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Mass Media And Its Effects On Children - 1631 Words

Mass media is part of the average persons everyday life, from morning to night; modern society absorbs and consumes it constantly. Adults are aware of it and see the media, as advertisements on television, the latest blockbuster at the theaters or the trendy new clothing. Children are not free from it either; they to are exposed to the medias imagery and ideals maybe more than adults are. Parents may not pay close attention to the media their children are exposed to; adults may think they are just harmless children’s toys or games. From the time they wake up and they pour themselves a bowl of brand name cereal, to the time they are put in bed with their stuff animal or toy, they are in the presence of some sort of media and its imagery.†¦show more content†¦Parents might think that the idea of their 5-year-old girl dieting as too farfetched, but that same thin ideal is already being pushed on them. In fact, children who watch hours of television a day are exposed to dieting, and may see it as a part of growing up. â€Å"Heavier-viewing children may glamorize dieting and view it as a way of ‘playing grown-up’ before they begin to diet with the intention of meeting an internalized body ideal.† (Harrison et al) Children are very receptive to these images, they may see dieting as just a grown up thing now, but later on may see it as a necessary part of growing up. If children can catch on to things like that, then they can certainty catch on to things like the thin ideal. An experiment was done where preschool aged girls were given a choice between playing with three different game pieces, a fat one, a normal one, and a thin game piece; this was what the researchers discovered. â€Å"Preschool girls between the ages of 3 and 5 attribute more negative adjectives to fat targets and more positive adjectives to thin targets. In addition, preschool girls were less likely to select a fat target as their playmate or best friend and m ore likely to select a thin target asShow MoreRelatedMass Media And Its Effect On Children1363 Words   |  6 PagesIn today’s society Mass Media portrays gender roles in a negative way as well as the educational systems for both males and females. Mass media is defined â€Å"as any of the means of communication such as television, newspapers that reach to large amount of people†. (Dictionary.com, 2015). Today’s educational system, mass media reaches out to large amount of people such as the students. In schools, the mass media shows more negativity to gender roles than positivity, for example males would be portrayedRead MoreMass Media And Its Effect On Children1668 Words   |  7 Pagesadvance and increase usage of mass media. The mass media parent the children of today. Consequently, radio, video games, television, movies, videos, phones, and social networks play a significant role in their upbringing. For, they assist in influencing a child’s values, beliefs, and behaviors. Children rather unconsciously heed and imitate the images exhibited, for example, in television, they learn the appropriate way to comport and one’s countenance. Electronic mass media, in particular, contains anRead MoreEffects of Television as Mass Media on Children of 10 Years1893 Words   |  8 Pagescom/component/k2/item/11170-effect-of-mass-media-on-children.html Thursday, 01 November 2012 12:27 Effect of Mass Media on ChildrenFeatured Written by  Ã‚  customwritingtips.com Introduction Mass media is a collective term that refers to all the media technologies whose sole intention is reaching a vast audience through mass communication. There are two major categories of mass media, which are, broadcast media and print media. Transmission of information by broadcast media is via electronic meansRead MoreEssay on Mass Media Society1080 Words   |  5 PagesImpact of Mass Media on Individuals, Society, and Culture Mass media, over the years, has had a profound effect on American society, on its culture, and on the individuals exposed to the media. Mass media is a form of socialization, having a long-term effect on each member of American society. While mass media targets the individual in short-term intervals, the overall influence on them has been established as the consumer moves from one impressionable age category to another. The long or short-Read MoreEssay about Impact of Mass Media on Individuals, Society, and Culture1178 Words   |  5 PagesImpact of Mass Media on Individuals, Society, and Culture Mass media, over the years, has had a profound effect on American society, on its culture, and on the individuals exposed to the media. Mass media is a form of socialization, having a long-term effect on each member of American society. While mass media targets the individual in short-term intervals, the overall influence on them has been established as the consumer moves from one impressionable age category to another. The long or short-Read MoreMass Media as an Agent of Socialisation1747 Words   |  7 PagesMass media as an agent of Socializations According to the reading, â€Å"Socialization and Culture† from the book â€Å"Interdisciplinary English† by Loretta F. Kasper, Socialization is the process in which a child learns how to behave in life and participate in a group in society. Socialization has four basic/main agents: family, school, peers and the mass media. Each one of these agents plays a role in our lives. However, in my opinion, the most important agent of socialization for the development of theRead MoreBad Influence of Mass Media on Kids1499 Words   |  6 Pagesfewer hours with their children. As a result, outside influences have greater access and influence over our children than ever before. The internet and the media are bringing the outside world into your home; your childs peers; the influences on children from movies and the music they listen to are growing in importance and influence every day, the negative effects of television violence to children, negative effects marijuana, cigarettesRead MoreMass Media Communication1719 Words   |  7 PagesDefinition Mass media is a media intended for a large audience. It may take the form of broadcast media, as in the case of television and radio, or print media, like newspapers and magazines. Internet media can also attain mass media status, and many media outlets maintain a web presence to take advantage of the ready availability of Internet in many regions of the world. Some people also refer to it as the â€Å"mainstream media,† referencing the fact that it tends to stick to prominent stories whichRead MoreThe Impact Of Mass Media On Youth And Society1378 Words   |  6 PagesThe Impact of Mass Media on the Youth and Society Nowadays, the issue of mass media has caused much debate in the modern society, as well as mass media is becoming more important as a component that negatively affects the behavior of young people. There are many other factors, such as micro-environment, economic instability, the decline of moral values affecting children and young people and encourage them to commit unlawful acts. However, unlimited access to the Internet, mobile phone use in theRead MoreMedia Violence And Its Effect On Society1184 Words   |  5 PagesIn recent years, many scholars have begun to examine the negative effects of media violence. There is a debate on whether negative effects directly derive from media violence. Because media violence has been proven to have a negative effect on society, this essay will argue that there needs to be more censorship on media violence. I will first examine the influence media violence has on mass shootings. Next I will discuss a study relating to dating violence, certain movies and shows encourage dating

Project Planning And Control Of Techniques - MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Project Planning And Control Of Techniques. Answer: Introduction This report is intended for Brisbane Multi-Faith Temple which is a charitable organisation that provides service to patrons to make payment via bank transfer to the temple trust account. In context to this patrons can get free of cost food during lunch time at the temple site. However, the existing process of preparing food and maintaining records of patrons as well as transactions is manual. Hence, this report is focused on developing an information system for the organization to make the business process easier for operation. The main objective of this report is to analyze the functional and non-functional requirements of the system to be developed along with analyzing the costs and benefits associated with the project. Further, this report also provides a plan for development of the information system. Approach to Systems Development Proposed approach for developing the information system The approach that will be followed for developing the information system is JAD (Joint Application Development) that accelerates the process for developing technological solutions. This approach uses involvement of customers along with group dynamics to view of users perspective to business need for developing a solution. Selected approach for systems development The selected approach for system development is suitable compared to the traditional approaches as it offers faster development time along with satisfaction of client as they are involved throughout the entire process of development. In this approach, the system requirements are being investigated by the developer along with taking input from client with the help of interviews. Systems Requirements Functional requirements The functional requirements for the system to be developed are identified as below: Donation of money online, sponsoring of specific events or creation of scholarships by patrons. Automatic email generation for thanking the patrons for their contribution. Storing information about contribution under specific client data. Automated processing of order for food products. Registration: The patrons should register as a member for accessing the system. Authentication: There will be valid username and password for different users of the system. Levels of Authorization: Different users will use the system for different purposes so there will be different levels of access to data according to the roles of user. Non-functional requirements The non-functional requirements being identified for the system are listed as below: Reduction is costs for staffs. Saving the wastage of food. Increasing the overall savings. Reduction in maintenance costs. Project Cost /Benefit Analysis The cost benefit analysis is considered as a procedure to estimate the associated costs along with possible profits that will be achieved from the project. This analysis considers both quantitative as well as qualitative factors to analyze the value for money in context to a particular project. The ratio of costs and benefits along with other indicators is used to conduct this analysis. Figure 1: Cost benefit analysis table Project Schedule Figure 1: Work Breakdown Structure for the project The Work Breakdown Structure defines the work packages that will be executed for successful completion of the project. It provides an overview of the activities that are required for development of the information system. The Work Breakdown Structure offers hierarchical decomposition of the project into various phases along with deliverables as well as work packages. According to Kerzner (2017), it is an essential element so that a project can be carried out successfully according to requirement of the client. Figure 2: Project Schedule and Gantt chart The project schedule lists the various activities that are required for the project along with the duration for completion of a particular activity (Burke 2013). The project schedule is essential for completion of the project within the estimated time and budget. It also ensures that the objectives are met to meet the requirements of client. The schedule is reasonable in terms of the duration that has been estimated for completing development of the new information system. The schedule that has been prepared for the project takes into account the various essential activities that are required to develop an information system. The schedule also illustrates that enough time as well as resource have been allocated for each and every activity required to accomplish the project. System Information Requirement Investigation Techniques Stakeholders Stakeholder Description Project Sponsor This person is responsible for providing financial support to execute the project. Business Analyst This person has the responsibility to analyze the decisions and make proper implementation to enhance the business processes. Project Manager This person is responsible for entire execution of the project stating from planning to closure phase in developing the information system. System Analyst This person has the responsibility to analyze the functional and non-functional requirements of the system in context to the requirements of the client. Developer This person is responsible for developing the whole information system and ensure proper working of the system. Database Developer This person will be responsible for developing the database required as backend to support the information system. Technical Support This person will perform the necessary actions as and when required to support the Developer, Database Developer as well as System Analyst. Investigation techniques The three investigation techniques that are considered useful for this particular project are listed as below: Interview with users and stakeholders: This investigation technique involves interviewing the users of current system or the stakeholders that are associated with the existing system. Distribution and collection of questionnaires: This technique comprises of preparing a questionnaire with closed ended questions to acquire information about the present system. This technique is helpful in achieving accurate results so as to identify the requirements. Review of inputs, outputs and documentation: In this technique, the inputs as well as outputs of the existing system are reviewed. Further, this technique also focuses on analyzing the documentation that is available for existing system. The above mentioned investigation techniques for analyzing the requirements is suitable as those help to understand the requirements clearly that have to be fulfilled by the new system. The mentioned techniques also provides an in depth knowledge on the process that is being followed by the existing system. Reflections and Conclusions This project can be accomplished successfully by following the project plan that has been developed and illustrated as schedule for the project. This project will prove to be beneficial for Brisbane Multi-Faith Temple as it will eliminate the existing issues within the organization. The work breakdown structure that has been prepared has a significant role to achieve success of the project. The cost benefit analysis being conducted on the project represents that it will be beneficial in terms of the return on investment that will be achieved from the project. From the analysis, it has been achieved that the return on investment can be gained within a period of 3.78 years. This project will help to reduce the various additional costs that are incurred due to manual processing of business functions within the organization. References Burke, R., 2013. Project management: planning and control techniques.New Jersey, USA. Cicmil, S., Cooke-Davies, T., Crawford, L. and Richardson, K., 2017, April. Exploring the complexity of projects: Implications of complexity theory for project management practice. Project Management Institute. Crawford, J.K., 2014. Project management maturity model. CRC Press. Joslin, R. and Mller, R., 2015. Relationships between a project management methodology and project success in different project governance contexts.International Journal of Project Management,33(6), pp.1377-1392. Kerzner, H., 2013.Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley Sons. Kerzner, H., 2017.Project management metrics, KPIs, and dashboards: a guide to measuring and monitoring project performance. John Wiley Sons. Larson, E.W. and Gray, C., 2013.Project Management: The Managerial Process with MS Project. McGraw-Hill. Martinelli, R.J. and Milosevic, D.Z., 2016.Project management toolbox: tools and techniques for the practicing project manager. John Wiley Sons. Mir, F.A. and Pinnington, A.H., 2014. Exploring the value of project management: linking project management performance and project success.International journal of project management,32(2), pp.202-217. Schwalbe, K., 2015.Information technology project management. Cengage Learning. Todorovi?, M.L., Petrovi?, D.?., Mihi?, M.M., Obradovi?, V.L. and Bushuyev, S.D., 2015. Project success analysis framework: A knowledge-based approach in project management.International Journal of Project Management,33(4), pp.772-783. Turner, R., 2016.Gower handbook of project management. Routledge.

Y2k (2431 words) Essay Example For Students

Y2k (2431 words) Essay Y2kLess than two years until the year 2000. Two seemingly small digits may turn January 1, 2000 from a worldwide celebration into a universal nightmare. With computers mistaking the year 2000 for 1900, virtually all businesses that use dates will be affected. Not only will the companies be affected, but they are paying millions upon millions of dollars in order for computers to recognize the difference between the years 2000 and 1900. The year 2000 computer bug is a huge problem that our world must face. In order to explain how to solve the millennium bug, it is a good idea to be informed about exactly what the year 2000 problem is. The year 2000 industry expert, Peter de Jager, described the problem quite well. We programmed computers to store the date in the following format: dd/mm/yy. This only allows 2 digits for the year. January 1, 2000 would be stored as 01/01/00. But the computer will interpret this as January 1, 1900- not 2000 (de Jager 1). The 19 is hard-coded into computer hardware and software. Since there are only 2 physical spaces for the year in this date format, after 99, the only logical choice is to reset the number to 00. We will write a custom essay on Y2k (2431 words) specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The year 2000 problem is unlike any other problem in modern history for several reasons. William Adams points out some of the most important ones. Time is running out- the Year 2000 is inevitable! The problem will occur simultaneously worldwide, time zones withstanding. It affects all languages and platforms, hardware software. The demand for solutions will exceed the supply. Survivors will survive big, losers will lose big. There is no silver bullet that is going to fix things (Adams 2). It is too big and too overwhelming even for Microsoft (Widder 3). Separate, any one of these points makes Y2K, a common abbreviation for the year 2000 problem, an addition to the obstacle. Combined, they form what seems more like a hideous monster than an insignificant bug. The impact of Y2K on society is enormous, bringing the largest companies in the world to their knees, pleading for a fix at nearly any cost. The modern world has come to depend on information as much as it has on electricity and running water. Fixing the problem is difficult because there are two years left to correct 40 years of behavior (de Jager 1). Alan Greenspan has warned that being 99 percent ready isnt enough (Widder 2). Chief Economist Edward Yardeni has said that the chances for a worldwide recession to occur because of Y2K are at 40% (Widder 3). Senator Bob Benett (Republican, Utah) made a good analogy about the potential of the problem. In the 1970s, oil was the energy that ran our world economy. Today it runs on the energy of information. He later said, To cripple the technological flow of information throughout the world is to bring it to a virtual standstill (Widder 3). The potential of the problem in everyday life is alarming. Imagine making a loan payment in 1999 for a bill that is due in 2000. The companys computers could interpret the 00 as 1900 and you would then be charged with 99 years of late fees (Moffitt ; Sandler 48). If the year 2000 problem isnt solved, there could be no air traffic, traffic lights, no lights in your company, companies could not produce goods, no goods delivered to the stores, stores could not send you bills, you could not send bills to anyone else. Business come to a halt (de Jager 1). The costs of fixing Y2K are staggering. The Gartner Group estimates that costs per line of code to be between $1.50 and $2.00 (Conner 1). It is not uncommon for a single company to have 100,000,000 lines of code (de Jager 6). Capers Jones, an expert who has studied software costs for over ten years, estimates total worldwide costs to be $1,635,000,000,000 (One-trillion, 635 billion dollars) (Jones 58). To put this number into perspective, if five people were to spend $100 for every second of every day, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it would take them about 100 years to finish the task!The year 2000 problem is not only limited to what happens with computers between December 31, 1999 and January 1, 2000. There are several other important dates that are a factor. Last October was considered the last point where a large company could start fixing the problem with any hopes to finish before the deadline (DBA 1). Also, all fixes should be done by January 1, 1999. There are two major rea sons for having the fixes done a year early. The first is that there are many special dates during 1999 that mean special things. For example, September 9, 1999 (09/09/99) has been commonly used as the expiration date for references and data that have no expiration date (Reid 6). The computer required that a date must be entered in, and in many cases, 9/9/99 was it. Also, it has been established that an entire years cycle of events should be used to test all of the modifications that have been made to a system. Also, one should be sure to test to see which day of the week is 01/01/00. January 1, 1900 was a Monday, but January 1, 2000 will be a Saturday. Other possible failure dates: 1/10/2000 (1st 9 character date), 2/29/2000 (Leap day- the year 2000 is a leap year), 10/10/2000 (1st 10 character date), and 12-31-2000 (Day 366 of the year 2000) (Martin 15) (GTE Appendix A). .u7733e3d4a0647e00d152337e7b052c8c , .u7733e3d4a0647e00d152337e7b052c8c .postImageUrl , .u7733e3d4a0647e00d152337e7b052c8c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7733e3d4a0647e00d152337e7b052c8c , .u7733e3d4a0647e00d152337e7b052c8c:hover , .u7733e3d4a0647e00d152337e7b052c8c:visited , .u7733e3d4a0647e00d152337e7b052c8c:active { border:0!important; } .u7733e3d4a0647e00d152337e7b052c8c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7733e3d4a0647e00d152337e7b052c8c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7733e3d4a0647e00d152337e7b052c8c:active , .u7733e3d4a0647e00d152337e7b052c8c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7733e3d4a0647e00d152337e7b052c8c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7733e3d4a0647e00d152337e7b052c8c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7733e3d4a0647e00d152337e7b052c8c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7733e3d4a0647e00d152337e7b052c8c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7733e3d4a0647e00d152337e7b052c8c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7733e3d4a0647e00d152337e7b052c8c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7733e3d4a0647e00d152337e7b052c8c .u7733e3d4a0647e00d152337e7b052c8c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7733e3d4a0647e00d152337e7b052c8c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Freud And Dreams Essay PaperWith the millennium bug coming closer and closer to destroying the crops of the worlds information every day, experts from around the globe have discovered several ways to deal with or exterminate this menace. Five major solutions to the problem will now be discussed. The most straightforward approach to solving Y2K is to simply change the 2-digit date fields to 4-digit ones. This is considered to be the only complete solution to the problem, giving businesses a seemingly endless range of dates for the future. This approach also can make it much easier for the company to reformat the display screens with a hard-coded format present (IBM 5.2). Unfortunately, expanding the date field from 2 to 4 digits has several downsides to it. The most obvious one is that in order to convert the dates, every program and database that references to date data will have to be modified. These modifications are mostly manual labor- not an automatic process. Also, this requires display screens to be reformatted manually, as well as increasing record lengths in databases (IBM 5.2). Another common method for swatting the millennium bug involves what is termed date logic, or windowing techniques. This procedure involves having a separate program to determine which millennium certain dates are in. For example, the program could determine that if the year ends in numbers between 00 and 20, the date is in the second millennium. If the year ends in 21 to 99, the date is in the first millennium. This technique avoids some of the massive changes and coordination associated with the expansion approach (Martin 5). Date logic routines also have some downsides to them. The most important one is that the time window can never be more than 100 years, and the length of the time window cannot change in the future. Also, system performance may slow down with this extra step for each date to be processed. On top of that, all of the assumptions and logic must be the same for all of the programs that will use it (IBM 5.7). If and only if all three of these downsides to windowing techniques are able to be overcome, should a business consider this solution. Another way of getting around 2-digit dates involves a bridge program. This type of solution is used to convert data from one record format to another. This allows a system to convert 2-digit to 4-digit dates as they are needed. This also allows a business to have very little down time for year 2000 renovations. Instead of converting all of the data at one time, it is instead converted gradually. Also, this technique is very cost effective and fairly easy to do (Moffitt Sandler 5.8). Be aware that a bridge program has the potential to ruin a computer system. By removing the bridge before all data has been converted, 2-digit dates may become mixed with 4-digit dates, creating a larger problem than in the beginning. Replacing the systems is probably the most straightforward method of solving Y2K. By simply discarding old, non-compliant systems and purchasing new systems that are year 2000 ready, a business can eliminate the year 2000 problem altogether (Martin 6). This avoids the hassle of coming up with solutions to the problem, but presents the difficulties of starting from scratch. This solution should be considered if a companys systems are too costly to fix, or if there are not very many systems that need to be fixed. Another idea that incorporates the replacement idea is for one company to merge with or buy another company that has Y2K compliant systems. Then, the old systems can be retired (Martin 6). The last alternative that will be discussed is to do nothing to current computer systems that a business may use. This is not the same as ignoring the millennium bug and hoping that it will go away. Instead, it involves analyzing exactly what will happen to a companys computer systems and determining that the effect it will have is either none or very little (Martin 6). If this would be the case, and employees could work around any damages that may be caused, this selection could work. .u89c4be6b7ce975641ba00d001900bf69 , .u89c4be6b7ce975641ba00d001900bf69 .postImageUrl , .u89c4be6b7ce975641ba00d001900bf69 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u89c4be6b7ce975641ba00d001900bf69 , .u89c4be6b7ce975641ba00d001900bf69:hover , .u89c4be6b7ce975641ba00d001900bf69:visited , .u89c4be6b7ce975641ba00d001900bf69:active { border:0!important; } .u89c4be6b7ce975641ba00d001900bf69 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u89c4be6b7ce975641ba00d001900bf69 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u89c4be6b7ce975641ba00d001900bf69:active , .u89c4be6b7ce975641ba00d001900bf69:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u89c4be6b7ce975641ba00d001900bf69 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u89c4be6b7ce975641ba00d001900bf69 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u89c4be6b7ce975641ba00d001900bf69 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u89c4be6b7ce975641ba00d001900bf69 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u89c4be6b7ce975641ba00d001900bf69:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u89c4be6b7ce975641ba00d001900bf69 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u89c4be6b7ce975641ba00d001900bf69 .u89c4be6b7ce975641ba00d001900bf69-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u89c4be6b7ce975641ba00d001900bf69:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Gender Identity Disorder (GID) EssayCarrying out a solution in any business involves careful planning in order to be successful. Each of the four steps- awareness, planning, implementation, and testing- are crucial for a company to successfully get beyond the year 2000. Though the shortest step, the awareness step can be considered to be the most important step. This involves a detailed description of the problem to CEOs and the other decision makers for the company. Also, the management must be informed of the impact that is likely to occur if Y2K is not solved. Without successfully informing the company executives of the millennium bug, there is no hope of getting funding appropriated and fixes underway (Conner 2). The preparation and planning phase involves finding all applications that use dates and choosing the right combination of solutions to result in a successful endeavor. Also, a business must consider any dependencies on outside systems- other companies, for example. In addition to this, a priority schedule should be created, to determine which systems are absolutely necessary to the operation of the business, and to fix them in accordance to their importance (Conner 2). A standard date interface should be agreed upon both within the company and with all other companies which are relied on. Also, the first estimate of how costly and how prolonged the fixes should be done (Conner 2). The implementation phase is probably the most tedious phase of year 2000 compliance. This involves taking proposed solutions and incorporating them into a business computer systems. Depending on which solutions are chosen, and how the solutions affect everyday business, a companys commerce could be crippled due to the need for various systems to be down at all times (Moffitt ; Sandler 66). Testing the solutions may be seen as an unimportant phase in the conversion process. The rewards seem few, and the costs of are high. However, testing solutions is the only way to ensure that a business will flow smoothly into the 21st century. This procedure involves making sample databases and records to verify that the fixes were made correctly, and that all systems work correctly. During this phase, a few glitches will most likely be found, and correcting these will be relatively easy. There are two common approaches to testing the solutions. The first involves making sure the systems work correctly in the 20th century, testing the computers for the 21st century, and then putting the systems back into everyday use. An advantage of this method is that all of the tests are done at the same times, allowing quicker feedback. The downside is that the amount of down time will be fairly high. The other approach is the same as the first, except switching the second and third items. The s ystems are first put back into production, and then they are tested for year 2000 compliance while they are ensuring the flow of business at the same time. The advantage of this method is that down time is much shorter. However, getting results will take a longer time (Pollner 2-3). As the year 2000 comes closer and closer, companies are losing precious time in order to swat the millennium bug. The deadline is fixed. The price of survival is high and the only reward is the hope of continuing to operate in the worlds of commerce and industry. Businesses that continue into the next millennium will enjoy the happiness of existence. Companies that fail to act now will probably crumble under their own weight. The alternative to addressing the year 2000 will be going out of business (Moffitt ; Sandler 3). BibliographyMartin, Robert A. Dealing with Dates: Solutions for the Year 2000. Available October 1997 Widder, Pat. Scramble to catch year 2000 bug is on. Available November 20, 1997 Moffitt, John ; Sandler, Robert J. The year 2000 FAQ. Available January 14, 1997 de Jager, Peter. Youve got to be kidding! Available January 10, 1997 Conner, Jim. Businesses should get a jump on solving Year 2000 problem. Available December 8, 1997 GTE Government Systems Corporation. GTE Proposed Criteria for Century Compliance. Available December 20, 1996 Reid, Warren S. Brower, Stephen. Beyond Awareness: Ten management and ten legal pitfalls regarding the Year 2000 computer problem that you may have not considered, yet! Available March 17, 1997 Jones, Capers. The Global Economic Impact of the Year 2000 Software Problem. Available in Adobe Acrobat Format IBM. The Year 2000 2-digit dates: a guide for planning and implementation. Available September, 1997 Pollner, Andrew. Testing Year 2000 conve rsions. Available January 1998 Computers and Internet Essays

Free Essays on Dracula and Jesus

Dracula and Jesus? Count Dracula has many similarities to Jesus Christ throughout Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. Although Jesus represents good and Dracula represents bad, both have things in common. They are both supposed to be presented as a godly and all-powerful figure. In this novel, you find similarities in the way they die, what happens when they die, and how others know them. They are very different but have similar ways of doing things. One thing in which they have in common is the way they die. Dracula is killed when Quincey Morris drives a knife through his heart and Jesus dies when the Romans nail him to the cross. After Jesus died his body ascended into heaven. When Dracula dies, according to Mina Harker, â€Å"before our very eyes, and almost in the drawing of a breath, the whole body crumbled into dust and passed from our sight† (Stoker 398). These deaths are similar in that in both deaths the body disappears in an unnatural way and have their own meanings. Jesus ascended into heaven and Dracula vanished from the earth. Dracula’s dying is also symbolic, in that when he dies and turns to dust representing the Christian saying from dust to dust. Dust also symbolizes being set free and Christian freedom. Death equaling freedom is the next thing Dracula and Jesus Christ have in common. It is believed that before Jesus died all souls were sent to purgatory, where they waited. When Jesus died there souls were saved and they went to heaven. It is also believed that whomever Dracula bites will turn into a vampire when they die and remain un-dead forever. The only way to be saved is for Dracula to be killed. This is proven right before Quincey Morris dies after he just killed Dracula, â€Å"It was worth for this to die†¦. The curse has passed away† (Stoker 399). After Dracula dies the vampire curse is taken away and their souls are freed. Just as when Jesus died, he freed all the souls from purgatory. In both of their death... Free Essays on Dracula and Jesus Free Essays on Dracula and Jesus Dracula and Jesus? Count Dracula has many similarities to Jesus Christ throughout Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. Although Jesus represents good and Dracula represents bad, both have things in common. They are both supposed to be presented as a godly and all-powerful figure. In this novel, you find similarities in the way they die, what happens when they die, and how others know them. They are very different but have similar ways of doing things. One thing in which they have in common is the way they die. Dracula is killed when Quincey Morris drives a knife through his heart and Jesus dies when the Romans nail him to the cross. After Jesus died his body ascended into heaven. When Dracula dies, according to Mina Harker, â€Å"before our very eyes, and almost in the drawing of a breath, the whole body crumbled into dust and passed from our sight† (Stoker 398). These deaths are similar in that in both deaths the body disappears in an unnatural way and have their own meanings. Jesus ascended into heaven and Dracula vanished from the earth. Dracula’s dying is also symbolic, in that when he dies and turns to dust representing the Christian saying from dust to dust. Dust also symbolizes being set free and Christian freedom. Death equaling freedom is the next thing Dracula and Jesus Christ have in common. It is believed that before Jesus died all souls were sent to purgatory, where they waited. When Jesus died there souls were saved and they went to heaven. It is also believed that whomever Dracula bites will turn into a vampire when they die and remain un-dead forever. The only way to be saved is for Dracula to be killed. This is proven right before Quincey Morris dies after he just killed Dracula, â€Å"It was worth for this to die†¦. The curse has passed away† (Stoker 399). After Dracula dies the vampire curse is taken away and their souls are freed. Just as when Jesus died, he freed all the souls from purgatory. In both of their death...

Definition of Verb for Spanish Students

Definition of Verb for Spanish Students Verbs are used in Spanish much they same way as they are in English. However, there are some key differences, particularly that Spanish has numerous forms of each verb through a process known as conjugation, while English forms are typically limited to not more than a handful per verb. Definition of Verb A verb is a part of speech that expresses action, existence or mode of being. In both English and Spanish, a verb, to be used in forming a complete sentence, must be accompanied by a noun or pronoun (known as a subject). In Spanish, however, the subject can be implied rather than explicitly stated. So in Spanish as sentence as Canta (he or she sings) is complete while sings isnt. These sample sentences give examples of Spanish verbs performing each of these three functions. Expressing action: Los dos bailan el tango.  (The two  are dancing  the tango.) Los equipos viajaron a Bolivia. (The teams traveled to Bolivia.)Indicating an occurrence: Es lo que me pasa cada maà ±ana. (It is what happens to me every morning. Note in this Spanish sentence, there is no equivalent of it.) El huevo se convirtià ³ en un sà ­mbolo de la vida. (The egg became a symbol of life.)Indicating a mode of being or equivalence: No estoy en casa. (I am not at home.) El color de ojos es un rasgo genà ©tico. (Eye color is a genetic trait.) The Spanish word for verb is verbo. Differences Between Spanish and English Verbs The biggest difference between verbs in English and Spanish is the way they change to show who or what is performing the verbs action and the time the verbs action occurs. English, for example, when speaking of something the occurs in the In Spanish, however, there are six forms: como (I eat), comes (you, a person close to me, eats), come (he or she eats), comemos (we eat), comà ©s (more than one of you eat), and comen (they eat). In English, a -d or -ed can be added to most verbs to indicate that the action took place in the past. In Spanish, the ending depends on who did the action. Most verb tenses have five or six such forms. English is also freer with its use of auxiliary verbs than Spanish is. In English, for example, we can add will to indicate something will happen in the future, as in I will eat. But Spanish has its own future verb forms (such as comerà © for I will eat). Spanish also has auxiliary verbs, but they arent used as much as in English. Finally, Spanish makes extensive use of the subjunctive mood, a verb form used for actions that are desired or imagined rather than real. For example, we leave by itself is salimos, but in translating I hope we leave, we leave becomes salgamos. Subjunctive verbs exist in English but are fairly uncommon and are often optional where theyd be required in Spanish. Because many native English speakers are unfamiliar with the subjunctive, Spanish students in English-speaking areas typically do not learn much about the subjunctive until the second year of study.

Knowledge Management ACADEMIC REPORT Coursework

Knowledge Management ACADEMIC REPORT - Coursework Example The following report is a critical analysis of the A&E knowledge management (KM) strategies. The report also reveals how different organizational factors in the department affect the hospitals strategies of managing knowledge. St Mary Hospital aims to provide specialized patient-centered care to all its clients. The hospital personnel strives to optimize the experience of the patient by facilitating the provision of innovative health care. The staffs of the hospital takes part in training and research and use the evidence they gather to offer quality care. Every other day, experts in the medical field, discover new methods of managing patients. Researchers need to disseminate the knowledge to the people on the ground to increase its usefulness. In St Mary Hospital, the management of the hospital provides enough resources for training and updating the A&E nurses. However, there are no changes in patient outcomes, and mortality rates are still high. One of the objectives of the organization is to improve clinical outcomes of patients. Hence, a critical appraisal of the organizational factors breaking the chain of KM is necessary for the survival of the hospital. In today’s world, ineffective use of knowledge in an organization could be detrimental to its performance. Knowledge is crucial to the survival and success of every hospital, firm, company, and project (Hislop, 2013). There are new health care providers, enterprises, hospitals, entrepreneurs and service providers flooding the market every minute of every day. Therefore, every firm desires to gain competitive advantage over the others to secure and a place in the global market. The purpose of managing knowledge in the company is to maximize its learning related effectiveness (Greiner, et al., 2007). Likewise, in medical centres, knowledge is of utmost importance. Today’s disease patterns are unique and becoming

NAFTA (SLP) Module5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

NAFTA (SLP) Module5 - Essay Example problems created by NAFTA continue to affect some of the member states – a problem that has not been received well by critics such as Ralph and Pat. Reasons for opposing NAFTA include the loss of jobs that has affected the USA. It is estimated that since 1995, NAFTA is responsible for the loss of some 765,000 jobs. This loss of jobs has also created a ripple effect on the economic wellbeing of the laid off workers. After the loss of jobs, finding new jobs has a 23% less pay within the same industries they used to work. Additionally, investment on manufacturing industries has increased Mexican problem in that, around the maquiladora zones along the Mexico-US border, pollution and poor disposal of waste has threaten to cause adverse environmental issues (Global Exchange, 2011). In the USA, NAFTA has been viewed as a free trade agreement that has caused multiple employment and investment issues. For example, a study by the Cornell University shows that two-thirds of manufacturing and communications companies have threatened their employees that they would move their operations outside the USA. This move aims at exporting well-paying jobs from the USA to either Mexico or Canada where labor is expected to be cheaper. In this case, more employees are left jobless or underpaid as companies thrive to create value through the free trade agreement (Workorg, 2010). NAFTA is an export dependent trade agreement which affects the resources of the nations involved. For example, natural resources such as forests and fish have been overexploited to settle trade debts among member states. Mexico has been on the receiving end as 15 US-based wood products’ companies have established operations in Mexico drastically increased logging. Guerrero, a Mexican State has lost 40 percent of her forest cover following the establishment of US-based wood products’ companies. Family farmers face the adverse effects of the NAFTA free trade doctrine. It is seen that NAFTA has influenced

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Example for Free

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel about a young boys coming of age in the Missouri of the mid-1800s. The main character, Huckleberry Finn, spends much time in the novel floating down the Mississippi River on a raft with a runaway slave named Jim. Before he does so, however, Huck spends some time in the fictional town of St. Petersburg where a number of people attempt to influence him. Before the novel begins, Huck Finn has led a life of absolute freedom. His drunken and often missing father has never paid much attention to him; his mother is dead and so, when the novel begins, Huck is not used to following any rules. The books opening finds Huck living with the Widow Douglas and her sister, Miss Watson. Both women are fairly old and are really somewhat incapable of raising a rebellious boy like Huck Finn. Nevertheless, they attempt to make Huck into what they believe will be a better boy. Specifically, they attempt, as Huck says, to sivilize him. This process includes making Huck go to school, teaching him various religious facts, and making him act in a way that the women find socially acceptable. Huck, who has never had to follow many rules in his life, finds the demands the women place upon him constraining and the life with them lonely. As a result, soon after he first moves in with them, he runs away. He soon comes back, but, even though he becomes somewhat comfortable with his new life as the months go by, Huck never really enjoys the life of manners, religion, and education that the Widow and her sister impose upon him. Huck believes he will find some freedom with Tom Sawyer. Tom is a boy of Hucks age who promises Huck and other boys of the town a life of adventure. Huck is eager to join Tom Sawyers Gang because he feels that doing so will allow him to escape the somewhat boring life he leads with the Widow Douglas. Unfortunately, such an escape does not occur. Tom Sawyer promises muchrobbing stages, murdering and ransoming people, kidnaping beautiful women- -but none of this comes to pass. Huck finds out too late that Toms adventures are imaginary: that raiding a caravan of A-rabs. really means terrorizing young children on a Sunday school picnic, that stolen joolry is nothing more than turnips or rocks. Huck is disappointed that the adventures Tom promises are not real and so, along with the other members, he resigns from the gang. Another person who tries to get Huckleberry Finn to change is Pap, Hucks father. Pap is one of the most astonishing figures in all of American literature as he is completely antisocial and wishes to undo all of the civilizing effects that the Widow and Miss Watson have attempted to instill in Huck. Pap is a mess: he is unshaven; his hair is uncut and hangs like vines in front of his face; his skin, Huck says, is white like a fishs belly or like a tree toads. Paps savage appearance reflects his feelings as he demands that Huck quit school, stop reading, and avoid church. Huck is able to stay away from Pap for a while, but Pap kidnaps Huck three or four months after Huck starts to live with the Widow and takes him to a lonely cabin deep in the Missouri woods. Here, Huck enjoys, once again, the freedom that he had prior to the beginning of the book. He can smoke, laze around, swear, and, in general, do what he wants to do. However, as he did with the Widow and with Tom, Huck begins to become dissatisfied with this life. Pap is too handy with the hickory and Huck soon realizes that he will have to escape from the cabin if he wishes to remain alive. As a result of his concern, Huck makes it appear as if he is killed in the cabin while Pap is away, and leaves to go to a remote island in the Mississippi River, Jacksons Island. It is after he leaves his fathers cabin that Huck joins yet another important influence in his life: Miss Watsons slave, Jim. Prior to Hucks leaving, Jim has been a minor character in the novelhe has been shown being fooled by Tom Sawyer and telling Hucks fortune. Huck finds Jim on Jacksons Island because the slave has run awayhe has overheard a conversation that he will soon be sold to New Orleans. Soon after joining Jim on Jacksons Island, Huck begins to realize that Jim has more talents and intelligence than Huck has been aware of. Jim knows all kinds of signs about the future, peoples personalities, and weather forecasting. Huck finds this kind of information necessary as he and Jim drift down the Mississippi on a raft. As important, Huck feels a comfort with Jim that he has not felt with the other major characters in the novel. With Jim, Huck can enjoy the best aspects of his earlier influences. As does the Widow, Jim allows Huck security, but Jim is not as confining as is the Widow. Like Tom Sawyer, Jim is intelligent but his intelligence is not as intimidating or as imaginary as is Toms. As does Pap, Jim allows Huck freedom, but he does it in a loving, rather than an uncaring, fashion. Thus, early, in their relationship on Jacksons Island, Huck says to Jim, This is nice. I wouldnt want to be nowhere else but here. This feeling is in marked contrast with Hucks feelings concerning other people in the early part of the novel where he always is uncomfortable and wishes to leave them. At the conclusion of chapter 11 in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck and Jim are forced to leave Jacksons Island because Huck discovers that people are looking for the runaway slave. Prior to leaving, Huck tells Jim, Theyre after us. Clearly, the people are after Jim, but Huck has already identified with Jim and has begun to care for him. This stated empathy shows that the two outcasts will have a successful and rewarding friendship as they drift down the river as the novel continues.

Anti-Matter :: essays research papers

Anti-Matter Introduction Ordinary matter has negatively charged electrons circling a positively charged nuclei. Anti-matter has positively charged electrons - positrons - orbiting a nuclei with a negative charge - anti-protons. Only anti-protons and positrons are able to be produced at this time, but scientists in Switzerland have begun a series of experiments which they believe will lead to the creation of the first anti-matter element -- Anti-Hydrogen. The Research Early scientists often made two mistakes about anti-matter. Some thought it had a negative mass, and would thus feel gravity as a push rather than a pull. If this were so, the antiproton's negative mass/energy would cancel the proton's when they met and nothing would remain; in reality, two extremely high-energy gamma photons are produced. Today's theories of the universe say that there is no such thing as a negative mass. The second and more subtle mistake is the idea that anti-water would only annihilate with ordinary water, and could safety be kept in (say) an iron container. This is not so: it is the subatomic particles that react so destructively, and their arrangement makes no difference. Scientists at CERN in Geneva are working on a device called the LEAR (low energy anti-proton ring) in an attempt to slow the velocity of the anti-protons to a billionth of their normal speeds. The slowing of the anti-protons and positrons, which normally travel at a velocity of that near the speed of light, is neccesary so that they have a chance of meeting and combining into anti-hydrogen. The problems with research in the field of anti-matter is that when the anti-matter elements touch matter elements they annihilate each other. The total combined mass of both elements are released in a spectacular blast of energy. Electrons and positrons come together and vanish into high-energy gamma rays (plus a certain number of harmless neutrinos, which pass through whole planets without effect). Hitting ordinary matter, 1 kg of anti-matter explodes with the force of up to 43 million tons of TNT - as though several thousand Hiroshima bombs were detonated at once. So how can anti-matter be stored? Space seems the only place, both for storage and for large-scale production. On Earth, gravity will sooner or later pull any anti-matter into disastrous contact with matter. Anti-matter has the opposite effect of gravity on it, the anti-matter is 'pushed away' by the gravitational force due to its opposite nature to that of matter.

Strategic Management Study Guide

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT TEST 2 (Chapters 3, 4, and 6): STUDY GUIDE †¢Know definitions and be able to recognize examples of concepts †¢Test will be multiple choice, 45-50 items †¢Bring scantron sheet and #2 pencil Additional free student study resources available including an interactive quiz from the publisher at: http://highered. mcgraw-hill. com/sites/0078029317/student_view0/chapter1/chapter_quiz. html Chapter 3: Assessing the Internal Environment †¢What is value chain analysis? How is it useful for understanding competitive advantages?Strategic analysis of an organization that uses value-creating activities. It is useful for understanding the building blocks of competitive advantages. †¢In the value chain, what are the 5 primary activities? Which 4 activities are support activities? Primary- inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales, and service. Support- general admininistration, human resource management, technology development , and procurement. †¢Relating to primary activities, what specific activities are associated with inbound logistics? Operations? Outbound logistics?Marketing and sales? Service? Inbound logistics- receiving, storing, and distributing inputs of a product. Operations- all activities associated with transforming inputs into the final product form. Outbound logistics- collecting, storing, and distributing the product or service to buyers. Marketing and sales- activities associated with purchases of products and services by end users and the inducements used to get them to make purchases. Service- actions associated with providing service to enhance or maintain the value of the product. †¢What is a Just-in-time inventory system? were designed to achieve efficient inbound logistics. Parts and deliveries arrive only hours before they are needed. †¢Relating to support activities, what specific activities are associated with procurement? Technology development? HR management? General administration? Procurement- purchasing inputs used in the firm’s value chain, including raw materials, supplies, and other consumable items as well as assets such as machinery, laboratory equipment, office equipment, and buildings. Technology development- development of new knowledge that is applied to the firm’s operations.HR management- activities involved in the recruiting, hiring, training, development, and compensation of all types of personnel. General administration- general management, planning, finance, accounting, legal and government affairs, quality management, and information systems: activities that support the entire value chain and not individual activities. †¢How has Walgreen’s used information systems to be a sources of competitive advantage? Introduction of a computer based prescription management system- automates telephone refills, store to store prescription transfers, and drug reordering.Also provides information on drug inte ractions and frees up pharmacists from administrative tasks to devote more time to patient counseling. †¢What are the two levels of interrelationships among value-chain activities? 1. Interrelationships among activities within the firm 2. Interrelationships among activities within the firm and other stakeholders. †¢What is resource-based view of the firm? Perceptions that firms’ competitive advantages are due to their endowment of strategic resources that are valuable, rare, costly to imitate, and costly to substitute. What are the 3 types of firm resources? Tangible, Intangible, and Organizational Capabilities. †¢What are the 4 kinds of tangible resources? Financial, physical, technological, and organizational. †¢What are the 3 kinds of intangible resources, Human, Innovation and Creativity, and Reputation. †¢What examples of organizational capabilities? Ex. Outstanding customer service. Excellent product development capabilities, innovativeness of p roducts and services. Ability to hire, motivate, and retain human capital. What are the four criteria that a firm’s resources must possess to maintain a sustainable advantage? 1. Resource must be valuable in the sense that it exploits opportunities and/or neutralizes threats in the firm’s environment. 2. It must be rare among the firm’s current and potential competitors. 3. It must be difficult to imitate. 4. Must have no strategically equivalent substitutes. †¢How can the following four resource characteristics help sustain a competitive advantage based on inimitability: physical uniqueness, path dependency, causal ambiguity, and social complexity? 1.Inherently difficult to copy. 2. Resources are scarce because they were acquired through a unique series of events. 3. Costly to imitate because competitor cannot determine what the resource is and/or how it can be re-created. 4. Costly to imitate because the social engineering required is beyond the capabilit y of competitors, including interpersonal relations among managers, organizational culture, and reputation with suppliers and customers. †¢Substitutability can take which two forms? 1. Substitute a similar resource that enables it to develop and implement the same strategy. . Very different firm resources can become strategic substitutes. †¢ See exhibit 3. 7 – what are the implications for competitiveness based on differing characteristics of a resource or capability? The less valuable, less rare, easier to imitate, more substitutes, the less competitive advantage. †¢What are the four factors that help explain the extent to which employees will be able to obtain a proportionally high level of a firm’s profits? 1. Employee bargaining power. 2. Employee replacement costs. 3. Employee exit costs. 4. Manager Bargaining Power. What are the two approaches to use when evaluating a firm’s performance? Financial ration analysis and taking a broad stakehold er view. †¢What is financial ratio analysis? How can historical comparisons, industry norm comparisons, and competitor comparisons each serve as useful reference points? 1. Technique for measuring the performance of a firm according to its balance sheet, income statement, and market valuation. 2. Provides a means of evaluating trends. 3. Assesses relative performance. 4. Gain valuable insights into a firm’s financial and competitive position. What is the balanced scorecard? Why is it useful? a method of evaluating a firm’s performance using performance measures from the customers, internal innovation, and learning, and financial perspectives. Provides managers with a fast, but comprehensive review of the business (operations measures that drive the future financial performance). †¢What are the four key perspectives of the balanced scorecard? 1. Customer perspective- measures of firm performance that indicate how well firms are satisfying customer’s exp ectations. 2.Internal business perspective- measures of firm performance that indicate how well firms internal processes, decisions, and actions are contributing to customer satisfaction. 3. Innovation and learning perspective- measures of a firm performance that indicate how well firms are changing their product and service offerings to adapt to changes in the internal and external environments. 4. Financial perspective- measure of firm’s financial performance that indicate how well strategy, implementation and execution are contributing bottom-line improvement. †¢What are the limitations of the balanced scorecard?Lack of a clear strategy, limited or ineffective executive sponsorship, too much emphasis on financial measures rather than nonfinancial measures, poor data on actual performance, inappropriate links of scorecard measures to compensation, inconsistent or inappropriate terminology. Chapter 4: Recognizing a Firm’s Intellectual Assets: Moving Beyond a Firm ’s Tangible Resources †¢What is the knowledge economy? An economy where wealth is created through the effective management of knowledge workers instead of by the efficient control of physical and financial assets. How has the emphasis shifted between intangible and tangible resources as a result of changes in the competitive environment? Shifted from tangible resources such as land, equipment, and money. Efforts were more directed toward the efficient allocation of labor and capital. Now intellectual and information processes create most of the value for firms in large service industries. †¢What is the market value of a firm? What is the book value of a firm? What does the difference between the two values represent? In what types of firms does this difference tend to be the greatest?Market value- the value of a share of its common stock times the number of shares outstanding. Book value- is primarily a measure of the value of its tangible resources: total assets- t otal liabilities. The difference between the two represents the firm’s intellectual capital ( a measure of the firm’s intangible assets). In firms where knowledge and the management of knowledge workers are relatively important contributors to developing products and services and physical resources are less critical, the ratio of market to book value tends to be much higher. †¢What is intellectual capital and how can it be increased?Intellectual capital= market value of firm-book value of the firm. To increase: attract and leverage human capital effectively through mechanisms that create products and services of value over time. †¢What is human capital? Social capital? Explicit knowledge? Tacit knowledge? Human capital- the individual capabilities, knowledge, skills, and experience of a company’s employees and managers. Social capital- the network of friendships between talented people both inside and outside the organization. Explicit knowledge- knowl edge that is codified, documented, easily reproduced, and widely distributed.Tacit knowledge- knowledge that is in the minds of employees and is based on their experiences and backgrounds. †¢How is new knowledge created? Through the continual interaction of explicit and tacit knowledge. †¢How has employee loyalty to the company changed relative to loyalty to the profession? Knowledge workers place professional development and personal enrichment above company loyalty. †¢What is a first critical step in the process of of building intellectual capital? What are the other processes organizations use to build human capital?Hiring talented individuals, developing them to fulfill their full potential to maximize their joint contributions. Retain the best and brightest. †¢Why do many companies use employee referrals for new hires? Incentive bonuses paid to the referrers are cheaper than what they would have to pay headhunters to find candidates, plus the current employe es would find good candidates because they are putting their reputation on the line for them. †¢What strategies are used to develop human capital? Encouraging widespread involvement, Transferring knowledge, monitoring progress and development, and evaluating human capital. How as the importance of evaluating human capital changed in recent years? Collaboration and interdependence are vital to organizational success. Individuals must work collectively. Traditional past systems evaluate performance from a single perspective. †¢What is 360 degree feedback? Superiors, direct reports, colleagues, and even external and internal customers rate a person’s performance. †¢What are the 6 benefits of diversity in a firm’s workforce? 1. Cost argument- firms with more effective management in diversity will have a cost advantage over those that are not. 2.Resource acquisition argument- firms with excellent reputations as prospective employers for minorities will have a n advantage in the competition for top talent. 3. Marketing argument- for multinational firms this will be useful. 4. Creativity argument- less emphasis on conformity to norms of the past and diversity of perspectives will improve the level of creativity. 5. Problem solving argument- people with different perspectives have a better shot at solving complex problems than those who all think alike. 6. Organizational flexibility argument- greater flexibility leads means better reactions to environmental changes. What is network analysis? Closure relationships? Bridging relationships? Analysis of the pattern of social interactions among individuals. †¢How can effective social networks be advantageous to an individual’s career? Private information now available. Access to diverse skill sets. Power. †¢What is groupthink? – tendency in an organization for individuals not to question shared beliefts. †¢What are intellectual property rights? What actions can be ta ken to manage intellectual property? Intangible property owned by a firm in the forms of patents, copyrights, trademarks, or trade secrets. What are dynamic capabilities? The ability to sense and seize new opportunities, generates new knowledge, and reconfigure existing assets and capabilities. Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy: Creating Value Through Diversification †¢What is corporate-level strategy? What two related issues does it address? a strategy that focuses on gaining long-term revenue, profits, and market value through managing operations in multiple businesses. Acquisitions and mergers. †¢How is related diversification different than unrelated diversification? What are the potential benefits of each?Related diversification- a firm entering a different business in which it can benefit from leveraging core competencies, sharing activities, or building market power. Unrelated diversification- a firm entering a different business that has little horizontal interac tion with other businesses of a firm. †¢Be familiar with the classifications of Exhibit 6. 2 3M was using exorbitant rebates to retailers, which pushed them into a â€Å"monopolistic position† and courts ordered 3M to pay 68. 5 million dollars to another tape company. †¢In related diversification, what is meant by economies of scope?Cost savings from leveraging core competencies, sharing activities, or building market power. †¢What is a core competency? What are the three criteria for assessing if a core competency creates value? Firm’s strategic resources that reflect the collective learning in the organization. 1. Must enhance competitive advantage by creating superior customer value. 2. Different businesses in the corporation must be similar in at least one important way related to the core competence. 3. Must be difficult for competitors to imitate or find substitutes for. †¢What are sharing activities?What are the two payoffs associated with sh aring activities. -Having activities of two or more businesses value chains done by one of the businesses. -1. Cost savings -2. Revenue enhancement †¢In related diversification, what is market power? Firm’s ability to profit through restricting or controlling supply to a market or coordinating with other firms to reduce investment. †¢What is pooled negotiating power? the improvement in bargaining position relative to customers and suppliers. †¢What is vertical integration, in its associated risks and benefits? an xpansion or extension of the firm by integrating preceding or successive production processes (occurs when a firm becomes its own supplier or distributer). Pros- secure supply of raw materials or distribution channels. Protection and control over assests and services required to produce and deliver. Access to new business opportunities and new forms of technology. Eliminating the need to deal with a wide variety of suppliers and distributors. Cons- cos ts and expenses associated with increased overhead and capital expenditures. Loss of flexibility resulting from large investments.Problems associated with unbalanced capacities along the value chain. Additional administrative costs associated with managing a more complex set of activities. †¢What 5 issues should be considered in making vertical integration decisions? 1. Is the company satisfied with the quality of the value that its present suppliers and distributors are providing? 2. Are there activities in the industry value chain presently being outsourced or performed independently by others that are a viable source of future profits? 3. Is there a high level of stability in the demand for the organization’s products? . Does the company have the necessary competencies to execute the vertical integration strategies? 5. Will the vertical integration initiative have potential negative impacts on the firm’s stakeholders? †¢What is the transaction cost perspec tive? A perspective that the choice of a transaction’s governance structure such as vertical integration or market transaction, is influenced by transaction costs, including, search, negotiating, contracting, monitoring, and enforcement costs, associated with each choice. †¢What is unrelated diversification? What is a parenting advantage?A firm entering a different business that has little horizontal interaction with other businesses of a firm. Parenting advantage- the positive contributions of the corporate office to a new business as a result of expertise and support provided and not as a result of substantial changes in assets, capital structure, or management. †¢What is restructuring? What are the three types of restructuring? The intervention of the corporate office in a new business that substantially changes assets, capital structure and management. 1. Asset restructuring 2. Capital restructuring 3. Management restructuring What is portfolio management?Method of assessing the competitive position of a portfolio of businesses within a corporation, suggesting strategic alternatives for each business, and identifying priorities for the allocation of resources across the businesses. †¢What is the Boston Consulting Group’s (BCG) growth/share matrix? What are the 4 quadrants in the matrix? What are the suggested strategies associated with each of the quadrants? What are the limitations of the BCG matrix? Each of the firm’s strategic business units is plotted on a two-dimensional grid in which the axes are relevant market share and industry growth rate. 1.Stars-competing in high growth industries with high market shares, long term growth potential and should continue to receive substantial investment funding. 2. Question marks- competing in high growth industries with but have weak market share, resources should be invested to enhance their competitive positions. 3. Cash cows- have high market shares in low growth industries . Have limited long run potential, but represent a source of current cash flows to fund investments into starts and question marks. 4. Dogs- have weak market shares in low growth industries, weak positions and limited potential.Most recommend they become divested. Limitations of BCG matrix- 1. the only compare based on two dimensions. 2. View them as a stand-alone entity, ignoring common business practices and value creating activities that may hold promise for synergies across business units. 3. The process becomes largely mechanical, substituting an overly simplified graphical model for the important contributions of the CEO or other managers experience. †¢What are the three primary means by which a firm can diversify? 1. Through acquisitions or mergers 2.Pool the resources of other companies with their resource base, commonly known as a joint-venture or strategic alliance. 3. Diversify into new products, markets, and technologies through internal development. †¢What are the benefits and potential of mergers and acquisitions? 1. A means of obtaining valuable resources that can help an organization expand its product offerings and services 2. Can provide the opportunity for firms to attain the three bases of synergy—leveraging core competencies, sharing activities, and building market power. 3. Can lead to consolidation within an industry and can force other players to merge.Cons- competing firms can often imitate any advantages realized from the M&A. there can be cultural issues that may doom the intended benefits from the endeavors. †¢What is a divestment? The exit of a business from a firm’s portfolio. †¢What is a strategic alliance? Joint venture? How do they differ? What are their potential advantages and downsides? Strategic alliance- a cooperative relationship between two or more firms. Joint venture- new entities formed within a strategic alliance in which two or more firms, the parents, contribute equity to form the new legal entity.A strategic alliance is a cooperative relationship. A joint venture is a special case of alliances where both firms contribute equity to form a new legal entity. Pros- Reducing manufacturing or other costs in the value chain. Developing and diffusing new technologies. Cons- many fail to meet expectations. Without proper partner, a firm should never consider it. Little attention is often given to nurturing the close working relationships and interpersonal connections that bring together the partnering organizations. †¢What is internal development?What are its potential downsides? -Entering a new business through investment in new facilities, often called corporate entrepreneurship and new venture development. -It may be time consuming, firms may forfeit the benefits of speed that growth through mergers and acquisitions can provide. †¢How can managerial motives erode value creation? They may often act in their own self-interests (CEOS). â€Å"growth for gro wth’s sake†, excessive egotism, and the creation of a wide variety of antitakeover tactics. †¢What is meant by growth for growth’s sake? Egotism? Manager’s actions to grow the size of their firms not to increase long-term profitability, but to sever managerial self-interest. -Manager’s actions to shape their firm’s strategies to serve their selfish interests rather than to maximize long-term shareholder value. †¢What are the antitakeover tactics of greenmail, the golden parachute, and poison pill? Greenmail- a payment by a firm to a hostile party for the firm’s stock at a premium, made when the firm’s management feels that the hostile party is about to make a tender offer. (sort of like a bribe)

Conflict Is Growth Essay

When one struggles, they are paying the price to receive beneficial growth in their lives. Conflict will always be around in daily life to challenge our beliefs and behaviors, so it is important to bring emotions and deep feelings out so that issues may have a chance of being resolved. The best thing anybody can do is to deal with it in a positive manner creating growth and maturity, but occasionally one will learn nothing and reject any improvement. Two stories this semester that dealt with this issue directly were Useless Beauty by Guy De Maupassant and Premium Harmony by Stephen King. These tales brought conflict to a great point creating tension but it was the way they were handled that makes both stories standout. In Useless Beauty, the protagonist Madame de Mascaret had a strength that was fighting for deliverance. â€Å"This is what I have to say to you. I am afraid of nothing, whatever you may do to me. You may kill me if you like† (Maupassant 6). â€Å"I am a woman of the civilized world, monsieur–we all are–and we are no longer, and we refuse to be, mere females to restock the earth,†(Maupassant 16). Conflict was an ongoing issue within her marriage; beginning with her husband who was always jealous of her flawless beauty and constrained her from society by impregnating her repeatedly over a period of eleven years. Forced into marriage for money and not truly in a love relationship with Comte de Mascaret, Madame struck back with revenge â€Å"One of your children is not yours, and one only; that I swear to you before God, who hears me here. That was the only revenge that was possible for me in return for all your abominable masculine tyrannies, in return for the penal servitude of childbearing to which you have condemned me† (Maupassant 6). Leaving Comte to dwell on this thought and not know which child was not his, he finally came to express his true feelings towards Madame admitting his jealousy and the way her confession has troubled his relationship with the children. The resolution for the story is quite interesting, although Comte never found out which child wasn’t his, the two together were able to come to a medium and recognize how each other felt and begin a friendship throughout the hurt and pain that was finally based on truth and respect for the both of them. I admired the fact that something of this capacity could help someone understand the beauty of a woman and her place in society. In Premium Harmony, Stephen King wrote about a marriage that is still realistic in today’s society. It captured a close look of a man name Ray, the protagonist, disconnected from a life it seems he never wanted to be in from the start. Ray and his wife Mary Burkett are extremely in conflict within their marriage and failing at it rapidly. They both argue and lie about many things that shouldn’t even be an issue and without any passion behind it. It’s really all the same argument. It has circularity† (King 1). I believe conflict sets the whole mood for the story itself. After they found out that they couldn’t have kids Ray bought Mary a dog, and this is where is seems the disagreements arise. Ray compares their arguing to â€Å"a dog track† and that â€Å"When they argue, they’re like greyhounds chasing the mechanical rabbit† (King 1). Ray shows a jealousy towards Biznezz, the dog, and this could be for different reasons but I believe the main reason is that his relationship with Mary is deteriorating and increasing with the dog. The word â€Å"Love is used only when in reference to the dog and not even after Ray attends to Mary’s body does he speak the simple four letter word. The resolution for this story was not ordinary. To escape the negative impact of the marriage, I believe depression killed Mary and Ray saw this as a relief from the arguments with his wife. Stephen King mentions two distinct items in this short story, a pack of smokes â€Å"Premium Harmonies† and Mary’s â€Å"Little Debbie’s† they are pretty much opposites and this is comparable to their relationship. It’s not until the end, once the dog dies, that Ray’s numbness takes a turn and he shows any kind of emotion â€Å"You’re with her now, Biz,† he says again through his tears. His voice is clogged and thick† (King 9). â€Å"Poor old Mary, poor old Biz. Damn it all! † (King 10) This definitely leaves unbelievable and amusing emotions that make you wonder did Ray want to be unbothered all along? Confrontation: Reading these two stories made me realize exactly what I don’t want my marriage to become. In any relationship, how you resolve conflict is what matters most. With today’s society, people question love and what they want in a mate. It is more complex and the earlier roles by women and men are no longer defined. The women’s movement has improved may factors, but we still must understand the consideration of each other and our families. This new evolution of marriage has made the basis only to fulfilling emotional and psychological needs other than aspects that love was built on. We truly must not forget the meaning behind love and matrimony.

Germanys Surrender essays

Germany's Surrender essays How did the terms of Germanys surrender in World War I lay the groundwork for Hitlers rise to power and ultimately World War II? The terms of Germanys surrender in World War I laid the groundwork for Hitlers rise to power and ultimately World War II because of the controversial Treaty of Versailles and the Weimar Republic. To begin, the Treaty of Versailles, derived at the Paris Peace Conference, ended World War I. The four nations that controlled the punishment of Germany, known as the Big Four, were the United States, Great Britain, France, and Italy. The leaders from The Big Four were Woodrow Wilson of the United States, David Lloyd George of Great Britain, Georges Clemenceau of France, and Vittorio Orlando of Italy. President Wilson, prior to the end of the war, had already written a treaty to end World War I. Wilsons treaty was called Wilsons Fourteen Points and would be used as the bases of the Treaty of Versailles (Versailles, OCLC). The League of Nations (Articles one through twenty-six), point fourteen of Wilsons Fourteen Points, would unite countries across the globe to stop all future wars (Fourteen Points). The League of Nations had little power in regulating countries because the United States failed to join the League. The introduction of the Treaty of Versailles dealing with the League of Nations states THE HIGH CONTRACTING PARTIES, In order to promote international co-operation and to achieve international peace and security by the acceptance of obligations not to resort to war by the prescription of open, just and honorable relations between nations by the firm establishment of the understandings of international law as the actual rule of conduct among Governments, and by the maintenance of justice and a scrupulous respect for all treaty obligations in the dealings of organized peoples with one another Agree to this Covenant of the League of Nations (Schoenher...

Battle of Resaca de la Palma - Mexican-American War

Battle of Resaca de la Palma - Mexican-American War Battle of Resaca de la Palma - Dates Conflict: The Battle of Resaca de la Palma was fought May 9, 1846, during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). Armies Commanders Americans Brigadier General Zachary Taylor2,222 menMexicansGeneral Mariano Aristaapprox. 4,000-6,000 men Battle of Resaca de la Palma - Background: Having been defeated at the Battle of Palo Alto on May 8, 1846, Mexican General Mariano Arista elected to withdraw from the battlefield early the next morning. Retreating down the Point Isabel-Matamoras road, he sought to prevent Brigadier General Zachary Taylor from advancing to relieve Fort Texas on the Rio Grande. In looking for a position to make a stand, Arista sought terrain which would negate Taylors advantage in light, mobile artillery which had played a critical role in the previous days fighting. Falling back five miles, he formed a new line at Resaca de la Palma (Resaca de la Guerrero) (Map). Here the road was hemmed in by thick chaparral and trees on either side which would negate the American artillery while providing cover for his infantry. In addition, where the road cut through the Mexican lines, it passed through a ten-foot deep, 200-foot wide ravine (the resaca). Deploying his infantry into the chaparral on either side of the resaca, Arista placed a four-gun artillery battery across the road, while holding his cavalry in reserve. Confident in the disposition of his men, he retired to his headquarters in the rear leaving Brigadier General RÃ ³mulo DÃ ­az de la Vega to oversee the line. Battle of Resaca del Palma - The Americans Advance: As the Mexicans departed Palo Alto, Taylor made no immediate effort to pursue them. Still recovering from the May 8 fight, he also hoped that additional reinforcements would join him. Later in the day, he elected to push forward but decided to leave his wagon train and heavy artillery at Palo Alto to facilitate more rapid movement. Advancing along the road, the lead elements of Taylors column encountered the Mexicans at Resaca de la Palma around 3:00 PM. Surveying the enemy line, Taylor immediately ordered his men forward to storm the Mexican position (Map). Battle of Resaca de la Palma - The Armies Meet: In an attempt to repeat the success of Palo Alto, Taylor ordered Captain Randolph Ridgely to move forward with the artillery. Advancing with skirmishers in support, Ridgelys gunners found it slow going due to the terrain. Opening fire, they had difficulty spotting targets in the heavy brush and were nearly overrun by a column of Mexican cavalry. Seeing the threat, they switched to canister and drove off the enemy lancers. As the infantry advanced through the chaparral in support, command and control became difficult and the fighting quickly degenerated into a series of close-quarter, squad-sized actions. Frustrated by the lack of progress, Taylor ordered Captain Charles A. May to charge the Mexican battery with a squadron from the 2nd US Dragoons. As Mays horsemen moved forward, the 4th US Infantry began probing Aristas left flank. Surging down the road, Mays men succeeded in overrunning the Mexican guns and inflicted losses among their crews. Unfortunately, the momentum of the charge carried the Americans a quarter mile further south allowing the supporting Mexican infantry to recover. Charging back north, Mays men were able to return to their own lines, but failed to retrieve the guns. Though the guns had not been seized, Mays troopers succeeded capturing Vega and several of his officers. With the Mexican line leaderless, Taylor promptly ordered the 5th and 8th US Infantry to complete the task. Advancing towards the resaca, they launched into a determined fight to take the battery. As they began to drive back the Mexicans, the 4th Infantry succeeded in finding a path around Aristas left. Lacking leadership, under heavy pressure on their front, and with American troops pouring into their rear, the Mexicans began to collapse and retreat. Not believing that Taylor would attack so soon, Arista spent most of the battle in his headquarters. When learning of the 4th Infantrys approach, he raced north and personally led counterattacks to halt their advance. These were repulsed and the Arista was forced to join the general retreat south. Fleeing the battle, many Mexicans were captured while the remainder re-crossed the Rio Grande. Battle of Resaca de la Palma - Aftermath: The fighting for the resaca cost Taylor 45 killed and 98 wounded, while Mexican losses totaled around 160 killed, 228 wounded, and 8 guns lost. Following the defeat, Mexican forces re-crossed the Rio Grande, ending the siege of Fort Texas. Advancing to the river, Taylor paused until crossing to capture Matamoras on May 18. Having secured the disputed territory between the Nueces and Rio Grande, Taylor halted to await further reinforcements before invading Mexico. He would resume his campaign that September when he moved against the city of Monterrey. Selected Sources Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park: Resaca de la PalmaHandbook of Texas: Battle of Resaca de la PalmaUS Army Center for Military History: Guns Along the Rio GrandeTrudeau, Noah Andre. A Band of Demons Fights for Texas. Military History Quarterly Spring 2010: 84-93.

ME Discussion 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ME Discussion 3 - Essay Example Due to increase in price of crude oil which is the key element for inks manufacturing and technological advancements, the revenue of organizations has been severely impacted (Jailing, 2011). Considering the developments taking place at an accelerating rate worldwide in ink industry, the prices of these products will increase which will affect the demand of this product. For the company being reviewed, firm’s elasticity of demand for this product is elastic as increase in price will affect the demand of ink in digital printing industry. There is high demand of inks that are suitable for high value digital industry along with energy cured inks. The market for this ink comprises of packaging and commercial printing and publishing companies. In future i.e. next five years, it is expected that demand of sleek magazines and catalog will increase which will mean that there will be increase demand of ink systems that are energy curable along with usage of equipments for printing presses that are fast and automated. Two types of inks are gaining popularity i.e. water-based inks and vegetable oil based inks to support production of environmental friendly products so that ecological pollution can be minimized. It is expected that demand of digital inks will increase by 3.7% in next five years i.e. 2017 (Electronics Industry, 2012). The increase in demand is expected because of increasing requirement of technology that has in screen-printing feature, establishment of departments responsible for internal graphics that facilitate professional level of quality, computer usage will get tripled in future and in-house printing needs are being required both small and large scale companies. The digital inks segment will see acceleratin g growth in future because of exponential expansion of inkjet printing (Electronics Industry, 2012). Electronics Industry (2012, January 10). Global

A Practical Approach to Overcoming the Omnivore Essay

A Practical Approach to Overcoming the Omnivore - Essay Example The result is that Americans have many choices of processed foods, but they are mostly based on the same crop (corn) resulting in the "omnivores dilemma". But what are the alternatives to a diet of mass-produced food? Does not have to become a hunter or gatherer to resolve the omnivore’s dilemma? With conscious choices and determination to find the origins of one’s food, one can overcome the omnivore’s dilemma and eat a balanced diet. The thesis that Pollan has posed in his book is "we eat by the grace of nature, not industry, and what were eating is never anything more or less than the body of the world" (Pollan 411). It means that we eat because we need to exist as part of nature, and whatever we eat comes from nature. However, if that had been the case, America would not have been faced with the omnivore’s dilemma. Burgers, soda and ice cream are all mass produced in America. It is difficult to distinguish the natural sources of these foods. Pollan describes an American meal as "the myriad streams of commodity corn, after being variously processed and turned into meat, converge... at KFC or Pizza Hut or Applebees" (Pollan 109). To meet this challenge, Pollan has decided to investigate a meal he has prepared for a group of people and discovered that it is not just industrialization that is on trial. The food producing chain of various farms and industries, to the supermarkets that sell them and the media that airs so-called intelligent nutritional wisdom, all influence the way Americans perceive food. Pollan is of the view that the average American largely depends on fast food for meals and does not care where that food comes from. People eat Subway’s salads because the company markets them as healthy. People eat McDonald’s meals because they are convenient. But what guarantees do people have that the ingredients of these meals come from ethical, healthy or

Marketing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing Strategy - Essay Example This strategy is very effective since it will help to attract more students who may be inspired to join it. The responsible authority ought to use specially designed websites in order to present itself to the general public. Aspiring students can easily access any information about the university from the internet which can make it relatively easy for them to make informed choices. This can also help them to communicate with the responsible authorities so that they can get the information they may require about the institution. Communication is essential since it helps to bridge the gap between the aspiring students and the responsible authorities at the university. Other types of marketing communication strategies such as print media as well as television can also be used to advertise the marketing program offered by the university so as to be able to attract many students. The programs offered by the university can also be categorised into different groups in order to attract stude nts to a particular area of study. In this case, attracting a student to study a marketing degree program as a major requires a holistic approach by the institution. Efforts should be made to portray the strengths of the degree program. For instance, the marketing degree program is unique in that it encompasses courses that are not offered by any other institution in the area. ... This gives it a competitive advantage and it can only be achieved through the use of competent people with strong knowledge in marketing related areas. This is where Qatar University comes in handy since it offers a unique marketing degree program. The other advantage for enrolling for a marketing degree at Qatar University is that this program is flexible. It allows the student to select the courses they desire to study on their own, there are compulsory as a well as optional course where the students are given the opportunity to decide their workload. This gives them flexibility to effectively manage their studies since they make their own choices without any pressure. This also helps the student to plan his or her academic activities for the semester which can contribute to the success of that person in his or her studies. The student also has the opportunity to pursue other extracurricular activities at university since this program is quite flexible. This also helps to promote p sychological as well as physical development of the student such that he is prepared for the broad job market. A student studying marketing is also flexible to do other elective modules that are related to the main area of study which also helps to generate more knowledge in the marketing related field. The cost of the program is also relatively cheaper compared to the other institution. There is every reason to enrol for marketing program as a major at Qatar University given that it is affordable compared to the prices that are charged by other institutions in the region. There are different payment methods that are used to register for the marketing major program. The tuition fees can be paid in instalments over a certain period and

Design Limitations for Speakers

Design Limitations for Speakers Introduction There are many factors which determine the characteristics of a loudspeaker; to produce a successful design a careful balance of many factors must be achieved. Most of the challenges and considerations of loudspeaker design stem from the inherent limitations of the drivers themselves. Desirable Characteristics Real-Word Implementation For a coherent approach to loudspeaker design to be established, one may elucidate the problem by considering two main sets of criteria; the desired characteristics of the finished system and the limitations which impinge on the achievement of these desired characteristics. The key desirable characteristics for the finished system are listed below. Reproduction of all frequencies across input range Flat frequency response across input range Adequate Damping Good Efficiency Adequate SPL or perceived loudness Minimal distortion Minimal noise Many of the above considerations are quite obvious. In terms of frequency response it is desired that the response of the system as a whole should be as flat as possible, since to truthfully reproduce a signal all frequencies across the input range should be represented equally. Weems (2000, p.14) notes that â€Å"smoothness of response is more important than range†. Naturally noise and distortion are undesirable for accurate signal reproduction. Damping is an important concern; when a signal is no longer applied to a loudspeaker there will be a natural tendency for the cone to continue to move under its own inertia. Thus damping must be employed in order to ensure that the SPL generated by such movement is sufficiently low and relatively inaudible. Rossing (1990, p.31) refers to damping as â€Å"loss of energy of a vibrator, usually through friction†. This is a simplification, however, the back EMF generated by the driver and the varying impedance seen by the amplifier of the crossover/driver network play an important role. As Weems (2000, p.17) rightly says â€Å"there are two types of damping, mechanical and electrical†. Another quite obvious consideration is that the loudspeaker must indeed be loud enough. This is related to the issue of efficiency, since the more inefficient the speaker, the more power will be needed to drive it. The choice of enclosure design plays quite a significant role here, as will be seen shortly. In terms of limitations, there are several immediate problems posed by the nature of the drivers themselves that must be addressed. Firstly, the sound from the back of the speaker cone is 180 degrees out of phase with the sound from the front. This phase separation means the sounds will cancel each other at lower frequencies, or interfere with each other in a more complex manner at high frequencies; clearly neither is desirable. In some senses it would be ideal to mount the drivers in a wall with a large room behind, the so-called â€Å"infinite baffle†, having the sound from the rear of the cone dissipate in a large separate space, being thus unable to interfere with the sound produced by the front. In reality this is impractical; however some provision must be made to isolate sound from the rear of the cone. To this end, some sort of enclosure must be made for the drivers, yet this presents a new set of considerations. Without an enclosure, a loudspeaker is very inefficient when the sound wavelengths to be produced are longer than the speaker diameter. This results in an inadequate bass response; for an 8 inch speaker this equates to anything below around 1700Hz[1]. So the infinite baffle is terribly inefficient in terms of the SPL produced at lower frequencies. Furthermore, the free cone resonance of the speaker works against the flat frequency response that is desired; input frequencies close to the resonant frequency will be represented too forcefully. Another real-world complication is the fact that for high-fidelity applications, no one loudspeaker will be able to handle the entire range of input frequencies; â€Å"the requirements for low frequency sound are the opposite to those for high frequencies† (Weems, 2000, p.13). Higher frequencies require less power to be reproduced, but the driver must respond more quickly, whereas low frequencies require a larger driver and hence greater power to be effectively realised. In view of the above, multiple drivers must be used, with each producing a certain frequency range of the input signal; at the very least a woofer and tweeter are required. In order to deliver only the appropriate frequencies to each driver, a device known as a crossover must be implemented. This can take the form of passive filter circuits within the speaker itself, or active circuitry that filters the signal prior to amplification. In the latter case, multiple amplifiers are needed, making this a more costly approach. The fundamentals of crossover design will be dealt with in a separate document and are hence not dealt with in detail here. Enclosure Design Faced with the reality that an enclosure is in almost all cases a practical necessity, perhaps the most important aspect of speaker design in the design of the enclosure itself. The first step in producing a successful design is to decide upon the drivers to be used and use this as a basis for choosing a cabinet design, or to decide upon the desired cabinet type first and allow this to inform the choice of driver. In general, most of the design work with regard to the cabinet is focused firmly toward the woofer, since the enclosure design is most critical with regard to midrange/bass performance. In typical 2-way designs, the tweeter is mounted in the same box as the woofer, but it is the latter which largely defines the cabinet dimensions. In the past the design of enclosures was often something of a hit-or-miss affair, however the research of Thiele (1971) and Small (1973) has led to a much more organised design process. Most transducers today are accompanied by a comprehensive datasheet of Thiele-Small parameters, which allow most of the guess work to be taken out of enclosure design. Ignoring more exotic enclosure designs, the first question is whether the enclosure should be ported or sealed (it should be noted that in reality even â€Å"sealed† enclosures are very slightly open or â€Å"leaky† in order to allow the internal pressure to equalise with the surroundings). If a driver has already been chosen, this can be determined from the Efficiency Bandwidth Product, which is defined as: EBP = Fs / Qes(1) Where Fs is the free air resonance of the driver and Qes the electrical Q or damping. In general, an EBP of 50 or less indicates a sealed box, whilst an EBP above 90 suggests a ported enclosure (Dickason, 2000). In between, the choice of enclosure lies more or less with the designer and a driver that falls in the middle should perform acceptably in either closed or ported situations. So, what are the advantages and disadvantages of sealed vs ported enclosures? A sealed enclosure is very simple to build, whilst a ported enclosure requires some degree of tuning to ensure the port is matched correctly to the driver – in the ported or â€Å"bass reflex† design a tube extends into the cabinet allowing some air to escape from inside; if correctly tuned the air that leaves the port is delayed in phase by 180 degrees, hence reinforcing the sound from the front of the cone. With a sealed enclosure the air inside acts as an approximately linear spring for the transducer cone and assuming the driver has a low Fs, a healthy bass extension with a gentle roll-off of -12dB per octave can be expected. The disadvantages are several; the enclosure may need to be quite large to achieve an acceptable Qtc (the damping value for a sealed system) and efficiency is poor. Further, with a sealed enclosure the driver reaches maximum excursion at resonance, which translates to greater distortion. Therefore a driver for use in a sealed enclosure requires quite a large linear throw to perform well. By contrast, in correctly tuned ported enclosures the driver is maximally damped at resonance, so a large linear throw is not critical and distortion is lower as a result. The basic methods of sealed and ported cabinet design shall now be explained. Sealed Enclosure Design To design a sealed enclosure the basic methodology is quite straightforward; the essential challenge is simply to find the optimum volume for the cabinet for the chosen driver. First one must decide on the value of the damping constant Qtc; the optimum value is 0.707 since it gives the lowest -3db break frequency and hence the best potential for bass extension, as well as good transient response. If the enclosure size is too large at this optimum value then Qtc may be increased, resulting in a trade-off between bass performance, transient response and enclosure volume. However, the more Qtc is increased, the more boomy and muddy the sound will become. Depending on the application, the enclosure size may not be important; in this case an optimum Qtc is encouraged. Once Qtc is known, the constant ÃŽ ± may be calculated using the below formula, where Qts is the total Q factor of the driver at resonance (this may be obtained from the manufacture’s data sheet). ÃŽ ± = [Qtc/Qts]2 – 1(2) Having calculated ÃŽ ±, the correct enclosure volume Vb is trivial to determine using the relationship below. Note that Vas is the equivalent volume of air that has the same acoustic compliance as the driver; again this may be obtained from the datasheet or experimentally. Note from equation (1) that a lower Qts will result in a higher ÃŽ ±, and hence a smaller enclosure. Thus for two transducers with equivalent acoustic compliance, a lower Qts will result in a smaller enclosure. Vb = Vas/ÃŽ ±(3) Assuming the required box volume is acceptable, one may then also calculate the resonant frequency of the system (fs is the free-air resonant frequency of the driver): (4) Once fc is known the -3db break frequency may also be found: (5) Recall that below this frequency the roll-off is -12dB per octave and one can gain a fairly good impression of the bass performance to be expected. Naturally it is desirable for f3 to be low for maximum extension into the bass area, hence a low fs is a characteristic one should look for when choosing a driver for sealed enclosure use. If it is felt that the break frequency is too high, then a different driver must be selected for the sealed implementation. Ported Enclosure Design For ported cabinet design, the equations are more complex and it is generally not practical to attempt to design such an enclosure by hand. Instead there are a number of free and commercial software calculators available that simplify the process. One good freeware calculator is AJ Vented Designer[2]. Using such a program enables the designer to quickly ascertain what size enclosure and port is required for a given driver and whether this is feasible – for certain combinations the port may not physically fit within the enclosure for example. In addition, the program also plots the theoretical frequency response of the design, which simplifies matters greatly. Acoustic Damping and Avoiding Resonance In addition to the type of enclosure and the calculation of the required volume, diameter and size of ports (if ported), there are several other design considerations. Firstly, standing waves within the enclosure must be minimised. Thus enclosures are often stuffed with fibreglass, long-fibre wool or polyurethane foam. In addition to standing waves and the resonance of the enclosure, one must also bear in mind the possibility of dimensional resonances with sealed designs. To avoid this it is prudent to ensure that length, width and height of the enclosure are all different and to not centrally mount the drivers. The choice of cabinet material and thickness are also factors that require careful consideration; in general wood is the most appropriate material and a thicker structure is likely to be more rugged and be less susceptible to undesirable vibration. The structure should also be isolated from the floor since vibrations passed to a floor (especially a wooden floor) can cause the floor to vibrate which will muddy or colour the sound. Spikes or stands are commonly used to achieve this. Conclusion There are many factors that affect speaker design but perhaps the most important is that of the enclosure itself. More exotic enclosures such as band-pass and transmission line configurations are beyond the scope of this document, however it should be noted that there are many different approaches beyond the common sealed or ported methodologies. As with any engineering problem, successful speaker design requires a careful balance of many often opposing factors to be reached. Sources Borwick, John. (2001). Loudspeaker and Headphone Handbook, Focal Press. Dickason, V. (1995). The Loudspeaker Design Cookbook, Audio Amateur Publications. Rosenthal, M. (1979). How to select and use loudspeakers and enclosures, SAMS. Rossing, T. (1990). The Science of Sound, Addison-Wesley. Weems, D. (2000). Great sound stereo speaker manual, McGraw-Hill. 1 [1] Nave R, Coupling Loudspeaker to Air. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/Hbase/hframe.html [2] http://www.ajdesigner.com/speaker/index.php