Benefits of Hosting Major Sporting Events Essay

1. When bidding to host an international sporting event, there is always the possibility that revenue will not exceed expenses. How would you respond to a local group that would rather have the city’s money spent on social programs? When a city is preparing a bid to host an international sporting event, some parts of the community will argue that the taxpayer’s money should be invested into social programs that will benefit the community, rather than into sporting events. It is a valid argument that hosting an international sporting event can have a substantial financial impact on a city. An example of this is the great debt incurred by Montreal when they hosted the 1976 Olympic Games (p.89 Thoma and Chalip). It could be argued that the huge amounts of money that were spent on building new stadiums or arenas, and modernising existing infrastructure, may have been better spent on education, health care or subsidised housing. While there is some merit to the above argument, bidding and hopefully hosting an international sporting event can bring significant benefits to a city. The following are a range of benefits that can be presented to the local community: i. A significant international sporting event should not be viewed as a single event in isolation. The event should be considered as part of a broader calendar of events offered by the city and the direct positive impact to the economy that this derives. An example of this is the calendar of events that Melbourne and the state of Victoria hold. Events held include the Formula One Grand Prix, UCI Track Cycling World Championships and FINA World Swimming Championships. These and other major sporting events contributed  to over AU$1 billion to the Victorian economy (dpcd.vic.gov.au/sport/major-events). The success of hosting an international sporting event can further support the host city’s claim as being an attractive destination to hold other major sporting events. ii. Second, the successful bid can lead to a number of approaches to urban regeneration, which can ultimately benefit the host ci ty’s population. Tallon (p.5 urban regeneration in the UK) defined four approaches of urban regeneration: a. Economic – an international sporting event can enhance the employment opportunities in the short- and long-term, increase labour supply and increase economic activity. b. Social/Cultural: the international sporting event can instil a sense of national pride, strengthen values and tradition of the host city and increase the level of interest and participation in the activity associated with the event. c. Physical/Environmental: in the event of a successful bid, the host city can invest in constructing new facilities, improving existing facilities and promoting environmental or ‘greener’ sporting initiatives that can benefit the community in the future. d. Governance: the event will allow the engagement of the local community and the involvement of other groups, and for the host city’s government to review their administration and public policy (p.67 Sports Marketing M elissa Jane). Having the opportunity to host an international sporting event, can allow the host city to revitalise itself through urban regeneration. As a consequence of this regeneration, the host city has the potential to become more efficient and effective, and be able to provide further support and resources where needed. iii. Third, a strong vision in promoting the host city and the region for the international sporting event can attract visitors from other regions of the country and from overseas. This gives the host city the opportunity to showcase itself to the across the globe. This can have a positive economic impact during the event as a result of the influx of visitors and afterwards through the generation of new tourism markets (Cooper, Contemporary Tourism, p.169). The promotion of the host city can also achieve a greater awareness of the community in the wider sporting and tourism spheres. iv. Lastly, the improved infrastructure can enable the city to host further sporting events a nd serve the community for many years. The creation of an improved image, the attraction of economic development and the increase in civic pride  (Urban Tourism, Law p.149) has the potential to create a lasting legacy for the host city. An international sporting event has the potential to create an image that can potentially provide the host city with new levels of global recognition and opportunities for economic, political and social development (Pellergrino and Hancock p.2 2010 Deloitte). Although there is a valid argument for a city to invest into social programs that may benefit the local community, the points presented to the local group can hopefully allay those fears that the city is wasting the taxpayer’s money bidding to host an international sporting event. The event itself can be viewed as a part of a broader calendar of events, the community can benefit from the urban regeneration of the city, promotion of the international sporting event and the city can attract visitors from all over, and the event can leave the host city with a positive lasting legacy. 3. Explain how the Americans deal with China with respect to the defection of tennis player Hu Na from the Peoples Republic of China. Over many years, we have witnessed the entanglement of politics and sport. From the boycotting of international sporting events, such as the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games where the United States and many other Western countries refused to participate due to Russia’s invasion of Afghanistan; protests from individuals like Arash Miresmaili of Iran who sympathised with the oppression of Palestinians (p398 comparative politics Hauss) and refused to compete against Ehud Vaks of Israel; and the expulsion of South Africa from many international events due to apartheid that was prevalent in the country. Another occurrence of politics interfering with sport is evident in the ‘Hu Na Incident’, which as Pendleton (p.13) pointed out was a two-way interaction between sport and diplomacy, resulting in decisions being made at the highest political levels. The ‘Hu Na Incident’ started in July 1982, where Hu Na disappeared from her hotel room whilst touring with a Chinese government sponsored tennis team. Days later, papers were filed with the Immigration and Naturalisation Service requesting political asylum on the grounds that Hu Na had been pressured and persecuted by the Communist Party of China. Hu Na was a rising tennis star in China. She won several tournaments, including the National Sparetime Schools Tournament in 1975, the National Junior Singles crown in 1978 and the National Singles title in 1981. Her success was not just limited to China, she also won the doubles (in 1981) and singles (in  1982) titles at the Casablanca Cup held in Mexico. Initially, the United States had announced that any decision in regards to Hu Na would be based upon the advisory opinion of the State Department. Members of the United States Congress also urged the State Department to grant Hu Na’s request for political asylum. This announcement provoked an immediate diplomatic crisis (p.190 women, sport and society). Upon hearing this, a Chinese spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that China would hold the United States responsible for Hu Na’s safe return and that such an incident would harm the cultural exchanges between the two countries (Pendleton 14). The Pro-China newspaper Wen Wei Po also argued that Hu Na’s visit to the United States was in accordance with the Sino-America agreement. Thus, the United States government had a duty of care for her safety, regardless of whether the invitation came form a governmental or non-governmental organisation (Pendleton 14). In April 1983, after almost ten months, the decision to grant Hu Na political asylum was finally made by the State Department. At the time, Arthur P. Brill of the United States Justice Depa rtment, released the following statement (Pendleton 15): Hu Na has been granted asylum under the Refugee Act of 1980, which provides asylum in cases where the applicant establishes a well-founded fear of persecution, due to their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a special social group. The decision drew support from several quarters in the United States, most notably that of then United States President, Ronald Reagan. After the United States had granted political asylum to Hu Na, Beijing reacted sharply claiming that the decision to grant asylum to Hu Na had been immoral and a grave incident harming relations between the two countries (Nafziger and Wei p.135 Pandektis). The decision was also described as ‘a grave political incident long premeditated and deliberately created by the United States’ (Pendleton p.16). As a result of this decision, Ding Gu, the Director of the Bureau for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries of the Ministry of Culture, cancelled nine bilateral exchanges that inclu ded art exhibitions, performing arts group tours and a film festival. After citing that the United States could not guarantee the safety of its participants, the All-China Sports Federation announced it would also withdraw from ten international events that were to be held  within the United States. China further threatened to retaliate against future incidents, and that it would ‘never for the sake of relations with the United States, abandon its principled stand of safeguarding its state sovereignty and national dignity’ (p27 Chinese Security Robert Ross). During all this posturing by China, the United States demonstrated its resolve by refusing to send Hu Na back to China and granting her political asylum. Ronald Reagan’s administration publicly affirmed that the United States policy would remain constant whether Beijing decided to retaliate or not, or threatened to downgrade relations by withdrawing its ambassador from Washington, or some other action (p86 US-Chinese Relations Sutter). Beijing had clearly miscalculated when it thought it could threaten the United States on this issue, considering this was the period that the Sino-America relations had become normalised. It was a clear win for United States foreign policy, as they were prepared to reject any unreasonable Chinese demands, whilst seeking to improve relations with them.

21th Bled eConference eCollaboration Essay

1 Introduction This is not a research paper. Rather, it is a teaching report in which I describe the use of the so called beer distribution game (or beergame) – a logistics and supply chain simulation game – in teaching business-to-business eCommerce. The aim of the paper is twofold: First, I want to demonstrate how the beergame can be used to provide students with a more profound understanding of the reasons why eCommerce technologies are used in contemporary supply chains to exchange information and to facilitate collaboration. Second, I want to share both my experiences and my materials for using the beergame in eCommerce courses with the IS community, i.e. those scholars that teach (business-to-business) eCommerce or supply chain management courses. The beergame is a role-play simulation game in which students enact a four stage supply chain. The task of this supply chain is to produce and deliver units of beer: the factory produces and the other three stages deliver the beer unit s until it reaches the customer at the downstream end of the chain. In doing so, the aim of the players is rather simple: each of the four groups has to fulfil the incoming orders of beer by placing orders with the next upstream party. Since communication and collaboration is not allowed between supply chain stages, the players invaria588 bly create the so called bullwhip effect. With ‘bullwhip’ we refer to the effect that the amount of periodical orders amplifies upstream in the supply chain towards the production end, thus causing a range of operational problems. The bullwhip effect is a well-known phenomenon and a prominent symptom of coordination problems in supply chains. In using the beergame to create the bullwhip effect students experience first hand, not only the problems of lack of information sharing and collaboration in supply chains, but also the main causes for the creation of the bullwhip effect. Henceforth, in introducing eCommerce measures in the later sessions of the course, students can relate to these topics through their own experiences. The paper ties in with a recent discussion on the ISWorld eMail list on â€Å"how to make relevant IS teaching for students with little or no practical experience†. In teaching information systems (IS) and specifically B2B eCommerce we frequent ly experience problems of making relevant those topics for students. The challenge is to get them to appreciate the relevance of IS and also to provide them, not only with a superficial knowledge of the topics, but with a more profound understanding of the reasons why eCommerce technologies are used in practice. Against this backdrop I want to show how the beergame can help demonstrating the role and need of eCommerce technologies in a topic area in which the students not only lack practical knowledge (i.e. with regards to supply chains), but typically also do not have their own frame of reference to be able to relate to the topics we teach. To this end, I will introduce the beergame, demonstrate its use in a classroom setting, present typical results created by playing the game and show how I embed the game in a typical B2B eCommerce syllabus. I begin with introducing the game and the bullwhip effect (in section 2). In section 3, I then describe the application of the beergame in a classroom setting; I give an overview of a beergame session and present typical results. Section 4 demonstrates how typical supply chain problems (and the causes of the bullwhip effect) can be deduced from the beergame experience in order to motivate the introduction of eCommerce measures for improving supply chain coordination. The section is concluded by a synopsis of typical eCommerce topics that can follow the beergame in a typical B2B syllabus (section 4.3). 2 The Beergame In the following I will first give a brief introduction to the bullwhip effect before I introduce the beergame itself, i.e. its history, structural setup and the rules of the game. 2.1 Bullwhip effect as symptom of typical supply chain problems The bullwhip effect is a well-known symptom of typical coordination problems in (traditional) supply chains. It refers to the effect that the amount of periodical orders amplifies as one moves upstream in the supply chain towards the production end (Lee, Padmanabhan & Whang 1997a). Even in the face of stable customer demand small variations in demand at the retail end tend to dramatically amplify upstream the supply chain with the effect that order amounts are very erratic, and can be very high in one week and almost zero in the next week. This phenomenon was discovered and first described by Forrester (1961) who did research into the relationship between ordering and stock keeping patterns using simulation models (Warburton 2004). The term itself was first coined around 1990 when Procter&Gamble perceived erratic and amplified order patters in its supply chain for 589 baby diapers. The effect is also known by the names whiplash or whipsaw effect (Lee, Padmanabhan & Whang 1997a), which refers metaphorically to the visualisation of order patterns moving upstream the supply chain (see figure 3). As a consequence of the bullwhip effect a range of inefficiencies occur throughout the supply chain, e.g. high (safety) stock levels, poor customer service levels, poor capacity utilisation, aggravated problems with demand forecasting, and ultimately high cost and low levels of inter-firm trust (Chopra & Meindl 2001; Lee, Padmanabhan & Whang 1997a). While the effect is not new and a lot of research has been conducted and supply chain projects have been initiated since its discovery, it is still a timely and pressing problem in contemporary supply chains. Various research studies have quantified the effect and estimate that profitability in most supply chains might improve by up to 30% by eliminating the bullwhip effect (Metters 1997; McCullen & Towill 2002). 2.2 Beergame setup and rules Having introduced the bullwhip effect and its implications for the supply chain and its players I will now introduce the beergame, its setup and rules. I begin by providing a brief history of the game before I present the general structure and the rules of the game. 2.2.1 History of the beergame The beergame (or beer distribution game) was originally invented in the 1960s by Jay Forrester at MIT as a result of his work on system dynamics (see Forrester 1957). While the original goal of the simulation game was to research the effect of systems structures on the behaviour of people (â€Å"structure creates behaviour†), the game can also be used to demonstrate the benefits of information sharing, supply chain management, and eCollaboration in the supply chain (Li & Simchi-Levi 2002). A range of different versions of the beergame have emerged over the years. The original beergame was realised as a board game (Sterman 1989). Meanwhile a table version (Ossimitz, Kreisler & Zoltan 20 02) and also computerised simulations (Hieber & Hartel 2003) have been developed. In this paper I predominantly draw on a table version, which I adapted from the so called Klagenfurt design (cp. Ossimitz, Kreisler & Zoltan 2002); the structural setup of the table version is shown in figures 1 and 2. I will briefly discuss advantages and disadvantages of the different game versions in chapter 3.1 where I discuss the administration of the beergame in a classroom setting. 2.2.2 General structure of the game The beergame simulates a supply chain that consists of four stages (retailer, wholesaler, distributer and factory), each of which is played by one or better two or three players (Goodwin & Franklin Sr. 1994). Hence, a supply chain is typically played by 8 to 12 people, while more than one supply chain can be administered in one class at the same time. The task of each supply chain is to produce and deliver units of beer: the factory produces and the other three stages deliver the be er units until it reaches the external customer at the downstream end of the supply chain. In doing so, the aim of the players is rather simple: each sub group has to fulfil the incoming orders of beer. The retailer receives an externally predetermined customer demand and places orders with the wholesaler; the wholesaler sends orders to the distributor, who orders from the factory; the factory finally 590 produces the beer. Hence, orders flow in the upstream direction, while deliveries flow in the downstream direction of the supply chain. An important structural aspect of the game is delay (i.e. time lag) in order to account for logistics and production time. Each delivery (and production order) requires two rounds until they are finally delivered to the next stage. In the structural setup of the game this is represented by two shipping delay fields located in between the supply chain stages as well as at the production end (figure 1). Order flow Delay Delay Delay Delay Factory Factory Distributor Distributor Wholesaler Wholesaler Retailer Retailer Product flow Figure 1: Supply chain setup in the beergame table version Student Outgoing order Play sheet Incoming order Wholesaler Delay Distributor Distributor Outgoing delivery Delay Factory Incoming delivery Student Student Figure 2: Detailed table layout 2.2.3 Rules of the game The game is played in rounds, which simulates weeks. In each round the following steps have to be carried out by the players: 1) receive incoming orders, 2) receive incoming deliveries, 3) update play sheets (outstanding deliveries and inventory), 4) send out deliveries, and finally 5) decide on the amount to be ordered. In doing so, deciding on each round’s order amount is effectively the only decision that players are able to make throughout the game; everything else follows a set of fixed rules. The first rule is that every order has to be fulfilled, either directly (should the players’ inventory be large enough) or later in subsequent rounds. In the latter case, players have to keep track of their backlog (backorder) (Coakley et al. 1998). Secondly, inventory and backlog incur cost – each item in stock costs EUR 0.50 per week, while each item on backlog costs EUR 1.00. Consequently, the primary aim of ea ch subgroup is to keep their costs low. Hence, the optimal strategy for the players is to run their business with as little stock as possible without being forced to â€Å"move into backorder†. Thirdly, players are not allowed to communicate. The only information they are allowed to exchange is the order amount; there is no transparency as to what stock levels or actual customer demand is; only the retailer knows the external demand (Rafaeli et al. 2003). Moreover, the game is based on the simplification of unlimited capacity (in stock keep591 ing, production and transportation) and unlimited access to raw materials at the production end (Hieber & Hartel 2003). 2.2.4 The external demand In playing the game the external demand is predetermined and usually does not vary greatly. In the beginning, the supply chain is pre-initialised with inventory levels (e.g. 15 units), orders (e.g. 5 units) and beer units in the shipping delay fields (e.g. 5 units). In order to induce the bullwhip effect to the supply chain the external demand remains stable for a few rounds (e.g. 5 units for 5 rounds) before it suddenly shows one steep increase (jumps to 9 units) before it remains stable again at this higher level for the remainder of the game (usually 40 to 50 rounds in total). However, the one increase in external demand is enough to induce variance into the supply chain, which will inevitably lead to the creation of the bullwhip effect and to a destabilisation of ordering patterns throughout the supply chain. 3 Using the beergame in class Having described the idea, the structural setup, and the rules of the beergame, I will now discuss the administration of the game in a classroom setting. This is followed by the presentation of typical results generated by beergame applications in eCommerces courses. These results are very useful for deriving the causes of the bullwhip effect in discussions with students in a so-called debriefing session (see section 4). For a session outline of a B2B course that uses the beergame please refer to appendix 2; the experiences shared in the following sections are more or less based on this session outline. 3.1 Administering the beergame 3.1.1 Choosing a beergame version As mentioned above, different versions of the beergame exist for use in classroom settings. The traditional version is a board game in which tokens are physically moved on the board to represent orders and stock. The upside of the board version is that people relate well to moving actual objects. However, there are two downsides: firstly, the board game is too slow, cumbersome and complex to administer; secondly and more importantly, because physical objects are used to represent inventory on the board, people enjoy an unwanted transparency of inventory levels of other supply chain stages and can thus strategically act upon their knowledge of incoming stock. The table version of the beergame was originally developed by a team at the University of Klagenfurt (Ossimitz, Kreisler & Zoltan 2002). It shows several improvements to the original design such as a leaner and more pragmatic approach to moving orders and stock in the supply chain. Essentially this is done by using paper slips on which numbers are written by the players. However, it still shows some administrative overhead such as a bookkeeping p erson that takes stock of all things happening within the supply chain using a computer. While this functions as a built-in safety net in case something goes wrong, it is still a hurdle to the application in a classroom setting and it also slows down the game, which results in long sessions and the students being bored throughout the game. Henceforth, I have adapted the table version and essentially eliminated the bookkeeper in order to achieve a more straightforward progression of the game. The 592 risk however is that students make mistakes in calculating order amounts or stock levels using the paper play sheet. While it helps to start slowly and to doublecheck the play sheet calculations during the first few rounds, in a few of my first beergame applications some people indeed miscalculated stock levels, which led to problems with interpreting the data later on. For this reason, today I use MS Excel and a laptop computer on each table for people to fill in their play sheets; this effectively eliminates the risk and ensures a quick progression of the game (see appendix 1 for a play sheet example). 3.1.2 Schedule of a beergame session The first step in administering the beergame is the preparations of the tables. As is illustrated in figure 2, four fields have to be marked on each table, which is done by fixing to the table 4 sheets of paper using sticky tape. The same is done with the delay fields. Furthermore, cardboard boxes (or plastic cups) and envelopes have to be filled with small paper slips to pre-initialise the supply chain with orders and deliveries. Then, every table has to be prepared with a stack of order and delivery slips that will be used by the players during the game. Finally, paper slips with the external demand progression (see above) have to be prepared that are handed to the retailer groups during the game. Also, for administering more than one supply chain, (student) assistants are needed to help with moving boxes and envelopes during the game. The second step is briefing the students; in doing so I provide a short introduction to the idea of the game, its history, structure, and rules (see above). When playing in more than one supply chain I stress the fact that groups of each stage are competing with one another (e.g. retailer vs. retailer), in order to get the students to take playing seriously. The third step is to start playing some initial trial rounds with the pre-initialised supply chain and to make sure that everyone gets used to filling in play sheets and order/delivery slips. Then, in the fourth step, the speed of playing the game is increased and the game is played for a number of 40 to 50 rounds. The game is then stopped abruptly so that the students do not have time to react strategically to the coming end of the game. The fifth and final part of the session is a short discussion directly after the game, where I ask students how they felt throughout the game and what they think the average customer demand was. The next session after the beergame session is the debriefing session, for which the data that the groups produced throughout the game has to be consolidated, plotted and analysed. Typical beergame results and their creation are presented in the next section; the debriefing session is described in section 4. 3.2 Typical progression and results of a beergame session Every beergame session follows roughly the same scheme, so that the progression of the game shows a recurring pattern. I usually start playing the game at a slow pace for people to get used to moving objects, taking stock and filling in the play sheets. What typically happens during these first few rounds is that people try to get rid of some of the inventory (e.g. 15 units) in order to manage their costs; hence they often only place small orders in the beginning (for an example see weeks 1-7 in figure 3). Consequently, when the customer demand jumps to the higher level in round 6 the supply chain has adjusted to a low demand scenario. After the steep increase many retailer groups tend to wait one or two rounds in order to see if the increase is permanent (as in figure 3). When they then place the first large order they invariably initiate a bullwhip effect that perpetuates through593 out the chain. Typically, the order amount increases with every stage in the supply chain (as in figure 3). What happens then is that the groups move deeply into backorder (see figure 4), because due to the delivery delays it takes quite some time for the beer to move through the supply chain to the retail end. Getting increasingly desperate players often try to send signals and place more large orders; in the end they typically lose track of what they have ordered and order way too much. The consequence is that the supply chain is flooded with beer and the inventories overflow (see weeks 2035 in figure 4). The effect is that people cease ordering entirely; e.g. a lot of very small orders are placed. This is especially true for the higher stages of the supply chain (see table 1). In the end, while the retailer groups often manage to stabilise their business, the higher stages have no idea of the actual customer demand and are left frustrated. Bullwhip Effect 70 60 50 Customer Orders 40 30 20 10 0 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 Week Retailer Wholesaler Distributor Factory Figure 3: Plot of order distribution, visualising the bullwhip effect Figure 3 shows the order distribution over 40 weeks and a typical bullwhip effect. Figure 4 shows the inventory fluctuation, with negative inventory representing back order. Table 1 finally shows the decrease in customer demand information upstream visualised by the average order amount by the four stages of the supply chain in this example. More importantly, the increase in order fluctuation upstream the supply chain is illustrated by the largest amount having been ordered in each stage and the number of small orders that were placed. This translates into an increase in inventory fluctuation as well. All this information is being used in the following debriefing session to discuss the bullwhip effect, its implications and the reasons for its existence. 594 Out of stock = Serious lack of service level! 200 150 100 Inventory 50 0 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 -50 -100 -150 Week Retailer Wholesaler Distributor Factory Figure 4: Example of inventory fluctuation (negative inventory = backorder) Key figures Retailer Wholesaler Distributor Factory ∅ order amount (units of beer) 8.33 8.68 8.75 9.95 Largest order amount 25 40 50 60 No of small orders (0-2 units) 4 11 14 18 Inventory fluctuation range 84 81 170 165 Table 1: Example of key figures derived from the beergame 4 Learning from the beergame results Having presented the way in which the beergame is administered and a typical progression of the game and its results, I will now first show how a debriefing session can be used to illustrate supply chain coordination problems and to derive typical causes for the creation of the bullwhip effect. Based on these causes one can then quite easily motivate eCommerce measures and ICT-based supply chain reform initiatives that aim at reducing the bullwhip effect and improving supply chain coordination. 4.1 The debriefing session The debriefing session follows the beergame session (see appendix 2). I usually begin the session with a brief discussion of students’ experiences throughout the game. Typically, the following questions are being discussed: Did you feel yourself controlled by forces in the system from time to time? Or did you feel in control? Did you find yourself â€Å"blaming† the groups next to you for your problems? Did you feel desperation at any time? This discussion typically shows that people indeed were blaming their neighbouring supply chain partners for not doing their jobs right (either not ordering in a 595 sensible way or not being able to deliver); desperation and frustration are common feelings during the last rounds of the game. A first learning from this discussion is that it is the structure of the game (i.e. the supply chain) that causes the behaviour. This is precisely what its inventor (Forrester) intended to achieve and what is referred to as the effects of systems dynamics. A second set of questions can then be discussed in order to reflect upon the beergame itself and its degree of simulating real world conditions: What, if anything, is unrealistic about this game? Why are there order delays? Why are there production delays? Shipping delays? Why have both distributor and wholesalers; why not ship beer directly from the factory to the retailer? Must the brewer be concerned with the management of the raw materials suppliers? Using these questions and by stressing the fact that real-life supply chains are much more complex (a huge variety of products and supply chain partners e xist, as well as complex criss-crossing networks of relationships) the students can quickly be convinced that real-life conditions favour the emergence of the bullwhip to a much greater extent and that the beergame is indeed a good vehicle to simulate the creation of the effect. Having established this necessary bit of legitimisation, the session can then proceed with presenting the beergame results and with identifying the underlying causes. Hence, the next step essentially is to present, for all supply chain groups, the data (table 1) and figures (3 and 4) presented above. In doing so, I typically have a very interactive and lively discussion. I ask what people thought while playing the game and what led them to, for example, place a huge order at a particular point in the game. In discussing the extreme examples, the class usually shares a laugh, which, as a nice by-product, leads to a more casual atmosphere and contributes to setting an open tone for the remainder of the course. I also honour the winning supply chain teams at this point in time. This is also the time where I introduce the concept of ‘cumulated supply chain cost’, e.g. by pointing ou t that the product at the customer end has to earn all (cumulated) costs of all supply chain parties; this insight serves as a first step in establishing the idea of global thinking and chainwide optimization, which essentially requires eCollaboration technologies. At this point in the session one can then either go straight to identifying the causes and effects of the bullwhip effect (see below), or take a little (useful) detour in discussing a teaching case to corroborate the results and to give the results of the beergame some more credibility. In doing so, I use the case of Italian pasta manufacturer Barilla, one of the first documented cases in which a company launched a project to identify the causes of the bullwhip effect and to introduce some countermeasures (see Simchi-Levi, Kaminsky & Simchi-Levi 2003, p. 91). 4.2 Identifying the causes of the bullwhip effect The bullwhip effect, as simulated in the beergame, is mainly caused by three underlying problems: 1) a lack of information, 2) the structure of the supply chain and 3) a lack of collaboration and global optimisation. These three causes can be identified in an interactive session with the students by discussing the beergame experiences and then be corroborated with insights from practice and the literature. 596 4.2.1 Lack of information In the beergame no information except for the order amount is perpetuated up the supply chain. Henceforth, most information about customer demand is quickly lost upstream in the supply chain. Moreover, no other information is being shared. With these characteristics the beergame simulates supply chains with low levels of trust, where only little information is being shared between the parties. Without actual customer demand data, all forecasting has to rely solely on the incoming orders at each supply chain stage. In reality, in such a situation traditional forecasting methods and stock keeping strategies contribute to creating the bullwhip effect (Lee, Padmanabhan & Whang 1997a; Simchi-Levi, Kaminsky & SimchiLevi 2003). Unexpected increases in orders from downstream partners translate into even higher order increases upstream, because when players regard the increase to be permanent and want to avoid running out of stock, they need to update their safety stock levels; hence they place an even larger order. Later, when it turns out that an increase was only temporary, safety stock levels are lowered and players might order nothing for a while, hence contributing to the bullwhip effect. 4.2.2 Supply chain structure The supply chain structure, with its design as separate stages and the long lead times, contributes to the bullwhip effect. The longer the lead time, i.e. the longer it takes for an order to travel upstream and the subsequent delivery to travel downstream, the more aggravated the bullwhip effect is likely to be. With traditional ordering, the point in time where an order is typically placed (the order point) is usually calculated by multiplying the forecasted demand with the lead time plus the safety stock amount, so that an order is placed so far in advance as to ensure service level during the time until the delivery is expected to arrive (Simchi-Levi, Kaminsky & Simchi-Levi 2003). Hence, the longer the lead time is, the more pronounced an order will be as an reaction to an increase in forecast ed demand (especially in conjunction with updating the safety stock levels, see above), which again contributes to the bullwhip effect. 4.2.3 Local optimisation Local optimisation, in terms of local forecasting and individual cost optimisation, and a lack of cooperation are at the heart of the bullwhip problem. A good example for local optimisation is the batch order phenomenon. In practice, ordering entails fix cost, e.g. ordering in full truck loads is cheaper then ordering smaller amounts. Furthermore, many suppliers offer volume discounts when ordering larger amounts. Hence, there is a certain incentive for individual players to hold back orders and only place aggregate orders. This behaviour however aggravates the problem of demand forecasting, because very little information about actual demand is transported in such batch orders. And batch ordering, of course, contributes directly to the bullwhip effect by unnecessarily inflating the orders. This might lead to lower local cost in the short term, but translates into higher overall cost at the chain level. 4.3 eCommerce measures to tackle the bullwhip effect Having identified and discussed the three problem areas with regard to both the beergame and their real-world counterparts, I then present three areas of improvement that directly correspond to the three problem areas: 1) information sharing in terms of electronic data interchange, 2) ICT-enabled supply chain re597 design, and 3) supply chain collaboration for global optimisation (see figure 5). In terms of teaching, these three bundles of eCommerce measures and initiatives can then be briefly introduced in one session (see appendix 3) or in more (technical and organisational) detail in three separate sessions (see appendix 2). In the following sections I give a brief overview of what can be part of those sessions. 1 Information loss upstream the supply chain Without direct communication, forecasting is based on aggregated, inaccurate information. This causes large stock, high cost, poor service levels. Improvement Efficient communication and information sharing 2 Supply chain structure Long lead times lead to increasing variability upstream making planning nearly impossible: large safety stock is required, variability increased. Slow downstream product flow causes poor service levels. Improvement Supply chain redesign: processes, tasks & roles 3 Local optimization Independent planning and local optimization lead to inefficiencies, such as local forecasting, batch ordering, inflated orders, etc. Improvement Cooperation to achieve global optimization Figure 5: Summary of bullwhip causes and areas of improvement 4.3.1 Efficient communication One of the most basic learnings from the beergame is to improve information sharing along the supply chain (e.g. of point-of-sale customer demand data); information sharing is the first step towards more advanced supply chain coordination (Muckstadt et al. 2001). Henceforth, the first step in teaching eCommerce measures is to present the principles and technologies of electronic data interchange. In doing so, I first of all discuss with the students the â€Å"principles of digitally mediated replenishment of goods† by Johnston (1999), essentially a collection of principles for effective inter-organisational electronic data interchange, such as the â€Å"once-only data entry principle† or the â€Å"synchronicity principle†. Based on these fundamental principles I discuss the ways in which traditional document-based ordering can be reformed using electronic data interchange. While these topics might seem to be outdated from a modern information systems perspective, it lays the foundation for a step-by-step increase of complexity that aims at providing the students with a more substantial knowledge of the problems and ideas behind ICT-enabled supply chain reform than can be achieved by a simple presentation of the latest communication technologies. The next step in this endeavour is to introduce technologies that are needed to enable effective inter-firm data interchange and electronic ordering, such as product numbering schemes and automatic product identification technologies. In most supply chains physical products have to be handled; hence ways are needed to attach information to these objects. Consequently, I introduce the following technologies: †¢ Standardised product numbering schemes: Here, the history, proliferation, functioning and impact of numbering schemes such as the Universal Product Code (UPC), the European Article Numbering (EAN) code and more special598 ised codes like for example container codes (SSCC) are introduced. Most of these codes today are administered by the standardisation organisation GS1 (2005). †¢ Automated product identification technologies: The technology with the greatest diffusion in the market is the barcode; while specialised barcodes exist in some industries, the most common one is the UCC/EAN-128 (Coyle, Bardi & Langley 1996). The second, much newer technology to be discussed here is Radio Frequency based Identification (RFID). †¢ Electronic Data Interchange (EDI): EDI is the basis for electronic ordering. Here, traditional EDI standards, such as the UN/EDIFACT, which was jointly developed by ISO and the UN (Coyle, Bardi & Langley 1996), can be discussed, as well as newer techniques such as Internet-based WebEDI and XML-enabled order exchange. In discussions with the students these enabling communication and data exchange technologies can then be related back to the beergame experience in that they 1 ) speed up the order process, thus reducing lead time and 2) enable more sophisticated information sharing of POS data. Moreover, they are the basis for the next step, the ICT-enabled redesign of supply chain structures. 4.3.2 ICT-enabled supply chain reform initiatives The second building block in dealing with the bullwhip effect comprises a range of different supply chain reform initiatives that can be subsumed under the concept of efficient replenishment. As such, two distinct types of measures can be distinguished: 1) inventory management concepts that aim at changing the ways in which actors in the supply chain carry out their roles of stock keeping and ordering and 2) logistics concepts that aim at improving actual material and information flow. Efficient inventory management is based on the idea that suppliers have timely access to POS data and can thus eliminate traditional forecasting and change the way ordering and inventory management is carried out (Lee, Padmanabhan & Wh ang 1997b). Three concepts with increasing degrees of complexity can be distinguished: †¢ Quick Response: The idea behind this concept is for the supplier to become more responsive to changes in customer demand through the sharing of POS data. Retailers still prepare individual orders, but suppliers are better prepared. †¢ Continuous Replenishment: Suppliers continually receive POS data from retailers to prepare shipments at agreed-upon levels. †¢ Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI): Under this initiative the suppliers manage all inventory aspects for their own products at the retailer end. Suppliers decide on shipment levels without any orders from the retail end to be placed. In fact, the retailer has very little to do with the operational aspects in VMI (Waller, Johnson & Davis 1999). The second type of efficient replenishment measures is efficient logistics (see Simchi-Levi, Kaminsky & Simchi-Levi 2003). Here, two main building blocks can be discussed: †¢ Warehousing and delivery concepts: Depending on the kinds of goods that are moved along the supply chain, different kinds of warehousing and delivery can be applied in order to achieve an optimal flow of goods. Cross docking is a concept in which warehouses function as inventory coordination points rather than actual inventory storage points; hence, goods are only re-shuffled 599 between trucks coming in from suppliers and trucks leaving for stores. This instrument can be used for fast selling products. For bulk products central warehousing can be used; while fresh products benefit from direct delivery. †¢ Full-blown just-in-time delivery (JIT): Most commonly found in the automotive industry, ‘just-in-time’ describes a concept, whereby supplier and manufacturer align their logistics and production processes to a degree that no (or very little) inventory is needed. Goods can be directly delivered from the production at the supplier to arrive just in time to be used in production at the manufacturer end (e.g. Johnson & Wood 1996). Changing the way in which inventory is managed means to effectively change the supply chain structure. For example, by implementing VMI the supply chain partners eliminate one stage of ordering, thus eradicating one step in the typical bullwhip chain of events. Moreover, by speeding up product flows using the logisti cs concepts lead time is being reduced, which in turn softens the bullwhip effect. Consequently, all measures discussed in this section can be directly motivated by the beergame. In presenting this block to the students I also point out, for every singly concept, the role of information systems and eBusiness technologies. 4.3.3 eCollaboration: joint planning and global optimisation The third block of eBusiness measures for tackling the bullwhip effect is the most sophisticated one and builds on the first two blocks. Global optimisation of supply chain processes can only be achieved through the collaboration of supply chain partners under a joint initiative. I present the Collaborative Planning Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR) initiative as an example from the Grocery industry (VICS 2001) and also discuss (sometimes only briefly) joint product development initiatives in the automotive industry. CPFR as a concept builds on and extends concepts such as VMI by aiming at establishing a long-term planning of joint promotion activities. CPFR is based on the observation that a combination of inventory management and logistics concepts (see section 4.3.2 above) can reduce the bullwhip effect for day-to-day deliveries, but that these concepts still can not cope with demand variations induced by promotion activities. Hence, CPFR aims a t jointly planning promotions and to create transparency as to the expected demand increases induced by these promotions. The concept is based on the use of shared eMarketplace infrastructures, which I also discuss in some detail in this section. Again, the application of eCommerce technologies can be nicely illustrated using the beergame. 4.3.4 Summary The discussion of the three building blocks of eCommerce measures culminates in the development and presentation of an integrated model of eCommerce-based supply chain management informed by the key learnings from the beergame. The model is presented in figure 6. Following the line of argument in the last sections, it becomes obvious that the beergame can be used to motivate and substantiate large parts of a typical eCommerce masters course (as in appendix 2). In the next section I draw some final conclusions and briefly reflect upon the use of the beergame in a classroom setting. 600 Supply Chain Reform Initiatives Supply Chain Reform Initiatives Tactics Operations Infrastructure Improvements Improvements Suppy Chain Suppy Chain problems & problems & trade-offs trade-offs Information loss Joint Planning CPFR (promotions, product introduction), Category Mgmt, Production scheduling Collaboration Strategic alliances for global optimization Efficient Replenishment Inventory Management: Quick Response, CRP, VMI, SBT Redesign ICT-enabled supply Chain re-structuring S.C. structure Materials & information flow: Direct delivery, Warehousing, X-docking Local optimization Communication Information sharing, Electronic ordering Efficient Communications Infrastructure, EDI, AutoID, Product numbering, Process simplifications Figure 6: A comprehensive eCommerce and supply chain model 5 Conclusion and outlook I have introduced the beergame and demonstrated its usefulness in teaching B2B eCommerce and supply chain management. To the present day, I have used the beergame mainly in eCommerce masters courses at different Universities in different national contexts. The experiences and also the teaching evaluations have always been positive and very encouraging. While I believe that the beergame, and the way it is embedded in my B2B eCommerce syllabus, works well in providing students with both a profound understanding of the underlying wisdoms of eCommerce, as well as with a good overview of eCommerce measures, there is more to it than that. Playing the beergame is great fun, for the teacher and for the students, and it is always a good experience in itself. As such, the beergame is also very helpful for the general course atmosphere and the creation of positive team dynamics in the group. For the future, we are working on a software version of the beergame, which can be used in a classroom setting in the same interactive role-play style, but avoid some of the still remaining problems of the table version. While software versions today only provide a simulation (instead of role-play) mode and are not built for classroom use, a client-server software version of the game might replace the cumbersome logistics aspects (the moving of boxes) and help in gathering data that can be used for debriefing straight away. Moreover, it would be great to be able to play the beergame with different setups, e.g. with implementing effective sharing of (customer demand and inventory) data in order to demonstrate, in a second round of play, the usefulness of information sharing in reducing the bullwhip effect. To this end, our software will be flexible enough to incorporate such exploration of different supply chain modalities.1 1 For further information please see: http://www.beergame.org. 601 Appendix 1: Beergame play sheet The following table shows the play sheet of a retailer group that was filled in during a beergame session. The ‘incoming order’ column shows the external customer demand with its increase in round 6. During the game the students only have to fill in the white columns – the ‘incoming delivery’ and the ‘incoming order’ are taken from the incoming paper slips, while in the ‘your order’ column the students have to fill in their order decision for the respective weeks. Having done that, the play sheet shows exactly what has to be written on the outgoing order and delivery slips (in the dark columns). All orange columns are calculated automatically, so that students can easily keep track of their inventory and cost progression. After the beergame this data is then put together and consolidated with the data that was collected in the play sheets of the other groups of the same supply chain. It is then plotted to create figures 3 and 4 and table 1 (see above). Week Incoming Delivery Available Incoming Order Your Delivery Backorder Inventory Cost 7,5 15 22,5 30 35 37 40 45 49 52 64 78 86 100 118 137 159 180 201 223 244 265 283 295 303 316 317,5 321 324,5 328 331,5 335 338,5 342 345,5 348,5 351 353 355 357 Your Order Please fill out play slips: Delivery Order 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 5 5 5 5 0 3 2 7 10 10 0 7 15 3 5 8 6 10 9 8 10 9 12 15 13 4 25 13 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 8 8 8 9 9 20 20 20 20 15 13 6 7 10 10 0 7 15 3 5 8 6 10 9 8 10 9 12 15 13 4 25 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 15 14 13 13 13 5 5 5 5 5 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 5 5 5 5 5 9 6 7 10 10 0 7 15 3 5 8 6 10 9 8 10 9 12 15 13 4 22 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 5 4 3 12 14 8 14 18 19 22 21 21 22 21 21 18 12 8 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 15 15 15 15 10 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 6 5 4 4 4 0 3 2 7 7 12 5 10 10 6 5 7 15 25 15 5 5 6 11 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 8 8 8 9 9 9 9 9 9 5 5 5 5 5 9 6 7 10 10 0 7 15 3 5 8 6 10 9 8 10 9 12 15 13 4 22 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 0 3 2 7 7 12 5 10 10 6 5 7 15 25 15 5 5 6 11 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 8 8 8 9 9 9 9 9 9 602 Appendix 2: Syllabus for a beergame-based B2B course The following table gives an overview of how the beergame can be incorporated in a typical (B2B) eCommerce (masters) course (e.g. 12 weeks with 3 hour sessions). The beergame and the subsequent modules can cover up to 6 sessions. After presenting the three blocks with eCommerce improvements, an additional session can be used to discuss management challenges of inter-firm collaboration, covering issues such as trust, managing interfaces, ICT standards etc. Throughout the course, cases from the grocery and the automotive industries might be used for illustration purposes and to facilitate discussions. Depending on the setting, background readings might also be handed out to the students. Sessions (3 hours) Topics / session contents 1. Beergame session a. Introduction to supply chains (why have supply chains?) b. Beergame introduction (setup, structure, rules of the game) c. Playing the game (40-50 rounds) d. Brief discussion afterwards 2. Debriefing a. Discussion of experiences and game setup b. Presentation and discussion of beergame data (results) c. Teaching case Barilla: bullwhip causes [optional] d. Identification of the three main causes of the bullwhip effect e. Short presentation of three areas of improvement and the schedule for the next three sessions 3. Information sharing a. Short discussion: why is information sharing important? b. Principles of electronic data sharing c. Attaching information to physical goods: standardised product numbering, Automated product identification technologies: barcodes, RFID d. Electronic Data Interchange: EDI, WebEDI, XML-based ordering 4. Supply chain reform a. Overview: efficient replenishment initiatives b. Efficient inventory management: Quick Response, Continuous Replenishment, Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) c. Efficient Logistics: Warehousing, Direct Delivery, CrossDocking d. Just-in-Time Delivery in the automotive industry [Kanban] 5. eCollaboration a. eCollaboration in the supply chain: idea and philosophy b. Collaborative Planning Forecasting & Replenishment (CPFR) c. Joint product development in the automotive industry 6. Management of inter-firm collaboration a. Complexities of supply chain reform initiatives b. The role of trust and social capital in inter-firm relationships c. Interoperability of ICT d. Managing inter-firm interfaces 603 Appendix 3: Session outline for a beergame-based workshop The following table shows a short workshop format based on the beergame. Such a workshop can be incorporated in other (general IS) courses or be a stand-alone event, for example as an executive teaching offering. The workshop is essentially made up of two sessions – the actual beergame session and a combined debriefing and learnings session. As an example industry the Grocery industry can be used to illustrate the application of the eCommerce initiatives and technologies. Sessions (~3 hours) Topics / session contents 1. Beergame session a. Introduction to supply chains (why have supply chains?) b. Beergame introduction (setup, structure, rules of the game) c. Playing the game (40 rounds) d. Discussion of experiences and game setup 2. Debriefing & eCommerce initiatives a. Presentation and discussion of beergame data (results) b. Identification of the three main causes of the bullwhip effect c. Discussion of three areas of improvement: a. Information sharing: Product numbering, AutoID, EDI b. Supply chain reform: Inventory management & logistics concepts c. eCollaboration: CPFR d. Complexities of supply chain reform initiatives 604 References Chopra, S., Meindl, P. (2001): â€Å"Supply-Chain Management†, Upper Saddle River, NJ. Coakley, J. R., Drexler Jr., J. A., Larson, E. W., Kircher, A. E. (1998): Using a computer-based version of the beer game: Lessons learned, Journal of Management Education, Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 416-424. Coyle, J. J., Bardi, E. J., Langley, C. J. (1996): â€Å"The Management of Business Logistics (6th Ed.)†, St. Paul. Forrester, J. W. (1957): Industrial Dynamics. A major breakthrough for decision makers, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 36, No. 4, pp. 37-66. Forrester, J. W. (1961): â€Å"Industrial Dynamics†, Cambride, MA. Goodwin, J. S., Franklin Sr., S. E. (1994): The Beer Distribution Game: Using Simulation to Teach Systems Thinking, Journal of Management Development, Vol. 13, No. 8, pp. 7-15. GS1 (2005): â€Å"About the EAN/UCC System†, Available: [http://www.ean-ucc.org] (2007-12-13). Hieber, R., Hartel, I. (2003): Impacts of SCM order strategies evaluated by simulation-based ‘Beer-Game’ approach: the model, concept and initial experiences, Production, Planning & Control, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 122-134. Johnson, J. C., Wood, D. F. (1996): â€Å"Contemporary Logistics (6th Ed)†, Upper Saddle River. Johnston, R. B. (1999): Principles of Digitally Mediated Replenishment of Goods. Electronic Commerce and Supply-Chain Reform, in â€Å"Electronic Commerce: Opportunities and Challenges†, S. M. Rahman & M. Raisinghani, (eds.), Idea Group Publishing, Hershey, pp. 41-64. Lee, H., Padmanabhan, V., Whang, S. (1997a): The Bullwhip Effect in SupplyChains, Sloan Management Review, Vol. 38, No. 3, pp. 93-102. Lee, H., Padmanabhan, V., Whang, S. (1997b): Information Distortion in a Supply-Chain: The Bullwhip Effect, Management Science, Vol. 43, No. 4, pp. 546-558. Li, M., Simchi-Levi, D. (2002): â€Å"The Web Based Beer Game – Demonstrating the Value of Integrated Supply-Chain Management†, Available: [http://beergam e.mit.edu/guide.htm] (2007-08-25). McCullen, P., Towill, D. (2002): Diagnosing and reduction of bullwhip in supply chains, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 164-179. Metters, R. (1997): Quantifying the bullwhip effect in supply chains, Journal of Operations Management, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 89-100. Muckstadt, J., Murray, D., Rappold, J., Collins, D. (2001): Guidelines for Collaborative Supply-Chain System Design and Operation, in â€Å"Technical Report of the Cornell University School of Operations Research and Industrial Engineering†, Nr. 1286, Ithaca, NY. Ossimitz, G., Kreisler, B., Zoltan, M. (2002): â€Å"Simulation von Supply-ChainManagement Systemen†, Available: [http://www.uniklu.ac.at/~gossimit/pap/bg_endbericht.pdf] (2007-02-11). Rafaeli, S., Raban, D. R., Ravid, G., Noy, A. (2003): Online Simulations in Management Education about Information and Its Uses, in â€Å"Educating Manag- 605 ers with Tomorrow’s Technologies†, C. Wankel & R. DeFillippi, (eds.), Greenwich, pp. 53-80. Simchi-Levi, D., Kaminsky, P., Simchi-Levi, E. (2003): â€Å"Designing & Managing the Supply-Chain (2nd ed)†, Boston, MA. Sterman, J. D. (1989): Modeling Managerial Behaviour: Misperceptions of Feedback in a Dynamic Decision Making Experiment, Management Science, Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 321-339. VICS (2001): â€Å"Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR), Version 2†, Available: [http://www.vics.org/committees/cpfr/voluntary_v2/CPFR_Tabs_061802. pdf] (2008-01-07). Waller, M., Johnson, M. E., Davis, T. (1999): Vendor Managed Inventory in the Retail Supply-Chain, Journal of Business Logistics, Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 183-203. Warburton, R. (2004): An Analytical Investigation of the Bullwhip Effect, Production and Operations Management, Vol. 13, No. 2, p. 150–160.

Islamic Political Economy in National Development

GMGF5324 POLITICAL ECONOMY ASSIGNMENT: ISLAMIC POLITICAL ECONOMY IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PREPARED FOR: DR. KAMARUDDIN ABDULSOMAD PREPARED BY: FATIN HANANI BINTI TARMIDZI 1. WHAT KIND OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT HE WAS MENTION? 2. WHAT APPROACH HE DISCUSS IN HIS TALK? 3. YOU COMMENTS? â€Å"The Economic Philosophy of National Development† is the title of what has been presented by Lt. Kol. Prof. Dr. Abdul Razak Chin. He had explained a lot of brilliant ideas on political, national development, mercantilism, Islamic thought and also Islamic political economic in order to develop the nation.First of all, what is economic philosophy that very important in order to achieving the national development? What is philosophy that he had explained in his talk and what kind of philosophy that had be the main key nowadays? According to Lt. Kol. Prof. Dr. Abdul Razak Chin, philosophy in general is philosophy is that branch of knowledge which relates to the concept of divinity. Besides that, with philosophy that we had use, we will endeavor to find the truth and achieve success. Al-Farabi (339H-950M) had explained that philosophy in the context of the love of wisdom or wisdom, and also become cord to every branch of science.In addition, al-Farabi also refers wisdom as makrifullah – a way to know God. Based on my understanding, philosophy is a reflexive question in the threefold sense: it is about philosophy, it is raised by philosophers themselves and, last but not least, it represents an old and difficult philosophical problem. This multiple reflexivity is the reason why trying to find out what philosophy is inevitably becomes not only a way of dealing with philosophy but actually the way of doing philosophy. Once we start discussing philosophy we cannot scape its intellectual grip. Then, he also mentions in his talk that the human needs are no limitation. Human will gain and earn everything that they want as long as they can achieve their mission, target and etc. S econdly, he had explained about national development that had been a main point in his talk. National development refers to the process of national development and to lead a sustainable level of repairs and improvement. National development is also very concerned about the economic development refers to the index per capita.If the index of per capita income at constant rate surpassed the national population growth rate, which means place of steady economic growth and the result is the development of the country. In his talk, he has focus on Islamic political economy in national development. He has explained about the dimension of Islamic development. In order to achieve national development in term of Islam, we need to focus on the three main points. There are dharuriyyat (essential goods), hajiyyat (comfortable), and kamaliat/tahsiniyyat (luxury needs). These three main points should base on syarie or Islamic law.Based on my understanding, we need to balance and equals developing t he nation based on Islamic law and also consider the citizen needs and interest. As a leader and elites itself, the welfare of the citizen very important includes the economis, social life, health care, education etc. Without the citizen especially middle class and workers who are the agents of society and ruling the institution or country, it may affect the country and the economic. It means without them especially the citizens itself; government cannot move and implement their policy.It also may affect the national development. Therefore, I can see how relate the concept of Islamic with national development. Without the relation or combination of national development in Islamic concept, there are many problems that country to solve. According to Lt. Kol. Prof. Dr. Abdul Razak Chin, specifically, an understanding of the economy is appropriate emphasis to the issue of how people use resources and factors of production to achieve well-being (welfare) life (falah) in this world and th e hereafter.Thus, there are seven core areas of the economy to complement the welfare of individuals, communities and nations. * Economic activity based on good intentions and purposes. * Reasonableness obligatory on Kifayah. * Business world without compromising herafter. * Avoid illegal transactions (haram) and syubhah. Last but not least, mercantilism is economic nationalism for the purpose of building a wealthy and powerful state. Adam Smith coined the term â€Å"mercantile system† to describe the system of political economy that sought to enrich the country by restraining imports and encouraging exports.The goal of these policies was, supposedly, to achieve a â€Å"favorable† balance of trade that would bring gold and silver into the country and also to maintain domestic employment. In contrast to the agricultural system of the physiocrats or the laissez-faire of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the mercantile system served the interests of merchants and producers such as the British East India Company, whose activities were protected or encouraged by the state.The basic proposition of Mercantilism is that the state should aim to maximize it's wealth through one-way trade with other countries, maximizing exports and keeping imports to a minimum. The developing countries are in debt due to letalknding policies with interest that they can't pay back, the developed countries export goods into these countries whilst making it very hard for the developing countries to export their own goods in return. The richer are getting richer and the poorer are getting poorer. This is what is happening now.This is mercantilism. My Comments In my opinion, Lt. Kol. Prof. Dr. Abdul Razak Chin has explain details about the Islamic perceptions on national development. He has explain base on Islamic concept that includes world and hereafter (akhirah). He also has described the Islamic concept and theory based on a few Islamic thinkers thought. For ins tance, the sustainability in the country should follow the Islamic concepts. Citizens have their own rights and freedom, and they also the people that increase the national economic and development.Hopefully, I can join this Inaugural Professional Talk again next time. A very brilliant and knowledgeable talk by a educated level like Prof. and Dr presented during that time and all the postgraduate candidates need to attend to gain knowledge and experience. Thank you to Dr Kamaruddin because give me a chance to attend that talk last week. Hopefully, I will grab the opportunity and keep it as my great moment attend the talk with very special conditions and environment. Being around lecturer makes me to be a lecturer or civil servants in future!

Service operations management- Discussion Question Assignment

Service operations management- Discussion Question - Assignment Example The primary strategy adopted by the Walt Disney Corporation is global. The focus of the Walt Disney Company is not only in the United States market, but also internationally. Thus the amusement parts of the company are located in three separate continents. The stores of the company are located in the United States, Portugal, United Kingdom, Italy, France and Spain. The licensed shops for the corporation are located in almost all countries around the globe. The approaches that drive global expansion efforts include; direct investments, foreign outsourcing, and also licensing. The international expansion has been very effective in several aspects. Financially, the measure has reduces operation costs (Bhasin, 2013). This is because, increasing salary in the United States, initiated the move of foreign outsourcing. Thus many production centers are based in Asian countries, due to the minimal production expenses involved. To ensure effective international distribution, the country has authorized licensees, with the main objective of reselling the services and products. This is significant to the company due to minimal investments

An investigation into the impact of control management practices on Essay

An investigation into the impact of control management practices on employee performance at British Airways - Essay Example From a future-oriented perspective, control can be seen as the â€Å"exercise of influence over the actions and decisions of others† (Camillus, 1986:9). The remedial perspective has of late been set aside as old-fashioned. The future oriented perspective has more relevance today. Early research (Antony, Dearden and Vancil, 1972:2) had concluded that every control system essentially has four elements, namely, a detector or sensor, an assessor, an effector and a communications network. These respectively are linked to measuring problems, determining the importance, altering behavior and transmitting information to all those who are concerned (Antony, Dearden and Vancil, 1972:2). Management control was defined by Antony, Dearden and Vancil (1972:6) as â€Å"the process by which managers influence other members of the organization to implement the organization’s strategies† (Antony, Dearden and Vancil, 1972:2). This is only a primary level definition when compared to the advanced thoughts involved in the current management studies. A recent management theory book (Macintosh and Quattrone, 2010:3) has drawn attention to the phenomenon that half of the world thinks control is undesirable and against freedom and the rest believe that the world is in c haos and needs to be more in control. As management theoreticians went on having a deeper understanding of this concept, a consensus was evolved where bureaucratic control is replaced by intelligent control (Leitch, 2008:8). Today control management systems are designed so as to â€Å"give each person the benefits of effective and helpful supervision while information about control performance is moved efficiently upwards and used† (Leitch, 2008:101). Control management now involves setting the standards for effective performance, evaluation of performance according to those standards and altering behavior to better the performance if any lacuna is found. If the standards are not being met, there have

New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc - Essay Example In reality, management seeks to develop a balance between product diversity and production feasibility. As markets mature and competitive pressures increase, more emphasis is given to product diversity. A challenging problem is the prediction of acceptance rates and market-development cycles. However, this cannot be done precisely at the start. But as companies gain better models and data, more precise market adjustments become possible. "If NB2E was to be successful-approaching Tompkins' goal of 100% availability within 24 hours while reducing inventory levels-manufacturing cycle times had to be dramatically reduced. These changes required complete realignment of factory operations" (Bowen et al 2008, p. 11). This pressing strategy has two sides: on the one hand it will require additional financial spending and restructuring within the company, on the other hand it will help New Balance to respond effectively to increased market pressure. "Doing this would require us to reduce work in process significantly and get the line associates and supervisors to embrace that change. The real challenge would be to keep making shoes every day while this transformation was ongoing." (Bowen et al 2008, p. 11). Product strategy is usually couched in terms of product success. However, management must be realistic about product failures -- new-product failure must be part of overall company expectations. Of course, newproduct failures can be eliminated by going out of business. But staying in business implies that new products will be developed and some will fail. Companies must determine an acceptable failure rate for their new products. Low failure rates are not always complimentary statistics, since they may indicate a lack of innovative ability and risk-taking (Crawford 2006). The second pressing strategy is structuring of supply chain. Successive channel stages attempt to overcome any discrepancy between product assortment and market requirements. Customer requirements of one or two units are at variance with supplier requirements of mass production. "In terms of manufacturing cost, labor and overhead each accounted for roughly 25% of the total, while materials accounted for the remaining 50%." (Bowen et al 2008, p. 9).Channels are thus used to overcome barriers. These barriers include the separations of time and space between producers and markets, the costs of moving goods, the communications barriers between producers and users of products, and the separation of demand. In surmounting such barriers, middlemen serve two groups -- manufacturers and customers. Their economic justification stems from performance of their functions more effectively than others. "New Balance continued to forge closer partnerships with its suppliers" (Bowen et al 2008, p. 9) . In order to improve the situation, New Balance could develop a new line of products targeted at low class consumers. The idea is to develop a product line which meets daily needs of a beverage consumer but its manufacturing process is based on professional sport shows technology and materials. In product development, for example, screening, consumer reaction,

Your Are An Enterpreneur Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Your Are An Enterpreneur - Assignment Example The companies such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi and other leading companies would be reached. In the agreements, retailer margin, transport of products, loss in transit, bulk purchase discounts and other important factors shall be discussed. However, before going to finalize agreements, the entrepreneur intends to research the existing policies and interaction between these companies with the retailers. For this purpose, both online and offline resources would be used to gather the relevant information. The entrepreneur intends to hire three full time assistants serving to customers. These assistants would be required to guide customers, provide information and assist them with any other requirements needed by the customers. The reason behind hiring three assistants is to facilitate customers. This facilitation enhances possibility of customer loyalty. Subsequently, this would generate an interrupted flow of customers and revenue would be keep

Bussiness Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bussiness Ethics - Essay Example Speaking more plainly, I think that it is in the best interest of the people that the government hires private military contractors to provide assistance in national defense. Though Sandel did not position himself—directly, on any particular side of the debate, he effectively raise and postulates two critical issues regarding the hiring of private military contractors—using, in particular, the case of Blackwater Worldwide as an example; one is regarding fairness and freedom and the other with regards to civic virtue and common good (81). Blackwater Worldwide which now renamed its company Xe Services was founded by former Navy Seals including its former president and founder Erik Prince. Blackwater trains its own personnel to carry out high-risk operations around the world and had successfully secure contract with the US government under President George Bush. Since 2007, the company has been involved in a string of lawsuits, investigations, and intense public scrutiny w ith their involvement in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan (â€Å"Blackwater Worldwide†). With the questionable conduct of Blackwater Worldwide, why would I still think that private military contractors should assist in national defense? Well, compared to the many utilitarian advantages, I believe that the pros far outweigh the cons.

(AP STYLE) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

(AP STYLE) - Essay Example Many have included it as a popular destination and metaphor for the social issues. This paper delves into how the ‘cradle of life’ has been depicted in different films. One of the many popular movies is Edward Zwick’s Blood Diamond. Zwick commented: â€Å"[w]hen I first read about Sierra Leone, I was shocked. I’d read books about the colonial scramble for Africa, about the exploitation of its ivory, rubber and gold, but to learn the history of diamonds was to learn the history of Africa all over again† (2006, p.1). The story shows meaningful concepts on the continent’s background, human rights violations, and rich natural resources. Included in its themes is the violence that has been happening in the territories of Africa. For instance, the main character (Danny Archer) states â€Å"[o]ut here, people kill each other as a way of life. It’s always been like that†. The story line shows that many Africans may have already accepted the cruel nature of humanity. Their history has been perforated with subjugations from different oppressors. The aforementioned line of Archer may represent several ruthless mortalities, such as the genocide in Rwanda, slaughter of Muslims in Godhra, and the tribal cleansing in Bosnia. Furthermore, some acts from the picture exhibited hands being hacked off to stop people from practicing their right to vote. The scenes have shown gory details on how Africans get hurt and mercilessly killed. Comparably, White Material is a drama that centers on a French woman who chose to stay in Africa. The director Claire Denis utilized artistic imagery in revealing the nation as ravaged by war. The protagonist, Maria, is an owner of a coffee plantation amidst a civil war. In the story the continent was regarded as a very unpleasant place. This is particularly intuited when Maria’s son gazed at a vat full of blood-red coffee beans. Consequently, he looked at his mother. This scene implies th e young man’s hatred toward his mother for choosing to stay in such an iniquitous environment. Probably, Denis wanted to show that the land can be both hated and loved. The violence in Africa has also been presented in other pictures, such as Cry Freetown, Tsotsi, and Battle of Algiers. The first is a 1999 documentary film by Sorious Samura. It was quite informative regarding the brutal civil war in Sierra Leone. Similarly, Tsotsi is a 2005 picture set in the locale of Soweto, South Africa. It became well known especially when it won an Oscar award for best foreign film. It is about one of the crime infested towns. Battle of Algiers is a 1965 movie that depicts the fight for independence in Algeria during the 1950s. It was banned in France for 5 years after its release. These films showcase guerilla revolutions, mass-killing by authorities, and coups. Peoples in different nations have perceived Africa as a very troublesome place. Numerous of them have come to this conclusion because of the bloody and pugnacious scenes in big screens and in the news. However, as compared to the present and actual situations, vicious local conflict is not that much of an everyday occurrence. Though there are indeed some territories that have gone through civil wars, most of the borders were established without ferocious social unrest. The most usual kind of struggle is amongst government militias and rebels. In contrast to the general conception, wars between state armies are quite rare. The vast continent is composed of 54 states. With

History and Political Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

History and Political Science - Essay Example These two parties rose from the national politics before expanding to gain the support of the Americans and voters in the states. These political factions had different beliefs. The Federalist Party views the executive branch of the US government as the arm that requires more support while the democratic republican faction saw the executive as already a very strong arm of government and were therefore in support of the legislative power. The federalists appealed majorly to the business segment whereas the republicans solicited for the support of the planters and the farmers (Brands et al 278-281). The federalists rose to support the treasury financial system that concentrated on the federal assumption of debts, their payments, and a central national bank, which was to encourage the banking industry. For the republicans, their aim was to oppose the strong executive and was therefore formed to oppose the excesses of the executive. They criticized the treasury based financial system and were also against the hostile army. Consequently, the republicans were in favor of limited reading of the constitution that favored the executive branch of government. The two parties were also formed because of the diverse foreign policies. The federalists supported Britain because of its political stability whereas the republicans favored French revolution because Jefferson feared that British aristocratic sway would undermine them. The second party system came after the first party system between1828 to 1854 to champion for voter interest (Foner 52). A rising voter interests as exhibited by the high voters turn over, attendance in rallies and increasing party loyalty marked this period. The Democratic Party and Whig party were the major parties. The period can be described as a nationalization period as it intended to bring pluralism in the political history. The party system also aimed at creating democracy by championing for the interest of the common person especially in the Democratic Party (Brands et al 281-283). The vision of the leaders of ensuring democratization and pluralism was met by innumerable challenges. Resistance from various opponents was great, the resources required in mobilizing, and attracting the voters was enormous. Since the citizens were still not very politically agitated, it required greater efforts to have them participate in the nationalization process. Moreover, the splitting of parties challenged the vision of the leaders. For instance, the Democratic Party spilt leading to the rise of the Whig party. The leader’s divergent opinions and thoughts was a hindrance to the fight for democratization. The Whig party increased its command but later failed to take position on the issue of slavery. The leaders of the first party therefore lacked the ability to make choices on rising issues. The Whig party could therefore conduct successful campaign only if the issue of slavery was not put into consideration. Other factors that posted a challenge to the leaders were religion, slavery and nativism had to be reckoned with (Brands et al 282-284). Was the United States defined more by national or regional identities in the early nineteenth century (from the War of 1812 to the Age of Jackson)? How did that sense of identity shape the political landscape? In the early ninetieth century, America was knit together by certain national fundamental

EU LAW Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

EU LAW - Coursework Example In this regards, Article 21 states that there should not be any discrimination with respect to religion, colour, cultural or social origin, generic features, language, political faith, minority, property, disability, age and gender (Pearson Education, n.d.). Principles of Directive 2004/38 Article 6 denotes that EU Citizens have the right of residence on the area of other EU member nations for a period up to three month (Europa, 2004). Hence, considering the principles stated in Article 6 of EU Law, as an EU citizen, Sally has the right to reside in Spain for employment purposes for three months. However, if Sally desires to remain in Spain for over 3 months, there is a need for registering herself with any of the relevant governmental bodies in the region such as â€Å"town hall† or â€Å"local police station†. ... The Directive principles have also been pursued for eliminating needless limitations on the â€Å"Free Movement of Workers†. This directive principle has perpetually narrowed the pathway for employees, so that they can search for work in any other EU nations. On the basis of Directive 2004/38/EC, the people of EU can authorise their existence in any of the EU nations within a rational and unbiased span of time. However, depending on the duration to reside in foreign nations, other procedures also require to be fulfilled (European Parliament, n.d.). Case 48/75 Royer under Directive 2004/38 -14(4) (b) The case of Royer provides significant insight about the free movement of workers. The case agrees that freedom of institution of self-employed person and autonomy to offer services are all reinforced by the injunction of discrimination with respect to nationality. In the case, it has been depicted that freedom of employees depend on the similar principles as they concern the entry and reside into other EU nation which has been considered within the community regulations and the preventions of all judgements which is majorly based on racial differences (Tovey, 2003). Article 18 TFEU The subject matter of Article 18 TFEU is to implement initiatives with the aim to combat discrimination on the basis of nationality. To be precise, this article states that the right of individuals will not be differentiated with respect to race which is considered as the fundamental principle of EU law (Pearson Education, n.d.). Article 6 of Regulation 1612/68 In the year 1968, the â€Å"Council of European Communities† sanctioned â€Å"Council

Perfect competition Essay Example for Free

Perfect competition Essay A profit maximiser increases output until MC=MR at Q1. The intersection of MC with MR gives the profit maximising level of output. The intersection of MC with MR gives the profit maximising level of output. To find the market price one must project up from Q1 to the demand curve and across the vertical price axis, P1. Consumers are willing to pay P1 for Q1. Unit costs are only P2 so the firm is making an abnormal profit of (P1-P2)*Q1. The four key characteristics of monopoly are: (1) a single firm selling all output in a market, (2) a unique product, (3) restrictions on entry into and exit out of the industry, and more often than not (4) specialized information about production techniques unavailable to other potential producers. These four characteristics mean that a monopoly has extensive (boarding on complete) market control. Monopoly controls the selling side of the market. If anyone seeks to acquire the production sold by the monopoly, then they must buy from the monopoly. This means that the demand curve facing the monopoly is the market demand curve. They are one and the same. The characteristics of monopoly are in direct contrast to those of perfect competition. A perfectly competitive industry has a large number of relatively small firms, each producing identical products. Firms can freely move into and out of the industry and share the same information about prices and production techniques. Single supplier: The essence of a monopoly is a market controlled by a single seller. The most important aspect of being a single seller is that the monopoly seller IS the market. The market demand for a good IS the demand for the output produced by the monopoly. This makes monopoly a price maker, rather than a price taker. Unique Product: To be the only seller of a product, however, a monopoly must have a unique product. There are no close substitutes. A monopoly is an ONLY seller of a UNIQUE product. Barriers to Entry and Exit : A monopoly is generally assured of being the ONLY firm in a market because of assorted barriers to entry. Some of the key barriers to entry are: (1) government license or franchise, (2) resource ownership, (3) patents and copyrights, (4) high start-up cost, and (5) decreasing average total cost. A monopoly might also face barriers to exiting a market. If government deems that the product provided by the monopoly is essential for well-being of the public, then the monopoly might be prevented from leaving the market; Specialized Information Monopoly is commonly characterized by control of information or production technology not available to others. This specialized information often comes in the form of legally-established patents, copyrights, or trademarks. It could be a secret recipe or formula. Perhaps it is a unique method of production. While these create legal barriers to entry they also indicate that information is not perfectly shared by all. Natural Monopoly Sometimes markets become monopolies simply because it is more cost effective to have one firm serving an entire market than it is to have a number of smaller firms competing with one another. Firms whose economies of scale are virtually unlimited are known as natural monopolies, and the goods they produce are referred to as club goods. These firms come to be monopolies because their size and position makes it impossible for new entrants to compete on price. Natural monopolies are usually found in industries with high fixed costs and low marginal costs of operation, such as cable television, telephone, and internet providers. Legal Monopoly Sometimes a government will pass laws reserving a specific trade, product or service for government agencies. For example, many times a government agency will be in charge of running water. The legal barriers that are put up prevent other companies from competing with the government. Technological monopoly occurs when the good or service the company provides is has legal protection in the form of a patent or copyright. For example, if a company develops and patents a drug to cure brain cancer, that company has a legal monopoly over that drug.? Arguments for monopoly : The beneficial effects of economies of scale, economies of scope, and cost complementaries on price and output may outweigh the negative effects of market power. Encourage innovation.

A Hotel And Restaurants Tourism Essay

A Hotel And Restaurants Tourism Essay Introduction A hotel and Restaurants are the place where providing products such as food, accommodation and services to the guests who willing to pay for whatever consumed or experienced by them. Basically when the people like to stay or eat out of the home, first they expect the good services, quality products and satisfaction because of this the classification systems is introduced to in hotel and restaurant Industry. Once we search about why people using the classifications systems in hotel and restaurants; The people can find the hotel and restaurant in easily according to their budgets, because every one cant stay in five star hotels and they cant eat in luxury restaurants, so they can find the hotels and restaurants in their capacity. Most of the people they like to stay and eat at quality and luxury hotels and restaurants, because they like to keep their high range so this classification system is most useful to find the highest range of hotels and restaurants also. Everyone has a expecting the different facilities, so according to some of classification systems they can find the facilities, Eg; swimming pool, sports access, live music, Wi-Fi Internet access conference facilities, *specially disable people expecting the assistance or disable access in room and restaurants Accessible to a wheelchair user travelling independently. Accessible to a wheelchair user travelling with assistance. Accessible to someone with limited mobility, able to walk a few paces and up a maximum of three steps. The every traveller interest to visit to different kind of places so its very helpful to find the accommodations and quality restaurants in their interested places. The people can make sure their own health and safty,via the classification system because the classification systems are have some of basic law and rules because of that they are checking the quality of food and products, after that only their register with them that industry, And as a same time this classification system is helping to the Hotel and restaurant industry also, Every customers are checking the range of facilities and the quality of products, so their taking the classification guides in their hand before their leaving home so this is the best way to advertise the industry, Its the best way to publish their business, once the hotels or restaurants are registered with this systems their publishing their qualities of products, and their services, and they can show the range of their industry Eg; one five stars hotels, one three roses restaurants The classification system is reaching to all the customers as a tour guides, so when the Hotel and restaurants are register with this the industry dont want to advertise their products and services as a result the industry promote the business automatically via the classification system. In this guides their using lots of simple symbols to easy to identify the range or standards, qualities, services, prices and facilities of the hotel and restaurant industry. Eg; The classification systems are having different structures; Registration: Every Form of licensing which may or may not demand a minimum standard. Eg; Safety and security, Cleanliness, Maintenance, Physical Quality, Hospitality, Reservations, Prices and Billing, Housekeeping Services, Food Quality, Menu and Pricing, Heating and Temperature Control, Lighting, Communication and Business Services and Alcoholic Drink Services/Licences Classification: Separation of different types and ranges of accommodation as one To five stars hotel this several categories based on a range of criteria according to these five aeries such as cleanliness, service, food, bedrooms and bathrooms. And also we can divide the Hotel accommodations as five to seven categories to be applied. Other forms of accommodation e.g. motels, guest-houses and self catering apartments seldom justify more than two or three classes. Grading: Often combine with classification; this is a quality assessment awarding a symbol to denote an above average service to an accommodation facility. Eg; Green globe classification systems for environment, product the global warming, Popular classification systems in Great Britain: AA (Auto mobile association) Michelin guide Tourist Board AA Auto mobile association (Accommodation Guide) Introduction; The AA is offer quality-assured accommodation because the AA team of experts visited and rated for the all the accommodations. In this AA classification system has offer over 6,500 places to stay in UK. Whether Travellers looking for BBs, farmhouses, inns, hotels, country houses hotels or town houses, they can find the perfect places via AA. Every Accommodation uploaded with their available facilities, location, prices, services, and with the images and Details with the descriptions written by an AA inspector. From short breaks and family holidays to business trips, everyone can book their accommodation with the AA for guaranteed peace via the secure online booking process The AA is one of the UKs most well-established and respected organizations and has been recommending hotels to travellers since 1908. With over 100 years of experience behind us, you can be confident in your hotel choice. Get the most out of the details of trip with AA Travel. Easy to find the route and find places to stay at your destination with AA Route Planner, and find places to eat out at your destination with our Restaurants HYPERLINK http://www.theaa.com/travel/basicsearch/preparepoisearchstage1.do?statusstage1=newpage=fooddrinkHYPERLINK http://www.theaa.com/travel/basicsearch/preparepoisearchstage1.do?statusstage1=newpage=fooddrink Pubs search facility, and find things to do and places to see with the AAs Events HYPERLINK http://www.theaa.com/travel/basicsearch/preparepoisearchstage1.do?statusstage1=newpage=eventattractionHYPERLINK http://www.theaa.com/travel/basicsearch/preparepoisearchstage1.do?statusstage1=newpage=eventattraction Attractions listings. The common standards make types of accommodation easy to understand and give you confidence that establishments can meet the standards you require. The AA is categorised the accommodation such as Hotel, Guest accommodation and Budget Hotel. Hotel and guest accommodation are divided into sub-categories or designators that provide more information about the type of establishment. Hotel categories; * Hotel; A formal accommodation offering full hotel services. *Country House Hotel; A hotel with sample grounds or gardens set in a rural or semi-rural situation; the property has a focus on peace and quiet. *Small Hotel; Smaller establishments having a maximum of 20 bedrooms, and personally run by the owner. *Town House Hotel; A high-quality property of distinctive style with a maximum of 50 bedrooms, set in a town or city centre; possibly no dinner but room service is available instead. *Metro Hotel; A town or city property providing full hotel services except dinner, with the easy walking distance of a range of places to eat. Guest accommodation categories BB (Bed and Breakfast) who they are providing the accommodation and breakfast only by owners for paying guests. Guest House who they are providing the accommodation, breakfast and more services by owners and staff for paying more than six guests.E.g. Dinner. Farmhouse Bed and Breakfast or Guest House accommodation provided on a working farm. Restaurant with Rooms A restaurant offering a maximum of 12 bedrooms. Guest Accommodation Any establishment that with the accommodation only in this general category. Accommodation standards Star ratings Star ratings, from one to five, show the standard of quality for hotels and guest accommodation. Star rating Hotel Guest Accommodation The most of the rooms are en suite standard, Daily Breakfast and dinner most evenings at the designed restaurants. Minimum quality requirements are; cleanliness, maintenance, hospitality, facilities and services. Continental breakfast is served in a dining room or eating area, or bedroom only. All rooms are en suite with the private facilities. Daily breakfast and dinner serves at Designed restaurant or dining room. Good quality beds and breakfast prepared with a good level of care. Professional Staffs and quality services.Eg; Silver services. All rooms are en suite, The restaurant or dining room is open to residents and non-residents. Standard services with Friendly welcome, and good-quality beds and furnished room A Good quality choice of fresh cooked food for breakfast. Professional, uniformed staffs respond to the guest request and needs, Well-arranged public areas. The restaurant or dining room is open to residents and non-residents, Lunch is available in a designated eating area. At least half of the bedrooms are en suite or have private bathrooms with Very good beds and high quality furniture. A Good quality choice of fresh cooked food for breakfast Luxurious accommodation and public areas, with a range of extra facilities available High quality menu and wine list. All bedrooms are en suite and with the private bathroom. Excellent quality beds and furnishings. Breakfast includes specials/home-made items, high quality ingredients, and fresh local produce. Other accommodation symbols used on this website AA Merit % Score This is the additional Star rating system, this percentage is an AA Merit Score as a percentage. It shows the level of quality achieved within each Star rating, which helps you to compare hotels with the same number of Stars. AA Inspectors Choice these hotels stand out as the very best in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, regardless of style. The selected Inspectors Choice hotels are identified by red Stars. Highly Commended The score is then represented as a one- to five-Star rating. Yellow Stars indicate that an establishment is within the upper 10% of the quality score range for a three- four- or a five-Star guest accommodation. Breakfast and Dinner awards For guest accommodation, the eggcup and pie symbols indicate a very special breakfast or dinner, with an emphasis on freshly prepared local ingredients. Unconfirmed rating This symbol shows as their Star rating has not been confirmed. This may be due to a change of ownership or because the establishment has only recently joined the AA rating scheme. AA Associate recognition Establishments inspected and rated by Visit Britain, Visit Scotland or Visit Wales can pay to belong to the AA Associate Hotel/Guest Accommodation Scheme. You can be confident that all AA Associate-recognised establishments have Star ratings that meet the common quality standards. Accommodation prices Prices are given for a single or double room per night this Prices include VAT, except in the Channel Islands where VAT does not apply. But this all the prices are subject to change better to check the rates before making booking, and these prices for hotels and guest accommodation shown in Euros (EUR). Pennant ratings for campsites and caravan parks Campsites and caravan parks are rated by AA inspectors on a five-point scale. The Pennant ratings increase with the quality and variety of facilities a park offers. The AA Pennant rating is only based on the touring pitches and the facilities at campsites and caravan parks. AA inspectors do not visit or report on rented static caravans or chalets. Holiday Centres Holiday Centres cater for all holiday needs, including entertainment and catering facilities. They provide: a wide range of on-site sports, leisure and recreational facilities exceptional supervision and security a choice of eating outlets touring facilities of equal importance to statics a maximum density of 25 pitches per acre clubhouse with entertainment provided automatic laundry Rosette awards for restaurants In nationwide about 10% of restaurants are standard of one Rosette awards worthy of One Rosette .AA Rosettes are solely awarded by AA Hotel and Restaurant Inspectors. External influences from hotels, restaurants or other guides are not taken into account when awarding Rosettes. These restaurants they serve food prepared with care, understanding and skill, using good quality ingredients. Around 50% of restaurants/hotels within our AA Restaurant Guide have One Rosette. Excellent restaurants that aim for and achieve higher standards and better consistency in this standard restaurant have a best cooking and there will be the selection of quality ingredients in foods. Its around 40% of restaurants/hotels within our AA Restaurant Guide have Two Rosettes. It will be outstanding restaurants the cooking is underpinned by the selection and sympathetic treatment of the highest quality ingredients and in here they are maintaining the great timing, seasoning and the judgment of flavour combinations will consistently be excellent. And like this restaurants maintain the good quality of wine list also in this service. Around 10% of the restaurants/hotels within the AA Restaurant Guide have Three Rosettes and above. Among the top restaurants in the UK, where the cooking demands national recognition. These restaurants exhibit intense ambition, a passion for excellence, superb technical skills, and remarkable consistency. They will combine appreciation of culinary traditions with a passionate desire for further exploration and improvement. There are very few restaurants with Four AA Rosettes. The pinnacle, where cooking compares with the best in the world. These restaurants have highly individual voices, exhibit breathtaking culinary skills, and set standards to which others aspire to, yet few achieve. Once we search about Doubletree Hilton Hotel through AA as one example; Hotel Star category Register with AA Restaurant Category Doubletree by Hilton Chester 81% Location Warrington Road Hoole Village Percentage Score of this Restaurant CHESTER CH2 3PD Contact Tel: 01244 408800 Fax: 01244 320251 Price from  £65.00 About the Hotel; Major investment has transformed this notable 18th-century country house into a must-see destination. Available Facilities; Bedrooms, with smart modern bathrooms, are very well equipped and feature a wealth of practical and thoughtful extras. Public areas, furnished in a minimalist style, retain many period features, including a Grade II listed conservatory. The Orchid Restaurant is an ideal setting for both casual and fine dining. A luxury spa is due to open in the autumn of 2009. Hotel Images; Direction Bed Rooms Extra Facilities M53 junct 12 towards Chester. Hotel 500yds on left Nearest station: Chester Nearest motorway: M53 junct 12 The Doubletree By Hilton Chester Is Located In Chester, England. Outside City Centre, Close To Chester Races, Near Chester Zoo En-suite rooms:110 Direct dial from rooms No dogs allowed except guide dogs 24-Hour Room Service, Restaurant, Concierge Desk, Cable Television On Flat-screens, Complimentary High-speed Internet, Coffee And Tea Facilities According to this AA guide they had given the enough information about the Doubletree Hilton Hotel. Such as the hotel star category, restaurants Rosette awards, Restaurant percentage Score, Hotel images, the room price, available facilities of this hotel also. So we can say this guide made for easy to find the accommodation where the traveller interested. Michelin Guide In 1900 the Michelin Guide started by Andre Michelin in France, The main product is Michelin tyres, the first Michelin Guide was created for who they are working with the company drivers only, because its easy locate garages and fuel suppliers during their journey in France and in future it was included the good places for food and lodging to overnight stay in France. In future The Michelin Guide offers selection of the best hotels and restaurants in every category, at prices to suit all budgets. The choices are made by Michelin team of inspectors, who they are travelling across the country in all Now its with 12 guides covering Austria, Benelux, France, Germany, Great Britain Ireland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland. However the main goal is to make travelling easier and help readers. The Scale of Michelin Guide;- In 110 years, 30 million copies of the Michelin Guide for France have been sold, with an average of 400,000 copies sold in each of the past three years in a total of 97 countries. 45,000 letters are received every year for the Michelin Guides in Europe, of which more than 80 per cent agree with our recommendations. Fewer than five per cent of establishments in the Guide have been awarded stars. The Michelin Guide Great Britain Ireland includes 5445 establishments. The 12 Guides in the collection contain a total of more than 45,000 hotels and restaurants. The Michelin guide has divided in country wise as Red Guide and Green Guide. Red Guide is shows the categorized accommodation and restaurant details in the country, but The Green Guide is showing the information on history and cultural heritage of the country. The Michelin Guide using the symbols and categories of Restaurants sector;- -Quit comfortable Restaurant -Comfortable Restaurant -Very comfortable Restaurant -Top class comfort Restaurant Luxury in the traditional style Restaurant -Quit comfortable and pleasant Restaurant -Comfortable and pleasant Restaurant -Very Comfortable and pleasant Restaurant Top class Comfort and pleasant Restaurant -Luxury in the traditional style and pleasant Restaurant -A very good Restaurant -Excellent cooking, worth a detour -Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey Bib Gourmand Traditional and pleasant pub serving food Traditional pub serving food Good Wine selection The Michelin Guide using the symbols in Hotel sector;- -Restaurant -Car park -Air condition Non smoking Internet Disable access Starlight TV Suitable for Children Animal allowed -Swimming pool The Example of the Hotel which is registered with Michelin; Hotel star rate London Marriott Hotel County Hall Location London County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road GB London SE1 7PB Facilities Price Rooms for person(s) from 168.26  £ Services; Facing the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and the River Thames, this historic and central 5-star Marriott hotel has first-class service, a pool, gym, spa and luxurious rooms. London Marriott Hotel County Hall shares the South Bank with the London Eye and London Aquarium. Rooms have luxury bedding, air conditioning and bathrobes. Some have stunning London views. Fine cuisine is served in The County Hall Restaurant. There are many lounges and bars, and 24-hour room service. The Example of the Restaurant which is registered with Michelin; Very Comfortable and pleasant Restaurant Excellent cooking The Capital Restaurant 51.5;-0.16159 22-24 Basil St GB Chelsea SW3 1AT Location http://www.capitalhotel.co.uk Cooking French / INCLUDEPICTURE http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/gbr/img/rg/072.gif * MERGEFORMATINET 38 £/58 £ INCLUDEPICTURE http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/gbr/img/rg/513.gif * MERGEFORMATINET Good Wine selection Phone (020) 7589 5171 Fax (020) 7225 0011 E-mail HYPERLINK mailto:[emailprotected] o [emailprotected] t _blank [emailprotected] Site HYPERLINK http://www.capitalhotel.co.uk o http://www.capitalhotel.co.uk t _blank http://www.capitalhotel.co.uk Cuisine French Ausstattungen Remarks Hotel restaurant imbued with an understated elegance. Confident, precise cooking; classical dishes come with impishly ingenious touches. Enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff. Specialities Crab lasagne with langoustine cappuccino. Saddle of rabbit Provencal with seared calamari. Iced coffee parfait with chocolate fondant. The Tourist Board in England. The goal of the Tourist board is to develop the tourism England. The tourist board guide is including over 27,000 quality assessed accommodation establishments for a place stay. The Tourist Board is operating the Tourist Information Centres is all over the England, TIC services are; Find a place to stay In TIC can find the quality accommodation to stay to the tourist where they are interested to visit. Plan a Tour The people have any ideas about their holidays, or day outs, the TIC make the tour plans and arrange the trip according to their ideas and where they are interested places and also they can search for attractions and events all over the country, the people can also purchase tickets for events and attractions in TIC Destination guides In TIC issuing the Destination guide so, anyone can read the destination guides in the Destinations section and learn about a wide range of towns, cities, villages and other holiday locations all over England. Travellers tips If Travellers like to visit anywhere in England, the TIC will give the important and use full information and instructions to them, its helpful for their safety and healthy travel. The Tourist board is categorising the industry according to their minimum requirements, such as accommodation standard, cleanliness, ambience, hospitality, service and food. When the tourist board satisfied they are using the star rating system, (1 to 5 Stars) Except the star awards the Tourist board is awarding the Silver Gold awards for hotels and guest accommodation whose quality outperforms their star rating. The tourist board is care about the green world; as a result they introduced the green award. The tourist board expect the minimum requirement of establishment: Licensed to serve alcohol All bedrooms en-suite or with private bathroom Designated reception facility and proprietor or staff on the premises day and evening Access to hotel at all times for registered guests Dinner served at least five days a week (Unless town house hotel/metro hotel) The Tourist board categorised the accommodation; Hotels Any establishment have more than 20rooms its categorised under the Hotel category. Small hotels More than 6 rooms and a maximum of 20 and its run by owner Country house hotels Accommodation with grounds or gardens, in a rural or semi-rural location, with emphasis on peace and quiet. Town house hotels Its established in city/town centre locations offering high quality with a distinctive style. Metro hotels Its we can found in city/town centres, offering full hotel services, but no dinner. They will be within easy walking distance of a range of places to eat. Budget hotels Always part of a large branded hotel group offering clean and comfortable en-suite facilities, 24-hour reservations and a consistent level of facilities. Self catering This accommodation provides the freedom to eat out or cook for yourself Holiday villages Holiday villages are a popular way of combining accommodation and on-site leisure facilities for families and adults. Park Inn Heathrow, managed by Rezidor Hotel Group, offers 880 comfortable and spacious guest rooms and suites. Conveniently situated at Londons Heathrow Airport, the hotel is close to Stockley Business Park, Royal Windsor and Legoland, plus central London is just a 15-minute train ride away on the Heathrow Express. Additional facilities at Park Inn Heathrow include a fitness centre which comprises a 15-metre heated pool, a wide variety of cardio-vascular equipment, a sauna, a solarium and a Jacuzzi. Access to the fitness centre is complimentary to hotel guests. Pulse Cafà © / Bar / Deli offers a modern international cafà © menu serving fresh and eclectic comfort food from around the world, including many healthy and low carbohydrate options. New opened multi-cuisine Restaurant and Bar called Bravo! Bravo serving food from throughout the world with back ground live music and entertainment. Brand new state-of-the-art Conference Centre makes the Park Inn Heathrow hotel one of the largest conference venues at Heathrow Airport with 2,045 square meters of meeting space, the new facilities are offering an additional nine conference and meeting rooms, all adding up to a total of 43 versatile rooms accommodate up to 700 delegates in theatre style. Prices from  £79.00, subject to availability.