Augmented Reality Applications. Challenges and Future Trends

Augmented Reality Applications. Challenges and Future Trends Augmented Reality (AR) Abstract Augmented reality presents a mix of real world information and additional computer generated information to a user. Such a mix of information is usually presented by superimposing two distinct sets of images on to a monitor or a head mounted display which enables a viewer to observe a mix of the real world and computer generated text or images. Even though the visual sense is not the only sense which can be used to present and perceive computer altered reality, visual presentations are the most used in augmented reality systems. The additional presentations that are generated by a computer can substantially assist users in a number of ways including provision of textual information about what is being viewed, presentation of hidden information or images associated with a visual scene as well as the results of planned alterations to reality such as the presentation of the results of a construction or a demolition of physical structures. Augmented reality may be considered as being a b ranch of virtual reality research, but unlike virtual reality, in which everything that is presented to a user is generated by a computer, augmented reality only presents an alteration to the reality that is being sensed. There are very many interesting applications of augmented reality which are proving to be useful to human users. From assisting surgeons to perform delicate surgery, helping archaeologists collect excavation data to assisting rescuers after a natural disaster or aiding soldiers in urban combat, augmented reality systems are achieving even greater success as technological advances on a broad front enable even more sophisticated systems to be designed. Miniaturisation and the design of rugged, low power consumption components have resulted in portability. This essay presents a discussion of the potential and the problems of augmented reality systems. Contents (Jump to) 1. Introduction 2. A Description of the Operation of an Augmented Reality System 3. The User Benefits of an Augmented Reality System 4. Portable Augmented Reality Systems in Wearable Computers 5. The Outdoor Use of an Augmented Reality System 6. The Potential Sources of Error in an Augmented Reality System 7. Conclusion References / Bibliography List of Figures The Generation of Visual Augmented Reality using Head Mounted Displays, Cameras and Diverters for the Mixing of Real and Virtual Spaces Managing Multiple Spaces for Generation of Augmented Reality Sources of Error in Augmented Reality Systems 1. Introduction Augmented reality refers to the utilisation of computers to modify reality, usually in order to provide additional assistance when a human user is interacting with the real environment. The real world around humans provides a wealth of information which the human user must absorb and process through their senses. The most useful and informative of all human senses is the sense of vision and a huge amount of information about the ambiance is required to be sensed as well as processed by the human visual system. Computers are useful because they can provide an overlay of information to assist with the human processing of the information which they perceive through their senses, mostly the visual sense. [1] As an example, a human who is walking around an urban area can be provided additional information through a head mounted display which superimposes textual information about identification of buildings and other important landmarks so that the human is provided additional guidance ab out identification of buildings and landmarks or other useful information about what they are viewing. [2] Obviously, the computer too has to sense the environment in order to provide any additional information and this is done through a camera that captures the same view as the human. The camera provides images which are identified by a computer and virtual scenes are created in the virtual world generated by a computer. The computer program then generates additional assistive information that is presented to the human user in order to assist them in their interactions with their environment. Augmented reality software program is required to process information which a computer senses through sensors and the real space is transformed into a virtual space within the computer, with computer software identifying, recognising and transforming the external inputs from the real world in order to transform these inputs into assistive outputs for the user of an augmented reality system. Au gmented reality can, therefore, be considered to be a variation of virtual reality which completely immerses a user inside a synthetic environment. Augmented reality makes it possible for a human user to view the world with virtual objects that are generated by a computer and then superimposed or merged with it. The characteristics of virtual reality systems include a combination of the real and the virtual, interactions in real time and registration in 3 – D. [3] Augmented reality has proven itself to be useful in a wide variety of applications. From assisting surgeons to perform delicate surgery to assisting soldiers in battlefield or helping with education as well as assisting archaeologists gather field data on a site, virtual reality has proven to be of great benefit to humans in a very wide range of applications. [4] However, virtual reality technology is still evolving and with advances in computer science, even greater sophistication is likely to be possible in a large number of applications. Advances in wearable computing, software, miniaturisation, display technologies as well as sensors and radio networking have had a profound impact on the application of augmented reality. [5] Augmented reality systems are now far less bulky, portable and can be worn by a human user who may want to be assisted in a variety of ways in order to perform a task. Systems making use of augmented reality are now often used outdoors in harsh weather condit ions. Despite the possibilities, virtual reality implementations do have some limitations as well as difficulties with implementation. Registration errors or problems associated with sensing or bandwidth of the display devices can cause deterioration in the performance of augmented reality systems. Objects in the real and the virtual world have to be aligned correctly in relation to each other otherwise the illusion which is created as a result of the two worlds coming together will not be comfortable for humans. Sensing devices which provide data inputs for the augmented reality computer have to be able to track the field of vision of a user. Sensing errors, mechanical alignments, incorrect viewing parameters such as field of view or tracker –to- eye position or orientation as well as optical distortion in the display system are some of the problems which can affect the performance of an augmented reality system. [6] In this essay, an attempt has been made to discuss various aspects of augmented reality systems, including perspectives associated with their construction, portability, user benefits for those using augmented reality, outdoor use of augmented reality systems and the problem of errors in such systems. It is hoped that the readers will benefit from such a discussion and gain a broader understanding of the current state of augmented reality. The next few sections of this essay discuss the previously mentioned issues. 2. A Description of the Operation of an Augmented Reality System Augmented reality systems usually add to the information that is received from the real world. In augmented reality vision systems, objects from the virtual world generated by a computer can be added to the scene from the real world. However, augmented reality systems can also remove sensations from the real world and as an example; it is possible to remove a table which a human using the augmented reality system may be viewing as a result of the computer painting it over. Although augmented reality usually refers to a computer modifying the real information that is presented to the human vision system, vision is not the only sense which a computer can interfere with. A system in which multi – sensory input is provided may turn on a heat lamp when a user approaches a spot in the virtual environment that is exposed to the sun or the smell of roses may be directed to a user when they approach a rose garden in mixed environment. A computer can also direct that a fan be switched o n in order to provide a flow of air to a user when they approach a spot in the virtual environment that is exposed to wind. [7] Thus, augmented reality involves modification of reality that is presented to a user by a computer which also senses reality and which has created a virtual model based on what has been sensed. Examples of the application of augmented reality include superimposition of internal information over external surfaces or the augmentation of viewed environment with informational labels. [8] When thinking about augmented reality, it is appropriate to think about the physical space, the virtual space and the measured space. The concept of physical and virtual space should be clear, however the concept of measured space refers to the representation of the physical space inside a computer and the manner in which sensory data is used to present the real space to a user. The generation of augmented and virtual spaces require the joining together or overlapping of the space maps associated with the physical and the virtual spaces, with the interaction being managed by computers and people using their sensory capabilities. Virtual space does not necessarily represent the physical space and this space is a model of the physical space that is created the real world and its views as perceived by sensors. Virtual space contains inputs from the physical space which are incorporated into the electronic space by the computer. The generation of augmented reality involves superimposing electronic generated space on to the real objects and space. The virtual space inside a computer must correspond to the real space which has to be mapped into the computer using some sort of a global reference such as a global positioning system. [9] Relative measurements of objects in physical space are transferred to the computer so that the electronic space may be generated, even though it may not be known where the physical space is with regard to the rest of the universe. Thus, a car’s interior dimensions are relative to each other, although it may not be known where the car is in the universe. A close mapping may exist between the physical and the virtual space if the electronic space is required to be a close representation of the physical space. It may be required to represent different parameters from the real space into a virtual space, such as the variation of light intensity or temperature. Some event in the physical space may also be required to generate a trigger and some how alter the electronic virtual space. Different types of sensors may be used to provide information about the physical space such as the dimensions of the physical space being measured by ultrasound or sonar. Sensor inputs are required to be fed into a computer, processed and then used to present a reflection in the electronic space. Triggers from the physical space are also measured by sensors and as an example; the presence of a human object in an area of the physical space may be registered by a capacitive sensor which will transmit this information into the computer. The computer that is being used may then take some action to process this trigger and generate some outputs or variations in the electronic space. Virtual spaces that are generated inside a computer after some processing of the data related to physical spaces are translated and made available in the real world by projection involving video, audio, tactile or hepatic devices or even by using the sense of smell. The virtual world of the computer is projected at some point or location in the physical world which is known as the point of projection. Device such as a screen, a virtual reality goggle or PDA etc are used for such projections. Projections of the virtual world into the real world through devices present users with an illusion of occupying some part of the physical space such as the space behind a projection screen or in front of a holographic plate. In purely virtual reality environments, the sensing of an object from the physical space may have an impact on the projection of the virtual space into the physical space, however, the object that is being sensed will not be a part of the virtual space. In mixed or augmented spaces, however, the sensed object will be incorporated into the virtual space and hence the link between the object that is being sensed and the projection is important. Location in space is usually measured in terms of some sort of coordinates which could be Euclidean coordinates such as polar, spherical or ordinance grid coordinates or alternatively, the location may be relative to a zone with objects being detected as being in a zone such as a room or a part of a room. Information about position may also be relational with some object being detected as being close to another object. The level of accuracy with which measurements in the physical space need to be made and information in the virtual space need to be displayed will vary for different applications, but the requirements related to accuracy will determine the amount of data that needs to be exchanged between the physical and virtual spaces. [10] As an example, head mounted displays and cameras that are mounted on these displays can be used to present computer modified reality to a user. The cameras sense reality and feed a video signal to a computer which is then modified by the computer according to the programmed algorithms for the generation of virtual space involving identification of objects, addition of data to images, image manipulation or object cancellation etc. The desired additions or modifications to the human view of reality are then projected on to the human eye through head mounted monitors or optical diversion and mixing of the real and virtual space. This is illustrated in the diagrams below. The Generation of Visual Augmented Reality using Head Mounted Displays, Cameras and Diverters for the Mixing of Real and Virtual Spaces [11] [12] Managing Multiple Spaces for Generation of Augmented Reality [13] Apart from optical see – through augmented reality displays, it is also possible to generate augmented reality using monitors and video see-through displays. Optical see-through displays in which the real world images are mixed with the virtual reality images that are generated by a computer using optical mixing are different from video see-through displays which project images that are desired to be seen by a human user on to the eye using a video display without any optical mixing from the real world. [14] The next section of this essay takes a look at the user benefits of an augmented reality system. 3. The User Benefits of an Augmented Reality System Augmented reality systems attempt to present a world which consists of a combination of computer generated imagery or other sensory inputs and real world perceptions that are available to a human user. Thus, augmented reality systems can present an enhanced view of the world to the users and the enhancements provide additional information which can be of benefit to the user in a variety of ways. The additional information which can be superimposed on the perception of a user can take a variety of forms depending on the application or the intended use of the augmented reality application. As an example, an augmented reality system may be designed to superimpose a pipeline system which has been designed for an industrial setting, or the system may assist a surgeon by superimposing internal imagery of a patient’s diseased organs on the image of their exterior anatomy, assisting the surgeon to perform surgery. All augmented reality systems assist humans to perform a task by enabli ng the human user to visualise, readily access additional information or to superimpose objects that are not visible on to real views. Augmented reality systems can enhance human understanding of what they are able to perceive and thus humans are assisted in solving problems which may be difficult if they were not provided any additional pieces of information. However, the applications of augmented reality are very broad and this technology has proven to be useful in very many applications. Thus, augmented reality may be used for entertainment or gaming, providing additional input on views of sporting events as well as assisting humans in more serious endeavours such as the battlefield, archaeology or architecture or urban design etc. Objects that are superimposed on real world views using augmented reality may be required to be presented in correct perspective depth as well as being accurately positioned with respect to other real or virtual objects and this can assist in human use rs being able to perform delicate work due to the additional understanding that they are able to acquire as a result of using augmented reality systems. Miniaturisation of computing elements and advances in wireless as well as general technological advances on a broad front have made it possible for augmented reality systems to be miniaturised and to be made wearable or portable, adding to their general usefulness both indoors and outdoors. Thus, augmented reality systems are able to assist, entertain, inform or aid humans by enhancing their perceptions in a wide variety of applications. [15] [16] [17] [18] The next section of this essay presents a brief discussion on portable augmented reality systems in wearable computers. This topic is important because portable and wearable systems have added considerably to the utility of augmented reality systems. 4. Portable Augmented Reality Systems in Wearable Computers Portability is required if an augmented reality user has to change their position in the world. Unlike virtual reality, augmented reality users cannot change their position by changing their location in the computer generated virtual world and have to be able to move around in the physical world. Portability is essential for a wide variety of augmented reality applications because users may be required to roam around in large areas. However, such requirement means that the augmented reality equipment has to be self contained as well as portable and that it should be possible to track users outdoors. The requirements for being able to track a user means that markers or communication relays will have to be utilised, especially if the computational requirements associated with augmented reality cannot be fully catered for on the portable end of the equipment and signals have to be relayed to a desktop, mainframe or networked computer. Because augmented reality does not replace the real world as virtual reality does, therefore, the resolution requirements associated with display devices or sensors are generally less stringent then those for virtual reality applications. Full colour displays are usually required for virtual reality applications, but monochrome displays may be sufficient for augmented reality. Requirements associated with rendering are also not a problem with augmented reality applications because images are only required to add to the real world visual inputs. However, tracking and sensing requirements for augmented reality applications are far more stringent then those for virtual reality applications because objects in the virtual space have to be correctly aligned with objects in the real world. As a result of the requirement to accurately track a user’s head and objects in the surrounding area, a large volume of tracking data is likely to be generated which must be processed in real time. If a portable or wearable computer is incapable of catering to these processing requirements, then reliable communications links must carry the tracking or associated data to remote computers. Thus, trackers or sensors are required to have a longer range, greater input variety and bandwidth as well as better accuracy. [19] [20] [21] Advances in portable augmented reality systems have been made possible as a result of faster, more rugged and better computing devices which consume low power. Wearable computers are required to be comfortable, safe and adjustable for an individual’s personal preferences. The user interfaces for such systems have to be user friendly as well as being capable of operating correctly in a harsh and noisy environment. Gesture and hand motion based interfaces have shown a promise in wearable computing, but such systems are required to be able to interface with a user in a reliable manner. Software for augmented reality substantially increases in complexity with complex applications. Short range wireless communication technologies such as Bluetooth have made it possible for sensors to be readily placed on all parts of the human body. Thus, it may be concluded that portable augmented reality systems are required and useful but their widespread use and acceptance will depend on the rel iability, ruggedness, comfort as well as computing power which can be packed into such systems. However, technological advances on a broad front have resulted in many portable augmented reality systems being developed including systems for military, field archaeology or navigational assistance to name a few. [22] [23] The human factors requirements associated with wearable computing demand that aspects related to safety, ergonomics, anthropometry and ease of use or usability be considered in the design of portable or wearable augmented reality systems. Human users should be able to comprehend information that is being presented to them without any perceptual interference. The design of the wearable system should be based on ergonomic studies with good visually coupled display design. The user interface design should promote reliability in interactions with the system and usability for the human user. The augmented reality system is required to minimise the cognitive load on the human user and not add to the problems. It should be possible to indulge in team collaboration through the wearable augmented reality system. [24] The design of usable interfaces for human interactions is of the greatest importance in the design of wearable augmented reality system design. There are many usability guidelines which should be considered for designs and the quality of the design for usability can also be used to evaluate an augmented reality system. The design of a user interface should take into consideration factors including the level of user experience, support for interactions with other users, number and location of users, ease of calibration, support for body centred interactions, reduced relative latency and provide the user with a tracking system that is accurate to a small faction of a degree in orientation and a few millimetres in position. The overall system processing delay should be minimised and there should be a level of consistency in the visual or sensory cues that are presented to the user. It is desirable that the errors which affect the performance of an augmented reality system and which are discussed in section 6 are minimised. The considerations associated with a good design of a wearable augmented reality system are too numerous to be tabulated here, but a detailed discussion about these issues is presented in Gabbard, Joseph. L. â€Å"Researching Usability Design and Evaluation Guidelines for Augmented Reality (AR) Systems†. Virginia Tech. 2001. [25] In the next section of this essay, a discussion is presented about the outdoor use of an augmented reality system. 5. The Outdoor Use of an Augmented Reality System Augmented reality systems are increasingly being used outdoors. Whereas, it is obvious that the use of augmented reality is gaining greater acceptance because there is a need for applications to assist humans with various activities outdoors, it is also important to understand that the outdoor use of augmented reality presents some technical challenges. Examples of the outdoor use of augmented reality include assistance with rescue operations after a natural disaster such as an earthquake or assisting with military operations in urban environment. [26] [27] Both of the previously mentioned applications require the augmented reality equipment to operate in a harsh environment in which any existing communications infrastructure is likely to have been obliterated or in danger of being destroyed. The military application can assist soldiers in identifying buildings, getting a feel for their interior and to be informed about potential threats such as the location of snipers from battlefie ld intelligence network, with such information being conveniently displayed on their field of vision. However, communication links are important because sophisticated computations on data cannot be performed on portable augmented reality units. Disaster relief can be aided by augmented reality as a result of rescuers being provided with on the spot information about buildings, terrain and the likely results of any planned rescue operations such as the likely impact of clearing a path through rubble. Although the additional information that is presented by outdoor augmented reality systems is likely to be of great benefit, it has to be realised that the generation of such information is only possible after extensive digital surveys of the areas for which augmented reality is being used are available. The likely design of such augmented reality systems will also mean that not all computation or data storage is capable of being performed on the portable units which are provided to the field users. The need to establish and maintain communication links as well as sophisticated computer equipment with which portable units are connected through communication links as well as the requirements to collect detailed data such as airborne laser scanning data under conditions of war or immediately after a natural disaster are some of the difficulties associated with the previously outdoor augmented reality applications. The equipment has to be extremely rugged and reliable as well as capable of being worn over long periods. In the military applications, the communication system which consists of fixed transmitters can be vulnerable and there is a requirement to maintain the large bandwidth communication links between the portable units and a central computer so that the augmented reality system can superimpose virtual scenes on real world information with accuracy as well as reliability. It will be undesirable to have augmented reality system malfunctions in situations whi ch require that users concentrate on other critical tasks rather then fixing any idiosyncrasies associated with the augmented reality equipment. Generally speaking, it is difficult for the existing tracking technology to track a user with sufficient accuracy when a portable augmented reality system is being used outdoors. [28] The next section of the essay presents a discussion about errors in augmented reality systems. 6. The Potential Sources of Error in an Augmented Reality System An important problem which has been observed in augmented reality systems is that objects which have been generated by the computer in a virtual environment for superimposition on to the view of the real environment do not remain correctly aligned or locked onto the real world objects. The degree of misalignment can vary as the user changes their field of view and thus, with a changing field of vision due to a user moving their head, objects that are being viewed through the augmented reality displays can appear to swim as a user moves their head. [29] The errors which create problems in augmented reality systems can be broadly classified as static or dynamic errors. Static errors refer to those sources of error which can cause problems with the presentation of augmented reality when the user and the objects within the environment are completely still. Dynamic errors do not have an impact until there is a movement of the viewpoint or the objects. Some of the sources of error which ca n have an impact on the visual performance of augmented reality systems are as follows: [30] Static Errors Optical distortion caused by distortions or imperfections in the camera and lens systems especially in objects which are away from the optical axis. Errors in the tracking and sensing system which result a distorted output from such systems. Mechanical misalignments that exist within the components of the augmented reality system such as combiners, optics or monitors due to factors such as not having a sufficiently rigid mechanical frame. Incorrect viewing parameters due to a lack of calibration that has an impact on how the reported head or camera locations are translated into viewing matrices which are used by scene generators for drawing images that are required to be superimposed on to the real world inputs. Dynamic Errors End –to- end system delays cause problems because each component in the augmented reality system require some time to produce an output for a given input. Any change in the position or orientation of a user will take some time before being processed and registered on the augmented reality picture that is presented to a viewer. Delays associated with the tracking subsystem, communication links and scene generation as well as time delays that are associated with frame buffers will prevent an immediate updating of the augmented reality picture that is presented to the viewer. A certain level of delay or lag is acceptable and these delays will not cause a serious deterioration in the augmented reality presentation. Typi

Doing Business Abroad Essay

Companies around the world are expanding in order to meet a larger market. However, this is no easy task even for people who have been doing business for decades for there is always this thing called cultural diversity. This thing is put into consideration not only of companies and managers that establish businesses in other countries but also of those who engage into joint ventures and alliances. Setting a company globally requires not only good managers but thorough study as well. A market research would be very helpful especially to determine the needs and wants of the people in the locality. A bunch of factors affect the preference of people like religion, beliefs and environment. Should the product be modified to fit the desires of the people? For instance, burgers with beef patty are modified in order to be accepted and sold in Hindu-dominated countries. There are also cross-cultural trainings for managers that would be sent abroad. These are usually conducted by business schools with the aim of providing global managers who have the ability to cope with different challenges that they may encounter, especially those that are brought about by diversity in culture. However, as much as these trainings would help, they are not yet enough to suffice for the thorough understanding and settlement of cultural differences that might yield success to a business that spread its wings. Problems still remain due to this cultural diversity. Even with the repute of English in conducting business globally, language remains a problem. Language, as defined in the Merriam Webster Dictionary, is words with their pronunciation and the methods of combining them to be used and understood by a community. Words are not enough. Pronunciation and accent are essential, and at this part is where problem usually occurs. As Edward Burman cited in his article entitled Managing Cultural Diversity in a Global World, linguistic confidence can be perceived as quasi-colonial arrogance and this may eventually lead to conflicts. Similarly, jokes and stories which are essential in building harmonious relationship among workers are affected, not just because of the way they were delivered but more importantly by the context that they were formulated. Some humorous acts might be insulting to others, which again might lead to discord. Another problem that may arise due to cultural diversity is the way the human resource personnel determines the appropriate candidate for a job. Whether be it an expatriate or a native of the location of the headquarter, the measure to the achievements of an applicant varies from the school where he acquired his degree and skill to the society where he belong. These qualities may not be well-reflected in his application forms or the result of his examination or interview. Although it may be known to the resource manager that different cultures respond differently to various situations, the challenge is still to determine the best person whose culture and skill perfectly fits the job. Also, developing the trust with people from other culture opens another difficulty especially if a company will merge or ally with a local company of other country. Research can be done to be able to identify possible reasons to trust but it remains a thorny job for the managers in the negotiation table. Everything will matter, from the physical appearance to the gestures. Aside from these problems cited by Edward Burman, the way to designate a manager to a place is something to be thoroughly thought of. According to an interview with Robert J. Freeman, Americans are a bit resistant to exotic destinations. The question then is how these Americans would be assigned to a location beyond his desire. Or since there are expatriates of more than sixty nationalities, which should be chosen and what type of compromise would the company give to convince the manager. Nevertheless, these problems can be addressed if global managers have several skills as discussed by Josephine Song in her article Transcending Borders. The first is technical skills. Aside from the field that he is expected to master in order to efficiently perform his task, he must also be able to utilize the means that globalization brings for the betterment of doing things. He must be able to maximize opportunities and resources that might be useful for the accomplishment of his job. Likewise, he must also have good communication skills which comprise not only of knowledge of words but their proper pronunciation and usage as well, most especially English which is the basic medium for conducting business globally. Communication is not only via speaking, but also via reading, writing or listening. More importantly, global managers must take caution in their words and actions so that misunderstandings would be avoided. They must also be innovative and resourceful to improve their businesses according to the locality. With increase in expatriates all over the globe, I think it would be unfair to say that they or the locals could better cope with the changes. They might have an advantage with regards to having dealt with different cultures already that they might not find it anymore difficult to relate with another set of people. Their presence in the top management could also bring global perspective. But, their knowledge of the culture of the country where the company is located might be very limited as compared to the locals. Yes, they may be able to learn and adapt but still, the culture instilled in them would always be a part of them and their decisions and reservations. I think, it would be better to have a mix of expatriate and local managers in a global business for as Burman concluded, management remains culture-bound, be it local or expatriate.

How does Homer make Essay

The scene with Charybdis and Scylla is one of the best depicted scenes in the whole Odyssey, aiming not to build tension into the readers but to scary or even terrify them. Actually, the whole story does not begin when Odysseus faces the danger but a bit earlier. When Circe tells him what to kind of monster he will meet, this anticipates us to get ready for real horror and builds up the tension as they are sailing. But when the Trojan heroes reach the place the horror is even bigger than what we are ready for. Only the first sentence contains more than enough to see the high seriousness of the situation. Odysseus’ men are â€Å"wailing in terror† i. e. all the braveness and manhood are gone and they look more like women or babies. But all this seems to be quite logical when we read the effective description of Charybdis that Homer uses. Adjectives such as â€Å"awesome†, â€Å"fearful† and â€Å"dreadful† gives the reader the impression that the ship is doomed to disappear forever. Moreover, Charybdis does not just throw away the water but it â€Å"vomits it† and it â€Å"rains down† – verbs showing how massive and powerful the whirlpool is. The simile with â€Å"a cauldron† is not long or detailed, but actually it gives the best possible image of what danger Odysseus and his men are. If they get even one inch closer probably all will be boiled. What completes the picture is the fearful sound Homer includes â€Å"the rocks re-echoed to her fearful roar† – Charybdis resembles a lion ready to swallow everything on his way. Once again the reaction of Odysseus’ men draws an exact image of the terror – â€Å"my men turned pale† – helpless fearing for their lifes, afraid to move or say a word. Thus frozen, now Odysseus’ men face even a bigger surprise and terror with Scylla having grabbed 6 of them. The unexpected change throws the reader in even greater tension, but what is worse is that Odysseus loses his â€Å"strongest men†. Now Homer draws us into one sense – helplessness. First the description of Scylla is skillfully made to show how doomed is the whole situation – she â€Å"snatched† and â€Å"whisked† Odysseus’ comrades while they are â€Å"dangling† in the air. The choice of words is not random, but aims to build up senses of power and violence on the one side and fear and death on the other. Once again Homer uses sounds but this time in a different way. The â€Å"dangling† men are calling Odysseus, who he can’t do anything but standing and looking at them. Just a silent witness. Homer uses a precise simile to draw the way in which Scylla swallows the men. She is like an â€Å"angler† and they are like fish -description that crates the feeling that the sailors are small and insignificant and this is the natural order: the angler must catch his dinner. The reader by now feels more than pity but Homer goes on showing us how the â€Å"little fishes† are suffering and â€Å"struggling† and â€Å"shrieking† in â€Å"desperate throes†, all of this action looking worthless but showing will for life, life that they will lose very soon. Odysseus is sad for his men and admits that he has never seen â€Å"a more pitiable sight†. That makes even bigger impression knowing about Odysseus meetings with the Cyclops, the Laestrygonians, the Sirens etc. He has endured much and seen even more but that is the only moment he feels so helpless, useless and wordless.

Government Treating Their Citizens As Customers - 803 Words

I agree that a government treating their citizens as customers is problematic. The problem is how each party views the other’s role in this relationship and the desired outcomes of the transaction. Customers have a very passive relationship to their providers; the customer pays money for a service and the business provides that service. The business maintains total control over what goods and services it provides and may not provide options from which customers can choose (Resnikoff, 2013). The customer can choose with whom it does business and the provider can choose to whom it provides the service. In this situation, the focus in purely monetary: the more money we â€Å"customers† put into the government, the more goods and services we should receive. The government must also acknowledge â€Å"the customer is always right† (Bellavita, 2013) and that it has an obligation to provide the services they claim to supply. This is impossible by government standa rds because there are too many customers with different views on what is right so in this transactional relationship, those with the most money will receive their version of what is right. In essence, the government can be purchased; those with the most money will have the most influence. The other problem with this view is it causes both parties to focus on individual needs instead of those of the collective (Bellavita, 2013). When we view ourselves as customers, this also encourages us to be more competitive and focusShow MoreRelatedBureaucracy And Bureaucracies1714 Words   |  7 Pagesorganization is not easy to maintain. According to Kettl, it is important to for citizens and the government to have a relationship with each other (2017, 3). In bureaucracies, there is not much room for a healthy relationship between citizens and the government because the two can be constantly in disagreement about issues – there may even be a divide between citizens themselves. One example would be abortion rights. Citizens may have a divide among themselves about the right to have an abortion – pro-choiceRead MoreThe Treatment Of Drug Store Advantage Administrators1262 Words   |  6 Pagesregulation is the requirement for straightforwardness to keep medication a rrangement chiefs from over the top imprint ups for medications to the detriment of patients and wellbeing arrangements. In the appearance of ensuring customers, there are incessant calls for state and government officials to establish laws that hamper the productive administration of physician endorsed medication advantage For example, Mississippi exchanged administrative power over medication arranges from the state s protectionRead MoreTobacco Products And Its Effects On Children And Young Adults954 Words   |  4 Pageswas brought to the table with the intentions of keeping the citizens of India from undue influence towards the use of a product that when used to the satisfaction of its producers would result in major health issues and eventual death. The use of tobacco products is directly attributable to the deaths of 3 million people in 1990 and the eventual death of 10 million people in the year 2030. Those in favor of the ban argued that a government that provides health insurance for the very people it collectsRead MoreThe Affordable Care Act ( Aca )1575 Words   |  7 Pagesaccountable for their customers’ health by preventing them from mistreating their policyholders, and expand the health care system to offer affordable rates to more Americans. One of the examples of misconduct that Obama provided were that insurance companies were able to drop someone from their plan, or deny their customers health insurance coverage if they had a pre-existing medical condition. The ACA also implemented an individual mandate which required almost all U.S. citizens and legal residentsRead MoreToyota Motor Corporation Ineffective Managed Its Crisis921 Words   |  4 Pagesto recall products. †¢ Toyota UK s managing director, Miguel Fonseca, as the spokesperson, miscommunicated with media, created confusion and concern. †¢ The company â€Å"magnified† its legal liabilities by denying on responsibilities with media, government enforce Toyota and held a congressional hearing, result in millions of dollars of loss. The Toyota Motor Corporate failed to respond to the crisis proactively, forced to recall 3.8 million vehicles related to weather floor mat, two months afterRead MoreManagement1118 Words   |  5 Pagesbusiness environment  like the way employees behave and manage relations with each other and outsidethe business surroundings like how the business is treating its customers and otherstakeholders. There is need of ethics in the business because, if the ethics arefollowed in and outside the business environment than it can help the business inattracting customers and generating revenue, it can also help in retaining empoyeesand reducing labor turnover and increasing productivity. 2. Discuss ethics in theRead MoreGovernment Surveillance On Social Media1750 Words   |  7 Pages Government Surveillance: Social Media David Lopez Florida International University CGS 3095 Section U01 – Fall 2015 Abstract This paper will cover the pros and cons of government surveillance. It will cover different views on the issue such as ethical, social, and global impact. This paper will try to answer the question of how government surveillance on social media can impact local citizens in the United States and how it impacts on controlling terrorismRead MoreAny Information Is Up On The Web, Stays On The Web, Except1201 Words   |  5 Pagesthat they are not treating people on both sides of the Atlantic the same way.† Controversially, the â€Å"right to be forgotten† is still on debates in the United States. Some people think that this right is a form of censorship and it confines the freedom of expression; according to Samantha Bates a research associate, Berkman Center for Internet Society, Harvard University, â€Å"In comparison to European nations, the US constitution places stricter limitations on what the government can order a companyRead MoreThe Coexistence of the Media and the Government Essay examples702 Words   |  3 PagesThe Coexistence of the Media and the Government The American media system is spinning out of control in a hyper-commercialized frenzy. Fewer than ten transnational media conglomerates dominate much of our media; fewer than two dozen account for the overwhelming majority of our newspapers, magazines, films, television, radio, and books. With every aspect of our media culture now fair game for commercial exploitation, we can look forward to the full-scale commercialization of sports, arts, andRead MoreEssay on Two Sides of the Illegal Immigration Issue1485 Words   |  6 PagesIllegal immigration is a â€Å"hot† topic in our country. There is controversy between the state and federal governments over who has authority, and our elected officials in Washington are addressing the issue, with limited success. The majority of us have some opinion on the subject, and our opinions tend to be based on how the issue will impact us. We question if illegal immigration is good for us. What are the costs to us? Is it in the best int erest of our country? As nearly twelve million people

Gandhi The Great Soul - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2139 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/08/06 Category People Essay Level High school Tags: Mahatma Gandhi Essay Did you like this example? Gandhi The Great soul Gandhi had a valuable impact on India as he got independence beginning with time in South Africa as a lawyer. The Salt March was the first Nonviolence Movement (Satyagraha) in India that he started in South Africa. The Nonviolence Movement in South Africa had a great impact on the Indians who are living in South Africa and the Quit India Movement to fight for independence in India. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Gandhi: The Great Soul" essay for you Create order He was later troubled over the Two Nation Theory because Gandhi wanted India and Pakistan together and was upset when the separation occurred in 1947 after independence. Beginning with time in South Africa as a lawyer Gandhi was not a popular lawyer and throughout his journey in South Africa, he was successful and also witnessed some situations which made him think about them and find a solution. Gandhi’s first case in South Africa as a lawyer was when an Indian firm doing business in South Africa asked him to travel to Durban in order to settle a dispute and represent it in a civil suit against another Indian firm (Sofri 56-57). While he was going from Durban to Pretoria on the court case that he was handling and working on, he been thrown out of the train. Even though he had a first class ticket the train conductor asked him to move to third class because of his skin color and race. This was a firm event that Gandhi would remember. And his non-violence movement started from then (Sofri 56-57). There were close to 100,00 Indians in South Africa and almost every Indian is treated very badly like, they were ordered to work as slaves, and other low paid and hard working jobs. Gandhi saw how oppresses his countrymen were by the whites (Sofri 56-57). When Gandhi became Mahatma he created a lot of thoughts and ideas that would help many people. In South Africa, he lived there for over 20 years and elaborated many of the ideas that would lead him to become Mahatma. One major accomplishment that Gandhi did in South Africa is that he created a Nonviolence Movement which is a protest without violence against some laws that hold the Indians back. One example of where the laws holding Indians back is the Balck Act It helped many Indians who were living in South Africa (Sofri 56-57). Many of Gandhis followers in South Africa followed him to an ashram which is a place of self-sufficient community where they practiced the ideals of satyagraha and hoped to inspire the outside world to embrace nonviolence. Later, Gandhi was very popular in South Africa due to his Nonviolence Movement (Stockdale). The black act was also one of the reasons Gandhi started satyagraha. The black act required Indians in South Africa to be fingerprinted and to carr y registration documents with them all times (Vander 41-42). It also declared Indian marriages invalid (Vander 41-42). Gandhi created satyagraha to get the laws out of the Indians way so that they can live freely. After some time it paid off as Indians got freedom in South Africa and were able to do many things like voting and other things that all people do (Vander 41-42). Salt March was the beginning of Gandhi’s Nonviolence Movement in India. Salt March was Gandhis most famous non-violence act which began on March 12, 1930. He led his 240-mile anti-salt tax march south from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi beach (Wolpert Gandhi, Mahatma M. K). Many people followed him including his followers, Sarojini Naidu and many other great personalities who want to make India better and get independence (Wolpert Gandhi, Mahatma M. K). British imposed hard taxes on basic necessities. During Britishers rule in India, they imposed harsh taxes on basic necessities like salt and other products ( Vander 7-9). Salt is a basic necessity of life and if there are harsh taxes on basic goods like salt, poor people cannot afford to buy it and will have to starve to death ( Vander 7-9). Gandhi criticized the government for taking ( imposing harsh taxes) an important product that nature provided in abundance ( Vander 7-9). On April 6, 1930, Gandhi was in a small village called Dandi and took a mixture of salt and mud and lifted above his head. Many other followers shouted and cheered, hoping for a better future by this movement ( Vander 7-9). Gandhi and other people did this march so as to take an action on tax resistance. Gandhi and his followers c onducted this protest in a nonviolent way against the British salt monopoly (Vander 7-9). Many people who participated in this movement have been arrested and put in jail. Gandhi welcomed people who have been arrested and spun cotton while in jail (Wolpert â€Å" Gandhi, Mahatma M.K†). This movement was great as it gained worldwide attention and gave Indians energy about participating in any activity that would get their Independence (Wolpert â€Å" Gandhi, Mahatma M.K†). The Nonviolence Movement made Indian people get Courage and hope during the British rule. Nonviolence is Gandhi’s preferred way of doing something or anything. Gandhi insisted that truth and love are very important and he said that they will move the world that means anyone can do anything with those characteristics (Wolpert Gandhi, Mahatma M. K). Gandhi prayed Rama. He used most ancient yogic weapons instead of physical weapons to control before launching any revolutionary movement. In this case, he did a lot of fasting before he started some movements which went very viral across India (Wolpert Gandhi, Mahatma M. K). He did not hate enemies and taught his followers to love instead of harming someone who has a grudge on (Wolpert Gandhi, Mahatma M. K). Gandhis concept of nonviolence was a moral belief. His concept of non-violence rebuked not only killing but hurting, harming or inflicting suffering on any living being (Sofri 167-169). Gandhi intended to modify the world, but not to accept it (Sofri 167-169). Gandhi intended to oppose evil actively in order to defeat it. He intended to combat injustice. He did not deny conflict, but only the use of violence to resolve it (Sofri 167-169). Gandhi believed that violence never leads to a lasting or stable solution to the conflict. Gandhi led his struggles with incredible loyalty. He never adopted a strategy of surprise (Sofri 167-169). Gandhi said Satyagraha is not predominantly civil disobedience, but a quiet and irresistible pursuit of truth ( qtd. In Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi). Gandhi developed the concept of satyagraha (Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi). He started satyagraha (nonviolent resistance) in South Africa. Gandhi urged all Indians in South Africa to defy a law requiring registration and fingerprinting of all Indians (Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi). This quote is saying that satyagraha is a nonviolent act which holds onto its truth and proceed without any harm to others (Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi). Albert Einstein said,Generations to come will scarcely believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth. He also said will scarcely believe (qtd. in Gandhi). Einstein had in mind Gandhis distinctive capacity for nonviolent resistance (Gandhi). Quit India movement was a movement started by Gandhi. Its motto is to send British out of India and get Freedom in India. Gandhi didnt accept British demands of supporting Britain its allies in WWII (Wolpert â€Å"Gandhi, Mahatma M.K†). He insisted that all mass violence is evil and was against just war concept (Wolpert â€Å"Gandhi, Mahatma M.K†). He started his Satyagraha movement after the WWII started by sending his disciple Vinoba Bhave to break British martial law (Wolpert â€Å"Gandhi, Mahatma M.K†). Gandhi demands the British to leave India(Vander 76-77). On August 8, 1942, Gandhi demanded that the British leave India (Vander 76-77). He told people to carry out nonviolence civil disobed ience in what came to be called the Quit India movement (Vander 76-77). When they are participating in the Quit India Movement campaigns and other programs many people like Gandhi, Naidu, Kasturbai were arrested (Vander 76-77). In retaliation, large-scale violence broke out all over India. People burned government officials, exploded bombs, cut off electricity (Vander 76-77). They vandalized railroad stations, telegraph offices, and anything else related to British rule (Vander 76-77).   British officials were attacked and some were killed. Gandhi, from his jail, began writing letters to British office, demanding rights for the Indian people (Vander 76-77). Gandhi went to Bombay to lead the Congress working committee in one final mass Satyagraha to end the British Raj who have been waiting to arrest Gandhi (Wolpert Gandhi, Mahatma M. K). He resolved to demand that every British soldier and civilian must immediately leave by using the quote Quit India (Wolpert Gandhi, Mahatma M. K). Two Nation Theory states that Pakistan should be a separate country to that of India. Just months before Indias independence, carnage in scale broke out against Hindus in Muslim-dominated Eastern Bengal and against Muslims in Hindu-majority Bihar (Gandhi). Gandhi never accepted the Two Nations theory, which stated that a sanctuary for the subcontinents Muslims in a future Pakistan and a natural home for its Hindus in India (Gandhi). Gandhi always wanted India and Pakistan to be like br others but the British came and destroyed Gandhi dream by separating India and Pakistan (Gandhi). On Aug. 15, 1947, as India won its freedom Gandhi didnt celebrate the independence instead he was in Calcutta, where sectarian riots between India and Pakistan had disfigured life, even as bloody carnage had left hundreds of Hindus dead in Eastern Bengal and Muslims, likewise, in Bihar (Gandhi). On Jan 30, 1948, a Hindu Brahmin who believed Gandhi had betrayed Hindus and supported Muslim killed Gandhi with three bullets fired at point blank. Everybody hopes, that Gandhi was there to support them in all aspects, has vanished and were very sad (Gandhi). Gandhi didnt show hatred or write a harsh word. But with his toughest resistance which is called satyagraha, he managed to tackle the situation. Many great leaders like Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela found this capacity in Gandhi compelling, exemplary and even sublime (Gandhi). Gandhi said, I am not going to leave Benga l until the last embers of trouble are stamped out†(qtd. inMohandas Karamchand Gandhi). When Gandhi came from the prison due to the Quit India movement he sought to avert the creation of a separate Muslim state of Pakistan that Muhammad Ali Jinnah was demanding (Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi). Gandhi suggested that Jinnah is offered the post of prime minister or defense minister. Jinnah refused and instead declared a direct action day on August 16 (Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi). On August 16, many innocent people died and several were wounded in Calcutta (Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi). Then he went to Bengal and said this quote. He warned that he would fast to death. Then he went to Noakhali, a Muslim city in Bengal and said: Do or Die.He said either Hindus and Muslims would learn to live together, or he would die in the attempt. After this, the situation calmed down for some time but rioting started in elsewhere (Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi). Gandhi’s thoughts after independence were downcast as he didnt achieve what he wanted. Gandhis dream of Indias independence came true on August 15, 1947 (Vander 79-80). But he had never wanted religion to divide the people which in this case are the Hindus and Muslims (Vander 79-80). Pakistan and India are divided into two countries on June 3, 1947, and was announced by viceroy Lord Louis Mountbatten (Vander 79-80). Subhash Chandra Bose was attracted to the ideals of socialism and communism while he had lived in western Europe for several years in early 1930 (Wolpert â€Å"Bose, Subhash Chandra†). He later preferred fascism and Nazism which he thought he could humanize with an admixture of Indian philosophy, then introduce to India as a potent form of national Indian socialism. Gandhi is simple and preached non-violence while Bose was attracted to all evil governments systems and influenced many people (Wolpert â€Å"Bose, Subhash Chandra†). Bose didnt join Gandhis revolutionary opposition to British rule and he found Gandhi as too nebulous about the goals of his movement, and too worried about avoiding all violence in the national protest. So Bose thought Violence is the only way to end British rule and started to go against Gandhi in many ways (Wolpert). By looking at the thesis statements and looking at what Gandhi did, one would say that Gandhi did way better than Subhash Chandra Bose as Gandhi preached non-violence while Subhash Chandra Bose thought violence is the only way to end British rule. Technically thinking Nonviolence is better as no one would get hurt and things can go smoothly without any harm to anybody. And Bose was also towards Nazism and communism which are some violent type of governments. So Gandhi is way better than Bose as he preached non-violence and did all things smoothly and clearly without any type of harm or mess to anybody.

Essay about Maternity Leave in Australia - 524 Words

Maternity Leave in Australia Maternity leave allows women to take leave of absence from their job to give birth and care for their children. The International Labor Organisation sets minimum standards for maternity leave. These include a right to 12 weeks paid maternity leave and prohibition against dismissal during maternity leave. Although a member of the ILO, Australia has never ratified its convention concerning maternity protection ---- we have no standard maternity leave provisions. Australian law entitles women to 12 months unpaid leave and for more than 25 years the Commonwealth Employees Act has entitled Commonwealth employees to paid maternity leave. About two-thirds of women in the†¦show more content†¦Of industrialised nations, it is the Scandinavian countries that set the pace. In Norway, for example, women are entitled to a years maternity leave on full pay, two years unpaid leave and the right to part-time employment while their children are young. Supporters of more comprehensive paid maternity leave say motherhood means a substantial loss of earnings, demotion and insecurity in the workplace for many women. Providing financial and job security for women as well as helping businesses retain skilled employees makes good financial sense. They point out that it is only a privileged few who receive paid leave, and these are usually women on higher incomes. There are also those who point to paid maternity leave as a way of dealing with concerns about the ageing of the Australian population and declining birth rate. Demographer Professor Peter McDonald claims that Australia cannot afford to continue with its system of unpaid leave if it wants to encourage the birth rate, which is presently below replacement levels. Striking a balance between affordable policies and meeting the needs of families is challenging. Many agree that it is unfair for business alone to be expected to shoulder the burden of paid leave. Australian Democrats leader Senator Natasha Stott Despoja has suggested that consideration be given to alternatives to the existing employer-pays system. She advocatesShow MoreRelatedPaid Maternity Leave1579 Words   |  7 PagesQuestion: Australia has to date not legislated for paid maternity leave, unlike most other countries. Assess who should take responsibility for paid maternity leave. Explain the reasons for your response. Paid maternity leave is defined as income replacement to compensate for the leave from paid employment necessary around child-birth (Baird, 2002a:2). In the developed world today, many western countries have designed a legislated for paid maternity leave such as Sweden, Germany, United KingdomRead MoreBenefits Of A Paid Maternity Leave876 Words   |  4 PagesPaid maternity leave is a specific period of time allotted by one’s employer in which a woman is able to be on paid leave after having a child. Most, if not all developed countries in the world offer paid maternity leave to it’s expectant women. However, paid maternity leave is considered a privilege, not a right in the United States and it is not mandated to be offered by employers. Although the length of paid leave varies from country to country, it is evident that countries around the world seeRead MoreMaternity Leave Rights1067 Words   |  4 Pages As women knowing your maternity leave rights and laws is something that is fundamental and worth acknowledging. Many jobs here in the United States do not take this topic serious which could affect the stability of coworkers and final outcome. Mothers and daughters are in need of being able to leave their place of work to rest and take care of them selves for the upcoming birth of their children. In this proposal I am asking for your consideration of changing the law and fro you to use your powersRead MoreA Brief Note On The United States And Papua New Guinea1614 Words   |  7 Pagesanywhere in Colorado, you will find out that it is not as great as you might have thought. As of today, the United States accompanies the non-developed Suriname (South America) and Papua New Guinea (Australia) in the group of the only three countries in the world that do not offer any kind of paid maternity leave, as reported recently by ABC News. If some American states, like California and New Jersey, are correcting that mistake with proper state laws, Colorado falls far behind. As the liberal state thatRead MoreIndustrial Relation Issues On Industrial Instruments And Entitlements1500 Words   |  6 Pagesreport is WestPac it is one of the biggest leading banks in Australia which provide various financial services for their customers. The issues that will be discussed in this report outlines the conflicts of maternal/parental leave in Westpac, enterprise agreements of the workplace, comparisons between industrial instruments and if these requirements fit in with the National Employment Standards (NES). Moreover, under the Fair Work Australia Act 2009, it covers many industrial instruments particularlyRead MoreBenefits Of Implementing The Parental Leave Policy1042 Words   |  5 Pagesthe paternity/ maternity leave policies. Even with current changes we are not where we need to be. The United States Army currently offers 10 days of paternity leave to Soldiers that are married ¹ and 12 weeks of maternity leave for female Soldiers. ² The Army should convert these two policies into one policy titled parental leave. Some of the benefits of implementing the parental leave policy are mother’s physical and mental readiness, increased performance, and equality. Maternity leave is to allowRead MoreWhy Mothers Come Back From The United States1853 Words   |  8 PagesIt has been noticed across the United States that new mothers are returning back to work earlier, rather than staying home on maternity leave for the approved 12-weeks. There have been many reasons expressed as to why mothers come back to work only six weeks after having a child, some of them astounding after seeing how we compare to the rest of the world. New mothers feel the pressure at work and they will miss out on a job promotion since they were gone for a marked period of time. Others areRead MorePaid Paternal Leave And The United States1386 Words   |  6 Pages Paid Paternal Leave and the United States Part One: Problem Statement/Background The women s rights movement in the 1960s made one of the most monumental accomplishments of gaining equal opportunities in the workplace with the Equal Pay Act guaranteeing women â€Å"equal pay for equal work† as their male counterparts. Although this opened doors for women to have the same opportunities in the workforce as men it didn t, however, address the fact that women would most likely work during pregnancy andRead MoreU.s. Census Bureau s Current Population Survey1468 Words   |  6 PagesMen are also affected by becoming a parent while being part of the workforce (Gray). Starting or expanding a family affects both a woman and a man in emotional and financial ways; therefore, parental leave from a job should be a reasonable length, paid, and for both parents. The fight for parental leave reform is not new. Laws regarding parents in the workforce date back to the Progressive Era. Six laws in effect before 1920 forbid the employment of women weeks before and after having a child. JumpRead MoreFeminism : The Second Wave Of Feminism1222 Words   |  5 Pagescontributions are valued. It is based on a social political and economical which is an equality for women. It’s a revolution that includes women and men who who wish the world to be equal without boundaries. The evolution of the rights of women in Australia owes much to successive waves of feminism, or the women s movement. The first of these took place in the late 19th century and was concerned largely with gaining the right to vote and to stand for election into parliament. The second wave of feminism

Critical Discussions Faculty of Tourism and Hotels

Question: Discuss about theCritical Discussions for Faculty of Tourism and Hotels. Answer: Anybody can do Housekeeping; it is not a Skilled Profession Housekeeping can be considered as an art managing the duties and responsibilities of a house like cleaning, purchasing the required goods, maintaining hygiene premises, laundering, payment of monthly bills etc. The housekeeping activity has given priority in the house of the individual, in the organizations, in hotels etc. This activity cannot be performed by anyone while at house or at the hotel premises. According to the guidelines of marik, the housekeeping can be considered as a profession which all individuals should get expertise. He suggest that the employees in the industries like the hospitality, hotels, clinics, restaurants, etc should practice housekeeping well so as to maintain a hygienic premises and so to attract customers (Marik, 2015). From the article of Tyagi and Zagade it is evident that the housekeeping is a profession which requires skills and not everyone can perform excellent housekeeping. In their article it specifies that the hotels and organizations have sta rted outsourcing the housekeeping activities so that they can maintain their premises clean and attractive (Tyagi and Zagade). Every individual in a home or an employee may not have the patience to keep the home or office clean and to manage it properly. For performing the housekeeping effectively one requires patience, proactive thinking should be energetic, should possess the talent to maintain records of purchase and payment details etc. These abilities are not seen in everyone any those who lacks it will miss out something which can put the others also in trouble (Jafarey and Maiti, 2015). In travel and tourism sectors the management provides additional training and development to their employees for housekeeping (Aziz, 2016). Hence it can be justified that housekeeping is considered as professional skill. A Concierge Should always Suggest the hotels own Services Before Suggesting Outside Entities While the job responsibility of a concierge is taken into consideration his primary role is to assist the customers of the hotel with the reservations for restaurants, tours etc. Since concierge is an employee of a hotel who is supposed to perform the above mentioned responsibilities, he is expected to mention the services provided by the hotel initially rather than informing the customers about the services provided by the competitors. Being ethical and responsible towards the hotel where he is working obviously he should refer to the services provided by the hotels so as to gain profit for the organization (Sharma, 2016). According to Mouradian, concierge service is considered as one of the most innovative services provided by the luxury hotels worldwide. This service is particularly intended to provide personalized service to the customers so as to enhance the customer satisfactory level. Through the provision of this service the management ensures that the customers are provided with relevant information regarding the service and assistance (Mouradian, 2015). Hence it becomes the responsibility of a concierge to suggest about the services provided by the hotel itself on demand rather than insisting the other competitors. From this discussions it can be strongly justified that a concierge should work for the benefit for the organization and should perform the duty assigned to him appropriately. Any action opposite to this can be considered as unethical and immoral towards the organization (Menoux, 2016). He or she can suggest outside entities if it is not provided by the hotels. Finally it is the customers who decide which service should be opted. A Hotel can Outsource its Reservations Department. Having a web page which includes a reservation system is an asset for a hotel. This brings competitive advantage and many other benefits for the organization. Now when considering a reservation system for a hotel it has to be effective so as to obtain the desired output (Claver, 2012). If a hotel management decides to develop a reservation system which is attractive, user friendly, fast, efficient etc it requires more investment in terms of money and timer. Hence outsourcing the reservation system can be considered as an effective alternative. Mr. Kimes in his journal has specified that through outsourcing the business processes like the reservation systems the hotels can improve their business performances (Kimes, 2016). Through outsourcing the hotels can get a reservation system which is more professional and effective. Through this outsourcing business strategy the hotels can save time and money investments which in turn can bring them more benefits. The up gradation of the reserv ation systems, advertisements regarding the new services, etc can also be done periodically without any new investments. Once this service this outsourced it becomes their responsibility to maintain and upgrade the system periodically (Islam, 2016). Hence it can be clearly justified that outsourcing the reservation department of hotel is an effective business strategy which can attain competitive advantage, customer attraction, customer satisfaction etc. Maintaining the reservation systems by themselves will require the hotel management to recruit IT professionals to develop, maintain and upgrade the system which can enhance the cost of production of the hotels (Assimakopoulos, 2015). Automated Reception Machines Cannot Replace a Majority of Reception Staff Automated reception machines are the new innovation in the hotel industry which can replace the staff members and can work continuously without any interruptions. This innovation can change the reputation of the hotels in a positive manner (Yun et al, 2016). The customers can be perceived that the hotel or the organization which utilized this technology is very high tech. The customers would certainly like this type of innovation and can also grab the attention of the customers easily. But these machines cannot replace a majority of the reception staffs. The customers would definitely prefer to speak to the reception staffs rather than machines (Bechet et al, 2015). These automated machines can be utilized for welcoming the guests, providing the general information regarding the services, layout information etc. For such basic services the automated machines are an effective tool which can also reduce the wait time of the customers for the staff members. But for handling the other re quirements of the customers like attending the telephones call, for taking orders, for the allocation of the rooms etc the individual staff members are essential. In order to please and make the customers satisfied reception staff members are certainly required (Gidumal and Gonzlez, 2015). The customers always prefer hospitality which can be delivered only by humans not the machines. Hence the automated machines can be kept as the tool so as to attract the customers and to reduce the work burden of the receptionist. But it cannot be replaced with majority of the staffs in the reception. By replacing the machines with the staff members can certainly reduce the customer satisfactory level (Ruhala, 2015). There may be customers who are not so highly savvy and can struggle with the automated machines is order to get a service. Hence the argument against the statement can be justified. It is Essential for Hotel General Managers to Work for a Period of their Careers as Night Auditors. When the general managers of the hotels are taken into consideration they should possess good experience and knowledge so as to manage the business operations of the hotel. The general managers gather their experience in the relevant field strating their careers as the executives. There is no general manager who is a manager from the beginning (Aissa and Goaied, 2016). His experience from the smaller job profiles makes him aware about each and every operations of the hotel sector. This enables him to manage his employees and coordinate their work towards the organizational goal. But this decision doesnt argue that the general manager should have worked as a night auditor whiles his career development stages (Reilly, 2015). If he had worked or gone through this work profile it would an added advantage and would have an awareness regarding that. There is no compulsion that the general manager should have an experience as a night auditor. A general manager should possess relevant educat ional qualification, experience more than 8 years in a leadership position, good interpersonal and interactive skills, employability skills etc. These all abilities will qualify an individual as a general manager. Hence it is justified that a general manager need not be essentially be a night auditor (Storey, 2016). References Aissa, S.B. and Goaied, M., 2016, Determinants of Tunisian hotel profitability: The role of managerial efficiency. Tourism Management, 52, pp.478-487 Aziz, W., 2016. Evaluation of the Performance of Guest Room Attendants of Housekeeping Department (Application to Cairo Three Star Hotels), Journal of Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Fayoum University, 7(2) Assimakopoulos, C., Papaioannou, E., Sarmaniotis, C. and Georgiadis, C.K., 2015. Online reviews as a feedback mechanism for hotel CRM systems, Anatolia, 26(1), pp.5-20 Bechet, P., Scortar, R.M., Todorov, T., Boneva, B. and Miclaus, S., 2015. Design and testing of an automated receiving system for the ionospheric sounding in HF radiofrequency range. Acta Technica Napocensis, 56(3), p.15. Bulchand-Gidumal, J. and Melin-Gonzlez, S., 2015, Information Technology (IT) in Hotels: A Full Catalogue. Available at SSRN 2771059 Claver, E., Gonzlez, R., Gasc, J. and Llopis, J., 2012. Information systems outsourcing: reasons, reservations and success factors. Logistics Information Management, 15(4), pp.294-308. Islam, M.B., 2016. Process improvement in hotel business Jafarey, S. and Maiti, D., 2015. Glass slippers and glass ceilings: An analysis of marital anticipation and female education. Journal of Development Economics, 115, pp.45-61. Kimes, S.E., 2016. The evolution of hotel revenue management, Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management, 15(3-4), pp.247-251 Marik, P.E., 2015. House Officers Guidelines 1: Housekeeping. In Evidence-Based Critical Care (pp. 23-28). Springer International Publishing Mouradian, C., 2015. The Art of Welcome: what are the innovative practices that would enhance the guests experience in Luxury Hotels?. Menoux, T., 2016, July. The Professional Association of Luxury Hotels Concierges. High-Quality Service Professionals Collectively and Globally Organize for Action on a Symbolic Level. In Third ISA Forum of Sociology (July 10-14, 2016). Isaconf. O'Reilly, C., 2015. Identifying management competencies of hotel owner-managers general managers in the Republic of Ireland (Doctoral dissertation, Nottingham Trent University). Ruhala, L., 2015. Increasing Sales in a Hotel Lobby Shop. Storey, J. ed., 2016. Leadership in Organizations: Current Issues and Key Trends. Routledge. Sharma, D., 2016. Enhancing customer experience using technological innovations: a study of the Indian hotel industry. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 8(4). Tyagi, H. and Zagade, S., 2015. Outsourcing: A study on Benefits to Housekeeping Department in Hotels. Yun, S.G., Shin, J.W., Park, E.S., Bang, H.I. and Kang, J.G., 2016. Efficiency of an Automated Reception and Turnaround Time Management System for the Phlebotomy Room. Annals of laboratory medicine, 36(1), pp.49-54.