Romantic relationships and academic grade point average

Romantic relationships and academic grade point average This study will be conducted to investigate whether or not there is an association between involvement in a romantic relationship and academic grade point average (GPA) amongst pharmacy students. METHODS: Pharmacy students in their first, second, and third professional years of the traditional Doctor of Pharmacy program at Shenandoah University Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy in Winchester, Virginia will be utilized as subjects for the study. Fourth-year and non-traditional students will be excluded from participation due to limited or no accessibility. By way of convenience sampling, approximately 355 students from the Winchester and Ashburn campuses of the school of pharmacy will be administered a survey at the end of the spring semester. Only students who are present and in class on the day the survey is administered will participate. Based on their responses to the third survey question concerning current romantic relationship and corresponding living status, the students will be separated into groups ranked from least involved to most involved with respect to current romantic relationship status; these groups will be designated single, casual partner, serious partner, and married. After all students have been placed into a group, their GPAs will be analyzed and compared to examine if there exists a correlation between involvement in varying levels of romantic relationships and pharmacy school GPA. We hypothesize that involvement in a romantic relationship will have an effect on GPA. RESULTS: N/A. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that involvement in a romantic relationship affects pharmacy school GPA. Students who will be or are currently enrolled in a graduate program can use the information from this study to make decisions concerning involvement in romantic relationships and extracurricular commitments. Introduction While there have been many studies on the effect of academic grade point average (GPA) (given a wide range of variables), it is unknown, up to this point, if relationship status affects GPA, and if so, how it affects GPA (positively or negatively). The rationale for this research project is that there have been no previous studies on GPA and relationship status for graduate students currently enrolled in pharmacy school. While limited research has been conducted on GPA and relationship status, there was more focus on adolescents (high school students). Previous limited studies performed on pharmacy students include variables such as test anxiety, time management, test competence, academic competence, and study techniques. The scope of this research project is to study the effects of relationship status on GPA for graduate students in pharmacy school. As a result, the same study can be performed on any graduate school program, not just pharmacy, using the same survey questionnaire. We hypothesize that involvement in a romantic relationship will have an effect on GPA. Relationship status, in this study, is defined as any one of the following: single; casual partner; serious partner; married. Being in a relationship is defined as all of the latter except: single. Other variables considered in this project (gender, age, year of study, hours dedicated to studying per week, importance of GPA, and hours worked and/or volunteered per week) are needed and help to isolate the effects of relationship status on GPA. While the primary concern of this study is to evaluate if romantic relationship status has any effect on the GPA of students in pharmacy school, it may also be extended to discover if there is a positive or negative effect on GPA dependent on relationship status. If there is no significant difference between relationship status and GPA, then perhaps data collected on other variables might explain a difference. Literature Review Our study is conducted to determine how varying levels of involvement in romantic relationships affect the academic GPA of pharmacy students. There have been many studies that examined the relationship between dating and the GPA of students. Many of the studies were conducted using high school and undergraduate college students. One study was conducted by Phuong T. Pham (2002) at Loyola University. Effects of Romantic Relationships on Academic Performance in College, examined the relationship between dating and academic performance in college. Pham hypothesized that dating while in an undergraduate program would result in a lower GPA. A survey was conducted at Loyola University and after analyzing the results, it was concluded that there was no correlation between academic performance and dating. A similar study was conducted by Matthew E. Kopfler (2003) at Loyola University that looked at the effects of romantic relationships on academic performance of undergraduate students. The hypothesis of the study was that students involved in romantic relationships would not perform academically as well as those who were not involved in romantic relationships. The study was conducted by surveying 75 Loyola undergraduate college students. After collecting the surveys and analyzing the results, Kopfler concluded that there was no impact on GPA if a student was involved in a romantic relationship. Factors that Affect Academic Performance Among Pharmacy Students was a study conducted by Sansgiry, Bhosle, and Sail. This study looked at different factors that might have an impact on the GPA of pharmacy students. Sansgiry et al. used a questionnaire to evaluate factors such as test anxiety, time management, test competence, academic competence, and study techniques and their impact on GPA. This is a very important question to ask since GPA is used as an indicator of academic performance. Most colleges and universities set a minimal GPA that student applicants must meet in order to be considered for admittance into the school. Their study concluded that test competence was an important factor in distinguishing students who will perform well academically from those who will perform poorly. Other factors that include academic competence, test competence, test anxiety, and time management improve as the student advances through the pharmacy curriculum. The two studies conducted at Loyola University derived similar conclusions, that is: the academic performance of undergraduate college students were not affected by involvement in romantic relationships. Our study advances the focus further by investigating how academic performance, as measured by GPA, is affected by involvement in romantic relationships while enrolled in a graduate college program. The study conducted by Sanger et al. is important because it looked at time management and its effect on the GPA of pharmacy students. It was concluded from this study that time management does not have an impact on GPA. Time management was defined as clusters of behavioral skill sets that are important in the organization of study/course load. Time management includes planning in advance, prioritizing work, test preparation, and following schedules. In our study, we will correlate time management with respect to relationship status by examining the amount of time spent with a partner com pared to studying academic material and evaluate if this impacts the GPA of graduate college students. Methodology Participants Second-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students from Shenandoah University Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy in Winchester, Virginia (VA) conducted a research study to determine if there exists a link between involvement in romantic relationships of pharmacy school students and their academic GPA. GPA will be the dependent variable of this study and thus the focus of the research. The GPA will subsequently be analyzed and compared with involvement in romantic relationships. Involvement in pharmaceutical organizations, volunteer work, and weekly part-time work will also be considered as future research factors that may have an impact on GPA. The data for the project was gathered at the two separate campuses of the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy. The survey was administered at the main campus in Winchester, VA as well as the satellite campus in Ashburn, VA. A survey was selected to be the method of choice to obtain data because of its relative low cost of manufacturing and ease o f administration. Sampling The population under consideration in this study includes all traditional PharmD students who are currently enrolled full-time. This does not include fourth-year and non-traditional students on clinical rotations. Our sample population will include all traditional PharmD students at the Winchester and Ashburn campuses of the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy who agreed to fill-out and complete a survey questionnaire within a 10 day period. The researchers agreed that a limit of 10 days is a sufficient length of time to provide for appropriate completion of the survey questionnaires and for adequate collection of responses. The sample will be gathered through a convenience sampling method and will therefore be given to participants present on the day selected by the researchers to administer the survey. Because a control group will not be utilized in this study, convenience sampling is the easiest and most effective method to gather participants. The researchers plan to administer th e survey to approximately 355 participants across the two campuses of the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy. Before data is collected, the researchers will obtain approval for the research study from the Human Subjects Review Board at Shenandoah University. This board is the equivalent of an Institutional Review Board. The confidentiality of participants will be ensured for this study as no indentifying information will be collected. Research Design Data will be collected through the use of a survey questionnaire. The survey consists of eight questions designed to gather information about students GPA and their involvement in romantic relationships. The survey was created by the researchers and was designed to allow for quick and easy completion. The survey was administered to the students at the end of the spring semester by the researchers. Administration of the survey at end of the spring semester was chosen in order to allow for the inclusion of first-year students, who by then already received their fall semester grades, in the study. Each survey questionnaire contains the same questions and can be administered without any prior training of the student participant. Each survey question was designed to be a test item for the research study. The survey is attached as an appendix. The first, second, and fifth questions are used to attain demographic information. Gender, age, and year in professional school can all be used as adjuncts in evaluation of the data. The third question is the first critical test item of the study. It inquires into the current relationship and corresponding living status of the survey respondent. This question is intended to be a test item that would group students into categories ranging from least involved to most involved as relating to romantic relationship involvement. Each category was based upon the following answer choices: 1. Single 2. Casual partner 3. Serious partner 4. Married An answer of the respondent to this question is the independent variable and therefore the prime factor for comparison against GPA. Using responses to this question, the researchers will place student participants in their designated groups, compute and compare the average GPAs for each group, and evaluate for any variances in GPA amongst groups. The fourth question was used as a tool to gather information about the dependent variable, student GPA. The researchers decided to use five ranges for the GPA. This will allow for easier collection and grouping of data in a manner that will facilitate efficiency of management and analysis. The sixth, seventh, and eighth questions were placed in the survey to gather additional data about the extracurricular activities of student participants. These responses will be collected and appropriately managed. The data will not be analyzed in this study but will be made available for future research studies. The seventh question was based on a Likert Scale and can be used to evaluate whether or not the motivation of a respondent has an effect on their GPA. Data Collection Our method of collecting data is through a survey. The entire sample population will be asked to complete the same survey within a 10-day period. We have increased the reliability of our study in two ways. The first is by asking all of the participants to complete the same survey. This increases the consistency of the study. The second is by making the survey questions concise and straightforward so that each can be interpreted and understood the same by all respondents. This is critical because all respondents are asked the same questions, and therefore, it is necessary to achieve similar interpretation among respondents. It is important to have reliability because without reliability a study cannot have validity. Reliability is required in order to assess the validity of the measurement instrument. We have established that our study has reliability. We must now determine if it has internal validity. Internal validity is very important in our study because it shows that our survey correctly assessed the effects of involvement in romantic relationships on the academic GPA of pharmacy students. Our study is based on a two-group after only model, and therefore, many of the threats to internal validity do not apply. The history threat does not apply because we do not ask questions regarding past events that might have altered the GPA of a pharmacy student. For example, a student may have a lower GPA than normal because a traumatic event happened right before a big exam. Many of the other threats to internal validity cannot occur in our study because of our study design. Therefore, the internal validity of our study is further substantiated. Only complete survey questionnaires will be included in this study. If all eight survey questions are not answered, that particular survey questionnaire will be thrown out. Data Analysis The pooled variance t-Test will be used because of the two populations (single and in a relationship), as well as the comparison between two means (mean GPA of students who are single and mean GPA of students who answered as being in a relationship). Data will be collected using the eight question survey discussed previously and will be coded and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Scientists (SPSS) program. The data will be coded corresponding to the answers circled by each participant (for example, if a participant circled the number 1 for the question What is your gender, that would correspond to male and the number 1 would be entered under the gender category for our SPSS data sheet; if they circled a 3 for the question What is your current age range, that answer would correspond to 25 29 and a number 3 would be entered under the age category for our data sheet). All of the data will be entered manually by one person and every fifth entry will be checked agains t that particular survey by a research assistant. Having all data entered into SPSS allows for easy comparison of different factors on GPA, including testing the study hypothesis. The first test performed on the data will be to evaluate the average GPA for respondents of all romantic relationship status groups except the single group. This average GPA will then be compared to the average GPA of those students who fall into the single group. The mean value of GPA for all students who completed a survey questionnaire will also be computed. An alpha level of 0.05 will be set. Our objective is to discover any significant variances in GPA of those who are in romantic relationships versus those who are single. If our P value is less than 0.05 (our alpha value) then there is a significant difference in the mean GPA values for those who are in romantic relationships versus those who are single. In this case, we will reject our null hypothesis: involvement in a romantic relationship will have an effect on academic GPA. Accordingly, we will examine significant differences in GPA to see whether there exists a positive or negative correlation to involvement in romantic re lationships as opposed to being single. We will also break down the relationship categories to compare and determine if there are any significant differences between the average GPA of each group. For example, analysis will be performed to see if there is a significant difference in GPA between students in serious partner relationships versus those in married relationships. Discussion The null hypothesis of the study states that there is no effect regarding involvement of romantic relationship on GPA. If the resulting P value is greater than or equal to our alpha value of 0.05, we would fail to reject the null hypothesis. Therefore, the projected outcome of the study is that there is no effect on involvement in a romantic relationship and GPA. However, if the resulted P value is less than our alpha value of 0.05, then we would reject the null hypothesis. In the latter case, the result would be that there is an effect regarding involvement of romantic relationship on GPA. The main reason for this study is to see if being in a relationship has an effect on GPA for graduate students. As noted earlier, no study has been done on graduate students in terms of relationships and GPA. While a few studies have been done in the past on relationship status and GPA, the studies were conducted on adolescent (high school age) students. It was agreed by all of the researches of this graduate student study that there is quite a big difference between the types of relationships in high school versus graduate school, as well as the courses, course load, and expectations of each student. Quite frankly, there really is no comparison between the two (high school versus graduate school). While this particular study was done on pharmacy school students, the exact same study can be done to any graduate school program, not just pharmacy. The eight questions in the survey are not specific to pharmacy or any other program and, although we are only concerned with relationship st atus (our independent variable) and GPA (our dependent variable), we also asked a series of other independent variable questions. Further tests and comparisons can be made with the other independent variables collected on the survey questionnaire. This is especially helpful if there is no correlation or significant difference between GPA and relationship status. The other independent variables might be able to explain some of the differences between GPA other than relationship status (for instance, if a student works or volunteers regardless of relationship status perhaps some work has no effect but working full time while in graduate school has an effect on GPA). How many of the additional questions to use in the analysis of the GPA versus relationship status is up to the evaluators of this study. Limitations Results from this study should be interpreted with several limitations in mind. First, the study is limited in sample size because only the first through third year students at one pharmacy school were used as subjects for the survey. This small population would inhibit and prevent the generalization of results and findings from the study to other schools of pharmacy. A second limitation of the study is the narrow focus on pharmacy students. This restricts generalizations of study findings and results to other graduate and professional programs (e.g. medicine, law), undergraduate curriculums, and vocational programs. Another study limitation is the use of different levels of pharmacy students: first-year, second-year, and third-year students. This limitation may skew results due to the differences in the degree of difficulty between the distinct years of professional pharmacy study, and this can have an impact on GPA. Generally, the first year curriculum is less difficult and demanding than the second year curriculum, and the second year curriculum is less difficult and demanding than the third year curriculum. Moreover, the difference in the cumulative amount of classes students have completed between their first, second, and third years in pharmacy school can also impact their overall academic GPA. The results of just one semester of completed classes can be skewed and are more volatile to GPA shifts in the next semester than a student who has completed three years of classes. Furthermore, there may be other factors influencing GPA for first year students that the survey does not account for. T his study limitation may discount external factors such as moving to a new city and or state, starting at a new school, making new friends, finding suitable housing, and even living away from their family for the first time. The study does not take into consideration if a person was in a relationship at some point during graduate school and now is not, and vice-versa. The survey questionnaire only seeks information regarding current romantic relationship status. It can be assumed for those who selected married that they have either been married for the duration of graduate school or were in another of the relationship categories and then got married. This aspect points out that people do not get married without first being casual and/or serious partners. For those in a casual partner relationship, one may wonder how long they have been in the relationship. For some third year students, perhaps they have finally taken on relationships because they feel comfortable with their GPA and school to take on more responsibility. For a first year student, classes and program demands are perhaps still not difficult. This suggests they still can have a romantic relationship without significant effects on GPA. Although the survey questionnaire is completely confidential, some students might find a need to over-inflate their GPA. Instead of asking for them to fill in their actual GPA, ranges were provided in the hopes of keeping over-inflation of GPA to a minimum. However, over reporting of GPA can still exist. Conclusions It is the hope of the evaluators that this study will shed some light on trends in GPA and what exactly affects it in order to help and inform incoming graduate students. With this information and correlations (or no correlation), graduate students will be able to make educated choices in terms of relationships and possibly other aspects outside of the classroom as well (for instance, how much time to work without having an effect on GPA). The results of this study should answer some of the myths of graduate school and having a life at the same time.

Andrea Yates Essay -- Killers Murder Crime Criminals

Andrea Yates   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Yates does not fit the profile of a mother who kills her children† said Hay of Child Protective Services. (Glenn par. 14) Most mothers who kill their children are younger and generally start out as teen-age moms. However, thirty-seven year old Andrea Pia Yates killed her five children and is now on trial to receive a punishment for her actions. She claims the reason she committed the crime is because she suffers from a severe case of postpartum depression. Andrea Yates possesses many problems and no matter her state of mental health, she will be punished for the crime she committed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On June 20, 2001, Andrea Pia Yates drowned her four sons and one daughter ranging from ages six months to seven years. She drowned Noah, 7, John, 5, Paul, 3, Luke, 2, and Mary, six months, in the bathtub in their home. The children were apparently killed approximately one hour after their father, longtime NASA Johnson Space Center computer engineer, left for work. The bodies of three of her sons and her infant daughter were found on a bed, covered by a sheet. The oldest boy was found in the bathtub, Houston Police said. (Glenn par. 2) She was arrested without bond on June 22 for the charge of murdering her five children. Andrea was arrested after summoning the police to her home located in Clear Lake. Andrea called her husband Russell after phoning police and said he had â€Å"better come home†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (qtd. in Glenn par. 15). When he arrived, police were already at the scene and would not allow him to enter his home. 2 Looking dazed, the skinny long-haired woman said: â€Å"I killed my kids.† (qtd. in Glenn par. 3).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Andrea Yates claimed that the reason she killed her children was because she suffered from postpartum depression. Postpartum depression, which affects approximately eight to fifteen percent of mothers in America, usually starts four weeks after the birth of a child and can last for months (Post Partum Depression screen 1). It causes feelings of panic, confusion, and hopelessness, and can change the sleeping and eating patterns of the one suffering. Postpartum depression is usually mild and is easily treated with medication. Yet, in come rare cases, it can lead to violence. Postpartum depression is classified in three different categories. The ... ..., yet experts believe that she really does not know everything that is going on around her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ever since June 20, people across America have been confused and disturbed by the actions of Andrea Pia Yates. The hearts of everyone go out to her poor husband who is now left with no one to call his immediate family. Russell Yates made a website which is dedicated to his five children. The website has pictures and home videos of each of the children. The world can only hope and pray that such tragic and shocking events like the one that occurred on June 20 will not occur in the future. Works Cited 1 Christian, Carol. â€Å"Makeup of Yates Jury Many Hint at Defense Strategy.†, â€Å"The   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Yates Jury Trial.† Houston Chronicle 31 January 2002. 2 Christian, Carol. â€Å"Yates Murder Trial Starts Today.† Houston Chronicle 18 February   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2002. 3 Christian, Carol. â€Å"Jury Gives Yates Life with out Parole for Forty Years.† Houston   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chronicle 16 March 2002. 4 Glenn, Mike. â€Å"June 20: Mom Held in Killing Five Kids.† Houston Chronicle 21   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  June 2001. 5 Post Partum Depression. 18 March 2002. http://www.ask.com Ask Jeeves results.

Tqm in Starwood

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide In partial fulfilment Of the requirements in Total Quality Management 12 October, 2010 I. INTRODUCTION Being one of the of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. already has nearly 1000 properties in some 100 countries and approximately 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels and Resorts is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts with different internationally renowned brands of St.Regis, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton, W, Le Meridien, Aloft and Element. It also owns one of the premier developers and operators of high-quality vacation interval ownership resorts, Starwood Vacation Ownership Resorts, Inc. The company began as a small investment firm and then became a real estate investment trust (REIT). In 1998, Starwood acquired ITT Corporation, a company seven times its size, in which during tha t time, the world's largest lodging and gaming company.Founded by Barry Sternlicht, Starwood Hotels and Resorts has been acquiring many other hotels and companies, at the same time, unloading some of its own properties to make room and money for new ones. Starwood Hotels and Resorts still face challenges in their worldwide operations. This led to a decision of adapting Six Sigma in the year 2000. The roll out of Six Sigma in the company started in the first quarter of 2001and was targeted to end in the year 2002 – also the time they say they will reap the fruits of their efforts. According to the founder, and previous chairman and chief executive officer of Starwood, Barry Sternlicht he launch of Six Sigma is one of the most important strategic initiatives since the formation of the company. It will be a multiyear effort encompassing thousands of associates. It will also sustain and build new momentum, strengthen their global brands, enhance their ability to share best practi ces globally, speed the adoption of new technologies, prepare them for the challenges of constant change, provide critical focus on the customer and overtime help them derive a dramatic improvement in the bottom line. All these will happen only with the successful implementation of the strategy.Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worlwide, Inc. was the first hospitality chain to adapt Six Sigma in its global operations. The company continuously improves with the Mission: â€Å"To our shareholders, our goal is to grow EBITDA at least 8-10% per year and EPS at least 15% per year. To our customers, we want Starwood to be the easiest company with which to do business. And to our employees, our commitment is to make Starwood a great place to work. † â€Å"At Starwood, we don’t just ‘do’ Six Sigma, we ‘use’ Six Sigma,† wrote one Starwood employee in iSixSigma’s Best Places survey. That means that we use it every day in our daily work to solve problems, regardless of their size. We follow the DMAIC and Lean Six Sigma principles and use tools daily (VOC translation tables, Pugh matrices, SIPOC†¦DOE, etc. ), but don’t necessarily have to make every problem into a project. We just get it done here. † This made Starwood the top best place to work in according to isixsigma. com’s Top 10 companies Best Places to Work list. To sum it up, Starwood Hotels and Resorts was able to pull off great opportunities of development and growth in the company through Six Sigma.II. COMPANY PROFILE A. Brief Description about the company: As a top company in the Hotels, Casinos, Resorts industry, Starwood Hotels ; Resorts specialize in the operation and management of hotels, resorts, casinos and spas. Starwood is now one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 925 properties in more than 95 countries. Starwood Hotels ; Resorts Worldwide, Inc. , incorporated in 1980, is a hotel and leisu re company. The Company conducts its hotel and leisure business both directly and through its subsidiaries. Its brand names include St.Regis (luxury full-service hotels, resorts and residences), The Luxury Collection (luxury full-service hotels and resorts), W (luxury and upscale full service hotels, retreats and residences), Westin (luxury and upscale full-service hotels, resorts and residences), Le Meridien (luxury and upscale full-service hotels, resorts and residences), Sheraton (luxury and upscale full-service hotels, resorts and residences), Four Points (select-service hotels), Aloft (select-service hotels), and Element (extended stay hotels). The Company is organized into two business segments: hotels and vacation ownership and residential.In January 2010, the Company announced that it has completed the disposal of Bliss World Holdings, Inc. to Steiner Leisure Limited. History of the company: Starwood Hotels ; Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the top hotel companies in the w orld. The company owns and operates hotels under leading brands such as Sheraton, Westin, St. Regis, Four Points, and its recently developed W brand. The majority of Starwood's hotels are owned by franchisees, and the company directly owns or leases about 170 of its approximately 750 hotels worldwide.Close to 500 of the company's hotels are in North America. Starwood also runs hotels in some 80 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America, including a chain of prestigious European palaces called the Ciga Group. The company began as a small investment firm and then became a real estate investment trust (REIT). In 1998 Starwood purchased ITT Corporation, a company seven times its size and at the time the world's largest lodging and gaming company. Starwood beat out the Hilton Hotels Corporation to get ITT, in what was one of the most dramatic takeover battles of the 1990s.Starwood is run by Barry Sternlicht, whose consummate dealsmanship parlayed the small trust into a global lodging company. B. Different Scope of the Company: a. Starwood’s Managed Hotels The Company manages hotels worldwide, usually under a long-term agreement with the hotel owner (including entities in which it has a minority equity interest). Its responsibilities under hotel management contracts typically include hiring, training and supervising the managers and employees that operate these facilities.For additional fees, it provides centralized reservation services and coordinates national advertising and certain marketing and promotional services. It prepares and implements annual budgets for the hotels it manages and is responsible for allocating property-owner funds for periodic maintenance and repair of buildings and furnishings. In addition to its owned and leased hotels, at December 31, 2009, it managed 440 hotels with approximately 153,800 rooms worldwide. b. The Brand Franchising and LicensingThe Company franchises its Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton, Luxury Collection, Le Meridien, Aloft and Element brand names and generally derive licensing and other fees from franchisees based on a fixed percentage of the franchised hotel’s room revenue, as well as fees for other services, including centralized reservations, sales and marketing, public relations and national and international media advertising. In addition, a franchisee may also purchase hotel supplies, including brand-specific products, from certain Starwood-approved vendors.It approves certain plans for, and the location of, franchised hotels and reviews their design. At December 31, 2009, there were 476 franchised properties with approximately 116,300 rooms. c. Vacation Ownership and Residential Business The Company develops, owns and operates vacation ownership resorts, market and sell the vacation ownership interests (VOIs) in the resorts and, in many cases, provide financing to customers who purchase such ownership interests.Owners of VOIs can trade their interval for in tervals at other Starwood vacation ownership resorts, for intervals at certain vacation ownership resorts not otherwise sponsored by Starwood through an exchange company, or for hotel stays at Starwood properties. From time to time, it securitizes or sells the receivables generated from its sale of VOIs. At December 31, 2009, it had 22 residential and vacation ownership resorts and sites in its portfolio with 16 actively selling VOIs and residences, and two that have sold all existing inventory. C. Business Industry:The general business activity and principal products or commercial enterprise of Starwood Hotels & Resorts are categorized as being part of the Hotels, Casinos, Resorts Industry. D. The Company Values: â€Å"Go the Extra Step by taking actions that build lasting connections and loyalty ; Play as a Team by working globally and across all teams in the company; Do the Right Thing by using good judgment, respecting our communities, associates, owners, partners and the envir onment† E. Principal Subsidiaries: Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc. F. Principal Competitors: Marriott International, Inc. Hilton Hotels Corporation; Four Seasons Hotels Inc. G. Key Dates of the company’s operations a. 1991: Starwood Capital Group is founded. b. 1993: Starwood begins buying hotels. c. 1994: Starwood buys Hotel Investors Trust; gains special REIT status. d. 1998: Starwood acquires ITT Corporation. e. 2001: Implementation of Six Sigma Strategy for the company’s overall operations III. BEFORE HAVING SIX-SIGMA IN THE COMPANY Starwood Hotels and Resorts did not follow a particular Total Quality Management program. Although they do have goals, such as: Starwood is entering a new stage in its development,† said Barry Sternlicht, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. â€Å"The world is changing rapidly. While we own superb physical assets around the world, it is our 30 million customers who represent the critical and unrecognized asset of our com pany in this internet age. We are determined to build a customer-centric organization, a company that will take advantage of unprecedented advances in technology to improve nearly every facet of its core operations while increasing brand loyalty in an effort to create significant long-term shareholder value,† Mr.Sternlicht said. Starwood, though were very successful before their implementation of the Six Sigma also encounter several problems. One of which was when the Congress acted to change the law governing Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). This made Starwood lose its tax advantage thus converting itself to the traditional corporate structure. The change made accounting difficult, particularly in comparing financial results from before and after the restructuring. In addition, there seemed to be trouble in the top echelons of management.Starwood's stock price fell, and in December 1998 the company announced that fourth quarter earnings would be less than estimated. Oth er lodging stocks did badly as well, but Starwood was clearly struggling to integrate its vast new holdings. IV. THE COMPANY’S ADAPTATION †¢ The slowing economy hurt Starwood and other hotel companies in 2001. The September 11 terrorist attacks were a huge blow to the industry. Starwood's North American business fell drastically immediately after the attacks, and two weeks later the company announced that it would lay off 23 percent of its North American workforce.Revenue fell in 2001 and 2002 as the global economy remained weak and business travel was less than robust. The company's European operations did better than its North American business, and Asia became the company's next frontier. Less than 10 percent of Starwood's operating profit came from its Asian operations in 2002, but the company aimed to increase that to 25 percent by 2007. †¢ â€Å"We have spent $1 billion in our ongoing effort to bring consistency to our branded hotels around the world,† says Bob Cotter, chief operating officer, Starwood Hotels ; Resorts. It is time and we are ready to complement this effort with a global focus on the delivery of consistent and exemplary service to our guests. From the reservation and check-in process, to room standards and cleanliness, it is our goal for every Westin, Sheraton, W, Four Points by Sheraton, Starwood Vacation Ownership and St. Regis/Luxury Collection guest to have a flawless experience during each and every visit. Six Sigma will help us reach that goal. † V. THE SIX SIGMA IMPLEMENTATION AT STARWOOD In 2001 Starwood Hotels & Resorts became the first hospitality company in the world to embrace Six Sigma, an internationally recognized approach that enables Starwood associates to develop innovative customer focused solutions and to transfer these solutions across the global organization. Six Sigma is a customer-focused, fact-based, analytical system (approach and tools) for improving processes so that customers are more satisfied and Associates’ time is spent more on value-added activities, leading to increased profitably.The Six Sigma tools enable Starwood hotels to transfer solutions and innovations across their properties and offices globally. This gives the company a competitive advantage on speed to market in implementing Best Practices and Brand Standards. †¢ By launching Six Sigma, Starwood made a long-term commitment to radically improving the way it does business. For Starwood Six Sigma is a powerful business system that focuses on consistently delivering superior value to existing and potential customers. Six Sigma will roll out across Starwood Hotels & Resorts starting in the first quarter of 2001, completing implementation through the entire company by the end of 2002. While the company has budgeted a net cost for the program in 2001, as training and process reengineering begins, the company expects the program to begin delivering benefits in 2002 and beyond. Pioneered by Motorola and made famous by GE, Six Sigma has helped some of the world’s leading companies greatly improve customer service and increase financial returns.Starwood expects to save millions of dollars through improved efficiencies and maximized targeting of employed capital. Further, Starwood expects to generate significant incremental revenue and profit due to enhanced  loyalty and additional products and services. Former GE executive James Hyman has been named executive vice president, Six Sigma, for Starwood and will have global responsibility for executing the strategy, designing the tools and overseeing the implementation of Starwood’s Six Sigma initiative. Before joining Starwood, Hyman served as President of Europe for GE Capital Modular Space.Hyman will report directly to Bob Cotter. Starwood has also enlisted the expertise of renowned Six Sigma specialists Peter S. Pande, co-author of â€Å"The Six Sigma Way† and president of Pivotal Consulting, and the George Group to assist with the launch. During the first five quarters of implementation, Starwood will primarily redeploy current Starwood associates to fill approximately 450 Six Sigma specialist roles. Starwood will fill these roles with many of the company’s highest performing associates, in addition to some external candidates from all fields.These Six Sigma specialists will have strong analytical and organizational skills, and most will hold the title of â€Å"black belt† or â€Å"master black belt. †Ã‚   Each â€Å"black belt† is expected to drive EBITDA gains of $200,000 or more per year. †¢ Instead of hiring the usual ethnographers or consultants, Westin owner Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. turned to Six Sigma, a management process known for reducing defects and increasing efficiency. It was a surprising move given Six Sigma's rap as a creativity killer. But under Geoffrey A.Ballotti, president of Starwood's North America Div. , the company is using Six Sigma's strengths to promote innovation–and generate tens of millions in new revenue. Combining creativity and efficiency is a delicate managerial manoeuvre that few service companies can pull off. Starwood succeeded, in large part, because it began with a culture of creativity before introducing the management tool. Design has long played a major role in the company, with noted architect David Rockwell designing its hip W Hotels brand back in the '90s.Starwood gets a boost out of Six Sigma by using its techniques to dream up projects across the company. Massage is just one of hundreds of ventures done this way. This year's food and beverage engineering program, which rejiggers the choices on room-service and catering menus based on their popularity, has generated $20 million in extra revenue. In 2006, programs developed under Six Sigma delivered more than $100 million in profit to its bottom line. As a result, the White Plains (N. Y. company is on e of the world's most profitable hotel operators: Its net margin is nearly 15%, higher than those of rivals Hilton Hotels Corp. (HLT ) and Marriott International Inc. (MAR ) â€Å"We have been driving our margin growth faster than our competitors,† says Ballotti. â€Å"When people ask why, I point to Six Sigma. † The group that runs the effort is headed by Brian Mayer, who claims the quirky title of vice-president for Six Sigma, operation innovation, and room support. â€Å"I grew up in the hospitality industry,† says Mayer, whose grandfather and father ran catering businesses. The joke is that I was born in a chafing dish. † Since the program launched in 2001, Mayer's crew has trained 150 employees as â€Å"black belts† and more than 2,700 as â€Å"green belts† in the arts of Six Sigma. Based mostly at the hotels, black belts oversee the projects while green belts hammer out the details. The key to their success, says Mayer, is that instead of acting like â€Å"suits† imposing their will from â€Å"corporate,† the Six Sigma specialists operate more like partners who help local hotels meet their own objectives. Indeed, almost 100% of the creative concepts come from in-house staff.And every project must be overseen by a hotel employee. â€Å"By focusing on their goals and budgets it enables us to become a partner in the operation,† says Mayer. †¢ The SWAT Team: The innovation process begins when hotel teams pitch Mayer's group on a new idea. â€Å"They fight for our resources,† says Mayer. A Six Sigma Council composed of Ballotti and his 13 direct reports, including his senior vice-president for sales and marketing, then evaluates an idea's merit based on the division's priorities and the project's expected payoff.If the council approves a project, black belts and green belts are deployed like SWAT teams to the hotels to carry it out. †¢ London, 14 July 2004: A sign of the growing im portance of SIX SIGMA at Starwood Hotels & Resorts is that by 1 August this year, the hotel company, with over 740 properties globally, will have trained over 1000 associates from all over the world to become SIX SIGMA Green Belts the first training stage in the SIX SIGMA development program.The latest group of 12 associates from the Europe, Middle East and Africa region are heading to Warsaw on 19 July for a week of intensive Six Sigma tuition. This innovative project has re-designed all the individual reservation channels for hotel, golf, spa, transport, restaurant and outdoor activities into one single point of contact – a multi-purpose, multi skilled Resort Sales team that immediately can confirm and cross sell any request received by the hotel. The benefits for this project to Turnberry were immediate. To date there has been an 11. 5% increase in incremental spend by customers and  increase in rooms revenue of more than 19%. In addition, The Spa revenues have increased from GBP 91 per booking to GBP 141 per booking as a result of the newly centralized  reservation  group, which enables the maximum utilization of treatment rooms and therapists. †¢ Energy Summit for Starwood Hotels and Resorts: Starwood Hotels & Resorts has taken a leaf out of the recent G8 Summit by implementing an awareness program which focuses on Climate Change and Carbon Management across its 400 hotels in Europe, Middle East & Africa.The hotel group, whose brands include Sheraton, Westin, St Regis and Luxury Collection, has over the past few years been committed to becoming a ‘green’ operator at all levels. In the UK Starwood is part of the Hospitality Energy Consortium (HEC)*, a group of hotel companies who partner together in the procurement of energy. Lead by Chairperson, Angela Tomlinson, Director of Purchasing UK and Ireland, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, the Consortium has partnered with the Carbon Trust, an independent company set up by Government to help the UK meet its climate change obligations.In partnership with the Carbon Trust, Starwood has recently taken part in a scoping study by Enviros, environmental consultants. The initial results, which will be available in August 2005, will enable Starwood and the other consortium members to review their energy consumption/carbon footprint, and provide better ways of working to achieve reductions in volumes used.In addition to this, as a huge element of energy management is dependent on buy-in from the associates in the hotels, a comprehensive energy toolkit and training program has been distributed to every Head of Department in every Starwood hotel in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. This is part of a wider awareness program with a focus on protecting the environment. As well as associate and corporate activity, Starwood has been active with guest energy conservation initiatives for a number of years already.In 1999 the company was the first in the hotel industry to introduc e a Green Room Program, to reduce water and electricity use for laundering guest towels and linen. Guests place a card on their bed each day if they wish to have their bed linen and towels changed. If guests do not put this card on their bed, their bed will be made without changing the linens and their towels will be hung up but not changed. A green card would be left for the guest as a thank-you for ‘going green'.Since then the Green Room Program has been fully incorporated into the ABCs of House-keeping in the Sheraton, Westin and Four Points by Sheraton EAME Brand Standards. As a result of this ongoing focus on Energy, Starwood has also created a North West Europe Energy Champions team, a group of associates who are responsible for driving support for this project. Starwood’s change management process, Six Sigma, is being used to drive this commitment and the implementation of the Energy Conservation Toolkit is now a required best practice at all hotels owned and man aged throughout EAME.This project is the result of Six Sigma Methodology delivering tools that will in turn deliver energy and carbon reduction, to the benefit of future generations but also the associates and hotel guests of today. †¢ Six Sigma at Starwood has helped improve the financial performance of the group by ushering in the quality and consistency of the customers' experiences. Six Sigma has also provided the guidelines and tools to create a consistently superior guest experience at all properties, and simultaneously improve the bottom line.The Six Sigma organization in the group reports to divisional leadership and is aligned with the division’s goals and priorities. VI. AFTER SIX-SIGMA IMPLEMENTATION A. COMPANY IMPROVEMENTS: o While Starwood incurred $17 million in training costs to launch Six Sigma in 2001, the company reaped tangible EBITDA increases of more than $17 million. Training costs will be significantly reduced in 2002 and Starwood expects a substan tial increase (perhaps double) in the EBIDTA improvement achieved by Six Sigma-related programs. † o Six Sigma at Starwood has helped improve the financial performance of he group by ushering in the quality and consistency of the customers' experiences. Six Sigma has also provided the guidelines and tools to create a consistently superior guest experience at all properties, and simultaneously improve the bottom line. The Six Sigma organization in the group reports to divisional leadership and is aligned with the division’s goals and priorities. o Higher net margin than its key competitors – but also with helping spark and act on innovative ideas. The impact is based on global culture: most ideas and solutions come from hotel staff throughout the world. Last year, according to Starwood management, programs developed under the famed management technique delivered more than $100 million in profit to its bottom line. As a result, the White Plains (N. Y. ) company is one of the world's most profitable hotel operators: Its net margin is nearly 15%, higher than those of rivals Hilton Hotels (HLT) and Marriott International (MAR), as well as the industry average of 9%. â€Å"We have been driving our margin growth faster than our competitors,† says Ballotti. â€Å"When people ask why, I point to Six Sigma. o Growth of their hotels (See Appendix 1) Starwood Hotel and Resorts Ranks Number 1on iSixSigma’s Best Places to Work list. (See Appendix 2) o Starwood Hotels and Resorts top ranked â€Å"The Top Best Places to Work List† because of adopting 6 Sigma in their operations. They use 6 Sigma every day in their daily work to solve problems, regardless of their size. They follow the DMAIC and Lean Six Sigma principles and use tools daily. Starwood requires that its full-time Six Sigma practitioners learn firsthand about the inner workings of all the various departments (housekeeping, food and beverage, sales and marketing, etc. in o rder to develop large-scale initiatives. At the same time, the Belts are also expected to lead process improvement projects at the individual hotel level. o The company measures quality with a three-pronged approach: improving the Guest Satisfaction Index (an independently determined numerical value based on guest surveys), increasing revenue and controlling costs. The last one – cost reduction – is where they had the most success so far, given the economy. They continue to go after revenue, but they try to take a balanced approach.If they’re too heavy on the cost side, they get some snap-back in other areas like customer satisfaction. They can’t take their eyes off the ball in any area. They are committed to all three prongs. One example of this three-pronged approach is â€Å"Make a Green Choice,† which was launched at Starwood’s Sheraton and Westin brands in September 2009. To help save on water, chemicals and detergents, the hotel gives guests the option of not having linens changed or the room cleaned altogether for up to three days. Those who participate can receive gift cards or points to be redeemed for food service. Starwood’s commitment to providing challenging cross-departmental opportunities for continuous improvement personnel, along with its policy of promoting Black Belts from within, truly makes it one of the premier companies for Six Sigma practitioners. Companies on the Top 10 list, announced in December 2009, had to meet the highest standards for providing an outstanding Six Sigma program, culture, training, compensation, and recognition and job satisfaction for employees. B. ACHIEVEMENTS FROM THE IMPLEMENTATION: From Indonesia to Malta, Six Sigma is a welcome guest at Starwood hotels. Launched early in 2001, Six Sigma is entering its sixth year at the hotel, which still holds the acclaim of being the only hotel with a corporate-wide Six Sigma initiative. o Starwood properties each have a Six Sigma Council that organize and prioritize projects. Successful projects are then leveraged across additional properties. Six Sigma is emphasized in Career Paths at Starwood as reporting to divisional leadership and aligned with that division’s goals and priorities. A Starwood Six Sigma team received recognition at the IQPC 2004 European Six Sigma Excellence Awards with the Best DFSS Project. o Six Sigma at Starwood has helped increase our financial performance by improving the quality and consistency of our guests’ experiences as well as those of our internal customers. It provides the framework and tools we need to create a consistently superior guest experience at all properties while dramatically improving the bottom line.The Six Sigma organization reports to divisional leadership and is aligned with the division’s goals and priorities. o Six Sigma professionals make decisions based on data, not emotions, share responsibility and know how to generate results . They are enthusiastic and passionate about what they do. These are the skills and qualities that make Six Sigma professionals most successful and that Six Sigma helps build in future leaders. o Starwood’s has been resourcing the firm with workers who are mainly divided into three work categories: Green Belts (GBs) have full-time positions with a portion of their time dedicated to being the Six Sigma point person and transfer project champion and manager. o Black Belts (BBs) are full-time resources who typically work on new projects. They are a resource to GBs in their property or area. They are a member of the property’s Executive Committee. o Master Black Belts are a full-time resource dedicated to overseeing/creating a portfolio of Six Sigma projects in a given division, area or region. They are a resource to BBs, GBs and Six Sigma Council members in their area. Starwood hotels and resorts worldwide Inc is the first hospitality company in the world to embrace Six S igma since 2001 and extends this best practice to all properties worldwide, including the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Tower. o Barry S. Sternlicht, chairman and CEO, Starwood Hotels and Resorts had stated, â€Å"The launch of Six Sigma is one of the most important strategic initiatives since the formation of our company,† he continued. â€Å"It is our goal for every Westin, Sheraton, W, Four Points by Sheraton, Starwood Vacation Ownership and St. Regis /Luxury Collection guests to have a flawless experience during each and every visit.Six Sigma will help us reach that goal. † o Starwood Hotels & Resorts is a leader in the Hospitality industry in technology innovation. Smart Rooms, Wireless Internet Access, Self Check-in Kiosk, and state-of-the-art ERP systems are only a few technologies in place to improve our guest and associate experience. C. SERVICE-BASED ACHIEVEMENTS: †¢ For several years now Starwood has had an edge on its competitors because of its strong bra nd awareness amongst its target markets and the way in which it has developed a range of differentiated experiences. The company’s key asset is the associated diversification of the variety of brands, and the different market segments they serve, provide a broad base from which to enhance revenue. It aggressively attracts and cultivates new customers and maintains loyalty among the world’s most active travellers: As one example, Starwood Preferred Guest, its award-winning frequent guest program, first made headlines when it launched with a breakthrough policy of no blackout dates and no capacity controls, allowing members to redeem free nights anytime, anywhere.Since then, it has grown to include more than 33m members and is cited for its hassle-free award redemption, outstanding customer service, dedicated member website and innovative promotions and benefits for elite members. †¢ Although smaller than some of its peers, Starwood uses its scale to support its cor e marketing and reservation functions across its brands and reduce costs in areas such as insurance, energy, telecommunications, food and beverage, furniture, fixtures and operating supplies. Its size also limits exposure to any particular type of lodging, brand or geographic region. Strategically Starwood has also moved away from investment in owned real estate and increased its focus on its management and franchise business. In furtherance of this strategy, it has been selling some of the older hotels in its portfolio to, in turn, release capital to fund its ambitious international and branded growth plans. Simultaneously the company has retained one of the world’s most profitable hotel net margins of around 15%, higher than many larger rivals. †¢ Starwood has made a great success of its growing product innovation prowess.Having identified the bed as the key area for innovation opportunity in its mid-range Westin brand, Starwood designed the ‘Heavenly Bed’ providing the best night’s sleep by far of any comparable brand. Not only did this well-targeted development improve the all important occupancy rates in Westin properties, it also created a new business line as customers started to buy the Heavenly Bed for their homes. This has now been extended into the W chain where whotelsthestore. com now enables anyone to buy the key ingredients of the unique W experience.From the W bed, pillows and towels to books and an increasing range of male and female apparel, this is the latest incarnation of high-impact product innovation from this service sector pioneer. D. COMPANY ACTIVITIES DONE: o In January, 2006, the Westin Chicago River North hotel was picked to pilot a project, dubbed Unwind, for the upscale hotel chain. The purpose: to think up a set of nightly activities that would draw guests out of their rooms and into the lobby where they could mingle, develop a greater loyalty to the hotel group, and maybe spend a little more mone y.Westin spied an opportunity after a study found that 34% of frequent travellers feel lonely away from home. The Unwind project led the Westin to develop dozens of activities, including massages, at the Chicago hotel. o Starwood Preferred Guest: it is Starwood’s award-winning frequent guest program which first made headlines when it launched with a breakthrough policy of no blackout dates and no capacity controls, allowing members to redeem free nights anytime, anywhere. VII. SOLUTIONS/RECOMMENDATIONSUpon seeing all of their achievements, Starwood Hotels and Resorts should definitely continue using the Six Sigma method in order to maintain meeting their company goals and also to retain all of their company’s success. Aside from increasing profit, using the Six Sigma method really helped Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide improve the service that they are giving to both their customers and their employees. They should conduct more training regarding it so that their employees would know how the Six Sigma method works and not only the top management. Such employees of the companies consist of the Black Belts and the Green belts.The Black Belts should have trainings that will hone their knowledge about different creative ways on how to do a strategy for the whole company which will serve the changing needs and preferences of the company’s target market. Moreover, the green belts must have trainings in which they will be more knowledgeable about Six Sigma approach to different strategies that will be deployed by the company, these people are mainly responsible in delving into the little and detailed concepts of each strategy done by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide. These greenbelts should also be trained to know and put into their heart the DMAIC Methodology.This DMAIC Methodology will help the Greenbelts solve a certain problem of the company, reducing the defects done by the company and improving, leveraging the customer’s e xperience to a higher value. The DMAIC Methodology should train the Greenbelts in defining the problem or what is specifically called the Project Scoping, Measure the relationships between the occurring problem and symptoms, analyze the nature of the problem, improving the operations by resolving the problem and control, which is mainly focused on maintaining the improvements through the use of different tools and instruments.As Starwood Company have different branches scattered all over the world, there must be one Six-Sigma team for each branch wherein they will be mainly responsible for their assigned branch so as to increase effectivity of the business operations and to better serve the target markets in those hotel and resorts location.The Six Sigma teams will be doing information-gathering processes wherein they will ask for comments and feedbacks from the existing customers and those who are the potential ones. Doing such, Starwood can think of strategies and tactics that sho uld be done to capture the potential market and by making things more attractive to the existing customers and make them more loyal to avail the services offered by the company.In times when the company faces visible losses from declining service consumption from the market, Starwood Company must achieve solutions through the use of the Six Sigma Problem Solving wherein it involves redefining and analyzing the problem, generating ideas from the team and the management, evaluating each idea and selecting the most appropriate one and implementing the chosen idea. Through the Six Sigma Problem Solving, the company will have a more systematic way of thinking solutions for a certain problem by delving first into the details, symptoms and underlying assumptions of such matter.Using such method, the employees who are in the Six Sigma team will be trained and honed to be more effective in decision-making and examining all the things that causes the problem to exist. Furthermore, through the problem solving method, the company will be more united as each one of them will have a voice in the company’s operations and they are also responsible for the strategy implementation as all of them make the final decision of how to address the certain problem.By having such cooperation and teamwork within the workers in the company, there will be higher satisfaction for the employees which will in turn affect the quality service experience of the customers when they avail the offered service of Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Moreover, to improve the service of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, the teams of the company must focus on examining and sustaining four key measures of organization performance which includes Accuracy, Cycle time, Cost and Customer satisfaction.In Accuracy, the team should measure if the company is giving correct financial figures, completeness of information, or freedom from data errors; applying the accuracy concept to Starwood Hotels and Resort s, the company must make sure that each branch located at different locations should be visible and transparent in terms of their prices for each distinct service, and also information about the whole service experience, like the service transactions and process that the customers must go through should be made known to them to give them ease in availing the service of the Hotels and Resorts.Next is Cycle time which is a measure of how long it takes to do something; with such thing, Starwood company working in the hotel industries must maximize well their service time so as to not waste the limited resources of their customers, it can be further applied to the company’s operations in terms of efficient availment of the different services through optimal number of employees assigned to different work divisions that will make the customers not wait for their turn for such service consumption.Thirdly, Cost should be measured in terms of the internal cost of the company’s process activities; to have lower costs, Starwood Hotels must have effective workers who are focused and motivated to work and communicate well to the customers so as to decrease the time needed for the service process that should be done by each one of them. As the employees of each hotel and resort become more productive with their assigned work, the cost of the company in sustaining each service process will decrease and will definitely have a greater impact on the company’s profitability.Lastly, the team must measure the Customer Satisfaction, which is typically the measure of the company’s success and will give a view of how the company will be in the near future years of business operations in the industry. The Customer Satisfaction can be measured by getting the direct feedback from the customers after they experience the service form Starwood Hotels and Resorts.Also, the company can do personalization and customization wherein the existing customers will alread y have their service ready after they booked a reservation, making all the things like foods, drinks, kind of bed sheets, store maintenance customized to their needs which in turn make them more satisfied to the service that will make them also more loyal to the company. Furthermore, as the world goes by, the market have acquired higher buying power and have ore sophisticated and changing needs as before; the company can focus on improving its service adapting form the customers’ needs and preferences so as to give higher value proposition to them in relation to the direct competitors of Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Appendix 1: Different Branches of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide [pic] North America United States Arizona Phoenix The Westin Phoenix Downtown  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  March 10, 2011 Tucson Four Points by Sheraton Tucson Airport  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 14, 2010 [pic] California Modesto Four Points by Sheraton Modesto – Opening October 30, 2010 F loridaBal Harbour The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 01, 2012 Jacksonville Aloft Jacksonville Tapestry Park  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 13, 2011 Jacksonville Beach Four Points by Sheraton Jacksonville Beach  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  Nov. 30, 2011 Miami Element Miami International Airport – Opening May 5, 2011 Georgia Atlanta Aloft Atlanta Buckhead  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  September 01, 2012 Element Atlanta Buckhead  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  September 01, 2012 Kennesaw Four Points by Sheraton Atlanta Kennesaw – Opening June 30, 2011 Illinois Chicago Aloft Chicago City Center  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 01, 2012 Kentucky Louisville Michigan KalamazooFour Points by Sheraton Kalamazoo – Opening September 2, 2011 Mississippi Biloxi Four Points by Sheraton Biloxi Beach Boulevard  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  Jul 01, 2010 Nebraska Omaha Element Omaha Midtown Crossing  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 11, 2010 New Jersey Fort Lee Sheraton Fort Lee Hotel †“ Opened September 1, 2010 New Mexico Albuquerque Sheraton Albuquerque Airport Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 11, 2010 New York Aloft Harlem  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 21, 2010 Element New York Times Square West  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 09, 2010 Sheraton Tribeca New York Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 14, 2010 W New York – Downtown  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  August 09, 2010Brooklyn Aloft New York Brooklyn  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 21, 2010 Long Island City Four Points by Sheraton Long Island City/Queensboro Bridge – Opening January 13, 2011 Niagara Falls Four Points by Sheraton Niagara Falls  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  April 07, 2011 North Carolina Asheville Aloft Asheville Downtown  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  March 01, 2012 Chapel Hill Aloft Chapel Hill  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  April 29, 2010 Oklahoma Oklahoma City Four Points by Sheraton Oklahoma City Quail Springs  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  April 22, 2010 Tulsa Aloft Tulsa  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  A ugust 19, 2010 Pennsylvania Philadelphia Le Meridien Philadelphia  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  May 06, 2010 Puerto RicoRio Grande The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 04, 2010 Tennessee Memphis Four Points by Sheraton Memphis East – Opening December 9, 2010 Texas Austin W Austin  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 09, 2010 Galveston Four Points by Sheraton Galveston  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  September 24, 2010 Houston Four Points by Sheraton Houston Hobby Airport  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 01, 2010 Houston The Westin Houston, Memorial City  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  March 03, 2011 Virginia Winchester Aloft Winchester  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  June 04, 2010 Canada Alberta Calgary Four Points by Sheraton Calgary Airport  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  May 06, 2010 EdmontonFour Points by Sheraton Edmonton West – Opening December 1, 2011 Red Deer Sheraton Red Deer Hotel – Opening January 27, 2011 Ontario Niagara Falls Four Points by Sheraton Niagara Fal ls Fallsview  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  April 22, 2010 Saskatchewan Saskatoon Four Points by Sheraton Saskatoon  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  July 22, 2010 Mexico Campeche Campeche The Westin Campeche Resort & Spa, Campeche – Opening June 1, 2011 Chihuahua Chihuahua Aloft Chihuahua – Opening January 1, 2011 Federal District Mexico City The Westin Santa Fe, Mexico City  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  August 05, 2010 Santa Fe W Santa Fe, Mexico – Opening March 31, 2013 Jalisco GuadalajaraThe Westin Hotel Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico – Opening June 1, 2011 Quintana Roo Puerto Juarez The St. Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya – Opening March 31, 2014 Riviera Maya W Kanai Retreat, Riviera Maya, Mexico – Opening March 31, 2014 Africa Algeria Oran Le Meridien Oran Hotel & Convention Centre  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  April 01, 2011 Egypt Cairo Le Meridien Cairo Airport  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  March 31, 2012 St. Regis Hotel Cairo  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  September 01, 2014 W Ca iro – Opening January 1, 2016 Libya Tripoli Four Points by Sheraton Tripoli  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 15, 2010 Sheraton Tripoli Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  September 01, 2012 Mauritius Le MorneThe St. Regis Mauritius Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 01, 2011 Morocco Marrakech W Marrakech Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 01, 2011 Nigeria Lagos Lagos Four Points by Sheraton Lagos  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  September 15, 2010 Le Meridien Ikoyi Towers – Opening January 1, 2013 [pic] Asia Pacific China Anhui Hefei Four Points by Sheraton Hefei, Shushan – Opening January 1, 2014 The Westin Hefei Baohe  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 23, 2010 Beijing Beijing Sheraton Beijing Dongcheng Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  May 01, 2011 W Beijing – Chang'an – Opening January 1, 2014 Chongqing Chongqing The Westin Chongqing Liberation Square  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 01, 2011 FujianFuzhou The Westin Fuzhou Minjiang  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 22, 20 10 Xiamen The Westin Xiamen  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  September 30, 2011 Guangdong Foshan Aloft Nanhai-Foshan  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2011 Guangzhou Sheraton Guangzhou Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2011 Sheraton Huadu Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  April 01, 2011 The Westin Pazhou  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  February 28, 2011 W Guangzhou  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 01, 2011 Aloft Guangzhou University Park  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  May 01, 2012 Heshan Four Points by Sheraton Guangdong, Heshan  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 01, 2012 Huizhou Sheraton Bailuhu Resort, Huizhou  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2012 QingyuanSheraton Qingyuan Lion Lake Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 01, 2012 Zhanjiang Sheraton Zhanjiang Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 01, 2011 Zhongshan Sheraton Zhongshan Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  August 10, 2010 Zhuhai Sheraton Zhuhai Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2015 Zhuhai The St. Regis Zhuhai – Opening June 30, 2015 Hainan Haikou Th e Westin Haikou  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 01, 2012 Sanya Sheraton Sanya Haitang Bay Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  September 30, 2012 Sheraton Sanya Tufu Bay Resort  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 01, 2013 The Malus Resort, Sanya  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  September 30, 2012 The St. Regis Sanya Yalong Bay Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 01, 2011 Wanning CityFour Points by Sheraton Shenzhou Peninsula  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 31, 2010 Sheraton Shenzhou Peninsula Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 31, 2010 Heilongjiang Daqing Sheraton Daqing Hotel  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 01, 2013 Henan Kaifeng Four Points by Sheraton Kaifeng  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2013 Luohe Four Points by Sheraton Luohe  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  May 01, 2012 Zhengzhou Aloft Zhengzhou Shangjie  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2012 Aloft Zhengzhou Zhengdong New District – Opening January 1, 2014 Le Meridien Zhengzhou  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2012 Sheraton Zhengzhou H otel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2013 HubeiWuhan The Westin Wuhan Wuchang  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 01, 2013 Jiangsu Changzhou Sheraton Changzhou Wujin Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 01, 2012 Jiangyin Sheraton Jiangyin Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 01, 2010 Lianyungang Four Points by Sheraton Lianyungang  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  April 28, 2010 Nanjing The Westin Nanjing  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 28, 2011 Suzhou Four Points by Sheraton Taicang  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  June 30, 2010 Wuxi Sheraton Wuxi Binhu Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  August 27, 2010 Yancheng Aloft Yancheng  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2013 Yangzhou Four Points by Sheraton Yangzhou Hanjiang – Opening July 1, 2013 ZhenjiangSheraton Zhenjiang Hotel  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 01, 2013 Jiangxi Nanchang Sheraton Nanchang Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2012 Liaoning Dalian Aloft Dalian  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 01, 2013 Sheraton Dalian Xinghai Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 31, 2011 The Chengbao Hotel, Dalian  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2014 Macau Cotai Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Strip  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 01, 2011 Shaanxi Xian Sheraton Xian Da Ming Gong Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 31, 2011 The Westin Xian  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 01, 2011 Shandong Qingdao Four Points by Sheraton Qingdao, Chengyang  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2012Four Points by Sheraton Qingdao, Jiaonan  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2012 Sheraton Qingdao Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 01, 2012 Tai'an Four Points by Sheraton Tai’an  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 10, 2010 Weifang Four Points by Sheraton Weifang  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 30, 2013 Yantai Aloft Haiyang  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2013 Sheraton Yantai Golden Beach Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  March 01, 2011 Shanghai Shanghai Sheraton Shanghai Hongkou Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 01, 2010 Twelve at Hengshan  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  February 0 1, 2012 W Shanghai – The Bund  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2014 Shanxi Taiyuan The Westin Taiyuan  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 01, 2012Sichuan Chengdu The St. Regis Chengdu  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2014 Tianjin Tianjin Sheraton Tianjin Binhai Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 15, 2010 The Astor Hotel, Tianjin  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  August 28, 2010 The St. Regis Tianjin  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 01, 2011 Tibet (Xizang) Lhasa The St. Regis Lhasa Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 15, 2010 Yunnan Jinghong Sheraton Xishuangbanna Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2013 Zhejiang Hangzhou Sheraton Hangzhou Wetland Park Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  May 31, 2011 Huzhou Sheraton Huzhou South Tai Lake Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2012 Ningbo The Westin Ningbo  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 01, 2011Pinghu The Westin Nine Dragon Hill Resort, Zhejiang  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  March 31, 2012 Taizhou Four Points by Sheraton Yuhuan  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Openingà ‚  July 01, 2012 Wenzhou Sheraton Wenzhou Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 18, 2010 Wenzhou The Westin Wenzhou  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2012 India Andhra Pradesh Visakhapatnam Four Points by Sheraton Visakhapatnam  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  March 01, 2011 Sheraton Visakhapatnam Seaview Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 01, 2011 Gujarat Ahmedabad Aloft Ahmedabad, SG Road  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2011 Haryana Gurgaon The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  October 01, 2010 Karnataka BangaloreSheraton Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  March 01, 2011 Bengaluru Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 01, 2013 Aloft Bengaluru Whitefield  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  August 15, 2010 Mysore Sheraton Mysore Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 01, 2012 Maharashtra Lonavala Le Meridien Lonavala Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 01, 2013 Mahabaleshwar Le Meridien Mahabaleshwar Resort & Spa  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  Januar y 01, 2013 Pune Four Points by Sheraton Pune, Nagar Road  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 01, 2010 Punjab Amritsar Sheraton Amritsar Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 01, 2013 Chandigarh Aloft Chandigarh Zirakpur  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 01, 2011Sheraton Chandigarh Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  September 01, 2012 Rajasthan Jaipur The Westin Jaipur Infotech City  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 01, 2012 Udaipur Sheraton Udaipur Palace Resort & Spa  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  August 01, 2010 Tamil Nadu Chennai Aloft Chennai, OMR – IT Expressway  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  July 01, 2010 Coimbatore Aloft Coimbatore Singanallur  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  March 01, 2011 West Bengal Kolkata The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 01, 2012 Indonesia Bali Bali Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 01, 2013 Seminyak W Retreat & Spa Bali – Seminyak  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 15, 2010 Japan Miyagi SendaiThe Westin Sendai  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  Au gust 01, 2010 Osaka Osaka The St. Regis Osaka  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  October 01, 2010 Malaysia Kuala Lumpur The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 01, 2014 Sandakan Four Points by Sheraton Sandakan  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 15, 2011 New Caledonia Bourail Sheraton New Caledonia Bourail Resort & Spa  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 13, 2013 Singapore Singapore W Singapore – Sentosa Cove  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  April 30, 2012 South Korea Seoul Sheraton Seoul D-Cube City Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  September 01, 2011 Taiwan Taipei Le Meridien Taipei  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 01, 2010 W Taipei  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  February 14, 2011 ThailandAmphur Koh Samui Bangkok Aloft Bangkok – Sukhumvit 11  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  April 01, 2011 Bangkok Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok, Sathorn  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 01, 2011 Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok, Sukhumvit 15  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 15, 2010 Le Meridien Suvarnabhumi Golf Resort & Sp a  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 01, 2011 The St. Regis Bangkok  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  January 15, 2011 W Bangkok  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  May 01, 2012 Koh Samui W Retreat Koh Samui  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  November 01, 2010 Phuket Four Points by Sheraton Phuket, Panwa  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  March 01, 2011 The Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa, Phuket  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  August 01, 2010 VietnamCam Ranh Bay The Westin Cam Ranh Resort & Spa  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 01, 2012 Ho Chi Minh City Le Meridien Saigon  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 01, 2012 [pic] Central & South America Argentina Buenos Aires Buenos Aires The St. Regis Buenos Aires – Opening June 30, 2014 Chile Villarrica Villarrica Park Lake Hotel & Spa, Villarrica – Opening December 1, 2010 Colombia Bogota Aloft Bogota Airport – Opening January 1, 2012 Cartagena Sheraton Cartagena – Opening March 31, 2012 Panama, Republic of Panama City The Westin Panama – Opening September 1, 2012 The Westin Pl aya Bonita, Panama  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 01, 2011 Peru CuscoPalacio del Inka  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 01, 2011 Lima The Westin Libertador Lima  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  May 01, 2011 Urubamba Tambo del Inka Resort & Spa, Valle Sagrado  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  May 04, 2010 [pic] Europe Zaporozhye Four Points by Sheraton Zaporozhye – Opening June 1, 2011 Austria Hof bei Salzburg Schloss Fuschl Resort & Spa, Fuschlsee-Salzburg  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  May 05, 2010 Belgium Brussels Aloft Brussels Schuman  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  September 01, 2010 France Paris W Paris – Opera  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 01, 2011 Germany Hamburg The Westin Hamburg  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 01, 2012 Greece Athens W Athens Astir Palace Beach  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  April 01, 2012 Costa NavarinoThe Romanos, Costa Navarino  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  May 20, 2010 The Westin Resort, Costa Navarino  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  July 01, 2010 Italy Malpensa Sheraton Milan Malpensa Airport Hotel & Conference Cen tre  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opened  October 01, 2010 Milan W Milan  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  May 01, 2012 Latvia Riga Sheraton Riga Hotel – Opening December 1, 2013 Poland Mikolajki Sheraton Mazury Lakes Resort  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  December 01, 2013 Portugal Algarve The Westin Verdelago Beach, Spa & Golf Resort, Algarve – Opening January 1, 2013 Russia Rostov-on-Don Sheraton Rostov-On-Don Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  June 01, 2012 SochiSheraton Sochi Hotel – Opening June 1, 2013 St. Petersburg W St. Petersburg  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  March 01, 2011 Switzerland Verbier W Verbier Retreat – Opening January 1, 2013 Turkey Ankara The Luxury Collection Hotel, Ankara – Opening January 1, 2011 United Kingdom England London Aloft London ExCeL – Opening January 1, 2012 W London – Leicester Square  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  February 14, 2011 Middle East Jordan Amman W Amman Hotel  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  July 01, 2013 Aqaba Al Manara, Aqaba  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 01, 2012 The Westin Saraya Aqaba  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  October 01, 2012 Pakistan Islamabad Sheraton Islamabad – Opening January 1, 2012Sheraton Islamabad Golf City Resort – Opening January 1, 2012 [pic] Qatar Doha Le Meridien Doha – Opening January 1, 2012 The St. Regis Doha  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening  May 01, 2011 [pic] United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi The St. Regis Abu Dhabi – Opening January 1, 2013 The St. Regis Saadiyat Island – Opening October 1, 2011 The Westin Hotel & Spa, Abu Dhabi – Opening October 1, 2011 W Abu Dhabi – Opening January 1, 2012 Ajman The Ajman Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel – Opening October 1, 2012 Appendix 2: Article Starwood Hotels and Resorts Ranks No. 1 on iSixSigma's Best Places to Work ListStarwood Hotels and Resorts Ranks No. 1 on iSixSigma's Best Places to Work List FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information, contact: |  Jessica Harper, Editor in Chief | |  206-774-3685 | |  editor ial. com (at) isixsigma. com | Miami, Florida (February 3, 2010) –  Starwood Hotels and Resorts, a global hospitality company with nearly 1,000 upscale properties worldwide, earned the No. 1 spot on the list of iSixSigma's Top 10 Best Places to Work for Six Sigma professionals at the iSixSigma Live!Summit today in Miami. â€Å"Starwood’s commitment to providing challenging cross-departmental opportunities for continuous improvement personnel, along with its policy of promoting Black Belts from within, truly makes it one of the premier companies for Six Sigma practitioners,† said Jessica Harper, editor of iSixSigma. Katie Barry, associate publisher of iSixSigma, presented the award to Brian McGuire, senior director of Hotel Operations and Six Sigma for Starwood’s North America Division. Starwood – which owns some of the most recognizable hotel brands in the world, including Sheraton, Westin, W, St.Regis, The Luxury Collection and Le Meridien †“ was the first hospitality chain to launch a formal Six Sigma program, back in 2001. Today, Starwood is in the process of rolling out a Lean Six Sigma program to all of its properties worldwide. Companies on the Top 10 list, announced in December 2009, had to meet the highest standards for providing an outstanding Six Sigma program, culture, training, compensation, recognition and job satisfaction for employees. Making a repeat showing on iSixSigma’s second-annual Top 10 list was 2008’s overall winner McKesson Corp. , which earned the No. 2 spot for 2009.Other returning companies included Xerox Corp. (No. 3) and Vought Aircraft Industries (No. 5). Reflecting the growth of Six Sigma in healthcare systems, half of the companies on the list are involved in the pharmaceutical or healthcare provider industries (McKesson, Pfizer, Merck, Piramal Healthcare and Cardinal Health). Highlights of Starwood's top-rated Six Sigma program, as well as short profiles of the other nin e finalists, will be published in the March/April 2010 issue of iSixSigma Magazine. Here are the rankings of the Top 10 list of iSixSigma's 2009 Best Places to Work: 1. Starwood Hotels and Resorts (North America Division) . McKesson Corp. 3. Xerox Corp. 4. Ecolab Inc. 5. Vought Aircraft Industries Inc. 6. Pfizer Inc. 7. Merck & Co. Inc. 8. Piramal Healthcare Ltd. 9. Cardinal Health Inc. 10. Computacenter AG & Co. oHG iSixSigma will be accepting nominations later this year for the 2010 Best Places to Work list. Last modified on Sunday, 28 February 2010 04:49 REFERENCES: o http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/history2/82/Starwood-Hotels-Resorts-Worldwide-Inc. html o http://www. isixsigma. com/index. php? option=com_k2&view=item&id=802:starwood-hotels-and-resorts-ranks-no-1-on-isixsigmas-best-places-to-work-list&Itemid=157 o http://www. ospitalitynet. org/news/4007061. html o http://www. corporate-ir. net/ireye/ir_site. zhtml? ticker=hot&script=410&layout=6&item_id=149848 o http://www . starwoodhotels. com/corporate/directory/new-hotels/all/map. html? sortType=region o http://www. businessweek. com/innovate/content/aug2007/id20070830_103596. htm o http://www. businessweek. com/magazine/content/07_41/b4053096. htm o http://www. sixsigmacompanies. com/archive/six_sigma_at_starwood_hotels_amp_resorts. html o http://www. starwoodhotels. com/sheraton/careers/paths/description. html? category=200000304

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