Company Analysis Paper (Starwoods Hotel and Resort) Research

Company Analysis (Starwoods Hotel and Resort) - Research Paper Example As such, the company plays a major role in world economy especially in America. The company embraces diversity in the provision of services where operates under nine different brands. The renowned brands that comprise this company include Westin, Le Meridien, St. Regis, Four Points, AloftSM Sheraton, ElementSM, and The Luxury Collection (Hospitality Net Web). Starwood capital is the mother company to Starwood Hotels and Resorts initially known as Starwood Lodging. Moreover, the company owns Starwood Vacation Ownership that offers high quality vacation services. The company’s mission seeks to offer high quality, affordable, and consistent products and services to its customers around the world. More so, their services seek to satisfy the needs of its customers. . The company equally has a mandate of adhering to the environment policy, respects the privacy of the customers and their personal information. The aspect of diversity applies in the operations of the company and forms the foundation to the success of the company. The company holds frequent company meetings where all the stakeholders attend. Most assuredly, the company boasts of a well-abled board and large group of volunteers that work together to guarantee the going concern of the concern. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is a company where everybody should invest. ... Internal Revenue Service gave an after-tax refund of $107 million that enabled the company to regain financial stability and record quarterly earnings of $339 million, or $1.78 a share in the year 2011 (Berzon Web). As a result, there was a 7.5% increase in total revenue amounting to $1.34 billion. At the same time, these results remained consistent even in this year where Starwood shares gained about 14 percent in value in the third quarter as lately seen in the New York Stock Exchange. Indeed, the share value of the company raised from 51 cents a share to 52 cents a share. This manifests an accelerating recovery for the company after the global recession. Indeed, in the year 2011, the demand for hotels surpassed the supply subject to many travelling businesspersons. Notably, last year the company reduced the price of the hotels due to the economic downturn that had lowered the demand. Nevertheless, now that the demand for the hotel rooms is rising tremendously, the company plans to increase the price and thus its high turnover. Indeed, it targets to record a 7% to 9% increase in total revenue per room this year. However, these statistics fall below the gains made before 2009. Actually, the company revenue declined with 20.7% because of the recession in 2009 (Berzon Web). Most significantly, the company has a better marketing strategy where it collaborates with credit companies like American Express to suit the financial needs of its customers. In addition, the company partners with 32 affiliated airlines all over the world to enable its customers redeem their points for flights. This creates a great competitive advantage over its rivals. The company has a corporate governance structure that seeks to maintain the highest standards of business conduct and corporate

The Standards of Care of a Patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis Essay

The Standards of Care of a Patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis - Essay Example Proliferation of the synovial membrane and uncontrolled persistent inflammation are the characteristic features of RA which manifest as a symmetric arthritis affecting several small and large joints. Other symptoms include fatigue, articular stiffness, anorexia and fever. Complaint of pain and limited lifestyle are the characteristic features of the onset of the disease. If left untreated, the inflammation will result in serious life threatening conditions during its progression. Morbidity, progressive disability and hastened mortality feature the untreated disease conditions. As a result, it entails serious economic implications for both the patients and their families as well as society as the affected people are unable to continue in their employment with the same efficiency as before with their normal functioning of their palms, feet and gait seriously affected and progressively disfigured and disabled (Cush, Weinblatt, & Kavanaugh, 2010). According to National Audit Office, ther e are around 580,000 people afflicted with RA with additional 26,000 new cases every year. The disease affects people of age between 40 to 60 years with women who are three times more likely to be affected than men. The patient referred herein for treatment also happens to be a woman aged 40. This being an auto-immune disease, affects small joints of the hand and feet. If severe, it reduces life expectancy by 6-10 years as a result of co-morbidity through cardio-vascular diseases or side effects from treatment (Home & Carr, n.d.) The disease reduces the affected person’s work life by five years. Its annual cost to the U.K. economy is estimated to be between ? 3.8 and ? 4.75 billion (NationalAuditOffice, 2009). There are many institutions engaged in the care of RA with their own guidelines for treatment. British Society for Rheumatology (BSR, (n.d)),NHS (NHS, n.d.), National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) (NRAS, n.d.), The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists (SCPOD, n .d.), The Musculoskeletal Services Framework (DeptOfHealth, 2006), NSF long-term conditions (DeptOfHealth, Department of Health, 2005), 18 week commissioning pathway (DeptOfHealth, Department of Health, 2006) and Podiatry rheumatic care associations (PodiatryRheumaticCareAssociation, n.d.) are the major sources of standards of care for RA conditions. They are complementary to one another and it is worthwhile referring to all of them while dealing with the patient affected by RA. Brief outline of care Two of the inevitable symptoms RA are joint pain and stiffness that manifest in the foot and ankle in the early stages. These symptoms also change during the course of progression of the disease (Helliwell, 2006). Since rheumatoid arthritis is not curable, the aim of care is to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life for the patient. Although multidisciplinary approach is resorted to, therapeutic interventions are the responsibility of rheumatoid specialist professionals. The patie nt involvement and empowerment are desirable for a successful outcome with the patient coping up with the course of treatment and lifestyle adaptations (Alexander, Fawcett, & Runcinman, 2006). For control of pain, analgesics such as paracetamol/aspirin, compound analgesics such as cocodamol to NSAIDs can be administered. Since NSAIDs are associated with gastrointestinal side-effects, cyclo-oxygenase (Cox) II group of NSAIDs are recommended so that side effects are at minimal levels. (Alexander, Fawce