Tuesday, May 19, 2020

The Is Not Defined By Dictionaries Or Professors, Or...

Definition Essay Draft Words are not defined by dictionaries or professors, or officials, but by how people use them, how they are put in to context, through the timeless evolution of meanings. Words can have many different faces, many of which can be powerful or quite weak, others can have a friendly face or a mean one. Sometimes there are words that can start out having a friendly face, but with time society can turn them into a mean face that betrays its former self, words like this exist all across modern social interaction, some can be more prominent than others and promote an ignorant atmosphere as to which we are forced to live in. The word gay is no exception, many people apply this word incorrectly to every situation and it†¦show more content†¦Gay wasn t used to replace homosexual as a noun until the twentieth century (Oxford English Dictionary). That was when politics and news corporations used the word to label the homosexual community as gay. In recent events, for example, there have been instances such as the Gay Rights Movement which has been mentioned in media, in turn creates it as a label for homosexuals. So nowadays homosexuals are officially known as gays. Although gay became a technical term in the professional field, at a local level, the word turned away from being a noun and became an adjective, just like in the beginnings of the word; but it had taken on a very different meaning from what it was originally. Gay: adj., stupid, dumb, out of favor. That seems to be how our generation defined this word, it is sad to see that society has come to this, to relate a group of people to the words dumb or stupid. People use this word in many cases that don t even have any relation to the actual meaning of the word, mostly as a derogatory term or insult. For example, if a student chooses to complain about a homework assignment or how a teacher runs their classroom, they usually will say â€Å" Man, this is so gay, I hate this† . To the student, their sta tement is exactly the same as, â€Å" Man, this is so stupid†. It is pitiful how this generation has done this to such a word that has so much other meaning behind it. It is the same story for similar words, like faggot or queer. These terms have

Political Media s Influence On The Media - 1840 Words

Political economy media theory identifies a socially critical approach that focuses primarily on the relationship between the economic structure and political force in media industries and the ideological content of the media outputs. China has a very special situation of the political interference which are much serious than other kinds of countries. In western capitalist countries, the media is defined as a separate news outlet with legally press freedom approval by the government and formal institution that are independent from the state. Thus one of the most obvious characters of the western media is press libertarian. (Reference)However, in China, under the control by the Chinese Communist Party, the media organs are the first and†¦show more content†¦They argue that the Party utilizes the press staid mouthpiece role to consolidate political rule. For instance, Zhao Yuezhi( Zhao, 2000:3-26) argues that the Party is aiming to enhance political control through conglomerat ion and rationalization of market to the press. China’s Party Press is being transformed into what He Zhou calls ‘Party Publicity Inc.’ whose chief mission is to promote the Party’s achievements, image and legitimacy by means of softer, more friendly and responsive message delivered to its recipients. (He, 2000:48) While other researchers like Chan (Chan, J.M., 1993:1-19) argues that commercialization is leading the media away from an exclusive dedication to Party ideology. Not only the commercial and industrial nature of media and culture undertakings acknowledged and endorsed, specific commercialization targets and industrial growth goals were set by state media administrations. (Guo, 2006) Chinese government tries to keep validity of market without exerting political control on its traditional press content. (Zi,2003a). Just as Herman and Chomsky (1988:1-35) in the book ‘ manufacturing the consent’ argue that the ‘raw material of news’ passes through a series of five filter constraints, ‘leaving only the cleaned residue fit to print’. These filter elements continuously interact with and reinforce one another’ and have multilevel effects on media performance. Chinese media commercialization leads to a tendency assembling to capitalist countries,

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

E Commerce Engaging With Physical Stores - 813 Words

And there are more examples of e-commerce engaging with physical stores. Such as, a few months ago, Amazon opened the first physical store in the US. At the same time, Google has opened its Google shop, online furniture retailer Made.com has been opening showrooms to display their products. This has proved the online web and the physical stores are actually beneficial to each other. †¢ Methodology This research paper will involve the use of qualitative approach as the main research methodology. This is a common case study method, which provides a clear vision on related implication of the research topic to researcher (Kondracki Wellman, 2002). Besides, the data in this method depends on human experience and this will be more persuasive and powerful than only data gathered via quantitative research. The reason to apply qualitative case study tool in this study due to its flexibility of use and also its ability, which allows the researcher to express their ideas and thoughts in the within context of the research (Maxwell. 2005). The study involves both primary and secondary research in order to have a clear vision on the research question. Secondary data will be collected from Tesco Inc. such as the sales, the number of visiting customers in different period. And the primary data will be conducted in two ways, on-site visit and online questionnaire. The methodology being used in this study has also bring up a lot of challenges. First, as the paper is studying on aShow MoreRelatedThe Pros And Disadvantages Of E-Commerce1286 Words   |  6 Pagespossible forgone costs of attempting to find items at a single store when anyone can browse the world-wide web with millions of options right at their fingertips? 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The popularity of this model is that some others global retails, such as U.S.-based Wal-Mart, have also adoptedRead MoreThe Advantages of Mobile Commerce Essay1326 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is M-commerce? The last decade has witnessed a lot of growth of mobile communication devices and wireless technologies across the globe. This has led to a change in the way many activities are conducted and opened the way for m-commerce, which is e-commerces next evolutionary stage. The significant power of m-commerce is primarily as a result of the ability to connect wireless devices anytime, anywhere (The Future of Mobile Payment Systems : Rise of the Mobile Wallet 2012-2017 [ElectronicRead MoreFoot Locker At The Athletic Shoe Industry1734 Words   |  7 Pageshas since becoming the successor corporation to its former parent company, and now operates approximately 3,450 retail locations under its different brands (Footlocker Inc., July, 2013). 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Human Resource Management Human Resources Workforce

Question: Discuss about the Human Resource Management for Human Resources Workforce. Answer: Introduction Hackman and Oldham have claimed that the characteristics of the job provided to the employees can have a great impact on their performances, motivation, job satisfaction and job commitment. For the success of organisational goals and objectives, it is necessary that the human resources of the organisation are effective and are managed properly, which is not an easy task. Organisations are trying their best to optimise the performance of the employees and are searching for new ways that would help them in achieving it. In this assignment, we will discuss whether the claim made by Hackman and Oldham stands true for the human resource management in the modern day world and decide if improving the characteristics of the work can improve the performance of the employees. Human Resource Management Human resource management is an approach that helps business organisations in managing their human resources/workforce using various concepts, such as compensation management, benefits, performance management, training and development, etc. (Inc.com, 2016) In the modern day business world, it has become very easy for managers to replicate technology and business operations to achieve market competencies. In such a situation, business organisations are now solely relying upon their human resources for achieving market competencies. As a result, business organisations are now investing millions of dollars in training and developing their human resources and providing them with work conditions that would help in optimising their performances and improving the overall results for the company. Hackman and Oldham were two experts who gave the famous theory of Job Characteristics, which is commonly known as JCT. The basic crux of the theory was that the job itself or the tasks which are given to the employees are a key component that can help in governing the job conditions for the employees. In this assignment, we will examine the argument made by Hackman and Oldham and test if the argument is actually valid in the modern day world (Tutor2u. net, 2016). Relation Between Job/Tasks And Employee Performance The modern day business world has reached a level where the competition is between national and multinational companies. Multinational companies have a competitive advantage over national companies and national companies are too trying to enter the global market to balance the scales. To achieve such competencies, it is important to have a competitive pool of talent that can perform well and help in the achievement of companys objectives. The workforce or the human resource will perform well when the work conditions are adequate and motivational enough to make them work harder. Human resource managers, over the period of time, have realized that the best way to improve the work conditions for the employees is by making the job more interesting and challenging. Job enrichment is a concept that has come up in the past few years. The concept aims at providing new and challenging work to the employees so that they do not feel bored and can perform better in their jobs. Let us now talk ab out some benefits of providing a challenging work environment to the workforce: Learning new skills a number of behaviour experts have proved that the employees are always excited when they are given an opportunity to acquire new skills and techniques. By providing the employees with some new tasks that can challenge their skills and knowledge, the management is able to motivate them to work harder. The employees themselves feel motivated because it brings them an opportunity of learning new skills, which would further help them in developing their career paths and while they are being considered for promotions. Therefore, the employees perceive benefits when the management offers them new, exciting and challenging work, which is different from their day to day routine (Bizcommunity.com, 2016). Reduced boredom boredom kills the possibility of high performance in business organisations. Employees usually feel bored when the management provides them with same kind of work over and over again. By repeating the same work again and again, they lose their interest in it and desire a change in their routine or the tasks that are assigned to them. Therefore, if the management is able to provide the workforce with challenging tasks and jobs, it can reduce their boredom and would be able to motivate them to do something by moving out of their comfort zones (Smallbusiness.chron.com, 2016). Receive recognition recognition has been regarded as one of the most important need for the people who work in business organisations. Even in the Need Hierarchy Theory given by Maslow, recognition at the workplace is included as one need which can motivate the employees to work harder (Study.com, 2016). Providing the workforce with challenging tasks allows the management to test skills, knowledge, strengths and weaknesses of the employees. The employees who are able to perform well and are able to stand up to the expectations of the company are able to gain recognition in the workplace and increase their chances of promotion or performance appraisal. Employee motivation employees value it when the senior management of the company trusts them with competitive and challenging tasks regularly. They feel that they are an important part of the organisation and their efforts will contribute towards the success of the organisation. With an increase in the responsibilities, the employees become motivated and they try to perform better. Consequently, they become more committed towards their jobs and the organisation on the whole (YourArticleLibrary.com: The Next Generation Library, 2015). Sense of accomplishments it takes a lot of effort on the part of the management to improve the work conditions for the employees and provide them with such work that would help in optimising their performance. When the company works hard to improve the work conditions of the employees, the employees to get a sense of belongingness and they tend to work harder to meet the expectations of the company. When the employees work harder they end up achieving more, which instils a sense of achievement in their minds. Benefits for the employers the concept of job enrichment is not just beneficial for the employees but also has a number of benefits for the employers too. When the employers provide challenging and exciting tasks to the employees, they are able to test their skills and knowledge related to the job. If the employees are able to provide creative solutions for the tasks assigned to them, they can be considered for promotions in the future as they have the calibre to be promoted to higher job profiles. On the other hand, if the employees are not able to perform the challenges that are given to them, the management can assess the areas where the employees lack skills and techniques. On the basis of the lacking skills and techniques, which the management identifies in the employees, the management can plan training and development programs so that its workforce can become more competitive (Reddy, 2016). Helps in creating a professional approach the concept of job enrichment provides challenging tasks to the workforce by introducing regular changes in their routines so that they can be moved out of their comfort zones. Such changes make the workplace more interesting and help in setting up a more professional approach in the organisation. Reduced absenteeism it has been noticed that the concept of job enrichment can actually help in bringing down the absenteeism rates in business organisations. By following the concept of job enrichment, the management is able to improve the quality of work for the employees. The employees have to perform better in order to stand up to the expectations of the company and also have to act more responsibly. Once the employees find that they are responsible for a lot of work, which the organisation has trusted them with, they become more professional towards their work and tend to avoid taking unnecessary leave. As a result, the rates of absenteeism are reduced if the employers can provide a challenging work environment to the workforce. Reduced labour turnover rates it has been observed that the business organisations that do not work towards making the workplace more exciting and challenging for the workforce often have experienced higher turnover rates as compared to those companies that regularly try to make the work situations challenging for the employees and bring them out of their comfort zones. The basic reason behind this fact is that when the management provides the same work to the workforce again and again, it restricts its capacity to think out of the box and reduces their chances of career development as they are stuck in the same jobs for their lifetime. They do not experience any growth opportunities and feel bored due to same work being given to them again and again. As a result, such employees sow a greater tendency to quit the organisation and shift to organisations that provide them challenging work and new growth opportunities. On the other hand, an organisation that provides its workforce with a lot of challenging and exciting work, which helps the employees in coming out of their comfort zones and trying something new and is able to keep them motivated. Such organisations increase the prospects of future promotions of their employees and also bring about a development in their skills and knowledge. Such employees experience higher job satisfaction as they feel advancement in their career paths and as a result, they show lower tendency to quit the organisation (Study.com, 2016). Conclusion From the facts discussed above, it can be clearly understood that the type of work can actually have a great deal of impact on the performance of the workforce working in the organisation. The employees who are provided with challenging and exciting work from the management experience less boredom and are eager to prove their calibre by performing well in the organisation. The work that an organisation offers to its employees also show the level of trust which the organisation places in them. Thus, employees working with such organisations show higher job satisfaction, job commitment, motivational and performance levels. On the other hand, the organisations that provide boring and monotonous work to its employees deprives them from the opportunity of gaining recognition in the workplace by proving their calibre, skills and techniques. It prevents them from making advancement in their career paths as monotonous work provides them with no growth opportunities. It can be clearly concluded that the management of a business organisation can optimise the performance level of its workforce only when it can provide them with challenging and exciting work conditions. Thus the claim made by Hackman and Oldham, which says that the characteristics of the job or the task provided to the employees can help in improving their performance, stands out to be true for the modern day human resources. References Hackman and Oldhams Job Characteristics Model | Business | tutor2u. (2016). Tutor2u.net. Retrieved 10 August 2016, from https://www.tutor2u.net/business/reference/hackman-oldhams-job-characteristics-model Hackman and Oldham job characteristics model | Employee motivation theories | YourCoach Gent. (2016). Yourcoach.be. Retrieved 10 August 2016, from https://www.yourcoach.be/en/employee-motivation-theories/hackman-oldham-job-characteristics-model.php Hackman, J., Pearce, J., and Wolfe, J. (1978). Effects of changes in job characteristics on work attitudes and behaviors: A naturally occurring quasi-experiment. Organizational Behavior And Human Performance, 21(3), 289-304. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0030-5073(78)90055-7 Hosie, P., Sevastos, P., and Cooper, C. (2006). Happy-performing managers. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar. Human Resource Management. (2016). Inc.com. Retrieved 10 August 2016, from https://www.inc.com/encyclopedia/human-resource-management.html Job Enrichment: Definition, Advantages, Disadvantages Examples | Study.com. (2016). Study.com. Retrieved 18 August 2016, from https://study.com/academy/lesson/job-enrichment-definition-advantages-disadvantages-examples.html Job Enrichment: Meaning, Characteristics, Advantages and Limitations. (2015). YourArticleLibrary.com: The Next Generation Library. Retrieved 10 August 2016, from https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/hrm/jobs/job-enrichment-meaning-characteristics-advantages-and-limitations/53318/ Oldham, G., Hackman, J., and Pearce, J. (1976). Conditions under which employees respond positively to enriched work. Journal Of Applied Psychology, 61(4), 395-403. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.61.4.395 Reddy, K. (2016). Top 15 Advantages and Disadvantages of Job Enrichment - WiseStep. WiseStep. Retrieved 10 August 2016, from https://content.wisestep.com/top-advantages-disadvantages-job-enrichment/ The Advantages and Disadvantages of Job Enrichment. (2016). Smallbusiness.chron.com. Retrieved 10 August 2016, from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-disadvantages-job-enrichment-11960.html The importance of a challenging work environment. (2016). Bizcommunity.com. Retrieved 10 August 2016, from https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/410/423/76259.html The Needs Theory: Motivating Employees with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - Video and Lesson Transcript | Study.com. (2016). Study.com. Retrieved 10 August 2016, from https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-needs-theory-motivating-employees-with-maslows-hierarchy-of-needs.html

Marriott at Myanmar free essay sample

This report is prepared to be the first document evaluating Myanmar’s attractiveness for consideration of establishing Marriott Hotels and Resorts in this country. The best location for the hotel is chosen to be the city called Yangon since it offers a wide variety of activities for travelers with different interests. Yangon Marriott Hotels and Resorts will be attracted to upscale visitors who wish to stay in a luxury, five-star hotel with exceptional service quality, while enjoying the beauty of the country. The target groups of customers are not limited only to local high income Burmese, but also foreign visitors who come on a business or vacation purposes in Myanmar. Myanmar is a resource-rich country with a lot of unseen and attractive destinations. If developed properly, the country has a high potential for growth in the tourism industry in the future. However, due to the high level of risks of its cultural, economical and political systems, this country is considered not attractive enough to operate the luxury brand hospitality business under Marriott name. Strained relationship with the U. S government and the European Union also makes it more difficult for an international brand like Marriott to establish a new business in this country. II. Overview Summary Information A. Key information regarding demographics of the target country The Union of Myanmar, previously called Burma, occupies the largest geographical area in the mainland Southeast Asia. From North to South, three parallel chains of mountain ranges divide the country into three river systems and create various topographic regions. It shares national borders with several countries: China on the north, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, and India on the northwest, with the Bay of Bengal to the southwest. The country achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1948. The population of Myanmar, approximately 54 million people, is highly diverse. There are eight major ethnic groups, which can be subdivided into 135 ethnic minorities. The official language is Burmese; however, several native languages are also spoken. English is usually spoken, particularly by the educated urban elites, and is the secondary language learnt in government schools. Eighty percent of Burmese population is Buddhist, prevalent in Theravada sect. The military government has officially relocated the capital of the country from Yangon to Naypyidaw in March 2006. III. Business History A. History of the company Marriott International, Inc. is a leading worldwide operator and franchisor of a range of value and luxury hotels and related lodging facilities. Nowadays, Marriott International has about 3,150 lodging properties located in the United States and 67 other countries and territories. Its operations are grouped into five business segments, which are full-service lodging, select service lodging, extended-stay lodging, timeshare, and synthetic fuel. Marriott International was formed in 1993 when Marriott Corporation split into two companies: Marriott International and Host Marriott Corporation. The company is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. B. Products/services offered and their unique advantage in the target markets The Marriott has become one of the world’s leading hospitality business operators from its excellent quality, service, and value. Throughout the Asia-Pacific region, its brand name has continuously led the company to the consistent growth in Marriott properties in many countries such as China, Japan, Singapore, and Thailand. Each Marriott hotel differentiates itself with exceptional amenities, individualized attention to guests, and careful reflection of local surroundings. As the business expands worldwide, Marriott brand gains a high level of brand loyalty from its guests. This large customer base will help facilitate the business when the brand enters to new-oversea markets. IV. Business Activity A. Industry structure, competition in the country and current economy of the target country Even though the number of travelers visiting Myanmar is very low, tourism is considered the country’s major source for foreign exchange. Burmese government has been trying to promote their tourism industry to outsiders. They launched the campaign of ‘Visit Myanmar Year’ in 1996. After that, according to the Statistics from Ministry of Hotels Tourism, the number of tourist arrivals has been increased. However, this increasing number could not retain on a continuous basis due to the country’s uncertainty and instability in many areas that made people feel uncomfortable visiting Myanmar. Myanmar’s economy is currently mixed and primarily based on agricultural activities, including livestock, fisheries, and forestry. This sector accounts for 50 percent of the country’s overall GDP. The country also possesses several kinds of valuable natural resources, including intensely fertile soil, offshore oil, and gas deposit. It is also the world’s largest exporter of teak and precious stones such as jade, pearls, rubies, and sapphires. Since late 1988, Myanmar moved toward more market-oriented economy. It changed its centrally planned economy to be more liberalized, both in domestic and international trade. The role of private sector was promoted, and foreign direct investment was welcomed. Despite such efforts, Myanmar is still considered the poorest country among the Southeast Asian nations. Although tourist industry has a high potential for growth in the future, it still remains underdeveloped. This is because mismanagement from the military government’s control, ineffective and inefficient policies, poor infrastructures, together with the country’s bad international image have drawn the whole country to the state of underdevelopment. Moreover, since the late 1990s, Myanmar’s economy has worsened due to economic sanctions from many countries such as the European Union, Canada, and the U. S. Foreign investments usually come from China, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand. V. Market Research A. Market conditions in target country 1. Existing demand There are several reasons why Myanmar should be a good place in consideration for new investment opportunity. The country has vast and virtually untapped natural resources. To this day, Myanmar remains one of the most mysterious and undiscovered destinations in the world. The country seems appealing to many tourists around the world due to its unseen attractions with regard to cultures, history, and natural beauty. There has been an increasing demand from outside the country, especially from those travelers who wish to discover this resource-rich country. Myanmar is viewed as a good destination for people who want to have an exotic adventure, beach vacation, and mountain experience. In addition, advocates supporting Burmese tourist claim that it is the only method to help Burmese poor citizen to have a better standard of living and avoid isolating the country from the rest of the world. Another important issue needed to be pointed out is the message from the leader of Myanmar’s opposition National League of Democracy. Aung San Suu Kyi has in the past asked foreign tourists not to visit the country, as this helps increase the military junta’s power. This is one of the reasons why some people do not want to visit the country. 2. Competition After the Burmese government opened the country to promote several industries, tourism started to develop in Myanmar. Nowadays, there are approximately 500 hotels and guesthouses throughout the country. In Yangon alone, there are only six luxury hotels and approximately 20 moderate and economy hotels. Among those luxury hotels, none of them is operated under the recognized global hotel-chain companies. Most of the hotels are run by local Burmese people or businessmen from neighboring countries such as China, Singapore and Thailand. Therefore, competition in Myanmar’s tourism industry has not reached the intense level yet. VI. Potential Difficulties or Restriction A. Entry requirement The Government of Myanmar posts some restrictions on foreign investors wishing to do business in the country. In order to establish and operate under contractual agreement or partnership, foreign entity must submit all proposals to the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) and get approved under the Foreign Investment Law (FIL). Foreign investors can set up their business either in the form of a wholly-owned subsidiary or a joint venture with any partners: an individual, private company, a cooperative society or a state-owned enterprise. In all joint ventures, the minimum equity required from the foreign party is 35 percent. Moreover, the minimum amount of capital requirement to be eligible under the Foreign Investment Law is set to be US $500,000 for an industry, but US$300,000 for a service organization. Tourism industry is one of many sectors allowed under the Foreign Investment Law. Rather than the initial investment requirement, Myanmar also has commercial tax of ten percent levied on service of operation of hotels. B. Intellectual property issues Intellectual property is one important issue that prevents many oversea businesses from entering to Myanmar. The country has a negative outlook on its control with regard to this matter. Myanmar is considered having poor, maybe poorest, intellectual property right laws by the outside world. Marriott brand could be jeopardized since Myanmar’s legislation alone may not be able to protect the ownership of the company’s trademark. In the past, there was an evident showing that some local businesses were registered by using the existing international trademarks or trade name, and that prevented the original owners to register their own names and run the business in this country. VII. Cultural Issues A. Religion and its role in the society Since most Burmese people are Buddhist of Theravada stream, Buddhism has greatly influenced the standards of etiquette in the country. Their core religious belief is karma, the concept that good fathers good and bad fathers bad. This core belief has reflected in almost every aspect in everyday life; however, it does not play a significant role in doing business in this country. With basic knowledge of Burmese culture and custom, foreigners would find it easy to live with the local people. B. Special cultural issues For employer and employee relationship, Burmese employees are hardworking and loyal to their bosses. In return, an employer is expected to give help when in times of need. Such help can be the advice given for personal problems or loan granted in a financial crisis. As in all Asian countries, Myanmar respect people older than them. Therefore, in order to avoid friction in workplace, subordinates should be working under an older supervisor. Friendship, trust, and honesty are valued in a business relationship. Favors received, such as introducing a potential client or supplying a reference, must be repaid at a future time. For the first time in a business meeting, details of the project may not be discussed. Instead, the meeting may be spent evaluating each other’s personality and business strengths and weaknesses. In general, Myanmar business people find it easier to deal with Asians than Westerners. C. Business cultural issues In recent years, both China and India have attempted to strengthen ties with the Burmese government for economic benefits. This situation indicates that relationship with the military government could help smooth out the process or get the deals more easily. Personal relationship is considered one of the key components that could determine the success of the business. Foreign business will be more likely to succeed if the foreign entity can tie with a local partner, ultimately the Burmese government. According to Asian Journal of Political Science, â€Å"all post-colonial Myanmar governments and the business community benefited from their clientelistic networks. Without the help of government officials, many business firms would have gone under quickly; at the same time, without the assistance of business people, it would have been hard for most post-colonial Myanmar governments to keep themselves in power. It is very clear that government-business relations cannot simply be reduced to a zero-sum game. Certain interactions between the military government and the business community were mutually empowering†. Corruption is systemic at all levels of the Government and society. From Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, â€Å"It is considered by economists and businesspersons to be one of the most serious barriers to investment and doing business in the country. A Byzantine and capricious regulatory environment fostered corruption. † VIII. Service Operation A. Location of service facilities The best location that Marriott Hotels and Resorts could be is in the city called Yangon. Yangon, previously known as Rangoon, is one of the most popular areas for foreign visitors and is considered the gateway to Myanmar. It is the largest and former capital of the country. Even though the city is no longer the capital, Yangon continues to be the most important commercial center of Myanmar. This relatively simple city is attractive in its own particular way. Yangon has earned the name ‘the Garden City of the East’ since it is green and cool with lush of tropical trees, shady parks, and beautiful lakes. The city offers a wide variety of activities for visitors such as diving, cultures, and ecotourism. Therefore, this city has a potential to attract a lot of travelers with different interests. B. Service modification necessary to adapt to local environment Since one of Marriott’s strength lies in its careful reflection of local surroundings, Marriott Hotels and Resorts built in Yangon should hold the same principle. Yangon Marriott Hotels and Resorts should combine the city’s natural beauty of its history, culture and scenery while offering the unique luxury standards. Destination hotels and resorts type might be an appropriate alternative for Marriott in Yangon. The destination resort should be located in the Yangon area with noteworthy natural features, plus an urban setting. IX. Personnel Strategies A. Employment restriction Myanmar has active labor force of about 20 million. They are fairly trained manpower and skilled labor with relatively low cost comparing to other neighboring countries. There is only 23 percent of the overall population working in the service industry; however, these Burmese people are considered hospitable due to the fact that they are generally honest and kind. However, due to the country’s poor infrastructure, Burmese people are not provided with good education. Their skills might not be good enough to fit in Marriott’s high standards of hospitality service. Therefore, it seems necessary for Marriott to provide training sessions to improve their hospitality skills. B. Expatriate issues Since Marriott ties the brand image with its superb service quality, it is vital that Yangon Marriott Hotels and Resorts are equipped with talented management team. Marriott International Inc. might need to import managers from oversea to run the Myanmar operations in order to ensure that Marriott’s core business practice is followed everywhere. This issue brings about big challenge since it will not be easy to find the talented people who will be willing to work in a country with high uncertainty and instability in many aspects on a voluntary basis. Marriott International Inc. might need to provide them with high enough incentives to encourage them to accept this assignment. Nevertheless, under the Foreign Investment Law, Myanmar allows the employment of foreign experts and technicians. Required manpower can be recruited through Township Labor Offices. X. Risks A. Government stability The most important risk exposed in Myanmar deals with its political issue. For the past 40 years, Myanmar has been ruled by the military government or junta, in which the power is centered. The State Peace and Development Council, or SPDC, maintains strict authoritarian rule over the people of Myanmar. The country has a reputation abroad for brutally crushing political dissent, as in the case of house arrests of Aung San Suu Kyi. According to the information from the articles Foreign relations of Burma and Military of Burma, â€Å"Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy won a landslide victory in the countrys election of 1990; however, the military which has controlled Myanmar (Burma) for decades refused to transition the country to civilian democratic rule. For her part, Aung San Suu Kyi has spent most of the last decade under house arrest for her political efforts. In 1991, Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize while still under house arrest. † This case brings about the global awareness and concern on the country’s political abuse and human right violation. B. Legal risk The country also completely lacks of regulatory and legal transparency. â€Å"All existing regulations, including those covering foreign investments, are subject to change with no advance or written notice at the whim of the regime’s ruling general. Myanmar does not accept International Court of Justice. C. Economic risk Myanmar’s economy suffers from serious macroeconomic imbalance. The country’s money currency is called Kyat, which is not stable at all. Volatility happens on a weekly basis. The Kyat is not convertible. This severe situation includes rising inflation, fiscal deficits, and multiple official exchange rates that overvalue the Burmese Kyat. A major banking crisis in 2003 also contributed a large negative impact on the overall disrupted economy. XI. Potential Benefits A. Market potential As already mentioned, Myanmar is one of resourceful countries that have high potential for future growth in tourism industry. The country offers all traditional delights of Asia in one country. If developed properly, the country’s tourism can become one of the world’s famous tourist destinations. Seeing this opportunity, Marriott brand can expand globally throughout the Asian Pacific region. Now Marriott brand has its hotel chains in Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam in this Asia Pacific region. B. Incentive from local government Myanmar’s Foreign Investment Law provides a lot of incentives to foreign investors in the form of tariff and taxes. The business will be granted a tax exemption for three consecutive years beginning the first year of operation. The country also provides the relief from income tax on profit reinvested within one year. Myanmar guarantees that the business permitted under FIL will be protected from being nationalized during the granted period. C. Relationship to the United States However, according to Bureau of Democracy Human Right and Labor, â€Å"the US and Burmese relation has been worsened after the 1988 military coup and violent suppression of pro-democracy demonstration. Subsequent repression, including the brutal crackdown on peaceful protestors in September 2007, further strained the relationship. † â€Å"In addition, since May 1997, the U. S. Government has prohibited new investment by U. S. persons or entities. A number of U. S. companies exited the Burma market even prior to the imposition of sanctions due to a worsening business climate and mounting criticism from human rights groups, consumers, and shareholders. The United States has also imposed countermeasures on Burma due to its inadequate measures to eliminate money laundering. † As a result of the above fact, it seems inappropriate for Marriott to enter Myanmar at this moment. Since Marriott is a U. S. based company, the company could run into a big conflict with the U. S. government, which could have a seriously negative impact on its hotel operations around the world.