Engineering electrical circuits and bernoulli science Assignment

Engineering electrical circuits and bernoulli science - Assignment Example For the fluid moving at a steady rate within the pipe, there is a constant mass flow throughout the pipe expressing the mass conservation. For non compressible fluid, the density remains constant; hence the volume flow is also constant in the pipe for all liquids and gases at low pressure. The continuity (velocity * area) also remains constant in the whole pipe. This equation is presented as shown below: Pressure energy is computed as the quantity of the fluid flowing. This is the product between the cross-sectional area and the speed of flow. The quantity is constant. Therefore, the energy is calculated as Laminar streamline / flow) takes place whenever a fluid moves in the pipe in parallel layers without any disruption. When the fluid flows in closed pipes, it produces two flows depending on the depending on its speed and viscosity. This is referred to as the laminar or turbulent flow. Figure 1 above shows laminar flow while figure 2 above shows turbulent flows. Bernoullis equation is produced on the basis of an energy balance within the fluid. The amount of energy within the fluid is constant at any point within the system (energy conservation). However, it is redistributed while the fluid moves through the system. Pressure energy calculated as the fluid pressure at any point depending on external pressure together with the pressure from the head of the liquid calculated from head * density * gravitational acceleration. Therefore Pressure energy P is calculated as: Adequate pressure supply is distributed to each floor by use of a constant volume control system. The outlet is an upper pipe referred to as the supply line, which carries the flow of fluids at a speed of 4m / s and a pressure of 2 Bars. The pipe carries the fluid to the top of the building from where the fluids flow through gravitational pull. Each floor level is 2.5m high slab to slab for the 22 floors. At the

Cross-Cultural Connections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cross-Cultural Connections - Essay Example The author of the paper states that due to globalization, civilization, and increased ease and speed of transportation from one corner of the globe to another, cultures have traveled to new areas rather fast (Elmer 86). It is thus imperative that people know what to expect when they encounter new cultures and how to deal with the resultant culture shock so that they may truly connect with the new cultures. One value of connecting with other cultures is that one has the opportunity to compare different cultures and lives, enabling us to examine our own lives’ views and postulations (Elmer 35). Further, meeting and interacting with other cultures allows one to look at cultural assumptions from different viewpoints. In interconnecting with other cultures such as Chinese, South American, and Japanese cultures, it is of the essence that one looks out for and avoids cultural pitfalls and exploits every opportunity that is helpful in the building of positive cross-cultural relationsh ips. For immigrants and established cultures to attain a level of cross-cultural understanding that creates comfort in society, sound social and cultural interactions are in order. In fact, these social and cultural interactions are not only essential for communal comfort but also for a widened appreciation of all cultures. Cross-cultural and social interactions also direct people’s attention to the commonalities among cultures that unite people while diminishing the differences that could divide them. As a matter of fact, cross-cultural interactions have improved the relationship among communities, more so immigrant and resident cultures that constantly compete for jobs and other resources (Smith 2). Therefore an integrated process in which new and old cultures are treated equally and benefit one another should be encouraged for the general enrichment of the recipient society.  Ã‚  Because cultures play such integral and defining roles in society’s worldview and ide ntity, it should remain the basic framework for interacting with others, be it in community centers, school, grocery shops, or parks. Notwithstanding the venues of these interactions, it is important that exact information on cultures is disseminated in frank discussions for the sole purpose of eliminating or reducing misperceptions and misunderstandings, which hamper social and cultural integration and oneness (Smith 4). There are numerous real-life illustrations and tools on how an individual may avoid or reduce cross-cultural apprehension and communicate effectively, and establish trust and acceptance across cultures. Instead of being cultural imperialists, people should be authentic ambassadors of their cultures whether just traveling or living among different cultures (Smith 5). There are several tips that have been rather useful in promoting cross-cultural interconnectivity. First, people should travel to and interact extensively with other cultures to feel and understand them . Instead of traveling with own people, one should travel and meet the local communities in the visited country and try to ask about things not understood from own cultural perspective. It has also been established that listening more and talking less could helping in addressing one’s curiosity about certain aspects of new cultures. Further, cross-cultural relations require an open mind instead of a judgmental one since what one sees may not be the truth.  

Progression of economic value for coffee

Progression of economic value for coffee Chapter 3: The origin of the idea Progression of Economic Value for Coffee â€Å"Goods and services are no longer enough. To be successful in todays increasingly competitive environment, companies must learn to stage experiences for each one of their individual customers. We have entered the Experience Economy, a new economic era in which all businesses must orchestrate memorable events for their customers that engage each one of them in an inherently personal way.† Pine Gilmore, 1999 This is undoubtedly also true for the coffee industry. The economic value of coffee begins with extracting the commodity. Companies that harvest or trade coffee, receive about a 1 euro per pound. When a manufacturer grinds, packages, and sells those same beans to a grocery store, turning them into goods, the price to the consumer is à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬4 to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬8 per pound, or about 7 ¢ to 18 ¢ a cup, depending on the brand and package size. When the coffee is brewed in a diner it will sell for about à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1 per cup. Businesses offer the coffee in an experience such as a fine restaurant orStarbucks get à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2 to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬4 a cup. This means that atStarbucks, the customer is not only paying for the coffee, but also for theStarbucks experience. Interestingly, when you move a product up the progression of economic value to an experience, as can be seen in figure 1, you rarely see discounting.This is because Starbucksdoes not need to offer price cuts in order to generate business. Consumers expect better quality when willing to pay a higher price. Retailing is therefore facing an increased challenge from the experience economy. The problem being that there is a great amount of shops in the world, all basically selling the same things, causing only stores that sell values and experiences to stand out. According to Pine and Gilmore (1999), Starbucks has succeeded precisely because it is not limited to only selling a good, being coffee beans, or a service, such as a cup of coffee to-go. Instead, as a Third Place, being not the home or the office but the place between, Starbucks strives to sell a one-of-a-kind experience, which it hopes to keep its customers satisfied enough to want to keep coming back for more. Karababa Ger (2011) argue that pleasure and leisure are two important characteristics of todays consumer culture. Masses of consumers enjoy leisure away from home and work in these so-called â€Å"third places†. Nowadays there are many different cafà ©s, all with different styles. Some are global-branded like Starbucks, while some are more local. Most local coffee houses are defined as either being anti-corporate, or are a hybrid of multiple local and global traditions, such as our own business case example, the Dutch coffee house Doppio-Espresso. The origin of Starbucks Several factors contributed to the opportunity for Starbucks to develop a new, successful retail chain, with the most important one being the fact that founder Howard Schultz had an insight that the other players in the coffee market did not. He realized that Americans were lacking a relaxed, social atmosphere where they could savor a good cup of coffee. After a trip to Italy in 1987 he purchased Starbucks, because he was convinced that Americans were ready to embrace the Italian coffee house culture. Prior to that time, coffee consumption in the US was gradually declining, while the three major coffee manufacturers, Proctor Gamble, Nestle, and Kraft, fought for market share in a saturated market, all the while decreasing the quality of the beans in their blends in order to maintain profits (Berry et al., 2006). The Starbucks brand has since then become ever-present, so much so that it may be hard to remember a time when coffee houses were not part of every major city in the world. Even though coffee houses existed in abundance before Starbucks came along, the quality of both the coffee and the customer experience has never been as consistent as today. Since the beginning, the company aimed at offering a better experience for coffee lovers. They did this by brewing coffee of uniform quality and developed the idea of charging premium prices for coffee drinks. But most importantly, they focused on creating a relaxing atmosphere for the customer. Tables were purposely spaced apart in order to ensure the customers their privacy. More specifically, round tables were used since research indicated that a person can sit alone at a round table without having to feel secluded or awkward. Furthermore, Starbucks aimed at opening as many stores as possible as a way to make each new store just a few steps more convenient for new customers. The stock value of Starbucks has since then increased by more than 3,000% (Berry et al., 2006). The origin of Doppio Chapter 5: Experiential Services Incremental improvements are added to services all the time, but few companies succeed in creating service innovation that create new markets or convert existing ones. To move in that direction, it is important for companies to embody the capacity to successfully implement the nine drivers of successful service innovations as can be seen in figure 2. In the case Starbucks, one of the most important success factors, which aided in creating a new service market, is their comprehensive customer-experience management. According to Zomerdijk Voss (2010), services differ from manufactured goods, because they generally offer many more distinct experiences to the customer. These experiences are called â€Å"touchpoints†, and they depend on three â€Å"experience clues†. The first one are functional clues, which point to the technical quality of the offering; the second being mechanical clues, which relate to nonhuman elements such as the design of the store; and the third being human clues, which come from the behavior and appearance of employees.When these three clues are combined, a total experience is created that has direct influence on how the customer will assess quality and value. The reason that Customer Experience Management is so crucial to the success of inseparable services, is due to the fact that with these kinds of services the customer is directly exposed to the production as well as the delivery of the service, and can thus experience everything that occurs there (Berry et al., 2006). Therefore, the success of Starbucks has to depend the quality of the product (functional clues), a relaxing atmosphere in the store (mechanical clues), and service-oriented employees (human clues). To implement its core strategy, Starbucks must therefore excel in managing all of these customer experience clues. In addition to serving sit-down coffee drinkers, Starbucks also serves another big market segment, namely, takeout customers who want fast service. In order to cater to both consumer groups Starbucks is constantly trying to find new ways to reduce the average waiting time without reducing quality. Some of the companys timesaving innovations are providing customers with special paying cards for fast transactions, more efficient coffee machines, and creating a way for employees to able to shift through the store to wherever he or she is needed at that time (Berry et al., 2006). Some Starbucks shops are also strategically located in areas where there are a lot of potential takeout customers. When Starbucks first started out in The Netherlands they focused solely on placing small shops located near public transportation areas, such as train stations, to cater almost exclusively to these takeout customers. Customers visiting a Starbucks store, however, do not only buy coffee, but they also buy the company brand. The way they experience the service has direct influence on how they perceive the brand. Starbucks founder Howard Schultz quickly realized that in order to achieve brand power in a service business, the employees must take center stage. When a product is sold in a supermarket, there is no personal interaction, but in a Starbucks store, you are presented with real people who produce and deliver the product as a service in a friendly and exclusive manner. As was explained in Chapter 4 with the Zomerdijk Voss (2010) model, employees are thus utilized at the frontstage of the experience. Starbucks success proves that a multimillion-dollar advertising program isnt a prerequisite for building a national brand; it can be done one customer at a time, one store at a time, one market at a time (Berry, 2000). Values-based Service Quality The four dimensions of the Values-based Service Quality model proposed by Enquist et al. (2007) are the technical, functional, experiential, and the human resources (HR) corporate climate dimension. According to the model Starbucks is a values-based company becomes it encompasses a strong commitment to all its stakeholders; customers, shareholders, employees, its suppliers, strategic partners, local communities and global society in general. The four dimensions can also be seen through the strong Starbucks concept, which relies on the premium coffee, and the â€Å"Starbucks experience†. More specifically, the first two dimensions technical and functional quality relate to the quality of processing and producing the coffee bean. High-quality coffee beans are purchased, roasted, and sold as fresh, richly-brewed, Italian-style espresso beverages. Starbucks also offer a variety of foods, and coffee-related accessories in its stores. They also ensure that all parties in their value chain are operating at optimal quality, and sometimes even take over some of the manufacturing duties, such as roasting plants (Enquist et al., 2007). With Starbucks expanding throughout Europe and Asia, the company has strategically chosen Amsterdam for building a roasting plant, since the industrial area is relatively small and self-contained, providing specialized service. The facility houses equipment and operations to receive, roast, package and ship Starbucks coffee to retail stores in current and emerging markets. As with all Starbucks roasting plants, the Port of Amsterdam Roasting Pla nt also has a tasting room, which serves as the main center where Starbucks coffee experts taste and test the Starbucks coffee (Burnson, 2002). This further stresses the importance and commitment Starbucks places on innovating and improving its products and services throughout the value chain. The experiential quality dimension can be symbolized by the concept of the Starbucks experience, which amounts to more than just the store. It provides the customer with a â€Å"Third Place†, where he or she can relax away from home and work, and enjoy the services offered. The fourth and final values-based quality dimension HR corporate climate is related to workplace and society. One of the main goals of Starbucks management is to maintain a safe, productive and diverse work environment for its employees, and to provide them with opportunities for training and career growth. Starbucks also provides incentives for its employees to become shareholders of the company, and thus introduced the title of ‘partner instead of employee. Starbucks has also ventured into the sustainable service business by introducing a code of conduct in 2001, labeled C. A. F. E. Practices (Coffee and Farmer Equity Practices), which promises to â€Å"deliver a premium coffee farmed, distributed and cultivated in an ethical, social and environmental way† (Enquist et al., 2007). The Future of Starbucks Starbucks led by the visions of Howard Schultz, has revolutionized the coffee industry and the perception of coffee when they first introduced their coffee experience concept, and has since then been setting industry standards. However, this radical way of offering coffee has in general become so widely accessible and common to consumers, that it no longer seems special. Furthermore, some strategic decisions made by Starbucks have caused the brand to become less flexible, and more standardized, compared to smaller, local and independent competitors. Aggressive expansions, and attempts to deal with intensified competition from the fast-food sector, have created negative associations with the Starbucks brand. This has caused Starbucks to be perceived by some as a mainstream and standardized brand, which no longer possesses the distinct character of a local authentic coffeehouse.

Shapes Investigation :: Papers

Shapes Investigation doing an investigation to look at shapes made up of other shapes (starting with triangles, then going on squares and hexagons. I will try to find the relationship between the perimeter (in cm), dots enclosed and the amount of shapes (i.e. triangles etc.) used to make a shape. From this, I will try to find a formula linking P (perimeter), D (dots enclosed) and T (number of triangles used to make a shape). Later on in this investigation T will be substituted for Q (squares) and H (hexagons) used to make a shape. Other letters used in my formulas and equations are X (T, Q or H), and Y (the number of sides a shape has). I have decided not to use S for squares, as it is possible it could be mistaken for 5, when put into a formula. After this, I will try to find a formula that links the number of shapes, P and D that will work with any tessellating shape - my 'universal' formula. I anticipate that for this to work I will have to include that number of sides of the shapes I use in my formula. Method I will first draw out all possible shapes using, for example, 16 triangles, avoiding drawing those shapes with the same properties of T, P and D, as this is pointless (i.e. those arranged in the same way but say, on their side. I will attach these drawings to the front of each section. From this, I will make a list of all possible combinations of P, D and T (or later Q and H). Then I will continue making tables of different numbers of that shape, make a graph containing all the tables and then try to devise a working formula. As I progress, I will note down any obvious or less obvious things that I see, and any working formulas found will go on my 'Formulas' page. To save time, perimeter, dots enclosed, triangles etc. are written as their formulaic counterparts.

Rights of the Child

UN CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was brought into effect to recognise that Children needed their own set of specific human rights that should be protected and that these were a universal right not a privilege. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was drawn up and accepted by the UN in 1989. The UK government agreed to abide by the principles in 1991 and it was fully implemented in 1992.The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most universally recognised set of standards for protecting the rights of children and numerous countries have agreed to abide by it. The Convention forms a set of articles that highlight the minimum entitlements of all children. These articles have been split into four main categories: the general requirements for all the rights; the basic rights to life, survival and development of one’s full potential; being kept safe from harm; and respecting the views of the child.The Convention also sets out minimum standards in areas such as health care, education and social services to protect those children’s rights. There are 54 articles in total that apply to all children with no exceptions, here are two examples; Article 19 states that all young people have the right to be kept safe from experiencing violence, mental abuse, physical abuse or neglect by any adult they come into regular contact with e. g. parents, carers etc and Article 34 gives the right for all young people to be kept safe from any form of sexual abuse or exploitation.When the UK government agreed to abide by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child it meant it had promised to not act in a way that would infringe any of the rights and it agreed to ensure they were fully implemented in a non discriminatory manner. Accordingly the government is responsible for ensuring people act in the best interests of the child and that children are treated as individuals within a family whose views shoul d be taken into account.The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was implemented by the government but it requires all parts of society to respect them to ensure the rights of the child are being met. This therefore has a massive impact on my role and responsibilities within my job. This is due to the fact that I must ensure the rights outlined in the convention and the minimum standards set out are being met at all times as it is a legal obligation. It is also important for me to ensure the individuals views within the home are being actively sought on a regular basis, listened to and respected.This is done by seeking the individuals views during the care planning and development of placement plans so that their wishes can be recorded and implemented where appropriate. It is also important to encourage and support the individuals to attend review meetings to express their opinions on their care plan and future. There are also minimum standards that relate to this e. g. standard 1. 4 which states â€Å"the views of the child, the child’s family, social worker and IRO are sought regularly on the child’s care. †Under the UN Convention I also must ensure that I keep the individual safe from harm or abuse. This corresponds to various Educare policies and procedures under safeguarding which stipulate things such as all visitors to the home are asked for ID and appropriately supervised. It also requires me to have appropriate risk assessments and management in place specific to the individual so as to reduce any potential risks associated with a situation and to develop strategies to help encourage and support and individual to manage their own risks.This information is also put into the minimum care standards under standard 4 which outcome is to ensure â€Å"children feel safe and are safe. Children understand how to protect themselves, and feel protected and are protected from significant harm including neglect, abuse and accident. † The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child essentially underpins all aspects of the work we do and how we undertake it and the responsibilities we have to the individual.It is therefore a major and key piece of legislation that we must be familiar with to fulfill the job role and responsibilities as manager of a home. HUMAN RIGHTS ACT 1998 The Human Rights Act was drawn up by the UK government and implemented in 1998. It draws on the European Convention of Human Rights but allows for issues to be addressed within the UK courts of Law rather than needing a European Court. â€Å"The Act provides that it is unlawful for a public authority to act in such a way as to contravene Convention rights.For these purposes public authority includes any other person â€Å"whose functions are functions of a public nature. â€Å"† The Human Rights Act uses a set of articles to detail the rights of everyone within the UK. Examples of these articles include: the right to life; prohibition of torture; prohibition of slavery and forced labour; right to liberty and security; right to respect for family and private life; freedom of thought conscience and religion; freedom of expression; prohibition of discrimination; protection of property; and right to education.The Human Rights Act is another piece of legislation which underpins all aspects of the job role and responsibilities of being a manager of a children’s home. If parts of the Human Rights Act are ignored or not adhered to then it can become a criminal offence. As a result of the Human Rights Act equal opportunities policies and procedures were drawn up and implemented and form the basis of the way we work with the individuals to ensure we adhere to the Act and ensure the individual is not discriminated against under any basis.There are also several acts that were developed as a result of the Human Rights Act to stop discrimination within the work place and towards others. It is therefore important that v aluing diversity is promoted within the home and understanding of different cultures, religion etc. are developed. This also forms one of the key outcomes Ofsted assesses for to see how well it is achieved within the home. The Human Rights Act also ensures that the individuals have a right to privacy and security.This includes individuals having privacy in their bedroom environment unless there is a concern for their safety and that they have their own room key so they can keep their room locked and have their privacy respected by other individuals living in the home. It also means for example that people are asked for ID when visiting the home and are appropriately supervised so as to ensure security and safety within the home is maintain. Freedom of thought ensures that the individuals are allowed and encouraged to develop their own opinions on things and that these opinions are respected e. g. in relation to religion.

Brainstorm of the places where we use computers Essay

The main uses of ICT in Coopers is to educate pupils that attend also to help teachers keep track of their daily teachings. The uses of ICT like interactive boards and projectors have played an important part in the way education is being taught in ST Edward’s. These functions allows teachers to browse the Internet in front of the class and go on educational websites. Also to use the interactive board with a interactive pen to draw straight lines easier than a whiteboard. Systems like SIMS are very useful for teachers every day routine as it allows them to do features like see students timetables, personal details like address and home telephone number also their face identity. This is useful because this can be arranged so that a whole classes pictures are printed of in alphabetical order in order for a teacher to know there class pupils quicker by face by arranging the class in alphabetical order. The public school Coopers is allocated in Romford, Essex was formed over 300 years ago. It contains around 1200 pupils with six formers and over 100 teachers, which the school had to accommodate by building a new building alongside the old one. The head teacher of Coopers is Mr Drew. The school is very multicultural as it accepts students from the local borough as well as outside the borough, which makes the school very unique in its area of Havering. Also recently Coopers was one of the 19 schools in the whole of London to been given the top grade from OFSTED inspectors. The school dress code of Coopers’s pupils is to blue blazers with a badge showing a cross and doves also charcoal grey trousers. The tie has diagonal stripes of yellow, navy and light blue. Microsoft office plays a very important role in the education system at Coopers through programs like Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Some of the uses that these programs enable are: Spreadsheet > Microsoft Excel: Use are being able to mail merge, spread sheet formulas Word Processing > Microsoft Word: This programs enables you to Do Fax template documents, Invoices and basics such as Letters Presentation Software > Microsoft PowerPoint: PowerPoint presentations allow students to present class to their class on an interactive board. Database > Microsoft Access: Mainly used throughout Cooper’s school for tracking student’s behaviour and for teaching throughout the schooling industry. Also by teachers into allowing them to organise their timetables and see where they have free periods or when a class needs a supply teacher as a teacher is away from school. Desktop Publishing (DTP) > MS Publisher, Photoshop, and Corel Draw: Generally used in school to edit and draw pictures. List of Hardware: (computer Specification) How ICT is used in subjects that are taught and used in school. CDT: This subject has specialised software on the ICT program like 2D Design, which enables students to draw different shapes and letters then have specially designed into a 2D key chain using a high tech machine. MFL: the subject MFL has software installed on the schools computer system, which allows teachers to access it through the interactive boards and teach students on their speech thought the board’s speakers. Also through the interactive pen, the teachers can ask students to come to the front and moves individual words to the right sentences. Security software: an administrator through logging on a computer can access The CCTV cameras. This allows the admin to control the movement of the cameras. Most classrooms in Coopers are locked with a specialized security system with only opens by inserting a card with a special chip build into it. The door will only open if it recognises the chip. Systems on different doors can be programmed to accept the chip. This will allow the user to open a number of doors throughout the school. The school technicians would install anti – virus software’s like Northern Art: The use of digital cameras and software allows users to edit photos and images. Also it can be used to evaluate pieces of work and how to make improvements. The benefits of using ICT in Art are that students can do animations and add special effects to pictures, which cannot be done by hand. Library: The heritage used to the check if the book you want hasn’t been taken out. Also the library uses ICT to controls what is borrowed and taken out in the library also students who have books that are overdue. I also found my school is using networking in 10 computer rooms; each room has a local network. All local networks are connected together with router and Gateway. After accessing to the network manager I found that the school network is using the star network. Preferably Maths: ICT is used in maths to do accurate pie chart and bar chart diagrams. Also spreadsheets and calculations in programs like MS excel. Finance Dept: This department uses ICT to deal with problems such as calculating staff salary and tax using spreadsheets and SAGE line 50 or Payroll software. Why the organisation uses ICT? Coopers Comprehensive uses ICT as it is very effective in helping to manage and organise the work of the school. Examples; The organisation uses word processing software such as Microsoft Word to design templates which they will use every time they want to send a letter to pupil’s homes. This is effective as this system will enable the organisation to save time not writing by hand the information that would be stored as a template. E.g. school address and logo Locations where ICT is used 1. Reception a. Photocopier b. Computer c. Lights d. Fax 2. Classrooms a. Lights system b. Computer c. Fan d. Projector e. 3. Staff room a. Computers b. Lighting system 4. Science Lab a. Computers b. Interactive board 5. Interactive board a. Sound system b. Internet browser c. Interactive board d. Video e. Projector 6. Library a. Heritage i. Resource library ii. Computer iii. Database 7. Six form sweet 8. D.T a. Computers 9. Technicians office a. Laptops b. Computers 10. Art room a. Computers 11. Music room a. Keyboards b. Interactive board c. Lights d. Sound system 12. Food room a. Digital camera (for taking pictures of food) b. Computer c. Pocket computer (keeps track of his daily routines) Roles 1. Teaching a. Worksheets b. Timetables c. Teachers planners d. Room changes e. On call system 2. French a. Interactive whiteboards 3. History a. Computer b. Interactive 4. Security a. CCTV (24 hours in motion a day.) b. School alarm c. Fire alarm 5. Internet a. School website b. Revision sites for learning 6. Mr Chapmen’s Office a. Letters home b. Reachout 7. Mr Drew’s office a. Photocopier 8. Homework 9. Maths a. Calculators b. Projectors c. Interactive board 10. SEN Dept 11. S.T.E.D.S a. Calculators 12. Mr Browns Office a. Timetables 13. SIMS (schools information management system) a. NOVA b. Timetables for students and teachers c. Cover d. Administration e. Pupil profiles f. Students behaviour Now I am going to highlight more details how the organisation is using ICT to meet the specific needs. Making lessons interactive: the school uses a smart interactive white board and computer system in every classroom to make lessons interactive. When the teacher is teaching he can write down everything on the whiteboard and using the special software SMART, writing can be saved and played back whenever necessary. Teachers can use many tools to make lessons interactive for example, drawing tools, setting the background colour, selecting font, importing diagrams, showing animation and effects and so on. To make the interactive board work the following hardware and software I identified > Projector > Computer with necessary software e.g. operating system Windows XP and applications software e.g. MS Word and hardware e.g. keyboard, mouse and > Driver program comes with interactive whiteboard > USB memory to transfer and save lessons. > Digital pen or stylus – using this device teachers can use software interactively without coming to the computer > Cable connection between whiteboard and computer The objective of the organisation is to educate students interactively within a short time. Using such interactive system the teacher can teach many things to each student e.g. printing handouts of what he taught at the end of the lesson, without writing he can show it again and again if the student doesn’t understand. Students don’t need to take all notes and can take soft copy of the lessons. When a student is absent he or she can take the soft copy to catch up. registering and maintaining student database creating school brochure templates designing writing letter to parents mail merge save time don’t make mistakes Issuing and receiving books in the school library Searching for books in the library: the school uses ICT in libraries so that books can be found easily and can also to record pupils taking books out and returning them easily without making mistakes and losing books. The benefits are: > Saves time just scanning books instead of writing it down manually every time a pupil wants to take a book out. > Pupils can easily search for books on a database instead of finding it on shelves > Overdue books can be worked out by the computer whereas you may forget when the pupil was due to bring back the book.

Finding Forester Movie

Finding Forester Movie According to Erikson, healthy growth of the personality depends upon the successful resolution of eight stages in ego development throughout the lifespan (Frick, 1991). Each stage unfolds a biologically predetermined sequence in the interaction with social forces and the requirements of the culture, and each represents a critical period of transition in the healthy development of the ego and evolution of the personality.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Finding Forester Movie specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As one follows this epigenetic principle of maturation, the healthy resolution of a given stage of development depends in a large measure upon the strength of the foundation established in the earlier stages. Each stage becomes a crucial building block in the developmental process and ego functioning (Frick, 1991). Essentially, Erikson formulated eight major stages of development, each one posing a unique task and simultaneously presenting the individual with a crisis that he must fight against. As employed by Erikson, a crisis is not a threat of a catastrophe, but a turning point, a crucial period of increased vulnerability and heightened potential. According to Erikson, there are eight basic stages of development. The first one is trust versus mistrust. This is the first stage of human life. During this stage, children decide themselves whether trust or mistrust other people depending on their own early life experiences. Autonomy versus shame and doubt is the second stage. During this period, children begin to walk, crawl, climb and explore the surrounding world. A new conflict confronts them. When parents are patient and cooperative, the children gain a sense of independence, and if the child is not encouraged, he or she develops a sense of shame and doubt. Initiative versus guilt is another stage. During this time, the repertoire of motor and mental abilities that children can m aster expands greatly. Parents who give their children freedom in running, sliding, bike riding, skating and roughhousing allow them to develop initiative. Parents who curtail their childrens freedom or even forbid to undertake such activities make their kids feel a sense of guilt. Industry vs. inferiority is the next stage which indicates that children should be given an opportunity to exercise their abilities at a tender age because without some of them, they will not able to grow and develop. Now, let us take a closer look at the stage identity versus role confusion.Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As children grow, they try to gain an understanding of who they are and how they should come to that understanding. If this is not achieved, then they become confused and are not able to gain a sense of control in their lives. This stage is followed by the next one ca lled generativity versus stagnation. During this stage, Erikson states that one seeks to reach out to other people’s concerns which are beyond a person. Generativity entails selflessness while stagnation is a condition in which individuals are preoccupied with their material possessions or physical well being. Lastly, the stage of integrity versus despair comes. It is a common feature of the old age. At this stage, one takes stock of their years. Some people despair while the others are grateful for their lives. Personality development as illustrated by Erikson is clearly captured in a motion picture titled Finding Forrester. This is a movie which is based on a story about a New York High school student by the name of Rob Brown who is stared by Jamal Wallace (Gines, 2009). This is a teenager who is intelligent and talented. This teen finds himself with an acclaimed writer William Forester who develops a friendship with him after the teen sneaked into his office on a dare (Fri ck, 1991). Jamal is a young man who left his neighborhood school after being recruited by New York Prep for Prep, a New York City program for the students who are gifted and talented. Jamal is a student who excels in mathematics and science. He is also a gifted basketball player. This movie brings to the fore the realities of black teenagers who hide their love of books, their dreams, and their brilliance in order to fit in with their peers (Gines, 2009). A major lesson the movie addresses is that of the reciprocal relationship between the teacher and the student (Mckinnon, 2005). Too frequently, teachers forget that the word teacher and its definition would not exist if there were no students. In other words, teachers need students as much as students need teachers. Jamal Wallace entered the home of a recluse writer on a dare taken from his friends. However, he ran in fear, leaving his book bag, when Forrester appeared (Mckinnon, 2005). At that point, Jamal’s life changed ir revocably. Forrester, a famous writer, whose first and the only published novel made the same impact as Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, finds Jamal’s notebooks in the boys bag and examines his work.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Finding Forester Movie specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Though Jamal leaves his book bag in Forrester’s home, Forrester critiques the notebooks and throws the book bag out the window with such comments as ‘constipated thinking’. Jamal is not amused. He realizes that he met someone who can help him to develop his writing skills, a person who is a true writer and an inquisitive mind. That is why, he runs towards Forrester rather than away from him. Once Jamal enters Forrester’s apartment, Forrester’s life as a teacher is also irrevocably changed. While Jamal is fascinated with the walls of, perhaps, the first editions of the books that he has read, Forrester tests the intellectual, emotional and ambitious parameters of the young black male in whose works he has seen the signs of greatness. One of Jamal’s first lessons is that he learns how to write with his heart and revise later with his mind. At his new school, Jamal has two obvious foes,: a young basketball peer and a literature teacher. The first one does not like Jamal because the young man of obvious parentage does not want Jamal to identify with him. The literature teacher, Robert Crawford, does not also like the boy because he is a failure as a writer, lacking the genius reflected in Jamal’s work (Mckinnon, 2005). Uniquely gifted, Jamal is as skillful at playing basketball as he is at writing and remembering lines from different books of various authors he has read. The young light skinned basketball player, who is described by a young woman who befriends Jamal as someone who craves the limelight, reminds the still unstudied phenomenon of a s ingle black professor teaching in a predominantly White department or university (Mckinnon, 2005). The word adolescent comes from the Latin word meaning â€Å"growing up† or â€Å"coming to maturity†. In one way or the other, virtually, all the students of adolescence regard its ultimate challenge as the establishment of psychological and social identity (Cassel Bernstein, 2007).Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In facing this challenge, the adolescents struggle against decisions about who and what they are as men, women, romantic partners, workers and members of families, ethnic groups, organizations and other cultural institutions. Adolescence is considered to be just the beginning of a period lasting throughout adulthood during which each person must resolve four crises. The first one deals with identity, which means to learn to choose values, vocations, beliefs, family, lifestyle, and gender roles. The second crisis touches intimacy, which is achieving closeness with a romantic partner. The third one is called generativity that is having children and/or finding meaningful work or the other productive activity. The last crisis is considered to be integrity, which means to be able to look back on life with satisfaction. Although various psychological theories assume that most adolescents actually succeed to establish their psychosocial identities, today’s behavioral scientists reco gnize that few of them achieve nothing and are left alone without their place in the world. Accordingly, many teenagers are no longer expected to make all their vocational, marital, and life style choices by the time they are 20. Of those who go to college, many graduate with a degree, but have little or no certainty about what to do with or about it and whether they have chosen the right career. Identity confusion including indecisiveness about what to do with one’s life can lead to many problems ranging from infrequent changes of romantic partners and job hopping to criminal behavior. Some of the choices teenagers make about how to spend their time can increase the likelihood of becoming involved in criminal activity. This is especially true for those who enter adolescence burdened by the childhood risk factors for criminal behavior. They include poverty, weak conscience, poor moral values, contacts with criminal or drug abusing family members; low self esteem; school failu re, poor social skills, parental abuse and/or neglect, bad conduct and/or attention deficit disorders, and early alcohol and drug abuse. The more risk factors children experience, the greater the likelihood that they will engage in antisocial behavior and criminal acts as the adolescents and young adults. These risk factors can provide pathways to crime (Cassel Bernstein, 2007). At this period, the character is going through a stage of identity vs. role confusion. Jamal comes from a background which is defined by lack of direction and despair. The future is bleak for most of his peers, and seemingly, he trudges down that lane. However, he has a special talent and academic ability that gives him advantage over his fellow colleagues. Initially, Jamal does not seem to focus on his academics and possible future. However, his interaction with an author who spots his gift enables him to discover his potential and set his direction in life. At this stage, the most important thing for a pe rson like Jamal is to ensure that he has a role model who will guide him through the waves of life and enable him to excel in his area. From a counseling perspective, Jamal further needs career guidance so that he can be able to know which future career path will suit the skills and abilities which he bears best. In addition, owing to the fact that this stage is largely characterized by peer influence, Jamal needs some intra and interpersonal skills to enable him to deal with the prevailing circumstances so that he can be able to withstand the challenges of peer influence. Essentially, there is a need to ensure that he has the ability to be assertive and set realistic and achievable goals. What is identity? When does it form? What aspects of identity change over time? What features of identity remain the same over time? Can identity be ever lost? If so, can it be regained? How do early life experiences affect one’s later sense of identity? What roles do one’s family, f riends, schools, places of work, houses of worship, and cultural values play in the development of identity? These questions confirm one thing that identity is a complex entity that is to be defined accurately (Moshman, 2005). The need to define individual identity and show how identity leads one to find or not to find meaningful connections within a larger cultural milieu is common to all the pursuits. Identity formation involves the emergence of a new, intra psychic structure. This new structure is more than the sum of previous childhood identifications rather than it is a configuration that now enables the holder to mediate rather than be mediated by these earlier identifications of childhood. Essentially, one might conclude that identity is present when other people’s opinions become something to reflect upon, rather than to live by. There are several theories which have been fronted with regard to the development of identity. Key among these theories is Marcia’s t heory of identity formation. Marcia’s approach is the concept of identity commitments. Mature identity, in his view, is a matter of having strong, self conscious, and self chosen commitments in matters such as a vocation, sexuality, religion, and political ideology. Marcia suggested that individuals entering adolescence typically fall in one of the two categories. The identity diffused individual has no strong commitments and is not seeking any. Such individuals are satisfied to live day by day and simply see where life takes them. The foreclosed individual, by contrast, does have clear commitments. Those commitments have been internalized from parents and other agents of culture; they are not self chosen, in that no alternatives have been seriously considered. It is possible for an individual in either of these identities to move into the other. As adolescence proceeds, a diffused individual may accept the ideas of those he is close to with regard to matters of vocation, se xuality, religion, and politics. If these commitments become sufficiently strong, without being purposely chosen from a set of genuine alternatives, the individual now has a foreclosed identity. Alternatively, a foreclosed individual may become increasingly dubious of his or her comments, yet have little or no interest in replacing these commitments with others. Such a decrease in concern with identity commitments would constitute a transition to identity diffusion. It is possible, however, for an individual who is either foreclosed or identity diffused to move into an identity crisis, which Marcia referred to as a state of moratorium. For the foreclosed individual, this consists of questioning the specific commitments one has learned, seriously considering alternative possibilities and seeking to construct new commitments of one’s own. For the diffused individual, although there are no current commitments to be displaced, the transition to moratorium also involves an active effort to consider possibilities and form central commitments. Regardless of how one gets there, moratorium is a state where one has no current identity commitments, but seeks to make such commitments. Unlike identity diffusion and foreclosure, which may continue indefinitely, moratorium is a relatively unstable state. The individual is likely to resolve his or her own crisis in one or two ways. The positive outcome is to make commitments, thus leading to a state known as identity achieved. The negative outcome is to give up the search for identity, thus becoming identity diffused. It is important to note that once one genuinely considers alternatives, foreclosing is no longer a possible status. One either makes commitments and becomes identity achieved or fails to do it and becomes identity diffused. Based on Marcia’s analysis, Jamal is a teenager who is going through the motions of life as he tries to identify who he is and what he is capable of doing. This is based on a ba ckground which is characterized by uncertainty. At some point, he seems to be struggling with what life has to offer. Though he faces stiff competition, he is not dissuaded from pursuing his goal of playing basketball and writing. This is based on the fact that he has been exposed to a person who enables to create an image of who the boy wants to be in future. Before Jamal bumps into Forrester’s life, he was not sure of what he wanted to become. This is characterized by the fact that he leaves his books behind upon being bumped into by Forrester. Furthermore, he decides to get involved in groups which do not seem to add any value to his life. It is worth noting that at this age, Jamal shows the frustrations and emotions of being a normal New York black teenager. As he struggles against negative perceptions in his school, he trudges on until he makes room for himself. This is a trait of a person who has moved from a state of lack of self understanding to a state when he is abl e to forgo some pleasures based on the fact that he understands what he is doing. In addition to this, Jamal’s character also impresses Forrester and makes him change his attitude towards being black. References Cassel, E., Bernstein, D. A. (2007). Criminal behavior. New York: Routledge. Frick, W. B. (1991). Personality theories: journeys into self : an experiential workbook. London: Teachers College Press. Gines, A. (2009). Developmental Psychology. Florentino: Rex Bookstore, Inc. Mckinnon, J. A. (2005). Black studies as human studies: critical essays and interviews. New York: SUNY Press. Moshman, D. (2005). Adolescent psychological development: rationality, morality, and identity. New York: Routledge.

Domestic Violence Essay Example

Domestic Violence Essay Example Domestic Violence Paper Domestic Violence Paper Domestic Violence is a widespread problem, which occurs among all genders, ages, races, educational backgrounds, and socioeconomic groups (American College of Emergency Physicians 2003). Domestic violence is the single largest cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44 in the United States, which is more than muggings, car accidents, and rapes combined (American College of Emergency Physicians 2003). Two to four million women are battered each year, and 2,000 of these battered women will die of their injuries (American College of Emergency Physicians 2003). According to the Annals of Emergency Medicine, violence against men by women is increasing. A study was done in an inner city hospital where men reported slightly more physical violence than women (American College of Emergency Physicians 2003). However, women reported more past and present nonphysical violence than men. Violence against women is an urgent public health problem that has devastating consequences for children and families. In addition, the U. S. Department of Justice reports that a husband, ex-husband, boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend commits twenty-nine percent of all violence against women by an offender (American College of Emergency Physicians 2003). Eighteen percent of women surveyed (17. 7 million women) have been raped or a victim of attempted rape during their lifetime, which was according to a collaborative study on violence jointly found by the Department of Health and Human Services and the U. S. Department of Justice (American College of Emergency Physicians 2003). Current research indicates that approximately 900,000 parents are beaten by their children each year; and the National Elder Abuse Incidence study found that approximately 551,011 elders were neglected or abused in a one year period (American College of Emergency Physicians 2003). An estimated two million children in the United States are seriously abused by their parents, or guardians, each year.1,000 of these children will die as a result of the injuries obtained from domestic violence (American College of Emergency Physicians 2003). Recent studies, also suggest, twenty percent of children will be sexually assaulted in some way, particularly by somebody they know (American College of Emergency Physicians 2003). Domestic violence often makes the victim feel helpless and alone, but emergency physicians can play an imperative role when breaking the cycle of domestic violence. Even if the victim is not ready to leave an abusive relationship or identify the batterer, these physicians will recognize and confirm to the victim that domestic violence is a serious and life threatening problem (American College of Emergency Physicians 2003). Physicians can let victims know they are not alone, they dont deserve to be beaten, and help is available. Written materials with the names and telephone numbers of local shelters, advocacy groups and legal assistance are available to patients if they feel it is safe to take it (American College of Emergency Physicians 2003). Reference

A Unique and Meaningful Life

Unique and meaningful life Unique and meaningful life is compatible with the concept of review framework for ethical actors. To defend this claim, I support Barbara Herman's Kant's debate about moral obligations. The rationale for responsibility is the fact that agents recognize and consider in the ethical review process and they are some facts, since they define the characteristics of our (rational) rational nature so moral meaning It is defined by the CI program (318). [1] The reason is guidance rather than performance reason To seek meaningful links in life is a congenital emotional motive, a distinctive human nature. That is another ability specific to humans - language - is expressed in a complex way, the ability to interpret and manipulate symbols. In many ways, life is a lifelong process of communicating your story, filling in details, explaining what it means, and reinterpretting. In addition to capturing these meanings, this practice is an opportunity to investigate your rel ationships, your self, your life, your past, and your thoughts, emotions, needs, passions, desires, etc. wait. But to free your mind from the old story, but you need courage to stand in the truth of the highest hope you want. It is not necessarily unique to make life worthwhile or make it meaningful. Lan Dao believes that believing that this particularity is related to meaning is another mistake made by many people. He believes that this misunderstanding misses ways to think their lives are unnecessarily meaningful and improves the meaning of life. This may be embarrassing, but very few people are wonderful. Philosopher Richard Taylor argues that in the book Good and Evil published in 1970, doing hard work and accomplishing does not make life important. Because we live, life is essential Theodore Roosevelt stated that the most remarkable thing is the opportunity to work hard. You can enrich your life with meaningful work, but what is creative work worth doing? Even if you are unique and superior to your work, ask yourself if your actual production makes sense. I am a unique supporter, but creativity is not worth it unless it has a significant or positive impact on people's lives. After all, there is a meaningful idea that you can do this. Over time, your creative journey will be more fulfilling

Breaking The Cycle of Teenage Pregnancy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Breaking The Cycle of Teenage Pregnancy - Essay Example Programs related to reducing the incidence of teenage pregnancy will be examined along with their effectiveness. Based on the analysis of all the data collected and programs to in place recommendations for needed programming will be discussed. Alternate options available to preganant teens will be discussed as well. A million teenÐ °ge women become pregnÐ °nt in the United StÐ °tes every yeÐ °r, the vÐ °st mÐ °jority unintentionÐ °lly. Ð lthough the rÐ °te of teenÐ °ge pregnÐ °ncy hÐ °s increÐ °sed drÐ °mÐ °ticÐ °lly Ð °mong Ð °ll teens since the eÐ °rly 1970s, Ð °mong sexuÐ °lly Ð °ctive Ð °dolescents, pregnÐ °ncy rÐ °tes hÐ °ve Ð °ctuÐ °lly decreÐ °sed 19% over the lÐ °st two decÐ °des. This decline in pregnÐ °ncy Ð °mong sexuÐ °lly Ð °ctive teens is due in lÐ °rge pÐ °rt to better use of contrÐ °ceptives. Recent estimÐ °tes show thÐ °t Ð °pproximÐ °tely 12% of Ð °ll teenÐ °ge girls (Ð °ged 15-19) become pregnÐ °nt eÐ °ch yeÐ °r, whereÐ °s 21% of those who hÐ °ve hÐ °d sexuÐ °l intercourse (Ð °ged 15-19) become pregnÐ °nt Ð °nnuÐ °lly (Ð lÐ °n GuttmÐ °cher Institute, 2003). RegÐ °rding births resulting from teenÐ °ge pregnÐ °ncies, the percentÐ °ge of teenÐ °ge women who gÐ °ve birth rose Ð °lmost 19% from 2000 to 2002 (the lÐ °st yeÐ °r for which stÐ °tistics Ð °re currently Ð °vÐ °ilÐ °ble; Ð lÐ °n GuttmÐ °cher Institute, 2003). The Ð °bortion rÐ °te Ð °mong teens hÐ °s remÐ °ined fÐ °irly stÐ °ble since the lÐ °te 1970s, with Ð °pproximÐ °tely 43 teens per 1,000 opting for Ð °bortion. However, over thÐ °t sÐ °me time period, Ð °bortion rÐ °tes hÐ °ve declined steÐ °dily Ð °mong sexuÐ °lly experienced Ð °dolescent women, both becÐ °use Ð ° lower proportion of teenÐ °gers becÐ °me pregnÐ °nt Ð °nd becÐ °use Ð ° lower proportion of pregnÐ °nt teenÐ °gers choose to hÐ °ve Ð °n Ð °bortion. RÐ °ciÐ °l differences exist in both the prevÐ °lence of Ð °dolescent pregnÐ °ncy Ð °nd Ð °dolescent childbeÐ °ring. For exÐ °mple, BlÐ °ck teenÐ °gers hÐ °ve historicÐ °lly hÐ °d Ð ° higher pregnÐ °ncy rÐ °te thÐ °n their HispÐ °nic Ð °nd White peers: 19% of Ð °ll BlÐ °ck

In what ways are the basic rules of media economics changed by the Essay

In what ways are the basic rules of media economics changed by the 'digital revolution' and in what ways do they remain the same - Essay Example Digital revolution has effected cost reduction by replacing analog into binary representation of ones and zeroes, felicitating multiple generations of copies similar to the original. Digital revolution goes far beyond multimedia applications of storing all information in a binary digital format. The horizon of digital revolution has expanded to the extent of putting an end to privacy, to quote the example of Walmart labeling all its products with RFID tags, causing worry to the privacy groups. Hoskins, McFadyen and Finn of University of Alberta have very appropriately and forcefully analysed links between media and communication in their book â€Å"Media Economics: Applying Economics to New and Traditional Media. They have reasoned with arguments on questions like the Internet affecting the information-rooted entertainment and cultural products; how is broadcasting generally regulated and often supported, segregating newspaper publishing from it. Media economics rules have taken different moulds as multi-faceted aspects of digital revolution unfold. On the basis of microeconomic principles and concepts, it peeps into media industries to discuss and analyse topics in the resulting media environment. In media industries, demand and supply of products is affected by their variables. When packet switching to circuit networks is employed for the Internet, the economies of scale work to give competitive advantage to US in comparison to other countries and on top of that the mergers of entertainment industry such as Disney’s acquisitions of Miramax and ABC, AT&T’s acquisition of the cable company TCI happen. Digital revolution through the medium of the Internet affects the supply of media goods and services. The time has come when possessing a commercial television-broadcasting license is â€Å"like having a license to print your own money† ï â€ºBraddon, 1965, p. 240ï   Here comes the all-important role of digital technology in affecting the demand of media

The hazards of taking children out to eat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The hazards of taking children out to eat - Essay Example The only way to reduce these problems is by modifying the eating habits through good education and by creating awareness among the children. These statistics could be reduced if children learn to make proper food choices. With the busy schedule of parents, children are used to eating outside and are enjoying the food that does not have much of nutritional benefits. This paper mainly focuses on the hazards of taking children out to eat. The habit of eating foods of little or no nutritional value such as cookies, candy, chips, and doughnuts contributes empty calories to the diet. Similarly, food such as pizzas, ice creams, and French fries have become their favorites among children. Sometimes, these foods are chosen as rewards by parents to make their child obey them which is a dangerous trend. Though most of the parents know the fact that eating outside may lead to various short and long term problems, they continue to follow this trend. Eating outside usually prevents children from being open to eating the wide variety of fruits and vegetables that provide essential vitamins and minerals needed for growth and good health. Every parent wishes to feed their kids with nutritious food. It is not just the wish of parents but it is also the need of every child that they are well nourished. It is a well known fact that only when children get required and balanced nutrients they have good physical and mental growth. The requirement of energy is high for kids since most of them are always into playing and running around. Though it is the primary responsibility of the parents to provide good nutritious food, it is also important that children themselves are made aware of what good food is and what the bad foods are. It is essential to help them become responsible for their own nutrition and eating habits so that they eat judiciously. If good habits are taught early in life, children tend to continue these habits

Why Fast Foods Can Be Bad For Your Health Research Paper

Why Fast Foods Can Be Bad For Your Health - Research Paper Example Another issue with fast food is that it is easily available and can be much easier than trying to cook or provide a more nutritious meal for your family – meaning that people often each much more fast food than they should (French et al, 2004). This type of problem has led fast food to become a victim of much controversy in the media as well as getting many analyses in the scientific literature that has led it to become a dangerous topic. The purpose of this essay is to explore the literature on fast foods and examine why it can be bad for your health, as well as completing a discussion and analysis of the research available. It will become evident that there are many reasons why fast food can be bad for your health, and these claims are backed up by evidence that supports this claim. The term fast food was popularized in the United States in the middle part of this century. The term is used to refer to any food that can be prepared and sold extremely quickly, making it easy t o access and available to many. The fact that many fast food restaurants do not have typical waiting staff (preferring to rely on a collection or takeaway method) means that it can be even quicker and sold at an extremely low price. All of these have led to the popularization of fast food across the Western world, with many chains having outlets in many countries. There are many different types of fast food, although the most popular types include hamburgers, fries, pizza and other foods which are high in fat and many contain a high level of additives and addictive substances (French et al, 2004). One of the main reasons that fast food is considered to be so dangerous is that it is linked to the main health problem in the United States – obesity (French et al, 2004). Because fast food is so easy to obtain and can be bought for relatively low prices, those who are on low incomes or who work long hours are more susceptible to obesity (Block, Scribner & DeSalvo, 2004). Additiona lly, Jeffery & French (1998) have shown that there is a strong association between eating fast food and watching television, and together these two activities are strongly linked to obesity – particularly because they reduce activity levels in many people. Kwate, Yau, Loh & Williams (2009) also did a study considering whether the high availability of fast food makes it bad for your health. The study found that those who lived in areas with a high density of fast food chains were more likely to be obese and have related health problems. The reasons for this were multiple. For one, those who merely had to order food to get it delivered were likely to do less exercise to get to their food. Secondly, the content of the food was much higher in fat than meals that had been prepared in the home, leading to weight gain. As we will see, weight gain can lead to health problems such as type II diabetes. Pereira et al (2005) did a study examining the links between fast food habits, weigh t gain and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is important because it is an early indicator of type II diabetes, and therefore any sign of increased insulin resistance can be considered a health risk. There was found to be a strong link between fast food eating and a resistance to insulin, particularly because many of the foods have a high level of sugar and carbohydrates. This is what makes the foods more appealing and taste nice, but consuming sugar in high levels can lead to obesity and type II diabetes in later life. In this sense, eating a lot of fast foods is definitely bad for your health. Another major concern with fast food is that they contain some additives, not all of which have been fully tested

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECTS OF HEAVY METAL IONS (LEAD ION AND Coursework

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECTS OF HEAVY METAL IONS (LEAD ION AND MERCURY ION) ON THE ACTION OT TRYPSIN ENZYME - Coursework Example The above observation will get into the discussion in association with the dissociation of Mercury Nitrate and the lead Nitrate. The above observations might also be explained in terms some complex reactions which do involving the enzyme trypsin and metal ions. RESEARCH AND RATIONAL Enzymes are biological catalyst made up of proteins, they speed up the rate of chemical reactions by lowering the activation energy hence providing an alternative pathway (fig.1). Enzymes remain unchanged at the end of a reaction. They are classified as globular proteins, they are made up of polypeptide chains which coil and or fold up to give a 3D structure which determines the shape of the enzyme and hence, the shape of the active site. http://tfscientist.hubpages.com/hub/what-are-enzymes-where-do-they-work Figure 1http://www.biologyguide.net/unit1/2_enzymes.htm All enzymes have an active site, in 1814 Emil Fischer proposed the lock and key model. According to this theory, the substrate fits perfe ctly into the enzymes active site hence forming an enzyme substrate complex, causing the bonds in the substrate to change. This will eventually lead to the formation of products. The products are released from the enzyme active site leaving the enzyme free to accept another substrate. http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/571lockkey.html The diagram below illustrates this theory. Figure 2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Competitive_inhibition.svg However X-ray crystallography and computer assisted modelling, research has shown that the lock and key model is not accurate. This has led to the introduction of the ‘induced-fit theory’. It assumes that the substrate influences the final shape of the enzyme active site and that the active site is malleable. Only specific substrates will be able to alter the active site slightly in order for a reaction to take place [1].The diagram below illustrates the induced fit theory. Figure 3: http://www.biologyguide.net/unit1/2_ enzymes.htm There are various factors that influence the activity of enzymes, these include; pH, temperature and Inhibitors. Inhibitors are substances that affect the activity of enzyme, if the site which active of the enzyme gets occupied by a substance which is not a substrate, the activity of the enzyme will decrease because the substrate cannot bind to the active site. This means that both the substrate and the molecule are competing for space on the active site. This is known as a competitive inhibition and can be reversed by the addition of more substrate.  Non-competitive inhibition is another form of inhibition where a molecule binds to the allosteric site on an enzyme hence changing the shape of the active site. This prevents the substrate from binding to the active point. Usually this type is reversible but cannot be overcome by increasing substrate concentration. Trypsin is a serine protease found in the human digestive system, it is essential for the hydrolysis of pro tean such as casein found in milk http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Trypsin.html. Without trypsin, it would be difficult for the human body to absorbed protein; Pb (NO3 )2 and Hg (NO3 )2 contain Pb2+ and Hg2+ ions respectively. These meal ions acts as non-competitive inhibitors and this means that there will be fewer successful

The hazards of taking children out to eat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The hazards of taking children out to eat - Essay Example The only way to reduce these problems is by modifying the eating habits through good education and by creating awareness among the children. These statistics could be reduced if children learn to make proper food choices. With the busy schedule of parents, children are used to eating outside and are enjoying the food that does not have much of nutritional benefits. This paper mainly focuses on the hazards of taking children out to eat. The habit of eating foods of little or no nutritional value such as cookies, candy, chips, and doughnuts contributes empty calories to the diet. Similarly, food such as pizzas, ice creams, and French fries have become their favorites among children. Sometimes, these foods are chosen as rewards by parents to make their child obey them which is a dangerous trend. Though most of the parents know the fact that eating outside may lead to various short and long term problems, they continue to follow this trend. Eating outside usually prevents children from being open to eating the wide variety of fruits and vegetables that provide essential vitamins and minerals needed for growth and good health. Every parent wishes to feed their kids with nutritious food. It is not just the wish of parents but it is also the need of every child that they are well nourished. It is a well known fact that only when children get required and balanced nutrients they have good physical and mental growth. The requirement of energy is high for kids since most of them are always into playing and running around. Though it is the primary responsibility of the parents to provide good nutritious food, it is also important that children themselves are made aware of what good food is and what the bad foods are. It is essential to help them become responsible for their own nutrition and eating habits so that they eat judiciously. If good habits are taught early in life, children tend to continue these habits

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECTS OF HEAVY METAL IONS (LEAD ION AND Coursework

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECTS OF HEAVY METAL IONS (LEAD ION AND MERCURY ION) ON THE ACTION OT TRYPSIN ENZYME - Coursework Example The above observation will get into the discussion in association with the dissociation of Mercury Nitrate and the lead Nitrate. The above observations might also be explained in terms some complex reactions which do involving the enzyme trypsin and metal ions. RESEARCH AND RATIONAL Enzymes are biological catalyst made up of proteins, they speed up the rate of chemical reactions by lowering the activation energy hence providing an alternative pathway (fig.1). Enzymes remain unchanged at the end of a reaction. They are classified as globular proteins, they are made up of polypeptide chains which coil and or fold up to give a 3D structure which determines the shape of the enzyme and hence, the shape of the active site. http://tfscientist.hubpages.com/hub/what-are-enzymes-where-do-they-work Figure 1http://www.biologyguide.net/unit1/2_enzymes.htm All enzymes have an active site, in 1814 Emil Fischer proposed the lock and key model. According to this theory, the substrate fits perfe ctly into the enzymes active site hence forming an enzyme substrate complex, causing the bonds in the substrate to change. This will eventually lead to the formation of products. The products are released from the enzyme active site leaving the enzyme free to accept another substrate. http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/571lockkey.html The diagram below illustrates this theory. Figure 2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Competitive_inhibition.svg However X-ray crystallography and computer assisted modelling, research has shown that the lock and key model is not accurate. This has led to the introduction of the ‘induced-fit theory’. It assumes that the substrate influences the final shape of the enzyme active site and that the active site is malleable. Only specific substrates will be able to alter the active site slightly in order for a reaction to take place [1].The diagram below illustrates the induced fit theory. Figure 3: http://www.biologyguide.net/unit1/2_ enzymes.htm There are various factors that influence the activity of enzymes, these include; pH, temperature and Inhibitors. Inhibitors are substances that affect the activity of enzyme, if the site which active of the enzyme gets occupied by a substance which is not a substrate, the activity of the enzyme will decrease because the substrate cannot bind to the active site. This means that both the substrate and the molecule are competing for space on the active site. This is known as a competitive inhibition and can be reversed by the addition of more substrate.  Non-competitive inhibition is another form of inhibition where a molecule binds to the allosteric site on an enzyme hence changing the shape of the active site. This prevents the substrate from binding to the active point. Usually this type is reversible but cannot be overcome by increasing substrate concentration. Trypsin is a serine protease found in the human digestive system, it is essential for the hydrolysis of pro tean such as casein found in milk http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Trypsin.html. Without trypsin, it would be difficult for the human body to absorbed protein; Pb (NO3 )2 and Hg (NO3 )2 contain Pb2+ and Hg2+ ions respectively. These meal ions acts as non-competitive inhibitors and this means that there will be fewer successful

The Romantic Movement Essay Example for Free

The Romantic Movement Essay Mary Shelleys Frankenstein was written at the time of the Romantic Movement; characterized by innovation (rather than traditionalism), spontaneity (Shelley was brought up in Geneva where freedom of expression was important), an idealisation of nature and the belief of living in an age of new beginnings and high possibilities. All of these characteristics are found early on in the novel in Waltons letters, the discovery of the North Pole being the innovation and new beginning. In this novel, the Romanticism significantly complements the Gothic genre. Robert Walton is a Romantic, with a thirst to express his intense imaginings and daydreams to companion. His dreams of exploration were first inspired by poems and stories and childish fantasies at a young age. As Walton prepares for his journey to the North Pole, the beauty of nature in St. Petersburg seem to him a hint of how the new world will look when he gets there. His excitement is heightened by the brisk and picturesque world around him. However, his beautiful surroundings are also very perilous, and end up being the reason he has to return. Walton describes Frankenstein as completely broken-down by grief, but still able to appreciate the natural beauty of the world around him, which seems remarkable. A man destroyed by sorrow can still look up at the night sky and feel some sense of relief, happiness, or awe at the fabulous beauty that surrounds him: Even broken in spirit as he is, no one can feel more deeply than he does the beauties of nature. The starry sky, the sea, and every sight afforded by these wonderful regions, seems still to have the power of elevating his soul. This appreciation of beauty in a novel so filled with brutality seems an odd contrast, but is elementary for the distinct natural settings that we will come across in the novel, all corresponding to the emotions of the characters involved. The North Pole is a suitably cold, desolate and isolated setting for the meeting of Walton, Victor and the daemon. Mary Shelley also had very liberal religious views. At the time she wrote Frankenstein, Catholicism was very oppressing and she was very against it. In his letters, Walton wishes to discover things that will benefit mankind. We later find out he shares this godlike ambition with Frankenstein. Shelley uses biblical language to emphasise this: Heaven shower down blessings on you. He will be like a celestial spirit that has a halo around him. elevates me to heaven. Walton seems to be playing God or somebody of high divinity by generously giving out heavenly phrases. This is quite foreboding, as the oppressiveness in the historical context also suggests that all is not well. This is backed up by Walton acting against his fathers dying injunction; not to embark in a seafaring life. This is not a very divine thing to do. This is an underlying theme at this early stage in the novel, but as Victor confesses his story of playing God, we realise that this theme mutely prepares us for the tale that is about to unfold. The desire to find out the unknown and to be the first to discover the unseen is a tragic flaw of both Walton and the Victor Frankenstein, and from the very first letter, the theme of glory is heavily established. Walton states: I preferred glory. Of course there are only a select few who have achieved this timeless goal, yet those who pursue it are encouraged by the immortality and recognition awarded to the victorious. Mary Shelleys Frankenstein is a literary rumination of the quest for glory, Waltons discovery of the North Pole being the backdrop for the tale of the title characters pursuit of the knowledge of life.

Organizational controls and structure in business

Organizational controls and structure in business Introduction Organizational structure can be defined as the formal system of task and authority relationships that control how people coordinate their actions and use resources to achieve organizational goals. (Jones, et al, 2010)  [i]   Organizational structure specifies: The firms formal reporting relationships, procedures, controls, and authority and decision-making processes; and, The work to be done and how to do it, given the firms strategy or strategies Developing an organizational structure that effectively supports the firms strategy is difficult, especially because of the uncertainty about the cause-effect relationship in the global economys rapidly changing and dynamic competitive environments.  [ii]   Organizational Controls Organization Control includes any process designed to assure that organization plans are carried out the way they were designed. Control in the organizational context can be classified as: 1. Strategic controls 2. Financial controls Strategic controls are largely subjective criteria intended to verify that the firm is using appropriate strategies for conditions in external environment and the companys competitive advantage.  [iii]  Strategic controls are concerned with examining the fit between: What the firm might do (opportunities in its external environment) What the firm can do (competitive advantages) Financial controls, on the other hand, are largely objective criteria used to measure the firms performance against previously established quantitative standards.iii Financial controls have two criteria: Accounting-based measures include: Return on investment Return on assets Market-based measures include: Economic Value Added (EVA) Relative use of controls varies by type of strategy. Large diversified firms using a cost leadership strategy emphasize financial controls. Companies and business units using a differentiation strategy emphasize strategic controls. In relation with organizational structure, organizational controls are important to measure the effect caused by a change in the structure. Relationships between Strategy and Structure Strategy and structure have a reciprocal relationship. Structure flows from or follows the selection of the firms strategy but once in place, structure can influence current strategic actions as well as choices about future strategies. Evolutionary Patterns of Strategy and Organizational Structure The relationship between organizations strategy and structure was studied extensively by Alfred D. Chandler in his legendary book Strategy and Structure: Chapters in the History of the American Industrial Enterprise. According to Chandler (1962), firms grow in predictable patterns: First by volume Then by geography Then integration (vertical, horizontal) And finally through product/business diversification Chandler also says that a firms growth patterns determine its structural form. All organizations require some form of organizational structure to implement and manage their strategies. Firms frequently alter their structure as they grow in size and complexity. The three basic structure types are: Simple structure Functional structure Multidivisional structure (M-form) Global expansion structure The following figure explains the change in organizational structure with growth and strategy. D:Chap11graphicsMultidiv_fig 11.1.jpgD:Chap11graphicsFunctional_fig 11.1.jpgD:Chap11graphicsSimple_fig 11.1.jpg Efficient implementation of formulated strategy Efficient implementation of formulated strategy D:Chap11graphicsSalesHigher_fig 11.1.jpgD:Chap11graphicsSalesLower_fig 11.1.jpg Simple Structure A simple structure is where the owner-manager makes all the major decisions and monitors all activities while the staff serves as an extension of the managers supervisory authority. (C. Levicki, 1999). This type of a structure is matched with focus strategies and business-level strategies where firms commonly compete by offering a single product line in a single geographic market. Functional Structure A functional structure is a design that groups people together on the basis of their common expertise and experiences or because they use the same resources. (Jones, et al, 2010) Functional structure supports use of business-level strategies and some corporate-level strategies single or dominant business with low levels of diversification. Multi-divisional Structure The multi-divisional structure (M-form) consists of operating divsions, each representing a separate business or profit center in which the top corporate officer delegates responsibilities for day-to-day operations and business-unit strategy to division managers. Multi-divisional structure has three major benefits: Corporate officers are able to more accurately monitor the performance of each business, which simplifies the problem of control Facilitates comparisons between divisions, which improves the resource allocation process Stimulates managers of poorly performing divisions to look for ways of improving performance International Strategies and Worldwide Structures International strategies are becoming increasingly important for long-term competitive success in what continues to become a global economy. The following framework explains how organizations proper in a global economy: Global expansion strategies Global expansion strategies can be understood in terms of local responsiveness and geographical integration within the company. On the basis of these two parameters, four strategies of global expansion have been arrived at. These are: International strategy Multi-domestic strategy Global strategy Transnational strategy International Strategy In case of international strategy, firms decentralize all value-creation functions except for RD and marketing. Multi-domestic Strategy Multi-domestic strategy is oriented towards local responsiveness by decentralizing control to subsidiaries and divisions in each country. Global expansion Strategy Global expansion strategy is oriented towards cost reduction, with all the principal value-creation functions centralized at the lowest cost global location. Transnational Strategy In a transnational strategy some functions are centralized, while others are decentralized at the global location best suited to achieving these objectives. Transnational Global Expansion International integration Multi-domestic Strategy International Strategy Local Responsiveness An observation on structure and strategy The theory developed above is only a guideline to how organizations might structure themselves in their pursuit of growth and global expansion. However, these are not universal rules and many organizations have prospered in spite of structures completely out of sync with those discussed above. Organizations can also use structures which are a hybrid of those detailed above. This study analyses the cases of two organizations, ABB and Semco, which have used contrastingly different structures to implement their strategies. ABB File:ABB logo.svg Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) is seen by more and more global business leaders as the model of the way that organizations will have to operate to thrive in the 21st century-that is, streamlined in structure, rapid in transferring information, having employees who are highly empowered, committed to continuous learning, running world-class HRD programs, and team working and networking globally.  [1]   ABB became one of the most widely admired companies in the world, not because of its products, or its innovative technology, but because of its organizational structure. ABB prided itself on being an organization that its former CEO, Percy Barnevik, saw as being simultaneously global and local, big and small, centralized and decentralized. Formation of ABB: Merger of Asea Brown Boveri ABB was created by the merger in 1987-88 of two companies whose roots lie in the nineteenth century: Asea, founded in Sweden in 1890, and Brown Boveri, established in Switzerland in 1891. The two companies were among the surge of industrial enterprises established towards the end of the 19th century to provide equipment for the rapidly expanding electrical power industry, which involved generating, transmitting, and distributing power, and using it in industrial motors. The strategic commitment to the power industry and to a global strategy was demonstrated in a rapid series of alliances and acquisitions. These moves rapidly extended ABBs international reach into North America and Eastern Europe. The speed with which these acquisitions were integrated into ABB was attributed to the flexibility of its new organization design. Strategic Context ABBs largest business is producing and servicing the equipment for generating, transmitting, and distributing electrical power. The customers in this business are electric utilities around the world, many of which are state-owned or strongly state-regulated. Because national or local governments either directly own or indirectly control the utilities, they had a strong tendency to favor suppliers with a local manufacturing presence, both because local companies are contributing to the local economy and because they can be relied upon for servicing and replacement parts for the complex power systems, any breakdown of which can have enormous costs for local business and for the reputation of the utility. But they have also pressed suppliers to lower their prices and increase the lifetime of equipment, cutting profit margins for suppliers that are unable to achieve greater efficiency in production. ABB is also a world leader in rail transportation systems, such as locomotives, light rail vehicles, and signaling. Again, this is a business in which rail networks are state-owned or state-regulated and subject to the same somewhat contradictory pressures to manufacture locally and to be locally responsive to customers, while achieving efficiency through scale economies and cost savings. A third set of products in ABB is directed to a very different type of customer. Its building systems and industrial production systems are sold to industrial companies, whose concerns are much more focused on price. ABBs businesses require the company to be locally responsive and to maintain a credible local presence in each of its major markets, and simultaneously to be efficient and cost-competitive. Moreover, operating in 140 countries in a wide variety of product lines, many of which are closely related in the eyes of the customer, the company needs to have a high degree of intra-product and cross-product coordination if the company is to capture fully the benefits of its product diversity. However, it also needs to be able to respond quickly to customers and local problems, and to encourage its managers to take responsibility for their units. Organizational Design of ABB One of the first steps taken after the merger of Asea and Brown Boveri was announced in August 1987 was the creation of a task force of five top managers from each of the two companies to generate an organizational architecture for ABB. The task force had agreed on the principal features of the new organization. The structure was to be an international matrix of business and geography. The basic organizing principle was to create highly focused local companies reporting both to a worldwide business manager, who would be responsible for achieving efficiency in that product line and growing the business on a global scale, and to a country manager responsible for coordinating the various businesses within a particular country. In drawing up the shortlists for the high level managers, emphasis was placed on identifying flexible individuals who could cooperate in multi-cultural environments and for whom innovation, risk-taking and the ability to motivate others were almost second nature. One of the goals of the new design was to push accountability, decision-making, and the responsibility for action far down the organizational hierarchy. One of the first steps taken by the new top management was the radical reduction of the company headquarters. Within a few months, the headcount at corporate HQ in Zurich went from over 1,300 professional staff to just over 100. Another crucial step in the process was the design of a company-wide information system, called ABACUS (Asea Brown Boveri Accounting and Communication System).ABACUS collected monthly performance data from each unit, put it into a standard currency (US dollars), and transmitted the information to its main data processing center in Sweden, which compiled the data and passed it to the top managers at the Swiss headquarters and to the designated managers at each level of the company. The basic unit on which performance data are collected for ABACUS is the profit center, the smallest organizational unit in the new organization. Each month they report their performance data to the next highest level of the organization, the local operating company/Business Unit (BU) , which in turn put the data into the ABACUS system. The local operating company composed of two or more profit centers and focused on single business and market. ABBs strategy was to concentrate on radically reducing costs in each site, reducing throughput times, maximizing design and production flexibility, and focusing on local customer needs. The local operating company president had CEO responsibilities for his operations. However, the heads of the local operating companies report to two bosses one was the Business Area manager; the other was the country manager for the country in which the operating company was located. The Business Side of the Matrix: The Business Area The Business Area (BA) manager was responsible for the worldwide strategy and performance of a business.BA management tasks include coordinating technology development, deciding on transfer prices among local operating companies in the BA, transferring expertise within the BA, capturing economies of scale in purchasing, and, perhaps most important, allocation of markets and production to local operating companies. The fact that the BA manager was also the head of a local operating company increased his or her motivation to push responsibility and decision-making down to the local operating companies, on the basis of time pressure, if not personal management philosophy. In addition, they were supported by a BA Board, which assisted the BA manager in setting strategy, reviewing performance, and identifying and addressing key problem areas. The BA Manager selected the members of the Board, and membership varied considerably depending on the nature of the business. The BA Board was an international group, and usually met in a different location for each of its meetings over the course of a year. In addition to the BA Board, the BA had a number of functional councils that brought together key managers in a function for quarterly meetings to assess and exchange internal best practices and to identify and propose solutions for key problems in their area of expertise. For particular problems, the BA Board also formed task forces from among the high-potential younger managers in the BA. The BA manager received monthly reports through ABACUS on the performance of each of the profit centers and operating companies in the BA. The BA manager decided how to disseminate this kind of information across the local operating companies. One of the most important roles of the BA was the dissemination of best practice. Sharing information about performance and exposing managers to different ways of operating, through transfers and through travel help in achieving this. The combination of strict performance requirements with the resources for performance improvement was a powerful driver of change in ABB. The Business Segment The BA managers in turn reported to Business Segment Managers. Business segments were groupings of related BAs. Each segment was headed by a member of the Executive Committee, the highest-level organizational unit in the company. The Country Level The local operating company managers also reported to the country manager of the nation in which it is located. The country manager had profit-and-loss responsibilities for all ABB activities within that country. The country managers task was to realize the potential synergies across the various ABB local operating companies, to present a local face for major projects within that country, to provide the legal and political infrastructure for operations, to coordinate certain personnel development programs, and to make sure that the local political and social environment was understood and considered appropriately in business decisions. The country manager received monthly reports through ABACUS on the performance of each of the local operating companies in the country, and could use these data to identify common problems they faced. The heads of the local operating companies were supported in their contrasting duties to the country manager and the BA manager by a Steering Committee, with representatives from the national company, the BA, and other closely-related local operating companies in the same company. Performance evaluations of the president of the local operating companies were conducted by both the BA head and the country manager. Each share the same basic performance metrics, but each has somewhat different expectations. Managing the Matrix: The Top Management At the top of the company the two dimensions of the matrix met at the level of the Executive Committee, which was chaired by the CEO. The CEO chaired the Committee, and each of the ten Executive VPs had responsibility for one or more of the segments and countries. The extent of their individual responsibilities varied by the scope of their tasks. Each BA manager and each country manager reported directly to a member of the Executive Committee. With ABBs acquisitions, the individual responsibilities assigned to Executive Committee members changed over time, especially in terms of geographies. The major change was on geography: instead of having different members responsible for a portfolio of different national companies, geographic responsibilities were clustered into three regions: Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific. Each member was assigned either one of the four industrial segments or one of three geographical regions.The move to make the geography side of the matrix report to Committee members with regional rather than individual country responsibilities also reflected ABBs global strategy. Each Executive Committee member was involved in the annual planning process of each of the BAs and geographic units reporting to him. But as important were their collective responsibilities in charting the overall strategic direction for the company. Extensive communication in a company that operates in 140 countries required a common language, which in ABBs case was English. Communication also took place on a more individual level, between the Executive Committee and their direct reports, and even between the Executive Committee and the heads of the local operating companies. Executive Committee members had access to monthly performance data for all the operating companies, national companies, and business areas for which they were responsible. The ABACUS system provided rapid feedback on changes in the performance of any of these units, and the monthly data were routinely scrutinized carefully at the top of the company. Alignment: Developing the Global Manager One of the key challenges which faced ABB was developing managers who could work effectively in the demanding system. The development of the global managers who could occupy key positions in the Business Areas and at the top of the company on the Executive Committee was the most important task. The global managers should be capable of balancing the often contradictory pulls of being locally responsive and globally efficient, pushing decision-making and responsibility for action down while enforcing accountability and control, and simultaneously encouraging local operating companies to be entrepreneurial while making sure that ABB does not lose the competitive advantage of being a multi-business global company. Keeping this philosophy in mind, such people were developed through the training programs, experience on cross-national teams, and rotation across locations. One of the hallmarks of the cadre of global managers was that they spent a lot of their time travelling internationally. Region Business SegmentExecutive Committee Region Local Operating Company Profit Centers Ce Business Segment Figure 1. ABBs Organizational Structure from 1988-1998 (note: ABB has now moved on from a matrix organizational structure to a more customer-centric organizational structure). Learning from the ABB organizational structure and its impact on its strategy and performance ABBs example clearly shows the example of an organization which can successfully compete on a global level by being both locally responsive as well as paying attention to its global integration strategy. Each local operating company head was given the freedom to operate as the CEO of his business and was free to make his own decisions. By fixing dual responsibility, both to the country manager as well as to the product manager on a global level, ABB was successful in achieving its strategic aim of becoming the leader in the electrical systems and the power generation and distribution business. ABB successfully demonstrated how successful matrix organizations can be. Matrix organizations always had been an important theoretical concept but even other very large organizations with a global presence had failed in implementing it. Matrix organizations were widely touted to be as the organizations of the future in the 1970s and organizations such as Citibank and IBM tried to model their organizations around the matrix structures, but failed, as they found the model too complicated. In fact, ABB was the first company on a global level to implement the matrix organizational model so efficiently. Seeing the success of ABB, many organizations around the world also adopted the matrix structure successfully. The various performance indicators of ABB during the 1988-1996 period clearly showed that when the organizational structure is in sync with strategy of the organization and vice-versa, it results in achieving great results. ABB achieved the co-ordination of 210,000 employees, 310 business units and 5000 profit centers in 140 countries through the matrix structure. This demonstrated the crucial role of linking mechanisms in turning a complex kaleidoscope of grouping patterns into a smoothly functioning organization. ABB simultaneously achieved the goal of acting as a global powerhouse amassing resources know-how on a global scale and responding swiftly to meet the demand of local markets and customers. ABBs net income rose to $1.3 billion in 1996 and its stock price doubled between 1992 and 1996, reinforcing the choice of its organization structure. The SEMCO Model What makes the SEMCO model so interesting is that it for the first 20years it was in operation its structure and culture were autocratic and relied heavily on command and control management styles. However, for the last 20years it has been run democratically. SEMCO is a mode lf how companies who have not yet evolved into democratic cultures can make the transition with credible success. What is also unique about the SEMCO model of democratic organization is how effectively it works in Brazil-a country that is still developing, often unstable and known for economic boons and busts. One could reason that in highly unpredictable environment, command and control corporate structures are even more inadequate for dealing with a dynamic socio-economic climate. Perhaps this is why the SEMCOs adaptive model has been a highly effective model of company Introduction Semco a Brazilian company which manufactures over two thousand different products including industrial pumps, cooling towers etc. and also provides environmental and internet services, saw its revenues growing from $32 million in 1990 to $212 million in 2003.It achieved this growth rate in an economic environment characterized by staggering inflation, and chaotic national economic policy in Brazil. Between 1982 and 1998, Semcos productivity increased nearly sevenfold and profits rose fivefold. Semco was also one of the most sought after Brazilian companies as far as employment was concerned. Turnover among its 3,000 employees was about 1% during the period 1994 to 2004. Repeat customers accounted for around 80% of Semcos 2003 annual revenues. The culture at Semco was unique in the sense that there were no power-packed job titles; employees including top managers themselves did the photocopying, sent faxes, typed letters, and made and received phone calls. There were no executive din ing rooms, and parking was strictly first-come, first-served. Organizational profits were shared with the employees and the salaries were set by the employees themselves. Behind this maverick organization was Ricardo Semler (Semler), the CEO of the company who referred to himself as the Chief Enzyme Officer Wrote Semler, If you ask me to describe it in conventional business terms, Id have to admit I have no idea what business Semco is in. For years, I have resisted defining Semco for a simple reason: once you say what business youre in, you create boundaries for your employees, you restrict their thinking and give them a reason to ignore new opportunities. Semlers way of thinking resulted in an organisation which had no conventional structure, no organisational chart; no fixed CEO, no VPs, CFOs, COOs or CIOs. There was no long term strategic business plans, no career plans, no job descriptions or dress codes for the employees. Some of the important organisational decisions like relocating a unit or acquiring a company were taken on the basis of employees votes. History Semlers father, Antionio Curt Semler, an Austrian-born engineer, migrated to Argentina in1937. A visit to Brazil in 1952 prompted him to think about the prospects a vast, undeveloped country like Brazil presented. During this time, he was working on a centrifuge technology capable of separating oil from vegetables. With an urge to start his own business, he selected the city of Sao Paulo to start his venture, Semco, a contraction of Semler Co, in 1953. Soon after, he obtained a patent for his technology. Through the 1960s and 1970s, Semco was mainly a manufacturer of marine pumps. In the late1960s, ninety percent of the sales of Semco were to the Brazilian shipbuilding industry. Semco was a hierarchical organization with twelve layers of management. According to a Fortune article, Fear was the governing principle. Guards patrolled the factory floor, timed peoples trips to the bathroom, and frisked workers as they left the plant. Anyone unlucky enough to break a piece of equipment wo uld replace it out of his own pocket.According to Semler it was a company with a pyramidal structure and a rule for every contingency. Enter Semler In 1980, at the age of 21, Semler took over as the CEO of Semco. Semlers views on running the company were completely different from those of his father. He felt that the company in its existing form was too rigid. He wanted to replace the old way of doing business and planning with a participatory style of management. But the old guard at Semco was not open to this, with the result that Semler fired two thirds of the top management. Semler started out with a functional organizational structure at Semco. Under this structure, decision-making took a long time and each department took independent decisions that sometimes were not in the interests of other departments. Then, the company shifted to a matrix structure. But, unhappy with its effectiveness, Semler changed the structure of the organization once again. New Organization Structure: From Pyramid to circle Though the company worked on the principle of no Organization structure but it actually had was a very flexible organization structure in the form of 3 concentric circles and few triangles floated in it. The smaller innermost circle would include team of a dozen people the eqivalent of VPs and above Second circle would include the 7- 1o leaders of SEMCOs business units and be called partners. Last immense circles would hold virtually everyone else at Semco machine operators, cafeteria workers, janitors, salesman, security guards and so on. They will be called associates The triangles- They will be distributed around the big circle each enclosing a single person we would call a coordinator. These people would comprise the first crucial level of Management A the marketing,sales and production supervisors, the engineering and assembly area foreman, anyone who had a basic leadership role in our old system. Organizational Culture The replication of business units into smaller units as and when the need arose created units small enough to operate with a commonly shared set of values, philosophy and culture. The organization was bound together by the three interdependent core values: Employee Participation, Profit Sharing and Free Flow of Information. These three values stemmed from the belief that participation in design and implementation of work procedures would give employees control over their work; profit sharing would bring in a sense of ownership; and the availability of information as and when needed would help the employees understand to improve their work practices continuously Leadership and Change Management Semler can be credited with sustaining the radical changes at Semco. He nurtured changes that might have been viewed as taking away his power and authority. He created an empowered environment where employees could innovate continuously. An idea he generated would later permeate to the whole work force. For example, after seeing a company order file cabinets worth $50,000, which were meant only to keep documents which were hardly ever referred to, Semler said that every person in the company should clear his own file cabinets of documen