Customer Relationship Management Plan for Hotel

Customer Relationship Management Plan for Hotel The Sao Paulo Case ABSTRACT The paper sets out to produce an outline customer relationship plan for a Brazilian hotel which has recently been taken over by a globally branded hotel chain. It begins with a review of selected literature which contains knowledge, techniques and ideas relevant to a customer relationship plan. Terms are defined within this section. The final section contains the action plan, which derives from ideas in the literature review section. 1. Introduction This report will consist of a concise, integrated customer relationship plan for Sao Paulo senior management with the specific aims of: reducing customer switching maintaining stakeholder relations in the service quality value chain Within this plan there will be: an identification of the gaps in Sao Paulo’s current approach to relationship marketing planning a description of internal and external relationships which impact the hotel proposed marketing objectives to help relaunch and reposition the hotel brand suggested developments of the brand an outline service quality management programme an outline CRM system an outline integrated marketing communications programme an outline internal marketing communications programme Input for the plan will be taken from the case material and the literature review which follows in section 2. 2. Literature Review This section will review the literature in a structured way. The first part will draw on lecture notes, text books and journal articles to clarify and explain aspects of: strategic marketing and branding relationship marketing and customer relationship management service quality management The second part will draw on three cases: The Ritz Carlton case Bergstrom Hotels Sao Paulo Hotel 2.1 Strategic Marketing and Branding Piercy defines strategy as simply being about: Being best at doing those things which matter most to customers Building shareholder value by achieving superior customer value Finding new and better ways of doing things to achieve the first two[1] If one accepts this no-nonsense definition it underscores the need for all companies to: Understand who your customers are and what matters to them Know how they perceive your service levels and what you must do to improve your performance Design and implement communication and management processes which make your strategy work In other words you need a plan. The planning process is described in the lecture notes as beginning with a Mission Statement and ending with implementation and measurement control. Before customer relationship objectives (the focus of the action plan below) can be identified and agreed the mission statement needs to be clearly understood as do the dynamics of the current market place. A SWOT analysis and Marketing Audit are effective tools for clarifying the company’s current position in the market, its performance so far and for suggesting possible changes in strategic and tactical moves. In a services business this will lead to the development of a customer relationship plan, which will be underpinned by a detailed understanding of the various internal and external stakeholders with whom one needs to develop and build relationships.[2] 2.2 Relationship Marketing and Customer Relationship Management â€Å"Relationship marketing concerns the shifting from activities of attracting customers to activities concerned with current customers and how to retain them. †¦At its core is the maintenance of relations between a company and its suppliers, channel intermediaries, public and customers.†[3] Focusing on retention is considered to be significantly more profitable than conversion of non-customers. CRM is a system to make relationship marketing work. The US writer, George Day sees CRM as a customer-responsive strategy, which seeks to give companies competitive advantage by: Delivering superior customer value by personalising the interaction between company and customer, Demonstrating trustworthiness Tightening connections with customers Achieving co-ordination of complex capabilities (functions, resources) within the company[4] Park Plaza International uses its new CRM system and global database to: â€Å"promote the hotels as a group, rather than an individually networked system, with targeted promotions and one-to-one marketing†¦.Through company profiling we will be able to identify who the biggest backers of the group are and who should be given special treatment, so that we can target our promotions accordingly†[5] Hwang and Chi[6] ,in their recent empirical study, highlight the fact that service personnel are the most important resource in the service sector and also the primary marketers. By helping to achieve customer satisfaction service personnel upgrade the entire performance of the organisation. The message to management is that they should engage in aggressive internal marketing to achieve and maintain a synergy of staff satisfaction and improved organisational performance. 2.3 Service Quality Management Customers will be loyal to a hotel, or a branded hotel chain, if they are satisfied with the quality and value offered. It is therefore important for service providers to know what influences these customer perceptions. Johnston suggests two approaches to understanding customers’ perceptions and judgements of service quality: The rational approach The incident-based approach[7] The rational approach suggests that customers consciously or unconsciously use a weighted average, so that a high score on one attribute or factor may offset a low score on another, to arrive at an overall evaluation of personal satisfaction. The SERVQUAL approach is based on the work of Parasuraman, Zeithamel and Berry[8] and sets out to measure customers’ perceptions of quality across 5 dimensions: Tangibles: physical facilities, equipment, appearance of personnel Reliability: abilities to perform the promised service dependably and accurately Responsiveness: willingness to help customers and provide prompt service Assurance: knowledge and courtesy of employees and ability to inspire trust and confidence Empathy: caring, individualistic attention provided by firm to customers A third approach suggests that any single incident, delighting or satisfying, could, whatever the weightings given to the other transactions, result in an overall feeling of dissatisfaction or delight. Another writer argues that â€Å"investment of time and money in quality improvement should concentrate on those areas of your business where the effort will have the greatest benefit†[9] Effort should not necessarily be directed to areas where you are worse than the competition if those factors are not so important to customers. 2.4 The Ritz-Carlton Case R-C has a total quality approach to the business. They fix causes not problems, i.e. they think about processes and systems to prevent problems and to ensure continuous quality. They set up a system to understand the real needs of their customers, to ensure delivery of these needs, to make it work continuously and to communicate all this to the market – not just an image-driven approach, but one which was conscious of the â€Å"experience† which customers were seeking. 2.4 Bergstrom Hotels[10] Bergstrom set up a total quality approach and system which was driven by senior management but acted on and supported by teams across the organisation. Vital components of the system are: training of all staff in internal customer relations, culture, process improvement and problem-solving, setting up and development of a data-base based on customer and employee surveys to drive improvement, open lines of communication and regular performance evaluation. Recognising staff contributions to quality of service was a key final element. The case demonstrates that significant quality improvements can be achieved without significant investment and ongoing cost. 2.5 Sao Paulo Case Sao Paulo is a recently refurbished hotel which is operating in a highly competitive market (with much price cutting) and unstable economy. It has recently been taken over by a hotel chain with a global brand name and a reputation for high service quality and the ability to build long-term relationships with stakeholders. It needs now to reposition itself in the Brazilian market such that it is clearly differentiated in stakeholders minds from the competition. Service must be the main differentiator, so an integrated customer relationship plan needs to be developed. 3. Action Plan for Improving Customer Relationships 3.1 Gaps in current approach Sao Paulo needs both to retain the loyalty of its current customer base and to grow via new customer and intermediary relationships. Growth will probably come via extended use of new services (e.g. restaurants and bars) by current customers and attracting new, more focused customer segments. This needs to be spelt out in its overall mission and made explicit with regard to individual stakeholders. 3.2 External and Internal Stakeholders Apart from the different customer segments important external stakeholders are: tour operators, airlines, travel agents and the many web-based hotel discounters. Local SP-based organisations such as the city hall and tourist office may also be influential in the communication of the hotel brand to intermediaries and potential customers. The current relationship-building approach appears to be re-active and now needs to become focused and pro-active. Important internal stakeholders are hotel employees – front-office staff and sales staff – and franchisees in the restaurants and bars. All need to be aligned with the culture of the refurbished and repositioned hotel. 3.3 Relaunching and Repositioning of the Brand The SP hotel is now part of a global chain. Its service level will need to be aligned with the core brand values of GHG and these values will need to be communicated to all stakeholders and acted upon by internal stakeholders if the communicated brand image is to be consistent with delivery on the ground. Proposed marketing objectives are to: grow the current customer base by 20% by increasing spend per customer and by improving retention by 10%; focus on excellent, caring service at a fair price. 3.4 Service-Quality Programme A customer survey should be carried out to establish which service attributes are important to customers. This should be linked to an assessment of the cost of correcting what goes wrong. The survey should be ongoing and reinforced by regular staff interaction with customers so as to identify any areas of dissatisfaction. Overall customer relationship objective will be to: create in the minds of all customers an experience of being cared for by warm, friendly staff who have your best interests at heart and will do all that they can to offer you speedy and professional assistance. This will be translated into specific CR objectives for the different stakeholders, all of whom will need to participate in service quality training programmes: Franchisees: communicate always in your words, dress and body language that you are a member of the SP team. Front-office staff: make the customer feel welcome, respected, valued and at home. Sales staff: communicate, warm, professional, helpful manner at all times, backed up by prompt follow-up. Service standards: FRONT DESK: Always smile at customers Address by name wherever possible Apologise for even slightest delay Never keep customer waiting without apologising Always do what you promise to do Be sensitive to cultural differences Keep desk and hall area clean at all times Always ask if you can be of further assistance – sincerely Never argue with a customer Try always to exceed expectations Service blueprint: Sales staff to CORPORATES (process service mix): Tangibles Dress smartly, speak warmly and professionally, ensure  that all promotional materials are packaged and presented professionally Reliability Be punctual, deliver what you promise Responsiveness Exceed customer expectations with your response times  and look always for creative solutions to difficult problems Assurance Be confident about the hotel and its qualities but radiate  courtesy at all times. Avoid over-familiarity and use of christian names, unless requested to do so Empathy Avoid any remarks/comments about religion, race,  culture. Be particularly sensitive to cultural differences and help people with language difficulties. Never make fun of anyone. Apologise for even the most minor errors Service guarantee for empowering FRONT-LINE STAFF: If a customer arrives after 19.00 and requests a rate  reduction you may offer him/her a room at a rate 20% below normal rate This service quality approach is in line with the realignment of the brand as a warm and caring hotel which offers fair prices. 3.5 CRM System A CRM system needs to be developed for the global chain. It would aim to profile customers both in order to communicate with them more effectively and to ensure that service features are adapted to meet individual requirements where possible. It should be seen as a support for the warm and caring approach, not a replacement. The communications programme would need to be consistent with, and integrated into, the CRM system. 3.6 Internal Marketing Programme Staff are at the heart of hotel service and underpin customer perception of quality. Training programmes must be run to ensure that all staff are aligned with the culture and attitudes of the hotel, are aware of service guidelines and have the requisite skills and knowledge. An appraisal and suggestions system will be introduced to help staff maintain requisite standards. Incentives will be introduced to encourage maintenance of these standards. BIBLIOGRAPHY Books Barwise P. and Meehan S. (2004), Simply Better, Harvard Business School Press Cerasale M. and Stone M.(2004), Business Solutions on Demand, Kogan Page Johnston R. and Clark C. (2001), Service Operations Management, Prentice Hall Piercy N. (2002), Market-led Strategic Change, Butterworth Heinemann Journal Articles Breiter D., Tyink S. and Corey-Tuckwell S. (1995), Bergstrom Hotels; a case study  in quality†, Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol.7 No. 6 Brown T. (1997), â€Å"Using norms to improve the interpretation of service quality  measures†, Journal of Services Marketing, Vol.11, No.1, p.80 Day G. (2000), â€Å"Tying in an Asset†, in Understanding CRM, Financial Times  Editorial article, „CRM in Hotelsâ€Å", in Leisure Hospitality Business, September,  2001 Hwang I. and Chi D. (2005), â€Å"Relationships among Internal Marketing, Employee Job  Satisfaction and International Hotel Performance†, International Journal of  Management, Vol.22 No.2 Parasuraman A., Zeithamel V. and Berry L. (1988), â€Å"SERVQUAL: a Multiple Item  Scale for Measuring Consumer Perceptions of Quality†, Journal of Retailing,  Vol.64, No.1 Spring Footnotes [1] Piercy N. (2002), Market-led Strategic Change, p. 273 [2] Lecture Notes – Key Issues from the Marketing Audit to Prioritise Actions in a Relationship Services  Marketing Plan [3] Jobber D. (2004), Principles and Practice of Marketing, McGraw-Hill, p. 117 [4] Day G. (2000), â€Å"Tying in an Asset†, in Understanding CRM, Financial Times [5] Editorial article, „CRM in Hotelsâ€Å", in Leisure Hospitality Business, September, 2001 [6] Hwang I. and Chi D. (2005), â€Å"Relationships among Internal Marketing, Employee Job Satisfaction  and International Hotel Performance†, International Journal of Management, Vol.22 No.2, p.291 [7] Johnston R. And Clark G. (2001), Service Operations Management, Prentice Hall, p. 102 [8] Parasuraman A., Zeithamel V. and Berry L. (1988), â€Å"SERVQUAL: a Multiple Item scale for  Measuring Consumer Perceptions of Quality†, Journal of Retailing, Vol.64, No.1 Spring [9] Brown T. (1997), â€Å"Using norms to improve the interpretation of service quality measures†, Journal of  Services Marketing, Vol.11, No.1, p.80 [10] Breiter D., Tyink S. and Corey-Tuckwell S. (1995), Bergstrom Hotels; a case study in quality†,  Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol.7 No. 6

Strategies to Counteract Online Radicalization

Strategies to Counteract Online Radicalization CHAPTER 2LITERATURE REVIEW The purpose of this study is to evaluate existing Bangladeshi efforts to counter radicalization through the internet, identify its weaknesses, and explore opportunities. This research will analyze the significant aspects of successful counter radicalization models of different countries, and suggest ways to incorporate those in Bangladesh to develop a coherent anti-radicalization strategy. Initially, this literature review will discuss the concept of radicalization through the cyberspace. It will allow the readers to follow the subsequent analysis and the suggestions to develop a mechanism in Bangladesh to counter this menace. The literature review is divided into three sections: understanding online radicalization, online radicalization from a Bangladeshi perspective, and significant aspects of successful international anti-radicalization programs. Understanding online radicalization will examine the potential power of the internet to influence people and the process of radicalization. The section on online radicalization from a Bangladeshi perspective will at first, briefly assess the relevant threats in Bangladesh and will then, identify and evaluate the existing programs of countering online radicalization. The final section will study the strategies adopted by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), The U.S. National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), and the current programs undertaken by Malaysia and Indonesia. These two countries of Southeast Asia have been selected due to religious and cultural similarities, and geographic proximity. Their programs appear to be effective against online radicalization. Understanding Online Radicalization The internet appears to create more opportunities to become radicalized. Many scholarly articles ascribe a role to the internet in promoting radicalization[1]. Those studies suggest that the internet acts as an accelerant, and has broken the traditional barriers to radicalize individuals[2]. In this regard, Gabriel Weimanns Terror on the Internet: The New Arena, The New Challenges counts the number of websites of terrorist groups and reviews their contents[3]. In his article, Weimann points to the proliferation of extremists web sites. He founds, by the end of 1999, almost all terrorist groups established their online presence. Different empirical studies suggest, there is a correlation between extremists web sites and online propaganda, and rapid radicalization. The internet enables the terrorists to reach otherwise unreachable individuals. The reach of the internet has blurred the geographic barriers, and connected the distant individuals in the virtual world. Peter Neumann in his research points that the internet allows the terrorists to reach those individuals who would not have been accessible in any other way[4]. For example, Anwar al-Awlaki[5] successfully created online contents such as Inspire that advocates jihad from home. Ines von Behr asserts, these kind of online materials have broaden the scope to reach any people, and their appealing contents create more chance to implant radical ideas among the individuals[6]. The internet creates opportunities to radicalize a wider range of people from all societies. Rachel and Strugnell identify, beside removing the geographic barrier, the internet has erased the social and gender barriers as well to spread extremist ideologies. They highlight on the internet created scope to reach and radicalize the women[7]. In many societies, it may be difficult for women to meet personally with male extremists or work with them; it may also be difficult for the women to express certain thoughts in public. However, the internet allows them greater anonymity[8]. Some authors opine, the internet benefits the introvert individuals who are seeking the radical ideas by creating a scope to access any content privately[9]. Jerome Bjelopera says,ÂÂ   the characteristics of the internet allows a relative advantage to the terrorists in the present days than their previous generations by fading the lines between countries, societies, and genders[10]. The internet provides s upposed anonymity and a degree of protection and security from detection[11]. The internet accelerates the process of radicalization. Bjelopera terms the internet as an echo chamber[12]. It means, people who are searching any radical ideas to support their sketchy thoughts are likely to get some reinforcing contents on the internet due to its massive storage. The internet is a kind of one-stop shop for all the information that an individual may seek to underline his radical ideas that expedites his radicalization process. The virtual world reduces the timeframe of radicalization process as opposed to the actual world. Anthony Bergin in his study refers the internet as a conveyor belt that accelerates the radicalization process by providing instantaneous and continuous connection to any violent idea[13]. Raffaello Pantucci further highlights the internets role in incubating and accelerating radicalization[14]. Robert Schmidle points that, the chat rooms in particular are effective for the extremists since they can exchange ideas with like-minded individuals 24/ 7 regardless of borders[15]. Therefore, the internet expedites the radicalization process of any individual by offering varieties of contents and continuous interaction. The internet allows radicalization to occur without physical contact. Yeap and Park explain, the internet enables any individual to access radical contents from their personal space instead of attending a radical religious gathering[16]. Therefore, an individual need only the internet connection, physical travelling to other location is no more essential. Though the internet reduces hurdles to interaction, few scholars may argue that human interaction is necessary for radicalization. However, Behr says, in a digital era the online activities may be considered as an extension of the real lives, and physical connection is no more essential[17]. Beside the actual world, personal relationship may grow in the virtual world as well. Thus, Mitchell Silber and Arvin Bhatt asserts, radicalization on the internet is not necessarily any different to what would happen with other more private and less visible sources[18]. Besides, the internet increases opportunities for self-radicalization. It i s a process where an individual gradually become radicalized by himself [19]. Hence, the internet creates opportunities of radicalization without human interaction. An individual move through several phases as he becomes radicalized through the cyberspace. In a New York Police Department radicalization case study, Silber and Bhatt identify four phases of radicalization: pre-radicalization, self-identification, indoctrination and jihadization[20]. The case study recognizes the impact of the internet on the radicalization process as an individual looking for an identity and a cause[21]. The internet facilitates in each of the stages to instruct, socialize, indoctrinate and recruit[22]. The FBI has also created a radicalization model similar to that of the NYPD. The FBI model has four stages: pre-radicalization, identification, indoctrination and action[23]. These categories are almost similar to NYPD. The diagram below illustrates the Moghaddams staircase to radicalization where the online contents play a complementary role: Moghaddam Staircase to Radicalization Source: Moghaddam, Fathali M. The Staircase to Terrorism, A Psychological Exploration, Vol. 60, No. 2, American Psychologist, 2005. Online Radicalization in Bangladeshi Perspective Terrorists Approach and their Target Audience In Bangladesh, few religion based terrorist organizations have gained capabilities to develop and spread their radical messages online. They have attracted public and media attention through their activities and propagation. Besides, few leftist political groups are also trying to develop their online capabilities. At present 13 terrorist organizations are operating actively and 29 others are operating covertly using fake credentials[24]. The Special Branch of Bangladesh Police has provided the names of eight terrorist organizations to Home Ministry who are very active on the internet: Ansarullah Bangla Team, Allahr Dal, Islamic Solidarity Front, Tamiruddin Bangladesh, Tawhidee Trust, Hizbut-Tawhid, Shahdat-e-Nabuwat and Jamat-as-Sadat. Five of these terrorist organizations have already been banned by the government, and eight more are yet to be banned[25]. These groups may have significant investment, both human and financial, to build their online capacities. The terrorist groups of Bangladesh appear to be active on the internet, particularly in Facebook and YouTube, to spread radical preaching. This is safer, and lower possibility of being tracked by the law enforcing agencies. Farooq opines, the online propaganda of the terrorists in Bangladesh have become more organized, and appealing to their targets[26]. Arman claims that the terrorists try to exploit the ethno-religious sentiment of the people while developing their messages, and appeal to their believes to embed their radical ideas[27]. Over the last few years, hate speeches and violent ideologies that spread through the internet triggered a number of terrorist attacks and communal violence in Bangladesh. This was evident in Ramu and Pabna incidents where mass attacks were carried out on religious minority people. In both cases, unidentified persons using pseudonyms posted doctored photos and messages on the Facebook defaming Islam that agitated people[28]. Social media have become the easiest means to spread radical ideas in Bangladesh. Bangladeshi youths are particularly vulnerable to online radicalization due to lack of cyber awareness. Farooq in his study opines, the terrorists seem to target the educated youths by spreading appealing messages on the Internet[29]. It is easier to radicalize the youths than the elders since they are more connected to the online world. Farooq also opines, many Bangladeshi youths at first just curiously run across radical contents, and gradually fall into the traps unconsciously. The concept of cyber awareness and related programs seem insufficient in Bangladesh. As a result, neither the youths nor their parents or guardians are aware about the online traps. Immediately after the terrorist attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery restaurant, RAB released a list of 261 missing youths across the country[30]. These missing youths are suspected to have joined various terrorist groups. The terrorists in Bangladesh attempt to build their radical narratives based on religious and socio-political contentious issues. Nirmal Ghosh opines, though Bangladesh is politically a secular country, the terrorist appeal to the Muslim majority population to make it an Islamic state under Sariah law[31]. They seem to exploit the religious sentiment of the people. These groups intentionally create fake photos with radical messages such as prosecution of Muslim Rohingyas and spread those on social media to instill communal violence in the country[32]. Furthermore, the extremists adeptly construct radical narratives on socio-economic disparity and political issues to create sympathizers. Bangladeshi Counter Radicalization Programs The Bangladesh government has implemented several plans and strategies to counter radicalization in the country. However, Abul Kalam argues that, the government has mostly implemented coercive approaches to minimize the terrorist threats[33]. Aynul Islam in his article, categorizes the government initiatives into two types: operational drives by the law and security forces, and legal initiatives[34]. The law enforcement agencies have achieved some success in disrupting few of the extremist groups. Many extremist leaders and activists have been arrested, put under trial. However, the terrorists online activities apparently remain undisrupted due to lack of government action. The National Monitoring Cell (NMC) monitors the suspicious online activities, but it has limited capacity and expert workforce. The government effort to shut down or censor few websites seem not very effective, because extremists innovate new ways to reach people. Moreover, it is difficult to identify and stop sec ret groups in social networking sites that contains radical ideas. Bangladesh government has enacted a few legislations to ensure the cyber security. Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Act 2001, The ICT Act 2006, Digital Security Act 2016 (Draft) are at present the main legislations of Bangladesh to enforce cyber security. On 11 June 2008, the Anti-Terrorism Ordinance 2008 was approved by the government, and was amended in 2013[35]. The new counter terrorism legislation has kept maximum punishment a death sentence for terrorist activities. However, in most cases the laws have not been enforced against persons who carry out propaganda in the cyberspace. Bangladesh has number of agencies with counterterrorism cells. Islam opines, capabilities and activities of these agencies are not orchestrated[36]. Their roles are not specified, and efforts are fragmented. The Bangladesh Police, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), armed forces and intelligence agencies are mainly responsible for fighting terrorism. All of these forces have counter terrorism cells, but they work separately. He further argues that, the police are not well equipped and trained to deal with the new trends of online terrorism. The intelligence agencies are essential apparatus in support of operational activities. The National Security Intelligence (NSI), the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), Special Branch (SB) of Police and the RAB intelligence wing have been working in Bangladesh to identify the potential threat sources. There is no set mechanism through which the forces can share intelligence and coordinate their collection eff orts. In May 2004, NSI constituted a separate body called counter terrorism cell to identify specific risk population and areas, and threat groups. The counter terrorism bureau of DGFI, has been working to evaluate, analyze, and frame counter terrorism policy at strategic and operational level[37]. Nonetheless, there is no overarching organization to synchronize these wide varieties of organizations in the country[38]. Islam in his article, Mapping Terrorism Threats in Bangladesh, identifies few key deficiencies of Bangladeshi programs to prevent radicalization[39]. First, Bangladesh has no set mechanism to monitor the internet for preventing radical ideas. He opines that there is a lack of knowledge and understanding of the threats that can spread through online. Neither the country has sufficient technological and organizational expertise, nor it has workable international cooperation for capacity building. Second, the law enforcement agencies do not have close link with the other service sectors or private sectors to identify suspicious activities. Third, the Bangladesh government is not sufficiently addressing strategic issues like de-radicalization and counter ideology. Fourth, there is a very limited initiative to educate professional groups like academics, media community, service sector officials, and political leaders to create general awareness. There is almost no community based programs in the country for developing cyber awareness. Fifth, the government overemphasizes coercive approaches in dealing with terrorism issues. There is no dedicated research institution in the government to provide forum for understanding and research on critical issues of terrorism like online radicalization. Although the counter terrorism bureau of DGFI is responsible for policy related activities, it is barely possible to formulate a viable strategy by a body of armed forces alone. Finally, he mentions that, in Bangladesh, strategies and policies are highly bureaucratic, ambiguous, and unaccountable[40]. References [1] Precht, Tomas. Homegrown Terrorism and Islamist Radicalisation in Europe: From Conversion to Terrorism. An Assessment of the Factors Influencing Violent Islamist Extremism and Suggestions for Counter Radicalisation Measures, Copenhagen: Danish Ministry of Defence, 2008. [2] Pantucci, Raffaello. A Typology of Lone Wolves: Preliminary Analysis of Lone Islamist Terrorists. Developments in Radicalisation and Political Violence, International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence, 2011. [3] Weimann, Gabriel. Terror on the Internet: The New Arena, The New Challenges. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace Press, 2006. [4] Neumann, Peter R. Options and Strategies for Countering Online Radicalization in the United States. Studies in Conflict Terrorism, 2013. [5] Anwar al-Awlaki was a spokesperson and recruiter for Al Qaida. [6] Ines von Behr, AnaÃÆ'Â ¯s Reding, Charlie Edwards, Luke Gribbon. Radicalisation in The Digital Era. RAND Corporation, 2103. 17. [7] Briggs, Rachel and Alex Strugnell. Radicalisation: The Role of the Internet. Policy Planners Network Working Paper, London: Institute for Strategic Dialogue, 2011. [8] Schmidle, Robert E. Positioning Theory and Terrorist Networks. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, Vol. 40, No. 1, 2009, 65. [9] Torok, Robyn. Make a Bomb in Your Mums Kitchen: Cyber Recruiting and Socialisation of White Moors and Home Grown Jihadists. Edith Cowan University Research Online, 2010. [10] Bjelopera, Jerome P. American Jihadist Terrorism: Combating a Complex Threat. Congressional Research Service Report for Congress, Washington, DC: Congress Research Service, 2011, 101-102. [11] Weimann. Terror on the Internet: The New Arena, The New Challenges. [12] Bjelopera. American Jihadist Terrorism: Combating a Complex Threat. 101-102. [13] Bergin, Anthony. Countering Online Radicalisation in Australia. Australian Strategic Policy Institute Forum, 2009. [14] Pantucci, Raffaello. A Typology of Lone Wolves: Preliminary Analysis of Lone IslamistÂÂ   Terrorists. Developments in Radicalisation and Political Violence, International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence, 2011. [15] Schmidle, Robert E. Positioning Theory and Terrorist Networks. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, Vol. 40, No. 1, 2009, 65. [16] Yeap, Su Yin and Jenna Park, Countering Internet Radicalisation: A Holistic Approach. S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, 2010. 2. [17] Ines von Behr, AnaÃÆ'Â ¯s Reding, Charlie Edwards, Luke Gribbon. Radicalisation in the Digital Era. RAND Corporation 2013. P.20. [18] Silber, Mitchell D. and Arvin Bhatt. Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat. New York: New York City Police Department, 2007. [19] Change Institute. Studies into Violent Radicalisation: Lot 2 The Beliefs Ideologies and Narratives. 2008. [20] Silber and Bhatt, Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat. 6-7. [21] Silber and Bhatt, Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat. 8. [22] Silber and Bhatt, Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat. 8-9. [23] Silber and Bhatt, Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat. 30. [24] Farooq Sobhan. The Role of Civil Society in Countering Radicalization in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Enterprise Institute, Dhaka 2014. P. 8. [25] Farooq Sobhan. The Role of Civil Society in Countering Radicalization in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Enterprise Institute, Dhaka 2014. P. 8. [26] Sobhan, Farooq. The Role of Civil Society in Countering Radicalization in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Enterprise Institute, Dhaka 2014. 13. [27] Tanbir Uddin Arman. New Media, Digital Radicalization and Social Security. The Bangladesh Today, 2015. [28] Arman. New Media, Digital Radicalization and Social Security. The Bangladesh Today, 2015. [29] Farooq Sobhan. The Role of Civil Society in Countering Radicalization in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Enterprise Institute, Dhaka 2014. 10. [30] Bdnews24.com. Web: http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2016/07/20/rab-releases-list-of-261-persons-missing-from-across-bangladesh. http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/battle-for-bangladeshs-soul-as-islamic-radicals-push-for-power [32] Tuhin Shubhra Adhikary and Wasim Bin Habib, Fake photos trolling, http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/fake-photos-trolling-1320613 [33] Kalam, Abul. The Challenges of Terrorism: Bangladesh Responses. Moni, SD. (ed) Responding to Terrorism in South Asia, Monohar, New Delhi, 2006. [34] Islam, Aynul M. Mapping Terrorism Threats in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, Dhaka, April 2008. P. 165. [35] The Daily Star, 18 June 2008. [36] Islam, Aynul M. Mapping Terrorism Threats in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, Dhaka, April 2008. P. 165. [37] Hussain, Sakhawat M. Capacity Building of Law Enforcement and Intelligence Agencies. Farooq Sobhan, ed, Counter Terrorism in Bangladesh. University Press Limited, Dhaka, 2008, p. 70. [38] Islam, Aynul M. Mapping Terrorism Threats in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, Dhaka, April 2008. P. 165. [39] Islam, Aynul M. Mapping Terrorism Threats in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, Dhaka, April 2008. P. 167-168. [40] Islam, Aynul M. Mapping Terrorism Threats in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, Dhaka, April 2008. P. 167-168.

The Physics Of An Earthquake :: essays research papers

Earthquakes are vibrations produced in the earth's outer layer, or crust, when forces pushing on a mass of rock overcome the friction holding the rock in place and blocks of rock slip against each other. The vibrations can range from barely noticeable to verry destructive. There are six types of shock waves. Two are classified as body waves which means they travel through the earth's interior and the other four are surface waves. The waves are changed by the rock types or formations they hit. Primary or compressional waves (P waves) send particles moveing back and forth in the same direction as the waves are traveling, secondary or transverse shear waves (S waves) send vibrations perpendicular to their direction of travel. P waves always travel at higher velocities than S waves. Three general classes of earthquakes are now recognized as tectonic, volcanic, and artificially produced. The tectonic variety is by far the most destructive. The most commen cause of tectonic quakes is stre sses by movements of the dozen of major and minor plates that make up the earth's crust . Most tectonic quakes occur at the boundaries of these plates, in zones where one plate slides past another Subduction-zone quakes account for nearly half of the world's destructive seismic events and 75 percent of the earth's seismic energy. They are along the so-called Ring of Fire, a narrow band about 38,600 km long, that coincides with the sides of the Pacific Ocean. The points at which crustal rupture occurs in such quakes tend to be far below the earth's surface, at depths of up to 645 km. Not all subduction zones are subject to frequent earthquakes. The frequency and magnitude of earthquakes around subduction zones are related to the direction in which the plates are moving. If two plates moving in the same general direction come close together, generally the edge of one plate will slide below the other at a sharp angle. This reduces the amount of area in which the plates touch, so the subduction zone does not produce many earthquakes and any earthquakes it does produce are not as strong. If two plates are sliding beside each other, one plate will often be forced under the other at a shallow angle, making a large area of friction. This produces more frequent, stronger earthquakes. Tectonic earthquakes beyond the Ring of Fire occur in a variety of geological settings.

Ghana: The Gold Coast of Africa Essay -- Geography

Ghana: The Gold Coast of Africa The Gold Coast, now known as Ghana, is one of many civilizations of Africa. It was a British Colony until March 6, 1957, when it became independent as the State of Ghana. In 1471, the Portuguese invaded this area and became involved in gold trade, giving the region the name, The Gold Coast. They built forts to protect their monopoly of gold trade from merchants representing other nations. In 1642, the Dutch West India Company captured all Portuguese strong posts and they devoted their interests in slave trading rather than gold trading. In the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries, the Gold Coast was one of the chief West African sources of slave export. At the beginning of the Nineteenth Century the countries involved in slave trading began abolishing it as illegal and immoral. The British abolished it in 1807, the Danish is 1804 and the Dutch in 1814. In 1821, British forts were transferred from private ownership to government control. The Gold Coast became a British colony and the new government was known...

Li&Fung Case

Li & Fung Established in 1906, Hong Kong–based Li & Fung is now one of the largest multinational trad-ing companies in the developing world, with annual sales of more than $7 billion in 2005, up from just $1. 2 billion in 2000. The company, which is still run by the grandsons of the founder, Victor and William Fung, does not see itself as a traditional trading enterprise. Rather, it sees itself as an expert in supply chain management for its 500 or so customers. These customers are a diverse group and include clothing retailers and consumer electronics companies.Li & Fung takes orders from customers and then sifts through its network of 7,500 independent suppliers located in 40 countries to find the right manufacturing enterprises to produce the product for customers at the most attractive combination of cost and quality. Attaining this goal frequently requires Li & Fung to break up the value chain and disperse different productive activities to manufacturers located in differ ent countries depending on an assessment of factors such as labor costs, trade barriers, transportation costs, and so on.Li & Fung then coordinates the whole process, managing the logistics and arranging for the shipment of the finished product to the customer. Typical of its customers is The Limited, Inc. , a large U. S. -based chain of retail clothing stores. The Limited outsources much of its manufacturing and logistics functions to Li & Fung. The process starts when The Limited comes to Li & Fung with designer sketches of clothes for the next fashion season.Li & Fung takes the basic product concepts and researches the market to find the right kind of yarn, dye, buttons, and so on; it then assembles these into prototypes that The Limited can inspect. Once The Limited has settled on a prototype, it will give Li & Fung an order and ask for delivery within five weeks. The short time between an order and requested delivery is necessitated by the rapid rate of product obsolescence in the fashion clothing industry. With order in hand, Li & Fung distributes the various aspects of the overall manufacturing process to different producers depending on their capabilities and costs.For example, Li & Fung might decide to purchase yarn from a Korean company but have it woven and dyed in Taiwan. So Li & Fung will arrange for the yarn to be picked up from Korea and shipped to Taiwan. The Japanese might have the best zip-pers and buttons, but they manufacture them mostly in China. So Li & Fung will go to YKK, a big Japanese zipper manufacturer, and order the right zip-pers from its Chinese plants. Then Li & Fung might decide that due to con-straints imposed by export quotas and labor costs, the best place to make the final garments might be in Thailand.So everything will be shipped to Thailand. In addition, because The Limited, like many retail customers, needs quick delivery, Li & Fung might divide the order across five factories in Thailand. Five weeks after the order has been received, the garments will arrive on the shelves of The Limited, all looking like they came from one factory, with colors perfectly matched. The result is a product that may have a label that says â€Å"Made in Thailand,† but it is a global product.To better serve the needs of its customers, Li & Fung is divided into numer-ous small, customer-focused divisions. There is a theme store division that serves a handful of customers such as Warner Brothers; there is a division for The Limited, and another for Gymboree, a U. S. -based children’s clothing store. Walk into one of these divisions, such as the one for Gymboree, and you will see that every one of the 40 or so people there is focused solely on meeting Gymboree’s needs. On every desk is a computer with a direct software link to Gymboree.The staff is organized into specialized teams in areas such as design, technical support, merchandising, raw material pur-chasing, quality assurance, and shipping. Thes e teams also have direct elec-tronic links to dedicated staff in Li & Fung’s branch offices in various countries where Gymboree buys in volume, such as China, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Thus, Li & Fung uses information systems to manage, coordinate, and control the globally dispersed design, production, and shipping process to ensure that the time between receipt of an order and delivery is minimized, as are overall costs.

European History: Fascism Essay

After World contend I, Europe struggles to return to peace and stability. umteen newfoundfangled democratic governments fell isolated under the attack of the bully Depression. As a result, new totalistic regimes emerged much(prenominal) as Fascism and Communism. Totalitarian is a relating carcass of governments that is centralized and dictatorial and requires complete subservience to the state. By making the some come forth of new technologies of locoweed communications, dictators were able to succeed support of their populations. Europes inability to deal with economic depression and the semi policy-making movements lead to World contend II. mess lost faith in capitalism and then turned to a new system of government called fascism, which contributed to economic issues, political movements and dictatorship. At the end of World state of war I, Europe was faced with economic problems. more than 25 million were unemployed landwide. (Document 5) The Great depression e ffected scrimping, with global effort dropping 36%m and world trade decreasing by 62%. The governments during World War engaged in heavy borrowing which caused iflation. Much of European economy was built on the loans from the unify States.One area, Ger more had high level of interest, which low-down agriculture and industry, a burden on taxes and external debt. In the beginning of the form of 1931 with the highest unemployment rate of 23. 3. (Document 6) Fascism preached several ideas that benefited a country. fascistics believed that a nation must struggle i n order to be h superstarst and strong, peaceful countries were attacked. Germany, a fascist country under the rule of Adolf Hilter was one of them. (Document 2) Fascism, the new militant political movement, emphasized committedness to the state and respect to its leader. Politician, Benito Mussolini founder the Fascist Party in 1919.In October 1922, nearly 30,000 fascist marched to put Mussolini in focusing of the g overnment. He abolished democracy, outlawed all political parties, and control the economy by allying the Fascists with the industrialist and landowners. (Document 1) hostile Hilter joined a political gathering where their goal was that Germany should overturn the Treaty of Versailles and weight-lift against communism. The political group was ulterior on called the Nazis. Unlike communism, which supported the working and refuse class, the Nazis were supported by the middle or lower middle class, whereas later make a branch of fascism.Germanys economy was desperate during the depression, and unfortunately people in the end turned to Hilter. (Document 2) Hilter wanted more than political and economic ability. He turned to mass communications, such as radios literature, press, paintings and films as propaganda tools. Media that was against national socialism was burned and churches were forbidden to criticize. Hatred towards Jews was one main point about the Nazi ideology. Hil ter figured that Jews were the cause of trouble. (Document 12) They passed laws that took away most right from Jews in 1933.By 1932, Nazis were the biggest political leaders and was continuing to grow. (Document 7) Hilter had absolute power for years, causing Germany to change into a totalitarian state. Adolf Hilter is Germany and Germany is Adolf Hilter. Hess says. (Document 2) Fascism was similar to communism. They both were ruled by dictators and denied individual rights. People who were frustrated by the peace treaties after World War I and the Great Depression were recreate to hear the message and accepted Fascism because it was beneficial. This brought many issues to Europe once again, then later causing World War II.

Assess the View on Whether or Not Roles in Relationships

H/W treasure the view that roles and dealing among couples atomic number 18 go much qualified (24 Marks) Numerous sociologists encounter suggested that a large number of relationships be now proper more proportionate in compare to the traditional families looking for back 40, 100, 200 years ago. They swan that the traditional male and female roles are no drawn-out as they were before, it has only fallen apart, and hence relationships wipe out been meet more equal. Some sociologists much(prenominal) as Wilmot and Young betoken that in however families, normal domestic duties are roughly likely to be shared by both parties and they are both very(prenominal) likely to be make uping.Thus it all undoes the tradition of the past in which a adult female would care for the children and the home, and the man world the breadwinner would division out and work. Some sociologists excessively argue that the decision making is no longer only within the mans hand as it once was, and also in the womans hands, the symmetrical family has an equal partnership in decision making. All this evidence leads any(prenominal) sociologists to view the roles and relations of couples to have been becoming just aboutwhat more equal in compare to the past.On the other hand, some sociologists such as Morgan(1996) argue that women now exact part in an act know as the Triple Shift, this is when women go out and work, but then also do domestic work when at home and give emotional remain firm to partner and children. As a result, some(prenominal) feminists would argue that the roles and relations of couples are non equal, but actually unfair, the woman is doing so much more than her partner. This views result in some sociologist believing that roles and relations have changed in compare to the past, but in a path towards the woman doing more work than the man, making her the breadwinner.In conclusion, many sociologists deliberate that the roles and relations of couples have been becoming more equal, but at that place are some who still view it to not being equal at all, and some even arguing that women are doing more work than the men. From this evidence it is clear to say that it is not clear whether or not roles and relations are becoming more equal, but many sociologists argue that there has been a big change in compare to the past traditions, but whether or not its towards the path of the more equal is still being argued by many. Siad Mohamed Siyad