Suicide is a desperate act and in this short story yellow by Peter Carty, the main character, Jon, ends up making the decision to commit suicide Essay Example

Self destruction is a frantic demonstration and in this short story yellow by Peter Carty, the principle character, Jon, winds up settling on the choice to end it all Essay Individuals with issues that they can't appear to defeat frequently picked the street self destruction. These issues can both be passionate and physical. Furthermore, when the issue, that they appear to have, turns crazy, ending their life out of nowhere is by all accounts the best arrangement. Some even imagines that the individuals around them will be grateful when they are no more. Or on the other hand the self destruction could be a method of revealing to them that they ought to have helped them. In any case, self destruction is an edgy demonstration. What's more, in this short story yellow by Peter Carty, they fundamental character, Jon, winds up settling on the choice to end it all. Jon, the primary character, is in the late thirties, he is somewhat overweight, however next to that he depicts himself as being in acceptable state of being. He has work at a magazine, which is the reason he is in Egypt to scuba-jump since when his stay is over he needs to expound on it. As a rule he doesnt appear to be charming about his life; he has a sweetheart, however their relationship is unacceptable the hushes between them had increased, at that point stretched into an unfilled continuum. What's more, his activity circumstance doesnt appear to be any better, since his excursion to Egypt and scuba-plunging is certainly something he detests Jon abhorred anything dynamic or energetic. He associates scuba-plunging with death, which is the reason he is so terrified about it. He is frightened that he will suffocate, and in this manner he can't remain quiet submerged. I believe that what he is generally scared of isn't the way that he could suffocate, no; the reality he would end up ate up of vacancy. You could lose yourself in that, gobbled up and gone always, a spot evaporating in the blue without sound or wave. Buddhist discussed freeing yourself up to vacancy well, here it was close to him [..]. He is anxious about the possibility that that he would turn out to be nothing, a nobody. That he would vanish into vacancy. The magazine would release him soon. His composing would wane, vanish down to a dab and evaporate, his better half would have left some time before and hed push off from the remainder of his companions and family members. We will compose a custom article test on Suicide is a urgent demonstration and in this short story yellow by Peter Carty, the fundamental character, Jon, winds up settling on the choice to end it all explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now We will compose a custom article test on Suicide is a urgent demonstration and in this short story yellow by Peter Carty, the primary character, Jon, winds up settling on the choice to end it all explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer We will compose a custom article test on Suicide is a urgent demonstration and in this short story yellow by Peter Carty, the primary character, Jon, winds up settling on the choice to end it all explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer He drives himself to experience the plunging provided that he does he wont become no one or as they in the content call yellow. I think the word yellow is in the story utilized in the significance weakling or bonehead in light of the fact that a quitter doesnt regularly have the guts to confront his own issues. What's more, that is here the subject self destruction comes in. Self destruction is regularly connected with being a weakling, due to the way that a quitter cannot deal with his own issues. In any case, Jon then again accepts the inverse; he imagines that ending it all will show individuals that he isnt a defeatist or yellow as they call it. He believes that on the off chance that he ends it all while he is scuba-plunging it would maybe look as a mishap and everybody will be influenced by his demise; Bertie, his jumping educator, Brian, the other jumping understudy, his chief, who constrained him to go, and to wrap things up his better half will all observe that they ought to have tuned in to him and in this manner it will make him critical. It appears in yellow nature can conjure musings of kicking the bucket. This is the equivalent in the sonnet self destruction note by Langston Hughes. In this the stream is represented, being the person who requests that the self destruction drink its water which intends to pass on. Nature advises us that were simply changing bits of a riddle and that we dont have control and control over anything and particularly passing. On the off chance that we contrast Jon with regular day to day existence, he winds up in an outrageous circumstance. I would by and by feel awkward on the off chance that I was going to scuba-plunge, since I dont feel like I am in charge I cannot inhale like in the event that I was above water. This sentiment of no control is what the content What is Reckless Op about? is about. A few people love being in a circumstance where they dont have any control whatsoever. They love rehearsing outrageous games and driving themselves as far as possible. It is their approach to feel that they are invigorated, in light of the fact that they frequently get themselves extremely near death. Be that as it may, Jon doesnt fell an exhilarate by being close. He is uncertain about it. He doesnt like to be near the precarious edge of life it causes him to feel yellow. Jons life isnt extremely fulfilling and in this way he picks the path of least resistance which is ending it all. Be that as it may, the unexpected thing about it is that Jons considers his to be as a not yellow activity.

Tescos Competitive Marketing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Tescos Competitive Marketing Strategy - Essay Example As the conversation highlights Tesco initiated its exchanging exercises 1924in UK and as on date, it is having in excess of 2979 stores in UK, and it earned net income of  £43 billion out of 2012 with UKs net benefit being  £ 2.5 billion out of 2012. In UK, Tesco is the main grocery store and around 33% of UK’s selling space and 66% of all out deals all the general stores in UK are provided food by Tesco. Tesco is having hypermarkets, accommodation stores and superstores.From this paper it is clear that Tesco’s center methodologies are as per the following: to focus more on the UK’s center ; to turn into the world driving retailer in onlineâ deals and stores; Tesco is a market head in food things and needs to be more grounded in different items additionally; to think to build up the retail benefits in the entirety of our business sectors; to create and claim high-esteem brands. Tesco is having its activities in the accompanying nations viz. USA, Europ e â€Turkey, Czech Republic , Poland ,Hungary, Slovakia and Republic of Ireland, Asia †India , China , South Korea , Malaysia and Thailand. In the most recent two decades, Tesco had seen getting teeth issues in its forceful advertising plans.â Tesco saw a fall in deals because of all around organized and impregnated grocery stores in the UK, a great deal of hindrances in getting plan endorsement for its enormous superstores, saw vicious rivalry from Safeway, Asda and Sainsbury. Tesco’ development and accomplishment in the course of recent decades rest upon its change of picture and methodology.. Tesco needs to change its advertising system to sell different sorts of clients in particular lower, center and privileged buyers with a comprehensive offer trick, and their market methodology is to sell top notch items at a practical cost. In 1998, it presented the best scope of premium items and was trailed by the presentation of Tesco’s Organic range, which was presented in 2006. Afterward, it presented Tesco’s Healthy Living â€Å"range of items and in 2008, it acquainted â€Å"Value â€Å"range items with draw in the cost cognizant customers, basically to meet the stands up to tossed by the ongoing financial downturn. Tesco can achieve high incomes by building up an immense scope of own brands. Tesco has moved its center business procedure to amplify the customer’s esteem from that of augmenting shareholders’ esteem. (Aaker and McLaughlin 2010:128). Tesco has advanced a broadening system footed upon on four center territories: extending and improving in the principle UK basic food item advertise and differentiate into portions like convinient stores; venturing into non-food organizations like wellbeing, dress , magnificence , DVDs , CDs and enhanced into forming into its own non-food Value and Finest reaches; expanded into retail administration regions like individual money for utilities and telecoms by marking joint endeavors with nearby players ; it gathered into its universal extension, which effectively represented one-fourth of its deals in the year 2008-09 . (Aaker and McLaughlin 2010:128). Worldwide Positioning As indicated by Sheth, a company’s promoting methodologies ought to be calibrated in the period of

Great Tips For Writing Your College Essay

Great Tips For Writing Your College EssayHaving a tough time finding some great writing samples for your APU or MBA school essay? Don't worry! Finding these samples is actually quite easy if you're a college student who is interested in writing. Just make sure you don't use them as actual examples or write them using incorrect grammar and syntax, you could be doing yourself a lot of damage!Of course, you've probably already heard about some of the huge mistakes that most people make when they begin writing their own essays. That's okay - even if you're not very good at it, you can still learn how to write good essays. Here are some great tips for you on how to write a great essay!Learning how to write essays isn't really difficult. The most important thing that you need to do is make sure that you are practicing your skills as much as possible. This will help you develop as a writer and make you a better writer in the long run. There are tons of online resources out there that will g ive you tips on how to write an essay, but you also need to be creative when you're doing your practice writing.There are many essay writing websites out there that will allow you to take online practice tests. Make sure that you take advantage of these, because this will help you test your writing abilities. There are even some great writing websites out there that allow you to get reviews from professional writers so that you can choose the best one for your college writing project.Just remember that your first step when you're writing is to write something that you can go back to and look back on later. If you do this, you'll be able to come up with ideas for your essay without having to change anything that you've written previously. By writing something that you can look back on, you'll be able to be consistent with your writing.One of the best things that you can do to see how good your essay is without having to actually see your essay examples is to use online research to fi nd some great APU school essay samples. The great thing about doing this is that you can take your essay samples anywhere you go, which will help you remember the essay. You don't want to write something that you haven't read before, though. This will defeat the purpose.Finally, when you're writing, don't be afraid to use your imagination. Don't try to recreate a story from memory. Take some time to write an essay that you would love to have written by someone else, and then put your own spin on it.Writing essays is never easy, but it is the best way for you to build up your confidence as a writer. When you get ready to take an APU or MBA writing test, you'll be well prepared. But most importantly, when you do get through all the different writing styles and writing samples, you'll be able to prepare for it the right way.

Women in the Western Genre Essay - 1530 Words

Ever since the early 20th century, there had been several attempts and experimentation in creating a new genre of cinema known as the Western. The first well-known Western movie The Great Train Robbery (1903), while not necessarily being the first ever Western, it is by both film historians and theorists definitely considered the pinnacle of the genre, that got it all started and that would be the first step in creating others similar to it, but also very different. Because it was still an unknown genre in film, there had not yet been established a set of rules as for how to construct films in this new experimental genre so change was to be expected. One of the most significant changes in the genre through the years is how the role of†¦show more content†¦One other Western film that comes to mind when it comes to â€Å"the role and treatment of women† (Shulman ix) is The Virginian, where Molly, an Eastern schoolteacher who comes to Wyoming from a good but rather needy Vermont family faces several conflicts – one all Westerns are typically all too familiar with being the inevitable conflict of the East and West, but it seems as though throughout their interactions with one another it serves as more of a guise for a contest between men and women when Molly proceeds to educate the Virginian, then in turn educating and increasingly dominating her – thus resulting in a â€Å"genteel version of the nineteenth-century war between the sexes† (Shulman ix), and what could also be stated as â€Å"a masculine-feminine contest about responsibility and marriage† (Shulman xxvii) comes to pass upon Mollys arrival. Despite getting to know The Virginian well over the course of the film, Molly is still naà ¯ve when it comes to the attempted newly formed laws and customs of the parts of the West, showing so when she objects to the lynching, but as The Virginian himself explained, despite how greatly it upsets him as well it is something he has to do, because his friend knew of the customs of the country, and that if they did not go through with the lynching the judges wouldnt like it. However, soon Judge Henry overcomes Mollys feminine and Eastern objections, as his three arguments regarding the West and law serve to persuade MollyShow MoreRelatedThe Western as a Film Genre1449 Words   |  6 PagesThe Western as a Genre John Ford’s Stagecoach (United Artists) has been hailed as the official Western Classic. Released in 1939 after the lull in production of Westerns caused by the advent of sound and The Great Depression during the mid 1930’s, it is considered one of the key films that helped revived the A-Western in the 1940’s prior to WWII. Stagecoach has the classic Western recipe. The main staple of that recipe in Stagecoach were authentically dressed cowboys and town folk, the dressRead MoreThe Good, The Bad And The Ugly825 Words   |  4 PagesAnd The Ugly A genre in a film uses familiar story formulas, character types, settings and all of which lead viewers to have a certain perception about what the movie will be like before actually watching it (Goodykoontz, B., Jacobs, 2014). In many instances, genres produce an explanation of the film. Evidently, this paper focuses on westerns as the main theme; this movie depicts notions of molarity tales, ironic tales and describes the notion of a classical look of the old western times. AdditionallyRead MoreBrokeback Mountain and the Western Genre Essay1000 Words   |  4 Pages The film genre of the Western has long since proven to be more about the conflict and showdowns that occur in the storyline. Usually the western genre incorporates traditional western motifs and icons and adheres to those common plot structures of the genre, but Brokeback Mountain is different from what is to be normally expected because it does not seem like a traditional and conventional Western film at all. Brokeback Mountain has several different twists to it, like the more modernRead MoreCodes and Conventions of Genres Essay1260 Words   |  6 PagesCodes and Conventions of Genres A genre is a particular type of commodity . It has characteristic features that are known to and recognised by the audiences because the same formula is reproduced many times. Genre is a French word meaning that refers to types or categories of media products. Soap operas, situation comedies, police series, quiz shows and news programmes are just some of the genres to be found in television. Genres are identified by the particular conventionsRead MoreTHE FORGOTTEN HISTORY OF THE WESTERN CINEMA1400 Words   |  6 PagesTHE FORGOTTEN HISTORY OF THE WESTERN CINEMA The western movies are film genre where the scene generally takes place in North America during the American conquest of the West in the last decades of the nineteenth century. This genre appears since the invention of the cinema in 1985 finding its inspiration from literature and painting arts of the American Wild West. This genre reached its first success in the mid-twentieth century during the golden age of Hollywood studios, before it had being reinventedRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Django Unchained 1313 Words   |  6 Pages and immigrants of varying origins. As such, modern westerns have chosen this aspect as a point of subversions with examples such as Blazing Saddles (1974), Django Unchained (2012), and The Magnificent Seven (2016). Blazing Saddles serves as a merging of the Ranch and Marshal narratives and is ostensibly meant to shed light on the absurdity of racism but also manages to provide a scathing critique of a common archetype of the Classical Western: the Rancher . â€Å"These are people of the land,† says GeneRead MoreCowboys and Aliens Directed by Jon Favreau1268 Words   |  5 PagesCowboys and Aliens (2011) directed by Jon Favreau, takes place in a Western style setting in New Mexico territory. Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig) wakes up in the middle of the desert severely injured with no recollection as to why he is in pain. At this point he notices the scientific and advanced technology attached to his wrist. This strange mechanical device immediately incorporates the science fiction aspect to a clearly western style film. After killing three men who were attempting to attack himRead MoreThe Expansion Of The Frontier And The Relationship Among The Native Americans908 Words   |  4 Pageseach representing a distinct social status in western history,† and that â€Å"this clash of classes and misfit characters provide a perfect set up for social commentary about diverse societies.† The western hero possesses a sense of r esilience that allows him to outsmart a group of outlaws. In earlier western films, Native Americans were viewed as savages and ethnic groups were viewed as ignorant due to the lack of political correctness. Like most early western films, violence was utilized in place of punishmentRead MoreLiterary Analysis : Modern Detective Fiction1573 Words   |  7 Pagesmedia in recent decades as detective serve as reflections of cultural assumptions and values conveyed through the genre. Authors of new innovative storylines with unique characterizations and revitalizations of classic, ageless characters coincide to present new shift messages about crimes, the human element, and the detective. The comparable and divergent adaptations of detective genre is coming when comparing sociocultural messages from opposite ends of the globe, to identify new relevancy with uniqueRead MoreThe Wild West Rides Into The Sunset Essay1389 Words   |  6 Pagespossibility that you were reading a classic Western. Many readers of this genre would describe its stereotyp es as what I listed above. You can almost always find that protagonist cowboy hero, who tends to be a good-looking and sharp character that fights the dirty, rugged, evil villain in an epic climax while trying to save his gorgeous and innocent lady. The setting is often a flat, unpopulated, and undeveloped town, surrounded by mountains. The Western genre played a large role in developing the history

Listening to Podcasts in German

We discovered Annik Rubens and her five-minute Schlaflos in Mà ¼nchen podcasts first, and then it was about an hour with a Swiss-German dee-jay at jradio.ch in Zurich. (Cool to hear Schwytzerdytsch, the musics cool, but in English.) The variety of topics and sheer numbers of podcasts in German is amazing for such a relatively new phenomenon! People all around the world—including Austria, Germany, and Switzerland—are producing their own mini-radio shows on topics from art culture to porn, from daily life to rock, or world news politics. There are podcasts in German dialects and even kidspods for young listeners (Hà ¶rkultur fà ¼r Kinder). Youll find pro versions and podcasts by just plain folks. PodcastenaufDeutsch What is podcasting? Heres a definition in German: Der Begriff Podcasting meint das automatische Herunterladen von Audio-Dateien aus dem Internet. Meistens handelt es sich dabei um private Radio-Shows, die sich einem bestimmten Thema widmen. - podster.de (See the English explanation in the next paragraph.) Audio on the web is nothing new. However, das Podcasten is a new way of approaching online audio (and video). It really seems to be a good thing for language-learners. The term podcast is a play on words that mixes broadcast and iPod to come up with podcast. A podcast is a lot like a radio broadcast, but with some crucial differences. First of all, a podcaster doesnt need a real radio station. Anyone with basic recording and computer skills can produce a podcast. Second, unlike radio, you can listen to a podcast at any time and in any place. You can click on a podcast and listen to it immediately (just like streaming audio), or you can save it to your computer (and/or iPod) for later. Some podcasts require a free subscription and/or special podcast software (i.e., iTunes, iPodder, Podcatcher, etc.), but most podcasts can be heard using a normal Web browser set up for MP3 audio. The advantage of subscribing is that youll get your chosen podcast on a regular basis, just like a newsletter.  A lot of the podcasting software and services are free. You dont have to pay for anything unless you want to. The free iTunes software from Apple (for Mac or Windows) has support for podcasts and is perhaps the easiest way to subscribe to podcasts in German or other languages. How to Find German Podcasts The best way is to use iTunes or some other podcast directory. Podcast.net lists over 20 podcasts in German. Thats where I found Annik and Schlaflos in Mà ¼nchen, but shes also listed in iTunes and other directories. (Some podcasts listed under Deutsch may actually be in English, because its up to the podcaster to select the category.) Of course, there are also German podcast directories, including das deutsche Podcasting Portal - German podcasts. The iPodder.org site has a page for podster.de, but you need to download the free Juicer client (Mac, Win, Linux) to use it. You can also use Google.de or other search engines to find podcasts in German. Some Selected Podcast Sites in German Most podcasters have a Web site related to their podcasts, often with a forum for feedback and comments. Most will let you stream their MP3 podcasts, but if you want to subscribe, try one of the podcast clients such as iPodder. Annik Rubens: Schlaflos in Mà ¼nchen 3-5 minute daily podcasts1st Intergalactic Podcast Ralfs tà ¤gliche handvoll Minà ¼tchen à ¼ber einfach allesAudibleBlog.de Topics: Large variety (business, Kinder, usw.) DIE ZEIT and audio highlights (3-12 min.) from audible.deGnak Podcast Verschiedenes von Nicole Simone in Là ¼beck

Brazil, Mexico And Argentina - 1287 Words

The Brazil, Mexico and Argentina are the largest, most industrialized and most diverse economies of Latin America. The three became independent countries in the early 19th century and, at the end of it, slowly started their industrialization processes, which have intensified only from the early 1930. With the crisis of 1929 and the economic depression that followed, the industrialised countries started to buy less goods sold by the exporting countries of agricultural and mineral products. At that time, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina had drastically reduced export levels, which made it difficult to import various industrial products. On the other hand, the drop in inflow of imported products has accelerated the industrialization to replace many consumer goods, mainly from Europe. Weaving factory in Sà £o Paulo in the early 20th century Some the first factories belonged to the landowner aristocracy which had accumulated capital with exports of agricultural products and went on to invest in industry, in Commerce and in the financial system. The estancieros Argentines (owners of estancias, large rural properties), have won a lot of money by exporting meat and wheat; in Brazil, highlighted mostly farmers of coffee, known as coffee barons; and, in Mexico, the owners of the haciendas (farms). All were large landowners, with strong economic and political influence in their countries. Paulista Avenue in the early 20th century-dominated by luxury mansions of the barons ofShow MoreRelatedLatin American International Locations Aren t Resistant The Global Disaster1352 Words   |  6 Pagescommon of five% among 2003 and 2008. that is a median growth of greater than three% consistent with capita, a figure that had no longer been carried out because the days of the import substitution model (ECLAC, 2008, p. 13). a few countries like Argentina and Venezuela did even higher, with boom costs of extra than 8% for numerous consecutive years. Latin American international locations aren t resistant to the global disaster. It hit this place as it was emerging from one of the maximum severeRead MoreThe Industrial Revolution And Latin America1609 Words   |  7 Pagesmajor administrative units (vice-royalties) of Spanish America ultimately dissolved into eighteen separate countries. ââ€"  Peru and Bolivia briefly united and then broke apart in a bitter conflict (1836-1839). ââ€"  Mexico lost huge territories to the United States (1846-1848). ââ€"  Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay went to war with Paraguay (1864-1870) in a conflict that devastated Paraguay s small population. ââ€"  Conservatives favored centralized authority and sought to maintain the social status quo of the colonialRead MoreGlobalization of Wal-Mart1177 Words   |  5 Pagesalso knew how Latin America was growing, so they targeted Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil. The first store was a 50-50 joint venture in Mexico City with Cifra. As they learned new cultures, they jumped into Brazil teaming up with a local retailer Lojas Americana. As Walmart moved into Argentina, they did this on a wholly owned basis. They then ventured further into Mexico and gained controlling interest of Cifra and renamed it Walmart de Mexico S.A. de C.V. They realized that it’s not a good idea toRead MoreThe French Revolution And Napoleonic Wars2358 Words   |  10 Pagescountry against the French expansion. Portugal had been a long-time ally with England. In 1807, Napoleon invaded Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. However a few days prior to the invasion, the English royal navy shipped the Portuguese roya l family to Brazil. Prince Joao of Portugal established his court in the city of Rio de Janiero. In 1808, Napoleon made his way to Spain and invaded Madrid. Napoleon placed his brother, Joseph on the Spanish throne. Joseph on the Spanish throne let to revolt in theRead MoreLatin American Culture Essay examples1050 Words   |  5 PagesLatin American Culture Latin America represents 1/10 of the worlds population, and geographically can be located from the land extensions of Mexico, until the Patagonia at Argentina. Some of the most relevant elements of todays culture in Latin America are; Religion, Values, Attitudes, Social structure, Social stratification, Language and Gift-giving hospitality. The predominant religion throughout history in Latin America has been Catholicism. From big cities to small villages, churches, basilicasRead MoreEducation is key to knowledge that strengthens the perspectives, skills, and abilities of learners1500 Words   |  6 Pagesother regions (Frankema). Grade distribution means that as students finish one grade, they are more likely to continue onto and finish the next grades from primary to secondary (Frankema). However, in Latin American countries including Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia and Mexico, the grade distribution is very distorted in that enrollment levels exceed attendance levels (Frankema). Grad e repetitions, irregular attendance, and drop-outs also add to this distortion (Frankema). Regions in India have similar,Read MoreTo most of us, globalization—as a political, economic, social, and technological force—appears all1700 Words   |  7 Pagesregions—rather than global opportunity—should be the focus of strategy analysis and organization. As examples, they cite recent decisions by DuPont and Procter Gamble to roll their three separate country subsidiaries in the United States, Canada, and Mexico into one regional organization. The histories of Toyota, Wal-Mart, and Coca-Cola provide support for the diagnosis of a semiglobalized and regionally divided world. Toyota’s globalization has always had a distinct regional flavor. Its starting pointRead MoreThe Importance Of Disclosure And Transparency Within The Corporate Governance Structure1673 Words   |  7 Pagescountries and identifying company information by pulling company data from the local stock exchanges. The unavailability of company information restricted our search to 1097 companies located in five Latin American countries, namely the Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Columbia. We then proceeded to analyze what information is disclosed to investors. Given survey data that suggesting that emerging market investors find transparency and disclosure to be of critical importance, we examine firm-levelRead MoreWal Marts Cost Of Convenience1212 Words   |  5 Pagesin countries like Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Central America, Chile, Ch ina, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico and the United Kingdom. Wal-Mart went internationally in 1991; in Mexico Wal-Mart has 2,295 stores in Mexico. In 1994 Wal-Mart stores opened up in Canada. Canada currently has 395 Wal-Mart stores. In 1995, Wal-Mart opened their first stores in Argentina and Brazil. Currently, there are 105 Wal-Mart stores in Argentina and 557 Wal-Mart stores in Brazil. Wal-Mart is the third largestRead MoreThe Sustainability Of Biofuels Throughout Latin America1223 Words   |  5 Pagesnumerous favorable circumstances, for example, great soil, appropriate atmosphere, accessible land and low work costs. Brazil is one of only a handful couple of nations that have generally demonstrated an expanding supply and utilization of biofuels as Brazil s generation and usage of bioethanol from sugarcane has turned into a reasonable transport fuel since 30 years. Argentina and Brazil are encountering the developing use of soy beans for biodiesel creation. Moreover, ther e are numerous different nations

Use of Mail Merge and Spreadsheet at Workplace

Question: Describe mail merge? Why and how would the employee use it? i) Define mail merge ii) Explain the speed and accuracy provided through the automation of recipient details, especially in a business context e.g. customers iii) Describe the principle of defining a template document that calls data from an external source e.g. text file, spread-sheet and database. Answer: Introduction Mail merge is an important way of communication of messages in large groups. In business operations the mail merge feature can convert the letters in form of documents suitable for reading as an individual correspondence (Taljaard et al. 2015). Mail merge is useful for saving time and human effort when any particular set of information is conveyed to many people. It helps in producing mass amount of mailings with envelopes and labels. The report is an analysis of the use of mail merge in business operations. Employees and workers can be benefited from the use of mail merge by saving their effort and time. The report would explain the automation process and describe the benefits of the business employees for dealing with the customers. The report has shown the principle and importance of the template document for inputting the data values from the external source. Description of Mail Merge and Its usage Definition of Mail Merge Definition of Mail Merge with Example The mail merge is an important feature of database software, email programs and word processor. The mail merge is a standard form and format consisting of unique fields like email address, phone number, name, and other information for making the message appealing and unique (Shanfeng 2012). It helps in creating the message chain for each person in CSV, database and other source of input. Example- A sample mail merge for a business organization that can be sent to its customers is provided below: __________ (email address of the receiver) Dear _______ (name of the receiver), It has been immense pleasure in doing business with you. We would like to show our gratitude to ________ (name of the customer) and hope you would continue with our services. Sincerely, ABC Ltd. (name of the company) Explanation of the Speed and Accuracy of Automation Recipients in Mail Merge Automation recipients are the feature of mail merge that provides speed of generating huge number of letters simultaneously. Mail merge helps in creating personalized documented letters and envelopes that have been pre-addressed (Lu et al. 2014). These mergers have lots of mailing labels in the form of letter especially in business. The data source is practically a spreadsheet or data base that contains the information in its fields and columns for each of the variable in the provided template which allows the people in any company to transfer information more easily (Olfman et al. 2014). The mail merger system can be processed using word software (Olfman et al. 2014). It creates an output document for every individual row of the database. The data is automatically fixed in the processing document as per provided in the template of the letter (Kraft et al. 2015). The values are substituted with respect to the matching column and template of the document. Accuracy: The datasheet of the recipients for any business has number of clients. The transactions occur on daily basis and considerable amount of communication has to be done. It becomes practically impossible for manually sending message through emails to all the clients (Nicola and Sommerlandt 2013). Even if the emails are sent manually, there is a strong chance of making a mistake while manually entering the recipients name and address. Speed: The transactions occur on daily basis and considerable amount of communication has to be done (Nicola and Sommerlandt 2013). Therefore, the datasheet of the recipients for any business has huge number of clients. Figure 2: Mail merge list in a spreadsheet (Source: Dmcritchie.mvps.org 2016) Description of the Principle of Defining Template Document Managing the template documents It is a powerful tool for the sending and writing the personalized letter and email to many receivers at a time. It can be used for creating the envelopes in the labels for each recipients information (Arsenault et al. 2014). The data is imported from some other resource and it is used for replacing the placeholders in the created message. The principal process for template documentation consists of creation of data source and document or template. The principal fields are defined for the document and the merging is carried out. Principles of the template documents The principles for using the template documents are: Usefulness of Template document- The template documents are very distinct need for the business operations. It is a catalog of polished and professional documents that helps in holding the required high standards of the business communication. Time-Saving- The templates help in saving the time of the business communication. It assists the professional approach in many ways. The readymade template for the business is useful for saving the time that can be delegated in some other activity (Kantor et al. 2012). All the necessary documents are inserted automatically in the template within seconds. The finished template can be shared and sent. Customizable- The templates are unique and customizable in nature. The business entity can customize the template as per their requirements (Ji et al. 2013). The startup template is a well-crafted and professional template that can be personalized by adding some individual touches. Consistence and clarity- The template is very useful for business documents and the major benefit is its consistent nature (Kantor et al. 2012). The template maintained by the business is used for generating multiple documents. All the documents generated are consistent and there are no distinguishable features among them. The template would provide the clear understanding of what is meant by the document to the customers. Use of Mail Merge by Employees The basic use of Mail Merge by the employees is writing and sending a standard form of letter to a large number of shareholders and stakeholders (Van der Linden et al. 2015). It would provide benefit of automatic citation of the name and address and save the manual effort of the employees. Conclusion The report had shown various points for the use of mail merge system. Mail merge is useful for saving time and human effort when any particular set of information is conveyed to many people. The report has shown the principle and importance of the template document for inputting the data values from the external source. Mail Merges are used for generating hundreds of letters simultaneously. The mergers have lots of mailing labels in the form of letter. The data source is practically a spreadsheet or data base that contains the information in its fields and columns for each of the variable in the provided template. It helps in retaining 100% accuracy while sending the mail to an individual sender. Bibliography Bcit.ca. (2016).BCIT : : COMP 0367 - MS Word Styles, Templates and Mail Merge. [online] Available at: https://www.bcit.ca/study/courses/comp0367 [Accessed 26 Jul. 2016]. Dmcritchie.mvps.org. (2016).Mail Merge, Printing Labels using Mail Merge with data from Excel. [online] Available at: https://dmcritchie.mvps.org/excel/mailmerg.htm [Accessed 26 Jul. 2016]. Ji, H., Favre, B., Lin, W.P., Gillick, D., Hakkani-Tur, D. and Grishman, R., 2013. Open-domain Multi-Document summarization via information extraction: Challenges and prospects. InMulti-source, Multilingual Information Extraction and Summarization(pp. 177-201). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Kantor, A., Antebi, L., Kirsch, Y. and Bialik, U., Check Point Software Technologies Ltd, 2012.Methods for document-to-template matching for data-leak prevention. U.S. Patent 8,254,698. Kraft, E.B. and Milnes, J.T., EnterCalo, Inc., 2015.Business content authoring and distribution. U.S. Patent 9,141,393. Lu, M.J., Martinez, E.A. and Ranjan, S., Microsoft Corporation, 2014.Mail merge integration techniques. U.S. Patent 8,661,342. Mancini, J. (2016).5 Myths Regarding Document Automation. [online] Info.aiim.org. Available at: https://info.aiim.org/digital-landfill/newaiimo/2011/12/20/5-myths-regarding-document-automation [Accessed 26 Jul. 2016]. Msdn.microsoft.com. (2016).Different Ways to Take Advantage of the E-mail Features of Excel. [online] Available at: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/aa203718(v=office.11).aspx [Accessed 26 Jul. 2016]. Nicola, M. and Sommerlandt, M., International Business Machines Corporation, 2013.Document Merge Based on Knowledge of Document Schema. U.S. Patent Application 13/940,646. Olfman, L.O.R.N.E., Bostrom, R.P. and Sein, M.K., 2014. Developing training strategies with an HCI perspective.Human-Computer Interaction and Management Information Systems: Applications. Advances in Management Information Systems, p.258. Patil, N.V., 2014. Pettern Authoring: Web Service Oriented Architecture. Shanfeng, Z., 2012. Word Mail Merge Functionto Print Fixed Format Diploma with Mulipart Forms [J].Office Informatization,20, p.025. Support.microsoft.com. (2016). [online] Available at: https://support.microsoft.com/en-in/kb/301656 [Accessed 26 Jul. 2016]. Taljaard, M., Chaudhry, S.H., Brehaut, J.C., Weijer, C. and Grimshaw, J.M., 2015. Mail merge can be used to create personalized questionnaires in complex surveys.BMC research notes,8(1), p.1. Van der Linden, S., Faber, S., Halstead, M. and Altberg, E., Yellowpages. Com Llc, 2015.System and method to merge pay-for-performance advertising models. U.S. Patent 9,202,219.

Napolean Bonaparte Essay Research Paper Napoleon BonaparteNapoleon free essay sample

Napolean Bonaparte Essay, Research Paper Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte, who is besides known as the # 8220 ; small Corsican # 8221 ; , was born on August 15,1769 in Ajaccio, Corsica. His household had moved at that place from Italy in the sixteenth century. His original name was Napoleone. He had 7 brothers and sisters. His original nationality was Corsican-Italian. He besides despised the Gallic. He thought they were oppressors of his native land. His male parent was a attorney, and was besides anti-French. One ground Napoleon may hold been such a great leader and radical because was he was raised in a household of groups. When Napoleon was nine, his male parent sent him to Brienne, a Gallic military authorities school in Paris. While there he was invariably teased by the Gallic pupils. Because of this Napoleon started holding dreams of personal glorification and victory. From 1784 to 1785 Napoleon attended the Ecole Militaire in Paris. It was at that place that he received his military preparation. We will write a custom essay sample on Napolean Bonaparte Essay Research Paper Napoleon BonaparteNapoleon or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He studied to be an heavy weapon adult male and an officer. He finished his preparation and he joined the Gallic ground forces when he was merely 16 old ages old. His male parent died after that and he had to supply for his full household. Napoleon was stationed in Paris in 1792. After the Gallic monarchy was overthrown in August of that twelvemonth, Napoleon started to do a name for himself and go a good known military leader. In 1792 Napoleon was promoted to captain. In 1793 he was chosen to direct the heavy weapon against the besieging in Toulon. Soon after that Toulon fell and Napoleon was promoted to brigadier general. Bonaparte was made commanding officer of the Gallic ground forces in Italy. He defeated many Austrian Generals. Soon after this Austria and France made peace. Afterwards Napoleon was relieved of his bid. He had been suspected of lese majesty. In 1795 he broke up a rebellion and saved the Gallic authorities. He had earned back regard and he was one time once more give bid of the Gallic Army in Italy. He came up with a program that worked really good. He would cut the enemy # 8217 ; s ground forces in to two parts, so assail one side of them before the other side could assist them. This worked really good against the Sardinian military personnels, he defeated them 5 times in 11 yearss. After this Napoleon was about impossible to halt. This was when he began suppressing most of Europe. The first state he defeated was Austria. He collected tonss of money and sent it back to Paris, this helped the weak economic system of France. After he came near to Vienna, the Austrians surrendered, and made a pact with France. This gave France the Netherlands, and it made the Rhine River the eastern boundary line of France. He made an unsuccessful effort to occupy Egypt. And in 1799 he returned to France to happen the Directory ( the Gallic Government ) was a muss. The overthrew the Directory, and created a new authorities, in which there were three consuls, and he was the most of import 1. At this clip, everyone in France loved napoleon, and his power increased. In 1802 France signed a peace pact with England and Germany, and was now non at war with anyone. He re-established the University of France, reformed the instruction system, and he founded the Bank of France. He besides made the Napolionic Code: The first clear, compact statement of the Gallic jurisprudence. The Napolionic Code has served as a base for legal systems around the universe. He changed the authorities once more and made himself swayer of the Gallic Empire. He divorced his married woman Josephine in 1809 and married Marie Louise, the girl of the Emperor of Austria. He shortly had a boy by his 2nd married woman, and made him male monarch of Rome. He now was the swayer of a great imperium, and he had 42 million people under his control. After he tried to occupy Russia, his imperium began to crumple. And on April 6, 1814 he was forced from the throne. He was exiled to the island of Elba. About a twelvemonth subsequently, he gathered about 1,000 soldiers and went to Paris and regained power. He ruled for a short clip, and so he surrendered to the English. He was exiled to the island of St. Helena in the south Atlantic, where he stayed until he died on May 5, 1821. He purportedly died of malignant neoplastic disease, but there are rumours that he was poisoned.

Analogous Structures in Evolution

Analogous Structures in Evolution There are many types of evidence supporting evolution, including studies in the molecular biology field, such as DNA, and in the developmental biology field. However, the most commonly used types of evidence for evolution are anatomical comparisons between species. While homologous structures show how similar species have changed from their ancient ancestors, analogous structures show how different species have evolved to become more similar. Speciation Speciation is the change over time of one species into a new species. Why would different species become more similar? Usually, the cause of convergent evolution is similar selection pressures in the environment. In other words, the environments in which the two different species live are similar and those species need to fill the same niche in different areas around the world. Since natural selection works the same way in these environments, the same types of adaptations are favorable, and individuals with favorable adaptations survive long enough to pass down their genes to their offspring. This continues until only individuals with favorable adaptations are left in the population. Sometimes, these types of adaptations can change the structure of the individual. Body parts can be gained, lost, or rearranged depending on whether their function is the same as the original function of that part. This can lead to analogous structures in different species that occupy the same type of niche and environment in different locations. Taxonomy When Carolus Linnaeus first began classifying and naming species with taxonomy, the science of classification, he often grouped similar-looking species into similar groups. This led to incorrect groupings compared to evolutionary origins of the species. Just because species look or behave the same doesnt mean they are closely related. Analogous structures dont have to share the same evolutionary path. One analogous structure might have come into existence long ago, while the analogous match on another species may be relatively new. They may go through different developmental and functional stages before they are fully alike. Analogous structures are not necessarily evidence that two species came from a common ancestor. It is more likely they came from two separate branches of the phylogenetic tree and may not be closely related at all. Examples The human eye is very similar in structure to the eye of the octopus. In fact, the octopus eye is superior to the humans in that it doesnt have a blind spot. Structurally, that is the only difference between the eyes. However, the octopus and the human are not closely related and reside far from each other on the phylogenetic tree of life. Wings are a popular adaptation for many animals. Bats, birds, insects, and pterosaurs all had wings. But a bat is more closely related to a human than to a bird or an insect based on homologous structures. Even though all these species have wings and can fly, they are very different in other ways. They just happen to fill the flying niche in their locations. Sharks and dolphins look very similar due to color, placement of their fins, and overall body shape. However, sharks are fish and dolphins are mammals. This means that dolphins are more closely related to rats than they are sharks on the evolutionary scale. Other types of evolutionary evidence, such as DNA similarities, have proved this. It takes more than appearance to determine which species are closely related and which have evolved from different ancestors to become more similar through their analogous structures. However, analogous structures themselves are evidence for the theory of natural selection and the accumulation of adaptations over time.

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

English - Essay Example To be precise, the character of Crenshaw plays a very important role in giving a realistic touch to Messina town and the influence of football on its people. The following narration given by the author gives a clear note on Crenshaw’s character as well as the main reason, which has stick him to Messina. "†¦he vowed to return more often. Messina was the only hometown he knew. The best years of his life were there. He’d come back and watch the Spartans on Friday night, sit with his friends and when the name of Eddie Rake was mentioned, he would smile and maybe laugh and tell a story of his own. One with a happy ending." â€Å"The math had never worked. However, they piled in from the county, from out in the sticks where there was nothing else to do on Friday night. in every window of every store around the Messina square there was a large green football schedule, as if the customers and townsfolk needed help in remembering that the Spartans played every Friday."The setting of the novel is completely written over Messina with specific attention given to football matches and its strong influence on the people of Messina. Most of the recollections of Crenshaw cover up the football matches in which majority of Messina’s people would come to see. The conflict between innocence and maturity, reason and reality keeps the story of Montana 1948 move with suspense and interest. David’s expedition to the frequent deaths happening within their living atmosphere, and the rivalry of power, which takes place between his grandfather and his own father, enhances the curiosity of David. The difference between the visions of a 12-year-old boy and a grown up boy holds the essence of the plot. The reasons which he [David] would like to explore with the events that happens after the death of their maid woman, and the understandings which he associates with his own realisation as well as his father’s helps a lot to understand the

Microsoft Company Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Microsoft Company Analysis - Essay Example A lot of criticism has been raised about the practices of the management but the company still continues to experience rapid growth. Some of the biggest issues have been Labor Practices, Licensing Agreements, Acquisitions and Court Litigations (Salop & Romaine, 1999). Microsoft violated anti-trust laws and was charged with illegal conduct. Despite the court ruling, economic and legal justifications continue to be a subject of debate amongst the different entities from both sides. Today, companies are reviewed and judged not only on their economic performance, but also how well they are maintaining ethical standards. The management at Microsoft has been focused on not only adapting to the changing environment but maintaining a high level of ethical conduct while doing so. Studying the Microsoft case is important for two reasons, firstly the outcomes of this case may have severe consequences on the future of this industry. The laws and policies that come out of this case will not only influence how Microsoft works but also other computer hardware/software manufacturers like IBM and Apple. Secondly, as a legal case, it determines the standards of monopolization for all future generations. Technological Changes The biggest challenge recent technological change has been the increase in the use of mobile devices. In April 2011, Microsoft, once the dominant technology company, saw revenue from its core operating system software slip in the first three months of 2011 as consumers begin to shift to buying tablet computers that do not run on Microsoft software. Microsoft has been severely lagging behind in this industry with Windows Mobile not being used by many of the handheld PDAs or cell phones (Markus & Robey). With Apple and Google growing rapidly with their own respective systems, Microsoft needed to bounce back which it did with a strategic collaboration with Nokia which means that all new Nokia handsets will be supplied with support for Windows Media Audio and Wi ndows Media DRM 10 (Digital Rights Management). This will enable users of the new mobile music service from Nokia and to play songs on Windows XP. Nokia has moved away from RealPlayer that brings together the leading companies (Nokia and Microsoft) in the market. This is Microsoft’s door to a large part of the mobile phone market, a region that was not really successful the last two years. Even before this deal was made speculation had started whether Nokia was being purchased by Microsoft simply because of the fact that many did not see Microsoft using a collaborative strategy as it has never done in the past. But this step is extremely positive because the deal made between the two giants ensures constant development in the future, and Microsoft will remain competitive in the mobile OS industry. One of the latest events that Microsoft has entered into is by acquiring Skype, a kind of software that can be used to make telephone calls using the internet. This actually has bee n viewed as a mixed strategy by analysts. While many say that it is a good expansion for the company, others argue that it is once again the Microsoft way of adapting to challenges, i.e. they lack the ingenuity to come up with original products/services, and chose to acquire smaller firms without actually thinking about whether they fit with the company’s strategy. This is however a step by Microsoft to diversify somewhat into the mobility and networking sector, where it

Slow Food Versus Fast Food Essay Example for Free

Slow Food Versus Fast Food Essay Introduction Most hotels at Victoria Falls have for decades prided themselves on a culture of serving leisurely, gourmet meals (especially dinners) prepared using local ingredients including a variety of game meat (e. g. buffalo, kudu, impala, warthog, crocodile, guinea fowl), local mushrooms and vegetable varieties, and ? sh from the nearby Zambezi River. Arguably, a signi? cant proportion of this food quali? es to be called ‘slow food’, because it meets the four criteria for slowlness (Rothermel, 2009). First, slow food must be freshly prepared from fresh ingredients, mostly vegetables, fruit and whole grains, and meat in small portions. Second, the food must be eaten leisurely in company. Third, it must be simple but varied in taste. Finally, it must be produced in an ethical and environmentally friendly manner. However, in recent years, fast food restaurants, led by Innscor brands such as Chicken Inn, Creamy Inn, and so on, have begun penetrating the market. Indeed the expansion of fast food chains in the last decade can be observed in several African countries. In South Africa, international chains such as KFC and McDonald’s are becoming virtually ubiquitous. Rapid growth of fast food restaurant chains has become a global phenomenon (Berta, 2003; Doherty and van Warner, 1995; Emerson, 1980; King, 2004; Lan and Khan, 1995; Parsa and Khan, 1989; Soeder, 1994; Walkup, 2008; Willging, 2008). In the resort town of Victoria Falls, most tourists have traditionally opted to eat at the hotels where they lodge. However, with recent entrance of fast food chains, hoteliers, facing the threat of losing market share, have been responding to the changing competitive forces. Victoria Falls has become a ‘slow food versus fast food’ battleground. The main aim of this paper is to explore how the contemporary slow food– fast food contention is enacted in an African tourist destination setting. An important point to make is that it is not suggested here that Victoria Falls hotels serve slow food exclusively. Indeed, most hotels in the resort, in addition to what would qualify as slow food, also serve items which could be labelled as fast food, such as Corresponding author: Muchazondida Mkono, School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Southern Cross University, P. O. Box 157, Lismore, New South Wales 2480, Australia Email: [emailprotected] edu. au, [emailprotected] Downloaded from thr. sagepub. com at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on March 14, 2013 148 burgers, fries, and so on, typically as part of their ‘still room’ menus for lunches and snacks. At the same time hotels at Victoria Falls have always accepted that the majority of their guests spend the day undertaking a range of ‘tourist activities’ away from the hotel (for example elephant riding, over-the falls helicopter ? ights, bungee jumping, game safaris, white water rafting) and will often ? nd a quick snack elsewhere, or be provided with refreshments by tour operators offering these activities. Breakfast is generally consumed at the hotel, as most hotel rates are charged on bed and breakfast basis. Thus the real contention as to the tourist’s choice of either fast food or slow food is centred around dinner. Tourism and Hospitality Research 12(3) Warner, 1995; Emerson, 1980; Lan and Khan, 1995; Parsa and Khan, 1989; Soeder, 1994; Willging, 2008). Research has mainly focused on the health impacts of this trend (Allen et al. , 2007; Bartlett and Bartlett, 1995; Blanck et al. , 2009; Bowens, 1994; Chandon and Wansink, 2007; Chaudhry, 1992; Crowley, 2002; Dundes and Swann, 2008; Fitch et al., 2009; Grazin and Olsen, 1997; Gregory et al. , 2006; Hawkes, 2003; Hodges, 2003; Parker et al. , 2006; Rubin, 1996; Schreiner, 2007; Thornton et al. , 2009; Xu et al. , 2011), with the majority of authors corroborating the view that fast food poses signi? cant health risks. As such Slow Food Movement enthusiasts advocate a return to slow food habits. At the same time, there is a growing health conscious, market (Bartlett and Bartlett, 1995; Gray, 2004; Grazin and Olsen, 1997; Jonsdottir, 1998; Hwang and Cranage, 2010). In response to this trend, many hoteliers position their menus as healthier and wholesome. A closely related debate to fast food–slow food discourse pertains to the authenticity of menus. Authenticity is a central topic in tourism sociological debates, and re? ects a search for the Authentic Other in tourists (Beer, 2008; Chhabra, 2010; Cohen, 2007; Connell, 2007; Connell and Gibson, 2004; Daniel, 1996; Johnson, 2002; Wang, 1999; Warner, 2009; Wherry, 2006; White, 2007; Xie, 2003; Yang and Wall, 2009; Yu and Littrell, 2003; Zheng, 2011). Slow food, with its use of local ingredients and traditional cooking methods, has a stronger claim to authenticity, while fast food can easily be criticised as deauthenti?cation and MacDonaldisation of cuisine cultures; as Americanisation of traditional food cultures. A noticeable gap in the literature with respect to fast food chain expansion relates to the impacts on hotel food and beverage sales and pro? ts, as well as how (slow food) hotels have reacted to the trend to protect their market share. For African tourist destinations, hotels have long been an important part of the destination’s ‘authentic’ image, and the MacDonaldisation of the food culture in these areas might destabilise the desired image. The impacts therefore are far-reaching. Literature review While the concept of slow food has been received with a lot of interest among academics (Emerson, 1980; Gardner, 2007; Hodges, 2003; Jennings, 2006; Paxson, 2005; Peace, 2008; Piggott, 2001; Sassatelli and Davolio; Schwaner-Albright, 2007; Scoffer, 2008; Vaughan, 2008; Walkup, 2008; Waterhouse, 2008; Waters, 2006; Wong, 2009; Wright, 2007; Yee, 1999; Zuber, 2002), existing research has so far not looked at how resort hotels offering what could be described as ‘slow ? ne dining’ have been impacted by the expansion of fast food chains in Africa. Further, most research on fast food and slow food has been conducted in Western and Asian countries. African case studies are noticeably lacking (Emerson, 1980; King, 2004; Lan and Khan, 1995; Parsa and Khan, 1989; Soeder, 1994; Walkup, 2008; Willging, 2008). The concept of ‘slow food’ was borne out of the Slow Food Movement, founded in Bra, Italy, in 1986 by Carlo Petrini (Jones et al. , 2003; Petrini, 2001). The movement aims at safeguarding food and agricultural heritage around the world, and educating consumers about traditional foods (Nosi and Zanni, 2004). Formed to counteract the rapid globalisation of a fast food culture, the movement has evolved from being a protest against the erection of a McDonald’s restaurant in an Italian town to a formidable international organisation that has enthusiasts all over the world (Jones et al. , 2003). Interest in slow food has grown parallel to increasing criticism of fast food, although some authors question the movement’s ef? cacy in challenging the seemingly ‘all powerful’ fast food industry (Jones et al. , 2003). Fast food, according to Rothermel (2009), typically bland, chewy, cheesy, crunchy, salty, meaty, nutty, fatty, and sometimes spicy, captivates the palette quickly, repetitiously, and obsessively. As such, fast food is consumed by a growing population, particularly in developed countries (Doherty and van Methodology The goal of this study is to provide an exploratory, inductive analysis of the slow food–fast food contention as it has unfolded in recent times at the tourist destination of Victoria Falls. As a starting point for future research, the study highlights the perspectives of hoteliers, speci?cally food and beverage managers. The philosophical approach adopted for this study was hermeneutic (interpretive) phenomenology, which is also a research method (LeVasseur, 2003; Lopez and Downloaded from thr. sagepub. com at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on March 14, 2013 Mkono Willis, 2004; Wojnar and Swanson, 2007). The approach was adopted to make sense out of a local situation by providing a thick description (Denzin and Lincoln, 1994). The localised focus resulted in small-scale theories that are situated in speci? c personal experiences and perceptions (Riley and Love, 2000). The paper employs a highly re? exive and multivocal methodology where no single voice is priviledged (Riley and Love, 2000). Hermeneutic phenomenology is a particularly appropriate method for capturing subjective perspectives and lived experiences (Hegel, 1977; Ingram, 2002; Ironside et al. , 2003; Jonsdottir, 1998; Knibbe and Versteeg, 2008; LeVasseur, 2003; Lopez and Willis, 2004; Murphy et al. , 2009; Pernecky and Jamal, 2010; Racher and Robinson, 2003; Ross et al. , 2007; Sherrod, 2006; Simpson, 2007; Sinico, 2008; Szarycz, 2009; Wilde, 2003; Wojnar and Swanson, 2007). However, only a few hospitality researchers have adopted this methodology (Ingram, 2002). Hermeneutic phenomenology accepts that both the researcher and participants cocreate an understanding of the phenomena under study, while bringing into the research their own frames of references drawing from their different backgrounds (Wojnar and Swanson, 2007). Researchers under this orientation will therefore often attempt to acknowledge whatever biases they brought into the study, through a process of ‘bracketing’ (LeVasseur, 2003), explaining ‘where they are coming from’. As such, the researcher here acknowledges her own previous work experience in the hotel industry in Victoria Falls as signi?cantly shaping her frame of reference throughout the study. As Lopez and Willis (2004) argue, in the interpretive phenomenological approach, the researcher’s presuppositions or previous knowledge are valuable guides to the analysis, and can make the inquiry more meaningful. Wojnar and Swanson (2007) explain that hermeneutic phenomenology is most useful where the goal is to explicate contextual features of a lived experience as derived from the researcher’s and participants’ backgrounds, as well as their subjective experiences and perspectives. However, the researcher is not absolved of the responsibility to minimise, or if possible at all, eliminating personal biases from the ? ndings of the study. It is often very dif? cult for researchers to demarcate between bias and fact, as bias can be very subtle. Data were collected from 11 hotel food and beverage managers. Food and beverage managers are the hands-on food and beverage operations decision makers who are directly responsible for the day to day and longer term strategy of a hotel’s food and beverage operations. Of course, other managers in the hotel, such as restaurant managers, executive chefs,149 guest relations managers and functions managers may also input into the food and beverage operations. The researcher however felt their input was minimal and in most cases, involved more strategy implementation rather than strategy formulation. Thus food and beverage managers, as primary strategists in the food and beverage department, were identi? ed as the key informants in the hotels. Out of a judgement sample of 18 hotel managers in 18 hotels (2 to 5 star) who were contacted by phone and asked if they were available for an interview, 16 agreed and appointments were set up. However, only 11 were subsequently interviewed. The other 5 could not avail themselves giving various reasons including emergency meetings or busy schedules. The researcher used an interview guide to maintain focus in the interviews. Questions were very open ended allowing interviewees to air their views freely. The research revolved around the two major research questions: the extent of threat posed by the emerging fast food competition (if any), and hotel management reactions. All interviews were tape recorded and transcribed manually, verbatim. Data analysis was performed manually, through several stages, drawing from Benner’s (1994) hermeneutical analysis model delineated in Wojnar and Swanson (2007). The process began with reading and rereading transcripts reread to gain an intuitive feel for the data. Next, repetitious themes were identi? ed. The researcher then identi? ed exemplary quotes to illustrate themes. Findings and discussion The extent of threat The majority of managers felt that fast food companies were becoming serious competition for hotel restaurants: ‘‘It’s become a bit of a war really. We have our appeal, but fast food restaurants have ‘‘street’’ appeal. We offer ? ne dining. Both concepts have their appeal, I guess. ’’ The ‘war’ referred to above is not unique to Zimbabwe. Restaurant wars have occurred in other places where fast food restaurants have entered the markets rapidly (e. g. Watson and Caldwell, 2004). Some managers reported that some of their guests were using their shuttle buses to ‘sneak out for a burger dinner at a fast food restaurant in town’. In addition, and more worrying for the hotel industry in Victoria Falls, hotel food and beverage sales were reported to have been reduced signi?cantly due to fast food entrance. This was a great concern as managers Downloaded from thr. sagepub. com at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on March 14, 2013 150 reported the negative bottom line impact of fast food restaurant expansion. However, others were con? dent of the competitive strengths of their hotel restaurants, perceiving no real threat from fast food. ‘‘I think tourists in our hotel prefer to taste our full service men. It’s gourmet. Fast to me is bland and ordinary. Plus unhealthy. Our food is prepared by world class chefs.’’ Tourism and Hospitality Research 12(3) white water rafting on the Zambezi River, elephant back safaris, and so on) might not be consistent with a slow destination image, or a slow tourist segment. Another interesting comment made concerned the in? uence of age in preference for fast food: ‘‘It appears to me that it is our younger guests who might be particularly interested in fast food. The older folks are put off by the noise in the fast food places’’. The health implications in relation to fast food and slow food have been widely discussed (Hodges, 2003; Hunt, 2004; Mair et al., 2008; Wong, 2009). Indeed this could be the biggest selling point for hotel food over food in this context, especially if the market is predominantly health conscious. This requires further inquiry. One of the managers felt that hotels’ competitive strength with respect to food and beverage was in the uniqueness and authenticity of their menus: ‘‘We sell cuisines that they can’t get anywhere else, our kudu and impala steak, for example. Our cuisine is authentic Zimbabweanness. We bring out the best of Zimbabwean and African food. ’’ Future research could investigate further the validity of this observation in more causal, quantitative research. However, some existing research would suggest that more younger people tend to prefer fast food compared to older people (Dave et al. , 2009). One manager drew attention to the attention paid to ambience in hotel restaurants, arguing that this is an important source of differentiation from fast food restaurants: ‘‘Our hotel restaurants have a special ambience which fast food restaurants simply cannot provide’’. Authenticity is a core concept in tourism research, and it is signi? cant that hotel managers are engaged with this discourse in their re? ection of work lived experiences. But to ascribe Zimbabweanness lends to us to the complex questions of who authenticates food as Zimbabwean or otherwise, what criterion must be used, and consequently to the questions of identity and, for a multiethnic society that Zimbabwe is, ethnicity as well. Indeed, ethnicity has been a source of socio-cultural tension with regard to representing Zimbabwean identity. However, this point constitutes a highly convoluted debate that cannot be treated in more depth in an exploratory study such as this one. One manager felt that Victoria Falls was a destination for the ‘slow’ tourist, who preferred ‘slow’ products and services, so that there was no real threat for hoteliers posed by the entrance of fast food. The slow food–fast food contention is a topical issue in contemporary hospitality management as it resonates with a nostalgic yearning for the past in modern society. ‘‘I think Victoria Falls attracts more ‘slow oriented’ tourists, I think. ’’ The role ambience in in? uencing customer satisfaction is widely recognised. However some fast food restaurants have made some strides in managing the atmosphere in their restaurants. For example, the Rainforest Cafe chain’s restaurant interiors depict a tropical rainforest with detail such as plant growth, mist, waterfalls, animatronic robots of various animals and insects (Williams, 2002). Thus hoteliers cannot become complacent about their restaurant ambience as sustainable sources of competitive advantage over their fast food restaurant competition. The researcher asked whether the cheaper prices associated with fast food was a concern for hoteliers. Some managers agreed that price was in fact the major source of competition: ‘‘The trouble is that a burger at a fast food restaurants costs little, say three of four dollars. Our dinners cost them $30 dollars thereabouts. So if the decision is an economic one, especially where it’s a big family, the fast food restaurant is an inviting option. ’’ Slowness is a contested phenomenon, and it is not clear cut what constitutes slow. Further, it is questionable whether Victoria Falls is indeed a destination for slow tourists. Indeed, the adventure oriented activities that Victoria Falls is commonly known for (bungee jumping, helicopter ? ights over Falls, cruises and However, some felt that there was no logic in comparing hotel food prices with fast food prices; that doing so would be akin to comparing ‘oranges with bread’. It is clear then that hoteliers have varying perception of who their competitors are: whether competition refers to other hoteliers, or whether it extends beyond the hotel industry. De? ning competition narrowly, however, is likely to be detrimental to a hotel’s long term competitive strength. Downloaded from thr. sagepub. com at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on March 14, 2013 Mkono It was also highlighted by some managers that their clientele was ‘upmarket’ and therefore not very pricesensitive: ‘‘Most of our guests are internationals. . . . and price is not their primary criterion for choosing where they are gonna eat. They do not travel on a tight budget’’. 151 Victoria Falls. Hotels would need to think on a longer term basis if their strategies should shield them from the competitive threat effectively. One manager expressed apprehension about the potential ef? cacy of any potential reactive strategies, citing that tourists from countries where fast food consumption has become ingrained in lifestyle ‘‘can’t resist a cheese burger’’. Thus to some extent, in this manager’s view, the war was already lost. Since for some managers the real competition was lay in the differences in price levels, it was not surprising that hotels were expected to bring down their prices. Indeed, this had already been done in some hotels: ‘‘We have had to bring our prices down a little bit’’. Hoteliers would need to address the question whether they intend to target only the upmarket, or whether their target market can be de? ned more broadly. Considering that the government’s Look East Policy launched in the early 2000s has attracted a lower spending, more price-sensitive Eastern market, limiting the target market to af? uent high spenders might not be particularly wise as a marketing strategy. Hotels therefore ? nd themselves in a crossroads decision regarding whether it makes more business sense to bring their prices down to become more competitive in the face of fast food restaurant penetration, and accept any compromises this might bring to customers’ perceptions of their product and service quality; or to keep their price levels as they are in the hope that this lures a more high spending, perhaps elitist market. A particularly important point was the reference to health conscious tourists. It was the belief of some managers that a signi?cant proportion of tourists was becoming increasingly health conscious, and was therefore inclined to avoid eating fast food: ‘‘Our guests in general are becoming very health conscious. They ask for low fat, sugar free etc. They ask if our menu is organic. They know they can’t get healthy options at the fast food restaurant. That’s a fact. ’’ However, some managers were concerned about the effect of price cuts on their image. There was apprehension that tourists could assume that this was accompanied by a reduction in product and/ or service quality. The relationship between price and quality has been investigated in many marketing studies, suggesting that customers perceptions of quality are indeed affected by price. The theme of image for some extended beyond an individual hotel. The image of Victoria Falls as a tourist destination was seen as impacted by the expansion of fast food supply. One of the respondents asserted that this would compromise the ‘luxury resort’ brand image that Victoria Falls held internationally: ‘‘Victoria is a high end market destination. We are about luxury hotels, class. No offence to fast food restaurants. ’’ Conclusion and suggested future research Hotel reactions Most managers believed that the competitive threat posed for hotels by the expansion of the fast food industry in Victoria Falls was serious enough to warrant reformulation of competitive strategies. Among the changes that hotels needed to make was to change shuttle buses’ routes so that they would not pass through fast food restaurant locations: ‘‘We might have to change the route for our shuttle. The current pick up points are not good for us at all because fast food shops are staring at our guest right there where they get picked up. ’’ However, such a change cannot offer a permanent solutions as tourists are not necessarily restricted to the use of hotels’ shuttle buses for transport within The study sought to investigate hotel food and beverage managers’ experiences with and perspectives of emerging fast food competition. As such, the paper adds to a growing number of phenomenological studies in hospitality. Managers’ perspectives re? ect several interesting issues. Many of the responses suggest a signi? cant level of complacency, a refusal to accord fast food the status of formidable competitor. Some managers seem to think it ‘beneath them’ to even worry about fast food, and even more ‘beneath’ to engage in a ‘face-off ’ with them. The more ‘digni? ed’ option seems to be to pretend that fast food restaurants either do not exist at all, or to feign indifference. This begs the question whether this attitude is sustainable in the long term. The study also con? rms the dynamic and volatile nature of the tourist market. In an African destination Downloaded from thr. sagepub. com at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on March 14, 2013. 152 where fast food consumption has been a once-in-awhile affair, the entrance of fast food is set to rede? ne food and eating culture. It is no longer a Western phenomenon. What is also important to realise is that fast food consumption is not restricted to the tourist market; that locals are also a part of the market. Future researchers might investigate the impacts of fast food expansion on the local population’s food culture, which will further case study knowledge on the so called MacDonalisation of society. Hotels might have to start actively targeting ‘slow tourists’. However, research on the characteristics and means of engaging this potentially growing market segment is still lacking. It is hoped that more African context-speci? c studies will be carried out on the expansion of fast food and its business and sociological impacts. An inherent limitation concomitant to phenomenology is the lack of generalisability of research ? ndings. Owing to the small sample, the perspectives represented here are not representative of any other context, although some may be ‘transferable’ to similar resort destinations where fast food chains are beginning to enter markets which have previously been dominated by hotels. Future researchers might want to engage in similar studies with a larger sample of informants, and perhaps on a wider spatial scale. Such studies could employ quantitative methods to explain causal relationships and test hypothesis, such as whether fast food entrance into a traditional hotel dominated market poses signi? cant threats to hotel food and beverage pro? ts. To complete the supply side perspective for this study, fast food managers also need to be included in data collection in future perspectives. It would be interesting to investigate why fast food restaurants have decided to expand into the Victoria Falls now, how they perceive the competition from hotels, how they have tried to gain market share, and their views on slow food–fast food debate in an environment where fast food continues to be criticised as unhealthy. How are they building their defence against this onslaught? How do they continue to thrive despite this worldwide onslaught? What will be even more interesting would be to compare the ? ndings made in an African context with those found in other, perhaps very different contexts. This research took a supply side bias, and thus fails to capture the perspectives of tourists who in fact make the choice between fast food and slow food. Thus future researchers might want to pursue either a market oriented approach, or better yet an integrative approach, which combines both supply side and consumer perspectives. In addition, future researchers who carry out similar studies in tourist destinations Tourism and Hospitality Research 12(3) could utilise the broader concept of ‘slow tourism’ as an analytical framework. Thus food choice and consumption are not viewed simply as acts in dining, but perhaps as a microcosm of a much more complex ‘slow tourism’ phenomenon. References Allen KN, Taylor JS and Kuiper R (2007) Effectiveness of nutrition education on fast food choices in adolescents. 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Slow Food Versus Fast Food Essay Example for Free

Slow Food Versus Fast Food Essay Introduction Most hotels at Victoria Falls have for decades prided themselves on a culture of serving leisurely, gourmet meals (especially dinners) prepared using local ingredients including a variety of game meat (e. g. buffalo, kudu, impala, warthog, crocodile, guinea fowl), local mushrooms and vegetable varieties, and ? sh from the nearby Zambezi River. Arguably, a signi? cant proportion of this food quali? es to be called ‘slow food’, because it meets the four criteria for slowlness (Rothermel, 2009). First, slow food must be freshly prepared from fresh ingredients, mostly vegetables, fruit and whole grains, and meat in small portions. Second, the food must be eaten leisurely in company. Third, it must be simple but varied in taste. Finally, it must be produced in an ethical and environmentally friendly manner. However, in recent years, fast food restaurants, led by Innscor brands such as Chicken Inn, Creamy Inn, and so on, have begun penetrating the market. Indeed the expansion of fast food chains in the last decade can be observed in several African countries. In South Africa, international chains such as KFC and McDonald’s are becoming virtually ubiquitous. Rapid growth of fast food restaurant chains has become a global phenomenon (Berta, 2003; Doherty and van Warner, 1995; Emerson, 1980; King, 2004; Lan and Khan, 1995; Parsa and Khan, 1989; Soeder, 1994; Walkup, 2008; Willging, 2008). In the resort town of Victoria Falls, most tourists have traditionally opted to eat at the hotels where they lodge. However, with recent entrance of fast food chains, hoteliers, facing the threat of losing market share, have been responding to the changing competitive forces. Victoria Falls has become a ‘slow food versus fast food’ battleground. The main aim of this paper is to explore how the contemporary slow food– fast food contention is enacted in an African tourist destination setting. An important point to make is that it is not suggested here that Victoria Falls hotels serve slow food exclusively. Indeed, most hotels in the resort, in addition to what would qualify as slow food, also serve items which could be labelled as fast food, such as Corresponding author: Muchazondida Mkono, School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Southern Cross University, P. O. Box 157, Lismore, New South Wales 2480, Australia Email: [emailprotected] edu. au, [emailprotected] Downloaded from thr. sagepub. com at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on March 14, 2013 148 burgers, fries, and so on, typically as part of their ‘still room’ menus for lunches and snacks. At the same time hotels at Victoria Falls have always accepted that the majority of their guests spend the day undertaking a range of ‘tourist activities’ away from the hotel (for example elephant riding, over-the falls helicopter ? ights, bungee jumping, game safaris, white water rafting) and will often ? nd a quick snack elsewhere, or be provided with refreshments by tour operators offering these activities. Breakfast is generally consumed at the hotel, as most hotel rates are charged on bed and breakfast basis. Thus the real contention as to the tourist’s choice of either fast food or slow food is centred around dinner. Tourism and Hospitality Research 12(3) Warner, 1995; Emerson, 1980; Lan and Khan, 1995; Parsa and Khan, 1989; Soeder, 1994; Willging, 2008). Research has mainly focused on the health impacts of this trend (Allen et al. , 2007; Bartlett and Bartlett, 1995; Blanck et al. , 2009; Bowens, 1994; Chandon and Wansink, 2007; Chaudhry, 1992; Crowley, 2002; Dundes and Swann, 2008; Fitch et al., 2009; Grazin and Olsen, 1997; Gregory et al. , 2006; Hawkes, 2003; Hodges, 2003; Parker et al. , 2006; Rubin, 1996; Schreiner, 2007; Thornton et al. , 2009; Xu et al. , 2011), with the majority of authors corroborating the view that fast food poses signi? cant health risks. As such Slow Food Movement enthusiasts advocate a return to slow food habits. At the same time, there is a growing health conscious, market (Bartlett and Bartlett, 1995; Gray, 2004; Grazin and Olsen, 1997; Jonsdottir, 1998; Hwang and Cranage, 2010). In response to this trend, many hoteliers position their menus as healthier and wholesome. A closely related debate to fast food–slow food discourse pertains to the authenticity of menus. Authenticity is a central topic in tourism sociological debates, and re? ects a search for the Authentic Other in tourists (Beer, 2008; Chhabra, 2010; Cohen, 2007; Connell, 2007; Connell and Gibson, 2004; Daniel, 1996; Johnson, 2002; Wang, 1999; Warner, 2009; Wherry, 2006; White, 2007; Xie, 2003; Yang and Wall, 2009; Yu and Littrell, 2003; Zheng, 2011). Slow food, with its use of local ingredients and traditional cooking methods, has a stronger claim to authenticity, while fast food can easily be criticised as deauthenti?cation and MacDonaldisation of cuisine cultures; as Americanisation of traditional food cultures. A noticeable gap in the literature with respect to fast food chain expansion relates to the impacts on hotel food and beverage sales and pro? ts, as well as how (slow food) hotels have reacted to the trend to protect their market share. For African tourist destinations, hotels have long been an important part of the destination’s ‘authentic’ image, and the MacDonaldisation of the food culture in these areas might destabilise the desired image. The impacts therefore are far-reaching. Literature review While the concept of slow food has been received with a lot of interest among academics (Emerson, 1980; Gardner, 2007; Hodges, 2003; Jennings, 2006; Paxson, 2005; Peace, 2008; Piggott, 2001; Sassatelli and Davolio; Schwaner-Albright, 2007; Scoffer, 2008; Vaughan, 2008; Walkup, 2008; Waterhouse, 2008; Waters, 2006; Wong, 2009; Wright, 2007; Yee, 1999; Zuber, 2002), existing research has so far not looked at how resort hotels offering what could be described as ‘slow ? ne dining’ have been impacted by the expansion of fast food chains in Africa. Further, most research on fast food and slow food has been conducted in Western and Asian countries. African case studies are noticeably lacking (Emerson, 1980; King, 2004; Lan and Khan, 1995; Parsa and Khan, 1989; Soeder, 1994; Walkup, 2008; Willging, 2008). The concept of ‘slow food’ was borne out of the Slow Food Movement, founded in Bra, Italy, in 1986 by Carlo Petrini (Jones et al. , 2003; Petrini, 2001). The movement aims at safeguarding food and agricultural heritage around the world, and educating consumers about traditional foods (Nosi and Zanni, 2004). Formed to counteract the rapid globalisation of a fast food culture, the movement has evolved from being a protest against the erection of a McDonald’s restaurant in an Italian town to a formidable international organisation that has enthusiasts all over the world (Jones et al. , 2003). Interest in slow food has grown parallel to increasing criticism of fast food, although some authors question the movement’s ef? cacy in challenging the seemingly ‘all powerful’ fast food industry (Jones et al. , 2003). Fast food, according to Rothermel (2009), typically bland, chewy, cheesy, crunchy, salty, meaty, nutty, fatty, and sometimes spicy, captivates the palette quickly, repetitiously, and obsessively. As such, fast food is consumed by a growing population, particularly in developed countries (Doherty and van Methodology The goal of this study is to provide an exploratory, inductive analysis of the slow food–fast food contention as it has unfolded in recent times at the tourist destination of Victoria Falls. As a starting point for future research, the study highlights the perspectives of hoteliers, speci?cally food and beverage managers. The philosophical approach adopted for this study was hermeneutic (interpretive) phenomenology, which is also a research method (LeVasseur, 2003; Lopez and Downloaded from thr. sagepub. com at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on March 14, 2013 Mkono Willis, 2004; Wojnar and Swanson, 2007). The approach was adopted to make sense out of a local situation by providing a thick description (Denzin and Lincoln, 1994). The localised focus resulted in small-scale theories that are situated in speci? c personal experiences and perceptions (Riley and Love, 2000). The paper employs a highly re? exive and multivocal methodology where no single voice is priviledged (Riley and Love, 2000). Hermeneutic phenomenology is a particularly appropriate method for capturing subjective perspectives and lived experiences (Hegel, 1977; Ingram, 2002; Ironside et al. , 2003; Jonsdottir, 1998; Knibbe and Versteeg, 2008; LeVasseur, 2003; Lopez and Willis, 2004; Murphy et al. , 2009; Pernecky and Jamal, 2010; Racher and Robinson, 2003; Ross et al. , 2007; Sherrod, 2006; Simpson, 2007; Sinico, 2008; Szarycz, 2009; Wilde, 2003; Wojnar and Swanson, 2007). However, only a few hospitality researchers have adopted this methodology (Ingram, 2002). Hermeneutic phenomenology accepts that both the researcher and participants cocreate an understanding of the phenomena under study, while bringing into the research their own frames of references drawing from their different backgrounds (Wojnar and Swanson, 2007). Researchers under this orientation will therefore often attempt to acknowledge whatever biases they brought into the study, through a process of ‘bracketing’ (LeVasseur, 2003), explaining ‘where they are coming from’. As such, the researcher here acknowledges her own previous work experience in the hotel industry in Victoria Falls as signi?cantly shaping her frame of reference throughout the study. As Lopez and Willis (2004) argue, in the interpretive phenomenological approach, the researcher’s presuppositions or previous knowledge are valuable guides to the analysis, and can make the inquiry more meaningful. Wojnar and Swanson (2007) explain that hermeneutic phenomenology is most useful where the goal is to explicate contextual features of a lived experience as derived from the researcher’s and participants’ backgrounds, as well as their subjective experiences and perspectives. However, the researcher is not absolved of the responsibility to minimise, or if possible at all, eliminating personal biases from the ? ndings of the study. It is often very dif? cult for researchers to demarcate between bias and fact, as bias can be very subtle. Data were collected from 11 hotel food and beverage managers. Food and beverage managers are the hands-on food and beverage operations decision makers who are directly responsible for the day to day and longer term strategy of a hotel’s food and beverage operations. Of course, other managers in the hotel, such as restaurant managers, executive chefs,149 guest relations managers and functions managers may also input into the food and beverage operations. The researcher however felt their input was minimal and in most cases, involved more strategy implementation rather than strategy formulation. Thus food and beverage managers, as primary strategists in the food and beverage department, were identi? ed as the key informants in the hotels. Out of a judgement sample of 18 hotel managers in 18 hotels (2 to 5 star) who were contacted by phone and asked if they were available for an interview, 16 agreed and appointments were set up. However, only 11 were subsequently interviewed. The other 5 could not avail themselves giving various reasons including emergency meetings or busy schedules. The researcher used an interview guide to maintain focus in the interviews. Questions were very open ended allowing interviewees to air their views freely. The research revolved around the two major research questions: the extent of threat posed by the emerging fast food competition (if any), and hotel management reactions. All interviews were tape recorded and transcribed manually, verbatim. Data analysis was performed manually, through several stages, drawing from Benner’s (1994) hermeneutical analysis model delineated in Wojnar and Swanson (2007). The process began with reading and rereading transcripts reread to gain an intuitive feel for the data. Next, repetitious themes were identi? ed. The researcher then identi? ed exemplary quotes to illustrate themes. Findings and discussion The extent of threat The majority of managers felt that fast food companies were becoming serious competition for hotel restaurants: ‘‘It’s become a bit of a war really. We have our appeal, but fast food restaurants have ‘‘street’’ appeal. We offer ? ne dining. Both concepts have their appeal, I guess. ’’ The ‘war’ referred to above is not unique to Zimbabwe. Restaurant wars have occurred in other places where fast food restaurants have entered the markets rapidly (e. g. Watson and Caldwell, 2004). Some managers reported that some of their guests were using their shuttle buses to ‘sneak out for a burger dinner at a fast food restaurant in town’. In addition, and more worrying for the hotel industry in Victoria Falls, hotel food and beverage sales were reported to have been reduced signi?cantly due to fast food entrance. This was a great concern as managers Downloaded from thr. sagepub. com at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on March 14, 2013 150 reported the negative bottom line impact of fast food restaurant expansion. However, others were con? dent of the competitive strengths of their hotel restaurants, perceiving no real threat from fast food. ‘‘I think tourists in our hotel prefer to taste our full service men. It’s gourmet. Fast to me is bland and ordinary. Plus unhealthy. Our food is prepared by world class chefs.’’ Tourism and Hospitality Research 12(3) white water rafting on the Zambezi River, elephant back safaris, and so on) might not be consistent with a slow destination image, or a slow tourist segment. Another interesting comment made concerned the in? uence of age in preference for fast food: ‘‘It appears to me that it is our younger guests who might be particularly interested in fast food. The older folks are put off by the noise in the fast food places’’. The health implications in relation to fast food and slow food have been widely discussed (Hodges, 2003; Hunt, 2004; Mair et al., 2008; Wong, 2009). Indeed this could be the biggest selling point for hotel food over food in this context, especially if the market is predominantly health conscious. This requires further inquiry. One of the managers felt that hotels’ competitive strength with respect to food and beverage was in the uniqueness and authenticity of their menus: ‘‘We sell cuisines that they can’t get anywhere else, our kudu and impala steak, for example. Our cuisine is authentic Zimbabweanness. We bring out the best of Zimbabwean and African food. ’’ Future research could investigate further the validity of this observation in more causal, quantitative research. However, some existing research would suggest that more younger people tend to prefer fast food compared to older people (Dave et al. , 2009). One manager drew attention to the attention paid to ambience in hotel restaurants, arguing that this is an important source of differentiation from fast food restaurants: ‘‘Our hotel restaurants have a special ambience which fast food restaurants simply cannot provide’’. Authenticity is a core concept in tourism research, and it is signi? cant that hotel managers are engaged with this discourse in their re? ection of work lived experiences. But to ascribe Zimbabweanness lends to us to the complex questions of who authenticates food as Zimbabwean or otherwise, what criterion must be used, and consequently to the questions of identity and, for a multiethnic society that Zimbabwe is, ethnicity as well. Indeed, ethnicity has been a source of socio-cultural tension with regard to representing Zimbabwean identity. However, this point constitutes a highly convoluted debate that cannot be treated in more depth in an exploratory study such as this one. One manager felt that Victoria Falls was a destination for the ‘slow’ tourist, who preferred ‘slow’ products and services, so that there was no real threat for hoteliers posed by the entrance of fast food. The slow food–fast food contention is a topical issue in contemporary hospitality management as it resonates with a nostalgic yearning for the past in modern society. ‘‘I think Victoria Falls attracts more ‘slow oriented’ tourists, I think. ’’ The role ambience in in? uencing customer satisfaction is widely recognised. However some fast food restaurants have made some strides in managing the atmosphere in their restaurants. For example, the Rainforest Cafe chain’s restaurant interiors depict a tropical rainforest with detail such as plant growth, mist, waterfalls, animatronic robots of various animals and insects (Williams, 2002). Thus hoteliers cannot become complacent about their restaurant ambience as sustainable sources of competitive advantage over their fast food restaurant competition. The researcher asked whether the cheaper prices associated with fast food was a concern for hoteliers. Some managers agreed that price was in fact the major source of competition: ‘‘The trouble is that a burger at a fast food restaurants costs little, say three of four dollars. Our dinners cost them $30 dollars thereabouts. So if the decision is an economic one, especially where it’s a big family, the fast food restaurant is an inviting option. ’’ Slowness is a contested phenomenon, and it is not clear cut what constitutes slow. Further, it is questionable whether Victoria Falls is indeed a destination for slow tourists. Indeed, the adventure oriented activities that Victoria Falls is commonly known for (bungee jumping, helicopter ? ights over Falls, cruises and However, some felt that there was no logic in comparing hotel food prices with fast food prices; that doing so would be akin to comparing ‘oranges with bread’. It is clear then that hoteliers have varying perception of who their competitors are: whether competition refers to other hoteliers, or whether it extends beyond the hotel industry. De? ning competition narrowly, however, is likely to be detrimental to a hotel’s long term competitive strength. Downloaded from thr. sagepub. com at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on March 14, 2013 Mkono It was also highlighted by some managers that their clientele was ‘upmarket’ and therefore not very pricesensitive: ‘‘Most of our guests are internationals. . . . and price is not their primary criterion for choosing where they are gonna eat. They do not travel on a tight budget’’. 151 Victoria Falls. Hotels would need to think on a longer term basis if their strategies should shield them from the competitive threat effectively. One manager expressed apprehension about the potential ef? cacy of any potential reactive strategies, citing that tourists from countries where fast food consumption has become ingrained in lifestyle ‘‘can’t resist a cheese burger’’. Thus to some extent, in this manager’s view, the war was already lost. Since for some managers the real competition was lay in the differences in price levels, it was not surprising that hotels were expected to bring down their prices. Indeed, this had already been done in some hotels: ‘‘We have had to bring our prices down a little bit’’. Hoteliers would need to address the question whether they intend to target only the upmarket, or whether their target market can be de? ned more broadly. Considering that the government’s Look East Policy launched in the early 2000s has attracted a lower spending, more price-sensitive Eastern market, limiting the target market to af? uent high spenders might not be particularly wise as a marketing strategy. Hotels therefore ? nd themselves in a crossroads decision regarding whether it makes more business sense to bring their prices down to become more competitive in the face of fast food restaurant penetration, and accept any compromises this might bring to customers’ perceptions of their product and service quality; or to keep their price levels as they are in the hope that this lures a more high spending, perhaps elitist market. A particularly important point was the reference to health conscious tourists. It was the belief of some managers that a signi?cant proportion of tourists was becoming increasingly health conscious, and was therefore inclined to avoid eating fast food: ‘‘Our guests in general are becoming very health conscious. They ask for low fat, sugar free etc. They ask if our menu is organic. They know they can’t get healthy options at the fast food restaurant. That’s a fact. ’’ However, some managers were concerned about the effect of price cuts on their image. There was apprehension that tourists could assume that this was accompanied by a reduction in product and/ or service quality. The relationship between price and quality has been investigated in many marketing studies, suggesting that customers perceptions of quality are indeed affected by price. The theme of image for some extended beyond an individual hotel. The image of Victoria Falls as a tourist destination was seen as impacted by the expansion of fast food supply. One of the respondents asserted that this would compromise the ‘luxury resort’ brand image that Victoria Falls held internationally: ‘‘Victoria is a high end market destination. We are about luxury hotels, class. No offence to fast food restaurants. ’’ Conclusion and suggested future research Hotel reactions Most managers believed that the competitive threat posed for hotels by the expansion of the fast food industry in Victoria Falls was serious enough to warrant reformulation of competitive strategies. Among the changes that hotels needed to make was to change shuttle buses’ routes so that they would not pass through fast food restaurant locations: ‘‘We might have to change the route for our shuttle. The current pick up points are not good for us at all because fast food shops are staring at our guest right there where they get picked up. ’’ However, such a change cannot offer a permanent solutions as tourists are not necessarily restricted to the use of hotels’ shuttle buses for transport within The study sought to investigate hotel food and beverage managers’ experiences with and perspectives of emerging fast food competition. As such, the paper adds to a growing number of phenomenological studies in hospitality. Managers’ perspectives re? ect several interesting issues. Many of the responses suggest a signi? cant level of complacency, a refusal to accord fast food the status of formidable competitor. Some managers seem to think it ‘beneath them’ to even worry about fast food, and even more ‘beneath’ to engage in a ‘face-off ’ with them. The more ‘digni? ed’ option seems to be to pretend that fast food restaurants either do not exist at all, or to feign indifference. This begs the question whether this attitude is sustainable in the long term. The study also con? rms the dynamic and volatile nature of the tourist market. In an African destination Downloaded from thr. sagepub. com at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on March 14, 2013. 152 where fast food consumption has been a once-in-awhile affair, the entrance of fast food is set to rede? ne food and eating culture. It is no longer a Western phenomenon. What is also important to realise is that fast food consumption is not restricted to the tourist market; that locals are also a part of the market. Future researchers might investigate the impacts of fast food expansion on the local population’s food culture, which will further case study knowledge on the so called MacDonalisation of society. Hotels might have to start actively targeting ‘slow tourists’. However, research on the characteristics and means of engaging this potentially growing market segment is still lacking. It is hoped that more African context-speci? c studies will be carried out on the expansion of fast food and its business and sociological impacts. An inherent limitation concomitant to phenomenology is the lack of generalisability of research ? ndings. Owing to the small sample, the perspectives represented here are not representative of any other context, although some may be ‘transferable’ to similar resort destinations where fast food chains are beginning to enter markets which have previously been dominated by hotels. Future researchers might want to engage in similar studies with a larger sample of informants, and perhaps on a wider spatial scale. Such studies could employ quantitative methods to explain causal relationships and test hypothesis, such as whether fast food entrance into a traditional hotel dominated market poses signi? cant threats to hotel food and beverage pro? ts. To complete the supply side perspective for this study, fast food managers also need to be included in data collection in future perspectives. It would be interesting to investigate why fast food restaurants have decided to expand into the Victoria Falls now, how they perceive the competition from hotels, how they have tried to gain market share, and their views on slow food–fast food debate in an environment where fast food continues to be criticised as unhealthy. How are they building their defence against this onslaught? How do they continue to thrive despite this worldwide onslaught? What will be even more interesting would be to compare the ? ndings made in an African context with those found in other, perhaps very different contexts. This research took a supply side bias, and thus fails to capture the perspectives of tourists who in fact make the choice between fast food and slow food. Thus future researchers might want to pursue either a market oriented approach, or better yet an integrative approach, which combines both supply side and consumer perspectives. In addition, future researchers who carry out similar studies in tourist destinations Tourism and Hospitality Research 12(3) could utilise the broader concept of ‘slow tourism’ as an analytical framework. Thus food choice and consumption are not viewed simply as acts in dining, but perhaps as a microcosm of a much more complex ‘slow tourism’ phenomenon. References Allen KN, Taylor JS and Kuiper R (2007) Effectiveness of nutrition education on fast food choices in adolescents. 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