Friday, January 31, 2020

The media play in encouraging Essay Example for Free

The media play in encouraging Essay What role does the media play in encouraging or discouraging tourism to particular destinations? Popular mediums of media including film, television, internet and print media can influence the appeal of certain travel destinations and activities. It can prompt a desire or avert tourism destinations as suggested by MacCannell (1976) these media forms can highly construct or highlight particular images of destinations to act as a marker. Prospective tourists base their knowledge on such information provided whether to travel or not to particular destinations. Film induced tourism can also bring about an increase in the cultural value of the film location being heritage sites. Firstly, in the case of New Zealand’s Maori culture has gained recognisable status through media exposure. The film Whale Rider (2002) for instance thoroughly demonstrates the Maori culture. In customary Maori culture the beliefs, clothing, animals, plants and certain landforms are spiritually linked with particular groups of individuals. The film represents this through the whales being the ancient symbol for the Ngati Konohi community. Thus, by maintaining a sense of identity it offers an opportunity for individuals to reflect and provide expressions of self. Additionally, this film can attract individuals strongly interested in culture especially of New Zealand’s Maori culture. As well as this heritage sites which have been set as film locations gain fame and recognition by its audience after the release of the film. These locations often gain meaning through film narration. For example Mission Impossible 2 (2000) was filmed at the Sydney Royal National Park. Due to the popularity of the film series an increase of visits to the park occurred during 2000 the year the film was released. Hence, can be evidently seen media plays a major role in encouraging tourism to certain destinations. However, with the expansion of different types of visitors to a destination it could also provoke an adjusted behaviour in tourists (Smith et al, 2010). The world heritage site in Angkor, Cambodia had been utilised and set up as a location for the adventure film Tomb Raider. Tourists who had viewed and felt a sense of yearning to visit the location of the film were discovered climbing on the ancient sanctuary temple walls in order to attempt and imitate the protagonist. This kind of media coverage creates a negative impact on the site as tourists are not respecting or obliging to conservation plans set  out for the site. The inappropriate manner can additionally provoke iconic pieces or souvenirs to be removed from the film induced tourism locations so as to be able to efficiently oblige with conservation plans. â€Å"Media based tourism can bring additional income and jobs to an area and in particular can provide opportunities for selling souvenirs/merchandising and spin-off services such as themed tours and services† (Smith et al, 2010 p.73). This is evident in many tourist destinations including Thailand and the film The Beach. It has created a strong stimulation of desires for people to visit the film location in addition to the surrounding areas of Thailand. Due to the large tourism activity, tour companies have taken advantaged and advertised various tours which circuits various film based locations and entitled them The Beach Tours ( Law et al 2007). Extraordinariness can also be added to entice travellers such as recounting stories and gossip within the tours about the production of The Beach. Also the Footsteps on the Beach website was created which sells Thailand to a more mass audience as well as reach potential tourists to visit Thailand through images and meaning. Desires can also be a reason why individuals choose to travel in the first place. Therefore, by creating strong desires and adding extraordinariness through media exposure it further encourages individuals to travel. The idea of a journey with fun filled experience can also prompt an encouragement to travel and explore destinations. There are numerous journey narratives exposed starting from early childhood years. Journey narratives are stories which are structured around a physical journey. Along the way individuals reflect and grow to develop a stronger understanding of self. For instance contemporary narratives of Eat Pray Love or Lord of the Rings. Characters undertake a journey in order to discover a purpose through the meaningful experiences occurred on the way. These encourage a desire for otherness a nd difference attracting the explorer and drifter tourists. This is due to the fact such tourists do not mind getting off the beaten tracks, leaving the environmental bubble voluntarily and preferring a novelty experience (Cohen 2004). Many of these media have influenced young individuals to travel as they have gotten older. Thus children’s stories are a major motivator for individuals to travel as it’s the first contact many individuals have in terms of media and tourism. Additionally, journey narratives are powerful motivators as individuals seek out tourism destinations. Riley et al (1992)  have distinguished the downsides of main concern as the exploitation of locals and visitors, expanding costs, absence of readiness of locals when managing with the high tourist influx, the way the location differs from the way it is portrayed in the forms of media bringing about a loss of tourist fulfilment and satisfaction and the various effects of souvenir hunters particularly those who consume signs and markers. These components rela te to the film induced tourism audience and ever expanding tourist visitations to such locations. An important and ambiguous issue to be considered when arguing views of film induced tourism is that of the actual versus the envisioned images as created by the media. Butler (1990) indicates that in a number of times films are not shot at the locations they imply to be. For instance the Philippines was adopted to portray Vietnam in the 1986 Vietnam War film Platoon. This then creates a condition where the general audience are constructing their knowledge on false information and developing false expectations and desires of destinations they decide to visit. It can be argued that much of the expectations in tourism is created with what is presented and viewed in the media. These expectations are developed overtime due to the mass promotions, guidebooks and stories of tourism travel from documentaries and films. The information provided is usually of implied promises. Boorstin (1972) suggests these pseudo-events are responsible for the inauthenticity of the tourism industry. Commentators suggest that media tourism is a clear example of post-tourism (Smith et al, 2010 p.74) and the visitor perspectives of locations are somewhat of a giant cinema screen suggesting the inauthenticity of a place. Consequently, resulting in tourists’ dissatisfaction with their travel experiences. As an outcome tension is created and discourages tourists from visiting certain destinations. A further case of the immediate complications that media production can bring can be evident in Thailand. Here 20th century Fox filmed The Beach. In order to prepare the site for production and to begin filming the beach was demolished and widened with much of the native vegetation and a mass amount of rubbish from the isolated beach also being removed. The destruction of the natural environment became a major concern. The landscape was modified so â€Å"the global cinematic audience is offered an idealised journey in a fantasy space, one based on a ‘dream’ of the tropic s† (Law et al 2007). In doing so Higgins-Desbiolles (2001) claims it tarnished  the Thai Government, damaged the reputation of Twentieth Century Fox, sparked a desire for travel within the young fan base and opened up the opportunities for companies to promote themselves. However, the major benefit that came out of this production was that it boosted the Thailand economy by an estimated US$150000. Clearly the media plays a role in both encouraging and discouraging tourists to visit certain destinations based on their tourist gazes. The tourist gaze was founded by Urry who outlines is a visual nature of tourism. It refers to â€Å"the way in which tourists seek out and consume visual images and the means by which the tourism industry organises and directs this consumption† (Smith 2010 p.174). The gaze can be seen as having a positive outcome on tourism destinations. Bruno (1997) explains that viewers of media are in a way acting like tourists. Having viewed certain television shows such as The Amazing Race the audience feel a compelling motivation to go and travel as well due to the depicted images in the show. However, it can also demotivate in terms of negative publicity placed on certain locations. For instance many individuals avoid the Midd le East regions due to sudden eruptions of conflict such as war and terrorist attacks. Many news reports have displayed images of such risks. This information is then publicly revealed to a mass audience including potential tourists. Resulting in tourists rethinking about their destination choices and seeking other locations instead. Tourism is a key component of popular culture and is fed and feeds from the media which both circulates and produces culture. The power of media especially film and television can motivate travellers, create new images, alter negative images and create and placing icons on maps is recognised as a major factor in promoting tourism travel. Through the analysis of the film The Beach as well as various researchers including Law, Smith and Urry a further understanding is established in terms of media and the influence it can have on tourism whether in positive or negative conducts. As evident media does play a major role in deciding tourist destinations. Reference List Boorstin, D.J 1972, The Image: A Guide to Pseudi Events in America, Atheneum, New York. Butler, R.W 1990, ‘The influence of the media in shaping international tourist patterns’, Tourism Recreation Research, vol. 15, no. 2, pp.46–53. Cohen, E 2004, Toward a sociology of international tourism, in Contemporary tourism: diversity and change, Elsevier, Boston, MA, pp. 37-47. Higgins-Desbiolles, F 2001, Battlelines on ‘The Beach’: Tourism and globalisation. Policy, Organisation and Society Special Edition: Different Globalisations, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 116–138. Law, L., Bunnell, T. and Ong, C 2007, ‘The Beach, the gaze and film tourism’, Tourist Studies, vol 7, no. 2, pp. 141-164. MacCannell, D 1976, A semiotic of attraction, in The tourist: a new theory of the leisure class, Schocken Books, New York, pp. 109-33. Riley, R. VanDoren, C.S 1992, Movies as tourism promotion: A ‘pull’ factor in a ‘push’ location. Tourism Management, September, pp. 267–274. ‘Film TV Tourism’ in Smith, M., MacLeod, N. and Hart Robertson, M 2010, Key Concepts in Tourist Studies. London, Thousand Oaks, New Delhi Singapore, SAGE, pp. 71-75.

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Financial Instability Essay -- Financial Market Finances Accounting Es

Financial Instability The soaring volume of international finance and increased interdependence in recent decades has increased concerns about volatility and threats of a financial crisis. This has led many to investigate and analyze the origins, transmission, effects and policies aimed to impede financial instability. This paper argues that financial liberalization and speculation are the most reflective explanations for instability in financial markets and that financial instability is likely to be transmitted globally with far reaching implications on real sector performance. I conclude the paper with the argument that a global transaction tax would be the most effective policy to curb financial instability and that other proposed policies, such as target zones and the creation of a supranational institution, are either unfeasible or unattainable. INSTABILITY IN FINANCIAL MARKETS In this section I examine four interpretations of how financial instability arises. The first interpretation deals with speculation and the subsequent â€Å"bandwagoning† in financial markets. The second is a political interpretation dealing with the declining status of a hegemonic anchor of the financial system. The question of whether regulation causes or mitigates financial instability is raised by the third interpretation; while the fourth view deals with the â€Å"trigger point† phenomena. To fully comprehend these interpretations we must first understand and differentiate between a â€Å"currency† and â€Å"contagion† crisis. A currency crisis refers to a situation is which a loss of confidence in a country's currency provokes capital flight. Conversely, a contagion crisis refers to a loss of confidence in the assets denominated in a particular currency and the subsequent global transmission of this shock. One of the more paramount readings of financial instability pertains to speculation. Speculation is exhibited in a situation where a government monetary or fiscal policy (or action) leads investors to believe that the currency of that particular nation will either appreciate or depreciate in terms relative to those of other countries. Closely associated with these speculative attacks is what is coined the â€Å"bandwagon† effect. Say for example, that a country's central bank decides to undertake an expansionary monetary policy. A ne... ...onal Financial Markets,† in Gerald Epstein, Julie Graham, Jessica Nembard (eds.), Creating a New World Economy: Forces of Change and Plans of Action (Temple University Press, 1993). Charles Hakkio, â€Å"Should we Throw Sand in the Gears of Financial Markets?† Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Economic Review, 1994. Richard Herring and Robert Litan, Financial Regulation in the Global Economy (Brookings Institution, 1995). Ethan Kapstein, â€Å"Shockproof: The End of Financial Crisis† Foreign Affairs, January/February 1996. Charles P. Kindleberger, The World in Depression (London: Penguin 1973). Paul Krugman, â€Å"International Aspects of Financial Crises† in Martin Feldstein, ed., The Risk of Economic Crisis (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1991). John McCallum, â€Å"Managers and Unstable Financial Markets† Business Quarterly January 1, 1995. James Tobin, â€Å"A proposal for international monetary reform† Eastern Economic Journal 1978, volume 4. John Williamson, The Failure of World Monetary Reform 1971-1974) (NY:NYU Press, 1977) L.B. Yeager, International Monetary Relations: Theory, History, and Policy 1976. .

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

The Systematic Study of Organizational Behavior

A country's culture is the conventional behavior of a society that constitutes beliefs, customs, knowledge, and practices. Evidently, it influences human behavior, even though it is rare that it enters into their conscious thought. People depend on culture as it gives them stability, security, understanding, and the ability to respond to a given situation. Culture complements their well-being. This is why people fear change. They fear the system will become unstable, their security will be lost, they will not understand the new process, and they will not know how to respond to the new situations (Knoster, Villa ; Thousand, 2000). The organization's base depends on a company' philosophy, values, vision and goals. A company's mission and vision are its very core. This, in turn, drives the organizational culture, which is composed of the formal organization, informal organization, and the social environment. A country's culture determines the type of leadership, communication, and group dynamics within the organization. The workers perceive this as the quality of work life, which directs their degree of motivation. The final outcomes are performance, individual satisfaction, and personal growth and development. All these elements combine to build the archetype or framework that the organization operates from. A social system is a complex set of human relationships interacting in many ways. Within an organization, the social system includes all the people in it and their relationships to each other and to the outside world. The behaviors that come about within organizations are of utmost concern and importance. Studying these behaviors may help the consumers to comprehend why some sales agents or employees are able to introduce and sell their products and services with efficiency and effectiveness (cited in Johns, 1988). Also, the social system does not have boundaries. It exchanges goods, ideas, culture, etc. with the environment around it (cited in Knoster, Villa ; Thousand, 2000). A matter like this could become quite a balancing act. Individualism favors individual rights, loosely knit social networks, self-respect, and personal rewards and careers. One aspect begets another aspect, which is why it is integrated in nature.   Socialization or collectivism favors the group, harmony, and asks â€Å"What is best for the organization?† Organizations need people to challenge, question, and experiment while still maintaining the culture that binds them into a social system (Knoster, Villa ; Thousand, 2000). Autocratic – The basis of this model is power with a managerial orientation of authority. The employees in turn are oriented towards obedience and dependence on the boss. The employee need that is met is subsistence. The performance result is minimal. Custodial – The basis of this model is economic resources with a managerial orientation of money. The employees in turn are oriented towards security and benefits and dependence on the organization. The employee need that is met is security. The performance result is passive cooperation. Supportive – The basis of this model is leadership with a managerial orientation of support. The employees in turn are oriented towards job performance and participation. The employee need that is met is status and recognition. The performance result is awakened drives. Collegial – The basis of this model is partnership with a managerial orientation of teamwork. The employees in turn are oriented towards responsible behavior and self-discipline. The employee need that is met is self-actualization. The performance result is moderate enthusiasm. Individualization is when employees successfully exert influence on the social system by challenging the culture: Less socialization and too little individualization create isolation. More socialization and too little individualization create conformity. Less socialization and too high individualization creates rebellion. While the match that organizations want to create is high socialization and high individualization for a creative environment. This is what it takes to survive in a very competitive environment having people grow with the organization, but doing the right thing when others want to follow the easy path (Knoster, Villa ; Thousand, 2000). Compensation as a motivational factor Many companies mistakenly assume that what works for one organization will work well for all organizations. Companies often attempt to create incentive programs without thinking in detail about how each program feature will best suit their targeted audience. Providing pie and ice-cream when employees desire flexible work hours, paid time off, training, or the ability to work from home is an example of a negative incentive. To facilitate the creation of a profitable program, every feature must be tailored to the participants’ interests. A successful incentive program requires clearly defined rules, suitable rewards, efficient communication strategies, and measurable success metrics. By adapting each element of the program to fit the target audience, companies are better able to engage program participants and enhance the overall program effectiveness (â€Å"Incentive†). An incentive program represents a substantial investment to most organizations. Receiving a sufficient return on that investment requires the full participation of the program participants. Incentive programs are based upon the concept that effort increases as people perceive themselves progressing towards their goal. In â€Å"The Art of Motivation: An Incentive Industry Primer,† the Incentive Marketing Association ties incentive programs to the psychological equation: Ability x Motivation = Performance. In order to properly motivate, programs must be designed to offer a variation of products and services to program participants based on their unique interests and diverse needs. Successful programs need to carefully develop their reward methods to keep participants eager to approach a new goal once they have achieved a reward (â€Å"Incentive†). In order to create an effective program, organizations must keep the overall objective in mind when considering program design and implementation. Objectives should be formed based on the organizations overall goals and should be straightforward and specific so participants clearly understand the expectations. Program objectives can vary depending on the needs of each individual organization. They must be challenging, yet achievable. If objectives are viewed as unattainable, the program will be destined for failure. Management By Objectives is crucial for a company to achieve progress and success in order to manage the company in an objective manner. With this in mind, Companies have set various standard order procedures for employees. Managers are always at the forefront of this matter. Objectives may include motivating employees, recognizing performance, persuading customers to make a purchase, or even reinforcing a marketing message. Once the program's goals have been determined, every aspect of the program must be measured against this goal in order to ensure the programs success in goal achievement. Whenever successful, objectives should provide measurable results allowing the organization to monitor performance and measure the overall success of the program. References Borne, P.A. (February 21, 2007). Organizational Behavior. Retrieved December 12, 2007 from http://www.wincustomize.com/articles.aspx?aid=144899&c=1. Incentive Marketing Association. The Art of Motivation: An Incentive Industry Primer. Retrieved December 12, 2007, from   http://incentivemarketing.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=51. Knoster, T., Villa, K.T., & Thousand, J. (2000). Restructuring for Caring and Effective Education: Piecing the Puzzle Together. A Framework For Thinking About Systems Change. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. Johns, G. (2004). Organizational Behavior: Understanding and Managing Life at Work 6th Edition. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.   

Monday, January 6, 2020

Hero As A True Hero - 1427 Words

The great and mighty Hercules once said, â€Å"A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart.† The word hero comes from the Greek, literal meaning of â€Å"protector† or â€Å"defender†. A great example of a tenacious protector is Beowulf, â€Å"Higlac’s follower and the strongest of the Geats - greater and stronger than anyone anywhere in this world,† (Beowulf 195). A man beloved and looked up to by his people- a noble warrior at heart. On the other hand, there are kings, like Oedipus, who can be heroes and highly regarded just because of their societal status. Since ancient times heroes have been a quintessential part in all societies, from the poverty and slums of Africa to the proud, flourishing Hollywood. They†¦show more content†¦Another thing highly valued by the Geats’ society was their king. They greatly appreciated and praised them and when their king died â€Å"...they heaped up treasures, jeweled helmets, hooked swords and coats of mail, armor carried from the ends of the earth: no ship had ever sailed so brightly fitted, no king sent forth more deeply mourned,† (Beowulf 37-40). The Geats valued showing respect for their king and almost worshiped him. Not all values will be the same in every society. In Beowulf’s society the king and citizen relationship was like a father to his kids, which worked because, as the king, Higlac was well respected by his people and they listened and obeyed him. Whereas in Oedipus The King, when a plague struck the city of Thebes and the people â€Å"[huddled] at [Oedipus’] altar, praying before [him]† their â€Å"...city reek[ed] with the smoke of burning incense, [rang] with cries for the Healer and wailing for the dead,† (Oedipus 2-6). The Thebans had no idea how to handle their previous king dying; therefore, being very dependent on him, when disaster struck they leaned on their next king, Oedipus, to fix the problem and end the plague. This shows how a society can get chaotic without morals or principles: from a king and day to day tasks, to no king and no knowledge of how to act or function. If a society becomes too dependent on their king or their hero to save them in times of trouble, an unexpected or sudden death of that particularShow MoreRelatedHero Essay : A Hero Is A True Hero805 Words   |  4 PagesReeve states, â€Å"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to preserve and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.† In other words, a hero is a everyday person that has the courage, bravery, and strength to overcome any challenge they are going through or as a challenge to help someone no matter what it takes. Even though there could be many struggles, a hero has to endure the strength to do anything to help in any way they can. Many people think they know what a hero is, but do theyRead MoreIs Odysseus A True Hero1352 Words   |  6 PagesMccann Mrs.Carroll English 01 February 2016 Is Odysseus A True Hero In the story The Odyssey the main character Odysseus is not a true hero. A man with so much hatred and anger should not be someone to hold to a high prestige, or want to be. The needless killing and disrespect to other people s wishes is not part of what a hero should be, or is to endanger the people that he is in charge of. This is why odysseus is not a true hero. â€Å"A favorable wind brought us from the land of Troy to theRead MoreOdysseus : A True Hero1227 Words   |  5 Pageshave held debates about Odysseus. The discussion is whether Odysseus was a true hero, as read in The Odyssey. There is abundant supportive evidence to verify all sides of the debate and opinions held about Odysseus. 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A h ero bears the characteristics of a leader, by not only possessing physical strength but most importantly intellectual strength. A hero is also described as someone who landsRead More A True Hero Essay3569 Words   |  15 PagesA True Hero As I read David Halberstam’s ideas in his essay, â€Å"Who We Are† (2004), I started thinking about our nation’s leaders and heroes. September 11th came to my mind and the many firefighters and rescue workers who heroically risked their lives to save complete strangers. Then, I remembered that the media dubbed Jessica Lynch a hero when she came back to the United States. Not only Jessica, but also many other American soldiers fighting abroad are called heroes. I started wondering ifRead MoreBeowulf : A True Hero1763 Words   |  8 Pagesimpressionable king. 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