Critically evaluate the potential of the city of Palma as a center for Essay

Critically evaluate the potential of the city of Palma as a center for city break tourism - Essay Example In Europe, this progress is set apart by the surfacing of low-fare carriers, for example, a wide variety of the city-break day trips. Globally, an ever-increasing numeral of people takes trips to distant or peripheral destinations, often for a considerably short period of time. Touring Palma is pleasant any time of the year. Spring (April to mid-June) is generally the best. September is also good but can get rain. In a winter, city breaks in Palma and country stays, especially in the plains towards (watch for the almond blossoms), make for a great escape. For Tourism to survive, focus should shift on its aspect, that is, the role of the local population, and show how it is likely to influence demand, especially a volatile demand; the way they endure, or accept or support enthusiasm. Introduction In developed countries, an increasing number of individuals pursue lifestyles that are no longer need-driven (for instance, satisfying basic needs such as food), but that are motivated by the need for esteem and status or experiences for a classification by ‘values and lifestyles’. Discussed herein are submarkets of tourism. City Break Tourism There exist different kinds of sub-markets within tourism; one of this sub markets is city-break tourism. By definition, city-break Tourism, a City Break can be regarded as a short vacation to a city. The arrangements may be a package of accommodation and transport. Alternatively, city-break tourism can be described as an journey to a city with one night accommodation, usually with a sightseeing program, which may be optional or included in the price (Mac Iver & Mac Iver, 2008). Unfortunately, this definition does not take account of the growing popularity of low-cost ‘basic’ air flights which many people book as City Break, making accommodation arrangements themselves. Furthermore, City Break tourism is often sold in weekend packages, and special interest tourism, for example, addressing young tourist gr oups mainly coming for a party holiday, is policies with the main aim to overcome the short summer season. While not comprehensive, this list of types of breaks illustrate that there are both domestic and international. Tourism in industrialized countries has changed considerably in recent years, with a trend towards more frequent, but shorter trips to far distant places. In Europe, this progress is set apart by the surfacing of low-fare carriers, for example, a wide variety of the city-break day trips. Globally, an ever-increasing numeral of people takes trips to distant or peripheral destinations, often for a considerably short period of time. Clearly, these expansions remain smooth the progress of by air travel over the earlier 45 years, has transformed from a lavish form of mobility for the well-off few into a contemporary form of ‘hyper-mobility’ (Mac Iver & Mac Iver, 2008). Hyper-mobility, defined here as mobility that is frequent and often long-distance, is a res ult of the growing network of airports, perceived cheap fares, better education, higher income and a lot of leisure stage, including prospects to depart from work for an extended period of time. One of the fastest growing sectors in tourism is the international City Break market. Furthermore, tourists are prepared to travel further and further for a short break. Major cities provide destinations for

Social Construction of Childhood Essay

Social Construction of Childhood Essay In order to consider how child protection policy and practice has been shaped, a definition of child protection and significant harm and abuse is required. The Department for Education (DFE, 2011) defines child protection as the action that is carried out to safeguard children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm. Furthermore the Children Act (1989) defines harm as ill-treatment including neglect, emotional, sexual and physical abuse. Interestingly, Parton et al (2012) suggested that determinations of what should be considered child abuse are socially constructed, and are therefore reflective of the culture and values at a specific moment in time. To begin, childhood is a status that is documented worldwide and throughout history, which sometimes sees the child as innocent ,vulnerable, a consumer, a worker alongside other household earners, a threat to society and it is a construction that changes over time and place (Prout, 2005). Historians of childhood have argued over the meaning, such as Aries (1960) cited by Veerman (1992, p5) stated the concept of childhood didnt exist before the seventeenth century; therefore children were mini adults with the same rights, duties and skills. This idea was supported by the poor law (1601) which was a formal system of training children in trades to contribute to society when they grew up (Bloy, 2002). Another example came from Locke (1632-1734) and the Tabula Rasa model. This proposes that children were morally neutral and were the products of their parents (Horner, 2012). The nineteenth century showed it was the parents responsibility to offer love and pertinent correction, to bring out the good in their nature thus helping them to become contributing members of society. This could easily lead to blaming the parents as good or bad based on the behaviours of their child, since the child was not considered as his own agent. Legislation such as the 1834 Poor Law Reform Act would support Lockes idea as children who were sent to workhouses, would participate in schooling to imprint knowledge. Evidently a number of scandals occurred from inmates eating rotting flesh from bones to survive. The governments response implemented sterner rules for those operating workhouses, along with regular inspections (cited by Berry 1999, p29). Fox Harding (1997) described this era as laissez faire whi ch was based on the family being private with minimal state intervention around children. An alternative concept from Rousseau (1712) suggested the idea childhood being about innocence and a child was born angelic until the world influenced them. This was significant in terms of child protection with the implementation of childrens charities such as Save the Children (founded in 1919). They portrayed children in a variety of adult situations and as poor victims worthy of being rescued using contemporary ideas of childhood (Macek, 2006). Interestingly the Children and Young Persons Act (1933) was also introduced to protect these children from any person legally liable and likely to cause injury to their health. What is obvious is that harm was not clearly understood, considering caning in schools was common until 1987 and stopped because of corporal punishment being abused in schools (Lutomia and Sikolia, 2006). Moving into the twentieth century took a wide shift from the laissez faire approach and along with the concept of childhood, became the notion of state paternalism. Child protection practice was based on extensive state intervention to protect children from poor parental care (Fox Harding, 1997). These changes led to a sharing of blame with their parents for children becoming anti-social (a demon) or a great achiever (an angel) in society. The demonic model illustrated by Pifer (2000) was already seen in childhood construction but blamed society, not the child, when as Rousseau noted is the romantic discourse that becomes tainted with the crooked outside world. These historical concepts dictated that children should be seen and not heard and every aspect of the childs life should be determined by their parents or guardians. Although the shift is evident, it could be argued that the laissez faire and paternalist perspective shared a common view of children having limited capacity for independence and decision making. Pollock (1983) would argue that children were not miniature adults as Aries (1960) claimed, but actually were at a significantly a lower level of development and so had distinctive needs from adults. This suggests as immature people they could make mistakes and be excused from full responsibility for their actions. Given the current high profile debates on children, it is public outrage and moral panics in the media that frequently changes the way things are seen. The research into child deaths has prompted changes in legislation (Parton et al, 2012). Key events such as the death of Maria Coldwell (1974) and Jasmine Beckford (1984), led to specialist workers instead of generic workers. The immediate bureaucratic response which reframed child protection practice was no longer intervention into preventative work but became more focused on assessing risk. Serious case reviews in to a childs death was undertaken as a way of discovering how the tragedy occurred, who was responsible, what professionals were involved, rationalising individual actions and learning lessons for future practice (Rose and Barnes, 2008). The publics perception of social workers placed more pressure on this notion of identifying risk before the child died which developed many theories and models for the professional to pract ice. In contrast to the numerous child deaths, the Cleveland case in 1988 evidenced the over enthusiasm of state intervention. Children were removed from their families based on medical assessments grounded on uncertain scientific knowledge (Hawkes, 2002). The inquiry recommended greater rights for parents and children and suggests the separation from families was seen as abuse itself (Ashden, 2004). This, and proceeding enquires into the deaths of children, offered dilemmas for social workers representing the most visible agencies within the child protection system, in terms of whether a child should be removed or not. This event was a major policy driver to the Children Act 1989, where parents rights have been replaced with responsibility and ensuring children turn out to be good citizens of society. However it could be argued that in practice today the Cleveland event still carries stigma with parents believing their children are going to be taken into care. Sexual abuse statistics fro m the NSPCC (2012) state 20, 758 children in 2009 were subject to sexual abuse with a decline in 2010/11 to 17,727. This result could offer a suggestion that preventative work and forceful criminal justice system in the last two decades is responsible. Alternatively it could be argued there may have been no decline at all and is purely a drop in the number of cases being identified. Interestingly Child protection: Messages from Research conducted in the early 1990s (DoH, 1995) examined the role of the Children Act 1989. The document defied the socio-medical model of child abuse and reframed and contextualised the notion of the dangerous family. This suggested that the responsibility was to be laid on the parents of children that fall out of particular construct in order to combat poverty and crimes. Children such the murderers of Jamie Bulger in 1993 were children carrying out unthinkable, far from innocent acts. However this case offered a different construct as children with a dual status. They committed a crime as an adult yet they were still children in need of protection. Society wanted to look at their background to decide if watching horror movies or having divorced parents or poor discipline made them kill a little boy. Given the medias response the nature nurture debate came to the forefront with notions of being born bad, to being made bad. Fascinatingly the historical view had been to protect children, yet moral panics made society shift to demonising children, branding them as wicked and evil (Bracchi, 2010). The legislation that had previously sought to protect children had also come into conflict with the boundaries of criminal law, as it does not recognise them as children over ten years of age (Molan, 2008). It could be argued that criminal law agrees with Aries (1960) and children are mini adults, yet social workers guidance refers to children up to the age of seventeen. One could question how professionals can work together when legislations cannot agree what age a child is. Further spotlight cases such as Victoria Climbie (2003) highlighted failings of multi-agency workers (Lamming 2003) and facilitated to shape the next change in legislation. The Every Child Matters green paper which outlined five outcomes to be achieved by all children was enshrined in law as part of The Childrens Act (2004). These were defined as, stay safe, be healthy, enjoy and achieve, achieve economic wellbeing, and make a positive contribution (Knowles, 2006) which gave professionals direction on the minimum requirements for every child, and allowed social workers to intervene to meet these needs in child protection practice. Nonetheless, the coalition government in 2010 abolished this agenda (McDermid, 2012) suggesting that families are not as important, even though it has underpinned social work practice for a number of years. Nevertheless child deaths continued to be a growing problem, the Baby Peter case (2008) indicated that individuals are failing children and again multi-agency communication is poor in assessing risk. Another case that followed approximately a year later was the Edlington boys (2009) who tortured two young boys. Society then blamed foster placements and care systems suggesting they do not work and foster placements are as bad as the families they were removed from. Cases such as these developed blame culture, where children were perceived as being failed by the government workers; usually the social workers less often the police and the politicians (Community Care, 2012). The public outcries and criticisms of social services made social workers practice on the side of caution. This suggests the romantic concept of childhood (i.e. protection of innocence), came to the forefront and children were seen as vulnerable and in need of protection. It appears that each disaster that happens th e social construct of children changes. Indeed, researchers into twenty-first century childhood such as Sue Palmer (2006) refers to a Toxic Childhood which is the harm society is causing to children through a competitive, consumer driven, screen-based lifestyle. The media and internet evidence how much it has made it available for children to consider adult notions and behaviours, alcohol, sexual activity, drug use and teenage violence that show that differences between adulthood and childhood are disappearing. Nevertheless it could be debated that contradictory attitudes remain commonplace with children being constructed as innocent little angels and little devils, innately capable of the most awful types of crime until the adults in society influenced them as Rousseau (1712) noted. Despite these criticisms the families that children live continue to be judged as secretive with children growing into poor citizens due to not being protected by them. Very often poor families are classed as poor parents and certain constructions take place without the family even being assessed. To exemplify Tucks (2002) identified a connection between all forms of abuse and social deprivation, but a possible explanation is that perpetrators target vulnerable children or women to secure access to children; socially deprived neighbourhoods are characterised by relatively large numbers of lone parents. Through the pressures of their circumstances and in family crisis, parents had become caught up in a child protection system that was more attuned to assessing risk than to bringing out the best in parents struggling in adversity (DoH, 1995). Moreover Owen and Pritchard (1993) identified the difficulties in classifying at risk and the criterion for assessing what constitutes abuse. Indeed professionals hold a variety of opinions towards what constitutes abuse and could be argued that this alone diminishes the identification of risk to a child. Nonetheless professionals are still expected to protect children by the Children Act 1989 which does outlines significant harm, but it is very ambiguous in terms of definition (Brandon et al 1999). Munros report (2011) on Child Protection agrees that social work involves working with this uncertainty and not able to see what goes on in families which suggests little shift . The defensive practice may come from workers who are expected to manage this uncertainty if the issue of abuse and neglect is not clearly labelled. Since the implementation of the Children Act 1989 the emphasis on the childs rights has become very controversial. The idea of protecting children by giving those rights may have been problematic for adults in terms of taking them seriously which arguably could be minimal representation they have had over the years. Additionally adults may be averse to handing over power to their children, because as the early historians suggested, the adult knows what is best for their children. Franklin (2002) suggests a conflict between adults rights and childrens rights could offer explanations for demonization of children. Another idea could be that giving children rights takes away a childs childhood. This may have been viewed from the idealistic construction of childhood being a period of innocence where they consider that children should not be concerned with important decision-making and responsibility. To further support childrens rights, the Children Act 2004 updated the legislation to include the abolishment of physical punishment (NSPCC, 2012). However, Owen and Pritchards (1983) idea of cultural relativism whereby specific behaviours in some families is attributed to cultural practice, questions the concept of how significant harm can actually be measured. In cases of child abuse, black and ethnic minority children could arguably be at a higher risk, as warning signs that would have been picked up are ignored and accepted to be cultural practices and norms. For instance Rogers, Hevey and Ash (1989) state that the beating of West Indian children can be viewed as traditional use of chastisement within that culture, rather than observed as physical abuse of children. Owen and Pritchard (1983) propose this aspect to racist beliefs and stereotyping, where culture is considered deviant rather than the actions of a caregiver. Conversely Munro (2008) considers Effective Child Protection and points out the significance on the value of relationships between families and the worker and suggests this leads to better outcomes by understanding the families and cultures. An effective assessment and intervention in child protection draws from having good interactions and aids parents to disclose information and collaborate with authorities. It could be argued if a worker does not believe in certain cultural practices that children could become at risk when maybe they are not. Another point to consider is the risk posed by professionals that work with children. Society has created an assumption that the rich, social workers, teachers and other professionals that work in child focused roles follow the legislation on protecting our children from significant harm. Yet through the power of this trust professionals have abused in safe spaces for children. For example the murder of Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells by the school caretaker in 2002, identified significant failings with regard to police vetting procedures (HMIC, 2004) and the notion of grooming and abusing positions of trust was incorporated into the Sexual Offences Act 2003. Considering the Act was implemented in 2003 Nursery manager Vanessa George was found guilty in 2009 of abusing children in her nursery. The review found a systemic failure in communication throughout and highlighted a common theme of assumption provided a fruitful environment in which to abuse, a point that has been proficiently highlighted by the mainstream press. The child protection policies and procedures were inadequate and rarely followed (Community Care, 2009). This suggests that Vanessa prayed on the innocence of children knowing how society views her as a practitioner. Cases such as this called for a review of vetting adults who work with children and formed a piece of legislation, the protection of freedoms Act (2012) which focuses on roles working closely with vulnerable groups. Some children related posts such as governors and school inspectors were being removed from the lists although they require having contact with children (Kelly, 2012). Additionally supervised volunteers will no longer be classed as working in regulated activity. Therefore, individuals barred from working in regulated activity can still volunteer at your school, as long as they are supervised. It could be argued that although the government is keen to scale back the cost of vetting, it does not take into account the risk of grooming which is not negated by supervision. Furthermore, this process does not allow schools to check the barred list when recruiting volunteers which suggests it is providing a false sense of security for all. A further report into child protection by Munro A child centred practice in 2011, established that a universal approach to child protection is preventing the main focus of the child. Munro recommended that the Government and local authorities should continually learn from what has happened in the past, however this could be difficult when cases such as Jamie Buglers that clamped the hatchet to protect the boys. One could question what lessons can be learnt from such secretive cases. Additionally, it could be argued that Munros child centred approach offers a potential negative impact on children and professionals. For instance, if the government removes the prescriptive practice that professionals may be using as guidance, this could create the potential to miss the signs of a child being abused based on judgement alone. Having considered this idea, future risks assessment needs to change, a theoretical and practical model needs to be considered to allow state intervention in cases where a caregivers ability to care for a child is questioned. The British government will be pivotal to play a major role in reforming existing legislation and constructing new strong legislation to allow involvement by care services in the most high risk cases of child abuse. This request on the government is a consequence of the philosophy of risk now predominant in the UK, and is assumed that the government has the skill to anticipate and stop abuse and harm which in turn holds the government responsible when this does not happen. In conclusion, the historical views of childhood can be seen throughout the numerous ideological discourses which determine how constructions of childhood continue to influence laws and legislation concerning the ways in which child protection is shaped. Although it is recognised that childhood warrants some degree of protective status, socioeconomic and cultural circumstances also affect young childrens behaviour and the way professionals practice. Those changed conditions also influence adult beliefs about rearing children and how protecting children should be. The emphasis on risk and assessing risk has changed over time, certainly through media, society and legislation. As outlined there are some recurrent issues such as the recognition of significant harm, taking appropriate action, effective communication and achieving an appropriate balance between supporting families and disruptive intervention to safeguard and promote childrens welfare. Nevertheless child protection has been around for a number of years and indicates that there is a correlation between legislation, society and the construct of childhood which continually mirrors each other and will probably continue to do so.

Pass The Opium, Please Essay example -- essays research papers

Religion is said to be the opiate of the masses, and it is definitely a point of interest in George Orwell's famous novel Animal Farm. In it, Orwell pointedly attacks religion in general and Christianity in particular through the use of a well placed symbolic bird by the name of Moses. Orwell's stance is rather apparent as Moses darts about the farm scene conveying the duality of Christianity quite superbly. At the first mention of the raven Moses, one immediately gets the impression that he stands for something quite larger than just a simple bird that lives on the Manor Farm. Firstly his name, Moses, is an obvious biblical reference conveying the idea that he may stand for religion or Christianity. It is not a subtle point that Orwell is trying to make with Moses. From the beginning of his involvement in the plot of Animal Farm, Moses is painted as a very special pet of Mr. Jones, the keeper of Manor Farm before the animal revolution. Mr. Jones in himself stands for something larger than just himself, he represents the old government, the government that the animals have pointed their military coup towards. In this case the most obvious connection can be made to the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in 1917. In this vein of comparison, Mr. Jones represents the government under the ruling power of the czar. And if Moses is the especial bird of Mr. Jones, this means that religion was under the wing so to say of the czar (pun intended). After we learn this quality of Moses, we ...

Netflix Inc Case Study: Emily Heath Part 3- Alternative Solutions

Netflix Inc. ,: Streaming Away From DVD’s Case Study: Emily Heath Part 3- Alternative Solutions To ensure the company will achieve stability by maintaining customer appreciation and satisfaction, Netflix must invest their time and finances into new alternative solutions. The solutions are based on what problems have presented themselves and are in best interest of the customers and the company. The main concerns at the moment seem to be the unreliability and instability of the company as the guidelines for prices and methods of delivery are constantly changing.There are a few possible suggestions that are up for experimentation to resolve Netflix’s problems. 1. Incorporate commercials before and after everything that is viewed on Netflix. One of the greatest features about Netflix is the commercial free streaming that is available. However, to generate more income, including commercials before and after each video and movie will assist with that. Doing it at the beginni ng and the end still keeps that commercial free feel, as its not interrupting what’s being watched every five minutes the way regular TV does.Also, keeping the commercials to a minimum will allow for a quick message from the advertiser to the viewers. Although commercials are reoccurring and usually disruptive, if the customers know they are getting a better movie selection, they will be satisfied. By airing these quick commercials, we are generating more income from advertisers. Solution: Seek potential advertisers that will pay to advertise their products briefly before and after viewing videos.Advantages: Generating income for the company, potentially the reason Netflix may be able to expand its selections Disadvantages: Netflix will not be considered commercial free. 2. Expand the target market. Netflix is directed towards younger viewers (not by choice, due to the selection available, a target market was formed). By adding in a variety of older selection movies and TV sh ows that may appeal to different age groups will broaden the customer base. Also, extending the variety to younger markets.As of now, the limited variety of movies and TV shows do not accommodate extremely young and older potential subscribers. If there is more selection incorporated, we can include all age groups. By incorporating cartoons and shows for young children, we are opening up a door for new customers. Young children will be able to tune in and watch their favorite shows, making it a favorite for parents. By adding in older movies and TV series like Coronation Street that target the older market, we are opening the door to potential customers in an older age group.Solution: Incorporate more variety for a broader age group. Include child friendly TV shows and movies, to increase viewers at a younger age. Incorporate some of the older, less common TV shows and movies that target the elder customer base. Advantages: Opens the door for even younger and older customers Disadva ntages: May be costly for the company to initially start and will rely completely on the outcome. Netflix must be sure they will gain this extra customer base before making the investment. 3. Create a Customer Base (Expand Social Network) to improve the services of Netflix.The entire business relies on subscribers. If they don’t feel as if they are important, they will hesitate to continue paying their fees. Also, being able to communicate with the customers will create a more friendly and personal atmosphere. Starting up a chat room on Netflix to discuss what movies and episodes the subscribers want is a great option to explore. Also, by doing this we can get first hand information and opinions from the source. Letting the customer know we care about them will improve the bond they have with the business.With a way to communicate to the customers, Netflix will be able to expand their customer appreciation and make better decisions to satisfy the consumers. Solution: Create a chat room to incorporate customer feedback. Advantages: This will create a bond with customers, will allow for opinions based completely on the consumer and will allow for Netflix to make accommodating changes to any issues affecting the subscribers. Also this may save some potential investments down the line because with a better understanding from the customers, the company will know which areas to splurge on. Example: knowing what the customers want, allows Netflix to purchase more of the popular demands rather then take the risk with less popular options. Disadvantages: It may be costly to start up. Also, it will require someone always on hand to review the feedback. 4. The biggest problem that is associated with Netflix is the unstable price and payment plan. The reason Netflix is so popular is because that is what the people love. The fact there is a flat rate to watch unlimited movies is the greatest selling point for consumers.Every time Netflix announces a change to their flat rate, the amount of viewers decline along with the reputation of the business. It is the smartest idea to combine everything into one flat rate. A slight increase may allow for a newer and greater selection on Netflix. If customers are aware of the slight price change and understand it will be beneficial for them rather then the company, they will be a lot less hesitant to pay it. Solution: set a fixed price rate and plan for the customers. Advantages: With a straightforward price and plan, it becomes easier to account for.Consumers enjoy simplicity and are more willing to invest/continue paying for something that seems organized and permanent. Disadvantages: Loosing the separate effect of DVD’s and TV shows. Rather then support what Reed wants by keeping it separate, the company must support what the customer wants as it relies on consumer satisfaction. 5. Creating a rewards program for customers will encourage viewers to continue using the service and will potentially increase the time spent on Netflix by the consumers.By incorporating a reward for using the product, it will increase daily views by already existing customers and will open the door to a large amount of new ones. If consumers know that their time spent is valuable to the company, they will be more willing to continue subscribing and potentially increase their viewing times. Solution: Create a reward system that is based on views. (The more videos viewed, the better the reward) For example, if customers view over 30 hours a week on Netflix, a 5% decrease on the monthly payment may take effect. Not an actual set price and reward system for Netflix). Advantages: This increases weekly views and will assure the company a certain amount of views is always being accounted for. This also encourages people to spend more time using the product and attracts new customers. Disadvantages: a potential loss in the beginning for the company if they don’t have the sufficient funds. This is a lso time consuming for the company and will require attention to be spent primarily on rewarding the customers. Fixing Netflix With the 3 P’s (Conclusion)Price: Solution 1 and 4 (above) focus on the price. Netflix must erase competition by fixing a competitive price. Also, they need to make sure they are offering the most for the cost. Promotion: Solutions 1, 3 and 4 (above) focus on the promotion. By promoting itself with a new approach, Netflix can gain new customers and continue building relationships with the previous ones. Distribution: Solution 2 and 5 (above) focus on the distribution. Netflix must make sure its available to everyone and that it is a high demand.Using the solutions suggested will expand the customer base and improve distribution, allowing Netflix more control than other companies. Netflix has the capability to be a great dependable DVD rental and online video streaming service. A few slight changes and improvements made will ensure the business will st ay striving for years to come. Netflix must settle on a fixed rate to offer customers. As a completely customer reliable business, it is necessary to involve them in every way possible. As a company, it should and will be Netflix’s goal to show the customers what they want to see.By opening this two-way road, company workers and everyday customers will be able to discuss and potentially vote for what shows and movies they would like to see more of. Another thing to take into account are the opportunities for advertisements. The more advertisements Netflix can show throughout a day without interruption will improve the variety of TV shows and movies that they can air due to a budget increase. Netflix needs to become dedicated to its customers in order for it to be successful. Following these suggested solutions may help increase overall yearly sales and customer satisfaction.

Christmas Carol Essay

Have you ever met a man so jolly that you could see â€Å"†¦ he was all in a glow†¦ † and so jolly that his euphoric spirit just poured off him like wine into a glass? Or, possibly, you have met a man so poor that his warmth for the winter is a mere flicker of a flame on a candlewick? Dickens demonstrates through the use of such characters that it does not matter how much money you posses, a person can hold a personality and characteristics independent of their financial status. Scrooge’s nephew, Fred, is a charismatic young man, who, lives each second as though it were his last. Most importantly, Fred thinks a great deal about Christmas and how it should be celebrated with great caring spirit. Fred asks Scrooge â€Å"to dine† with them on Christmas Day, but Scrooge explains he â€Å"†¦ would see him in extremity first. † This shows the cruel, cold-hearted nature of Mr. Scrooge. But for Scrooge’s nephew to leave â€Å"†¦ the room without an angry word†¦ † proves that Fred is a true, delightful person that opens his care to even the most miserable of people. As Fred leaves the building and passes by Bob Cratchit, the clerk, he â€Å"†¦ bestows the greetings of the season on the clerk†¦ † This scene has a great importance to show, the pleasant nature of Fred and the depressing character of Scrooge. In this same scene, Dickens under-mines the whole reason for the importance of Fred and Bob. Fred, although not as rich as Scrooge, still manages to â€Å"enjoy his wealth† and be a jolly person. Scrooge is unbelievably wealthy, and yet he does not spend even the smallest amount of his money to enjoy himself. â€Å"What reason have you to be merry? You’re poor enough. † This shows that Scrooge thinks all happiness is to do with wealth, yet if that were true, he would be happy himself, would he not? It is apparent, therefore, that Dickens created Fred as another side of the ‘Rich Man’ character that we see in Scrooge, the stereotypical miserable rich loner. Bob, unlike Fred, is the ‘Poor Man’ and the antithesis of Scrooge in the story. Thus, Dickens created a symbolic character to emulate the Lower classes. He is treated so unbelievably cruelly by Scrooge, yet, he remains a cheerful man who enjoys his Christmas. Without Fred and Bob, the story would not show that money means nothing in terms of happiness. We meet Fred again at his Christmas party, as people put Scrooge down with horrible but vital words to the moral, â€Å"His wealth is of no use to him. He don’t do any good with it. † This action helps us to understand that although Scrooge could give pleasure with the wealth his possesses, he does not and is miserable. Fred helps the reader to understand, by explaining that Scrooge should not be â€Å"despised but pitied†. Fred quietly explained to us the first time we met him, Scrooge’s money does him no good and that â€Å"his offences carry their own punishment. † Fred is almost the complete opposite of Mr. Scrooge and the scene shows how compassionate he is and how caring he can be. This is important to the story because it gives Scrooge a chance to redeem himself from the mistakes he has made and shows us that someone in the world still cares for him. It also shows us what Scrooge can become, for both Fred and Scrooge come from very similar backgrounds. If Fred can enjoy Christmas, why can’t Scrooge? Although Bob is unlike Fred in the sense that they do not own the same amount of money, they are similar when you compare their loving nature. Bob cares so much for his family that when he is told his daughter is not coming for Christmas dinner, his joyous nature collapses and he has a â€Å"sudden declension of high spirits. † Also, when Bob gives a toast to â€Å"Mr Scrooge† his wife insults Scrooge; Even though Scrooge depreciates Bob, Bob honours his authority by standing up for his dignity and demonstrates his loyalty to Scrooge. This character, like Fred, is caring but makes the reader believe that Scrooge is an awful cold-hearted man and to be so hurtful to such a joyful man is inhumane. That is why at the end of the story we understand that scrooge has changed because he now shows that he can also care for these characters and that by giving others money and caring for his workers, one of the morals of this story is explicated. Such an important personality cannot be missed for many of the morals throughout these staves. The importance of these characters cannot be put on a scale, but I can say that these characters are needed for the story to progress and without them; such significant messages cannot be made. I conclude that, although the names of the characters may not matter, the overall situations and characters of Fred and Bob, are pivotal because they show that it does not matter how much money you have, you can still be happy, honour others and make others happy. Fred and Bob are employed by Charles Dickens to show this in antithesis to Scrooge.

Recycling in the UAE

Recycling in the UAE Recycling allows people turn waste materials into something new and useful. In such way, we gain the opportunity not only to save our environment but also to reduce utilizing of raw materials. Car recycling is also dedicated to these purposes. More than 70 percent less energy is used to recycle metal instead of making new (Grabianowski par. 3).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Recycling in the UAE specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This issue is crucial for the UAE, as the new approach is likely to enhance the income of the country and make it more independent. Recycled metals are much cheaper and can be mixed with new steel. That is why today a car consists of many details that can be processed. There are several techniques and digital tools that help to select materials for products. The methods proposed by Ashby and the CES sector are among them. The work that was written by Ashby and Cebon deals with the CES EduPac k and describes â€Å"a design-led procedure for the teaching of materials and processes† on its basis (1). It is explained that the CES EduPack is of a great advantage as it includes texts and software tools that are to help in teaching, as they describe the properties of materials and processes. Everything is focused on the systematic method of selecting materials. All the things that engineers produce are made from materials. Needless to say that these materials are to be chosen correctly so that no problems occur during the creation of a product and its exploitation. That is why it is important to remember that the materials are to be of â€Å"low density, high strength, modest cost and resistant to sea water†, for example (Ashby and Cebon 1). So as the design is chosen, one is to make sure that the materials selected for the product perfectly meet all requirements. To streamline the process a person can refer to the many of engineering materials, which includes th e basic families that can be combined to create hybrids. In order to deepen into the subject, the hierarchical structure for material classification should be used. It allows to find out not only the family of the material but also more detailed information such as its class and a range of all attributes, which is called a property profile of the material. The same structuring can be applied to the manufacturing process. So referring to the structures, one can find the best match to meet the requirements of the design. Thus, the selection of the materials is to go through several steps: An engineer is to consider all materials and find out which materials can be used according to the design requirements; The materials’ attributes fail to meet at least one of the constraints mentioned in the design, and they are to be eliminated; As only appropriate materials are left, one is to define which of them can do the job better than others; To make sure that the candidates are the o nes that the person was searching for, the professional is to find the documentation about them. These can be case studies that describe previous utilizing, some peculiarities or warnings; Finally, the materials that perfectly fit are chosen. Young’s modulus and other similar charts can be used to implement the strategy as they present a perspective on the world of materials regarding their properties. By analyzing them, a professional is likely to determine the familiarities and clusters.Advertising Looking for report on ecology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The CES EduPack software simplifies this process as provides the students with the database of mentioned information. As one chooses the material, he/she can find out some general information about it as well as mechanical, thermal, electrical properties. Moreover, the range of the products in which it is typically used is mentioned (for example, ABS is typically used for automotive instrument panels and other interior components, automobile grilles, wheel covers, and large components for recreational vehicles, etc.). In a similar way, the information about the manufacturing processes is presented. The student gains the description of the process, its physical and economic attributes, shape, and typical uses. Thus, all steps of material and process selection can be conducted with the help of the CES software. It even provides with the charts of properties and their descriptions. This software is convenient for teaching and learning the material because it has three levels of data that are in congruence with the students’ level. It is likely to assist people who study or already work in the sphere of recycling. The advantage of utilizing the CES software for car recycling is undeniable. Professionals can use it for identifying material content and the way it can be combined. They can change the steel bumper on the lighter one by finding the materials that fit the design requirements and are less heavy. Thus, the car industry can develop as an appropriate material in one detail can save fuel and raw material and make the vehicle cheaper. Moreover, while choosing the materials, the professional can identify whether it can be recycled or not referring to the recycling content mentioned in the database. Mike Ashby presents material and process selection charts that are focused on material properties and process attributes. The property space devoted to the class of materials is displayed on the charts. This information can be used by professionals for identification the values for properties, selection the materials that meet the design requirements, and creation hybrid materials (Ashby 4). The process charts are also meant to be used as the source of information about various processes and as the device for their selection. A range of targets can be met at the same time, as the professional have an oppo rtunity to apply these charts successively. Of course, it is much easier to cope with the issue while working on the needed chart directly. Such opportunity is provided by the author, which enhances the process.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Recycling in the UAE specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The carts allow the professionals in the sphere to define the class to which the material belongs and to identify the range of behavior that is particular to its members. Thus, it occurs to be easy to determine an amount of materials that can be recycled at the end of life. Moreover, as the information about the family is clarified, this chart helps to sort the materials when they are already recycled. Thus, it occurs to be clear what elements can be combined to represent fine ceramics that has an ability of load-bearing application, for example. The charts also provide the users with the list of properties and allow to fi nd a set of materials that have several specific features. For example, in perspective of recycling, destiny, price and melting point can be of high interest as well as the eco-properties and environmental resistance. Still, it is impossible to choose a material without further consideration, as the charts provide approximate data. The advantage lies in the fact that a professional can define a subset of materials, with which one will proceed to work. Thus, the selection charts can assist in sorting materials and identifying the processes that are to be undertaken. The source also helps to associate materials and processes. It includes the bar-chart that defines which process can â€Å"shape, or join, or finish† particular materials (Ashby 28). Youngs modulus applied to the properties helps to calculate the effect of recycled material and to predict whether there is a sense in working with it or not. The work presented by Premrudee Kanchanapiya acquaints the readers with the world of materials and focuses on the CES EduPack software (3). There are four data-tables in the CES Edu database; these are materials and processes and references and suppliers. The software is adapted to the needs of the students of Engineering and Materials Science and Design, as it is divided according to their knowledge: Level 1 is appropriate for the first years. It consists of the main 64 materials and 75 processes; Level 2 is meant for the students of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th years of studying and provides them with the information about 94 materials and 107 processes; Level 3 is used by bachelors, masters and research students. The data-tables include the description of 2916 materials and 233 processes. Unfortunately, if a student needs to compare the materials, one cannot do it utilizing the data sheet. Still, material bar-charts and property charts can be used. While dealing with recycling, they provide the opportunity to select the best material according to the requireme nts of the design. Thus, after identifying the subset of materials with the help of selection charts provided by Ashby, one can choose the best material to be used in a product that will be recycled after the end of life. Moreover, it allows to define which materials can be gathered while recycling on the basis of their properties.Advertising Looking for report on ecology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The material search space of this tool can be also used for such purposes, as by mentioning concept, embodiment and details, one can specify the product needed by the market. Identifying what function is demanded from the component, what requirements it is to meet, what is to be increased or reduced and which variables are free, the professional can narrow the range of elements. Thus, Ashby’s method and the CES EduPack Software can greatly assist the professionals in collecting and processing the materials that can be recycled. Together they are an operant force for the whole industry and technology capability. The source â€Å"Cambridge Engineering Selector† is aimed to pay attention to the eco-product development. It is a useful manual for those who start working with the CES EduPack Software, as it includes many details and peculiarities of its utilizing. â€Å"Vehicle Recycling† is presented by Toyota Motor Corporation to pay the customer’s attention to the life cycle of their cars and underline that the end-of-life cars are to be recycled to save our nature. Toyota’s plan is to prevent environmental pollution with the help of recycling and efficient resources utilizing. They are targeted at the usage of ecological plastic in their cars. That is why the CES software and the Ashby’s method should be applied to find the set of materials that will meet the design requirements. The aim of the company can be associated with non-waste production, as they want to provide the customers with the cars that can be easily recycled at the end of life to create a new vehicle from this material (Environmental Affairs Div. and Toyota Motor Corporation 2). The approach of the Life Cycle Assessment is to be the basis of the design according to the CES. Toyota maintains this idea through the process of car development. They tend to reduce the usage of fuel used and pollution produced. These peculiarities can be considered while selec ting the materials utilizing the software. Thus, the process is to go through tree main stages: Planning – define what is expected from the product; Design – fit the requirements with by dint of appropriate material and process selection; Confirmation – make sure that the product meets all demands. Toyota not only makes its vehicles from the materials that can be recycled but also indicates, which details are appropriate with the help of special mark. So the process of gathering needed elements streamlines. As the company tries to utilize plastics that is made from plants, the methods and tools for materials selection can help it to identify whether they can maintain the qualities of petroleum-based ones or not. Thus, using Ashby’s methods and the CES software, the company can identify which materials are likely to be substituted and which can be used instead of them without reducing the quality of a product. It can also define what processes are to be conducted to join or shape the materials. The UAE puts a lot of efforts to control the quality of water and air. The country enhances its industries to prevent pollution and increase autonomy. That is why recycling of various materials is important for the country. Recycling cars is a crucial advantage for the UAE, as it is the best way to dispose of cars and gain useful materials from them at the same time. It helps people and organizations to save their nature and resources. Recycling cars provides an opportunity to use raw materials in the most effective way and to return them to the country’s economy cycle. Advanced ways to sort materials â€Å"are necessary to ensure the value of industries that use recycled materials, especially since the increasing demand for recycled materials requires us to look for and implement the latest technologies† (â€Å"Waste and Recycling† 6). To minimalize waste and increase the profit of recycling, more attention is to be pai d to the selection of materials. Digital tools such as CES software can be used to educate people and deepen their knowledge in the sphere. The techniques offered by the scholars such as Ashby methods allow the companies to produce products that are easy to recycle and to create a new one from the recycled materials so that their quality remains high. Thus, the industries save money and increase their capitals by protecting the environment. Omitting special tools and techniques targeted at the streamlining of the process, companies are likely to create products, cars, in particular, that are hardly recyclable or do not meet the customers’ demands. Thus, the best way to enhance the car industry is to pay more attention to the selection of materials and processes that refer to the sphere and are utilized in the vehicle production and recycling. Ashby, Mike 2009, Material and Process Selection Charts. PDF file. 28 Sep. 2015. mie.uth.gr/ekp_yliko/2_materials-charts-2009.pdf. Ash by, Mike, and David Cebon 2007, Teaching Engineering Materials: the CES EduPack. PDF file. 28 Sep. 2015. http://web.mit.edu/course/3/3.225/refs/Teaching_Engineering_Materials.pdf. Environmental Affairs Div., and Toyota Motor Corporation 2014, Vehicle Recycling. PDF file. 28 Sep. 2015. toyota-global.com/sustainability/report/vehicle_recycling/pdf/vr_all.pdf. Grabianowski, Ed. How Car Crushers Work. 30 Jun. 2011. Web. http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-crusher4.htm. Kanchanapiya, Premrudee 2008, Cambridge Engineering Selector. PDF file. 28 Sep. 2015. http://www2.mtec.or.th/website/backend/app/filemn/uploads/11_11_08_CES%20EDUPACK%20(for%20à ¸â„¢Ã  ¹â‚¬Ã  ¸ £Ã  ¸ ¨Ã  ¸ §Ã  ¸ £).pdf. Waste and Recycling 2015. PDF file. 28 Sep. 2015. http://waste-recyclingme.ae/WR%20-Suppliment%202014-15.pdf

How to Determine the Mass of a Star

How to Determine the Mass of a Star Nearly everything in the universe has mass, from atoms and sub-atomic particles (such as those studied by the Large Hadron Collider) to giant clusters of galaxies.  The only things scientists know about so far that dont have mass are photons and gluons.   Mass is important to know, but objects in the sky are too distant. We cant touch them and we certainly cant weigh them through conventional means. So, how do astronomers determine the mass of things in the cosmos? Its complicated.   Stars and Mass Assume that a  typical star  is pretty massive, generally much more so than a typical planet. Why care about its mass? That information is important to know because  it reveals clues about a stars evolutionary past, present, and future. Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope identified nine monster stars with masses more than 100 times the Suns mass. They lie in the star cluster R136 in the nearby Large Magellanic Cloud. Mass is an important characteristic when figuring out the life spans of stars. NASA/ESA/STScI Astronomers can use several indirect methods to determine stellar mass. One method, called  gravitational lensing, measures the path of light that is bent by the gravitational pull of a nearby object. Although the amount of bending is small, careful measurements can reveal the mass of the gravitational pull of the object doing the tugging. Typical Star Mass Measurements It took astronomers until the 21st century to apply gravitational lensing to measuring stellar masses. Before that, they had to rely on measurements of stars orbiting a common center of mass, so-called binary stars. The mass of  binary stars (two stars orbiting a common center of gravity) is pretty easy for astronomers to measure. In fact, multiple star systems provide a textbook example of how to figure out their masses. Its a bit technical but worth studying to understand what astronomers have to do. A Hubble Space Telescope image of Sirius A and B, a binary system 8.6 light-years away from Earth. NASA/ESA/STScI First, they measure the orbits of all the stars in the system. They also clock the stars orbital speeds and then determine how long it takes a given star to go through one orbit. Thats called its orbital period.   Calculating Mass Once all that information is known, astronomers next do some calculations to determine the masses of the stars. They can use the equation Vorbit SQRT(GM/R) where SQRT is square root a, G is gravity, M is mass, and R is the radius of the object. Its a matter of algebra to tease out the mass by rearranging the equation to solve for M.   So, without ever touching a star, astronomers use mathematics and known physical laws to figure out its mass. However, they cant do this for every star. Other measurements help them figure out the masses for stars ​not in binary or multiple-star systems. For example, they can use luminosities and temperatures. Stars of different luminosities and temperatures have vastly different masses. That information, when plotted on a graph, shows that stars can be arranged by temperature and luminosity. Really massive stars are among the hottest ones in the universe. Lesser-mass stars, such as the Sun, are cooler than their gigantic siblings. The graph of star temperatures, colors, and brightnesses is called the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram, and by definition, it also shows a stars mass, depending on where it lies on the chart. If it lies along a long, sinuous curve called the Main Sequence, then astronomers know that its mass will not be gigantic nor will it be small. The largest mass and smallest-mass stars fall outside the Main Sequence. This version of the Hertzprung-Russell diagram plots the temperatures of stars against their luminosities. The position of a star in the diagram provides information about what stage it is in, as well as its mass and brightness. European Southern Observatory Stellar Evolution Astronomers have a good handle on how stars are born, live, and die. This sequence of life and death is called stellar evolution. The biggest predictor of how a star will evolve is the mass its born with, its initial mass. Low-mass stars are generally cooler and dimmer than their higher-mass counterparts. So, simply by looking at a stars color, temperature, and where it lives in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, astronomers can get a good idea of a stars mass. Comparisons of similar stars of known mass (such as the binaries mentioned above) give astronomers a good idea of how massive a given star is, even if it isnt a binary. Of course, stars dont keep the same mass all their lives. They lose it as they age. They gradually consume their nuclear fuel, and eventually, experience huge episodes of mass loss at the ends of their lives. If theyre stars like the Sun, they blow it off gently and form planetary nebulae (usually). If theyre much more massive than the Sun, they die in supernova events, where the cores collapse and then expand outward in a catastrophic explosion. That blasts much of their material to space. Composite image of the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant that heralded the death of a very massive star. NASA/ESA/ASU/J. Hester A. Loll By observing the types of stars that die like the Sun or die in supernovae, astronomers can deduce what other stars will do. They know their masses, they know how other stars with similar masses evolve and die, and so they can make some pretty good predictions, based on observations of color, temperature, and other aspects that help them understand their masses. Theres much more to observing the stars than gathering data. The information astronomers get is folded into very accurate models that help them predict just exactly what stars in the Milky Way and throughout the universe will do as they are born, age, and die, all based on their masses. In the end, that information also helps people understand more about stars, particularly our Sun. Fast Facts The mass of a star is an important predictor for many other characteristics, including how long it will live.Astronomers use indirect methods to determine the masses of stars since they cant directly touch them.Typically speaking, more massive stars live shorter lifetimes than the less massive ones. This is because they consume their nuclear fuel much faster.Stars like our Sun are intermediate-mass and will end in a much different way than massive stars that will blow themselves up after a few tens of millions of years.

Facts of the Pre-Historic Predator Hyaenodon

Facts of the Pre-Historic Predator Hyaenodon Name: Hyaenodon (Greek for hyena tooth); pronounced hi-YAY-no-don Habitat: Plains of North America, Eurasia, and Africa Historical Epoch: Late Eocene-Early Miocene (40-20 million years ago) Size and Weight: Varies by species; about one to five feet long and five to 100 pounds Diet: Meat Distinguishing Characteristics: Slender legs; large head; long, narrow, tooth-studded snout About Hyaenodon The unusually long persistence of Hyaenodon in the fossil recordvarious specimens of this prehistoric carnivore have been found in sediments dating from 40 million to 20 million years ago, all the way from the Eocene to the early Miocene epochscan be explained by the fact that this genus comprised a large number of species, which ranged widely in size and enjoyed a nearly worldwide distribution. The largest species of Hyaenodon, H. gigas, was about the size of a wolf, and probably led a predatory wolf-like lifestyle (supplemented with hyena-like scavenging of dead carcasses), while the smallest species, the appropriately named H. microdon, was only about the size of a house cat. You might assume that Hyaenodon was directly ancestral to modern wolves and hyenas, but youd be wrong: the hyena tooth was a prime example of a creodont, a family of carnivorous mammals that arose about 10 million years after the dinosaurs went extinct and went extinct themselves about 20 million years ago, leaving no direct descendants (one of the biggest creodonts was the amusingly named Sarkastodon). The fact that Hyaenodon, with its four slender legs and narrow snout, so closely resembled modern meat-eaters can be chalked up to convergent evolution, the tendency for creatures in similar ecosystems to develop similar appearances and lifestyles. (However, bear in mind that this creodont didnt much resemble modern hyenas, except for the shape of some of its teeth!) Part of what made Hyaenodon such a formidable predator was its almost comically oversized jaws, which had to be supported by extra layers of musculature near the top of this creodonts neck. Like roughly contemporary bone-crushing dogs (to which it was only distantly related), Hyaenodon would likely snap the neck of its prey with a single bite, and then use the slicing teeth in the back of its jaws to grind down the carcass into smaller (and easier to handle) mouthfuls of flesh. (Hyaenodon was also equipped with an extra-long palate, which allowed this mammal to continue breathing comfortably as it dug into its meal.) What Happened to Hyaenodon? What could have edged Hyaenodon out of the spotlight, after millions of years of dominance? Thebone-crushing dogs referenced above are possible culprits: these megafauna mammals (typified by Amphicyon, the bear dog) were every bit as lethal, bite-wise, as Hyaenodon, but they were also better adapted for hunting scurrying herbivores across the wide plains of the later Cenozoic Era. One can imagine a pack of hungry Amphicyons denying a Hyaeonodon its recently killed prey, thus leading, over thousands and millions of years, to the eventual extinction of this otherwise well-adapted predator.

Marriott Analysis Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marriott Analysis Assessment - Essay Example However, the article goes further to state that companies such as Apple and Google lack in diversity and the author goes further to prove this statement by offering the latest statistics regarding this issue. 61% of all google employees are white while the rest is made up of Hispanics and other races. Moreover, 72% of the workers in leadership positions are white and this shows that the company does not have racial balance and thus means that it does lack in diversity. Apple is another company analyzed in the article and the statistics for this company shows that 70% of the employees are white while the black community is the most sidelined with an employee population of only 7%. After going through the document, I got to understand the issue of diversity from a different perspective and this assisted me in understanding the advantages that this concept has on a company. A point in the article states that the companies that had recorded appropriate diversity ethics and were fair in the employment sector received awards. These awards are not only a sign of leadership in a particular category but also a sign of appreciation and it is such awards that market a company. If Marriott engages in the training plan that it has outlined, it is bound to excel. The plan shows the concept of diversity and this is in line with the mission statement that is further explained as accommodating ethical awareness. The fact that the company has a proposed code of ethics is a factor that is bound to improve the company’s employee retention. The reason behind this is that the code of ethics will ensure that all employees are treated fairy regardless of their race and consequently the minority group will feel safe and consequently have the encouragement to continue working in the organization. The fact that language courses will be offered in the organization is another

The Tower of Pisa Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Tower of Pisa - Assignment Example Originally, it was believed that the famous ancient architecture and designer, Bonanno Pisano, was responsible for it. However, recent discoveries and deep studies tend to point at Diotisalvi as the true designer. This has been attributed to the fact that it was him who is responsible for other bell towers located across the city and the country at large. However, this belief seems to be countered by the fact that the structure does not bear Diotisalvi’s signature, something that is common in all towers designed by him. The tower took approximately two-three hundred years to be completed (Harris, Nd, pp. 1-3). The initial construction of the â€Å"tower of Pisa† began in 1173 AD, â€Å"after Donna Berta Di Bernardo, a widow resident of Pisa, donated sixty silver coins towards the local cathedral, to be used in the construction of a new bell tower base† (Soniak, 2011, p. 1). The construction work got underway, after the perfect location for the tower had been identified. It is worth taking note that the initial intention behind the building of this tower wasn’t for it to be tilted as it is structured today. The designers had intended for a perfectly vertical bell tower, but due to unforeseen circumstances, a terrible mistakeperhaps, the tower lives to be one of the most celebrated monuments in history. (Palestro, Nd, p. 1) During the construction of the tower, white marble stones were used as the main construction materials. These marbel stones were quarried from the mountains around the city of Pisa, and where transported to the site by the local citizens, who were the main source of labor for the construction (Krystek, 2012, p. 1). However, upon completion of its third floor in 1178, problems began to emerge. The constructors realized that the structure was slightly leaning towards the North West at an angle of 0.2 degrees. This was due

IKEAs Resources and Competences in Developing Competitive Advantage Essay

IKEAs Resources and Competences in Developing Competitive Advantage - Essay Example With specific references to its competencies, it is apparent that since its inception, IKEA has always shown a great concern for people and the environment. This is based on its vision which is to create a better everyday life for many people. Indeed, its concern for people and the environment enhances its proper use of resources. Thus, it endeavors to keep its cost as minimum as possible. The IKEA entrepreneurial culture is enduring. For instance, its founder Ingvar Kamprad exhibited elements of entrepreneurship early in his childhood. As a fact, entrepreneurs are usually born and/or made. This way, the environment in which IKEA’s founder was raised up in nurtured his entrepreneurial skills. The Smalanders for instance, are famed for their informality and entrepreneurial spirit. For instance, His aunt would send him large quantities of matches which he would sell in small quantities at a lucrative price. Thus, he was exposed to an entrepreneurial culture early in his life. The leadership and organizational structure of IKEA are also ideal. Peter Hogsted, the CEO is subscribed to the idea of cost-cutting and promotes informal structure within the organization. Through the Hawthorne experiments, Elton Mayo, a renowned behavioral theorist was able to affirm that work satisfaction and performance among workers is basically not economic. It is rather more contingent on working conditions and attitudes. This includes proper communication, positive management response and encouraging employees to work hard by motivating them.

Select one Case Study from those supplied Essay

Select one Case Study from those supplied - Essay Example Korsakoff syndrome results from damage of the memory related brain areas (Dudgale, 2010). Therefore Wernicke’s encephalopathy can be called the acute phase and Korsakoff syndrome the chronic phase. Vitamin B1 is responsible for producing energy for the brain by metabolizing glucose. An impairment of this function due to any reason such as thiamine deficiency leads to decreased oxygen supply to the brain especially the thalamus and mammillary bodies and hence causes the brain damage. Mammillary bodies are part of the hypothalamus. There are neuronal connections between the hippocampus and the mammillary bodies. Then the neuronal connections extend from the mammillary bodies to the thalamus and then to the cortex of the brain. Memories are formed in the hippocampus and then stored in the cortex through this route. This is how damage to these areas of the brain in Wernicke Korsakoff syndrome leads to memory loss particularly anterograde amnesia. This means that memories of the distant past are remembered and available, while new memories cannot be formed, thereby leading to immediate forgetting of the recent events. The patient remembers events of the past before the illness but not after he started suffering from Wernicke Korsakoff syndrome (Barry, 2006). Without treatment Wernicke’s Korsakoff syndrome keeps on getting worse and can be life threatening. Its treatment is symptomatic and thus involves controlling the symptoms. In addition thymine is also given. Alcohol consumption maybe stopped. In addition to this drugs like donepezil and rivastigmine are also prescribed. These drugs are used in Alzheimer’s disease, but have been found to work effectively in Wernicke Korsakoff syndrome patients too. Antidepressants which increase levels of serotonin in the brain have been found to be very useful too. In order to prevent Wernicke Korsakoff syndrome, a person should control his drinking problem if he is a heavy drinker. He can

Read an article in an art magazine then write the summary Essay - 2

Read an article in an art magazine then write the summary - Essay Example On the other hand, the picture in this magazine has coherent identities for sprawling multinationals such as the International Minerals & Chemical Corporation, Aluminum Company of America and Chase Manhattan Bank. Spector and Kitnick (2014) further state that the Minimalist objects organized in the gallery are Carl Andre’s zinc floor piece, Donald Judd’s steel box and one modular aluminum sculptures by Sol LeWitt. The magazine shows the arguments made by Spector that the connection observed in Objects and Logotypes was centered on more than unplanned resemblances. Spector went on to locate a collective rhetorical foundation undergirding the morphological resemblances. He went on to state that the Minimal sculpture and corporate identity programs are seen as robust social values reflectors, even though the designers and artists may have completely dissimilar attitudes to the stated values (Spector and Kitnick, 2014). In conclusion, the magazine reports that the nuanced link posited by Spector between the surrounding corporate culture and Minimal artists was centered neither on clearly antagonistic positions or ironic appropriation gestures. It goes on to state that branding strategies have been everywhere in the present years and the project done by Spector may be used as a perceptive model in understanding the changing connection between corporate and art

Why is privatizing social security in the USA a bad thing Essay

Why is privatizing social security in the USA a bad thing - Essay Example However, in many cases governors ignore the cultural and social characteristics of local population and focus on the economic aspects of each policy (Ritzer and Atalay 2010). This means that the needs and the cultural background of society are often ignored if specific economic benefits are set as priorities by the government of the country involved. Such problem has appeared in regard to the social security in USA. The privatization of social security in the above country has been highly promoted using the following argument: that such initiative would result to the increase of the effectiveness of the social security framework, an argument though that it is not verified in practice, as analyzed further below. Different approaches have been used in order to explain the inappropriateness of the privatization of social security in US. According to Ritzer and Atalay, the privatization of social security in US has been supported by various organizations and individuals but the completio n of the relevant task has been proved quite challenging because it ‘is politically controversial’ (Ritzer and Atalay 130). This means that most politicians in USA cannot agree whether the privatization of social security in US would benefit citizens or not (Ritzer and Atalay 130). The extensive oppositions in regard to the appropriateness of the particular plan lead to concerns in regard to the feasibility of the plan and its actual effects on people across US (Ritzer and Atalay 130). ... For example, the only regions where the social security system is fully privatized are the following two: ‘the countries of Latin America and the former Soviet Union countries’ (Ritzer and Atalay 130). Before suggesting the implementation of such plan in US, it would be necessary to check the potentials of the local economic and social framework whether it could support such plan or not. From a similar point of view, Binstock and George (2010) explain that the privatization of social security in US is quite difficult to be fully completed, especially since the terms under which the ‘Funded Defined Contribution (FDC) Accounts’ (Binstock and George 284) are not quite clear, a fact that would set in risk the relevant funds. These accounts have been used as a means for promoting the privatization of social security in US but they have been related to the following problems: a) ‘the swift to private accounts in USA’ (Binstock and George 291) has been quite rapid, with no adequate time for organizing appropriately the transition to a new social security system (Binstock and George 284). In this way, there can be no guarantee that the new security system in US will be effective and secure (Binstock and George 284); b) the use of Private Accounts as tools for promoting the privatization of social security is not common (Binstock and George 284). Concerns have been developed whether such Accounts would be effective for the social security of US, even if the relevant efforts would involve in the partial privatization of the country’s social security system (Binstock and George 284); c) the privatization of a social security system leads, necessarily, to ‘the transfer of significant powers

Read an article in an art magazine then write the summary Essay - 2

Read an article in an art magazine then write the summary - Essay Example On the other hand, the picture in this magazine has coherent identities for sprawling multinationals such as the International Minerals & Chemical Corporation, Aluminum Company of America and Chase Manhattan Bank. Spector and Kitnick (2014) further state that the Minimalist objects organized in the gallery are Carl Andre’s zinc floor piece, Donald Judd’s steel box and one modular aluminum sculptures by Sol LeWitt. The magazine shows the arguments made by Spector that the connection observed in Objects and Logotypes was centered on more than unplanned resemblances. Spector went on to locate a collective rhetorical foundation undergirding the morphological resemblances. He went on to state that the Minimal sculpture and corporate identity programs are seen as robust social values reflectors, even though the designers and artists may have completely dissimilar attitudes to the stated values (Spector and Kitnick, 2014). In conclusion, the magazine reports that the nuanced link posited by Spector between the surrounding corporate culture and Minimal artists was centered neither on clearly antagonistic positions or ironic appropriation gestures. It goes on to state that branding strategies have been everywhere in the present years and the project done by Spector may be used as a perceptive model in understanding the changing connection between corporate and art

Scholarly vs. Popular Media Focused articles Essay

Scholarly vs. Popular Media Focused articles - Essay Example Both these articles provide insight about previous research, for example: Cerny and Janssen have reported a study conducted by Rieger in their own research and Tuller has reported a study that was published in Archieves of Sexual Behavior. Both provide opinion on a specific issue and both are published for example study conducted by Cerny and Jannsen state that bisexual males are highly aroused by bisexual adult content and Tuller states the males are aroused by both the genders. The list of similarities between popular and scholarly articles is quite small but there is a huge difference between these forms of articles. In popular articles different sub categories of an issue and the issue are tried to be explored in a limited amount of space and in case of scholarly articles, specific part of an issue or topic is discussed and in-depth information about that particular topic is provided, for example: the article on the study conducted by Cerny and Janssen is 10 page long and discuss es the sexual arousal patterns of males who have different orientation, where as the article written by Tuller is less than 1000 words long. There is a difference between the audiences of both the articles, popular ones are targeted towards everyone who may be and may not be educated, scholarly ones are targeted towards a specific audience who have an academic background related to the area being studied in the article For example: Cerny and Janssen’s article is for those students who study sexual behavior and the article written by Tuller is for the general population. The terminology and vocabulary that is used in scholarly articles is very technical and can hardy be understood by illiterates and those who do not belong to a specific field of education, for example: Cerny and Janssen have used terminologies such as psychophysiology. In case of popular articles, the vocabulary is easy to understand and any individual can understand the topic that is being

Changing Environment And Its Impact On Business Information Technology Essay

Changing Environment And Its Impact On Business Information Technology Essay With the emergence of internet, business organization of 20th century has undergone structural, cultural and qualitative change, the way business is done and a new organization structure has emerged known as E business enterprise. E business enterprise enables employees, professionals, terms, groups, vendors, customers to perform business operations through electronic exchange of data and information anywhere at any time. The business operations are performed through E communication and collaboration initiatives. Therefore, E business enterprise has a global market, reach, source and global competition. Due to extensive use of technology, the enterprise is now called a digital firm. The business process are conducted through enterprise software like ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), SCM (Supply Chain Management) and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) supported by data warehouse, decision support system, knowledge management and content management system. Information Technology (IT) consists of computer hardware, software, data and storage technology, and networks along with the human resources required to operate the technology. The managers and employees directly interact with these systems, it is important for the company now and in the future that the information architecture and IT infrastructure meet the business requirements of the company and that the systems can work together where needed. An Information System (IS) as interrelated components that work together to collect, process, store, and disseminate information to support decision making, coordination, control, analysis, and visualization in an organization. An Inofrmation System (IS) can be any organised combination of people, hardware, software, communication networks, and data resources that stores and retrieves, transforms and disseminates information in an organization The Field of Information Systems encompasses many complex technologies abstract behavioral concepts, and specialized application in countless business and nonbusiness areas. The figure beside Illustrates a useful conceptual framework that organizes the knowledge presented in the text and outlines what you need to know about information system. For Detailed Information Students are requested to refer MIS by James A OBrien Page 6 7 This framework Outlines the Major areas of Information Systems Knowledge needed by business professionals The Three Major roles of the business applications of information systems. Information system provides an organization with support for business processes and operations, decision making, and competitive advantage Support Business Process and Operations: As a consumer, you regularly encounter information system that supports the business process and operations at the many retail stores where you shop. For example most retail stores now use computer based information system to help them record customer purchases, keep track of inventory, pay employees, buy new merchandise, and evaluate sales trends. Store operations would grind to a halt without the support of such information system Support Decision Making: Information System also help store managers and other business professionals make better decision. For Example, decisions on what lines of merchandise need to be added or discontinued, or on what kind of investment they require, are typically made after an analysis provide by computer based information systems. This not only supports the decision making of stores managers, buyers and other, but also helps them look for ways to gain an advantage over other retailers in the competition for customers. Support Competitive Advantage: Gaining a strategic advantage over competitors requires innovative application of information technologies. For example, store management might make a decision to install touch screen kiosks in all of their stores, with link to their e-commerce web site for online shopping. This might attract new customers and build customer loyalty because of the case of shopping and buying merchandise provide by such information system. Thus, strategic information systems can help provide products and services that give a business a comparative advantage over its competitors. DATA INFORMATION AND ITS ATTRIBUTES D:Projectsken pptslides imageslaudonf01-02.gif Data: Streams of raw facts representing events such as business transactions Information: Clusters of facts those are meaningful and useful to human beings in the processes such as making decisions The Features / Attributes / Characteristics of Information Improves representation of an entity Updates the level of Knowledge Has a surprise value Reduces uncertainty Aids in decision making Three activities in an information system produce the information that organizations need to make decision, control operations, analyze problem and create new products or services. These activities are input, processing and output. Input Captures or collects raw data from within the organization of from its external environment. Processing converts this raw input into a meaningful form. Output transfers the processed information to the people who will use it or to the activities for activities for which it will be used. Information system also require feedback, which is output that is returned to appropriate members of the organization to help them evaluate or correct the input stageD:Ken ppt -Rituch2imageslaudonf01-03.gif CLASSIFICATION OF THE INFORMATION The information can be classified in a number of ways provide to a better understanding. John Dearden of Harvard University classifies information in the following manner. Action Versus No-action Information Recurring Versus Non-recurring information Internal Versus External Information Planning Information Control Information Knowledge Information Organizational Information Database information Functional or Operational information Action Versus No-action Information: The information which induces action is called as action information. The information which communicates only the status of a situation is a no-action information. No stock report calling a purchase action is an action information but the stock ledger showing the store transactions and the stock balance is a No-action information. Recurring versus non recurring information: The information generated at regular intervals is recurring information. The monthly sales reports, the stock statements, the trial balance, etc are recurring information. The financial analysis or the report on the market research study is non recurring information. Internal versus External information: the information generated through the internal sources of the organization is termed as an internal information, while the information generated through the government reports, the industry surveys, etc is termed as an external information, as the sources of the data are outside the organization. Planning information: certain standards, norms and specification are used in the planning of any activity. Hence, such information is called the planning information. The time standards, the operational standards, the design standards are the examples of the planning information. Control information: Reporting the status of an activity through a feedback mechanism is called the control information. When such information shows a deviation from the goal or the objective, it will induce a decision or an action leading to control. Knowledge Information: A collection of information through the library reports and the research studies to build up a knowledge base as an information source for decision making is known as knowledge information. Such a collection is not directly connected to decision making, but the need of knowledge is perceived as a power or a strength of the organization. Organization Information: When the information is used y everybody in the organization, it is called as organization information. Database Information: When the information has a multiple use and application, it is called the database information Functional or the operational information: When the information is used in the operations of a business it is called functional or the operational information. Module 2 Transaction processing systems (TPS) are basic business systems that serve the operational level of the organization by recording the daily routine transactions required to conduct business, such as payroll and sales receipts. Transactional Processing system is a computerized system that performs and records the daily routine transactions necessary to conduct business. Examples of TPS are order entry system, cheque processing system, accounts receivable systems, accounts payable systems and ticket reservation systems. These systems help any company to conduct operations and keep track of its activities. TPS was first developed in the year 1950s in accounting departments of major corporations. It is the oldest type of information system and can be called as the work horse of the information system industry for the last 50 years.D:Ken ppt -Rituch2imageslaudonf02-02.gif The principal purpose of systems at this level is to answer routine questions and to track the flow of transactions through the organization. How many parts are in inventory? What happened to Mr. Williams payment? To answer these kind of questions, information generally must be easily available, current, and accurate. At the operational level, tasks resources, and goals are predefined and highly structured. The decision to grant credit to a customer, for instance, is made by a lower level supervisor according to predefined criteria. All that must be determined is whether the customer meets the criteria H:mis10eimagesimg02_06.jpg The figure illustrated beside is transaction processing system. Managers need TPS to monitor the status of internal operations and the firms the external environment. TPS are also major producers of information for the other types of system TPS are often so central to a business that TPS failure for few hours can lead to a firms demise and perhaps that of other firms linked to it. Imagine what would the airlines do without their computerized reservation system? Transaction processing is the set of procedures for handling the transactions. Common Activities in transaction processing include: Calculation Classification Sorting Storage Summarization Types of Functional categories of TPS Systems D:Ken ppt -Rituch2imageslaudonf02-04.gif Management Information System The MIS has More than one Definition, some of which are given below: The MIS is defined as a system which provides information support for decision making in the organization. The MIS is defined as an integrated system of man and machine for providing the information to support the operations, the management and the decision making function in the organization. The MIS is defined as a system based on the database of the organization evolved for the purpose of providing information to the people in the organization. The MIS is defined as a computer based information system. It serve middle managers interests by providing current and historical performance information to aid in planning, controlling, and decision making at the management level. MIS typically compress TPS data to present regular reports on the companys basic operations. Middle Management needs systems to help with monitoring, controlling, decision making, and administrative activities. The principal question addressed by such systems is this: Are things working well? In any organization, small or big, a major portion of the time goes in data collection processing, documenting and communication it to the people. Hence, a major portion of the overheads goes into this kind of unproductive work in the organization. Every individual in an organization is continuously looking for some information which is needed to perform his / her task. Hence, the information is people oriented and it varies with the nature of the people in t he organization. Role of the Management Information System. The system ensures that an appropriate data is collected for the various sources, processed and sent further to all the need destinations. The system is expected to fulfill the information needs of an individual, a group of individuals, the management functionaries: the managers and the top management. The MIS satisfies the diverse needs through a variety of systems such as query systems, analysis system, modeling systems and decision support system MIS helps in strategic planning , management control, operational control and transactional processing The MIS helps the clerical personnel in the transaction processing and answers their queries on the data pertaining to the transaction, that status of a particular record and references on a variety of documents The MIS plays the role of information generation, communication, problem identification and helps in the process of decision making. The MIS, therefore, plays a vital role in the management, administration and operations of an organization. Decision Support systemH:mis10eimagesimg02_08.jpg DSS is an interactive computer based system which facilitates the solution of unstructured problem. Scott Morton Defined Decision Support system as Interactive computer based systems, which help decision makers utilize data and models to solve unstructured problem It supports non routine decision making for middle management. They focus on problems that are unique and rapidly changing, for which the procedure for arriving at a solution may not be fully predefined in advance. They try answering questions such as these: what would be the impact on production scheduled if we were to double sales in the month of December? What would happen to our return on investment if a factory schedule were delayed for six months? Although DSS are internal information from TPS and MIS they often bring in information from external sources, such as current stock prices or product prices of competitors. These systems use a variety of models to analyze data, or they condense large amounts of data into a form in which decision makers can analyze them. DSS Characteristics of DSS Ability to support the solution of complex problem Fast response to unexpected situations that result in changed inputs Designed to help support decisions that are formulated as semi structured, complex problems May be constructed to support one time decisions DSS is typically designed for either a particular decision maker or a group of decision makers Allows the decision makers to interact in a natural manner due to careful design of the interface It is a way to organize information intended for use in decision making Ability to quickly and objectively try different strategies under different configurations Other Characteristics: Cost Savings Improving managerial effectiveness Extensive range of support to management Support of individual / group Graphic Display Designed and run managers; incorporated data and models Attributes of Decision Support system Flexibility: The system are flexible so that any semi structured or unstructured decision making sitation can be tackled with ease and speed Simple models: The systems use simple models of decision making. The only change is that a different set of information is sought for the use of different models. The choice of a model depends upon the complexity of decision making Database: the decision support system needs database(s). The system calls for several inputs from database(s) from decision making. The use of information being common, input to the system is from the database Types of Decision Support System Status inquiry system: The number of decisions in the operational management and some at the middle management are such that they are based on one or two aspects of a decision making situations. It does not call for any elaborate computations, analysis, choice, etc. for decision making. If the status is known, the decision is automatic, i.e., the status and solution is unique relation Data analysis system: These Decision systems are based on comparative analysis, and use of a formula or an algorithm. But these processes are not structured and, therefore vary. The cash flow analysis, the inventory analysis and the personal inventory system are examples of the analysis systems. The use of simple data processing tools and business roles are required to develop this system. Information analysis system: In this system, the data is analyzed and information reports are generated. The reports might be having exceptions as a feature. The decision makers use these reports for assessment of the situation for decision making. The sales analysis, the accounts receivable systems, the market research analysis, the MRP systems are examples of the systems. Accounting System: These systems are not necessarily required for decision making but they are desirable to keep track of the major aspects of the business or a function. The contents of these systems are more data processing leading to formal reporting, with exceptions, if necessary. These systems account items such as cash, inventory, personnel and so on and relate it to a norm or norms developed by the management, for control and decision Model based systems: These systems are simulation model or optimization models for decisions making. These decisions, generally, are one time and infrequent and provide general guidelines for operation or management, the product mix decision, the material mix, the job scheduling rules, and the resource or asset or facilities planning systems are the examples. Executive Support System These are management information systems tailored to benefit the strategic information needs of the top management / senior executive. ESS summarizes and presents data at the highest levels of aggregation. Usually, they involve presenting reports in standard formats and they often involve graphics. ESS is the newest of the five categories of MIS. They have had the least acceptance of the five types. The reason being that most executives started their careers prior to widespread use of computer. Executive Support systems provide critical information from a wide variety of internal and external sources in easy to use displays to executives and managers. For example, top executive may use touch screen terminals to instantly view text and graphics displays that highlight key areas of organizational and competitive performance What are the characteristics of MIS? How do MIS differ from TPS? From DSS? MIS supports the management level by providing routine summary reports and exception reports for various purposes, including planning, controlling, and decision making. Examples include sales and profit per customer and per region, relocation summary and analysis, inventory control, capital investment analysis, and even a report on students who were here in the autumn but did not to return in the spring. MIS differs from TPS in that MIS deals with summarized and compressed data from the TPS and sometimes analysis of that summarized data. Decision-support systems provide material for analysis for the solution of semi-structured problems, which often are unique or rapidly changing. Typically, they provide the ability to do what if analysis. While MIS have an internal orientation, DSS will often use data from external sources, as well as data from TPS and MIS. DSS supports right now analysis rather than the long-term structured analysis of MIS. MIS are generally not flexible and provide little analytical capabilities. In contrast, DSS are designed for analytical purposes and are flexible. What are the characteristics of DSS? How do they differ from those of ESS? DSS provide sophisticated analytical models and data analysis tools to support semi structured and unstructured decision-making activities. DSS use data from TPS, MIS, and external sources, provide more analytical power than other systems, combine data, and are interactive. ESS support senior managers with unstructured strategic-level decision making. They may be less analytical than DSS with less use of models such as linear programming or forecasting. However, they often rely on external data and rely heavily on graphics. Describe the relationship between TPS, office systems, KWS, MIS, DSS, and ESS. The various types of systems in the organization exchange data with one another. TPS are a major source of data for other systems, especially MIS and DSS. TPS are operational-level systems that collect transaction data. Examples of these are payroll or order processing that track the flow of the daily routine transactions that are necessary to conduct business. TPS provide data that are required by office systems, KWS, MIS and DSS, although these systems may also use other data. KWS and office systems not only use data from TPS but also from MIS. DSS not only use data from TPS but also from KWS, office systems, and MIS. MIS rely heavily on data from TPS but also use data from KWS and office systems. ESS obtains most of their internal data from MIS and DSS.