Abstract
This paper relates that, in recent years, the concept of a "budget hotel" in the U.K. has changed so that today many of these less-expensive hotels are virtually indistinguishable from many of their more upscale and expensive counterparts. The author points out that the research focuses on major areas of hotel management including (a) overall performance, (b) employee performance, (c) customer satisfaction, (d) financial performance and (e) what innovative measures are being used to increase performance measure. The paper concludes that the Premier and Express by Holiday Inn were identified as the two front runners in the U.K. budget hotel industry and that these chains reached this performance level with careful attention to trends in the marketplace and the needs and wants of their guests. The paper includes several figures and tables, quotations, a complete questionnaire and the reporting of survey data.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Statement of the Problem
Purpose of Study
Research Questions
Importance of Study
Overview of Study
Review of Related Literature
Background and Overview
Overview of Hotel Industry Categories of Service
Limited-service mid-scale hotels
Budget Hotels
Recent Trends in the Budget Hotel Industry
Overview of Budget Hotels in the UK Today
Performance Measures
Methodology
Description of the Study Approach
Data-gathering Method and Database of Study
Documentation Collection
Survey
Sampling
Reliability and Validity
Rationale in Support of Methodology
Data Analysis
Case Studies: Premier Travel Inn UK and Express by Holiday Inn UK
Premier Travel Inn
Stock Performance for Whitbread: March 2006 to Date
Key Financial Metrics for Whitbread: 2001-2005
Whitbread Net Operating Revenues versus Net Profit: 2001-2005
Whitbread Earnings Per Share: 2001-2005
Whitbread Earnings Per Share: 2001-2005
Express by Holiday Inn
Amenities and benefits featured by Express by Holiday Inn in the UK
Financial Metrics Reported by Express by Holiday Inn in the UK
Intercontinental Hotels Group plc (IHG)
Other Performance Metrics Reported by Express by Holiday Inn in the UK
Representative Google Search Engine Results for "Hotel," "London"
Survey of Express and Premier Hotel Management:
Summary and Conclusions
Summary
Conclusions

From the Paper
"Middle upscale hotels are also able to lower rates during times of adverse economic environments. Many of these hotels have found it to their mutual advantage to engage in strategic partnerships with organizations such as the American Association of Retired Persons and the Automobile Association of America by offering discounts during off-season periods or during adverse economic periods. All-suite middle upscale hotels include AmeriSuites (Howard Johnson), Embassy, Guest Quarters, Hawthorne, Homewood, Lexington, and Residence Inn by Marriott."

Tags:survey, customer, premier, express, wincard

Abstract
This paper describes the competition in the U.K. ice cream market and the threat of monopoly that occurred some years back.

From the Paper
"The U.K. ice cream market is notoriously competitive. In ..., the U.K. 's Competition Commission warned that a monopoly may exist in favour of Bird's Eye Walls, the frozen food arm of Anglo-Dutch conglomerate Unilever and the manufacturer of the Magnum Cornetto and Solero brands. Birds Eye Walls supplied ... of the U.K.'s impulse ice cream market and was far ahead of Nestle's Lyons Maid brand which had only..."

Tags:U.K., Nestle, Bird's Eye Wall's, ice cream, market, competition, monopoly, Mars

Abstract
This paper explains that competition among utilities is believed desirable because it promotes the interests of consumers and enables the competing companies to benefit fully from cost reduction and innovation. The author points out that public administration, especially of public utilities, functions as a business; therefore, the climate of competition in the U.K. utilities, which was ushered in by privatization, is tempered by sector-specific regulation. The paper relates that, for 15 years or more, almost all of the major utilities in the U.K. have been under private control and subject to these sector-specific regulations and to concurrent competition powers; however, the degree of competition varies by market.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Competition Theory and Practice
Privatization of UK Utilities
Competition Act 1998
Privatization of Telecommunications
Electricity
Gas
Water and Sewerage
Railways
Airport Services
Change of Rules
Price Cap Policy
Conclusion and Perspectives

From the Paper
"When the government privatized British Gas in 1986, the program did not follow the US model on both gas and telecommunication liberalization. The reason is that BG was a vertically integrated state-owned monopoly that was unique in UK. BG was first persuaded to detach its natural monopoly network from its affiliated services that could stand competition, such that the company was divided into the monopoly and competitive parts. At first, the relationship between BG and the assigned industry regulator was turbulent because of an oversight on the government's part."

Tags:theory, consumer, restructuring, pricing, telecommunication

Abstract
The paper examines how since the birth of the single European currency, there has been a constant debate in the United Kingdom on whether they should join. It shows how the present government have made it quite clear that they are in favor of the U.K. joining the single currency, but only if the economic conditions are right. It analyzes the five economic tests set by the U.K. Treasury: Convergence, flexibility, investment, U.K. financial services and the possible effect on employment. It assesses whether they have been met and offers both sides of the argument as to whether the U.K. should join the Euro.

From the Paper
"The first of the Treasury's Five Tests looks at the possibility of "sustainable convergence between Britain and the economies of a single currency". This looks at the UK needing to have similar interest rates, inflation, budget deficit, national debt and exchange rates as the economies in the Euro zone. Recent economic data shows some big differences between the UK and countries such as France, Germany and Spain, for example the UK has lower inflation and unemployment than these countries. The UK's public debt is also much lower, whereas its current account balance as a proportion of GDP is much worse that Germany and France but is much better than countries such as Spain."

Tags:eurozone, government, investment, flexibility, convergence

Abstract
This paper examines the smoking ban laws in the U.S. and U.K., which have received both support and criticism from the public. The paper relates that these bands have resulted in huge losses of revenue for pubs in these two countries in terms of the pub sales revenue and customer turnover. However, smoking bans have actually boosted business for the restaurants. The paper relates how various pub and restaurants owners have modified their property to apply these smoking bans. An outline is included in the paper.

Outline:
Overview
What is a Smoking Ban?
What Smoking Ban Entails
U.S. and U.K. Legislation
Effects of Smoking Ban on Sales Revenue
Effects of the Smoking Ban on Customer Turnover
Properties Changes to Apply It
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Smoking bans which are also referred to as smoke free laws are meant to bring down the demand for tobacco products by creating a situation where intake of these products becomes increasingly difficult. Smoking ban policies are supported by tax measures, cessation measures and public awareness campaigns that are meant to lower the levels of smoking in the society through change of human behavior by ensuring that people change from the unhealthy smoke addictive behaviors towards healthy living styles."

Tags:separate, secondary smoke, responsible home, well ventilated

Abstract
This paper briefly examines the U.K. construction industry and the concepts of Lean Construction, in which the success of this company is attributed to the application of Lean Construction principles such as value, value streams, flows, pull, and perfection. It evaluates how U.K. construction companies have found that increasingly demanding customers, as well as pressures regarding environment issues, are forcing them to rethink their strategies.

Outline
The Principles of Lean Construction
The Construction Industry in the U.K.
The Egan and Lathem Reports
Supply Chain Leadership and Teamwork
The Possibility of Change

From the Paper
"It is with the above in mind that the Egan and Lathem reports highlight the changes necessary in the UK Construction Industry. The Egan Report identifies five drivers of change necessary to ensure greater profitability as well as better quality in the Construction Industry. These are: committed leadership, a focus on the customer, integrated processes and teams, a quality driven agenda and commitment to people (4GM Consulting, 2003). Furthermore the report sets targets such as 10% for annual reductions in construction cost and time, as well as a 20% annual reduction in defects. The report stresses the importance of replacing competitive tendering with long-term relationships within the industry. Clearly the win/lose relationships between partners are too adversarial to be effective."

Tags:egan, lathem, value, flow, leadership, teamwork

Abstract
This study seeks to show that there are several different family-friendly policies utilized by employers in the U. K. and that these have been necessary for some time. The three main policies are part-time work, flex-time (flexible start and finish times), and teleworking. All three of these policies are important for working mothers and others that would like to have time with their families or for other pursuits. However, not all employers are interested in offering these kinds of arrangements, and many prefer to stick with the traditional work schedule where individuals all come in at a certain time and all leave at a certain time. There is increasing evidence, though, that this does not work well for many people in the U. K., and this is the reason for studying this issue and determining what would be the best choice for everyone.
Through a solid introduction to the issue and a thorough review of the literature that is involved with it, the study shows how very important much of these family-friendly policies are and how they are often overlooked by employers who do not want to break with tradition. However, many working mothers could utilize these if only their employers were willing to allow them, and if more mothers and employers knew about the possibilities for these family-friendly ideas. Many of these policies have not been studied a great deal, and it is therefore necessary that studies such as this be conducted, so that more can be learned and discovered about this issue and more people in the U. K. can benefit from it. Sources are copied and included in the paper.

Abstract
Introduction
Changing Nature of Work
The Flexible Firm
Literature Review
Annualized Hours
Compressed Work Week
Voluntary Reduced Work Time (V-Time)
Flexi Time
Job Sharing
Team Work
Telecommuting/Teleworking
Three Popular Choices
Similarities and Differences
Discussion
Solution and Conclusion

From the Paper
"The world is constantly changing. From the times of post world war two to the emergence of the neo-liberal agenda in 1975, economists are now speaking about free markets and the decline of bureaucratic capitalism. We are witnessing a continuous and dramatic shift as we are moving forward into the 21st century. This change has affected organizations all over the world in a number of ways. For example, the 1980s introduced the concept of flexibility in organizational working. Flexibility was largely driven by the employers to maximize profit and productivity. However, little concern was given to the employee benefits.
The continuous tussle between the employers and the employees has given rise to the introduction of family friendly policies. This has further led to the popularity of the concept of work life balance. This dissertation aims to identify the most commonly used practices adopted by organizations when implementing family friendly policies. It also aims to understand what influence these practices have on the organization by considering the way they affect, and are affected by, employers and employees."

Tags:workplace, mother, child, care, flexible

Abstract
In this essay, the writer examines the main developments in the U.K. press since 1945. The writer discusses the historical context of the U.K. media. The impact of the Information Age and of consolidation are also examined in the paper. Further, the writer discusses the make-up of the press establishment.

Tags:UK, media, ownership, Murdoch, Maxwell, consolidation

Abstract
The paper analyzes the way these two reports aimed to spur improvements in the U.K. construction industry and the resulting substantive efforts by the industry to streamline itself through increased cooperation. The paper also looks at the technique of cooperative reform known as TQM (Total Quality Management) advocated in the Latham Report, an approach that has been proven to work in the U.S. and Australia.

From the Paper
"The British government attempted to facilitate such partnering by streamlining the procurement processes in response to the Latham report. The government still placed about 1.5 billion of contracts in 1999 for building works annually, and the percentage today of construction contracts remains almost as high. (Farookhi 1999) By simply streamlining the procurement process within its own structure alone, therefore, the government was able to accomplish much in reducing overall costs of housing and increasing overall efficiency in procurement in the construction industry."

Tags:materials, manpower, control, inefficiency, consumer

Abstract
This paper explains that, in the U.K., private health care providers are consistently seeking to expand their business and influence in the face of a declining National Healthcare System; and thus, in order for private health care providers to successfully market their services to the public, they must first prove that what they have to offer is worthwhile and ethical. The author states that the primary goal of this dissertation is to develop a theory-building process that will result in a strategic marketing plan for acute health care in the UK that will (1) build on best practices based on current medical ethics standards, (2) support the private health care industry's goals, and (3) provide guidance for private healthcare industry participants in the strategic marketing development process. The paper relates that the data will be collected via questionnaire utilizing Likert-type scales distributed to health care providers, marketing agents, and consumers.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Research Rational
Goals/Objectives of Study
Literature Review
Methodology
Approach/Research Design
Methods for Data Collection
Methods for Data Analysis
Discussion
Purpose/Relevance of Study

From the Paper
"The private healthcare sector within the UK accounts for 25.3% of the UK healthcare market as of 2000. The private industry is divided among the following sectors: primary care services, acute care, psychiatric care, long term care and private medical insurance. Within the private healthcare sector, acute care accounts for a very small portion of services offered, and therefore will likely require the most aggressive marketing stratagems. Long term care accounts for the largest sector. The National Health Care Service in the UK has been suffering from a variety of problems affecting the infrastructure, including staff shortages. This leaves opportunity for growth in the private industry. This paper will focus on the acute care sector, which is currently expanding gradually in part as a result of the development of specialist facilities."

Tags:theory-building, questionnaire, likert, aggressive, planning