Iraq and Kuwait relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Iraq and Kuwait relations - Essay Example Will Iraq open negotiations?  Will Iraq open negotiations?  The negotiation platform will only be opened by Iraq if there will be any war that may materialize.For now, I don’t see any war emerging.With the good leadership of Iraq, if there need be, negotiations can be open by Iraq.Question to be answered about the specific research question. According to my specific research questions, the type of study is predictive.b. The dependent variable is Iraq open negotiations with Kuwait. No.d. The case study to be investigated is the relationship between Iraq and Kuwait. It should be given the in-depth study to see whether there can be any conflict.e. Yes. Some of the obvious answers are; Iraq will open negotiations due to the good political will and leadership. Its obvious answer because Iraq has got new leadership now which is willing to negotiate.f. NoIt is my concern that Iraq still needs oil for economic superiority and Kuwait has got this oil.So there may need to invade Kuw ait by Iraq to have this oil. This may happen if the Kuwaiti government may be refused to settle the debt they have. What interest me in this research topic is that the human lives are at stake and the conflict should be avoided at all courses.  According to Beverley Milton-Edwards and Peter Hinchcliffe, political figures, particularly in the White House, understood well that â€Å"given the powerful influence of the Zionist (pro-Israel) lobby in US internal politics, it would be a bold or rash administration that took any action that might stimulate its ire.  Ã‚  

Stakeholder theory as an organisational management theory supports good corporate governance Essay Example for Free

Stakeholder theory as an organisational management theory supports good corporate governance Essay ‘Stakeholder Theory’ as an organisational management concept supports good Corporate Governance models. Discuss whether stakeholder theory assists in determining good corporate governance models for a company. The recent increase in awareness surrounding Corporate Governance partly arose from what was considered to be some of the ‘darkest days in business’ during the early 2000’s when numerous multi national corporations unexpectedly collapsed. People the world over were greatly effected by these events, which brought into question the role of good business practice in today’s society. Freeman’s (1984) seminal work â€Å"Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach† describes ‘Stakeholder Theory’ as a structure that supports effective Corporate Governance by way of protecting and looking after not just its shareholders, but all stakeholders that have a vested interest in the company. Central to the discipline of Corporate Governance is the ethical behaviour of corporations (Crane, 2004), ‘Stakeholder Theory’ is the most influential and popular theory to emerge thus far that addresses the role of ethics in business (Stark, 1994). This essay builds on the idea that ethics, business, sustainability, responsibility and the environment are no longer separate (Freeman et al., 2010) in today’s global business world. Critics of Stakeholder theory claim that the shareholder’s ability to gain maximum profits are compromised, however recent research has shown that by creating value in a responsible manner whilst taking all constituents into account actually leads to a more profitable company, whilst encouraging long term outcomes (Donaldson, 1995). Critics also claim that stakeholder’s interests are so varied its impossible to give equal fairness to all. Whilst it is impossible to make every stakeholder’s interest equal, three key areas are assessed to determine the attributes and relevence of each stakeholder within the company’s ethical codes; power, legitimacy and urgency (Wickham, 2009). The term ‘Stakeholder Theory’ whilst in use from the 1960’s was further developed by Edward Freeman in the 1980’s and has vastly grown in popularity in recent years. Stakeholders may include but are not limited to employees,  creditors, consumers, suppliers, whilst also incorporating the extrinsic interest of Governments, competitors, the community, environment and society at large (Buchholtz, 2012). Refer to figure 1. Fig 1. A firm and its stakeholders (Polonsky Michael, 1995). The Australian Stock Exchange Corporate Governance Council guidelines (Australian, 2007) identify’s eight key priciples relating to the rules, relationships, systems and processes within and by which authority is exercised and controlled in corporations. By applying the eight principles to monitor and assess risk, optimise performance, create value and provide accountability. ‘Stakeholder Theory’ addresses these principles by concentrating on the moral responsibilities of business organisations in terms of the scope of fiduciary obligations towards their stakeholders. Researchers from Bologna’s University set out to determine whether stakeholder management actions could bring strength to internal legitimacy, thereby creating better working conditions that lead to improved company competitiveness, developed by company employees (Longo, 2008). They began by conducting two surveys on the employees of a leading Italian agricultural company who had been implementing ‘Stakeholder Theory’ for many years and had received numerous awards in recognition for their processes. They were asked a multitude of questions surrounding their roles in the workplace, their feelings toward their colleagues, employers and their work environment in detail. The researchers were then able to define quantitative measures of the system of resources to determine the role of stakeholder policies in the development of the intangible resources (Longo, 2008). Those intangible resources being, â€Å"the capacity to motivate employees† (Donaldson, 1995), â€Å"the capacity to attract and keep professional and qualified personnel in the work market† (Turban, 1997), â€Å"the ability to develop internal and external company relationships† (Post, 2002). The results indicated that the companys social policies had a significant influence particularly when it came to trust, job satisfaction, networking and communication, ability to work in a group and low turnover propensity† (Longo, 2008). Since 1983 Herman Miller the furniture manufacturing company has incorporated an employee as stakeholder program, employees carefully monitor and know how their  roles contribute to the profitability. Employees review the numbers, particularly their EVA performances, an indication of their contributions to the long-term value of the company. â€Å"We are part of the company, we think and act for what’s best for the company, and we share in the fortunes of the business, like owners. We also work hard to understand our opportunities for long-term profitability and growth† (Miller, 2010). Effective corporate governance structures encourage companies to create value, through entrepreneurialism, innovation, development and exploration, and provide accountability and control systems commensurate with the risks involved (Australian, 2007). According to a study conducted by the University of Northern Iowa, effective stakeholder management results in transparent financial reporting (Mattingly, 2009). By ensuring that decision making processes are transparent and the organisation is accountable to all its stakeholders, the effect on financial performance is a direct result of stakeholders having an active role in organisation governance. Additionally, organisations that exhibit stronger commitments to both institutional and technical stakeholders are more conservative in their accounting practices, a direct function of responsive corporate governance (Mattingly, 2009). As part of UPS’s 2011 Sustainability Report, Chairman and CEO Scott Davis spoke of the company’s financial reporting, â€Å"We are disclosing more information than ever before†¦ this process spotlights which issues are at the nexus of UPS’s own business issues with those of external stakeholders, which helps guide us in the future toward creating more sustainable, longer lasting relationships (UPS, 2011). Businesses are contributing to society more than ever before, how they contribute and make decisions raises significant ethical issues, ‘business ethics’ can be said to begin where the law ends (Crane, 2004). Additionally, companies are having to look toward creating not only sustainable organistations but environmentally sound and socially responsible establishments (Wolfe, 2007). The controversial economist Milton Friedman once said, â€Å"the only social responsibility of business is to maximise profits† (Friedman, 1962) . This way of thinking is inline with traditional ‘Agency Theory’, where the manager’s only obligation is to shareholders  (Crane, 2004). However, there is inconsistency with this argument, from a legal perspective and an economic perspective. Firstly, it is simply naà ¯ve to say that the only group who has a legitimate interest in the corporation is the shareholder. There are a multitude of groups that hold a legitimate ‘stake’ in the corporation through legal binding contracts that stipulate certain rights and claims on the corporation (Crane, 2004). For example there is legislation in place that protects workers’ rights in relation to pay and conditions, therefore from an ethical point of view the corporation has an obligation to their employees (Freeman, 2008). Secondly, there are external ramifications when a corporation ceases to consider the broader implications of it stakeholders, for example if a corporation closes down one of its factories in a small community and lays off the employees, the effect on the community is widespread, from the local business owner who loses customers, public services being cut, in turn the whole community is effected (Freeman, 2008). Recognising that the stakeholders interests have intrinsic value (normative approach), it makes not only ethical sense, but economical sense that the company takes responsibility to meet the stakeholders needs (Argandona, 2007). At Fuji Xerox responsibility and responsiveness to stakeholders is a key driver to ensure long term to sustainability. Managing Director at Fuji Xerox Nick Kugenthiran says â€Å"We manage our sustainability performance across seven areas of accountability; Business profitability Longevity, Corporate Governance compliance, Satisfying Customers, Providing a responsible solution, engaging employees, influencing sustainability outcomes and minimizing environmental impact† (Fuji.Xerox, 2011). A transparent disclosure to their stakeholders is evident in their sustainability reporting, and ethics and integrity are key corporate values. Their strong commitment to corporate citizenship demands exemplary legal compliance at a minimum. â€Å"We are working to integrate sustainability more explicitly into our governance and planning frameworks, and see an opportunity to improve our approach to risk management† (Fuji.Xerox, 2011). More and more businesses are recognising and working toward a model that incorporates corporate social responsibilities, which encourages a positive impact through its activities on the environment, consumers, employees,  communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere. Refer to figure 2 Fig 2. Carroll’s four-part model of corporate social responsibility (Crane, 2004). The critics of ‘Stakeholder Theory’ argue correctly that you cannot give all stakeholders equal interest in the business, however the process of ‘Stakeholder Analysis’ is applied as a means of systematically gathering and analyzing qualitative information to determine whose interests should be taken into account. When developing and/or implementing a policy or program, the qualities being assessed are Power, Legitimacy and Urgency, these qualities help distinguish and assign priority to the appropriate stakeholders for any given project (Winkler, 2009). Refer to Figure 3. This method best recommends how management can give due regard to the interests of those groups. In other words, it attempts to address the principle of â€Å"Who or What Really Counts† (Freeman, 1984). Figure 3. Salience Stakeholder Model (Hseih, 2009). In Conclusion ‘Stakeholder Theory’ assists in shaping good Corporate Governance by addressing the ethics of managing an organisation. The companies corporate strategies consider the interests of their stakeholders, groups and indivduals who can affect, or is affected by, the achievement of the organisation’s purpose (Freeman, 1984). Furthermore, businesses are now under more pressure to become sustainable, transparent, ethical, environmentally responsible organisations and the most effective orgainsational management approach is ‘Stakeholder Theory’. By utilising the ‘Stakeholder Analysis’ process, organisations are able to determine which stakeholders interest are a priority. Like many theory’s, Stakeholder theory is not without its flaws, additional research needs to be conducted along with further criticism in order for the theory to evolve and advance the way organisations carry out Business. By creating an holistic framework for which company’s govern and protect not only its shareholders, but the wider constituents of the organisation, namely the stakeholders (Mallin, 2004),  business and society are now forever intrinsically connected, and with ‘Stakeholder Theory’ continuing to take a larger role, businesses will be better off, ultimately society too. REFERENCES: ARGANDONA, A., AYUSO S. 2007. Responsible Corporate Governance: Towards a Stakeholder Board of Directors. Post Doctural Research Fellow. Professor of Economics, University of Navarra. AUSTRALIAN, S., EXCHANGE (ASX) CORPORATE GOVERNANCE COUNCIL. 2007. Coporate Governance Principles and Recommendations [Online]. Available: http://www.asxgroup.com.au/media/PDFs/cg_principles_recommendations_with_2010_amendments.pdf. BUCHHOLTZ, A., K. AND CARROLL, A, B. 2012. Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility Ethics, Sustainability and Stakeholder Management, Australia, Cengage Learning. CRANE, A., MATTEN, D. 2004. Business Ethics, United States, Oxford University Press. DONALDSON, T., LEE, E. PRESTON 1995. The Stakeholder Theory of the Corporation: Concepts, Evidence, and Implications The Academy of Management Review, 20, 65-91. FREEMAN, E., R; HARRIS, J. 2008. The Impossibility of the Seperation Thesis. Business Ethics Quarterly, 18, 541-548. FREEMAN, R. E. 1984. Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach, Pitman Boston. FREEMAN, R. E., HARRISON, J. S., WICKS, A. C., PARMAR, B. L. DE COLLE, S. 2010. Stakeholder Theory : The State of the Art. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. FRIEDMAN, M. 1962. Capitalism and freedom, p.x1 FUJI.XEROX. 2011. Sustainability Report [Online]. Available: http://www.fxasustainability.com.au/2011/index.php. HSEIH, M. 2009. Human centric knowledge seeking strategies; stakeholder perspective. Journal of Knowledge Management, 13, 115-133. LONGO, M., MURA, M. 2008. Stakeholder management and human resources: development and implementation of a performance measurement system. Corporate Governance, 8, 191-213. MALLIN, C., A. 2004. Corporate Governance, United States, Oxford University Press. MATTINGLY, J., E., HARRAST, S., OLSEN, L. 2009. Governance implications of the effects of stakeholder management on financial reporting. Corporate Governance, 9, 271-282. MILLER, H. 2010. Herman Miller: A better world  report [Online]. POLONSKY MICHAEL, J. 1995. A stakeholder theory approach to designing marketing strategy. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 10, pp29-46. POST, J. E., PRESTON, L.E., SACHS, S. 2002. Redefining the Corporation: Stakeholder Management and Organisation al Wealth. STARK, A. 1994. Whats the matter with business ethics? Harvard Business Review, pg 38-48. TURBAN, D. B., GREENING, D.W. 1997. Corporate social performance and organisational attrativeness to prospective employees. The Academy of Management Journal, 40, 658-72. UPS. 2011. Logistics at the Core: Corporate Sustainability Report 2011 [Online]. Atlanta Georgia. Available: http://www.responsibility.ups.com/community/Static Files/sustainability/2011_UPS_CSR_Report.pdf. WICKHAM, M., WONG, T. 2009. Stakeholder Management Capability: Exploring the Strategic Management of Dissenting Stakeholder Groups. University of Tasmania. WINKLER, I. 2009. Stakeholder Salienc in Corporate Codes of Ethics [Online]. Available: http://ejbo.jyu.fi/pdf/ejbo_vol14_no1_pages_4-13.pdf [Accessed 1 14]. WOLFE, B., D., SHETH N, J., SISODIA, S R. 2007. Firms of Edearment: How world class companies profit from passion and purspose.

Us airways swot analysis

Us airways swot analysis US Airways SWOT Analysis Mission Statement Customer service has always been a priority at US Airways, and we are committed to making every flight count for our valued customers. Our promise to you, the safety and satisfaction of our customers is a top priority for our airline. Customers first is the result of a joint effort of the airline industry, the US Congress and the US Department of transportation to address the key service elements that affects our customers. New Mission Statement Here at US Airways, we strive to create a modern travelling experience for our passengers. Our young fleet offers passengers the comfort and luxury of 21st century flight. From Wi-Fi, to satellite television to seats that reclines as beds, when u fly with us, youre always connected to the modern world. Strength of US Airways US Airways has much strength as a major airline. After its merger with America West in 2005, it became the 5th largest airline in the US, combining the East Coast prominence of US Airways and the West Coast strengths of America West. US Airways operates more than 3,800 departures a day to 240 destinations in 32 countries and flies nearly 70 million passengers a year. The company has two subsidiaries, US Airways Shuttle and US Airways Express which provide hourly short haul flights in the high demand metropolitan areas of NY, BOS, DC. This in particular is a great strength of US Airways because business flyers frequently travel between those cities on a daily basis and tend to sell out those flights. Below is a picture of the aircraft which provides these short distance flights for the business class. It also operates nonstop flights connecting business and pleasure travelers between Philadelphia and London. One of the biggest strengths that US Airways holds over all the other airlines is that it operates the largest fleet of Airbus aircraft in the world, particularly the Airbus A320 family which is considered the leader in the single-aisle jetliner market. The A320 family consists of four aircrafts (A318, A319, A320, and A321) which responds to airlines needs for optimized cabin layouts, better baggage and cargo handling, maximum operational flexibility on short and medium haul routes and most importantly lower operating costs that only a new-generation aircraft can offer. The Envoy Class and seats that US Airways flights have is strength in attracting business travelers. The Envoy Sleeper seats as they are known are seats on the A330-300 in business class that recline completely flat and form a bed as shown in figure 2 below. Those other airplane models that do not have the envoy seats have an envoy class in which every seat is fitted with a personal on demand screen to watch movies, play games, watch syndicated television, and each seat has an EmPower outlet. Other airlines typically only have one outlet per every 2 seats in coach or have done away with the outlets altogether. US Airways is also adding the Envoy Sleeper seats to its transatlantic B767 models. US Airways also have programs that give it strengths in areas other airlines lack. Dividend Miles is US Airways frequent flyer program which gives passengers who fly a certain amount of preferred miles perks such as upgrades, free checked bags, and early check in options. Many airlines have their own rewards program but US Airways has the advantage as it is part of the Star Alliance which is the largest airline alliance. Star Alliance is made up of 25 airlines and even if you do not fly US Airways as long as you fly one of the alliance airlines, your preferred miles are honored. The Star Alliance has their own premium levels for passengers enrolled in the alliances member programs. So regardless of the airline in the alliance, youre still eligible for the upgrades. Star Alliance makes up 28% of the global market share and was voted best airline alliance in 2007 (the next page demonstrates the members of the star alliance and some key facts which was taken from the Star Alliance webs ite). US Airways airport lounges are called US Airways Clubs and have 19 lounges in 14 airports across the US and can also be used within the Star Alliance. This is another perk that many other airlines have but unlike many including the larger airlines such as Delta, admittance to the US Airways lounge is free with your premium frequent flyer program Star Alliance statistics Member Airlines: 25 Number of aircraft: 3,740 Number of employees: 458,332 Passengers per year: 586.60 million Sales Revenue (in US$): 169.70 billion Daily departures: 19,534 Number of airports: 1,071 Number of lounges: 954 Countries served: 171 The two overall strengths that US Airways has over many of its competitors are its â€Å"Do Crew† and safety rating. The Do Crew is made up of volunteer employees that participate in community based programs to help out the community on a monthly basis. The Do Crews set out through their local chapters which are located in many mainstream cities such as Boston, Las Vegas, New York, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Phoenix, and Washington, DC. Many of the airlines are regarded as only looking to achieve capital, although the ultimate goal of all airlines is to sell seats and make money, US Airways displays a sense of appreciation by giving back to the community each month. The company is a proud sponsor of Reading is Fundamental (RIF) which helps to distribute books and help children achieve literacy. The strongest point that US Airways holds which most passengers would look for is they were considered the safest airline in the US. From January 1, 2002 to January 2, 2007 US Airways had the lowest accident rating of .89 accidents per 1 million take offs. The list below came from the website injury.com which shows the top 5 safest airlines in that period. US Airways (.89 accidents) Southwest Airlines (2.59 accidents) America West Airlines (2.96 accidents) Continental Airlines (3.17 accidents) Alaska Airlines (3.32 accidents) Competition will always exist in the aviation world but these are some of the strengths that set aside US Airways from the other airlines. Weakness of US Airways As many strength US Airways have, it also have their weaknesses that lowers the airline popularity and name. Complaints are a common or daily situation that many customers have during the year. Many luggage claims have been filed by angry passengers. Like customers luggage getting lost and then appearing broken and with missing personnel items. Like in the case of some customers nicknamed â€Å"bigfogie† when he lost his luggage after making connections to another city. When he finally gets his suitcase, he found out that it was broken with all his family gifts and personal stuff damaged. Then after making a complaint and filing their forms for damages, US Airways decision was not to pay for the items. This is a loss of consciousness of the company because after committing the safety and trust of the customers luggage, it ended up like trash. This problem of peoples properties getting damage is very common because he is not the only one complaining for the same problem. People have passed by the same problem, which they end up giving their comments and similar experiences. US Airways safety has been downsized causing a risk to the aircrafts maintenance and peoples lives. Lives haves been in risk because of the safety directives were not met during the period of October 2008 to January 2009. The procedure used was that the mechanics whould stuff shop towels into the aircraft engine, which can cause the engine to fail in any time. In that period there were 1,647 flights that could have been affected, causing any irregularity in the engine performance. This is why U.S Airways was fined 5.4 million dollars by the Federal Aviation Authority. When this was announced it could cause many customers to change to another airline causing losses to the company. This is a clear stage of lack of training and needs to be corrected. â€Å"U.S Airways† will be changing their company structure by concentrating their service in Philadelphia, Charlotte and Phoenix and other cities. Due to the restructuring, the company will let go some markets and fire 1,000 workers and suspend service to Beijing. The restructuring will cause during the next 3 months reducing of 64 to 36 departures in â€Å"Las Vegas† and will be closing operation in Wichita, Kansas and Colorado Springs, Colorado. During the first 6 months of 2010, US Airways will be closing crew bases in Boston, La Guardia and Las Vegas. 25 Business Travel News reported that â€Å"US Airways also pointed to weakness in transatlantic revenue in its plan to cease service from Philadelphia to Birmingham, U.K.; London Gatwick; Milan, Italy; Shannon, Ireland; and Stockholm, Sweden.† This will reduce the customers advantage to get to their destinations directly and will become a hassle were they will have to look for new sources and leave US Airways Services. There is a possibility that revenue will reduce but US Airways will be concentrating in their services which could be neutralized. Other companies will take full advantages of these departures being reduced and bases being closed. These will cause other airlines to gain new customers with less competence. Industry Environment In 2008, US Airways faced an outstanding change in their company. US Passes through significant losses as they confront staggering increases in the price of fuel during that year. The average quarter cost per barrel of oil below in the diagram demonstrates the runaway of fuel prices during 2008: US airways continue with this difficult economical confrontation, they were not able to increase the price of their tickets to at least pay their larger expense which was jet fuel. These factors help other Airlines to take advantage where they increased prices in their tickets and preserve liquidity. US Airways Response As described above, US Airways were profoundly challenged by the economic situation in 2008. They participated in the industrys response to record high fuel prices and take action to operate a strong and competitive airline by implementing the following initiatives. Capacity and Fleet Reductions The company reduced the total mainline capacity by 5.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008 and the Express capacity by 1.3 percent on a year-over-year basis. Furthermore, US Airways plans to decrease the total mainline by four to six percent in 2009 and the Express capacity by five to seven percent from 2008. They anticipated that these capacity reductions will enable the company to lower the problem of reduced passenger demand on revenue and reduce costs. US Airways have prepared some strategic methods to obtain their capacity reduction goals: Fleet Reduction: US Airways said that they will be returning 10 aircrafts to leasers, this includes four Airbus A320s that were returned during the first quarter of 2009 and six 737-300 returned in 2008. They further cancelled the leases of two Airbus A330-200 wide-bodies that were planned for delivery in the second quarter of 2009. Even more, US Airways is still planning to reduce additional aircraft in 2010. â€Å"Las Vegas† Flight Reduction: US Airways closed Las Vegas night operation in exception for limited night service to the East Coast in 2008. 141 flights that departed daily from Las Vegas in 2007 were reduced to 77 in 2008. In the end, the revenue produced from the Las Vegas night operation no longer exceeded an increment cost. Opportunities of US Airways While US Airways may not be the best airline in the world, it has the potential to be. Within the company lie many opportunities that it could use to its advantage. The company offers an attractive employee benefit. Within the package lie health insurance, prescription drug coverage, dental insurance, life insurance and many more. We all know that there is a larger population in the eastern United States than the western and currently, US Airways has a large number of destinations and a greater hold on the Eastern coast of the United States. They go to major cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Charleston, Washington DC.etc. These are relatively large cities which could potentially mean more airline seat sales given the right strategies. This is in comparison to Delta Airlines whose eastern city destinations are New York, Boston and Washington DC. The map below shows the routes of the daily 3800 flights carried out by US Airways. The entire eastern seaboard is covered in black which demonstrates the overlaying of multiple flight paths. With fuel efficient airbus aircrafts a large number on their fleet, the company could use this to go towards being a â€Å"green company†. Being a green company has its benefits, especially in the 21st century when many people are conscious of the welfare of the earth. This badge will give the company a good image and might possibly increase passenger enrollments. On January 15, 2009, a US Airways flight bound for Charlotte, North Carolina hit a flock of birds on takeoff from La Guardia airport. The A320 aircraft, captained by Chesley Sullenberger ditched into the Hudson River in an attempt to save the lives of 155 passengers and crews onboard. In the weeks that follow, the media, passengers and government officials all praised captain Sullenberger for his professionalism in handling the situation. The governor was quote calling the event â€Å"a miracle on the Hudson†. Although a traumatic event, this had brought much positive public attention to the highly skilled pilots within US Airways. In 2007, US Airways ranked among the worst in on-time performance; however, a year later, the company went to having one of the best within the major airlines. Airport Business reported that â€Å"US Airways rallied its work force to focus on one goal getting planes pushed back from the gate on-time and began offering financial incentives to workers for better service.† This shows that the company has what it takes to improve on a number of their services and should use this example as a way in making their company more effective. Threats towards US Airways One of US Airways biggest threats is competitive airline tickets, of the three destinations that I have researched; US Airways had the most expensive tickets for two destinations. I visited the website expedia.com and found that from New York City to Boston, US Airways charged a low price of $215, Delta Airlines charge $201 and American Airline charges $202. From New York City to Las Vegas, US Airways charged $248; Delta and American Airlines charged $209. The last destination was from New York City to Miami. US Airways charged $168, Delta Airline charged $163 and American Airlines charged $173. On all three destinations, US Airways biggest threat comes from Delta Airline which offers the lowest airfares. This could be used as a factor which influences customers away from US Airways. US Airways has the worst customer satisfaction out of 19 largest airlines in America. According to Phoenix Business Journal, â€Å"US Airways improves, but still trails in customer satisfaction†. In July 2008, the US department of transportation reported that US Airways had received customer complaints of 2.16 for every 100,000 passengers. The report went further to say 19,400 bags were lost or mishandled in July. Based on these finding, US Airways has more expensive airfares and bad customer satisfaction which is a bad combination for influencing customers to travel with them. For quite some time, Delta airline offered in-flight Wi-Fi access. This had since been a threat towards US Airways which did not offer this service. In todays world many people wanted to stay connected, especially when they are in an aircraft for many hours. However, US Airways has since responded to this threat by introducing Wi-Fi to its aircrafts within the first quarter of 2010. The Pittsburg Business Times reports â€Å"The carrier, which is the No. 1 airline at Pittsburgh International Airport, has hired Aircell to provide Internet access†¦ Customers will be able to choose services from Aircells standard pricing structure, which currently ranges from $5.95 to $12.95.† US Airways international service has a threat amongst the service that is offered at Delta. US Airways currently operates 3,800 daily flights to 240 destinations in 32 countries. This may seem like an impressive figure, however, Delta Airlines has 7,500 daily flights to 567 destinations in 112 countries. This numbers doubles that of US Airways and the company offers cheaper airfares than US Airways. So an expansion into other markets is required, for instance, African and Asian cities. US Airways BCG Matrix Stars for US Airways would include: Airline technology such as Business class reclining seats. The seats US Airways offer comfort ability to its business class passengers making it possible and reasonable for the airline to raise its prices. The Dividend Miles program offers passengers benefits each time they fly with US Airways. This gives much appreciation to loyal customers who would continue to support the airline. Every airline wishes to use less fuel to carry more passengers, with US Airways large fleet of Airbus, they do just that. The fuel efficient aircrafts gives much revenue to the company. The new venture of introducing Wi-Fi technology into US Airways aircrafts will prove to be a question mark. Although it is expected to become a star, there is still some uncertainty to its future in the company. US Airways have a relatively young aircraft fleet. Based on airfleet.net, the average age of the aircrafts are 11.9 years so the dogs in this company could be old unreliable aircrafts. It is always best to buy new aircrafts than try to maintain old ones. It takes too much time and money and there is a high chance it will be out of service again. Unprofitable destinations are another, every airline has this. An airline loses its influence in an area to competition and its just not making money. The only logical thing to do is just to discontinue services to that area. Some cash cows US Airways has are its profitable destinations and shuttle destinations. These destinations are very profitable for the company and although they dont expect much growth, they are still a very good asset for the company. Recommendations On all three destinations from New York that I researched, I found that US Airways had the most expensive airfare. I think more should be done to lower the prices to be cheaper than Delta. Although US Airways has a .89 accident rating which is a significantly low number, they had been publicly fined 5.4 million dollars for lack of safety. This could affect them negatively so it is important that the company keeps up to date with its safety requirements and guidelines. In September 2008, Pittsburg Business Journals reported that US Airways trails behind 18 top Airline companies in America in customer satisfaction. This is because the airline frequently receives complaints about lost luggage and little is done to compensate these passengers. The company needs to be friendlier towards the customer on these matters or face drastic loss in passenger enrollment. The company should start an advertising campaign towards helping to save the environment with their fuel efficient aircrafts. US Airways could use a different image, an image that shows it cares. With the publicity of Captain Sullenberger, US Airways should organize a tour to aeronautical schools for the captain to inspire student pilots. More should be done to open new gates into the international markets. The company does not have much Asian and African destinations and we feel that they should atleast have one major city within these continents. Conclusion US Airways is the fifth largest airline in the United States after its merger with America West Airlines. The companys mission statement gave an impression that it was dedicated to its customers yet the company has much room for improvement towards customer satisfaction to achieve that mission statement. The companys focus is primarily on ways for cutting cost, they sometimes refuse to reimburse customers for their broken luggage and implementing costs to measure up to safety requirements. While they may not have many accidents, the company needs to bear in mind prevention. Overall, the direction the company is going signifies that it has a profitable and bigger future. We expect the company to increase its fleet size and further modernize to the level which it will be competing with the likes of airlines such as Cathay, Air France, etc. Reference A320 Family, Airbus. Retrieved on November 19, 2009 from http://www.airbus.com/en/aircraftfamilies/a320 BCG Growth Share Matrix, Quick MBA. Retrieved November 20, 2009 from http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/matrix/bcg/ Consumer complaints about US Airways, Consumer Affairs. Retrieved on November 19, 2009 from http://www.consumeraffairs.com/travel/us_airways.htm Cutting Flights And Jobs, US Airways Narrows Network, 25 Business travel news. Retrieved on November 7, 2009 from http://www.btnonline.com/businesstravelnews/headlines/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1004031470 Delta Airlines worldwide destinations, Delta Airlines. Retrieved November 19, 2009 from http://www.delta.com/planning_reservations/plan_flight/destinations/travel_getaways/index.jsp Details and Fleet history, Planespotters. Retrieved on November 25, 2009 from http://www.planespotters.net/Airline/US-Airways?show=current#AirlineFleetList Employee Benefits, US Airways. Retrieved November 18, 2009 from http://www.usairways.com/en-US/aboutus/employment/employee_benefits.html Fleet age, US Airways, Airfleets. Retrieved on November 19, 2009 from http://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/?file=calcopopp=US+Airways Flight Prices, Expedia. Retrieved November 17, 2009 from http://www.expedia.com/pub/agent.dll?qscr=fexpflag=qcity1=JFKcitd1=LASdate1=11/23/2009time1=362date2=11/26/2009time2=362cAdu=1cSen=cChi=cInf=infs=2tktt=trpt=2ecrc=eccn=qryt=8load=1airp1=JFKdair1=LASrdct=1olacid=buttons-meta.cheapflights.cheapflights.buttons.flight.xml.,%20buttons-meta.cheapflights.cheapflights.buttons.flight.xmleapid=12345-1 http://www.expedia.com/pub/agent.dll?qscr=fexpflag=qcity1=JFKcitd1=BOSdate1=12/1/2009time1=362date2=12/8/2009time2=362cAdu=1cSen=cChi=cInf=infs=2tktt=trpt=2ecrc=eccn=qryt=8load=1airp1=JFKdair1=BOSrdct=1olacid=buttons-meta.cheapflights.cheapflights.buttons.flight.xml.,%20buttons-meta.cheapflights.cheapflights.buttons.flight.xmleapid=12345-1 http://www.expedia.com/pub/agent.dll?qscr=fexpflag=qcity1=JFKcitd1=MIAdate1=12/2/2009time1=362date2=12/14/2009time2=362cAdu=1cSen=cChi=cInf=infs=2tktt=trpt=2ecrc=eccn=qryt=8load=1airp1=JFKdair1=MIArdct=1olacid=buttons-meta.cheapflights.cheapflights.buttons.flight.xml.,%20buttons-meta.cheapflights.cheapflights.buttons.flight.xmleapid=12345-1 Form 10-K for US AIRWAYS GROUP INC, Yahoo Finance. Retrieved on November 26, 2009 from http://au.us.biz.yahoo.com/e/090218/lcc10-k.html How US Airways ended up in first to get to the top of the on-time heap, airline focused on pushing back from the gate fast, Airport Business. Retrieved November 27, 2009 from http://www.airportbusiness.com/online/article.jsp?siteSection=1id=21636 LCC Annual Report, EDGAR. Retrieved on November 28, 2009 from http://sec.edgar-online.com/us-airways-group-inc/10-k-annual-report/2009/02/18/section12.aspx N.Y. jet crash called â€Å"miracle on the Hudson, MSNBC. Retrieved November 27, 2009 from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28678669 Robbins Coulter (2009). Management (10th edition). New Jersey, Pearson Prentice Hall Star Alliance member airlines, Star Alliance. Retrieved on November 18, 2009 from http://www.staralliance.com/en/about/airlines/ Top 5 safest airline, Injury. Retrieved on November 18, 2009 from http://www.injury.com/injuries/2009/02/13/top-five-safest-airlines/ United Airlines, US Airways face millions in FAA fines for safetyviolations, Chicago Tribune. Retrieved on November 17, 2009 from http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2009/oct/15/business/chi-tc-biz-faa-1014-1015oct15 US Airways, United. Retrieved on November 30, 2009 from http://www.united.com/page/article/0,1360,50107,00.html US Airways add Wi-Fi Service, Pittsburg Business Times. Retrieved November 19, 2009 from http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2009/07/20/daily44.html US Airways airlines information history pictures and facts, Aviation Explorer. Retrieved from December 1, 2009 from http://www.aviationexplorer.com/us_airways_airlines.htm US Airways complaint, My3cents. Retrieved on November 11, 2009 from http://www.my3cents.com/showReview.cgi?id=62769 US Airways flight destinations, US Airways. Retrieved November 17, 2009 from http://www.usairways.com/en-US/routemap.html US Airways improves, but still trails in customer satisfaction, Phoenix Business Journal. Retrieved November 17, 2009 from http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/business_travel/story/biz/937.html US Airways mission statement, US Airways Group. Retrieved November 16, 2009 from http://www.company-statements-slogans.info/list-of-companies-u/us-airways-group.htm US Airways on flickr, flickr from Yahoo. Retrieved November 27, 2009 from http://www.flickr.com/photos/egrenouille/3230143574/ US Airways Past and Present, US Airways. Retrieved on November 27, 2009 from http://www2.usairways.com/en-US/aboutus/pressroom/history.html

Flying Essay -- The Event That Changed My Life

A few summers ago, a gentleman I had only just met offered me an afternoon plane ride. He was a retired lawyer and enjoyed any excuse to pilot his small plane. My friend Paul and I had nothing scheduled that day, so figured why not. After some debate about where to fly, north, south, or east, we settled on Mendocino, about halfway up the coast to Oregon. Within minutes we were bundled into a Beechcraft Bonanza and rattling off an absurdly short runway into the open sky. It was a spectacular day even by California standards as we swooped along the pine-clad rocky coastline and buzzed hermits at a hidden Buddhist monastery. After what seemed like only a few minutes we were mingling with the tourists in Mendocino, a colorful seaside village which plays the role of "Cabot Cove, Maine" in "Murder She Wrote." Then we were back in the air, once again hugging the coastline at about 3500 feet. This time (on the basis of a coin toss) I got to sit up front with the pilot. Up to this point the adventure had been pleasant enough, touched even with a bit of magic. After all, it is nothing less than magic to pick a direction at a whim and quickly land hundreds of mil... ...n again to rave amidst my unseeing neighbors. I handed back the controls and we swooped between the towers of the Golden Gate just as the fog was rolling in, skipped across Alcatraz and Angel Island, and landed with a little hop back where we started. And now, months later, I am a changed man. I don't think I'll be signing up for flying lessons anytime soon; I have enough expensive habits as it is. But now, when I look up into the sky, I see it not as a rather extravagant ceiling, but as a conduit to other places. I see that it's easy to get from here to there. All you have to do is fly.

Positive Impact of Internet on Internet Essay

E-government, based on The World Bank definition is â€Å"the use of information technology by government offices for better services to people, business and to facilitate cooperation among government institutions†. The use of E-government has a prospect of empowering the society through public access to information resources available. (Krisna Sen, 2005) For example, a number of American and European sites feature extensive government reports and scientific studies as well as dynamic debates about government and politics. Analogous Indonesian sites usually offer little beyond public relations materials from government agencies and corporations. Krisna Sen, 2005) There are unlimited advantages in the application of e-government. The wide use of e-government provides services and assists in communication between government and communities. It, also, provides services and makes a communication possible between government and business sector. Finally, â€Å"e-government facilitates communication in intergovernmental and among government institutions† (David Lazer, 2007). Basically, it supports the communication between central and local governments and balances their authority. Indonesia could use E-government for other reasons as well. E-government can maintain the government change towards a democratic future. Online E-government services will motivate general public to use internet and transform the society towards an information epoch. There are many factors that, unfortunately, contribute to the low use of Internet. Most of the ICT development has been concentrated in the metropolis centers like Jakarta, Bandung, Bali, and Surabaya, while rural areas lack access to even the most basic telecom infrastructure. Telephone and computer access have gradually increased over the years, but these figures are still very low. Another main aspect contributing to the little use of ICTs is the narrow knowledge and use of English in Indonesia. The national language of Indonesia, a dialect of Malay, is used in education, government, and business. That is why the ability to use the Internet is very limited. However, despite an array of geographical, political, and economic obstacles, progress has been made in the operation and use of the Internet in Indonesia with the support of local communities. Also, a significant steps forward has been made in the distribution of ICT education in the country.

Franny and Zooey essays

Franny and Zooey essays Franny and Zooey is a book is separated into two parts, both which ran as short stories in the New Yorker. Franny Glass, the protagonist of the first section, and Zooey Glass, the protagonist of the second are actually brother and sister. They come from a rather large family of seven children and are the two youngest kids. All of the Glass children were deemed gifted at a young age and all seven appeared regularly on a radio program called Its A Wise Child. Of course, all of them were expected to carry on with this greatness throughout the rest of their lives. Naturally, it was a source of terrible distress to Mrs. Bessie Glass when her very youngest, the baby, grew quite disinterested in college and suffered a breakdown of sorts. Franny was just twenty years old when her emotional breakdown occurred. Mr. and Mrs. Glass tried everything they could to accommodate their daughter when she returned to their New York City apartment, but Zooey was not so kind. A condensed version of thei r story is as follows. Franny is out on a lunch date with her boyfriend Lane when the first signs of the breakdown hit her. It could be said that Lane himself triggers her emotions, simply for the type of man he is. Franny tells Lane she is tired of all the stupidity around her in college along with all the overblown egos. She doesnt feel shes learning anything other than basic knowledge in her classes, nothing that will make her any wiser than she already is; for wisdom is what she yearns for, its what all the great minds she so admires have. At any rate, shes unsatisfied with her teachers, her fellow pupils, and generally anyone else she may happen to run into. On top of that, shes begun to develop a growing interest in the Jesus Prayer that shes read about. Its a prayer that, when repeated over and over, eventually engrains itself into yo ...

Why the Sun Looks Yellow When Its Really Not

Why the Sun Looks Yellow When Its Really Not If you ask a random person to tell you what color the sun is, chances are he will look at you like youre an idiot and tell you the sun is yellow. Would you be surprised to learn the sun is not yellow? Its actually white. If you were to view the sun from the International Space Station or the moon, youd see its true color. Check space photos online. See the true color of the sun? The reason the sun appears yellow during the day from Earth, or orange to red at sunrise and sunset, is because we view our favorite star through the filter of the atmosphere. This is one of the tricky ways in which light and our eyes change the way we perceive colors, as is the case with the so-called impossible colors. The True Color of the Sun If you view sunlight through a prism, you can see the entire range of wavelengths of light. Another example of the visible portion of the solar spectrum is seen in the rainbow. Sunlight isnt a single color of light, but a combination of the emission spectra of all the elements in the star. All of the wavelengths combine to form white light, which is the net color of the sun. The sun emits different amounts of various wavelengths. If you measure them, the peak output in the visible range is actually in the green portion of the spectrum (not yellow). However, visible light isnt the only radiation emitted by the sun. Theres also  blackbody radiation.  The average of the solar spectrum is a color, which indicates the temperature of the sun and other stars. Our sun averages about 5,800 Kelvin, which appears nearly white. Out of the brightest stars in the sky, Rigel appears blue and has a temperature exceeding 100,000K, while Betelguese has a cooler temperature of 35,00K and appears red. How the Atmosphere Affects Solar Color The atmosphere changes the apparent color of the sun by scattering light. The effect is called Rayleigh scattering. As violet and blue light gets scattered away, the average visible wavelength or color of the sun shifts toward red, but the light isnt entirely lost. The scattering of short wavelengths of light by molecules in the atmosphere is what gives the sky its blue color. When viewed through the thicker layer of atmosphere at sunrise and sunset, the sun appears more orange or red. When viewed through the thinnest layer of air at midday, the sun appears closest to its true color, yet still has a yellow tint. Smoke and smog also scatter light and can make the sun appear more orange or red (less blue).  The same effect also makes the moon appear more orange or red when it is close to the horizon, but more yellow or white when it is high in the sky. Why Pictures of the Sun Look Yellow If you view a NASA photo of the sun, or a photo taken from any telescope, youre usually viewing a false color image. Often, the color that is chosen for the image is yellow because its familiar. Sometimes photos taken through green filters are left as-is because the human eye is most sensitive to green light and can readily distinguish detail. If you use a neutral density filter to observe the sun from Earth, either as a protective filter for a telescope or so you can observe a total solar eclipse, the sun will appear yellow because youre reducing the amount of light that reaches your eyes, but not changing the wavelength. Yet, if you used that same filter in space and didnt correct the image to make it prettier, youd see a white sun.