A critical analysis of how to gain competitive advantage and managing Essay

A critical analysis of how to gain competitive advantage and managing in hospitality industry through management of cultural diversity - Essay Example With this the hospitality sector cam to be organised as one of the most industries of the time. The industry got expert management with a number of well trained professionals. The hospitality industry brings together numerous people with different backgrounds with versatile cultures under one common roof and binds them with a number of professional codes and ethics. According to Spencer-Oatey (2012) culture is a concept developed over centuries. The concept of culture originates when Cicero first used this word to mean cultivation of souls. Later in the 17th century culture again appeared in modern Europe which referred to the refinement of individuals through education. During the 18th and 19th century that culture was more often used to refer to the national aspirations or ideals. It was in the 20th century that culture emerged as a central concept in anthropology which deals with the entire range of human ways of life and living which cannot be directly attributed to something inherited by the genes. According to the use of the term in American anthropology, culture firstly implies the evolved tendency of human beings to classify and express their experiences in the form of symbols, to behave imaginatively or creatively. Secondly, culture is also referred to the distinct ways in which people live with a set of belief and express their experi ences by shaping their lives along the lines of the derived experiences. According to the observations of Browne (2008) especially after globalisation different culture of the global community came to face each other, came to know about the existence of each other. With the establishment of multinational companies and their expanding operation in different countries, personnel are posted at international locations. Individuals with a distinct cultural identity and cultural practice work in a country with a different set or sets of culture. It is

Love at first sight Essay Example for Free

Love at first sight Essay Adolf Hitler was a very famous person that was in the Holocaust. He was a very cruel person who thought that everyone who wasn’t a pure blooded German was lower than him and filthy. He put a lot of people through misery and pain. He didn’t even know if the people he was killing could be nice and pleasant. All he cared about was that they weren’t pure blooded Germans. Adolf Hitler was born on the 20th of April, 1889, in a town named Braunau an inn, Austria. He was baptised catholic and his dream was to become a priest and to peruse art school. He came from a divorced family, his father died in 1903. Hitler’s mother died when he was 18 years old, 1907. Hitler’s grandfather is believed to be Jewish and while in Vienna he had two close Jewish fiends. Hitler also served in World War 1. When Hitler was a child he was brutally abused by his father and lost 3 of his siblings when he was a young boy, 2 from diphtheria and one during child birth. This must have been very traumatic and hard for a young boy to grasp. His mother and father were divorced and his father has 2 marriages after his mother. Hitler had only been 14 when his father died of pleural haemorrhage. He soon after his father’s death left school due to him suffering from lung infections. Hitler had a hard and traumatic childhood and when he turned 18 his mother died from terminal breast cancer while being treated by a Jewish doctor. It is believed that Hitler’s grandfather was Jewish and after his mothers death he became certain for what he wanted to become and moved to Vienna to become an artist, after years before being rejected. Hitler met two Jewish men and became close friends with them. This is why many of Hitler’s generation and the generations there after don’t understand why he turned against the Jewish, could it be psychological issues within his mind and thoughts after having such a rough childhood? What could have been the main reason for Hitler to turn against Jews in particular? â€Å"Hitler began growing hatred for, not the Jewish in particular but rather against the cruel world that he lived in†. There are many that believe this statement is not true because they believe Hitler grew angry after his mother’s death, because it was a Jewish doctor, Dr. Edward Bloch who put her with excruciatingly painful as well as expensive treatments and surgery, and yet she still died. As well as his â€Å"hidden shame† for his grandfather being Jewish. Others believe that he was angry at his father for the abuse, pain and suffering he put him trough and wanted to get back at the world in his own twisted way. What could have been the reason for someone to act so mentally ill, that they’d want to exterminate an entire race? I believe that Hitler was not only physically unfit but mentally too that he may have lost his mind. There are theories that Hitler turned against the Jewish population because it’s believed they killed Jesus Christ and he was a Christian. When Hitler was 18 he moved to Vienna to peruse his passion for becoming an artist, he lived a very poor life living off of hid fathers small inheritance and an orphan’s pension. He became penniless and soon was homeless; he slept in a different place every night. It is during this time that people believe he became prejudiced about Jewish people, developing his knack for politics, and forming his debating skills. Adolf Hitler, two of his closest friends at this time were Jewish. He also admired Jewish art dealers and Jewish operatic performers and producers. However, Vienna was a centre of anti-Semitism, and the portrayal of Jews as scapegoats (the people who bear the blame) with stereotyped attributes (something that someone said that was not true about them but people believed) fascinated Hitler. What could mentally have been wrong with Hitler’s mind that he’d turn so violently against his own family and friends? In May of 1913 Hitler left Vienna and went to Munich, which is the capital of Bavaria, to avoid military services. In January the police came to him with a notice from the Austrian government. It threatened a year in prison and a fine if he was found guilty of leaving his native land with the intent of avoiding conscription (enrolling for the military). Hitler was arrested right then and taken to the Austrian Consulate. When he reported to Salzburg for duty, he was found â€Å"unfit too weak and unable to bear arms. Hitler served in World War I. He was enlisted in the Bavarian army. After less than two months of training Hitler’s regiment saw its first combat near Ypres, against the British and Belgians. Hitler almost died that day and many others. He was awarded two Iron Crosses for bravery. In October of 1916 he was wounded by an enemy shell and moved to a Berlin area hospital. After recovering, and serving four years in the service, he was temporarily blinded by a mustard gas attack in Belgium in October 1918. Communist revolts shook Germany while Hitler was recovering. Some Jews were leaders of these revolutions and this was part of Hitler’s hatred for Jewish people. Could Hitler’s recovery stage have been the time that he started to plot plans to exterminate the Jews, it may be possible that when he was injured and had to recover that he may have become mentally ill. It is also possible that he blames the Jews for becoming injured in the first place and this may have been the last straw for him. It is impossible to know what was running through Hitler’s mind but its more then certain that for one human to hate and despise a race so much to want to demolish them is not human nature, it is not normal for a human to have any thoughts, plots or motivation towards exterminating one person let alone almost a billion people. There are many theories that Hitler was an ill man and wanted more then to exterminate a race but exterminate a nation for his own personal gain, even though this is possible to know there are still theories and accusations and this makes knowing the truth difficult. Hitler’s dictatorship began in 1933, when he joined and created the Nazi party. His leadership, many believe, made him more power hungry then ever, and made him more mentally ill then before. Hitler died in 1945, after committing suicide. There are theories that he couldn’t handle his life anymore and wanted an easy way out, others believe it was his childhood that made him mentally ill and traumatised, and others think it was the guilt of killing millions of people for no reason. What could drive a human to taking their own life? Now you see that Hitler’s life was very sad, like many others at that time. The way he was treated when he was young, his family life, might have affected the way he turned out to be an adult. Which is why many believe he was a strong and ruthless dictator due to his childhood, but this is still not a good enough reason, in my eyes, for someone to commit mass murder and attempt exterminating a race. Hitler was humanly unstable and was not fit to dictate or run a country which led to his genocide of the Jews and suicide. Bibliography www. google. com =to find out the following websites and information. www. historypics. com = was used to find childhood pictures of Hitler and adult pictures. www. historyresearch. co. za = this was used to find information about Hitler’s childhood and life experiences. www. wikipedia. com = Also used to find out more information about his childhood and to see if the information found on the other websites was similar. www. brainyquotes. co. za = Used to find a quote to support the theories and feelings about Hitler. www. ispsuk. org = was used to find out how people can be mentally ill and where it could have began. www. webmd. com = Also used to find out about mentally illness and what it means to become mentally ill.

Radio Frequency Identification Rfid Tourism Essay

Radio Frequency Identification Rfid Tourism Essay Chapter 1 Introduction The 21st century has experienced massive changes and growth in several fields of the world economy. International trade, communication, technology, financial services, manufacturing, and other fields of business have recorded immense growth. To this end, competition is cutthroat as businesses become global and multinational conglomerates dictate business trends. In this regard, international transport, both human and commodity, has immensely increased. The number of ships, airlines, cross-border railways, international highways, and other forms of transport are recording immense volumes of transportation. Such colossal volumes create identification and tracking headaches for businesses as they strive to meet the needs of the customers. Commodities in transit tend to get lost in huge piles of baggage, creating a nightmare for both the client and the business. In the past, several technologies have been used to identify and track baggage. One such technology has been the use of a bar code system, a collection of unique numbers that identifies the specific baggage. While this technology may be effective in identifying items, it was found wanting when it comes to tracking. To solve this, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) has been introduced as a means of solving both the identification and tracking requirements. The RFID system is composed of two basic units, the tag and the receiver unit. The tag is a device that contains a small, inexpensive, programmable memory chip and a transponder unit that is attached to the commodity to be transported. The chip is a memory unit that contains unique information regarding the baggage, and the transponder transmits that information to a receiver. Hence, when the baggage or commodity passes through a magnetic reader, the information regarding the baggage is captured and retrieved via the transponder. This information not only identifies what the baggage is and who the owner is, but it also provides information regarding where the baggage has originated (Garfinkel, Juels, Pappu, 2005). The receiver unit is composed of an interrogator which emits a signal that activates the transponder. Once the transponder has forwarded data to the interrogator, the receiver unit has an inbuilt decoder that translates the data and relays it in a manner that can be understood. The RFID concept has since become the preferred tracking technology for most shipments. However, the technology has not been implemented in consumer goods found in stores. This is because tags are still comparably expensive when it comes to consumer goods. Huge shipments such as shipping containers have employed RFID technology as international sea ports have increased their annual luggage capacities. In the aviation industry, much controversy surrounds the use of RFID technology. Some airlines are finding it expensive to introduce, while leading airlines are introducing RFID with a competitive edge in mind. There are also social issues that surround the implementation of RFID. These social issues range from human tracking to tracking baggage even after it has left the airport. Opponents of RFID technology argue that such tracking infringes on privacy and should therefore not be used in any of its forms. While the above argument may be true, RFID provides unrivalled efficiency in han dling goods in transit. History Roberti (2011) explains that RFID technology has been in use for quite a few years now. It is noted that RFID technology was employed in the Second World War in order to identify enemy gunships and fighter planes. In 1980, RFID tags were used to identify military equipment. Garfinkel et al. (2005) assert that recent growth can be attributed to the rise of invasive commerce. In this way, businesses make use of RFID technology to track movement of commodities and by extension understand consumer behavior. These businesses are able to do this by embedding smart readers and transmitters onto commodities in order to track them over a wider distance using a networked system to gather data from different locations. This information provides businesses with a clearer view of which consumers prefer what commodity. This allows businesses to align their production with consumer preference. Uses of RFID As previously mentioned, RFID was first used in warfare to discern friend from enemy. Similarly, the military used the RFID system during the cold war era to identify, manage, and track nuclear weapons. Today, there are several applications of RFID, which may include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Supermarkets and retail stores use RFID to manage inventory, equipment, and staff. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Airports and airlines use RFID to manage staff, passengers, and baggage. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Hospitals have used the technology to manage key equipment, inventory, and staff. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Manufacturing businesses have used RFID to manage inventory and employees. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The military uses the technology to track and monitor personnel and dangerous material such as nuclear weapons. Advantages of RFID One of the greatest advantages of RFID tags is the ability to track consumer goods right from the manufacturer to the point of sale. In general, most goods are produced in foreign nations and shipped to destination countries. However, due to a lack of tracking systems, some goods are lost during transportation, and this is a huge loss for businesses. RFID will give such businesses the opportunity to track shipments. Another advantage of RFID is the ability to decode past information regarding where a person or goods have been. Such historical information is important in providing crucial information regarding past occurrences. The third advantage is that RFID is automated technology that does not require a human being to actively read it, as the bar code system does. Therefore, it eliminates the human error element in tracking and managing movement of goods. Disadvantages of RFID In general, RFID can be dangerous technology if not properly managed. For instance, if RFID is embedded in shoes or clothing, such pieces of clothing can be used to track the movements of an individual around the world. Such tracking highly invades the privacy of an individual without that individuals knowledge or consent. Such tracking may also be a dangerous security risk for individuals. Emirates Airlines The airline industry is one of the most rapidly growing industries in the world. As international commerce has rapidly increased, so has the airline industry. Asia, in particular China, India, South Korea, Singapore, the Arabian Gulf, and Malaysia, has spurred growth. The United Arab Emirates has also experienced immense growth, and Emirate Airlines is right in the middle of this growth. Emirates Airlines is the biggest airline in the Middle East with more than two thousand flights per week. The airline prides itself on a 50,000 staff base and long-range flights (emirates.com, 2008). The airline started off as a business of necessity. The company website explains that in the mid-1980s, the top airline at the time, Gulf Air, reduced flight services into Dubai. Thus, the royal family in Dubai decided to invest in a new airline, and in March 1985, emirates airlines started operating (emirates.com, 2008). The airline has since registered rapid growth, becoming one of the biggest purchasers of aircrafts. It prides itself on a long-range fleet of both Boeing and Airbus aircrafts. In its hangers are the dream liners Boeing 777 and the magnificent Airbus A380. Such immense growth and investment has led the airline to be a major player in the airline industry. emirates.com (2008) confirms this by asserting that in 2011, the airline was the fourth largest airline in the world. This success has been attributed to excellence in in-flight service and consistent profits. The company expects to receive an order of 90 Airbus A380 aircraft by 2017. This is the single largest purchase of passenger aircrafts in aviation history securing, its future in the aviation industry. Dubai International Airport DXB Dubai is one of the seven emirates making up the United Arab Emirates and one of the fastest developing locations in the globe. At the center of this development is the Dubai International Airport, referred to as DXB in the aviation world. The airport is the biggest aviation hub in the Middle East, handling 65% of all passengers travelling through the Middle East. The airport handles over 130 airlines that make about six thousand flights per week (emirates.com, 2008). Home to emirate airlines, DXB has committed an entire terminal to the airline. Dubai International Airport sits about 4km north of central Dubai and handles over 50 million passengers annually. Similarly, it is also the sixth busiest airport in terms of cargo, handling slightly over 2.2 million tons annually. The airport is an important economic establishment in the UAE. The airport provides over 58,000 jobs with hundreds of thousands of indirect employment opportunities. With rapid growth in international tourists visiting Dubai, the airport forecasts that by 2017, it will handle three times the number of passengers visiting today. Similarly, as China and the rest of Asia lead the world in economic growth, Dubai is seeking a more central role as the linkage between the Far East and the rest of the world. Cargo haulage is set to increase at incredible rates. Dubai international airport is constantly looking to expand in order to meet its future needs. A second airport that seeks to complement DXB is Al Maktoum International Airport. Problem Statement With the recent rise in terrorism, drug smuggling, and huge numbers of passengers and cargo, Dubai International Airport and Emirates Airlines are looking to turn to RFID technology. While the concept of RFID may be both timely and necessary, several pertinent issues impact the implementation of RFID at both DXB and Emirates airlines. This research reviews the controversial issues surrounding RFID implementation. The result of this research is to establish whether implementing RFID will be beneficial to DXB and Emirates Airlines. The reason RFID is the preferred technology for the airline and the airport is the ease with which the technology improves management and efficiency. The technology could be used to manage both cargo and passengers. With increasing volumes of baggage, the cost of monitoring such luggage has kept increasing as well. This cost is draining company resources and leading to continually diminishing efficiency. A shift to RFID would help the airline and DXB to become the leading airline and location, respectively, in terms of efficiency in handling both passengers and luggage. Benefits of RFID to Emirates Airlines Emirates airlines has been experiencing an increasing number of passengers and by extension baggage. In addition, with the introduction of Boeing Dreamliners and Airbus A380, airlines have to find a means of bettering their passenger and baggage handling efficiency. With the introduction of RFID technology, Emirates Airlines will shift its business efficiency to new heights. Furthermore, the airline has been experiencing increasing numbers of barcode misreads, and tracing such lost baggage has been a headache. The airline finds such baggage and, at its own cost, ships the baggage to the customers preferred destination. RFID provides effective tracing mechanisms, and the number of such mistakes will be greatly reduced. Benefits to DXB There are several advantages that DXB would accrue by implementing RFID technology. Some of the advantages include: Security: RFID has the advantage of tagging both employees and baggage, and the chips contain information about the state and the location of the subjects. This provides effective security management throughout the entire airport. The tags may also be used as security keys for staff, hence managing the movement of both staff and passengers. Managing Equipment: RFID chips could also be used on equipment and other important airport tools. The technology will provide better equipment management for the airport. Situational Analysis In February 2008, Emirates Airlines announced its first trials with RFID. The airline was to partner with Londons Heathrow, DXB, and Hong Kong International Airport in testing early uses of RFID technology (emirates.com, 2008). The airline in partnership with DXB and the other airports was going to invest nearly AED 2 million in the technology. The airline was targeting nearly half a million bags over a six-month period. According to Emirates Airlines, RFID not only helps the airline run the business more effectively, but it also gives customers some peace of mind knowing that their baggage is properly and securely handled. Premise This research is based on RFID and the different aspects and the challenges that come with implementing RFID technology both at the Dubai airport and at Emirates Airlines. This paper will explore the different aspects regarding RFID technology, its current applications and the need for the technology at the airport. This paper will delve into the advantages that will accrue upon adopting RFID technology. Definitions Decoder- device translating radio waves to data. DXB- Dubai International Airport RFID- Radio Frequency Identification technology RFID chips- programmable silicon devices that hold subject information. Transponder- transmitter devices that emit radio waves with subject information. Delimitation One of the main limitations is the lack of resources to perform live tests of the different versions of RFID technology. Thus, for the purpose of results and recommendations, this research will rely on scholarly works and case studies on the same. Another limitation that is likely to hamper the project is the time constraints required to evaluate the entire project. Implementing RFID at an international airport and such a massive airline will have several impacts over a long period of time. This project may not have sufficient time to evaluate the challenges and results of implementing RFID.

The Bank of New York and its History Essay -- essays papers

The Bank of New York and it's History On February 23, 1784, a small advertisement appeared in The New York Packet, one of the many New York newspapers of that era. This advertisement announced that prominent New York citizens had established a bank. The bank, established by the prominent, would not officially open for business until June 9, 1784. That bank would come to be known as the bank of New York. Alexander Hamilton, a well-known New York attorney, was asked to write the constitution of the new bank. He complied and therefore Alexander Hamilton was credited with the founding of the Bank of New York. The Bank of New York is the oldest bank in New York and along with that is one of the oldest banks in the world since banking the way we know it today began in the 18th century. Alexander Hamilton later went on to become the Secretary of the Treasury in President George Washington’s first cabinet. In 1789, Hamilton negotiated the first loan obtained by the new Democratic government. The amount of the loan was $200,000, and was issued by The Bank of New York. Hence, not only is the Bank of New York one of the oldest banks in the world, but it is also a historic one because it was the first bank in the United States to issue a loan. Adding to that historic feeling, when the New York Stock Exchange was created in 1792, the first stock traded was the Bank of New York's stock. The Bank of New York played a major role in the economic growth in the New York metropolitan area. The Bank was also involved with the growth of transportation. The construction of the Morris Canal in New Jersey and the Erie Canal in New York were partially funded by the Bank, which also provided financing to the steamboat companies that benefited from these waterways. Through investments in nearly every railroad and utility, as well as in the construction of the New York City subway system, the Bank of New York continued to provide vital capital to the expanding American economy. However, far more emphasis was given to conservative practices and retaining the confidence of our customers. That policy enabled the bank to survive the economic turmoil of the early twentieth century. Throughout its 200-year history, the Bank of New York has been involved in many mergers and acquisitions. Through mergers with the New York Life Insurance & Trust Company, The... ... to service our current needs. It is also important that they are committed to the ongoing investment in technology required to deliver the securities, cash and investment management support services we require. The Bank of New York is a well-established financial institution that has outlasted numerous financial hardships, including the Great Depression. It has a long history of providing excellent services to its customers. In the present day, The Bank of New York continues to live up to that reputation by offering its customers a variety of financial services. The future can only get better for the Bank of New York. With the technological era in full swing, the Bank of New York is taking full advantage by specializing in technological securities. In conclusion, The Bank if New York is a historical financial institution that played an important role in the economic growth of the United States. No other bank can say that it has done as much for the United States as has done the Bank of New York. Bibliography: 1. http://www.gwdg.de/~ifbg/bank_2.html 2. http://www.bankofny.com/about/ahst.htm 3. http://www.bankofny.com/util/usgx.htm 4. www.bankofny.com

Hiring Outsiders Essay

This is why companies look to hire people from the outside. They do this because they are looking with people who will bring unique skills to the company. Also, it can give the company new ideas and new energy for the work place. The article states that â€Å"the thought processes are common among workers and bosses, and  a new study  shows how they play out. The study, by  Matthew Bidwell, an assistant management professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, found that external hires, on average, make around 18 percent more money than internal employees with similar positions. I found this statement to be a very interesting point when it comes to the debate on whether or not to hire or not from the outside. It definitely shows that the numbers are better for profit, so that is definitely a big positive when it comes down to the question for managers who ask should they hire externally? However, later on in the article it states that in that same study, th ey perform less well in the first two years and are also more likely to leave or be let go. This is why companies don’t hire from the outside, because it takes to long for the employees to get use to the company they were hired at, rather then the one they were doing well at previously, this is one con of hiring from the outside. There are many other disadvantages about hiring from the outside as well. One of these factors would be it increases the chances of the work place morality to drop. What I mean by this is that if the people in the work place of the current company they are at hire other people for positions they are qualified for, this would possibly tick people within the company ff, and maybe even question those people if they should stay with the company or not. I remember you gave an example in class about how you were brought in for a company and one employee even confronted you and said how you took his job. This can definitely make the work place very uncomfortable for employees at the job. Just because a person did good at their current job does not mean they will automatically do good for the new company that hires them. The new employee will have to adapt to the new culture of the company and this can be very hard for new employees. Also, giving employees a chance to be promoted if they work hard is a benefit of hiring from the inside. This incentive definitely gives people something to work hard for and try to earn. I know for me, I don’t want to switch jobs a lot and if I were working at a place I would love the opportunity to keep moving up in the company if I was working hard. The article talks about how people within the company know the â€Å"do’s and don’ts of the company. † New people that companies bring in are unaware of what to do in certain situations and probably don’t have a very good idea of what the company is about compared to people that work within company. I definitely understand about what companies are trying to do from the outside, but some companies are blind to the fact that it will take a while for the new employees to gel in with everyone and the work place of the company. Overall, of course there is many benefits that include hiring from the outside, which include fresh skills and ideas. But the article states that Professor Groysberg says employers need to be much more strategic about hiring so that the organization has the right mix of old and new. This is a very important statement due to the fact that a company must decide is it really important that they absolutely need someone from the outside rather than someone who is already working there already? For employees that put in their two weeks because they are unhappy with the company hiring from the outside, the article has a very good solution for this. In the last meeting, it is important to ask what can we do to keep you here. Most of the time, people will say a raise. A good answer to this question would be we understand you want that but we don’t know if that’s possible, what else can we offer to you that is important to you? Answers like these will definitely help people from quitting to staying at the company.

Mini Essay on the Effect of Belonging Between a Person and a Place

‘In each of the texts, perceptions of belonging involve connections between people and places. Compare the portrayal of the connections between people and places in Mankind Is No Island and Gran Torino. ‘ For people to have a real sense of belonging, they need to make connections with the place they live and the people around them. If either of these connections is missing, then individuals will suffer as a result. Two films that examine this idea are the 2008 Tropfest Winner ‘Mankind Is No Island’ and the motion picture ‘Gran Torino’ directed by East Clintwood.The Tropfest film ‘Mankind is no Island’ represents the challenges of belonging to a place by exploring the irony of the misconceptions that cities, being so grand, would also create a grand sense of belonging within the individuals that populate them. However, the film shows us that many people are faced with isolation, starvation and alienation. This is shown in a scene with the quote ‘do we measure empathy by donations’, after these 6 words, the camera focuses on a homeless man kneeling in the street.The camera angle is low when you see the man appearing to be begging for money. His head is positioned downwards at the bag in front of him, with no great deal of donations. This shot also shows people on the street walking past the man without so much as glancing in his direction, as though he does not exist. This is a visual representation that reinforces the title. It is as if the people drifting past him are depicted as the water and he himself the island. In ‘Gran Torino’, the neighbourhood in which Walt Kowalski lives is shown to be full of Hmong people.At the beginning of the movie, Walt is appearing to have a racist attitude towards his neighbours as he is always calling them ‘gooks’ or ‘zipper heads’. It is evident in the scene in which Tao’s cousin and his gang try to recruit Tao in his own front yard, that Walt does not like the Hmong people. Tao resists which causes a conflict that ends up moving over to Walt’s lawn. The scene is cut to Walt pointing a gun into the gangs’ faces whilst saying ‘get off my lawn’.One of the members of the gang says to Walt ‘are you crazy, go back in the house’ where Walt replies to this ‘how about I blow a hole in your face and then I go in the house and I sleep like a baby, you can count on that’. When Walt has a barbeque in his own backyard, inviting his new found friends over, we can clearly see the contrast in attitude that he has. He went from scowling and cursing at his Asian neighbours, to having a full grin and laughing with them while sharing a friendly gathering. In this scene, Walt feels as though he belongs with this family more than he does with his own.Tao’s family accepts him for who he is and doesn’t expect anything from him. Walt and the Hmong family are able to make jokes about each other that aren’t politically correct, but they are accepted for they trust and accept that it is how Walt is, because he comes from an age where making racial comments was less criticized. In conclusion, both ‘Mankind Is No Island’ and ‘Gran Torino’ show that connections with people and places are essential in creating a sense of belonging within oneself. When someone feels as though they truly belong to someone or something, they become much happier.