Gender and Sexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Gender and Sexuality - Essay Example The ability to emote with others, feelings of intimacy which have nothing with any impulse of pressure to procreate, and the freedom to express all facets of the mind, are factors which distinguish people as a distinct species and the highest and most evolved life form. Giving and receiving sexual pleasure is a complex trait and a highly evolved capability at the same time. It may or may not be associated with reproduction. Sexuality involves both the physical body, as well as the mind. It is strongly influenced by environmental circumstances. Imposed norms of society dominate notions of sexuality and its link with gender so strongly, that the two axes are inextricably mixed in most minds. A strong bias towards norms of heterosexuality is an overbearing outcome of these conventions. Such impositions are so ingrained in standards of childhood development that instances of misconceptions and denials of natural instincts abound. This document reviews published literature on the valid and assumed links between gender and sexuality, considers the implications and burdens of stereotypes, reviews ethnic and cultural differences in the acceptance of homosexuality, and concludes with suggestions for a liberal world in which individual freedom with respect to sexuality is respected and encouraged. While there are some historical references to homosexuality during ancient times, heterosexuality has dominated the social development throughout the ages. The practice of homosexuality has been entirely repressed at worst, and indulged in surreptitiously and treated as a form of abnormal behavior, not just for centuries, but even during the first half of the 20th century. The scientific study of homosexuality is of relatively recent origin with a rapid acceleration of original work in recent times (Gonsiorek, 1982). The United States has led the world in creating a kind of revolution in researching and understanding homosexual behavior, especially during the last decade. However, the volume of work available to date is still scanty, considering the complexity and social significance of the matter. Collections of findings, surveys, and theories are therefore especially valuable at this stage. This applies to surveys of sexual preferences as well (Oliver, & Hyde, 1993). Homosexuality may be more prevalent, especially in some degrees, far more often and widely than conservative influences have cared to admit. Family backgrounds and societal influences need to be understood to appreciate the sexuality of homosexuals (Ritter, and Terndrup, 2002). It is now appreciated in professional circles that conceptions of homosexuality as have prevailed in the past, may be in grave error. Such biases are self-propagating in powerful ways because they form the backdrop to the development of personalities by infants and by growing children as well. An individual may not express or even admit to homosexuality because of strong conditioning of the mind that it is morally wrong, and because of imposed notions that heterosexual feelings are the only legitimate and desirable form of human sexuality. International researchers (Asthana, and Oostvogels, 2001) have observed ethnic differences between people of the same sexual orientation, with respect to their sexual habits and preferences. Homosexual men in Southern India for example, experience intimacy in ways different from the typical Western stereotype that

Effective Team and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Effective Team and Management - Essay Example Many people have different perceptions about the value that teams bring to an organization. Some people think that teams are a waste of time and other resources and thus organizations need to focus on individual output as is opposed to group performance. They point out certain weaknesses of teams such as laxity by some members and lack of individual responsibility when mistakes do arise. Teams also overshadow talent and other stand to gain where they did not sow. However, there is strong evidence that teams and teamwork is the best way to go for organizations that are seeking success. For teams to realize productivity there needs to be certain principles in place which have to be observed by all team members. Building a team spirit is a huge task and requires that managers acquire better skills of interpersonal management as well as interpersonal communication. Various theories have been fronted to help understand teams or groups and group dynamics. This paper takes a reflective appr oach to the modules we studied and tries to link it with the learning outcomes that were expected at the end of the session. Theories and other concepts learnt will be utilized in this critical reflection and discussion (Senior & Swailes, 2007, pp.138-153). Reflection from group exercises in weeks one to three Reflection is important in the course of my study (Illes, 2003, pp.209-215). Groups at work places are very important additives to any organization’s success story. I realized that there must be clear objectives as to why teams are formed in work places in the first place. This is because previously I had a notion that teams are simply about numbers. But I realized that teams should not be formed on the basis of filling up positions and coming up with large groups of people who have no objective of being together in such workplace settings. Many organizations end up promoting teams in workplaces for the purpose of boasting and propagate a total quality environment at wo rk. This is a very wrong idea. Teams within a workplace have been a very powerful tool in many successful organizations. The benefits of having teams at work are many and include the provision of motivation to employees who are members; they enhance job coordination (Sonnentag, 1999); they give an improved problem solving environment; and assist in better decision-making process, among others. However, I realized that there is a price to pay for having this good performance (Stajkovic & Luthans, 1997, pp.1122–1149). As noticed, making decisions within a team takes a longer period than if one was to do it as an individual. This could be attributed to the fact that all members need to be consulted and consensus reached before a final decision could be acted upon. The process taken for teams to mature is also very long and slower. Teams have been known to evolve and mature into formidable groups that could carry out work effectively and this could not happen as fast as I thought . The other idea that I realized was the fact that teams needed long periods of training and comprehensive training for that matter in order for them to mature. Despite these shortcomings, I noticed that teams have major benefits mentioned above, which do outweigh these problems and frustrations faced by managers in many situations (Senior & Swailes, 2007, pp.138-153). Belbin Team Roles Theory has posed a good model for many managers struggling with teams in their organizations. The model has various fundamental concepts that are based on roles. I realized that

Literature Review On Leadership Styles On Stress Outcomes Management Essay

Literature Review On Leadership Styles On Stress Outcomes Management Essay The leaders leadership styles play a very important role in achieving goals of the organization. The leaders ability to adapt to internal and external environment changes and working with followers together is the key to success. Moreover, I should mention that many causal modeling revealed that leadership style has a direct, rather than indirect, effect on task performance. Highly complex and stress-laden workplaces present challenges to organizational leaders as they are faced with the task of managing the workforce while concurrently maintaining commitment and morale. Leaders can often be in the middle source of stress among employees in the workplace (Basch Fisher, 2000; Sosik Godshalk, 2000). As the distinctiveness of work changes, so must change the roles and tactics of all leaders. The Leader promote supportive relationships, elicit motivation along with assistants/followers, make possible more positive and less negative emotions along with assistants, and stimulate more kind evaluations of stressful tasks among assistants may be more effective than the more conventional leaders who usually tend toward task-directive methods. These leadership elements based on relation, motivation, and emotion are customary with transformational leadership styles (Bass, 1998; Yukl, 1998). Despite a considerable body of literature suggests that leaders based on transformational are effective, there is a small number of experimental research that has discovered how transformational leaders may impact subordinates/followers during stressful business deals. Taking into above mentioned I am to deal with transformational and transactional leadership styles their influence on different subordinate including emotional and motivational experiences. The effects of leadership style based on stressful task performance were examined (by Joseph B.Lyons, Tamara R.Schneider 2009) as potential mediators, further. The Nature of Leadership and Job Stress 2.1 Leadership Style In the field of organizational behavior the leadership is really an important subject. Leadership is one with the most dynamic effects during individual and organizational interaction. In other words, whether a management is able to execute collaborated effort depends on leadership capability. The excellent leader is not only inspires followers potential to improve efficiency and also meet their requirements in the process of achieving organizational goals. According to Stogdill (1957) leadership as the individual behavior to guide a group to achieve the common target. In latter days, Richards Engle (1986) defined leadership as about establishment of vision, value and creation of environment so that the objective can be accomplished. Definitions on leadership defined by selected authors were summarized into table 1. Year Author Definition of Leadership 1957 Hemphill Coons Leadership is the individual behavior to guide a group to achieve the common target. 1957 Stogdill Leadership is an influential activity to others or organization to achieve the target set by the leader. 1969 Bowers Leadership is an activity process of interpersonal relationship; others behavior is influenced through this process to achieve the set target. 1977 Davis Leadership means persuasion on others to enthusiastically chase for certain target. 1982 Morphet, Johns Reller Leadership means, in the social system, the individual action, behavior, faith and target are influenced by the others under volunteer cooperation. 1986 Richards Engle Leadership is about establishment of vision, value and creation of environment so that the objective can be accomplished. 1990 Sergiovanni Leadership means the leader satisfies the staffs demand by use of consultation, negotiation and compromise so that the staff trades his work for rewards. 1990 Jacobs Jaques Leadership helps others to strive and to enhance aspiration to achieve the target. 1993 Robbins Leadership is the ability to influence the group to achieve the target. 1994 Yukl Leadership is the process of influence on the subordinate, in which the subordinate is inspired to achieve the target, the group is maintained in cooperation, and the established mission is accomplished, and the support from external group is obtained. 2001 Northouse Leadership is exchanged relationship between leader and subordinate. 2003 Fry Leadership means use of leading strategy to offer inspiring motive and to enhance the staffs potential for growth and development. Table 1: Definition of Leadership After reviewing studies on leadership theory conducted in the past, it is generally divided into four periods: Traits theory in 1930s It focuses on the innate leadership qualities and competence. These innate qualities are not found in others. The so-called quality can be divided into physiological and mental aspects. The physiological aspect includes: height, weight, looks, and vigor while the mental aspect includes intelligence, confidence, and aggressiveness etc. Stogdill (1948) proposed twelve leadership related studies and was considered as representative of this period. Behavioral theory from late 1940s to late 1960s It believes that a leader will be able to achieve ideal organizational efficiency if he demonstrates effective leadership behaviors. These leadership behaviors may be trained or learned through experience. Actual behavior or leadership styles are emphasized. Representative research is conducted in Ohio State University. Ohio State University proposed considerationand initiating structure of leadership behaviors. Consideration is a behavior that focuses on strengthening relationship with subordinates based on their needs and perceptions, while initiating structure is a behavior that focuses on subordinate performance in goal accomplishment. Contingency theory in late 1960s: This theory states that there is no set of optimum leadership model in this world and that it depends on the situation encountered. Situational leadership theory began its development subsequently. It states that leaders need to adopt the most optimum leadership style based on different organizational situations. Among which, Fiedlers contingency theory (1967) is most well-known. Contemporary leadership theory since 1970s: The viewpoint of contemporary leadership theory states that leadership is a type of interactive process with the environment. Bass Avolio (1990) proposed transactional leadership and transformation leadership : Transactional leadership: Encouraging subordinates through incentive establishment. In other words, incentive elicits work performance. Transactional leadership is the basis for most leadership theories. It focuses on the exchange relationship between the leader and the subordinate (Fry, 2003 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ºNorthouse, 2001); transformation leadershipto enhance staffs trust and respect for leader by altering intrinsic work value and faith of staff at the same time in order to elicit work capabilities. Because charisma is viewed as an essential element, transformation leader provides incentives for subordinates, enhance subordinate potential and development. (Fry, 2003); and Charismatic leadership theory refers to the followers perception toward certain behaviors of the leader as being heroic or extraordinary. 2.2. Personality Charateristics Personality characteristic means ones psychological and physical phenomenon. At different time and condition, it adapts to different environment by unique behavioral mode and thinking method. Friedman Rosenman (1959) categorize personality characteristics into type A and B. Type A shows exuberant ambition and aggression. Type B has more patience and pays less attention to competition and sense of achievement. Definitions of personality characteristic were summarized as shown into table 2. Year Author Definition of Personality Characteristic 1959 Guilford Personality characteristic is a combination of individual trait and property, which generates a lasting and special characteristic different from the others. 1961 Allport Personality means dynamic behavior from psychological and physical aspect to adapt to the environment. 1970 Pervin Personality represents structure and dynamics from reaction to the environment. 1972 Scott Mitchell Personality is formed from accumulation of psychological growth and development. 1998 Robbins Personality is ones reaction to the others and consequence of interaction with others. 1985 Lee Personality characteristic means psychological attributes of affection and thought among people; its also a specific and lasting behavioral pattern. 1997 Lu The formation of personality is affected by gene, culture, environment, and social factor. Table 2 Definitions of Personality Characteristic 2.3. Empirical Studies The verification researches made by the domestic and foreign scholars on leadership, job stress, personality characteristic and turnover intention are described as follows: In research of leader behavior and job stress, Fleishman (1964) found that consideration in the leader behavior has negative connection with the job stress, while the initiating structure is positively connected with job stress; In research of leader behavior and turnover intention, Fleishman Harris (1962) in the study of the influence of various leadership types on turnover rate and complaint rate found that consideration for the subordinates is negatively connected with the turnover, while the initiating structure is positively connected with turnover; In research of job stress and turnover intention, Parasuraman Alutto (1984) in the research on 217 employees at the food manufacturing company indicated that job stress had positive connection with turnover intention; In research of personality characteristics and job stress, Chang (1998) chose employees of Taiwan Sugar Company as research subject and indicated that those with type A personality characteristic had higher perception of job stress and shew more physical and psychological discomfort reactions; In research of personality characteristics and turnover intention, Chang (2003) released 260 questionnaires to 11 schools and revealed that personality characteristics had no significant impact on turnover intention. The relevant empirical researches were listed in table 3. Author Year Sample Empirical Result Hsu 1986 222 operators of China Steel Company. In leadership method, consideration has significantly negative connection with job stress, but the initiating structure has apparently positive connection with job stress. For overall , leadership is negatively connected with job stress. Huang 1984 207 engineers of a RD institute Consideration leadership has negative connection with turnover. Ke 1989 217 employees of 105 companies In leader behavior, consideration has negative connection with turnover intention and the initiating structure is negatively connected with turnover intention. Parasuraman Alutto 1984 217 employees of food manufacturing company Job stress has significantly positive connection with turnover intention. Tzeng 1994 Employees of 12 five-star hotels in Taipei Job stress is positively connected with turnover intention. Tzeng 2001 180 high-tech industry and 255 traditional industry People with A-type personality characteristics perceive job stress more serious while, those who with B-type perceive the least. Chang 1998 All inland employees of Taiwan Sugar Company People with more A-type personality characteristics perceive higher extent of job stress and also higher improper reaction physically and psychologically. Wang 1990 Employees from 95 gas stations at 23 cities People with A-type personality characteristics have significantly higher job stress than those of people with B-type. Chiu 1994 2,400 employees of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. People with A-type personality characteristics perceive more anxiety, disconsolation, low self-respect than those people with B-type, yet the overall job stress does not reach significant level. Chang 2003 260 contractual personnel at 11 schools The research result finds that personality characteristics has no evident influence on turnover intention. Fang 1999 194 staffs of Tainan Revenue Service Office The research result indicates no significant variance between male and female on job stress. Fang 1999 194 staffs of Tainan Revenue Service Office Age is positively connected with job stress. Cheng 1999 200 female operators of wafer manufacturer in Hsinchu Industrial Zone Age has significantly positive connection with turnover intention. Cheng 1994 333 bus drivers in Taipei Single people feel higher job stress than the married ones. Chen 1997 Employees of enterprises in mid of Taiwan Married people perceive more disconsolate job stress than single ones. Cheng 1999 200 female operators of wafer manufacturer in Hsinchu Industrial Zone Turnover intention of single people is higher than that of married ones. Fang 1999 194 staffs of Tainan Revenue Service Office The research found turnover intention difference between female and male is not evident. Chuang 2000 Research of job stress and job satisfaction on 174 high-tech employees Workers seniority has positive connection with job stress. Cheng 1994 333 bus drivers in Taipei Workers seniority has negative connection with job stress. Table 3 Empirical Research 2.4. Job Stress Job stress means improper occupational stress or burden that badly affects the psychological and physical condition of the worker himself (Kroes, 1974). Peng (1998) states that psychological stress is neither stimulus nor reaction but a handling method or relationship; it is the interaction between the individual and the environment, which gains or consumes resources of human behavior and endangers the individual health. When the individual feels job stress, it usually comes along with following symptoms: Psychological aspect passive, disconsolate, anxious and anger; physical aspect imbalance incretion, headache, sleepless and disturbed; Behavioral aspect change of living behavior, decrease of job involvement, absence from work, and turnover. The definitions of various authors were summarized in table 4. Year Author Definition of Job Stress 1956 Seley Stress means uncertain reaction of the body to demand, and also basic demand from internal or external environment, or reaction result against threat of balance condition. 1971 French Stress is the consequence that an individuals ability or skills fail to coordinate with the job or the job environment cannot satisfy the individual demand. 1974 Kroes Stress is improper occupational pressure or burden which badly affects the psychological and physical condition of the worker himself. 1978 Beehr Newman Stress is the change that drives the worker from normal psychological and physical condition. 1980 Ivancevich Matteson Stress is some adaptive reaction, a consequence of special psychological or physical demand from the event, and such reaction takes personal character as intermediary. 1984 Fleming et al. Stress is a conceptualized process and contains ones recognition and reaction to danger or threat. 1985 Jamal Stress is ones reaction against threat in the working environment. 1998 Peng The psychology claims that job stress is neither stimulus nor reaction but some handling method or relationship. Table 4 Definition of Job Stress 3.0. The effects of leadership style on stress outcomes. Transactional versus Transformational Leadership. 3.1. Transactional Leadership Basss (1998) Very many Leadership Model discusses 3 leadership styles:1: transactional, 2:laissez-faire, and 3:transformational. A fundamental feature of transactional leadership is the social exchange procedure. There are 3 appearances of transactional leadership: contingent reward, management by exception-active, and management by exception-passive. Contingent reward leadership engrosses establishing worker expectancies of rewards (e.g., financial compensation or public praise) for good acting. Management by exception-active leadership is distinguished by actively watching subordinate departures from performance standards. These leaders inspire subordinates by encouraging them to preserve established performance standards and avoid making errors. I case performance differences are detected, the leader will get involved and make the compulsory corrections. Vice versa to the active form, passive management by exception leaders do not actively monitor performance deviations but rather wait to be notified of performance deviations. After that upon recognition of a performance departure, the leader will intervene. My literature review focuses only on the active form of management by exception, and all future suggestions to management by exception leadership are in orientation to the active structure of management by exception. Ghee Soon Lim, (2004) transactional leaders focus on the present and do well at keeping the organization running smoothly and efficiently. They are good at traditional management functions such as planning and budgeting and generally focus on the impersonal aspects of job performance. Transactional leaders can be quite effective. By clarifying expectations, leaders help build followers confidence. In addition, satisfying the needs of subordinates may improve productivity and morale. Transactional leaders maintain stability within the organization rather than promote change. Transactional skills are important for all leaders. In todays world, where organizational success often depends on continuous change, effective leaders also use a different approach. 3.2. Transformational Leadership Comparing with transactional leaders, transformational leaders request to the motivational, emotional, and developmental needs of their followers (Bass, 1998). Transformational leadership is distinguished by four elements: inspirational motivation (the ability to naturally easily motivate and request to someones emotions), idealized influence (the ability to obtain respect from others), individualized support (the ability to support followers sole developmental needs), and intellectual stimulation (the ability to stimulate followers desire to learn and develop) (Bass, 1998). Transformational leaders give power to employees through emotional requests (Yukl, 1998) and may alter the frame stressful situations as chances for growth at the same time as providing the necessary maintain throughout the performance procedure (Bass, 1998; Sosik Godshalk, 2000). Research has displayed that transformational leaders are successful leaders (Lowe, Kroeck, Sivasubramaniam, 1996; Podsakoff, Mackenzie Bommer, 1996; Yammarino, Spangler Bass, 1993). On the other hand, most leadership study has used correlation data to scan how certain leadership styles relate to act and other minor variables, as a result numerous researchers called for increased use of testing in leadership research (Brown Lord, 1999; Kirkpatrick Locke, 1996). There are some empirical study where leadership styles (notably charismatic styles) have been operated (Cherulnik, Donley, 2001; Bono Ilies, 2006), so far few studies have tested whether those manipulations effect in changes in objective task performance. Because of their higher visioning, support, and potential for alter the framing of stressful situations as chances, it is expected that transformational leaders will improve followers task performance throughout stressful tasks. 3.3. Evaluation transformational and transactional leadership styles and their influence on individuals performance on a stressful task. In my literature review I tried to evaluate whether transformational or transactional leadership style impacts more positively individuals performance on a stressful tasks and overall followers performance. First of all analyzing transformational and transactional leadership styles, basically Leadership style may determine the effectiveness of customer service training and deployment. Tichy and Devanna (1986) suggest that both transformational and transactional leadership are both effective leadership styles. Tosi (1982) also agrees. Transactional leaders lead to low follower satisfaction, while encouraging maintenance of the status quo (Bass et al., 1987). Likewise, transactional leaders find success by focusing on task-oriented exchange relationships to achieve success in attaining goals. Transformational leaders lead change-usually on greater levels of the organization and follower of transformational leaders are generally more committed and dedicated to the leader and goals of the organization. (Bass, 1985; Tichy Devanna, 1986). Transformational leaders articulate a vision for a future of their organization, while at the same time intellectually stimulate subordinates and focus on differences among people (Yammarino Bass, 1990). Furthermore, transformational leadership is based on the personal values, beliefs, and qualities of the leader rather than on an exchange process between leaders and followers. In addition transformational leadership differs from transactional leadership in some areas. Firstly, Transformational leadership develops followers into leaders, means followers are given greater freedom to control their own behavior. Transformational leadership rallies people around a mission and defines the boundaries within which followers can operate in relative freedom to accomplish organizational goals. Secondly, transformational leader pays attention to each individuals need for growth and development. Therefore, the leader sets examples and assigns tasks not only to meet immediate needs but also to elevate followers needs and abilities to higher level and link them to the organizations mission. Transformational leaders change followers so that they are empowered to change the organization. Thirdly, transformational leaders motivate people to do more than originally expected. Followers admire these leaders, want to identify with them, and have a high degree of trust in them. Transformational leaders motivates people not just to follow the leader personally but also to believe in the need for change and be willing to make personal sacrifices for the greater purpose. Fourthly, the most significant role of the transformational leader may be to find a vision for the organization that is significantly better than the old one and to enlist others in sharing the dream. Change can occur only when people have a sense of purpose as well as a desirable picture of where the organization is going. Without vision, there can be no transformation. Whereas transactional leaders promote stability, transformational leaders create significant change in followers as well as in organizations. Leaders can learn to be transformational as well as transactional. Effective leaders exhibit both transactional and transformational leadership patterns. They accentuate not only their abilities to build a vision and empower and energize others, but also the transactional skills of designing structures, control systems, and reward systems that can help people achieve the vision.(Marfred F.R. Kets De Vries, 1998) 4.0. Conclusion We live in an period of time where leadership symbolizes a emotional, developmental, and motivational part of organizational achievement; thats why a range of subordinate results/outcomes are important things to consider when we evaluate leadership successfulness. Having looked thoroughly through all the studies examined to evaluate whether transformational or transactional leadership styles impacts positively on individuals performances on a stressful task, and also when taking into account social support, efficiency beliefs, negative emotions. For example, One of this kind of experimental examine was held and that experiment took part 240 (two hindered forty) participants, they are watched video instructions for a stressful task. The experimental study provided evidence that transformational leadership is advantageous not only for performance, but also when considering effectiveness beliefs, social support, stress assessments, and negative emotions. Leaders of the future are encountered/faced with heavy challenges. Leaders must be clever at influencing followers motivational, emotional, and developmental needs in the stressful circumstance of present work. This kind of changes in the focus of modern leadership successfulness requires that leadership explorers go after suit and need consider a wider range of unpredictable outcomes in leadership research. In addition I would like also add that Transformational leaders, with their excellent arsenal of inspirational motivation, Individualized support, idealized influence and intellectual stimulation have to meet these challenges of in our day and those of the upcoming future.

Applying Anticipatory Logistics to Business Essays -- essays research

Applying Anticipatory Logistics to Business What is anticipatory logistics? It’s a system made of information which anticipates the requirement of customers needs so suppliers can provide adequate service production to meet their needs. Anticipatory logistics is part of the supply chain management which is how things get from the manufacturer to the customer, but it also is the raw materials that are needed in manufacturing. The U.S. Army uses Anticipatory logistics in their supply chain to manage ammunition, maintenance and fuel needs; they use C4I which stands for computer, command, control, communication and intelligence along with other DOD military branches. Logistics are part of military operation and knowing when solders will need new equipment in the field takes planning and coordination through the supply management board. In this paper I attend to describe anticipatory logistics and why it works well for the army and that is should be used in corporate business. To understand more about anticipatory logistics, it’s important to understand the supply chain management. The supply chain involves how things get from the manufacture to the end user, but its is also how materials which is needed for manufacturing get to the manufacture and the company that makes the goods from them who is the end user in a supply chain of command. If the supply chain isn’t managed correctly, there could be delays in production process or there would be too many shipments and not enoug...

Discuss Computers/ Telecom Convergence and Revolution

In a global study conducted by IBM and the Economics Intelligence Unit (IEU), around 80 percent of respondents (telecom executives) affirm the importance of convergence in raking in profits (IBM, 2005). Voice and data convergence is seen as the one that would have the biggest effect, with fixed/ mobile access technology, telecom and media convergence, and IP/IT network convergence lagging behind (2005). ‘Convergence’ has been a buzz word way back in the sixties, something that affects technology, economics, legal/regulatory, and human aspects of a society. In this Information Age, convergence allows us to do more things conveniently.But what but exactly is ‘convergence’? ‘Convergence’ is defined as â€Å"coming together or towards the same point† (Thompson, 1996). The term fits in the telecommunications world for it signifies movement using a single medium. It occurs in four categories- transport, switching, application, and telecommunica tions/information technology (Fowler, 2002, p. 12). See table below. Figure 1. The Four Levels of Convergence (Fowler, 2002, p. 13) The idea behind convergence is that it should not just improve productivity, but also provide a better Return on Investment (Fowler, 2002, p. 15).Convergence, by any means, is aimed to provide make life easier both for the manufacturer (lower cost, easier management, less maintenance) and at the consumer-end (easy to use, new or improved services) In the 1960s, convergence in the transport level began, with the conversion of the telephone system to digitalization, bringing us the first T-carrier services (p. 12). Since it was barely new at that time, the Bell System was able to monopolize these services (p. 12). On the other hand, convergence at the switching level initially went by the term integration (Fowler, 2002, p. 3). Every seven years, an integrated solution is presented. A rundown of these is presented below: 1975: Satellite Business Systemsâ⠂¬â„¢ The One- a digital controller with satellite access for integrated voice, data, and video 1982: Integrated Voice/ data private branch exchange or PBX 1988: Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) 1995: Broadband ISDN or BISDN (p. 13)Some of these so-called ‘integrations’ were huge hits but on the whole, they fizzled out. Sprint, for instance, lost around $ billion when its Integrated-On-Demand (ION) services panned out (Fowler, 2002, p. 4). ION was targeted as a solution to those numerous voice and data networks by allowing the users to do voice, data, video, Intranet/Internet and fax applications utilizing a single connection (p. 14). However, the company was able to sign up around 4000 customers only (p. 14). Even its VP of Design has admitted having problems brought on by ION (p. 14). Convergence at the application level pertains to information delivery from various sources, whether data, audio, video or graphics (Fowler, 2002, p. 24). The Internet and the i ntranet are examples of this.In this Information Age, the Internet has become the greatest source of information of practically anything. Users have infiltrated it so much that one click on the Internet could come up with millions of user-generated content. Time Magazine has seen this phenomenon, naming the people or â€Å"you† as its Person of the Year 2006 in its year-ender issue. Even video uploading has crept into the World Wide Web, with over 65,000 new videos uploaded every day (Cloud, 2006, p. 46). Convergence at the telecommunications/IT deals with accessing a single resource to do multiple chores (Fowler, 2003, p. 5).In a way, it is an integration of transport, switching and telecommunication and a wider scale. For example ASP or Application Service Providers are IT-based processing units that divest certain tasks from web sites. ASP is currently losing its own battle with companies taking of ASP-units. The IBM study indicates that the drive towards convergence is br ought on by four things- competition, demand for broadband access, technological innovation, and IP- networks- enabled income growth (IBM, 2005). These set the motion for telecom convergence.In a research conducted by the Deloitte Touche group, it found out that convergence may cause also problems for the industry. The group interviewed telecom executives to assess telecoms predictions. Among its findings is the continuous need to innovate and reinvent. The Internet, for instance, has reached its peak with its explosive growth (Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, 2007, p. 4). Demand is high which may lead to a growth in traffic. More so now with the demand of online videos, this may affect the transfer on the Internet’s backbone (p. 4).This very same influx may likewise clog the system, thereby slowing down its service. It is important to note that any Internet viewer wants high-speed access. Any service slowdown, even just in seconds, may case customer satisfaction. This should serve as a precaution to telecom businesses. It may also open a window to new technologies to address these problems. Broadband application is very much in demand now. Companies should take advantage of this. Either they are able to supply the demand or bold enough create other broadband appliances other than the Internet.Broadband appliances could usher in a new era in telecom convergence. Moving on. The mobile sector in the telecom industry has seen applications such as SMS, 3G and mobile television. The public is also starting to experience mobile Internet, with most units now equipped with Wireless LAN network technologies. SMS and mobile downloads make up a major chunk of mobile operators. It is therefore important to capitalize on this without sacrificing content and delivery. The government should work alongside operators to ensure that laws are implemented not just in the mobile sector but in the entire telecom industry.Connectivity plays a vital role in economic progress thus it is important to have policies that are appropriate. The telephone, facsimile, Intranet, and Intranet are involved in communication. It plays a big part in transmitting pertinent information, in spreading decision. Thus, is it is important to have sufficient quality support. To do this, it is imperative to involve all players- the users (buyers), operators and businesses (sellers) and the government (regulatory). The government should not just involve the telecomm operators in drafting laws but also the consumers in order to come up with appropriate and pertinent laws.It is a challenge for all concerned parties to come up with polices that benefit all. Speaking of the government, it should embrace convergence to improve its services. Government agencies web sites are sprouting already but the government needs to come up with additional services. For example, doing a government-related query via videoconferencing may save time and effort both for the citizen and the government employe e. One does not need to line up in an agency to ask something if he can do so in the comfort of his own home. Convergence impacts everybody.With the global market increasingly becoming competitive, it is important to know how to leverage convergence. Innovation and reinvention do not necessarily equate to satisfaction. There should be a strong commitment in the part of the government, telecomm industry and users to share technological benefits worldwide, to discern all realistic implications and come up with practical solutions, to create technological solutions that would be embraced as a way of life. If all can do that, it would be one step in making this world a better place to live in.

Lierary Response House on Mango Street

The House on Mango Street written by Sandra Concerns, the vignette titled, â€Å"There was an Old Woman She Had So Many Children She Didn't Know What to Do†, may seem insignificant at first when Concerns begins to describe a woman with a lot of troubled children, a common scenario In neighborhoods such as Mango Street.Then as we delve deeper Into the passage, we begin to realize that the mother, Rosa Barras, Is neglectful, which may not be her fault; she Is troubled with the amount of children she has and plagued with the ruder of sadness that her husband left her with all of these children, alone and with no money to aid her. These children are starving for attention and by practically railing themselves. At first, members of the community attempt to help with their upbringing but eventually, because of the lack of results, the people become tired of trying and stop caring.They don't care when the children hurt themselves, even when Angel Barras falls from a great height and dies, â€Å"†¦ And nobody looked up not once the day Angel Barras learned to fly and dropped from the sky like a sugar donuts, gust like a falling star, and exploded down to earth without even an Oh†. Concerns seems to be playing off the old African saying, â€Å"It takes a village to raise a child†. This vignette is included to bear the question, who is to blame for Angel's death?Himself, because he behaved recklessly; his absent father, whose departure no doubt contributed to his lack of respect â€Å"for all things living, including [himself]†; his mother, who was not watching him but who at the same time was unable to do so effectively; or his neighbors, for not caring for or about his actions? Concerns chooses to include Rosa Barras in this vignette. Rosa also represents the challenges faced by single mothers.She has more children than she can count and is plagued with despair after her husband leaves her without a penny to help take care of all of her children or even a reason explaining why he left. She is troubled with all of these children and it is too many for her to keep her eye on. By the end of the vignette we can infer she has lost her son and now not only does she have to deal with the absence of her husband but now the loss of her son.

Ready Case Business Concept in Apple Inc.

Ready Case Business Concept in Apple Inc. Because the Ready Case is the latest version of iPhone products introduced by Apple Corporation, the main task of the management team is to ensure the implementation of the corresponding techniques, tools, and processes for coordinating the work on a new business idea (Bygrave and Zacharakis 26). Because the technological advances constantly invade the market, the task of the management team is to attract the customers within the shortest period of time. In particular, it is necessary to introduce core business objectives and strategies.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Ready Case Business Concept in Apple Inc. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The management team is composed of three departments – the marketing department, R D department, and Quality Assurance Department. All these divisions should contribute greatly to the development and immediate distribution products (Barringer and Ireland 15). The fi rst step in launching the business concept involves organizing the advertising campaign. The marketing department, therefore, should work in cooperation with the R D department to grasp the entire idea about the Ready Case, including its advantages and disadvantages, as well as define which features are the most attractive ones for the buyers. With regard to the product description, the product will fit in a specific target group who searches for elegance, usability, and functionality. These features should be at the core of the business idea. The main task of R D department is to invest into the research on the mobile devices in related companies to assess the competitiveness of the proposed model and define what features should be presented during the advertising campaign. The second strategy should involve the development of new communication channels with the customers. Apart from creating the Internet posts and blogs, it is also possible to organize specialized crews that wil l work in the largest shops for conducting surveys. In this respect, the task of the marketing department is to develop a questionnaire that will be able to highlight the main customer’s needs and requirements. The questionnaire will specifically relate to the analysis of customer’s tastes and results. In addition, the management team can establish traditional and non-traditional retailing schemes. Finally, Quality Assurance department should take control of the production process to ensure that all the proposed features correspond to the official description. More importantly, the company should also introduce sufficient software for efficient information exchange between the consumers. The analysis of the project objectives should also be carried with regard to the quality standards. The managers of the department should also work on the development of new directions and strategies that will enhance the quality of the production.Advertising Looking for case s tudy on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Organizational Chart The efficiently structured organizational relations stand at the core of successful launching of a business idea into the market. The organizational chart, therefore, provides detailed information on the subordination schemes in a company. It also illustrates how a specific concept will be developed, as well as what responsibilities each department has to reach the objectives. The organizational chart presented below provides a clearer picture of the management team. In particular, the charts demonstrate the implementation of business plan is possible through coordination of three major departments – Marketing, R D, and Quality. As presented in the diagram, the marketing managers should be first to launch a new venture. They report directly to the advertising group and inform them about the main features that should be emphasized. The t ask of advertisers is to develop a creative concept that can be further advanced by the R D department. As soon as the idea is developed, the researchers should start conducting observations and scientific explorations to define what else could be advanced to attract the consumer demands. The data collected by this department is transmitted to the quality assurance specialist to verify the validity of the research. As soon as some pitfalls are detected, the Quality Assurance department provides corrections to the R D department for further analysis of the pitfalls. Finally, once the problems are defined and eliminated, the marketing department should introduce changes to advertising process, as well as distribute information through the established communication channels. Overall, the presented process creates the close cycle that is aimed at improving the business concept and increasing the quality of the product. The organizational chart, therefore, contributes to the expansion of the market segment and identification of potential buyers. Organizational Chart IS and Technology Plan Mission and Vision Statement The main scope of the venture consists in developing a multi-functional model for practical users who prefer using devices with built-in features (Bunton n. p.). The uniqueness of the product lies in a sophisticated synthesis of multiple functions and refined design of the Ready Case.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Ready Case Business Concept in Apple Inc. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Needs Assessment The product is design for people who like travelling and want to take the minimum of items. Therefore, the proposed iPhone case should involve useful components that will allow the customer to get the maximum benefit from its application (Bunton n. p.). Technology Description With regard to the above-established mission and objectives, iPhone involves the following functions: Headphone clip to keep the things tidy. USB drive performs several functions. It can be used for its primary purpose to load information from the laptop and serve as kickstand for the iPhone with an adjustable angle. Quick snap functions can also be adjusted to a variety of lenses. Built-in knife is also a benefit for those who are fond of extreme travelling. The width of the device is only 3 mm. The phone is waterproof and it can be taken with consumers everywhere. IPhone is also very easy to use. Objectives Because the main purpose of a business venture is to attract the customer group that is interested in using multi-functional and reliable products while travelling, the main objectives are the following: Create a product that should be of high quality and at a moderate price; Introduce high level of usability; Combine functionality with refined design; Define a new customer base with specific needs and requirements; Create a technical support team for consumers to be able t o ask questions concerning the usage of the device; Ensure professional training to the employees; Budgeting and Rationale The company should introduce appropriate budgeting to rearrange the production process and train the employees. The marketing and financial departments should be responsible for investing resource in research and development of new models, as well as introducing training programs for the employees. The advertising campaign should also be taken into consideration. Finally, there should also be resources for statistical data analysis, which can be efficiently introduced through high quality. Barringer, Bruce and R. Duane Ireland. Entrepreneurship: Successfully Launching New Ventures. US: Prentice Hall, 2008. Print. Bunton, Cam. â€Å"Ready Case: The Ultimate All-in-one case for the iPhone 5†. Today’s iPhone. 2012. Web. Bygrave, William D. and Andrew Zacharakis. Entrepreneurship. US: John Wiley and Sons, 2010. Print.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More

The Application of Eugenics Practices

The Application of Eugenics Practices In sociology, a bio-social environment can largely benefit from the applied science of eugenics. In other words, eugenics supports the study of modifying or boosting the genetic make-up of any sample of a population.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Application of Eugenics Practices specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In most cases, the human population is the major target in the application of eugenics practices. It is also imperative to mention that eugenics is a broad social philosophy that attempts to improve the productivity and genetic wellbeing of certain individuals, while lowering the productivity of some individuals by modifying their genetic make-up. It is definite that eugenics has been a subject of great discourse and controversy since the time it was developed and adopted. During the first few decades of the 20th century, eugenics had attained high popularity especially in the western world. It had been recognized as a formidable social movement. For instance, institutions, influential individuals as well governments were already propagating and advocating the practice of eugenics before the mid 20th century. Although the identification and understanding of certain features and compositions of genes have been facilitated in the study of genetics, there are still no definite and approved scientific methods that can be used to evaluate traits that may finally be useful. However, eugenics has been moderately applied in boosting body defense against diseases such as Cholera and Malaria. In terms of genetic diversity, it is worth to mention that policies that promote eugenics are likely to interfere with the natural diversity of genes among various populations. There is a wide pool of scientific evidences which have demonstrated that vulnerability towards certain ailments could be rife especially among populations with modified genes. For instance, individuals whose genes have been inc apacitated find it difficult to adapt effectively against prevailing environmental conditions. Needless to say, when undesired genes are eliminated in the process of eugenics, the diversity of genes portfolio is equally reduced leading to unbalanced population in terms of various personalities needed to supplement society. Individuals and corporate bodies who support the practice of eugenics argue that the process of eliminating genes may not necessarily impact a population negatively because it as slow program that can be reversed whenever undesired consequences are noted.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They also reiterate that when a particular program on eugenics is adopted, any unwanted consequences can be noted in advance and therefore controlled accordingly. Additionally, they observe that in case of any significant reduction in gene diversity, then it will take remarkably long period of time with negligible effects. Therefore, there is no cause for alarm over the practice of eugenics. The autism rights’ movements have also entangled themselves in the controversies surrounding eugenics. When genes are predisposed among individual with autism, it is definite that the rate of autism can be reduced. However, autistic movements argue that there is no need of lowering the rate of autism using eugenics because it is an integral component of brain diversity. On the same note, the Down syndrome’s advocacy groups also purport that the latter condition is part and parcel of neurodiversity that should not be interfered with at all. Finally, it is vital to mention the relevance of heterozygous recessive traits in relation to the practice of eugenics. There are scenarios when it is practically impossible to eliminate single-gene mutations. It is against this backdrop that genes with heterozygous recessive traits may be difficult to eradic ate due to myriads of carriers that are attached to them. Therefore, eugenics is a scientific attempt in gene mutation that has not achieved complete success.

The Laws of Thermodynamics in Biological Systems

The Laws of Thermodynamics in Biological Systems The laws of thermodynamics are important unifying principles of biology. These principles govern the chemical processes (metabolism) in all biological organisms. The First Law of Thermodynamics, also known ​as the law of conservation of energy, states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. It may change from one form to another, but the energy in a closed system remains constant. The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that when energy is transferred, there will be less energy available at the end of the transfer process than at the beginning. Due to entropy, which is the measure of disorder in a closed system, all of the available energy will not be useful to the organism. Entropy increases as energy is transferred. In addition to the laws of thermodynamics, the cell theory, gene theory, evolution, and homeostasis form the basic principles that are the foundation for the study of life. First Law of Thermodynamics in Biological Systems All biological organisms require energy to survive. In a closed system, such as the universe, this energy is not consumed but transformed from one form to another. Cells, for example, perform a number of important processes. These processes require energy. In photosynthesis, the energy is supplied by the sun. Light energy is absorbed by cells in plant leaves and converted to chemical energy. The chemical energy is stored in the form of glucose, which is used to form complex carbohydrates necessary to build plant mass. The energy stored in glucose can also be released through cellular respiration. This process allows plant and animal organisms to access the energy stored in carbohydrates, lipids, and other macromolecules through the production of ATP. This energy is needed to perform cell functions such as DNA replication, mitosis, meiosis, cell movement, endocytosis, exocytosis, and apoptosis. Second Law of Thermodynamics in Biological Systems As with other biological processes, the transfer of energy is not 100 percent efficient. In photosynthesis, for example, not all of the light energy is absorbed by the plant. Some energy is reflected and some is lost as heat. The loss of energy to the surrounding environment results in an increase of disorder or entropy. Unlike plants and other photosynthetic organisms, animals cannot generate energy directly from the sunlight. They must consume plants or other animal organisms for energy. The higher up an organism is on the food chain, the less available energy it receives from its food sources. Much of this energy is lost during metabolic processes performed by the producers and primary consumers that are eaten. Therefore, much less energy is available for organisms at higher trophic levels. (Trophic levels are groups that help ecologists understand the specific role of all living things in the ecosystem.) The lower the available energy, the less number of organisms can be supported. This is why there are more producers than consumers in an ecosystem. Living systems require constant energy input to maintain their highly ordered state. Cells, for example, are highly ordered and have low entropy. In the process of maintaining this order, some energy is lost to the surroundings or transformed. So while cells are ordered, the processes performed to maintain that order result in an increase in entropy in the cells/organisms surroundings. The transfer of energy causes entropy in the universe to increase.

Analyzing Ads Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analyzing Ads - Research Paper Example However, this changed with Listerine ads, such as the one analyzed in this paper from 1932, which brought the previously obscure term halitosis to national popularity (Twitchell 39). This particular ad shows a young woman who is part of five million women who had reached marriageable age at that moment. It contends that she should worry about her breath if she is to make the grade and get a husband. Through this ad and the creation of fear around halitosis, Listerine brought the painful effects of bad breath to young single American women, especially that of getting a husband and settling down. The ad is attempting to make life for young and single American women easier by making them a promise, which is that using Listerine will make them socially acceptable and attractive to eligible men. It seeks to maintain a consumer culture that Listerine had already created around the importance of good breath, especially for women. In this case, they sought to integrate Listerine into a culture that viewed consumption as beneficial to an individual’s happiness (Twitchell 40). The message is that women should strive to achieve good breath in order to charm and romance men. It also seeks to attract men to the fact that women should have good breath for them to be marriageable, which can only be achieved by Listerine. The idea of being attractive is that the young girls should have nice breath, especially when they are youthful. They also make the consequences of having bad breath clear to the young women. Those who fail to use Listerine prior to each date will suffer from hali tosis, which will mean a life of boredom, loneliness, and being single (Twitchell 41). However, if they use Listerine, there will be good times ahead with a man they can attract and hold onto. The ad succeeds in making halitosis a fearsome condition of bad breath that nullifies all other charms. Listerine, therefore, is the only way for young women

Economic impact Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economic impact - Research Paper Example of one such nation where demand for coffee has reached an epitome so much so that it accounts for being one of the largest consumers of the commodity in the world. Annual consumption of the good is near to 4.5 kilograms per capita in USA, clearly indicating the degree of popularity that coffee has attained among Americans. Despite the downfall in the income growth rate of the nation, the nationals continue to spend an average of $165 per year on coffee with 54% of them consuming it on a regular basis (International Coffee Organisation, 2006). The present paper is a case study on how a push cart selling hot coffee and cappuccino in the industrial belts of Cleveland, Ohio and Houston, Texas will fare in its business. Objective of the paper will be to draw a conclusion about the prospects of the business in either location on the basis of the degree of demand and the economic influence it will impose. Production of coffee in USA is concentrated only within the states of Hawaii and Papua, though the nation imports a lumpsum quantity of coffee from Latin American nations, whose tropical climate are suited for its growth. In fact, as far as the data of 2001 is concerned, USA is the largest importer of coffee beans accounting for more than 25% of gross imports of the product. However in terms of production, USA produces only a fraction compared to its huge demand for coffee. Hence, a majority of the coffee being supplied in various parts of the nation comes from its imports from South American economies of Colombia and Brazil (International Coffee Organisation, 2006). Demand for coffee depends upon a number of factors which tend to vary from place to place, leading to diverse outcomes of business ventures. In Ohio for instance, these factors could be elaborated as follows. Population – According to census conducted by US Census Bureau in 2008, Cleveland comprised of 397,901 people out of whom 47.8% were males and the rest of them being females. This statistic is

Energy Sources In the 21st Century Research Paper

Energy Sources In the 21st Century - Research Paper Example lly and it is a mixture of hydrocarbons primarily methane and other higher alkanes in various proportion and it also contains nitrogen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide in lesser proportions. It is found in deep underground formations of natural rock along with other hydrocarbons like coal, methane clathrates, etc. (b) Natural Gas Reserves According to a recent assessment by the Potential Gas Committee the reserves of natural gas in the US have increased by 26 percent by the end of 2012 than it used to be in 2010. Now the present estimated reserve is 2,384 trillion cubic feet. The reserves of the natural gas in the US are primarily located in Texas, the Gulf of Mexico, Federal Offshore, Alaska, California, and North Dakota and Texas is the largest reserve (Cathy Proctor, 2013). Extracting natural gas from the ground is a complicated and expensive process. The gas is odorless and colorless requiring extra precautions. Extracting the gas from deep underground decreases the pressure in the reservoir and decrease in pressure might cause sinking of the above ground affecting ecosystem, water and sewer systems, water ways, foundations, etc. The process used to release the natural gas from low-permeability reservoir is called hydraulic fracturing or "hydrofracking". Water is forced inside the shale to release the natural gas which breaks or fracks the shale for releasing the gas. Sand and chemicals are added to the frack fluid for reducing friction and combating corrosion. It is a challenge to deal with fracking fluid (Cathy Proctor, 2013). (c) Transportation The reserves of the natural gas in the US are primarily located in Texas, the Gulf of Mexico, Federal Offshore, Alaska, California, and North Dakota and fortunately most of them are close to either major cities or... This essay stresses that the major sources of energy in the United States are fossil fuels like oil, natural gas and coal which are used for generating electricity, driving cars and other vehicles, running industries, etc. The fossil fuels are non-renewable sources of energy which constitute for major consumption while renewable sources such as solar energy or wind energy contribute marginally to the total energy consumption in the United States. This paper makes a conclusion that extracting natural gas from the ground is a complicated and expensive process. The gas is odorless and colorless requiring extra precautions. Extracting the gas from deep underground decreases the pressure in the reservoir and decrease in pressure might cause sinking of the above ground affecting ecosystem, water and sewer systems, water ways, foundations, etc. The process used to release the natural gas from low-permeability reservoir is called hydraulic fracturing or "hydrofracking". Water is forced insid e the shale to release the natural gas which breaks or fracks the shale for releasing the gas. Sand and chemicals are added to the frack fluid for reducing friction and combating corrosion. It is a challenge to deal with fracking fluid. natural gas can help in solving some major environmental issues like Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Smog, Air Quality and Acid Rain, Industrial and Electric Generation Emissions, Pollution from the Transportation Sector - Natural Gas Vehicles. Etc.

Supply chain management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Supply chain management - Essay Example The supply chain is defined as the activities linked with the movement and alteration of commodities from the lowest stage to the consumer’s stage. Supply chain does not have much difference hence this made the organizations start the tendency of depending fully on suppliers to enable them execute their duties efficiently. However, any organization can fit to be part of supply chain. Supply chain management needs a clear management hard work by the involved organizations in supply chain. For supply chain management to be successful, the companies involved must implement on the enterprise-to-enterprise perception (Mentzer, 2001). Top management is the most significant constituents when one or many companies is attempting to inject a new idea in the market, for example, a new product or a program. Because top management are essential in SCM and they have the ability to identify crucial resources that fit supply chain ventures, due to these, the company has the power to restructure and create policies to help both organizational objectives. Recent research specified that top management often acknowledge the existence of SCM, and the commitment features only once in three organizations. Hesitation to SCM commitment may arise when the top management uncomfortable with its client’s strength in the supply chain, these factors lead to their success in the market. What creates these difficulties are the challenges in global supply chain which include economic differences, technological differences, cultural, logistical and spatial differences, these factors have their different impacts hence globalization supply facing difficulties. For instance, global supply chain expounds into longer and are more unpredictable, there might be delays during shipment, which creates increment of the client’s demand, for example, what

Comparison & Contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparison & Contrast - Essay Example ertain issues, he is mostly talking in general terms, on the other hand Harper lays out a clear plan as to what his party intends to do when it comes into power. It is important for political parties to explain just what they intend to do once they come into power and how they will go about achieving it, as well as mention what they have done in the past, this instils confidence in the voters that they are ready to run the country, as well as shows the commitment of the political party to the voters. The fact that a political party is not only committed to gaining power, but is sincere about working for the people should be made apparent to the voters as much as possible. When the leader of a political party simply talks in general and vague terms, the voters may feel disappointed because they do not find any solution to the problems that they face and they do not feel that their issues are being taken seriously. On the other hand, when it is shown to them just how serious the politi cal party is, by illustrating not only past performance, but also insistence on mentioning the party platform again and again, it shows the voters that the said political party and its leader are seriously considering the solutions to the problems the citizens face, be they economical or social. When it comes to explaining the steps that would be taken by the political party when it gets elected, it is easy to incorporate the message in campaign speeches. Interestingly enough, both leaders also agree that there is a need to bring Canadians closer and to build bridges between people. However, again, Layton is vague about how his party would accomplish it, even though he states his party is â€Å"ready for this change†, Harper is clear that it is high taxes, high spending, high unemployment, and high mortgages that creates resentment and divisiveness in the public. Interestingly, here Harper does not rely on any evidence to back his claims up. But on the other hand, he does lay out, and in quite a lot of detail too, how his party would achieve a more cohesive Canada – by keeping the taxes low and by creating more jobs. It is noteworthy that when a political party has not only planned a policy, but has also been running it with success, the voters have more confidence in it. Harper lays out the means through which the jobs will be created. The latter mentions the Economic Action Plan that his previous government has implemented and which resulted in job creation before and, thus, proven its worth. It is ingenious of Harper to use the success of his Economic Action Plan as a bid for reelection, because the people have seen the fruits the plan has borne, and, thereby, would be more amenable to his stance than that of others who have not laid out any concrete plans. It is also a good strategy to mention all the pamphlets and other written material available that will keep the voters more informed as well. Harper, in

Health and Quality Care Administration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Health and Quality Care Administration - Essay Example Customer focus contributes to CQI because it emphasizes on the satisfaction of the customer in assessing the performance of the institution. The customer usually has high expectations of quality in healthcare service, and focusing on them in order to measure the performance of an institution is a sure way of establishing CQI. In order to assist in establishing CQI, systems view takes into consideration the entire system or process that gives the service or affects the results in the CQI process. It takes a holistic view of the system and determines where improvements need to be made in order to reach CQI. Data driven or evidence-based analysis contributes to CQI in the sense that it focuses on objective data in order to establish the status of the institution. It focuses on what the institution actually did or did not do to assist or deter it from establishing CQI. Implementer involvement takes into account the executors and owners of the system in order to understand the delivery of services. Through this element, the people involved in the implementation of the system are assessed on their role in reaching CQI. In establishing CQI, multiple causation takes into account all possible causes of phenomena seen in the institution. Through this element, it is possible to determine the causes of problems in an institution in order to ultimately avoid encountering these same problems in the future. Solution identification helps establish simultaneous improvements to what would have been independent functions in the system. Through solution identification, problems in the implementation of quality healthcare services which normally are diverse and independent of each other are addressed and solved as related items. In process optimization, precedents in the delivery of services are disregarded. Through this strategy, CQI is achieved because it

Comparison & Contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparison & Contrast - Essay Example ertain issues, he is mostly talking in general terms, on the other hand Harper lays out a clear plan as to what his party intends to do when it comes into power. It is important for political parties to explain just what they intend to do once they come into power and how they will go about achieving it, as well as mention what they have done in the past, this instils confidence in the voters that they are ready to run the country, as well as shows the commitment of the political party to the voters. The fact that a political party is not only committed to gaining power, but is sincere about working for the people should be made apparent to the voters as much as possible. When the leader of a political party simply talks in general and vague terms, the voters may feel disappointed because they do not find any solution to the problems that they face and they do not feel that their issues are being taken seriously. On the other hand, when it is shown to them just how serious the politi cal party is, by illustrating not only past performance, but also insistence on mentioning the party platform again and again, it shows the voters that the said political party and its leader are seriously considering the solutions to the problems the citizens face, be they economical or social. When it comes to explaining the steps that would be taken by the political party when it gets elected, it is easy to incorporate the message in campaign speeches. Interestingly enough, both leaders also agree that there is a need to bring Canadians closer and to build bridges between people. However, again, Layton is vague about how his party would accomplish it, even though he states his party is â€Å"ready for this change†, Harper is clear that it is high taxes, high spending, high unemployment, and high mortgages that creates resentment and divisiveness in the public. Interestingly, here Harper does not rely on any evidence to back his claims up. But on the other hand, he does lay out, and in quite a lot of detail too, how his party would achieve a more cohesive Canada – by keeping the taxes low and by creating more jobs. It is noteworthy that when a political party has not only planned a policy, but has also been running it with success, the voters have more confidence in it. Harper lays out the means through which the jobs will be created. The latter mentions the Economic Action Plan that his previous government has implemented and which resulted in job creation before and, thus, proven its worth. It is ingenious of Harper to use the success of his Economic Action Plan as a bid for reelection, because the people have seen the fruits the plan has borne, and, thereby, would be more amenable to his stance than that of others who have not laid out any concrete plans. It is also a good strategy to mention all the pamphlets and other written material available that will keep the voters more informed as well. Harper, in

Popular Places in Shimla Essay Example for Free

Popular Places in Shimla Essay Dear Sebastian, I had a wonderful time visiting Shimla, the summer hill station of India, which has a number of appealing attractions. It is located in the lower ranges of the Himalayas and is enveloped with oak, deodar, pine and rhododendron forests. Shimla is an old town and has beautiful colonial structures, quaint cottages and charismatic places to go for walks. The town also has delightful means of entertainment, shopping and sports. The highest point in the area is Jakhop Hill which provides a breathtaking view of the entire city. Glen forest a charming place for picnics and the Shimla Summer Hill is a quaint place to go for peaceful and refreshing walks. There is a beautiful water fall by the name of Chadwick Falls within the thick forests while Prospect Hill which is close by, provides for the perfect picnic outing. The most beautiful structure in Shimla is the Institute of Advanced Studies which was previously the official residence of the Viceroy of India during British rule. There are several temples in the area such as Sankat Mochan, Tara Devi temple and the temple of the Tibetan Goddess Drolma. The Himachal Pradesh State Museum houses a rich collection from the entire state. The town is indeed very pleasant and is quite huge for a hill station. The hill station presents the visitor with charming and unique glimpses of the fast vanishing colonial charisma. The Mall, buildings and picnic spots remind one of the time when this town was the summer capital of the British in India. The centre of all activities whether it is commercial or cultural is the Mall which provides a magnificent reminder of the colonial culture. The place is beautiful and is worth the pains for you to visit and experience the same joy that I experienced. You need to carry light woollens as the temperature is quite low even during summers. If you wish to go for a trekking expedition you can carry your camp kits and clothing that can sustain the rough and hectic routine. Best wishes John Works Cited Popular Places in Shimla, http://shimla. com/Places/index. htm, Accessed on 2

Design and Construction of Liquefaction Tank

Design and Construction of Liquefaction Tank Chapter 3. Methodology As mentioned in previous chapters, the objective of the project is to design and construct a liquefaction tank to be used during geotechnical engineering lectures and laboratory sessions to demonstrate the liquefaction phenomenon fundamental concept. Existing liquefaction models The liquefaction demonstration tank is not anything new. In fact, it is a classic in a geotechnical engineering program. This demonstration experiment tends to leave a lasting impression on the students mind. It is easy to find numerous figures and pictures of a basic quicksand model. For example, Holtz and Kovacs (1981) demonstrate a conceptual design diagram of a liquefaction tank, as shown in figure 3.1. The model consists of two tanks. The water tank is at the bottom and the top tank contains sand. A pump is used to pump the water from the bottom tank into the sand tank, creates the upward flow in the quicksand tank. Flowing through the porous stone layer at the bottom of the sand tank, the upward water pressure is distributed evenly over the entire base of the sand layer, keeping the porewater pressure constant throughout. Number of piezometers is installed directly onto the sand tank at different level, which enables water heads within the quicksand tank during the experiment t o be observed and readings to be taken. From the literature research, there are two existing quicksand models built at other universities, pictures of which are obtained. Essentially, the concept is similar in both tanks. There are two separate containers, one on the top contains sand specimen and a tank with water at the bottom that will be used to fill and drain the sand tank into. Figure 3.2 shows the model at the University of Illinois which is very similar to the diagram in figure 3.1. The other liquefaction tank shown in figure 3.3 is built at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Instead of using pump, a standpipe is used to create and control the upwards flows in the sand tank. Also the piezometers in this model are installed on a separated board. Using flexible tubes, they are connected to valves installed at the side of the tank. A dial-gauge used to measure the vertical settlement of the object on top of the sand mass when it liquefies. Design of the model After evaluating all of the existing liquefaction models, an outline drawing including all dimensions and key features was drawn as shown in figure 3.4. The main concept of the model is kept the same as those existing models. Utilising a hydraulic bench to contain water and support the sand tank, pump and water tank is not be needed. As for the liquefaction tank, there are numerous requirements that its design has to meet. First all of the tank, measured 500x500x700mm, must be make strong enough to support the pressure created by the sand and water mass (about 200kg) in side. It also needs to be made water proof to prevent water from leaking out. One of the important requirements is that the tank must be transparent enough to enable a clear visual of the sand and the phenomenon happens in site to be observed. Taking all consideration into account, the sand tank is made out of fabricated Perspex panels glued together using impermeable glue. Similar to the model at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, five piezometers are installed on a separated board and connected to the tank using flexible tubes. This enables the model to be moved around safer and easier compared with rigid piezometers installed on the tank due to the significant height required. The tank also has two valves one on side acting as the inlet and out let, which helps to control the upward flow inside the tank. An overflow tube also is incorporated at the top. At each tube and valves connections, filter is used to prevent the sand particles from leaking out. Inside the tank, there nine plastic cylinders placed at the bottom of the tank to support the mass. The sand will sit on a layer porous stone of 40mm thick which contained by 2 layers of metal meshes with drilled holes. This allows the upward water flow to be distributed evenly over area of the sand mass base. Layers of geotextile are placed between the stone layer and the sand layer, which effectively stops the fine particles from leaking down to the porous stone layer. The sand was filled up to the height of the fifth piezometer which made up a total thickness of 430mm from the metal mesh base. The sand tank is placed on top of the hydraulic bench. There is also a steel frame support to be made in the future to secure the tank to the bench, enables it to be moved around safely. Based on these drawings, with the assistance of our departmental senior technicians, the tank was constructed as shown in figure 3.5. There is a small modification to the design, which the valves are not connected directly onto the side panel but through a thick layer of Perspex prevents any crack to occurs at the connections. Similar to the model at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, a dial gauge attached to a steel bar place over the top of the tank, is used to measure the vertical settlement of the model. A metal string helps to secure the structure model to the steel bar, which enable the model to be taken out of the tank easily after completely sinking into the sand mass. Testing materials Porous stone layer As described in the final design of the model, there is a porous stone layer with a thickness of 40mm placed between the sand and the mesh support. For this project, 10mm concrete aggregate was used to make up this stone layer. A sieve analysis was carried out on a 1 kg of sample to determine the grain size redistribution of this type of aggregate. Leighton Buzzard sand Once constructed, the model was used for testing liquefaction resisting performance of number of different type of structures. For these tests, Leighton Buzzard Sand fraction C was used. This was supplied by the David Ball Group, Cambridge, UK, confirming to BS 1881-131:1998. After performing number of classification tests namely maximum and minimum density and sieve analysis on the 0.5kg sample, properties of the sand were determined as follows. Specific gravity of the Leighton Buzzard Sand fraction C was 2.65. Minimum and maximum dry densities were 1.40 g/cm3 and 1.68 g/cm3, respectively. These are value corresponding to the maximum and minimum void ratios which were calculated as 0.89 and 0.58, respectively. More than 80% of the coarse sand particles, which are rounded and mainly quartz, are between (around) 300 ÂÂ µm and 600 ÂÂ µm which meets the BS 1881-131:1998 standard. Resisting structure models For this project, three small models with similar weight were made, representing three different foundation designs as shown in figure 3.6. All three models have same shape, weight and made of the same materials. Table 3.1 shows the dimension and weight of the models. Models A represents pile foundation for high raise buildings and large infrastructures. Model B represents a typical mat foundation which is a shallow foundation for small and medium houses and apartment buildings. Model C acts as the control which is just a standard block structure without foundation. Testing procedures To enable a comparison of the performance of the different types of foundations, the liquefaction tank was used to create the quicksand condition, in which the model placed on top of the sand surface, starts to sink down when the top sand layer liquefied. As mentioned in the literature review, there are various factors that can influent the liquefaction susceptibility namely soil particle grain size, upwards seepage and level of compaction. For this experiment to be accurate, all of the above parameters were kept approximately constant from one test to the other. The same sand, Leighton Buzzard (fraction C) was used in all three tests. Initial water level within the tanks as well as the flow rate controlled by the inlet valve with also was kept the same. All nine supports were placed at the bottom of the liquefaction tank, followed by the metal mesh and the qeotextile layer. A 40mm thick layer of cleaned concrete aggregate was put on top of the geotextile and slightly compacted. Another layer of geotextile and metal mesh were put in before pouring the sand in. The sand were poured into the tank and compacted evenly in three layers. Once the model and the dial gauge were installed on top of the tank, the experiment was ready to run. While the outlet was completely closed, the inlet valve was opened to allow the water is pumped in the tank creating an upward flow, hence the change in pore water pressure between the sand particles and the increase in the water level in the piezometers. Hydraulic heads reading from the piezometers at different levels were recorded periodically and later on used to determine pore water pressure inside the tank. As predicted by the theory, as the inlet, valve 1, is opened to let the water to flow in, the h ead at the bottom of the sand layer will gradually increase and eventually to a sufficient value which can cause the sand to liquefy. The upward seepage forces will balance the downwards gravitational forces created by the sand mass. Hence rendering the shear strength of the sand to zero, any structure/object placed on top of the sand surface will sink in gradually sink into the sand mass. The whole procedure of the test will be recorded using a digital camera for reference when analyzing the data. As can be noticed form the figure 3.5, a small amount of blue dye was added to all five piezometers, to enhance the visibility of the water level inside the tube, especially when taking pictures and video. This can cause the non unity density of the liquid inside the whole length of the tube and result in the inaccurate measurements of the heads in the tank. However, since the amount of dye is minimal and taking the non unity of the water inside the tank, it is assumed that the head represented by the piezometers is approximately same as the head inside the tanks. In fact, this can be shown in figure 3.7, where inlet and outlet valves are closed, the water level inside the tank is stationary. The different in heads caused by the non unity of the fluid can hardly be seen in all five piezometer. Data collection Liquefaction is a phenomenon that tends to occur very quickly. Therefore manual readings taking from all five piezometers are difficult and not very accurate. For this project, a digital camera was used to capture pictures at interval and record a video of the whole experiment. From the reading of the piezometers, porewater pressures at different level inside the tank will be calculated during the whole experiments. From these data, graph of settlement against porewater pressure will be plotted for each experiment. Since all other parameters were kept constant from one test to the other, excepts for the type of foundation used, therefore difference between graphs will enable a comparison between the different type of foundation to be drawn.

A Study on Effects of Different Levels of Aloe Vera Gel as an Alternati

According to the results obtained on feed intake in different periods, it can be seen that the Aloe vera groups have the highest level of feed intake compared to the control group and this leads to increased body weight gain in these groups in comparison to the control group. Olupona et al. (2010) reported increased feed intake in groups which were treated by Aloe vera gel solved in water (15, 20, 25, and 30 cm3/dm3) as body weight gain rose. Similarly, the present study shows increased feed intake in the 2-percent Aloe vera gel with raised level of body weight gain. Increased feed intake in Aloe vera groups can be attributed to changes in feed taste and stimulated appetite since, as reported by Windisch et al. (2008), phylogenic substances (as additives to birds’ feed) can improve taste of diet. Furthermore, Wenk (2002) argued that herbs can stimulate appetite and endogenous secretions which, in turn, improve grower performance. on the other hand, our experiments showed that Aloe vera groups consumed more feed compared to the antibiotic groups both in the grower period (days 25 to 42) and during the total experiment period (days 0 to 42). Guo et al. (2004) observed that food consumption level in chickens treated by Chinese herbs added to their diet was higher than this level in chickens fed by viriginiamycin mixed with their food. In general, increased body weight in different periods show larger body weight gains in the antibiotic groups compared to other groups. Among the experimental groups, the 2-percent Aloe vera group had better body weight gain compared to other Aloe vera groups and the control group, showing no significant difference from the antibiotic group. On the other hand, findings obtained in studies on treatment... ...nd viral infections (Sohn et al., 2000). Other researchers reported properties in herbal medicine which are similar to those of prebiotics (Verstegen and Schaafsma, 1999; Cummings and Macfarlane, 2002; Guo et al., 2004). By definition, prebiotics are dietary supplements in the form of nondigestible carbohydrate that favor the grower of desirable microflora in the large bowel (Gibson and Roberfroid, 1995). Since the main polysaccharide contained in Aloe vera gel is acemannan, the enhanced body weight gain in groups treated by Aloe vera compared to the control group may be attributed to antibacterial properties of Aloe vera gel which can improve intestinal microflora. Furthermore, the acemannan contained in Aloe vera gel can stimulate immunosystem and improves body resistance against bacteria and viruses; and this, in turn, improves grower and body weight gain.

The Reality of Divorce in American Society Essay -- Divorce Marriage R

The Reality of Divorce in American Society As with most life transitions, divorce can be liberating, depressing, frustrating, or traumatic to any person who experiences it. Perhaps the most painful part on the process of divorce is when the children get involved and when they all get trapped in the situation. These children may suffer significant losses in their lives and unless the situation can be handled in a civil manner, they will become prone to the psychological torment that could affect them for the rest of their lives. The issue of divorce however is becoming more and more intense since for the past ten years the divorce rate in the United States has skyrocketed to a record high of almost fifty- percent. It is also believed that the divorce rate in the United States is the highest in the world and the reason for this are primarily the ever-changing role of the husbands and wives in their household, early marriage, infidelity, extra marital affairs, domestic violence, financial instability and psychological incapacity . The issue of divorce is not only the main problem in the American society of today. The custody issue on who is going to gain the right to take care of the children wholly is also a tough one. For the past decade, divorce and the custody battle have rapidly become a significant life event for perhaps millions of Americans each year. â€Å"There were more than two million divorces each year, affecting 3 million adults and more than two million children (Thompson, Parting 18).† Thus we can prognosticate that the American family of today is definitely ill and is in great need of a revival. The first and probably the most important step in order for couples to have a solid relationship is education. Education is the key to lowering divorce rate. Divorce is one of those issues where private and personal behavior exacts a huge public cost, â€Å"but because divorce and marriage are such intensely personal issues, most citizens are loath to support any program that injects government into the process (Uncoupling 223).† We share the view that new laws or public programs cannot solve this crisis. However, it seems equally clear we cannot sit idle as divorce ravages families and society. Couples who are planning to get married should somehow take a step in advance to learn about the process of marriage and the circumstances that surround it. The... ...use for this emotion. Another negative and most common feeling that arises is that of distrust. Trust is a two-way street. Both partners must not only trust, but also be trustworthy through sharing experiences with one another. Marriage is a very joyful event in a person’s life. However, unless much can be done in order to redefine the status of what marriage is all about, divorce and other marital problems will continue to arise tremendously. Divorce is tumultuous event in a married couple’s life. It does not only affect the financial status of the household, but rather it also affects the people that comprises the family especially the children. Families are experiencing many problems today, but the role of divorce in this picture has been frequently overlooked because its destructive effects have been subtle, yet insidious. When the divorce rate increased in the 1960s, few would have predicted its dire consequences three decades later. Yet divorce has changed both the structure and the impact of the family. Intimacy, time, effort trust and love is the key to have a peaceful and healthy relationship. Marriage for life is God's ideal, but divorce is a reality in our society.

The chief object of satire in ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ is Gulliver himself

Frequently, at the time of writing, literature was used as a political tool. It was used to send messages, make people think, and to make subversive criticism of monarchy, political parties, or religious factions. To do this effectively, the author uses much satire and irony throughout the novel. The whole of Gulliver's Travels is ironical. The Englishman in the strange land surrounded by miniature beings is no more than an outsider. In the first book, the reader sees themselves as one of these miniature beings. In the second book Gulliver is overwhelmingly human, with human weakness, distorting the truth, and human strengths, the positive oration. In the last book the situational satire moves beyond our feeling comfortable with it. In this book there is a complete transposition of horse and man. We see a civilisation that is pure and rational. Fraud, deceit, illness, or greet have not influenced it. Jonathan Swift writes of all social injustices and personal discomfort. Often the writing is with biting sarcasm but sometimes with violent explosions of anger, frequently with quiet ridicule. However he does this, the intention is the same and he urges the reader to really think about the effect of these views. The author intends that even the most far-fetched of his characters is meant to remind the reader of human weaknesses; lust, barbarism, pride and conceit. Often, Swift gives the reader direct comparisons. Two good examples of these are the people in the Court at Lilliput and their antics to procure promotion, and the people in the Academy at Lagado and their time consuming and worthless research. As the reader travels through each book the humanity becomes more degenerate and despicable and the reader is left to face himself or herself in the Yahoo, whereas the well-bred horse portrays the superior, sensitive, intelligent and virtuous characteristics. In the world of Lilliput we view with some amusement how meaningless the lives at court are. The ceremonies become silly, the awarding of honours meaningless, and the political differences completely comic when we consider such rivalry over which end an egg is eaten from. The whole ‘seriousness' of Lilliput is reduced to merely a sideshow where the reader sees the action for what it really is; nonsense. An alternative environment, that is Brobdingnag, suggests a complete contrast. The tiny become giants and we see things from exactly the opposite perspective. The close-up pictures of skin, nipples and food repulse the reader and we are left to question how we judge beauty and elegance. Other people become physically unattractive to Gulliver in Brobdingnag, just as he himself became socially and intellectually unattractive in Lilliput. In the former, the characters and ridiculed, in the latter it is a society as a whole which is held up to the ridicule. Ironically, now Gulliver is twelve times smaller, it is his people who are ridiculed by the King of Brobdingnag, just as he, Gulliver, has ridiculed the antics of the Lilliputians. Books one and two reverse the perspectives completely. Gulliver is a Brobdingnagian in Lilliput. Here among miniature men he witnesses their spite and envy. Contrary to this, Gulliver is a Lilliputian in Brobdingnag and witnesses, despite his fears, the generosity and benevolence of the giants. Indeed it is only in this book where Gulliver holds a tender relationship with Glumdalclitch, in an ‘Alice in Wonderland' kind of way. The use of the sizing up and down by a factor of twelve demonstrates the inconsequence of size and focuses us back to the fact that we are what we believe, not how we eat or live in physical term. Only wisdom, integrity, honesty and loyalty are independent of size. In book three Swift turns his attention to these virtues or lack of them. The focus of Laputa is intellectual and cognitive. In book three the reader needs to consider four main areas of satire. Swift attacks the false learning and bizarre research by making the projectors eccentric and obsessive. He uses the oppression of Balnibari by Laputa to remind the reader of Anglo-Irish issues. He refers to unrewarded efforts and political corruption and even the desire for eternal life by using the Struldbuggs. In the fourth book the reader is given a contrast, awful in its extremities. The human Yahoo with its bestiality is compared to the horse-like Houhunhnms who display virtues far above those observed in human society. The satire in this book is aimed at the Yahoos: Swift uses them as a device to explain how awful the human race really is. The comparisons are individual and in political groups. The comparisons are frequently odious, and in some cases indecent. Swift uses all of skills in his power to demonstrate the gross behaviour or the human being. Gulliver himself plays a more prominent part in Books one and two. He is treated ceremoniously and with high regard by the Lilliputians, and with affection by the Brobdingnagians who regard him almost as an interesting pet. The high regard held by the Lilliputians is not seen in book three where the Laputans quite simply ignore him. The only interaction he has in book three is with the academics of Lagardo, and then only to demonstrate the magical understanding these people seem to have of life and logic. By book four, Gulliver is looked upon suspiciously, almost with disgust as he is regarded as a kind of Yahoo. Gulliver is portrayed as an honest, educated man determined to earn a living as a ship's surgeon at sea. He is philosophical about the adventures and mishaps he encounters. He faces the new and wonderful people with genuine interest and relays details refreshingly and without malice. It is Gulliver's attention to detail with gives the reader an insight into the wonderful worlds that Gulliver visits. We see, hear and experience through Gulliver's senses. It is this which helps us to decide very effectively about Gulliver's personality, his likes and dislikes, his joys and fears, his morality and political preferences. Gulliver has a sense of honour; he has left his family in order to provide for them. He is reminded of his oath to the Emperor and feels embarrassed when he is publicly displayed. His respect for royalty is witnessed with his dealings with the princess. Gulliver gently kisses her hand and bends low. This is linked with his sense of patriotism; for Gulliver, England is best. When he explains to the King about England, he tends to ignore the weaknesses of the English system of law and government. We know Gulliver is interested by politics, frequently holding conversations on biased appointments, irrelevant wars and dishonest elections. We also learn he has anti-militaristic views and is especially critical of people who fight simply for money. Yet despite this view we learn that Gulliver himself must have been trained to use hand sword, staff and pistols because he uses all these effectively on his journeys. Gulliver is above all else a good conversationalist, always ready to ask and answer questions, he has an enquiring mind and is keen to learn. This is evidenced by his learning new languages, his ability to make accurate measurements and his interest in history. Gulliver takes easily to all spheres of society, whether it be Emperor or King, tradesman or servant. He is always ready to give helpful advice and help with problems where he thinks it will be valued. If the reader has one criticism of Gulliver, it is that he does not seem to have deep affection for his wife and child. The reader is told in book four ‘I left my poor wife big with child' and when he returns home she kisses him and Gulliver is appalled, ‘having not been used to the touch of that odious animal for many years'. Indeed, he clearly leaves the adventures for a warm relationship with the inhabitants of his stable. About his groom, Gulliver says ‘I feel my spirits revived by the smell he contracts in the stable'. Gulliver is used as narrator; his view is innocent, unemotional, clearly focused and unambiguous. At the same time as the observations we are allowed an insight into Gulliver's (or Swift's) opinions. Gulliver, educated and rational, inspires out confidence from the first. He supplies the reader with detailed observations that add to the verisimilitude of the plot. Generally he portrays the scene in a positive light, and wishes to be perceived in the same way; an example of this is when Gulliver displays his clemency by sparing the ruffians and is commended for his actions at court. Gulliver has impeccable and genteel manners, made laughable by the differences in size in both Lilliput and Brobdingnag. Swift uses Gulliver as an example of a ‘good' human being, but throughout the book we are continually asked to question how good human beings really are. Gulliver horrifies the King with the secret of gunpowder yet is horrified that promotions in Lilliput rely on whether the applicant has gymnastic skills. In Book four it is Yahoo skins Gulliver uses for his canoe not the horse skins in common use by his civilisation. Swift uses Gulliver to deny accusations or to embarrassingly embellish an argument only to give us an even clearer understanding of the human frailties being portrayed. So the ‘innocent' Gulliver is used as a catalyst to allow the reader a deeper understanding of issues. An example of this is clothing, which is all that distinguishes Gulliver from the Yahoo. Gulliver is used to deliver a technique or verbal irony. In Book one, we are told of the Emperor's qualities, all of which are the opposite of George's characteristics. In Book two Gulliver's praise of his country is overexaggerated, and therefore lacks credibility. Very often one seemingly credible paragraph is followed by another, which makes us reconsider what we have already read. This is a particular device in Book four which engages the reader to reflect upon what they have read. An example of this is when Gulliver explains what horses are used for in England, and in doing so, shocks the Houyhnhnms. Gulliver is also used to shock and embarrass the reader. Gulliver urinates and moves his bowels all in graphic detail. He describes his being stripped naked and riding upon one of the nipples of a Maid of Honour. He describes the texture of skin and obscene eating habits in magnified detail and culminates in a graphic portrayal of the yahoos. Swift makes us stop to reflect upon the unspoken natural moments of our lives which link us to animals more than we care to admit. Indeed most readers identify, as Gulliver did, with the Houyhnhnms. This must be the absolute irony, as irony is impossible in the Houyhnhnms' society because ‘the thing which is not' is not meant as a deception. In book four the satirical ingredient is sarcasm and the grey ‘master' frequently uses this. He describes the Yahoo as ‘a sort of animal'.