AirAsia-Sustaining Competitve Advantage Essay

AirAsia was established in 1993 and began operations on 18 November 1996. It was originally founded by a government-owned conglomerate, DRB-Hicom. By ‘Flying Low-Cost With High Hopes’, AirAsia started out as a Malaysian government-controlled, full-service regional airline that offered slightly lower fares than its number-one competitor, Malaysia Airlines (â€Å"MAS†). On December 2, 2001 the heavily-indebted airline was bought by former Time Warner executive Tony Fernandes’s company Tune Air Sdn Bhd . He took over the debt-ridden airline for the symbolic sum of US$0. 26.  Despite the air-travel downturn following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, Fernandes believed that the timing for entering the airline market was just right, as aircraft leasing costs had dropped sharply and experienced staff were readily available due to airline layoffs. Moreover, the acquisition was welcomed by the Malaysian government, which hoped to boost the under-used Kuala Lumpur International Airport (â€Å"KLIA†). Fernandes restructured AirAsia into the first no-frills, low-cost carrier (â€Å"LCC†) in Asia, and the new business model was a huge success. The company is a Malaysian low-cost airline headquartered in Kuala Lumpur. It is Asia’s largest, and the world’s best, low-fare, no-frills airline and a pioneer of low-cost travel in Asia. AirAsia group operates scheduled domestic and international flights to 78 destinations spanning 25 countries. Its main hub is the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Its affiliate airlines Thai AirAsia, Indonesia AirAsia, AirAsia Philippines and AirAsia Japan have hubs in Don Mueang International Airport, Soekarno–Hatta International Airport, Clark International Airport and Narita International Airport respectively. AirAsia’s registered office is in Petaling Jaya, Selangor while its head office is at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Asia’s leading airline was established with the dream of making flying possible for everyone. Since 2001, AirAsia has swiftly broken travel norms around the globe and has risen to become the world’s best. With a route network that spans through to over 20 countries, AirAsia continues to pave the way for low-cost aviation through their innovative solutions, efficient processes and a passionate approach to business. Together with their associate companies, AirAsia X, Thai AirAsia, Indonesia AirAsia, Philippines’ AirAsia Inc and AirAsia Japan , AirAsia is set to take low-cost flying to an all new high with our belief, â€Å"Now Everyone Can Fly†. Focusing on the low-cost, long-haul segment – AirAsia X was established in 2007 to provide high-frequency and point-to-point networks to the long-haul business. AirAsia X’s cost efficiencies are derived from maintaining a simple aircraft fleet and a route network based on low-cost airports, without complex code-sharing and other legacy overheads that weigh down traditional airlines without compromising on safety. Guests continue to enjoy low fares, through cost savings that they pass on to their guests. AirAsia X’s efficient and reliable operations are fully licensed and monitored by Malaysian and international regulators, and adhere to full international standards. AirAsia X is committed in offering X-citing low fares, X-emplary levels of safety and care, and an X-traordinary in-flight and service experience to all our guests – spreading the amazing AirAsia experience to X-citing destinations in Australia and Greater Asia. In August 2011, AirAsia agreed to form an alliance with Malaysia Airlines by means of a share swap. The alliance was struck down by the Malaysian government, in effect voiding the agreement of both airlines. On 2 April 2012 Air Asia had their first flight from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur. By early 2013, AirAsia had seen a steep increase in its profitability. The year-on-year comparison had shown a 168% increase in profits as compared to 2012. For the quarter ending 31 December 2012, the airline’s net profit stood at 350. 65 million ringgit (US$114. 08 million). Despite a 1% rise in the average fuel price, the airline had recorded profits of 1. 88 billion ringgit for the full financial year 2012. In February 2013, AirAsia submitted an application to the Indian Foreign Investment Promotion Board, through its investment arm, AirAsia Investment Limited, to seek approval for commencing its operations in India. AirAsia wanted to take up a stake of 49% in the airline, which was the maximum allowed by the Indian government at that time. AirAsia initially invested an amount of 50 million United States dollars in the airline. The airline wished to begin operations from Chennai and expand it’s network in South India, to where AirAsia already operated flights from Malaysia and Thailand. AirAsia’s Strategy [pic] AirAsia’s success has taken flight through the continued confidence of the company’s guests who prefer a no-frills, hasslefree, low fare and convenient option in air travel. The key to delivering low fares is to consistently keep cost low. Attaining low cost requires high efficiency in every part of the business and maintaining simplicity. Therefore every system process must incorporate best industry practices. In order to make this possible, AirAsia do implementing several key strategies. First is stressing on Safety. Safety is the single most important criteria in every aspect of the operations, an area that AirAsia will never compromise on. AirAsia complies with the conditions set by regulators in all the countries where the airline operates. In addition, AirAsia partners with the world’s most renowned maintenance providers to ensure that its fleet is always in the best condition. AirAsia has committed itself to a program of reducing risks and hazards normally associated with our industry through a Safety Management System. This commitment is extended to ensure the full integration of a safety culture, safety policy and safety objectives in a proactive approach to aviation safety. In short, AirAsia’s Safety Management System is not just an add-on but a core part of its business process. It is the way the company’s do business. The critical safety functions of senior management are in the areas of strategy and leadership. Senior management will provide a vision for safety management and provide adequate resources to achieve this level of safety. Second is ensuring high aircraft utilization. AirAsia’s high frequency flights have made it more convenient for guests to travel as the airline implements a quick turnaround of 25 minutes, which is the fastest in the region. This has resulted in high aircraft utilisation, lower costs and greater airline and staff productivity. Efficient Fleet, AirAsia continues to invest in new aircraft. As of the end of 2008, the Group received a total of 56 Airbus A320 aircraft and the deployment is as follows. Malaysian operations has received 46 and is now a fully Airbus A320 aircraft feet. Thailand operations has received six and Indonesian operation, four. AirAisa’s fleet is among the youngest in Asia and they will get even younger as they take delivery of 14 Airbus A320 aircraft and retire nine older Boeing 737-300 â€Å"Classics† aircraft in 2009. These Airbus A320 are ultra modern, more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly aircraft with unparalleled levels of passenger comfort, serviceability and reliability. They have received positive feedback that that passengers love this aircraft. These aircraft have reduced operational cost significantly and helped to deliver strong profits. Third is offering low fare but no frills. AirAsia targets guests who are prepared to do away with frills such as meals, frequent flyer miles or airport lounges in exchange for fares lower than those currently offered without comprising on quality and service. Guests have the choice of buying exclusively prepared meals, snacks and drinks from their in-flight service at an affordable price. While onboard AirAsia the best thing to do, of course, is to eat and drink. They are offering a vast selection of food and drinks without punching a hole in your wallet. Fourth is ensuring streamline operations. Making the process as simple as possible is the key to AirAsia’s success. The company is working towards a single aircraft fleet, which greatly reduces duplicating manpower requirements as well as stocking of maintenance parts. There is only one class seating, which is first class, and passengers are free to sit where they choose. Fifth is ensuring lean distribution system. AirAsia offers a wide and innovative range of distribution channels to make booking and traveling easier for its guests. AirAsia’s ticketless service provides a low cost alternative to issuing printed tickets. The company have worked very hard through countless hours of research and development to ensure that their istribution system is, simple. ‘Simple’ is a relative word when you are catering to the needs of millions of people across the world. AirAsia have developed a comprehensive, yet simple distribution system. One that is capable of handling the most technologically savvy customer to the most technologically deprived. The company’s website www. airasia. com is available in seven languages and their call centre is conversant in the major spoken Asian languages. For those always on the go, they can book a flight using mobile phone at www. mobile. airasia. com. The company have recently upgraded their self check-in machines with a simpler and more powerful version. The transaction takes not more than two minutes to complete. This new machine also has an advanced security feature which effectively cuts the risk of fraud. Other than that, the company have also expanded their web check-in facility to all stations and destinations. Customer can now use the web check-in facility even if they have baggage (previously web check-in was only for passengers without baggage). Sixth is point to point network. The Low Cost Carrier model shuns the hub-and spoke system and adopts the simple point to-point network. All AirAsia flights are shorthaul (four hour flight or less). The underlying business is to get a person from point A to B. On Time Performance, nothing irks airline passengers more than a delay. Often, these delays are caused by factors beyond the company’s control. This leading low fare airline in the Asia has been expanding rapidly since 2001, to become an award winning and the largest low cost carrier in Asia. With a fleet of 72 aircrafts, AirAsia flies to over 61 domestic and international destinations with 108 routes, and operates over 400 flights daily from hubs located in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. To date, AirAsia has flown over 55 million guests across the region and continues to spread its wings to create more extensive route network through its associate companies, Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia. AirAsia with the ordinary symbol but with strong brand, â€Å"now everyone can fly† nowadays has been phenomena in Airlines industry especially in Asia region. AirAsia is one of the airline companies who more focused with the strategy how to reduce inefficiency and make it low possible fare in the world. With the cost-efficiency, low complexity and profitability are always the cornerstones of building a strong business. According to Dawna and Blaise (2005), the most successful carriers came to dominate their hub markets allowing them to exert greater control over pricing and capacity. This is what AirAisa successfully done. Till date, AirAsia had received many awards and recognition form various parties. The achievement was not only given to the company itself, but also to Ybhg. Dato’ Tony Fernandez as well. In 2010, he was awarded as Masterclass Global CEO of the year. (See Appendices).

Foundation’s Edge CHAPTER FOURTEEN FORWARD!

FORWARD! Janov Pelorat looked out at the dim landscape in the graying dawn with an odd mixture of regret and uncertainty. â€Å"We aren't staying long enough, Golan. It seems a pleasant and interesting world. I would like to learn more about it.† Trevize looked up from the computer with a wry smile. â€Å"You don't think I would like to? We had three proper meals on the planet – totally different and each excellent. I'd like more. And the only women we saw, we saw briefly – and some of them looked quite enticing, for – well, for what I've got in mind.† Pelorat wrinkled his nose slightly. â€Å"Oh, my dear chap. Those cowbells they call shoes, and all wrapped around in clashing colors, and whatever do they do to their eyelashes. Did you notice their eyelashes?† â€Å"You might just as well believe I noticed everything, Janov. What you object to is superficial. They can easily be persuaded to wash their faces and, at the proper time, off come the shoes and the colors.† Pelorat said, â€Å"I'll take your word for that, Janov. However, I was thinking more of investigating the matter of Earth further. ‘What we've been told about Earth, thus far, is so unsatisfactory, so contradictory – radiation according to one person, robots according to another.† â€Å"Death in either case.† â€Å"True,† said Pelorat reluctantly, â€Å"but it may be that one is true and not the other, or that both are true to some extent, or that neither is true. Surely, Janov, when you hear tales that simply shroud matters in thickening mists of doubt, surely you must feel the itch to explore, to find out.† â€Å"I do,† said Golan. â€Å"By every dwarf star in the Galaxy, I do. The problem at hand, however, is Gaia. Once that is straightened out, we can go to Earth, or come back here to Sayshell for a more extended stay. But first, Gaia.† Pelorat nodded, â€Å"The problem at hand! If we accept what Quintesetz told us, death is waiting for us on Gaia. Ought we to be going?† Trevize said, â€Å"I ask myself that. Are you afraid?† Pelorat hesitated as though he were probing his own feelings. Then he said in a quite simple and matter-of-fact manner. â€Å"Yes. Terribly!† Trevize sat back in his chair and swiveled to face the other. He said, just as quietly and matter-of-factly, â€Å"Janov, there's no reason for you to chance this. Say the word and I'll let you off on Sayshell with your personal belongings and with half our credits. I'll pick you up when I return and it will be on to Sirius Sector, if you wish, and Earth, if that's where it is. If I don't return, the Foundation people on Sayshell will see to it that you get back to Terminus. No hard feelings if you stay behind, old friend.† Pelorat's eyes blinked rapidly and his lips pressed together for a few moments. Then he said, rather huskily, â€Å"Old friend? We've known each other what? A week or so? Isn't it strange that I'm going to refuse to leave the ship? I am afraid, but I want to remain with you.† Trevize moved his hands in a gesture of uncertainty. â€Å"But why? I honestly don't ask it of you.† â€Å"I'm not sure why, but I ask it of myself. It's†¦ it's Golan, I have faith in you. It seems to me you always know what you're doing. I wanted to go to Trantor where probably – as I now see nothing would have happened. You insisted on Gaia and Gaia must somehow be a raw nerve in the Galaxy. Things seem to happen in connection with it. And if that's not enough, Golan, I watched you force Quintesetz to give you the information about Gaia. That was such a skillful bluff. I was lost in admiration.† â€Å"You have faith in me, then.† Pelorat said, â€Å"Yes, I do.† Trevize put his hand on the other's upper arm and seemed, for a moment, to be searching for words. Finally he said, â€Å"Janov, will you forgive me in advance if my judgment is wrong, and if you in one way or another meet with – whatever unpleasant may be awaiting us?† Pelorat said, â€Å"Oh, my dear fellow, why do you ask? I make the decision freely for my reasons, not yours. And, please – let us leave quickly. I don't trust my cowardice not to seize me by the throat and shame me for the rest of my life.† â€Å"As you say, Janov,† said Trevize. â€Å"We'll leave at the earliest moment the computer will permit. This time, we'll be moving gravitically – straight up – as soon as we can be assured the atmosphere above is clear of other ships. And as the surrounding atmosphere grows less and less dense, we'll put on more and more speed. Well within the hour, we'll be in open space.† â€Å"Good,† Pelorat said and pinched the tip off a plastic coffee container. The opened orifice almost at once began steaming. Pelorat put the nipple to his mouth and sipped, allowing just enough air to enter his mouth to cool the coffee to a bearable temperature. Trevize grinned. â€Å"You've learned how to use those things beautifully. You're a space veteran, Janov.† Pelorat stared at the plastic container for a moment and said, â€Å"Now that we have ships that can adjust a gravitational field at will, surely we can use ordinary containers, can't we?† â€Å"Of course, but you're not going to get space people to give up their space-centered apparatus. How is a space rat going to put distance between himself and surface worms if he uses an openmouthed cup? See those rings on the walls and ceilings? Those have been traditional in spacecraft for twenty thousand years and more, but they're absolutely useless in a gravitic ship. Yet they're there and I'll bet the entire ship to a cup of coffee that your space rat will pretend he's being squashed into asphyxiation on takeoff and will then sway back and forth from those rings as though he's under zero – gray when its gee-one-normal-grav, that is – on both occasions.† â€Å"You're joking.† â€Å"Well, maybe a little, but there's always social inertia to everything – even technological advance. Those useless wall rings are there and the cups they supply us have nipples.† Pelorat nodded thoughtfully and continued to sip at his coffee. Finally he said, â€Å"And when do we take off?† Trevize laughed heartily and said, â€Å"Got you. I began talking about wall rings and you never noticed that we were taking off right at that time. We're a mile high right now.† â€Å"You don't mean it.† â€Å"Look out.† Pelorat did and then said, â€Å"But I never felt a thing.† â€Å"You're not supposed to.† â€Å"Aren't we breaking the regulations? Surely we ought to have followed a radio beacon in an upward spiral, as we did in a downward spiral on landing?† â€Å"No reason to, Janov. No one will stop us. No one at all.† â€Å"Coming down, you said†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"That was different. They weren't anxious to see us arrive, but they're ecstatic to see us go.† â€Å"Why do you say that, Golan? The only person who talked to us about Gaia was Quintesetz and he begged us not to go.† â€Å"Don't you believe it, Janov. That was for form. He made sure we'd go to Gaia. – Janov, you admired the way I bluffed the information out of Quintesetz. I'm sorry, but I don't deserve the admiration. If I had done nothing at all, he would have offered the information. If I had tried to plug my ears, he would have shouted it at me.† â€Å"Why do you say that, Golan? That's crazy.† â€Å"Paranoid? Yes, I know.† Trevize turned to the computer and extended his sense intently. He said, â€Å"We're not being stopped. No ships in interfering distance, no warning messages of any kind.† Again he swiveled in the direction of Pelorat. He said, â€Å"Tell me, Janov, how did you find out about Gaia? You knew about Gaia while we were still on Terminus. You knew it was in the Sayshell Sector. You knew the name was, somehow, a form of Earth. Where did you hear all this?† Pelorat seemed to stiffen. He said, â€Å"If I were back in my office on Terminus, I might consult my files. I have not brought everything with me – certainly not the dates on which I first encountered this piece of data or that.† â€Å"Well, think about it,† said Trevize grimly. â€Å"Consider that the Sayshellians themselves are close-mouthed about the matter. They are so reluctant to talk about Gaia as it really is that they actually encourage a superstition that has the common people of the sector believing that no such planet exists in ordinary space. In fact, I can tell you something else. Watch this!† Trevize swung to the computer, his fingers sweeping across the direction hand-rests with the ease and grace of long practice. When he placed his hands on the manuals, he welcomed their warm touch and enclosure. He felt, as always, a bit of his will oozing outward. He said, â€Å"This is the computer's Galactic map, as it existed within its memory banks before we landed on Sayshell. I am going to show you that portion of the map that represents the night sky of Sayshell as we saw it this past night.† The room darkened and a representation of a night sky sprang out onto the screen. Pelorat said in a low voice, â€Å"As beautiful as we saw it on Sayshell.† â€Å"More beautiful,† said Trevize, impatiently. â€Å"There is no atmospheric interference of any kind, no clouds, no absorption at the horizon. But wait, let me make an adjustment† The view shifted steadily, giving the two the uncomfortable impression that it was they who were moving. Pelorat instinctively took hold of the arms of his chair to steady himself. â€Å"There!† said Trevize. â€Å"Do you recognize that?† â€Å"Of course. Those are the Five Sisters – the pentagon of stars that Quintesetz pointed out. It is unmistakable.† â€Å"Yes indeed. But where is Gaia?† Pelorat blinked. There was no dim star at the center. â€Å"It's not there,† he said. â€Å"That's right. It's not there. And that's because its location is not included in the data banks of the computer. Since it passes the bounds of likelihood that those data banks were deliberately made incomplete in this respect for our benefit, I conclude that to the Foundation Gaiactographers who designed those data banks – and who had tremendous quantities of information at their disposal – Gaia was unknown.† â€Å"Do you suppose if we had gone to Trantor†¦Ã¢â‚¬  began Pelorat. â€Å"I suspect we would have found no data on Gaia there, either. Its existence is kept a secret by the Sayshellians – and even more so, I suspect, by the Gaians themselves. You yourself said a few days ago it was not entirely uncommon that some worlds deliberately stayed out of sight to avoid taxation or outside interference.† â€Å"Usually,† said Pelorat, â€Å"when mapmakers and statisticians come across such a world, they are found to exist in thinly populated sections of the Galaxy. It's isolation that makes it possible for them to hide. Gaia is not isolated.† â€Å"That's right. That's another of the things that makes it unusual. So let's leave this map on the screen so that you and I might continue to ponder the ignorance of our Gaiactographers – and let me ask you again. – In view of this ignorance on the part of the most knowledgeable of people, how did you come to hear of Gaia?† â€Å"I have been gathering data on Earth myths, Earth legends, and Earth histories for over thirty years, my good Golan. Without my complete records, how could I possibly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"We can begin somewhere, Janov. Did you learn about it in, say, the first fifteen years of your research or in the last fifteen?† â€Å"Oh! Well, if we're going to be that broad, it was later on.† â€Å"You can do better than that. Suppose I suggest that you learned of Gaia only in the last couple of years.† Trevize peered in Pelorat's direction, felt the absence of any ability to read an unseen expression in the dimness, and raised the light level of the room a bit. The glory of the representation of the night sky on the screen dimmed in proportion. Pelorat's expression was stony and revealed nothing. â€Å"Well?† said Trevize. â€Å"I'm thinking,† said Pelorat mildly. â€Å"You may be right. I wouldn't swear to it. When I wrote Jimbor of Ledbet University, I didn't mention Gaia, though in that case it would have been appropriate to do so, and that was in – let's see – in – and that was three years ago. I think you're right, Golan.† â€Å"And how did you come upon it?† asked Trevize. â€Å"In a communication? A book? A scientific paper? Some ancient song? How? – Come on!† Pelorat sat back and crossed his arms. He fell into deep thought and didn't move. Trevize said nothing and waited. Finally Pelorat said, â€Å"In a private communication. – But it's no use asking me from whom, my dear chap. I don't remember.† Trevize moved his hands over his sash. They felt clammy as he continued his efforts to elicit information without too clearly forcing words into the other's mouth. He said, â€Å"From a historian? From an expert in mythology? From a Gaiactographer?† â€Å"No use. I cannot match a name to the communication.† â€Å"Because, perhaps, there was none.† â€Å"Oh no. That scarcely seems possible.† â€Å"Why? Would you have rejected an anonymous communication?† â€Å"I suppose not.† â€Å"Did you ever receive any?† â€Å"Once in a long while. In recent years, I had become well known in certain academic circles as a collector of particular types of myths and legends and some of my correspondents were occasionally kind enough to forward material they had picked up from nonacademic sources. Sometimes these might not be attributed to anyone in particular.† Trevize said, â€Å"Yes, but did you ever receive anonymous information directly, and not by way of some academic correspondent?† â€Å"That sometimes happened – but very rarely.† â€Å"And can you be certain that this was not so in the case of Gaia?† â€Å"Such anonymous communications took place so rarely that I should think I would remember if it had happened in this case. Still, I can't say certainly that the information was not of anonymous origin. Mind, though, that's not to say that I did receive the information from an anonymous source.† â€Å"I realize that. But it remains a possibility, doesn't it?† Pelorat said, very reluctantly, â€Å"I suppose it does. But what's all this about?† â€Å"I'm not finished,† said Trevize peremptorily. â€Å"Where did you get the information from – anonymous or not? What world?† Pelorat shrugged. â€Å"Come now, I haven't the slightest idea.† â€Å"Could it possibly have been from Sayshell?† â€Å"I told you. I don't know.† â€Å"I'm suggesting you did get it from Sayshell.† â€Å"You can suggest all you wish, but that does not necessarily make it so.† â€Å"No? When Quintesetz pointed out the dim Star at the center of the Five Sisters, you knew at once it was Gaia. You said so later on to Quintesetz, identifying it before he did. Do you remember?† â€Å"Yes, of course.† â€Å"How was that possible? How did you recognize at once that the dim star was Gaia?† â€Å"Because in the material I had on Gaia, it was rarely referred to by that name. Euphemisms were common, many different ones. One of the euphemisms, several times repeated, was ‘the little Brother of the Five Sisters. ‘ Another was ‘the Pentagon's Center' and sometimes it was called ‘o Pentagon. ‘ When Quintesetz pointed out the Five Sisters and the central star, the allusions came irresistibly to mind.† â€Å"You never mentioned those allusions to me earlier.† â€Å"I didn't know what they meant and I didn't think it would have been important to discuss the matter with you, who were a†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Pelorat hesitated. â€Å"A nonspecialist?† â€Å"You realize, I hope, that the pentagon of the Five Sisters is an entirely relative form.† â€Å"What do you mean?† Trevize laughed affectionately. â€Å"You surface worm. Do you think the sky has an objective shape of its own? That the stars are nailed in place? The pentagon has the shape it has from the surface of the worlds of the planetary system to which Sayshell Planet belongs – and from there only. From a planet circling any other star, the appearance of the Five Sisters is different. They are seen from a different angle, for one thing. For another, the five stars of the pentagon are at different distances from Sayshell and, seen from other angles, there could be no visible relationship among them at all. One or two stars might be in one half of the sky, the others in the other half. See here†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Trevize darkened the room again and leaned over the computer. â€Å"There are eighty-six populated planetary systems making up the Sayshell Union. Let us keep Gaia – or the spot where Gaia ought to be – in place† (as he said that, a small red circle appeared in the center of the pentagon of the Five Sisters) â€Å"and shift to the skies as seen from any of the other eighty-six worlds taken at random.† The sky shifted and Pelorat blinked. The small red circle remained at the center of the screen, but the Five Sisters had disappeared. There were bright stars in the neighborhood but no tight pentagon. Again the sky shifted, and again, and again. It went on shifting. The red circle remained in place always, but at no time did a small pentagon of equally bright stars appear. Sometimes what might be a distorted pentagon of stars – unequally bright – appeared, but nothing like the beautiful asterism Quintesetz had pointed out. â€Å"Had enough?† said Trevize. â€Å"I assure you, the Five Sisters can never be seen exactly as we have seen it from any populated world but the worlds of the Sayshell planetary system.† Pelorat said, â€Å"The Sayshellian view might have been exported to other planets. There were many proverbs in Imperial times – some of which linger into our own, in fact – that are Trantor-centered.† â€Å"With Sayshell as secretive about Gaia as we know it to be? And why should worlds outside the Sayshell Union be interested? Why would they care about a ‘little Brother of the Five Sisters' if there were nothing in the skies at which to point?† â€Å"Maybe you're right.† â€Å"Then don't you see that your original information must have come from Sayshell itself? Not just from somewhere in the Union, but precisely from the planetary system to which the capital world of the Union belongs.† Pelorat shook his head. â€Å"You make it sound as though it must, but it's not something I remember. I simply don't.† â€Å"Nevertheless, you do see the force of my argument, don't you?† â€Å"Yes, I do.† â€Å"Next. – When do you suppose the legend could have originated?† â€Å"Anytime. I should suppose it developed far back in the Imperial Era. It has the feel of an ancient†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You are wrong, Janov. The Five Sisters are moderately close to Sayshell Planet, which is why they're so bright. Four of them have high proper motions in consequence and no two are part of a family, so that they move in different directions. Watch what happens as I shift the map backward in time slowly.† Again the red circle that marked the site of Gaia remained in place, but the pentagon slowly fell apart, as four of the stars drifted in different directions and the fifth shifted slightly. â€Å"Look at that, Janov,† said Trevize. â€Å"Would you say that was a regular pentagon?† â€Å"Clearly lopsided,† said Pelorat. â€Å"And is Gaia at the center?† â€Å"No, it's well to the side.† â€Å"Very well. That is how the asterism looked one hundred and fifty years ago. One and a half centuries, that's all. – The material you received concerning ‘the Pentagon's Center' and so on made no real sense till this century anywhere, not even in Sayshell. The material you received had to originate in Sayshell and sometime in this century, perhaps in the last decade. And you got it, even though Sayshell is so close-mouthed about Gaia.† Trevize put the lights on, turned the star map off, and sat there staring sternly at Pelorat. Pelorat said, â€Å"I'm confused. What's this about?† â€Å"You tell me. Consider! Somehow I got the idea into my head that the Second Foundation still existed. I was giving a talk during my election campaign. I started a bit of emotional byplay designed to squeeze votes out of the undecided with a dramatic ‘If the Second Foundation still existed – † and later that day I thought to myself: What if it did still exist? I began reading history books and within a week, I was convinced. There was no real evidence, but I have always felt that I had the knack of snatching the right conclusion out of a welter of speculation. This time, though†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Trevize brooded a bit, then went on. â€Å"And look at what has happened since. Of all people, I chose Compor as my confidant and he betrayed me. Whereupon Mayor Branno had me arrested and sent into exile. Why into exile, rather than just having me imprisoned, or trying to threaten me into silence? And why in a very late-model ship which gives me extraordinary powers of Jumping through the Galaxy? And why, of all things, does she insist I take you and suggest that I help you search for Earth? â€Å"And why was I so certain that we should not go to Trantor? I was convinced you had a better target for our investigations and at once you come up with the mystery world of Gaia, concerning which, as it now turns out, you gained information under very puzzling circumstances. â€Å"We go to Sayshell – the first natural stop – and at once we encounter Compor, who gives us a circumstantial story about Earth and its death. He then assures us its location is in the Sirius Sector and urges us to go there.† Pelorat said, â€Å"There you are. You seem to be implying that all circumstances are forcing us toward Gaia, but, as you say, Compor tried to persuade us to go elsewhere.† â€Å"And in response, I was determined to continue on our original line of investigation out of my sheer distrust for the man. Don't you suppose that that was what he might have been counting on? He may have deliberately told us to go elsewhere just to keep us from doing so.† â€Å"That's mere romance,† muttered Pelorat. â€Å"Is it? Let's go on. We get in touch with Quintesetz simply because he was handy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Not at all,† said Pelorat. â€Å"I recognized his name.† â€Å"It seemed familiar to you. You had never read anything he had written – that you could recall. Why was it familiar to you? – In any case, it turned out he had read a paper of yours and was overwhelmed by it – and how likely was that? You yourself admit your work is not widely known. â€Å"What's more, the young lady leading us to him quite gratuitously mentions Gaia and goes on to tell us it is in hyperspace, as though to be sure we keep it in mind. When we ask Quintesetz about it, he behaves as though he doesn't want to talk about it, but he doesn't throw us out – even though I am rather rude to him. He takes us to his home instead and, on the way there, goes to the trouble of pointing out the Five Sisters. He even makes sure we note the dim star at the center. Why? Is not all this an extraordinary concatenation of coincidence?† Pelorat said, â€Å"If you list it like that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"List it any way you please,† said Trevize. â€Å"I don't believe in extraordinary concatenations of coincidence.† â€Å"What does all this mean, then? That we are being maneuvered to Gaia?† â€Å"By whom?† Trevize said, â€Å"Surely there can be no question about that. Who is capable of adjusting minds, of giving gentle nudges to this one or that, of managing to divert progress in this direction or that?† â€Å"You're going to tell me it's the Second Foundation.† â€Å"Well, what have we been told about Gaia? It is untouchable. Fleets that move against it are destroyed. People who reach it do not return. Even the Mule didn't dare move against it – and the Mule, in fact, was probably born there. Surely it seems that Gaia is the Second Foundation – and finding that, after all, is my ultimate goal. Pelorat shook his head. â€Å"But according to some historians, the Second Foundation stopped the Mule. How could he have been one of them?† â€Å"A renegade, I suppose.† â€Å"But why should we be so relentlessly maneuvered toward the Second Foundation by the Second Foundation?† Trevize's eyes were unfocused, his brow furrowed. He said, â€Å"Let's reason it out. It has always seemed important to the Second Foundation that as little information as possible about it should be available to the Galaxy. Ideally it wants its very existence to remain unknown. We know that much about them. For a hundred twenty years, the Second Foundation was thought to be extinct and that must have suited them right down to the Galactic core. Yet when I began to suspect that they did exist, they did nothing. Compor knew. They might have used him to shut me up one way or another – had me killed, even. Yet they did nothing.† Pelorat said, â€Å"They had you arrested, if you want to blame that on the Second Foundation. According to what you told me, that resulted in the people of Terminus not knowing about your views. The people of the Second Foundation accomplished that much without violence and they may be devotees of Salvor Hardin's remark that ‘Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.† â€Å"But keeping it from the people of Terminus accomplishes nothing. Mayor Branno knows my view and – at the very least – must wonder if I am correct. So now, you see, it is too late for them to harm us. If they had gotten rid of me to begin with, they would be in the clear. If they had left me alone altogether, they might have still remained in the clear, for they might have maneuvered Terminus into believing I was an eccentric, perhaps a madman. The prospective ruin of my political career might even have forced me into silence as soon as I saw what the announcement of my beliefs would mean. â€Å"And now it is too late for them to do anything. Mayor Branno was suspicious enough of the situation to send Compor after me and – having no faith in him either, being wiser than I was – she placed a hyper – relay on Compor's ship. In consequence, she knows we are on Sayshell. And last night, while you were sleeping, I had our computer place a message directly into the computer of the Foundation ambassador here on Sayshell, explaining that we were on our way to Gaia. I took the trouble of giving its co-ordinates, too. If the Second Foundation does anything to us now, I am certain that Branno will have the matter investigated – and the concentrated attention of the Foundation must surely be what they don't want.† â€Å"Would they care about attracting the Foundation's attention, if they are so powerful?† â€Å"Yes,† said Trevize forcefully. â€Å"They lie hidden because, in some ways, they must be weak and because the Foundation is technologically advanced perhaps beyond even what Seldon himself might have foreseen. The very quiet, even stealthy, way in which they've been maneuvering us to their world would seem to show their eager desire to do nothing that will attract attention. And if so, then they have already lost, at least in part – for they've attracted attention and I doubt they can do anything to reverse the situation.† Pelorat said, â€Å"But why do they go through all this? Why do they ruin themselves – if your analysis is correct – by angling for us across the Galaxy? What is it they want of us?† Trevize stared at Pelorat and flushed. â€Å"Janov,† he said, â€Å"I have a feeling about this. I have this gift of coming to a correct conclusion on the basis of almost nothing. There's a kind of sureness about me that tells me when I'm right – and I'm sure now. There's something I have that they want – and want enough to risk their very existence for. I don't know what it can be, but I've got to find out, because if I've got it and if it's that powerful, then I want to be able to use it for what I feel is right.† He shrugged slightly. â€Å"Do you still want to come along with me, old friend, now that you see how much a madman I am?† Pelorat said, â€Å"I told you I had faith in you. I still do.† And Trevize laughed with enormous relief. â€Å"Marvelous! Because another feeling I have is that you are, for some reason, also essential to this whole thing. In that case, Janov, we move on to Gaia, full speed. Forward!† Mayor Harla Branno looked distinctly older than her sixty-two years. She did not always look older, but she did now. She had been sufficiently wrapped up in thought to forget to avoid the mirror and had seen her image on her way into the map room. So she was aware of the haggardness of her appearance. She sighed. It drained the life out of one. Five years a Mayor and for twelve years before that the real power behind two figureheads. All of it had been quiet, all of it successful, all of it – draining. How would it have been, she wondered, if there had been strain – failure – disaster. Not so bad for her personally, she suddenly decided. Action would have been invigorating. It was the horrible knowledge that nothing but drift was possible that had worn her out. It was the Seldon Plan that was successful and it was the Second Foundation that made sure it would continue to be. She, as the strong hand at the helm of the Foundation (actually the First Foundation, but no one on Terminus ever thought of adding the adjective) merely rode the crest. History would say little or nothing about her. She merely sat at the controls of a spaceship, while the spaceship was maneuvered from without. Even Indbur III, who had presided over the Foundation's catastrophic fall to the Mule, had done something. He had, at least, collapsed. For Mayor Branno there would be nothing! Unless this Golan Trevize, this thoughtless Councilman, this lightning rod, made it possible. – She looked at the map thoughtfully. It was not the kind of structure produced by a modern computer. It was, rather, a three-dimensional cluster of lights that pictured the Galaxy holographically in midair. Though it could not be made to move, to turn, to expand, or to contract, one could move about it and see it from any angle. A large section of the Galaxy, perhaps a third of the whole (excluding the core, which was a â€Å"no-life's land†) turned red when she touched a contact. That was the Foundation Federation, the more than seven million inhabited worlds ruled by the Council and by herself – the seven million inhabited worlds who voted for and were represented in the House of Worlds, which debated matters of minor importance, and then voted on them, and never, by any chance, dealt with anything of major importance. Another contact and a faint pink jutted outward from the edges of the Federation, here and there. Spheres of influence! This was not Foundation territory, but the regions, though nominally independent, would never dream of resistance to any Foundation move. There was no question in her mind that no power in the Galaxy could oppose the Foundation (not even the Second Foundation, if one but knew where it was), that the Foundation could, at will, reach out its fleet of modern ships and simply set up the Second Empire. But only five centuries had passed since the beginning of the Plan. The Plan called for ten centuries before the Second Empire could be set up and the Second Foundation would make sure the Plan would hold. The Mayor shook her sad, gray head. If the Foundation acted now, it would somehow fail. Though its ships were irresistible, action now would fail. Unless Trevize, the lightning rod, drew the lightning of the Second Foundation – and the lightning could be traced back to its source. She looked about. Where was Kodell? This was no time for him to be late. It was as though her thought had called him, for he came striding in, smiling cheerfully, looking more grandfatherly than ever with his gray-white mustache and tanned complexion. Grandfatherly, but not old. To be sure, he was eight years younger than she was. How was it he showed no marks of strain? Did not fifteen years as Director of Security leave its scar? Kodell nodded slowly in the formal greeting that was necessary in initiating a discussion with the Mayor. It was a tradition that had existed since the bad days of the Indburs. Almost everything had changed, but etiquette least of all. He said, â€Å"Sorry I'm late, Mayor, but your arrest of Councilman Trevize is finally beginning to make its way through the anesthetized skin of the Council.† â€Å"Oh?† said the Mayor phlegmatically. â€Å"Are we in for a palace revolution?† â€Å"Not the least chance. We're in control. But there'll be noise.† â€Å"Let them make noise. It will make them feel better, and I – I shall stay out of the way. I can count, I suppose, on general public opinion?† â€Å"I think you can. Especially away from Terminus. No one outside Terminus cares what happens to a stray Councilman.† â€Å"I do.† â€Å"Ah? More news?† â€Å"Liono,† said the Mayor, â€Å"I want to know about Sayshell.† â€Å"I'm not a two-legged history book,† said Liono Kodell, smiling. â€Å"I don't want history. I want the truth. Why is Sayshell independent? – Look at it.† She pointed to the red of the Foundation on the holographic map and there, well into the inner spirals, was an in-pocketing of white. Branno said, â€Å"We've got it almost encapsulated – almost sucked in – yet it's white. Our map doesn't even show it as a loyal-ally-inpink.† Kodell shrugged. â€Å"It's not officially a loyal ally, but it never bothers us. It is neutral.† â€Å"All right. See this, then.† Another touch at the controls. The red sprang out distinctly further. It covered nearly half the Galaxy. â€Å"That,† said Mayor Branno, â€Å"was the Mule's realm at the time of his death. If you'll peer in among the red, you'll find the Sayshell Union, completely surrounded this time, but still white. it is the only enclave left free by the Mule.† â€Å"It was neutral then, too.† â€Å"The Mule had no great respect for neutrality.† â€Å"He seems to have had, in this case.† â€Å"Seems to have had. What has Sayshell got?† Kodell said, â€Å"Nothing! Believe me, Mayor, she is ours any time we want her.† â€Å"Is she? Yet somehow she isn't ours.† â€Å"There's no need to want her.† Branno sat back in her chair and, with a sweep of her arm over the controls, turned the Galaxy dark. â€Å"I think we now want her.† â€Å"Pardon, Mayor?† â€Å"Liono, I sent that foolish Councilman into space as a lightning rod. I felt that the Second Foundation would see him as a greater danger than he was and see the Foundation itself as the lesser danger. The lightning would strike him and reveal its origin to us.† â€Å"Yes, Mayor!† â€Å"My intention was that he go to the decayed ruins of Trantor to fumble through what – if anything – was left of its Library and search for the Earth. That's the world, you remember, that these wearisome mystics tell us was the site of origin of humanity, as though that matters, even in the unlikely case it is true. The Second Foundation couldn't possibly have believed that was really what he was after and they would have moved to find out what he was really looking for.† â€Å"But he didn't go to Trantor.† â€Å"No. Quite unexpectedly, he has gone to Sayshell. Why?† â€Å"I don't know. But please forgive an old bloodhound whose duty it is to suspect everything and tell me how you know he and this Pelorat have gone to Sayshell. I know that Compor reports it, but how far can we trust Compor?† â€Å"The hyper-relay tells us that Compor's ship has indeed landed on Sayshell Planet.† â€Å"Undoubtedly, but how do you know that Trevize and Pelorat have? Compor may have gone to Sayshell for his own reasons and may not know – or care – where the others are.† â€Å"The fact is, that our ambassador on Sayshell has informed us of the arrival of the ship on which we placed Trevize and Pelorat. I am not ready to believe the ship arrived at Sayshell without them. What is more, Compor reports having talked to them and, if he cannot be trusted, we have other reports placing them at Sayshell University, where they consulted with a historian of no particular note.† â€Å"None of this,† said Kodell mildly, â€Å"has reached me.† Branno sniffed. â€Å"Do not feel stepped on. I am dealing with this personally and the information has now reached you – with not much in the way of delay, either. The latest news – just received – is from the ambassador. Our lightning rod is moving on. He stayed on Sayshell Planet two days, then left. He is heading for another planetary system, he says, some ten parsecs away. He gave the name and the Galactic co-ordinates of his destination to the ambassador, who passed them on to us.† â€Å"Is there anything corroborative from Compor?† â€Å"Compor's message that Trevize and Pelorat have left Sayshell came even before the ambassador's message. Compor has not yet determined where Trevize is going. Presumably he will follow.† Kodell said, â€Å"We are missing the why's of the situation.† He popped a pastille into his mouth and sucked at it meditatively. â€Å"Why did Trevize go to Sayshell? Why did he leave?† â€Å"The question that intrigues me most is: Where? Where is Trevize going?† â€Å"You did say, Mayor, did you not, that he gave the name and coordinates of his destination to the ambassador. Are you implying that he lied to the ambassador? Or that the ambassador is lying to us?† â€Å"Even assuming everyone told the truth all round and that no one made any errors, there is a name that interests me. Trevize told the ambassador he was going to Gaia. That's G-A-I-A. Trevize was careful to spell it.† Kodell said, â€Å"Gaia? I never heard of it.† â€Å"Indeed? That's not strange.† Branno pointed to the spot in the air where the map had been. â€Å"Upon the map in this room, I can set up, at a moment's notice, every star – supposedly – around which there circles an inhabited world and many prominent stars with uninhabited systems. Over thirty million stars can be marked out – if I handle the controls properly – in single units, in pairs, in clusters. I can mark them out in any of five different colors, one at a time, or all together. What I cannot do is locate Gaia on the map. As far as the map is concerned, Gaia does not exist.† Kodell said, â€Å"For every star the map shows, there are ten thousand it doesn't show.† â€Å"Granted, but the stars it doesn't show lack inhabited planets and why would Trevize want to go to an uninhabited planet?† â€Å"Have you tried the Central Computer? It has all three hundred billion Galactic stars listed.† â€Å"I've been told it has, but does it? We know very well, you and I, that there are thousands of inhabited planets that have escaped listing on any of our maps – not only on the one in this room, but even on the Central Computer. Gaia is apparently one of them.† Kodell's voice remained calm, even coaxing. â€Å"Mayor, there may well be nothing at all to be concerned about. Trevize may be off on a wild goose chase or he may be lying to us and there is no star called Gaia – and no star at all at the co-ordinates he gave us. He is trying to throw us off his scent, now that he has met Compor and perhaps guesses he is being traced.† â€Å"How will this throw us off the scent? Compor will still follow. No, Liono, I have another possibility in mind, one with far greater potentiality for trouble. Listen to me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She paused and said, â€Å"This room is shielded, Liono. Understand that. We cannot be overheard by anyone, so please feel free to speak. And I will speak freely, as well. â€Å"This Gaia is located, if we accept the information, ten parsecs from Sayshell Planet and is therefore part of the Sayshell Union. The Sayshell Union is a well-explored portion of the Galaxy. All its star systems – inhabited or not inhabited – are recorded and the inhabited ones are known in detail. Gaia is the one exception. Inhabited or not, none have heard of it; it is present in no map. Add to this that the Sayshell Union maintains a peculiar state of independence with respect to the Foundation Federation, and did so even with respect to the Mule's former realm. It has been independent since the fall of the Galactic Empire.† â€Å"What of all this?† asked Kodell cautiously. â€Å"Surely the two points I have made must be connected. Sayshell incorporates a planetary system that is totally unknown and Sayshell is untouchable. The two cannot be independent. Whatever Gaia is, it protects itself. It sees to it that there is no knowledge of its existence outside its immediate surroundings and it protects those surroundings so that outsiders cannot take over.† â€Å"You are telling me, Mayor, that Gaia is the seat of the Second Foundation?† â€Å"I am telling you that Gaia deserves inspection.† â€Å"May I mention an odd point that might be difficult to explain by this theory?† â€Å"Please do.† â€Å"If Gaia is the Second Foundation and if, for centuries, it has protected itself physically against intruders, protecting all of the Sayshell Union as a broad, deep shield for itself, and if it has even prevented knowledge of itself leaking into the Galaxy – then why has all that protection suddenly vanished? Trevize and Pelorat leave Terminus and, even though you had advised them to go to Trantor, they go immediately and without hesitation to Sayshell and now to Gaia. What is more, you can think of Gaia and speculate on it. Why are you not somehow prevented from doing So?† Mayor Branno did not answer for a long time. Her head was bent and her gray hair gleamed dully in the light. Then she said, â€Å"Because I think Councilman Trevize has somehow upset things. He has done something – or is doing something – that is in some way endangering the Seldon Plan.† â€Å"That surely is impossible, Mayor.† â€Å"I suppose everything and everyone has its flaws. Even Hari Seldon was not perfect, surely. Somewhere the Plan has a flaw and Trevize has stumbled upon it, perhaps without even knowing that he has. We must know what is happening and we must be on the spot.† Finally Kodell looked grave. â€Å"Don't make decisions on your own, Mayor. We don't want to move without adequate consideration.† â€Å"Don't take me for an idiot, Liono. I'm not going to make war. I'm not going to land an expeditionary force on Gaia. I just want to be on the spot – or near it, if you prefer, Liono, find out for me – I hate talking to a war office that is as ridiculously hidebound as one is sure to be after one hundred and twenty years of peace, but you don't seem to mind – just how many warships are stationed close to Sayshell. Can we make their movements seem routine and not like a mobilization?† â€Å"In these piping times of peace, there are not many ships in the vicinity, I am sure. But I will find out.† â€Å"Even two or three will be sufficient, especially if one is of the Supernova class.† â€Å"What do you want to do with them?† â€Å"I want them to nudge as close to Sayshell as they can – without creating an incident – and I want them sufficiently close to each other to offer mutual support.† â€Å"What's all this intended for?† â€Å"Flexibility. I want to be able to strike if I have to.† â€Å"Against the Second Foundation? If Gaia can keep itself isolated and untouchable against the Mule, it can surely withstand a few ships now.† Branno said, with the gleam of battle in her eyes, â€Å"My friend, I told you that nothing and no one is perfect, not even Hari Seldon. In setting up his Plan, he could not help being a person of his times. He was a mathematician of the days of the dying Empire, when technology was moribund. It followed that he could not have made sufficient allowance in his Plan for technological advance. Gravities, for instance, is a whole new direction of advance he could not possibly have guessed at. And there are other advances, too. â€Å"Gaia might also have advanced.† â€Å"In isolation? Come. There are ten quadrillion human beings within the Foundation Federation, from among whom contributors to technological advance can step forward. A single isolated world can do nothing in comparison. Our ships will advance and I will be with them.† â€Å"Pardon me, Mayor. What was that?† â€Å"I will be going myself to the ships that will gather at the borders of Sayshell. I wish to see the situation for myself.† Kodell's mouth fell open for a moment. He swallowed and made a distinct noise as he did so. â€Å"Mayor, that is – not wise.† If ever a man clearly intended a stronger remark, Kodell did. â€Å"Wise or not,† said Branno violently, â€Å"I will do it. I am tired of Terminus and of its endless political battles, its infighting, its alliances and counteralliances, its betrayals and renewals. I've had seventeen years at the center of it and I want to do something else – anything else. Out there,† she waved her hand in a direction taken at random, â€Å"the whole history of the Galaxy may be changing and I want to take part in the process.† â€Å"You know nothing about such things, Mayor.† â€Å"Who does, Liono?† She rose stiffly to her feet. â€Å"As soon as you bring me the information I need on the ships and as soon as I can make arrangements for carrying on with the foolish business at home, I will go. – And, Liono, don't try to maneuver me out of this decision in any way or I'll wipe out our long friendship in a stroke and break you. I can still do that.† Kodell nodded. â€Å"I know you can, Mayor, but before you decide, may I ask you to reconsider the power of Seldon's Plan? What you intend may be suicide.† â€Å"I have no fears on that score, Liono. It was wrong with respect to the Mule, whom it could not anticipate – and a failure to anticipate at one time implies the possibility of failure at another.† Kodell sighed. â€Å"Well then, if you are really determined, I will support you to the best of my ability and with complete loyalty.† â€Å"Good. I warn you once again that you had better mean that remark with all your heart. And with that in mind, Liono, let us move on to Gaia. Forward!†

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Management Credibility and Honesty - Essay Example A company which ignores management and credibility in its dealing with the working capital will in the long term be characterised by a negative return over the time and ultimately it will have damaged the trust of its shareholders due to its accounting manipulations.There will be a weakened balance sheet through excessive debt and poor working capital management.Based on the above problems this paper reviews through the example of the Enron Saga the importance of management credibility and honesty on working capital management for company and the effect of bad management credibility and honesty.The significance of management   and the link with working capitalCooke and Williams (1998) state that without planning it is difficult to envisage the successful conclusion of any project or the effective control of time, money or resources. Planning is essential throughout all stages of the process from inception through to design, tendering, construction and commissioning stages of a proj ect. The reasons for planning are summarised below.†¢Ã‚  To aid contract control†¢Ã‚  To establish realistic standards†¢Ã‚  To monitor performance in terms of output, time and moneyIt is an essential function of management to prepare forecasts in order to establish a plan for the future of the business. Without a plan against which to monitor performance, management has no control and no business can be run successfully without keeping close control over the day- to -day finances. Control is achieved by preparing budgets.... roblems this paper reviews through the example of the Enron Saga the importance of management credibility and honesty on working capital management for company and the effect of bad management credibility and honesty. The significance of management and the link with working capital Cooke and Williams (1998) state that without planning it is difficult to envisage the successful conclusion of any project or the effective control of time, money or resources. Planning is essential throughout all stages of the process from inception through to design, tendering, construction and commissioning stages of a project. The reasons for planning are summarised below. To aid contract control To establish realistic standards To monitor performance in terms of output, time and money To keep the plan under constant review and take action when necessary to correct the situation It is an essential function of management to prepare forecasts in order to establish a plan for the future of the business. Without a plan against which to monitor performance, management has no control and no business can be run successfully without keeping close control over the day- to -day finances. This involves providing the information necessary for keeping managers informed so that decisions can be made about how business should react to current circumstances.When managing a project, or number of projects, accurate scheduling is critical to success. Double- booked resources, inaccurate information, mishandling of materials, and more can cause significant delays in the project that result in massive profit loss. It is vital therefore that a form of cash flow monitoring is in place. Financial plans are called budgets, and the process of making, monitoring and adjusting them is called budgetary

Political Authority and Morality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Political Authority and Morality - Essay Example The leaders are accountable for their actions and behaviors, and usually do the right thing because otherwise they would have to present their case in front of the publics. Political authority seems justified when there are norms and procedures that take care of the political manifestations and when people are given what they deserve the most – democracy. In essence, it is always a good practice to make use of the political authority to understand the nuances of the Western liberal democracy. This has been demonstrated through the works of Plato, Locke and Mill. The political authority is therefore a very common concept within the political discourse as it encompasses of people from different strata of life. The political authority is a very dire requirement within the political obligations which have been questioned by the works of Plato and Aristotle, and which remain significant even in the time and age of today. It is also a fact that within democratic set ups in a number of countries around the world, there is a good amount of discussion regarding political authority in particular as its role cannot be denied its due right. Within United States, political authority has been given much emphasis because it gives freedom to the people from the domains of the government. Indeed morality is a social contract for our mutual benefit. The ethical domains need to be in line with the way people conduct their lives. This means that people should adhere to the moral righteousness and thus give in their very best with regards to the manifestation of their actions and behaviors. Morality asks of people to be fair and forthright about their dealings and be clean related with their thinking mechanisms. They must put the good of the whole society in retrospect more than their own good (Thiroux 2003). What this eventually does is to demonstrate a sense of goodwill within the society and thus the people generally look up to one another in times of help and distress. M orality is indeed a state of mind, which gets represented in a whole lot of ways. In essence, human beings are generally good natured souls, who care about one another in a very open and direct way. Yet there are some individuals who think of their own gains more than anything else. This mars the ultimate basis of stability and growth within the society and essentially hurts the cause of the society in the larger scheme of things. Thus the human beings are a combination of both good and the bad within any society. One must understand that living morally is indeed something that comes out as a very natural and clean process. It is not at all hard and strenuous by any stretch of imagination. The need is to have a proper mechanism under which morality could be represented in a variety of ways, by the people, for the people and to the people (Morgan 1983). One should take up the Kantian theory of ethics which speaks exclusively of the moral domains within any society of the world. Since Kantian theory focuses on the manifestation of ethical norms and procedures more than mere feelings and emotions of mortals, one would absolutely buy this theory on any given day. In essence personal belief systems revolve around the rationale presented by Immanuel Kant in his theory. One should believe that he has hit the nail on the head whilst referring to the details related with the moral representation of people’s dealings in day to day lives. Morality is important to the day to day situations since people view things very differently on a normal basis. If individuals start acting in a very ethical fashion, it would not be much distant when one views the entire society as a combination of good men and women within its folds. Indeed a moral system needs to be structured and very clear in its content so that people

Mitigating Climate Change Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mitigating Climate Change - Assignment Example ssion research is underway and it is believed that the goal of generating electricity by the help of fission power with much lesser carbon emission will be achieved in future. Energy Efficiency: Energy efficiency is considered to be the goal of producing products and services with minimum usage of energy. For example, insulated houses require much lesser cooling and heating energy and help in maintaining a comfortable temperature. No-till Farming: It is considered to be the way of growing crops each year without disturbing the characteristics of soil through tillage. No-till also have carbon sequestration potential, as they stores the organic matter in the soil of the crop field. Forest and Carbon Sequestration: It is considered to be the way of removing the carbon present in the environment and depositing it in some sort of reservoir. Forest sequestration takes into account restoration of the area by planting new trees, etc. Carbon Capture and Storage: It is considered to be the process of capturing excess or waste CO2 from some large point sources such as from fossil fuel power plants and depositing it somewhere, where it will not enter the environment again. In my opinion fuel switching, energy conservation and nuclear fission are the three most effective activities that would help in mitigating climate change. It is certain that CO2 emission can be reduced by using natural gases instead of coal for producing energy. By using natural gas as fuel in vehicles will help in reducing the emission of carbon dioxide and methane to a great extent, imposing minimum negative effect on the environment. Energy conservation takes into account the change in human behavior in order to save energy (Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change, 2014). For example some people prefer walking instead of using vehicles for covering short distance which saves energy, and switching off lights and air conditions when not in use also saves an enormous amount of energy each

Parents Attitudes Toward Learning Through Play in The Foundation Stage Essay

Parents Attitudes Toward Learning Through Play in The Foundation Stage - Essay Example This study aims to investigate parents’ attitudes toward learning through play in the foundation stage. 1.3 Objectives Specific objectives of this research are as follows: 1. To research related literature in order to define play and the types of play used in the foundation stage 2. To establish why play is important for children’s development. 3. To explore parents’ beliefs and attitudes regarding play as a way of learning in the foundation stage using primary research. 4. To identify whether parents provide any play activities at home to support children’s development at the foundation stage 1.4 Rationale of the Study This research aims to explore how parents truly regard play and if they do believe in its benefit to support children’s development especially in the foundation stage. This information would be very helpful for practitioners so that they know how to engage parents’ cooperation and support in schools. It is believed that parent s are important collaborators in their children’s learning since they can provide the resources and experiences to help them learn both at home and in school. In partnership with teachers, parents can help enhance the curriculum in ways that engage children’s interest, so it becomes meaningful and fun for them. Play is one way that makes this possible. Parents are seen as partners in their children’s education, so it is worthwhile to study how they view their role as parents of very young children who constantly engage in play as a form of enjoyment. Becoming aware that play may be used in the educational setting for learning as well as enjoyment may confuse parents as to the role play is given in the foundation...From the research, it can be comprehended that play comes naturally to children. From the time they are infants, the play is an activity that they engage in to learn about their world. As they grow older, they discover more about the world around them through play. They use their senses to explore objects and learn about concepts such as of cause and effects when they manipulate objects. Macintyre asserts that young children learn better in play-like settings. Concepts are retained better when learned in an easy, relaxed and fun atmosphere that does not pressure children to perform in ways that stress them to achieve. Macintyre continues to endorse the value of play in all the developmental areas of children. Play’s rich and varied meanings have resulted in theorists being unable to come up with a single standard definition. Isaacs was one of the first known theorists to define play as the work of the child whereas more recently Bruce regards play as â€Å"the highest form of learning in early childhood†. Moyles comments on how the play is valuable as an excellent learning medium and educators who attempt to define play describe similar features such as enjoyment, spontaneity and active engagement. Still, the diffic ulty of finding a precise and conclusive definition of play persists. Greig contends that this may be due to its ambiguity and variety, as play serves various roles and functions. Another reason for the difficulty in finding one standard definition is that â€Å"the boundaries of play are fluid† and so may cover different activities.

Plan or review administrative systems Assignment

Plan or review administrative systems - Assignment Example Questions: What are processes and procedures? How important are they in a project. Explain the processes and procedures that are going to be used in this project. Include regulations on the use of the new system. iii. The system will be monitored weekly and a report prepared by each department. The report should indicate the usage of the database and identify the user. This report will be forwarded to the ICT department every Monday. The adoption of this system is a change process. Various considerations have to be made to ensure the success of the project. First, sensitization meetings will be held in each department to communicate the change and gather support, each employee will be required to participate. Through this, the project team will identify the expertise and training gaps in the employees. These are the ones to be addressed in the staff training process. Follow-up training needs will be done through monitoring as the system takes effect. Secondly, all the employees have to be involved in order to reduce resistance to change. Two-weekly meetings will be held to evaluate the process and address concerns. This meeting will be arranged and run by the project manager. The minutes for this meeting will have to be available to all staff by the next working day. A monthly newsletter will be prepared to show the exact nature of the progress (Brody, 2005, p. 243). Lastly, a confidential complaints and feedback system will have to be established in order to gather crucial information from the staff. This will help collect and investigate information that cannot be voiced during meetings. Since most personnel have only the basic computer literacy, the training will have to be done at all levels and inclusively. This helps to build teamwork for faster learning. The final date for tender submission will be on 6th January 2014. This

Micro Economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Micro Economics - Assignment Example c) If the economy is using the resources as stated in the question then it is underutilizing the resource availability. In this case it would violate the assumption of full employment. d) This is an unrealistic situation and can be attained only in presence of foreign trade. In order to produce beyond the possibility level, the economy must be able to realize the increase in the availability of resources. Question 2 Answer: Opportunity cost is referred to as the cost of an activity which in measured in regards to the next best alternative foregone. The condition of shortage is the root cause of opportunity cost. If shortage is absent there will be no reason to sacrifice one thing to achieve another. The opportunity cost is likely to be higher for New York City. The reason being the alternative uses for the block are of more value than the block of the suburban city. Question 3 Total Profits = Total Cost – Total Revenue Total Cost = P resource * Q resource and Total Revenue = P rice * Q sold Total Cost = ($40 * 5 units of labor) + ($60 * 7 units of land) + ($60 * 2 units of capital) + ($20 * 1 unit of entrepreneurial ability) = $200 + $420 + $120 + $20 = $760. Total Revenue = $2 * 400 loaves of banana bread = $800. Total Profits = $800 - $760 = $40. The firm will continue to produce as it is earning economic profits. If this firm is typical of the banana bread industry, more resources will flow toward banana bread as other potential firms are attracted to the economic profits in the industry. Question 4 a) For this condition the price will rise while the quantity will fall. b) For this condition the price will fall while the quantity will fall as well. c) For this condition the price will fall while the quantity will rise. d) For this condition the price is indeterminate but the quantity will rise. e) For this condition the price will rise as well as the quantity. f) For this condition the price will fall but it is not possible to determine the demand. g) For this condition the price will rise but it is not possible to determine the quantity. h) For this condition the price will remain indeterminate but the quantity will fall. Question 5 Price falls and demand is inelastic: The total revenue will decrease in this case as demand being inelastic a price fall will bring loss of revenue for the producers. Price rises and supply is elastic: The total revenue will increase in this case as supply being elastic a rise in price will lead to increase in total revenue conditions. Price rises and supply is inelastic: The total revenue will rise in this case as well as this is the opposite case as the above question. Supply being inelastic a price rise will lead to increase in demand conditions and therefore total revenue. Price rises and demand is inelastic: The total revenue will rise in this case. Demand being inelastic a rise in prices will lead to rise in demand and total revenue will rise. Price falls and demand is elastic: The total revenu e will rise in this case. As demand is elastic a fall in price will lead to increase in demand and total revenue will rise. Price falls and demand is unit elastic: In this case the total revenue will remain the same because a fall in price will bring no change in demand conditions and therefore total revenue will remain unaffected. Question 6 Answer: A ceiling on price that is set below the price level at

Software Engineering Exam Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Software Engineering Exam Questions - Essay Example ISO 9000 describes quality assurance elements in generic terms that can be applied to any business regardless of the products or services offered. ISO 9001 is the quality assurance standard that is designed specially for the engineering products. In addition, this standard contains 20 requirements that must be present for an effective quality assurance system. Because the ISO 9001 standard is applicable to all engineering disciplines, a special set of ISO guidelines that ISO 9000-3 have been developed to help interpret the standard for use in the software process. The requirements delineated by ISO 9001-3 address topics such as management responsibility, quality system, contract review, design control, document and data control, product identification and traceability, process control, inspection and testing, corrective and preventive action, control of quality records, internal quality audits, training, servicing, and statistical techniques. The main focus of agile software engineering approach is on the people as well as on the dynamics of their connections and communications, rather than on rigid software development and complex requirements planning procedures. A main idea encouraged by the agile policy is that people that can be customers, software developers or users: and they form the foundations of the software development procedure. This is one of the clearest advantages of an agile approach: rapid learning helps you learn what you truly want and need because you can see actual results instead of "intermediate" results. If you are building software, you can see a working system and get real concrete feedback about it. In addition, the users, consumers, and other stakeholders can participate more effectively in determining what you are building for them. The basic process structure of agile methods consists of the short cycles (iterations, sprints) of delivery of valuable

Student Veteran Essay Example for Free

Student Veteran Essay No matter who you are, where you’re from, what your job, and how old are you, every single person in the universe has the right to persuade the education as they wish. As the war of Iraq ended and budget cutting for military spending, thousands of newly discharged soldiers are thinking about what to do next. Most of the soldiers, Marines, Airmen, and Sailors joined the military before their 21st birthday, and it’s often the only job they’ve ever held. So, most of them are deciding to go back to school for their education. In the article of â€Å"The veterans are coming! The veterans are coming! † by Edward F. Palm, he states that It is good to know that after the soldiers come from war some of the veterans are ready for a post-secondary education. Palm gives advice to teachers and staff from college and universities on how to treat veterans on campuses. Edward Palm uses personal stories and gives some advice that helps veterans feel confident when they go back to school; also, Palm makes readers believe his credibility by employing pathos and ethos appeal combined with friendly and proud tone that creates and affective argument. After reading â€Å"The veterans are coming! The veterans are coming! †, I agreed  that student veteran in the college is feeling very alone on the campus. We should have treated them with respect and normal like any other students, and college and university should have educated students how to treat with Veteran student. Student veteran in the college can be very autistic. When the service member is discharged from the military, they feel the separation and disorientation with the society. It is because they just spent the last several years inextricably tied to military type of social system, whether it was a brigade, battalion, company, platoon, squad, team, or just one on one with a  battle buddy. During those years, solitude was rare. Now, suddenly they’re no longer attached to those systems, and the feeling of vulnerability can be terrifying. The loss of friendships, purpose, identity, structure, and income is enough to push most people to their limits. Now they are in the college society, which is completely different social system that bears no resemblance to military and command free society. Moreover, student veterans are also older and more experienced than their freshman peers, which helps them keep things in perspective and not sweat the small stuff. They can, and  do, manage huge amounts of pain, both physical and mental, without complaint. But consequently, they also bristle at trivial matters called â€Å"crises† by others, and scorn the frequent self-absorption of their peers. They often see most civilian students as not emotionally strong enough to be their friends. So, they usually isolate themselves in school. Additionally, we need to treat student veterans with respect and normal like any other students on the campus. We need to put a lot of patients to communicate with student veteran. I have a personal experience with the student veteran when I took my chemistry class two years  ago. He is one of my classmates in chemistry class. He is a return solider from Afghanistan, when President Obama ended the Afghanistan war in 2008. He lost the ability of hearing in the war. My first impression of him thought that he is only one the disable students on campus. I can feel he is so shy, fear and low self-esteem around the class because I saw him, he is setting at the corner with his deaf interpreter. I thought his low self-esteem is only coming from his disabilities, but I never anticipated that he is one of the return solider. Then, in the first day of the  chemistry laboratory, we need to choose the group to do all the experiment together for the whole semester. Most of the students have their own group with their friends, but I did not any friends because I am a college freshman. So, I formed a group with him and another college freshman. We really have not talked for a few weeks, even we try to discuss about the experiment because he is too shy around other students and also we cannot communicate orally. So, I found the way to communicate with him by writing, and he started comfortable around the group, and we become a good friend. After a few weeks, he told me that he does not want to do the experiment on the creating flame color and told me he has anxiety on the fire because he saw his battle buddy burn alive to dead in the war. Since then, he has been diagnosed with Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder. So, we discussed on his situation with the professor and made him out of the experiment. It make remember what Palm said â€Å"when it comes to what they did in the war, don’t ask; wait for them to decide if and when they want to tell. The experience of combat is largely ineffable. It  cannot be adequately expressed or shared with people who have not experienced it, and most who have are conflicted about it. If they do choose to share, do not judge. † (Palm 793). I did not ask how he loses his hearing even when we are start talking. But I believe it will not be a happy story behind it. So, I did not ask how about it and even when he told his story I choose not to judge or comment on his tragedy event. Therefore, the student veteran can be really scared and unconfident in the campus because they are really emotionally sensitive about their tragedy that happened in the warzone. But if we treat them normally, patiently and connecting them can effectively ease the social isolation, they will feel very comfortable around other students in the campus. Finally, I think the college and university should acknowledge the students how to communicate with student veteran. I think there are a few questions not to ask the student veteran and not to thank to a student veteran for not knowing their services. The question that we should never ask to student veteran are â€Å"These wars were atrocities and a waste of human life,† â€Å"I don’t get why you’re having so much trouble—you volunteered, right? † And worst of all, â€Å"Did you kill anyone? † These comments do more than upset veterans; they wound the hearts of men and women who are already overburdened with sorrow. Most students cannot image about how the warzone look like. They will very curious and will ask the questions that hurtful to a student veteran. For this reason, I think the college and university should acknowledge students to prevent a student from saying something hurtful and explain how these comments might be hurtful. Then, we should not never thank to the veteran. In the article, Palm stated that  Ã¢â‚¬Å"To thank a veteran you don’t know for his or her service is to put that veteran on the spot. It assumes an ideological and political kinship that may or may not exist. I know it makes me uncomfortable. Keep in mind as well that some will doubt your sincerity, wondering if what you’re really saying is, I’m glad you went so that I [or my son or daughter] didn’t have to go. (Palm 793). By say thank you to student veteran will make them think that you, your son or daughter can living safety in the country because they are going to war for you and your son or daughter. It  will make them feel that they are going to die for you. In conclusion, students veteran on campus are usually isolated themselves with the college society. But if we have enough patient and normal treat as other college peers, and teach other students the way to communicate with them, they will blend to the college society. Work Cited Edward F. Palm. â€Å"The Veterans Are Coming! The Veterans Are Coming! † Everything’s an Argument with Reading. 6th Ed. Andrea A. Lunsford, John J. Ruszkiewicz and Keith Walters. Boston, New York Bedford/ St. Marthin’s 2013. 788-794. Print.

The Perception Of Nepal By Tourists Tourism Essay

The Perception Of Nepal By Tourists Tourism Essay Bounded by the lofty heights of the Himalayas, Nepal is a country of eternal beauty and attraction. It is a land of interesting cultures, ancient history and indigenous people, picturesque scenery and some of the greatest walking on earth. It is universally known for the highest mountain peak of the world, Mount Everest that stands tall at 8848 meters. Nepal tourism notifies about places to visit in Nepal, Lumbini; famous for the birthplace of Gautam Buddha who laid the foundation of Buddhism in the country. Having rich traditions of art, historical sites, customs, culture and heritage, Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal is a treasure house of ancient art and culture. Different article, Books, international publication and organization has mentioned that, Nepal is one of the most visited travel destination in South Asia. A report published by Lonely Planet names top ten destinations for 2010, Nepal is one the best destination including El Salvador, Germany, Greece, Malaysia, Morocco, New Zealand, Portugal, Suriname and USA  [1]  . Similarly, Magazine Current Issue December 2009/ January 2010 published by BBC, National Geography, had searched 200 top-rated travel destinations of the world and selected the best 25 destinations for 2010. Nepal is one of the best destinations out of 25  [2]  . Reactions of residents concerning tourism Figure 3 shows a matrix representing the attitudes and behaviour of local residents of the region to tourism. The matrix is based on the framework developed by Bjorklund and Philbrick (1972) and applied to tourism (tourist-host relationship) by Butler (1980)  [3]  . The two dimensions of analysis are the attitudes of local residents towards tourism (positive negative) and their behavioural responses (active passive). Attitudes and reactions of individuals change in time, according to the process of tourism development in an area. Host Attitudinal/Behavioural Responses to Tourist Activities in the Region (% of the Population) Active Passive Positive 57.7 17.4 Negative 4.5 13.6 In the Khumbu, Pokhara (including Annapurna), Chitwan and Lumbini regions, the majority of residents (57%) actively support and promote tourist activities and tourism development in the region (mainly by running their own tourist businesses, but also by other means, e.g. learning languages in order to be able to communicate with tourists, or trekking with tourist in trekking routes). Besides, only 5% of them oppose actively further tourism development in the region (mainly for environmental reasons). The remaining 6.8% of the population have neither positive nor negative attitude toward tourism development. 10.1.1. Tourists and Motivations A tourist is a person who travels for various activities form origin to destination with some period. The movement could be inside the country or outside. Similarly, the people who travel and stay in places outside their usual environment for not more than consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activities remunerated from within the place visited  [4]  http://www.traveletour.com/. Why do tourists visit certain places? By overlooking in academic approach given by Dann (1981)  [5]  , listed seven elements: Travel is a response to what is lacking yet desired. Destination pull, in response to motivation push Motivation as fantasy- behavior not culturally sanctioned at home Motivation typologies: a) behavioural, such as sun worshipping or wanderlust and, b) typologies focusing on dimensions of the tourist role Motivation as classified purposes Motivation and tourist experiences-includes the authenticity debate Motivation as auto-definition and meaning Similarly, McIntosh et al., 1995, utilize four categories of motivations, physical, cultural, interpersonal and status and prestige motivators. In the case of Nepal, generally all international visitors are clubbed under the category of tourists. However, these visitors-cum-tourists visit the country for various purposes ranging from pilgrimage to purely official purposes. All of them spend money while they are in Nepal; they are contributing to this Himalayan economy. Therefore, such range of visitors might be put under the category of tourists. Nepal government has classified the categories of tourists according to activities, like pleasure, trekking, mountaineering, adventure and cultural activities, natural or eco-tourism activates business, education, health etc. (Agrawal, 2005, Tourism and economic development in Nepal). Nepal is best destination for pleasure trip and adventure activities as well as natural and cultural tourism. It is followed by trekking and mountaineering. The two together accounted for around 90 Per Cent of the total tourists arrival before the nineties. Since, 1990 the average share has been around 80 Per Cent of the total. It is clear from the above data the major purposes of tourists in Nepal are pleasure, trekking, mountaineering and adventure activities before 1990. After that, new types of tourists also found in Nepal like cultural tourists (Pilgrimages), study and research, meetings and seminar, and health, since 1991 have shown growth rate of these types of tourist 8.22 and 9.12 per Cent of respectively. By the year of 2007 and 2008, largest number of tourists 41.4% tourists were visited for adventure activities and average length of stay in the country was recorded 12 days.(Source; calculated from several issues of economic survey, Ministry of finance, HMG/N) On the basis on empirical data, the motivations of tourists were different according to the study areas. Tourists in the mountainous region like Khumbu and Annapurna are interested on adventure activities. Similarly, tourists in Lumbini, Janakpur and Kathmandu valley are interested on cultural pilgrimages. Again, tourists in Chitwan are interested on natural activities. However, majority of tourists agree on, adventure activities. Trekking is the gift of Nepal to the world in adventure tourism. To be one with nature, to regenerate ones own self-esteem, to rediscover oneself, to appreciate Nepals beauty, to interact with its hospitable and friendly people are some of the highlights of trekking in Nepal. Trekking is one long-term activity that draws repeat visitors to the country. Possessing eight of the ten highest mountains in the world, Nepal is hotspot destination for mountaineers, rock climbers and people seeking adventure. Therefore, Nepal is the ultimate destinations for the trekking enthusiast. So these are the characteristics of Nepalese tourism, to attract us again and again. A German couple, who has visited Nepal more than seven times in Khumbu region. Well, Nepal is excellent destination for natural tourism, having highest mountain, varieties of biodiversity, and unique geographic structures are the major attraction for us. A group of tourist from USA in Chitwan Nepal has many unique cities for tourists like Kathmandu and Pokhara. Kathmandu valley is one of the oldest city with full of religious and cultural heritages, city of living God and Goddess and capital city of Nepal with full range of historic and artistic achievement. Therefore, Kathmandu Valley is world famous. The seven touristic areas (listed in world heritages by UNESCO), the Durbar Squares of Hanuman Dhoka (Kathmandu), Patan and Bhaktapur, the Buddhist stupas of Swayambhu and Bauddhanath and the Hindu temples of Pashupatinath and Changu Narayan. The Kathmandu is an exotic and fascinating showcase of a very rich culture, art and tradition. Again I am very much interested to know the Hindu and Buddhist society and culture; therefore I travel to Nepal frequently. A tourist nearby Kathmandu Durbar Square When I was in school, I read a book; Nepal is only one Hindu kingdom in the world, only one Hindu kingdom (no more now) For me it was interesting because I know many Christian and Muslim countries but not only one Hindu kingdom, so I have desire to visit Nepal form school level, and finally I am here now. A French tourist in Pashupatinath, Kathmandu Nepal is holy land for us, because this is the land, where Lord Buddha was born. We are happy to visit Nepal, especially Lumbini (the birth place of God Buddha). Around 60 tourists (in-group) from Sri Lanka in Lumbini Nepal is best destination for us because, God Pashupatinath, many Hindus temples, religions and cultures are attraction for us so, once a year we visit Nepal. A large number of Indian tourists in Kathmandu, and Janakpur The Mountains, landscape, and silence natural heritages are the god gifted monuments of Nepal, I love it and thats why I am here. A German scientist in Chitwan Therefore, according to empirical data, Nepal is the best destination for adventure activities like mountaineering, trekking, natural heritages and many more. Similarly, having majority of Hindus people and its related culture, tradition, temple and more phenomenon, and being the birth of God Buddha, Nepal is significance destination for cultural tourism too. 10.1.2. Major touristic destinations in Nepal Roof of the world, home of the Gurkhas, land of legend and beauty: within its narrow confines, Nepal contains as amazing range of culture and physical environments offers the visitor and abundance of contrasts and the experiences. A unique landscape unequalled in beauty and variety, cultural diversity, aesthetically built monuments, rugged beauty and tranquility of snowcapped shimmering mountains, serenity and placidness of the lakes and valleys, an unmatched collection of flora, fauna and wild life, diverse races, ethnic groups, dialects and languages all combine to make Nepal a visitors dream come true. Formally, It is also known as the Himalayas kingdom, possessing 8 of 10 heights mountain of the world, unique combination of Buddhism and Hinduism and its phenomenon are always attraction for tourists. Some of the major tourist destinations in Nepal are mountain regions; include the beautiful cities of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Patan, Pokhara and other sites. The places in Nepal are known for their various historic sites and sightseeing. Tourists must visit the Royal Chitwan National Park, Nagarjuna Forest Reserve, Pashupatinath, Dakhshina Kali and many more. Ashok Vyas (2004) Nepal Darshan, indicated, the main touristic areas of Nepal are mountain regions, particular khumbu and Annapuran followed by, Pokhara, Lumbini, Kathmandu Valley, Chitwan and Janakpur. Again, small amount of tourist were interested to visit different parts of the Country. On the basis on empirical data, the researcher came to know that, tourists indicated different destinations according to their interest. Western tourists were interested to visit mountain regions but Asians were interested to visit cultural sites. In general, Majority (80 out of 100 respondents), were interested to visit mountain areas like Khumbu and Annapurna and they were involved in adventure activities like mountaineering, trekking and rock climbing etc. In addition, 61 out of 100 tourists were interested to visit religious and cultural heritages like Lumbini, Kathmandu Valley and Janakpur. Similarly, 48 out of 100 respondents were interested to visit natural heritages; Chitwan and the Mt. Everest. However, both of them were interested (88 out of 100) to visit lovely city Pokhara. Figure 5.12 Fig. 5.12, major touristic areas of Nepal visited by tourists Source: Field Study Mountain Area= Khumbu and Annapurna Region, Pokhara= Holiday, recreation and adventure Cultural Sites= Kathmandu valley+ Lumbini+ Janakpur Natural Heritages= Chitwan and the Mt. Everest With the help of above empirical data, the researcher agreed on Nepal has been a best destination for adventure tourists. Similarly, pilgrimage (Cultural phenomenon) has been introducing a new kind of tourism destination in Nepal. Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, could be an important destination for Buddhist people. Besides there is a famous shrine of Lord Pashupatinath at the Kathmandu and many other Hindus monuments all over the country could be the attraction point for huge Indians. 10.1.3. Nepal, an economical (cheaper) destination Nepal is the poorest and least developed countries in the world. More than 45 Per Cent of people are under the poverty line. Agriculture is the pillar of the economy, providing a livelihood for majority of the population and accounting for 38% of GDP. The unemployment rate of country is more than 45 Per Cent in the year of 2008. The per capita income of the county by the year 2008 was $473. Asian Development Bank, 2008. The current situation of foreign exchange rate against euro is more than 100 Rupees. Moscow, the capital city of Russia, is the most expensive city for travelers, followed by Tokyo, Japan. There is not any city or place from South Asians countries, which is expensive for tourist (Source; www.travelersdigest.com, 2009-7-20). Nepal could be one of the cheap destinations for tourists, Upadhyay, Rudra (2006). On my personal experiences, Nepal is cheaper destination, because now I am in Namche Bazaar, 3,440 m, local residents said that this is an expensive place for tourist. However, I do not feel so; I am paying $ 20 for a hotel per day, 5 to 20 Dollars for food, which is normal for me. If I were in Switzerland, I have to pay huge amount of money. Tourist in Namche Bazaar, Khumbu Region Within few moments, I will be in the sky by Paraglide, I paid around 100 euro. But, in Switzerland I have to pay five to seven times more for same thing. A German tourist, in Sharankot, Pokhara When I was applying visa for Bhutan, I proved that I can spend more than 200 US Dollars a day; this is rule of Bhutan government. But, look in Nepal no condition like this. Again; I am spending less than 50 Dollars a day, which is enough for me. A tourist in Pokhara Similarly, the researcher collected data from tourist on Nepal visit and tourists budget. Majority of respondents (54 Per Cent) were reported, Nepal is cheaper destination followed by, 30 Per Cent; middle and rest 16 Per Cent reported expensive. Figure 5.14; Figure 5.14, Nepal visit and tourists budget. Source: field study Therefore, on the basis on empirical data, the researcher found that, Nepal is the cheaper destination for tourists. During the field study, the researcher asked to the tourists, what amount of money are you planning to spend in Nepal. Majority of respondents ( 38 Per Cent) were reported up to 2000 US dollars, followed by 35 Per Cent; 2000 to 3000and rest 27 Per Cent more than 3000 US dollar, Table 5.13. Table 5.14, Amount of money tourist wants to spend in Nepal Source; Field study Average length of stay of tourist is if on higher side they will spend more money. Thus, more money brought by international tourist would be pumped in the local economy. The average length of stay by a tourist during 1975-90 had been 11.87 days that declined marginally to 11.23 days in the following period of 1991 -2000 and around 12 days in 2008 and 2009  [6]  . However, during the data collection the researcher found variety of data. Fig. 5.13, Average length of stay Source: Field study In average, tourists were interested to stay in Nepal around 20 days. Based on the answers given by local people and tourist, it was found that majority of respondents 84 % (210 out of 250) reported that average length of stay of tourist in tourist areas was 20 days (Fig. 5.13). XI CHAPTER SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND RECOMMEDATION Title: Page No. Overall review of the research 214 Summary of the findings 215 Recommendations 218 11.1. Overall review of the research Chapter 6 provides an overall review of the research aim, objectives, research questions, issues, findings, conclusions and recommendations of this study. Chapter 6 begins by summarizing the background to the research, and the research purpose, methodology and findings. The researcher goes on to make explicit the contribution of this study to the discipline of Socio-cultural and economic impact of tourism in the process of globalization in Nepal. Suggestions are made for future research based on the theme of this study. The chapter concludes with key recommendations for Socio-cultural and economic impact of tourism in the process of globalization in Nepal The present researcher has attempted to fine out, Socio-cultural and economic impact of tourism in the process of globalization in Nepal. It is divided in five major topics with subareas. The first topic is introduction. This chapter has included the introduction, theoretical concerns, hypothesis, aims and objectives, statements (importance), research methodology, and data sources and data analysis model of present research. The key aspect of this chapter is research issues. This research has three major issues: change in socio-economic setup of Nepal due to globalization and tourism; cultural globalization due to inflict of tourism but also due to globalization in general, and perception of Nepal by tourists. Under the first issue: socio-economic inequality, impact of tourism on Nepalese economy, development and change in touristic areas were the major points for analysis. Similarly in second; impact of global tourism on food, drinks, clothing, languages, family structure and everyday life; tourism and socio-cultural change in Nepal; types of globalization and homogenization adapting by Nepalese by tourist or tourism were major points. The last or final issue of this research was; important and interesting fact of Nepalese tourism for tourist was main phenomenon. Research methodology is another important subarea of this research. The nature of this research is qualitative cum quantitative (mixed approach). The study areas of this research were major six touristic places of Nepal Mt. Everest National Park (Sagarmatha), Pokhara with Annapurna area, Lumbini (The birthplace of Lord Buddha), Chitwan National Park, Janakpur and Kathmandu Valley including Lalitpur and Bhaktapur. The total numbers of interlocutors of this research were 250 including local people (40 Per Cent), Tourist (40 Per Cent) and jobholder in tourism (20 Per Cent). Questionnaires, interviews, observation, case study and discussion were used for data collection on August to December 2008 and October 2009 to January 2010. The data analysis has been performed by using computer software like Excel, SPSS one way ANOVA and T-Test according to their necessity. Chapter Two is the collection of theoretical literature review. This chapter has explained the all-important terms and variables of this research. Similarly, chapter Three is the detail explanation of culture, people, land and society of country of the great Himalayas (Nepal). Chapter Four covers complete data analysis of this research. This covers general demographic (Age, Gender and Education) information of the respondents: tourism, globalization and its impact on Nepali economy, society and culture with different subareas and perception of Nepal by tourist. Similarly, Chapter 5 includes the summary of findings and suggestions and end part includes references. In conclusion, tourism is not a new phenomenon in Nepal. The county has welcomed tourists officially since 1953. Tourism has been a significant pillar in the countrys economy and the government using for socio-economic development of rural areas in Nepal. It was the aim of this study to address the important issues related to tourism and impacts in Nepal. The focal point, how residents evaluate the economic, social and cultural impacts of tourism on their community was examined. The final section dealt with the perception of Nepal by tourists. 11.2. Summary of the findings Tourism is an important process of socio-economic and cultural globalization. It has both positive and negative impacts on society, economy and culture of destination. The truth is that tourism has become one of the largest and most rapidly growing industries in the world by combining social and economic activities. The industry fosters development and affects the people and the place. Impacts of tourism could be positive or negative according to the degree of planning and the level of involvement of local residents in the development process. The outcome is dependent on the relationship between the local residents and the site. On the basis on data, it has both positive and negative impacts according to places regards to the impact of global tourism. The people are in Khumbu, Annapurana, Chitwan, Jankapur and Lumbini believe that tourism does not contradict religion or traditional customs; they are of the opinion that it has no influences on their daily life or their patterns of consumption. However, the people from Kathmandu and Pokhara Valley are strongly addressed there is huge impact of tourism and tourists activities on local culture, society, traditions, food, languages and everyday life. However, in general all respondents fell that it could influences in food, language, clothes and younger generations more. Finally, residents believe that tourism could be a solution for unemployment, poverty, income, and socio-cultural changes. It was found that tourism plays the important role in the Nepalese economy. Tourism has playing quantifiable and positive effects on the development of GDP of the country. It has been increasing the economy of the country in general and as a whole. The increase in the volume of tourist flow has direct as well as indirect impact on the development process of Nepal. Nevertheless, tourism was found to be more capital investor and employer in Nepal In general, tourism has both positive and negative impacts, but majority of residents have a positive attitude toward tourism and they believe that it can develop their communities, like main source of income, job, poverty alleviation, source of foreign reserves and revenue, and national and local business. People involved in this profession have found better life compare to others. They have better opportunity of employment, income, education, quality of life and many more. However, the largest economic impacts of tourism are experienced by the residents near the Khumbu, Annapurna, Pokhara, Lumbini, Chitwan, Janakpur and some part of Kathmandu Valley, while people living in remote areas and in off-site of tourist areas or routes could not reap the benefits of tourism as they have very limited things to offer. Thus, this is clear, tourism increasing socio-economic inequality among the Nepalese. A side effect of residents expecting profits is that locals evaluate tourists according to their expenditures, potentially leading to negative attitudes and conflicts between residents and tourists and between the various social groups living within the local community. In addition, while tourism has the potential to introduce economic benefits for the government and the people. Normally tourism still has little impact on local society and culture. Participants report that tourism has less contradicted religion and traditions, while some of them expressed the fear of potential impact on younger generations. Such sentiments were centered near Khumbu and Annapurna, where the impact on society and culture are more present than in the other sites. Among the negative impacts reported in study, areas are; the consumption of alcohol, the imitation of tourist behaviour and sexual relations with tourists, increasing foreign food, dress, drug, language, gambling and unwanted lifestyle change. The positive impacts of tourism were especially highlighted by those working in tourism. Some reported that tourism is single source of their economic life, while others claim to have learned positive skills from tourists that improve their interaction with family members and in society. Similarly, for the Government tourism is an important pillar of national economy and best way to reduce poverty in rural areas of Nepal. Finally, tourism is an important transmitter of globalization in Nepal. It seems a process of acculturation or westernization or Americanization and leads globalised homogenous society and culture. Majority of respondents agreed on tourism and globalization develops globalized homogeneous culture but the same time Nepalese cultures are reconstructed on local levels. Tourists were found highly satisfied with weather, natural scenery, wild animals, peoples behavior, hospitality, friendliness, helpfulness humbleness, honest, welcoming attitude of the people, sense of remoteness and authenticity, religious customs, fulfillment of scene of adventure, historical sites, culture, entertainment, language communication, agency services and guide services. However, they were found to be less satisfied with immigration, transportation, airlines services, lodging, sightseeing tour, shopping facilities, tourist information service, regular strike (Nepal banda), tax, and food and drinks in Nepal. Again, they had realized the potential for further tourism development in Nepal. Having top mountains of the World, colorful cultures, ancient history and people, picturesque scenery, birthplace of Gautam Buddha, rich traditions of art, culture and heritage and one of the best destination for adventure activities; the country of great Himalayas (Nepal) is one of the best destination for tourism. The perceptions of tourist are found positive. Out of different attraction phenomenon, adventure activities and places are the main attraction for tourists followed by religion and culture. Majority of tourist are agreed on Nepal is the cheapest destination. Recommendations There is no doubt tourism is a means of globalization and have impact on society, culture and economy of the country. Tourism is the main way of globalization in different phenomenon like economy, culture and society of Nepal. Nepalese society, culture and economy have been suffering from various impact of tourism. Basis on the empirical data, the researcher have found following suggestions on this research. Tourism is an important process of socio-economic and cultural globalization. It has both positive and negative impacts on society, economy and culture of destination. Therefore, it is recommended that Nepalese should be aware from such impact. Tourism is seen as the means of development in rural areas of Nepal. Therefore, government and local people should use tourism as the development tools for rural Nepal. It is found that tourism has both positive and negative impacts on society and culture according to places. Some tourist areas have less impact and some have more. Therefore, Nepalese and government should implement proper programme to reduce negative impacts. The impact of tourism on the social system and culture of locals are diversity according to tourist hubs. Participants from Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan reported that tourism contradict religion, tradition, social norms, local culture, society, food, language, clothes and may more related to social and culture phenomenon, while others from rest tourist hubs reported tourism does not contradict religion and tradition. But, from both places people, express the fear of the greater impact on the younger generation. Therefore, to protect from such evidence, it is necessary to give proper education or information to the Nepalese and special education or information to the younger generation. Majority of respondents have positive attitude of tourism and believe that it can develop their communities. Tourism is pillar, employer, poverty eliminator, source of foreign currencies, revenue, local business and capital investor of Nepalese economy but government is not giving proper importance in it. It is recommended that government should give priority for tourism development. Regarding to the role of tourism in globalization of economy Nepal has been found that the direct impact of tourism on earning foreign exchange has been improving. However, if it is analyzed with respect to merchandize trade, overall foreign exchange earnings in the economy the role of tourism has been increasing. The ratio of foreign exchange earnings from tourism and GDP has been increasing very slowly. Nepalese and government of Nepal should think on it. The foreign participation in the tourism industry remains confined to mainly hotel, resorts and restaurants. Therefore, government and people should encourage foreign investors to invest in new areas of activities related to tourism in Nepal. The residents near the tourist hubs of Nepal experience the largest economic impacts of tourism, where a large number of residents have become dependent on tourism, while in the other sites tourism still has no significant economic meaning. Therefore, in this situation economic benefit of tourism should be managed to the equal manner It is found that people in tourism have better living standard because they have better income. Only few Nepalese are involved in tourism therefore they are getting better quality of life and education but majority of Nepalese are in off-site, which is socio-economic inequality due to tourism. To promote the living standard of those people, who are off-site, government and Nepalese should focus balanced tourism development project and distribute appropriate income of tourism. Regarding employment in tourism, it was also found that tourism is not yet considered a plausible and appropriate employment opportunity by local jobseekers. Among the reasons are lacks of education and training centers, low wages paid to employees in tourism service, lack of insurance and job security, to a certain degree, the traditional and social values of the communities. Concerning education and training, the study identified that the authorities do not consider tourism to be a helpful means in dealing with the issues of human resources. This reflects the low priority given to education and training in tourism as an independent field of study, even when there is a project with a scheduled budget for training. Therefore, it is necessary to create positive attitudes towards tourism related job for this educational institution should be established. Total foreign exchange earnings of Nepal have been growing after introduction of tourism. Foreign investment has been increasing in tourism because it will be potential sources of return for them. However, this analysis shows that foreign investors were keen to invest in hotels, resorts and restaurants. Other activities could not attract foreign investors. Here lies the need to promote other activities rela