Service Learning The National Training Laboratory Institute

A study done by the National Training Laboratory Institute (1999) found that â€Å"on average, students retain five percent of what they hear, ten percent of what they read, thirty percent of what they see during demonstrations, and seventy-five percent of what they practice doing† (para. 2). Service-learning remains a program that integrates community service, reflection, and practice to improve the students learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen community and school relations. This learning strategy aids students in learning numerous skills, traits, and lessons that classroom instruction alone cannot teach. It makes learning relevant and enjoyable for the students by taking them out in the community and letting†¦show more content†¦Children often fall into wrong or harmful circumstances as they search to gain a sense of belonging to something greater, for instance, a community. Christine Morris (1992) backs this statement when she said that all children need the sense of belonging to something bigger than themselves. If children have additional opportunities to explore different tasks and problems in their community, they would be less likely to find themselves in harmful situations. Children who stand apart from the community lack the chances to learn valuable lessons. Examples of the valuable lessons they would learn would be being responsible for their actions or lack thereof, community awareness and observation, and a social understanding of how a community is supposed to work. As the saying goes, â€Å"It takes a village to raise a child,† in this sense the village is the child’s community. In order for the child to gain social awareness, responsibility, and a sense of community, they need to be involved in community affairs. Service-learning will assist children in becoming involved in the community and aid them in learning valuable lessons that they cannot learn from classroom teaching. Critics believe that service-learning provides cheap labor to non-profit organizations and the community. On the other hand, it does not benefit the students’ participating. The Kellogg Foundation (1999) wrote, â€Å"Some do not see service-learning as having real

How Successful Were Wolseys Domestic Policies - 1400 Words

How successful were Wolsey’s domestic policies? Law One area that Wolsey did try to reform was England’s legal system. England mainly used common law at that time however civil law was seen as more modern and was favored in southern Europe. Civil law was used in the King’s council when it acted as a court of law. As Lord Chancellor Wolsey had oversight over the legal system in England. The law awakened Wolsey’s intellectual interest. He was a judge in the Chancery Court and handled disputes over wills, contracts and property. He had successfully reformed the Star Chamber where he was determined to get rid of corruption. He made it much fairer, cheaper and more efficient and was not afraid to take on the powerful. He had the Earl of†¦show more content†¦This was because most of the people that were responsible for the enclosures were rich landowners and were also MP’s. Also in 1523 money was needed for war against France so he needed parliaments support and he made a deal with Parliament to drop the investigation in return for a Parliamentary subsidy. In 1526 Wolsey tried to reintroduce his policy after the disruption caused by the amicable grant but declarations ordering the removal of enclosures were ignored by landowners. Overall I think that Wolsey was mostly unsuccessful although he did order the rebuilding of houses and the returning of land to arable farming but the landowners just ignored this and continued with the enclosures. He was also forced to accept all existing enclosures which meant that he had failed. Finances The problem that Wolsey faces was that the parliament taxes which was fifteenths and tenths did not produce enough income for what Henry VIII wanted like war. It was expected that the king would be able to finance his living from his own income, but provision was made for additional money for war and its cost this was called fifteenths and tenths. This parliamentary tax grant was for special occasions like war. These were fixed rates that were paid by towns and boroughs but it was not enough for what Henry wanted. Wolsey was frequently under pressure to increase the crown’s income. Wolsey had found a solution to the problem when he introduced a new parliamentary tax called the Subsidy.Show MoreRelatedDomestic Policy Under Cardinal Thomas Wolsey Was a Failure How Far Do You Agree with This Statement?2564 Words   |  11 Pages‘Domestic policy under Wolsey was a failure’. How far do you agree with this assessment? Wolsey was Henry VIII’s chief minister for 15 years and it’s fair to say that historians have, in general, been disappointed with his lack of achievement in the area of domestic affairs. Most argue that he devoted far too much of his time to foreign policy in order to establish, and then further boost his own personal power and increase his income, implying that more of his time should have been allocated toRead MoreBritain s Political And Religious Structure During The Tudor Era1657 Words   |  7 Pages(including Thomas Cromwell) had different impacts on Britain and the monarch, and the influence of them will be assessed in this essay. Thomas Wolsey was born in 1475, and rose his way the top. Before being made a cardinal, he became a priest and a successful politician, and he was the almoner (in charge of distributing funds to the poor) when Henry came to the throne in 1509. Wolsey held several important positions. He was the Bishop of Lincoln, Canon of Windsor and also Prince Bishop of Durham. OneRead MoreHow Did England Change During The Reign Of Henry Viii4123 Words   |  17 PagesHow did England change during the reign of Henry VIII? The reign of the Tudors control over England lasted a total of 118 years, starting with Henry VII in 1485 and finishing with the death of Elizabeth I in 1603 who had no heir to the throne [1]. A lot of the change, to make or become different[2], accounted for during this period was due to Henry VIII and his hard headed approach to politics and religion and his passion to be remembered as a warrior and famous king. Henry VIII is famous for having

A Shadow in the City Free Essays

â€Å"A Shadow in the City: Confessions of an Undercover Drug Warrior† is a well-known book written by Charles Bowden. As evident by the name, the book deals with drugs, the drug war and an under cover drug warrior. The author of this book has touched a subject which has generally always been considered dark by many; and for that he has put forward the picture of a man who has worked extremely hard nearly all his life to put an end to the war against drugs. We will write a custom essay sample on A Shadow in the City or any similar topic only for you Order Now The author has gone deep into the mind of a person namely Mr. O’Shay and has put forward many such things which go by ignored by a vast number of people. The reason behind writing this book evidently is to gain awareness and make the people give attention to the problems faced by the people who work on the front end of this problem. These are the people who begin working as people with good hearts and even better intentions, and then they are forced to consign acts of pure evil or just simple lose at their work. Every single evil act wounds the mind and the soul of that person to the extent that nothing is left except pain, wounds, and a guilty feeling that agonizes a man who at his heart may be a good person. Another thing which the author has tried to convey is the fact that anyone involved in the drugs business would either go up or go straight down. He will loose all signs of humanity along with all his morals and values (Bowden, 2005). Summary â€Å"Joey O’Shay is not the real name of the narcotics agent in an unnamed city in the center of the country. But Joey O’Shay exists. The nearly three hundred drug busts he has orchestrated over more than two decades are real, too; if the drug war were a declared war, O’Shay would have a Silver Star†. –Charles Bowden This well-known book which has been written by Charles Bowden presents an image of the life of an undercover drug agent and the effects of his work on the agent’s sanity and sense of right and wrong. In this book the author has presented to his readers the unseen world of the drug wars where wicked crimes occur nearly all the time; where unfaithfulness and dishonesty are the only two things that one can depend on; and where alcohol and drugs are the only thing that people are concerned about. In the book, the author has archived a career-making drug deal for pure Columbian heroin which is being coordinated by Joey O’Shay, a drug agent who has been working under-cover for more than twenty years. The drug agent has made a vast number of drug deal busts without ever being identified by any of his targets; nevertheless, his purpose as an agent and that of America’s war on drugs has grown more difficult to understand with each bust. O’Shay is at a point where he wishes to retire from his job. He wants to walk away from what he has been doing since a very long time—getting close to his enemies and then destroying them, but the way out is not easy. He stands at a point where he does not know himself; he has become an entity trying to understand his own self. In the words of the author, â€Å"he becomes a shadow in the city. He remains unknown to the life moving around him. He answers no questions. He grows, thrives, slides silently down the streets. He acts. He loves. He loses. He kills. He is the law but few remember this fact. Sometimes, he forgets himself† (Bowden, p.5). The problems faced by O’ Shay, him losing his personality, losing interest in his work and doubting his line of work, O’ Shay trying to find ways to get out of this drug business but failing at it and also failing at dying is what this book is basically about. While working for the war on drugs, the police men or let’s say the drug agents face a lot of things which play with their minds. Horrific images, brutal realities, harsh lies are all part of the game. These things make the person doubt his own job just like O’ Shay doubts his by thinking whether this war is ever going to end or not. Friendship and loyalty play a major role in this field. In the book, Bobbie is a girl who owns a hotel and has always been helping O’ Shay. She always listens to him and according to the author, â€Å"Bobbie obeys no one, she is proud of this fact. But she always obeys Joey. Even in her dreams† (Bowden, p.7). The author also addresses the problem of cops having to face crimes being committed in front of their eyes in order to remain under cover. At times, these people see so much of these crimes being committed that they become unsympathetic and get used to it just the way O’ Shay does in the book, but deep down inside, as the author has tried to portray, these people are anxious to undo all the things they have ever seen and known throughout their lives and careers. Yet, the author also goes on to remind the reader that such a thing is nearly impossible. These under cover agents go through a number of personal changes in the way they think and perceive events and things around them. The war against drugs perhaps is a never ending war, as according to the author, the people who the under cover agents put away are immediately replaced by their successors, hence getting to the root of the problem is the main task here, which is not easy to be done. Author’s position on the Drug War As evident by the portrayal of O’ Shay as a man who wishes to give up on his job, the author certainly believes that the war against drug is not as easy as some of us may think it is.   It is a tough job which requires nerves. The author believes that the war on drugs might even turn out to be never ending, which is extremely bad. This issue must be dealt with great strategy. Not only should small drug deals be busted, but the bigger much worst deals should be dealt with as well, but for that the under cover agents must be fully prepared and should not weary of their jobs just as O’ Shay and a vast number of other under cover agents in real life do so. The war on drugs is a hard task and would take a long period of time to finish if it ever does. But as stated earlier, it requires thinking and strategic planning for the war to end and bringing about an end to drugs. Influence of the book on my personal views of the drug war Reading this book has brought about a slight change in the way I had previously perceived the war against drugs. I had thought that perhaps the life of an under cover agent is not all that scary or disturbing, but this text proved me wrong. I thought that maybe if the authorities worked harder the problem would be finished in a very short period of time, but no; the text changed my view over that as well. I now think that the war against drugs might not end but even if it does it would require a very strategic plan. Conclusion In the light of the above discussion we can hereby culminate that â€Å"A Shadow in the City: Confessions of an Undercover Drug Warrior† is a well-known book written by Charles Bowden. The book deals with drugs, drug deals, under cover agents and the way busting drug deals and dealing with thugs effects the way they think and perceive things and at times they also wish to retire from their jobs. Bibliography Bowden, Charles. (2005). A Shadow in the City: Confessions of an Undercover Drug Warrior.   United States of America. Harcourt. ISBN: 0151011834.    How to cite A Shadow in the City, Papers

Intellectual Capital and Business Performance

Question: Discuss about the Intellectual Capital and Business Performance. Answer: Introduction With the increasing ramification of changing business environment there are several technologies which are gaining momentum throughout the time. Accounting is the simple term which is used for reflecting the process of keeping financial accounts. In this report a complete study has been prepared over the use of cloud based accounting system and how it should be adopted by organizations for making their accounting information system more effective. In addition to this, comparative analysis between accounting information system and cloud based information system has been taken into consideration to reflect the vulnerability of both accounting system in keeping records and collection of financial accounts of company. Accounting information system With the increasing changes in technology and ramified inbound and outbound activities of organization firms are more inclined toward using cloud based accounting system. Nonetheless, small business enterprises do not need to purchase expensive business accounting software programs or spend hours lost in complicated reports. It is concerned with accounting software that is hosted on remote servers. This provides accounting capabilities to business in accounting tools such as SAAS (Software as a service). If small business enterprises will use cloud based accounting software then all the data would be sent into The cloud where it will be processed and returned to users in determined approach Cloud computing accounting system Cloud computing accounting software is developed technology which is used to collect accounting data, making financial information and other required data accessible to users and manager wherever they want provided that internet is available there. With the traditional accounting system, organization has to struggle with posting data into ledgers, preparing financial statement by adjusting all the financial data in set format (Chen, et al. 2014). In order to understand merits and demerits of cloud based accounting system following differences has been described as below (Toor, et al. 2014). Differences between AIS and CCAS Accounting information system Cloud computing accounting system It is a structure of that a business uses to collect, store, manage, retrieved and report its financial data so that it could be deployed by financial managers, accountants, consultants and auditors of the firm. Cloud computing accounting services are accompanied with process which is used to make automation in storing and collecting accounting data. It consumes more time and renders possibilities of several mistakes in the preparation of financial statement. In this accounting system everything is done by machines and all works are done by system networks which results into less time consuming process. It is accompanied with long route process. This software is developed technology which is used to collect accounting data, making financial information and other required data accessible to all users with the help of internet connectivity. It is beneficial for the organizations with less complicated business functioning. On the other hand If SME uses cloud based accounting software then it will result into automation in gathering and collecting financial data. In addition to this, it will also reduce the time consumption of accountant in preparing journal entries and ledger of financial data. Traditional accounting system is also accompanied with high maintenance cost such as hiring accountant, data entry feeders, expenses in data collection process and several expenses in research and evaluating present accounting standards. The most effective advantage of adopting cloud based accounting software is related with its backup plan of data. It is considered that if organization has uploaded its data on clouds then it could download the data from anywhere and automation in server creates backup for all data. While, traditional accounting system may poses high amount of threat of losing data if something goes wrong in organization such as natural disaster and other acts of god. It is found that use of cloud computing software result into several benefits such as high security of data, easy availability of information and systematic working process (Helo, et al. 2014). Potential risk or limitation in adopting cloud based accounting system It is observed that using computerized accounting system keeps all of the information organization and systematic manner and makes finding and accessing data in easy and determined manner. Nonetheless, there are several hackers and ill-intentioned persons who take advantage of information to make personal profit. There are several limitations and challenges which have been seen cloud based accounting system such as denial of services, hackers peep into the cloud to gain confidential information of companies. In addition to this, the most valuable risk is related with cost- benefits of installing cloud based accounting system. It is evaluated that if organization is not earning enough money which could be used to compensate the cost associated with installing cloud based accounting system then it would result into big loss to organization. Cloud based accounting system is technical system. Therefore, there is a chance of technical error in file which may result into drastic loss to or ganization in preparing financial statements (Cleary and Quinn, 2016). Recommendation Cloud based accounting system keeps all the information in optimized and in once place. Therefore, finding and assessing of financial information on accounting software program is much easier than other traditional accounting systems. It is evaluated that if Small and medium size enterprises is accompanied with large amount of inbound and outbound activities then it would be advisable for them to adopt cloud based enterprises resources planning. In addition to this, if a firm is incurring loss from its business functioning and want to adopt enterprises resources planning in its accounting system then it would not be called a rational decision. Therefore, it is inferred that small business enterprises has to consider its several factors such as nature of business, complexity of business activities, laws, rules and regulation of government. Now in the end gracious advice would be for small business enterprises that are inclined toward making information in snap, with less confusion and aggravation then should adopt cloud based accounting software system (Pierce, et al. 2015). Conclusion Cloud based accounting system is accompanied with several benefits which provides intense motivation to organization to implement automation in accounting system of organization. Now in the end it would be inferred that installation of cloud based accounting system would result into several complexity and high cost. Therefore each and every organization need to make capital budgeting analysis and cost and benefits analysis before installing cloud based accounting system in determined approach. It would be reflected that cloud based accounting system is very imperative for organization for the sustainable developing of their business functioning. References Cleary, P. and Quinn, M., 2016. Intellectual capital and business performance: An exploratory study of the impact of cloud-based accounting and finance infrastructure.Journal of Intellectual Capital,17(2), pp.255-278. Helo, P., Suorsa, M., Hao, Y. and Anussornnitisarn, P., 2014. Toward a cloud-based manufacturing execution system for distributed manufacturing.Computers in Industry,65(4), pp.646-656. Toor, S., Osmani, L., Eerola, P., Kraemer, O., Lindn, T., Tarkoma, S. and White, J., 2014. A scalable infrastructure for CMS data analysis based on OpenStack Cloud and Gluster file system. InJournal of Physics: Conference Series(Vol. 513, No. 6, p. 062047). IOP Publishing. Pierce, D., Mworks Worldwide, Inc., 2015.Integrated enterprise software and social network system user interfaces utilizing cloud computing infrastructures and single secure portal access. U.S. Patent 9,003,297 Chen, Z., Hu, W., Ha, K., Harkes, J., Gilbert, B., Hong, J., Smailagic, A., Siewiorek, D. and Satyanarayanan, M., 2014, February. QuiltView: a crowd-sourced video response system. InProceedings of the 15th Workshop on Mobile Computing Systems and Applications(p. 13). ACM.

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Motivation Theorists and Their Theories

Motivation Theorists and Their Theories Free Online Research Papers Although the process of management is as old as history, scientific management as we know it today is basically a twentieth century phenomenon. Also, as in some other fields, practice has been far ahead of theory. This is still true in the field of management, contrary to the situation in some of the pure sciences. For instance, Albert Einstein, formulates a theory, which is later proved by decades of intensive research and experimentation. Not so in the field of management. In fact this field has been so devoid of real fundamental work so far, that Herbert A. Simon is the first management theoretician to win the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1978. His contribution itself gives a clue to the difficulty, bordering on impossibility, of real fundamental work in this field concerned with people. In order to arrive at a correct decision, the manager must have all the information necessary relevant to the various factors and all the time in the world to analyze the same. This is seldom, if ever, the case. Both the information available and the time at the managers disposal are limited, but he or she must make a decision. And the decision is, therefore, not the optimum one but a satisficing one in effect, a satisfactory compromise under the real conditions prevailing in the management arena. Traditional theory X This can best be ascribed to Sigmund Freud who was no lover of people, and was far from being optimistic. Theory X assumes that people are lazy; they hate work to the extent that they avoid it; they have no ambition, take no initiative and avoid taking any responsibility; all they want is security, and to get them to do any work, they must be rewarded, coerced, intimidated and punished. This is the so-called stick and carrot philosophy of management. If this theory were valid, managers will have to constantly police their staff, whom they cannot trust and who will refuse to cooperate. In such an oppressive and frustrating atmosphere, both for the manager and the managed, there is no possibility of any achievement or any creative work. But fortunately, as we know, this is not the case. Theory Y Douglas McGregor This is in sharp contrast to theory X. McGregor believed that people want to learn and that work is their natural activity to the extent that they develop self-discipline and self-development. They see their reward not so much in cash payments as in the freedom to do difficult and challenging work by themselves. The managers job is to dovetail the human wish for self-development into the organizations need for maximum productive efficiency. The basic objectives of both are therefore met and with imagination and sincerity, the enormous potential can be tapped. Does it sound too good to be true? It could be construed, by some, that Theory Y management is soft and slack. This is not true and the proof is in the pudding, for it has already proved its worth in the USA and elsewhere. For best results, the persons must be carefully selected to form a homogeneous group. A good leader of such a group may conveniently absent from group meetings so they can discuss the matters freely and help select and groom a new leader. The leader does no longer hanker after power, lets people develop freely, and may even (it is hoped) enjoy watching the development and actualization of people, as if, by themselves. Everyone, and most of all the organization, gains as a result. Theory Z Abraham Maslow This is a refreshing change from the theory X of Freud, by a fellow psychologist, Abraham Maslow. Maslow totally rejects the dark and dingy Freudian basement and takes us out into the fresh, open, sunny and cheerful atmosphere. He is the main founder of the humanistic school or the third force which holds that all the good qualities are inherent in people, at least, at birth, although later they are gradually lost. Maslows central theme revolves around the meaning and significance of human work and seems to epitomize Voltaires observation in Candide, work banishes the three great evils -boredom, vice and poverty. The great sage Yajnavalkya explains in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad that by good works a man becomes holy, by evil works evil. A mans personality is the sum total of his works and that only his works survive a man at death. This is perhaps the essence of Maslows hierarchy of needs theory, as it is more commonly know. Maslows major works include the standard textbook (in collaboration with Mittlemann), Principles of Abnormal Psychology (1941), a seminal paper, A Theory of Human Motivation (1943) and the book, Eupsychian Management (pronounced yew-sigh-keyan) published in 1965. Maslows theory of human motivation is, in fact, the basis of McGregors theory Y briefly described above. The basic human needs, according to Maslow, are: physiological needs (Lowest) safety needs; love needs; esteem needs; and self-actualization needs (Highest) Mans behavior is seen as dominated by his unsatisfied needs and he is a perpetually wanting animal, for when one need is satisfied he aspires for the next higher one. This is, therefore, seen as an ongoing activity, in which the man is totally absorbed in order to attain perfection through self-development. The highest state of self-actualization is characterized by integrity, responsibility, magnanimity, simplicity and naturalness. Self-actualizers focus on problems external to themselves. His prescription for human salvation is simple, but not easy: Hard work and total commitment to doing well the job that fate or personal destiny calls you to do, or any important job that calls for doing. Maslow has had his share of critics, but he has been able to achieve a refreshing synthesis of divergent and influential philosophies of: Marx economic and physical needs; Freud physical and love needs; Adler esteem needs; Goldstein self-actualization. Frederick Herzberg Hygiene / Motivation Theory This is based on analysis of the interviews of 200 engineers and accountants in the Pittsburgh area in the USA. According to this theory, people work first and foremost in their own self-enlightened interest, for they are truly happy and mentally healthy through work accomplishment. Peoples needs are of two types: Animal Needs (hygiene factors) Supervision Interpersonal relations Working conditions Salary Human Needs (motivators) Recognition Work Responsibility Advancement Unsatisfactory hygiene factors can act as de-motivators, but if satisfactory, their motivational effect is limited. The psychology of motivation is quite complex and Herzberg has exploded several myths about motivators such as: shorter working week; increasing wages; fringe benefits; sensitivity / human relations training; communication. As typical examples, saying please to shop-floor workers does not motivate them to work hard, and telling them about the performance of the company may even antagonize them more. Herzberg regards these also as hygiene factors, which, if satisfactory, satisfy animal needs but not human needs. Chris Argyris According to Argyris, organization needs to be redesigned for a fuller utilization of the most precious resource, the workers, in particular their psychological energy. The pyramidal structure will be relegated to the background, and decisions will be taken by small groups rather than by a single boss. Satisfaction in work will be more valued than material rewards. Work should be restructured in order to enable individuals to develop to the fullest extent. At the same time work will become more meaningful and challenging through self-motivation. Rensis Likert Likert identified four different styles of management: exploitative-authoritative; benevolent-authoritative; consultative; participative. The participative system was found to be the most effective in that it satisfies the whole range of human needs. Major decisions are taken by groups themselves and this results in achieving high targets and excellent productivity. There is complete trust within the group and the sense of participation leads to a high degree of motivation. Fred Luthans Luthans advocates the so-called contingency approach on the basis that certain practices work better than others for certain people and certain jobs. As an example, rigid, clearly defined jobs, authoritative leadership and tight controls lead in some cases to high productivity and satisfaction among workers. In some other cases just the opposite seems to work. It is necessary, therefore, to adapt the leadership style to the particular group of workers and the specific job in hand. Victor Vroom Vrooms expectancy theory is an extension of the contingency approach. The leadership style should be tailored to the particular situation and to the particular group. In some cases it appears best for the boss to decide and in others the group arrives at a consensus. An individual should also be rewarded with what he or she perceives as important rather than what the manager perceives. For example, one individual may value a salary increase, whereas another may, instead, value promotion. This theory contributes an insight into the study of employee motivation by explaining how individual goals influence individual performance. We have discussed above only a selection of the motivation theories and thoughts of the various proponents of the human behavior school of management. Not included here are, among others, the thoughts of: Seebohm Rowntree labor participation in management; Elton Mayo the Hawthorne Experiments; Kurt Lewin group dynamics; force field theory; David McClelland achievement motivation; George Humans the human group; William Whyte the organization man. What does it all add up to? Back to square one? Yes, indeed, the overall picture is certainly confusing. This is not surprising, for the human nature and human mind defy a clear-cut model, mathematical or otherwise. In some of the theories and thoughts presented, however, one can see some glimpses of the person and how, perhaps, he or she could be motivated. This is rewarding in itself. But, as noted earlier, practice has been ahead of theory in this field, so let us now move to the practical side of management of human behavior and motivation in the workplace. Application of employee motivation theory to the workplace Management literature is replete with actual case histories of what does and what does not motivate people. Presented here is a tentative initial broad selection of the various practices that have been tried in order to draw lessons for the future. Stick or carrot approach? The traditional Victorian style of strict discipline and punishment has not only failed to deliver the goods, but it has also left a mood of discontent amongst the working class. Punishment appears to have produced negative rather than positive results and has increased the hostility between them (the management) and us (the workers). In contrast to this, the carrot approach, involving approval, praise and recognition of effort has markedly improved the work atmosphere, leading to more productive work places and giving workers greater job satisfaction. Managers motivation toolkit The managers main task is to develop a productive work place, with and through those he or she is in charge of. The manager should motivate his or her team, both individually and collectively so that a productive work place is maintained and developed and at the same time employees derive satisfaction from their jobs. This may appear somewhat contradictory, but it seems to work. The main tools in the managers kitbag for motivating the team are: approval, praise and recognition trust, respect and high expectations loyalty, given that it may be received removing organizational barriers that stand in the way of individual and group performance (smooth business processes, systems, methods and resources see outline team building program) job enrichment good communications financial incentives These are arranged in order of importance and it is interesting to note that cash is way down the ladder of motivators. Lets look at a couple of examples taken from real life situations. The Swedish shipbuilding company, Kockums, turned a 15 million dollar loss into a 100 million dollar profit in the course of ten years due entirely to a changed perception of the workforce brought about by better motivation. At Western Electric there was a dramatic improvement in output after the supervisors and managers started taking greater interest in their employees. Dont coerce persuade! Persuasion is far more powerful than coercion, just as the pen is mightier than the sword. Managers have a much better chance of success if they use persuasion rather than coercion. The former builds morale, initiative and motivation, whilst the latter quite effectively kills such qualities. The three basic components in persuasion are: suggest; play on the persons sentiments; and appeal to logic. Once convinced, the person is so motivated as to deliver the goods. The manager will have achieved the goal quietly, gently and with the minimum of effort. It is, in effect, an effortless achievement. There has been a considerable amount of research into persuasion / motivation in the field of advertising and marketing. The research is entirely of the applied type, which can and has been used to great practical advantage. Some of the findings in this field were first published in the fifties in a book with the title, The Hidden Persuaders, which became a bestseller. More contemporary persuaders used by advertising and marketing people include: Faster talk is found to be more effective, since it is remembered better. Brain emits fast beta waves when a person is really interested in a particular presentation. These waves can be detected by an instrument. Subliminal approach using short duration presentation, whereby the message is transmitted below the level of awareness. Can these findings be used in actual work conditions? ATT (The American Telephone and Telegraph Co.,) recognizing the importance of hidden needs, at one time succeeded in promoting long distance calls by use of the simple phrase: Reach out, reach out and touch someone. Managers will need to adapt this persuasion / motivation technique to their own situation. Job satisfaction is there a trend? This is the title of a study carried out by the US Department of Labor among 1500 workers, who were asked to rate the job factors, from a list of 23, which they considered important starting from the most important factor. Their findings (Sanzotta (1977)) are contained in the table below. Job Satisfaction Findings White-collar workers Blue-collar workers A. Interesting work A. Good pay B. Opportunities for development B. Enough help and resources C. Enough information C. Job security D. Enough authority D. Enough information E. Enough help and resources E. Interesting work F. Friendly, helpful coworkers F. Friendly, helpful co-workers G. See results of own efforts G.Clearly defined responsibilities H. Competent supervision H.See results of own work I. Clearly defined responsibilities I. Enough Authority J. Good pay J. Competent supervision It is interesting that out of the 23 job factors listed for the survey, yet with the exception of two items (white-collar workers choice (B) and blue-collar workers choice (C)) groups selected the same top ten factors, although with different rankings. It is significant that good pay was considered as the most important factor by the blue-collar workers, but it ranked as the least important for white-collar workers. Individualize motivation policies It is well known that individual behavior is intensely personal and unique, yet companies seek to use the same policies to motivate everyone. This is mainly for convenience and ease compared to catering for individual oddities (Lindstone (1978)). Tailoring the policy to the needs of each individual is difficult but is far more effective and can pay handsome dividends. Fairness, decisiveness, giving praise and constructive criticism can be more effective than money in the matter of motivation. Leadership is considered synonymous (Tack (1979)) with motivation, and the best form of leadership is designated as SAL, situation adaptable leadership. In this style of leadership, one is never surprised or shocked, leadership must begin with the chief executive and it is more a matter of adaptation than of imparting knowledge. Ultimately, it is the leadership quality which leads to the success of a company through team building and motivating its people. The one-minute manager A contemporary bestseller (Blanchard Johnson (1983)) aimed at managers who seek to make star performers of their subordinates. To start with, the manager sets a goal, e.g. one page read in one minute, and it is seen to be achieved by one minute of praising or reprimand as the case may be. But to be effective, these must be given (a) promptly, (b) in specific terms, and the behavior, rather than the person, should be praised or reprimanded. The concept is basic and it makes sense, although the book seeks to dramatize it. One minute praising is seen to be the motivating force. Everyone is considered a winner, though some people are disguised as losers, and the manager is extolled not to be fooled by such appearances. Lessons from Americas Best-run Companies Another bestseller, In Search of Excellence (Peters Waterman (1982)). Several criteria, including analysis of annual reports and in-depth interviews, were used to pick 14 model excellent companies out of an initial sample of 62 companies. As expected, most of the action in high-performing companies revolved around its people, their success being ascribed to: productivity through people; extraordinary performance from ordinary employees; treating people decently. Personnel function and in particular leadership were considered the most critical components. If the leaders in an organization can create and sustain an environment in which all employees are motivated, the overall performance is bound to be good. The three essentials for creating such an environment are: fairness; job security; and involvement. Of all the resources available, the human resource is clearly the most significant, but also the most difficult to manage. Excellence can only be achieved through excellent performance of every person, rather than by the high-pitched performance of a few individuals. And motivation is, undoubtedly, the crux. Conclusion There is no simple answer to the question of how to motivate people. Can money motivate? Yes, but money alone is not enough, though it does help. We have discussed some of the pertinent theories bearing on human motivation and this is balanced by some of the practical factors which can lead to excellence. Human resource remains the focal point and leadership the critical component, and motivation has to be tailored to each individual. The next section deals with an important mode of motivation, namely financial aspects of rewarding employees. Research Papers on Motivation Theorists and Their TheoriesThree Concepts of PsychodynamicThe Project Managment Office SystemMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenDefinition of Export QuotasCapital PunishmentOpen Architechture a white paperResearch Process Part One

Business Strategy in a Global Environment Case Study - 1

Business Strategy in a Global Environment - Case Study Example As the discussion stresses  Samsung Mobile falls under the IT and Mobile Communications division. Currently, Samsung Mobile holds the leading position in the smart phone industry with a market share of 23.7 %.   The global smart phone industry grew by 27.2 % in the second quarter of 2014. The number of units shipped has increased from 218.8 million to 281.5 million in a year in 2014. Samsung Mobile caters to a wide range of customer base, from budget conscious to premium consumers. The company holds the 13th rank in the Fortune 500 list with revenue of $ 208.9 billion.  This paper highlights that  the political scenario of a region puts significant effect on the business operations of a company. The sudden change in overseas business regulations is likely to hamper the business of multinational companies like Samsung. Moreover, large multinational companies become easy target politicians in their power play. In 2005, politician Roh Hoe-Chan allegedly released evidences of ill egal fund channelling by Samsung’s chairman Lee Kun-Hee. Although the final verdict announced Samsung’s chair man to be innocent, but as a result of the long lasting law suit, the brand image of the company was hampered and it also broke the investor’s trust.  The hostility between North Korea and South Korea has also emerged as a growing concern for Samsung. The company’s massive production plant in Tangjeong, South Korea will be affected badly if North Korea attacks South Korea.

The wrong girl Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The wrong girl - Assignment Example Matt is surprised that he feels so passionately about Anna considering that he only met her a few weeks ago. Matt is pleased with himself for expressing his thoughts, so he decides to take a break by walking away to get a bite to eat. Matt completely forgets about the email that he had written for Anna. It turns out there was nothing much to eat at home, so he went out to the local burger restaurant. Matt is stressed out from his long day, so when he gets back home he wants to just sit in his room and chill. However, as soon as he walks into his room he tries to save his email for Anna but accidentally clicks the â€Å"send† button. Matt is immediately horrified with himself for what he has done because he was not ready to tell Anna how her felt about her yet. Matt spends a long time at his computer trying to undo his mistake, but he realizes that there is now nothing he can do about it. Matt did want to express his true feelings to Anna, but not like this. He wanted to do it in a romantic way that truly showed he cared about her. His email was very direct, and Anna may not like that. After spending a couple of hours fretting about his mistake, Matt decides that he has no choice but to delete the email. However, that only means one thing: he must delete the email from Anna's email account. Matt immediately packs up his things and sets out for Anna's house. He has never been to her house before, but he has a fairly good idea of where it is. The street that Anna lives on is dimly lit, with only one flickering light way off in the distance providing any sort of path along the roadside. Matt finally comes to what he believes to be Anna's house. He sees that the gate is locked, so he attempts to climb the fence. However, he gets the fright of his life when a huge dog begins to bark so loud that all the neighbors can hear it. Matt is concerned that someone might mistake him for a burglar, so he backs off for a while. It seemed a shame to come all this way only to turn back now. Matt has a light bulb moment about how to distract the dog. He still has some leftover hamburger from before, so he tosses it far away from the fence, giving himself long enough to climb over and make his way through a window. Having conquered the dog, the challenges don't stop there for Matt. He guesses that Anna's bedroom must be upstairs. However, Anna's grandmother is sleeping in the living room just in front of the stairs. He cannot seem to get past without disturbing her. Matt decides to take his shoes off so he can be as quite as possible. He manages to tiptoe his way up the stairs without getting noticed. Once up the stairs, Matt quickly locates Anna's room and finds the computer switched on. Once Matt logs onto Anna's email account, he has little difficulty deleting the email. However, just as he is doing this, Matt hears Anna's voice coming up the stairs. This sends Matt into a panic, as he is not sure how to explain himself for being in Anna's house, le t alone her bedroom! There is no place to hide, so Matt has no choice but to stand there like a man and accept the consequences. As Anna opens the door, Matt has a look of shock and horror on his face because he thinks he is about to be exposed. To his surprise, Anna does not seem to mind he is there; in fact, she walks straight up to Matt and plants a kiss on his cheek. Matt is consumed by a mix of emotions, but most of all he cannot believe what is really happening.

Kuwait's economy before and after gulf war Assignment

Kuwait's economy before and after gulf war - Assignment Example Most of its oil was exported to Europe and the United States (International Business Publications 2012). Reliance of oil as the sole source of income led to over production of oil in Kuwait. With large deposits, approximately 94,525 billion barrels, Kuwaiti suppressed the prices of oil in the international markets (CIA World Factbook). However, overproduction angered the neighboring oil producers, such as Iraq, which was desperate to pay the funds it had borrowed for was. The act of suppressing process was viewed as an act of economic sabotage. The government of Kuwaiti maintained a low value of foreign debt that was manageable. The debt owed by Kuwaiti prior to the gulf war was $8billion. Although the country is oil rich, it has a small portion of arable land, thus preventing the country from relying on agricultural activities. However, the country engaged in other economic activities such as construction, manufacturing, and financial services. The geopolitical importance of Kuwait was increasing die to instability in neighboring nations. It was the preferred trade route that linked the west and the east. The hostilities that arose due to suppressed oil prices made Iraq invade Kuwait in 1990. The war devastated the oil wells of the country. According to Murdico (2004), the Iraqi troops burned most of the oil wells in Kuwait. The act sabotaged oil production in Kuwait for a whole year. The per capita income fell from $8967 in 1990 to $ 5508 in 1991. The war also led to an increase in international prices to over $30 per barrel, up from $20 per barrel in the oil spot market. Although the war did not last long, the effects were visible. First, most of the people ran to neighboring countries, meaning, there was no immediate resumption of production after the war. Second, the oil wells were heavily destroyed and had to be renovated. Reconstruction of Kuwait after the war cost the country an approximated $40 billion. The

The Importance Of Effective Maintenance

The Importance Of Effective Maintenance Since the maintenance has significant impacts in industry, it has received a deep attention from the expert and practical maintenance. According to study, maintenance costs can represent from 15% to 40% of the costs of goods produced [x2]. Maintenance of process equipment is one of the inescapable tasks associated with the operation of industrial plants and until relatively recently, it was implemented either on a routine basis or after the failure of equipment. Attitudes are changing and now many organisations are adopting methods for identifying incipient faults, so that maintenance can be scheduled before there has been a failure, which would lead to loss of production and spoilage of raw material. Plants and different machine centres are assembled from a wide variety of mechanical and electrical equipment, which due to their very nature are subject to wear, corrosion, erosion and other forms of degradation [1]. It is widely accepted that intelligent, sensor based manufacturing is vital to achieve a high availability level of the sophisticated manufacturing systems in conjunction with high quality levels of manufactured components. Advanced sensor design, coupled with signal processing technologies, permits improved information about the process condition enabling process optimisation and control. It is not adequate to have information relating solely to the tool condition. Additional capabilities such as in process quality control and machine tool diagnostics are a requirement of the future, i.e. a shift from monitoring the tool condition to monitoring the process condition and the resulting part quality. [2] The use of mechanical vibration and acoustic emission signals for fault diagnosis in rotating machinery has grown significantly due to advances in the progress of digital signal processing algorithms and implementation techniques. The conventional diagnosis technology using acoustic an d vibration signals already exists in the form of techniques applying the time and frequency domain of signals, and analysing the difference of signals in the spectrum. Unfortunately, in some applications the performance is limited, such as when the signals caused by a damaged element are buried in background noise. [x3] In recent years, the possibility of obtaining more detailed information regarding the operation of process equipment by applying signal analysis techniques to conventional process measurements has, hitherto, been largely overlooked. This is because the principal purpose of the majority of process measurement systems is to provide a smooth signal for process control purposes. Therefore most process measurement systems are designed to produce a steady output signal, which is achieved by restricting the frequency response of the measurement system and thereby suppressing the noise component. [1] Signal transients are generally characterised by a short duration in time as compared to the observation interval. Research has shown that very important measurement information is often associated with the transients [1,2]. For example the vibration signals generated on a gearbox, the transients usually correspond to the local fault of the gear teeth, such as deformation, breakage and fracture. Thus analysing the transients of gearbox vibrations is useful for representing the characteristics of the gearbox health. However, it is not an easy task because the vibration measurements often carry heavy noise in the working environment, which could bury the essential vibration information of gears. Therefore, it is important and necessary to detect the transients with the machine health information in the very low signal-to-noise ratio conditions [3,4]. 1.2. Previous Work: This section contains information about the previous work that has been carried out with regards to condition monitoring and signal processing techniques. It also provides an outline of the different modern signal processing techniques used by researchers to identify faults with various machine components. 1.2.1 Machine tool A machine management system was developed at Cardiff University as a part of the MIRAM project (Machine Management for Increasing Reliability, Availability and Maintainability) that provides rapid fault diagnosis and allows the implementation of a predictive maintenance strategy [4]. This was used to extract data from the machine components by the sensors attached to it. The data processing methods implemented in the system allowed the characterization of normal and faulty behaviour of the machine component under investigation. An analysis has demonstrated the application of vibration monitoring using signal processing techniques such as Skewness, Standard deviation, RMS (Root Mean Square) and Kurtosis on the spindle system of machine tools. The results obtained from a signal after implementing kurtosis as a signal processing technique show a relatively high kurtosis value compared to other signals, which indicates a fault, associated with the spindle system. This analysis also describes the variations in the transients obtained from the coolant system of the machine tool. [5] Water treatment plant The research work conducted by a PhD student on the WRAP (Water Resources and Action Programme) test rig set-up at Cardiff University focuses on analysing the flow, pressure and pump speed request characteristics with respect to blockages induced on different valves. This analysis also studies the performance of the plant in relation to any leakages occurring in the system. Another analysis, which studies the performance of the same water filtration plant considers inducing 25 %, 50%, 75 % and 100 % blockages on the valves pre and post the pump. A fault dictionary created using a mathematical model approach was used to differentiate between the pre and post pump blockages and their degree of severities. [6] Use of modern signal processing techniques A review of modern signal processing techniques applicable to the analysis of signals whose frequency content is non-stationary has been studied in (R. Burnett, J.F. Watson*, S. Elder) [7]. Techniques like FFT (Fast Fourier Transform), STFT (Short-Time Fourier Transform) and Spectrogram have been discussed and compared using both test and actual data. Results are presented which identify the technique most appropriate for the task of fault detection in machine components under transient conditions [7]. A continuous wavelet transform (CWT) technique used for fault signal diagnosis in an internal combustion engine and its coolant system by using vibration signals has been studied by Wu Chen (2005) [8]. The advantages of using this technique for the characterization of transitory features of non-stationary signals have also been identified. Another journal contains a detailed study of the raw data obtained from physical machine parameters. It reviews the implementation of various modern signal processing and analysis techniques in time and frequency domain. Analysing signals in time domain for an initial analysis does not necessarily provide meaningful information due to background noise but transforming the signals into frequency domain provides detailed information. Further analysis shows how the vibration harmonics are linked to the identification of different types of machine faults. The harmonics within the signal categorising a component as faulty can be compared with the amplitude of those corresponding to components in a healthy condition to identify machines condition. [9] Aims of the project: The aims of the project are enumerated below: Study the characteristics and relevance of different modern signal processing techniques for the task of early fault detection in industrial machine components. Apply these modern signal processing techniques using Matlab to an archive of machine tool and water treatment plant signals obtained from the data acquisition system (DAS) and from a knowledge transfer program (KTP). Analyse these Matlab processed signals and identify the characteristics of the signal indicating a normal or faulty behaviour of the component under analysis. Chapter 2: Applications / Systems under study Wadkin V4-6 FMC: The Wadkin vertical machining centre was designed as a flexible manufacturing cell to perform operations on small to medium sized components. It comprises a fixed base, a single column, three axes of movements, an automatic tool changer, eight pallet loading stations and pallet transporter. Figure 2 shows a schematic of the machine tool centre. The Y-axis of the machine is formed by 4 hardened and ground steel slide-ways, which are fixed to the cast iron base of the machine. A table, which slides on low-friction strips can be moved to the left or right to form the X axis, by a motor. The Z-axis of the machine is formed by a cast iron column, which is bolted to the rear and upper surface of the base. This axis is moved and controlled in the same way as the X and Y axes. The head of the machine comprises the tool spindle, which is driven via a pair of pulleys, a belt and an electric motor. A tacho-generator attached to the motor is used to control the spindle speed. An encoder driven by a belt around the spindle is used to control the spindle position and orientation. Inside the spindle is a draw-bar with a spring (a stack of Belleville washers), which holds a tool in the spindle. A tool can be ejected from the spindle by activating a hydraulic cylinder above the spindle. This machining centre also consists of a tool transfer system and a 150 tool store is located to the right of the machine cell. The tool comprises 5 disks, attached to a vertical shaft, from which 30 tools can be hung. This shaft can be indexed to present a tool on each of the disk to the tool and horizontally between the spindle and the disks. On this mechanism is a pair of grippers, which holds a tool when being transport between the tool store and the spindle. [11] 2.1.1 Wadkin V4-6 Coolant system: Coolant systems are used in various application to pump liquids to cool and lubricate work pieces and cutting tools. The main objectives of the coolant system used for this application were to:- Prevent tool, work piece and machine components over heating. Increase tool life by reducing cutting forces. Improve surface finish Help clear swarf from the cutting area The cutter coolant system as shown in the schematic diagram Figure 1, comprises of two reservoirs each having a capacity of 39 litres located at either side of the machine base. The motor driven pump is controlled by means of a switch on the pendant control panel and can be switched off if coolant is not required for particular operations. The coolant pump motor on this machine cannot be switched on or off by means of programmed commands. Coolant is pumped via solenoid operated valves and a manually operated flow control/shut-off valve to the coolant outlets at the spindle nose. With the coolant pump motor running, coolant is turned on or off by SOV12 (flood coolant) and SOV51 (inducer coolant) which are energised or de-energised by programmed demands. Coolant flow is manually regulated by means of the flow control/shut-off tap located on the machine guard. Used cutter coolant drains back to the reservoirs where wire-mesh strainers prevent the ingress of large particles of swarf. A replaceable wire gauze filter is fitted to the pump inlet. The electrical system required to operate the pump motor and the two solenoids operated flow control valves comprises of three relays activated by command from the controller. These connect the flow control valve solenoids to the 110V AC supply and the pump motor to the 415V AC three phase supply. 2.1.2 Coolant systems component specifications: Table 1: Wadkin V4/6 Coolant systems component specifications Label as on diagram Component Description 1 Reservoir 2 tanks each of 39 litres capacity. Grating prevents ingress of large swarf 2 Filter Wire gauze filter attached to pump inlet 3 Pump / Motor Graham Precision pump, CPP 76. 3 phase AC motor, 2900 rpm, 1.1kw. Pump single stage peripheral impeller type. Maximum flow rate 11.6 lit/min. 4 Pressure relief valve Mechanical operated set at 4.8*10^5 N/m^2 5 Manual shut-off tap Manual tap 6 Flow control valves Solenoid operated Reason for analysing coolant pump signals: A large amount of data obtained from the Wadkin machine tool has already been grouped and processed into various charts and histograms for the ease of the analysis in previous research. The aim was to facilitate the research into machine tool condition monitoring system. Among the 160 recorded failures between a certain period of time, 84% fall within 18 pre-classified machine locations. Among these recorded failures coolant system being one of the 18 locations, ranks no. 3 in the failure frequency by machine location histogram [10]. Therefore applying modern signal processing techniques to these particular signals was considered to be a good approach to identify any faults within the component. Device(s) for acquiring signals: The raw data extracted from the coolant system were the pressure and flow signals. These signals were acquired by using flow and pressure transducers connected to the system and a data acquisition system was used to store these signals in a database for further analysis. The Kobold flow meters and switches types VKM have a spring-loaded float, which slides within a cylindrical measuring tube and has an integral orifice. This type of flow meter is a low cost flow meter and switch, which fully compensates for viscosity and to large extent for density even with very low flows. Wadkin V4/6 Spindle system: He hardened steel spindle is supported in the head casting by two pairs of pre-loaded angular contact bearings. The spindle is driven by a D.C. electric motor via fixed pulleys and a wide poly-vee belt, and has a speed range of 40-5000 rev / min. Figure 3 shows the schematic diagram of the spindle drive system. The analyses and modelling of this is very similar to the feed drive mechanism, however it does not include any linear movement and is subjected to a distributing torque proportional to cutting force components. [12] The spindle, which is fastened into the head of the machine tool, is shown in figure 9.1. It has two bearings at both the top and bottom of the shaft, together with seals to retain the grease either side of each set of bearings. On the top of the spindle is a pulley, which is driven via poly-vee belt ad a pulley attached to the spindle motor, which is shown in figure 9.2. To measure the speed of the spindle and its orientation at low speeds, an incremental encoder is positioned towards the side of the spindle. This is driven from a pulley fixed to the spindle, toothed belt and a pulley attached to the encoder as shown in figure 9.3. In figure 9.4 and exploded view of the drawbar, which is fitted into the spindle, is shown. It uses a stack of Billeville washers, which are used to draw a tool into the spindles taper. Reason for analysing spindle vibration signals: The bearings in the spindle system can fail fue to overload, misalignment, insufficient lubrication and assembly defects. Condition monitoring of these bearing is therefore very critical to the machining process. Spindle systems component specification: Device(s) for acquiring signals: The vibrations from main spindle bearings were measured by using two accelerometers mounted on the head of the machine tool as shown in figure 4. Two ENDEVCO model 5216-100 series piezoelectric accelerometers were used, which are designed specifically for vibration measurement in rugged environments of industrial machinery. These type of accelerometers have very wide dynamic range and an extremely low noise floor. [12] Data Acquisition System (DAS): A flexible and generically applicable data acquisition system has been developed at Cardiff University for the machine tool condition monitoring. This system can be viewed as a data logger associated to one or more sensors. Its flexibility allows the addition of any data logging software, hardware or sensor(s) to be linked for the analysis of different machine components when required. The DAS is controlled by a relational database management system (DBMS). The DMBS provides a user interface to specify the details of the condition monitoring tests to be performed [13]. 2.2 Water treatment plant (WRAP rig): 2.2.1 Background: The WRAP (Water and Resources Action Program) rig is a test rig set-up at Cardiff University used for research purposes. It is housed in a small container for it to be transported easily to plants or sites for demonstration purposes. The rig is designed to allow a direct performance comparison between two different types of filtration media. This rig was specifically used to demonstrate the performance of Recycled Glass Media (RGM) compared to the conventional filtration media such as sand. In previous research this rig has been used to process wash down water from a dairy production line while its sister rigs were used for different applications such as the removal of bio fouling and other wastes. The figure below shows the WRAP rig along with the individual constituents that make up the rig. Functionality of the rig: This explanation of the rig is based on the detailed piping and instrumentation diagram of the rig shown in figure x. The rig consists of four 6-staged impeller centrifugal pumps P1, P2, P3 and P4 as indicated in the diagram with P1 being disconnected as there was no external open reservoir in operation. Pumps P2 and P3 transfer unprocessed liquor to filters F1 and F2 from tank T1. This relationship / process can be altered using valves V8, V9 and V10 for operational flexibility if required. The two pneumatically actuated diaphragm valves V5A and V5B, which are controlled by the programmable logic controller (PLC) enables the flow to be selected from either the unprocessed effluent stream entering F1 or F2. The PID (Proportional Integral Derivative) loop also maintains the flow rate into each filter at a pre-programmed set point. The flow transmitters FT1 and FT2 were controlled to provide a 0-10V output to the invertors, which controlled pumps P2 and P3. This was achieved via the PID loop algorithm in the PLC. The analysis of this report only studies a small part of the WRAP rig, which is shown in figure x below. Two Cylon UC32.24 PLCs networked using a proprietary serial protocol controlled the system. These in turn were networked to a communications module, which contained a GSM modem and features two RS232 ports for connection to external devices. Chemwatch, Cylons proprietary SCADA system was used for three original operation of the rig. The system was configured to display two process mimic screens that showed real time values of the various sensor readings. A number of alarm and control screens were also present allowing a privileged operator to alter alarm thresholds, control parameters and manually override system components such as pumps. WRAP rig system components: Pump P3: Data acquisition system (KTP) Ball valves Flow transmitters

Argumentative Essay: The Appalling Lack of Gun Control in the United States :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

There is an appalling, despicable lack of gun control in the United States. In my opinion the manner in which the issue of gun control is approached in this country is bordering on criminal negligence in and of itself. The insanity surrounding this controversial issue is taking the Second Amendment to the Bill of Rights in the United States constitution way too far. I ask myself this question, could the Founding Fathers of this amazing country have possibly envisioned a world in which teenagers could casually walk into a classroom, pull out a loaded pistol and cold bloodily murder their teachers and fellow classmates? I think not. I would posit that these fine men, these symbols of American liberty and democracy would turn in their graves if they could see how their words, their intentions, were manipulated and grossly misinterpreted, to serve the purposes of those who pretend to be protecting the rights of their fellow American Citizens. On the contrary, it is my belief that t hey, the politicians, are recklessly endangering those whose rights they claim to be protecting. The Government needs to take a hard, honest look at the tragic loss of life that occurs in this country due to gun shootings, both intentional and accidental. The government needs to assume responsibility for this outrageous situation and realize that gun control in the United States needs to be Federally regulated, sooner rather than later. Wherein lies the difficulty in subjecting citizens to more stringent gun control measures? What possible reasons could politicians have for opposing safety measures such as the mandatory registration of firearms, five day waiting periods, gun licensing for owners, permits to purchase and permits to carry guns as well as mandatory background checks? If you want to carry a firearm, I feel that all of the afore mentioned requirements, at the very least, should be instituted in every single state. For heavens sake, it is more difficult to enroll your child in school than it is to buy and own a gun in this country. Does that seem logical? Not to me. The reason being that as this controversy plays out, as the NRA (National Rifle Association), the various politicians and the many interest groups squabble aimlessly back and forth with each other, more innocent people are losing their lives everyday, no in fact, every minute!

My Dream, My future Essay

â€Å"Live Your Values, Pursue Your Dreams, And Follow Your Passions†. This really implies the true ways we must do to have the best future life we could possibly have. Seeing through around the earth, we will find all kinds of people exist in the world. I think why those people are different from each other might be a difficult task to study—–which factor influences and drives them different. It is lucky that I am the one among them so I know that mine is my dream. Over my life time I would like to achieve many things but there are three main things I would like to accomplish: to be a triumphant person, help my loving parents and most especially to serve my fellows. I have been exhilarating by my dream, from the day I knew why I came into the world to so far and even in future, which is making me different from others. It is a goal, an aim, a direction for my life. It is not strange from outside, but from inside. Read more: Future plans essay It is to be an engineer. At first, I could hardly decide what I want to be in the future because there are so many choices painted in my mind. But at this time, I am at the crossroads where I have to make decisions, specifically at my choice of course in the college and at the same time, my profession. With all the sacrifices and eschews that my parents are exerting just to send me in school, I don’t have reasons not to give my bests all the time. This is my second dream. At that time, I have my job and I have something to make them feel so proud of me, I would like to give them the best life. I would like to make them feel comfortable and see sweet smiles in their faces. This is really the one I like to achieve in my life, mountains of words can’t explain how much I love and appreciate them. With all of my knowledge and values learned, I would like to share these to my fellows especially to those youths, in the future, by serving them with unconditional, whole-hearted and without any ambiguity or doubts. This really shows our compassion and charitable heart for others. Simple dreams of mine for others but worth living reasons for me. I, together with my parents, have a simple means of living; but because of firm determination, strong faith in GOD, good values and virtues I assure that we will have the bests of life in the future not because of the luxuries but the richness of love, compassion for people and passion for God. These are my dreams, my inspiration which I have to work on for the future.

Impact of power and politics in organisations Essay

More than 40 years ago, Harold Lasswell (1936) defined politics as â€Å"the study of who gets what, when and how†. Certainly who gets what, when, and how are issues of fundamental importance in understanding formal organizations. Nevertheless, organizational politics and power are both topics which are made conspicuous by their absence in management and organization literature. Therefore, power and politics in an organization can now be defined as the management of influence to obtain ends not sanctioned ends through non-sanctioned influence means. The issue of whether or not organizational politics negatively impacts performance requires a specification of the dimensions that are to be used in evaluating organizational performance. For our purposes, performance in an organization refers to any of the standard indicators of organizational well-being, including profit in the case of a business firms and the ability to get projects completed and within budget with respect to non-profit organizations. Making organizations more innovative, responsive and responsible requires focusing on a number of leadership, power and influence issues. These issues are critical in coping with the strategic environmental with all its characteristics and strategic leader performance in that environment. The issues influence developing teams at the strategic level as well as managing organizational processes linked to values and ethnics, organizational culture, visioning and the management of change, such issues include; †¢ Implementing strategic or adaptive change in the face of formidable resistance. †¢ Fostering entrepreneurial and creative behaviour despite strong opposition. †¢ Gaining resources and support from bosses whose personal agenda might include organizational harmful political games. †¢ Avoiding destructive adversarial relationships with others whose help and cooperation are paramount to your success, but who are outside your chain of command and your direct control. †¢ Building and developing an effective teams in an internal environment where the natural tendency is to conflict with each other. †¢ Fostering organizational excellence, innovation and creativity, and not getting mired in bureaucratic politics or dysfunctional power conflicts. For most leaders in an organization, the key to successful implementing organizational change and improving long term performance rests with the leader’s skill in knowing how to make power dynamics work for the organizational, instead of against it. In John Gardner’s power in organization’s he wrote about leadership and power in organizations, notes, â€Å"of course leaders are preoccupied with power! The significant questions are: what means do they use to gain it? How much do they exercise it? † To what ends do they exercise it? He further states, â€Å"Power is the basic energy needed to intimate and sustain action or, to put it another way, the capacity to translate intention into reality and sustain it†. Power is the opportunity to build, to create, to nudge history in a different direction. The concept of organizational politic can be linked to Harold Lasswell’s (1936) where politics involves the exercise of power to get something done, as well as to enhance and protect the vested interests of individuals or groups. Thus, the use of organizational politics suggests that political activity is used to overcome resistance and implies a conscious effort to organize activity to challenge opposition in a priority decision situation. Because of scarce resources and enduring differences, conflict is central to organizational dynamics and power is the most important resource. Conflict is more likely in under bounded systems (less regulation and control) in an over bounded system with power concentrated to the top. Jeffories makes the point that organizations play the political game within the broader governmental context, but these individuals also play politics within organizations. And power is key in both cases, because it confers the ability both to allocate resources- in itself a way to increase power and to consolidate power by bringing others with similar goals and objectives into the inner decision making core. Drummond, Helga asserted that organization diversity, interdependence, resource scarcity, and power dynamics will inevitably generate political forces regardless of the players. Organizational politics cannot be eliminated or fantasized away. Leaders with s healthy power motive can learn to understand and manage political processes in the organization. Power in an organization is attractive because it confers the ability to influence decisions, about who gets want resources, what goals are pursued, what philosophy the organization adopts, and power also gives a sense of control over outcomes and may in fact convey such enhance control. In conclusion, the impact of politics and power cannot be over emphasized because it is the only means through which an organization can achieve it goals and objectives without being too personal. SOURCES 1. Drummond, Helga (2000): introduction to Organizational Business. 2.Allen, R. W, & Porter, L. W. : Organizational politics and its effects on members. 3. Harold Lasswell: Organizational politics and its effects on members. Organizational behaviour 4. David K. Banner: Designing effective organisations 5. Stephen Robbins: The Truth about Managing People and Nothing but the Truth. 6. Willie E. Hopkins: Aligning organizational subcultures for competitive advantage 7. Mishane and Von Glinow: Organisational behaviour 8. Kreitner and Kinicki: Organizational behaviour 9. Stephen J. Zaccaro: The Nature of Organizational Leadership.

Breast Cancer Essays

Breast Cancer Essays Breast Cancer Paper Breast Cancer Paper The article ‘DDT and breast cancer in young women: new data on the significance of age at exposure’ is a study conducted by Barbara A. Cohn, Mary S. Wolff, Piera M. Cirillo and Robert I. Sholtz. This study sought to identify whether exposing young women to DDT when the DDT is at peak is likely to result to development of breast cancer. Cohn et al (2007) conducted this study prospectively using a nested-control approach. The sample constituted of women who were participating in the Child Health and Development Studies (CDHS) in Oakland, California. These women were members of the Kaiser Permanente Health Plan and had gone for obstetric services between 1959 and 1967 (this time spans the period prior to banning of DDT use and a period when DDT use was very high). Selection of the subjects adhered to ethical guidelines including informed participant’s consent as required of human participants in research studies. To identify breast cancer cases, the authors of this study, the California Cancer registry and California Vital Status Records were referred and 133 cases of breast cancer patients or person who died of breast cancer prior to reaching the age of 50 years were identified for the study. After assaying blood samples collected from the women within three days after giving birth, it was identified that 129 cases had breast cancer prior to reaching the age of 50 years. By selecting 129 controls who matched with the birth years of the cases, serum assays for p. p’DDT showed that women who were born after 1931 had a 5 times likelihood of developing breast cancer and at the time when DDT use was at peak, the girls were usually aged below 20 years. No relationship between DDT exposure and breast cancer for women who were never exposed to breast cancer prior to 14 years of age. Pamela C. Regan and Ramani S. Durvasula conducted a study titled: predictors of breast cancer screening in Asian and Latina university students. This study involved 240 Asians (165 Latinas and 75 Asians) and Latina women aged 18 years and over. The women were recruited from a university in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area. The authors of the study had the study approved by necessary ethical committees as required of human participant studies including participant’s informed consent. Using questionnaires, the authors of this study assessed the subjects’ household income, ethnicity, and age as demographic measures. The subjects also responded to questions that sought health-related beliefs more so concerning breast cancer screening. Other important measures included sexual experience, cancer knowledge, family history of cancer, acculturation and breast cancer screening behavior. Using regression analyses, Regan and Durvasula (2008) are able to predict whether Latino and Asian university students are likely to have breast cancer screening. In the article ‘advancing social workers responsiveness to health disparities: the case of breast cancer screening’ is authored by Mary Alpeter, James Mitchell and Joan Pennell. This takes a descriptive and an exploratory approach. The sample for the 4-year prospective study was selected using a probability sampling method thus recruiting 1,046 women participants aged 18 years and above who had no symptoms of breast cancer. The sample was made of white and African American women only from eastern North Carolina in two rural counties. By the end of the 4-year project, there were only 853 respondents. Several predictor variables were used to determine the likelihood of women seeking breast cancer screening. These included age, cultural beliefs and social economic status among others. Using regression analyses, Alpeter, Mitchell and Pennell (2005) were able to predict the likelihood of women in the study seeking breast cancer screening as well as breast cancer awareness. From the three studies, the first study by Cohn et al (2007) is more reliable and valid since it is a primary research and is more experimental than predictive. The study follows all the ethical procedures required when dealing with human participants in research. Furthermore, the prospective nature of the study makes the results appear more valid. The third study by Alpeter, Mitchell and Pennell (2005) is questionable since there is no evidence of consent obtained from the subjects or adherence to ethical guidelines. Furthermore, it is of secondary nature and heavily relies on literature rather than actual findings. References Alpeter, M. , Mitchell, J. and Pennell, J. (2005). Advancing social workers responsiveness to health disparities: the case of breast cancer screening. Health and Social Work, 30(3): 221+. Web. 15, July 2010. Questia. com. Cohn, B. A. , Wolff, M. S. , Cirillo, P. M. and Sholtz, R. I. (2007). DDT and breast cancer in young women: new data on the significance of age at exposure. Environmental Health Perspectives, 115(3): 201+. Web. 15, July 2010. Questia. com. Regan, P. and Durvasula, R. S. (2008). Predictors of breast cancer screening in Asian and Latina university students. College Student Journal, 42(4): 1152+. Web. 15, July 2010. Questia. com.

Humanitarian Emergencies and role of Public Health Professional Research Paper

Humanitarian Emergencies and role of Public Health Professional - Research Paper Example Public health concepts like preventing the affected people from disease, treating injuries and wounds to prevent further complications provide health education to the people at war or without peace, application of hygienic measures and observing the environmental hazards (Ciottone, 2006). In Darfur, it is vital for the Sudanese under distress to cope up with some vital public health requirements. These public health requirements include access to clean water, treatment of injuries, disease or any other mental or physical health conditions. Public health concepts focus on improving and maintaining safe standards of public health. The emphasis of public health intrusion is solely to improve the conditions of a region under attack both politically and health wise. It aims to achieve public health through educating the public on what to do in case of such emergencies, provision of life necessities like access to clean water, medicine, treatment, vaccination and circulation of condoms to protect and control the blowout of sexually transmitted diseases (Veenema, 2013). The application of these concepts in complex humanitarian infested zones helps to save the life of innocent kids, mothers and even the unborn children. This is only possible if the government and non-governmental organizations responsible for these responses are fully equipped. Public health professionals in international health provide learners with knowledge and skills necessary to participate effectively in the exercising of international health, both in their own land and at the international based health organizations. Demonstrating skills and mastering in the program and proper management, can be designed and implemented by health programs for the purposes of curbing their budget whether small, middle-income or independent country setting. Applying a multidisciplinary tactic to examine the health structures and institutions encompassed in financing and provision, brings a

Case 15.1 Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

15.1 - Case Study Example n their locality and apart from a place to work out it also lets them socialize with local community people, saves time and cost of traveling because if the gym is located far and customers need to drive long to reach the place, they lose motivation for fitness fast. Also that they can use their membership in any of the Snap Fitness centers makes it more convenient for them to work out wherever they are be it office or home or any other place and do not have to skip working out because of location. In today’s stressful society convenience is given utmost priority by customers in choosing a service or product. However I do not think this is the only advantage Snap Fitness is offering its members, its affordable membership and no contracts only monthly membership fees and easy manage franchises also add to its appeal to both members as well as franchisees and give a competitive edge over its rivals. For Snap Fitness the most appropriate Franchise system would be the Business Format Franchise, because it is a service they are selling and Snap Fitness has a unique business model for both its franchisees and its members. In this format Snap Fitness needs to provide Franchisee with its unique business formula, training, advertising, equipment and other assistance. It can use an area franchise agreement that allows the franchisee in a geographical area to own and operate a given number of franchises that is Snap Fitness centers (Barringer and Ireland, 516). In its franchisees, the characteristics Snap Fitness is looking for are that Franchisees are able to deliver its members its unique business model, must be able to handle billing and collecting processes, Franchisees should be able to maintain the company’s lean business model and have financial net worth of $250, 000 and $500,000 in Liquid assets and that Franchisees are able to deliver on the â€Å"must haves† list prepared by Pete Taunton. As the business requires normal working hours and can be managed

Wireless Technology in Hotels Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Wireless Technology in Hotels - Assignment Example Later, we discover the importance of mobility and came up with a "wireless" network. Now, everybody is taking about "wireless" and we cannot help thinking of Wi-Fi, the marvel of wireless. This report details the technical aspects of Wi-Fi and its advantages over the conventional wired networks. It presents the evolution of Wi-Fi from a humble mobile device tool into a sought after device for high-speed wireless internet access. It shows the unique qualities of Wi-Fi that captures the heart of businesses around the globe and how it became so popular in the hospitality industry. It also covers the impact of wireless technology in hotels and the numerous benefits it will bring. In the past decades, the hospitality industry has witness remarkable rise in computer use. It is difficult to find an establishment in the industry without some type of information technology. IT influenced the hotels in various ways, increasing competence and reducing domestic operations cost through efficient property management systems, billing, accounting, human resources, inventories and more. It is no doubt an important tool for marketing and dissemination through the internet and digital media. It is the significant force driving change in hospitality industry and its occurring more quickly than anyone can foresee. Moreover, it has widely influence the in-room technology and gu... It seems that any hotel that does not acknowledge the vibrant nature of the hospitality industry, and appreciate the extraordinary changes taking place within it, will have a modest chance of being competitive in the 21st century. A hotel room with stunning view and high-speed broadband services are now becoming a standard request from travellers. It is an indication that the technology is already a part of the hotel industry and an essential service to implement in order to be competitive in the present industry setting. A "must have" amenity for mid-size to large hotels is the innovative technology known as Wi-Fi. It enables a person with a wireless enabled computer to connect to the internet remotely with greater transfer speed. Many hotels are now offering Wi-Fi access free as part of their standard services and are making money from this cutting-edge technology through soaring occupancy rates. THE WI-FI TECHNOLOGY Lucent and Agere Systems (formerly NCR Corporation and AT&T) with Victor Hayes invented Wi-Fi in 1991. Victor Hayes and his team design the standards such as IEEE 802.11b, 802.11a and 802.11g and later he became the father of Wi-Fi. The Agere System, without Hayes (retired in 2003), suffered strong competition from cheaper Wi-Fi solutions and later quit the Wi-Fi market in 2004. The term Wi-Fi for clarification, is not "Wireless Fidelity" but a term to described WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) products that are based on the IEEE 802.11 standards. The Interbrand Corporation developed the brand name "Wi-Fi" for the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (better known as Wi-Fi Alliance) for their marketing strategy. Audeh 2004, page

Sociology Functionalist Essay Example for Free

Sociology Functionalist Essay â€Å"Assess the Functionalist view that religion benefits both society as a whole and it’s individual members. † According to research carried out by sociologists, almost 90% of the world population follow a religion. There are numerous theories that attempt to explain the role of religion in our lives. The Functionalist outlook is a consensus perspective that sees religion performing positive functions for society as a whole and on an individual level. On the other hand, Marxism and Feminism offer conflicting perspectives that highlight the ideological function of religion. Marxists see religion as exploiting the proletariats and creating false consciousness. Feminists see religion as an instrument of patriarchy. This paper will attempt to assess the Functionalist claim that religion benefits both society and the individual. In any attempt to reach a considered view the arguments proposed by each theory will be reviewed. The approach will therefore remain analytical, critical and at all times engaged. Functionalists believe that society is a system of interrelated parts or social institutions, such as religion, the family and the economy. According to them society functions because of the existence of value consensus, that is, sets of norms and values by which society’s members live. Functionalists emphasise the social nature of religion and the positive functions it performs. For functionalists, religious institutions play a central part in creating and maintaining the value consensus, social order and solidarity. Emile Durkheim was the first functionalist to develop this idea. For Durkheim the key feature of religion was not a belief in God, spirits or the metaphysical, but he argues that religion provides a distinction between the sacred and the profane. Religion is more than just simply a set of beliefs; it involves rituals in relation to the sacred. These sacred things evoke such powerful feelings, which lead Durkheim to believe that something this powerful can only be society itself, which clearly suggests that religion is in fact less valuable than society. Durkheim believed that the essence of all religion could be found by studying its simplest form, in the simplest type of society. For this reason he used studies of an Australian Aboriginal tribe, with a clan system. For Durkheim when clan members worship their totemic animal, they are in fact worshipping society. He states that the totem inspires feelings of awe in the clan members precisely because it represents the power of the group on which the individual is dependent. Malinowski agrees with Durkheim that religion provides solidarity, however in his view it does so by performing psychological functions for the individuals. Malinowski identifies two situations in which religion performs its role. These are; when the outcome is important but is uncontrollable and therefore uncertain, and secondly at times of life crises. He uses his study of the Trobriand islanders to explain how religion performs its role. In his study he contrasts fishing in the lagoon and ocean fishing. Fishing in the lagoon involves no rituals because the method is easy and the outcome is predictable. However, ocean fishing is dangerous and the outcome is uncertain, this uncertainty promotes rituals, which are performed to ensure a safe a successful expedition. In this context, rituals provide the people with a sense of control which eases the psychological tensions and gives them confidence. Similarly, Talcott Parsons sees religion as a means to allow individuals to cope with unforeseen events and uncontrollable outcomes. However he puts forward two essential functions performed in modern society. This includes creating and legitimising society’s central values and making of the primary source of meaning. Quintessentially, for Parsons then, the function of religion is an instrument of law making. Karl Marx brings forth a differing perspective to the abovementioned. For Marx religion operates as an ideological weapon used by the bourgeoisie (that is the upper class in society) to legitimate the suffering of the poor as something inevitable and God-given. Religion misleads the poor into believing that their suffering is virtuous and that they will be favoured in the afterlife. Marxists believe that religion acts as an opiate to dull the pain of exploitation by masking its pain rather than treating its cause. Therefore, religion masks the underlying problem of exploitation that creates the need for it. However he ignores the positive functions of religion as functionalists suggest such as, psychological adjustment to misfortune. Unlike functionalists who see society as based on harmonious consensus, Marxists see all societies as divided into two classes. In modern capitalist societies, the upper classes that own the means of production exploit the proletariats. Whereas functionalists see religion as a unifying force that strengthens the value consensus. Marx predicts that the proletariats would become conscious of their exploitation and unite to overthrow capitalism. As such there will be no need for religion in a classless society and it will disappear. This view is a direct contrast with functionalists, as they believe that religion is a crucial part in society in terms of maintaining social solidarity and social integration. While, Marxists see religion as playing a crucial part in maintaining the status quo. On the other hand, Feminists take a totally different perspective on the function of religion in terms of benefiting both societies and individual members. For Feminists religion is patriarchal and an ideology that legitimises female subordination. Although the formal teachings of religion often stress the equality between sexes, there is still a considerable amount of patriarchy within many of them, such as women’s participation being restricted, for example not being allowed to preach or to read from sacred texts. In the same way, taboos that regard menstruation, pregnancy and childbirth as polluting may also prevent participation. Furthermore, religious laws and customs may give women fewer rights than men for example in access to divorce, how many spouses they can marry, decision making, dress codes et cetera. Religious influences on cultural norms can also lead to unequal treatment such as, genital mutilation or punishments for sexual transgressions. This contrasts with the functionalist definition that defines religion in terms of the contribution it makes to social integration. This definition proves problematic for feminists who argue the restrictions imposed on women’s participation in religious organisations, do not consent with such functionalist claims. In effect, divisions in society based on gender, for example regarding menstruation or pregnant women as taboos, break social integration. According to Durkheim the fact that sacred things evoke such powerful feelings in believers indicate to Durkheim that this is because they are symbols representing something of great power. However, feminists argue that sacred texts largely feature the doing of male prophets and are usually written and interpreted by men. This has the effect of dividing society by gender and causing conflict between the two. In conclusion, functionalism is a consensus perspective that sees religion performing positive functions for society and individuals, providing a moral framework for society, providing identity as well as providing individuals with buoyancy in times of uncertainty and misfortune. In contrast to functionalist theory, Marxism and feminism offer conflicting perspectives, which highlight the ideological functions of religion. Marxists see religion as exploiting the proletariat and creating false consciousness. Feminists see religion as an instrument of patriarchy. Each theory posits valuable arguments and insight into the role of religion.