Configure Basic Security Controls on a Fedora Linux Server Essay Example for Free

Configure Basic Security Controls on a Fedora Linux Server Essay 1. What is GRUB and why is it important to lock it down? a. GRUB is a bootloader. It is very important to lock this down because of the high access to the kernel and how important aspects can be modified on the fly at any time during the boot up process because it is unprotected by password. 2. Discuss the purpose of granting â€Å"sudo† access. Why is it a good idea not to log in as a root user? a. It gives the person access using the sudo access, superuser capability and allows them to run programs with the security privileges of such. This can cause instability of the kernel or in the hands of a skilled individual compromise the system. 3. If a file is set with the immutable flag, what security controls does this provide for the file? a. Immutable permissions designation prevents a file from being changed, even by someone with root level access. 4. Why do you get a blank window when trying to edit grub with â€Å"vi†? a. You need the correct permissions, or the file has been moved so it is loading nothing. 5. How do you know when you log in as root? a. Terminal prompt goes from [[emailprotected] ~]$ to [[emailprotected] username]# 6. What command do you need to use to install vim? a. apt-get install vim 7. What is iptables and how does this help harden the Fedora Linux Server? a. Iptables is like a rule set or chain of rules. You can use it to basically build a firewall. 8. Why is it important to configure and enable iptables on your Fedora Linux Server? a. To help secure a Linux server that is connected to the internet. 9. What is the difference between the commands ‘cat’ and ‘less’? a. The ‘cat’ command will list everything in a file and it has the capability to merge files. Less will view the contents of a file one page at a time waiting for the user to continue. 10. What is the difference between ‘setfacl’ and ‘getfacl’? How can â€Å"setfacl† help achieve security hardening? a. setfacl set file access control lists. getfacl get file access control lists. Setfacl is used to set up ACL (Access Control Lists). The usage of ACLs offers mechanisms for setting up per-user-permissions of single filesystem objects and provides fine-grained definitions of access restrictions.

Carl Rogers Essay Example for Free

Carl Rogers Essay Experience is, for me, the highest authority. The touchstone of validity is my own experience. No other persons ideas, and none of my own ideas, are as authoritative as my experience. It is to experience that I must return again and again, to discover a closer approximation to truth as it is in the process of becoming in me. -Carl Rogers, On Becoming a Person Best Known For: †¢Carl Rogers is best-known for his nondirective approach to treatment known as client-centered therapy. †¢His concept of the actualizing tendency. †¢Developing the concept of the fully-functioning person. Birth and Death †¢Born January 8, 1902 †¢Died February 4, 1987 Timeline of Events: †¢1902 Carl Rogers was born in Oak Park, Illinois. †¢1919 Enrolled at University of Wisconsin. †¢1924 Graduated from University of Wisconsin and enrolled at Union Theological Seminary. †¢1926 Transferred to Columbia. †¢1931- Earned Ph.D. from Columbia. †¢1940 Began teaching at University of Ohio. †¢1946 Elected president of American Psychological Association (APA). †¢1951 Published Client-centered Therapy. †¢1961 Published On Becoming A Person. †¢1980 Published A Way of Being. †¢1987 Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize. Early Life: Carl Rogers enrolled at the University of Wisconsin in 1919 as an agriculture major, but later changed to religion. After attending a 1922 Christian conference in China, Rogers began to question his career choice. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1924 with a bachelors degree in History and enrolled at the Union Theological Seminary before transferring to Teachers College of Columbia University to complete his masters degree. He completed his doctorate at Columbia in 1931. Career: After receiving his Ph.D., Rogers spent a number of years working in academia, holding positions at Ohio State University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Wisconsin. It was during this time that Rogers developed his approach to therapy, which he initially termed nondirective therapy. This approach, which involves the therapist acting as a facilitator rather than a director of the therapy session, eventually came to be known as client-centered therapy. After a number of conflicts within the psychology department at the University of Wisconsin, Rogers accepted a position at the Western Behavioral Studies Institute (WBSI) in La Jolla, California. Eventually, he and several colleagues left WBSI to form Center for Studies of the Person (CSP). Carl Rogers continued his work with client-centered therapy until his death in 1987. Contributions to Psychology: With his emphasis on human potential, Carl Rogers had an enormous influence on both psychology and education. Beyond that, he is considered by many to be one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century. More therapists cite Rogers as their primary influence than any other psychologist. As described by his daughter Natalie Rogers, he was a model for compassion and democratic ideals in his own life, and in his work as an educator, writer, and therapist. Selected Works By Carl Rogers: Rogers, C. (1951) Client-centered Therapy: Its current practice, implications and theory. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Rogers, C. (1961) On Becoming A Person: A Therapists View of Psychotheraphy Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Rogers, C. (1980) A Way of Being. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Biographies of Carl Rogers: Cohen, D. (1997) Carl Rogers. A critical biography. London: Constable. Thorne, B. (1992) Carl Rogers. London: Sage. Sources: Rogers, N. Carl Rogers Biography. http://www.nrogers.com/carlrogersbio.html

Managing Service Operations

Managing Service Operations Raised in Tokyo, Hiroaki Aoki managed to launch his first business in the United States. Taking advantage of his origin, he opened a Chinese-Japanese cuisine restaurant offering a unique experience to its customers. The food process was transformed to an exceptional food experience and with the opening of a chain of in total 15 restaurants Hiroaki Aoki proved to be a pioneer in the restaurant industry. The way he managed to succeed this, was through revolutionary moves regarding restaurants environment, financial operations and service structure. By decorating his restaurant with Japanese elements and employing Japanese chefs as showmen, the perception of dining at Benihana changed. This new perspective was further supported by reducing the kitchen-room as to have more space for tables and fully adapt the Japanese philosophy as well as creating an unparalleled image for his business. Due to the uniqueness of the Benihana restaurants, franchise as a growth strategy brought upon many problems: starting from a lack of communication between managers and the Japanese speaking personnel, to inexperienced managers in franchised businesses abroad. This led Hiroaki Aoki to reconsider his options and deciding to expand through other models (joint-venture and hotel-corporation) and in other areas of food industry (retail and quick service food sector). Whether this is a sustainable move or not will be identified within this report. Benihanas concept is based on an authentic Japanese atmosphere. The use of American food favourites (chicken, steak, etc.) combined with the hibatchi method of presentation makes this restaurant very different from others (Sasser, 2004). Glushko and Tabas (2008) state that service management and design success depend on the interaction between employees and customers. Thus the quality of the service experience relies on the front stage activities displayed in a restaurant. Furthermore, Frei (2006) adds that the line of visibility is the factor that separates the front stage and the back stage (Appendix 3). If Benihana was to compare with a McDonalds and a Gourmet Restaurant the service encounters would be very different (Appendix 4) (Frei, 2006). In the case of McDonalds the line of visibility for the front-stage is very small and depends on waiting lines and self-service, whereas all the production lines occur in the back stage, thus the customers experience is very limited (ibid.). A customers experience in a gourmet restaurant has a balance between the front-stage, dining room experience, and the kitchen-backstage-area (ibid.). Compared to both of these, Benihana enhances the experience of their customers by treating the chef as a showman and having a different production line to service (ibid.). The front stage is the largest part of the operations with the chef cooking and serving the dishes together with the waiter, whereas the kitchen preparation is a very small part of their process (Sasser, 2004). This different concept increases customer satisfaction: 9 As seen in Figure 2, customer satisfaction is rated as excellent, which implies that the Benihana service concept is successful. In order to further develop this aspect of their business, Benihana also developed several other concepts in relation to their design, their bar and their customer batching in groups, which will be further discussed in Chapter 3.2.2 Benihanas Restaurant Design. 10 Benihana created a concept that includes food, atmosphere, entertainment and hospitality, while trying to be consistent, with their Japanese heritage. Furthermore, the owner is planning expansion steps to appeal to a wider range of clientele. However, Hiroaki Aoki has two major concerns. The first issue is how to sustainably expand and upgrade his product and services to cater a wider range of audience, while keeping the quality and the Japanese traditional atmosphere. The second issue is how to define what Benihana is selling. Data Analysis Benihanas Strategy Considering the growth of Benihana from a humble 40-seat unit to a chain of 15 units across the country, Hiroaki Aoki had a very successful strategic planning behind the concept of his restaurant (Figure 1) (Sasser, 2004). Strategic planning can be defined as an organizational process of allocating its resources in order to pursue a strategy that includes its capital, employees and most important its clients (Haines Schmidt, 2005). The owner, Rocky, approached a combination of inputs (operations), customers satisfaction and outcomes (financial results) in order to provide a new idea behind the strategy of a normal restaurant, maximizing its strengths and diminishing its weaknesses (Appendix 2) (Heskett, Sasser Schlesinger, 1997). Figure 1 : Benihana Strategic Planning Note: Adapted from Heskett, Sasser Schlesinger, 1997 Benihanas strategic planning took into consideration five important aspects: Construction, Finance, Marketing, Human Resources and Operations (Heskett, Sasser Schlesinger, 1997). They provide the framework for understanding how the firms operational investment is translated into its profit. Furthermore, Benihanas concept and cost-structure will be presented in relation to this model in order to understand the true authenticity behind this different restaurant management approach. Benihanas Concept Benihanas concept is based on an authentic Japanese atmosphere. The use of American food favourites (chicken, steak, etc.) combined with the hibatchi method of presentation makes this restaurant very different from others (Sasser, 2004). Glushko and Tabas (2008) state that service management and design success depend on the interaction between employees and customers. Thus the quality of the service experience relies on the front stage activities displayed in a restaurant. Furthermore, Frei (2006) adds that the line of visibility is the factor that separates the front stage and the back stage (Appendix 3). If Benihana was to compare with a McDonalds and a Gourmet Restaurant the service encounters would be very different (Appendix 4) (Frei, 2006). In the case of McDonalds the line of visibility for the front-stage is very small and depends on waiting lines and self-service, whereas all the production lines occur in the back stage, thus the customers experience is very limited (ibid.). A customers experience in a gourmet restaurant has a balance between the front-stage, dining room experience, and the kitchen-backstage-area (ibid.). Compared to both of these, Benihana enhances the experience of their customers by treating the chef as a showman and having a different production line to service (ibid.). The front stage is the largest part of the operations with the chef cooking and serving the dishes together with the waiter, whereas the kitchen preparation is a very small part of their process (Sasser, 2004). This different concept increases customer satisfaction: Figure 2 : Customer Satisfaction Note: Own design according to Exhibit 4, Sasser, 2004 As seen in Figure 2, customer satisfaction is rated as excellent, which implies that the Benihana service concept is successful. In order to further develop this aspect of their business, Benihana also developed several other concepts in relation to their design, their bar and their customer batching in groups, which will be further discussed in Chapter 3.2.2 Benihanas Restaurant Design. Benihanas Cost Structure In terms of Benihanas cost arrangement the owner implemented a strategic cost structure to the business by lowering the cost of labour and food and beverage. The cooking labour is cost efficient due to the cost reduction that was done through their chefs; they did not only prepare the food, but also served it (Sasser, 2004). With concerns to the food and beverage costs, due to their limited menu, inventory reduction also occurred (ibid.). Taking into account all the mentioned measures, the results have a direct impact on the financial statement of the restaurant. Figure 3: Benihana ´s Partial Income Statement Note: Sasser, 2004; Bank of America, 1968 As seen in Figure 3, Benihana ´s Earnings Before Income Tax and Depreciation (EBITDA) is on average between 15 and 35% higher than ones of a typical service restaurant (Sasser, 2004). It is observed that there are two factors, which increase profitability: lower food and beverage cost (limited menu, fewer inventories) as well as lower labour cost. The lower labour cost is the influential reason behind this high difference in marginal profit. Analyzing the employee that plays the most important role in the restaurant, the Benihana chef, an employee profile was created (Appendix 5). PayScale (2010) provides an immediate accurate snapshot of the job market and gives facts of employees salary data in the world. Thus it was used as a source to calculate the annual average salaries of the food and beverage segment as well as the job specification of a chef in 1964 (Appendix 6) (ibid.). The average annual salary of a Benihana chef can be analyzed through the figure below. Figure 4 : Benihana ´s Chef Annual Average Salaries 1964 Note: PayScale, 2010 It can be noticed that the Benihana master-chefs have a slightly above average income compared to the market. As the success and the reputation of the restaurant depend on these employees, it is very important to keep them motivated and this further demonstrates that the owner, Rocky, also has a human resources operation strategic planning as seen in Figure 1. Benihanas Restaurant Capacity Managers are continuously challenged with balancing customer demand and service capacity (Klassen Rohleder, 2002). The capacity of a business can be seen as their ability to meet the demand; for the production of goods this can be easily done, but for services it is very difficult as four critical factors have to be taken into account: time, labour, infrastructure and equipment (ibid.). Thus capacity has to be planned ahead in order to achieve cost effectiveness and the customer satisfaction. In the case of Benihana, an estimation of the maximum demand rate for an evening dinner period was calculated in order to foresee the capacity to sustain it: Figure 5: Benihana ´s Capacity vs. Demand Rate Note: Own design; Sasser, 2004 It can be noted from Figure 5 that in a case of maximum demand rate, Benihanas capacity will not be able to fit 360 clients in one night. Although the restaurant has already a limited menu, Benihana also took into consideration a decrease in dining time. The chefs also plays an important part by offering the guests the ultimate gastronomic experience and politely annoucing them that their dinner is over by bowing at the end of the meal-presentation (Sasser, 2004). Benihanas Production Process System Before a company can actually decide on which customer target market it will serve, it has to define its value proposition and its position in the market (Kotler Armstrong, 2010). The positioning of a company is defined as a consumer`s appreciation of the product compared to competing products (ibid.). As one can see in Appendix 7, Benihana has a high customer value and a differentiated position in the market. Hiroaki Aoki achieved this position, through an unprecedented service experience and design (Sasser, 2004), which will be highlighted in the following chapter. Benihana`s Service Design Every service idea starts with a service concept, where the purpose, target market and the customer experience are defined (Russell Taylor, 2009). By opening an authenticable Japanese restaurant in the United States, Hiroaki Aoki focused on two main criteria, Americans enjoy when they are going out for dinner: an exotic surrounding and a place where they can watch the preparation of their food (Sasser, 2004). Referring to the previous chapter, out of this observation, he created a completely new service concept: the Benihana dining concept, where the food is prepared by professional chefs on hibachi tables right in front of the guests. This newly developed concept was both, revenue- and cost-effective (Heskett, Sasser Schlesinger, 1997). A service package is a mixture of physical items, sensual benefits, and psychological benefits (Russell Taylor, 2009). The specialty of a Benihana restaurant is their design according to historical authenticity. All the physical items (walls, ceilings, lights, etc.) are from Japan and the materials are originally shipped to the United States (Sasser, 2004). Sensual benefits are supported by the highly trained native Japanese chefs whose form of cooking is mainly showmanship (ibid.). The psychological benefits in a Benihana restaurant are the exotic surroundings and authenticity of the place. The combination of all three components concludes in an effective service design (Russell Taylor, 2009). Therefore, the connection is presented in the service design process: Figure 6: The Service Design Process Note: Adapted from Russell Taylor, 2009 Derived from the service package, specifications for performance, design and delivery are specified. Based on the customer expectations (exotic surrounding), the design (original materials from Japan) and delivery (downtown Manhattan) are created (Russell Taylor, 2009). Benihana`s Restaurant Design The design of a typical Benihana restaurant is created to increase efficiency and profitability. A typical Benihana restaurant design, which presents the floor plan of the Benihana West restaurant on West 56th Street in Manhattan (Sasser, 2004), is shown in Figure 7. It is comprised of 112 to 120 seats in the dining area as well as 55 to 60 seats in the cocktail lounge and the typical operation has between 5,000 and 6,000 square feet (ibid.). Figure 7: A typical Benihana Floor Plan Note: Sasser, 2004 Once guests enter the restaurant, they first pass the cocktail lounge. The bar in the first Benihana restaurant only seated eight guests as the design was concentrated on food-service sales (Sasser, 2004). Along the openings of new restaurants, the founder realized, that the small space was insufficient and enlarged the bar space with every opening. He found out, that in peak times, the bar is well used as a buffer and therefore increases the beverage sales (ibid.). When all the 14 tables in the dining area are occupied, the guests are waiting here for an aperitif, until there are seats available. In the bar, the guests are batched in groups of 8 and are leaded to the dining area. The main attractions in the dining area are the teppanyaki tables, which cover eight diners per table and are served by one chef and a waitress (Sasser, 2004). Due to the hibachi tables, the conventional back-stage kitchen can be reduced as the cooking itself takes place front-stage at the customer`s table. This leads to shorter serving distances and one team of chef and waitress can handle two tables at once. The arrangement of the tables (see also Figure 6), also results in lower cost of labour (Sasser, 2004). Examination of the Production System The design of the production process comes along with the design of the restaurant space. The whole production line moves towards the service of the customer. It starts in the bar, where the guests are grouped together in batches of eight before having their dinner (Verweire Van den Berghe, 2005). It has to be taken into consideration that the combination of batches is satisfactory for smaller groups arriving, since they do not know each other (Appendix 8). This batch concept leads to higher beverage sales and allows using the whole provided capacity in the restaurant. According to Russell and Taylor (2009) design simplification reduces the number of parts, subassemblies, and options in a product. Benihana`s menu consists of four main food items (filet mignon, steak, chicken and shrimp) accompanied by unvaried side dishes (zucchini, onions, bean sprouts, fresh mushrooms and rice), which can be combined as entrees or main dishes (Sasser, 2004). As seen in Figure 4 this standardization of ingredients cuts the food costs down to 30-35% of food sales and leaves nearly no waste (Sasser, 2004; Russell Taylor, 2009). This also minimizes the space for food storage, which results in less space in the back stage of the restaurant. Since services are defined as front-stage activities, the dining room of a restaurant is the service part, whereas the kitchen is classified as the production part (Teboul, 2006). Through the preparation of the meal in front of the customer, not only the service experience is greater, but also a conventional kitchen is not necessary anymore. This enlarges the productive dining area and reduces the back area (preparation areas, dressing rooms, storage and office space) of about 22% of the total space (Sasser, 2004). According to Verma and Boyer (2010), the aim of successful process design is to maximize the output. To identify possible limitations, a bottleneck analysis is helpful. A bottleneck in a process is the step with the slowest cycle time in a given process (Verma Boyer, 2010) and verifies the process productivity. Figure 8: Process Flow Diagram of the first Benihana Restaurant in Manhattan, 1964 Note: Adapted from Verma Boyer, 2010 While analyzing the process flow diagram (Figure 8) of a Benihana restaurant, one can see that the bottleneck hereby is the dining time of 60 minutes. This bottleneck determines the pace of the whole system even though the waiting time at the bar in peak times is only 12 minutes (Verma Boyer, 2010). As identified in Chapter 3.1.3, Figure 9 the demand of a Benihana restaurant exceeds capacity. To resolve the problem of the bottle neck, Benihana decreased the dining time and enlarged the bar capacity to cover more waiting customers. Over the years, Benihana first doubled the bar area to 16 seats and eventually reached up to 55-60 seats (Sasser, 2004). Figure 9 shows some scenarios for different bar and dining area arrangements and waiting times. The maximum dining capacity of 120 seats allows a bar capacity of 48 seats (Figure 9). Figure 9 : Scenarios for different Bar and Dining Area Arrangements and Waiting Times Note: Own Calculations Concerns regarding Diversification Plans According to Ansoffs Growth and Expansion Matrix, one can find four different options of development: market development, diversification, market penetration and product development (Campbell Craig, 2005). Benihana took into consideration the following strategies: Figure 10 : Expansion Plan of Benihana Note: Adapted from Campbell Craig, 2005 The first one, market development (1), is the growth of an existing product into new market sectors (Campbell Craig, 2005). Regarding their diversification plans, Benihanas attempt is to expand in other countries where they have to take into consideration the customs of each nation, its rules and regulations. The same principles cannot be applied for all regions, so in order to develop successfully the restaurant chain these concerns should be well evaluated. Furthermore, it is very difficult for the company to be franchised, since not all owners have previous experience in the restaurant business (Sasser, 2004). Communication with the staff is also very difficult, since the majority is Japanese. Moreover, it is very demanding to supervise and keep control of what is happening in restaurants around the world. Hence, Rocky decided for the near future, instead of attempting to franchise his restaurant business, to move either into a joint-venture or into hotel-corporations and expand in two areas: Japan and overseas (ibid.). Diversification (2) is known as an approach of involving new products in new markets (Campbell Craig, 2005). Rocky also decided to widen his business into other fields connected to the food industry. A first attempt in the retail production and selling is under discussion. Entering the retail-sale-market is time consuming and has high advertising costs, so Benihana should probably re-evaluate their advertisement budget and more likely reduce the promotion funds for the restaurants, which is a risky move (Restaurant Worx, 2010). If someone is not satisfied by the quality of the product he/she will probably create a negative idea about the company and never visit a Benihana restaurant. It is also uncertain how unique the product is or how likely it is for other similar products to be created in the near future (ibid.). Product development (3) is known as increasing the market share by developing new products (Campbell Craig, 2005). In general Benihana restaurants have middle-income customers as its target group (Sassa, 2004). This is linked directly to the quality of the services offered, restaurants atmosphere and prices. Alternatively, they have no young audience in Benihana restaurants. This is one of the reasons why Rocky is considering of opening a quick service restaurant as to be able to satisfy younger crowds needs as well (ibid.). To put this project into action, firstly a market research was made about the restaurant needs of the people, the food that will be provided in these restaurants, deciding on a combination of Asian cuisine Chinese and Japanese and their location. Furthermore, cooperation between Rocky and an oil company will be formed as to provide small gas units to his new restaurants (ibid.). Even though a thorough research was conducted for this expansion a very significan t element was neglected; the culture of the locals. Maybe the proposal of a Chinese-Japanese quick service restaurant was innovative for that time, but not all the neighbourhoods were prepared to welcome that idea (ibid.). The last one, market penetration (4), is known as the use of existing products in existing markets, which are already served (Campbell Craig, 2005). The United States therefore give three areas for growth: primary markets (New York, Los Angeles), secondary markets (Pennsylvania, Harresburg, etc) and Suburbia. Due to the already mentioned inefficient franchise strategy, Benihana will not only expand internationally but also domestically through joint-ventures and hotel-affiliations (Sasser, 2004). Concerns regarding the loss of identity Benihana is selling to its customers a whole new perception of food consumption. Starting its business in 1964 in the U.S., it introduced to the market an innovative procedure of food preparation and presentation to the customers (Sasser, 2004). Instead of cooking the food inside a spacious kitchen, they used more room for the restaurant area as to prepare meals in front of the customers on a teppanyaki table with the hibachi cooking method. Benihana created a culture for the chain based on Japanese cooking method by well trained chefs and Japanese design. The environment of Benihana restaurants decoration and atmosphere is of vast importance for the company, since the philosophy of Benihana is to make people happy through the food experience (Bitner, 1992; Sasser, 2004). However, the environment is important not only for the customers who should feel satisfied, but also for the employees. In turn for the employees to feel motivated and perform their best, their working surrounding s should support their needs, as to be able to enhance companys values to the customers (ibid.). Consequently, Benihana should continue providing such services and facilities to its customers and employees as to sustain the chemistry between them and therefore continue to be a successful company. Presentation of Solution and Recommendations Benihana had a very successful strategy so far due to its construction, finance, marketing, human resources and operations management. They were able to translate market trends into their concepts and adapt them efficiently. Furthermore, they managed to reduce the back stage kitchen area into a front stage environment that displayed cooking and entertaining as one. The concept was so innovative that Rocky was actually able to reduce expenses. According to the diversification plan, Rocky intended to expand his business into more fields of the food industry. To develop his company, he tried to take advantage of the Benihana recognition, as to enter further markets, but on the other hand this step would be risky, because if the new concepts would fail, it could damage Benihanas reputation. Sasser (1976) states, that good planning is the key to successful management of supply and demand in service industries. As discussed in this paper one of the biggest problems that Benihana is facing, is how it will sustainably expand, while keeping their quality and their concept (limited menu, chef as a showman, Japanese atmosphere). Furthermore, as seen in Figure 10, Rocky has made a lot of plans regarding the growth and diversification of the Benihana restaurant. It is recommended that before attempting to implement all his ideas, a development strategic plan should be developed in order to best fit this expansion. Therefore the supply and demand matching concept should be taken into consideration: Figure 11 : Strategies for Matching Supply and Demand for Benihanas services Note: Adapted from Wisner, Leong, Tan, 2005 Lovelock (1994) further states that this can be accomplished through shifting demand to match capacity or adjusting capacity to meet demand (Appendix 9). In order to resolve the second issue, Benihana should focus on selling Japanese food and promoting their philosophy. One of the main key points of Benihanas achievements is the unique food experience it sells to its customers. Therefore, the basic elements of this successful recipe should be included in any other expansion step the company and Rocky decide to take. Without the fear of being imitated, they should take advantage of their uniqueness and develop in other areas of food industry. Through this move they would also be able to focus on other target groups, such as younger audience, which currently are not part of Benihanas targeted clientele. In this way Rocky will be able to launch his restaurant name and not only become a current trend, but also establish his brand in the hospitality industry, by providing Japanese authentic services. Action Plan Evidence Of Success Evaluation Process : Increase in Demand Increase in Profitability Customer Satisfaction Survey Employee Satisfaction Survey References: Benihana (2010). About Benihana. Retrieved 18.09.2010, from: http://www.benihana.com/about Benihana Training Guide (2004). Benihana Training Guide. Al Bustan Rotana Hotel Bitner, M. J. (1992). Servicescapes The Impact of Physical Surroundings on Customers and Employees. Retrieved 18.09.2010, from: http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=585119 sid=3Fmt=3clientId=45065RQT=309VName=PQDuserid=008BW87KK7passwd=WELCOME Campbell, D.J. Craig, T. (2005). Organisations and the Business Environment. Burlington: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann Glushko, R.J. Tabas, L. (2008). Bridging the Front Stage and Back Stage in Service System Design, in: Proceedings of the 41st Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences Big Island, Hawaii: IEEE Computer Society Press, January (2008), p. 106 Frei, F.X. (2006). Breaking the Trade-Off between Efficiency and Service. Boston: Harvard Business Review, Vol. 84, No. 11, page: 93-101 Haines, S.G. Schmidt, T. (2005). ABCs of Strategic Management The Systems Thinking Approach to Creating a Customer-Focused, High Performance, Learning Organization. San Diego: System Thinking Press Heskett, J.L., Sasser, W.E. Schlesinger L.A. (1997). The Service Profit Chain How Leading Companies Lead Profit and Growth to Loyalty, Satisfaction, and Value. New York: The Free Press Ivy Thesis (2010). Executive Summary Benihana International Restaurant. Retrieved 18.09.2010, from: http://ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2009/09/executive-summary-benihana-international-restaurant.html Klassen, K.J. Rohleder, T.R. (2002). Demand and Capacity Management Decisions in Services, How They Impact One Another. Bingley: International Journal of Operations and Production Management, Emerald: Vol. 22, No. 5, p. 527-548 Kotler, Ph. Armstrong, G. (2010). Principles of Marketing. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall Lovelock, C. (1994). Getting the Most Out of Your Productive Capacity. Boston: McGraw Hill PayScale (2010). Free Salary Report based on Job Title, Location, Education, Skills and Experience. Retrieved 19.09.2010, from: http://www.payscale.com Restaurant Worx (2010). Restaurant Retail Sales. Retrieved 18.09.2010, from: http://restaurantworx.com/services-2/restaurant-marketing-solutions/restaurant-sales-solutions/retail-sales/ Retail Fix (2010). Features Benihana. Retrieved 19.09.2010, from: http://www.retailfix.com/ featured_benihana.cfm Russell, R.S. Taylor B.W. (2009). Operations Management Along the Supply Chain. Upper Saddle River: John Wiley Sons Sasser, E.W. (2004). Benihana of Tokyo. Boston: Harvard Business School Teboul, J. (2006). Service is Front Stage- Positioning Services for Value Advantage. New York: Palgrave MacMillan Verma, R. Boyer K.K. (2010). Operations Supply Chain Management World Class Theory and Practice. Mason: South-Western Verweire, K. Van den Berghe, L. (2005). Integrated Performance Management- A Guide to Strategy Implementation. London: SAGE Wisner, J.D., Leong, K.G. Tan, K.C. (2005). Principles of Supply Chain Management A Balanced Approach. Mason: South-Western

My Philosophy of Education :: Philosophy on Education Statement Teaching Essays

Philosophy on Education In the beginning there were students. the students learned what they were to do and what not to do. It continued on and on and still to this day we have students who are told what to do and not to do. They are told how to act, how to make decisions on their own, and how to make something of themselves. The student is taught that they need to learn so that they know more and to survive in today's society because most everyone today needs a good education. The student is taught in ways they will learn. They should also have a curriculum to follow to become the individual they were born to be; to make up their own minds and not to be persuaded to have the same ideas and thoughts as someone else. A student is one who learns. But how does the student learn? A student is a person who has their own mind their own thoughts they are an individual. A student explores their mind finding out what they want in life. They do so by experiencing things like the Pragmatist and Progressivist say. The student is also sometime influenced by a leader; they follow their parent's morals and standards when they are young and then some follow their friend's attitudes, feelings, or even actions as discussed by Rousseau in Emile. One's friends can cause the student to do things or act ways their parents could or could not have taught them to do or act. Some students on the other hand learn to be the leader. The ones who lead their friends end up doing what they want and the friends follow. The followers learn from experience most likely taught by their parents. A example of this is: Say one little girl is taught to play basketball then she thinks it would e a very good thing to show her friends to play also letting them feel the experience and allowing her friends to choose if they like it as much as she does. The little girl then has allowed her friends to decide if they will keep playing or quit because they don't like it. The followers will choose what they think is best for them.

Pride And Prejudice :: Jane Austen books

The story begins with the Bennet family in their estate, Longbourn in Hertfordshire, a rural district about thirty miles from London. Mrs. Bennet tells her husband about Mr. Bingley who is moving into their neighborhood. She hopes he will end up marrying one of her daughters because her main â€Å"goal† in life is to see her daughters married. Mr. Bingley is a rich and handsome man with little self-esteem. He also falls in love with Jane, the oldest of the Bennet sisters. Bingley’s friend, Darcy doesn’t like them together because he doesn’t think too highly of Jane. Darcy is the main male character in the story. He is also rich and handsome but very cocky. He plans with the Bingley’s sisters to break up Mr. Bingley and Jane Bennet. Meanwhile, Darcy has a â€Å"crush† on Jane’s sister Elizabeth. She is the main female character, the second on the Bennet sisters and despises Darcy at first, but later falls for him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Elizabeth doesn’t like Darcy because she hears bad thing about him and how he is rude to everyone. George Wickham told her Darcy cheated him out of his inheritance. She believes him because she holds so much hate for Darcy. Later she learns that George lied to her. But before she found out, they almost fall in love.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mr. Bennet has no son, so his estate will be given to his closest male relative. The closest relative is his cousin, Mr. Collins. He is an arrogant clergyman. He asks Elizabeth to marry him but she refuses. He ends up marrying Elizabeth’s friend Charlotte Lucas. She married him not for love, but so she will have a safe and secure life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Elizabeth goes and sees Charlotte at Hunsford and Darcy comes to see his aunt, who also lives there. His aunt’s name is Lady Catherine de Bourgh. She is a rich, busy noblewoman. Elizabeth and Darcy run into each other. Darcy asks Elizabeth to marry him but she says no because she still doesn’t like him. She said she was upset because he messed up Jane and Bingley’s love affair and also cheated Wickham. He admits to messing with Jane and Bingley, but tells her that Wickham is a jerk. She ends the conversation by saying that she would not marry him even if he were the last man on the earth. The next morning he meets Elizabeth when she goes out for a walk and hands her a long letter that answers all her accusations. Elizabeth now believes him, but is still in shock.

Oxygen Essay -- essays research papers

Oxygen Oxygen and its compounds play a key role in many of the important processes of life and industry. Oxygen in the biosphere is essential in the processes of respiration and metabolism, the means by which animals derive the energy needed to sustain life. Furthermore, oxygen is the most abundant element at the surface of the Earth. In combined form it is found in ores, earths, rocks, and gemstones, as well as in all living organisms. Oxygen is a gaseous chemical element in Group VA of the periodic table. The chemical symbol for atomic oxygen is O, its atomic number is 8, and its atomic weight is 15.9994. Elemental oxygen is known principally in the gaseous form as the diatomic molecule, which makes up 20.95% of the volume of dry air. Diatomic oxygen is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. Two 18th-century scientists share the credit for first isolating elemental oxygen: Joseph PRIESTLEY (1733-1804), an English clergyman who was employed as a literary companion to Lord Shelburne at the time of his most significant experimental work, and Carl Wilhelm SCHEELE (1742-86), a Swedish pharmacist and chemist. It is generally believed that Scheele was the first to isolate oxygen, but that Priestley, who independently achieved the isolation of oxygen somewhat later, was the first to publicly announce his findings. The interpretation of the findings of Priestley and the resultant clarification of the nature of oxygen as an element was accomplished by the French scientist Antoine-Laurent LAVOISIER (1743-94). Lavoisier's experimental work, which extended and improved upon Priestley's experiments, was principally responsible for the understanding of COMBUSTION and the establishment of the law of conservation of matter. Lavoisier gave oxygen its name, which is derived from two Greek words that mean "acid former." Lavoisier held the mistaken idea that oxides, when dissolved in water, would form only acids. It is true that some oxides when dissolved in water do form acids; for example, sulfur dioxide forms sulfurous acid. Some oxides, however, such as sodium oxide, dissolve in water to form bases, as in the reaction to form sodium hydroxide; therefore oxygen was actually inappropriately named. NATURAL OCCURRENCE Oxygen is formed by a number of nuclear processes that are believed to occur in stellar interiors. The most abundant isotope of oxygen, with mass 16,... ... are observed to exist over a range of compositions all possessing the same underlying structure. A number of these titanium oxides exhibit more than one crystal structure (polymorphism). The most oxidized compound, titanium, is widely used in the RUTILE form as a white pigment in paints. Ternary oxides, consisting of two metallic elements plus oxygen, are of great interest to solid-state scientists. For example, compounds such as the SPINELS and the PEROVSKITES are studied extensively because of their interesting magnetic and electrical properties. Examples of important ternary oxides are the magnetic FERRITES, whose magnetic properties can be tailored, making them useful in computer memory units. The ferrites are prepared by firing compacted mixtures of iron oxide and one or more metal oxides (such as those of nickel, copper, zinc, magnesium, and manganese). Also of importance in inorganic chemistry are the oxides of the nonmetals. Most of the nonmetals are known to form a wide variety of compounds with oxygen. The nitrogen oxides are undesirable by-products of high-temperature combustion in air (as in an internal combustion engine) and can cause serious environmental pollution.

Fredrick Frankenstein Essay

Fredrick Frankenstein is a young brain surgeon and medical lecturer trying not to live in the shadow of his infamous grandfather, Victor Von Frankenstein. However, this proves to be difficult when he is taken to his grandfather’s estate in Transylvania to collect his inheritance. He continues to be determined to estrange himself from his grandfather’s legacy as a scientist who created a monster. However, upon discovering a book by Victor entitled â€Å"How I Did It†, he decides that his grandfather’s work was not such idiocy, and decides to try and create his own legacy for the Frankenstein name. He accomplishes this with the help of his two comedic sidekicks – the assistant Igor and the pretty young Inga. However, the world is not ready for such a scientific advancement, particularly after the disastrous results of Victor’s experimentation, and Fredrick and his creature experience much discrimination at the hands of the creature. However, after Fredrick further experiments in the sciences, the creature is made more socially acceptable and allowed to live life with his bride, Elizabeth. Explanation: Young Frankenstein is a challenge to the way both the traditional Frankenstein text is read, as well as the whole gothic film genre. It parodies all the aspects that are considered â€Å"traditionally Frankenstein-esque†, such as the mad scientist shouting, â€Å"It’s alive! † and the lumbering, groaning creature. However, as a text, it recognises the value of the classics, and not only satirises, but pays homage to them also. â€Å"It wasn’t about saying ‘how can we make it fun? ‘, but ‘how can we make it real, which will make it more fun? ‘†1. By recognising the artistic value but also the ultimate ridiculousness of traditional Frankenstein films, Brooks allowed Young Frankenstein to not have to resort to continuous slapstick in order to gain its hilarity. The text was written in the context of the early 1970s, where people were more inclined to doubt and question the norms put forward by Hollywood and the media in general. Brooks, as a composer, has recognised this cynicism and used it to extract humour from a great modern classic. Unlike many of the predecessors of the Frankenstein genre, Young Frankenstein questions the original values of Shelley’s text and explores many themes which had traditionally been ignored by previous Frankenstein films, such as the creature’s ability to love and be human. It does not follow the exact storyline of the original text, choosing instead provide commentary on the preceding Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein, and Bride of Frankenstein; to have a grandson who has not learned from his grandfather’s mistakes. Aside from the monster itself, the majority of characters in this text have been changed. However, Fredrick is much like his infamous grandfather – a scientific genius, and engaged to a beautiful young woman named Elizabeth. This pays homage to the protagonist of the original text, which still maintaining its status as a parody. These changes have been made to demonstrate the ultimate ridiculousness of the original Frankenstein, while still being able to examine its many themes through the use of humour. Young Frankenstein is not meant to be a serious appropriation of Shelley’s text. Its main purpose is to challenge the traditional Hollywood interpretation of the Frankenstein monster, and to â€Å"have a little fun in the process†2. However, through its use of humour and satire, it manages to explore the deepest theme of Shelley’s text – what shapes and defines us as humans? This text is valued in a number of contexts. It is considered one of the greatest comedy films of all time, and remains highly popular nearly 30 years after initially being composed. A secret government program called ‘The Initiative’ is capturing demons and other mystical creatures in order to experiment on and neuter them. One of the leading scientists involved in the project, Professor Maggie Walsh, is experimenting with different body parts, of man, machine and demon in order to create a being – Adam. He is intellectually and physically superior to man, and kills his creator, only to reanimate her as a worker. Buffy Summers, a girl chosen from birth to fight supernatural forces, is determined to overcome Adam, despite his superior physical strength. A vampire in alliance with Adam, Spike, works to defeat her by estranging her from what she draws strength from – her friends. However, Buffy overcomes this estrangement, and rebuilds her friendships. They then band together to destroy the source of Adam’s power, succeeding by combining their most human elements – heart, mind, spirit and body. Explanation: There are three central figures to this story arc – the scientist (Maggie Walsh), the experiment (Adam, and to a certain extent, Riley Finn), and the hero (Buffy Summers). Although, like the original text itself, there are a number of other characters, the storyline depends primarily on the actions of these three figures. In many ways, the Adam story is almost entirely true to the original text, in that it focuses on two main issues of Shelley’s text: the nature of isolation, and the effect of man overstepping scientific boundaries. Additionally, it partially examines the nature of behaviour, namely whether evil is intrinsic or circumstantial. The creation’s name – Adam – a direct inter-textual reference, referencing Milton’s Paradise Lost -â€Å"I ought to be thy Adam† (p128) and the Bible story in Genesis, which articulates ‘Adam’ as the first man. Regardless, his name, meaning ‘first born’ is significant because, like Frankenstein’s creature, he is the first of his kind, and remains the only one of his species. Like the original text, he learns of himself through his creator’s diaries. â€Å"I’m a kinematically redundant, biomechanical demonoid. Designed by Maggie Walsh. She called me Adam and I called her Mother . . . Mother wrote things down. Hard data, but also her feelings. That’s how I learned that I have a job here. And that she loved me. † (â€Å"Goodbye Iowa†). The issue of intrinsic evil is potently illuminated here. Unlike Frankenstein’s creation, who is abandoned by his creator and shunned by society, Adam himself says â€Å"she loved me† and was considered his mother, but he kills her regardless. The original plan for his existence had been to create a race of those like himself, to diminish the U. S. A. ‘s military vulnerability. He also offers the demons something humans cannot – full use of their power, thus strengthening the army he is building to bring his ‘new race’ into power. Throughout many of the episodes in which Adam features, it is implied that he was built for the purpose of creating a new, indestructible species. In â€Å"Primeval†, he says to Riley â€Å"This is how [Mother] planned it†¦ Only she thought she’d be alive. † Like Victor in the original text, she is a victim of her own vision, drive and selfish lust for success. â€Å"Maggie Walsh’s vision was great, but ultimately insupportable. † (Primeval) She has altruistic intentions of wiping out death and weakness in the human race, like Victor, claiming, â€Å"This is for the greater good†. (The I in team). However, similar to Victor, she has no real sense of the moral implications this entails. She is different to Victor in that she has some sense of the consequences of her actions. However, both are unable to face those consequences. This represents the idea of the scientist with no idea of the moral implications of playing with the natural order of life. Both in an 18th and 21st century context, the idea of leaving the natural order alone is discussed, implying that although between Shelley’s time and now there have been a great number of scientific advances, some boundaries remain philosophically rigid.