Thursday, October 31, 2019

EliteClean International Logistics Strategies Essay

EliteClean International Logistics Strategies - Essay Example These techniques are used to detect areas of non-value adding processes otherwise defined as waste so that the necessary steps can be taken to eliminate them. One of these techniques is value stream mapping. Value stream mapping According to Mangier (2003) value stream mapping is a technique of creating a â€Å"one-page picture† of all the processes that take place in a company. This is the process from the time a customer places an order for a product until the customer has received the product at their location. The aim of value stream mapping is to illustrate the flow of material and information across and throughout all the processes that add value from the stage of production to shipment to the customer. Value stream maps documents both value-adding and non-value-adding processes from production to shipment. In creating the value stream map business and manufacturing waste can be easily identified and thus becomes the basis on which improvements can be made to the company ’s operations. Mangier (2003) indicates that there are four steps involved in value stream mapping. They are i. Defining the product or product family; ii. Creating the â€Å"current state† value stream mapping (CSV); iii. ...   The dishwasher line is manufactured in South Korea; the laundry product line in China; and the range cookers in Thailand. The value stream map for EliteClean is shown below. Figure 1 – Current State Value Stream Map In Figure 1 above a number of activities leading to the production of items are duplicated. There are several persons carrying out procurement activities. Instead of the head office obtaining information on materials required for production, the factories are allowed to do their own procurement. This procurement is carried out by the factory manager in the case of laundry and the chief production engineer who may delegate it to a production manager at the other factories. There are several trucks of raw material going to the three different factories. Some of these trucks carry similar items which are purchased separately by the three different factories. Elite Clean has employed a push-based supply chain strategy. The factories which are located in South Korea , China and Thailand produce items without any knowledge of demand and ship them to the regional distribution centers (RDCs). These distribution centers are located in Birmingham in the UK, Jordan in the Middle East and Chicago in the USA. There is a capacity problem at the RDCs due to the fact that there are too many inventory items in stores. There is some concern that some of these items may become obsolete. There is a cost involved in holding inventory. Additionally, when the storage facilities are too packed there will be a problem moving out inventory on a first-in-first-out basis. Items are not transported to the distribution centers based on demand.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Benefits Of A Fixed Term Deposit Account Marketing Essay

Benefits Of A Fixed Term Deposit Account Marketing Essay The purpose of this document is to propose a solution in order to increase the customer term deposit balances by 20. This brief contains an about the company section, marketing objective, the campaign objective, who are the target audience of such a product, explanation of the product, how the product can be distributed, our competition, USP, key messages, deliverables, timing and budget. About the company Customers choice bank was set up in 1990. Our vision is to become one of the best banks compared to other local banks in Malta. We are dedicated to giving an efficient and excellent service to our customers by helping them discover the best solutions to their financial requirements. Our bank offers products such as home loans, personal loans, internet banking, deposit accounts, financial planning, corporate financial services, life assurances, retirement plan and more. Therefore we target people who are personal and also those who have a business. We already succeeded in a campaign before which was about internet banking and our aim was to attract 10% of our existing customers to start using internet banking. We are looking forward to succeed in other future campaigns. Marketing objective To increase customer term deposit balances by 20% in 3 months. The campaign objective The campaign must: 1. Create impact, and raise awareness of the bank as a term deposit provider. 2. Promote the benefits of the term-deposit product. 3. Educate the customers as to the benefits of the maturity of the term deposit. 4. Provide 5,000 leads for sales consultants to contact regarding this product. 5. Result in 2,000 term deposit sales which is an increase of 20% in customer term deposits. Target audience The customers we should be targeting are both female and male, aged over 18 years. They should have at least à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1000 to open the term deposit account. Personal customers who have a long term surplus liquidity may want to benefit from the interest rates of this term deposit product. The Product à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1000 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬4999 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5000 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬24999 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬25000+ 2 years 3% p.a 4.15% p.a 4.30% p.a 3 years 3.10% p.a 4.40% p.a 4.60% p.a 4 years 3.30% p.a 4.60% p.a 4.80% p.a 5 years 4.20% p.a 5.10% p.a 5.20% p.a 6 years 4.50% p.a 5.30% p.a 5.50% p.a 7 years 4.80% p.a 5.50% p.a 6.00% p.a 8 years 5% p.a 6.00% p.a 6.50% p.a 9 years 5.50% p.a 6.50% p.a 7.00% p,a 10 years 6% p.a 7.00% p.a 7.50% p.aWe are offering a fixed term deposit product named Customers Choice Term Deposit that its interest rate is better than all of our competitors fixed term deposit interest rates. With a term deposit, a customer can invest his or her surplus liquidity in this account in order to gain interest upon maturity which depends according to how much money the client invested in it and for how many years the client chooses to put them for. The interest rate gets higher, the longer the client chooses to invest it for and the more there is money invested in it. This product should be only offered to people of 18 years or older with a surplus of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1000 or more. Below, one can see our proposed fixed term deposit product: A customer may choose from a fixed term between 2 years and 10 years and will receive an interest on his/her money invested according to the amount of money invested. Benefits of a fixed term-deposit account: A customer will be able to earn a higher interest rate from a term-deposit account than from the usual savings account. Less risky than investing in property and/or shares. No fees are involved if the customer breaks the term. Compound interest can be gained. Features of a fixed term-deposit account: The customer applying for a term-deposit account must be at least 18 years of age. The minimum requirement is à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1000. There is no maximum limit. Interest will be gained when the term deposit account matures or paid annually into a savings account. Terms and conditions (see Appendix 1). Distribution This product can be purchased from a branch network, through a third party broker, via telephone directly from the provider or via internet by applying from the banks website. The competition We have 10 competitors which are APS bank, Banif Bank, Bank of Valletta, FIM Bank, HSBC, Lombard, Mediterranean bank, Nemea bank, FCM bank and IIG bank. By comparing our proposed product to similar products offered by other organisations (see Appendix 2), one can see that our product was made to be better than our competitors similar products. APS bank is offering a range of fixed time periods of 1month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years and 5 years. Banif bank is offering a 3-Year Flexi Term deposit account that  gives the customer the interest rate of 3.15% per annum for a 3-year term while the customers can still withdraw the funds before the maturity day. Bank of Valletta is offering a range of 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years and 5 years fixed term deposit account for customers who make a minimum deposit of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬200 into the fixed term deposit account. FIM bank is offering a fixed term deposit account periods of 6 months, 1 year, 2 years and 3 years for customers who make a minimum deposit of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬25000. HSBC bank is offering a fixed term deposit account period of 7 days, 1month, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years and 5 years for customers who make a minimum deposit of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1000. Lombard bank is offering a fixed term deposit account of 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 1 year, 2 years and 3 years for customers with a minimum deposit of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10000. Lombard bank also offers the 5 Xtra and 7 Xtra fixed term deposit accounts which are a 5 year term and 7 year term fixed term deposit accounts respectively. Mediterranean bank is offering a 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years and 5 years fixed term deposit accounts for customers who make a minimum deposit of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5000. Nemea bank is offering a 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 18 months, 2 years, 3 years or 5 years fixed deposit account for customers who make a minimum deposit of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10000. FCM bank is offering a 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years or 5 year fixed term deposit account for customers who make a minimum deposit of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2000. IIG bank is offering a 3 year term deposit account with an interest rate of 4.65% payable or compounded quarterly, half yearly or annually for customers who make a minimum deposit of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬25000. USP Our fixed term deposit account has the best interest rates in the whole market. Together with this account, we are offering a free credit card, a free debit card and the opportunity to use internet banking for free to customers so that customers can check the bank accounts that they have with us. Key messages The product has attractive interest rates. The product is easy to attain It is a product that many clients require but many have not yet bought. Overall the product offering should be seen as being a quality product that is customer-focused and therefore giving a good return rate for the deposits that customers put in their fixed term deposit account, which is all offered by a name that a customer can trust. Deliverables We require a promotional campaign which is to include branch advertising, newspaper advertising, direct mail and PR. You are expected to deliver the following: A strong consumer message 2 posters to use as in branch displays 1200 A5 flyers to be distributed in peoples homes around the banks area A newspaper advertisement to use in the national press for 3 months A fulfillment pack consisting of a product brochure, terms and conditions and an application form. Television advertisement A mailing pack including a brochure, terms and conditions and an application form for mailing existing clients of the organisation. Extra brochures for new customers in branches who are interested in similar products. Recommendations for PR activity. Timing The marketing campaign will be running from the beginning of March till the end of May. The design of the newspaper, posters, brochures and flyers takes 3 days to finish and it will begin on the 1st of March and end on the 3rd of march. The design of the television advert and the billboard advert will take 4 days to be completed and it will begin on the 1st of March and end on the 4th of March. The printing of the posters, brochures and flyers will only take one day and therefore the printing will begin from the 4th of March till the 5th of March. The posters can be set up in the in-branch displays from 6th March till the 31st of May. The flyers could start to be distributed in homes on the 6th of March while the brochures could start to be put together with the terms and conditions and the application forms to use them as mailing and fulfillment packs. The newspaper advert could be shown from the 4th of March onwards every Sunday for 3 months (that is for 24 days). The billboard could be set up on the 5th of March till the 28th of May (that is for 84 days since every b illboard can be rented for 28 days). The television advert will be shown every Saturday and Sunday for three months starting on the 5th of March and ending on the 31st of May. All bus advertisements can be set up on the 1st day of March till the 31st of May. Budget The budget is à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬45000. The budget is divided between the campaign budget and the marketing agency fee. The campaign budget is à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬34265.03 and the marketing agency fee is à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬6046.77 for a total of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬40311.8. [see Appendix 3 and 4]

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Psychotherapy Essay -- Psychology, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

My preferred theoretical orientation is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The main assumption of CBT is that events and situations in life do not cause emotional problems (e.g., guilt or depression); rather problems are due to irrational beliefs and perceptions about the situations (Corey, 2009). The goals of CBT focus on correcting the client’s automatic and self-defeating thoughts, which should ultimately help them to develop a more adaptive philosophy of life (Corey, 2009). I like that this approach focuses on challenging and changing the client’s cognitive distortions, core beliefs, automatic thoughts, and schemas. Another positive aspect is that this approach focuses on the cognitive triad, which consists of how one views the self, the world, and the future (Corey, 2009). Furthermore, CBT places responsibility on the individual to put insight into action by making changes to their thoughts and behaviors, both in and out of the therapy sessions (Corey, 2009). In order to bring about change, the client needs to understand that the primary source of difficulty lies in how they perceive events based on their belief system (Kellogg & Young, 2008). Overall, CBT is a structured approach that emphasizes EVTs, learning, empowerment, brevity, and focusing on the individual (Kellogg &Young, 2008). CBT is open to using techniques from other approaches that fit the needs of the client, and the empirically validated techniques of CBT, when individualized for the client, work well in other approaches (Corey, 2009). These aspects of CBT make it a useful approach that can be adapted for individuals from different cultural and economic backgrounds (Corey, 2009; Kellogg & Young, 2008). In general, CBT is a structured approach and inclu... ...manual (Craske & Zucker, 2001). It is rare for a client to come into therapy with only one disorder that has the outlined symptoms of the diagnosis that calls for a particular treatment. Therefore, following the manual stringently may not help the client improve, but making slight deviations depending on the client’s characteristics and circumstances may allow the technique to be successfully adapted and useful for the individual. It is also likely that a clinical psychologist will add their own individual preferences to therapy no matter what therapeutic approach or technique they use (Scaturo, 2001). A balance between the use of manualized treatments and clinical judgment to formulate the case conceptualization is needed to be used in order to gather enough information on the client to successfully use any necessary treatment techniques (Craske & Zucker, 2001).

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Working Overtime and Job Satisfaction in Hilton Shanghai Hongqiao

[pic] Working overtime and Job satisfaction in Hilton Shanghai Hongqiao Name: Yujie Hou Relation No. 74759 Mentor: Sandy Loup Internship in Front Desk & Executive Lounge, Hilton Shanghai Hongqiao, China Stenden University Leeuwarden The Netherlands Bachelor of International Hospitality Management September, 2012 Table of content Declaration of own work3 Introduction4 Chapter 1. Company Description5 Chapter 2. Project Exploration8 Chapter 3. Literature Review9 3. 1 Working overtime9 3. People who work overtime12 3. 3 The reasons of working long hours12 3. 4 Job satisfaction and working overtime13 3. 5 Conceptual model. 15 3. 6 Problem definition16 Chapter 4. Methodology16 4. 1 Research design16 4. 2 Instrument design17 4. 3 Limitations of Research Methods17 4. 4 Data Analyze18 Bibliography19 Appendix 1. 21 Appendix 2. 22 Declaration of own work 1. This work is composed by me. 2. This work has not been accepted in any previous application for a degree or diploma, by me or anyone else. 3. The work of which this is a record is done well and truly by me. 4.All verbatim extracts have been distinguished by quotation marks and the sources of my information have been specifically acknowledged. Date: September 01, 2012 Name: Yujie Hou Signature: Introduction In 1993-1994, 23% of females and 27% of males claimed to have worked unpaid overtime (Bell and Hart, 1999). The Beijing Bureau of Statistics said employed people in China's capital worked for 5. 9 days, or 47. 2 hours, a week on average (Xinhua News Agency, 2006). An online survey of 15,000 people from a well-known Chinese job-hunting website shows a shocking figure that over 40% of the respondents worked vertime without paid. An incredible reality from Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions reported that more than 50% of Hong Kong women who have full-time jobs work overtime at least two hours every day. Why do Chinese people work overtime become an ordinary phenomenon? How do they feel about working overtime? How do Chinese feel about having to work overtime? Do they feel happy? Can the company get more benefits from employee working overtime? The relationship between overtime working and job satisfaction and how working overtime involves in job satisfaction could be discovered.On behalf of understanding, measuring and improving job satisfaction is an advantage competitive in hotel management team. Therefore, this project mainly focuses on figuring out how working overtime impacts on job satisfaction, and in order to help managers in Hilton Shanghai Hongqiao to get a better method of measuring working overtime and improving employee satisfaction. First of all, a company description is given in the report. In this chapter, not only the general knowledge of the company itself will be introduced, but also the figures of staff turn over, salary of employees and a SWOT analysis are given.The following chapter Project Exploration high lighting the purpose of this management project, furthermore, the litterateurs are reviewed in the following chapter, a conceptual map is drawed into detail points, problem statement and research questions are mentioned as well. Last but not least, the chapter of Methodology decribes a method of research method, instrument design, data collecting, data measuring and analysing. Chapter 1. Company Description The full name of the company is Shanghai Hongqiao Yuanyi Hilton, which is a joint venture business with Yuanyi Group and Hilton Worldwide.Yuanyi Group is the owner of hardware facilities and real estate, Hilton hotels ; resorts is a managerial role in the property. The company is a sub-brand of Hilton worldwide, which is Hilton hotels ;amp; resorts. It is a full service five star hotel which opened in October of 2010. The facilities of the hotel are complete, plush and luxury. The company is located in Hongqiao Economic and Technical Development Zone, is just 15 minutes from Hongqiao Airport (Terminal I) and 13km from People's Square in the hea rt of Shanghai.Apart from the above events, there is a buffet restaurant Essence indulging in fine Pan Asian and Mediterranean cuisine at the all-day and sample authentic Cantonese dishes at Yue Xuan which is an a la cart restaurant. Additionally, Hilton Shanghai Hongqiao provides a business center, lobby lounge Pulse, Delicatessen, Vine Bar, fitness center and a stay connected Executive Lounge to satisfy the diverse needs of the guests The company places marketing emphasis on both business travelers and leisure travelers, and also Japanese guests which is a main market for the company itself.There are over 500 work members in this company, which including foreigners, locals and also staffs from other cities in China. Most of the head office managers and directors are foreigners. Full-time contract employee accounts for 72. 8%, and the part-time contract employee takes up12. 4 percentage in this company mostly in banqueting and Essence restaurant and the trainees occupy 14. 8 percen tages. The company is a newly opened hotel, and the executive building was just partly open in April, 2012.The biggest problem of the Human Resource Department is the talent gap. In order to attract more new interviewees, every Wednesday is the company Open day and people can go to the Human Resource department to hand in their CVs without an appointment. Through the monthly employee party, it can be seen that there are always new staffs join in the Hilton family. As the information shared from the HR assistant manager, the staff turn over of year 2011 was 13. 1%, it is higher than the average hotel staff turn over rate which is 10% in Shanghai (Fang Xu, 2010).The turn over of head office employees in this company is also very high, during the period of the author's internship, the General Manager, Director of Finance, Director of the operation, Director of business development, F;B manager, Front Office Manager, three Duty managers played job-hopping to another company. There are 1 1 levels accounted in Hilton, such as GM is the highest level which is 11 and trainee is level one. The salary of the trainee is 1,000RMB, around 120 per month. The biggest employee amount is level three, the average salary is 2,800RMB (=â‚ ¬346) per month, supervisors are at level 5 which can own 3,400RMB (=â‚ ¬419. ) per month. As an example gave within duty managers, the salary of foreigner' is three times than the Chinese employee in the same level position. A following SWOT analysis table shows an overall idea of the company's both internal and external conditions. The internal part includes Strengths and Weaknesses. The Strengths are more focuses on the company facilities and around the environment. For instance, the golf court is a big strong point of Hilton Shanghai Hongqiao, which is just in a walking distance. The weaknesses are mostly from the guest complains.For example, the 80RMB of parking fee is a big guest complains in this company and it happens almost everyda y. Three separated buildings are a weak point because it is very complicated for the guests to find the direction. The service quality is a frequent criticism object from customers. The external part is focused on the financial environment and competitors. Shanghai attracts 215 million domestic tourists and 8. 5 million foreign tourists in 2010. In addition, tourism revenue of Shanghai in 2010 is 305. 3 billion RMB (Shanghai tourist development report, 2012).There are 44 five-star hotels and 64 four-star hotels in Shanghai and 11 five-star and 7 boutique hotels are building up. Hilton Shanghai Hongqiao won the ‘Top Seller' in September 2012 in Asia Pacific area. The company has a lot of opportunities and it is a great time, but also it is facing with various challenges. Table 1. Chapter 2. Project Exploration During a period of 10 months, it turned out that it apparently it was difficult for employees to finish their tasks within the required time resulting in having to work o ver time.In hotel operation departments, there are three shifts, in general, morning shift staffs working from 7am till 3pm, the afternoon shift from 3pm till 11pm, and the rest hours are evening shift. However, most of the employees in Hilton Shanghai Hongqiao will spend quite long time in the shift turnover period, and it leads directly to work overtime in everyday and in every department. Furthermore, these over hours will not be counted into paid overtime working. Front office is not the only department, but it apparently most frequently in the company.Moreover, as it was written in the previous chapter, the turnover rate in Hilton Shanghai Hongqiao is higher than the average rate. Especially in front desk department, since 2011 November till 2012 September there were 5 employees quitted their job who had worked there over one year and 9 trainees had not worked over 6 months which means they quit before they became a formal staff. It be seen through the first two sentences writt en in the introductory chapter that working overtime is very normal in China and the reality shows it is a truth in Hilton Shanghai Hongqiao.This project is trying to identify the relationship between working overtime and job satisfaction, and enhance to give the managers of Hilton Shanghai Hongqiao a further consideration of monitoring overtime working and improving employee satisfaction. Meanwhile, job satisfaction is a source of long-term competitive advantage in the hospitality industry, by the core values of Hilton Worldwide which is described as Hospitality, Integrity, Leadership, Teamwork, Ownership and Now, each values have a strong connection with job satisfaction.For the Hilton Shanghai Hongqiao, this management project could be a helpful way to get more involved into employee satisfaction and measuring overtime working as well. Chapter 3. Literature Review This chapter concentrates in working overtime and job satisfaction. Figure has an intuitive feeling to compare the di fferent hours of working overtime in different places, so the first paragraph research figures to give an overview of working overtime in selected places and according to law and compare with China's situation.The following two paragraphs are in an attempt to find out who works overtime, and the reasons of people work overtime. Furthermore, the job satisfaction of different genders, the importance of job satisfaction and the relationship between job satisfaction and overtime working will be reviewed in the last paragraph. Last but not least a conceptual model covers the main point which includes the literature review. 3. 1 Working overtime In this part, the definition of working overtime is given, and some figures of overtime hours in different countries and a table of standard and maximum working hours for comparison.Working overtime is normally approved in advance by the Head of Department and is agreed in order to complete work for a deadline or to meet additional demands. Howeve r, the initial periods of less than half an hour are not classified as work overtime. Additional hours or overtime will not qualify for payments until the member of staff has worked to their number of basic contractual weekly hours (Working additional hours and overtime, 2011). Pascal and Damien (2000) found that about 20% of European employees work 45 or more hours a week, and about 13% of the full-time employee's weekly work over 50 hours.Long work hours are also a common phenomenon in the United States: more than 1/4 of US men and 11% of women work more than 50 hours a week (Jacobs ; Gerson, 2004). In addition, extreme overtime work is pervasive in Korea and Japan where many employees work more than 60 hours a week (Amagasa, Nakayama, ; Takahashi, 2005). A reach showed that there are only 13. 7 percent worked for no more than eight hours a day in China, 40. 3% worked eight to nine hours, 23. 48 percent put in nine to 10 hours a day and 22. 0 percent worked more than 10 hours (Xin hua News Agency, 2006). In generally overtime work is a common phenomenon in both Asian and Western countries. Working overtime also occurs in developed countries both in Asia and Western. Moreover, China has the most numbers of populations who work over 8 hours everyday which accounts at 86. 3%. The following figure gives a clear picture of the standard working hours in selected places, and the maximum overtime hours allowed in the law and also the overtime pay rate. |Table 2. | | | |Selected places |Standard working |Maximum overtime hours allowed |Overtime pay rate | | |Hours | | | |Finland |8 hours/day |Up to 138 hours within a period of 4 months |1. 5 times of the regular rate of pay for the first two hours | | |40 hours/Week |Up to 250 hours during a calendar year. |2 times for any extra hours. | | |The yearly maximum can be exceeded at 80 hours on a local agreement. | | |France |35 hours /week |Up to 220 hours per year. |Each hour of overtime is payable at 10% to 50% higher than the | | | |This limit may be exceeded with a collective agreement between the employer |regular hourly rate, depending on the cumulative total overtime | | | |and employee. |hours worked. |Ireland |48 hours /week |No specification of legal maximum overtime hours The actual working hours |No statutory obligation on employers to pay employees higher rates | | | |may fluctuate considerably as long as the average working hour per week is |for overtime works. | | | |not more than 48 hours over 4, 6 or 12 months (depending on circumstances) | | |Japan |8 hours /day |Up to 2 hours per day for jobs this may cause harm to health. No lower than the rate stipulated by Cabinet Order within the range| | |40 hours/week | |of no less than 25% and no more than 50% over the normal wage per | | | | |hour or per day. | |Malaysia |8 hours /day |Up to 4 hours per day except under special occasions. |1. 5 times of the regular rate of pay. | | |48 hours /week | | | |Singapore |8 hours /day |Up to 72 hours per month |1. 5 times of the regular rate of pay. | |44 hours/week | | | |South Korea |8 hours /day |Up to 4 hours per day |1. 5 times of the regular rate of pay. | | |40 hours /week |Up to 12 hours per week. | | |Taiwan |8 hours /day |Up to 4 hours per day and 46 hours per month. |; 2 hours, at least an additional 1/3 of the regular hourly rate. | | |84 hours two week | |2

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Poppaea Sabina, Mistress Then Wife of Emperor Nero

Poppaea Sabina, Mistress Then Wife of Emperor Nero Poppaea Sabina was the mistress and second wife of the Roman emperor Nero.  Neros bad acts are often attributed to her influence.  Her birth year is unknown, but we know she died in 65 C.E. Family and Marriages Poppaea Sabina was born the daughter of a woman with the same name who committed suicide. Her father was Titus Ollius. Her paternal grandfather,  Poppaeus Sabinus, was a Roman Consul and a friend of several emperors.  Her family was wealthy, and Poppaea herself owned a villa outside Pompeii. Poppaea was married first to Rufrius Crispinus of the Preaetorian Guard, and they had a son.  Agrippina the Younger, as empress, removed him from his position, as he was too close to a previous empress, Messalina.   Poppaeas next husband was Otho, a childhood friend of Nero.  Otho would go on after Neros death to briefly become emperor. Then Poppaea became mistress of the emperor Nero, Othos friend, and about seven years younger than she was. Nero appointed Otho to an important post as governor of Lusitai (Lusitania).  Nero divorced his wife, Octavia, who was the daughter of his predecessor, the Emperor Claudius.  This caused a rift with his mother, Agrippina the Younger. Nero married Poppaea, and Poppaea was given the title Augusta when they had a daughter, Claudia. Claudia did not live long. Murder Plots According to the stories told of her, Poppaea had urged Nero to kill his mother, Agrippina the Younger, and to divorce and later murder his first wife, Octavia. She is also reported to have persuaded Nero to kill the philosopher Seneca, who had supported Neros previous mistress, Acte Claudia. Poppaea is believed to have stirred Nero to attack Christians after the Fire of Rome and to have helped free Jewish priests at the request of Josephus. She also advocated for her home town of Pompeii, and helped it gain considerable autonomy from the Empires rule.  In archaeological study of the city of Pompeii, where volcanic tragedy preserved the city within 15 years of Poppaeas death, scholars have found evidence that during her lifetime, she was considered a virtuous woman, with many statues in her honor. Nero and Poppaea were, according to some contemporaries, happy in their marriage, but Nero had a temper and became more and more erratic.  Nero reportedly kicked her during an argument when she was pregnant in 65 C.E., resulting in her death, possibly from the effects of the subsequent miscarriage. Nero gave her a public funeral and proclaimed her virtues.  Her body was embalmed and buried in the Mausoleum of Augustus. Nero proclaimed her divine. He was even said to have dressed one of his males slaves as Poppaea so he could believe she had not died.  He had Poppaeas son by her first marriage killed. In 66, Nero remarried. His new wife was  Statilia Messallina. Otho, Poppaeas first husband, helped in Galbas successful revolt against Nero, and made himself emperor after Galba was killed.  Otho was then defeated by Vitellius forces, and he subsequently killed himself. Poppaea Sabina and the Jews The Jewish historian Josephus (who also died in 65 BCE) tells us that Poppaea Sabina interceded on behalf of Jews twice. The first time was to free priests; Josephus went to Rome to plead their case, meeting with Poppaea and then receiving many gifts from her. In the second instance, a different delegation won Poppaeas influence in its cause to keep standing a wall at the temple that would keep the emperor from seeing the Temples proceedings. Tacitus The main source for information about Poppaea is the Roman writer Tacitus.  He does not depict kind acts, such as those reported by Josephus, but instead depicts her as corrupt.  Tacitus, for instance, asserts that Poppaea engineered her marriage with Otho specifically to get closer to, and eventually marry, Nero. Tacitus does assert that she was quite beautiful but shows how she used her beauty and sexuality as a way of gaining power and prestige. Cassius Dio This Roman historian also villified Poppaea in his writing about her. The Coronation of Poppaea The Coronation of Poppaea, or LIncoronazione di Poppea, is an opera in a prologue and three acts by Monteverdi, libretto by G. F. Busenello. The opera focuses on the replacement of Neros wife Octavia by Poppaea. The opera was first performed in Venice in 1642. Also known as:  Poppea (Italianized spelling),  Poppaea Augusta Sabina, Poppaea Sabina the Younger (to differentiate from her mother)

Monday, October 21, 2019

Important Cities in African-American History

Important Cities in African-American History African Americans have contributed tremendously to the culture of the United States. First brought to America hundreds of years ago to work as slaves, blacks won their freedom after the 19th century Civil War. However, many blacks remained very poor and moved throughout the country seeking better economic opportunities. Unfortunately, even after the Civil War, many white people still discriminated against blacks. Blacks and whites were segregated, and the education and living conditions of black people suffered. However, after several historic, sometimes tragic events, black people decided to no longer tolerate these injustices. Here are some of the most important cities in African-American history. Montgomery, Alabama In 1955, Rosa Parks, a seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama, refused to obey her bus driver’s order to surrender her seat to a white man. Parks was arrested for disorderly conduct. Martin Luther King Jr. led a boycott of the city bus system, which desegregated in 1956 when segregated buses were deemed unconstitutional. Rosa Parks became one of the most influential and famous female civil rights activists, and the Rosa Parks Library and Museum in Montgomery now displays her story. Little Rock, Arkansas In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that segregated schools were unconstitutional and that schools should soon integrate. However, in 1957, the governor of Arkansas ordered troops to forcibly prevent nine African American students from entering Little Rock Central High School. President Dwight Eisenhower learned of the harassment the students experienced and sent National Guard troops to aid the students. Several of the â€Å"Little Rock Nine† eventually graduated from high school.   Birmingham, Alabama Several important civil rights events occurred in 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama. In April, Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested and wrote his â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail.† King argued that citizens have the moral duty to disobey unjust laws such as segregation and inequality. In May, law enforcement officers released police dogs and sprayed fire hoses on a crowd of peaceful protesters in Kelly Ingram Park. Images of the violence were displayed on television and shocked viewers. In September, the Ku Klux Klan bombed the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church and killed four innocent black girls. This particularly heinous crime incited riots across the country. Today, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute explains these events and other civil and human rights issues. Selma, Alabama Selma, Alabama is located about sixty miles west of Montgomery. On March 7, 1965, six hundred African American residents decided to march to Montgomery to peacefully protest voting registration rights. When they tried to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge, law enforcement officers stopped them and abused them with clubs and tear gas. The incident on â€Å"Bloody Sunday† enraged President Lyndon Johnson, who ordered National Guard troops to protect the marchers as they successfully marched to Montgomery a few weeks later. President Johnson then signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Today, the National Voting Rights Museum is located in Selma, and the path of the marchers from Selma to Montgomery is a National Historic Trail. Greensboro, North Carolina On February 1, 1960, four African-American college students sat down at the â€Å"whites-only† restaurant counter of Woolworth’s Department Store in Greensboro, North Carolina. They were refused service, but for six months, despite harassment, the boys regularly returned to the restaurant and sat at the counter. This peaceful form of protest became known as a â€Å"sit-in.† Other people boycotted the restaurant and sales dropped. The restaurant was desegregated that summer and the students were finally served. The International Civil Rights Center and Museum is now located in Greensboro.   Memphis, Tennessee Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited Memphis in 1968 to try to improve the working conditions of sanitation workers. On April 4, 1968, King stood on a balcony at the Lorraine Motel and was hit by a bullet fired by James Earl Ray. He died that night at the age of thirty-nine and is buried in Atlanta. The motel is now the home of the National Civil Rights Museum. Washington, D.C. Several crucial civil rights demonstrations have occurred in the capital of the United States. The best-known demonstration was probably the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in August 1963, when 300,000 people heard Martin Luther King give his I Have a Dream speech. Other Important Cities in Black History African-American culture and history are also displayed in countless more cities across the country. Harlem is a significant black community in New York City, the largest city in America. In the Midwest, blacks were influential in the history and culture of Detroit and Chicago. Black musicians such as Louis Armstrong helped make New Orleans famous for jazz music. Struggle for Racial Equality The civil rights movement of the 20th century awakened all Americans to the inhumane belief systems of racism and segregation. African-Americans continued to work hard, and many have become enormously successful. Colin Powell served as the United States Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005, and Barack Obama became the 44th US President in 2009. America’s most important African-American cities will forever honor the courageous civil rights leaders who fought for respect and better lives for their families and neighbors.