Annotated Bibliography

1.Barker, J. (2008, February 8). Power to the People: Reducing Turnover With Empowerment . Incentive Magazine .

The article talks about three major businesses; Ritz Carlton, Park Ridge, and Qualcomm. The article focuses on empowering their employees. They do this by allowing them to have power in decisions and ultimately creating their job descriptions. I found this article interesting and would like to incorporate they ideals into my paper's solution area and also to give examples on how this has increased the ability to keep employees.

2. Bolino, M. C., & Turnley, W. H. (2003). Going the extra mile: Cultivating and managing employee citizenship behavior. Academy of Management Excutive , 1-13.

This article is a broad example of what I am trying to focus on. They give many facts about keeping workers happy and keeping the turnover rates low. I liked this article because it will give information that is only focused on my industry. I feel that it is important to compare other industries when discussing the topic of high turnover rates and may pull from other industry ideas.

3. Prewitt, M. (1999, December 6). Purdue study: Low benefits boost turnover, increase net labor cost - Statistical Data Included. Retrieved April 7, 2008, from Bnet: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_49_33/ai_58185639/pg_2

Purdue University conducted a study on how benefits can help keep employees. This article was also focused on the accommodation and restaurant areas of my field. I felt this article was good to look at because of all the facts it contains but also because it is from our university. I plan to pull information from this article to not only support my solution but my problem also. I thought it was a well rounded article.

4.Strickland, T. a. (1997). Strategic Management. Irwin McGraw-Hill.

Strategic Management was another article that provided facts about other industries. This article provided different facts then the one above and also included my industry within its information. The article is actually from a text book that has been used in colleges to learn about these issues. I felt that it was informative and will help build on the support I will need.

5. Zuber, A. (1997, May 26). Low employee turnover rate gives Sugar Bowl sweet success - Sugar Bowl Restaurant, Gaylord, MI. Retrieved April 7, 2008, from Bnet: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_n21_v31/ai_19448905

The article talks about an individual restaurant that has worked extra hard to keep it's employees. The article described the business and went on to discuss the benefits of keeping employees who were well trained for their tasks. I felt this article gave a good example of how this all could work and gave facts about the actual cost of training new employees often. I will share this story along with others to represent my idea clearly.

Megan Burner
English 106
April 2, 2008

Goal: My major is Hospitality and Tourism Management. I plan to address the high employee turnover rate within my field.

Thesis: The employee turnover rate within the tourism industry is one of the highest in our nation and could be solved by using beneficial incentive programs.

Main Point- The turnover rate is high and effecting the way hotels and restaurants are overall run.
• Compare to other industries.
• Talk about how much money is lost.
• Talk about the difficulty to provide decent customer service.

Main Point 2: Restaurants and hotels can set up incentive plans to keep employees.
• Describe incentive plan.
• Share examples on how it has work for other companies.
• Prove that initial cost is worth it.

Main Point 3: This plan will benefit everyone in the long run.
• Employers
• Insurance providers
• Employees
• Customers
• Etc.

Lodging in West Lafayette

One idea that I feel could be discussed is the lack of lodging here in West Lafayette. Lodging becomes a larger issue during the months that football is being played. Purdue really only has one hotel on campus and one within a short distance of the stadium. Our guests are often forced to find hotels within the Lafayette area. They then have to drive to the stadium to be able to watch the games. West Lafayette could definitely benefit from providing conveniently placed hotels to these visitors. The town would not only receive money from the lodging being used, but the guest would be more likely to use the restaurants and other businesses close to campus.

I am currently a junior in the Hospitality and Tourism Management program here at Purdue. I have been able to take many classes in my time here regarding lodging and other aspect of the tourism industry. I also feel that since I live in this area it would be easier to get the useful information needed and to develop a solution. I have heard others talk about this issue but I am not aware of any current actions to fix it. I plan on pulling information from surrounding hotels, people who have experienced lodging issues while coming to games, and I hope to find information about how other universities have handled their similar situations. Lodging should not be an issue here in West Lafayette. The town should be benefiting from the revenue brought in by these guests.

Link to Shivom's blog: Engl 106

Just in case you want to know what the weather is like today: Weather

Channing Tatum! :

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Music: Song

Destin, Florida: not just for old folks!

I spent spring break in Destin, Florida. I went with my best friend Jackie, our friend Angie, Jackie's boyfriend/my friend, and Angie's fiance. I have never felt so single in my life but other than that the trip was amazing. Once we finally made it on the road we took a nice little two and a half hour drive from Indy to Edinburg because of all the wonderful snow. When we hit Kentucky it was pretty much clear though.


While we were down there we spent quite a bit of time on the beach of course. We also went go cart racing, putt putting, to a night club, and to a few other places. We caught up on our Family Guy episodes, and practiced Rockband most nights. We are just that crazy!

I mostly feel bad for Ben because he managed to get a ticket in Alabama. Where we were also informed that certain beverages were not allowed to be brought across the border. He gave us some slack since we were "young college kids trying to just have some fun." I'm just just glad that Angie and I were not driving. We both 20, and that just wouldn't look good. Regardless, I had a great time in the sun and I am really missing my flip flop collection.

Andas Game: Comic vs Paper

The comic version of Andas Game was by far my favorite. I felt that it was much easier to get through and overall picture. I feel that most people would likely pick this version. I'm not saying that many people don't like to read but overall I think that the majority prefer pictures to help them get through a story. Comics are much easier to follow when you aren't exactly interested in the topic also.

The story was conveyed pretty well through the comic. There were parts cut out of course but that also helped to get through it. I felt that the paper was less efficient in capturing my attention. Therefore, I would recommend the comic to someone interested in this topic rather than the full written story.

The Blog Every Girl Should Read

What is more amusing than finding juicy details and gossip all in one place? I have found every middle school girls dream site. Well, every girls dream site but we may not want to admit it. This site is Popsugar.com. You can join for free and post drama after drama within the many different categories provided on this site.

There are numerous sections to this site. You can get fun details about love, celebrities, and fitness. That’s not all, say you’ve just moved and need some help decorating your home, or say you want to vote but need more details on the politicians this may be the site for you. You can even get help on how to take care of your dog Fluffy. The varieties of topics are definitely centered on what a typical girl may want to read but this isn’t only a site for us ladies. The information can give many eager to please boys that edge they may need. I don’t recommend going overboard on this site, but to get the general insight of the female’s brain and maybe a few tips. That could help save many countless nights of wondering what a girl actually wants from you.

The site does all this with fun vibrant colors. You may never see so many pinks, oranges, and greens in one place ever again. The font works perfectly for the audience, with tons of curves and the placement of different topics makes it so you’re not overwhelmed by too much text.

This site just screams sleepover entertainment. Overall, I find it to be fun and perfectly put together. The main way to keep an audience is to really grab their attention from the start and I am overly pleased. While I may have shown my deep down girlie side, I feel it’s worth it. We can all secretly spend our nights indulging in the excitement called Popsugar.

In-class 2.

There is an obvious distinction between the writings of a student and those of a true professional. We are also under certain restrictions that those in the professional world are not necessarily expected to follow. I however feel that at our age we are being to develop the real skills to do the same quality of work. The main difference would have to be the time and money constraints put on us.
While we may have a topic for a class, we are only given certain resources to complete our paper. I am not saying that we do not have information available to us but we certainly do not have to information that professionals are provided with. Professionals are able to see events and research topics that are far from a collection of books at the library. The papers that we are writing in normal classes are based on finding information only from other sources rather than being able to provide an intelligent opinion on topics outside of our town, really.
We are therefore unable to represent the quality of work professionals provide. The majority of readers are not going to just want simple facts anyone could find, they are going to want insider information. Students are simply left with topics that may not seem as beneficial to the masses. We are going to be able to give real opinions on different types of entertainment in West Lafayette or maybe if your hometown is Indianapolis for example a student aged person may be able to discuss certain aspects of life downtown. Regardless, we are only able to gain a relatively limited view of things.
While many people may disagree with me I feel that it doesn’t mean very much if a student even comes close to truly knowing what they are talking about. We are overlooked simply because our age. This is to be expected because we honestly do not have as much life experience. We will automatically gain credibility by getting through college and having a degree. Until then we are stuck at a certain level and can only do so much to change that.
This is why I feel there is an obvious difference. We are placed under certain restrictions and can only gain certain information. We can try to overcome this, but until then we are better of showing examples that truly relate to us.

A Face to the World

One of the most common ways to get an initial understanding of who someone may be is by seeing who their friends are. We often hear about how negative this is but it continues to be a natural part of social interaction. Students often select friends who will describe themselves to an outside audience in order to gain acceptance. This is extremely common among high school aged students but it still continues throughout one’s life.

The audience that students are often trying to impress is other students. The social pressure felt to hang out with certain people can be extremely frustrating. However, students do not often take into consideration what image others outside of their school might be gaining from their selection. The audience includes parents, family, employers, and academic leaders. These groups will often base their views on a person simply based on who they know and what that group represents.

There are different goals when selecting a certain group of friends. The images we chose to portray through friends consist of being caring, rebellious, trendy, open-minded, grounded, religious, and the list continues. We often only focus on two groups and those are the “popular” and the “goth or emo” groups. Certain thoughts can be associated with any group these are certainly two extremes.

Students can select certain groups for many different reasons. Some might be left to certain groups that will accept them but may not necessarily describe who they are. I for example started the eighth grade in a new middle school. I went through many different groups of friends. I was stuck in a certain group for a period of time that would be considered the “druggie” group by most other students. I was nothing like this group but they took me in and for a time being represented me as being someone who might be involved with drugs also.

This is often shown in teenage movies. These movies include Mean Girls, The Breakfast Club, Sydney White, Crazy/Beautiful, She’s All That, 10 Things I Hate About You, Grease, Never Been Kissed, Thirteen, and so on. These types of movies do so well because everyone has been put through at least a little bit of difficulty trying to be seen a certain way. I know that not everyone flows into groups like these movies might show but regardless we are always put into a category. There is always a “middle” group, which many of us are in. However even in this group we might be seen by strangers with only one type of person. That can surprisingly determine how much respect that individual might give you.

Overall, we are judged by a large group of people depending on the group we select and this is also being shown through media. Throughout time students have tried to gain acceptance by others through the friends they select. Regardless of how this may affect children, I doubt it will ever be something that will change.

Andrew

There is only certain information that you can receive from looking at a facebook profile. Andrew Hopkins portrays himself ,in my opinion, to be very driven, religious, and practical. Andrew has quite a few applications but overall these are the most evident traits shown.

Andrew is majoring in Aviation Technology, which is extremely hard to get into here at Purdue. He also is running his own online business focused on selling health related goods. While also working as a security officer for Indiana Veteran's Home. Andrew is extremely busy and focused for someone who is only twenty years old. While most facebooks tell about how many parties a college student may go to or who every single one of their friends are, he is showing that he is prepared to work hard. Overall, he seems very practical and mature.

Andrew is also very clear about what he believes in. He seems to be very serious about Christianity and where he stands. He not only states that he is Christian but he has also posted a note telling a story about a girl being helped by God. He also lists the Bible first within his favorite books and in his about me section he only states that he loves Jesus.

Overall, Andrew has many applications but most are not overly used. He doesn't seem to use facebook as much as many college students do. Andrew has a few pictures, some from vacation, a few of his dog, and finally sports related pictures. He gets straight to the point with the information section on his profile. He only seems to share the things that are most important to him. He also doesn't seem to use facebook as a main means of contacting friends.

Therefore, I think I might have been able to receive a descent summary of who Andrew Hopkins is. He is a driven, religious, and practical young man. If nothing else he is someone who can make me feel extremely lazy.

Counting Crows Link

Counting Crows

My room is just, me.

The main thing that really describes me would have to be my bedroom. My room contains things that no other room in the apartment does, it describes me to others who enter, and provides a comfortable place for me to be myself.
What makes my room so different than the rest of the apartment is simply the fact that I have free range to do anything in this area. Throughout the rest of the apartment, which I share with others, it is very clean and often feels as though it is a museum. You can see that I have respect for my roommates and those who visit when you enter my somewhat messy room since the rest of our space is so clean. However, I want people to see that I am not exactly like the person who could be described by just entering our living room. My room and I both have something different to offer than just that first impression.
My room is the center of everything for me. When walking in to my room you will notice many colorful art projects on my wall all done by me that often represent my thoughts. You can see my large collection of movies and the movies I receive from working at Blockbuster. My bed is also right in the center of the room. It is decorated with plenty of colors and pillows. There is also my desk which often covered with books and other school supplies. I also have plenty of pictures of family and friends all throughout my room. The main thing about my room however, is that it is never very clean. I keep it relaxed and lived in without letting it get too messy. I want others to feel comfortable when they enter and not like they have to be careful touching anything I own.
When it comes to who will enter my room and take away a piece of me I would have to say that everyone does. Well, at least family, friends, and guests who come to visit any of us. I have actually had people I have barely known enter my room because a friend of mine has told them about my art or something I own. I appreciate having this space. I have not always had my own room and now that I do I want to feel completely at ease within it. I feel that people can see that I am a relaxed person who enjoys movies and entertainment. They can also see that I am a hard worker by looking at my books and seeing the projects I have done. Finally they can see that my family and friends mean the most to me.
Therefore, my room is by far the most important thing when it comes to figuring out who I am. I have shown how I am different, comfortable in my space and how I want to be perceived by others.