cutter, a broadcast seeder, and a rotary tiller. SOIL CULTIVATION IMPLEMENTS 1. PLOUGH The plough is a tool used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting. It has been a basic instrument for most of recorded history and represents one of the major advances in agriculture. The primary purpose of plugging is to turn over the upper layer of the soil, bringing fresh nutrients to the surface while burying weeds and weed seeds, allowing them to breakdown. It also aerates the soil, allows it to hold moisture better and provides a seed-free medium for planting on alternate crop. The plough is made up of the following components: . The Coulter The function of the coulter is to cut the soil. It is this component of the plough that clears the path. The coulter is a blade or sharp-edged disc attached to a plough so that it cuts through the soil vertically. 2. The Mold Board It is the part of the plough which pushes aside the soil, turned over by the coulter. It is either cylindrical, helical, helical ly cylindrical or a curved rod. 3. Plough-Beam The part that connects the rest of the plough with the animal or tractor. Its shape and length influences the depth of the coulter and to a lesser extent ts width. 4. Plough Share The plough-share is the central part of the plough on which the other major parts are fixed (plough-beam, mold boards coulter, contre-sep). 5. Contre-sep Allows the stabilization of the plough while supporting the hilt. Any standard steel can be used for its construction. 6. The Hilt Permits the longitudiral stabilization of the plough pliding on the bottom of the trench longitudinal stability is ensured by reaction between the ground supports on the soil, the support points on the front and the rear of plough and by the wheel. SOIL STERILIZATION Soil sterilization is a chemical or physical process that results in the death of soil organisms. This practice provides secure and quick relief of soil from substances and organisms harmful to plants such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, nematodes and other pests. Many of the organisms in the soil helps breakdown larger pieces of organic matter into small particles which are more easily absorbable by plants but they could be in the soil detrimental fungi, bacteria and insects and weed seeds. Soil sterilization helps to do away with these detrimental organisms and seed weeds. There are two major methods of soil sterilization: Chemical method and physical method. 1. Chemical methods includes the use of herbicides and fumigants 2. Physical methods include the use of steam and solar energy a. STEAM STERILIZATION Soil steaming is a farming technique that sterilizes soil with steam in open fields or green houses. Detrimental organisms and weeds are killed through induced hot steam which causes their cell structure to physically degenerate. Biologically, the method is considered a partial disinfection. Important heat-resistant, spare-farming bacteria survive and revitalize the soil after cooling down. Steaming leads to a strengthened resistance against plant disease and pests. METHOD OF STEAMING 1. Surface steaming: it is the application of heat directly on the surface of the soil using various methods which include area sheet steaming, the steaming hood, the steaming harrow, the steaming plough and vacuum steaming with drainage pipes or mobile pipe system. i. Sheet steaming: Surface steaming with special sheets is a method which has been established for decades in other to steam large areas reaching from 15 to 400m2 in one step. The usage of heat resistant, non-decomposing insulation fleece saves up to 50% energy reduces the steaming time significantly and improves penetration. The streaming time depends on soil structure as well as outside temperature and amounts to 1 – 1. 5 hour per 10 cm steaming depth. ii. Steaming with Vacuum: This is induced through a mobile or fixed installed pipe system in the depth of the area to be steamed. It is the method that reaches the best penetration. Despite high capital cost, the fixed installation of drainage system is reasonable for intensively used areas since steaming depth of up to 80 cm can be achieved. The steaming area is covered with a special steaming sheet and weighted all around as with sheet steaming. The steam is injected underneath the sheet through an injector and protection tunnel while with short areas up to 30m length steam is frontally injected, with longer areas steam is induced in the middle of the beet using a T-connection branching out to both sides. As soon as the sheet is inflated to approximately 1m by the steam pressure, the suction turbine is switched on. First, the air in the soil is removed via the suction hoses. A vacuum is formed and the steam is pulled downward. When the required steaming depth has been reached, the ventilator runs non-stop and surplus steam is blown out. To ensure that, this surplus steam is not lost, it is fed back under the sheet. iii. Steaming with hoods A steaming hood is a mobile device consisting of corrosion resistant materials such as aluminum, which is put down on to the area to be steamed. In contrast to sheet steaming, cost-intensive working steps such as lying out and weighting the sheet don’t occur, however the area steamed per working step is smaller in accordance to the size of the hood. . SOLARIZATION Solarization of soil is a much more non-chemical; environmentally friendly way of soil sterilization and this involves using the power of the sun to get rid of many disease and pests that causes damage to different types of grasses. It is a relatively easy method of sterilization and involves covering up the soil that will be established with a clear plastic material to capture the radiant heat and energ y from the sun to kill the pathogens in the soil. Not only does this method get rid of most of the unwanted diseases and pests but it also stimulates the relense of nutrients from organic matter present in the soil. c. ELECTRIC SOIL STERILIZER The electric soil sterilizer is often used for sterilization of small quantity of soil needed for the nursery or in green houses. The equipment is filled to the top of the container and then the unit is plugged in. the thermostat is then set to the correct sterilizing temperature (about 80 °c). The indicator light will glow until the batch is done. After the light goes off, wait 15 minutes, then pick up the unit and the sterilized soil will drop out the bottom. It eliminates weeds and disease, kills weeds practically 100% kills soil-borne insects and in general, all of the bacteria, fungi and virus organisms that are harmful to commercial crops. d. CHEMICAL SOIL STERILIZATION Chemical sterilization of soil refers to the use of various chemical to sterilize soil. The chemicals to be used must give off gas which is sufficiently toxic to ensure the destruction of pest, diseases and weeds, yet without harming the beneficial, organisms in the soil. The efficiency of chemical sterilization varies greatly, not because of precise chemicals involved, but because of the condition of the soil, its moisture content and most importantly, the prevailing temperature. This should also ensure even distribution in the soil to be sterilized some chemicals used for soil sterilization include: 1. Methyl bromide gas Methyl bromide is a fumigant that is most often used in vegetable and farm production. It is usually applied s gas injected into the soil and then covered by a thin plastic shield in order to slow the movement of methyl bromide from the soil to the atmosphere in that specific area. It is a dangerous chemical and when humans are exposed to high concentrations of this chemical it can result in respiratory system failure, central nervous system failure and damage to the skin, eyes and lungs. Because of the dangers associated with the application of this gas and the detrimental effects that it has on the ozone, methyl bromide is beginning to become less and less used. 2. Vapam Vapam is an effective liquid fumigant for the control of nematodes, insects, weeds and soil borne diseases. It is not very volatile which means that it is not easily evaporated At normal temperatures and before applying this chemical it is always wise to cultivate the area that is being treated in order to deliver the vapam in a uniform manner; Before application the soil moisture of the field be between 50% to 80% field capacity this chemical can be applied in a number of ways some bring through sprinkler; sprinkler and flood applications provide the best coverage and thus the most successful; this product is however toxic to fish so you should not apply this to areas where the surface water can easily be washed on to lakes or streams, 3. Basamid Basamid is a granular and eliminates weeds, nematodes grasses and soil diseases. When this chemical ingredient hits the moist soil the graduals breakdown and release gases that spread in the soil and these gases eliminate the unwanted disease or pests. When applying basamid it is very important to keep the soil wet for 2 week, prior to the application in order to meet the right soil moisture level and every incorporated on to the soil to about 15cm using a rotary cultivator or something that has this same effect . After doing this, it is important to seal the area with a plastic of some sort of properly fumigate the soil, keeping all the volatile and highly toxic gases in that specific area. SOIL STERILIZING EQUIPMENT (LOKO BOILER) A boilers or steam generator is a device used to create steam by applying heat energy to water. The form and size depends on the application; the locomotive Boiler is portable mobile steam engine with same features as the large one. The only difference is variation in size of component part the LOKO Boiler is made up of the following part; 1. FIRE TUBE BOILER This is a single furnace, three phase type fire tube boiler. Heat-flue gases-travel is through three different sets of tubes. All the tubes are surrounded by water which absorbs the heat . As the water turns to steam, pressure builds up with in the boiler one enough pressure has built up the engineer will open the main steam outlet valve slowly. Fire tube boilers are also known as smoke tube and donkey boiler. . WATER TUBE BOILERS; The large tube like structure at the top of the boiler is called the steam drum. You could call it the heart of the boiler. That is where the steam collects before being discharged from the boiler. The hundreds of tube start and eventually end up at the steam drum. Water enters the boiler, pre-heated at the top. The hot water naturally circulates through the tubes down to the lower area where it is hot the water heats up and flow s back to the steam drum where the steam collects. Not all the water gets turn to steam, so the process starts again. Water keep on circulating until all of it turns in to or becomes steam. BOILER MAIN COMPONENTS; BOILER SHELL- The out cylindrical portion of a pressure vessel. BURNER – A device for the introduction of fuel air in to the furnace at the decreed velocities, turbulence and concentration. The burners is the principal device for the firing of oil and or gas Burners are normally located in the vertical walls of the furnace. Burners along with the furnace in which they are installed, are designed to born the fuel properly. SMOKE TUBE – The second/third phase are formed by thick walled smoke tubes which are welded in to the end plates the arrangement of the smoke tubes considers the recommendation of ascending flue passes in order to prevent the information of residual-or lingering gases the first phase is a combination of a furnace tube and combustion chamber suspended by stay bar and completely surrounded by water giving valuable radiant heat transference from all surfaces. The second pass is a nest of straight 50mm boiler tubes expanded in to the upper zone of the combustion chamber and running in parallel to the furnace tube terminating at the front plate of the reversing chamber. The third pass is a further nest of 50mm boiler tubes running from the upper zone of the reversing chamber to the rear smoke box for exhausting to atmosphere. FRONT REVERSING CHAMBERS – The front reversing chamber is equipped with large doors allowing free access to the smoke tubes and easy maintenance and cleaning High-quality tightening material guarantees the gastight closing of he doors. DRAIN TAP – A valve connection at the lowest point for the removal of all unwanted elements from the pressure parts. FEED PUMP – A pump that supplies water to a boiler. FEED WATER – water introduced into a boiler during operation. It includes make-up and return condensate. FURNACE – An enclosed space provided for the combustions of fuel. INSULATION â₠¬â€œ A material of low thermal conductivity used to reduce heat losses. SAFETY VALVE – A spring loaded valve that automatically opens when pressure attains the value setting used to prevent excessive pressure from building up in a boiler. SAFETY SHUT- OFF VALVE – A manually opened, electrically latched, electrically operated safety shut-off valve designed to automatically shut-off fuel when de-energized. WATER LEVEL – The elevation of the surface of the water in a boiler. ACCUMULATOR – A pressure vessel containing water and/or steam which is used to store the heat of steam for use at a lale period at some lower pressure. FIRE BOX – The fire box is surrounded by water in the outer fire box shell and so absorbing radiant heat from the fire. The gap between the inner and outer fire boxes is maintained by hundreds of rigid stays. AIR ATOMIZING OIL BURNER A burner for firing oil in which the oil is atomized by compressed air, which is forced into and through one or more streams of oil which result in the breaking of the oil into a fine spray. BAFFLE-TYPE COLLECTOR; A device in gas paths utilizing baffle so arranged as to deflect dust particles out of the gas stream. BAG FILTER; A device containing one or more cloth bags revering particles from the dust lateen gas or air which is blown through it . BAG-TYPE COLLECTOR; A filter in which the cloth filtering medium is made in the form of cylindrical bags. BREECHING; A duct that transports the products of combustion between parts of a steam generating unit or to the stack. CIRCULATOR; A pipe or tube to pass stream or water between upper boiler drums usually lactated where the heat absorption is low. Also used to apply to tubes connecting heater of horizontal water tube boilers with drums. STEAM GENERATING UNIT: A unit to which water fuel and air supplied and in which steam is generated. t consists of a boiler furnace and fuel burning equipment, and may include as component parts water walls, super heater, reheater, economizer, air heater, or any combination thereof. STEAM SEPARATOR: A device for removing the entrained water from steam. STRAINER: A device, such as a filter, to retain solid particles allowing a liquid to pass. SMOKE BOX: The smoke box is an extension of the front end of the boiler barrel. Exhaust steam from the cylin der passes through the blast pipe into the chimney and creates partial vacuum. This causes hot gases to be drown through the grate and fine hole door. The smoke box also contains the main steam pipe to the steam chest, blower, super heater header, tube and exhaust for the vacuum ejector where fitted. BRICK ARCH: The brick arch serves several purpose. It protects the fire box tube plate from the direct flame of the fire, radiates heat to prevent rapid fluctuation of the tube plate temperature and ensure thorough combustion of volatiles by lengthening their path from the fire to the tube plate. FIRE DOOR: Fire hole door vary from locomotive to locomotive. They gives access to firing and can be adjusted to control the flow of secondary air. BAFFLE PLATE: The baffle plate place in the fire hole is designed to direct the secondary air down towards the fired bed in order to mix thoroughly with the hot gases and flames. FUSIBLE PLUGS: Fusible plugs are screwed into the fire box crown. They are of brass and have a lead cure. If the water level in the boiler drop and uncovers the fire box crown, the lead melt allowing steam to escape into the fire box. This warns the engine men and help to deaden the fire. Both injectors should be put off immediately if this occurs and steps taken to remove or deaden the fire. SUPERHEATER: The super heater consists of super heater header and super heater elements. Steam from the main steam pipe arrives at the saturated steam chamber of the super heater header and is fed into the super heater element. Super heated steam arrives back at the super heater chamber of the super heater header and is fed into the steam pipe to the cylinder. Super heated steam is more expensive. ENERGY SAVING DEVICES OF THE BOILER Economizers: Transfer a portion of the heat in the stack gases to water being fed to the boiler. It is a heat exchanger installed in the exhaust stack that pre-heats the boiler feed water. AIR PRE HEATER: Transfer heat from hot stack gas to air that is to be mixed with fuel for combustion this device saves energy by increasing the temperature of the mixture of fuel and air prior to combustion, so more of the heat of combustion is available to heat water. TURBULATORS: Twisted pieces of metal inserted in the tubes of fire tub boilers, causes hot gases to travel more slowly and with more turbulence, resulting in better heat transfer to the water. OXYGEN TRIM CONTROLS: Measure stack gas oxygen concentration and automatically adjust the inlet air at the burner for optimum efficiency. . 1 ORCHARD EQUIPMENT Orchard equipments refer to the various machines (simple and complex) used on an orchard. Some of the machines include: pruners, sprayers, weeders, dusters, etc. The selection of choice of any of these machines is dependent on the nature of work to be carried out at that material time. PRUNERS – Also known as pruning shears or secateurs are a type of scissors for cu tting off hard branches of trees and shrubs. They are strong enough to prune hard branches of trees and shrubs sometimes up to two centimeters thick. SPRAYERS: A sprayer is a piece of equipment that has spray nozzle to apply herbicides and fertilizers to agricultural crops. Sprayers range in sizes from man-portable units to trailed types that are connected to a tractor or other self propelled units. There are various types of sprayers which include knap sack, foot, garden, Hand compression, power, stirrup, self-propelled crop sprayer, trailed crop sprayer, etc. COMPONENTS OF SPRAYING EQUIPMENT 1. TANK: The tank is a unit which holds chemicals, and comes in many different shapes and sizes. 2. PUMP: The pump creates pressure that forces the chemical to the nozzles. 3. CONTROL VALVE: The control valve controls or maintains pressure and turn off the sprayer. 4. NOZZLE TIP: The nozzle tip controls application rate and produce the correct size droplets. 5. FILTER: The filter is a unit behind the nozzle tip to reduce entrance or passage of dirty particles and blockage into the system. TYPES OF SPRAYING EQUIPMENTS 1. ULTRA-LOW VOLUME (ULV) SPRAYERS: ULV equipment is designed to produce very small droplets, thus ensuring even coverage with low volumes. The equipment is based on aerosol, airshear or rotary nozzle techniques. The ultra low volume machines use large volumes of air at low pressures to transform liquid into droplets that are dispersed into the atmosphere. Ultra low volume machines are used for applying pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, sterilizers and disinfectants among other chemicals. The ultra low volume machine consists of a blower, a formulation holding tank and a pump. The blower creates a low pressure area and forces air through the nozzles of the machine. Air pressure can be controlled by adjusting the engine speed. The nozzles of the machines have a very specific shape, which causes a swiring motion of the air stream. The motion is achieved by means of several agitationary fins that forces the air to rotate. The formulation is delivered to the air by means of a supply tube that is situated in the centre of the nozzles. The motion of the airshears the liquid formulation into very small droplets and then disperses it into the atmosphere. Advantages 1. The chemicals dispersed in this type of machine are more concentrated than the chemicals used in other spraying equipments, which increase the killing efficiency. 2. There is lower risk of injury due to low pressure application. The only disadvantage it has is that it requires long application times and higher technical skills. 2. KNAPSACK PRAYERS: The knapsack sprayer is a back mounted equipment used by farmers. The tank of a knapsack sprayer is not pressurized and made of grass, or galvanized steel. The pump may be fitted into or outside the tank and sucks the liquid from the tank and expels it through the discharge line. DUSTERS: Dusters usually refer to an aircraft used for dusting or spraying large farms with pesticides, though other types of dusters are also employed. Aerial spraying and dusting permits prompt coverage of large areas at the moment when application of pesticides is most effective and avoid the need for wheeled vehicles that might damage crops. COMPONENT PARTS OF A DUSTER: 1. HOPPER – For storing the chemicals in dust form 2. AGITATOR – An agitator is used to keep the dust moving freely within the hopper and prevent caking. 3. Metering mechanism- which is usually an adjustable orifice that allows the rate of discharge to be varied. 4. Delivery blower – which creates an airstream that is used to carry the powder to the target? The major difference between dusters and sprayers is that a sprayer is a machine that applies fluid chemicals to crops in liquid form while a duster is a machine that also applies fluid chemicals but in powdered form. WEEDERS: Weeders refers to the various equipments used to ease the task of removing weeds from orchards or gardens. Very common weeders include the fulcrum weeders, the Cape Cod weeders, and the cracle weeder. These weeders come in two styles: short handled weeders and long handled weeders. Short handled weeders are preferred for small gardens with small plants while long handled weeders are for bigger gardens that have bigger weeds. 3. 0. SORTING AND GRADING OF HORT. CROPS Sorting separates into groups different physical properties while grading separates into groups with different quality characteristics. Sorting and grading are usually the last separating operations before processing or displaying crops for sale. It should however be noted that damages at the stages of sorting and grading are likely to result in substantial economics loss. REASONS FOR SORTING AND GRADING OF HORT. CROPS Sorting and grading of Horticultural crops controls the effectiveness of the subsequent operations because; 1. Sorted and graded products are better suited to mechanical operations such as peeling, blending , etc e. g. use of caustic soda or boiling water with vegetables which helps flavor. 2. Sorting and grading is necessary in processes which heat transfer is critical e. g. sterilization. 3. Sorting and grading is advantageous in processes in which uniformity of heat transfer is desirable e. g. dehydration. 4. Sorting and grading of crops gives better control weights filled with standard scale container. . Sorted and graded products fare more attractive in consumer use, and allows the sizing of uniformly catering packs like packets of biscuits. Grading and quality separation of Horticultural crops depends on an overall assessment of those properties of the crops which affect its acceptance as a food or as a working substance for the food processor. Grading factors may be grouped un der the following: size and shape, maturity (e. g. freshness of eggs, ripeness in fruits, aging in meat), texture (e. g hardness, crispness in corn flakes) and flavor and aroma. GRADING MACHINERY Grading for size and quality is an essential preliminary to marketing of fruits and vegetables grown on commercial holdings, and many types of machines are available to assist this work. Some are cheap and simple sizing or weighing machines for grading produce which has been sorted for quality before hand. Others are complex and expensive machines which incorporate devices to facilitate sorting for quality, accurate sizing mechanisms and bins to facilitate packing. Grading machinery may be grouped broadly into those which grade by diameter and those which grade by weight. Machines which grade3 by diameter very greatly. Some size in only one or two directions, while others rotate the produce and thereby achieve a more accurate sizing. In general, machines that grade by diameter tend to have higher output, or are rather less expensive for given output then those which grade by Weight. On the other hand, a good weight grader has many advantages. It can be used for any shape, is easily adjustable and can be used for crops that are easily blemished. Grading by weight can also be more accurate than grading by diameter, though good diameter type graders are usually accurate enough for practical purposes. Good graders do little damage to apples, most of the bruising that does occur being caused when the fruit roots into the receiving bin. This is usually negligible compared with damage incurred in picking, and getting fruit to the grader. Output of graders varies widely according to the number and ability of the operators, as well as according to the machines and auxiliary equipment employed. Some graders are equipped with automatic box-tipping devices for loading. The graders in large-scale apple-packing stations are often fed by first immersing the boxes in water and then handling the fruit on to the drier by floatation. Outputs on such high-speed machines are frequently limited by the speed of packing. No one grading machine has all the advantages, so choice of a grader requires careful consideration of the most important needs for the conditions in which it is to be used. It is not possible to give an adequate description of any individual machine but below is a brief description of some of the grading machines: 1. SIZE GRADERS: This operates in two ways as follows; a. Produce falls through a circular hole of fixed size. In machines of this type the sizing board has a number of rows of holes of different sizes , and the crop is carried along by means of a series of wooden laths operated by a crank mechanism. The effect is to move the produce, without pushing or rolling it, to successively larger holes, until it falls through. b. As produce moves along conveyor, size of opening increases. Graders with mechanisms of this type are common, and include apple graders, in which the fruit is rapidly rolled along by a soft rubber belt, while leaning against a rubber barrier set at a gradually increasing distance from the belt, and machines with diverging rubber belts. . WEIGHT GRADERS: In weight graders, each fruit rests in an individual hinged cup, and for much of the journey along the conveyor the cup and fruit are supported in an upright position by a fixed guide rail. At suitable intervals, however, the support is provided by an adjustable lever-type weighing device. When the moment exerted by fruit and c up is sufficient, the cup tips, and deposits the fruit into its appropriate bin. 5. 0 MECHANICAL HARVESTING OF HORTICULTURAL FRUITS HARVESTING: Is the process of gathering mature crops or fruits from the fields. Harvesting marks the end of the growing cycle for a particular crop, and the harvest is the focus of a growing season. It is the most labour intensive activity of the growing season. Mechanical harvesting equipment tends to be designed mainly for fruits which are to be processed rather than those for fresh market. The main types of equipment used are combing devices and vibrators, Black currant harvester with shakers, as well as redcurrant harvesters with similar shaker units for grapes. Also available are slider cranks, tree shakers which make use of catching and collecting devices mostly applicable for olives. IMPORTANCE OF TIME OF HARVESITN OF HORTICULTURAL CROPS 1. It reduces wastage of crop produce since most fruits tend to rot when not harvested in time. 2. It gives the farmer more quality yield. When fruits in particular are harvested before they are fully ripe, they tend to be sour. 3. Timely harvesting of leafy vegetables gives room to greater yield as the cut away leaves give room for more to shoot out. COMPONENTS PARTS OF A MECHANICAL FRUIT HARVESTER 1. An impactor for dislodging fruits from a fruit-bearing tree limb mounted on a positioning arm. The arm moves up, down, forward, backward and twists. 2. A collecting conveyor for catching and conveying the dislodged fruits. The conveyor is supported by a frame and is comprised of series of supporters covered by a catching surface having an energy-absorbing flexible material. 3. A transfer conveyor which is supported by a frame and is placed below the outlet of the collecting conveyor. It receives fruits from the collecting conveyor. 4. A collecting Bin which is place below the outlet of the trans conveyor in which harvested fruits are deposited.

Assessment of how managing the human Essay

This part of assignment assesses how managing the human, physical and technological resources that have been researched so far can improve the performance of Marks & Spencer. Human Resources Human Resources are the people (employees) in the business. Monitoring the performance of employees in Marks & Spencer has showed the way to a number of advantages. These essential advantages are assessed below. The employees in Marks & Spencer are being monitored by CCTV and therefore watched by managers or directors which led to an increase in customer focus. Monitoring employees makes sure that they are carrying out the job tasks correctly. This could be for the reason that employees do not want to upset and get embarrassed when their managers or directors are observing them through CCTV; as a result they try to work and perform to the best of their ability. Employees in the stores of Marks & Spencer know that they are being observed and monitored throughout the work day so this encourages employees to serve customers more adequately as well as to provide assistance at all times. In addition, employees in the stores are likely to think that they could get bonuses and rewards if they perform to the best of their ability. For instance, Marks & Spencer could give incentives during the work which would likely make employees encouraged and complete the tasks given because incentives usually motivate employees to work to the best of their ability on whatever tasks are they completing. Marks & Spencer offers gift vouchers that are the perfect choice to help reward congratulate and motivate people in a way they will appreciate. Marks & Spencer vouchers are perfect incentive to increase sales, recruit new customers and generate new business. This is the best way to promote performance from the staff and encourage more positive outlook in the workplace. These incentives include the sick pay leave if needed as well as the holidays. (See appendix 4) Employees that work in Marks & Spencer normally have 20% off discounts of the products and items that they buy. In addition, in order to increase their performance they offer deals and voucher tickets to their employees who are working to the best of their ability. These bonuses, fair wages and discounts that employees get makes them work even harder which means the motivation increases. Human resources includes the need of Marks & Spencer having suitable employees in the organisation that work in the store in order to increase the performance of the business. Therefore, Marks & Spencer should employ correct employees with the right skills, abilities and experience to complete tasks to the best of their ability. Having appropriate recruitment process – making adverts the most attractive as possible and having clear job descriptions with clear tasks would possibly bring the right people to Marks & Spencer. When they choose an employee or employees to work for a business they need to make sure that interview procedure is correct and that short-listing table is used in order to compare all the candidates and choose the best one when looking at the criteria. Marks & Spencer needs to make sure that they get the person to work for them that is intelligent, respectful and diligent. Candidates that apply for a job in marks & Spencer need to complete the application form on the Marks & Spencer’s website (www.marksandspencer.com) where an applicant would fill its personal details, grades and achievements and the experience. Retailers like Marks and Spencer have complex recruitment needs and have to deal with high volumes of applications to fill a large number of similar positions. Marks and Spencer manages all applications for store jobs via WCN’s Applicant Tracking System. The system is based on complex two way integration with the Marks and Spencer HR system. The system allows candidates who are successful after applying and completing online tests, to book their own interview within an hour of completing their application. Stores input vacancies and give available assessment times on the Marks and Spencer HR system, this data is then transferred to the WCN system and displayed to candidates online. Therefore, candidates that are successful they are either going to be contacted with the assessment times where they are going to be given different tasks including team work activities. In addition, their interview is going to take place at some time in the day too. After assessment day, usually the candidates will be told either by phone, e-mail or letter whether they got the job or not. In order to increase performance of the business the employees that are already working in Marks & Spencer would need to be trained from time to time as they will be kept up to date with their tasks and will know how to complete them correctly. Knowing how to complete tasks correctly will eventually give motivation to them because they will have more understanding when completing their tasks and duties. However, if employees would not be sure of how to carry certain duties then the managers would not be happy with their work. Therefore, an appropriate training would be suitable in order to solve this problem. Training will give knowledge to employees about their job and introduce new tasks or duties that are needed to be completed. When employees go off for training they are normally working as a team by working together and completing certain tasks together; as a result, they are likely to develop more team work. Each store in Marks & Spencer has different groups or teams and each group or team has their own responsibilities and tasks. Because each team has their own responsibilities this makes them know what they are doing and how they are approaching issues during their work day. Marks & Spencer also have team members whose responsibilities are divided because they are specialists in their job; therefore, this means that Marks & Spencer is likely to achieve its aims and objectives consistently and obviously, on time. On top of that, the employees that are part of Marks & Spencer’s crew also help to achieve the targets of Marks & Spencer. This could be for the reason that managers or directors have a span of control on supervisors and sales assistants in Marks & Spencer stores. As a result, having the span of control will mean that managers are in charge for setting duties and tasks, controlling and observing employees, for instance, sales assistants and supervisors. For the reason that this happens they have their own responsibilities and tasks that has to be met and there is no need to worry themselves about other employees’ responsibilities and tasks in the store. As a result target achievement is met by a better task focus that takes place. In Marks & Spencer the CCTV monitors the employees that are working and therefore, the managers in Marks & Spencer’s store observes employees. This fact has increased Marks & Spencer’s profit in the way as employees work to the best of their ability and perform well while they are working because they know that they are being observed. Employees need to perform well in order to get bonuses for their good work and to avoid the disappointment of their managers; therefore, they treat customers very well and serve them at all times when they are available. As a result, customers that are treated well tend to buy the items, such as food and clothing from Marks & Spencer. This could be for the reason that when customers need help with their shopping, normally employees help them with where to find certain products, or where to find the right shoe sizes and clothing for them. In addition to this, Marks & Spencer stores that provide clothing have fitting rooms which means employees that usually stand in front of the fitting rooms are there to help customers with the sizes of their clothing and even the styles. Marks & Spencer usually observes the employees’ that are being late and therefore monitors them; normally, an employee that works for Marks & Spencer will have an ID card. The lateness of employees’ can also be observed by asking them to sign time-sheets each day when they start and finish work; this helps Marks & Spencer to organize all the employees that are expected to be on time and in their work place. Observing and monitoring employees’ makes them to start working on time for the reason that they might not want to have arguments or conflicts with their managers in the store. Because Marks & Spencer stores have enough employees on the store floors this helps Marks & Spencer to serve the majority of the customers properly. This is for the reason that fewer employees would be placed to serve customers in fitting rooms and most of the employees would be placed on the store floor placing products on shelves and helping customers to find certain products if they need help. For the reason that employees are divided into different areas in the whole store of Marks & Spencer they can serve customers and help with their shopping at all times. However, if there aren’t enough employees on the store floor the customers will be disappointed due to the fact that they will not be served very well and not given much help concerning their shopping. For instance, if all of Marks & Spencer’s employees’ in the store serves customers only in fitting rooms then there would not be enough employees on the store floor which will lead to a real untidiness and muddle in the store. In conclusion, observing employees’ punctuality makes them to keep up with their attendance and be punctual. This makes Marks & Spencer have better image because their employees serves customers well and manages to keep up with the tidiness on the store floors. Physical and Technological resources Physical and technological resources that Marks & Spencer uses have quite a lot of advantages as Human Resources. Physical resources are the things that business uses to complete its activities every day in the store, for instance, buildings and equipment. Technological resources are things such as computers with its software such as Microsoft Office. Physical and technological resources are assessed below. Marks & Spencer has got a transactional website (technological resource) (www.marksandspencer.com) which means that the business is expanded in many ways which increased its performance. This could be for the reason that clients or consumers that are able to access the website can purchase its products. Marks & Spencer online shopping offers UK online shoppers many choices. Their large clothing and home ware line has earned respect and loyalty from shoppers from the United Kingdom as well as worldwide. Consumers can shop online for thousands of Marks & Spencer online products from the convenience of their home because people can look through the website to see new clothes and items and the new deals and offers are also promoted on the website so that customers know what is offered in the stores. In the website, it is also possible to contact Marks & Spencer if consumers have a question regarding a product or an item. Therefore, this expand the business as anyone can access the website from any country of the world if they have internet connection and it also increases performance because consumers can stay at home not visiting the stores which means Marks & Spencer would receive money from costumers anyway, which would increase in sales and this means Marks & Spencer would make more profit. Marks & Spencer stores has got many tills in their stores and employees that works on them, therefore, having many tills prevents in having long customer queues because as employees are able to work on the tills they can serve the customers very quickly. Therefore, the more tills Marks & Spencer has, the better customer service because it serves customers quickly leaving them happy and it is likely to make them to come into the store the next time as they received good customer service. Eventually, if they continue visiting the store this means they will buy more products which will increase in sales and make higher profits. In addition to this, normally there are lifts in Marks & Spencer stores that helps customers quite a lot too because their shopping can be more convenient. Lifts are useful because it helps customers with pushchairs and disabled customers to shop, especially in the stores where Marks & Spencer has got four floors. For instance, one of the shopping malls in Plymouth has got Marks & Spencer store of four floors; the first being men clothing, the second is women clothing, the third is lingerie and fourth floor is children clothing and toys, home ware and the cafà ©. On the fourth floor they also have a tunnel leading directly to the car park so it means customers can avoid the busy lifts that they will find in the shopping mall itself. Therefore, by having lifts Marks & Spencer makes it convenient for customers to shop and they are likely to visit the store more often due to comfortable surroundings and resources available to them. In addition to this, Marks & Spencer always has employees with samples of different items in the store for customers to try. This would also increase in providing better customer service as the products are promoted and customers will want to try out the new products. They will be happy that Marks & Spencer offers samples to try out because customers would feel important in the store by employees showing attention and offering products to customers. As a result, customers that try the samples are likely to like the product and purchase it making Marks & Spencer’s sales eventually grow and profits increase. On the top of that, customers want a good value for the products they buy which would be high quality and reliable. They also want to get good quality service provided to them at the stores and that staff always would be available for assistance if needed. Customers also want a good environment around them in which they would be comfortable to shop and buy high standard products provided; therefore, better customer service would be increased by employees being motivated and providing assistance and by having resources such as lifts which increase the shopping convenience and this would keep customers happy. The availability of communication through Internet and telephone allows Marks & Spencer to correspond quicker and easier. Managers in Marks & Spencer are able to send and receive information from other Marks & Spencer branches as well as departments. For instance, e-mails allow managers to attach financial statement and transfer them to finance department which might be situated in another city. In addition to this, Internet and telephone connection gives an advantage to customers as well. This is for the reason that customers are able to contact Marks & Spencer either by e-mails or by giving a call to Marks & Spencer store. A number of customers feel the need to contact Marks & Spencer because they want to ask about particular product, for example, if Marks & Spencer has black jacket in size ten. If it happens that Marks & Spencer has this type of an item in store the customer might ask to put it on hold which Marks & Spencer will be happy to do. However, if it happens that Marks & Spencer does not have it in store then the customer can order it and Marks & Spencer will be happy to provide instructions how to do it. When the delivery arrives, Marks & Spencer will contact the customer by informing him about the arrived jacket. Therefore, the customer would be happy because they are given quality service and because Marks & Spencer is trying the best to serve customers well; this would make customers feel important. Marks & Spencer has insurance against thefts, fire damages and vandalisms; therefore this makes employees feel safe in their working environment. Because of this employees are able to work and perform up to the highest possible standard. For instance, an employee who knows that he or she is protected from thieves that could appear in the store and be dangerous to lives of people that appear in the store will be able to serve customers without fair and stress. In addition, customers who know that Marks & Spencer has insurance they would feel safe and protected when shopping in the store. This would increase Marks & Spencer’s performance, as employees want to be safe, they want staff would be always available for assistance and they want good environment around them that is comfortable to shop in. Therefore, having insurance from thefts, fire damages and vandalisms would make sure that customer’s desires are fulfilled and employees would work to the best as they can knowing that they are protected. Therefore, as customers would visit the store more because they feel safe at the store, they would buy more products due to safety and getting quality assistance from employees and as a result sales will eventually increase which would lead to higher profit and increased performance. Equipment of Marks & Spencer and the machinery would increase in productivity as well as the performance and reputation of the business. Marks & Spencer would need to have the latest equipment and machinery in order to carry day to day activities correctly. Marks & Spencer would use equipment and machinery such as self check-out machines, electronic tills and trolleys to carry products. The machinery in warehouses would be used in order to make items to the highest possible quality. These machines would need to be updated regularly so that they would not break down and cause day to day activities to slow down. Ultimately, if machinery and equipment are looked after and updated regularly then this means Marks & Spencer would be able to operate effectively; customers are likely to buy their items and products which would eventually increase in sales and profit. If customers are going to be happy due to the service provided because of good machinery and equipment then they are likely to stay with Marks & Spencer by visiting their stores regularly which would mean Marks & Spencer’s reputation will grow over time and once again the sales and profits will increase. In addition to this, Marks & Spencer stores have got employed security guards which make a store a safer place to work because there is an instant access to help. Having security is important for marks & Spencer because products and items have security tags attached to them on the electronic bars; therefore, if people decide to steal a product or an item the alarm is going to go off at the entrance of the store which would mean that a customer has stolen something. Therefore, security guards will take care of this and make sure that the thief does not run away. In addition, CCTV cameras take great care of being secure at work as well. CCTV cameras operate all day through in Marks & Spencer recording everything that is going on. Eventually, having security guards and CCTV cameras increases in performance of Marks & Spencer as the employees will feel safe and happy at work and as a result carry out tasks to the best of their ability. Marks & Spencer normally has quite big buildings that consist of two, three or even four floors, especially in shopping malls. In addition to this, if there are separate floors such as four floors building it allows Marks & Spencer to set a particular floor for particular products and items. For instance, one of the shopping malls in Plymouth has got Marks & Spencer store of four floors; the first being men clothing, the second is women clothing, the third is lingerie and fourth floor is children clothing and toys, home ware and the cafà ©. Besides, as the floors are quite big in terms of space, this allows Marks & Spencer to have room in order to display a range of styles of the products. If Marks & Spencer is able to display a large number of products this means that the performance is going to be increased because as the products are promoted the customers that walk around the store would see the product or an item and might get interested. Customer is likely to be attracted by the product because of the suitable displaying of products in Marks & Spencer and as a result they would purchase it. In addition, customers that walk pass the store, might see the display of products in the shop windows of Mark & Spencer and this would attract them to come in to the store to look at the product in more detail. Therefore, as customers are likely to buy more products due to displaying this is likely to increase sales and make a higher profit. If the business makes higher profit then this would increase the performance of Marks & Spencer. Eventually, human, physical and technological resources have a big impact on Marks & Spencer as a business. However, the inability that could to use these resources effectively could appear and this will cause many problems and difficulties rather than advantages.

Concept of Niche Marketing

Concept of Niche Marketing Introduction Niche in French directly translates to nest. Niche marketing thus has the connotation of being cagey meaning it’s focus is on a minute portion of the larger product and service market whose needs are not met in a satisfactory manner (Groucutt, 2004), (Armstrong, et al., 2007).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Concept of Niche Marketing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Most businesses, that are market leaders nowadays, began with an interest in serving a particular small composition of people and developed into bigger outlets with improvements in their products (Moore and Paree, 2009). Niche marketing, however, does not mostly apply to big companies but rather medium to small enterprises that produce specialty products not available in the mainstream markets (Dalgic, 2006). The market size can be geographically chosen, targeting an age group or ethnic community or it can also be a variation of a com mon product not produced by any other firms. There is no difference between identifying potential business ventures with identifying niche markets. In fact, most people who have successfully ventured into the niche market business do so accidentally. The guaranteed way to success lies in persistence and recognition of vacuums in product and service markets. For anyone starting a business, there are several factors they have to consider. First, there is a need to identify the particular niche market you intend to serve and its characteristics. Secondly, one should ensure that the business they are venturing into rhymes with the specific professional goals they harbour. Another factor that should be considered is resources at hand and those that lack and need acquiring. Lastly, one should develop a business plan that details extensively the way they intend to start, run and market the business. A description of the business, an analysis of the niche market, a mission statement, strate gies and objectives of the business, plan of marketing, description of operations, expected sale figures, risk analysis, a financial plan and the expected source of assistance are all details that should be considered and detailed in a business plan.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Case study In the United States, there are immense opportunities that are associated with agriculture guaranteed by the diversity that the population possesses, in terms of the different cultures, hence different staple diets. For example, food that is the staple diet for African-Americans in Harlem is not the same as that consumed in China town, both of these areas being in New York City. Quality, adaptability and novelty are the key factors that determine success in the agricultural industry. As niche marketing is mostly done by small to medium enterprises for a specific market, we wil l discuss Rockridge farm in Seattle, US (DePhelps et al., 2005). The farm is about 41acres in size and specializes in the growth of Asian pears, Japanese and Chinese cucumbers, hothouse tomatoes and bamboo. These four are their specialty crops. However they also grow wasabi, ginseng, lettuces, Asian greens, shiso and a range of over fifty other niche market products that target the Asian community in the region. Their products are marketed using a wide range of methods and they have a solid business plan that they follow strictly. They have also ventured into many different kinds of farm products and this strategy is aimed at spreading risks. Rockridge farm is structured as a sole proprietorship enterprise and is owned by Wade Benett. He has created a model that allows him to market his products using a wide range of avenues. This, he says is aimed at reducing the over reliance on a single market, which may be counterproductive. His products are sold through farmers’ markets, farm stands, grocery stores and restaurants. He began by selling their products in the Seattle farmers’ markets as an experiment and has since diversified in a period of the last 20 years. Having built a good reputation from his top quality products, he has the luxury of choosing which market to serve and he prefers the markets that sell food products only; unlike those that sell both food products and crafts. This, he claims, is because he likes his customers to be solely focused on his products so that they are in good quality when they are purchased by the eventual consumers. He adds that he likes to reduce damage resulting from over handling of his products and prefers markets that are well regulated with clearly laid boundaries for engagement and with fair competition.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Concept of Niche Marketing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There are two permanently employed staff mem bers at his farm that are charged with marketing. Together with his wife, wade monitors profitability of his operations while gauging customer satisfaction and the competition. Uniqueness, he claims has been the reason he remains competitive coupled by the fact that he deals with products that are not in oversupply. Wade has also been marketing his products to specific restaurants and most of the other restaurants access his products at the farmers’ markets. There are also those who request that specific products be grown for them, which he sells at a retail price. The products are identified by the farm name and hence a reputation has been built out of this. Most repeat customers in big restaurants are attracted to the food because they know it is grown locally, with care and in the best conditions. Selling to restaurants is more stringent with more boundaries unlike marketing to farmers’ markets. There are more expected in terms of delivery times and the quality and quantity required. However, with this increase in expectations come better responses about product quality. With restaurants, wade argues that he could not afford to fail to deliver in case there is crop failure. He thus asserts that in order to avoid this, he is forced to over plant which curtails production of other products hence a reduction in expected sales figures. Wade markets his products through community supported agriculture. Members of his community usually pay a subscription fee and are given priority whenever they require a product. He has however capped this subscription to only 21 people as he points out the fact that more subscriptions could lead to delivery failure whenever a product is in short supply and hence loss of customers and a negative reputation. Customers with these subscriptions can pick their products either on-farm or in the farmers’ market. Of all the families he has accorded subscriptions, 90 percent have one spouse being of Asian descent and are in a high income bracket.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The program is labour intensive as products have to be packaged specifically for these clients. He also points to the fact that this program is not as profitable as his other ventures but says that since the subscribers pay for the products during the month of April, he is capable of accurately crafting a budget during this otherwise slow period. Another avenue for marketing the products is with the use of farm stands. This entails displaying his products on his neighbours’ farm stands and it gives him the exposure needed for his products and also adds to his diversification policy. He says that due to insurance liabilities and expense in logistics, he stopped operating his own stand and preferred other people’s as it was ultimately cheaper and boosted his products sales. Displaying his products, which are labelled with his farm name, on other farms’ stands helped market his products and build a reputation. He has, however, decreased the number of stands he sell s his products from; to four, as he says that operating from many stands floods the market and this could drive prices down. There is also the intrinsic value of selling through other people as they benefit financially from the sales. This is part of community building that Wade takes pride in. Grocery stores also market Wade’s products and nearly 50 percent of his total production is sold through this avenue. He sells through â€Å"Mom and Pop† stores that are primarily frequented by Asians as well as in Seattle’s international district. It was illegal, several years back, to import fresh bamboo shoots and hence a large untapped market for them was available, as they comprise the Asian staple diet. It is now legal to import bamboo shoots but Wade says that this has not stunted his sales in the product as he had already carved a reputation for himself. As a last result, Wade frequently sells to distributors although he claims it does not please him as he cannot control what wholesalers do to his products. The figure below shows Gross Income from Sales, 2003  iversification as a Strategy in the Business. Diversification as a Strategy in the Business Rockridge farm markets its products through a number of different channels. The major factor that makes this diversification model successful is cost cutting. The farm saves on transportation costs and also on delivery. It is possible to avail the products to different outlets at the same time. They also use the same packaging to deliver to the different markets. Where uncertainties occur in the market causing prices to go down, the firm is somewhat cushioned against excessive losses in comparison to other businesses that take all their products to wholesalers. Wade avoids advertising as he says it is unnecessary because his niche market is not that large (Bose, 2010). He however gets published at least once every month on the local newspaper, magazine articles and also through letters to the editor. The greatest tool for his success in promoting his product comes from his many years of consistently availing to customers top quality products. He, on occasion, requests feedback from his customers and interrogates them on how they came to learn about the farm. Most people get to know about his farm since his packaging is unique and it bears the brand name which has acquired a good reputation. Grocery stores focus on products that have a long shelf life and look good on the outside which according to Wade are tasteless. He however recognizes that those products generate more money for store owners (Economist, 2006). The people that care about taste are particularly home owners and restaurants that are judged according to the quality of the meal. These are the people that Rockrigde is interested in and strives to keep loyal. Marketing Strategies versus Production Techniques Rockridge emphasizes good customer relations which are reflected right from the production stage. The re is reduced usage of chemicals on the farm and use of sustainable techniques that are fundamental to the longevity of the farming practice. Other practices aimed at building confidence around their brands include not raising animals that may increase the risk of pathogen contamination and encouraging customers to visit their farm frequently in order to understand the mode of operations first hand. Wade further explains that he has never held any Food Alliance certificates but rather depends on the reputation he has built by being in the market for product promotion. Growth of the various exotic and lower return crops is both labour intensive and engages extensive research on the best practices. There are many factors considered that make the difference between good and bad products. In order to consistently produce the best products, Wade has adopted the best practices that include possession of agricultural know how which focuses on the optimum conditions needed by every crop gro wn, at different stages of growth and during the diverse seasons in a year. Since 1992, the farm has been making decent profits and not once did it incur a loss. The gross sales from all markets have been steadily growing each year. The plan that Wade has is to increase his markets by one or two each year so that he consistently gets returns on his investments. He attributes his current state to the reception he has received by diversifying and by focusing on the customer. He has also endeavoured into other Asian cultural practices that go beyond diet in a bid to strengthening his relations with the community since they are his primary target. Wade continues to experiment with different crops in order to remain profitable. He has, in the same light, dropped some of the products he used to produce when their reception diminished. The factor that determines whether he farms a specific type of crop or not is whether the customer needs it and is willing to pay a premium for it. Another factor he considers is whether the product elicits interest from him or not. He says that he would not like to farm a crop he does not care for. In order to reduce wastage of products that are over flooded in the market, Wade has invested in equipment that juices certain fruits e.g. pears that are popular but also common. This is another source of revenue that he has ventured into. The farm acquired a license, 1n 2004, meant for the production of hard cider and vinegars. This made it possible for the conversion of lower value plants into high value end products. When prices for pears rapidly decreased in 2003, he juiced them adding raspberries into the juice and sold it at a premium and this proved to be very successful. He points out the fact that, for any business to grow and remain profitable, it must consistently adapt its products to the niche market (Joshi, 2005). This has been very essential at Rockridge as it has helped the business stay afloat even in the most adverse condi tions. Impeccable record keeping, constant involvement and consultation with staff members and experts have assisted Wade’s business immensely. Additionally, his close contact and involvement in the business on a daily basis has also played a major part in its success. He forecasts his sales trends for even up to two years while training a keen eye on other market factors. He can know if and when there is going to be a flood in the market for a particular product and thus predicts the tanking of prices. This information he acquires by making sure he knows what his competitors (Ries and Trout, 2006) have planted and when those crops will be in the market. Conclusion For Wade, his business is his lifestyle which he then translates to a source of revenue. He has passion for the work he is engaged in and this, he says, is what makes the difference between success and failure. He has segmented his market by Geography as he serves a small part of the larger Seattle market. His mark et has also been selected using ethnicity as a factor reflected by the fact that his primary clients are of Asian descent. This has made him focused solely on providing products that are reflective of the staple diet of the Asian people. He has employed a number of techniques that enable him to consistently produce only those products that are not flooded in the market and elicit interest from this segment. In our discussion earlier, we identified niche marketing to be focused on a vacuum in the market where the mainstream marketers do not have products to satisfy that particular market. Rockridge farm can thus be considered to have capitalized on this opportunity and has consistently continued to produce only goods targeting this vacuum. They have, therefore, carved a niche market for themselves and are excelling at satisfying it (Chaston, 1999). Consistency over the years and the possession of a solid business plan, have been the major contributors to the success story at Rockridg e. Employee engagement and use of other labour intensive methods have ensured that the crops harvested in the farm are of the best quality. To have the perfect market mix is the utmost important rule of marketing (Belohlavek, 2008) and Wade seems to have gotten his mix right. The place he chose to market his products is both fertile and large enough to sustain his business. It is also close to the target market hence little costs are incurred in shipping. Wade has done a good job in selecting his target market, ensuring that he has repeat customers and has a secured future. He has, consequently engaged in a number of promotion mechanism suitable for his business without incurring extra expenses. Lastly, for any business to be successful, one must get a premium for his products. Wade only farms crops he believes will fetch the best price in the market. He, therefore, endeavours into other methods like juicing and production of vinegar in order to raise the value of those products tha t are flooded in the market. There are many success stories in the world today; arising from the successful identification of the niche market and Rockridge seems to be doing a great job towards success. References Armstrong, G. M. et al. (2007). Marketing an introduction. New Jersey: Pearson/Prentice Hall Belohlavek, P. (2008). Unicist Marketing Mix.nd. Blue Eagle Group. ISBN 978-987-651-011-0 Bose, C. (2010).Modern Marketing Principles Practice. New Delhi: PHI learning private limited Chaston, I. (1999). New marketing strategies. London: Sage Publications Dalgic, T. (2006). Handbook of niche marketing: principles and practice. New York: Haworth Press DePhelps, C. et al. (2005). Profitable Niche Marketing on Rockridge Farm. Idaho: Rural Roots and University of Idaho Research Team Economist, (2006, November 11). Swarming the shelves: How shops can exploit peoples herd mentality to increase sales. The Economist, p. 90. Groucutt, J. et al. (2004). Marketing: essential principles, ne w realities. London: Kogan Page Limited Joshi, R. M. (2005). International Marketing. New Delhi: Oxford University Press ISBN 0195671236 Moore, K. and Paree, N. (2009).Marketing: the basics (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge. Ries, A and Trout, J. (2006). Marketing warfare. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies

Daily Writing Tips Vocabulary Test 1

Daily Writing Tips Vocabulary Test 1 Daily Writing Tips Vocabulary Test 1 Daily Writing Tips Vocabulary Test 1 By Daniel Scocco I am glad to finally release the first test on this blog, the DWT Vocabulary Test 1. The idea of creating tests and quizzes was bouncing in my head for some time already. Such resources add interactivity to the content, and they integrate perfectly with the topics we already cover routinely. The vocabulary tests will be based on the Word of the Day category. Every 20 posts on that category a new test will be released. Feel free to post a comment below with your score. Well also have spelling and grammar tests soon, so stay tuned! Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:36 Adjectives Describing LightWhen to Form a Plural with an ApostropheHow to Style Titles of Print and Online Publications

Asian Tourism Comparison And Effect On Economic Growth Tourism Essay

Asian Tourism Comparison And Effect On Economic Growth Tourism Essay Tourism is one of key industry in the development of some countries in Asia. Malaysia, itself depend on tourism in its nation growth. In Asia, country like Malaysia has benefited a lot from the development of its tourism industry. The developments of tourism in Asia are differing amongst countries. Natural disaster such as air pollution, floods and earthquake will bring an effect on the tourism industry in Asia. There has been previous research regarding to tourism which study the relationship between natural disaster and tourism. In the year of 2010, hazardous flooding in Pakistan has influence its economy growth. Decision-making by tourists on travel plan is influenced by economic, technological, international or political, sociocultural and environmental factors including those directly related to environmental and natural hazards ( Mathieson and Wall, 1993). According to Sinclair and Stabler (1997), the range of goods and services encompassing tourism include natural resources a nd especially the non-price feature and the positive benefits derived from attractive environment and the negative effect of pollution. Sinclair and Stabler noted that the perceived cost of travel increases by the realization of natural disaster has effect tourism at all. The research by Campos, (1999) stated that there was relationship between tropical cyclone (natural disaster) and the income of hotels (tourism industry), meanwhile Chang (1983) found that hurricane and other natural disaster can decreases revenues to a municipality through reduce tourism revenues, although the increases assistant by Federal Government to the effect area. Comparison and effect of tourism in Asia on the development of economy can be discussed specifically by making comparison between the chosen countries. The countries included on the list of this study were Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines, Indonesia,Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambondia. 1.3.1 Malaysia The research by Mohd Hafiz Hanafiah a nd Mohd Fauzi Mohd Harun in June 2010 regarding to tourism in Malaysia show that tourism in Malaysia is the third largest industry after oil and automobiles. Malaysian economy will increase due to the increase in tourism sector. Number of tourists visits Malaysia is a major factor which influences the Malaysian economy alone. During Asian Financial Crisis 1997, number of tourists declined and reached a new record after the economic stalemate. There was another research which shows how tourists influence the growth of tourism in some countries. According to Song and Witt (2000), they described tourist products as the amount of tourism demand that the consumers are willing to acquire during a specific period of time and under certain conditions which controlled by the explanatory factors used in the demand equation. Smeral (1988) and Syriopoulos and Sinclair (1993) empirically examined the relationships between the variables underlying the determinants of tourism demand. Lim (1997), S ong and Witt (2000) and Song et al. (2003), used econometrics forecasting model to which forecasts changed as a result of changes in the variables that act as economic drivers of tourism. Loeb (1982), Nordstrom (1996), Uysal and Crompton (1982) have used the demand function approach to identify the quantitative relationships of tourism demand. Jorgensen (1996) and Muller (1999) have focus on the statistical properties of an important time series, namely on the international tourist demand.