What Is Plagiarism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What Is Plagiarism - Research Paper Example Even though the presence of plagiarism can be witnessed everywhere in the writing world, academic world seems to be the most affected one. Current academic curricula are developing with the help of assignments, project works and term papers. As part of the home works, teachers often ask students to prepare some assignments on different topics. Students on the other hand prepare assignments with the help of illegal channels. According to a study conducted among American High school students in 1998, â€Å"83% of the students found to be actively engaged in cheating activities and 67% had copied someone’s home work† (Foss& Lathrop, p.3). This paper briefly analyses various dimensions of plagiarism. We are living in a world of shortcuts. The generations in the past were ready to do hard work. On the other hand current generation and the upcoming generation are not much interested in doing hard work for learning something. For many students, earning an academic qualificatio n at any cost is the major objective of education rather than learning. The development of technologies such as internet helped them a lot in passing academic examinations without much hard works. It should be noted that internet is an ocean of knowledge. Moreover, it helps students to get their assignments done through others. When such shortcuts are readily available to them, many students use it to avoid the agony of self-preparing difficult assignments. Roberts (2007) mentioned that â€Å"lack of research skills and writing skills, problems in evaluating internet sources, confusion about how to cite sources, pressure, poor time management and organizational skills, cultural factors etc are the major reasons for the students’ habit of plagiarism† (Roberts, p.2). It should be noted that it is difficult for the students to prepare academic papers without using the ideas of others. However, while using the ideas of others, it is necessary to acknowledge it. When a stud ent deliberately uses the ideas of others without giving credit to them, it can be labelled as intentional plagiarism. On the other hand â€Å"Unintentional Plagiarism occurs when students use the words or ideas of others but fail to quote or give credit, perhaps because they don't know how† (Intentional and unintentional plagiarism). Many students have the habit of copy paste the ideas of others in their academic papers. Some students may describe the ideas of others in their own words which are referred as paraphrasing. In any case, proper citation is necessary to acknowledge that these ideas were indebted to others. While using the ideas of others; directly and indirectly, students should cite it in the body of the paper as well as in the bibliography. Direct quotations should be enclosed in the paper within quotation marks. Moreover, bulk quotations (More than 40 words) should be marked as a separate block in the paper. On the other hand, while paraphrasing, it is not nec essary to mark it as a separate block; however, the sources of the ideas should be mentioned at the end of the paraphrasing paragraph. In some cases, students may generate ideas which might have already expressed by others. It is difficult for them to know whether these ideas were already generated or not. In such cases, plagiarism checking software can help. For example, â€Å"Washington College has contracted with Turnitin.com, a web-based plagiarism prevention service. Students can use this service to avoid plagiarism† (Guidelines for the Use of the Turnitin.com Plagiarism Detection System). Moreover, plagiarism detection software has the ability to detect the percentage of plagiarism in a paper. Students can use such software to detect and eliminate plagiarism as much as they want. Under citing and over citing are not good while

Discuss the film techniques that Hitchcock uses to create suspense in Essay

Discuss the film techniques that Hitchcock uses to create suspense in Psycho - Essay Example rther, the paper will describe different scenes and episodes filled with suspense and tension in this film, with a close reference to the activities that will be taking place. At the first instance, Hitchcock leads his audience in a wrong direction and makes them think that Psycho is a romantic film and that it carries a love story by presenting Sam Loomis and Marion Crane in the bedroom. Later Marion steals money from her boss and he makes the audience think that the theme of the film will be love and crime (Leitech and Poague 65). However, the theme of this movie is neither love nor crime, but it is a thriller movie. In fact, the main character in this film passes away before the film is half way. Another moment of suspense and shock is when the audience realizes that Norman Bates puts on clothes that look like those of his mother. His behavior is absurd regardless of the reasons he had for dressing like a woman. The second techniques that Hitchcock uses are false suspense. False suspense gives the audience a lot of shock because they cannot predict what will happen (Skerry 118). He created false suspense in various ways. The first instance is when a cop finds Marion sleeping in her car by the roadside. The audience expects that she will be apprehended, and the money that she was carrying taken away by the cop, but neither of these things happen. Instead, the cop allows her to drive away without suspecting anything despite her uneasiness. More false suspense emerges when the audience sees the cop following her closely behind her car, and for a moment, the audience thinks that the cop is trying to investigate the content of her bag, or even seize it for searching (Skerry 118). The second instance where Hitchcock creates false suspense is when Marion goes to buy a second-hand car. A moment of tension arises as the audience sees a cop watching her movements, especially her panicky appearance and hasty activities. Hitchcock displays another moment of suspense

3-5 minute speech outline (any topic) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

3-5 minute speech outline (any topic) - Essay Example This increases efficiency and saves on time in business transactions (USTR, 2010). In 2007, SMEs contributed $480 billion value of goods and services sold in the foreign market (USTR, 2010). This amounted to approximately 41% of the total exports that year (USTR, 2010). SMES account for nearly 40% of the export related jobs in the US (USTR, 2010). This further shows the importance of SMEs in trade and the economy. There are trade barriers that adversely affect performance of SMES. First, there are discriminatory policies with regards to SMEs. For instance, they may lack the financial resources and expertise to compete in international markets. Second, SMEs are faced by higher taxes as they contribute largely to the manufacturing industry (USTR, 2010). Third, they encounter challenges in standards and certification through licensing and inadequate property protection. In a nutshell, SMEs play a vital role in domestic and foreign trade. The government should therefore review the policies governing them to promote their growth and development for greater benefit of intensified

Francisco Jose de Goya Essay Example for Free

Francisco Jose de Goya Essay Francisco Jose de Goya (1746-1828) Yard with Lunatics, 1794 Oil on canvas Goya started discovering art at a young age. He was born to Jose Benito de Goya y Franque, a gilder, and Gracia de Lucientes y Salvador. Francisco spent his childhood in Fuendetodos, Spain then later moved to Zaragoza. He often moved, mastering art along the way. In 1773 Goya married Josefa Bayeu. Over a period of five years he had painted about 42 designs. His popularity began to lead him into an entire world of art. During the middle of his career, Goya often painted for royalty. He had reached his peak of popularity with the noble ones. However between late 1792 and early1793, a serious illness, whose exact nature is not known, left Goya deaf, and he became withdrawn. During his recuperation, he undertook a series of experimental paintings. He turned to more manageable and more personal projects, perhaps inspired by works from abroad that he had seen while in Cadiz. His small pictures of 1793-4 introduce a new era in his art, and it was now that his style began to emerge. Many of his scenes depict bullfighting, intense, haunting themes, reflective of the artists fear of insanity, and his outlook on humanity. Although these themes can be seen in many of his paintings, I believe â€Å"Yard with Lunatics† depicts his style the best. Yard with Lunatics was painted around the time of the French declaration of war on Spain, when Goya’s deafness and fear of mental illness were developing, and he was increasingly complaining of his health. The painting came about in his stage of darkness. This painting is usually compared to â€Å"The Madhouse†, a similar painting by Goya. Goya wrote that the works served to occupy my imagination, tormented as it is by contemplation of my sufferings. The series, he said, consisted of pictures which normally find no place in commissioned works. It has been described as a somber vision of human bodies without human reason and as one of Goyas deeply disturbing visions of sadism and suffering. â€Å"Yard with Lunatics† opposes his previous designs, which depicted the way he wanted the rest of his career to be like. They were full of fantasy and naturalism. However, he had an alternate future. In a 1794 letter to his friend Bernardo de Yriarte, Goya wrote that the painting shows a yard with lunatics, and two of them fighting completely naked while their warder beats them, and others in sacks; (it is a scene I witnessed at Zaragoza). To some art historians, this picture portrays a point in Goyas career where he moves from a world in which there are no shadows to one in which there is no light. Meadows Museum editors quote the agreement: This small but surprisingly powerful work was produced at a most critical juncture of Goya’s long career. In the last months of 1792, the artist suffered a mysterious illness that left him physically debilitated and permanently deaf. While recuperating, he undertook a series of small-scale paintings in which, as he wrote, â€Å"I have succeeded in making observations which ordinarily are not allowed in commissioned works. † Although Goya’s work conveyed how he saw the world at that time, it was also symbolic. Yard with Lunatics as a whole symbolizes the chaotic lifestyle of the world. The fighting naked men are trapped in a hole where psychotics were thrown away and forgotten. The French War probably inspired the chaos in the painting. Peter K. Klein’ argument also corresponds: Towards the eighteenth century, there was a growing interest in and fascination with manifestations of insanity and its relationship with reason, hand, and contemporary medicine considered madness in a rationalistic, enlightened and increasingly scientific way, starting to isolate lunatics as potentially curable patients in special institutions and attempting empirically to classify the various mental diseases. On the other hand, there was a more ambiguous, partly romanticizing and idealizing attitude in literature, philosophy and art, which placed madness next to genius, as a source of creativity and as an opportunity for a deep, more genuine and non-alienated experience of human life. The dark, grey, and green colors symbolize the way Goya pictured his life. His entire world had taken a turn for the worse and his view of his life was altered. Goya was in a very ill state and he could not see the light or goodness in his situation. As a result of this, his paintings represented how he felt on the inside. All in all Francisco Goya’s life experiences, as you can see, contributed to many of his paintings. Although, all of Goya’s work was beautiful and unique, I believe â€Å"Yard with Lunatics† had the most awing affect. To me it was the most fascinating, how Goya portrayed real life situations into a piece of artwork. He included personal complications which others could relate to. This work stands as a captivating image portraying real world situations.

The Futility of War Essay -- Literary Analysis

Stories of wars and the resulting victories are usually told in highly elaborated narratives that seek to cover the grim realities of war as much as they aim to arouse emotion in order to ensure support for any future wars among the masses. However, war, by its very nature, is neither desirable nor its outcome praiseworthy. Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front lays bare the gritty, gruesome and ultimately self-defeating nature of wars. As Paul Baumer and his soldier comrades enlist and join the German Army in order to defeat the enemy, they themselves are slowly vanquished, first psychologically and finally physically through death. As the soldier members of Paul Baumer’s company are slowly killed in battle, he becomes more and more disillusioned with the war, especially since he and his friends had enlisted with idealistic aims fed to them by their teacher Kantorek. Instead of patriotic glory and poetic war victories, Paul and his friends found defeat and ephemeral triumphs; instead of honor, they encountered dishonor; instead of personal growth and advancement, they found stagnation and watched their youthful dreams die. Through the war experiences of Paul Baumer as depicted in the novel All Quiet on the Western Front, the ultimate tragedy of war is revealed; it destroys the lives of its very agents – the soldiers – by crashing their dreams and claiming their lives for little discernible overall gain. Going To War Ultimately, Paul Baumer and his high school mates enthusiastically enlisted and went to war first out of a sense of youthful adventure. Barely out of their teens, Paul and his high school mates are not old enough to understand the socio-economic and political factors that characterized the outbr... ... war as captured by the leaders of the war hardly depicts the futility of war, and only the through the accounts of soldiers on the front does the truth emerge, as it does in the novel – that war is counter-productive. Works Cited Hunt, Nigel. "The contribution of All Quiet on the Western Front to our understanding of psychological trauma." European Psychiatry 19, no. 8 (2004): 489-493. Remarque, Erich Maria. All Quiet on the Western Front. Trans. A. W. Wheen. New York: Fawcett Books, 1982. Robinett, Jane. "The Narrative Shape of Traumatic Experience." Literature & Medicine 26, no. 2 (Fall2007 2007): 290-311. Tighe, Joseph A. 2004. "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Phenomenological Investigation of War." Critical Survey 16, no. 3(Fall 2004): 48-61. Ware, Thomas C. "Remarque's ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT." Explicator 63, no. 2 (Fall 2005): 99-100.

PESTEL and Porter’s Five Force Analysis of QANTAS Essay

Executive Summary The following paper provides an analysis and evaluation of the current market position of Qantas and the airline industry. By assessing the company both internally and externally by applying PESTLE and Porter’s Five Force frameworks, this report will assess Qantas’ opportunities and strengths within the aviation industry. In addition to this, the report will focus on the specific resources and capabilities that enable Qantas to obtain a competitive advantage over its competitors through the use of the VRIO framework. A final analysis will be conducted to identify issues Qantas face and recommendations of how they can rectify these issues. 1. Background Qantas began in the Queensland outback during 1920. It was first registered as the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services (QANTAS) and has since grown to be Australia’s largest domestic and international airline, as well as one of the strongest brands in Australia, employing close to 35,000 personnel worldwide (Qantas, 2010). Based out of Sydney, Qantas currently operates close to 5000 weekly flights across Australia, New Zealand, Africa, North America, South America, Europe and Asia, flying close to 50 global destinations (Qantas, 2010). There a four major domestic airliners that have the majority of the market share in Australia; Qantas, Virgin Blue, Tiger Airways and Jetstar (Dixon, 2006). Nicknamed ‘The flying Kangaroo’, Qantas is the largest Australian global airlines and is a charter member of the â€Å"One world Alliance†. Qantas operates domestically under ‘QantasLink’, which carries out 2000 regional flights weekly. They also operate their low fare airline ‘Jetstar’, and Qantas Freight (Qantas Airways, 2012). 2. PESTLE ANALYSIS Applying the PESTLE analysis on the aviation industry will help to identify the environmental influences by arranging them into six categories; Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental (Issa, 2010). Future trends and requirements for change based on these trends can be identified through this analytical tool (Johnson, et al, 2008). 2.1 Political Terrorism has had a major affect the aviation industry. It is still a very  real possibility of airplanes being hijacked or blown up in mid air and this has put a negative impact upon the industry. The recent Malaysia Airlines tragedies are evidence of this, as is September 11. 2.2 Economic Oil prices have a significant impact on the airline industry. Due to recent developments in the oil markets, airlines have to employ non-monetary methods; techniques include hedging or airline alliances, in order to increase fuel-buying power. This will allow airlines to buy fuel in larger quantities and create contractual agreements with oil suppliers (Thompson and Gamble, 2012). The most recent and economically crippling factor that has influenced the airline industry is the Global Financial Crisis (GFC)(Nuguid, 2011). This presents a potential weakness or threat for Qantas who may come to feel that their premium price for quality service is not enough to get the customers to fly with them. 2.3 Social The number of people using airlines to fly to holiday destinations has increased due to economic growth. Therefore, the market has expanded and new opportunities for tourism have opened in previously frequented countries. How society is observed as it transmits to air travel has a great deal to do with September 11, 2001. As a result of this tragic event, the judgments of the world have become increasingly profound to the background of passengers traveling on planes. It has shaped something of a undesirable perception for particular cultures and beliefs. This discourages people to travel with other passengers or airline, directly affects the airline industry (Reilly.N.J, 2010) 2.4 Technological Technological developments have both created new opportunities as well as threats for the aviation industry. Development in information and communication technologies has enabled strong communication and has  consequently provided customers with an alternative for frequent travelling, for example; Qantas Frequent Flyer programs. Airlines are now able to expand their outreach directly to consumers through e-commerce. For example, airlines like Qantas are able to introduce ticketless travel through the use of technology (Thompson and Gamble, 2012). 2.5 Legal The implementation of the carbon tax had a negative affect on the aviation industry, as the airlines could not absorb the higher cost of fuel. This meant to offset costs travelers would pay extra in ticket prices (Herald, 2011). Some governments provide subsidies that provide an unfair advantage and prices lower than market conditions which affects the functioning of airline industries directly and Global environmental policies regarding emissions and international route deregulation may affect airline operations in present as well as in future (Fulton.J, 2010). 2.6 Environmental The aircraft’s emissions have a significantly high impact to the environment as they travel several kilometers above the surface of the earth. Aircraft emissions cause significant damage to the atmosphere (Penner et al. 2001). Noise polution is another major environmental concern (â€Å"Aircraft Noise is Unhealthy†, 2008). 3. Porter’s five forces In order to analyse the industrial environment of Qantas Airlines and evaluate the nature of the competition faced by the company, the following analysis was carried out using Porter’s Five Force framework (Porter, 2008). 3.1 Competitive Rivalry The competitive rivalry in airline industry has been increasing, especially through mergers, acquisitions and subsidiaries. Qantas established it’s low-cost airline Jetstar in 2003 creating a two-brand strategy. By having these â€Å"two brands† the Qantas Group is able to assess different market opportunities and deploy the best product to suit the opportunity and  specific market conditions this also creates a competitive advantage. New rivals have emerged following the footsteps of Qantas, such as Singapore Airlines and British Airways, and are threatening Qantas’ market share in the no-frill, low-price trade by offering lower costs and attending customer service (Mouawad, 2010). 3.2 Entry Barriers There are high barriers to enter this industry, as it requires a large initial capital investment. In conjunction with the price wars and low profit margins, it has become difficult to make substantial profit. It is very common for airlines to project losses in their financial statements. Therefore a new entrant must be able to handle losses at the beginning. Another barrier to entry is the limited availability of landing slots in Australian airports. The slots are already reserved by established airlines and are difficult to obtain especially in airports with high passenger demand (Czemy 2008). 3.3 Threat of Substitutes There are many substitutes in terms of long distance travel such as; cars, trains and cruise boats and these are generally cheaper. However, air travel has the absolute advantage in terms of time. Thus, the threat of substitute is relatively low. 3.4 Bargaining power of suppliers Boeing and Airbus are the main aircraft suppliers for large airlines like Qantas. Qantas plans to spend capital investment worth around US$17 billion in more fuel efficient, next generation aircraft, such as the Airbus A380, Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A320 neo (Qantas, 2014). Qantas is heavily dependent on the price of oil for its profit margins, which implies high bargaining power of oil suppliers. Price hedging is limited and high rises in prices can manipulate Qantas’ fuel costs. Due to the limited number of aircraft suppliers, and the continuous need for fuel, it can be said that the bargaining power of suppliers is quite high. (Thompson and Gamble, 2012). 3.5 Bargaining power of buyers Consumers have high bargaining power with Qantas, which is mainly attributed to their price based preference. Receiving the same service, the consumers will select the airline that offers them best value for their money. Due to  the widely available information technology tools, such as Flight Center and SkyScanner, consumers have the ability to compare flight services and prices before making their final selection. Since the switching costs for customer is very low, the bargaining power of buyers is high. 3.6 Analysis Qantas gains its competitive advantage through its strategic capabilities that are gained from its resources and capabilities. It is through these, that the company can respond to its external environment and succeed. The airline industry is very competitive and as a result, profit margins are usually low. Also, the bargaining of the supplier is very high which undermines companies in the airline industry to exercise control over their supplier. With high entry cost, new competition into the international airline market is very low. Qantas can continue to dominate this market while still competing with domestic market using the Frequent Flyer program to increase loyal customers. 4. Opportunities and Threats By conducting both the PESTLE and Five Force analyses for the macro-environment we are able to determine a number of opportunities and threats that the aviation industry possess. Opportunities Threats Offers continual expansion opportunities for both leisure and business destinations Technology advances can result in cost savings, from more fuel efficient aircraft to more automated processes on the ground Technology can also result in increased revenue due to customer-friendly service enhancements like inflight internet access and other value-added products for which a customer will pay extra A global economic downturn negatively affects leisure, optional travel, and business travel The price of fuel is not the greatest cost for many airlines. An upward spike can destabilise the business model Terrorist attacks anywhere in the world could negatively affect air travel Government intervention could result in new costly rules or new international competition 5. Resources and Capabilities The following is an evaluation of Qantas internal resources and capabilities. Resources Capabilities Airport locations/hangers Engineering facilities Trained personnel In-flight food (Neil Perry’s involvement) Qantas lounges/restaurants Storage facilities for inventory, ranging from machinery to uniforms Training facilities for flight attendants and pilots New IT systems to promote more efficient operations including the evolution of e-tickets New development in cost effective service (e.g. with food, cutting costs on ingredients) New developments for the ‘frequent flyer’ scheme to adapt to competitors’ similar concepts including the Chairman’s Lounge Fleet development: â€Å"The airline has been constantly growing since its inception as a result of increasing fleets. Qantas has been purchasing Boeing aircraft makes like the 747-400. The availability of more aircrafts meant that the company can maintain schedules and meet maintenance needs of the old aircrafts (Qantas, 2014). By applying the VRIO framework to Qantas we can observe that not all resources sustain a competitive advantage. Jetstar, QantasLink and the Qantas brand in general are all strong resources that allow Qantas to sustain their competitive advantage. However, from the aforementioned  resources this competitive advantage for the Qantas Group as a whole is unsustainable. From the analysis, Qantas’ core competencies can be identified as their two-brand strategy, their diverse services and their reputation. 6. Issues The following is a list of weaknesses/ issues as identified by the SWOT framework: 1. Competitors 2. Higher labor and other operating costs than its competitors 3. The current strategies Qantas include their low-cost carrier and the Frequent Flyer Program (Jones, 2009) 4. Ongoing disputes between Qantas management and militant unions 5. Speculation that British airways will quit its $1.3 billion stake in Qantas (Qantas, Working Towards Our Vision, 2013) 6. Outdated IT systems. Recommendations To help reduce the affect of the aforementioned weaknesses Qantas could: Attract customers through improved customer service Advertise in social media  Engage employees and establish a better employee management system Adopt a corporate level strategy, which is the long-term direction of an organisation (Porter, Smith, Fagg), for Qantas this will focus on cost reduction. Develop a business level strategy that focuses on the need for differentiation (Michael A. Hitt, 2006). Focus should also be on the increased use of IT, to increase operational efficiency ie. Cloud Computing (Harrison, 2005). 7. Conclusion The Qantas Group has adopted potential alliances and partnership strategies to expand in the aviation business. However, there are some threats that will always affect them such as fuel costs, low cost airlines and alternative transportation. Qantas has remained strong by applying their core competencies like their two-brand strategy and their service diversity. To survive in both the global and domestic markets, the Qantas Group need to  establish efficient strategies to maintain the firm position in aviation industry as well as preparing for the unexpected. 8. References: â€Å"Aircraft Noise is Unhealthy†, (2008) Health Hype.Com. Available from http://www.healthhype.com/aircraft-noise-is-unhealthy.html (cited on 20th, March, 2013) Czemy, A (2008). Airport Slots: International Experiences and Options for Reform. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. Dixon, G. (2006, February 23). Qantas not afraid of competition. The Age . G.G. Dess, G.T. Lumpkin, M.L. Taylor, A.A. Thompson, and A.J. Strickland III, Strategic Management (Boston, McGraw Hill, 2004) pp. 141-148. Harrison, M. A. (2005). The Blackwell Handbook of Strategic Management. Wiley-Blackwell. Herald, S. M. (2011, July). Airlines count the costs of carbon tax. Business Day , 1-2. Issa, Tomayess and Chang, Vanessa and Issa, Theodora. 2010. Sustainable business strategies and PESTEL framework. GSTF International Journal on Computing. 1 (1): pp. 73-79. Johnson G. Scholes K. Whittingham W. 2008. Exploring Corporate Strategy. 8th edition. Prentice Hall Jones, C. H. (2009). Strategic Management Theory: An Int egrated Approach Strategic Management Series. Cengage Learning. Keith Porter, Paul Smith and Roger Fagg, â€Å"Leadership and Management for HR Professionals,† Chapter 10, Third edition, Butterworth-Heinemann is an imprint of Elsevier, Page 381- 411 Michael A. Hitt, R. D. (2006). Strategic Management Concepts (Vol. 7). Cengage Learning. Mouawad, J (2010). Pushing 40, Southwest Is Still Playing the Rebel. New York Times. Available from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/business/21south.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 (cited on 20th, March, 2013) Nuguid, A. (2011). IBIS World Industry Report I6402 Domestic Airlines in Australia. IBIS World. Porter, M. (2008). The Five Competitive Forces that Shape Strategy. Harvard Business Review , 78-91. Thompson, A. and Gamble, J. (2012). South West Airlines in 2010: Culture, Values, and Operating Practices. Case 13. In Essential of Strategic Management. McGraw Hill. Qantas. (2010). Qantas Fact file. [Online] Available from: http://www.qantas.com.a u/infodetail/about/FactFiles.pdf Qantas. (2014, July 1). Fleet Development. Retrieved September 1, 2014, from Qantas: http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/fleet-developments/global/en Qantas. (2013). Working Towards Our Vision. Sydney: Qantas Group.

Learning Team Reflection Essay

Training Plan Implementing an effective training plan is necessary in order for a company to be successful. A structured training plan for Landslide Limousines will ensure employees are aware of the company’s objectives and goals. According to Bradley Stonefield, the training plan for Landslide Limousine will entail three key components a set of needs assessment, types of training methods, and training evaluations strategies. Training offers reliable information and skill to an employee about the company’s prospects and procedures. Properly trained employees contribute to a company’s achievement of goals and ultimate success. Each team member chose topics to evaluate and research effectively and apply there relevance towards the team discussion. Our first communication with Bradley Stonefield informed Atwood and Allen that he wishes to hire 25 employees and have a location in Austin, Texas. The second conversation with Mr. Stonefield led to information regarding the annual net revenue of negative $50,000 in his first year and a growth prediction of 5% over a couple of years. Most recently, Atwood and Allen has learned that Mr. Stonefield predicts that his annual employee turnover rate will be 10%, and his concern on cost for the training plan. The needs assessment constitutes several aspects revolving around the daily operations, individual employees, environment, organizational and demographical information of a business. Operational Analysis Designing an operational plan for the Landslide Limousine service determines the efficiency of various aspects within the small business operation. The  process usually begins with a period of observations, the group of individuals performing the analysis watches and takes detailed notes on a day-to-day operation of the limousine business in the initial stage. Logical reasoning methods assist in compiling the information used in the process with various mathematical models and statistical analysis. Operational analysis aims to determine whether each area of the organization is contributing effectively to overall performance and the furthering of company strategy. Using the operational analysis to ensure that the business Mr. Bradley wants to start should align appropriately with the company’s strategic plan. By examining the current performance of the operational portion of an investment, and then measuring that against an established set of performance parameters and goals, operational analysis within the business can reveal the company’s strengths and weaknesses as well as any opportunities for improvement with the individuals he may want to hire for future employment. With all the detailed information our team gathered in order to best serve and provide the right information for this business, by conducting an operational analysis, this should seek to examine a number of functional areas within the business; including strategic planning, customer results, and business results, financial performance, and quality of innovation. Now, the objective process should principally be to reassess existing processes and determine how objectives improve, how costs minimized and even, on occasion, eliminating a task. Operational analysis can be a relatively simple process for the company and meaningful in assisting a new business venture. Through a few manageable steps in the process, Landslide Limousine needs to assess their productivity and possibly reallocate investments to ensure activities within the company are in line with the small business company’s strategy. Studies prove that establishing a schedule benefits the completion of the process. This process may outline the timeline and resources necessary for completing the operational analysis. Outline strategies and methods accordingly and adhere to them during the process. Collect information to provide key insights into actual performance in comparison with strategic planning and performance goals. Complete an analysis gap to identify and report performance, cost and benefits based on an analysis of the actual performance data. Demographic Analysis According to Bradley Stonefield, the demographic analysis that needs to be address is a specific population to describe the small business and its characteristics, such as income level, background checks, driving records, location and salaries. A demographic analysis is useful in a business plan, to describe the population where the business is located. Income level data is a good indicator of residents’ spending power. Income positively correlates with retail expenditures in many product categories. During market evaluation, retailers look at the median or average household income, and seek a minimum number of households within a certain income range prior to establishing a business or setting prices. Another common practice is to analyze the distribution of household incomes. Different businesses may avoid extremely high or low-income areas. Some specialty fashion stores target incomes above $100,000. Background checks often requested by employers for job candidates during e mployment screening, especially on candidates seeking a position that require high security or trust. Traditionally, background checks administered by a government agency for a nominal fee, but maybe administered by private companies. Background checks can be expensive depending on the information requested. Results of a background check typically include past employment verification, credit history, Driving history for a small business aspect and criminal history. Mr. Stonefield is interested in locating a limousine company within the Austin, TX area. A small business is unlikely to dominate any particular market in a city. However, strategic use of location-based marketing can make you a viral hit in your suburb or street and this may be all it takes to double the turnover in the limousine business. Location-based services can provide the company with information about how many people check in for a certain area or business, which has checked in most often and how many people have used an offer of this kind of service. This kind of information can be very useful in assessing the success of the company’s location-based marketing program. The average wage for a Limousine Driver is $12.85 per hour in the state of Texas in 2011. People in this job generally do not have more than 20 years’ experience. Pay for this job rises steadily for more experienced workers, but goes down significantly for the few employees with more than 20 years’ experience. Limo drivers have limited career advancement  opportunities. Some acquire supervisory or management positions, while others train new drivers or receive preferred shifts. Moving into a dispatching or managerial role is another choice for experienced limo drivers. Organizational Analysis Organizational Analysis for this company is a means of measuring how the small business will do and how to identify ways to improve the company in order to ensure success into the future of the company. A strategic way in preparing this aspect is to use the SWOT analysis. This stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. These factors make up the bulk of the way the study and be analyzed and can give a in great details a pretty good indication of how Landslide Limousine will do and how it could be expected to do move forward in the future in making profits. The results of the analysis will help Mr. Stonefield be able to make good decisions and improve any efficiencies while without making any major changes. Strengths within Landslide services are usually the starting point for this company. Internal/external factors should include a stable workforce, methods and simple strategies are a way to mainstream the total aspects of all local business within the area is which this is a key aspect. Weaknesses can come from all different locations and can be widespread. This may include aging facilities, possible inexperienced/unprofessional drivers, outdated equipment, purchasing of quality vehicles fleets, price/packages, and areas of specialties. Opportunities should include new market creations, consumer based locations, overhead, and debts. Now, threats could possibly take on another aspect within the business. These can range just from local communities services to government products/services to the rules and regulations. Individual Analysis Certain ideals manifest in behaviors of individual members and affect group dynamics. Task functions include behaviors such as identifying tasks, coordinating, clarifying and summarizing. Individual Analysis based off different levels and/or services provided by the limousine service help to decipher if business needs are met. This type of analysis can be based off a wide stream of studies in business. This specific analysis can have more disadvantages than advantages needed in order to find ways to being a  business. Learning how to work effectively in a group situation is the key to success in many professions in business. Learning key ways to get the business from crawl, walk, run phase is another way employees have the advantage of learning how the aspects of business work in the community. Environmental Analysis This analysis scan can help assist in understanding the broader context in which individuals are operating in. By investing time, identifying key trends and environmental factors to obtain information for small business within the regions in which we want to base our business and all the studies that are included. Some small businesses and organizations frequently choose to review the external factors in the process, but it is important to consider the internal environment factors. These may include looking at the organization’s internal capacities and resources, and projecting how to change in the future to meet the organization objectives. Another useful component to the analysis phase is to survey external customers in the local area and ensure all aspects of the locations are covered. Challenges observed and/or anticipated, or missed opportunities, and even basis such as how others described your individual work to get the process started may have a short-time or long-term effect. Environmental analysis uses a series of ranks and assessments in evaluating employee performance, customer satisfaction, and overhead coat are all similar factors during the first phase of the analysis. Training Methods Appropriate training is liable to have a positive or negative affect on important issues in business. How a company conducts, training is a critical decision that every business has to make consciously. All features involved in effective training should be considered, such as, time, cost, training environment, and training cost. The delivery of the training is pertinent. If the delivery of the information is confusing to employees, the training does not occur properly and is a waste of time, resources, and capital (Ongoing Training: A Method for Success, 2012). Various approaches to training are utilized and implemented. Types of Media Considering the impression Landslide Limousines anticipates on making, Atwood  and Allen Consulting recommends technology-based training. Technology-based learning may prove to be beneficial. Basic methods of learning through technology include interactive videos utilizing a computer in combination with a digital video (DVD). Web-based training programs or internet-streamed videos such as â€Å"YouTube† videos are increasing, popular tools among training methods. The aforementioned method is valuable in illustrating scenarios that the trainer would like to emphasize. These methods are conducive within a large group of people. Learning Principles When opting to use technology-based learning, companies must ensure accessibility for employees. Learning principles, considered laws of learning, are discovered, tested, and benefit practical situations (Naval education and Training, 2010). The trainer must possess the capability of applying the principles while instructing. Most importantly, the trainer needs to be clear on the objectives of the training, and relate it to the work environment. There are three types of learners: visual, hearing and hands-on. Atwood and Allen Consulting recommend that Landslide Limousine combine the training methods and perform more interactive learning experiences that will accommodate the three types of learners. Using what the military medicine has called for years â€Å"See one, do one, teach one† (Naval education and Training, 2010). The trainer will teach the skill so the employees can see it, then the employees will demonstrate their knowledge displaying their proficiency, finally the employee will teach a new employee. Those that teach, learn. Trainers will be inclined to become familiar with the material, recall it accurately, and apply it effectively. This method is cost effective in the sense that when there is a time one employee must carry out the tasks of another, therefore causing no interruptions in business. This method works best for companies that are just beginning. Training for learning skills or fact The required training conducted is for skill and fact. The training enhances knowledge of skills that enforce relevant facts, in reference to training. Effectiveness of Methods The effectiveness of the methods of instructions can be verified by how the employee perform their duties, by employee’s questionnaires and/or testing,  and by comments done by the trainers themselves (Naval Education and Training, 2010). The effectiveness of these methods displayed through the performance of the employees. Training Evaluation Strategies Evaluation on training is of utmost importance. Here is where a business learns of training that works versus training that is of no use to the organization. In order to evaluate specific training, addressing certain questions alleviate concerns of risk in that course of training. Potential questions are: Did the trainees learn a specific skill, knowledge or performance? Did change occur and was it related to the training? Are the changes positively reflecting in productivity and to achieving organization goals? Will these changes occur with a different set of trainees using the same training criteria? (Chapter 8, 2013) Typically, training is a trial and error system. What may work for one individual may not necessarily pertain to another type of learner. As mentioned previously, people learn in different manners. Some need visual aesthetics to increase their ability to comprehend the training. While others’ need a more tactile experience and participate in the training. This is not an entirely new concept and has developed over the last decade to include the use of technology to enhance learning. The same can be said for training and evaluation strategies. The idea behind training evaluation is to recognize the criteria of the training are met within the company. Using pretests to determine a suitable new hire reassures current employees that the individual grasps the goals and concepts of the business. An example of a pretest is as simple as an application, a resume or orientation. All of this information allows management to decipher an individual based on experiences. Once training is underway, management will monitor and observe the associates reactions and the trainer’s methods of approach. This segment is extremely important considering the trainer. If the trainer does not connect with the class or leads them astray and off topic, the training becomes worthless and consumes the organization’s time and money. The trainer’s obligation shall remain cost effective to the company and stay on task to complete the training in a time efficient manner. Aside from management monitoring and observing, feedback is equally important, and can  come from employees, supervisors, managers, and customers. Collecting feedback for an organization is conducted a number of ways. Suggestion boxes placed randomly around the business provide anonymous suggestions from individuals employed in the organization or from customers who believe change is necessary. Feedback is also collected verbally either in a group of employees or individual basis. Sending surveys to clients containing pertinent information to the limousine service allows them to feel connected to the business and builds trust. The implementation of the feedback is the most important aspect to changing the current operational standards of the business. Manager’s need to rise above the concept of â€Å"if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.† Business evolution is constant and technology increases daily allowing change to happen more frequently, and not because â€Å"it’s broken,† but because a new element has become known and can be a useful tool in training. References Email from Traci: Performance Management Plan. (2015). Retrieved from University of Phoenix: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/Materials/IP/curriculum/sb/HRM531/assignments/week5/intro.asp Naval education and Training. (2010). Personal Qualification Standards for Master Training Specialist. NAVEDTRA 43100-7C Ch. 1. Retrieved from Naval education and Training website Ongoing Training: A Method for Success. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.lctmag.com/operations/article/41017/ongoing-training-a-method-for-success http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes533041.htm http://education-portal.com/articles/Salary_and_Career_Info_for_a_Limo_Driver.html http://www.studymode.com/essays/Individual-Analysis-Of-Working-In-a-712116.html