Strategic Alignment Worksheet free essay sample

Overview Use this Strategic Alignment Worksheet (SAW) to help you complete the sections listed below. As you progress through the course, you will be instructed to complete and submit section(s) of the SAW. Once you have all of the sections completed, you are to incorporate the sections into the larger Atha Execution Plan, which is your final project deliverable (to be submitted in Unit 5). Sections of the SAW Goals and Activities (Unit 2) Interview Questions (Unit 3) Department Purpose Statements (Unit 4) Performance Standards (Unit 4) Checklist for Human Resources Area Mary Atha, CEO, has provided this checklist of overall organization goals for the human resources area. Read the checklist and use it as a point of reference for your development of this SAW. 1. Ensure staffing requirements are met. 2. Retain existing staff. 3. Hire and train new staff. 4. Plan, organize, lead, and direct the human resources of the company to meet the goal of growing the business by 100%. We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Alignment Worksheet or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 1. 0 Goals and Activities. Develop goals and activities for the human resources Area. Submit this section in Unit 2. Goals Activities to support this goal (add more rows if needed) 1. 1 Retain existing employees. What are the supporting activities? How will this activity achieve the goal? What is the achievement deadline? Evaluate current employees and their current strengths and weaknesses. By evaluating each employee, their strengths and weaknesses can be utilized to discover issues and needs which were not acknowledged previously and have created morale issues. 45 days Provide training to all employees based on new company needs and employee training needs. Providing appropriate training will increase efficiency of each employee and department as a whole. Re-evaluate after training . Re- evaluating will help asses staffing needs. 1. 2 Add two additional human resources generalists. What are the supporting activities? How will this achieve the goal? What is the achievement deadline? Week One: Recruit applicants via Monster. com by advertising an H/R Generalist position. Applicants must have a degree and 4 years experience in the position. The requirements for the position will streamline the amount of applicants to sort through and help save time and help ensure quality candidates. 2 weeks Week Two: Conduct interviews and make a final decision on the last day. 1. 3 Assist department managers in the hiring of new employees. What are the supporting activities? How will this achieve the goal? What is the achievement deadline? Provide a job description of the position to the department managers. These activities will guide the managers through the recruiting process and assist in speed of the entire hiring process. 2 weeks Assist in advertising setting up interviews. Process new employees and set up training for them. 1. 4 Assist department managers with the improvement of employee performance. What are the supporting activities? How will this achieve the goal? What is the achievement deadline? After completing the evaluations described in goals section 1. 1 , set up workshops and training sessions for employees and management based on their needs. 30 days Because employees’ performance often coincides with management performance, it is necessary to keep under consideration that it may be management who may need re-training or some assistance in order to lead their team effectively. By listening and acting on concerns and issues that may exist in a department and hinder performance, the morale of the employee rises and so does performance. 1. 5 Create new organization chart for the human resources area. What are the supporting activities? How will this achieve the goal? What is the achievement deadline? Collect names, positions and what each person does in the HR Department. This activity will organize the most current information and create a chart with the line of command 1 week after hiring new department employees Starting with the head of the department, place the name in a box on the top of the page along with the position title. On the next line down, draw a line of boxes, one for each person directly reporting to the Department Head. Those are the supervisors of staff. On the last line make a line of boxes representing employees who directly reports to each supervisor of staff. Draw lines connecting the employees to each supervisor. 1. 6 Update and create new job descriptions. What are the supporting activities? How will this achieve the goal? What is the achievement deadline? This will require each department manager to provide a detailed description of duties for each position in the department to the Human Resources Department. Being the head of a department a manager will know if there are any changes to the job descriptions of all the department members. This will provide the most accurate job descriptions. 2 weeks After the descriptions are collected they are to be printed on official company letterhead and HR staff should organize and file the reports according to company organization chart 1. 7 Prepare new staff handbooks. What are the supporting activities? How will this achieve the goal? What is the achievement deadline? With upcoming staff and company changes there will be a need to update and produce new staff handbooks. 30 days Study and investigate changes that may have to be made to the labor laws that apply to the higher volume of staff. Update any employment laws and regulations that may change due to increase of staff. Change the company profile in the handbook to reflect the new changes This will update the handbook to reflect new company goals. 1. 8 Make changes to employee benefits What are the supporting activities? How will this achieve the goal? What is the achievement deadline? Investigate state and federal laws, which dictate the required employee benefits. This will insure that the company will be operating within applicable employment laws Within 30 days of staff increase 2. 0 Interview Questions. Write interview questions for the human resources area. Submit this section in Unit 3. Add more rows if needed. Interview question Rationale for including this question 2. 1. Describe a time when you discovered a serious problem with an employee. How did you help resolve it Help evaluate problem-solving skills 2. 2. Give an example of how you have dealt with a difficult person in the past, whether it was personal or professional setting? To help evaluate conflict resolution abilities What programs for employees would you believe to be most crucial in an organization? 2. 3. General understanding of Human Resources role. 2. 4. Could you tell us about a time when you found the need for a change in your department? What prompted the need for the change and what was your strategy for executing the change? Was it successful? Leadership skills: the ability to take on a task and be innovative and outgoing enough to take charge. 2. 5. What do you believe is the HR department’s role in an organization and its mission? To evaluate if the candidate has a good understanding of HR. 3. 0 Purpose Statement. Write a purpose statement for the human resources area. Submit this section in Unit 4. Most of us are aware of the term purpose statement but are unsure of what its real meaning is within an organization. It is a statement describing the organization’s purpose, or the reason for its existence. The purpose of an organization reflects a desired position in the marketplace. It should accurately answer to the questions below. The purpose statement is the written summary of those answers. The most effective purpose statements are short, concise, and direct. A good purpose statement is between 2–3 sentences. Purpose Statement Who are we? What do we do? For whom do we do this? How do we know when we are getting it done? The Human Resources Department for Atha Corporation We support all members of the organization by providing policies, guidelines, support in a people friendly manner to optimize the path to success. We provide support to all members of Atha Corporation and the corporation itself. We know we are succeeding when Atha Corporation’s staff is supported and performance is at an optimum level while we are reaching company goals. Compile the answers to the four questions into a concise 2–3-sentence statement summarizing those questions. This statement is your Purpose Statement. The Human Resources Department for Atha Corporation supports all members of the organization and the organization itself by providing policies, guidelines and support in a people friendly manner to optimize the path to success. We know we are succeeding when Atha Corporation’s staff is supported and performance is at an optimum level while we are reaching company goals. 4. 0 Performance Standards. Identify performance standards for the human resources area. Submit this section in Unit 4. Add more rows if needed. Performance Standards Rationale for including this performance standard 4. 1 Employment Hire quality employees that will perform within the companies quickly changing demands. The quality of the employees that are hire dictates the HR Generalist’s knowledge and abilities 4. 2 Benefits Negotiate with benefits providers for best prices to keep the company within budget. 4. 3 Training Provide training to all existing and new personnel to optimize the quality of each employee. 4. 4 Records and documentation Processing all Identification, immigration forms, Background Checks and IRS forms in a timely manner to stay within legal employment limitations. 4. 5 Compensation Negotiate compensation with all new and existing employees to retain and gain quality employees while staying within the budget.

Essay on The fallacies from advertising, politics, and popular culture

Essay on The fallacies from advertising, politics, and popular culture Essay on The fallacies from advertising, politics, and popular culture Essay on The fallacies from advertising, politics, and popular cultureIt is not a secret that one of the major sources of fallacies is the media, e.g. television, radio, magazines, and the Internet. However, we experience some arguments in our daily life that can be viewed as another source of fallacies. There are three distinct informal logical fallacies I have experienced in the media and in my life. Informal fallacies stand for the arguments, which can be regarded as fallacious for various reasons, but other than some formal flaws. As a rule, informal fallacies require analyzing the argument’s content and understanding the key message.One of the examples of fallacies in the media is an advertisement â€Å"Measure ROI on social media. Definitely.† This argument is used to persuade the audience of the significance of social media, but it is fallacious. It is a fallacy of composition. The person presenting the fallacy should be more accurate in his arguments to ensure that he or she was not committing a logical error. Another ad about automated cars is used to demonstrate the slippery slope fallacy. Undoubtedly, it would not be logical to assume that self-parking cars could lead to the invention of robots that would harvest human bodies.   The political ad about seven houses of Senator John McCain illustrates the red herring fallacy. The ad starts by making a claim that Barak Obama’s political opponent has no idea about the US economy, but, eventually, the public attention is diverted from the issue about economy to the property of the opponent. The major idea of the person presenting the fallacy is to win an argument in the discussion by taking the public attention away from the initial argument to another issue, which is also of great importance.Thus, fallacies in the media and in our everyday life provide some incorrect logical arguments that are lacking validity and soundness.

Climate change Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Climate change - Research Paper Example 1). The current discourse hereby asserts that deforestation is a human activity that contributes immensely to climate change and; since it is within man’s control, it could be abated and mitigate the impact of climate change. In the article written by Docksai (2013), the author acknowledged that in the simplest means, climate change could be addressed by merely focusing on the need for more trees. From statistics provided on the top 10 countries with the highest deforestation, it was revealed that Brazil topped the list with 3,446,000 hectares of forest area that was allegedly cut. This was seconded by Indonesia with 1,447,800 hectares of forest area cut; followed by Russia (532,200 hectares) and Mexico (395,000 hectares). The United States is also included in the list with 215,200 hectares of forest area cut (Compare Infobase Ltd., 2013). Evidently, the extensive amount of forest area that had been cut through deforestation has significantly affected the world’s climat e. The reasons for cutting trees in forest areas have been identified to be diverse and mostly linked to financial pursuits. According to the National Geographic, the primary reason for deforestation is actually agriculture. Trees from forests were reportedly cut to provide greater land for purposes of planting crops; as well as grazing livestock (National Geographic Society, 2013). Other causes of deforestation were disclosed to either be intentional which include logging and making way for urbanization; or uninentional such as natural causes like wildfires. The effects of deforestation were mostly noted as skewing in the negative side: the destruction of natural habitat for living species; soil erosion leading to flash floods; and of course, climate change. Trees were noted to be agents of absorption for greenhouse gases. Likewise, trees were commonly known as serving as canopies that apparently block the rays of the sun from piercing through the land; and therefore keeps the fore st soil moist. At night, these trees were also revealed to hold the heat that was apparently preserved during the day and prevents the heat from entering the atmosphere (National Geographic Society, 2013). With a great amount of lost trees, the heat pierces through the land and dries it immensely; and also allows greater levels of greenhouse gases to be expelled to the atmosphere resulting to climate change. After having identified the causes and effects of deforestation, it is crucial to acknowledge that the solution is clear and identifiable; since man could control the rate of cutting of forest trees and could design policies to prevent further devastation. As asserted, the quickest solution to the dilemma is to prevent the cutting of forest trees at such an alarming rate. Likewise, another solution that was noted included the effective management of forest resources. This allegedly entails balancing the cutting of appropriately selected forest trees to be immediately replaced by new trees (National Geographic Society, 2013). It should be emphasized, however, that the number of replanted trees should significantly exceed the number of trees that were cut due to deforestation. This method had already been implemented by Brazil, the number one country to have been identified to have deforested their land (Compare Infobase Ltd., 2013). According to Docksai (2013), Brazil â€Å"hit a milestone in 2012: Forest loss that year, at 4,500

A Self-Sustained Enclosed Ecosystem in a Jar Lab Report

A Self-Sustained Enclosed Ecosystem in a Jar - Lab Report Example An ecosystem can be describe as the dynamic biological environment that consist of living things in a specific region, abiotic , and environment physical components that interact with the organisms such as sunlight, air (oxygen and carbon dioxide), water, and soil (Hutchinson, 2005). Every ecosystem requires the three basic components that include producers, consumers, and decomposers. The three categories of ecosystem include freshwater, terrestrial, and oceanic ecosystems (Adams, 2001, pp. 33-44). Generally, the ecosystems are divided into main categories that are aquatic (freshwater and ocean) and terrestrial. However, the report focuses on the aquatic ecosystem. The system that the project created was an aquatic ecosystem (freshwater) that was supposed to meet the specific environmental factors to support the living organisms internally (self-sustaining and supporting). Aquatic ecosystems are defined as the ecosystems that are dependent on fresh water, which include rivers, estuaries, wetlands, and streams (Barbee, n.d.). According to Ecology Society of America, the aquatic systems shelter various organisms that are dependent on them. Aquatic systems factors are categorized into abiotic factors and biotic factors. Abiotic factors refer to the non-living components in an ecosystem that have a direct influence on the living organisms community. On the other hand, biotic factors refer to the diversified species that occupy an ecosystem where every specie action can affect the lives of other species in the region. In the aquatic system, the interactions of organisms are based on aquatic environment (Baron & Poff, 2010, p. 7). Consequently, the understanding of aquatic component such as the balance of oxygen in the water, pH, and light contributes to the creation of a successful self-sustained aquatic system. Shrimps in aquatic systems have a substantial effect on other living organisms in a similar ecosystem. The pH of about 6.5-8.0 and balanced oxygen is suitable for maintaining freshwater ecosystem (Bunn & Arthington, 2002, pp. 492--507). Remarkably, a main manner that living organisms affect each other is consumption. As a result, a food web develops among living organisms living in a same aquatic ecosystem (Sala, 2000). Aims and hypothesi s Aims The aim of the experiment was to create a self-sustaining freshwater ecosyste m. The experiment was focused in introducing the student on how to utilize the available resources in correct amounts to create a

Step Brothers (2008) Analysis

Step Brothers (2008) Analysis Step Brothers (2008), directed by Adam McKay, is a raunchy, funny film for comedy audiences. It stars Will Ferrell and Jon C. Reilly as Brenan and Dale. These two single, and very juvenile, forty something, guys lives change once their parents, played by Oscar winning. Mary Steenbuge and Richard Jenkins, fall in love and get married. These two men become best of friends and brothers, as well as experience for the first time their struggles as adults for the first time. In this comedy though it is raunchy and stupid, offers a true message of unconditional love. Many critiques have both negative and positive feedback concerning this film. However, I think that this film is inappropriately hilarious and embraces the goof in all of us, in every charter in this story. In this movie, two middle -aged men in their forties, Dale, and Brenan, live together by force upon their parents marriage union. This takes place in present time in a normal American suburban family situation. These men are like overgrown teenagers eating cereal and nachos for breakfast, video games, no jobs and sponging off the benefit of each single parent. After becoming comfortable with the living arrangement and each other, Dale and Brenan become the best of friends. The plot twists as their adventures dont always take them in the same direction. Their parents want them to grow up and get jobs and move out so they can live their lives and travel on the boat. Dale becomes a talented chef and Brenan begins working for his younger brother, Derek and falling in love with his therapist. Brenans brother Derek is a jerk. He is spoiled and selfish and is mean to his wife, who also has a cheesy, dramatic affair with Dale in the movie. Ultimately in the end everything does work out for e veryone. I found this movie to be very funny and well worth the watch. It offers a level of adult humor on a juvenile twist for those audience members who can appreciate its silly raunchy humor. The epic scenes between the two brothers allows those of us with siblings to identify with some of the disagreements between the brothers. From the I am going to mess up your stuff aspect to the Ill kill you, I hate you situations, and all the hilarious sleep walking in between, the critics are somewhat divided about its overall ratings. Calvin Wilson (2008) from the St Louis Post Dispatch states, why result to gross-out tactics when your premise is strong enough to allow for a more sophisticated approach (para. 2). I feel he has a point but this was not the approach for this film. Wilson states that this is Bottom line, a crude but hilarious comedy (headline). Roger Ebert (2008) stated he did not agree on the critic websites. He said that the movie left him feeling unclean because of the raunchy humo r and adult situations and violence. His overall response was dont watch it on an airplane, dont check it out on cable, dont walk past the bargain basement bin where it is sold (para. 4). I can understand how both the critic and the website can feel this way as this kind of humor is not for every ones eyes and ears. The adult scene in the bathroom where the affair between Dereks wife and Dale is not very tasteful and does kind of leaving you feeling gross. I think it could have been left out. Quite frankly, the violence factor in the film is mild. The men are portrayed as overgrown teens and in my opinion do not behave any more violent to one another than teen brothers would be. The film just dramatized it and made it more on an adult level of humorous violence. Likewise, David Marchese (2014) for Rolling Stone Magazine shares common ground with his article titled, Finding the Dinosaur: A Step Brothers Appreciation. Marchese starts his piece by saying, Step Brothers, more and truer laughs than any other Ferrell and McKay movie (para.7). Whereas, Peter Bradshaw ( ), from the Guardian.com, doesnt feel the same, stating that this is another unashamedly juvenile comedy from the awe-inspired busy Judd Apatow production line (para. ). I agree the plot has a few flaws, because the audience doesnt know how these two men became the way they are while everyone seems to be normal functioning adults leaving some of the films elements farfetched, such as the affair with Dale and Dereks wife and the relationship with Brenan and his therapist in the end. The acting in Step Brothers is great and the critics do agree. Kyle Smith (2008) from the New York Post, agrees with my opinion saying There is too much funny here for a movie and further elaborates Step Brothers should be a TV show (review 1). The chemistry between Ferrell and Reilly is amazing. Will Ferrell plays Brenan whose mother is the one who married Dales father. Brenan is like a spoiled fourteen-year-old and John C Reilly plays Dale, another likeminded man acting like an overgrown fourteen-year-old. They are grown men and have the whole sibling rivalry scene to the point. When they get into the argument over whether or not Brenan touched Dales drum set leading to the scene where they try to bury each other alive in the yard and the face off in the front yard leaving each other knocked out while the mother is spraying them with the hose. You are left with a lot of laughter. If in fact, this movie could be constructed into a television show, many people will watch it. When Fer rell and Reilly do the sleepwalking scene, you can really believe the character. Putting couch pillows in the oven, dumping coffee all over and throwing coffee cups, walking around saying weird things like Hi Im Carol, and Carols on fire, I laugh still. Mary Steenburg who plays Brenans mother, Nancy Huff, is a tired woman. She gives the impression she is getting too old to be babysitting and really wants to get on with her life before time runs out. Richard Jenkins who plays Dales father, Robert Doback, is a professional doctor, who just wants to sail around the world with his wife and retire. Neither one of these two can do that because of their sons. This makes a big problem in the marriage and they start considering divorcing, but all is well in the end. The director chose to present the story in a way that most people in a mixed family would be able to relate to. I like the choice of angles the director used to capture the exact image of the funnier moments in the film. This allowed the audience to be right there in the scene. In the sleep walking scene for example, the lighting is set perfectly to show it is night time and it is late while everyone is sleeping. The angles and lighting capture the details that make these scenes funny by showing expression on the face[AW1], for example when they are sleeping after the sleep walking scene, dale is shown with mustard on his face and a piece of bread in his hand. Another way the characters were walking or jumping around, the camera shows emphasis on their legs when running or when talking you can see their facial expressions close up like the camera zoom, clearly to match the scene. Adam McKay is an American film director and producer. He was also head writer for Saturday Night Live for two seasons, Winston Cook-Wilson (2016), states in an article for Spin Magazine. that Step Brothers is, dramatically, and politically charged, Oscar worthy fare (Cook-Wilson). The costumes, lighting, and sets were enjoyable and amusing. In the beginning when Brenan and Dale met the scene is set at the afternoon in the front yard and they were both dressed like two fourteen-year-old kids with some old graphic t-shirts on and stupid haircuts. Other examples are when Dale and Brenan do the video of their new company Prestige Worldwide. It is a nice sunny day and they are on Dales fathers boat dressed in jackets and scarfs like wealthy people flaunting around like they are famous also, when they are shown being responsible adults at their jobs. Dale dressed in a professional chef uniform and Brenan in business clothes. These different scenes and sets are important to the movie. The good weather and sunshine keeps the atmosphere pleasant and happy for the audience. The different costumes allow you to visualize the scene and characters as intended. The music in the film has some catchy tunes and familiar with most American people. From Bonnie Rait, Guns N Roses, Hall and Oates, and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones there is a song everyone is going to know and sing along. The beginning tune kind of amps you up to laugh and gets you excited to watch the film. You just know it is going to be good. Guns N Roses and Bonnie Rait to very good playing musicians are used in this film. People are drawn to artists that they know. When Derek performed, the talent show scene with Ice Ice Baby, my friend knew it as soon as it came on and laughed. It was very popular in America in the 90s. In conclusion to my review I will admit that Step Brothers is not intended for all audiences. I would recommend Step Brothers to anyone needing a good laugh. This story will help you laugh at the funny stories of you and your own siblings or mixed family mergers. If you are a Ferrell and Reilly fan and appreciate the comedy from them, like the sleep walking scene or the music video for Prestige Worldwide, or havent had the opportunity you will want to see this film. If you dont find sibling rivalry like when they fight over the drum set or goofy and gross humor like licking the dog poop, that exceeds adult humor on a juvenile maturity level, then I would not suggest this film for you. References K. (2016,May 27). [Review of the film Step Brothers]. Cinemablend. Retired January 31, 2017. From http:// Step Brothers. Metacritic. Columbia Pictures, 25 July 2008. Web. 30 Jan. 2017. Ebert, Roger. Step Brothers Movie Review Film Summary (2008) | Roger Ebert. All Content. N.p., 23 July 2008. Travers, Peter. Step Brothers. Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone, 07 Aug. 2008. Web. 30 Jan. 2017.Web. 30 Jan. 2017. McKay, A. (Director(. (2008). Step Brothers [DVD]. New York: Sony. 22, 2016 Winston Cook-Wilson// November, and Winston Cook-Wilson. Big Short Director Adam McKay Is Writing and Directing a Dick Cheney Movie. Spin. N.p., 22 Nov. 2016. Web. 30 Jan. 2017. Wilson, Calvin. Step Brothers: B. Stltoday.com. N.p., 25 July 2008. Web. 30 Jan. 2017. Bradshaw, Peter. Film Review: Step Brothers. The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 28 Aug. 2008. Web. 30 Jan. 2017. [AW1]

Nelson Mandela :: essays research papers

Nelson Mandela's greatest pleasure, his most private moment, is watching the sun set with the music of Handel or Tchaikovsky playing. Locked up in his cell during daylight hours, deprived of music, both these simple pleasures were denied him for decades. With his fellow prisoners, concerts were organised when possible, particularly at Christmas time, where they would sing. Nelson Mandela finds music very uplifting, and takes a keen interest not only in European classical music but also in African choral music and the many talents in South African music. But one voice stands out above all - that of Paul Robeson, whom he describes as our hero. The years in jail reinforced habits that were already entrenched: the disciplined eating regime of an athlete began in the 1940s, as did the early morning exercise. Still today Nelson Mandela is up by 4.30am, irrespective of how late he has worked the previous evening. By 5am he has begun his exercise routine that lasts at least an hour. Breakfast is by 6.30, when the days newspapers are read. The day s work has begun. With a standard working day of at least 12 hours, time management is critical and Nelson Mandela is extremely impatient with unpunctuality, regarding it as insulting to those you are dealing with. When speaking of the extensive travelling he has undertaken since his release from prison, Nelson Mandela says: I was helped when preparing for my release by the biography of Pandit Nehru, who wrote of what happens when you leave jail. My daughter Zinzi says that she grew up without a father, who, when he returned, became a father of the nation. This has placed a great responsibility of my shoulders. And wherever I travel, I immediately begin to miss the familiar - the mine dumps, the colour and smell that is uniquely South African, and, above all, the people. I do not like to be away for any length of time. For me, there is no place like home. Mandela accepted the Nobel Peace Prize as an accolade to all people who have worked for peace and stood against racism. It was as much an award to his person as it was to the ANC and all South Africa s people. In particular, he regards it as a tribute to the people of Norway who stood against apartheid while many in the world were silent.

Compare and contrast the attractions and facilities for visitors

Weston-Super-Mare and Brean Leisure Park are two different tourist sites near each other. * Compare and contrast the attractions and facilities for visitors to these areas * What impact does tourism have on the surrounding area? * Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? Weston-Super-Mare Brean Leisure Park Introduction This project is based around tourism, we have been asked to answer a question that is about tourism in the two areas near to each other. These two areas are Weston-Super-Mare seafront and Brean Leisure Park. The question is first, to compare and contrast the attractions and facilities for visitors to these areas. Two, what impact does tourism have on the surrounding area? And three, do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? The first question is the main question, I think that it is asking me to find out which area is the best area for tourism, environmental issues, residential issues (what the locals think) and which area is the best to go to? The locations we are to investigate are; Weston Super Mare seafront and Brean Leisure Park, both of these locations are near each other on the south west coast of England, the areas we are covering are roughly the same size and are both roughly the same distance from any motorway or major road, this road is the M5 motorway. This will make the investigation slightly fairer between the two locations. Maps of the Region and Local Area The grid references for the two locations are: Weston-Super-Mare Seafront (Pier): 51à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½20`51.50†³N + 2à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½58`54.97†³W Brean Leisure Park (Main Entrance): 51à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½17`07.28†³N + 3à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½00`40.79†³W Main Cities The main cities near to the two locations are Bristol, Bath, Swindon and Southampton, big towns would include Bridgewater, Minehead, Clevedon, Street and maybe Frome. Major Transport Link The most major transport link that is closest to Weston and Brean is the M5 running south past Bristol, Weston, Brean and Lympsham. Most tourists would use this route to get to the two areas. Also the M4 is linked to the M5. This is our sphere of influence, the area in which our tourism and advertisement will be most beneficial and listened to. The background of tourism in Weston is an old record, the original reason that Weston became a tourist town goes back to Victorian times, this is when British beach holidays became really popular, and therefore it has been a tourist centre for years and is still on top as one of the best places to go for a British holiday. It has many attractions such as a high street for shopping, an arcade town for gaming and the grand pier for more gaming; this makes it very popular for people to come to have a good time, either over the weekend or for a week. There are brilliant amenities such as a hospital, toilets, bins, restaurants and accommodation. On the other hand Brean has different types of attractions and amenities such as a Leisure Park and the beach, the amenities are almost the same as Weston except the accommodation is set up as caravan parks instead of hotels, Weston has no caravans but it has many hotels lining the seafront which I think may turn out to be a major difference in how much and what type of tourism each location gets. Brean in general started as a natural area full of historical value. The national trust took ownership and protected the Down (The Main Headland) from any building, although others started building around it, it apparently started interest when people began to come to the site for holidays and then found out about the Neapolitan Fort (also used in World War 2) and also the fascinating history of the headland. Overall people get attracted to this general region not only because of the beaches, even though it's the main popularity reason but also all around the area there are major shopping center's, entertainment in Bristol and also surrounding Weston and Brean are the Mendip hills, perfect for a walking and camping holidays.