Recommendation Letter Essay

In my opinion, I have never before written a recommendation letter where the candidate and the opportunity were such a perfect fit. I have known Janet Lerner for two years now, since she took my introductory course in dinosaurs during her sophomore year. In my long teaching career, I have never met an undergraduate student with such a genuine and focused interest in paleontology, and such a clear aptitude for it. I will demonstrate this by speaking to Janet’s ability as a communicator, her specific interest in dinosaur paleontology, and her maturity and integrity. Janet informs me that you are seeking a skilled communicator to give tours of your animatronic displays. Even during her sophomore year, Janet was a skilled communicator on the subject of dinosaur paleontology. In my class, for which she received an A, Janet wrote two compositions: one on the roots of the discovery and the characteristics of Deinonychus; one evaluating the defensive capabilities of Euoplocephalus. Janet proved herself not only exceptionally articulate and schooled on the subject at hand, but she also showed herself capable of wielding an argument—moving from premise to conclusion based on relevant evidence. Janet also did all this with style and flair. I cite excerpts from her papers: â€Å"Previously seen as cold-blooded, pea-brained lizards . . .† and â€Å"The toe muscles acted as a spring mechanism to flick the claw around towards the back of the foot.† For me, such articulations underscore both Janet’s authentic fascination with dinosaurs and her ability to communicate that excitement and knowledge to others. As an academic advisor to the dormitory where Janet lives, I frequently witness her interactions with others and know first-hand of her community service. Last year, Janet was the elected vice-president in the dormitory, and in this role she was responsible for numerous functions, including faculty/student lunches and a recruiting phoneathon. Janet is well-respected in the dormitory—a popular figure known for her honesty, calm, and kindness. I have seen her handle delicate situations with discretion, and she handles herself in all situations with poise. Finally, Janet has strong convictions tempered by good judgment and reason; she has firm spiritual roots and an active, diverse, social life; she is loyal, committed, and clear-sighted. It is a rare treat to encounter a student as impressive as Janet Lerner, and if you give her the opportunity I am sure you will find her equally impressive. Please do give her your most thoughtful consideration.

Discuss Mr. Collins’ Proposal to Elizabeth Bennet in Jane Austen’s Novel ‘Pride & Prejudice’ Essay

‘It is a truth acknowledged, that a man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife’ This quote not only opens the novel, but also sets the tone of the narrative story. It says that a man in possession of money and being an eligible bachelor would have every spinster in the neighbourhood wanting to be his wife In the nineteenth century women were below men in status. Men owned everything. After the death of the master of the house all his possessions were given to the next male relative. In the novel as there were only five daughters Jane, Elizabeth, Kitty, Mary and Lydia and no males in the immediate family, so their mother, Mrs. Bennet, as she is called in the novel is determined to get her daughters married as soon as possible. When the Bennet family received the letter from Mr.Collins, which included the words, ‘.. Assure you of my readiness to make them every possible amends, but of this hereafter’ this shows that Mr. Collins was hinting that he is looking for a wife. When Mrs. Bennet read this she was pleased at the news. When the daughters heard of his visit, they were not as pleased as their mother, ‘ He must be an oddity†¦ I cannot make him out†¦ The is something very pompous in his style.’ They also added that in his letter there was a mixture of servility and self-importance. Elizabeth was stuck with his extraordinary deference to Lady Catherine de Bourgh, his patroness. Mr.Collins visited the family with the sole purpose of finding a wife, in his letter he states, ‘ I feel it my duty to promote and establish the blessing of peace in all families..’ this is just an excuse to come to Longbourn because he really wanted to ‘admire’ the girls and propose to one of them. Mr.Collins didn’t really want to get married, it was actually his patroness; Lady Catherine de Bourgh who had recommend, advised or rather orders him to marry and wished to comply with her wishes. When Mr.Collins arrived, out of all the sisters only Mary thought anything of him but everyone else found faults in him. Mrs.Bennet also had the same opinions as her daughter, she knew he would be a suitable husband for one of her daughters because he knew Lady Catherine and lived near her. When he arrives D he wished to propose to the eldest daughter, Jane, but soon found out she was to be engaged to Mr.Bingly. Mr.Collins had only to change from Jane to Elizabeth and it was, ‘Done while Mrs.Bennet was stirring the fire’ Mr.Collins obviously didn’t have true feelings towards Jane or Elizabeth, since he was able to change his mind so quickly. He obviously only wanted to please his patroness. Elizabeth was very intelligent, independent and her interests in many different things like reading, playing the piano, singing, needlework and dancing. She believed marriage had to have an element of love and not just wealth like her mother believed. When Mr.Collins proposed to her, as a reader we knew that she had an independent mind. In the proposal, Mr.Collins made it quite obvious that the proposal was more of a business transaction and he asked for a chance to speak with Elizabeth, ‘May I hope, madam, for your interest with your fair Elizabeth, when I solicit for a private audience with her..’ before Elizabeth could even blush with surprise, Mrs.Bennet instantly answered. Elizabeth begged her mother not to go, but Mrs.Bennet obviously knew what Mr.Collins had in mind and insisted that she stayed with Mr.Collins. At this time Mr.Collins really thought she was being shy and modest tried to add it to a compliant, ‘.. your modesty, so far from doing disservice, rather adds to your perfections.’ Elizabeth would have had a clear idea that he was about to propose to her. Mr.Collins started off staying, ‘Almost as soon as I entered the house, I singled you out as the companion of my future life.’ This was not true to the reader, as the truth is that he was going to propose to the eldest daughter, Miss Jane Bennet, but when he heard the news of her engagement he changed to Elizabeth. Mr.Collins then came out with his first reason for his proposal, ‘†¦first that I think it a right thing for every clergyman in easy circumstances (like myself) to set the example of matrimony in the parish;’ This shows he obviously wants to marry her to set a good example to his parish, it also this shows her doesn’t care about her, but what Lady Catherine de Bourgh wishes and his reputation. He then states, ‘..secondly, that I am convinced it will add very greatly to my happiness;..’ Once again he is showing that he thinks marriage will bring him happiness, he has no idea that marriage is suppose to be about being in love, trust, companionship and getting to know each other beforehand. ‘.. and thirdly-which perhaps I ought to have mentioned earlier, that it is the particular advice and recommendation of the very noble lady whom I have the honour of calling patroness.’ This is actually the only true reason that he wants to marry her, to please Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Mr.Collins is frightened of not complying with her wishes. He sees her suggestion as an order or a command and he would never disobey her because he is very aware of her superior rank in the society, this shows him to be cowardly, weak and rather silly man who can be easily intimidated. He wants Elizabeth to see Lady Catherine’s advice and recommendation as her wanting to see Mr.Collins happy, settled down and to carry on working for her. He then went on and tried to compliment Elizabeth and make her see that Lady Catherine will welcome her into her estate. In his reasons for the proposal he had no references to Elizabeth’s happiness which showed how self-centred he really was. The connection that she could have with Lady Catherine and show she could boast about knowing a person of high status, was the real reason that he could give her for accepting the proposal. This showed how little he knew about Elizabeth’s personality, as this reason would not have meant anything to her. Elizabeth would bot feel inferior to people of higher rank in society. Mr.Collins then went on about how she would have pressure to wed when she gets to her late twenties, ‘ As I am to inherit this estate after the death of your honoured (who, however may live for many years), I could not satisfy myself without resolving to chuse a wife among his daughters, that the loss to them might be as little as possible.’ This comment was to persuade Elizabeth’s decision and make her feel guilty if she was to refuse his proposal, because her unmarried sisters and mother would have nothing if they were made to move out of their home. He was certain she would accept his proposal when he used his persuasive comment because he thought himself was a worthy choice, that he was already making plans for their married life, ‘you may assure yourself that no ungenerous reproach shall ever pass my lips when we are married.’ Elizabeth found it necessary to interrupt him by telling him that she hasn’t given him an answer and politely. Mr.Collins being so full of self-importance saw he refusal as a way to make him more passionate, ‘It is usual with young ladies to reject the address of the man whom they secretly mean to accept.’ Elizabeth was not that type of girl to lead a man on or to keep him waiting and stated she was not the girl who would have been foolish enough to risk her future happiness on the chance of being asked again by someone she truly loved and Mr.Collins failed to see that, ‘I cannot therefore by no means discouraged by what you have just said, and shall hope to lead you to the altar ere long.’ Elizabeth tried to make it even clearer, without being rude and even added that Lady Catherine would not approve of her independent mind and he would not want to upset his patroness by choosing an inappropriate partner. Even when Elizabeth gives him these reasons for refusal he still continues, ‘I cannot imagine that her ladyship would at all disapprove of you’ The reader will know that he has once again mis-judged her character. Later on in the novel Elizabeth and Lady Catherine are introduced to each other. Lady Catherine clearly despises Elizabeth’s outspoken manner and lack of awe. Elizabeth, getting annoyed by the lack by his persistence still behaved as a young lady and had to remain polite and assure him that he could only leave Longbourn feeling he has done his duty. ‘In making me the offer, you must satisfied the delicacy of your feelings with regard to my family.’ She then went to leave the room, thinking he had finally understood her, but Mr.Collins was persistent and had not understand why she refused such a great and wonderful proposal, as he thought himself eligible and worthy husband. He tried once again to change her mind, ‘My situation in life, my connection with the family of de Bourgh and my relationship to your own, are circumstances of high favour’. Mr.Collins the greatly insulted her, as she was just to leave the room, ‘it is by no means certain, that another offer of marriage may be ever be made to you’ , but as a reader we know that that is certainly not true.

Mineral and Water Essay

There are over 20 minerals that a person needs to include in their diet to stay healthy. Some of these make up a significant portion of someone body weight, others are found only in minute quantities. The major minerals are sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, and sulfur. Minerals that are; and these include iron, copper, zinc, selenium, iodine, chromium, fluoride, manganese, molybdenum, and more. Neither mineral is more important than the other. A deficiency of a trace element can be damaging to your health as a deficiency of a major mineral. Minerals contribute to body structure and are involved in the regulation of the processes that maintain life. Many minerals have more than one function. Like calcium is needed to keep our bones strong as well as to keep blood pressure normal, allow muscles to contract, and transmit nerve signals from cell to cell. Some other minerals help regulate fluid balance, others regulate energy production, and some affect gene expression. Many act as cofactors needed for enzyme activity. Just like minerals water plays and important part in our body. Water makes up in adults 60% of body weight, and in children and infants 70%. Water is found in varying proportions in all the tissues of the body; muscles are about 75% water and bone is about 25% water. Water bathes the cells and lubricates and cleanses internal and external body surfaces. Watery tears lubricate the eyes and wash away dirt, synovial fluid lubricates the joints, and saliva lubricates the mouth making it easier to chew and swallow food. Blood, which is mostly water, flows through our bodies, delivering oxygen and nutrients to cells and returning waste products to the lungs and kidneys for excretion. Water also functions in chemical reactions and helps regulate body temperature. When the body is releasing more water than it is in taking a person can become dehydrated. Dehydration is a depletion of body water, will cause symptoms more rapidly than a deficiency of any other nutrient. Dehydration can be life threating. When water losses are great enough to reduce blood volume, the ability to deliver oxygen and nutrients to cells and remove waste products is affected. From reading the article â€Å"Coconut Water†, the benefits of drinking coconut water are that it is rich with minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, enzymes and growth factors. Coconut water is also used to relieve or ease dehydration, fatigue, constipation, and other digestive disturbances. Coconut water also is used to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.

Radio Broadcasting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Radio Broadcasting - Essay Example After the American government stepped in to regulate this air traffic of signals by allotting licensed frequencies to the private operators, the era of commercial broadcasting came into being and led to a perceptual shift in the American culture. The men and boys saw the experimentation with radio as a symbol of masculine prerogative, brought it into their homes, and introduced it to the other family members. The listeners discovered the new face of their individual identities, closely linked to the idea of cohesive nationhood, through broadcasts of diverse entertainment programs and news items. Gradually, commercial reasons led to the introduction of advertisements interlaced with the main items, as well as standardization of broadcast timings, for most of the programs. With this it was possible for listeners to tune in to multiple broadcasts by adjusting their own schedules accordingly. The network programs allowed people to sit and listen to their favorite serials, like the women's serial drama nick named "soap opera", at the same time everyday or every week. This created a sort of customer loyalty as far as the programs were concerned, and a gradual shift in the cultural habits of the audience. The advertisements which were interwoven along with the main program also created a loyalty towards the products which were advertised. These factors permanently altered the social habits of the American society. Impact of Radio on large media companies: With the rise of compulsive consumerism brought about by the radio transmission of popular programs and advertisements, large media companies like NBC, and CBS sensed big business opportunities. The individual broadcasting stations got affiliated to national networks or were absorbed by big broadcasting chains, so that they could benefit from the economies of scale. The broadcast time was gradually increasing, By the middle of 1930's, many stations were using an airtime of 12 to 18 hours per day. This made it necessary for the broadcasters to fill the expanded airtime with variations of program types already developed. The large companies like NBC and CBS, also had to develop newer varieties of programs, like live performances by orchestras, talk shows, soap operas, and afternoon serial dramas. For this, they had to develop their own recording studios. Transcription, or pre-recorded music was also in vogue. To cut costs, these large companies bought the prerecorded music from transcription firms. The big companies were better placed financially, so they could command better quality of transcriptions, and also could afford to hire the best performers for their live shows. Although music was dominating the air time, emphasis by the network broadcasters was on transcriptions and not on classical music, whereas NBC could manage to broadcast a symphony orchestra with eminent musicians like the conductor of New York Philharmonic for many years, as opposed to the network operator who were mainly using transcriptions of music performances by local artistes. Similarly, CBS hired the services of actors, writers, poets etc to continue with high quality dramas and talk shows. Thus, the large media firms, who entered the broadcasting market, were able to continue with

Creating a Climate of Ethical Behavior at Workplace Research Paper

Creating a Climate of Ethical Behavior at Workplace - Research Paper Example Knowledge sharing practices enable organizational members to share ideas and fully exploit knowledge-based sources. Personal commitment and trust is necessary because they help in knowledge management process. This paper will explore ethics in an organization as well as workplace safety-enhancing behaviors and qualities such as personal commitment and trust. Undoubtedly, ethical behavior significantly contributes to the success of many organizations. An ethical work climate is part of the organization and it is a representation of organizational practices that are viewed as right or wrong. Many individuals believe that an ethical work climate is indispensable for a good business. Notably, organizations striving for excellence and success in their business activities tend to focus on a strong ethical culture. Organizations need to effectively respond to both economic and non-economic surroundings in order to achieve their goals, but this requires members to be socially responsible and behave ethically. Truly, creating a working environment guided by ethics can be a very important move for an organization. In contrast, unethical behaviors negatively influence the organization. For instance, unethical behaviors are more likely to increase the organizations’ liability and financial risk. Secondly, consumers would not be attracted to the products and services of the organization with an unethical climate. More so, an unethical climate negatively affects the workers since it lowers job satisfaction and performance. In most cases, unethical behavior emerges from lack of knowledge and an inability to come up with ethical solutions (Patterson, 1989). Unethical behavior makes individuals become more sensitive to the likelihood of censure and this will in turn motivate them to avoid censure behaviors (Sinha, 1967). Therefore, it is very appropriate to institutionalize an ethical attitude in the organization. This paper provides a thoughtful

Olympic games in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Olympic games in China - Essay Example est import trading partner and the 11th export partner to the USA but by the year 2005, China had become the second largest import and the fourth largest export partner and the third largest trading partner overall next to Mexico, Canada and Japan. China has emerged as the main strategic partner to the USA. The USA has identified China as one of its top ten emerging markets. Just like commodities, capital requires high capital markets, and hence the USA has heavily invested in the Chinese markets, and this is a clear demonstration that China has become the largest overseas market for the USA capital. China and the USA have recorded remarkable achievement in terms of financial cooperation and by the year 2005, China was holding US$254.4 in US treasury bonds as well as a considerable number of US private securities and stocks. Consequently, by 2005, the foreign reserve of China reached US$810 billion and 60 percent of this was USA capital. The trade between the two countries has been, however, faced with numerous challenges emanating from the increasing friction and conflicts like RMB exchange rates, Intellectual Property Rights, market access and trade balance. Trade wars have had the tendency of ruining the trade and economic ties between the two countries and are not acceptable. This has been exemplified by the restrictions and the counter restrictions that was involved the textile trade between the two countries that involved up to seven rounds of negotiations that culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the trading of apparel and textile. This ref lected the settling of frictions and trade-based disputes in Sino-US economic ties. The USA imports a lot of daily necessities from China and these goods have been established to be of a good quality and of low or reasonable pricing that can easily satisfy the US market. The Chinese products are of great benefit to the US consumers, and they help ease inflation and facilitate the

ARTICLE CRITIQUE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ARTICLE CRITIQUE - Essay Example just in front of the period. 0.25 error in period. No need for double period after bracket.) It very carefully pointed out that the study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards of the Helsinki Declaration of 1975(Meunier, A., Lisander. B., and Good. L.2007).. (0.25 there should be a space after1975, just before the bracket. 0.25 there is no need for double period after the bracket and there should be a space just after the period infron of L. erro in double period)The authors even indicated what hospital that the study was done at(Meunier, A., Lisander. B., and Good. L.2007).. (0.25 no space after at just before the bracket. 0.25 there is no space after the period in front of L. There is no need of a double period after the bracket.)The study even indicated how the capsules of medications were processed and delivered in envelopes prepared by this certain Swedish pharmacy(Meunier, A., Lisander. B., and Good. L.2007).. (0.25 error in spacing after pharmacy. Ther should be a space after pharmacy. 0.25 there should also be a space after the period in front of L. 0.25 there is no need of double period after the bracket)The study determined that Celecoxib does not increase perioperative blood loss but reduces pain during the postoperative period after total knee replacement(Meunier, A., Lisander. B., and Good. L.2007).. (0.25 no space after replacement. 0.25 no space after the period infornt of L. 0.25 no need for double period after the bracket) So it is not necessary to discontinue celecoxib before surgery(Meunier, A., Lisander. B., and Good. L.2007)..  (0.25 no space between surgery and the bracket. 0.25 no space after the period in front of L. 0.25 no need for double period after the bracket.) The use of lidocaine and fentanyl in spinal anesthesia has been found to be very safe, effective, and efficient anesthetic but it has frequently caused nausea, vomiting, and pruritus, which then can lead to a delayed

The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell Essay

The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell - Essay Example Rainsford becomes the prey and in doing so the author unveils the resourcefulness and animal instinct that lies below Rainsford's pompous exterior. Here we glimpse the evil that lies at the primal core of all men such as Rainsford. Rainsford is portrayed as a man of breeding and good manners. He hunts animals because he believes they have no understanding and are incapable of feeling fear or pain. He shows his arrogance on the yacht by insisting he knows the mind of the jaguar and rebuffing the anecdotal tales of Ship-Trap Island as nonsense. Rainsford's smug attitude is further revealed as he "indolently puffed on his favorite brier". However, in his first physical challenge, Rainsford falls overboard as he struggles to retain the symbol of his self-indulgent aristocracy, his treasured pipe. The pompous Rainsford now confronts the sea and a more resourceful man is revealed. He "wrestled himself out of his clothes", as the yacht became a dim drone in the distance. The keen-witted Rainsford is able to make his way to the direction of the gunshots and locate the chateau of General Zarnoff. Zarnoff feeds and clothes Rainsford and tells him of his grisly preoccupation with hunting humans. Rainsford is repulsed by the idea and demonstrates his basic belief in puritan civilization by perceiving Zarnoff as a murderer.

Erotic elements in The Brothers Menaechmus Essay

Erotic elements in The Brothers Menaechmus - Essay Example There is a homoerotic and incestuous undertone to the union of the brothers at the end of the play that contributes to the production of humor. This paper shall seek to analyse these aspects of the play and why these can or cannot be used in a modern play. Erotic elements in The Brothers Menaechmus The erotic elements in The Brothers Menaechmus contribute greatly to the comedy that is an intrinsic part of the play. The presence of a wife and a mistress and the confusion that ensues is something that is a stock situation that is used for humor in many plays. Plautus combines this with the presence of the twin brothers who look exactly like each other to create situations that are not only funny but also educative and subversive of contemporary ideas of appearances and reality. Subversion occurs at another level, where the homoerotic element is hinted at. However, it is not developed fully and is turned into another occasion for laughter and the production of comedy. The name Erotium i n itself lends itself to suggestive explanations that produce situations that are worthy of laughter to an audience that heard the dialogues in the original Latin that the play was written in. The recourse that Menaechmus takes is that of taking refuge in the arms of his mistress. His wife remains an insignificant character as opposed to the prostitute. His wife is not even provided with a name in most translations.

Understanding and interpreting financial statements Dissertation

Understanding and interpreting financial statements - Dissertation Example Understanding and interpreting financial statements The information contained in the financial statements can be used by financial analysts to perform ratio analysis. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the financial performance of Morrisons Inc. Company Profile: Morrisons Morrisons was founded in 1899 by William Morrison. The first supermarket chain was opened in 1961. Today the company has become the 4th largest supermarket retailer in the United Kingdom . The initial public offering of the company occurred in 1967. The company serves over 10 million customers each week across its network of 382 stores. Morrisons helps the United Kingdom’s economy by providing the community with 124,000 jobs. One of the aspects of the Morrisons operation that makes this company different is that the firm owns its supply chain logistics. The company has its own packing facilities, baking capabilities, distribution centers, and fleet of trucks to deliver fresh goods to its stores. Ratio Selection The use of ratio analysis can help a person evaluate the financial performance of a company. To perform ratio analysis one must retrieve the financial statements of the company. The two financial statements that are mostly used when performing ratio analysis are the income statement and the balance sheet. There are different categories of ratios that an analyst can utilize. The five categories of ratios are profitability, solvency, efficiency, liquidity, financial gearing, and investment. To evaluate Morrisons this paper uses a variety of financial ratios from the different categories mentioned. A profitability ratio that will be used in the paper is net margin. Net margin is calculated dividing net income by sales (Besley & Brigham, 2000). It is preferable to have a high net margin because higher net margins imply that the company is more profitable. Another profitability ratio of importance is the gross profit. The gross profit is calculated with the following formula. (Sales – CGS) / Sales (Weygandt & Kieso & Kimmel , 2002). High profit margins are preferable. Two additional metrics that will be used to evaluate Morrisons is return on assets and return on equity. Return on assets is calculated dividing net income by total assets, while return on equity is calculated dividing net income by total equity (Dictionary, 2011). An efficiency ratio that will be used to evaluate Morrisons is sales revenue per employee. Obtaining high sales revenue per employee is preferable because it implies that each employee of the company is helping the firm generate more money. Another efficiency ratio that will be used in the analysis of Morrisons is sales revenue to capital employed. The ratio is calculated dividing revenues by capital. A liquidity ratio that was selected for the Morrisons ratio analysis was the current ratio. The current ratio determines the capabilities of the company to pay off its short term debt (Investopedia, 2011). The formula to calculate current ratio is current assets divided by current liability. Two gearing ratios that will be used in the analysis of Morrisons are the debt ratio and the debt to equity ratio. The debt ratio is calculated by dividing total assets by total liabilities. The debt ratio measures the ability of the company to pay off its long term debt (Garrison & Noreen, 2003). The debt to equity ratio is calculated dividing total assets by total equity. The investment ratios chosen to perform the ratio analysis on

Fiction Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fiction Analysis - Essay Example Updike possibly built on the character of Sammy as an observant, typical male teen-ager. The current discourse hereby presents an analysis of the thoughts, feelings, beliefs, needs and wants that drive Sammy throughout the story. The motivational drives that embodied Sammy’s behavior first included the biological nature of male adolescents who have developed sexual awareness, as evidenced from his apparent detailed observation and narration of the young ladies’ physical features and appearances. Sammy’s vivid descriptive details of the teen-aged girls’ physical traits focused mostly, not only on what could be seen; but also on what could be imagined. For instance, when Sammy described the first teen-aged girl who fancied his interest, Sammy noted that â€Å"She was a chunky kid, with a good tan and a sweet broad soft-looking can with those two crescents of white just under it, where the sun never seems to hit, at the top of the backs of her legs† (Updike par. 1). In addition, as a teen-aged male, Sammy also disclosed that at his age, he still was vaguely aware of how teen-aged girls think. This was evident from the statement that â€Å"You never know for sure how girls minds work (do you really think its a mind in there or just a little buzz like a bee in a glassjar?) but you got the idea she had talked the other two into coming in here with her, and now she was showing them how to do it, walk slow and hold yourself straight† (Updike par. 2). The way that the three teen-aged girls walked and behaved apparently intrigued Sammy too much and confirmed his initial thoughts that as a member of the male species, he never could understand how females think. Another behavior that was exhibited by the protagonist was Sammy’s apparent need to belong; to be accepted as a hero; to be acknowledged as favoring other teen-agers of

Fashion and Zara Essay Example for Free

Fashion and Zara Essay At the announcement of her engagement to Spains Crown Prince Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano wore a chic white pant suit. Within a few weeks, hundreds of European women sported the same look. Welcome to a fashion, a trend that sees clothing retailers frequently purchasing small quantities of merchandise to stay on top of emerging trends. In this world of hot today, gauche tomorrow, no company does fast fashion better than Zara international. Shoppers in over 70 countries are fans of Zara’s knack for bringing the latest styles from sketchbook to clothing rack at lightning speed and reasonable prices. ot replenished. Instead they are replaced with new designs to create scarcity value-shoppers cannot be sure that designs in store one day will be available the next. Store managers track sales data with handheld computers. They can reorder hot items in less than an hour. This lets Zara know what’s selling and what’s not; when look doesn’t pan out, designers promptly put together new products. According to Dilip Patel, U. K. commercial director for lnditex, new arrivals are rushed to store sales floors still on the black plastic hangers used in shipping. Shoppers who are in the know recognize these designs as the newest of the new; soon after, any items left over are rotated to Zaras standard wood hangers. Inside and out, Zaras stores are specially dressed to strengthen the brand. lnditex considers this to be of the greatest importance because that is where shoppers ultimately decide which fashions make the cut. In a faux shopping street in the basement of the companys headquarters, stylists craft and photograph eye-catching layouts that are e-mailed every two weeks to store managers for replication. Zara stores sit on some of the worlds glitziest shopping streets—including New Yorks Fifth Avenue, near the flagship stores of leading international fashion brands— which make its reasonable prices stand out. Inditex gives people the most up-to-date fashion at accessible prices, so it is a real alternative to high-end fashion lines, said Luca Solca, senior research analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein in London. That is good news for Zara as many shoppers trade down from higher-priced chains. Catfights on the Catwalk Zara is not the only player in fast fashion. Competition is fierce; but Zaras overwhelming success (recent sales were over $13 billion) has the competition scrambling to keep up. San Francisco-based Gap, which had been the largest independent clothing retailer by revenue until Zara bumped them to second place in 2009, recently posted a 23% decline in full-year sales and had plans to open a modest 50 new stores. Only time will tell if super-chic Topshops entry into the American market causes a wrinkle in Zaras success. Some fashion analysts are referring to all of this as the democratization of fashion: bringing high(eR) fashion to low(er) income shoppers. According to James Hurley, a senior research analyst with New York-based Telsey Advisory Group LLC, big-box discount stores such as Target and Wal-Mart are emulating Zaras ability to study emerging fashions and knock out look-a- likes in a matter of weeks. In general: Hurley said, the fashion cycle is becoming sharper and more immediately accessible. In Fast Fashion, Moments Matter Because style-savvy customers expect shorter and shorter delays from runway to store, Zara International employs a creative team of more than 200 professionals to help it keep up with the latest fashions. It takes just two weeks for the company to up-date existing garments and get them into its stores; new pieces hit the market twice a week. Defying the recession with its cheap-and-chic Zara clothing chain, Zaras parent company Inditex posted strong sales gains. Low prices and a rapid response to fashion trends are enabling it to challenge Gap, Inc. , for top ranking among global clothing vendors. The improved results highlight how Zaras formula continues to work even in the economic downturn. The chain specializes in lightning-quick turnarounds of the latest designer trends at prices tailored to the young—about $27 an item. Louis Vuitton fashion director Daniel Piette described Zara as possibly the most innovative and devastating retailer in the world. Inditex Group shortens the time from order to arrival by utilizing a complex system of just-in-time production and inventory reporting that keeps Zara ahead. Their distribution centers can have items in European stores within 24 hours of receiving an order, and in American and Asian stores in under 48hours. â€Å"Theyre a fantastic case study in terms of how they manage to get product to their stores so quick, said Stacey Cartwright, CFO of Burberry Group PLC. We are mindful of their techniques. lnditexs history in fabrics manufacturing made it good business sense to internalize as many points in the supply chain as possible. Inditex controls design, production, distribution, and retail sales to optimize the flow of goods, without having to share profits with wholesalers or intermediary partners. Customers win by having access to new fashions while theyre still fresh off the runway. During a Madonna concert tour in Spain, Zaras quick turnaround let young fans at the last show wear Madonnas outfit from the first one. Twice a week Zaras finished garments are shipped to logistical centers that all simultaneously distribute products to stores worldwide. These small production batches help the company avoid the risk of oversupply. Because batches always contain new products, Zara’s stores perpetually energize their inventories. Most clothing lines are A Single Fashion Culture With a network of over 1,600 stores around the world, Zara International is Indites’s largest and most profitable brand, bringing home 77% of international sales and nearly 67% of revenues. The first Zara outlet opened shop in 1975 in La. Coruna. It remained solely a Spanish chain until opening a store in Oporto, Portugal, in 1988. The brand reached the United States and France in 1989 and 1990 with outlets in New York and Paris, respectively. Zara went into mainland China in 2001 and expanded into India in 2009. Essential to Zaras growth and success are lnditexs 100 plus textile design, manufacturing, and distribution companies that employ more than 80,000 workers. The lnditex group began in 1963 when Amancio Ortega Gaona, chairman and founder of Inditex, got his start in textile manufacturing. After a period of growth, he assimilated Zara into a new holding company, Industria de Diseno TextiI. Inditex has a tried-andtrue strategy for entering new markets: start with a handful of stores and gain a critical mass of customers. Generally, Zara is the first lnditex chain to break ground in new countries, paving the way for the groups other brands, including Pull and Bear, Massimo Dutti, and Bershka. lnditex farms out much of its garment production to specialist companies, located on the Iberian Peninsula, which it often supplies with its own fabrics. Although some pieces and fabrics are purchased in Asia—many of them not dyed or only partly finished—the company manufactures about half of its clothing in its hometown of La Coruna, Spain. HM, one of Zaras top competitors, uses a slightly different strategy. Around one quarter of its stock is made up of fast-fashion items that are designed in-house and farmed out to independent factories. As at Zara, these items move quickly through the stores and are replaced often by fresh designs. But HM also keeps a large inventory of basic, everyday items sourced from cheap Asian factories. lnditex CEO Pablo Isla believes in cutting expenses wherever and whenever possible. Zara spends just 0. 3% of sales on ads, making the 3-4% typically spent by rivals seem excessive in comparison. Isla disdains markdowns and sales as well. Few can criticize the results of Islas frugality. Inditex recently opened 439 stores in a single year and was simultaneously named Retailer of the Year during the World Retailer Congress meeting, after raking in net profits of almost $2 billion. Perhaps most important in an industry based on image, Inditex secured bragging rights as Europes largest fashion retailer by overtaking HM. According to Jose Castellano, lnditexs deputy chairman, the group plans to double in size in the coming years while making sales of more than $15 billion. He envisions most of this growth taking place in Europe—especially in trend-savvy Italy. Fashion of the Moment Although Inditexs dominance of fast fashion seems virtually complete, it isnt without its challenges. For instance, keeping production so close to home becomes difficult when an ncreasing number of Zara stores are far-flung across the globe. The efficiency of the supply chain is coming under more pressure the farther abroad they go, notes Nirmalya Kumar, a professor at London Business Schoo1. Inditex plans to launch its Zara online store in the United States in 2011. There is every indication that it will do well. A Zara application for the iPhone has been downloaded by more pro spective clients in the United States than in any other market, according to chief executive Pablo Isla—more than a million iPhone users in just three months. In 2010 Zara rolled out its online store in six European countries and plans to progressively add the remaining countries where Zara operates. Analysts worry that lnditexs rapid expansion may bring undue pressure to its business. The rising number of overseas stores, they warn, adds cost and complexity and is straining its operations. Inditex may no longer be able to manage everything from Spain. But Inditex isnt worried. By closely managing costs, lnditex says its current logistics system can handle its growth until 2012. Jose Luis Nueno of IESE, a business school in Barcelona, agrees that Zara is here to stay. Consumers have become more demanding and more arbitrary, he says—and fast fashion is better suited to these changes. But does Zara International have what it takes to succeed in the hypercompetitive world of fast fashion? Or is the company trying to expand too quickly? 1. In what ways are elements of the classical management and behavioral management approaches evident at Zara International? Specify exactly which elements are evident and how they are evident. 2. How can the systems theory and the theory of contingency thinking explain the success of some of Zaras distinctive practices?  List specific points as to how these theories are directly or indirectly related to Zaras practices. 3. Zaras CEO has asked your management consulting firm for advice on how the firm can make immediate improvements to stay ahead of competition. You must choose one of the consultants mentioned in Chapter 2 for this job (ex: Frederick Taylor, Max Weber, Mary Parker Follett). Which one/s would you assign to Zara, and why? Explain your option in detail by discussing exactly what points of the consultant from his/her well-known theories are applicable to Zara and how these may be applied to the company in modern day. . Discuss each of your suggested improvements for Zara in detail. (More specific information, examples). 5. Gather the latest information on competitive trends in the apparel industry, and on Zaras latest actions and innovations. Then answer the following: a. Is the firm continuing to do well? What makes you say so? (List statistics of competition, reviews, etc. Cite sources. ) b. Is Zara adapting in ways needed to stay abreast of both its major competition and the pressures of a changing global economy? What makes you say so?

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) 3.1. Introduction GMP the building blocks for HACCP. In several years, producer, retailer and industrialist use Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) as appropriate method in order to produce good quality of food. Food producers keep on developing GMP regulations. Now, it uses as prerequisite program on HACCP system or food safety system. Good Manufacturing Practices should be selected and adopted before HACCP is implemented. Without the application of CGMP principles, an effective HACCP program cannot be conducted. Furthermore, GMP must be applied to the development of sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOP). Compliance with specific GMP should be included as part of HACCP. The areas that should be addressed through CGMPs are personal hygiene and other practices, buildings and facilities, equipment and utensils, and production and process controls. CGMPs should be broad in nature (Marriot, 2007). There can hardly be HACCP without Good Manufacturing or Management Practices (GMP). Briefly, GMP is a description of all the steps (which should represent good practice) in a processing facility, while HACCP is a documentation that the steps important to consumer health are under control (Arvanitoyannis and Theodoros, 2009) GMP application is also a basic part of Total Quality Management Program (TQMP). GMP application should be explain in briefly and clearly about problems and procedures on every stage on food processing. 3.2. Definition GMP and SSOP are interrelated and an important part of process control. CGMP are the minimum sanitary and processing requirements necessary to ensure the production of wholesome meat. GMP is one of supporting program for implementation of HACCP system. GMP make food product have a good quality and safety; it is also make product widely acceptable for consumers in domestic and international market. Based on Ministry of Marine Affair and Fisheries Regulation (2007), GMP is the guideline on good prerequisite and production procedures on fish processing unit. GMP is a combination of the production and quality control, to ensure that food manufacturers or processing are following the right step of its production line consistenly and spesifically. GMP refers to the regulation that firstly declared by the US Food Drug Administration (FDA) after being revised in 1986. GMP regulation is aimed to protect the consumer to avoid purchasing any dangerous or contaminated products. Its require a good quality approach of manufacturing and processing product to eliminate errors and failure. Nowadays, the function of GMP is getting more important as pre-requisite program of HACCP; therefore it has to be implemented prior the HACCP system together with the application of SSOP. 3.3. Scope According to Darwanto and Murniyati (2003), on operational processing unit, company management should be check on processing activities for evaluating: a. suitability, quality, and all input factor such as fish, food additives, ingredients, packaging, labeling etc; b. control suitability and condition of manufacturing namely construction, maintenance, sanitation, operation, and equipments that are use on fish processing; c. fulfillment of end products requirements are quality, safety, healthy, and also composition and grade of quality on product; d. staff checking on their health, hygiene and qualification. 3.4. GMP components 3.4.1. Location and Building Requirement 3.4.1.1. Location Seafood plant is consider of a suitable location. Some factors should be considered namely physical, geographical and infrastructure available. A plant must be adequate on a plot of adequate size, easy access on transportation by road, rail or water. An adequate of water should be available throughout the year. Seafood plants contain significant amounts of organic matter which must be removed before waste water is discharge into river or the sea. It also solid waste handling needs careful or appropriate planning, appropriate space, must be available. The immediate physical surroundings of a seafood factory should be landscape and present on attractive view to the visitor. Shrubbery should be at least 10 meter away from factory building and a grass free strip covered with a layer of gravel should follow the outer wall of buildings (Huss, 1994). In addition, the factory location should be large enough for expansion and should be attractively landscaped with natural features such as tree retained wherever possible. Paved or asphalt area are needed in factory, car pack should be situated at a reasonable walking distance from the factories to reduce fumes and noise (Forsythe and Hayes, 1998). 3.4.1.2. Building There are several requirements for fish factories buildings. The materials that used on building materials should be have the specific characteristics. There are specific characteristics such as non-porous, non-toxic, easily cleaned, rodent proof, smooth flat, etc. According to Huss (1994), on food processing industries should have the particular characteristics on materials which are use on food industries. Food factories should be designed and built for particular purposes with materials capable of withstanding various physical conditions. The principal factors to consider are heat, cold, humidity, and vibration. On fish processing, interior surfaces should be smooth, non-porous, easily cleaned and not vulnerable to chemical attack by modern detergents and disinfectants, or able to sustain biological/microbiological growth. Good natural light and screened electric light must be provided. Paints and other surface coats should be non-toxic and not flake; those that contain mould inhibitors must not come into contact with foods. Pipe work, drainage ducts, conduits for power supply and other channels should be tightly sealed where they pass through walls, floors and ceilings to prevent entry of vermin and insects (Huss, 1994). Overhead pipe work sometimes passes directly over process lines and water condensed on the pipes can drip on the underlying food and equipment (Forsythe and Hayes, 1998). Ventilation on fish factory have to efficient and ceiling should be constructed of and finished with materials that obviate condensation, paint flatting, and mould growth. The panel construction being made of various PVC, reinforced resins, PVC-faced plasterboard, PVC-foil-faced foam board or plastic-coated steels (Forsythe and Hayes, 1998). Walls should be constructed with durable materials and in certain situation. All wall angles, corners and junctions of walls and floors must be imperiously sealed and be rounded for ease of cleaning. Coving of the wall/floor junction of walls to a height of. C. 15 cm. Modern materials that are used on wall include polypropylene and different PVCs. Suitable polymers and glass-reinforced PVC can be layered on a thin metallic surface with a cladding of suitable insulating materials (Forsythe and Hayes, 1998). Floor is that surface should be non-slip and easy to clean and disinfect. The quality of the floor surface can be improved by topping the concrete with appropriate materials. These include epoxy, polyester or acrylic resins, chlorinated and styrene butadiene rubbers and bituminous paints and mastics. The resins have a number of advantages such as durable, easy to clean, good non-slip surface, smooth but became saturated and absorb water under water condition. Tiles can provide a relatively long lasting and impervious surface. However, there are weaknesses since they crack, lift to be under run by water, and are difficult to replace satisfactory (Forsythe and Hayes, 1998). Ideally, building have to impose no constraints on any process or plant layout. However, production line are sited in unsuitable buildings as an economic necessity. Construction of building can be based on reinforce concrete or steel frame. In the framed structure the external walls are essentially a skin design to protect personnel and equipment inside. It means that the external walls can be constructed of relatively light material namely aluminum (Forsythe and Hayes, 1998). 3.4.1.3. Plant layout Layout of food industries be laid out with clear, preferably ‘straight through lines of product flow. Final or intermediate processes must be separate to avoid cross-contamination by raw materials. According to Kotschevar and Terrell (1977) in Forsythe and Hayes, (1998), there are eight principle in efficiency flow of work in food service area are: function should proceed in proper sequence directly, with a minimum of criss-crossing and backtracking; smooth and rapid production; delay and storage of materials in processing should be eliminated; worker and materials should cover minimum distances; materials and tools should receive minimum handling, and equipment minimum worker handling; maximum utilization of space and equipment should be achieved; quality control must be sought at all critical points; minimum cost production should be sought. With eight principles, these layouts will minimize recontamination of fish process or raw materials. The preparation areas for all raw materials and all product should be physically separated by appropriate walls. The movement of operators between the separate processing areas should be use of allocated colored clothing and control by management. Facilities for washing hands with knee or foot operated hot water taps should be positioned at all pedestrian entrances in food factories as well as in the toilets. Suitable liquid unperfumed soaps, barrier creams and disposable towels must be provided at all times, with instruction given also their proper use. Floors should be durable, smooth, easily cleaned and carefully insulated; in addition, because of the problem of ‘frost heave where the subsoil becomes frozen to a depth of 1-2 cm causing weakening of the foundations, a heating walls and ceiling should also be durable, smooth and easily cleaned; material such as galvanized steel is particularly recommended. Design layout of cold stores should aim at keeping the environment as constant a possible. Thus the entry of warm air should be minimized by providing properly insulated double doors with an air lock and, as with chill rooms, sitting should be some distance form warm processing areas. 3.3. The examples of processing layout A = administration, EA = employee amenities, FPS = final products storage, L = laboratory, P = production area, RMS = raw materials storage (Forsythe and Hayes, 1998 re-draw by the authors) 3.4.1.4. Equipments There are seven basic principles for hygienic design agreed by the Working Party appointed by the Joint Technical Committee of the Food Manufacturers Federation (FMF) and the Food Machinery Association (FMA) in Forshyte and Hayes, (1998). The principle are: all surface in contact with food must be inert to the food under the condition of use and must not migrate; all surfaces in contact with food must be smooth and non-porous so that tiny particles are not caught in microscopic surface crevices and become difficult to dislodge; all surfaces in contact with food must be visible for inspection; all surfaces in contact with food must be readily accessible for manual cleaning; all surfaces in contact with food must be arranged that the equipment is self-emptying or self-draining; equipment must be design as to protect from external contamination; the exterior or non-product contact surfaces should be arranged to prevent harboring of soils, bacteria, or pest in and on the equipment itself as well as in its contact with other equipment, floors, walls or hanging support. With the above principle, materials are commonly used in food processing are Stainless steel, iron and mild steel, copper and its alloys, miscellaneous metal, plastics, rubber, glass and wood, and antimicrobial work surfaces (Forsythe and Hayes, 1998). Manufacturing equipment should be designed to prevent the entry of foreign materials, and the development of ‘out-of-sight dead spots, especially within the operation chamber and associated pipe work. Bolts and clips should be attached externally to maintain all internal product contact surfaces smooth and easily cleaned. For operator safety, all equipment should be made safe by electrical isolation during dismantling and cleaning. Table 3.1. Applications of materials-handling equipments Conveyors Elevators Cranes and hoists Trucks Pneumatic equipments Water flumes Direction Vertical up * * * Vertical down * * * Incline up * * * Incline down * * * * Horizontal * * * Frequency Continuous * * * * Intermittent * * Location served Point * * * * Path * * * Limited area Unlimited area * * Height Overhead * * * * Working height * * * * Floor level * * * * Underfloor * * * Materials Packed * * * * Bulk * * * * * * Solid * * * * * * Liquid * * Service Permanent * * * * * Temporary * * From Brenan et al (1976) in Fellow, P.J. (1990) 3.4.2. Operational Requirements 3.4.2.1. Receiving Raw Material Receiving raw materials should be consider some requirements such as the origin of raw materials, species and size based on product, quality of raw material and end-product. a. Indicators of Fish Freshness On the receiving materials area, sensory analysis is the main method of evaluating fish freshness. It enables differences in texture, flavor, and taste to be determined, and subsequently the usefulness of the raw material. Sensory properties change during storage from the desired very high standard, through neutral or average, and finally to undesirable or disgusting. It is generally assumed that prior to disappearance of desirable features the fish is considered to be fresh, while the appearance of undesirable or disgusting features disqualifies the raw material. The most difficult step is to determine an intermediate state in which the fish is not entirely fresh. Sensory analysis is thus carried out on raw fish and cooked fish. Flavor, appearance and state of abdominal cavity (for not eviscerated fish) are the main indicators of quality in the case of raw fish. For cooked fish, smell is the most important indicator (Hall, 1997). In addition, microbiological test on raw material is important parameter. In raw materials not only use sensory test but also use microbiological test. Particularly, on freshness test of tuna for sashimi, commonly use K value methods. K value is one of chemical methods based on ATP degradation. This method is commonly use on Japan to measure fish freshness. According to Anonymous (2002), checking the following at receipt will confirm seafood safety and freshness: product temperature (chilled seafood should be below 5oC but ideally between -1.5o and 2oC; frozen seafood should be below -18oC), package condition and use-by-date of pre-packaged seafood, hygiene and cleanliness of the transport vehicle, a record of the species, harvest date and location, and suppliers name, and visual quality criteria. Even if quickly frozen after catching, frozen seafood will not keep indefinitely. Bacterial activity ceases below about -10oC, but chemical and biochemical changes (enzymes, oil oxidation, and dehydration) will still occur. These changes may bring about slow irreversible changes in odor, flavor, and appearance. For long term freezer storage, it is recommended that a temperature of -30oC is maintained (this may only be achieved by commercial freezers). Seafood stored at -15oC (domestic freezers) will have a much-reduced shelf life. 3.4.2.2. Handling and Processing Fish and shellfish are considered to be among the most perishable foodstuff. To keep fish cool, packing in ice is used; this methods is avoids the possibility of the temperature dropping to low with the concomitant freezing of the flesh of the fish. During fish handling and processing in fisheries processing, it will retard the fish deterioration. Keeping fish I the cool thus extends the high-quality life (HQL) of the fish. Good chilling practices on board the fishing vessels and on shore result in better quality fish which, on landing (Garthwaite, 1997). Chilling delays and minimizes spoilage and the ideal chilling system cools fish rapidly to wet ice temperatures. It is essential to minimize bacterial contamination of the fish during all stages of handling. Dirt should be washed off the fish as landed and the surfaces with which the fish come in contact be maintained in a clean condition. Care must also be taken to wash the fish after gutting it, and to use clean ice. Fish properly iced will cool rapidly and will retain quality for 1 to 2 weeks, depending on the species. Ease handling, reduction of weight loses, and elimination of bruising are advantages to be considered in short-term storage in refrigerated seawater (Shapton and Shapton, 1991). Since shrimp live only a few minutes after removal from their natural habitat, microbial spoilage starts immediately through marine bacteria on the surface and in the digestive system, and through microorganisms which happen to contaminate the shrimp on the ships deck, in handling, and from iced used during their storage. The prevention of deterioration in the quality of fresh and iced-stored shrimp involves not only maintaining low microbial count but also prevention of oxidation (Shapton and Shapton, 1991). Temperature and time conditions at all steps from catching or harvesting to distribution is important to prevent growth of pathogenic bacteria, histamine producing bacteria and spoilage bacteria. Temperature and time also are important in preventing oxidation and chemical spoilage (Huss, 1994). 3.4.2.3. Additives and chemical materials Additives and chemical material commonly use on fish processing. It usually used on fish value added product. 1. Additives Additives can be divided into six major categories: preservatives, nutritional additives, flavoring agents, coloring agents, texturizing agents, and miscellaneous additives (Branen and Bragerty, 2002). a. Preservatives There are basically three types of preservatives used in foods: antimicrobials, antioxidants, and anti-browning agents. The antimicrobials are used to check or prevent the growth of microorganisms. The antioxidants are used to prevent lipid and/or vitamin oxidation in food products. They vary from natural substances such as vitamins C and E to synthetic chemicals such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). The antioxidants are especially useful in preserving dry and frozen foods for an extended period (Branen and Bragerty, 2002). Anti-browning agents are chemicals used to prevent both enzymatic and non-enzymatic browning in food products, especially dried fruits or vegetables. Vitamin C (E300), citric acid (E330), and sodium sul ¬Ã‚ te (E221) are the most commonly used additives in this category (Branen and Bragerty, 2002). b. Chemical preservatives The action of maximum and minimum limit of chemical curing and preservative agents should be safe usage known (Betty and Diane, 1987). Propionic acid, sorbic acid, benzoic acid and shulphur dioxide are effective as a preservative. Propionic acid and its salts are mould inhibitors. Sorbic acid is useful fungistatic agent for use in flour confectionery, marzipan and cheese. Benzoic acid occurs naturally in cranberries and is added to many other foods. It is more effective against moulds and yeast than bacteria. These compound are most effective at the lowest pH values of food and ineffective at neutral pH. In addition, sulphur dioxide is being effective in inhibiting microbial growth, also helps to maintain the color of vegetable that are going to be processed (Betty and Diane, 1987). Nitrates and nitrites are used as a curing for meats. Due to toxicological concerns there has been a tendency to reduce the concentrations used in recent years. This imparts a red coloration to the meat similar to fresh meat (Betty and Diane, 1987). c. Nutritional Additives Nutritional additives have increased in use in recent years as consumers have become more concerned about and interested in nutrition. Vitamins, which as indicated above are also used in some cases as preservatives, are commonly added to cereals and cereal products to restore nutrients lost in processing or to enhance the overall nutritive value of the food. The addition of vitamin D to milk and of B vitamins to bread has been associated with the prevention of major nutritional deficiencies. Vitamin A, from liver cod, is essential for normal vision, growth, cellular differentiation, reproduction, and integrity of the immune system (Branen and Bragerty, 2002). In addition, Carotenoid on food can be functioned as function not only as color and nutrient compounds but also as antioxidants (Branen and Bragerty, 2002). Carotenoid can help to minimize oxidative damage and reduce the risk for age-related disorders by preventing the accumulation of free radicals (Rosalee and Michael, 2008). In addition carotenoid also found on brown algae (Miyashita and Masashi, 2008) Minerals such as iron and iodine have also been of extreme value in preventing nutritional deficiencies. Proteins or proteinaceous materials such as soya protein also are sometimes used as nutritional additives, although they are most commonly used as texturizing agents. Fiber additives have seen increased popularity in recent years with the increase in consumer interest in dietary fiber. Various cellulose, pectin, and starch derivatives have been used for this purpose. d. Coloring Agents Most coloring agents are used to improve the overall attractiveness of the food. A number of natural and synthetic additives are used to color foods. In addition, sodium nitrite is used not only as an antimicrobial, but also to fix the color of meat by interaction with meat pigments (Branen and Bragerty, 2002). There are two kinds of coloring agents natural coloring and synthetic coloring. Natural coloring made from plants and animals (Table 3.4.). Synthetic coloring made from chemical substances (Table 3.5.). e. Flavoring Agents Flavoring agents comprise the greatest number of additives used in foods. There are three major types of flavoring additives: sweeteners, natural and synthetic flavors, and flavor enhancers (Branen and Bragerty, 2002). Table 3.2. Chemical preservatives and their dose that are allowed for using in food processing (Indonesian Ministry of Health Regulation No. 722/Menkes/Per/IX/88) No Chemical Preservatives Kinds of Food Maximum dose 1 Sulphur dioxide Marmalade Tomato paste Sugar Powder Powder dextrose Sugar Vinegar Syrup Wine Grape Sausage Dried coffee extract Gelatin 100 mg/kg 350 mg/kg 20 mg/kg 70 mg/kg 70 mg/kg 70 mg/kg 70 mg/kg 200 mg/kg 450 mg/kg 150 mg/kg 1 g/kg 500 mg/kg 2 Potassium Bisulphate French fries Frozen shrimp Pineapple essence extract 50 mg/kg 10 mg/kg (raw); 30 mg/kg (cooked) 50 mg/kg 3 Potassium Metabisulphate French fries Frozen shrimp 50 mg/kg 100 mg/kg 4 Potassium nitrate Meat Cheese 500 mg/kg 50 mg/kg 5 Potassium nitrite Meat Corned 125 mg/kg 50 mg/kg 6 Potassium sulphate French fries Frozen shrimp Pineapple essence extract 50 mg/kg 100 mg/kg 500 mg/kg 7 Natrium Bisulphate French fries Frozen shrimp Pineapple essence extract 50 mg/kg 100 mg/kg 500 mg/kg 8 Na-metabisulphate French fries Frozen shrimp 50 mg/kg 100 mg/kg 9 Natrium nitrate Meat Cheese 500 mg/kg 50 mg/kg 10 Natrium nitrite Meat Corned 125 mg/kg 50 mg/kg 11 Natrium sulphate French fries Frozen shrimp Pineapple essence extract 50 mg/kg 100 mg/kg 500 mg/kg (Cahyadi, 2006) The most commonly used sweeteners are sucrose, glucose, fructose, and lactose, with sucrose being the most popular. The most common additives used as sweeteners are low-calorie or non-caloric sweeteners such as saccharin and aspartame. In most cases, flavoring agents are the same chemical mixtures that would naturally provide the flavor (Branen and Bragerty, 2002). f. Texturizing Agents These agents are used to add to or modify the overall texture or mouth feel of food products. Phosphates and dough conditioners are other chemicals that play a major role in modifying food texture. Lecithin and mono- and diglycerides as well as several synthetic derivatives. The primary role of these agents is to allow flavors and oils to be dispersed throughout a food product (Branen and Bragerty, 2002). Stabilizers include several natural gums such as carrageenan as well as natural and modified starches. These additives have been used for several years to provide the desired texture in products such as ice cream and are now also finding use in both dry and liquid products. Carrageenan found in red algae (Yuan, 2008). Phosphates are often used to modify the texture of foods containing protein or starch. These chemicals are especially useful in stabilizing various dairy and meat products. The phosphates apparently react with protein and/or starch and modify the water-holding capacity of these natural food components (Branen and Bragerty, 2002). Benefits of Additives There are obviously many recognized benefits to be derived from additives. Some of the major benefits are a safer and more nutritious food supply, a greater choice of food products, and a lower-priced food supply (Branen and Bragerty, 2002). Risks of Additives The indirect risks that have been described for additives are the converse of some of the benefits attributed to their use. Additives have also resulted in the increased availability of food products with a low density of nutrients. Of greater concern than the indirect risks are the potential direct toxicological effects of additives. Cancer and reproductive problems are of primary concern, although there is no direct evidence linking additive consumption with their occurrence in humans. 2. Chemical Substances Some chemical substances use in fish/food processing. They used on processing area and products. These substance have used based on government regulation. If they not used based on it the product will be danger to consumers. Several chemical substances are used on fish processing: Table 3.3. Organic preservatives and their dose that are allowed for using by Indonesian Government (Indonesian Ministry of Health Regulation No. 722/Menkes/Per/IX/88) No Organic Preservatives Kinds of Food Maximum dose 1 Benzoic acid Soy sauce Soft drink Cucumber pickle Margarine Pineapple essence extract Other foods 600 mg/kg 600 mg/kg 1 g/kg 1 g/kg 1 g/kg 1 g/kg 2 Propionic acid Cheese Bread 3 g/kg 2 g/kg 3 Sorbic acid Cheese 3 g/kg 4 Benzoic Potassium Margarine Pineapple essence extract Dried apricot Jam and jelly Syrup, tomato sauce Grape Other food except meat, fish, fowl 1 g/kg 1 g/kg 500 mg/kg 1 g/kg 1 g/kg 200 mg/kg 1 g/kg 5 Propionic potassium Cheese 3 g/kg 6 Sorbic potassium Cheese Raw cheese Margarine Dried apricot Cucumber pickle Jam and jelly Marmalade Pineapple essence extract 3 g/kg 1 g/kg 1 g/kg 500 mg/kg 1 g/kg 1 g/kg 500 mg/kg 1 g/kg 7 Benzoate Potassium Pineapple essence extract 1 g/kg 8 Methyl-p-hydroxyl benzoic Cucumber pickle Liquid coffee extract Tomato paste, essence Other food except meat, fish, fowl 250 mg/kg 450 mg/kg 1 g/kg 1 g/kg 9 Natrium benzoate Jam and jelly Soy sauce Soft drink Other foods 1 g/kg 600 mg/kg 600 mg/kg 1 g/kg 10 Natrium propionic Look at on propionic acid Look at on propionic acid 11 Nisin Cheese 12.5 mg/kg 12 Propil-p-hydroxyl benzoic Look metal-p-hydroxyl benzoic Look metal-p-hydroxyl benzoic Source: Cahyadi, (2006) Table 3. 4. Natural coloring agents characteristic Group Color Sources Solubility Stability Caramel Brown Cooked sugar Water Stable Anthosianine Orange, Red Blue Plants Water Sensitive to heat and pH Flavonoid Without yellow Plants Water Stable to heat Leucoanthocianine Colorless Plants Water Stable to heat Tannin Colorless Plants Water Stable to heat Bataline Yellow, red Plants Water Sensitive to heat Quinon Yellow-black Lichen Water Stable to heat Xanthon Yellow Plants Water Stable to heat Carotenoid Without yellow and red Plants Water Stable to heat Chlorophyll Green, brown Plants Lipid and Water Sensitive to heat Heme Red, brown Animals Water Sensitive to heat Source: Cahyadi (2006) Tabl

Probleemanalyse van essentieel belang

Probleemanalyse van essentieel belang Probleemanalyse Inleiding Bij het opstarten van een project is een probleemanalyse van essentieel belang. Na het bestuderen van het probleem en de vragen van de opdrachtgever, wordt een helder en duidelijk managementprobleem geformuleerd. Naast de opdracht formuleer je wat je gaat onderzoeken, op welke manier je dat gaat doen en waarom. De onderdelen die in de probleemanalyse aan bod komen zijn het managementprobleem, het onderzoeksprobleem, componenten, de onderzoeksdoelstelling gevolgd door de onderliggende onderzoeksvragen en op het einde het theoretisch kader, waar alle begrippen en theorieà «n in vermeld worden. De probleemanalyse wordt aangeboden aan de opdrachtgever, die de analyse goed- of afkeurt. Bij goedkeuring aanvaardt de opdrachtgever dat het projectteam de opdracht gaat uitvoeren. Managementprobleem De NHTV international hogeschool Breda is een allround kennisinstituut op het gebied van recreatie en toerisme. De NHTV leidt niet alleen (inter)nationale studenten op, maar organiseert ook congressen en neemt deel aan workshops en seminars over de hele wereld. De missie van de hogeschool luidt als volgt: NHTV wil een bijdrage leveren aan de maatschappij door in nauwe samenwerking met de internationale werkvelden (jonge) mensen op te leiden tot verantwoordelijke professionals voor een globaliserende werk- en kennisomgeving. De instelling wil medewerkers en studenten inspireren en uitdagen hun talenten optimaal te ontwikkelen, hun kennis en kunde te integreren en deze als professional of als wetenschapper op excellente en duurzame wijze toe te passen in de samenleving. (NHTV, 2010) Daarnaast is de hogeschool nauw betrokken bij het internationale toerisme en recreatieve bedrijfsleven, vooral als het gaat over innovatieve en duurzame ontwikkelingen. De hogeschool is een door de World Tourism Organization gecertificeerde opleiding die serieus meedenkt over etnische vraagstukken in het internationale toerisme. Daarnaast is de NHTV nauw betrokken bij de Initiatiefgroep Duurzaam Uitgaan Toerisme (IDUT). De opleiding Management Toerisme denkt erover om, in navolging van IDUT, een nieuw platform op te richten, namelijk het Internationaal Innovatieplatform Toeristisch Vervoer. De NHTV, de wereld, de toerist en de recreant hebben namelijk à ©Ãƒ ©n ding gemeen: ze zijn altijd in beweging. Het probleem is echter dat er een heldere visie op toeristisch en recreatief vervoer ontbreekt. Niet eerder is nagedacht over of onderzoek gedaan naar aspecten als ethiek, duurzaamheid, snelheid, prijs enzovoorts. Met het oog op de ontwikkelingen naar een beleveniseconomie en zelfs een transformationele economie, wil het Internationaal Innovatieplatform Toeristisch Vervoer een visie laten ontwikkelen op toeristisch-recreatief vervoer die de basis vormt voor een betekenisvol belevingsconcept. Er wordt als het ware een creatieve en overtuigende vertaalslag gemaakt van de droom (visie) naar de daad (concept). Het concept dient vervolgens globaal getoetst te worden op ethische en duurzaamheidaspecten. Tot op heden is er ook geen onderzoek gedaan naar nieuwe volggroepen die aansluiten bij de producten en het concept. Het is de bedoeling dat à ©Ãƒ ©n of meer volggroepen zich aantoonbaar aangesproken gaan voelen door de beleving die deze producten oplevert. De karakteristiek van deze volgroepen dient op basis van de waardegeorià «nteerde lifestyle-segmentatiemodellen gegeven te worden. Daarnaast dient het belevingsconcept aantoonbaar geschikt te zijn voor de ontwikkeling van een aantal verschillende en onderscheidende belevingsproducten. Daarbij dient à ©Ãƒ ©n belevingsproduct op hoofdlijnen uitgewerkt te worden. Uiteindelijk zal aangegeven worden hoe de betrokkenheid en/of binding tussen volggroep en belevingsproduct door interactieve communicatie kan worden bevorderd. Daarbij gaat het om het regisseren van de communicatie. (Handleiding CPO2, 2010) Onderzoeksprobleem Zoals in het managementprobleem beschreven staat, ontbreekt een heldere visie op toeristisch en recreatief vervoer. De NHTV geeft de student Management Toerisme om die reden de opdracht om op basis van een persoonlijke visie op toeristisch recreatief vervoer een sterk belevingsconcept voor een specifieke vorm van toeristisch-recreatief vervoer te ontwikkelen, waaraan verschillende onderscheidende belevingsproducten gekoppeld kunnen worden en waardoor met naam te benoemen volggroepen zich aangesproken en verbonden voelen. Met de introductie van het belevingsconcept voor vakantievervoer dient de eerste publicatie van het Internationaal Innovatieplatform Toeristisch Vervoer gevoed te worden. De compacte vraag die ik mijzelf bij dit project heb gesteld luidt als volgt: Hoe kan ik vanuit een persoonlijke visie komen tot een belevingsconcept? Om antwoord te geven op de bovenstaande onderzoeksvraag dient er informatie te worden verzameld over de diverse aspecten die bij dit project van belang zullen zijn. Zo zal de aanbodkant van het toeristisch-recreatief vervoer in kaart moeten worden gebracht en dient er onderzoek gedaan te worden naar de trends en ontwikkelingen van toeristisch-recreatief vervoer. Daarbij zal er gekeken worden naar de situatie op micro- en meso-niveau. Aan de hand van de micro-analyse dient er in kaart te worden gebracht wat de kernwaarden en motieven zijn, welke in verbinding staan met het toeristisch-recreatief vervoer. Een duidelijk beeld van de bovenstaande aspecten maakt het mogelijk een persoonlijk visie te formuleren waarna je kunt komen tot een belevingsconcept. Componenten Om antwoord te geven op de onderzoeksvragen zijn een aantal deelstudies noodzakelijk om te voorzien in de gedefinieerde informatie- en adviesbehoefte. In de opstartfase diende iedere student een keuze te maken tussen vervoer via land, water of lucht. De keuze is uiteindelijk gevallen op de vervoerssector transport over water. De reden hiervoor is dat het transport over water, in tegenstelling tot andere toeristisch-recreatieve vervoersmogelijkheden een stijgende lijn kent in het aantal passagiers. Daarnaast ontdoet het transport via water zich van zijn stoffige imago en hebben cruisemaatschappijen hun focus gelegd op de bouw van innovatieve schepen en het aanspreken van nieuwe doelgroepen. Het ABCDEF-model loopt als de rode draad door het conceptontwikkelingsproces heen. Deze methodiek is een uitbereiding van het conceptontwikkelingsproces en bevat de onderdelen: aandacht en analyse, broeden en beleven, creà «ren van een concept, design van belevenissen, experience platform en follow up. De ABCDEF-methodiek is kwalitatief van aard en gaat om het blootleggen van het hart of de ziel en deze in conceptvorm te vangen. Allereerst zal worden ingegaan op een nadere uitwerking van de aanbodkant. Er dient onderzocht te worden welke mogelijkheden reisorganisaties bieden, welke trends en ontwikkelingen er van toepassing zijn en waar de vervoerssector zich in onderscheid. Informatie hierover is te vinden op internet, in de databases van Tourpress en de Reisrevue. Daarnaast worden websites van touroperators en transportbedrijven geraadpleegt. Vervolgens zal worden ingegaan op vraag- en (deels) aanbodkant van toeristisch-recreatief vervoer over het water. Deze onderdelen bevat deelvragen die het doel hebben de situatie op macro-, meso- en micro-niveau te beschrijven. De macro-omgeving zal beschreven worden aan de hand van het DSTEPJ-model en de meso-omgeving zal beschreven worden aan de hand van het ABCD-model. De micro-analyse maakt onderdeel uit van de vraagkant, waarbij gekeken wordt naar de kernwaarden en motivaties van reizigers. Bij de micro-analyse zal gebruik worden gemaakt van het Mentality-model van Motivaction, die onderscheid maakt in verschillende sociale milieus. Daarnaast zal bij het onderzoeken van consumententrends publicaties en databases van Tourpress, Reisrevue, NBTC, TNS NIPO en de ANVR geraadpleegd worden. Theorieà «n en begrippen betreffende visie, duurzaamheid en ethiek, concept- en productontwikkeling etc. zijn te vinden in de literatuur van Nijs en Peters Imagineering, Rijkenberg Concepting en Boers en Beunders De andere kant van de vrije tijd. Onderzoeksdoelstelling Inzicht verkrijgen in de aanbodkant, trends en ontwikkelingen en kernwaarden en motivaties van het toeristisch-recreatief vervoer teneinde een visie te ontwikkelen op toeristisch-recreatief vervoer die de basis vormt voor een betekenisvol belevingsconcept. Inzicht verkrijgen in de aanbodkant, trends en ontwikkelingen en kernwaarden en motivaties van het toeristisch-recreatief vervoer teneinde een sterk belevingsconcept voor een specifieke vorm van toeristisch-recreatief vervoer te ontwikkelen, waaraan verschillende onderscheidende belevingsproducten gekoppeld kunnen worden en waardoor met naam te benoemen volggroepen zich aangesproken en verbonden voelen. Onderzoeksvragen Hoe ziet het aanbodkant eruit van toeristisch-recreatief vervoer over het water? Hoe ziet de situatie eruit op macro-niveau? Hoe ziet de situatie eruit op meso-niveau? Hoe ziet de situatie eruit op micro-niveau? Theoretisch kader Het ABCDEF-model loopt als de rode draad door het conceptontwikkelingsproces heen. Deze methodiek is een uitbereiding van het conceptontwikkelingsproces en bevat de volgende onderdelen Analyse en Aandacht. Analyse van vraag als aanbodkant. Inleven in de ziel, de aard, het unieke DNA van het aanbod aan toeristisch recreatief vervoer. Broeden en Beleven. Ontwikkelen van een subjectieve en onderscheidende visie op toeristisch recreatief vervoer en de daarin gekozen sector. Creà «ren van een Concept. Het vertalen van een visie in een concept. Design van belevenissen. Ontwerpen van belevingsproducten, diensten of belevenissen. Experience platform. Emotionele betrokkenheid, loyaliteit creà «ren. Follow up. Het werken met belevingsconcepten en -producten leidt tot innovaties binnen het bedrijf. (Projecthandleiding CPO2, 2010) Bij het maken van een situatieanalyse kan een onderscheid gemaakt worden in een externe (ook wel omgevingsanalyse genoemd) en een interne situatieanalyse. De externe analyse bestaat uit variabelen die van invloed zijn op de activiteiten van de organisatie, maar waarop door de organisatie zelf geen (of weinig) invloed kan worden uitgeoefend. In de literatuur wordt hierbij een verder onderscheid gemaakt in macro-omgeving en meso-omgeving. De macro-omgevingsanalyse, ook wel eens trendanalyse genoemd, wordt gebruikt om de huidige en toekomstige trends en/of gebeurtenissen te lokaliseren, die potentià «le mogelijkheden of bedreigingen vormen voor de organisatie. Bij de eerste onderzoeksvraag zal gebruik worden gemaakt van het DSTEPJ-model, waaronder de demografische factoren, sociaal culturele omgevingsvariabelen, technologische omgevingsvariabelen, economische omgevingsvariabelen, politieke omgevingsvariabelen en juridische variabelen vallen. Demografische factoren: kenmerken die te maken hebben met de Nederlandse bevolking. Economische factoren: kenmerken die te maken hebben met de economie van Nederland. Sociaal-culturele factoren: kenmerken van cultuur en leefgewoonten van Nederland. Technologische factoren: kenmerken van de ontwikkeling op technologisch gebied. Ecologische factoren: kenmerken die te maken hebben met de fysieke omgeving en milieu. Politiek: kenmerken van overheidsbeslissingen. Juridische factoren: kenmerken van overheidsbeslissingen (Intemarketing.nl, 2010) Factoren uit de meso-omgeving hebben te maken met factoren binnen de branche, die van invloed zijn op het functioneren van de organisatie. Hierbij gaat het vooral om marktvormen, marktstructuur en marktorganisatie vanuit de vraagzijde en vanuit de aanbodzijde. En ook de concurrentie- en concurrentieanalyse is hier van belang. De vraag naar vakanties in het algemeen, de binnenlandse vakantie in het bijzonder en specifiek naar kamperen, zijn ontwikkelingen binnen de branche van verblijfsrecreatie, die voor een camping van belang zijn. De meso-analyse zal worden beschreven aan de hand van het ABCD-model, waaronder de afnemers-, bedrijfstak-, concurrentie- en distributieanalyse behoren. Bij de micro-analyse wordt de kernwaarden, motivaties en trends van de consument onderzocht. Dit zal gedaan worden aan het hand van hand van de verschillende Mentality-milieus van Motivaction, waarbij onderscheid wordt gemaakt in socio-demografische gegevens en de normen en waarden van de verschillende milieus. De gemaksgeorià «nteerden: de impulsieve en passieve consument die in de eerste plaats streeft naar een onbezorgd, plezierig en comfortabel leven. De opwaarts mobielen: de carrià ¨regerichte individualisten met een uitgesproken fascinatie voor sociale status, nieuwe technologie, risico en spanning. De nieuwe conservatieven: de liberaalconservatieve maatschappelijke bovenlaag die alle ruimte wil geven aan technologische ontwikkeling, maar zich verzet tegen sociale en culturele vernieuwingen. De kosmopolieten: de open en kritische wereldburgers die postmoderne waarden als ontplooien en beleven integreren met moderne waarden als maatschappelijk succes, materialisme en genieten. De postmaterialisten: de maatschappelijke idealisten die zichzelf willen ontplooien, stelling nemen tegen sociaal onrecht en opkomen voor het milieu. De postmoderne hedonisten: de pioniers van de beleveniscultuur, waarin experiment en het breken met morele en sociale conventies doelen op zichzelf zijn geworden. De traditionele burgerij: de moralistische, plichtsgetrouwe en op de status-quo gerichte burgerij die vasthoudt aan tradities en materià «le bezittingen. De moderne burgerij: de conformistische, statusgevoelige burgerij die het evenwicht zoekt tussen traditie en moderne waarden als consumeren en genieten. (Motivaction.nl, 2010) Werkwijze Aanbodkant van toeristisch-recreatief vervoer Inleiding In dit hoofdstuk zullen we het gaan hebben over de verschillende mogelijkheden binnen toeristisch-recreatief vervoer in het algemeen à ©n gespecialiseerd op de sector vervoer over water. Er zijn drie doelen van het gebruik van transport die toegelicht zullen worden, namelijk: als doorvoer, als bestemming en als toeristische attractie. Mogelijkheden binnen toeristisch-recreatief vervoer Transport als doorvoer Het belangrijkste doel van het gebruik van toeristisch-recreatief vervoer is het transporteren van mensen naar een andere bestemming dan de plaats van herkomst (bijna 90%). Nadeel voor de touroperator is dat hij weinig tot geen controle uit kan voeren op de geboden service. Door middel van yieldmanagement zal er een poging worden gedaan een optimale mix van prijs en bezetting te behalen. Toch kan het vervoer gezien worden als een belevenis, mits er hoog wordt gescoord op de volgende criteria: het type transport, de persoonlijkheid van de toerist, de frequentie van het reizen en de reissamenstelling van de toerist. Deze criteria dienen te worden vergeleken met nadelen van vervoer als lange wachtrijen en vertragingen. Transport als bestemming Eenmaal op de bestemming aangekomen maken toeristen veelvuldig gebruik van vervoers-middelen als huurautos, taxis, busdiensten en veerboten. Vaak spelen vervoerders op de bestemming hierop in door producten aan te bieden voor specifiek gericht zijn op het toerisme. Hierbij kunt u denken aan excursies en kaarten voor het openbare vervoer in het gebied. Vervoer op de vakantiebestemming is goed voor 10% van het totale toeristische gebruik van vervoer. Transport als toeristische attractie In een aantal gevallen is het vervoersmiddel de attractie tussen bestemmingen in à ©Ãƒ ©n of meerdere landen. De grootste markt hiervoor is de cruise-industrie. Daarnaast zijn er voorbeelden van treinreizen als de Oriental Express, dagtrips met een ferry door Engeland en kanaalcruises door Amsterdam. Vormen van reizen De meest voor de hand liggende manier voor het analyseren van toeristisch-recreatief vervoer is door te kijken naar de verschillende vormen van reizen: land, water, spoor en lucht. De keuze van de toerist voor een bepaalde vorm van reizen hangt samen met invloeden als: afstand en tijd, status en comfort, veiligheid en nuttigheid, prijs/ service en dienstverlening, geografische ligging en de hoogte van de concurrentie tussen de verschillende diensten. Componenten Er kunnen vier basiselementen worden onderscheiden, namelijk: de weg, de wachtruimte, het vervoersmiddel en de drijfkracht. De weg kan omschreven worden als het middel waarin het vervoersmiddel kunstmatig (weg, rails) of natuurlijk (lucht, water) opereert. Wachtruimtes geven de reiziger toegang tot het vervoersmiddel of fungeren als schakel tussen verschillende wijzen van vervoer. Niet alle vervoersmiddelen hebben een geavanceerde terminal nodig. Zo stoppen stadsbussen bijvoorbeeld op plaatsen langs weg. Het vervoers-middel is het voertuig dat het vervoer vergemakkelijkt. De aard van het vervoersmiddel wordt beà ¯nvloed door verschillende factoren als: vraag- en technologische ontwikkelingen en drijfkracht, het belangrijkste element in de ontwikkeling van transport. Vervoersmiddelen kennen een steeds grotere capaciteit, zijn sneller en worden vooral milieuvriendelijker. De vervoersindustrie is een concurrentiegevoelige en complexe industrie. Verschillende vormen van vervoer, verschillende bedrijven en verschillende landen beconcurreren elkaar met hun product. Consumenten kiezen aan de hand van de volgende factoren voor een bepaald vervoersmiddel of bedrijf: veiligheid, kosten, snelheid, afstand, gemak, vertrek- en aankomsttijd, betrouwbaarheid, beschikbaarheid, flexibiliteit, service, comfort, prikkels en status en prestige. (Tourism principles and practice, 2010) Toeristisch-recreatief vervoersaanbod van de sector water Toeristisch-recreatief vervoer over het water kunnen we verdelen in vervoer per veerboot en cruiseschip. Rondreizen per cruiseschip zijn vervolgens onder te verdelen in zeecruises en riviercruises. Er zijn twee verschillen tussen aan te duiden tussen zee- en riviercruises: het soort water dat bevaren wordt heeft gevolgen voor het soort schip en bij een zeecruise wordt er s nachts gevaren, in tegenstelling tot bij de riviercruise, waar varen zelf juist de grootste attractie is en daardoor overdag gevaren wordt. De cruise is voortgekomen uit de overcapaciteit aan schepen, die ontstond toen er in de jaren vijftig geen of nauwelijks meer interesse bestond voor de lijndienstscheepvaart. Sinds de jaren tachtig en het begin van de negentiger jaren is de cruisebusiness in een stroomversnelling terecht gekomen. Jaarlijks boeken zon tien miljoen mensen wereldwijd een cruise. De schepen hebben zich ontwikkelt tot gestroomlijnde drijvende resorts die duizenden passagiers kunnen vervoeren. Ze var en voornamelijk in het Caribisch gebied, de Bahamas, naar Alaska en zelfs Antarctica. Daarnaast zijn er trans-Atlantische cruises naar New York en bescheiden cruises in de Middellandse Zee. In tegenstelling tot zeecruises vinden riviercruises voornamelijk plaats in Europa. Voor de Nederlandse markt zijn bestemmingen binnen Europa dan ook veruit het belangrijkste. Er worden cruises aangeboden op de rivieren: de Rijn, de Maas, de Donau, de Elbe, de Rhà ´ne, de Seine en de Don. Luxueuze riviercruises buiten Europa komen voornamelijk voor op de Nijl en de Mississippi. Ruim honderd jaar geleden werd de akte van Mannheim getekend, door landen die aan de Rijn liggen. In deze akte werd het varen op de Rijn aan regels onderworpen, hetgeen een grote invloed heeft voor de huidige scheepsvaart op de Rijn. Eà ©n van de onderdelen was, dat de schepen op de Rijn en haar zijrivieren bepaalde afmetingen niet mochten overschrijden, zodat à ©Ãƒ ©n van de belangrijkste kenmerken van een riviercruiseschip is in tegenstelling tot het zeecruiseschip dat het maximaal vier verdiepingen mag hebben, waardoor het schip onder de bruggen door kan varen. Door de bovengenoemde voorschriften komen in West-Europa de riviercruiseschepen niet boven de capaciteit van tweehonderd passagiers uit. De tarieven worden voornamelijk bepaald door de luxe van het schip. Prijzen liggen tussen de circa â‚ ¬ 100,- en â‚ ¬ 350,- per persoon per dag. (De wereld in toeristische bestemmingen, 2004) Wat betreft het vervoer van voertuigen en goederen op korte overtochten, bieden veerboten goedkope, betrouwbare en veilige diensten. Vervoer per ferry is de enige mogelijkheid in het geval van een afgelegen en klein eiland waar geen luchthaven aanwezig is. Denk bijvoorbeeld aan Griekenland, waar slechts 15 luchthavens tot 95 bewoonde eilanden dienen. In dit geval verbinden grote veerboten het vasteland, de havens en de eilanden met elkaar. Bovendien verzorgen kleinere regionale veerboten het vervoer tussen de eilanden, met name in het hoogseizoen. In veel gevallen kan de luchtvaart een uitstekend alternatief zijn voor het vervoer tussen de grotere eilanden en het vasteland. Het belangrijkste voordeel van de ferry in vergelijking met het vliegtuig is de prijs, gecombineerd met het feit dat passagiers op de bestemming gebruik kunnen maken van hun eigen voertuig. De populariteit van autovakanties en self-drive pakketten, evenals de invoering van het roll-on-roll-off principe die het voor de haven mogelijk maakt een groter volume van de voertuigen te verwerken tonen de stijging van de vraag naar veerdiensten aan. De geleidelijke liberalisering van het luchtvervoer in Europa, de daling van de kosten van vliegtickets en de ontwikkeling van alternatieve vervoersmogelijkheden hebben ervoor gezorgd dat veerdiensten vors investeren om hun schepen te verbeteren, de snelheid te verhogen en recreatieve voorzieningen te ontwikkelen. Routes met langere overtochten bieden de reiziger tegenwoordig een ruime keuze aan recreatieve voorzieningen en een consument-gerichte service. Moderne schepen als de catamaran en draagvleugelboten zijn in de afgelopen decennia op bepaalde routes ingevoerd. Moderne schepen hebben meer vermogen dan de traditionele veerdiensten en arriveren dus sneller op hun bestemming. Ze varen tot drie keer sneller dan een normale veerboot, terwijl ze een grote wendbaarheid en een snelle turn-around hebben in de haven. Daarnaast nemen ze veel minder ruimte in beslag dan traditionele veerdiensten waardoor ze een minimum aan dokfaciliteiten nodig hebben. Moderne schepen trekken dan ook voornamelijk up-market toeristen aan die de wens hebben hun bestemming zo spoedig mogelijk te bereiken. Nadelen van deze schepen: ze zijn veel duurder dan traditionele veerboten, kwetsbaarder in slechte weersomstandigheden en kunnen luidruchtig zijn. Naast de veerboot, het cruiseschip, de catamaran en de draagvleugelboot kennen we nog een aantal categorieà «n, zoals de binnenvaart, kleine pleziervaartuigen, het zeilschip en de rondvaartboot. Kenmerken van deze vervoersmogelijkheden zijn dat ze vaak op de bestemming zelf gebruikt worden of bevaren worden door de eigenaar van het vaartuig. Daardoor worden ze niet allemaal beschouwd als toeristisch-recreatief vervoer. (Tourism principles and practice, 2010) Recente cijfers cruisetoerisme: Terwijl een groot deel van de Nederlandse reisbranche de negatieve gevolgen van de economische crisis ondervindt, is de cruisesector bezig met een spectaculaire opmars. De cruisemarkt toont aan zich onder lastige omstandigheden aanzienlijk in de toeristische sector te blijven ontwikkelen. Nederland heeft daarentegen een flinke achterstand in te halen op echte cruisenaties, zoals de Groot-Brittannià «, Italià «, Duitsland, Frankrijk en Spanje. In 2008 werden er 4,5 miljoen cruisepassagiers geteld uit Europa, waarvan er 1,5 miljoen uit Groot-Brittannià « kwamen en 0,9 miljoen uit Duitsland. Desondanks is Nederland bezig met een opmars en de meest recente cijfers voor Nederland liegen er niet om. In 2008 nam het aantal Nederlandse cruisepassagiers al met ruim 44 procent toe tot ruim 48.600 en in het eerste kwartaal van 2009 kon de opgaande lijn voortgezet en versterkt worden, aldus Norbert van der Glas, voorzitter van de Dutch Cruise Council (DCC). Aan het einde van het jaar verwacht hij tenminste 60.000 cruisepassagiers te verwelkomen, wat een stijging betekend van 25% ten opzichte van het jaar daarvoor. Tot 1 april 2009 boekten ruim 38.000 Nederlanders een cruisvakantie, 47 procent meer dan in dezelfde periode in 2007. Als de prognose voor heel 2009 uitkomt is het a antal cruisereizigers in twee jaar bijna verdubbeld. De cruisemarkt is in rap tempo bezig zich te ontdoen van haar stoffige imago en spreekt een steeds jonger publiek aan. De beeldvorming is zich bij een breed publiek ingrijpend aan het wijzigen. Dat komt niet alleen door de voortdurende vlootvernieuwing, maar ook door de verjonging en modernisering van activiteiten aan boord. Natuurlijk hebben we nog steeds veel senioren onder onze passagiers, maar ook steeds meer families vinden cruisen geweldig, zo zegt Norbert van der Glas. Tenslotte krijgt de cruisemarkt een opwaartse impuls door het groeiend aantal vertrekken vanuit Nederlandse havens, verwacht Van der Glas. Mensen zien dat of horen daarover en krijgen dan ook zelf zin om op reis te gaan. Voor cruiseschepen die in Amsterdam hun thuishaven krijgen zal het effect door de verwachte komst van een tweede cruiseterminal nabij de Coentunnel op langere termijn positief worden beà ¯nvloed. De huidige Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA) zal dan vooral voor dagbezoek van cruises worden gebruikt. Naar verwachting zal die ontwikkeling in de loop van 2013/2014 haar beslag krijgen. De spectaculaire opmars van de cruisesector werden gepresenteerd tijdens de lancering van de Dutch Cruise Council in 2009. Daarin hebben twintig rederijen of hun vertegenwoordigers in Nederland zich verenigd om samen het cruiseproduct in de breedste zin van het woord te promoten bij reisbranche en consument. De situatie op macro-niveau Inleiding In dit hoofdstuk zal onderzoek gedaan worden naar trends en ontwikkelingen op macro-niveau. Het doel van trendonderzoek is om voorspellingen te doen op de langere termijn. Het verschil met modes en rages is dat deze grillig en tijdelijk zijn, in tegenstelling tot trends waarbij het om langdurige, fundamentele, autonome maatschappelijke ontwikkelingen gaat. Er zal in dit hoofdstuk, tenzij anders vermeld, gebruik worden gemaakt van de andere kant van de vrije tijd (2007) en het artikel Trendwatching Trends voor 2010 (2009). Demografische ontwikkelingen De belangrijkste demografische trends in de westerse wereld zijn vergrijzing, ontgroening en gezinsverdunning. Vergrijzing betekent de opkomst van actieve en koopkrachtige senioren. Daarnaast ontstaat een groep ouderen die met een zeer beperkt inkomen dito mogelijkheden hebben. De ontgroening leidt tot een afname van de jongerenmarkt qua omvang, maar deze wordt deel gecompenseerd door toegenomen bestedingsmogelijkheden. De gezinsverdunning leidt tot een toename van het aantal uren huishoudelijke arbeid en daarmee op macro-niveau tot een afname van de hoeveelheid vrije tijd. De tijdsbesparende functie van nieuwe huishoudelijke apparatuur wordt daardoor op macro-niveau ook grotendeels tenietgedaan. Bevolking per component Net als de bevolkingsgroei laat de huishoudensgroei een langzaam afnemend verloop zien (Van Duin en Loozen, 2009). Ondanks het feit dat de huishoudensgroei de komende jaren met 0,5 tot 1 procent per jaar zal groeien, zal deze in 2040 geleidelijk tot nul zijn afgenomen. De relatieve groei van het aantal huishoudens zal in de aankomende jaren tweemaal hoger liggen dan die van het aantal inwoners. Dit wordt veroorzaakt door het groeiende aantal alleen-staanden, waardoor de gemiddelde grootte van huishoudens voortdurende afneemt. Een andere belangrijke oorzaak is de vergrijzing. Ouderen zijn na het verlies van hun levenspartner vaker alleenstaand dan personen van middelbare leeftijd. De laatste groep kiest er sinds de jaren zeventig steeds meer voor om ongehuwd samen te wonen. Omdat ongehuwde stellen hogere scheidingsrisicos met zich meedragen, zal deze informalisering gepaard gaan met een toenemende instabiliteit. De verwachting is dat de huishoudensver-dunning rond 2040 vrijwel uitgewe rkt is. Vergrijzing/ ontgroening Uit cijfers van het Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek die de nieuwe regionale prognose beschrijft van de periode 2009-2040 blijkt dat de vergrijzing in Nederland in de afgelopen jaren is toegenomen. In de periode tussen het einde van de Tweede Wereldoorlog en het begin van de jaren zeventig lag het aantal geboorten in Nederland beduidend hoger dan in de jaren ervoor en erna. Dit had tot gevolg dat Nederland hedendaags een grote bevolkingsgroep van 39-63-jarigen heeft. Het aantal ouderen zal door de instroom van de 39-63-jarigen vanaf 2011 snel stijgen. Het aandeel van 65-plussers zal stijgen van 15 procent in 2009 naar 26 procent rond 2040. Door de stijgende levensverwachting blijven ouderen bovendien steeds langer in leven. Van de mensen die dit jaar 65 werden zal naar verwachting in 2025 ruim 70 procent 80 jaar worden. Van de mensen die in 1990 65 jaar werden, haalde slechts zon 60 procent de 80 jaar. Het verschil in vergrijzing tussen stad en platteland komt duidelijk tot uiting indien gekeken wordt naar de verstedelijkingsgraad. Niet-stedelijke gemeenten hebben over het algemeen een oudere bevolking dan stedelijke gemeenten. Volgens de prognose neemt dat verschil de komende decennia nog iets toe. In de regios Amsterdam, Den Haag, Rotterdam en Utrecht blijft het aandeel ouderen tot 2040 lager dan een kwart. In deze regios zijn de grote steden economische groeipolen en deze oefenen, gecombineerd met een groot aanbod aan (onderwijs) faciliteiten, een sterke aantrekkingskracht op jongeren uit. Bevolkingsgroei en -krimp Na de sterke bevolkingsgroei in de jaren vijftig, zestig en zeventig, veroorzaakt door de aanhoudende geboortegolf en de grote stromen immigranten die Nederland ontving, is hier in de 21ste eeuw langzaam een kentering in gekomen. In snel tempo daalde de bevolkingsgroei in de eerste helft van dit decennium en bereikte in 2006 een dieptepunt toen de bevolking met slechts 24 duizend personen groeide en er voor het eerst sinds lange tijd sprake was van een vertrekoverschot. In 2007 trok de immigratie weer sterk aan, met een recordaantal van 143 duizend in 2008. In de bevolkingsprognose van het CBS wordt verwacht dat de bevolkings-groei van Nederland nog zon 30 jaar zal aanhouden. Wel zal het tempo veel lager liggen dan in het verleden. Is krimp op nationaal niveau dus nog niet aan de orde, voor bepaalde regios en steden ligt de situatie anders. Diverse grote steden hebben, als gevolg van suburbanisatie, in de tweede helft van de vorige eeuw hun inwonertal zien afnemen. Deze trend is over igens gekeerd door nieuwe inzichten in het beleid en daarmee samenhangend meer woningbouw aan de randen van de grote steden. Meer informatie over deze ontwikkeling is te vinden onder het verstedelijking, verderop in dit hoofdstuk. Huishoudensgroei en -krimp/ Afnemende omvang van huishoudens In beleidskringen heeft de discussie over groei en krimp meestal betrekking op het aantal personen. Voor de woningbouw is het echter veel belangrijker hoe de ontwikkel