5 Ways Knowledge Management Can Boost Your Business - Focus

5 Ways Knowledge Management Can Boost Your Business - Focus Every company, whether global or local, will depend on the effective sharing of information. Whether its between job applicants and hiring managers, or between COOs and their employees, effective knowledge management is vital. Heres how Onboarding employees, sharing best practices,  and communicating compliance rules are all essential for any company that wants to remain successful and productive. Teams need to ensure that information is flowing effectively across the organization, whilst also capturing this shared knowledge centrally. Fortunately, there are a number of cloud-based collaboration tools that support effective knowledge management read on for why and how to use them. 5 Ways Knowledge Management Will Benefit Your Business Below is a look at five of the major reasons why modern workplaces should strive for knowledge management excellence. Plus, we’ll give a shout-out to several SaaS companies that can take you there with intuitive, collaborative tools. 1. Knowledge Management Enables Faster and Better-Informed Decisions The chief benefit of managing and sharing information effectively is that it simply makes it easier for teams to work together. And we dont just mean from a practical standpoint. Sharing information can be critical for concurrent workflows and teams to function effectively. Plus, this kind of synergy is important from a cultural perspective, too. Information management and sharing  foster trust where companies need it most: at the intersection of human and corporate needs. With multiple information channels open to us, business leaders can make decisions faster. Mid-level employees can elevate their ideas or concerns more quickly, and opportunities or problems can be addressed as soon as they arise. In turn, the enterprise benefits. Mission-critical information moves faster along the chain and by routinely sharing information, the whole organization grows closer, increasing collaboration and trust. 2. Knowledge Management Helps Build Employee Expertise Diversity is, quite rightly, a big focus of many corporates these days. When it comes to nonprofit, corporate and government-based work, it’s vital that a diverse group of people, with diverse backgrounds and perspectives, bring ideas (and criticisms) to the table. Plus, theres plenty of data behind it. Recent findings from collaboration specialist Thomas Malone found that diverse teams, particularly teams with more women, are able to work together better and come to more intelligent decisions.   The importance of diversity is also clear when we drill down and look at the workplace as a microcosm of the larger world.  Companies that fail to chase new ideas and innovative approaches dont last. More thoughtful companies come along and sweep their market share right out from under them. What makes these companies thoughtful? Creative fearlessness, for a start â€" plus also strong diversity in their cultures. To support your teams in taking bold approaches, you need to provide them with the resources they need to thrive. Heres where knowledge management becomes less of an ideal and more of a regular practice.  With the right incentivization, like tuition assistance, you can encourage employees to take training to develop their knowledge. Then, you can encourage these employees to disseminate their newly acquired knowledge internally too, sharing knowledge further. 3. Knowledge Management Helps Avoid Duplicated Work Managing your company information â€" and sharing it through employee learning opportunities, cross-training,  and better intra-company communications â€" can, and will help you build richer skill sets among your employees. But its also key to helping you avoid employee redundancy. Lets explain. The velocity of information in your company or organization has a very real relationship with  the amount of duplicated effort you tend to waste. If you have multiple teams working in isolation and theyre both starting on the same piece of work from scratch, thats wasted effort. If teams instead communicate their work to one another, teams can share their knowledge and avoid duplicated projects.   For this, you need a team and company-wide culture of sharing information. By enabling transparent project planning and creating more opportunities for teams to communicate, teams can remain up-to-date on the latest projects and plans. This allows teams to share information about what theyre working on, how theyre doing it and whether there are opportunities for collaboration. Granted, there are more structured â€" and, in some cases, software-assisted â€" methods of doing this, too, which well come to. 4. Knowledge Management Prevents Knowledge Hoarding Employee turnover can make it difficult for growth-focused companies to maintain momentum. However, enforcing the correct knowledge management processes can be challenging. “To some degree, withholding knowledge seems to stem from the belief that giving up valuable information will decrease one’s perceived value to his or her employer,”  notes William Craig of digital marketing firm  WebFX. “For example, if one employee always makes more sales than the rest of his team, he likely looks very valuable to management. Therefore, if he shares his knowledge with the team, that employee may fear the whole team will make more sales and he’ll no longer stand out.” As a result, it’s important for leadership teams to share the importance of knowledge management and enforce the relevant processes. Remember that knowledge management and knowledge sharing are key elements to  company continuity throughout uncertain times. If you do happen to shed one or more employees due to budget constraints or voluntary departures, you’ll be prepared. By ensuring other employees are at the ready with similar backgrounds, expertise levels and knowledge, you can ensure the company continues unaffected. 5. Knowledge Management Promotes a Sense of Inclusive Achievement Weve already discussed some of the practical benefits of knowledge sharing. Employees who have better access to information, and who feel more empowered to do their tasks, end up being more productive, confident and engaged. However, some of the other benefits are a little harder to quantify. When you have better company-wide communication and when employees have the know-how, autonomy and trust of management to undertake their tasks effectively, thats when you truly foster a sense of inclusive achievement. You can call it the democratization of information, a social workplace or a flatter company structure. Either way, the result is a group of people who have the tools and willingness to work more closely together. Your team will remain invested in each other and the total outcome as a team, beyond simply making a living. If that all sounds good to you, lets continue with some tools to help active and ambitious workplaces create an environment thats even more conducive to knowledge management and sharing. 4 Tools to Help Your Teams Share Knowledge More Effectively 1. Communication: Slack Effective and timely communication between employees is the gold standard for knowledge sharing. Although any modern organization can work towards creating a shared resource library or knowledge database, some of the best examples of knowledge sharing actually happen spontaneously. For that, your company needs an intuitive, reliable communication tool, to share information and knowledge seamlessly Slack is a favorite for many, including at MeisterLabs. 2. Task Management: MeisterTask Meeting deadlines and completing tasks in a standardized, transparent way is often not just a matter of work ethic, but also a matter of understanding the necessary processes to get there. By using a tool like MeisterTask, your teams project roadmap is transparent, meaning teams can  build knowledge sharing directly into your project management process. As teams can manage their tasks and projects in one central place, teams have quick access to a birds eye view of project and task progress. This level of transparency also has the added bonus of ensuring team members don’t accidentally duplicate work. With all tasks shared transparently, team members can quickly see what tasks their coworkers are already tackling. 3. Cloud-Based File Storage:  Google Drive Often, knowledge sharing occurs in the form of documents changing hands. Perhaps you want to provide feedback on a colleagues report or see the latest numbers on quarterly growth. Whatever the asset, youll want it to be the most up-to-date version and quickly available. Fortunately, there are a number of cloud-based,  file sharing solutions to help you store, share and collaborate, whether based in the same office or in another time zone. Google Drive is an industry favorite for this. 4. Collaborative Idea Sharing: MindMeister Weve written quite a bit about knowledge maps on the blog before, as mind maps provide a great way to brainstorm and share, as well as store knowledge and ideas. With online brainstorming software such as MindMeister available, teams can create a central, secure home for all new ideas. Whats more, the use of knowledge maps doesnt end at creative ideation. Mind maps can help you on-board new staff, share a project plan or visualize a strategy, all in an online, collaborative way. In Short: Knowledge Management Requires a Cultural and Technological Approach To better manage and share information within your organization, youll need to support two areas: Cultural: Teams should make hiring decisions based on an applicants interest in collaboration,    their openness,  and forthrightness, as well as their ability to solve problems. Knowledge sharing is a soft skill, alongside effective communication, both of which should play a key role  in modern hiring decisions. Technological:  Modern businesses must recognize and invest in good organizational and communication tools that support knowledge management. Your companys experience and ability to innovate is its lifeline, and sometimes you need a helping hand to keep that pulse healthy. Hopefully, now, you feel a little more informed and empowered on both of these approaches to supporting knowledge management. Whether its to make your company more resilient or bring your teams closer together procedurally and socially, knowledge management may well be the missing piece of the puzzle. You might also enjoy: 6 Simple Tips for Effective Team Management Award-Winning Task ManagementFor Productive Teams Try MeisterTask Its free! Try MeisterTask 5 Ways Knowledge Management Can Boost Your Business - Focus Every company, whether global or local, will depend on the effective sharing of information. Whether its between job applicants and hiring managers, or between COOs and their employees, effective knowledge management is vital. Heres how Onboarding employees, sharing best practices,  and communicating compliance rules are all essential for any company that wants to remain successful and productive. Teams need to ensure that information is flowing effectively across the organization, whilst also capturing this shared knowledge centrally. Fortunately, there are a number of cloud-based collaboration tools that support effective knowledge management read on for why and how to use them. 5 Ways Knowledge Management Will Benefit Your Business Below is a look at five of the major reasons why modern workplaces should strive for knowledge management excellence. Plus, we’ll give a shout-out to several SaaS companies that can take you there with intuitive, collaborative tools. 1. Knowledge Management Enables Faster and Better-Informed Decisions The chief benefit of managing and sharing information effectively is that it simply makes it easier for teams to work together. And we dont just mean from a practical standpoint. Sharing information can be critical for concurrent workflows and teams to function effectively. Plus, this kind of synergy is important from a cultural perspective, too. Information management and sharing  foster trust where companies need it most: at the intersection of human and corporate needs. With multiple information channels open to us, business leaders can make decisions faster. Mid-level employees can elevate their ideas or concerns more quickly, and opportunities or problems can be addressed as soon as they arise. In turn, the enterprise benefits. Mission-critical information moves faster along the chain and by routinely sharing information, the whole organization grows closer, increasing collaboration and trust. 2. Knowledge Management Helps Build Employee Expertise Diversity is, quite rightly, a big focus of many corporates these days. When it comes to nonprofit, corporate and government-based work, it’s vital that a diverse group of people, with diverse backgrounds and perspectives, bring ideas (and criticisms) to the table. Plus, theres plenty of data behind it. Recent findings from collaboration specialist Thomas Malone found that diverse teams, particularly teams with more women, are able to work together better and come to more intelligent decisions.   The importance of diversity is also clear when we drill down and look at the workplace as a microcosm of the larger world.  Companies that fail to chase new ideas and innovative approaches dont last. More thoughtful companies come along and sweep their market share right out from under them. What makes these companies thoughtful? Creative fearlessness, for a start â€" plus also strong diversity in their cultures. To support your teams in taking bold approaches, you need to provide them with the resources they need to thrive. Heres where knowledge management becomes less of an ideal and more of a regular practice.  With the right incentivization, like tuition assistance, you can encourage employees to take training to develop their knowledge. Then, you can encourage these employees to disseminate their newly acquired knowledge internally too, sharing knowledge further. 3. Knowledge Management Helps Avoid Duplicated Work Managing your company information â€" and sharing it through employee learning opportunities, cross-training,  and better intra-company communications â€" can, and will help you build richer skill sets among your employees. But its also key to helping you avoid employee redundancy. Lets explain. The velocity of information in your company or organization has a very real relationship with  the amount of duplicated effort you tend to waste. If you have multiple teams working in isolation and theyre both starting on the same piece of work from scratch, thats wasted effort. If teams instead communicate their work to one another, teams can share their knowledge and avoid duplicated projects.   For this, you need a team and company-wide culture of sharing information. By enabling transparent project planning and creating more opportunities for teams to communicate, teams can remain up-to-date on the latest projects and plans. This allows teams to share information about what theyre working on, how theyre doing it and whether there are opportunities for collaboration. Granted, there are more structured â€" and, in some cases, software-assisted â€" methods of doing this, too, which well come to. 4. Knowledge Management Prevents Knowledge Hoarding Employee turnover can make it difficult for growth-focused companies to maintain momentum. However, enforcing the correct knowledge management processes can be challenging. “To some degree, withholding knowledge seems to stem from the belief that giving up valuable information will decrease one’s perceived value to his or her employer,”  notes William Craig of digital marketing firm  WebFX. “For example, if one employee always makes more sales than the rest of his team, he likely looks very valuable to management. Therefore, if he shares his knowledge with the team, that employee may fear the whole team will make more sales and he’ll no longer stand out.” As a result, it’s important for leadership teams to share the importance of knowledge management and enforce the relevant processes. Remember that knowledge management and knowledge sharing are key elements to  company continuity throughout uncertain times. If you do happen to shed one or more employees due to budget constraints or voluntary departures, you’ll be prepared. By ensuring other employees are at the ready with similar backgrounds, expertise levels and knowledge, you can ensure the company continues unaffected. 5. Knowledge Management Promotes a Sense of Inclusive Achievement Weve already discussed some of the practical benefits of knowledge sharing. Employees who have better access to information, and who feel more empowered to do their tasks, end up being more productive, confident and engaged. However, some of the other benefits are a little harder to quantify. When you have better company-wide communication and when employees have the know-how, autonomy and trust of management to undertake their tasks effectively, thats when you truly foster a sense of inclusive achievement. You can call it the democratization of information, a social workplace or a flatter company structure. Either way, the result is a group of people who have the tools and willingness to work more closely together. Your team will remain invested in each other and the total outcome as a team, beyond simply making a living. If that all sounds good to you, lets continue with some tools to help active and ambitious workplaces create an environment thats even more conducive to knowledge management and sharing. 4 Tools to Help Your Teams Share Knowledge More Effectively 1. Communication: Slack Effective and timely communication between employees is the gold standard for knowledge sharing. Although any modern organization can work towards creating a shared resource library or knowledge database, some of the best examples of knowledge sharing actually happen spontaneously. For that, your company needs an intuitive, reliable communication tool, to share information and knowledge seamlessly Slack is a favorite for many, including at MeisterLabs. 2. Task Management: MeisterTask Meeting deadlines and completing tasks in a standardized, transparent way is often not just a matter of work ethic, but also a matter of understanding the necessary processes to get there. By using a tool like MeisterTask, your teams project roadmap is transparent, meaning teams can  build knowledge sharing directly into your project management process. As teams can manage their tasks and projects in one central place, teams have quick access to a birds eye view of project and task progress. This level of transparency also has the added bonus of ensuring team members don’t accidentally duplicate work. With all tasks shared transparently, team members can quickly see what tasks their coworkers are already tackling. 3. Cloud-Based File Storage:  Google Drive Often, knowledge sharing occurs in the form of documents changing hands. Perhaps you want to provide feedback on a colleagues report or see the latest numbers on quarterly growth. Whatever the asset, youll want it to be the most up-to-date version and quickly available. Fortunately, there are a number of cloud-based,  file sharing solutions to help you store, share and collaborate, whether based in the same office or in another time zone. Google Drive is an industry favorite for this. 4. Collaborative Idea Sharing: MindMeister Weve written quite a bit about knowledge maps on the blog before, as mind maps provide a great way to brainstorm and share, as well as store knowledge and ideas. With online brainstorming software such as MindMeister available, teams can create a central, secure home for all new ideas. Whats more, the use of knowledge maps doesnt end at creative ideation. Mind maps can help you on-board new staff, share a project plan or visualize a strategy, all in an online, collaborative way. In Short: Knowledge Management Requires a Cultural and Technological Approach To better manage and share information within your organization, youll need to support two areas: Cultural: Teams should make hiring decisions based on an applicants interest in collaboration,    their openness,  and forthrightness, as well as their ability to solve problems. Knowledge sharing is a soft skill, alongside effective communication, both of which should play a key role  in modern hiring decisions. Technological:  Modern businesses must recognize and invest in good organizational and communication tools that support knowledge management. Your companys experience and ability to innovate is its lifeline, and sometimes you need a helping hand to keep that pulse healthy. Hopefully, now, you feel a little more informed and empowered on both of these approaches to supporting knowledge management. Whether its to make your company more resilient or bring your teams closer together procedurally and socially, knowledge management may well be the missing piece of the puzzle. You might also enjoy: 6 Simple Tips for Effective Team Management Award-Winning Task ManagementFor Productive Teams Try MeisterTask Its free! Try MeisterTask

SWOT Analysis and Earth Care Program of Kimpton Hotels Free Essay Example, 2250 words

The Kimpton Group ensures that each of their locations is unique combining elegance with the whimsical. They design their hotels with the help of top quality designers and architects. They usually purchase existing property and modify it according to their needs rather than build an entirely new building. Flavor: Imaginative and fun restaurants and lounges, which feature highly capable chefs that are favored by both locals and travelers. Fun: Fun and enjoyment is a favored theme and necessary activities are made available to see that customers enjoy themselves. All efforts are made to see that the guests enjoy a friendly and welcoming atmosphere SWOT analysis of Kimpton Hotels: SWOT analysis of an organization will give a correct picture of its health. SWOT analysis is an acronym of strength, weakness, opportunities, and threats and is essentially an exercise to identify each of these elements for the organization. The company can use the SWOT analysis to provide recommendations on its development and progress. Through the analysis of these factors, they can understand which areas they are weak in and put in efforts to correct them. We will write a custom essay sample on SWOT Analysis and Earth Care Program of Kimpton Hotels or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page

Male and Female Body Ideals and Image Essays - 1017 Words

Body image is defined as â€Å"the subjective image of one’s physical appearance established both by self-observation and observation by others† (Body Image). â€Å"Ideal† body image is constantly re-evaluated throughout the ages. Unfortunately, today, the ideal image is at its height in the American culture. Many factors, such as magazine articles, television shows, and even childhood toys are said to have an influence on body dissatisfaction. This negative self-image has caused many dangerous disorders in women and men of all ages. In the research of this topic, there are many questions of body image among cultures and stereotypes that are yet to be answered. Today, the ideal physical image is desperately sought after by Americans. Women seek†¦show more content†¦In 2009, it was debated whether the Barbie doll was helping or hurting the ideal body perspectives of young children (Brady ). The body dissatisfaction of much of the American population has led to extremely unhealthy habits in order to restore self-esteem. Children as young as 9 years-old say dieting makes them feel better about themselves (â€Å"Dissatisfaction†). Numerous mental and eating disorders, such as Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa, have become common. BN includes habits like vomiting, intense exercising, and fasting (â€Å"Dissatisfaction†). In 2006, America was ranked first in percentage of anorexic women and second in percentage of bulimia nervosa (Soh, Touyz, and Surgenor 54-65). Overall, the internalization of negative self-esteem causes anxiety, frustration, and depression. I am very interested in conducting my first research study on the topic of body image. Although, according to Claire Sterk, I learned that asking for personal information and opinions from people is not as easy as it seems (Sterk 24-29). Sterk had to work on knowing her participants on a personal level in order to gain their trust. She had to allow them time to realize that she is professional and, as part of her research, she would keep their information confidential. This made me wonder whether friends or strangers would be best for me to interview. My friends already trust me, but would they take me as a professional? With strangers, I don’t believe I wouldShow MoreRelatedMedia Effects On Body Image Essay1648 Words   |  7 PagesSpecific age groups and mostly women have been studied regarding media effects on body image. These studies did not test the external stimuli created by peer groups that have an impact on a person’s self-idealization. This study addressed individual age groups divided by gender in order to determine how much media effects body idealization and if gender peer group opinions impact self-idealization when viewing media models. Methods The methods used in this study incorporated individuals into groupsRead MoreThe Impact Of Media On Body Image1538 Words   |  7 Pagesthe concept of body image is influenced by external factors as culture, society norms, especially with the development of modern social media, it has grown up to be an important element in affecting the perception of body image to shape the body image. The influence of mass media may be related to the social comparison process of appearance in female and male. The ideal media body image, it is easy to compare in everyday life, and that will result to dissatisfaction with people s body size. On theRead MoreEssay about Movie Icons1614 Words   |  7 Pagespounds, at 5’4† feet tall. Back then, the ideal female body is by having a smaller mid-section (e.g. hourglass ideal/corsets). Marilyn Monroe’s tiny waist and seemingly large bust line triggered female fans to start to engage more on physical activities. The outburst on slender- looking portrayal of body-image began in early 1960s (e.g. Fashion icon, Twiggy). Most western societies experience enormous pressures on individuals to conform and achieve the thin-ideal. This influence by mass-media affectsRead MoreWomen s Representation Of Women1676 Words   |  7 PagesIn a survey regarding body image, 69.3% of teenagers said they were not happy with their appearance, and 64% of women in there sixties said they were not happy with their appearance either. The difference between the two, however, is that the majority of the older women were ‘grateful’ about the way they look, while most teenagers described themselves as ‘self-conscious’ when it comes to their physical appearance (â€Å"How Women Feel About Their Looks†). These statistics prove that women of all agesRead MoreThe Study Of Body Image1572 Words   |  7 PagesThe study of body image is a broad topic that touches many subjects including gender. However, the study of body image has been focused mainly on females. This is because the physical shape and image of male bodies have not changed over the history. From the ancient Greek until the modern era, the masculinity is the predominant stereotype for men. Masculine traits include courage, independence and assertiveness (Judith, 2001; Murray, 2000). In contrast to the male body, the female figures have beenRead MoreInfluence of American Mass Media Ideals on Body Image and Eating Disorders in the U.S1243 Words   |  5 Pageshave an enormous impact on society and how people act, especially in developed countries. How do mass media influence views of body image and the development of eating disorders? People living in countries influenced by Western culture show concern for their appearance or dietary habits daily. This paper will analyze the effect of mass media on the issues of body image and eating disorders in the United States. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV-TR (DSM-IV-TR)Read MoreThe Body Image And Advertisements1630 Words   |  7 PagesBody Image and Advertisements In roughly three decades, the number of advertisement exposed to consumers daily went from 500 in the 1970’s to as many as 5000 today (Johnson, 2006). Fashion advertisements often promote models that have an ideal body which is often models with thin bodies (Diedrichs Lee 2011). Consequently, these advertisements set unrealistic standards to the public (Yu, Damhorst Russell, 2011). Researchers have found that consumers are constantly comparing themselvesRead MoreHow Does The Media Affect Male Body Image?874 Words   |  4 PagesExploratory Analysis: How Does The Media Effect Male Body Image? Today in modern society, we are driven by social forces. Not only do we strive for human approval and companionship, we also thrive on social media. The media plays such a pivotal role in what we buy, eat, wear, etc. that we are conditioning ourselves to fit the mold for the â€Å"perfect† or â€Å"ideal† body type. This social construct has been a pressing issue for many years regarding the female physique, but not as much has been said on behalfRead MoreSelf Esteem And Body Among Students Studying At Professional And Non Professional Courses1657 Words   |  7 Pages To Study Self- Esteem and Body -Esteem among Students studying in Professional and Non-Professional courses Dr. Nadeem Luqman and Supriya Srivastava Self-esteem reflects a persons overall evaluation or appraisal of his or her own worth. Psychologists usually regard self-esteem as an enduring personality characteristics, it has become the third most frequently occurring theme in psychologicalRead MoreDifferences Between Mirror Gazing, Gender, And Self Esteem, Body Dysmorphic Disorder976 Words   |  4 PagesUniversity. The purpose of the study was to determine whether females were more likely to look in the mirror than males. Females and males were observed at two locations on campus where reflective surfaces were available. Students recorded whether or not a female or male looked at his/her reflection at the reflective surface. The results of the study revealed that there were more females than males who had looked at their reflection. Females are more likely to have self-esteem issues and it is possible

Destination Disneyworld Free Essays

Destination to Disneyworld Our family’s favorite tradition is summer vacation road trips. No doubt, our vacations turn out to be a success each and every year. Throughout my childhood and into my teenager years, we have gone from the beaches in Florida to the valleys in California. We will write a custom essay sample on Destination Disneyworld or any similar topic only for you Order Now The most memorable one I could recall was our vacation to Disneyworld in Orlando, FL in 2004. I always have the notion as child that amusement park take your imagination to a new and entirely different level. On television commercials and billboard ads, it shows that Disneyworld is a destination where dreams come true and magic happen. It was a hot and humid day on the first week of June, my brothers and sister was so excited and anxious to see what this wonderful place has to offer. Every summer, my parent would take their hard earning saving from their account and treat my siblings to a vacation. It was a special time for my mom because it shows how important it is for our family to reunite with each other. Although I was only ten at the time, I could remember all of my vacations like it all happen yesterday. Being so young and naive, all my mind could think was meeting Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and all the other characters. On our first day there, we visit the Magic Kingdom and Universal Studio and one word that comes to mind was magical. My parent turn back to when they were kids and the environment and atmosphere there was unbelievable. My brother and I were jumping up and down and doesn’t have the care for the world because we were having so much fun. Our next day there, my entire family rode the Splash Mountains and Tower of Terror which I was scared at the beginning but it ended up to be another ride I enjoyed. The laser light show was the most awesome thing I have seen, it was at least twenty minute of lights, lasers firework, animation, and dancing waters. The shows consisted of all of the Disney characters and with Mickey Mouse telling a stories with his magical wand. The next morning, we spent the entire day at the MGM studios. This park was all movie themes which offers behind the glimpse of Hollywood style action with live shows, thrilling attractions, and backstage tours that are mainly dedicated to entertainment. On our last night there, I realized how amazing this place was and was in totally disbelief that it was almost time to go home. My family all thought every penny spent there was worthwhile and planning to visit it again once our families expand. How to cite Destination Disneyworld, Essay examples

Tom Clancys Rainbow Six Essays - Tom Clancys Rainbow Six

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Title: Rainbow Six Author: Tom Clancy # Of pages: 740 Characters: John Clark an ex Navy Seal, and two other characters Alistair Stanley the executive commander of Rainbow Six, and Domingo (Ding) Chavez, the captain of team two. There are two other insignificant characters Clark's wife sandy and is daughter Patsy Who is married to Ding, Patsy is pregnant. The other main character is Dimitriy Arkadeyevich Popov; he is an ex KGB agent who is now working as a ?special consultant?. He will become a very important character later in the story. The boss (sorry I forgot his name) owner of a multi-national Pharmaceutical company all around bad guy. Plot: Clark is the commander and in charge of starting a new European anti-terrorist group called Rainbow Six. Rainbow Six is split into two teams; team one and team two. These teams are the best there is. They are based in Hereford, England, but any European country can call on them at any time. They run three miles in twenty minutes, every mourning at six am. Only one team is on-call at a time. The team that is not on call will be doing live fire practices. In the first six months of being operational they are called on three times. The first incident happens in a Swiss bank where terrorists taken control. They also have a hostage. Team two successfully takes them out, with only one hostage killed (he had already been killed before they got there). The first mission helps to organize them and fix a few holes in there planning. The second mission is in Germany; an international trader is taken hostage in his mansion. This mission goes too well, thanks to the snipers. No hostage deaths, but all the terrorists are killed. The last mission is they are called upon is in Spain, where a team of terrorists take an amusement park and thirty children. They demand their leader, a man named Jackal be released from prison (he was the guy who took the Swiss bank). So to take them down they use a program to disable their cellular phones, their way of communicating, they kill the terrorists one by one till there all dead. Only one child is killed by the terrorists. In the meantime while this is happening, an American hires the ex-KGB agent Popov, now freelance. Popov is hired to get people to do the job in Switzerland, the bank taking, and the taking of the International trader in Germany. The person that has hired him is the Boss, owner of a multi-national pharmaceutical company that has deals with extremely deadly viruses. The Boss is extremely wealthily. Popov is living in New York he is flying back and fourth from Europe to organize these things. Popov in an attempt to figure out who is thwarting the operations watches the surveillance tapes and notices the same man smoking a cigar after each take down. He puts two and two together and comes to the conclusion that the same team was involved in each mission. Popov goes and tells the Boss, who though his numerous connections (one of them being Bill Henriksen leader of Global security). The Boss finds out that the team was Rainbow Six. This worries him because they could get in the way of his ultimate goal (you'll find out his plans later). So he has Popov fly to Ireland and hire some of the IRA to attack the Rainbow Six base in Hereford, England. They Agree to do it for a handsome fee and some weapons. The IRA men decide to go after Clark's wife and daughter, since they are the easiest targets. They are successful in kidnapping Sandy and Patsy out of the hospital they work at. They use them to lure both the Rainbow Six teams out and try to stop them. Their goal is to take out five Rainbow Six members, enough to disable them, but they made the same mistake the men in Spain did they used Cell phones to communicate. So when the Rainbow Six team used their scramblers to disable the phones they began to fall apart. Eventually it came down to the IRA using the hostages as Bargaining tools to

Why did Europe undergo such a bloody and destructive period from 1914

Why did Europe undergo such a bloody and destructive period from 1914 The period 1914 to 1945 was the bloodiest and most destructive in European history. The period was characterized by wars, confrontations, and rivalry among nations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Why did Europe undergo such a bloody and destructive period from 1914-1945? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This rivalry led to World War I and World War II. Many people lost their lives during this period as nations rose against each other, property worth millions destroyed, and Europe’s hegemony lost (Heyman 32). The once mighty Europe was divided into two influential spheres. There emerged â€Å"Soviet† and Western spheres of influence, each pursuing different ideologies. The period 1914 to 1945 is the bloodiest in the history of Europe since it is the period in which World War I and World War II occurred. World War II alone claimed approximated 22 million military and 40 million civilians, the highest num ber of casualties ever (Kirk 46). There are many reasons that drove Europe to war and brutal killings. Some of the reasons were misunderstandings among leaders that had lasted for decades, while others were a result of spontaneous reaction to aggression from other nations. Though it is not possible to point a single reason for the aggression witnessed in Europe around 1914 to 1945, the following factors must have contributed greatly to the war. Formation of alliances by the countries played a great role in triggering the bloody war. Tension among European countries had long existed. However, the rise of nationalism and imperialism furthered the tension among states forcing them to seek alliance with states considered friendly for fear of attack. Other countries soon â€Å"joined the race and formed alliances† to further their interests too (Martel 78). Germany first joined Austria-Hungary and were later joined Italy to form the Triple Alliance. Russia soon joined France to wo rk together and protect each other if attacked. The Triple Entente Alliance was finally formed in 1904 when Britain joined France and Russia. With support from alliance members, the countries were definitely craving for war. It was not long when the war begun pitting the Triple Alliance against the Triple Entente Alliance. Frankly, if the alliances never existed, the war could have been avoided. The tension that existed that eventually led to the European wars was also a result of imperialism. Imperialism pushed countries to colonize other countries and to form political empires that acted as overseas states for raw materials and market for finished products. From the 15th century, European countries had begun colonizing other countries for industrial inputs and markets. However, the main contest came in 1870 when Britain, France, Italy and Germany almost clashed in the scramble for North American territory (Heyman 38). The same problem reoccurred in Africa as the scramble for parti tion continued. Many countries were discontent with their possessions while other like British had conquered too much for it to control.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This led to a bad feeling among the nations, which also contributed to the war. Rise of nationalism in the states was another reason for the war. People who spoke the same language, had a common historical origin, and cultural beliefs, viewed each other as family. This â€Å"family† feeling bonded them together and made them support their nation faithfully. Lee states that, â€Å"Leaders, in their bid to unite their people to join war, used nationalism to generate and consolidate their support† (113). Nationalism was particularly popular in Germany, Italy, and Japan. It is worth noting that nationalism in Japan had been widespread as people diligently served their leaders without complaint. Howeve r, the German leader Bismarck, in his attempt to unite the Germans used their passion and love for war to his advantage. The rise of dictators to power in many countries in Europe was also another possible cause of the war. The period of 1914-1945 saw the rise of dictators such as Stalin of Russia, Benito Mussolini of Italy, and Adolf Hitler of Germany. These leaders ruled with iron feast and wanted to assert their authority in the entire European region. This made them recruit many soldiers to help in conquering new lands and extending their territories. Eventually, this greed and desire for fame and control brought them to conflict with other European nations. In 1937, Japan invaded and subdued the republic of China, which angered many European nations. In 1939, German’s aggressive behavior eventually brought all European nations against each other when she attacked Poland and Soviet Russia. Officially, the declaration of World War II followed the two aggressive attacks tha t lead to great destruction of property. Arms race among the nations was also a direct cause of the war that led to the brutal killings in Europe. By 1914, Britain was the largest empire by both size and wealth (Martel 78). The German king of the time, Kaiser William II, was not impressed with Britain’s superiority. He invested heavily in building of warships to rival Britain. This made Britain to build even more ships and to increase her navy to remain superior arms wise. The result was a competition that only increased tension and readiness for war. With such developed weapons, the countries were ready to go to war at the slightest instigation. The attempt to stop the rise of communism by Central and Western European powers also sparked the war. In November 1917, radical Bolsheviks rose to power in Russia. Further, they moved to topple other regimes like Hungary and Bavaria, which they occupied briefly. Seeing the activities of this violent communist group rising and rising , the central and western European countries had to move in to stop them for they feared that the revolutions would move to their countries. The decision was a grave mistake as other militia groups and nations joined the race. The immediate cause of European countries conflict was the assassination of Franz Ferdinand by G. Principe. What followed the assassination was retaliation and war that lasted for years. The assassination easily sparked war since the countries had been in tension for some time. The tension among nations was a time bomb waiting to explode.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Why did Europe undergo such a bloody and destructive period from 1914-1945? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The arms race provided weapons while the colonies provided capital, seriously fueling the war and increasing the number of casualties. The result was a brutal, ruthless and bloody killing of innocent people. In conclusio n, it is evident that the civil war that engulfed Europe in the period 1914 to 1945 was surely divesting. The war was especially notable for the political rift it created between nations. Thousands of people, both soldiers and civilians, lost their lives. Despite the effort made after 1945 to unite the European nations, the damage done could not be repaired. For centuries, it will still be bitter memories for the descendants of those who perished in the war. Some of the effects of that war still exist especially in Japan where the United States of America dropped bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Heyman, Neil M. World War I. London: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1997. Print. Kirk, D. Europes Population in the Interwar Years. New York: Taylor Francis, 1969. Print. Lee, Stephen J. European dictatorships, 1918-1945. 2nd. London: Routledge, 2000. Print. Martel, Gordon. A Companion to Europe 1900-1945. 10th. Califonia: John Wiley and Sons, 2010. Print.

Take Public Transportation - Save Money, Save The World

Take Public Transportation - Save Money, Save The World If you want to help reduce global warming, air pollution, and your monthly living costs, one of the best things you can do is to get out of your car. By walking or riding a bicycle for short trips, or taking public transportation for longer ones, you will significantly reduce the amount of pollution and greenhouse gas emissions you generate each day. The Rising Environmental Cost of Driving Alone Transportation accounts for more than 30 percent of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. According to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), public transportation in the United States saves approximately 1.4 billion gallons of gasoline and about 1.5 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. Yet only 14 million Americans use public transportation daily while 88 percent of all trips in the United States are made by car- and many of those cars carry only one person. Added Benefits of Public Transportation Cutting back on carbon emissions and costs usage isnt the only added benefit of using public transportation. It also helps increase the energy independence of the country overall. Although an increasing amount of our oil is produced in North America, the majority of it still comes from across the pond. Public transportation is also safer, a lot safer, in fact. Riding a bus is 79 times safer than riding in an automobile, and riding a train or subway is even safer. Its also healthier, studies have shown that people who use public transportation regularly tend to be healthier than people who do not, because of the exercise they get walking to and from bus stops, subway stations and their homes and offices. And of course, theres the reduction of costs overall. According to an APTA study, families that use public transportation can reduce their household expenses by $6,200 annually, more than the average U.S. household spends on food every year. The Heart of the Debate Over Public Transportation So why don’t more Americans use public transportation? Transportation experts and social scientists may argue about which came first, America’s attachment to the automobile or the urban and suburban sprawl that makes long daily commutes in at least one and often two cars a requirement for many American families. Either way, the problem at the heart of the debate is that good public transportation systems are not available to enough people. While public transportation is readily available in many major cities, the majority of Americans in smaller cities, towns and rural areas simply do not have access to good public transportation options. So the problem is twofold: People with access to public transportation has to be persuaded to use it more often. Additionally, more affordable public transportation options in smaller communities need to be created for use. Trains, Buses, and Automobiles Train systems are the most efficient in many ways, typically emitting less carbon and using less fuel per passenger than buses, but they are often more expensive to implement. Also, the traditional advantages of trains can be mitigated to a large extent by using hybrids or buses that run on natural gas. Another promising alternative is bus rapid transit (BRT), which runs extra-long buses in dedicated lanes. A 2006 study by the Breakthrough Technologies Institute found that a BRT system in a medium-sized U.S. city could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 650,000 tons during a 20-year period. If you live in an area with good public transportation, do something good for the planet today. Park your car, and take the subway or the bus. If you don’t, then talk to your local and federal elected officials about the benefits of public transportation and how it may help solve some of the problems they’re wrestling with right now.